Page 23

Zeus

CHAPTER TWENTY

"I'm a virgin, not stupid. I know I need to protect myself,"

Our truce has ended, and she once again puts on the armor with which she defends herself from the world.

"If you're talking about disease, I can show you my test results, and as you're a virgin . . .”

"No, what I'm saying is that I'm not going to fill my body with hormones because of a relationship that's going to last thirty days. I don't know what you think of me given the agreement we're making, but I'm not promiscuous, otherwise I wouldn't have reached nineteen as a virgin. Just because we're going to . . . Just because I'm going to sleep with you doesn’t mean that I'll go out with the first person I meet when what we have comes to an end. Now, please, I'd like to use the restroom." Her tone is as formal as if she were speaking to a stranger, and it annoys the hell out of me.

"Second door on the right, down that hallway," I explain, pointing.

She walks away with determination, and I go to the window, needing to think.

What she said hit me in so many different ways that I can't even figure out what's worse.

No, that's a lie.

The idea of her going to bed with another man, of someone else tasting her body and that fire, brings an unpleasant sensation to my chest.

Maybe I should renegotiate our timeframe. One month is too short.

I hear her footsteps coming back, and I turn to face her. "I have a counterproposal."

"You can't back out, Zeus. We've made an agreement."

"Can you listen before you argue?"

"I'm not arguing."

I approach her. "Yes, you are, because it's in your nature to fight. You're a lot like me, Madison."

Her expression clears. "Was that a compliment?"

"Most people who know me would say it wasn't."

"I only care about your opinion, Zeus. I don't belong to your world, and I couldn't care less about what people will think of me."

"I'll never let them disrespect you."

"I don't need protection."

"But you'll have it anyway. You've shown me everything you are, so you need to learn that I'm uncompromising about my world. I've set my rules, and I like to be obeyed."

"Like a king? Does everything have to be the way you want it?"

"That's right."

I might be mistaken, but she's hiding a smile.

"Tell me about the counterproposal," she says.

"I want you for six months." Until the words left my mouth, I hadn't thought of a specific timeframe, but now I try to convince myself that six months will be enough.

She doesn't freak out like I thought she would, but instead, she asks, surprisingly calm, "Why?"

"One month won't be enough."

"Why not?"

"I haven't made you mine yet, and I'm already addicted to your taste, Madison."

To my surprise, she presses her body against mine. "I'm afraid of getting addicted too." She rests her forehead against my chest.

"Are you?"

"Yes. I won't fall in love or anything, of course. But it was so good when you touched me." She lifts her head to look at me. "Is sex always that enjoyable?"

"No, it gets much better when the couple is compatible."

"I think we are, though, right?"

I don't answer, but I pull her into a deep kiss, my hand gripping the firm flesh of her buttocks.

When we part, we're both breathless.

"Yeah, I think that was a yes."

She's been quiet since Larry parked in front of the rundown building in her neighborhood. He has gone to talk to the bodyguards in the car behind us, giving us some privacy.

Again, she seems closed off in her own world.

"Why do you need the house?"

"I have to move out of this neighborhood," she says, not looking at me.

"Why?"

"I don't want to tell you my problems. I want to enjoy this time together."

Even though it goes against my nature not to delve deeper when I want to find something out, I play along. "Enjoy how, Madison?"

"I want more of everything we did today."

"We haven't signed the contract yet," I remind her because I also need to be mindful of the deadline. She's too sexy, and muddling things between us will only make the separation harder.

"I know you'll take care of everything. I'm not worried."

"What will you do tomorrow afternoon?" I change the subject because it's hard not to blur the lines when she sounds so innocent and vulnerable.

"Work, as always."

"Stop with the cleaning. You don't need to do it anymore. I left ten thousand dollars in tips on the two days I went to SIN."

"What?"

"You didn't check your tips?"

"No," she says, her face showing astonishment. "Don't do that again. I would never earn that much for a dance."

"You said you didn't want financial help besides the house, and I agreed, but I'll come to the club several nights a week for private dances."

"You're not trying to make me exclusively yours, right?"

I don't answer because that's exactly my intention.

"That's not right, Zeus."

"Pick your battles, Madison. By my standards, I've already compromised too much in our agreement."

"How? I've said I’ll do everything you want."

I pull her into a kiss. "You have no idea how crazy you make me when you say that."

"Why?"

"Because all I can think about is you naked in my bed and me tasting every inch of your body."

Before I know it, she's straddling my lap. "I'm not the type to jump into things, but in these months we'll be together, I want it all, Zeus."

We kiss for so long that we have to pull away to catch our breath.

"You're coming to my house tomorrow after the club. You won't come back here."

She looks like she's about to protest, but then she changes her mind. "Okay, but I need to come home on Sunday."

"Why?"

"I have a commitment."

I grab her hair so she looks at me, because when she said that, she lowered her head. "I don't share, Madison."

"I've already told you I don't have a man in my life. It's an actual commitment. It's about my family."

I want to ask more, but now that we'll have more time together, I'll find out everything I want to know about her. "Alright. I'll pick you up tomorrow at five in the afternoon. Before you head to the club, I want to show you something."

"What?"

"You said you need a house in a decent area. I have a property in mind that might work."