Love Like Ice E-Book

Jamila Jasper

• Herausgeber: Publisher s23991
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Everyone had some dark secrets, and Alice was preparing for this one to be hers.Billionaire Blaine Danvers wants something absolutely insane from Alice Charles.She'll bend to his will because she's desperate for the cash.What was supposed to be a one-night transaction turned into something more.Nothing could have prepared Alice for what came after meeting Blaine Danvers...This full-length novel is extra steamy, so hot it will melt your device. Readers take heed, the romance between these pages is very hot and very frequent. 

Leseprobe

Author’s Note

This book is a second edition. The first edition was previously published for a brief time under a different title. Since then, the book has been reformatted to better fit the target audience.

Enjoy this ultra-steamy BWWM romance novel.

Warmest Wishes To My Beloved Readers,

Jamila

Copyright

Copyright © 2017 Jamila Jasper Romance

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

The Meeting

Alice was twenty years old without much dating experience. She’d worked her ass off through high school, sometimes taking jobs that were less than legal to pay her way through college. Alice was an African American beauty whose booty didn’t go unappreciated by the men in her neighborhood. She had an hourglass figure with plump breasts and buttocks that attracted unwanted attention to a large degree.

Alice hated feeling like she was constantly on display. Men gave her attention but she never returned it. They didn’t know how to treat her. To them, she was just a pair of ass and tits. Alice hadn’t ever dreamed of becoming someone’s baby mama. She wanted more for herself than that, despite her past -- the past of poverty that she never spoke about in her college setting.

Alice had ignored the advances of the men in her community her whole life. She’d made it to twenty years old without giving any of them the time of day. Alice felt lucky. She’d kept herself pure and she wasn’t like some of her other friends who got knocked up the second they left high school. Alice knew love stories didn’t really happen for women like her, but she maintained her hope that just around the corner she’d meet the man of her dreams.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be just out of reach. Even when Alice tried to date, all the men were just looking for some fast action. They assumed that Alice’s alluring figure meant that she “put out”. Alice was just about ready to give up on dating altogether based on her last experience - her date had pinned her down in the back of his car and tried to force himself on her. She was done with men like that… done.

Now that she was at university, and about to enter her last year, she found that she was not only tight on cash but thousands of dollars in debt. She couldn’t ask anyone in her family for money. Unlike some of her white peers, Alice didn’t have a safety net. She didn’t know how things had spiraled out of control but now she was threatened with eviction, starvation or worse.

Alice wished she could turn to her mother, but there was no point trying to interact with Elise when she was using. That had been one of Elise’s biggest vices that Alice had been paying for since the day she was born. Elise had Alice at seventeen with a retired pimp twenty-five years her senior. Alice hated feeling like a stereotype or the product of a twisted situation. She knew it was technically wrong to feel ashamed of her mother and her circumstances, but she couldn’t help it. Few people in Alice’s life knew exactly what she was dealing with back home and what she was so desperate to avoid.

Alice had never known her father, but she knew what he looked like from old pictures. He’d never been around much; Elise said that he had no interest in claiming Alice as his own. Alice believed her. She’d always been hurt by the absence of a father in her life. That was one of the reasons she’d vowed to save herself for the right man.

Alice didn’t want to end up like Elise. Her mother had numerous boyfriends throughout Alice’s life but when Alice was still in her teens, most of them started to become more interested in her than in her addict mother. None of them counted as a father figure. Certainly not the ones that would do something nice for her only to attempt to get into her pants while she was underage.

The memories of her past hadn’t made Alice cold to the world. Some people succumb to pain and let it ruin them. Alice used her pain as motivation to work even harder. But even with her scholarship, she was still on the verge of bankruptcy and losing everything she’d worked for. Alice’s goal after college was to meet a nice, well mannered guy, get a job working for a bank with her degree in finance and then have the perfect life. Her past didn’t have to ruin everything for her.

Alice hated feeling so defined by her tragic backstory, but she knew on some level that her experiences motivated every single one of her actions.

Despite this hardship, Alice had made it out of the hood and she had no intention of going back. Alice needed to find a way to pay off this debt and get herself some cash fast. She had a pretty good part time job, but her income was not enough to cover her expenses. Things were spiraling and with no one to turn to, Alice was considering taking a permanent way out of things.

To add to her stress, her mother expected her to send cash home, not understanding that college was more of a financial burden than a source of income. Alice’s little brother Jevon, who was only five,  had to be taken away from her mother and sent to live with her auntie in the suburbs. Alice longed to make enough money to bring her brother back, to get her mother the help she needed and to reunite their strange and broken family. Such dreams were not easily realized.

Elise had to want Jevon back. She had to want to get better. Alice couldn’t negotiate with her when she was using. She couldn’t get Alice to see that she was tearing her family apart. All Alice got was demands for money and angry tirades over the phone.

Alice was at the end of her rope and her desperation for cash was increasing. Throughout college, she was friends with plenty of girls who were stripping to put their way through school. These girls had done what Alice never could. They spent their evenings and weekends at seedy strip clubs, making thousands of dollars a night. All of it was in cash too so they could keep their earnings well under the radar. Alice wasn’t sure if she really envied them, but she envied their ability to go through college completely carefree.

Many of them had Mercedes Benz cars, and nearly all of them were perpetually decked out in designer clothes and designer augmentations. There were the girls who obviously made money from their tits and those who relied on their ass. But each one was financially stable. When you worked in that world, men handed you things for no reason whatsoever.

Those women never wanted for anything and most of them had steady boyfriends too. Men didn’t seem to mind that they spent their weekends exposing their breasts and butts at clubs. Even if she was hesitant to enter that world, Alice was desperate for money and there was one friend from that world she could reach out to. Goldie was one of Alice's closest friends and she was one of the best paid strippers in her club. Alice never asked her too many questions, but she had a feeling that Goldie was netting close to six figures. Perhaps Goldie could help her?

As the deadline to pay her tuition bill drew closer and closer, Alice felt desperate. This could be her ticket out. She didn’t enjoy the idea of shaking her ass in a club and having random men place dollar bills in her underwear, but she also didn’t enjoy the idea of going down the same dead end path that her mother had. First it was bankruptcy, then it was dropping out of school… Alice didn’t want to let her imagination take her too far. The preview was grim enough.

Alice called Goldie and the two planned to meet at the school’s burrito bar. Goldie arrived overdressed as usual. Goldie’s image was everything to her and she always had her eye on the next trend in plastic surgery. She was five foot eight, and had massive ass augmentations. Despite this, her butt still managed to look totally real and natural.

Goldie had caramel skin and long black weave that hit in the middle of her back. She wore tight skinny light wash jeans, with the whale tail of her black thong clearly revealed. Goldie wore a see through white crop top with a cheetah print bra underneath. Her face was contoured to perfection with massive fake eyelashes and overdrawn lips. Goldie didn’t look like a natural beauty but men didn’t seem to care. They loved her look.

Goldie paid for their burritos and the two sat at a corner table.

Goldie began talking, “So what do you wanna know about stripping. I know that’s why your ass called me mid day instead of your usual ‘Let’s go take shots!’ that you text every Thursday.”

Alice blushed a bit, not expecting her ploy to be so transparent.

“I’m kind of strapped for cash I guess and I was wondering if I--” Alice started.

“Well, honey, no offense but stripping is not for you. There are other ways you can make money without having to go through all the shit I put myself through,” Goldie said.

Alice was silent, listening intently to the girl’s advice.

“So, you’ve probably guessed that most of us don’t make all our money from stripping,” Goldie chuckled.

She was wrong; Alice hadn’t guessed at all. She tried not to get too many details from Goldie’s sordid life.

“I had no idea,” Alice said.

Goldie laughed in disbelief. “Girl, do you see the shit that we buy? It’s expensive!”

Goldie launched into an explanation. She explained that many of the girls had sex for money. She’d only done it once but she’d made an easy $3,000 for just one night. Alice was shocked and she was starting to get uneasy. This wasn’t the kind of work she was looking for.

Goldie explained that she had an online profile where she made money doing various naughty activities on camera. Alice squirmed in her seat as she listened to her. She wasn’t sure that she was quite that desperate for cash. Not yet at least. She also explained that she had a profile where she would go out on dates with guys for a lot of money. Goldie went on dates with high class clients who didn’t want to be seen with their frumpy wives at dinner function and these men paid her a significant amount, without sex.

Oftentimes they bought her gifts -- one of these gifts was  Goldie’s impressive ass augmentation. Goldie also mentioned that she’d had work done on her tummy and gotten free boob jobs for two of her friends. The guys were mostly nice, but some of them were real creeps.

“But I actually think you could benefit from something else,” Goldie said after she’d explained a variety of techniques.

“What would that be?” Alice said.

She was a little titillated by what she’d heard, a little scared but very eager to learn more.

“Sweetheart, you’re still a virgin right?” Goldie asked her.

“Yes, I am,” Alice said, a little embarrassed.

“Oh thank God. I have the perfect idea for you,” Goldie said.

Goldie launched into another explanation. It was a website where girls could sell their virginity to older extremely wealthy men who had a penchant for youthful flesh. Well, one of these websites. This website sought specifically black girls who were willing to risk impregnation by having the buyers take their virginity. A lot of white men had this fantasy, and were willing to pay big bucks to have it fulfilled.

The arrangement was this: you put up a profile, you were matched with a buyer who took interest in you. You could look at what he was offering as well as his net-worth, both of which were well vetted. Then, he could pay you for a date and see where things went from there. Often times, the dates are at their homes, so Goldie promised that she would be the check-in person for Alice if she decided to actually take her up on it.

“I’ll help you make your profile. They love innocent looking girls like you,” Goldie said and then she laughed, “Girls like me look a bit too... used up to these guys.”

“I don’t know if I can do this, Goldie.”

“Of course you can! Listen… If you’re worried about a husband you can always lie. If you’re in a tough spot I promise this will end all your problems.”

“But it’s sex with a stranger! I’m just not that kind of person,” Alice urged, trying to get Goldie to see her perspective.

Goldie kissed her teeth, “Listen, Alice… The cards are stacked against us. I don’t know what demons you got, but if they’re anything like mine, you need to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Don’t let the demons win because you’re too much of a prude to do what needs to be done.”

Alice pursed her lips. Goldie had a point sometimes as much as she resented it. Still, Alice didn’t know if this was the sort of thing she could do easily. She was humoring Goldie now -- there was no stopping her once she put her mind to something -- but Alice wasn’t convinced that going through something like this could possibly be worth the money.

Could you really put a price on self-worth?

Goldie pulled out her laptop which was of course, brand new, and then opened up the website. The girls put together a profile for Alice and uploaded it. Goldie was excited. Alice could see that she enjoyed working her magic on her hapless victim. The idea of transforming prudish Alice into a vixen exhilarated Goldie in an almost unnatural way.

“Are you sure I should say I have the best natural homegrown booty ever?” Alice scoffed.

Goldie smirked, “Trust me okay… Listen, if this doesn’t work, I’ll loan you a couple grand. Just trust me!”

Alice was powerless to disagree with her. There was a reason she’d come to Goldie. That woman knew more about the seedy underbelly of the world of sex work than Alice could ever imagine. Plus, she trusted Goldie. Others might have just seen Goldie’s silicon implants, but Alice knew she had a warm heart too.

“Go through the messages tomorrow and I’ll guide you through what to do next. Trust me, it’ll work that quickly. Before you know it, you will have all the money you need and like 10% of the emotional scars that I have.”

Alice went home, wondering if she really had the stones to do this. She checked her bank statement one last time before bed. That pushed her to consider Goldie’s plan seriously.

She had to lose her virginity some time. Better with a crusty old guy who would pay her handsomely than with a fumbling dweeb beneath the bleachers of a high school football stadium, or wherever it was people who had sex in high school lost their virginity.

She’d been waiting for the “right guy” but maybe she needed to do this for herself. Alice had her ethical reservations but it was one time and then she wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again. Who could say no to a promise like that?

Goldie had promised her that a deal like this would pay beyond her wildest dream. It wasn’t like she’d change or become a full time sex worker, all she wanted was enough cash so she could get back to focusing on her goals. Her debt would be gone and her tuition would be paid for. Alice wasn’t naive to the fact that accomplishing such a feat on her own would be nearly impossible.

The next morning, Alice woke up early. Her body was covered in cold sweats and terror gripped her heart, causing it to beat at a furious pace. Her chest was tight and when she checked her phone, Alice saw that she was up two hours earlier than usual.

Alice had dreamed that she was being lifted on a cloud over a magnificent landscape. All of a sudden, she started to plunge to the earth thousands of feet below. Sleep was off the table. She’d never been able to go back to sleep after a nightmare. And this one was strange. This one had all the makings of a memory, including the vivid sensation of falling, falling, falling.

Alice boiled some water and poured herself a cup of hot tea. She showered, got dressed for class and then sat herself down at her desk. Maybe she wouldn’t have to think about leaving this apartment if she could pull this off. Goldie’s plan was the only way she could see out of the debt, out of the nightmares and out of her family’s problems.

In a sense, Alice resented her mother for pushing her to this point. If her mother had just been a proper parent, she wouldn’t even be considering something as insane as this.

With her computer opened, Alice logged onto the dating site. She anxiously checked her profile, certain that there would be no interested buyers. Goldie’s prediction was more accurate than she could have imagined; Alice had one hundred and fifty messages.

Her eyes widened. One hundred and fifty. Surely amongst such a large number, she was sure to find a man who was worthwhile, maybe even a man who could be more than just a one-time thing.

Alice pushed the thought out of her head. She had to stop being such a romantic about this. There would be nothing romantic in a business transaction as twisted as this one.

Alice paced nervously, had several false starts when it came to catching up on reading, then she had breakfast. After her breakfast, she called Goldie.

“I have one hundred and fifty!” she said before Goldie could greet her.

“Girl, I have a hangover, let me pop a perc and then we’ll chat,” Goldie started fumbling; she heard her dry swallow and then Goldie started going into mentor-mode.

“OK, delete all of them with less than a million dollars of net worth,” she said. Alice went through the list and this took her down to seventy messages.

She almost couldn’t believe that there were so many people who were willing to pay for that kind of thing and that so many of them had that much money.

“Now take away everyone over 45,” Goldie ordered.

Alice complied; this dropped her list of messages down to twenty. Goldie was trying to ensure that the experience wasn’t terrible for her.

“Now, look for a guy who really appeals to you.”

Alice looked through the list. The number hit her before his looks.

Net worth: 1.5 billion dollars

Alice’s jaw dropped.

“Holy shit, Goldie, there’s a billionaire on here,” she said.

“Jackpot girl. I’m going to go throw up, I’ll let you handle the rest. You’re a big girl,” Goldie said before hanging up.

“Goldie wait!”

Beeeep.

It was too late. Goldie hung up and she was far too damaged from her night of partying to be of much more help. Alice guessed that Goldie was right -- she could handle the rest on her own.

Alice opened the message. She wasn’t sure that she could handle this without Goldie’s expert advice. The man’s message to her was simple and succinct without any creepy factors. There were no real red flags except for the place he was looking for a partner. Alice tried not to judge.

After his message, he had posted his number and asked Alice to give him a call. Alice was anxious but a little bit excited at the prospect of meeting an actual billionaire! When she thought about it, just 1% of his wealth was enough to change her life forever.  

She scanned his profile for more information. From his profile picture, he looked normal. He claimed to be forty years old, and if he wasn’t he certainly looked like his was.

He had a handsome face and a wide smile. His skin was an alabaster color and he had a mop of blond hair. His eyes were a deep ocean blue. The eyes were the most hypnotic part of his appearance. Alice looked into them and saw a mixture of sensual domination and icy coldness. A chill ran down her spine.

Alice wondered what he looked like in person. So far from his picture, he didn’t look bad. His facial features were decidedly sharp and masculine. Something about him was vaguely familiar, but Alice couldn’t figure out what it was.

She picked up her phone hesitating about making the call. Just pressing those numbers had the power to catapult her life into a totally different direction. Alice wasn’t sure if she was ready. She didn’t want to become like Goldie.

She didn’t want to become addicted to material things or a fast life of too many sexual partners. But Alice knew that she needed this to realize her dreams. Without this, there would be no degree. Everyone had some dark secrets, and Alice was preparing for this one to be hers.

Alice squeezed her eyes shut as she let her fingers guide the way over her key pad and she called the number.

“Good day, Blaine Danvers’s assistant speaking. Would you like to make an appointment?”

The voice sounded young, British and plagued by smoking too many cigarettes. His sharp voice stunned Alice into silence. She wasn’t sure if she really had the courage to continue this.

“Hi, my name is Alice Charles and I’m calling because er… Mr. Danvers gave me his number on a website called --”

“Ah. Yes. That girl,” The man said, interrupting Alice before she could finish her sentence.

​“Well, I’m interested in a deal but I’m not sure how to proceed.”

The assistant snorted, “Hold on one moment Alice…”

Every second on hold was excruciating. Alice tapped on her desk with her finger. She organized her pens, she stroked the broad leaves of her aloe plant. The wait tempted Alice to hang up.

Finally, the assistant returned.

“Right, so continue Ms. Charles,” The assistant replied flatly.

Alice’s voice shook.

“I just thought I would reply to the message as I’m… interested in Mr. Danvers’s order.”

The assistant began to probe Alice, asking her a litany of questions about her personal life. He was feeling her out, assessing confidentiality and safety without outright asking the questions that were plaguing them both.

Will you tell? Will you shame my client? Is your client psychotic? Are you a gold digger?

The assistant warmed up to the idea of Alice after a half-hour interview that felt like it lasted an eternity.  

“So Ms. Charles, Where can I pick you up tonight to meet with Mr. Danvers? You can call and give me an address later. I have to head to a meeting with Mr. Danvers any minute,” The assistant rushed.

He provided Alice with a different number than the one she’d initially called and then hung up.

The rest of Alice’s day was spent preparing herself for this meeting. She tried to get in touch with Goldie but her only insight into the world she was about to enter was nursing a terrible headache and unavailable.

Alice considered reaching out to one of her other friends, but she couldn’t think of a single other person she could trust with what she was about to do. Her friends were either just as prudish as she was or Goldie -- there was no in between. Alice didn’t want to be judged for this. She didn’t have the support systems that most women had. Plus, she wasn’t changing who she was as a person. This would only be a one time thing.

I need to do this. For my mother… For my brother… For myself. Alice tried to talk herself up.

Once the sun set, Alice called the new number that the assistant had given her. By now, she’d expected to have actually met the man that had selected her. Alice had to admit that this was raising some red flags.

“Give me the address and meet me in three hours,” The voice drilled.

Alice struggled to hold her voice steady as she did what Goldie told her to. She gave the assistant the address to a public park. The assistant hung up without a further word. Alice felt a creepy chill come over her. Was this really going to work, or was she being set up to take a big fall?

Alice messaged Goldie updates and begged her to pull through. Alice worried that Goldie was still passed out on pills but she also knew that Goldie had her back when she needed her. She stared at her phone until Goldie called back, trying to ignore the clamminess in her hands.

Sure enough, Goldie called back within a few minutes.

“When was your last bikini wax?” she asked Alice point-blank.

“I’ve never had one,” Alice muttered.

“What?!”

“Listen, you knew I was a virgin! I’ve never had any of that stuff done.”

Goldie snorted, “Make sure you talk like that with him. I’m sure that innocent game will turn him on.”

“Goldie!”

“Sorry, sorry. Calm down. I’ll come over to your place and then take you to the meet-up point so I can get a good look at the guy. Trust me, it’s going to be fine.”

Goldie asked her a few more invasive questions about her sexual health and then hung up. Alice was left with her thoughts again. Goldie’s bluntness had again brought her to the place of considering her second thoughts.

What kind of man was she going to meet? He was handsome, but what if there was something wrong with him? Why else would he be looking for an “arrangement” like this…

Alice had to admit that his good looks had played a major role in her accepting his offer. Did that mean she was wrong? Crazy? Slutty?

Goldie had left Alice with specific instructions as to what to wear. She dressed in a sensual bandage dress that hugged all her curves. Alice’s thick legs and large breasts were especially highlighted by the outfit. She would have never worn a dress like this on a date. Somehow, she was obligated to take Goldie’s advice.

This wasn’t a normal date anyways. This was a one time thing -- a quick fling that would catapult all of her problems into the distance.

Alice didn’t wear much makeup. She stared at her face as she debated whether she should wear red lipstick or not. A part of her was ashamed by her innocence now. How would she be believably “seductive”?

Goldie could pull off looks like this, but not a little library mouse such as herself.

Her deep brown skin was glowing with fresh scented oils. Her hair was bundled up on the top of her head in a high bun. She fussed over the small imperfections on her face as she waited to hear Goldie’s car in her driveway.

Alice didn’t plan on bringing much to this encounter.  When Goldie arrived, Alice hid her nervousness and joined her in the living room of her house.

Goldie was thrilled to see her.

“You look amazing,” Goldie cooed, holding Alice to let her spin around.

She ogled Alice’s body and posture. Perfect.

“Let’s revise safety, and I’ll give you a few tips on what these men really want from a girl like you.”

“I’m not sure I can do this Goldie…”

Goldie held onto Alice’s shoulders and said sternly, “Listen, you can back out now Alice. But if you go through with just a few hours of discomfort, all your worries will be gone. Get out of that Puritanical headspace please. It will be fine. It will all be fine. It’s one night Alice. That’s why I wanted you to do this. I don’t want you to go through months or years of what I’ve gone through. Trust me. Just... trust me…”

Alice nodded.

​“I trust you.”

Goldie hugged her friend and continued her pep talk. Alice wished that she could stay wrapped in that hug forever.

Goldie prattled on about what Alice shouldn’t do with her billionaire and about how she should conduct herself in case of an emergency. The time to leave the house drew closer. Alice’s throat clenched each time she thought about really going through with this.

Alice got into the passenger seat of Goldie’s car and they played Jazmine Sullivan music until they got to the park.

Alice looked to Goldie and muttered, “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared. Don’t worry, it will come naturally to you. You’ll relax once you see the guy is a total hunk.”

Alice kissed her friend on the cheek and walked out of the car. Goldie parked subtly along the street to keep an eye on the situation and ensure that nothing went awry.

A giant black Porsche pulled up to where she was standing. A man emerged.

“I’m Mr. Danvers’s guard. From your pictures I’m guessing you’re Alice Charles? I’m Corbin.” The man said.

“Hi Corbin. Yes, I’m Alice.”

“Come with me. Don’t be alarmed. Your safety is my primary concern,” Corbin said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Alice followed him into the backseat of the town car. She never got a look at the driver.

“Have some water. Don’t be nervous, Ms. Charles,” Corbin said.

He handed her a tiny glass cup, the size of a Dixie cup, filled with water, and she drank the entire thing in one gulp. Alice needed the refreshment. That would calm her down enough to ask where he was taking her.

The black backseat of the car warped into a fuzz. Alice closed her eyes, and fell asleep within seconds.

When she woke up, she was in a giant canopy bed. Alice’s eyes flashed open and she whipped her head from side to side trying to figure out if she was at her place or Goldie’s. Within a few seconds, and with more wakefulness on her side, she realized that she had no idea where she was.

She tried to retrace her steps. There was nothing. Her mind was blank.

What the hell? Where am I?

Alice sat up. Her breathing became shallow as she ran through every terrible possibility. She’d been scammed and kidnapped. She was about to be sold into sex slavery. She was being held for ransom. Alice darted her eyes around, trying to find a door, or see if she could see a way out.

Double doors to the right of the bed swung open.

The man from the online profile stood to her right.

“Good morning Alice. I’m Blaine Danvers.” His deep voice boomed throughout the room.

Morning? The last thing that she remembered had happened only a few hours after sunset. Where the hell was she?

“I trust you had a restful night,” Blaine continued.

He paused, clearly waiting for her to answer. Alice was still trying to calm herself down. She didn’t want to show Blaine any fear. If she wanted to make it out alive, she’d have to think on her feet.

“Yeah. I slept great,” Alice said honestly, not wanting to do anything to upset the man who held her fate in his hands. Alice tried to detect something creepy about him, some sign that he was about to hurt her. But everything about Blaine’ body language said relaxed.

“Great. I’m sorry that I had to bring you here like this, but confidentiality is of utmost importance to the both of us. You understand,” he spilled the words out smoothly, enunciating every letter perfectly as one would expect of a man in high society.

His accent sounded some mixture of American, British and something else that Alice didn’t recognize.

Alice couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was. His voice was steady and deep, with an almost hypnotic sound. He was a man of few words clearly, but that only added to his intrigue.

Blaine’ face was also far more attractive than his picture on the website. He was by no means hideous or creepy. He possessed a strange mixture of masculine hardness and gentle ease. Alice could actually picture herself getting to know him, not just engaging in this arrangement, assuming that she hadn’t actually gone through it already…

Alice was trying to look around for clues as to where on earth she was, but she found nothing at all. The air was too chilly for her to have been anywhere near her college in Miami.

“I’ll have someone bring you breakfast, and then open the closet and get dressed. One of my assistants picked out a few items. Once you’re dressed, someone will be up here to lead you to my room.”

Alice lay in bed and ate a breakfast of eggs and bacon. The blonde maid that brought it to her wouldn’t answer any questions. She seemed resistant to Alice’s attempts to be friendly with her. Only after she left the room did it occur to Alice that perhaps the maid didn’t speak English.

After eating breakfast, Alice went to the closet to follow Blaine’ instructions. Her hesitation and confusion still lurked below the surface but Alice also realized that on some level she was playing a game. And it was a game that she intended to win.

She got up and removed the outfit from the closet. The dark wood of the wardrobe had a distinct smell but it was clear that the outfit was brand new. It was a sleek Chanel shift dress with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.