Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
My little Nissan Sentra is about to be repoed. I’d known missing the last few payments on the car and ignoring their demand letters would catch up to me, but that was the money I sent to Toby for his DUI. I thought I’d be able to catch up on the payments, but it just didn’t happen.
“Hey, Mom,” I say softly. “I have to go. Got to get ready for work.”
“You work too hard,” she replies sadly.
“Nah…” I play it off. “I like being busy.”
“You’re a great mom, Hannah. I know what you do is all for Hope. If you need help, you only have to ask.”
“I got it covered,” I assure her. “But thank you. Now, I have to go. Love you.”
“Love you,” she says, and I hang up.
After checking my mirrors, I execute a U-turn and head in the opposite direction from my house. My car isn’t getting taken today.
I drive straight to my next job. I’d wanted to take a quick shower and grab something to eat while at home. Luckily, I keep a change of clothes in my car. I’ll just have sweaty armpits and gnawing hunger for eight hours tonight while I schlep beers for drunks, but hey… at least I still have my car.
When I pull into the parking lot across the street from the bar where I work—a dive place simply called Joe’s—I reach into my purse and pull out the bill for seventy-five grand Asher Knight gave me before he left for work this morning. Running my finger under the phone number at the top, I dial.
There’s no way he can know it’s me calling, yet he answers in a smooth voice that’s filled with rich undercurrents of sex and sin. “Hello, Hannah.”
“I accept your offer,” I say, swallowing the disappointment in myself.
I try to reason with myself about the truth of my life. I have an asshole ex-husband who unfairly has full custody, and I’m diligently squirreling away money to hire an attorney to win my daughter back. My child support obligation is non-negotiable, as is helping my younger brothers with money as I can. To make it all workable, I eat mostly Ramen oodles, or I don’t eat at all. I spend virtually no money on myself, and I work three jobs. Let’s not forget I have a car I can’t afford, a repo man on my ass to collect, and I’m essentially now on the run to protect my transportation so I can work the three jobs needed to do all the above.
And now, I owe a man seventy-five grand.
Of these three things currently weighing me down, there’s at least something I can do about one.
I can get Asher Knight’s debt off me, which will be freeing.
“I want you in red,” he orders, and I have no clue what he’s talking about.
“Red?” I mutter.
“Red silk panties. Bra is optional. Red dress, too. Oh, and wear your hair down.”
“What part about me being flat broke don’t you understand?” I snap. “I can’t afford that.”
He ignores me. “Tomorrow night. Be at my place at ten. I’ll have clothing waiting for you.”
I grimace, not over his high-handed attitude, but over the fact that I secretly love red lingerie. It looks great with my skin tone.
At least, I think it does. Hell, it’s been so long since I could afford any like that I might not be remembering correctly.
“I can’t tomorrow night,” I say. “I have to work. But I could probably get a night off next week.”
“Tomorrow night,” he merely says, and it makes me roll my eyes in frustration.
“I have a job. Responsibilities. I can’t just—”
“Five thousand dollars,” he says, and the words cut sharp across my tirade, making me go mute.
My voice is raspy. “Pardon?”
“Five thousand dollars,” he repeats. “I’m sure that will compensate for the tips you’ll miss out on tomorrow night. Call in sick. I’m sure it’s not a big deal.”
Five thousand dollars?
Does he know what a figure like that could do for me? It wouldn’t go toward my car, my brothers, or even food for myself.
No, it would let me retain an attorney to fight for custody for Hope.
I don’t even have to consider. “I’ll be at your place at ten.”
His laugh is low and husky, causing a shiver to run up my spine. “Can’t wait,” he murmurs before disconnecting the call.
CHAPTER 3
Asher
I can’t figure out if she’s putting on an act, but Hannah isn’t behaving like I expected her to. I figured she’d be pretty pissed I backed her into this corner, so I was prepared to deal with a sour attitude. Instead, from the moment she showed up at my door wearing jeans, a threadbare t-shirt, and perfume that smelled like cinnamon spice, she has displayed nothing but a cavalier attitude about going to a sex club with a stranger.