Dalia waves it off. “I don’t judge. As long as everyone’s a consenting adult. Don’t be embarrassed. Are you going to listen to him, or continue to pursue this because he’s essentially told you not to fuck around with him?”
“I want him even more because he’s told me no, but he had me for dinner last night. If his strokes are anything like the pleasure his tongue gives, he’s right and that I won’t be able to get enough. I felt like I was practically crawling out of my skin today at work. Why did you get me to take this gig?”
She shakes her head with a slight laugh. “I’m starting to wonder that myself. Damn, Declan Daniels has a thing for you. Fuck, why can’t I land me a billionaire?”
“I haven’t landed anything, Doll! He’s avoiding sex with me like the plague.”
“Are you actually upset that he’s warned you and is avoiding you? What if he’s right? What if you let him take your virginity and then you get sprung? You drop out of school to suck him off every free minute and then you don’t get your degree.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” I laugh and take our conversation into our living room, where I pull out my laptop and pop in the flash drive he gave me earlier. I review the notes I have and copies of reports I want to take another look at. I compile the data and eject the drive when I think about my schedule. He wants this delivered to the address he sent, and I won’t be able to take it any other day this week.
Shit.
I hate having to leave just as I’m getting comfortable for the night, but he’s expecting me to do this job. I agreed to do it, so I might as well follow through. I throw on a pair of yoga pants and tank top after grabbing a quick shower and dash into the New York City night.
It doesn’t take me long to get from our apartment on the Lower East Side to an obscenely luxurious Central Park West high rise. I’m nervous getting out of the taxi and wondering if I should send Declan a text that I’m about to deliver my reports.
The lobby of the building has gold accents, marble floors, and a stern looking security guard at the desk. I approach him, pulling out my wallet to show him my ID.
“Good evening. I’m Mr. Daniels’s new assistant.”
“I see you’re here on the approved guestlist, Ma’am. You can go right up.”
I want to ask the doorman if he’s there, but that seems like something he shouldn’t answer. This elevator shoots me to the penthouse floor, where there are only two doors. It seems a bit off considering the building takes up nearly half an entire city block.
After double checking the address to be sure I'm in the right place, I use the keys Declan gave me to let myself inside. The most alluring aroma greets me as I enter the home. There are wall-to-ceiling windows with views of the park and the river beyond it. I can even see New Jersey by just standing in the entryway.
“Well, come in and tell me what you have, Denise.” His voice startles me as I turn to the right and see Declan in the kitchen stirring a pot on the stove. There’s a tumbler glass on the counter with an amber liquid inside.
I approach him with the flash drive already in hand and place it on the counter. I turn to leave when he calls out to me, “Denise, you’re not speaking to me in my own home and that’s rude.”
“You’re right, my apologies. I’m just blown away by all of this. I didn’t know the address you sent me was to your place. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t make much sense if it belonged to anyone else.”
“It could have been an independent auditor’s office or my attorney. So it’s not far-fetched that you wouldn’t assume that this is my home. Would you like something to drink? Shit, wait a minute. How old are you? I can’t contribute to the drunken shenanigans of someone underage.”
“It’s crazy that I can vote and fire a gun, but I’m not allowed to go into a liquor store to buy myself a bottle of wine. I’ll be 21 in June.”
“And you let me corrupt you last night. Why didn’t you say anything last night? You drank the wine.”
I shrug. “It’s not like I’ve never drank before. Do you know that you’re allowed to drink wine by the age of 15 in Europe?”
His laughter fills the large space as he tosses back the drink in his glass. “It isn’t, but I like how people try to use that as a justification to get children drunk.”
“I’m not a child,” I tell him defiantly.
“That much, I’m aware. But it’s even more reason for this not to go any further than it has. It makes me feel dirty, like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“What if I want you to take advantage of me, Daddy?”
His eyes darken as they drop to the floor. Declan takes another deep breath before he goes back to stirring his pot.
“You won’t be satisfied until I take one of the most precious things away from you.”
“My virginity is precious. That’s why I’m giving it to you.”
He groans, running a hand over his face. “You’d rather I drive you crazy than listen to me tell you what’s not going to happen.”
“You don’t know that.”