She sucked in a breath and then released it as if that last sigh dispelled her remaining resistance. “O-Okay,” she said at last. “Okay, yes. I’ll do it.” She dropped her head, eyes fixed on the ground as the fight left her, and a swirl of victory swept through me. I felt my fingers curling into fists as I stopped myself from making another grab for her.
Mine!
I’d won her…she was mine! A slow smile spread, and she glanced up for a moment, looking terrified.
“Sir…?” It was fucking Jane.What now?
“What?” I snapped, spinning my head in her direction. Her face was a prim expressionless mask, but I knew beneath it all, there was disapproval. Fuck that. I didn’t need her approval to do this. My life. My choice.
“Mr. Walker, I believe you’ll need to finalize the contract? With…Ms. Ramirez?” she said demurely. I was pretty sure it was an act. I had no doubt that deep down, my prissy secretary was wishing she was the one signing the contract. We’d already navigated this particular road. As hot as the woman might be, I didn’t fuck my staff. It was just too hard to find a decent personal assistant.
I shook my head and turned away from the suddenly meek redhead who’d just left her mark on me. “Fine,” I conceded, taking a seat at my desk. I glanced up at Sasha. “Please. Sit.” It wasn’t a request, and she obeyed immediately, taking the chair across the desk from me. As if, with the battle over, she was grateful for the reprieve.
“There are some details to attend to,” I said crisply. I’d worked this all out. Everything I needed from her to guarantee that this ran smoothly. The behavior I’d expect from her to ensure that she fit into my world. After all, I had no idea what kind of person I was about to invite into my life. Jane had found her through an escort agency…a hooker, no less.
So why didn’t she just jump at the cash?
Probably hoping to push for more,I thought to myself. I glanced up at her now, where she was sitting, head still bowed, hands clasped on her knees. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Like a penitent schoolgirl. Something tightened in my groin. That would be nice. Naughty girl on her knees with my cock in her mouth—
“Sir,” Jane was dragging me back to the moment, shuffling papers in front of me. I tried not to give an impatient snort. The sooner we got this over with, the sooner I could get her back to my home. In my bed.
“Let’s start with the basics,” I began. “This is a six-month contract. You will live in my home with me for the duration.” She made a small sound, but I kept going. “For this time, to everyone who sees us, you will be my doting fiancée. We met someplace recently, and I swept you off your feet.” I chuckle at the thought. “We’ll iron out the details of the story shortly, and you are to commit them to memory. At no point is anyone to believe that this is anything other than a loving relationship, is that clear?”
“I…um. Yes,” she replied simply.
“I have family obligations that require me to have a suitable partner, and you will do whatever necessary to portray that. There will be interested parties. Many of them. The most important will be my father, who, I assure you, will go out of his way to catch you out. There must be no hint of illegal activity connected to you – Jane has assured me that despite your career choice, you have a clean record. I’m assuming there are no other problems?”
She looked a little anxious as I went on, but said nothing.
“Secondly, you will be stepping into the shoes of my ex-lover, Angelique Delavigne.” I felt my teeth snap as I said her name. “She is a successful international model, and I will expect you to take on similar assignments during our time together. Jane will see to it that you receive invitations from suitable fashion houses.”
“But…” she began. “But I’m not a model. You already said you knew that.”
I shook my head. “You will become one. You have the looks for it. I will enlist a coach. Think of it as an education for when the contract ends.”
Sasha bit her lip and remained silent. I could sense her mulling this over. Six months. It might seem like a long time, but it would flash by in a blink of an eye. I’d learned that myself. Angelique and I had been together for a year, but it felt like mere minutes. And now she was gone.
It doesn’t matter. You’re better off without her,I reminded myself. This was better. This simple, pretty creature in front of me. A rough-cut precious gem for me to polish.
“You will receive payment in three installments,” I went on, stopping as I saw her open her mouth to say something. “What is it?”
“Three…?” She hesitated. “Not all at once?”
“No, not all at once. Will that be a problem?” If it was, I didn’t care. I was the one setting the terms.
She shrugged. “No. I guess it’s fine.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Right. On to the details…” I glanced over the typed pages, looking through the carefully worded lines, then gave a nod. Jane handed the contract over to Sasha, who leaned forward to begin reading. I watched for a minute, seeing her eyes widening, lips parting. She turned a page and then stopped short, looking up at me sharply.
“Is this for real?” she asked. They were the first confident words she’d uttered since consenting to the contract. I gave a curt nod.
“Of course,” I said. “Is there a problem?”
She licked her lips.Jesus.It was a habit that might be my undoing. “It’s just… Um… Well, I see that there are obligatory social events. So, as you mentioned, I am to present myself as your fiancée?”
I nod again. “That is correct. And you will conduct yourself as such. I hope you understand what that means?”
Her eyes were wide. She gave a nod, then stopped. Shook her head. “I… Well, I’m not…”
