Page 14 of Hired Help

I know his parents had him young. I know they never married, and their relationship exploded apart with such force that his mum spent twelve years picking up the pieces. Aside from that, I’m relatively clueless.

Harrison’s shamefaced confession that his dad stripped for women and ‘did other things’ only ever filled me with sympathy, imagining the distress of being in that situation.

Now, it fills me with curiosity.

He’s the most expensive listing on the page; four hundred per hour. My imagination fires.

Why is his hourly rate so much higher? The nearest is fifty dollars cheaper but most of the listings are under two hundred. Is that a supply and demand thing? Is it not worth his while to travel for less?

Is he so much better than the others that women would happily pay the fee, no matter the cost?

I flick through the assorted images. Even if they’re years out of date, he really is the most beautiful man. Dark hair, as silky black as Harrison’s but much longer, spilling over his shoulders. Every inch of visible skin has markings, vibrant tattoos from the deepest black to the brightest crimson, some phrases, mostly images. My fingers itch to hold him down and examine the intricate details printed on his taut, muscular canvas.

You should ask him to the dance.

An evil smile spreads across my face as I imagine turning up to the prom on his arm, parading him in front of a gaggle of envious seniors.

And who really gives a shit about them? No, I’d be parading him in front of an audience of one.

My hands tremble as the idea takes a firmer hold. Could I do that? Knowing how everyone would stare.

It would be a public service, really. The beautiful dress deserves to have at least one good night out at a ball, being admired. It’s only fair it’s matched by someone equally beautiful at my side.

At worst, he’ll refuse. The moment I say the name of the school, he’ll probably cut and run.

Except… if he’s as estranged as Harrison has led me to believe, he mightn’t know the school.

He might say yes.

A shiver of deliciousness shakes me from head to toe.

If he agreed, then I’d get to make Harrison as uncomfortable as his recent actions have made me.

You said I was bad in bed, well…? I hired a professional. Isn’t that the right action when you have a weakness? Hire someone to help you improve.

Deeper inside, my caution sounds a warning. Infidelity is Harrison’s one cardinal sin. If I do this, things really are over between us. He won’t forgive me.

And the petulant child, who represents far more of my personality than I’d wish, stamps her spoiled foot. He deserves to be hurt. He deserves to pay.

He didn’t give a shit about hurting me.

I open a chat box, typing in a general query. We can meet, I can test him out, see if this plan is something I could go through with.

Maybe after one lesson with him, I won’t care about Harrison any longer.

The money is nothing to me. With the first part of my disgustingly humongous trust fund kicking in at eighteen, I’ve probably earned a hundred times his hourly rate in interest while I’ve been browsing. If he hesitates, I can double his fee, triple it without flinching. Any counteroffer will be within my budget.

At ten times the cost, it’ll still be less than the earrings I plan to wear.

With a growing smile of satisfaction, I swap the dress for my previous attire, then run for class as the bell goes.

My whole day rosier with one split-second decision.

CHAPTERFIVE

DAEGAN

The first thingI notice about her is the armour. She’s rich, that’s part of it, but not the most important part.

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