Page 9 of Cruel Offer
“Let me just take another look at the paperwork your father filled out.”
I pull up the documents on my computer, but I don’t really need to read them. I already have, inside and out. Piper-Lily Barclay was supposed to be my star asset, andhad she gone to auction, she would have made us a mint. It was imperative that I know her information inside and out in order to work with Sebastian on vetting the best candidates to bid on her. The process takes time, and as Sebastian has explained to the rest of us ad nauseum, the better you understand all parties involved, the more successful a match will be.
“Are there any…other options?” she asks hesitantly.
I glance up, amusement twitching my lips. “Besides men decades older than you, or international husbands? Did you magically come into a fortune that I don’t know about?”
She shakes her head, but I already know the answer, of course.
“Then, no. As of right now, there are no other options,” I say.
“Okay.”
Maybe it’s because she’s been humbled by the loss of her socialite status, but this woman is calm, polite, and levelheaded. Not the type I expected at all. I’m well-versed in working with rich people, and their tempers, wants, and expectations usually get in the way, which makes my job harder. But Piper-Lily sits quietly, waiting for me to offer what I can, without complaint or confrontation. Must be all that etiquette training.
“Did your father send you?” I ask. “I’m just curious.”
She lifts her chin again. “No. My parents don’t know I’m here. My decisions will be all my own. I’m an adult.”
“Are you still a virgin?”
Her entire body goes stiff, and her eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
“Your father indicated that you’re a virgin. And I’m wondering if that’s true, or if he simply said that to make you more marketable? It’s not unusual for a doctor to get paid off to write a confirmation of virginity, even when the woman is not, in fact, a virgin.”
Her lips part, then close. “A confirmation of virginity? Is this a joke?”
“Are you, or not? I’m not here to judge you. It’s just part of the package we’re offering. Your answer has no bearing on my willingness to help you.”
Her face pinkens even more. “Yes. I am.”
Turning away from my screen, I nod. “Then let’s keep it that way. It’ll help drive up the bidding during your auction. In the meantime, we’ll train you in all the other ways.”
She looks at me like I’m speaking a foreign language.
“Other ways? What are you?—”
“I’ll be as direct as possible with you, Ms. Barclay. It’s either money, status, or sex in this game—and thanks to your father, you no longer have the first two. Which means that sex is all you have to offer now, to the right buyer.”
4
PIPER-LILY
“This is my offer.”
Mr. Windemere says this on the tail of his last sentence, leaving me no time to interject.
“Six months, exclusive with me. For all intents and purposes, to the outside world, we will be dating. I’ll train you to be the best in everything a man looks for in a woman, specifically in the bedroom. Your family’s reputation and wealth are no longer bargaining chips, so you’ll have to work your other assets as best you can. Are you comfortable with that?”
I nod. “Yes, Mr. Windemere.”
“This is not a relationship, though everyone will think it is,” he goes on. “It’s a work affiliation and nothing more. You will not get attached. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Since our agreement is purely a business transaction, I won’t be monogamous,” he adds, “but you need to be. And don’t worry; I’ll be discreet so as not to embarrass you. We’ll work out the details as we go. Regardless, as long as thingsgo well, I’ll put you up for auction when the term is up. I’ll get you your money, Ms. Barclay. Just make sure you’re prepared to pay the cost.”
Sex, he means.Or I guess every kind of sex that isn’t me losing my virginity.
