Ethan wasn’t sure what to make of it. In all their previous meetings, Vinnie had never appeared so torn—so distracted before. She had always looked nervous, sure, but never had he seen her so out of her element. This was different. Definitely. The way she was sitting so tensed across the desk, a soft frown tugged at her innocent pink lips, as if the world had done something absolutely stupid to piss her off. She almost appeared upset about something, as if he had done something he wasn’t exactly sure about, and now she was silently asking him to figure it out before she broke down. Good Lord, when had he become so attuned to her unspoken emotions? It was beyond him. And that ended up frustrating him even more. He was being ridiculous, that’s all. Or maybe… maybe he was just overthinking. He probably was. But still, something felt off, and he couldn’t help but be concerned. Could it be that she was having second thoughts about their agreement now? Did she no longer want to go th
Vinnie knew she was asking for too much, and, most importantly, she shouldn’t let such things bother her in the first place. Why should it matter if she wasn’t the ‘right one’? What was she hoping to feel if she couldn’t meet his standards and demands? It was all such a meaningless thing now that she thought about it.And yet—yet, she couldn’t stop herself from demanding him to kiss her—to see if she was the right fit and he wasn’t throwing away his money for nothing. If he could really spend a year with someone like her…The truth was that Vinnie didn’t want to be cast aside. She didn’t want to feel hopeless. It might seem like an irrational fear on her part—it probably was—but that was who she was. A girl who was insecure about herself. A girl who didn’t want to be considered any less just because she was unlike others, just because she was lacking somehow.The last thing she wished to happen was for him to realize that she wasn’t worth it, and believe it or not, it would hurt her m
It was a little after dinner when Vinnie’s phone finally came to life.She had been waiting so desperately for a call from Alex since the moment she left the Doyle’s building that now, when his name flashed on the screen of her phone, her hands started shaking and a massive ball of hesitation swelled in her throat.After being restless and uncomfortable the entire day, she thought she would be relieved to finally get a call from him. But to be this nervous, anxious and awkward all at once was not something she anticipated beforehand.Anyway, she managed to move past the nerves that seemed to be gnawing at her. Took a deep breath and told herself to calm the fuck down. It was not the time to stay in her head; her phone was still ringing.Vinnie practically pounced on the phone and swiped to answer.“Good evening, Ms. Hart,” Alex’s familiar voice arrived, and Vinnie thought her heart would almost burst out of her chest. To save herself from embarrassment— as if that could actually happe
“Don’t you think you’re being hasty?” Jackson asked, taking a sip of water before putting the glass back on the dining table. He looked so smug while he said those words that Ethan almost spat out his own sip of wine. Instead, the older brother merely wiped his mouth with the napkin. “And don’t you think you’re being ridiculous? Stop meddling already.” Jackson laughed; he couldn’t help himself. “You’re being so petty. Is she really worth it?” Did she? Ethan wondered. But then he shook his head. No. Vinnie could never be more than what she was. A side thing. A woman he kept around to fulfill his physical needs so he wouldn’t have to waste time finding someone else to casually date and ditch every other week to avoid catching feelings. Ethan considered himself either too old or too busy for a traditional relationship with all its drama and demands. He just needed someone on the side he could turn to when he felt like it, and he could walk away without feeling guilty or anything. “I
Vinnie had never seen so much luxury in her entire life. She could swear on everything she had ever held dear. No matter how many times she closed her eyes and hoped to get used to this new life that now she had signed up for, her mind couldn’t wrap around the reality that was in front of her. The moment she opened her eyes, the strange feeling of displacement would hit her hard. Not that it was a bad thing. Vinnie enjoyed every bit of this life that she was being delivered to. In fact, she couldn’t even begin to express how grateful she was for it. She fell in love with the penthouse Mr Doyle had arranged for her the moment she walked through the door. The apartment was the perfect combination of modern and chic. It had everything Vinnie could have dreamed of having for herself, and the moment she stepped in, her breath was taken away. Her eyes were as wide as sockets, and her feet were unable to move. She just stood there, gaping, awestruck. If not for Alex, laughing at her jaw-d
Vinnie was stunned, to say the least. Couldn’t move. Or breathe. Or think. When the hell did he arrive? She thought. How long had he been standing there, watching her? How did he even manage to come in there without her noticing? Not that any of those questions seemed to be bothering the gorgeous man, though. Mr Doyle just stood there, next to the sliding door that separated the living room from the pool. He was dressed in a casual button-down and jeans. But even from the distance, Vinnie could tell he looked amazing. And the thought that he was finally there, with her, for her, made her kind of dizzy for a second. She could feel his piercing eyes on her, watching her as she breathed through her mouth, like a fish suddenly out of the water, literally, and squirmed, even though she was still in the water. It all felt so ridiculous at some uncaring and unbothered part of her brain, the part that was too small and practically had no sound to voice the negative thoughts. Or maybe Vinn
The question remained: What would she do now? Would she be brave enough to take the initiative? Or would she continue to take what was given, and not ask for more? She didn’t know, because she had never been in a situation like this before. She didn’t want to come too strong, but she didn’t want him to think that he had made a mistake, either. She wanted to find out what the rules were, so that she could act the way she needed to in order to give him what he wanted. To understand how all of this actually worked. She knew what being his mistress meant, but what she didn’t know was what he expected her to be like as his mistress. She could see Mr Doyle’s eyes flickering with something she couldn’t quite decipher, and before she could react, he suddenly took a step forward and dived into the water. The water splashed around them, some of it spilling over the edge of the pool, some of it hitting her in the face. Vinnie let out a yelp as Mr Doyle sank to the bottom and emerged just a f
It was the sweetest thing Mr Doyle had ever heard in his life. Her moans, that is. He loved the way she looked, all flushed and breathless. She looked so beautiful with her wet hair clinging to her face and her pink lips parted in a silent gasp. Under the moonlight, Vinnie was breathtaking. When Ethan pushed his hips against her bottom, Vinnie squirmed and let out another sweet moan that had him swallowing hard. He could feel her quivering against him as he placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder. “Did you miss me?” he said softly as he trailed kisses up her neck, making her shiver in his arms. Ethan was not the man for small talk. He never took the initiative to make anyone comfortable, no matter how cold and distant he appeared to the world. But for Vinnie—for this woman who couldn’t even speak—he was making exceptions upon exceptions and he didn’t even know. Perhaps it was the fact that she could talk—couldn’t speak—he wanted to hear her voice so badly. He wanted to hear her mo