“You realize this is totally weird, right? What’s the catch?” I asked, taking a step back.
“There is no catch. The final event is an important ball at the end of the month. After that, you’re free to move on to another job, and I’ll write you a glowing recommendation.”
“So, you want to pay me to date you.”
“No,” he countered, holding up a finger. “You’ll be paid to dance at the club. In return, you’ll pretend to be my adoring date at a few events. One who doesn’t hate me with the force of a thousand suns.”
“You want me to be your fake girlfriend.”
“Something like that.”
“And why can’t you just get a real girlfriend to go to all these things?”
“I don’t want a real girlfriend,” he said. “I have far too much on my plate for a relationship, and most of the girls who are interested in me aren’t after an easy fling. They want my money and my hand in marriage. This way is better for everyone.”
I scrunched my brows. “You do realize this is very strange.”
He shrugged. “No stranger than most relationships. At least we both know what we want to get out of it. No feelings will be hurt, and no one will read intentions wrong. It will have a clear beginning and an end.”
I shifted on my feet. Last night, Asmodeus had basically said I wasn’t good enough to dance at his club. And now, he not only wanted to hire me but he wanted me to date him, too? Nothing about this made any sense at all. And yet…I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“Just so we’re clear, this has nothing to do with sex, right?”
I didn’t know why I was even considering this bizarre deal. A fake girlfriend? To an asshole who thought less of me for a reason he still hadn’t explained? Obviously, I couldn’t take him up on this.
Not to mention, there was a killer in Hell’s Kitchen.
What if it….what if it was him? Surely not.
His eyes flashed with heat, and a strange thrill shot down my spine. “No sex, but a few carefully-timed kisses at public events would not be unwelcome. I wouldn’t want my investors to think I hired a fake girlfriend, now would I?”
“No,” I said flatly, rolling my eyes. “Because that would make you look like a lonely bastard.”
“Careful,” he said with a wicked smile, taking another step toward me. “If you take me up on this, I’ll be your boss. And you wouldn’t want to disrespect your boss, now would you?”
“If,” I said with a smile I hoped looked just as wicked. “You’re assuming I’m as desperate as you are.”
He arched a brow and glanced around. “Aren’t you?”
Ugh. He had me there. Damn him. When would I get another opportunity like this? Leaving Asmodeus out of it, the job was almost too good to be true. It was just a few dates, and I did love to dance. The only problem was…it would only last a month.
Would that give me enough money to save up for an apartment of my own? How long until I could get out of Serena’s hair? Noah’s words echoed in my mind. Serena had worked her ass off her entire life to become a lawyer. If she lost her job because of me…
“I just have one question,” I said, shifting on my feet. “I need to get out of this apartment as soon as possible. Is there any way you can front me some wages?”
Holding my breath, I met his dark gaze. It was a bold request. In any other circumstance, I’d never ask something like this, least of all from a new boss. But nothing about this was normal. He’d asked me to work for him in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend. If there was ever a time to be bold, it was now. The sooner I could get out of Serena’s apartment, the better.
His lips curled, and a strange expression flickered across his face. “I can do one better than that. I have a guest room in my penthouse. You can stay there as long as you work for me, which will benefit our blooming relationship. It will be good for people to see us leaving the building together.”
“Um. Say what now?” Surely I hadn’t heard him right.
“It will be better if you’re in Manhattan, too,” he continued as if I hadn’t said a word. “That way, you don’t have to take the subway home late at night.” His voice dropped to a lower octave. “The streets are dangerous right now.”
Shivers stormed across the back of my neck.
“Yes, theyaredangerous,” I said, boldly striding up to him. “A psychopath is out there killing girls, and you just expect me to move in with you,a stranger? And pretend to be yourlive-ingirlfriend?”
His face turned to stone. “I see. Well, Mia, if you think I’m a killer, then this ends here. My business is built on trust.”
