Page 5 of Caught By the Bratva Beast

While I would go to the fundraiser, I’d be damned if I had to do any more entertaining than necessary.

Chapter 2 - Pearl

“I was starting to think you were going to stand me up,” Noah says, crossing his arms over his broad chest, the shoulders of his suit pulling tight.

His salt and pepper hair is slicked back, the perfect smile in place. It might not meet his eyes, but he seems happy enough to see me again.

Shrugging, I run my hand along the sleek line of the hood of the little sports car, admiring the way the blue light shines beneath the neon lights of the building beside my apartment. “I didn’t want to disappoint. You said this was an important event for your company.”

“It is.” Noah twirls his keys around one finger. “I must ask you to keep our little arrangement a secret though. I wouldn’t want my peers to look down on me.”

“For hiring an escort, you mean?” I keep my tone light and teasing, letting the words roll right off my back.

It’s not the first time, that a man has asked me to keep hush about our arrangement. “Yes.”

I am an escort and there is no denying that. Most men want to keep their arrangement with me a secret. The words stopped stinging a long time ago.

The men are nothing but a bit of fun and a way to earn good money. Most of them are a fun time to be around, perfectly respectable, and at the top of their careers, but both sides of the agreement go into the date knowing the boundaries.

Grinning, I hold out my hand. “Can I drive the car?”

He chuckles and looks between me and the car. “You want me to hand over the keys to a McLaren 765LT Spider?”

“Yup,” I say, popping the p and giving him a coy smile. “I’m a good driver. I promise.”

“And if I let you drive my car, what am I going to get out of it?”

“The envy of all other men at the charity event tonight.” I step closer to him, pressing against him just enough to feel the temperature between us climbing.

Lust burns in his eyes as he looks down at me before handing over the keys. “Try not to crash it, Pearl. This car is my baby, and I would hate for anything to happen to it.”

Rising to my toes, I press a kiss on his cheek and take the keys from him. “And what about me?”

Smirking, he leads the way over to the driver’s side, holding open the door as I slide in. “Something tells me that you’re able to survive anything thrown your way. You are a very capable and smart young woman.”

“Resilient may be the best compliment I’ve ever received.”

I settle in the seat, loving the way the black cushions form to my body, hugging me as I run my hands over the leather on the steering wheel.

As I pull the seatbelt across, butterflies beat their wings against the inside of my stomach, threatening to break free any moment, and I can no longer contain my excitement.

Noah shuts the door before rounding the car and coming to the passenger side. “If you start the car and press this button, the hardtop will retract.”

The car rumbles to life when I press the start button, the dash lighting up with a blue backlight that matches the exterior perfectly.

It takes only seconds for the hardtop of the car to fold, sliding into the back, as the towering skyscrapers of New York City shine brightly above us. Thankfully, the hairspray I put in the carefully styled waves held as Noah gave me directions to the casino. Wind sweeps through the car, making me feel free as I race through the city streets. When we come to a stop outside the casino, I can’t help but gasp. The Serpentine is a work of art.

The casino looked like someone had taken the Pantheon and plopped it right in the middle of the Upper East Side. Ivy curled up the columns and hedges lined either side of the long and low marble stairs.

Everything about the casino screamed opulence.

Noah gets out of the car and opens the driver’s door. I place my hand in his, letting him help me out before handing the keys to the valet.

A man walking by with a young woman on his arm shakes his head, grinning as he looks at us. “I don’t know if I would trust Lissy here to drive my car.”

The woman beside the man gives him a chiding look, her nose turning up as she makes a pointed effort to ignore me.

I plaster on a shield consisting of the best charming tactics I have under my belt. “I’m not too terrible of a driver, but I couldn’t compare to Noah here. He has his ways with cars, among other things.”

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