Chapter 4

The stranger looked her and raised an eyebrow. Emma figured he thought she was a sex worker. And that factored into her plan. Maybe this rich man could provide her the money she needed. 

At least he’s hot, she thought. If she was going to be sold, it may as well be under her own terms.

“Okay. I see where this is going. Fine.” He didn’t speak after that. 

Emma reveled in the warmth inside the car, but also cringed at the mess she was making in it. The dirty rain water would stain the glossy leather seats. But he didn’t seem to notice.

They pulled up to a fancy five-star hotel. The lobby was glamorous. Her wet shoes sloshed on the polished marble floors. Mirrored ceilings assaulted her with own reflection. Emma realized her suspicion was right. He thought she was a sex worker, and there were expectations with that. 

She followed him to the front desk. A classy worker at the desk greeted him with familiar enthusiasm.

“Good evening, Mr. Stewart. Housekeeping has been to your room. You’ll find that all the linens have been replaced with fresh ones,” she gushed. Emma saw the worker’s name tag read, Gina. Well, Gina seemed to be very concerned with the satisfaction of her guest. Emma internally rolled her eyes at the way Gina fawned over him. But then, she was in no position to judge.

“Thanks, Gina,” he answered. “And call me Will,” he winked. What a playboy.

“Yes, sir. I mean, Will,” Gina cooed. Emma kept her head down as Will led her towards the elevators.

Her heart jumped in her throat. What am I doing? 

All of her problems would be resolved if this plan worked. But it could bring on a whole set of new problems. How much was she willing to risk? The decision had been made. Now all she had to do was follow through. 

He led her to a beautiful suite. She’d never seen a more opulent space. It was all plush whites and creams accented with gold. She clutched her bag to her chest in an effort to conceal how much of a mess she was. He saw her action and laughed.

“No one is going to take your junk.” He walked further into the room, and sat on one the posh couches. Emma stared at him. He was indeed very handsome and a much better option than some old pervert who made deals to buy people. She stood in the doorway and watched as he loosened his tie and stripped off his suit jacket.  

This was no different than a man picking up a sex worker for the night. She was going to proposition this man to pay her for sex. This was pure desperation. But she had no choice. The money would solve her problems. She knew it would.

“Come in. Don’t just stand there.”

Emma shuffled in the door, and cringed as she dripped water onto the lavish carpet. He groaned and tossed a dry towel at her. 

“Go take a shower and dry off.” Will pointed towards the bathroom.

Emma seized the towel and basked in how soft, warm and dry it was. She shuffled into the en-suite and was awestruck. More marble and gold. A huge tub dominated the room. There were so many knobs and dials. Dozens of scented candles, bottles of luxury products, and fluffy towels and bathrobes were scattered about in a purposeful haphazard design. 

Perhaps for one night, she could be the girl that lived this way. But as she stared at the intimidating room, she felt smaller and smaller.

“I don’t hear any water running in there,” he called from beyond the bathroom door. He opened it and was surprised to find that she was just standing there. “What are you doing?”

“I… I don’t know how to work the tub,” Emma squeaked. Will rolled his eyes, and walked right up to her. He stood so close to her that she said had to look straight up to look him in the eyes.

“So, none of your other clients have provided such generous accommodations?” He walked into her. She was forced to walk backwards until they reached the tub. He leaned over her and turned on the water. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes and trouble in his smile. “Enjoy your shower.”

He left her there and waited. He shook his head. Some men may like that innocent act, but not him. He wished she would drop it. He was going to pay for this after all.

Emma relished her bath. She washed the events of the day away. As she detangled her hair, she tried to detangle her thoughts. There was no going back from this. She would have to make peace with that she was no better than Jane or Anna. Or even Vivian. She was going to use this man for money. There was a feeling of disgust with herself she had to shake off. This was it. Her wet clothes were left discarded on the floor and she donned a fluffy bathrobe. 

The mirror showed a different person than one who had walked in. Before, a girl whose soul had been drowned by the storm of the day stared back at her. Now there was a woman who had taken charge of her own destiny.

“Stop kidding yourself,” Emma said to the mirror. “You’re going sleep with a stranger for money. I somehow have to convince him to give me $50,000. What have you gotten yourself into?” She asked herself. 

She knew what he thought she was. She knew what he wanted from her. And she knew what she wanted from him. Hopefully, they both left the night satisfied.

When Emma emerged from the bathroom, the man sat at the edge of the bed. His shirt was off and Emma got a good look at him. Wow... He’s really handsome. 

“Come closer,” he said to her. She staggered over to him, her body shaking with the reality of her situation. The blood rushed to her face, and she could feel the heat radiate from her skin.

He sneered at her, and grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. He flipped them over so that she was lying on her back on the bed. There wasn’t enough time to process what happened because he was hovering over her. 

Emma’s breaths came in ragged pants as she prepared herself. This is it. Her eyes traveled the length of his body. The sexy stranger laughed.

“Are you really going to keep this innocent act up? Some guys may like that, but it’s not really my thing. It’s clear you like what you see,” he breathed as his face closed in on hers. Emma felt she would pass out.

“I…” she tried to say.

“I won’t kiss you,” he continued. “This is just a business deal after all.” He nipped at her ear, and Emma thought she’d explode right there. Maybe it was the fact that she’d just had the worst day of her life, or that she put herself in such a crazy situation. But she couldn’t help think how incredibly sexy this all was.

“Right,” Emma quivered. “Just a business deal.”

I don’t care about him. He doesn’t care about me, she repeated to herself. Emma pulled her back, a nervous habit of hers. 

She looked over at her companion and saw the danger in his eyes melt away, and suddenly, someone else was there. He seemed truly shocked, like he’d seen a ghost.

“Grace,” he whispered. 

Emma felt a twinge of fear. Just a second ago, he was cold and callous. Now he was being sweet and tender. Was he okay? His lips descended on hers and caught them in a fiery passionate kiss. 

Every part of her responded to the kiss, but before she allowed herself to get lost completely, she remembered his words. I won’t kiss you, he said. She broke away from him. He looked at her with longing. 

Whoever Grace was, she had taken Emma’s place in his mind.