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350words
Cyrus gripped my shoulder, leaning in close.
His breath ghosted over my ear, making me shiver. The Captain didn't blink.
"Miss Posie reminds me of my late sister. I couldn't help but chat with her for a moment."
"Oh? Is that so?" Cyrus blinked, then stood up straight.
"If you like her that much, I can have her sent to your hotel tonight."
One second he was caring for me; the next, I was a commodity.
The Captain’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"That won't be necessary. I don't have those kinds of thoughts about my sister."
"I see." Cyrus was dismissive, as if the whole thing were a trivial joke.
The two men returned to their cold, calculated business talk.
When we left, I couldn't resist looking back at the Captain one last time.
...
In the parking garage, I was practically thrown into the back seat of the SUV.
The driver knew the drill and stepped out to have a cigarette.
Cyrus’s hand clamped around my throat, and then his mouth was on mine, hard and punishing.
I assumed he was taking out his frustration over the deal on me, but tonight he was unusually aggressive.
It was a suffocating, desperate encounter in the cramped space.
I stared at the dim yellow light on the car ceiling.
I couldn't escape, so I submitted.
During these moments, I usually just counted the seconds.
Don't look at him. Don't think. I'm a fool; fools don't feel anything during this.
But he always demanded a response. Cyrus was like that—he had to own everything, no matter how depraved the method.
...
A spark flared in the dark as he lit a cigarette. The shadows carved out his sharp features.
"Go see Mr. Beaumont tomorrow," he said.
I was still reeling when his hand gripped my chin.
"Do you know how to seduce a man, Posie?"
I blinked at him. He let out a scoffing laugh and wiped a smudge of red from my lip.
"Forget it. Maybe he’ll like you better as a fool."
