Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“Miss Killeen, I didn’t expect to see you again so quickly, least of all in a sordid place like this. I’m not sure this is what I’d call a pleasant surprise.”
He flashed his white teeth at me.
“This is a misunderstanding,” I said firmly, trying to hide my fear.
“A misunderstanding, hmm?” He came closer, more like prowled, his dark eyes never leaving me. His hands were stuffed into his pockets in a way that was supposed to suggest relaxation, but his body was too taut for that.
I forced a smile. As Lorcan got closer, the knot in my belly tightened. He was impossibly tall and broad, a stature not easily stuffed into business suits, but he made even that look work. He wasn’t wearing a tie, though. The top two buttons of his white shirt were left open, a hint of trimmed chest hair peeking out.
“I came here hoping I might find information about my sister Imogen. I worry she might have looked for money here.”
“So you decided to sell yourself off for money as well?”
“No!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t know I’d be auctioned off. The bouncer told me I could only enter the building if I had business to conduct.”
His mouth twitched with a mocking smile. “In the Doom Loop we honor contracts. What’s promised is always delivered.” I could hardly breathe from panic as he circled me like a lion stalking its prey.
“Where exactly do you hail from in Ireland? I remember Gulliver mentioning Dublin once,” he asked, allowing his accent to come through.
“Dublin.”
“Where?”
“Temple Bar, Merchant’s Arch, right across from Ha’penny bridge.”
“Looking like an uptight Catholic virgin was a good choice money-wise. All those men were willing to pay a small fortune for the pretense of having your first night. A foolish roleplay if you ask me. A girl like that wouldn’t find herself in a place like Sodom, much less sell her body, and why would anyone want to pay money for someone who doesn’t have any experience to speak of?”
He stopped right in front of me, staring me down. If he wanted to make me feel like an idiot, he was succeeding. His sandalwood scent—maybe leather and cinnamon too, wafted into my nose.
Close to tears, I swallowed thickly. I was close to tears. I was no match against his charisma. He made me want to cower before his powerful aura, but I’d be damned if I didn’t try to hide it. “You didn’t have to buy me. And if I’m not what you expected, you can cancel the deal,” I said in a hushed voice, hoping he’d agree. I couldn’t pay him back the three thousand dollars he paid for me.
His smile broadened and made him look almost boyish for a moment, except for his eyes. Those were keen and sharp, devoid of any humor. They weren’t as dark as they’d appeared from the distance, though. They were a fascinating shade of green that had a darker outer ring.
I was absolutely terrified of him, but at the same time his low, deep voice and manly scent had an almost visceral impact on me. It made me want to lean closer and press my nose into his throat.
“Does that mean you lied when you came to the Doom Loop? That what you offered was a fraud?”
His voice held a threat.
“No … like I said, it was a misunderstanding. I’m not a liar.”
“So I get what you offered for my money?”
He held my gaze as he tugged down the strap of my dress. It slid along my upper arm almost torturously. I couldn’t back out of the deal now. I’d never escape Sodom unscathed if Lorcan Devaney filed a complaint. This place didn’t seem to be kind to those who broke the rules.
His stubble brushed across my shoulder as he leaned in closer. My skin broke out in goose bumps. When he reached my throat and drew in a deep breath, I bit down on my lower lip.
“So the quest for information about your sister brought you here?” His topic change threw me off, which I assumed was his intention.
“Yes. Someone around here must know something.”
“Maybe I could find out something for you.”
“That would be amazing,” I said, my breath halting when his tongue darted out for a taste of my throat. His closeness and touch were wreaking havoc with my capacity to think clearly. The few times Patrick had kissed my throat, it had reminded me of the neighbor’s French Bulldog slobbering all over me. But Lorcan’s mouth against my skin? It sent a tingling through my body that blasted right through my fear.
“I could help you,” Lorcan murmured, “but I’m a business man and everything comes with a price.”
“I’m not going to work for you or sell my body.”
“Technically, I already own your body, at least for tonight. Until sunrise, which gives me plenty of time to discover every inch of it.”