Doubt it.
That brought a smile to my face as I stepped onto the section of the rooftop pool.
A darkening violet sky glimmered above with stars. The penthouse was in the center of a high-end area in Belladonna. The area’s nightlife had just woken up. The beginning noises of luxury partying rose. Taxies honked. People laughed. Music drifted and hung in the air.
I looked around and didn’t see Rafael. Blue water rippled in the pool and glowed. Lights outlined the inside. Jean-Pierre told me it was heated.
A table sat near the pool. There were several plates full of desserts. I went to the table, searched for anything coated in chocolate, and devoured several pieces.
I don’t know if I can go back to not eating this good.
A dark voice sounded behind me. “I figured you were hungry. I had the chef prepare something.”
Munching in pure enjoyment, I twisted around with my hand holding a brownie in mid-air. “Thanks. I’m not really hungry. It’s just. . .chocolate.”
Rafael stepped closer to me. “So, it’s hard for you to avoid temptation?”
“When it comes to chocolate.” I ate the brownie and turned around to get another piece. It wasn’t that I needed another bite. I just felt uncomfortable. The way he’d worded the question, sounded like he’d been asking something more.
With my back to him, I felt his gaze on me. It burned a path over my skin. I shivered and stepped away, giving us four feet of space. Where Jean-Pierre triggered complete comfort, Rafael incited fear and caused my nerves to go on edge.
“The tattoo.”
I looked at him. “Yes?”
“How new is that?”
“A year.”
“What did Jean-Pierre say, when he first saw the violin strings on your back?”
“That it would get me into trouble.”
Rafael smirked. “Too late for that. Isn’t it?”
I swallowed down the brownie, no longer excited about eating. “Jean-Pierre said he used to play the violin for you.”
“That’s interesting.” Rafael walked over to the table, picked up a tiny piece of banana, and dipped it in caramel.
“Did you play an instrument?” I asked.
“No. Jean-Pierre was always the more civilized of us.” He tossed the piece in his mouth. “The smartest too. Well. . .except with love.”
That was a topic I was happy to explore. Shalimar only knew his past when it dealt with the Candy Shop. The rest of my knowledge came from old news articles on the internet. In that moment, I wondered if I could get more information from Rafael.
Why should I ask? I’m not supposed to care. But. . .I do. I really do want to know more about him.
I grabbed a glass and poured water in it. Curiosity bubbled in my chest. Unable to help myself, I asked, “You’re smarter at love?”
“I am.”
“How?”
“I choose not to love at all.”
Confused, I asked, “And Jean-Pierre chooses to love?”
“In his way.”
Who does he love?
The thought of another having his attention. . .it did dark things to my chest. My heart ached. My stomach twisted. I held my hands to the area, hoping I could forget about the jealousy rising inside of me.
Rafael stared at me. “What will you do after these thirty days?”
“I haven’t thought about it.”
“You should. You have many options.”
“I do?”
“Yes.” He picked up a chocolate covered strawberry. “What has Jean-Pierre offered you?”
“It was a private business deal.”
“How much?” He bit into the fruit.
“100k.”
He whistled. “That’s a large amount, but that’s fine.”
“Fine?”
“I’ll pay that.”
“Oh.” I stepped back. “No. I mean. . .I’m sorry, but. . .this is the only deal I’m ever doing.”
“You mean that you would only do this deal with Jean-Pierre? Why?” He moved forward.
I held my glass tighter, not liking that he wasn’t giving me space. “This isn’t the profession I want.”
“You’re very smart. Lots of big, classy words.” He mimicked me. “This isn’t the profession I want.”
“It isn’t.”
He moved in closer. Only a foot lay between us. “I’ll pay double. What’s that, Mrs. Eden? 200k? That could get you a whole lot of violins.”
“Not really.” I walked over to the pool.
“We’re done with the conversation?”
“I feel uncomfortable.” I picked up my towel and continued to the exit.
“But I’m not done talking.”
I stopped and turned around.
“How about 300k, Eden?”
“That won’t work.” Anger rose within me. “I retire after Jean-Pierre.”
“Why?”
“Because. . .this isn’t what I want to do.”
“But you did it for him.”
“Yes. That was different.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because. . .I liked him.”
“Hmmm.” He placed his hands in his pockets and stalked my way. “If you liked him so much, then why didn’t you fuck him for free?”
I blinked. “Because he never asked to fuck me for free.”
He stopped right in front of me. “If you liked him so much, then why make him pay?”
“I didn’t make him pay.”
“But you didn’t say no to the money either.”
I let out a long breath. “I didn’t.”
“You didn’t.”
What did Leo say? If all else fails, look him confidently in his eyes.