Page 45

Chapter 15
After I senda rushed text to Liam telling him to hold on, that I’ll have the rest of the money soon, I pray that he’ll cool down.
All I can do is hope…
The rest of the day, I try my hardest to concentrate on the homework Cage sends me—links about Russian liquor and food, culture, and Brighton Beach, where Igor Vasiliev mostly hangs out when he’s in New York. There’s a huge Russian presence there, and that’s where Cage and I will be going tomorrow night for dinner at a restaurant run by one of Vasiliev’s friends.
Cage also sends a link to a picture of us in front of the art gallery last night. It made the gossip columns, and I can’t quite bring myself to wonder how my family and friends will handle the news if they should see it.
Truthfully, nothing can shut out that last text from Liam. The more I think about it, the more I can’t hide from the fact that he wants his money now, and I don’t know how much longer he’s going to keep my secret. The best thing I can do is kick ass at girlfriend practice tonight so I’ll do well at tomorrow’s dinner. Then Cage will let me go, I’ll send the money, and this will be over.
My heart constricts at never seeing Cage again, but I know it’s for the best.
Isn’t it?
I calm my nerves by sneaking into his study and pouring myself some brandy from the crystal decanter. The liquor is strong, but I swallow it down. The burn relaxes me, and by the time he gets home, I’m on steadier ground.
I’m already in my cocktail dress for tonight’s dry run. The Carolina Herrera color-blocked sleeveless creation has a full A-line skirt and a sweet, innocent high, frilled collar. I’ve put on enough cosmetics to look good, but not enough to draw negative attention. We’ll see what the makeup artist does with me tomorrow.
When Cage walks into my bedroom, he’s ready to go, dressed in an immaculate charcoal suit with his hair combed back. The moment he sees me at the vanity table, his gaze lights up, and it’s not in the usual lustful way.
“Hi,” I say, smiling at him. Somehow, he’s enough to take my mind off Liam. He always is.
A small smile overtakes his mouth, tilting it. “Hi.”
This greeting is different from most of the ones we’ve had before. Usually he’s demanding, reminding me that I’m the escort and he’s the boss, but there’s something more intimate about this hello.
I think he realizes it, too, because his gaze shutters.
“Almost ready?” he asks.
“I just have to tidy my hair.”
I have a bamboo brush that I’m about to run through my straight, shiny locks. I used the high-end grapefruit-scented shampoo, conditioner, and mousse in my bathroom, and my hair is thick and smooth. Cage saunters over to me before I start, and he takes the brush from my hand.
He touches my light brown strands, and I close my eyes, dizzy. I open them again at the feel of the brush running over my scalp and through my hair.
It’s as if thick cream is flowing through my veins, sweet and warm. In the mirror, my eyes are bright, my cheeks flushed.
“How was work?” I ask.
He gives me another stroke with the brush. God help me, but I’m purring between my legs.
“Everyone’s preparing the paperwork for the Vasiliev deal,” he says. “I want it ready to go.”
“You’ll close the deal.”
“We’ll close the deal.”
He sounds so assured that he almost fools me, because his shoulders have gone tense. He doesn’t quite believe that I can pull this girlfriend thing off, does he?
“I’ve been studying all day, Cage,” I say. “I’m going to nail this.”
He resumes brushing my hair, and I move with every stroke. It’s almost a sexual thing, but not quite. I feel closer to him now than most times, especially last night, after he banged me and left me without a word.
“Out of curiosity,” I say, “what are you going to tell Mr. Vasiliev after you close the deal and I’m not around anymore?”
Cage’s tone is businesslike as he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “As luck would have it, your mother will soon need you to go home to take care of her during an illness. Igor will respect that we have to spend some time apart, but the distance between us will prove too much. Half a country away, you’ll rethink our relationship, thus breaking my heart and keeping me away from women for a long time.”