05

He could be handsome but his beauty was austere and sinister that handsome was too mild a word.

At my tender age of seventeen, I’ve seen my small share of cute guys, mostly from school. Although I’ve observed from afar, I’ve learned to appreciate the male specimen. The only time I’ve come intimately close to one was with Kyle Bobson who was in the swim team and boasted one set of the few, beautiful, broad male shoulders on campus. We dated for six months but mutually parted ways when he realized that I wasn’t ready for his advanced intimacy level.

However hot Kyle was, he would pale next to this stranger whose name I suspected had the initials S.V..

I cleared my throat and calmly put the scone down on the plate, brushing my fingers lightly on the table napkin before setting it aside.

I slowly rose and dipped my head politely. « Hi. »

His smirk held for a few seconds as his eyes narrowed at me, before it broke into a full, rakish grin. An unfamiliar tingle rode up my spine.

« Jennison, leave us, » he briefly commanded without glancing at the guard who promptly turned on his heel and left the room.

I tried not to swallow the lump in my throat as my heart quickened, aware of the unnameable energy in the air.

This man, no awkward teenage boy, was doing something swift and devastating to my sensibilities.

« Cassandra Collins, » he finally spoke after a minute of his silent yet undisguised appraisal of me.

« I apologize for showing up at your doorstep when I am clearly unexpected and unwelcome, and you may not believe me but I don’t have much of an explanation to enlighten you, » I started, aware I was rambling.

Then, I hesitated. « I’m afraid I don’t even know who you are, sir. »

« Splendid, » he said with a snort, clearly unconvinced. « Did Pendley write your entire script ? Because if he did, I’m warning you to scrap it right now. I want to know what you think you’re doing here and what stupid, little scheme that bastard put you up to. »

I was doing my best to remain polite and unperturbed and handle the situation as calmly and painlessly as possible but his sniping comments rubbed raw.

My hands clenched into fists on my side.

« If you think for one second that I’m here as a willing accomplice to Timothy’s maggot-brained idea, let me assure you of the opposite, » I ground out, glaring at him fully. « My cousin, hellspawn that he is, no disrespect to my beloved aunt and uncle, plucked me out of what would’ve been an idyllic summer with fabrications that a family friend wanted me here and that to appease them would secure him the financial back up he needs to hang on to the pawnshop his parents unwisely left him in charge of. At the last minute, after he deposited me at your gate, he finally dropped the act and instead offered a mouthful of warnings to embrace my fate. What that fate is, I trust you to enlighten me. »

His brows rose in surprise, his green eyes glinting with amusement.

After a second, he handed me the slightly crumpled note my cousin had penned.

Trying to steady my fingers, I slowly straightened the hotel stationery out and took a deep breath.

To Sebastian Vice,

This is my cousin Cassie. A real, pretty thing, don’t you think ?

I saw you look at her picture on your recent visit. She’s prime goods, very young and I’m certain a virgin. Break her in for me, will you ? Don’t worry, she’ll be more than happy to oblige your wants and needs for the entire summer. If she isn’t, I’m sure you can use the excuse to discipline her.

She doesn’t clear my debt to you but I’m hoping she will keep you distracted enough to grant me an extension. Give me six months. I’ll have it by then.

I’ll collect her at the end of summer.

Indulge in her till then.

T. Pendley

The breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding came out in a slow hiss as I dropped the note in revulsion as if it had turned into a handful of worms.

« So I’m a virgin sacrifice, » I blurted out before I could stop myself, my eyes lifting to lock with his.

He nodded, his mouth curling into a crude smile that nevertheless still managed to send a ripple through me. « And I’m the beast privileged to ravish you. How very archaic. »

I muttered a silent curse, my eyes briefly closing before I raised them heavenward as if I could solicit some divine intervention.

« My question is, » he started, walking in lazy circles around me, not too close but close enough that I could smell sandalwood, mint and pure masculinity. « Did he think a presumed virgin is worth a fortune ? Because that’s what he owes me, sweet, and no offense, but I can pay for a virgin, had I really wanted one, for a lot less. »

I ignored the insult that was somewhere in that statement and groped for a lifeline, no matter what it will cost me, literally.

« I have some money set aside, » I said before wincing at the reminder that I didn’t actually physically have it. « Well, I don’t have it with me. It’s for school. My aunt and uncle provided it for me. Timothy can give it to you. That’s what he held over my head to get me here but you can have it if you’ll just let me go and forget about this whole thing. »

He blinked at me and then threw his head back laughing.

I scowled. « It’s about sixty thousand. I should think that’s a lot of money. »

He plopped down on a plush armchair, his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms spread out lazily over the back of the chair. « It’s not change but I’m afraid it barely scratches the surface of the amount Pendley owes me. Also, I hate to break the news to you but that money is long gone. Your cousin is at the brink of bankruptcy. All his remaining assets are tied up with that. I doubt he can replenish your piggy bank for you. »

« Shit, » I gasped out, turning my head away as scalding tears stung my eyes. I blinked them back, trying to breathe steadily, despite the hollow ache in my chest that seemed to have been carved out by his statement.

I wasn’t surprised.

I was mad as hell and regretted the future that was now quickly slipping out of my reach, but I wasn’t surprised.

« I’m sorry. »

I turned to look at him and saw the pity in his eyes and hated him for it.

The dam inside me overflowed and anger was coursing through me like molten lava.

My fists curled in an effort to stem the flow.

« How much does my cousin owe you ? »

His eyes watched me curiously. « He owes me a rare piece of art valued around two million dollars. »

I gasped again at the exorbitant amount as if hearing it physically hurt my ears.

« And just how did he end up owing you that much money ? » I demanded in disbelief.

Sebastian shrugged. « I don’t know how Pendley managed to worm his way into a private, high-stakes poker party I was at in Las Vegas but he lost to me. Actually, he enticed me to play that last round with the promise of a rare painting I’ve been looking for that his father had come across with in the pawnshop. I think he’d hoped to win that last round and recoup his losses. But he lost again and I let him walk away. That was two months ago. He’d been hard to reach since then so I paid him a visit while I was at Charleston a few days ago. He’d apparently already sold it a while back before he even offered it to me as stake. He was supposed to retrieve it for me but here you are instead, offered up as interest while he’s unable to pay the principal. »