Void Page 8

  It made me want her even more. It made the desire within me to claim her body so intense, I nearly felt like I could combust. Thankfully, there was the contract.

  Which she signed.

  Alexandra had scanned and emailed the signed document over to me shortly after Nicola had left my office. Even though I would not get to be the one buried deep within her, he would be able to. I would get to be the one in control. I would get to be the one who instructed her with what to do with her body and how to do it, allowing my need for perfect control to be sated. As if reading my thoughts, she spoke, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

  “Did your client tell you I signed the contract? That I now belong to him for the next twelve weeks?”

  I nodded, trying to control how her whispering in my ear did things to my body. I was good at control. Perfect at it, actually, and I knew that I would be able to hold back, even though my body desperately protested.

  “Is he here?”

  I shook my head, and her body seemed to deflate. The fact that she seemed excited by the possibility of him being at the party made me feel jealous.

  “I need a name, Andris. Any name. I—I think about the other night constantly. I feel him when I’m sleeping, and I daydream about him when I am awake. I feel things when I do. Not just pleasure, but—,”

  “You feel the emotions that you have been void to,” I interrupted.

  “Yes.”

  She looked up at me, the doe shape of her eyes framed by thick lines that accentuated the pristine blue. Not the same dark as mine, but crystal clear, like the blue of the Caribbean. I saw desire in her features, and the need for information. Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, she nibbled on the same spot that she bled from in my office earlier today.

  “Don’t do that, you’ll start bleeding again,” I said, reaching up to pull her lip from her teeth. She momentarily looked down, at where my fingers still rested on her pout long after she had released her lip. Something shifted between us and when she looked back into my eyes, I could see the want in her features, but this time instead of being for him, it was for me. She pressed into me more, her hips making contact with where it would soon be difficult to hide my erection.

  “I like that you watched.”

  Fuck.

  Not the words I was expecting to hear, but goddamn, it hit something inside of me. I felt my eyes glaze over like they did when I became aroused, and the familiar fog began to set into my brain. I realized that I hadn’t answered her. How could I give her a name to her mystery client when I didn’t even truly know it myself?

  “Link. You can call him Link,” I lied, trying to think of something on the spot. She pulled back, looking up at me with her blue eyes and a smile spread across her face, highlighting her cheekbones and making her eyes squint ever so slightly. I felt her breasts brush up against me as she leaned in.

  “Did you enjoy watching me and Link?”

  Did I? Fuck yeah I did, and it was hard to keep the jealousy at bay knowing and watching them interact, the entire time wishing it was me she was fucking. My arousal grew the harder she pressed her body into mine. Over her shoulder, I could still see Mrs. Cardinelli boring holes into Nicola and me as we swayed together with the other people dancing.

  I looked at the ridged bitch, giving her a sly smile before I leaned into Nicola, making our actions seem familiarly intimate.

  “You have no fucking idea. Link will be here later. He was hoping that you two could seal the ink on the contract tonight. You know, make it official,” I let my lips gently touch her ear as I spoke and I felt the involuntary shiver that ran down her body. God, I wanted her so badly. I wanted to fix her—to help her feel things that only I could make her feel. I was lost in the feel of her body, the way her soft curves molded to my hardness. I was just about to tell her that we needed to get the fuck out of there when a hand clamped on my shoulder.

  “Andris, can we have a chat? Excuse me, Nicola. I need to speak to my nephew,” my uncle chimed in, breaking my moment with Nicola.

  “No problem, Dr. Gunn. I need another drink anyway. Thank you for the dance, Andris,” she said, pinching my side before she walked off towards the bar.

  “What is it, Bobbie?” I asked in irritation as I ran my hand through my hair. This party wasn’t anything to be desired and the only thing that made it worthwhile was Nicola.

  “It seems that you have pissed off one of our guests, dear nephew. Let’s go outside and get away from wondering ears,” he said sternly as he glanced around the room. Spinning on his heel, he turned towards the exit of the bar, and without saying a word, he expected me to follow him.

  Like a fucking puppy.

  The same way my father used to treat me.

  When we got outside, the frigid air hit me and the wind was cold enough to bite through the fabric of my jacket. Pulling out a cigar, my uncle extended one to me, knowing damn well I wouldn’t take it before shoving it back into his pocket and lighting the one he put in his mouth.

  “It seems you’ve pissed off one of our clients tonight, Andris. I thought we were perfectly clear what was to happen when you took over the clinic. Nothing will change once you take ownership. The arrangement will go on as planned.”

  I clenched my fists, partially because it was freezing, but mainly because I felt myself wanting to give in to the anger—wanting to give into the sensations that always invaded me whenever I was disappointed. My drive to succeed sometimes fell second for my drive to not fail. But this situation was different. I was trying to do the right thing. Trying to do what I knew was going to be right for the clinic.

  It ate at me.

  Everyday.

  “Did you hear a word I said, boy?” My uncle asked, getting up in my face, the pungent smell of cigar invading my nostrils from his breath.

  “I heard you.”

  “Antonia Cardinelli has taken a liking to Nicola. You practically slapped him in the face when you removed her from their conversation and had your hands all over her out on the dance floor,” he seethed.

  “Antonio Cardinelli is married. He needs to go and have a conversation with his wife.”

  My shirt was pulled and my uncle was so close to me that I could feel the spit come from his mouth as he degraded me.

  “I’m only going to say this one more time, Andris. You do what the fuck Cardinelli wants. When he wants, how he wants, do you understand? I still have the choice not to turn the clinic over to you. How would you like that, huh? I’ll give it to someone else. I won’t have you fucking shit up for us.”

  He pushed me away hard enough that I stumbled backwards before he turned around to head back inside the bar. I stood there, watching his retreating form, not even feeling the sting of the cold wind anymore. The wind was sharp enough to slice through my body like a knife, but I was numb.

  I needed a fix.

  I needed to get the fuck out of there.

  I WAITED BY THE BAR, throwing back another cocktail as I waited for Andris to return. My head was feeling fuzzy from the alcohol. Between stares from Cardinelli, as he raked his sleazy eyes all over my body, I was ready to retreat. At the same time, I didn’t want to leave in case Link really did show up.

  I felt the pangs of want. The need for my fix filtered through my veins, turning my blood warm and heating my body from the inside out. I needed the needle. The penetration that invaded me and let me surrender to the sensations and feelings that I got to experience when I was with him.

  I felt my phone buzz in my clutch and fished it out of my purse.

  Unknown: He wants you outside in 5 minutes. A car will be waiting.

  I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. Like the crack addict who just got the promise of relief after a three day withdraw. I slipped my phone back in my purse and started to head towards the bathroom to freshen up when a large hand on my upper arm stopped me.

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  I recognized the voice of my client, M
r. Patterson, so I spun around and plastered the practiced smile that I had down to a T. Years of faking had really made me into a beautiful actress.

  “Hello, Mr. Patterson. I’m just off to the ladies room before I leave for the night.”

  His beady eyes landed on my chest, zeroing in on the skin of my breasts framed by my dress.

  Hello, asshole. My eyes are up here.

  “You can’t leave just yet, Jericho. Mrs. Patterson has already retired for the evening and I have another room booked in the other tower of the hotel. Cardinelli wants a session. He said he is willing to pay twice our normal fee.”

  I looked over Mr. Patterson’s shoulder to see Antonio staring at me as he tipped up his glass before draining the liquid from his glass.

  “I’m very sorry, Mr. Patterson, but I am booked for the evening. In fact, I am booked in advance for the next twelve weeks. I’m sure if you call the agency, Alexandra will find you a suitable girl.”

  “We don’t want another girl. My good friend here has raved about you, and after seeing you for myself, I must have a taste,” Cardinelli said after he had approached where Mr. Patterson and I were standing. He lifted a hand to trace his fingers down my arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.

  And not the welcome kind.

  Something about this man screamed trouble. There was a gleam of dominance in his eye and I watched his pupils dilate as he scanned my body.

  “I’m sorry, I really am booked. I must be leaving. I have a client that has paid in advance and has requested my services,” I said as I looked around the room, whispering so that no one could hear me. Cardinelli’s eyes changed, where there was once fire, now there was ice. The fingers that were skimming my arm, encompassed my wrist, squeezing so hard I could feel my heart beat through my pulse point.

  “I’ll double what he is paying.”

  Woah.

  Double the pay? Twelve weeks at twelve and a half grand a session and this man in front of me was offering twice that amount? Momentarily my mind wanted to say yes. That amount of money would put me ahead for a really long time. I wouldn’t have to fuck so many sleezeballs in order to survive and I could pull back on my client list. I could even afford a vacation, new wardrobe, and anything else that I wanted.

  But my body was denying me. It wanted to feel the strength of Link’s hands on my body, the shudders that I felt as his cock massaged me from the inside out. It wanted the heat, the fire, and the desire, that I felt the night I was with him. I wanted to see where it would go. I was curious to see if the same feeling of desire was there when I was with him once again.

  Maybe he was exactly what I needed to fill my empty soul. To bring myself out of the darkness and push myself forward to not being this vacant shell of a bottomless pit that filled me.

  “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Cardinelli, but I must regretfully decline. We can reconvene once my twelve week contract is up.”

  His glare never relented, only continued to burn a hole through my body. Any other person would have probably felt uncomfortable, but I just stood there, glaring back at him as my body buzzed with excitement. I needed to hurry and get outside, or I’d miss my chance with Link. I pulled my wrist away from Cardinelli, who reluctantly let go, and I turned to make my way toward the bathroom before offering my apologies to Mr. Patterson. I felt his eyes on me the entire time I was walking to the bathroom. Heat flanked my backside and I risked one more glance over my shoulder as I pushed open the door to the restroom.

  He still stood there, the same spot I had left him as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger across his overly tanned jaw. A shiver ran through me as I looked away and walked into the restroom. A weird feeling ran through me as I looked into the mirror, attempting to fix my already perfect hair. It was something I hadn’t really felt that much before, but I recognized the emotion as I gazed at my own reflection and saw the dullness in my eyes.

  I was uncomfortable, and not in the I-fell-on-my-ass-in-front-off-a-thousand-people uncomfortable.

  No, this new feeling had a hint of fear.

  I DIDN’T SEE CARDINELLI, nor Patterson as I left the restroom to make my way outside, but I did have the pleasure of running into Mrs. Cardinelli on my way out of the restroom. Everything was fake about her, right down to the over large, rather expensive sacks of water filled plastic she had on her chest. Her perfume was too strong, and her make-up immaculate, to the point of being excessive. She teetered on her feet, signaling her sign of inebriation as she fought to steady herself against the doorframe.

  “You think he wants someone like you?” She asked as I walked past her to head outside. Stopping in my tracks, I turned around to answer her. It was her husband who propositioned me, not the other way around, but her next few words stopped me by stunning me.

  “Dr. Gunn. He is, what do the kiddies call it now? One fine assed piece of a man.” She said as she sloshed her drink all over the floor.

  She wasn’t talking about her husband, but about Andris. I was instantly brought back to earlier when she wouldn’t stop looking at Andris and I while we were dancing.

  “I agree,” I admitted, “But the question isn’t what does he want with someone like me, it’s what will I do to him that will make him come back begging for more. See, the difference between your overly stretched pussy and the fine quality of mine is that it keeps men coming back for more. It even had your husband begging to be inside of me just minutes ago, so when you start using your tiny IQ of a brain to think, think about that.”

  And I walked away.

  ANDRIS WAS WAITING for me when I exited the bar. Propped against the sleek black car with his palms pressed against it and strumming his fingers upon the fender, I took him in. Pulling my trench coat tighter around me, I took tentative steps toward him, drinking in the beauty of the man, who at the moment, looked like he harbored a large amount of pain or sadness. The wind whipped the bottom of my skirt around my legs and I watched as the same breeze feathered through the dark curls that rested on his forehead and the warm vapors of his breath in the air as he exhaled.

  “Andris?”

  He looked up, his eyes, that usually held warmth, were colder than the air that surrounded us. He pushed off the car and bounded for me, taking my hand and escorting me to the car. He was silent, brooding, as he opened the back door for me to slide into the car. My ass connected with the warm, heated leather seats, and I was thankful for the heat on my backside, but there wasn’t coldness only coming from the air. Andris began to shut the door, but I extended my arm to stop him, looking up as I did so.

  “You going to tell me what is wrong, Andris?”

  He looked at me quizzically for a few brief moments, and I swear I saw a flash of warmth in his eyes making the gold flecks more prominent, before they darkened again.

  “It’s Sinclaire, Jericho.”

  And he shut the door.

  Wow. Okay. So obviously he was in “character” as he referred to both of us by our other names, but it didn’t explain the coldness he was portraying. He seemed to be in a great mood when we were dancing before his uncle pulled him away. Or maybe Link said something to him?

  Link.

  Even just thinking about his name sent warmth through my chilled body, spreading my need and desire like wildfire rampant through a dry forest. Andris rounded the car and slammed the door before putting it into drive and easing into traffic. The partition that separated the front cab of the car from the back was up, leaving me to sit with my own thoughts. This was a far different cry from the first night we were together, or even no less than a half hour ago when I was wrapped in his arms on the dance floor at the club.

  “Put the blindfold on,” he instructed through the speakers of the car, and I reached over to pick up the black silk on the seat next to me and placed it over my eyes. I sat in darkness and silence, the only sounds to be heard were those of cars passing by.

  After blackness and silence for what felt like half an hour, the car came to a stop. A
ndris didn’t get out of the car immediately, but after a few moments I heard the front door open and close and then my own open and the cold air rushed in relentlessly, breaking out a chill on my skin. He grabbed my hand, and I was thankful for the warmth from him, even if it was only from his touch.

  I thought about this situation as we rode the elevator up to wherever it was he was taking me. I didn’t think that the circumstances were about money anymore. Yes, in the beginning, I did it for the money, putting a big dent in my debt and allowing me to have stability. Since becoming an escort, I lived comfortably, very different than when I first started out. I still hoarded money, fearful of going back to the place I was in when my parents died and I was left with nothing.

  The elevator doors pinged open and Andris led me into the room. The familiar smell of leather hit my nostrils and I inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent as memories flooded my mind. Hands found my shoulders and removed my jacket.

  “Is he here?” I asked into the room, not knowing if Andris was still here.

  “Yes.”

  “Will you still be here?”

  “Yes.”

  My ears were covered with the noise canceling headphones and a crackle filled my ears before the sound of Andris’s voice came through the speakers.

  “Can you hear me, Miss Lane?”

  I nodded as I bit down on my lip.

  “Link is here. He loves the dress. The way it forms to each curve of your body. The way your nipples pucker beneath the fabric of your bra.”

  A warm hand ran down the window of the dress that exposed my breasts. My breathing began to become deeper, and I closed my eyes against the darkness of the blindfold.

  “Link requests that you remove the dress.”

  I lifted my hands immediately, wanting to please the man who consumed my body with fire. The man, the only other one besides Andris who invaded my thoughts when I had an idle moment.

  “Slowly.”

  I slowed my pace, smiling on the inside because I knew what was under the dress. Unbuttoning the lace at my neck, I slowly let the dress fall from my shoulders and over my breasts before it came to pool at my waist. Pressing the fabric over my hips, I shimmied it down my thighs before letting the silk rest upon the floor. I faintly thought I heard a small intake of breath and felt pleasure on the inside knowing that Andris could also see what was under my dress. I felt a breeze cross my skin as I felt Link circle me, not being able to see him, but knowing that he was admiring my beautifully expensive lingerie.