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"Well, just think of this like a date A date with a man you don’t really like all that much, but you still have to finish out your co to get further than a goodnight kiss Most likely, these are soues of Nix that just want to have soo to dinner, maybe out for drinks after, and then we part ways There’s nothing to it You’ll be fine"

Only nothing about this felt fine I was a junior in high school I shouldn’t be here with a business colleague of Nix

And I sure as hell shouldn’t be kissing the sent me back to the Delice kitchen with Ryder It had been a mistake A horrible, awful, delicious… wonderful ain

But even as I swore to ain around him I mean, it was all my fault, wasn’t it? I was the one stupidly attracted to hi to his baser instincts And I didn’t e boy and I basically cliain, he had even commented immediately on how it had been an experiment So…

So even as I swore all that tothat ed pervert goodnight

"This hter

Three young guys in expensive, well-tailored suits strolled into the lobby of the hotel looking like they could buy this place with a swipe of one of their credit cards They were younger than I thought they would be, which initially sees douchy realized that age ance in this case Where an older gentlerateful to have my attention, thesedetail they could think of

Still, now that they were here, I felt better Just a littleto be shy She swiped at the bangs that had fallen into her eye and s I’m-a-saucy-sexpot suys slossed hair and giant white teeth While he was handso" way, he was also so obviously full of himself I wanted to choke on the vanity "And you are?"

"I’aze before she extended her hand "And these are estured to the guy to his right Blake stuck out his ar, lithe h his charcoal suit His hair was shorter than his friends, closely cropped so there was no expensive product tothan Drew on close inspection, more mysteriously handso Even though Ana clearlyus in with an obvious air of approval

"And this is Taylor," he gestured to the man on his left who reached out a hand toa dark eyebrow as if asking rasp, pulling me forward a little while he shook it I stuht into his chest I looked up at hi to convey that I was ereen eyes that weren’t upset at all ere standing so close

Taylor had longer hair than his friends, the top layer falling right to the corner of his eyes He didn’t seeh, or be bothered by it while he heldmy personal space His face was tanned and sculpted, with only a ferinkles in the corners of his eye and thick ones that crinkled with his forehead

"Nice to meet you, Ivy," he murmured smoothly down to me

"Nice to meet you, Taylor," I smiled my practiced smile, the one I turned on when it was necessary to perforo?" Drew interrupted our too-long greeting

Thankfully

Taylor turned skillfully, so it into his elbow He kept a tight grip on it, not a painful one, but one that felt aard and forced One that I knew I couldn’t break free from

Ana and her date, Blake, led the way to the dining room that was just around the corner and we fell in step last Taylor trailed a little, separating us fro creature, Ivy," Taylor’s words were clipped and enunciated perfectly, like speaking was an art form for him He didn’t have the smooth, sexy sound that ca listened to Used to giving orders

"Thank you," I offered in return and then coughed to cover my nerves

"I love this dress, it fits you perfectly," he continued A blush crept upabout uys e, I was not anxious to repeat the experience

"Thank you," I repeated "Again" A moment of silence stretched out between us and I found myself quick to fill it "So how do you know Nix?"

Taylor looked straight ahead, his jaw claether before he cleared his throat and seeether "Drew and I run one of his sinally from the south, but while he is relocated to the Midwest, we’ll be co up here often to visit"

"Ah, so Nix is your boss?" I clarified

Which was apparently a htened on hly, his short nails biting into my skin "Do you have a problem because I work for someone?"

We were stopped in front of a table set for six The other two guys were helping Eva and Ana into their seats while we stood in front of the table looking like a fighting couple

"No, not at all," I gushed quickly "I just wanted to figure out the connection, that’s all" And now I just wanted to gethis nails all the way to the bone

"Well, now you know," he ground out bitterly He yanked o of my hand with such force that I fell into a heap on my chair I hit the seat hard, and buht myself and sit up normally I wanted to stand up and slap him for his abuse, but this was part of the job

Taking it

And so fighting back the tears of frustration and pain, I reached for my napkin and laid it acrossat the pale he did to it

But when I pulled it from the napkin, I noticed the blood s to s else, I dropped my hand to my lap and pressed it into the unsoiled fabric So what if I couldn’t use a napkin again tonight I just wouldn’t order salad or anything all that messy, which also kind of sounded fantastic at this point

Thankfully dinner was less eventful, at least to begin with The nored us We ordered drinks- a water forWe picked at our meals and let the men discuss business, politics and sports around us

Anaxandra gavehis arm around the back of my chair I didn’tout and pinching my shoulder whenever I would slouch over My mother raised me with perfect posture, but occasionally I would lean forward to take a bit of h I hadn’t touched the noodles Whenever I would, his hand would subtly clamp down on my clavicle, press down and then pull me back until I was in a posture he approved of