“Thanks, Tyler. You can wait inside the car.” He nodded at the chauffeur and then looked back at me. “Are you ready to go?”
“Go where?”
“You’re a bit mouthy aren’t you?” He frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You seemed more reserved in the bar.”
“Maybe because I was scared out of my mind.” I made a face. “I don’t normally spend my days in a too small bikini, being ogled by a bunch of dirty old men.”
“Do you consider me a dirty old man?”
“No.”
“Do you consider me your savior?” He asked with a small smile.
“No.” I laughed at the disappointment on his face. “You didn’t save me from anything. I mean you’re still pretty sketchy. You still asked me to dance for you. And now you asked me to come outside so you can give me money for who knows what.”
“You still came.”
“I want to know what you wanted.” I shrugged.
“And you want your five grand.” He laughed. “Let’s go for a drive. Tyler will start to get worried.”
“Worried about what?” I frowned and looked him up and down. “From what I can tell you’re old enough to look after yourself.” I took a step forward and looked at his dark hair. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I see a grey hair.”
“It’s not polite to insult your savior, Peaches.”
“You can call me Evie now and like I said before, you’re not my savior.”
“Get in the car, Evie.”
“Hell no.” I took a step back. “I watch Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Evie. I don’t have patience for this.” He sighed and I watched a nerve in his throat as he stared at me angrily. I stared at his face. He was even more handsome with my glasses on and in the light. His hair was darker than I’d thought. Almost black and his eyes were a bright blue.
“Then give me my money and we can both peace out.”
“Peace out?” He stared at my face for a few seconds and then started laughing. “You’re different.”
“Different from what?”
“From what I thought.” He stepped closer to me and lifted my glasses off of my face and stared at me for a few seconds before putting them back on the bridge of my nose. “I guess the glasses give you spunk.”
“Nah, the clothes give me my spunk.” I smiled at him, as my body shivered being so close to him.
“Hold on.” He leaned forward and kissed me hard for a second. I felt my body still at the touch of his warm lips against mine. I could still feel their imprint as he walked over to the limo. I watched as he leaned down and whispered something to Tyler. He stepped back and the limo pulled away and he walked back to me. “Okay, where were we?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head feeling dazed. “Where did your friend go?”
“Home.” He nodded. “He wasn’t happy, but he does what I say.”
“Why wasn’t he happy?”
“Because he doesn’t like to leave me with strange women.”
“What strange women?” I said stupidly. “Me?”
“Yes you. He doesn’t know what plans you have for me.”
“He doesn’t know what plans I have for you?” My jaw dropped. “Say what?”
“Well, it’s not every day that a bachelor gets dropped off at his bachelor party and is then seen leaving early with one of the strippers.” He grinned. “Or maybe it is.”
Chapter Three
“Say what?” My eyes widened as I stared at him and the smirk on his face. “You’re the bachelor?” I swallowed as I stared at him in shock. “As in you’re the guy getting married?”
“Well yes and no.” He laughed and grabbed my hand.
“Don’t touch me.” I pulled my hand away from him, still in shock.
“This is my bachelor party, but I’m not getting married.”
“What?” I looked at him, feeling confused.
“I like to have the parties for fun. See who I can meet.”
“Who you can meet?” I frowned.
“Girls like you.”
“Girls like me?” I repeated. “What does that mean?”
“Girls who are down for some fun and to have a good time.”
“I’m not down for any fun and I’m not having a good time.” I shook my head, feeling slightly let down. Was this something he did often?
“I never force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do.” He stared at me seriously and pulled a wad of cash from his pocket. “I have five grand here for you and you can walk away.” He handed it to me. “Or you can be adventurous and make a lot more.”
“You mean have sex with you for cash?”
“No.” He shook his head.
“Then what?”
“You’d have to trust me and wait and see.”
“I don’t know that I trust you.”
“Understandable.” He nodded, his arm still outstretched and the cash a mere inch from my fingers.
“How many times have you done this?” I asked him quietly, wondering why I was still standing there like some sort of fool.
“Once.” He nodded. “I’ve only done this once before.”
“You’ve only had one fake bachelor party before?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’ve had many fake bachelor parties. I’ve only met one other woman at a party that I’ve wanted to come to an arrangement with.”
“And what happened?”
“That’s not important.” He shook his head. “So what do you say?”
“You can’t buy me.” I licked my lips. “Plus I don’t even know what I’m agreeing to.”
“You have to be patient.”
“I don’t even know your name.”
“Grant.”
“Like President Grant?”
“Like Grant Slate.” He stepped back. “My name is Grant Slate. I’m just a man that wants to get to know you better.”
“Most men that want to get to know me better ask me if they can buy me a drink.”
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“They don’t offer me five grand a drink.”
“I’ll offer you fifty thousand dollars to spend one week with me.” He paused. “And the drink of your choice.”
“And you’re not expecting sex for fifty grand.”
“If we sleep together, it won’t be because of money.”
“I’m crazy to even be here right now.” I shook my head and looked down at the ground. “This is just crazy. I don’t even know you. You could be a serial killer.”
“I’m not.”
“Like you would say if you were.” I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I should go.”
“I’m not stopping you.” He took a step towards me and stared at my lips. “You have beautiful eyes, even with the mousy glasses on.”
“My glasses aren’t mousy.” I swallowed as he stepped towards me again.