Page 13 of Filthy Twisted Devil

“Humiliate you?” he echoes disbelievingly.

“Why else would you do it? Obviously, you just want to hold it over my head for the rest of my life. Every Christmas, every Friendsgiving, every time Brinley invites us both to anything, you’ll be able to lord it over me about the time you paid $1.3 million for my virginity.”

“No,” he chokes out. “God, no, I’d never⁠—”

I don’t wait for him to finish that sentence. I’m running on rage and embarrassment, and I need him to feel at least a fraction of it, too. “I should have known JAL two-six-whatever the numbers were, it was obviously someone like you. A loser who pays to watch from the dark, because the dark is the only place where you actually like yourself.”

Luke’s jaw tightens, and I know the barb landed. He doesn’t try to defend himself anymore.

The elevator numbers tick up, and I arbitrarily jab my finger on the button for the 50th floor. “You’re getting off there,” I snap. “We’re done talking. If you even try to come to the suite, I’ll call security. Because I need the peace and quiet to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, and you’re going to take the stairs back to your car and never speak to me ever again.”

I cross my arms and dare him to say another word.

He doesn’t.

He just pulls the emergency stop.

The car jolts to a stop, sending me stumbling on my heels. An alarm chirps, low and mechanical. I gape at him.

“Are you serious right now⁠—”

A voice emerges from the speaker before I can yell at him anymore.

“Hello. Our system shows that the emergency stop was activated. Are you in need of assistance?”

Luke presses a button to speak back. “Hi. Everything’s fine. This is Luke Windsor—you should have my card on file.”

There’s a pause on the other line, then the sound of typing. “Yes, I have your information, Mr. Windsor.”

“Fantastic. Listen, my friend and I were in the middle of a conversation that needs to be had in private. If I were to tip you, say, $15,000, could that buy me fifteen minutes in this elevator?”

Another pause. “I—well, there are two other people working the front desk tonight, Mr. Windsor.”

Something like approval flashes across Luke’s face. “Of course, you need to look out for your coworkers. I’d be happy to write them checks for the same number.”

“I think your request can be arranged, Mr. Windsor.” The voice sounds downright thrilled. “Thank you for staying at the St. Regis.”

In the upper corner of the elevator, a small light blinks out. The security camera is off. Our privacy has officially been purchased.

I stare at him, stunned. “Did you just bribe a five-star hotel into trapping me in an elevator?”

He sighs. “No. You can press that button right now and tell the operator to send the elevator down immediately. I won’t stop you. I just want three minutes of your time. If you still want to walk after that, you can go ahead. You’ll never hear another word from me about any of this, I promise.”

I don’t press the button. I cross my arms and wait, because if I don’t listen, I know I’ll spend weeks of my life wondering what he might have said.

When I don't immediately call the operator, Luke’s posture relaxes a little. He retreats back to his side of the elevator, giving me space as he talks.

“There's a reason I never asked for your name on CamCuties. It's because I didn't want PrairieSmoke to be a real person.” He fiddles with his hands for a second before shoving them in his pockets. “After that article went viral, being with anyone felt too high stakes. All a hookup would have to do is email the Toronto Tea and I'd be all over the internet again. I needed someone… safe. Just one woman who couldn't break my life. One person I didn't have to perform for who I didn't even know. That's what I thought I had. Until I realized that you weren't a stranger at all.”

I swallow. “What gave me away?”

“Your birthmark. The one on your lower back. I saw it on the poster, right before the auction started. I recognized it from when you visited Brinley when we were kids. I could've called Brinley or Beau, but I didn’t because I respect your privacy. I bid on you instead because there were five strange men in the auction who could have walked into that suite tonight. I couldn't live with any of them winning, any of them taking that from you.

“I'm not here to sleep with you. I have no intention of taking what I paid for. I just came here to make sure that nobody else did. As soon as we leave this elevator, that auction never happens. You'll walk out of this hotel with your virginity intact, and I’ll let you keep the money. Brinley will never know, and your brothers will never have to know.”

He shoots me a self-conscious smile, like we've both embarrassed ourselves and he's offering me an out. My nails dig into my arms through the fabric of my coat. I believe his explanation—he didn't do this to humiliate me. It makes sense why Luke would opt for a camgirl after Peppermint's article.

It doesn't make me any less furious at him.