Lover's Secrets

The first thing I focused on as my eyes opened was the glitter of lights coming off the high rises outside the massive windows across from where I lay.

I blinked, my mind trying to process that I was looking at the city in the early morning light.

What was this?

Oh, yeah.

I turned my head to the right, seeing that the bed was empty, although I could tell someone had been sleeping beside me.

No, it hadn’t been some intense erotic dream the night before. I was really there in that room and had slept with a man for money and then went to sleep beside him for the rest of the night.

I slowly sat up, hanging my head in shame. I felt like a whore for what I’d done, even if I had to admit that I’d thoroughly enjoyed it.

Corbin Black’s face flashed in my mind, and my face heated up as I looked down at the sheet I was using to cover myself.

Seriously, why did this guy have to be so damned hot? I didn’t want him to be an old man, but I was at least hoping not to feel this much of an attraction to him.

I heard a door open and looked over to see Corbin stepping out of the bathroom. He was dressed in black pants and no shirt, still drying his black hair with a plush white towel.

I knew I was staring, but I couldn’t help it. This guy was even hotter in the early morning light, the shadows perfectly accentuating his sculpted chest and abs.

He flashed me a smile as he saw me awake. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” I managed to respond as I looked to the side. The last thing I needed was for him to catch me staring or see where I’d started blushing.

Corbin sat on the bed and leaned back on his hands.

“I have to admit that it was nice to wake up beside you this morning. You’re beautiful even when you’re sleeping,” he continued.

“You think so?” I responded, looking down at the sheets.

“I do,” Corbin confirmed. I heard him make an amused sound.

“You don’t need to be so self-conscious. I did promise you last night that I would make you my exclusive, and I fully intend for that to happen.”

That made me look up. “You were serious about that? You want me to see you exclusively like this?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.” Corbin stood up and walked around the bed. He leaned down to look me in the eyes as he spoke in a quieter, more serious tone.

“I thoroughly enjoyed last night, and I already knew what I felt from the moment I saw your picture. You’re the perfect girl for me, so I plan to enjoy being with you as much as I can.”

“Um, what exactly are you expecting with this? I mean, I don’t have a problem seeing you or sleeping with you again, but I do have things I have to do for myself,” I said.

“I get it, and I won’t deny you that. We can work out the details over the next few days. But I would like to meet up tonight.”

Crap. I had to work at the diner tonight. But I was worried about what might happen if I turned him down. Maybe we could compromise.

“Could it be a little later? I’ve got a job at a diner they need me at, but I can be here by ten-thirty,” I offered.

Corbin shrugged as he slipped on his shirt and began buttoning the front.

“I don’t have a problem with that, but you don’t need to keep that job if you don’t want to. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated for all of your time with me.”

“I guess…”

He cupped my face and kissed me. I immediately melted into it, my eyes fluttering closed as my heart beat harder.

His tongue invaded my mouth and caressed mine slowly, bringing out a soft sound of delight from me.

“Trust me, your life will be much better with me in it,” he assured me as our kiss ended.

I stared at him with half-lidded eyes as he caressed my cheek.

“I’ve made sure the money is in your account too, so why don’t you do some shopping today? I’d love to see you in some sexy lingerie tonight. It’ll excite me even more.”

Yeah, I was beginning to get where I might end up being a prisoner in this, at least in a sense. But I couldn’t get out of it now. I had a distinct feeling that Corbin would never allow it.

“All right. If that’s what you want, I’ll make sure I’m extra sexy for you,” I promised.

“That’s my girl.” Corbin kissed me again.

“Now, go ahead and get up. You can get in a shower and clean yourself up in the bathroom. I’ve got another hour before I have to leave, so I can wait for you to get done and walk you out.”

I reluctantly agreed, slipping out of bed with the sheet still wrapped around me. He’d already gathered my clothing, so I grabbed it from the nearby table and headed to the bathroom.

The light clicked on as I went in. The warm humidity hung in the air from when Corbin had taken a shower. I pulled the sheet off me and set it on the floor in the hallway before closing the door.

This bathroom was much bigger than mine. The tile and porcelain glistened in the bright lights from the ceiling. There was a large sink to my left, and the bath and shower were to my right.

I grabbed a towel from the rack over the toilet, hanging it by the shower before getting in and turning on the water. It came out hot almost right away.

Wow, what a difference between high-class and poverty.

I did my best to relax as I stood under that steady stream of water. Oh yes, this did feel nice.

I took some time to wash up, enjoying the warmth and pleasant smell of the soap. It also helped me to think things over.

I knew I needed to accept what I had done here and what was coming.

I’d known what I was signing up for when I met with Sapphire, and I didn’t hesitate when I came into this room and met Corbin.

Hell, I’d liked what we were doing way too much. Even if sex hadn’t crossed my mind before, having it with him was amazing.

Maybe this won’t be that bad, I reasoned as I turned off the shower and stepped out. Along with being so hot, he seemed like a decent enough guy.

I dried off, then dressed and ran the hairbrush left on the sink through my hair. But I stopped as I caught sight of my reflection.

Yes, I looked like the same person I’d always been, but I sure as hell felt like a different person.

As I came out of the bathroom, Corbin was completely dressed, fastening his watch to his wrist. I took in the sight of him as I stood near the bathroom door.

Oh yes, what an incredible-looking guy, so handsome that it almost felt inhuman.

“Ah, I see you’re finished—just in time. We need to get ready to head out now,” he said as he saw me.

“Yeah. I should get back to my place too. I want to make sure everything’s okay,” I responded, not sure of what else to say.

I grabbed my purse from the chair, pulled the strap over my shoulder, and followed him out of the room.

Everything was quiet in the hallway as we walked to the elevator, and Corbin pressed the button for us to go down. I stood beside him, doing my best to act normal as we waited.

The elevator dinged, and the door opened for us to step in. Corbin looked relaxed as he pressed the button for the first floor. He glanced at me as we stood side by side.

“Are you sure you’re safe heading home on your own? You live in a rougher area, don’t you?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not that bad, and I walk home late at night all the time. The daylight should be much safer,” I assured him.

“I guess you’ve got a point,” Corbin conceded.

“So, what about you? Do you live close to here?” I inquired. May as well try to be friendly. We were going to be seeing a lot of each other now.

“I live somewhat close,” Corbin answered, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’ll have to invite you over soon to see my place. I’m sure you’ll like it, and I like the idea of doing you in my bed.”

I probably should’ve been put off, but instead felt a twinge of excitement inside of me.

“Hmm, maybe I’ll take you up on that,” I said, flirting.

The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and we stepped out into the lobby together. Corbin walked with me to the front, opening the door for me.

The outside world was the same as it always was, with people and cars heading up and down the roads and sidewalks. Corbin faced me as we stood outside near the building.

“Be careful heading home, and I’ll be seeing you here at ten-thirty. I hope you’ll be on time,” he told me.

“I’ll make sure I’m here. I wouldn’t stand you up,” I promised.

Corbin smiled. “All right. I’ll trust you on that. See ya.”

I stood there for a few minutes, watching him walk away in the opposite direction before I finally turned and began heading back to my apartment.

I admit that I was feeling both elated and nervous. Who would’ve thought I’d meet a guy like him when I signed up for this?

Even though I shouldn’t have been, I was incredibly excited and couldn’t wait to come back tonight and have sex with him again.

My pace quickened as I headed home, and getting into my building, I hurried up the stairs to my floor.

I was glad I didn’t see anyone out in the hall, but then, I didn’t expect to. Not this early. Most of my neighbors were addicts, so they usually slept half the day.

I made sure to lock my door behind me, then plopped down on my bed and lay back, staring at the ceiling. My mind was buzzing with all of this, and I wasn’t sure what to do now.

That was when it hit me. Corbin had claimed that the money he owed me was in my account. I hadn’t been told how much he was giving me for last night. May as well check on that.

Besides, he wanted me to buy lingerie too. If I wanted this to keep working, then I needed to make sure that I looked as sexy as he wanted. Better see how much I could spend on that.

I grabbed my phone from my purse and opened the app to look at my checking account.

I didn’t expect too much as I entered the password. Sapphire had already told me the average pay for us was around a thousand.

However, my eyes widened as my account balance came up. I doubled checked that I was looking at the right account.

There was now five thousand dollars in there.

“Are you serious?!” I whispered. “He paid me this much for last night?!”

It took me a few minutes to process all of this. But as I did, elation set in. I had five thousand dollars to my name! I could pay my bills and then some!

My phone began to ring as I rejoiced. I looked and realized that it was Sapphire’s number. I wondered if she was calling me about what Corbin wanted.

It made me nervous, but I knew I had to answer it.

“Hello?” I said as I hit the button.

“Hi, Ivy!” Sapphire greeted me. “I wanted to touch base with you. Is this a good time?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Did you need to talk to me about last night?” I asked as I sat back against the wall and did my best to sound normal.

“Yes, I was hoping I could speak to you about that.

“I was so glad to hear that everything went well, and it was a real treat when Mr. Black contacted me to let me know that he wishes for you to be exclusive to him.

“I trust he talked to you about that?” Sapphire asked.

“He did. I guess this means you wanted to go over stuff about that with me,” I surmised.

Sapphire made an approving sound. “I’d like to. Some things should be gone over in person, though, so are you available to come by and meet with me?”

“Right now?”

“If you’re available, or you could tell me a convenient time today.”

I thought about it. It was only a little after 10:00, and Corbin had asked me to do some shopping.

If I met with Sapphire now, then I could do the shopping right afterward because I’d be in the right part of the city.

“I could do it now. Just give me about ten minutes, and I’ll be there,” I answered.

“Wonderful! I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up the call, then got up to change before heading out. As I’d told her, it only took me about ten minutes to get to that office, and I headed straight to Celestial’s door.

Sapphire was waiting for me as I stepped inside, a big smile on her pretty face.

She was dressed professionally like the day before, wearing a white blouse and navy-blue skirt with black heels, and the scent of flowery perfume drifted off her.

“I’m so glad you came, Ivy. Come with me. We’ll get started right away,” she said as she guided me into her office.

She sat down at her desk while I took a seat in the chair across from her. I noticed how happy she looked, like she was elated over this entire thing.

I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing for me, but I still went with it.

“As I said, I was so happy to get that call from Mr. Black,” she continued as she folded her hands in front of her on the desk.

“Believe it or not, he’s been one of our hardest to please since he showed interest in our services. You’re the first girl he’s chosen, and he’s been signed with us for over a year now.

“I was hoping at best that you’d be able to satisfy him, but I didn’t expect him to be so enamored with you. It’s the best both of us could hope for.”

I did my best to play this off, although I was pretty surprised by what she was saying. Corbin had been with them for a year, and I was the first girl he’d chosen to sleep with?

“Yeah, I’m not going to complain about any of this. It was a good night, and I did like how he treated me. But I’m wondering what’s gonna happen now.

“I’m guessing there’s going to be things you and he will expect from me,” I said.

“Yes, there will be some things,” Sapphire confirmed. “To start with, exclusive means you will only be seeing Mr. Black.

“Your meetings will also be dictated by him rather than us, although if you have any needs outside of him, you will be able to call on me, and I’ll take care of them.

“Mr. Black also will dictate your payments, which will be substantially more than the other girls. However, you also need to be aware that you must do what he wants.

“It’s much better not to displease him. Chances like you have now are few and far between.”

“I get it, and I’ll do my best to keep him happy with me,” I assured her.

Sapphire nodded. “I’m sure you will. You already seem like a perfect match for him, and between us, Corbin Black is one of the best partners you can gain in this.

“Not only is he one of our richest, but he also is deeply infatuated with you. That makes for a good arrangement.”

“I guess so.”

“That said,” Sapphire continued, “it would be in your best interest to convert your birth control now.

“We don’t need any accidents, so I’m going to set you up to get an IUD. That should ensure things continue to go smoothly.”

I wasn’t that keen on this, but I had to admit that she was right. One forgotten pill, and my life could end up ruined.

“All right. When will that be done?” I asked her.

“We’ll set it up for tomorrow afternoon. Once that’s done, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

Shouldn’t be any issues.

I kept thinking about those words after I left and headed out to the shops.

Standing in one of the higher-end department stores, I scanned the intimates section, trying to decide what would be best for me to wear that night.

I needed to make sure it was comfortable too. I wanted to wear it under my work clothing, so I didn’t need to go home and change before meeting him.

I spied a black set that looked like a good choice. It was lacy and very sexy looking, the lace mostly see-through. I took it off the rack, looking closer. Yep, I bet Corbin would like this one.

“Ivy?”

I turned to see Lana coming over to me. She was dressed nicely in a slip dress and sweater, which flattered all her curves, and her bobbed hair bounced around her face as she hurried over.

“Oh, hey, Lana. What’s up?” I greeted her, doing my best to act normal. Damn though. I was hoping I wouldn’t run into her before work, especially not in this place.

“Not much. I was just seeing what sales they were having. But I didn’t expect to see you here,” Lana said.

She looked at what I was holding. “Ooh, are you shopping for new lingerie? That’s really pretty.”

“I thought it wouldn’t hurt anything, and you know, it is nice to have some nicer stuff,” I said, doing my best to play things off.

“Yeah, I agree.” Lana glanced around us before continuing. “But I’m guessing you took up what I told you about. You wouldn’t be shopping in here if you didn’t.”

She’d caught me, but I guessed it was obvious. This place was pretty expensive, especially for a girl who had been surviving on the fringes until now.

“I did, and I got a pretty good deal out of it. The guy even says he wants to see me again. I wasn’t expecting that after my first time,” I admitted.

“Really? That’s awesome!” Lana exclaimed. She walked around with me as we looked at more clothing.

“I started with Celestial about three weeks ago, and I’ve had a couple of guys pick me for nights. They’ve been hot too, so it was great, not to mention they paid me well.

“I think I might be getting my name around now, which means more money for me.”

“I didn’t know you’d been part of this for that long. You didn’t even let on about it,” I told her.

Lana shrugged. “Well, you and I both know it wouldn’t be stuff you’d talk about, and they don’t want us talking about it either, except like when I recruited you.

“But seriously, I love it. I think I’m gonna quit that stupid diner soon. This pays great, and let’s admit it, the sex with these guys has been really good.”

“Yeah, I gotta agree. So, what have they been paying you so far?” I asked.

“I’m averaging about two thousand a night. My first three were a thousand, but I’m moving up. Like I said, they must really like me,” Lana answered happily.

I didn’t think I should tell her the truth about what I’d made in just one night. I probably shouldn’t tell her either that my first guy immediately made me his exclusive too.

“That is cool. I made the same last night, and it’s definitely helped out. Maybe I’ll be able to make more soon.”

“I’m sure you will. You’re so pretty, Ivy. I bet those guys are just lining up for you.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“So, can you tell me a little bit about the one last night? I mean, I know you can’t tell me his name, but what was he like?” she continued.

I couldn’t face her as I thought back to the night before. “Well, he was really hot. He had the darkest hair and these really beautiful eyes. His body was hot as hell too.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy with a body like that before.”

“Ah, tell me about it.” Lana fanned herself. “These guys hiring us are hot as hell. I didn’t know guys like that existed in the world. It’s like meeting guys straight off the covers of steamy romance novels.”

We continued talking as I picked out a few more outfits, then went to the counter to pay for them.

It felt crazy to see the total price and know that I could afford it, but I did my best to push it to the back of my mind. I probably should make myself get used to this.

“Are you seeing the same guy tonight?” Lana asked me as the two of us left the store, walking together down the sidewalk.

“Um, yeah. He’s requested me again,” I answered.

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Corbin was requesting me again, although he would always be from now on with our arrangement.

Lana perked up. “That’s awesome. It’s supposed to be a really good sign when one of them requests you again.

“I’ve got one that requested me twice in a row now, and if he does it a third time, then I think I might be in line for being his exclusive. If I can do that, I’m totally set!” she gushed.

“Are you really okay with all of this? I mean, I know it’s good for the money and all, but isn’t it a little much to be celebrating letting these guys use us like this?” I questioned.

“Not really.” Lana stopped and faced me. “You know, Ivy. The way I look at it, life’s a game. Either you stay passive and let the world dictate what happens to you, or you make your own way.

“Yeah, some people might not like how you do it, but to hell with them and their opinions. People are hypocrites anyway, and it’s not like we’re hurting anybody.

“Besides, I find this fun. It’s like a forbidden adventure.”

I couldn’t say I was that surprised by her answer. Lana had always been a free spirit, and in the last year, she’d developed this real rebellious streak, especially against her parents.

She’d begun smoking, dressing more provocatively, and dating guys she knew her mom and dad would hate. It was like she was trying everything she could to make them angry at her.

Well, I say angry, but I knew that wasn’t the real reason behind her actions. She wanted them to stop and look at her, to pay attention to her.

They were so wrapped up in their own lives that she was always on her own. I guess the rebellious thing just set in later for her, especially since she was over eighteen and could do what she wanted.

“I guess you could look at it like that, and it’s not like I have room to talk.” I backed off and shifted my bags to my other hand.

“Hey, I’m gonna head home and get some rest before my shift. Are you gonna be there, or are you not showing up? Because if you’re not, I want a head’s up.”

Lana shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll be there, but just for you. I wouldn’t leave you high and dry like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wow, thanks. So glad to know you love me.”

“Aw. You know I do!” Lana gave me a quick hug before facing me a little closer. “Seriously, Ivy, you are my best friend, and if anything comes up with this, you can always turn to me.

“I’m sure I could help you out. My dad’s a bigwig too, so I could get some dirt on some of these guys if I have to.”

“All right, but I don’t think we have to worry about that. Like you said, this is easy money, and a little dirty fun doesn’t hurt anything.”

Yet I couldn’t say that I bought my own words. Even after saying goodbye to her and walking home, I kept mulling over what I was doing.

Was being a high-class prostitute really just a little bit of “dirty fun”? Was it really just doing what we wanted and getting ahead in the world however we could?

I guessed people could look at it both ways, and there wasn’t a right answer.

I grabbed a wrap from one of the food trunks on my way back and ate it once I was safe and sound in my apartment.

I then put my new clothes away and lay down, wanting to get in a nap before my shift. I’d need it anyway since I was going to be meeting Corbin afterward.

He might keep me up the rest of the night with whatever sexual acts he wanted to do.

My bed wasn’t as comfortable as the one in that room, but I was able to relax by curling up with my pillow and closing my eyes.

The room was mostly quiet except for the sounds drifting through my cracked window above me. There was the occasional siren and sounds of people talking.

I was so used to those things that it was almost like static noise, and my mind slowly began drifting into darkness.

I slept pretty well for a while until I began to have a weird dream.

In this dream, I was walking to the building where Celestial was located. The sky was a strange gray hue, and the tall buildings around me looked even more massive and colder than usual.

There was an eerie silence surrounding me. It was like the world was frozen in time.

I opened the door to the building and headed to Sapphire’s office. The emblem was still on the door but now looked like it was made of engraved gold.

I touched it, and the metal felt warm under my fingers. The doorknob was also warm when I turned it.

But the office didn’t look like what I’d seen before as I stepped inside. All the furniture was gone, and the lights were off, casting ominous shadows.

The door to Sapphire’s office was closed, but as I stood in the main room, I could hear what sounded like voices behind the closed door.

I slowly stepped over to it, doing my best to be as quiet as possible, then leaned my ear to the door. There was a deep male voice speaking in there.

“You heard me. This is not enough. We need more quality girls,” he said.

“I have given you some of the best that we’ve been able to recruit,” Sapphire replied, although her voice sounded a little strange now, almost like there was a hiss in it.

“You know how hard it is to run this, and he’s made it even harder looking for that one.”

“Then good riddance to him. He has her, so he can leave and let us enjoy ourselves!” the male sneered.

I felt a sudden coldness behind me as I heard this and tensed up with the sense that someone was now standing behind me. A hand clamped down on my right shoulder as a male voice spoke.

“You do not need to know this. All you need is what you now have.”

My eyes popped open, and I drew in a sharp breath. I could feel my heart pounding as I lay very still in bed.

What the hell was that? I wasn’t the type of person to have a lot of dreams, especially ones I could remember so vividly.

I slowly sat up, holding my head and trying to process that dream. Was it a weird nightmare?

I wasn’t sure. But I was already trying to reason it out in my mind.

I had heard before that stress can bring on weird dreams and nightmares.

If I thought about it, I’d been under a lot of stress lately, first with all the money issues at the diner, then with signing up at Celestial and meeting Corbin.

Yeah, Corbin had given me one hell of a windfall, but it had come at the price of my virginity. Yep, that had to be it. My mind was finding a way to berate me for what I was doing.

I stretched a little, then sat up and looked out my window at the city.

The sun had gone around now, and the shadows of the buildings were getting longer, signaling that the late afternoon was setting in.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was only an hour before my shift.

May as well get ready, I thought as I got up. ~I have a long night ahead of me.~