"Then you hide it. Fear makes men like him excited, makes them push harder. They might lose control and become dangerous or even deadly." His hands slide from my throat to rest on my waist. "You have to appear eager, no matter what they're doing to you."
I nod, processing the information while trying to ignore how his touch affects me.
"Do you understand what you're preparing for?" he asks quietly.
"I understand that my life depends on being a convincing actress."
"Convincing these men could be the difference between survival and becoming another casualty of their appetites. Now get up.”
I slide off his lap and stand, smoothing down my robe. The sudden loss of contact leaves me feeling strangely cold.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"You did well. The lesson is complete for today."
"And tomorrow's lesson?"
"More advanced techniques. These men will expect you to know how to please a man properly. With your hands and mouth. Even if you are a virgin." His blunt words make my pulse quicken, but I keep my expression neutral.
"I suppose these instructions will be hands-on training?"
"Whatever it takes."
"Of course." I move toward the window, needing distance to think clearly. "These lessons are getting more intimate."
"They have to be. You think Kozlov gives a shit if you're embarrassed?” His voice is rougher now, the careful control slipping.
I turn back to face him, studying his tense expression. "And you? How are you handling being my instructor for all of this?"
"It's a necessary part of the job.”
"Is it? Because you seem pretty wound up during these sessions."
“You’re imagining things.”
"Tomorrow then. Same time?"
"Nine AM. And Camilla?" He pauses at the door. "Be prepared to learn. Because I won't go easy on you just because the subject matter makes you uncomfortable."
"I wouldn’t dream of it, Renato. But you will be, won’t you?"
Chapter 16: Renato
I haven't slept in days.
Every time I close my eyes, I see her straddling my lap, feel her pulse racing under my hands, hear that breathless whisper when she called me 'sir.' Every time I try to focus on business, my mind drifts to what I have to teach her today.
How to teach her to make men like Kozlov believe she's eager for it.
How to prepare her to pleasure other men while I watch my own sanity disintegrate.
The scotch burns going down, but it's nothing compared to the fire eating me alive from the inside. I pour another and stare out at the lake, watching the morning mist rise off the water like ghosts.
That's what I'll be after this is over. A ghost of the man who used to make decisions based on profit and loss instead of the curve of a woman's throat and the sound of her breathing.
My phone buzzes. Matteo.
"Boss? We might have a problem."
