Allure by Michelle Betham Read Free Book Online

Something happened. And I’m not sure I can deal with her walking away.
    But I have to.
    Because this can’t happen.
    It can’t.
    I’m not ready…
     
     
    Kira
     
    He’s so beautiful I can’t take it. I don’t think I realised just how beautiful he really is until this morning, when I watched him sleep; when he kissed me as he fucked me and my world changed forever. My world changed. Forever.
    ‘Last night, Kira, it was – it was incredible.’
    I smile as he pulls me against him and I allow myself one more kiss. I have his money now. Everything else is a bonus. For both of us. ‘Yeah. It kind of was, wasn’t it.’ I need to get out of here. I don’t want to go, but I need to. I need to leave this crazy situation behind me and get back to the life I know. So I pull away, letting go of him one last time. And it hurts. It’s a real, physical pain I feel as my fingers tighten around the door handle, his eyes burning deep into mine, but I know I have to leave. Now.
    ‘Have a nice life, Mr Cannon.’
    I give him one more smile and open the door, walking out without looking back.
    I’m safe now.
    Nothing can hurt me. It’s over.
    Kira Blu has work to do.
    And he was just another job.

Five
     
    Neal
     
    The gallery’s quite full, for late on a Sunday afternoon. But I’d wanted to take a look around before I met with my client. I’m an art dealer, one of the best in the business, and I have clients all over the world, hence the reason I travel so often. My base is in Manhattan , but I’m rarely home. People pay a lot of money for my advice and knowledge so I need to be there when they ask for me.
    ‘Stunning, isn’t it?’
    I turn to see a tall, dark-haired woman by my side. She’s pretty, in a verging-on-plain kind of way, but then, after my night with Kira, I doubt any other woman can compare. She’s ruined me, my beautiful, fucked-up escort girl.
    ‘Yeah. It is.’
    I throw her my best smile and turn back to look at the painting, which is hanging beneath a large square skylight, giving it the optimum amount of light to make sure it’s displayed in the best possible way.
    ‘Neal Cannon, I presume.’
    I turn back to face her. ‘Yeah. I’m Neal Cannon.’
    She holds out her hand, and I take it, shaking it gently as she throws me a polite smile. ‘I’m Lee. Lee Gifford.’ She doesn’t miss my surprised expression. ‘You were expecting a man, huh?’
    ‘Well…’ I don’t know what I was expecting, if I’m truthful. My head hasn’t really been straight all day.
    ‘I’m called Leanne, but I’ve never been a fan of that name, so, I shortened it. Simple as that.’
    ‘I’m sorry. Please, forgive me. I guess I’m still a bit tired after all the travelling.’
    ‘Mr Cannon…’
    ‘Neal. Please.’
    She smiles again, and I try to claw back some composure. But my head’s some place else – between the legs of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I need to forget her, but I can’t. My fingers are itching to pull out my phone and call her because I need last night again. I’m here, in Newcastle , for a few more days and I can’t be here and not see her. I can’t, I know that now.
    ‘Neal?’
    Lee’s voice yanks me back to the here and now and I quickly pull myself together. This is business. This is my livelihood. I need to sort my shit out.
    ‘You’re a bit of an enigma in the art world, are you aware of that?’
    She’s still smiling, although it’s moved on from just being polite to slightly more friendly than that. And it’s a nice smile. It lights up her undeniably pretty face – it’s always a bonus when the clients are pretty. It’s doing nothing for me, though, but I still smile back, because I know she’s flirting with me. I’ve been here before, I can read the signs clearly, but I have never, ever taken advantage of those signals. That would be unprofessional. Too messy. I only ever sleep with escorts. Faceless women, emotionless sex.
    Yeah. And how did