NERTHUS
Climbing up a long iron staircase, I walk to a higher floor, followed closely by my mysterious hulk. On the floor there are several lounges with decorative curtains on the right side, whereas on the left side there is a wired balustrade that opens up to the dance floor.
“The one in the back.” I turn back to face his smirking face before continuing to walk to the last lounge. There are a few people sitting in it already, but as we arrive they get up quickly, leaving us alone. My adonis sits down on a lounge facing the balcony and beckons me to sit next to him. I sit down, and cross my legs, scooping as closely as possible to him.
“Are you stalking me?” His gorgeous smirk grows as I tease him.
A hostess interrupts us, bringing us something to drink. I take a Caipirinha from her tray, thanking her before I gasp at him.
“You are stalking me!”
“What if?” He asks me before taking a sip from his crystal glass filled with an amber liquid.
I shrug, playing with my crushed ice with my straw. “Nothing. I just hope you have a good credit score.”
My heart risks jumping out of my chest as he laughs out loud. And here I was, thinking that his smile was the most beautiful thing I got to see in my life.
He shakes his head, lowering his gaze and is about to say something as Mr. Blue-Eyes appears in the lounge with a worried expression.
“Boss.” He holds up what looks like an old burner phone and my hulk gets up after pressing a swift kiss on my cheek. Taking the phone out of the hand of his gorilla, he walks away, probably to make a phone call.
Mr. Blue-Eyes stays standing there and I link my fingers, holding my knee. He clears his throat and shifts on his feet, crossing his hands behind his back.
Such a stuck-up.
I bite the inside of my cheek, whipping slightly before I can’t take the awkward silence anymore. “And who are you?”
“I don’t think that you’d need this information, whore.”
I pout my lips nodding and shut my mouth.
But then I think…
“Actually,” I tilt my head, grimacing. “The appropriate term is escort. I stopped being a regular whore a few years ago.” I move my hands in front of me. “So, I don’t care about yours, but I’d appreciate you getting my title right. Thank you.”
The blue-eyed mountain just frowns at me as I compose myself and take my phone out with a sigh.
“Dario.”
“I beg your pardon?” I look up at him, dropping my hand with the phone.
“My name.”
I smile, nodding. “I’m Aria. I guess you will see me around for a little while.”
He nods, shifting his head to his left. “Did he just laugh?”
I look up from my phone to nod once again. And nearly miss the side of his mouth twitching into a smile. He clears his throat again, still avoiding my gaze.
“I guess he doesn’t do it much.”
He clicks his tongue, shaking his head.
I guess this not talking thing is a job requirement.
“I hope you liked hearing it like I did because it will surely happen again.”
He turns his head to me and I flash him a grin, making him finally smile at me as well. As he looks to his side again, he passes his fingers over his mouth and nose, clearing his throat and lowering his gaze. For a split second, I think this is a really strange reaction, but as my hulk appears from behind the curtain, it all makes sense.
“Something the matter?”
He gives the phone back to Dario, who takes it with a shake of his head. “No, boss.”
I chuckle, swinging my foot from one side to another. “I talked too much once again. But I got his name.”
“She really does, huh?”
Dario smiles again, nodding. “Yes, boss.”
He groans, making his way through the lounge to sit back down next to me. After he gestures to Dario to leave, he puts his hand on my knee and takes another sip of his beverage. Pocking my crushed ice with my straw, I try to divert my attention from his touch heating up my skin and attempt to poke him as well.
Figuratively, of course.
“So, show me how good your stalker skills really are.” He turns to look at me intrigued and starts caressing my leg, raising goose bumps while at it. “Did you already find out my address, big boy?”
His low chuckle makes me want him to get even closer. “Not yet.”
“Hmmm…” I look at my watch quickly before reprimanding him. “Nearly 24 hours, handsome. I must say that I’m slightly disappointed.”
His hand goes up to the side of my face and he caresses my bottom lip with his thumb. “All in due time, beautiful.”
I shift my head to bite into the tip of his thumb gently. With a light tug, he gets my face only mere inches away from his. My breath hitches in my throat as I see his eyes fall on my lips.
I’m really not the kissing type.
I never was.
Also, as a prostitute and later as an escort, I don’t like to kiss. I simply don’t. And even if there are just a handful of clients that would want such a service, I know of very few escorts that would actually do it for money.
And I’m one of them.
As I never deemed a kiss to be something special, I didn’t put any meaning into it, if someone wanted to pay me for performing it. I was always surprised by people telling and films showing how awesome a kiss could be. I didn’t think that I was bad at it. Maybe it just isn’t my thing.
But as my hulk has me hanging on a thread, my lips just about to touch his luscious ones, my brain suddenly desires nothing more than for his lips to claim mine.
My nerve endings prickle with desire and I push myself even closer to him. I should keep my cool, waiting for him to make the move, but my desperation grows painfully in my chest. As I scoot impossibly closer, I can practically feel his smirk stretching on his lips.
“So, no work today, huh?”
I nod slowly, not breaking eye contact with him.
“Disappointed?”
His smirk grows and his deep whisper travels directly to my chest, having shivers exploding through my body.
“I have been thinking about claiming your ass since I saw you walk in tonight.”
Oh, God.
Elated like a little girl about him uttering this alluring and hella long sentence, I have to push down the urge to giggle.
“Well… I am not working and maybe… you are not working. So, we are just ordinary people meeting casually and we could see where this goes.”
He chuckles and I flash him a bright smile. “What?”
Shaking his head, he tilts it lightly while he lifts his hand off the backrest to caress my shoulder slowly. As I don’t get any answer, I push further.
“Then… you have been watching me since I walked in?”
He nods, not adding anything to it.
“Did you watch me dance as well?”
He nods again, his smirk growing and I start feeling childish.
“What? Did I dance like a weirdo?”
Shaking his head, his fingers travel down to caress my upper arm.
“You really don’t like men, do you?”
I scrunch up my nose with a giggle. “No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that I have a specific type.”
Captured completely by his intense gaze, I gulp as he asks me, “What’s your specific type?”
I shrug, tearing my eyes away from his to act unbothered.
“Hmmm. Wouldn’t know… Broadly built, tall, dark eyes, squared jaw, angry don’t-mess-with-me-vibes, good in bed, bossy, doesn’t tell me his name…” I flash him a smile as I add lowly, “You know… The typical things.”
“Sounds very specific.” He hums as he leans back in the seat. “Sadly, I don’t fit the criteria.”