in his position couldn’t afford to turn down the opportunity to eat and drink at someone else’s residence. But, he made it a point to stay away from the prim and proper debutantes, despite how shamelessly the mothers threw their daughters in his path. It didn’t matter that he was only the third son of an earl. He was handsome, charming, and his blood was bluer than a sapphire. His lavish lifestyle led many to believe he was flush in the pockets, and he’d die before letting any of them know how untrue that was.
“I miss Hugh,” he grumbled. “This sort of client would have been perfect for him. He probably would have enjoyed playing the doting suitor.”
“Well, Hugh is a married man now … and besides, he isn’t nearly as popular as you are.”
“And for that reason, you decided this assignment was right for me? Dash it, Ben, you should have seen the way she looked at me. She fucking slapped me.”
Though in hindsight, he had deserved it. Her maidenly sensibilities must have been repulsed by his behavior.
Benedict shrugged. “I did try to warn you. Anyway, while Miss Barrington was put out by what she called your ‘abominable conduct’, she is willing to give you another chance. I told her you were not thinking clearly due to being up all night. She has agreed to receive you this afternoon. I suggest you take her up on her offer.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Absolutely not. I’m not a glorified accessory to be worn on some woman’s arm. I don’t care how much she’s paying.”
Raising one eyebrow, Benedict slid the contract across the desk, his finger thumping down to indicate the amount Calliope had agreed to pay. Nick’s eyes widened as he read the amount. It was twice as much as the most lucrative contract he’d ever had. Enough to replenish his dwindling accounts, refresh his wardrobe, and keep him well fed for a year. If he invested some of it as Benedict had suggested, he could be well set for a long time.
“I’ll be damned.”
“You cannot afford to turn this one down, Nick,” Benedict urged. “I have no other clients waiting in the wings, and I cannot predict when there will be another. What’s the harm in escorting her to a few balls and pretending to be interested in her? She’s willing to pay, and she’s desperate.”
So was Nick, and Benedict knew too much about his personal finances for him to pretend he wasn’t. Despite his disappointment that he wouldn’t get to slake his sudden and visceral lust for Calliope, he couldn’t deny the contract was an attractive one.
“You’re right, damn you.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
“As you’ve pointed out, I really have no choice.”
“Excellent. Take the contract … here is her address, where she lives with her sister and brother-in-law, the Earl and Countess of Hastings. I suggest you put down the brandy and go sleep off your night of debauchery. You have quite a bit of groveling to do if you want back into her good graces.”
Working his jaw as the fading heat of her slap finally eased, Nick decided that was a good idea. He’d already had a taste of what it was like to fall out of that woman’s favor.
“For what she’s paying me, I’ll kiss her feet and call her Your Highness if she wants.”
Benedict chuckled. “That would be a start.”
Coming to his feet, he set his unfinished brandy aside and took up the contract, along with the scrap of paper on which Benedict had scrawled the address. He marched from the office with determination in his stride, hoping to convince himself that he didn’t want to fuck Calliope Barrington as badly as he thought.
Calliope glared at her sister, who had not stopped laughing since she’d begun relating the tale of her meeting with Dominick Burke. Diana nearly fell out of her chair, the embroidery hoop in her lap forgotten as she gasped for air, her giggles pricking Calliope’s nerves.
“This isn’t funny, Diana,” she groused, snapping her novel closed with an annoyed sigh. “The man was completely outrageous.”
Sitting upright, Diana swiped at her watering eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Callie, but what did you expect? He is a courtesan … seduction is his business. And Mr. Burke is notorious as a rake of the first order.”
That was hardly surprising given the man’s behavior. He’d been despicable, speaking of the kinds of acts that made her stomach clench and her skin tingle.