Beast's Demands (Crude Hill High 3)

I snapped my fingers for the contents of the table to be taken away. One by one, the women came, removed everything, and left us alone.

Ashley’s gaze followed them. “You surround yourself with beautiful women.”

“They have a good life.”

“Do all of the women who work for you have a good life?”

“They do now,” I said.

She rubbed at her temple.

Taking over from my father and grandfather had exposed a great many cruelties that I’d changed. She didn’t need to know the true extent of the depravity I once inherited. Everything I owned and possessed, I was proud of. It could be a lot worse.

I sat back and watched her. “Relax, Ashley.”

“I don’t know how to do this. You’ve picked the wrong woman.”

“For that reason alone, I’ve picked the right one. Let me guide you.”

“You’ll manipulate everything.”

“True, but I can also offer you help. I know what I’m willing to give and as we talk, you’ll be able to decide what you want.”

She nibbled on her lip. With a nod of her head, I picked the easiest topic.

“Money.”

This caused her to shake her head. “I’m not a whore. I don’t … no.” She went a little pale.

“Neither your mother, nor her lover, set you up to be taken care of. I’m not offering you money for your virginity, Ashely. As your friend and a guide, like a lawyer, I will make sure you are compensated for your time. For the days you’re with me, I will pay you.”

“You’re going to pay me for sex. That makes me a whore.”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m paying you for your time. If I was paying you for sex, I’d negotiate a price for each. Your virginity being the highest, at say a hundred thousand, anal fifty thousand.”

“Stop.” She shook her head.

“So instead, I’m offering you a price for something far more valuable.”

She laughed but it wasn’t a good sound. “Far more valuable than my virginity? What could that be?”

“Simple, time. Time you can’t get back.”

“I can’t get my virginity back. Once it’s gone, that’s it.”

“I do believe there are surgeons who are happy to make it happen, but you’re right, it doesn’t grow back. However, you can have great sex, and you are rewarded with pleasure for that experience. Time, you can’t make it stop. It cannot always be pleasurable. There is a great deal of pain, of loss. But even as we die, we all pray for more time.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You’ve thought about this a lot?”

“No. I’ve seen a lot of people before death, Ashley. I know what a lot of people pray for. Time is a value people throw away.” I reached into my jacket pocket. “So, I think you’ve been with me over twenty-four hours, but we’ll take it day by day.” I wrote out the check, peeled it off, and handed it to her.

“You can’t be serious.”

I just wrote her a check for a million dollars. To many, it was a fortune, to me, it was pure change.

“This can’t be right.”

“Why not?”

“I just, this is insane.” She put the check down on the table. “People don’t pay that kind of money for me. For anyone. You’re surrounded by beautiful women, Mr. Valentine.”

“Call me Earl. Then we’re in agreement. Every single day you’re with me, that is what you will earn.”

She shook her head. “I can’t accept that.”

“I’m not going to pay you any less.”

“If I’m with you a month, that is an alarming … no.”

I shrugged. “You’ve got to start valuing your worth.”

“There’s worth and then there’s this.”

“You think you’re not worth that?”

She nibbled on her lip. “No, I don’t.”

“My grandfather, sick bastard that he was, he told me the first point of business was to understand your worth. If you don’t believe what you’re worth, no one will pay you for it. You’ll be a laughingstock. Remember what you’re worth, Ashley. Never forget it. Not for me, or for anyone.”

She didn’t pick up the million. The truth was, I’d already put plenty of money in a bank account for her. I would continue to pay into it for the rest of my life.

“So we’ve agreed on money. Next, sex.”

“Wait.” Ashley held her hand up. “I don’t want to be harmed at all. I don’t want you to do anything that will hurt or humiliate me. I can’t be shared out. I don’t want to be filmed. I … it’s me and you.”

“Those are your conditions?”

“Some of them. I want to be able to walk away. If I can trust you, when this is over, I want to be able to walk away without looking back. No memories, no nothing.” She looked at me, her dark-brown eyes boring into mine. “I don’t ever want to fall in love with you. This cannot be confused with feelings. It’s mechanical. Friendship at best. Sex. Nothing personal. I don’t want anything else.”