Free The King and the Courtesan by Angela Walker Page B

a second level, which was less like a second floor and more like a circular balcony. A waterfall trickled down from the staircase banisters and into a pool in the foyer. Exotic art lined every wall and table, some of which included a pair of elephant tusks, a china pot as tall as me, and peacock feathers so brilliant I couldn’t believe they came from an actual bird.
    “It’s amazing,” I whispered in awe.
    “This is my main house,” he said in a low voice. “I have others. But this place is my home.”
    I found no dust, no dirt, not even a scuff on the floor. Everything was so pristine and perfect that I was afraid to touch anything.
    “This way,” Ezekiel ordered, pulling me toward the staircase.
    I followed him up the steps. The second floor had a hallway circling the foyer below, lined with heavy oak doors closed to whatever lay beyond. An archway at the end of the hall led into what looked like a bar and billiard room, but that was the only room I could see into.
    At the opposite end of the hallway, Ezekiel pushed through double doors and invited me inside. His bedroom was enormous, large enough to make the foyer look tiny in comparison. Another waterfall covered an entire wall, with a thin sheet of water trickling down its bumpy surface to a hidden pool below the floor. The bed sat close to the window at the other end of the room, though the drapes were shut. From the ceiling hung a chandelier, illuminating the enormous black dresser, the collection of plush couches in the center of the room, the flat widescreen TV hung on one wall, and doors leading to more rooms.
    “What do you think?” he asked, turning to face me.
    “It’s incredible,” I whispered.
    “I’ll call for some wine,” he said, pressing the button on his intercom. “Kira, bring up a bottle and two glasses.” There was no affirmative reply, but he must have been sure his request would be met, because he removed his finger from the button. “Please, sit.”
    I crossed the room and sank onto the edge of a geometric couch, twisting in my seat to take it all in. Meanwhile, Ezekiel went to the dresser and mirror to remove his cufflinks and bow tie. Someone knocked, making me jolt. I barely got a look at the woman delivering the wine before Ezekiel shut the door. He came over to me, popped the cork, and poured me a glass.
    “I usually don’t drink wine,” I said.
    “It’s another good investment.”
    I took a sip of my wine. It did taste different from the cheap stuff Mimi sometimes asked me to sip, but it didn’t seem worth the price it certainly must have cost. Personally, I was fine with a beer and some nachos.
    “Eager?” Ezekiel asked as I took large sips in hopes of calming my nerves. Usually I was the one trying to comfort a jittery customer, but I’d never been in the bedroom of a drug lord before.
    “Sorry.”
    Ezekiel shrugged and drained his glass as well. When he’d placed both goblets on the dresser, he stepped in front of me, pulling me up from my seat on the couch.
    “I’ve waited a long time for someone like you,” Ezekiel whispered to me, his lips inches from mine. One arm wrapped around my waist and pressed me against him. The other slipped up through my hair. I shuddered at the touch, not so much from pleasure but from apprehension. Usually, I could read people, and this talent had saved my ass more than once. Ezekiel existed behind a mask, and that alarmed me. I had no idea what he might enjoy sexually, so all I could do was wait for him to tell me and hope that it wasn’t anything painful or dangerous.
    Ezekiel kissed me, slowly at first and then harder, faster. I didn’t want to disappoint a man with as much power as Ezekiel, especially considering the price he paid. Normally I did only as much as it took to keep up, but now I kissed him back, pretending to the best of my ability that I wanted him. But how to act? Did he want me to be reserved and submissive? Saucy and sweet? I could only trust instinct,