Corrupt

I dropped my eyes, feeling the water pass between my fingers.

I could ask her why she hadn’t been with him, when I’d seen her go up to his apartment, but I didn’t want to care. It felt weird with her in the building and so close, but Michael wasn’t mine, so it wasn’t my business.

“And I haven’t slept with Kai, either,” she added, tipping back another shot.

“So Will and Damon then?” I broached. “No offense, but I’ve never known them to have to pay for sex.”

“Men who hire escorts aren’t paying for the sex,” she corrected. “They’re paying us to leave when it’s done.”

Nice. I looked away, feeling bad for her.

“Some people aren’t interested in forming attachments or having obligations, Rika,” she explained. “I’m just a professional who’ll show you a good time and then not expect anything afterward.”

I nodded, not really believing her. You may be the good time, but you’re also the dirty secret they hide.

She must’ve seen the judgment in my eyes, because she rushed to explain.

“It pays for school and pays for my apartment, and—no—I don’t want to do this for any longer than I have to, but I made my choice. I wish I didn’t always have to do it, but I don’t regret it. And sometimes,” she flashed me a playful smile, “it’s fun.”

I understood what she was saying, and I hadn’t meant to look like I was judging her. She made her choices, and she owned them. In a way, I envied her confidence.

But I suddenly realized how happy I was to be born a Fane with all the securities that entailed.

Over the next twenty minutes, she took another shot while I finished my drink, and I noticed everyone slowly relaxing as their alcohol took effect. Suit jackets came off, more people got into the pool, and Alex and I were lost in the music and laughing.

The tequila had coursed through my body, warming my stomach and chest, and it felt so good to smile and lose control a little. My skin hummed as my head began to float, and she and I moved our hips to Pray to God, barely noticing the couple making out next to us.

“I’m going to hit the bathroom,” she yelled over the loud music, shoving the bottle of tequila in my hand. “Drink more. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I shook my head, laughing her off.

I watched her hop out of the pool and disappear into the house, but then I spotted Michael, Will, and Kai on the other side of the pool, watching me, and my smile fell.

How long had they been there?

They stood in a semi-circle, drinks in their hands, and I wondered if they’d been watching Alex and me the whole time.

Cocking an eyebrow, I shot them a defiant look and turned around, setting down the bottle and making my way down the edge of the pool.

I headed toward the cave behind the waterfall, partly to escape their prying eyes and partly because I was curious.

The water cascaded down the rocks, splashing my arms and chest as I waded through the pool to the far right side. I spotted a sliver of darkness behind the falls and moved around the rushing water, slipping through without getting drenched.

As soon as I stepped past the falls, though, butterflies hit my stomach and I smiled.

It was huge.

A secret pool hid behind the falls, and the water glowed with neon blue light, much like the light in Michael’s penthouse. Off to the right lay a bank, of sorts, where you could lie down, sit, or people who weren’t swimming could walk in, stand, and see the beauty inside without getting wet.

The whole place was exactly like a cave. The rock walls and ceiling glittered with little white lights, probably to look like stars, and I couldn’t help the little groan that escaped as I tensed my thighs. I was turned on.

I wasn’t sure if it was just the place, the drinks, or Michael. My senses had been overwhelmed today.

I waded further in, enjoying the solace and the darkness, but then I saw Damon enter the cave and I stopped.

He’d walked straight through the falls, coming from the other side and was drenched. He pushed his wet, black hair over the top of his head, the wall of his chest, shoulders, and arms glistening with water. He must’ve either brought swim shorts with him or borrowed some, but I immediately took a step back, seeing that he was coming straight for me.

“I wish I could say I wasn’t used to that reaction from women,” he mused, noticing my retreat.

My hands fisted, and I licked my dry lips. “No, you don’t,” I contended. “I think you like it.”

His lips curled, and I fought not to back away again. He wanted me to be scared. He counted on it.

“I’m not scared of you.” I cocked my head, my heart racing despite my steel resolve.

The music blared outside, and between that and the waterfall, I doubt anyone would hear me if I screamed.

He stopped just in front of me, an inch between us. “Yeah, you are.”

And then he wrapped his arms around my waist like a steel band and lifted me off the ground.

I grunted, planting my hands on his shoulders and pushing away. “Damon.”

“I could tear you limb from limb,” he threatened, his breath falling across my face. “And I wouldn’t even break a sweat.”

I pressed my hands into him, pushing harder and twisting my body left and then right. “Knock it off. Let me go.”

“You know what I thought about in prison?” He took hold of my hair at the back of my scalp, and I gasped as he pulled my neck back, holding me tight and still with his lips only an inch from mine. “You…and our last night together,” he finished.