Page 22 of Rent: Paid in Full

He doesn’t react other than to give me a loud huff and a semi.

I wait until he’s drained his mug, then I top him up and get down to business. I open my wallet and peel out six fifty-dollar bills, stacking them neatly and folding them in half, securing them with one of the money clips I got as a gag gift for my eighteenth birthday. The gag being that my grandparents had used it to clip a first-class ticket to Paris. I repeat the process with five hundred-dollar bills. The clip I use this time once housed the confirmation email from the Four Seasons—an all-expenses-paid seven-day booking, including restaurants, bars, and use of the spa.

Good times.

“What are you doing?” Ryan’s eyes have gone blank like they did yesterday. I try not to smile, though I do feel a quick rush of adrenaline.

“I’ve been doing some research, and I have a proposal.” His mouth drops open ever so slightly, so I up the ante. “Admittedly, it’s an indecent proposal of questionable legality, but in my defense, what I’m offering is well above market rate.”

He glares at me through a dark forest of lashes, and I see his right forearm clench as his bicep swells.

Ngg.

Looks like I might get that slap after all.

I tap the stacks of cash firmly on the desk to neaten the edges before placing them within his reach.

“So,” I say, pointing to the money, “I’m thinking three hundred for a hand job and five hundred for head. That’s you going down on me, obviously.” I give him a saucy wink. “I’d go down on you for free. Wouldn’t charge you a dime.”

His eyes are bigger than I’ve ever seen them, lids stretched so wide there’s a clear ring of white all around his pupils. Furious swirls of yellow and green are flashing, almost pulsing with outrage.

I continue undeterred.

“Now, I did a bit of investigation about charge rates last night, though I’m not claiming it was exhaustive. I’m more than happy to take your lead on this, but I do think you’ll find my prices to be fair. In this area, the average price for full service is two hundred and fifty dollars, so really, you’re getting the deal of a lifetime here.” When he doesn’t react, I add, “In case you’re not aware, full service includes access to your mouth”—I smile and bite my bottom lip—“or throat if you do it the way I do.” He doesn’t laugh, so I laugh for both of us because, like it or not, that shit was damn funny. “And obviously, it includes anal access as well—”

“I know what full service is, you dick,” he hisses through tightly gritted teeth.

Swoon.

God. He’s so sexy.

“Excellent!” I clap my hands together. “So we’re on the same page then.”

“We’re not on the same…I’ve never…I’ve never beenfurtherfrom the same page in my whole fucking life.”

“Ah, well. Think it over,” I say brightly. “The offer stands.”

With that, I head to the bathroom, stopping a few feet from his bed and bending over to drop my boxer briefs and toss them in my hamper. I keep my back turned on him, but I swear I can feel him looking. A hot trickle of hatred spills down my shoulders and back, running all the way down to the crack of my ass.

I’m buzzing from head to toe. I’m really surprised by myself. I’m known to be someone with an excess of audacity, always have been, but this takes the cake even for me. My heartbeat feels thready and unsteady. More rapid than usual. I feel completely alert. Hyper-alert. Like I’ve had two pots of coffee in rapid succession. And yeah, I feel a little concerned about my health and safety, so I walk to the bathroom hurriedly, halfexpecting a mug to come flying through the air and connecting solidly with the back of my head.

It doesn’t.

Still, I take a nice long shower to be on the safe side.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your new favorite person is give them a little space to decompress, you know?

It’s been six days. Six fucking days. Six days of waking up and seeing the money I offered Ryan untouched on the desk. Six days of waiting and hoping. Six nights of going to sleep a few feet away from him, hearing him breathe and groan, feeling the room heat from his presence, and…nothing.

I don’t mean to sound like a dick, well, I don’t mean to sound like more of a dick, but this has never happened to me before. I made a clear play for him. I put my cards—or cash if you want to be pedantic—on the table. I was crystal clear about what I wanted…and nothing. Nada. Not one single thing other than dirty looks and furtive glances when he thinks I’m not looking.

It’s driving me crazy.

“Mills,” says Sienna, giving me a small worried smile that creases her eyes, “you’ve been quiet for days. Are you okay?”

We’re sitting in what would be the shade of an old Maidenhead tree if the leaves had fully come in. As it is, the grass is a little crunchy and sparse, the sky is blue-white and cloudy. Spring has yet to put on a proper show. A bunch of us are sprawled out on the grass, and the rest are playing the kind of game that would be of more than passing interest to golden retrievers and border collies. I’ve been here for an hour, and as yet, no one has uttered a word I haven’t heard a hundred times over.

“Um, yeah, I’m fine.” I try to keep my voice neutral, but I’m not sure if I’m convincing or not. She scoots up to sit a little closer to me, leaning her blonde head against my shoulder. “I’m okay,” I say again, “really.”