girlfriend at this stage could be a foolish move. Rather like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Yet, despite all that common sense reasoning, she still wanted to agree. Quite desperately. It was one thing to say no to his taking candid photographs of her; she’d always hated having her photograph taken. It was quite another thing to say no to more sex with him. Which was what would happen if she refused to become his girlfriend. Jack was not the kind of man who warmed to rejection. He’d probably take back his offer of this job as well.
Of course, she could always make an alternative suggestion...
The idea which popped into her head was truly wicked. But oh so tempting, her heart quickening as the audacious counter-proposal formed in her brain. Hopefully, Jack would agree. Oh, surely he would. He was a man, after all. And what she would be proposing was every man’s fantasy.
Her mouth still dried with what she was about to suggest.
‘For pity’s sake say something, Vivienne,’ Jack finally snapped. ‘You must know how much I detest indecision.’
‘I do too,’ she threw back at him. ‘So, yes, it’s way too soon for me to consider being any man’s girlfriend.’ Especially one who’s already admitted to being emotionally bankrupt, she thought, but didn’t say. ‘I’m not even keen on thinking of us as lovers. You and I both know that love has little to do with what we’ve been doing today. I’m not in love with you any more than you are with me. But there’s no denying I love having sex with you. More than I would ever have thought possible.’
Vivienne could not help but notice this last statement of hers didn’t go down too well. But Jack had claimed he liked honesty and she was only being honest.
‘I dare say you might be shocked by what I am about to suggest...’
‘I doubt anything you say now is going to shock me, Vivienne,’ he said very drily. ‘So suggest away.’
Vivienne buttoned up her blouse then took a deep breath before going on. ‘Firstly let me say I would very much like to do this job,’ she began, waving her hand up at the façade of Francesco’s Folly. ‘But, as you yourself said, it would be impossible for us to work together now without sleeping together. So, for the duration of this project, I would like to become your mistress.’
His head snapped back, his eyebrows arching at the same time. ‘I guess I was wrong. You have shocked me. So, exactly what kind of mistress did you have in mind? The kind who dresses in shiny black leather and carries a whip?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ she retorted.
‘In that case, you must mean the kind I install in a flash apartment with all the bills paid, in exchange for which I get to do whatever I like to you whenever I like to do it.’
‘I’m not that kind of girl, either.’
‘That’s a relief,’ Jack said.
‘I just meant the kind of mistress who’s kept a secret. I don’t want anyone and everyone knowing that we’re sleeping together.’
‘Why not? It wouldn’t bother me if people knew.’
‘Well, it would bother me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it would lead to questions from friends and family that I don’t want to answer.’ Not that she had much of either. But Jack did.
‘You’re worried they might think badly of you,’ he said. Quite intuitively, Vivienne thought.
She stood up. ‘Yes, of course,’ she said. Aside from how soon it was after Daryl, everyone she knew thought she didn’t like Jack. They’d wonder what had come over her. They’d probably think she’d lost it.
Jack frowned. ‘You wouldn’t have to worry about that if you became my girlfriend.’
‘But I don’t want to become your girlfriend, Jack,’ she said, feeling both irritated and frustrated with him. ‘I just want to have sex with you, okay?’
Once again Jack looked none too pleased with her. ‘Okay,’ he bit out. ‘Where?’
‘What do you mean, where ?’
‘Just exactly that. Where are we going to do
Yet, despite all that common sense reasoning, she still wanted to agree. Quite desperately. It was one thing to say no to his taking candid photographs of her; she’d always hated having her photograph taken. It was quite another thing to say no to more sex with him. Which was what would happen if she refused to become his girlfriend. Jack was not the kind of man who warmed to rejection. He’d probably take back his offer of this job as well.
Of course, she could always make an alternative suggestion...
The idea which popped into her head was truly wicked. But oh so tempting, her heart quickening as the audacious counter-proposal formed in her brain. Hopefully, Jack would agree. Oh, surely he would. He was a man, after all. And what she would be proposing was every man’s fantasy.
Her mouth still dried with what she was about to suggest.
‘For pity’s sake say something, Vivienne,’ Jack finally snapped. ‘You must know how much I detest indecision.’
‘I do too,’ she threw back at him. ‘So, yes, it’s way too soon for me to consider being any man’s girlfriend.’ Especially one who’s already admitted to being emotionally bankrupt, she thought, but didn’t say. ‘I’m not even keen on thinking of us as lovers. You and I both know that love has little to do with what we’ve been doing today. I’m not in love with you any more than you are with me. But there’s no denying I love having sex with you. More than I would ever have thought possible.’
Vivienne could not help but notice this last statement of hers didn’t go down too well. But Jack had claimed he liked honesty and she was only being honest.
‘I dare say you might be shocked by what I am about to suggest...’
‘I doubt anything you say now is going to shock me, Vivienne,’ he said very drily. ‘So suggest away.’
Vivienne buttoned up her blouse then took a deep breath before going on. ‘Firstly let me say I would very much like to do this job,’ she began, waving her hand up at the façade of Francesco’s Folly. ‘But, as you yourself said, it would be impossible for us to work together now without sleeping together. So, for the duration of this project, I would like to become your mistress.’
His head snapped back, his eyebrows arching at the same time. ‘I guess I was wrong. You have shocked me. So, exactly what kind of mistress did you have in mind? The kind who dresses in shiny black leather and carries a whip?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ she retorted.
‘In that case, you must mean the kind I install in a flash apartment with all the bills paid, in exchange for which I get to do whatever I like to you whenever I like to do it.’
‘I’m not that kind of girl, either.’
‘That’s a relief,’ Jack said.
‘I just meant the kind of mistress who’s kept a secret. I don’t want anyone and everyone knowing that we’re sleeping together.’
‘Why not? It wouldn’t bother me if people knew.’
‘Well, it would bother me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because it would lead to questions from friends and family that I don’t want to answer.’ Not that she had much of either. But Jack did.
‘You’re worried they might think badly of you,’ he said. Quite intuitively, Vivienne thought.
She stood up. ‘Yes, of course,’ she said. Aside from how soon it was after Daryl, everyone she knew thought she didn’t like Jack. They’d wonder what had come over her. They’d probably think she’d lost it.
Jack frowned. ‘You wouldn’t have to worry about that if you became my girlfriend.’
‘But I don’t want to become your girlfriend, Jack,’ she said, feeling both irritated and frustrated with him. ‘I just want to have sex with you, okay?’
Once again Jack looked none too pleased with her. ‘Okay,’ he bit out. ‘Where?’
‘What do you mean, where ?’
‘Just exactly that. Where are we going to do
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