She efficiently typed something into the computer before responding, “Yes, you’ll be meeting Jewel in the Onyx Room. It’s down the hall and to the right.”
Following the plush black carpet, I went down the hallway that the brunette had gone down. Damn it, Bane. Stop this shit. She’s a fucking prostitute. Focusing on anything but the female, I stared at the red walls. Honestly, I didn’t care what the wall color was, but if it kept me from seeing her again, I’d admire it.
There were two rooms beside each other with their doors ajar; Diamond and Onyx. Keeping my gaze on the walls, I glanced in the Diamond Room. Fuck me, the beauty from earlier sat at a table in the middle of the room, shoulders slumped, fingers knotted in her lap.
The last thing I needed was for her to look up and then be stuck in some fucking eye trance. Quickly, I entered the Onyx Room, took off my dark wool coat, and laid it on the back of the chair. I suddenly felt caged as I paced back and forth in front of the chrome table. The red walls only heightened my anxiety. She was next door … alone.
Taking one deep breath, I forced myself to stop and calmly take a seat.
“Bane?”
A woman with black hair and red tips walked in wearing a revealing outfit with a seductive gleam in her eyes. The last thing I needed at this point was another woman to deal with. At least this woman didn’t have some sort of weird control over me.
“Yes, Jewel Mason?”
She had a raspy, sexy alluring voice, but it did nothing for me since the other woman was occupying my mind. “That’s me. Thanks for coming. Hampton phoned me to tell me you were one of his best.”
I ignored the compliment and got straight to business. The sooner I was done, the sooner I was out of there. “No problem. Hampton briefed me that you wanted me to check over all your security measures.”
Jewel lithely sat in the chair in front of me and pushed her breasts out. No doubt this woman was used to using her body to try and get her way. I’m not sure why she was coming on to me. That shit was a complete turnoff.
“Yes, supposedly, we had a top-of-the-line system put in, but I want to make sure there are no gaps.” She paused and raised an eyebrow. Lowering her voice, she continued. “We have a clientele that requires complete secrecy.”
I acted like I wasn’t aware of what really went on. “For dating?”
Giving me a knowing smile, Jewel didn’t give much away. “Yes.”
“Well, show me the system and I’ll take a look.”
She stood and I followed suit as she spoke. “Perfect. I’ll need you to sign the appropriate disclosures.”
“Of course.”
Following Jewel out of the room, I wasn’t able to resist looking in the Diamond Room. The mysterious woman was gone. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed. That thought bothered me.
Sitting at a desk, I made notes of all the gaps I’d found. This top-of-the-line security system Jewel installed was a joke. A rookie hacker could get in without breaking a sweat. I needed more caffeine before I met with Jewel to disclose my findings. Within thirty minutes I’d be out of here. Heading to the break room I’d been shown earlier, I easily found the coffee machine. It was some fancy machine that gave a person all sorts of choices. Black coffee was the only kind there was in my opinion. I pushed the button on the machine and waited for the coffee to pour.
After today, I was done with this place and Hampton could decide if he wanted to get involved in an undercover prostitution business that catered to the rich. Before coming, I sent him the info but he asked for me to move forward with my analysis of the system.
A few girls giggled as they walked behind me. With my coffee in hand, I turned and nearly ran into the brunette beauty.
“Shit.” I barely managed to keep my coffee from spilling as I cursed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that. I’m Maren. I mean … I’m Candy.” She glanced away shamefully. That voice. Those eyes. The creamy skin that lead to her tits had my dick hardening. And in an instant, the sensations I’d felt earlier returned in full force. Hell, I’d love to taste her.
Fuck.
We needed to stop running into each other. I was almost done with this job which meant I’d be done here. I took a sip of coffee and watched Maren—at least I assumed that was her real name. Candy seemed like something made up for hooking.
Taking a deep breath, Maren met my gaze again. Like many times, my silence prompted people to keep talking to fill the quietness. “Are you looking for a date? I saw you in the lobby earlier.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” I quirked a brow. What was I doing?
Maren flushed and stammered, “Umm—No, I’m not—I mean, I—wait.”
It was evident I affected her like she did me. The only difference … I was able to hide it. Taking a deep breath, she continued, seeming more confident. “I joined today. I wasn’t meaning to overstep any bounds. When I saw you earlier, it surprised me that a guy like you was in a place like this.”
This woman didn’t seem to fit in here. I saw humiliation in the depths of her eyes. “I could say the same about you. Are you okay? I can help if you’re not.”