“Is there anything you’d like to ask me?” She disengaged her hand from his and, in a nervous gesture, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You’re doing this of your own free will? No abusive father or prick of a boyfriend who’ll steal your money?” Hell, her reasons shouldn’t matter. But he wouldn’t forgive himself if she sold her body to give the money to a glorified pimp. He’d heard only good things from House of Alexa, but he had to be sure.
She nodded. “My father is dead, and I have no boyfriend.”
Good. He parked his hand on his belt, his finger gliding over the buckle. “Show me your feet.”
She frowned. “My feet?”
“Yeah.”
She removed one high heel, then the other, and held both sides of her dress, leaving her feet on full display. He bent to see them. When he’d first seen her on stage, besides the obvious rush of adrenaline, he’d imagined what she looked like without shoes.
Did she have red toes to match her mouth? Or unpolished ones as a sign of modesty?
From the delicate arches of her ankles to the smooth area above her dusty pink colored toes, her feet were graceful. An image of her legs wrapped around his torso and her feet over his shoulders flooded his mind.
His rod hardened, and a generous amount of blood raced down his cock. Fuck. He peered up at her and found her gaze intently fixed on his hard-on. He stretched to his full height. “Nice,” he said before clearing his throat.
A quick knock on the door made him turn around and, thankfully, relax. Before he could open the door, Madame Alexa strolled in, followed by Jackie, her assistant he’d met earlier.
“Well? How are we getting along?”
“Great,” Amaya said.
Madame Alexa sized up Amaya, perhaps trying to read her reply and make sure she’d meant it. She cared about what she did, about her…girls? Women? “Good. Mr. Rhodes, do you have any questions? Are you ready to sign your final contract?”
He sucked in a breath, then exhaled. “I have a request. A question that’ll decide if this is a good match or not,” he said in a steady but commanding voice, the same tone he used in the boardroom. Despite his strong need to have this woman in his bed, he needed some flexibility. After all, his work and life awaited him in Greece.
Madame Alexa folded her arms. “Go ahead.”
“Does Amaya have a passport?”
Amaya stepped forward. “Yes.”
He stared at Madame Alexa square in the eye. Determination bolted through him. “Good. She’s coming with me to Greece.”
Chapter Two
“Traveling outside the country is forbidden. I’ve had winners fly to Hawaii or Los Angeles with the girls, but Greece is too far away,” Madame Alexa said, her voice firm.
Jackie nodded behind her, holding her iPad, her gaze darting between her boss and the imposing man before them.
Amaya drew in a breath, the heady sensation from the time she’d seen him so close still lingering. She’d never been petite, but this man made her feel delicate and breakable.
Still, as good-looking as he was…she couldn’t just up and go. What about her brother? Sure, she’d entrusted her good friend Samantha to be Diego’s caretaker and take him to his therapy center for the past couple weeks while she worked double shifts—another reason why she’d become flat broke. As nice and trustworthy as Samantha was, she needed money to pay her bills. Would Samantha agree to watch him for a whole month? If I pay her enough?
“I guarantee I’ll do her no harm. Let me know what you need to allow it, and I’ll provide it,” he said.
Tension crackled in the air, and Amaya could hear her own breathing. Damn it. This had to work—if it didn’t, if she said no, she wouldn’t be put on auction again. That was one of the rules—no repeat auctions, even if the woman was still a virgin. Shiny and new won the race.
Madame Alexa lifted an eyebrow. “A reason. Why take her thousands of miles away when you can do the same thing stateside?”
Amaya tilted her head forward, adamant on not missing one word of explanation. Por favor, Dios. Let this all make sense. Her palms got clammy, and she folded and unfolded her arms, unsure about what to do.
“I’m a Greek citizen with important business in Athens. I can’t stay away from the company for a month. If I do, it’ll be ruined by the time I get back.”
“Why?”
