spell out what
he should have already known? It wasn’t atypical for her clients to spin little
stories in their heads as to what was going on between them, but when all was
said and done, they returned to reality. “You pay me to enjoy your company.”
To her surprise, he didn’t react at all but kept looking right at
her. “You’re telling me you don’t enjoy my company at all? I don’t believe
that.”
As usual, unable to find her own words, she drew on someone
else’s. “ ‘I get paid to make men believe what
they want to believe.’ ”
Trey narrowed his eyes, and Lilith swore for a moment he was going
to call her on her line. “So what you’ll have me believe is that every minute
you’ve spent with me—when you laughed, when you listened—every single thing was
an act.”
Lilith had to turn away. She felt sick to her stomach, like she
was going throw up any second. “I’m not saying you aren’t the coolest client
I’ve ever had—”
“No, tell me.” She heard the rustle as he got to his feet, and
before she could react, he was in front of her, his hands on her shoulders.
“Look at me.”
She couldn’t.
“Look at me.” His tone was gentle, but no less a command.
She looked at him.
“Tell me to my face. Look me in the eye, and tell me you don’t
enjoy my company.” He paused. “You’re right, Lilith. I’m a very smart man. I
know there’s some bravado to what you do, but until you say the words, right
now, to my face, I will not believe we get along because you’re being paid.”
Lilith opened her mouth.
Tell him it was all a lie. Every minute. Just tell him.
It would hurt him, but he would understand. Maybe all of this
would be over, but maybe that was a good thing, a better thing.
Lilith closed her mouth. Her throat was so dry. It was difficult
to think over the thud, thud, thud of her heart
pounding in her ears.
When she opened her mouth, for the first time in recent memory,
she found she couldn’t lie. “I like you,” she whispered. There was almost no
volume to her voice.
A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips, as though he was
fighting a much broader grin. “Well, good . I like you,
too. Now don’t you think it’s permissible for two people who like each other to
have a meal together?”
For three long, heavy seconds, she glared at him, though she was
well aware there couldn’t be much heat behind the look. Huffing out a breath,
she nodded once. “Fine. You’re a fucking bully, but
fine. Just not today.” There was no way she was going
out in these clothes, and she wasn’t going to let him see her apartment. Besides, she needed to regroup. She was sick of the way
this man made her so damn bewildered. Lilith thrived on what little of her life
she could control, and he was not making it easy.
He pressed his lips together. “Yes, I’m a mean, mean person.
Suggesting lunch is so deviant.”
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Just text me. We’ll eat. Sometime.”
So smooth, Lilith.
She couldn’t get out of his apartment fast enough.
Chapter 12
This is crazy .
Hands on her hips, Lilith looked at her bed. It was covered in
just about every outfit she owned.
Lilith wasn’t the kind of girl who cared about fashion. She
doubted she would have been able to figure out what was considered sexy if
Smith and the other girls hadn’t taught her. More than that, it was very rare
for Lilith to think about her body at all. She looked in the mirror when she
needed to straighten something, but it was a perfunctory glance at best. As
long as what she was wearing fit and wasn’t too full of holes, she wore it. Period.
So why the hell she was so conflicted about her outfit, she didn’t
know. It wasn’t as though there was a wide range of choices. She had jeans in
various colors and T-shirts. She should have known without having to stare at
everything she owned, she wasn’t going to come up with something so impressive
out of nowhere.
Why was she noticing
he should have already known? It wasn’t atypical for her clients to spin little
stories in their heads as to what was going on between them, but when all was
said and done, they returned to reality. “You pay me to enjoy your company.”
To her surprise, he didn’t react at all but kept looking right at
her. “You’re telling me you don’t enjoy my company at all? I don’t believe
that.”
As usual, unable to find her own words, she drew on someone
else’s. “ ‘I get paid to make men believe what
they want to believe.’ ”
Trey narrowed his eyes, and Lilith swore for a moment he was going
to call her on her line. “So what you’ll have me believe is that every minute
you’ve spent with me—when you laughed, when you listened—every single thing was
an act.”
Lilith had to turn away. She felt sick to her stomach, like she
was going throw up any second. “I’m not saying you aren’t the coolest client
I’ve ever had—”
“No, tell me.” She heard the rustle as he got to his feet, and
before she could react, he was in front of her, his hands on her shoulders.
“Look at me.”
She couldn’t.
“Look at me.” His tone was gentle, but no less a command.
She looked at him.
“Tell me to my face. Look me in the eye, and tell me you don’t
enjoy my company.” He paused. “You’re right, Lilith. I’m a very smart man. I
know there’s some bravado to what you do, but until you say the words, right
now, to my face, I will not believe we get along because you’re being paid.”
Lilith opened her mouth.
Tell him it was all a lie. Every minute. Just tell him.
It would hurt him, but he would understand. Maybe all of this
would be over, but maybe that was a good thing, a better thing.
Lilith closed her mouth. Her throat was so dry. It was difficult
to think over the thud, thud, thud of her heart
pounding in her ears.
When she opened her mouth, for the first time in recent memory,
she found she couldn’t lie. “I like you,” she whispered. There was almost no
volume to her voice.
A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips, as though he was
fighting a much broader grin. “Well, good . I like you,
too. Now don’t you think it’s permissible for two people who like each other to
have a meal together?”
For three long, heavy seconds, she glared at him, though she was
well aware there couldn’t be much heat behind the look. Huffing out a breath,
she nodded once. “Fine. You’re a fucking bully, but
fine. Just not today.” There was no way she was going
out in these clothes, and she wasn’t going to let him see her apartment. Besides, she needed to regroup. She was sick of the way
this man made her so damn bewildered. Lilith thrived on what little of her life
she could control, and he was not making it easy.
He pressed his lips together. “Yes, I’m a mean, mean person.
Suggesting lunch is so deviant.”
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Just text me. We’ll eat. Sometime.”
So smooth, Lilith.
She couldn’t get out of his apartment fast enough.
Chapter 12
This is crazy .
Hands on her hips, Lilith looked at her bed. It was covered in
just about every outfit she owned.
Lilith wasn’t the kind of girl who cared about fashion. She
doubted she would have been able to figure out what was considered sexy if
Smith and the other girls hadn’t taught her. More than that, it was very rare
for Lilith to think about her body at all. She looked in the mirror when she
needed to straighten something, but it was a perfunctory glance at best. As
long as what she was wearing fit and wasn’t too full of holes, she wore it. Period.
So why the hell she was so conflicted about her outfit, she didn’t
know. It wasn’t as though there was a wide range of choices. She had jeans in
various colors and T-shirts. She should have known without having to stare at
everything she owned, she wasn’t going to come up with something so impressive
out of nowhere.
Why was she noticing
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