ey's

ride was

o d

o h

only stable thing in a world that had suddenly

refused t

cheek pressed to his chest, breathing in his

me, I wasn't drunk, but

g. His heartbeat was steady at first, strong and almost reassuring.

of us sai

nto him, and I couldn't explain why. It was like... m

opened, silent and waiting. Inside, the walls gleamed, cool metal and soft gold

endlessly beneath our feet. Chandeliers glowed like f

t for some unknown reasons, I cling to

his arm firm around m

s not the heel

under my skin, burning low and ho

ed the s

he moment the door clicked shut behind us, m

ime, he did

slipping under my palms as I pushed closer. I could feel him tr

as pleading for, but I

ease

as dark, and dangerously lo

his shirt, head til

breathed, aching and c

, as if he had been fighting

can," he said with

...I mo

en we c

h to

t to

arved and just discovered

f my head as his mouth claimed mine, not softly or

e, searching, as if somethin

radiating heat and steady control. B

el every part of me at once. Like he couldn

ket hit

els we

ps neve

that hazy place where time slipped and th

this kind of wanting, and being want

grazing, tongue stealing every s

e skin. A moan slipped ou

, just fo

eyes

ost confused, like he was

't sure

everything

us, his hands moving over me, my

ething I should hav

ling, and together, we lo

IN THE M

ey's

ght hit my

. heavier, everything ached in places I couldn't quite name an

bli

h, crisp, probably Egyptian cotton. The fragrance that

ushed in like a

e c

res

re in m

t... but whose body I knew in

y chest, revealing my round perky b

was

to the eyes of a stranger I'd given myself to last nig

g on the table, whi

che

not of dread in my stomach. The robe I was wearing must h

d at me like a s

ithout any amoun

t the bottom. Micha

s temporary, be my girlfriend for public

ared

caught in

rned in my chest, embarrassme

as what I

ttable... t

or cash. That I could be bought, like one of those women who lingered

to build i

and again, until it was just bits of

opened b

y knew wh

iar scent

w, calm, amused. "

my veins. "You think that night g

furiatingly calm. "You were the

uched me

egged f

shame, fury, heat. "Bec

Just for a second. A flicker of someth

wasn'

ite, shoving the torn c

And you sure as hell don't get to buy me li

rn pieces before

as filled w

door, barefoot,

Next time you try to buy someone, Michael G

ut of his suite. Head held

my

y too fast for a