“It would be a shame if he relapsed, wouldn’t it?” he kissed me again as I tried not to bite his tongue off.
“Steve, what do you want? I’ve agreed to marry you. You’ll become an American citizen-”
“I’ll get you as my wife, the one girl no one could have. To fuck, morning, noon, and night if I wish. To clean my house wearing nothing but-”
I was elated to hear my mom’s voice calling out to us as she walked in with Gretchen.
“Oh, here they are,” Mom gushed as she dropped bags of wine and alcohol on the side. I arched a brow in her direction as Steve smiled at the two women.
“I’m Steve; good to meet you. Wow, you girls don’t look a day over twenty-five,” he teased as Gretchen narrowed her eyes at him slightly.
“Layla, be a doll and stick these in the chest freezer. I need them cold by tonight.” My mom handed me some bags as I peered into them curiously.
“Are we having a party?”
“We are. We have a surprise guest.” She beamed as Gretchen continued to stare at Steve.
“You’re older than I imagined, Steve,” she said quietly, still managing to flash him a smile. “I thought when Layla said she was getting married-”
“I’m twenty-five. It’s not too big a gap, is it, babe?” Steve replied smoothly, gazing at me as Gretchen nodded.
“Well, as long as you are both happy, that’s all that matters.”
Steve pulled me onto his lap, kissing me as he chuckled.
“Tell them about our honeymoon, baby.”
My mom clapped her hands in excitement as she looked at me in surprise.
“I didn’t even know you’d started looking!”
I slid from his lap, picking up the bags as I smiled.
“Yeah, we’re going to Jamaica,” I caught Gretchen’s eye as she gazed at me thoughtfully.
“It’s a beautiful island; what made you choose there?”
I tugged the bags towards the back door as I shot Steve an expectant look.
“Steve knows all about it. I’ll let him tell you while I pop these away for you, Mom.”
Steve nodded, his blue eyes trailing down my body as I opened the door with one hand.
I suppose I should feel lucky. He has money, looks, authority. But instead, I just feel...trapped.
22
ZANE
I smiled as Delia slid her hand onto my thigh, squeezing slightly.
“We are so in love. I mean,lookat him. He’s just beautiful,” she gushed, gazing at me through heavily made-up eyes. Inwardly I sighed, reminding myself this was just a job.
“Well, Marty isn’t going to like it much. He’s a lot younger and prettier than he ever was!” roared her friend, her eyes running up and down me appreciatively.
Delia shrugged, knocking back her millionth glass of wine. She was around thirty but looked much older. She was having a break from her cheating husband and had paid handsomely for my company this evening. We were in a hotel room if you could call it that. It was more of a suite, covering the entire top floor. Marty, the husband, was a rotund man with beady eyes who hadn’t stopped glaring at me all night. My job was to make him jealous after she reassured me he wasn’t violent.
“I need the bathroom. Come, Zane,” Delia whispered, pulling me to my feet as Marty turned puce. I followed her to the bathroom as she locked the door behind us, smudging her lipstick slightly as I leaned against the wall.
