Page 36 of Heart of Sin
“Vixen, is everything alright in there?” Kilroy asks, tapping his knuckles on the door. “You’ve been in there for almost a half hour.”
“Mhmmm. Still just freshening up.”
He hovers outside the bathroom for a few more seconds, his feet visible in the space between the floor and bottom of the door. His footsteps pad off once he’s done eavesdropping. I return to sulking on the toilet—it started out with me thinking I was sick.
I rushed off to the bathroom and when my urge to throw up passed, I sat down but the tequila hasn’t let up.
The room spins. My heart aches. I can barely think straight. I’m sweating out my silk press and my make up. The last thing I want to do right now is pretend to be sexy and act out whatever fantasy he wants.
I’d like a shower, some baggy clothes, and the chance to curl up in bed and watch some Sanaa Lathan classics. I’d like to hear Louis’s voice right now, feel his touch…
My phone sits in my lap. All I’d have to do is call him.
“Stop,” I whisper, squeezing shut my eyes. “Get it together.”
“Vixen!” Kilroy’s knuckles return to the bathroom door, louder and more impatient. I didn’t hear him approach this time. “Is everything alright? You okay, doll?”
“I’m okay… just feeling a little sick. I need a moment.”
“Sick,” he repeats. “Randall didn’t say anything about you being sick.”
Shit.
Get. It. Together.
I can’t afford for him to renege on the deal; Randall will be pissed, and it’ll be my ass on the line.
“I’m not sick,” I blurt out. I pop up from the toilet seat and rush over to the sink. “I just need to finish freshening up. I’ll be right out, and we’ll have some fun, daddy.”
As the words leave my mouth, I cringe in the mirror. None of this feels right, but there’s no backing out. I’m here and Kilroy’s paid. I pick up my phone, staring at Louis’s contact page which lists his name and number, and then I press ‘delete’.
With him no longer in my phone, there’s no more temptation.
“Vixen, I’m coming in,” Kilroy says.
“No, don’t—”
The knob turns and the door opens. Kilroy steps inside, pocketing what must be a master key of some kind. He takes one look at me and he frowns.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
This is it. I’m fired!
I force a flirty smile on and sway my hips as I approach him, despite looking like hell. “You ready to go have some fun?”
“Vixen, baby, you reallyaresick,” he says slowly. He grabs my hand and leads me toward the shower. “You haven’t been scared to say something on my account, have you?”
“Tonight… you already paid…”
“You’re mine for six months. Didn’t Randall go over the contract? We have plenty of time to get to know each other.” His arm snakes around my waist as he smiles at me. He uses his other to reach out and turn on the shower. “I’d rather you be well rested than forcing yourself to put on a show under the weather. I’m a client, but you get a voice in this too. Please don’t forget that. Take a shower, doll. Then we’ll have dinner and talk. Okay?”
I pause. “Alright…”
He winks, squeezing my hip. “We’re a good match. We’ll have fun.”
He walks out, leaving me to the bathroom that’s filling up with steam. I inhale a breath and then strip off my clothes, doing as asked. I take a hot shower. When I’m done, I join Kilroy for dinner, and we spend the first night of many together…
FOURTEEN