Bedding The Billionaire(19)

Abbey stirred. She lifted her head up and blinked down and smiled the electric smile that had him hooked. He grinned back. He couldn't help it. She had that affect on him.

"Hello, Sleepy Head," he said, catching the bulk of her hair in one hand and holding it off her face so he could see her beautiful eyes.

"What time is it?"

"About two."

"I should be going."

She tried to get up but he held her.

"Stay awhile longer," he murmured.

She looked at him through drowsy eyes, then settled back onto his chest with a sigh.

"We could go into the bedroom," he said. "You could stay the rest of the night."

Abbey sat up, shaking her head. "I can't. I should go. My friend is waiting."

Nick frowned. What friend? He felt a small stab in the base of his stomach. Not Tarken, the idiot from dinner?

"Lucy," she said, as if reading his thoughts. She glanced over at the window. "She'll be waiting for me."

"Oh." He extricated himself from her and stood. Fool. Don't forget who she is. What she is. She'd replaced one pimp with another, a woman this time.

And he was an idiot to have forgotten what the arrangement was. He'd been carried away in the heat of the moment, the passion, thinking this was more than it actually was. But it was sex. Just sex.

He looked down at Abbey. She was already dressed in her bra and skirt and she was holding her torn thong, a piece in each hand.

She glanced up at him, her eyes glistening, a smile twitching her lips. "Guess I need to buy another one."

Nick's first instinct was to smile back at her, but he shoved any thoughts of humor from his mind. She was hinting that she needed more money than just two nights worth. Or was it three, since they'd actually done it three times now?

He bent, picked up his pants and pulled the wallet out of the back pocket. He opened it and glanced down at Abbey as she sat on the couch. Her blue eyes stared back at him expectantly. He turned away. He couldn't look at her, not when she pulled that innocent face on him. It was all he could do to stop himself from kissing her again.

"How much?"

She didn't say anything, so he was forced to look at her. Her eyes narrowed and her brow puckered. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Nick took out a hundred dollar note. "One hundred? Two hundred? I have no idea what these things cost."




 

 

His voice sounded angry, even to him, but that was too bad. It was how he felt. Cheated somehow, but he wasn't sure why.

Abbey's jaw dropped and her eyes suddenly widened to the size of satellite dishes. She stood, fully clothed now, and glared back at him. He suddenly felt very ill, sickened by what he'd done. This was not like him. He'd never done anything so drastic and so foolish in his life. He did not like it.

"Three hundred?" he asked gruffly.

He was peering into his wallet so he didn't see the hand coming. Her slap stung his cheek.

His head snapped up and he resisted the urge to grab her hand to stop her doing it again. It wasn't dignified. Whatever was wrong, he could sort it out with some clear level-headed thinking.

"What the hell was that for?" he shouted. Fuck level-headedness. Nick Delaware had never been slapped in his life, and certainly not by a hooker!

"For treating me like something on a supermarket shelf." She turned away and rounded the couch. She was heading toward the door.

"Abbey!" She didn't stop. Nick ran after her and grabbed her arm. "Abbey, where are you going?"

"None of your damn business. Besides, what do you care? I'm just a cheap hooker you bought for a couple of nights, aren't I?"

Nick blinked down at her. He shrugged. "Well, I don't think three hundred dollars is cheap, but I admit I don't really know-"

This time he saw the slap coming and he caught her hand. She tried to pull free but he held her firmly. Their eyes locked in unspoken battle. After glaring at each other for several heartbeats, he let go.

"Abbey, calm down. What's the problem?"

"You! I'm not a hooker, Damien."

Nick flinched at the name. "Stop calling me that, please. And what do you mean you're not a hooker?"

Abbey shook her head and flung her arms in the air. "What does it sound like it means? I'm-not-a-hooker. Is that clear enough?"

Nick took a step back and drew his brows together. "Then, why are you here?"

She turned away so he couldn't see her face. She took a step toward the door, but there was no way he was going to let her go after that revelation without an explanation. He caught her arm.

He thought he had the situation all figured out. He thought he had Abbey all figured out, but now nothing was what it seemed anymore. And he was a man who liked everything out in the open. No surprises, no secrets. He wanted to know who he was dealing with at all times, and that included now, with Abbey. If that was in fact her real name.