I read the headline over and over again, my eyes going wide as a sick feeling starts brewing in my stomach. What is this? How can this be happening? My hands tremble as I scan the article, but sure enough, the headline holds. It appears that Nico is engaged to some rich girl back in Greece. How is this possible? There’s no picture of her, although there’s certainly one of my lover, gorgeous and smiling into the camera with his dark hair brushed back. WTF? This can’t be happening.
Yet, the article is clear and Lark’s cell drops from my bloodless fingers before clattering to the floor. All the blood drains from my face as my friend retrieves her phone.
“Petunia, I’m so sorry this is happening,” she says in a low voice. “You have to remember that despite how well these guys treat us, we’re not a part of their real lives. We’re just providing a service to them, and that’s the girlfriend experience. But at the end of the day, we’re just the help, really. Expensive toys to keep them entertained.”
“But—”
“We’re companions,” she says in a stern tone. “Fuckdolls, even, who are paid to leave when the time comes. I’m sorry you had to find out like this because clearly, Nico’s got another life and not only that, but he has a wife waiting in the wings. Who knows? She’s probably been there all along, and was just off cruising the Mediterranean during his dalliance with you.”
The words make my insides burn with shame even as tears roll down my cheeks. How can this be happening? How could I be so stupid? I should have seen this coming from a mile away because of course, I violated the first rule of Sanctum. I let myself believe that a relationship with a client could be real, instead of remembering that it’s all a fantasy.
Not only that, butI’mthe one who’s supposed to be creating the fantasy for a handsome man, and not the other way around. I suppose Nico got the best of me, but where does that leave me now? The answer is all too clear. My role is done, and it’s time to retreat to the safety of the wings, never to meet again.
9
NICO
What the hell is going on? My life is fucking insane and I’m raging like a mad bull. Yet here I am, embarrassing myself, all over a woman too. What’s become of the ‘cool as a cucumber’ Nico Matthews? To be honest, I can’t say.
After all, Petunia and I have been dating for a while now, and I thought it was going great. I ravish her curves non-stop, but we also talk, laugh, and share meals together. Hell, we even went to that flower show together, and trust me, I didn’t want to go. But Petunia begged prettily, and before I knew it, I was holding armfuls of bouquets, trailing behind the sweet girl like a lovesick puppy as she browsed the different stalls.
But then something happened, and I have no idea what the fuck it is. Out of nowhere, the sweet girl just stopped talking to me. She fucking ghosted me! Is that even legal? I swear, I haven’t had a girl break-up with me since the fifth grade, and I have to say that I have no idea what to do. I feel simultaneously hot and cold at once, even as a sweat breaks out on my brow. Fuck!
Calm down, the voice in my head cautions.Stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off because nothing good can come of being impetuous.
Yet, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m storming through the Sanctum compound in search of the woman I love even though she’s made clear that she doesn’t want to see me. My texts go unanswered, she won’t pick up her phone, and she’s pretty much gone awol. Hell, I had half a mind to confront her at Key Largo, but that’s going too far even for me. I don’t want my subordinates to get an eyeful of their boss in a rage over a woman, so at least I’ve had enough self-discipline to refrain from that.
But now, I’ve had enough. Petunia can’t hide forever, and I got a tip from a buddy that she’s at one of Sanctum’s restaurants right now. Immediately, my blood began boiling. Is she seeing another man? Is she entertaining other clients? I’m going to wring that girl’s neck when I finally get my hands on her.
Sure enough, as soon as I step into La Cirelle, I immediately spot Petunia sitting at a table with a handsome man, smiling and laughing prettily at something he’s said. Her brown curls are tossed back, and she’s wearing a tiny, glittery bra top paired with a mini skirt that shows off the creaminess of her thighs. Judging from the hungry look on her companion’s face, she looks as if she’s about to be devoured alive.Fuck!
Without any hesitation whatsoever, I storm over to their table and grab Petunia’s arm to pull her up. She gasps and the dude immediately gets up, his expression enraged.
“What the fuck?” he hisses. “What the hell is your problem?”
“It’s urgent,” I rasp out between gritted teeth. “I’m her brother. It’s a family emergency.”
This is clearly a lie, but I don’t care at this point. Immediately, I drag Petunia out of the restaurant even as she tries to resist.
“Cyrus, I’ll be back,” she apologizes over one shoulder to her date. “Let me just take care of mybrotherhere,” she spits.
Finally, we’re out in the hallway and she hisses again, furiously trying to yank her arm away.
“What is your problem? What are you doing?” the curvy girl snarls. But I don’t care, and merely wrangle her into an elevator before pressing the button for my floor.
“We’re going to my suite,” I say in an ominous tone.
Immediately, Petunia starts pressing the open button, but it’s too late because the elevator has already begun its ascent.
“No, I’m not going. You can’t kidnap someone, and why the hell did you embarrass me like that? Let me go!”
I ignore her as the elevator dings, and then drag her bodily down the hallway before opening the door to my suite and shoving her inside. Immediately, the curvy girl whirls on me, sparks flashing in her eyes.
“What is your problem, Nico?” she demands. “Seriously!”
“What’smyproblem?” I echo with rage rising in my veins. “Why don’t you answer that yourself?”
Petunia lets out a bitter laugh and crosses her arms over her chest as she shakes her head at me. “What ismyproblem?” she narrows her eyes. “Myproblem is that I take my job very seriously and you just made me look completely unprofessional! No amount of money is going to fix that. I mean, seriously, mybrother? You think people are going to buy that?”