Page 13 of A Kiss at Midnight

I think of my brother as panic flows through me. I’m doing all of this for Justin. I need to bring him home, and I’ll do whatever it takes to do just that. The only thing that matters in my life is my little brother. My body is nothing more than a tool, and I look good, so this tool should be perfect.

“It’s not too late to back out,” Amy says, seeming worried.

“This has to be done, Amy. I’m fine... just scared,” I admit.

“You have so many options,” Amy says. “It might feel like you don’t, but there are other ways.”

I shake my head. “Nothing’s working. Every day Justin stays in those heartless homes is another day I lose my brother. I don’t want him broken, don’t want the trauma to be so great he’ll never be able to be fixed. I can do this. What’s a body, anyway? It’s just flesh and blood. I can seduce a man to get what I want. Women have been doing it for many years.”

“Youhaven’t been doing it,” Amy says.

“There’s no difference in falling in love and giving your body, or in using what you’ve been given to get what matters most. I can do this.”

Amy doesn’t argue anymore. She turns away, and I’m glad. I don’t need for her to talk me out of this. I’m afraid I’ll back out if she argues too much. I can’t do that to Justin. Heck, Blake might reject me anyway. This might all be for nothing.

From the moment I made the decision to do this, I knew my world would never be the same again. I’ve managed to suppress my fears though. My brother matters more than I do right now. I’ll do anything and everything to have him with me. This is the reason I’m here, basically selling myself to the highest bidder.

“If you aren’t going to change your mind, you’d better get going,” Amy says.

I smile. “Let’s do this.” I don’t recognize my own voice. It’s determined but void of emotion. I’m taking myself to another place so I can do what needs to be done.

I turn from the mirror and follow Amy out the back room and into a waiting car that will take me to the office building. I have a coat over my skimpy dress, but I still don’t want to ride public transportation with what I’m currently wearing.

I arrive at the office building, nod to the guards on duty, then make my way to the top floor. It’s dark and eerily quiet. I stop in the bathroom, my nerves trying to get the better of me. I curse myself.Shape up, Jewel!This is simply another day in my life, a day I’ll soon forget. My body is just a tool to use. It’s not sacred... it’s not important... and it’s not special. All that’s important is for me to get my brother. He has a lifetime ahead of him, and all of that can be shattered in an instant if the wrong hands get hold of him while he’s in state custody.

I need to look at this as a job, an acting job. This is a role I’m playing. I’ll do my best to think of myself as a character in a film, being the woman Blake was speaking about to his brothers... a seductress.

At the end of our time together, the director will yell cut, and I’ll slip out the back door.

I walk with confidence down the hall and see Blake’s door open, his light on. No one else is on this floor, a very good thing. If there was another soul here, I’m sure I’d lose my bravado. I move forward and boldly slip through his door. His head whips up as he stares at me, my coat still covering my body, but my hair and makeup done to perfection showing him something is different about this midnight visit.

“Jewel?” he asks, his tone confused and questioning.

I don’t hesitate, finding my strength. “I heard you talking last week. You need a woman... and I need money... and a fake boyfriend.”

He looks shocked for a brief moment before he covers up the look, leaving a smirk resting on his lips. He leans back in his chair as if he’s intrigued. So far, so good. He hasn’t told me to leave the room.

“I like an honest woman. What do you need money for?”

“That’s none of your business,” I tell him, not rudely, just matter-of-factly.

“It’s not my business, but you’re willing to use your body to get money?” he questions.

“Yes,” I tell him. There’s no point in playing the blushing virgin now. I’ve made him an offer and if I shrink at this point, the entire game is over before it’s ever begun.

“What makes you think I want you?” he asks, and I can’t help but flinch as I’ve been wondering this same thing. Why would a man like Blake Astor, who can literally have any single woman he wants, ever desire me? He wouldn’t. But he told his brothers he wanted me. That’s what has me in this room right now.

“As I said, I was passing your office last week and I heard you speaking to your brothers. I decided to let you know I’m available.” There’s a slight tremble in my voice, but not enough for him to notice.

“You’re taking a big risk in losing your job right now,” he warns.

My stomach hurts with how hard it’s rolling. “I’ve hit rock bottom. I have no choice but to take risks at this point,” I say.

He grins, but it’s not a happy, friendly smile. No, this is the look of a predator... a predator who’s hungry. A shiver rushes through me.

“What will you do to prove how much you want this?” he asks. He kicks back the slightest bit as he leans back in his chair, his toned legs spread, his posture seemingly relaxed. This man owns his piece of the world and if I stand a chance at winning this game, I have to act like I belong here.

When Blake Astor had held my gaze over a month ago, I’d felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane. He touched my fingers and I hadn’t been able to breathe. Maintaining my composure around him will be difficult, but I have too much to lose not to do this. I either play this game . . . or my brother is lost forever. Icando this.

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