Because I’m waiting for you to make a scene about Rachid, I thought, but I didn’t say it out aloud. “Dance with me,” I said instead.
“Do you like to dance, Jenny?” His breath tickled at me and his hand tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. Again, pinpricks of desire spread all over my body as his lips kissed my neck, my jaw and my lips. I moaned and kissed him back, oblivious to the bodies all around us. I didn’t bother to hide the longing I felt when he touched me. This is what he had paid for, hadn’t he? Lust was expected of me and I was happy to comply.
“I just learned,” I responded to his question when I could form words again. He chuckled. He pulled me into his body and we swayed to the music. He didn’t mention Salim or Rachid, and I didn’t ask him if his business had gone well. I tried not to think about Sylvia’s impending visit to Paris, where she would play with me.
We stayed in the moment, choosing to remain in our warm cocoon of desire. We swayed to the music for a couple of hours until my eyes started to close and I couldn’t stifle my yawns anymore. “Bed, cherie,” he said indulgently, taking me by the hand and leading me to the car. I snuggled against him, perfectly content. For the moment, who he was didn’t matter and who I was didn’t either.
***
Alexander:
My eyes had stayed on her in the club. I wasn’t the jealous sort, and I could hardly be outraged that she was dancing with Rachid when I’d been the one who had deposited her in his arms.
No – I watched her, wondering if I’d see the same look of fear in her eyes. But I hadn’t. For a split-second, her gaze had been coolly assessing, almost as if she’d been wondering if she could hold her own against Rachid. Then, her body had relaxed imperceptibly and she’d laughed at something he’d said. No fear.
Damn it. I needed her to look at me with the same absence of fear. There were so many pleasurable things we could do to each other, but nothing would happen unless she was willing. I would never force myself on a woman. For so many reasons, it was the most reprehensible thing I could do.
As we’d wound our way through the night market, she’d relaxed against me. She’d been curious about the assortment of food on display and she’d been eager to explore. All I could think was that I wanted her in my playroom with exactly the same attitude. Curious, eager, unafraid.
Then I’d concluded my business with Salim, repeatedly insisting to him that no, Sylvia Anliker would not be allowed to kidnap a hundred children from Tunisia. Yes, I would ensure that the shipment, as Sylvia had callously called it, would be intercepted before the children reached the brothels that was their destination. Yes, Sylvia was going to pay for all this, and no, Salim didn’t need to intercede. There would be a lot less bloodshed for the innocent if my plan was allowed to proceed.
After many assurances, Salim had finally nodded and curtly agreed to sit tight for a few more weeks. “Stick around,” he’d said, with a smile on his face. “The band’s pretty good.”
The band was excellent. But when I made my way towards Jenny, fear flashed in her eyes again, and my heart clenched. Don’t be afraid of me, bright star, I wanted to murmur into her hair. I won’t hurt you.
Instead, we stayed and danced until she relaxed once more against me. I pushed the desire I felt to the background. We would sleep together when she was unafraid, or not at all. I’d never yet taken someone to my bed who didn’t want to be there. I wasn’t about to start now.
***
Ellie / Jenny:
I hadn’t intended to, but I fell asleep in the car. I woke up only when the motion of the vehicle ceased.
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly to Alexander, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. I was somewhat shocked that I had dozed off. I would have sworn that I was too on edge around him for rest. Evidently, my body disagreed with that assessment.
We had pulled up in front of the Siam, one of Bangkok’s most luxurious hotels. I whistled internally, though I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. Alexander had bid a million dollars for me. A hotel where the cheapest room cost over five hundred dollars a night seemed entirely in keeping with that. But he had also walked through a night market, perfectly at ease among the crowds. We’d eaten street food that cost only a few baht. The club where he’d met Salim and Rachid could best be described as sketchy. Alexander Hamilton was an intriguing contradiction and I didn’t understand him at all.
He directed me to a suite that was over a thousand square feet of opulent lushness. Doors opened onto a private courtyard, where a waterfall tinkled melodiously. The scent of lotus and jasmine was in the air. The furniture was made of dark mahogany wood and the cushions were crisp white cotton, softer than silk. I gaped at the space in open awe.