Free At Your Mercy (VIP The Pink Collection, #1) by Rhyme Devereux

Chapter One
    "Okay, Violet, I should be there soon."
Rolling my eyes, I rest my forehead on the window of the
limousine.
    "Ivy, one more thing …"
    Here we go again. “I’m listening.”
    "This guy is sexy as sin and single. Don't
forget our rules." Violet emphasizes the last part slowly.
    "Not a problem. Have to go, Violet. Ciao."
With a tap of my finger, I press the end button on the cell phone.
Geez, my best friend and owner of VIP can be extremely pushy. Her
business is booming, and that's turned her into one mean bitch when
it comes to satisfying her clients. Soon she will need to hire more
Companions. Right now, it's only the four of us. Well, five,
counting Violet, but she doesn't serve as a Companion for her own
business.
    That remark she made about our rule ,
well, I have my own: "never mess around with my clients." Not that
I would even consider that idea. I’m damaged goods. My childhood
was dysfunctional. As an only child, I witnessed on more than one
occasion my intoxicated dad physically hurt my mom. Afterwards, he
always came begging for mercy. I don't know where my dad is. The
last I heard he's been in and out of jail. My mom never loved
anyone else. Never dated. Love causes people to make all kinds of
wrong decisions. Screw that, I'd rather stay single all my
life.
    I'm happy working for VIP. The pay is
impressive, especially for someone without a degree. I get to see
tropical places, mingle with different cultures, and be with some
tremendously powerful, attractive men. Don’t get me wrong. I
fantasize about the things I would love to do with these insanely
hot men. Some of my past clients had me manually stimulating myself
as soon as I got home after attending one of their social events. Which reminds me. I need to buy more batteries.
    I check the time on my wristwatch—twelve ten
p.m. I reach to press the privacy window control. "Joe, how much
longer you think we will be stuck in traffic?"
    "Actually, we're almost there, Ivy. Sorry for
not taking another route."
    "Sure. No problem. Thanks, Joe." Every
Friday, no matter the time of day, there's a ton of traffic on the
freeway. I pray my new client isn't a stickler for being on time.
Being fifteen minutes late isn't terrible. Checking my face in my
cosmetic mirror, I run my fingers through my curly red hair. All I
need to do is refresh my nude-colored lipstick.
    The privacy window comes down. "Ivy, we've
arrived."
    "Finally. Thanks, Joe. Pull up to the
entrance, please."
    Joe opens the door and offers his hand.
    "I'll be ready to leave by two o'clock, but
you may want to hang out for a moment in case this Jax Sterling has
a tantrum over me being tardy." I laugh.
    Smiling, he nods his head. "No problem. Text
me if I can leave."
    As I step into the crisp spring air on the
West Coast, I wish that I had brought my shoulder wrap along. The
sun is bright today. Not one cloud in the sky. Looking around, I
see the parking lot is full of expensive cars—Lexus, Mercedes,
Jaguars, and Range Rovers. This place is the hangout for business
lunches. Violet only chooses the best. Yep, this is how the others
live, and I get to play the part for a limited time.
    Walking at a fast pace to the five-story
restaurant, my beige stiletto gets stuck in a crack of the stone
walkway. Suddenly, strong hands grab my elbow as I start to fall
forward towards the ground. My eyes slowly drift upward from his
black dress shoes, briefly taking in his tall, athletic build that
his gray dress pants can't conceal. Then my eyes wander over his
broad chest that looks hot as hell in a form-fitting black
shirt.
    "Miss, are you okay?"
    I am now.
    I'm stunned to be looking into some gorgeous
man's blue eyes that are the lightest color I've ever seen. Except
… something's familiar.
    "Um … what?" I say as I remember to
breathe.
    "Are you okay?" He raises his right eyebrow
as he questions me.
    "Yes, yes, I am. Thanks for helping me avoid
an embarrassing accident."
    "We wouldn't want you to hurt