Penniless and Purchased by Julia James Read Free Book Online Page B

then nodded. ‘Whatever you say, guv. If the lady don’t object.’
    Nikos’s gaze ripped back to Sophie. She was sitting there, hunched, arms half crossed across her torso now, as if to veil her body from him. She was still shivering, staring expressionlessly at the floor. Her face was blank. Quite blank. Water from her sodden hair still dripped down the line of her jaw. Mascara ran down her cheeks. She looked a mess.
    Why wasn’t she with Cosmo? Nikos lurched back into his seat, eyes on her. ‘So, did Cosmo give you the push?’
    She didn’t answer, only gave him a brief, knifing glance before closing in on herself again. Her blankness angered Nikos. Everything about her angered him. Everything. He could feel his anger rising—biting. Wanting to find an out.
    ‘Or did you change your mind about putting out for him? Is that it?’
    That got a reaction. Eyes like daggers flashed up at him, fury in them.
    ‘That wasn’t ever on the table! Nor, for your information, did I choose his company!’
    ‘So how come you ended up with him?’ Nikos pushed back.
    The flash in the eyes came again. ‘He hired me for the evening! As an escort.’
    Nikos stilled, not believing what he’d just heard her say.
    ‘A hooker? ’
    ‘I am not a hooker!’ The snarl came from her throat. ‘I took a job at an escort agency, as an escort ! That’s all ! I’m well aware that some girls do a hell of a lot more than just have dinner and drinks with their clients, but not me !’ Breath razored in her lungs as her eyes blazed. ‘So whatever else youthink, and whatever else that disgusting jerk thought, that was all I signed up for! And he knew it, and the agency knew it, and now you can know it too—and you can take it and choke on it!’
    She was fumbling for the door catch again, dimly aware, in the fury and tumult in her head, that the taxi had stopped. She couldn’t find the catch, and then, as she fumbled desperately, she felt a hand close over hers, pulling it away. The cabbie was speaking, opening the partition slightly, his voice wary. ‘You OK there, luv?’
    ‘She’s fine!’ Nikos cut across roughly, closing the glass again. ‘Keep driving!’
    For a moment longer the cabbie looked over his shoulder. But Sophie was sitting frozen again, as if all the fire had been doused with a pail of water. Oh, what the hell ? she thought, a bitter weariness crushing down on her as the cold in her bones took over and she started to shiver again.
    Why did I rise to it? What do I care what he thinks of me? What could I possibly, possibly care? He’s nothing to me—nothing, nothing, nothing.
    Depression, weariness, and despair like a deadweight crushed her down. Her shivering intensified. Her mind seemed like a blur, a mush. Too much had happened, too much overload. She could not take any more…
    ‘Sophie—’
    Nikos’s voice cut across her deadening mind, and she raised blurred eyes to him. Her make-up was running into them, stinging, and drops of rain were still oozing down her forehead, making her blink.
    Nikos. I’m in a taxi with Nikos Kazandros, and I don’t know why, or how, or what the hell is going on, and I just can’t cope any more, I can’t…can’t cope…
    ‘Sophie!’ Nikos spoke again, louder this time. Demanding attention. She stared at him and realised he had taken off his jacket, was holding it out to her. She shrank back, as if it were poisoned.
    ‘I don’t want it,’ she bit out. ‘I’m fine.’
    ‘You’re soaking wet and freezing—even in here.’
    ‘I’m fine,’ she repeated doggedly.
    Nikos’s dark eyes glinted balefully, but he shrugged himself back into his jacket. ‘You really believed Cosmo Dimistris just wanted a sexy female to have dinner with?’ The question was scathing.
    She said nothing, only clenched her jaw.
    ‘Answer me!’
    Her eyes flashed again. ‘What do you want to know for? What possible concern is it of yours?’
    ‘Just tell me,’ he gritted.
    ‘Yes,’ she