Hold Me (4 page)

“He won’t do that, and don’t call him a whore. His name is Caleb,” I snap.

“Ah, he has a name. Lovely. You know that’s not his real name, right?” she drawls. “Are you really willing to trust him that much? When he finds out who you really are and how much money you really have, he could ask for more or even blackmail you.”

“Actually, I trust him. Other guys are far more likely to blackmail me than someone who also has a lot to lose if people find out what he really does for a living.” Somehow I don’t think Caleb would be telling his family and everyone how he gets all the money. Maybe he even has another job. He’s pretty secretive about himself, too, and I don’t think he’d want everyone to know.

“Fine.” Katherine clasps her hands together. “I hate your idea, but Mark would never assume anyone other than men or old, desperate women would pay for sex and escorts. If your Caleb is as hot as you say he is, then I just can’t wait to see Mark’s face when he realizes you have moved on and have someone. If you won’t take a photo, I will.”

My lips spread into a smile. Mark would be green with envy. I really shouldn’t care what he thinks, but I don’t want to pass this opportunity to get back at him at least a little bit. I just hope Caleb will be available and agree to be my escort. I’ll have to steal the guest list from my dad and make sure none of the invitees would be able to recognize Caleb. Maybe they wouldn’t talk for their own sakes, but I don’t want to take any risks.

I stare at my nearly empty glass as I trace my finger over its edge. Some guy is eyeing me from across the bar, but I decide to ignore him.

“Lil, hey! I came as soon as possible.” Alessandra plops onto the high stool next to me, a big grin spreading her cherry red lips, her hazel eyes sparkling with delight. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long for me.”

“It’s okay.” I wave my hand. In all the years I’ve known Alessandra, she’s never come on time. My stomach does a nervous flip as I look at her. “Did you talk to... um, your acquaintance about Caleb?”

“I did.” She tucks a strand of her long dark brown hair behind her ear and leans in. “Caleb was reluctant at first because he doesn’t really do that kind of thing, you know, go out in public with someone and all. But he went through the guest list and he didn’t recognize anyone, so that’s fine. And since the party is a private one and there’ll be no press, he agreed to go with you.”

I let out a sigh of relief, then raise an eyebrow at her. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She grins. “He’ll charge you for the whole night though, so after the party, you can have some fun with him if you want.”

“That’s...” I don’t know what to say. “I’m glad he agreed.” I can already picture Mark’s face, and I know my night will be perfect. My body tingles at the thought of spending a night with Caleb, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

“You should really check the price first.” Alessandra takes her phone out of her red purse and runs her finger across the screen. My eyes widen as she hands the phone to me.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of... numbers.” I place the phone back into her hand. “But it’s not a problem. I’ll pay it.” Is it worth paying a small fortune for a perfect night? Yes, if it will wipe that annoying smile off Mark’s face forever.

“Great.” Alessandra tucks her phone back into her purse, her lips slightly curving up. For a moment, I wonder if she’ll be getting any of my money for being an intermediary. I’m a little surprised Caleb hasn’t contacted me himself, but I guess he’s worried about his privacy.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she says. “Where do you want him to meet you?”

“I want him to come to my apartment.” That’s what Mark would’ve done if he were still my boyfriend.

“Okay. Do you have any special instructions for him? Like who he should pretend to be?”

I chew on the insides of my cheek. What would bother Mark the most? “He could be a law student at one of the best universities around here.” Mark wanted to be a lawyer, but his dad had other plans, so he ended up studying economics. We met in one of our economics classes where he was pretty much struggling until I helped him. He used to be nice back then.

“Sure.” Alessandra waves at the bartender and orders herself a drink, then turns back to me. “Anything else?”

“Not really. So how does your acquaintance know Caleb?”

Alessandra’s lips quirk up. “Sorry. Can’t tell you that even if I wanted to. I’m just a proxy. All I know is that you won’t have trouble with anyone, and that’s what matters.”

“Right.” I rub my arms. “Do you want to come to my father’s party?”

“Hell no.” She touches her throat. “Business parties are incredibly boring and I just happen to be invited to a better party.”

“What kind of a party?” I cock my head.

She smiles at me and winks. “A very... enjoyable one.”

I’m not even sure what’s that supposed to mean, but I don’t ask anything else. If Alessandra wanted to tell me more, she’d have done it already. All that matters is that Caleb accompanies me to the party, and if I’m lucky, Mark will never bother me again after that.

Caleb makes his way through the dark underground hallways until he reaches Raphael’s office. When the door closes behind him, Raphael turns in his leather chair and smiles at him. As always, Raphael’s short black hair is perfectly combed, his blue eyes sharp, his dark suit perfect. “Ah, there you are,” he says. “A beautiful young woman needs you to be her escort tonight for some boring business event she has to go to. Wants you to be her boyfriend, a law student. Paid a nice sum for the entire night. You think you can do that?” Raphael gives him a pointed look.

“Yes, sir,” Caleb says automatically, the words tasting sour on his tongue, but that’s the only acceptable answer.

“Good.” Raphael leans back in his chair and takes out a phone, sliding it across the table toward Caleb. “You know what to do. If you try or even think something funny, you know who’ll pay for it.” Raphael’s smile widens. “So make sure the woman doesn’t have any complaints.”

Caleb ignores the threat he’s heard way too many times and reaches for the phone. He doesn’t recognize the name, so the woman might be a new client. Probably some rich bitch who wants the world at her feet, just like many he’s encountered before, and he’ll have to do anything to fulfill her desires. Maybe he’s had sex with her already, but he almost never gets to find out the names of those he sleeps with.

Somewhere at the back of his mind, the fact that he’ll have to take a video of her without her permission or knowledge so Raphael has leverage over her like he does over many others makes his stomach roll, but he pushes the thought away. He doubts he’s going to meet with an innocent woman. They’re never innocent. They know all about Raphael and what he does, and they don’t give a damn. All they care about is their own pleasure.

As he holds the phone in his hand, he wonders what the woman will be like and what she’ll want from him. “Is that all?” he asks.

“Almost.” Raphael opens a drawer and pulls out a small package of white pills. He tosses it to Caleb, who catches it, then Raphael waves his hand. “Go on now. Make yourself presentable. Jade can help you, but if I find out you gave her even one of the pills, she’s going to regret it, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Leave.”

Caleb immediately rushes out of the office, away from Raphael and the smell of smoke that fills the office. He stuffs the pills into the pocket of his pants, determined not to have Jade see it. She’d find a way to get him to give one to her, and he’s sure Raphael will check after he’s gone, and the last thing he wants is to get Jade in trouble.

“What’s up?” Jade asks as soon as she sees him returning. She’s sprawled across the couch, her long legs stretched out. There’s a light bruise on her calf and Caleb wishes he could put a fist through whoever has done that to her.

“Nothing. I’m going to be some rich girl’s boyfriend tonight,” he says.

“Ooh. Finally something interesting.” Jade sits up, her green eyes filled with amusement. “Are you going to a party?”

“Apparently, some kind of a business party.” Caleb inspects the info on the phone. “I’m supposed to be... a law student.”

Jade bursts out laughing. “A law student? That’s fancy.”

“Yeah, now come with me. You’re supposed to help me because I’m inept at dressing up for the occasion.” Caleb rolls his eyes, the corners of his lips tilting up. There’s a whole closet full of various clothes for way too many occasions that they rarely use, and Jade usually likes to touch those things and play around. She immediately gets to her feet.

“Yes, you so are.” She grins, putting her arm through his. “Let’s turn you into Prince Charming.”

The shrill sound of my intercom makes me jump, and I hurriedly slip on my shoes, nearly tripping on my soft black carpet. When I reach the intercom in the hallway, I see Caleb’s face on the screen. He glances around, biting slightly on his lower lip. I press the button to unlock the door and he enters the building. Alessandra must have told him to find me on the third floor. He can’t miss. The whole floor is mine.

I glance at myself in the mirror, and groan. My hair is still a mess. He’s come too early... One look at the clock tells me that no, he’s right on time, and I’m late. Shit. I run my fingers through my hair, but I’m not sure if I’m doing more damage than good. The doorbell rings way too soon, and I take a deep breath and go open the door.

“Hey,” Caleb says, his lips spreading into a wide smile when he sees me. I open my mouth to say something, but I can’t stop staring at him. He’s looking even more gorgeous than before. His hair is carefully combed, but a few strands are spiking up in just the right places, making him look both boyish and elegant. His black suit perfectly hugs his lean body without looking too tight.

“Hey. Um, come in. I’m still getting ready...” I open the door wide, feeling warmth coming into my cheeks and I don’t even know why.

“I can wait.” He tilts his head, stopping to look at me. My black cocktail dress suddenly seems see-through and I lick my dry lips.

I wave my hand. “It’s just my hair and makeup. It shouldn’t take long...” Except I have no clue what to do with my hair. I stop in front of the mirror in the hallway and sigh. As I raise my hair up, I realize I should have called Katherine to help me with this. I could never style my hair perfectly on my own because a stray strand would always stick out somewhere behind and all would be ruined. I look up at Caleb who’s watching me in silence. “Can you help me?”

He rubs his forehead. “Depends. What do you need?”

A grin tugs at my lips. “I need you to tie my hair up in a bun. Do you think you can do that?”

“I...”

“You can just try. I think it’ll turn out better than if I try to do it on my own.”

“Okay.” Amusement flashes through his eyes. “But don’t be mad at me if I ruin it.”

“I promise I won’t. Come with me.” I stride toward my room and wonder how weird it is to have him in my room, which is huge, with a big double bed, a lot of closets and shelves, and a dressing table. Every piece of furniture is either silver, black, or white.

“So what should I do?” he asks, his gaze traveling across the room, but his face is expressionless.