“When will you pay my tuition and rent?” she asks without meeting my gaze.
“The Finance Division will issue you a receipt by close of business tomorrow,” I reply, keeping my voice even.
She clasps her hands. “Thanks.”
“I’ll call you an Uber.”
She shakes her head. “There’s already one waiting outside.”
My eyes harden. Phoenix must have ordered it the moment I left the playroom. I’m about to demand an explanation when she rubs at the cuff marks on her wrist.
Last night’s silk ropes had probably been overkill. I have no regrets, but what about her?
She hobbles down the hallway with one stiletto’s heel broken. I make a mental note to buy her another pair and open the door.
Outside, a gray Toyota Prius awaits on the street with its engine running. Sea air fills my nostrils, mingling with her citrus and vanilla scent.
Phoenix sweeps past me across the black-and-white-tiled walkway to the street.
I lean against the doorframe. “Miss Stahl?”
She stiffens. “Yes, sir?”
“Is everything alright?”
“Of course,” she replies too quickly.
I checked in with her last night and asked her for feedback. She’d been sleepy but happy and looking forward to more. I could order her to stay, but she’s clearly in need of space.
“Report to me here next Saturday,” I say.
She stills for four heartbeats—four heartbeats during which I hold my breath, waiting for her reply.
It’s only when she gives me another nod that I exhale.
She slips into the Prius and closes the door without her usual smile or even a wave goodbye.
I don’t retreat into the house. Not when the car pulls out of the road, and not when it turns left out of Sydney Crescent and disappears into Marina Promenade.
It’s impossible to tell if Phoenix has regrets in the harsh light of day or if she needs time to process last night’s debauchery.
ChapterSixteen
PHOENIX
Walking out of a multi-million-pound villa is a near-impossible feat. Especially with a throbbing pussy, a broken stiletto, and the world’s flimsiest raincoat to cover my nudity. But I’m up for the challenge.
Professor Segul’s gaze burns my back as I step out into the tiled path that stretches from his front door to the pavement of Sydney Crescent.
Daylight shines on my face, making last night’s events even more real.
I inhale lungfuls of fresh, sea breeze that clears away delusions of being a sugar baby.
What on earth was I thinking?
The leg with the missing heel wobbles as it hits the floor. I balance my weight on the ball of that foot as I take another step toward the Uber waiting at the roadside.
I’ve got to stay composed.