Page 73 of Nanny and the Beast

For a second, I wonder if he recognized my voice. I only whispered the three words, buthe's looking at me like he can see past the mask on my face.

"We're done here," he says, standing briskly.

From my kneeled position, he looks like a Greek god come to life. He's aman who exudes power, and the sight of him alone makes my clit throb with need.

He looks at me like he wants to stay, but I know he's not going to.

It doesn't stop me from wishing, though.

I want to take any scrap of affection he's willing to throw at me. I want him to use my body for his sexual gratification. I want his hands on me, touching me without restraint.

"You'll be paid in full for the night, but I no longer require your services," he says.

Without another glance back at me, he's gone.

As soon as the door closes behind him, I feel the cold. He took all the warmth with him when he left.

I take a deep breath. The air still smells like him—like musk and mahogany.

I stare out of the open window.

Constellations of stars dot the night sky.I wonder what these stars have in store for me.

I wonder if there's a reason I crossed paths with someone like Klaus Sinclair.

18

KLAUS

Ifind Alaric in the middle of a poker game. He’s wearing a smug grin as stacked chips are pushed toward him. I don’t know how the bastard does it, but I’ve never seen him lose a game.

He claims it’s because he remains in Lady Luck’s good graces.

I don’t believe in luck, but I know for a fact that his hawk eyes don’t miss a single thing. He’s way too good at reading people.

I sit down by the bar as I wait for him to finish. He lifts his head and spots me in the crowd.

“Gentlemen,” he says, standing and buttoning his jacket. He doesn’t glance back at the chips or the men, but their eyes follow him. It’s a high-stakes poker game. My friend’s net worth increased by a couple of million dollars tonight.

I order his usual drink by the time he sits beside me.

“It looks like congratulations are in order,” I say.

“Lady Luck was shining down on me tonight,” he says. “Also, why did it take you so long to get here?”

I clear my throat, hoping we can avoid this discussion altogether.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” I say.

“Oh my God,” he says.

“Don’t.”

“You were with a girl, weren’t you?”

“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Why are you all shy about it? This is good. You’re making progress.”

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