Page 18 of Sweet Deception

"Angel?" I wait until her focus is back on me. "Was the contract to your liking?"

Her eyes widen before she darts her gaze around the room. She's like a skittish colt who was dropped into a world she knows nothing about. I know it makes me an ass, but I chuckle again, which brings her gaze back to mine. This time with the temper of a lioness.

Fuck, what I wouldn't do to have all that fire in my bed.

"Relax. No one is close enough to overhear our conversation. To anyone in the room, I approached a beautiful woman and offered her a drink, that's all." She has no idea Gio's heading off anyone wanting to approach me so I can have this time alone with her.

Her shoulders relax, but she's still fidgeting. I glance down to see her twisting the ring on her finger and I instantly want to know who gave it to her. The desire to replace it with one of my own is strong.

I narrow my eyes at the unexpected thought.

"Sorry. It's just … this is new for me and I don't want anyone knowing I'm …" She cuts off and looks down at her hands.

I don't like the shame on her face.

"Hey." I lift her chin, bringing her eyes back to mine where they belong. "There's no shame in what you're doing." She opens her mouth, but I continue before she can speak. "That said, I won't ever tell anyone why you're with me." She gives me a sweet smile, but it vanishes when I continue, "I would've had you either way."

It gives me great satisfaction to see the fire back in her eyes.

"Here you go, sir." Frankie sets our drinks on the bar top before walking away to give us privacy.

Kylie picks her glass up and drinks half of its content before setting it back down and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Amused, I take a slower drink before standing. "Come on Angel, let's go sit at a booth."

Grabbing her drink, I guide her to a VIP booth in the far corner, tucked away for privacy. It’s for reservation only and used for the sugar baby meet and greets.However, we offer them for the dating site's first connections as well. We do that so any assumptions about the couple can be explained as a match through Sweet Connection's dating service.

I nudge her to slide in first before following her in. She tries to move all the way to the other side of the booth, but I stop her by placing a hand on her thigh and settle next to her. I set her glass in front of her and by the time I set mine down, she's already picked it up and downed the rest of its contents.

"Angel, if you don't slow down, you'll have to go home with me tonight so I can keep you safe," I threaten.

She shoves her drink away with enough force, it almost slides off the table. Chuckling, I shake my head at the sheepish look she gives me. As much as I want to begin our contract tonight, it's obvious she needs more time.

I take my hand off her thigh to give us both a break and shift to place my arm on the ledge behind her.

The back of the booths are high for privacy, with a small ledge about shoulder height, making it perfect for allowing a man to hover over his date. This is as much as I’ll offer her for space.

Her pull to me is strong. As much as she thinks she doesn't want to be here, I can tell she's struggling with our attraction as much as I am. I study her face while she looks anywhere but at me. I'm a little annoyed that she's wearing so much makeup, but I can admit the smokey look suits her.

It was the first thing I registered as I viewed the monitors from my office. That all eyes turned her way when she walked into the club had me gritting my teeth. I've never felt such possessiveness toward a woman. Surely this need for her won't last.

Kylie finally braves eye contact and I can tell she's worked herself into asking me a question. She straightens her shoulders and shifts minutely to face me.

"Can I ask you something?" She bites her lip as she waits. Knowing what that'll do to me, I free her lip before nodding. "Why are you doing this? I mean, look at you." She waves her hand in front of me as if I'm unaware of what I look like. "You don't need to …" she looks over my shoulder to make sure no one is close and misses the smirk on my face. Turning back, she leans in before whispering, "You're offering a lot of money and I can't wrap my head around someone like you doing that. You can't tell me you have issues finding women to … date." She blushes as she sits back and tilts her head down while keeping eye contact.

Does she know how seductive that look is?

"Fuck, you're beautiful." I can't take my eyes off her and she's fast becoming an addiction.

Maybe I do have a thing for innocence.

Her eyes widen, and her face flushes again. How any man could walk away from her, I don't know.

Sighing, I glance around the room to give me a minute. I need to get myself under control before she ends up controlling me.

I want to wince at what I'm about to say, knowing it can set me back with her, but it's best she understands things from the start.

"Something tells me you prefer I give it to you straight." Arching my eyebrow, I wait for her acknowledgement before continuing. "I don't want the entanglement of a relationship." I lift my shoulder.

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