Page 180 of Powerhouse: Boxed Set
“You thought you were doing a job. You’re done with this job. You don’t go back to Rex.” I wasn’t having the chauffeur take her anywhere. This was a job for the security team. I took out my phone and tapped out a message. “You give the driver the address. He’ll settle the debt and take you home.”
Natalie took in a steady breath.
And burst out crying.
Fucking great.
She cried like she’d been delivered from the gates of hell back to earth. Her tears landed on the money in her hands. Natalie couldn’t let go of it. Wouldn’t put it down.
Cried and cried and cried.
I patted her on the shoulder.
What the fuck else was I going to do?
She kept crying.
I gave her another cursory pat and went into the bedroom. My clothes were going to be enormous on her, but she couldn’t go home the way she was. I went back out into the living room and put a pair of joggers and a plain sweatshirt on the sofa next to her. Natalie hiccuped. “What are those?”
“Do you want to show up at your parents’ doorstep looking like a whore? They’re clothes. You’re in fucking lingerie.”
“Right.” She scrambled up off the sofa and threw the clothes on. Natalie swam in them. She bent to roll up the ankles of the pants, then did her sleeves. She never let go of the money. Not for a second. “So when—”
The elevator tone sounded, and the door opened. Mark, a guy from my security team, stepped inside.
Natalie froze in place, her mouth working. “Are you—” She glanced up at me. “Would you come with me?”
“Jesus, no.”
Her face fell.
“I’m busy.” I forced the edge out of my voice, but it was fucking difficult. “Mark will drop you off at home. Mark, how much do I pay you?”
“Three hundred thousand a year,” he said.
“Are you going to fuck around and not take Natalie where she needs to go?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “No. I will not fuck around.”
“See?” I put a hand between Natalie’s shoulder blades and took her to the door. Then I put a hand under her chin and tipped her face up. “Do not. Ever. Go back to Rex’s.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by getting out.”
They went.
And I was alone with my thoughts. No idea who I was, this person who sent whores home to their parents.
I laughed out loud. Elaine Constantine wasn’t going to change me in a single night. No. She was just going to spoil me for everyone else. I shucked off my clothes from the party.
But Elaine’s scent followed me to the master bath.
In the shower I stroked my cock, working myself fast as I thought of Elaine. That young woman had stared up with pretty eyes, blue and wide. But they weren’t the eyes I wanted. Not the ones that kept haunting every one of my black heartbeats.
I gritted my teeth and stroked faster.
Nobody would ever understand me.
