Well, that answered all of my questions about how much money the guy had.
Answer: More than God.
The elevator whisked me up the side of the building like a rocket and I held onto one of the rails, less so because of the speed of the contraption and more because it was finally sinking in what I was walking into—and the truth was, I didn’t know the half of it yet. I didn’t know what this guy looked like or what he expected of me. If he was totally into the collar thing or if that had been some kind of joke. Maybe he was a nerdy type and was a little interested in trying something kinky that he had never done before. Getting off of that elevator I knew that what I was about to step into was wild and almost completely unknown. The only thing I was certain of was that I was about to walk through the door and meet that man who would rid me of my virginity.
The doors opened and I stepped out onto a slate gray marble floor. The entire foyer was covered in marble, from floor to ceiling, and the furniture that populated the area was covered in a fine white fabric. It was clearly the sort of furniture that no one ever used. There were exotic plants spread around the small room that opened up into a larger living area.
There was no sign of the occupant of the penthouse, so I walked slowly into the main living area, hoping to either be noticed or catch a glimpse of someone. The room was opulent and the ceilings were high. A fireplace was the centerpiece of the room and a small fire was burning there already. I was grateful for that as there was a chill in the air which was normal for early in the spring, but my dress didn’t provide much shielding from that. There was a plate of cheese and crostini set out on a table and a bottle of champagne on ice. I wandered over to check out the label, not that I knew much about a good year for champagne, but I knew what the people who knew things about wine ordered at the bar. What I knew about this bottle was that it cost more than my dress. And maybe the dog collar, too.
“Samara.”
His voice came from somewhere behind me and I turned with a start. The true shock was his face though, one I had not expected to see again, and possibly the last I wanted to see here, now.
Neil Vance.
Chapter 8
“So good to see you again. I didn’t anticipate the circumstances, but life is full of surprises.”
The man was as cocky as he had been the first night I met him, but there was something a little different about him tonight. I couldn’t put my finger on it. How on earth had it been Neil? I didn’t have time to think through the whys and hows now though. I was in this for the long haul.
“Good evening,” I said, playing it cool. I was certain he had read the look of shock and surprise on my face and that he was probably reveling in it silently.
“Thank you for having me here.” I realized how dumb it sounded the minute the words left my lips, but I didn’t know what else to say in the situation. Hey, thanks for paying to take my virginity and saving my little brother’s life. That wouldn’t have worked either, although it was closer to what I was feeling in the moment.
“On the contrary, it’s my pleasure to have you here and I hope it will be yours as well, in time. Why don’t we have a seat. Would you like some champagne?”
“Sure, that would be nice.” And honestly I could take whatever social lubrication he was willing to provide me with. I was going to have to get into the right headspace for this to work at all.
He moved to uncork the bottle and it came off with a pop into the towel in his hands. Pouring us both a glass, he came around to sit beside me on the couch and handed me a glass.
“Here’s to trying new things,” he said with a grin.
“To new things,” I said as we clinked glasses. I sipped the champagne slowly and enjoyed the taste of it on my tongue, trying to get my focus on something.
“Are you nervous, Samara?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t see any reason to be nervous.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodd
ed, but the truth was that my heart was going a mile a minute in my chest and there was a kind of thrill growing inside me. I wasn’t nervous in a way that made me want to run and leave the penthouse—I almost wanted to grab Neil and kiss him right where we sat.
We sipped our champagne and he asked me questions about my life, what I enjoyed doing with my free time, and how I ended up at the club.
“My best friend, she had a job bartending there and told me they were looking for another bartender, so I jumped at the chance.”
Neil nodded and looked me up and down again, his eyes slowly taking in my form. “Did you know what the club was when you first started working there?”
I laughed and that seemed to make him happy. “Well, it was difficult to miss after about the first time I walked in. There was a couple going at it in the pool like I was nothing. Then of course when I started serving I would often end up in some of the alcoves and private rooms, so I got a front row seat to a lot of things.”
“And what did you think of that?” He asked as he traced a finger along the length of my forearm. It sent a shiver up my spine and made my breath catch in my throat.
“It was different…new…exciting.” I could hardly latch on to a word, so distracted by his fingers tracing patterns on my skin.
He nodded and watched my face, taking in my different features. It was slightly unnerving to have him focusing so much intense attention on me.