The Parlour (VDB #1) by Charlotte E Hart

nothing of your world, but you’re right. I don’t condone forcing people to have sex when they don’t want to. I’m smart. I could have worked for Roxanne in other ways to pay off my debt, thanked her for her efforts without having to resort to this.”
    “You find me fucking you a distressing thought?”
    “I find sleeping with you so you can make money out of me a distressing thought, yes.”
    “Hmm. Well, this is what I do. You are yet another reasonably expensive commodity that I now own. Of course, should you choose, I will have the car stop and you may leave.”
    That old chestnut. Do they all use that? Helpful it is not.
    “And go where?”
    “That is not my concern,” he replies immediately, smiling yet more and crossing his long legs. Egotistical bastard.
    “Exactly. You know I have no option but this available and yet you continue to force the issue.”
    “My dear, had I wanted to force you, I would have fucked you on the hall floor. Or perhaps already have driven myself into your ass without any further thought on how my cock currently aches for release.”
    Clearly this is the type of language I’m now going to have to deal with. I suppose this is what whores do. Maybe it’s supposed to be sexy in some way.
    “But you still keep me here,” I reply, rolling my eyes at the attempt to scare or intimidate me and gazing out the window instead.
    “Jones, pull the car over.” What? The car immediately pulls to the kerb. “Out you go.”
    “But I have nowhere to go,” I snap, swinging my head back to him. There’s no reply. “Please, I have nothing.” There’s still no reply, nothing other than a smirk and him drinking his champagne while straightening his already perfectly straight tie. “Please, Pascal, I can’t go anywhere and it’s freezing. I have nothing.”
    “I am not telling you that you must go, my dear, only that the option is obtainable,” he says as he leans across me and pushes the door open. I stare out into the street in panic. “Choose, my dear. I am attempting to be decent. I have become aware of my decency again recently. She would commend me for it.”
    “What? Who?” I ask, swinging my eyes back to his amused ones again.
    “Are you exiting?”
    “I... No... Please, I don’t want to…” Nothing else comes out as I continue looking at him and silently beg him to close the door. Whatever I might not want to happen, I sure as hell don’t want to go out there again. I can handle whatever happens here. It’s just fucking, right? I can’t survive out there again, and more importantly, I can’t make any money out there. His face flattens from its amused stare until it’s just a gaze of intrigue, maybe interest.
    “Close the door, my dear,” he eventually says, turning his head from me and blowing out a huff for some reason. “You are quite right. It is unfairly cold and I am hungry. Your nipples are also too much of a temptation for me to behave much longer, a potentially damaging circumstance to your innocence, indeed. Have you eaten? And do not call me by my name again. It is reserved for only a few.” What the hell was that about? Hungry? And my nipples? I look down to see them on show through my dress for the world to see, so I grab my coat around me.
    “Who on earth are you?”
    “I am Sir to you. That is all you need to know. Close the door, Lilah James, and tell me how smart you are. Do you play chess?”
    “No,” I reply quietly, pulling the door to with a sigh of thanks and fiddling with my coat again to ensure my errant nipples aren’t on display any more. Although, I can’t stop the snort to myself at the thought; it’s not like I should bother covering them really, is it?
    “Shame, I could do with a new challenge.”
    Could he? Maybe I can distract him out of this situation.
    “I play cards.”
    “Fascinating.”
    “I’m good.”
    “I’m sure.” If there was ever a sarcasm master, I’m sure this man is him.
    “I am. I won like a