Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
After a moment I realized I hadn’t released her hand, and her awkward shifting alerting me to her discomfort with that fact. While I enjoyed seeing her blush, I wasn’t going to purposefully make her uncomfortable. Letting go of her reluctantly, I gestured back at the sofa.
“Shall we sit? I believe we have much to discuss.”
She gave a shaky nod, following me warily as I led the way to a sitting room. I would have to work on making her more comfortable around me and this was the perfect place to start.
Once we both sat on the sofa, I ordered a drink from my butler before turning to her with an inquiring look.
“Anything to drink?”
“No thank you. I’m good.”
Within moments, I had a cocktail in hand and she looked ready to combust with nerves. Something wasn’t right here because why was she so scared?
Kim obviously knew why she was here, although I hadn’t expected someone so young. She might be twenty, but I seriously doubted it. Not that her being young was a problem. In fact, I prefer women on the more youthful side because it meant she’d be more able to keep up with me. Plus, the chance of her being fertile was higher, but that also meant it was unlikely she had experience. And wasn’t that an arousing thought: was I to be her first?
Before my downstairs brain could get me into trouble, I smiled reassuringly.
“You okay, sweetheart? No one’s forcing you to be here, after all.”
Her lovely shoulder’s stiffened and suddenly all of my amusement drained out of me. Had someone forced her to be here?
“Is someone forcing you? Is there something that I don’t know?”
She eyed me with open uncertainty.
“Yes, my teacher is. Adella Rogers. The story is long and honestly, I don’t understand half of it. I’m sure you’d prefer to just get to the main event, right?”
While my cock certainly agreed with her words, I didn’t like how this was beginning to sound. I can have any woman I want, so why would I choose one that is being manhandled into my bed?
I sat back, trying to look calm. Kim looked a bit like a nervous rabbit, albeit a very lush and beautiful nervous rabbit. No, this definitely wasn’t right. I felt an odd urge to protect her from whoever caused that pain in her eyes. She shouldn’t be afraid of me because I’m not an animal. The only way I was sleeping with her was if she was willing. I’m many things, but I’m not a man who forces himself into the affections of women.
“I think I must be missing something,” I state in a calm voice. “How did you come to be here? Feel free to tell me everything.”
She stares at me.
“You don’t know?”
“I think I have a vague idea, but I don’t know all the details. Why don’t you tell me?”
She blinked in shock, probably surprised that I wasn’t throwing her on the nearest bed and having my wicked way with her. The absurdity of the thought brought made me sit back as I waited for her reply. Usually, women are begging for me to take them to bed, and not the other way around. But slowly, Kim began.
The tale came out slowly, every word seeming to cause her great pain as she explained in detail all that she knew. By the time she stopped she was shaking again, and there were giant tears rolling down her cheeks. Her face was flushed, and unexpectedly, she was even more beautiful crying. The sight yanked on my heart in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
“So as I understand it, you’re being blackmailed.”
Her head jerked up a bit.
“Yes. By you!”
I hold up one hand.
“No, not by me, by your teacher.”
She shook her head and sniffled again.
“Yes, but does it matter? Evidently, she owes a favor to you, and wants to offer me as payment.”
I thought for a moment.
“I see. I was under the impression you were willing in this. If you want, I can have report her for blackmailing a student. I’m sure that wouldn’t go over well with the school district, and she’d lose her job at the very least. I know this is a your-word-against-her-word situation, but I’d be happy to take your side.”
Kim stares at me, utterly baffled.
“Why would you do that? This is what you want, isn’t it? A woman, as payment?”
My mouth twisted harshly at she talked about herself as if she were cattle to be traded. I would have to work on her confidence because she was clearly an intelligent woman and maybe I could help her see that.
“No, my deal with Adella Rogers was that I would spare her son after I caught him stealing from my till if she watched over him more closely. I also asked her for a favor to be collected at a later time, but I never expected her to try this.”