Lilac Temptress Read Online Free PDF Page B

here disappointed. What’s the most a girl makes here in
one night?” Drake couldn’t believe the gravity in his voice. Sierra
was only a woman, and not a reputable one at that. So why did he
want her so badly?
    “ She ain’t cheap.” Adrienne
narrowed her eyes with scrutiny.
    “ I’ll pay whatever she
would have made for the entire night.”
    “ Well, I suppose I can’t
say no to that kind of money, can I?” Adrienne grinned, placing her
hands on her hips, waiting.
    Glancing toward the staircase, Drake
reached into his pocket for his billfold and poured cash into her
hands.
    Adrienne’s voice stammered with
excitement as she fondled the large bills. “She’s upstairs, to the
left, down the hall around the corner, last door.”
    Holding his breath, Drake vaulted the
stairs in a few quick strides. His chest tightened in disbelief
that he had shelled out such a preposterous amount of money to
spend a few hours with this woman. Women usually flocked to him,
vying to be in his company. But what else could he do when he
didn’t have the time to pursue her for long?
    He walked around the corner
and found the door to Sierra’s room. Eager with expectancy of a
racy and impassioned night, he knocked on the door. His breath
caught deep in his chest when she appeared before him wearing only
a skimpy violet robe with tiny pastel flowers embroidered around
the hem. She was even more beautiful out of costume than he had
imagined. Her thick spiraling hair hung loose to her waist, her
pale skin glowed. She smelled as clean as a morning breeze. My God , he thought,
fighting the impulse to reach out and grab her.
    “ What are you doing here?”
Sierra gasped, alarm shown clearly on her face, and intensifying
every second. “I thought I left you downstairs. I thought you’d be
gone by now.”
    “ You did leave me
downstairs, but I thought I might come up and see you.” Drake
intentionally let his eyes drift downward to her smooth thighs, her
naked calves and ankles, and surprisingly perfect feet—for a
dancer.
    Sierra pulled her small robe around
her even tighter. “Do you always pursue women that you know very
little of?” she asked smugly. “Why didn’t Adrienne tell you I
wasn’t taking any company?” Her scathing features flushed with
color.
    “ To answer your
questions, no, not always and yes, she did tell me. But I paid her
well to be with you tonight... I know you had a busy evening and I
can see that my presence does not please you Sierra, but I hope
that you might reconsider having me.”
    “ Having you—and what services do you require? Do you only
wish to talk some more, Mr. McCalister?” Sierra insinuated in an
icy tone. “Wait here,” she commanded as she stormed past him out of
her bedroom, leaving him no time to answer her rhetorical
questions.
    Drake did as she said. It was obvious
to him that she was vexed rather than flattered that he had
continued to chase her, so he didn’t follow her, but instead took
the opportunity to browse around her room.
    What is it with this
woman? Why is she so difficult? He
discovered a tall bookshelf, surprised to find a tattered copy
of Gulliver’s Travels on the top shelf. He continued to read the titles Alice’s Adventures Under
Ground , the Iliad and the Odyssey , among other adventure works
of fiction. He wondered if she had actually read any of these books
or if she had just stared at the pretty pictures. Most women of
her kind were not
educated enough to be able to read or write. Seeing these books in
the room of a prostitute was a pleasant surprise.
    * * *
    “ Adrienne!” Sierra grabbed
the madam’s arm tightly and spun her around on her
heels.
    “ Relax, honey. What’s got
you all bent out of shape?”
    “ Don’t trifle with me,
Adrienne! Why did you send that man upstairs to my bedroom?”
Sierra’s heart thundered in her chest and her temper flared, her
natural color giving way to a gush of red.
    Adrienne’s laughter rang in Sierra’s
ears.