Surrender

  The pay for the position was high enough to give her mother the very best medical care and still leave enough left over for her to save up – possibly getting her back to school within a couple years. At this point, she’d almost do whatever it took to be hired.

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  “Ms. Harlow, if you aren’t going to take this interview seriously, you may exit the way you came in,” Mr. Palazzo said in an irritated tone, snapping her back to the present.

  “I’m sorry. I truly am. I do take this interview very seriously,” she quickly answered, hoping she hadn’t missed a question.

  “I won’t repeat myself again – do you understand?” Before she could answer, he continued. “I asked if you’re available all hours. I don’t mean Monday through Friday. This job requires your availability to me seven days a week, night or day. There will be times I won’t need you for extended periods, and other times I’ll need you with me for several days straight. There may be travel involved. The bottom line is that you must have zero other commitments. If that doesn’t work for you, this interview is over. ”

  Ari felt a lump in the back of her throat as she struggled to keep in the tears threatening to spring to her eyes. She finally gazed in his unusually colored eyes, getting her first solid look at them.

  She’d heard about his type of eyes before, something called Heterochromia iridum, where two colors were present. His had a deep purple center around the pupil, which faded into a gorgeous midnight blue. They were mesmerizing – intriguing – capturing her gaze, even though they were narrowing intensely at her right then.

  “I have no other commitments. I’m available,” she told him, inwardly crossing her fingers. She was committed to her mother, but with this money she wouldn’t have to worry about her mom’s care. She’d go see her when she had those down times he was speaking of. If she didn’t get in to see her mom for a month she’d be devastated but her mom would be in good hands, and most importantly, she wouldn’t notice since she was in a coma.

  “What about your mother?” he asked, as if reading her mind, his gaze boring into hers. She was stunned by the question, leaving her silent for a couple of seconds too long.

  “How do you know about my mom?”

  “I know everything I need to know about you, Arianna,” he replied with a slight lifting of the corner of his mouth.

  His expression was far too knowing and she immediately felt the urge to flee. Something wasn’t right, something that was telling her to get out while she still could. She was in over her head, she could feel it. All signs pointed to her jumping from the chair and rushing out his door. Loyalty to her mother kept her seated where she was.

  “Yes. Of course,” she responded instead. “My mother is being well taken care of. She’s not even aware of who I am at this point. It won’t hurt her in the least if she doesn’t see me for long stretches of time. ”

  He circled her again, causing her foot to twitch. When she was nervous, she did one of two things – tapped her foot, much to the annoyance of everyone around her, or bit on her thumbnail. She felt the urge to raise her hand, making contact with thumbnail and teeth, but mentally insisted she keep her hands folded in her lap.

  “I can see that as a hindrance, but as she’s the only family member you have, I’ll let it slide for now. ”

  Was this guy for real? He’d let it slide? Ari was taking in air through her nose in long deep pulls to keep her temper at bay. She needed the job, she kept reminding herself as she clenched her fingers tightly in her lap and locked her jaw to keep from spilling out the words she wanted to throw at him.

  “Is something upsetting you, Ms. Harlow,” he asked, his voice smooth as molasses as he came back around and looked into her eyes again. She felt like he was analyzing her, breaking her down into parts, trying to decide if she was a waste of his time or not. She was sure that’s how he conducted all his business. It was most likely why he was where he was at in life, which was the top of the ladder, and why she was where she was at, the bottom.

  That pure confidence, the ability to command control and conquer the universe oozed off of some people. Mr. Palazzo had that in spades. She’d give her soul for just a piece of his winning attitude and unyielding faith in himself.

  “Everything’s fine, Mr. Palazzo,” she replied, proud of how smooth her voice sounded, especially since her nerves were fried.

  “You intrigue me, Ms. Harlow. I don’t hesitate once I make a decision, and I’ve decided to hire you… temporarily. I can see your temper as causing a problem, but then again, meek has never been my style. Obedient… yes, but not meek. ”

  Ari gaped at him as she tried to decipher what he was talking about. What did meek and obedient have to do with anything?

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  “You’re aware you signed a privacy notice before ever stepping foot into my office, correct? Whatever is said by me is strictly confidential… and highly enforced. A former employee tried to go to the media once. Let’s just say, she’s now in prison… and the rumors were quickly squashed. I very much play hardball, Ms. Harlow, and it would behoove you to not become my enemy,” he said conversationally.

  Ari swallowed hard as her eyes continued to follow him intently. He spoke of a woman going to prison as if he was absently mentioning what he had eaten for lunch the previous day. Did she really want to work for this man?

  Honestly, what choice did she have?

  “I’m aware of what I signed, Mr. Palazzo. ” Ari sat up straighter in her chair, the reality of obtaining the job starting to set in. She wasn’t afraid of being locked up in prison because she knew how to keep things private. It wasn’t like she had any girlfriends to gossip with, anyway. She’d always been too focused on school to make new friends.

  Her one attempt at socializing… the thought made her shudder. It was the reason she was stuck in an interview for a job she was afraid to know the title for, instead of sitting in class listening to her professor.

  Rafe Palazzo’s gaze seared her to the spot as if he were assessing the situation. He’d said that he didn’t go back once he made a decision, but the uncertainty in his eyes bellied his words. She could see that he was indecisive of whether he wanted to actually hire her.

  She said a quick prayer that she hadn’t blown this opportunity. Of course, her mother’s words of advice as she’d dropped Ari off at the Stanford dorms for the first time flashed through her mind. Her mom had said, if the situation looks too good to be true then it probably is and you should run like hell in the other direction. Ari thought maybe she should start running.

  “Very well, then, Ms. Harlow. The job position is for a mistress… my mistress, to be exact. ”

  Chapter Two

  Rafe watched as Arianna’s eyes widened at his words. He knew he should send her on her way, but from the first moment she’d stepped inside his building there was something so mystifying about her that his interest had been instantly piqued.

  She carried an almost haunted presence in her eyes, but he pushed that thought aside. He couldn’t afford to feel anything more than lust for the women in his life. He respected some of his lovers, but it was only minimal. He didn’t mistrust them – he just wouldn’t let them in.

  He needed the women for a specific purpose – that was all. They satisfied his needs, a must, since he was a highly sexual man. They also accompanied him to events where he was expected to have a woman on his arm. He normally could care less what the world thought about him, but he enjoyed having a woman’s soft curves pressing up against his body while he was surrounded by lackluster business colleagues.

  The fullness of a woman’s pale br**sts peeking out of a dark satin gown, the way her thighs would flash at him with each step she took into a room – watching a few strands of her hair tumble down around her shoulders, begging for him to release the knot at the back of her head from its tight confines to allow her thick mane
to flow. The extreme femininity of a woman held his attention during such tedious business gatherings. All of those things and more were what kept him interested in having a mistress.

  He liked women to be near him, he liked them to do his bidding. He really liked them to satisfy his needs.

  Since his divorce he’d discovered he had far more needs than he ever realized. He hadn’t found a woman who could keep his interest longer than three months since the day Sharron had left. He was fine with that.

  When he got bored, he found another willing applicant. The line was a mile long of women willing to serve him – after-all; he was Rafe Palazzo. The world was his canvas, and the women in line were all hoping to have their affair turn into something a lot more permanent. Too bad for them it would never happen.

  His mistresses were nothing more than employee’s and that’s how he treated them. They got paid very well, offered a severance package, and in-turn, he was kept satisfied. It was a win-win for both parties involved.

  The frozen expression that Arianna Harlow held while looking at him made him think she wasn’t going to work out as his next employee. He was taken aback by the slight stab of disappointment that thought made him feel. Though he’d actually never been turned down by anyone he offered a job to, he expected it to happen eventually. Surprisingly, there were women in the world who felt… uneasy about this kind of arrangement.

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  He honestly couldn’t decipher why. After all, he was doing nothing but cutting out the obnoxious dating part of sex. Why not cut to the chase and tell her exactly what he wanted for himself and expected from her? It made everything so much simpler.

  Arianna held a broken, yet spirited look in her eyes, like he’d just shot her beloved puppy and she was thinking of ways of seeking revenge. Annoyance began building inside Rafe as her gaze darted in any direction but at his face. He didn’t like feeling the weak emotion coursing through him. This was business – nothing more. There wasn’t room for anger, annoyance, feelings of any kind, really. Emotions like that were for lesser human beings than him.

  “Take this material home and read through it. I’ll let you consider your options. However, I expect an answer by five tomorrow evening. ”

  He had a lot more work to accomplish that day and needed to get on with it. He handed her a stack of papers, then held his arm out to assist her from her seat. She glanced warily at his hand as if worried he was going to strike her. His irritation spiked another notch.

  “I may be making a mistake by offering you the job. I should simply withdraw the offer, but luckily for you, I’ve decided not to. I hope you appreciate how fortunate you are that I’m giving you time to think about this. There’s a line of women who would literally kill to be in the position you’re in. ”

  Even though he could see the words registering in her brain, she still tried to conceal what she was thinking from him. The sooner she was out of his office, the better for him. He needed to take a few moments to decide if she really was the right candidate.

  ***

  Ari felt frozen to her seat. She should tell the guy to go ahead and give the position to one of the many women in line, and then take herself from the room. She couldn’t do this – no matter how much the job was paying.

  Guilt consumed her, though – guilt over her mother who was lying helplessly in a small bed missing her life – a life she’d always lived to the fullest before a phone call woke her up in the middle of the night.

  “Thank you,” Ari replied as she finally accepted the hand he was offering. As their skin touched, a small current of electricity passed through their fingers, sizzling her insides in a strangely pleasant way.

  She quickly pulled back from him, not happy with the unwelcome and foreign sensation. Without anything more being said, she walked stiltedly toward his door and then made her way to the elevator.

  She could feel him beside her, no longer touching, but keeping pace with her as she tried to make a dignified exit. Why couldn’t he have just stayed in his office? She felt the air weighing down on her lungs and began fighting the desire to gasp as she tried to suck in more oxygen. She knew the perceived danger was all in her head as there was zero chance of her suffocating. Though it was ridiculous, she had to keep reassuring herself of just that.

  Mr. Palazzo reached out and pressed the down button and then stood with her as her eyes focused on the steel doors before her as she counted the seconds in her head. She’d heard the expression about tension being so thick you could slice it with a knife, but until this very moment, she’d never experienced the phenomenon before. There was a first time for everything, and she seemed to be hitting several firsts in Rafe Palazzo’s presence.

  Open, open, open, she chanted inwardly. The elevator’s arrival was made known by the chiming of the bell that seemed much louder than usual, and she fought the internal alarm making her almost jump. She entered the car before the doors were fully open, then immediately stepped to the lit panel inside and pressed the lobby button, followed by the close door button.

  As the doors began shutting, she finally glanced up, her eyes colliding with Mr. Palazzo’s intense stare. She couldn’t manage to turn her head away, though she was trying to break the connection. As the doors finally closed, she sagged against the back wall of the large box and waited for it to make its descent.

  When the elevator made the journey without stopping along the way and the doors opened to the stunning lobby, she stepped out and quickly made her way across the marble floor and straight through the front doors.

  Ari didn’t stop until she made it to the next block. Finally, with disappointed steps, she slowed down to a more leisure saunter until she found a bench that she gratefully sank onto. In that moment she allowed herself to take her first deep breath of air since leaving Rafe Palazzo’s office.

  Ari sat for a while, trying her best not to hyperventilate as she took in slow, measured breaths, feeling like she just couldn’t get enough air. She should have said, Thank you for the offer, but no. She should’ve laughed at the ridiculous request. She should of…

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  With a quiet, depreciating laugh, she cut off the thoughts. It was a waste of time to think of what she should have done.

  Could she do it? Could she sell herself? He was asking her to be nothing more than a high paid prostitute, right? That’s what it boiled down to, like a scene right out of indecent exposure.

  Forcing herself to stand, she began walking the three blocks to the parking garage to her car. Without notice of the time that had passed walking the city streets, then going up the outside steps to the third floor of the parking structure, she spotted her car and climbed in the front seat, sitting for a moment.

  As she started the engine and began slowly driving down the ramps to the exit, she remained lost in thought. She needed to get home and review the papers he’d given her – reassure herself that she couldn’t take the job.

  Making such a colossal decision required serious consideration. A few months ago, she never would’ve even considered the possibility that something like this existed. She’d been truly naïve to the world around her, protected from life’s harsh realities. However, all her innocence had shattered the day the police had shown up for her at that college party.

  In her mother’s last conscious moments, her only concern had been for Ari’s safety. Her mom had managed to tell the officers they needed to get to her daughter – that Ari was in danger. Only then did her mother succumb to her injuries.

  The policemen showed up in her mother’s place at the frat house and then transported Ari to the hospital where she’d waited for hours in the lobby, terror helping to sober her up real fast.

  When the doctor eventually came out of surgery, his news hadn’t been good. Her mother was stable, but in a coma. They’d done all they could do for her. Only time would tell if she ever came out of it. br />
  She’d had severe swelling in her brain and they’d had to operate , drilling bur holes into her skull. Along with the head injuries, she’d also suffered two broken ribs, a cracked hip, and lacerations to her face. When Ari entered her mom’s room, she’d nearly passed out at the image before her.

  If the staff hadn’t guaranteed that the person lying in the bed was her mother, she wouldn’t have known who the woman was. She was unrecognizable with her swollen face and the bandages covering her. Ari had sobbed as she’d laid her head on her mother’s bed and apologized repeatedly. If it wasn’t for Ari, her mom would be home, sleeping safe and sound. Ari would never forgive herself for what she’d done.

  Trying to push such heart wrenching memories aside, Ari focused on the road as she pulled up to her small studio apartment. She slowly made her ascent up the staircase, her feet dragging as her mind raced. The papers Rafe had handed her were burning a hole in her purse.

  She got to her door and fiddled with the key for several moments, having to get it into the lock just right so she could turn it. It would probably be faster for her to insert a credit card in the doorjamb to get it open than to mess with the key.

  She’d watched enough movies that she could probably break into a place if she needed to. The thought made her smile as the lock finally clicked and she pushed open the door. Maybe she could find a breaking and entering job. It would be a more dignified profession than prostitution.

  Though the day had started only a few hours ago, exhaustion was nipping on her heels. She sat down on the couch and glared at her small purse as if there were a snake inside of it just waiting for the opportunity to strike. Did she really want to see what he had planned for her?

  With great reluctance, she finally unzipped the bag and slowly pulled the papers out, her gaze a bit cloudy as she glanced down at the words. She fought the urgency to toss them, but reality – and slight curiosity won out.

  With only a week left at the apartment before rent was due, and no other jobs on the horizon, she needed to at least weigh her options. The weight of knowing her mother’s living conditions would worsen without Ari's financial support made the decision about the position even more crucial.