I knew exactly what I was doing. I was convincing myself of the reasons why I should take this job. There were plenty of them too, and they far outweighed the reasons not to take the job. And I had to admit, there was something s.e.xy about working in a brothel, even just as a receptionist. I wasn't sure I could pa.s.s this chance up, or even if I wanted to.

We walked into one of the rooms. It was like that of a five star hotel, but even more luxurious. Everything was perfect. A huge bathroom with a spa, a ma.s.sive king sized poster bed. I blushed at the whips and chains that hung off the side wall. The attention to detail was impeccable. From the tiny amenities, to the selections of wine and nibbles.

"Each room has a theme." She explained, smiling at my embarra.s.sment. I nodded meekly, once again my blushing was getting me in trouble. I certainly wasn't a prude. I'd had more than my share of boyfriends and one night stands. This was on a whole other level though. I'd never been, or even considered getting paid for s.e.x.

"So," Mauve turned to me, smiling. "Would you like the job?"

I glanced at her, surprised. She was offering me the job? Just like that?

"I'm a good judge of character, Kait. I know you'd be a good fit here." Her confidence in my ability rubbed off on me.

"Okay. I will give it a go."

The kids were in bed when I got home. Throwing my keys and bag on the table, I sank into the oversized armchair. Ara, spread out on the couch, a book in hand, looked at me.

"How did it go?" She asked. I chuckled to myself, knowing her semi interest in my interview was about to turn on its head, big time.

"Good. Sort of." I began, dragging my legs up under my knees. "It was a brothel."

Just as I thought, Ara shot upright on the couch, her book flying out of her hands. She stared at me, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"A brothel?" She squeaked, her eyes wide.

"Shh." I gestured toward the kids bedrooms. The last thing I needed was the kids hearing. I could just imagine explaining that to Sam.

"Okay, sorry, sorry." Ara lowered her voice. "A brothel?" She repeated, literally on the edge of the couch, waiting for an explanation.

"Yes. Is that so shocking?" I joked, knowing it was.

"Uh, yes." Ara made a face and shook her head. "Wow, you in a brothel is something I'd never have picked." She shook her head again in amazement.

"Gee thanks." I protested. Ara waved off my response.

"You know what I mean." She shook her head and flopped back. "s.h.i.t Kait, a brothel?"

"I know, I know, but I'm just the receptionist." I added, trying to read Ara's expression. "I think it's kind of cool." I confessed, blushing. Ara eyes almost popped out of her head.

"You took it?" She squeaked. "I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it. I'm just surprised. I think it's great, actually." Ara giggled. "Imagine the stories you'll be able to tell me."

Chuckling, I bit my lip. I was still in shock that I'd actually said yes. And I was nervous as h.e.l.l. I needed new clothes, a haircut and possibly some new make-up. I ran my hand down my leg. And definitely a wax.

"When do you start?" Ara asked, still dazed from the news.

"Tomorrow night. I work ten to two, four nights a week. Are you positive you're okay with the kids?"

"For you to work in a brothel? h.e.l.l yeah." She giggled. I glowered at her.

"How long are you going to give me s.h.i.t for?" I grumbled.

"Till I find something else to give you s.h.i.t for. Like your det-ect-ive friend." She sang. I groaned and smothered my face with my hands, as Ara laughed.

"Your life is like a soap opera at the moment, Kait. We have drama, romance, and suspense. Seriously, who needs Bold and the beautiful when you're around?"

"I'm glad you get such amus.e.m.e.nt out of my life." I grumbled, shaking my head as Ara threw herself back on the couch, clutching a cushion, giggling.

The next day after I dropped Neri and Sam off, I went shopping.

It didn't take long for me to blow another good portion of my savings on some new outfits, shoes and makeup, convincing myself it was an investment. Finally pulling the car into the driveway, I was exhausted.

The car backfired. I guess he was exhausted too. I laughed at my little joke as I let myself inside.

As I opened the fridge, I silently thanked Ara for doing food shopping that morning. Grabbing a can of c.o.ke, some string cheese and a handful of crackers, I made myself comfortable for an afternoon on the couch. I flicked through the channels, deciding on the crime network, which was doing a special on missing persons.

My thoughts drifted to mom, a knot forming in my stomach. Though we'd had our differences, I really hoped she was okay. It had taken me so long to get past what happened to me, and not having mom's support during that was h.e.l.l. I'd have done anything to have the relationship with mom that I used to.

Growing up, we had been really close. Her taking John's side over mine had broken my heart. What kind of mother doesn't believe their own daughter when she confides in her like that? Calling the police had been the only way to stop him, but mom had never forgiven me for that. The role of a mother is to protect her children, and to love them unconditionally, yet she had turned her back on me when I needed her most. That was the thing I struggled to get past.

The doorbell rang. I glanced at my phone. I rarely had visitors, and when I did, they almost always called first. I pulled myself out of the couch coc.o.o.n I'd made, and headed for the door.

Salesperson? Mormons? It was times like this I wish we had one of those little spy windows you look through so you can pretend not to be home.

I edged the door open slightly, blocking it on one side with my foot, ready to slam it shut if need be.

Devon smiled back at me with his usual s.e.xy smirk.

"Hey." He said, amused. "Do you always open the door with such suspicion?" I blushed a little, trying to block the inappropriate thoughts that were filtering through my mind.

This guy was hot. Like mind blowing hot. As in I struggled to concentrate when he was around me kind of hot.

"Hey." I finally managed, smiling back. "You have to be prepared. You never know when it's going to be someone selling funeral plans." He laughed as I moved aside. He squeezed past me, his hand brushing past my own, sending tingles of electricity coursing through my body.

"What brings you here? Any news?" I forced myself to focus on his whole reason for entering my life. Mom.

"No news, sorry. I just thought I'd see how things were going." He followed me over to the couch, and sat down, his left leg stretched out. I tried unsuccessfully not to stare at him. He wore jeans and a faded blue shirt. A small tattoo peeked out from the bottom of his sleeve. I almost sighed, catching myself just in time. I found tattoos incredibly s.e.xy. He caught me looking at it and rolled it up.

The tattoo, a th.o.r.n.y vine that wrapped around his forearm, made him even more appealing. If I didn't want to jump him before, I sure as h.e.l.l did now.

"A moment of stupidity, when I was eighteen." He made a face.

"Any more?" I raised my eyebrows suggestively. He laughed and shook his head.

"You?" His eyes glistened as he slowly and deliberately ran his eyes over my body. I blushed, feeling naked under his intense stare. "Oh really? Well only fair. You've seen mine, after all."

"I have a small rose in a rather, uh, delicate, position." I finally announced. He chuckled.

The rose was actually in a very delicate position, on my left b.u.t.t cheek. Why and how I ended up with a rose was still unbeknown to me. From what I'd heard from Ara, combined with the fragments I actually remembered, I'd stumbled my way into the all hours tattoo parlor begging the very cute tattooist to *brand' me after celebrating pa.s.sing my finals last year. All I knew was I'd woken up with a very sore b.u.m.

Yes, my mind had gone there too.

"Do I get to see it?" His voice was teasing, and his eyebrows were raised, making me blush even further.

"No. n.o.body gets to see it." I placed emphasis on the word n.o.body.

"Interesting. No boyfriend, then?" I grinned at his deduction efforts. This boy had skills. No wonder he'd made detective so early. Inside I was swooning at the fact that he cared about whether or not I had a boyfriend.

Did that scream interested, or what?

"Enough about me. Tell me about you, Devon." I smiled pointedly. He already knew way too much about me.

"Me?" He mused thoughtfully. "Well, you know what I do. I've lived in Seattle all my life. I have a younger sister, who is your age. My parents are still married. I live alone." He emphasized alone. "What do you do, Kait?"

His smile almost had me drooling. I tried to focus on answering his question, rather than succ.u.mbing to the very naughty thoughts that were flashing through my mind. I hadn't realized I was such a pervert.

"I'm studying International Business. My last semester. After that, I have an internship at a firm in here in Seattle. I used to work in a cafe, but I've just gotten a new job which I start today, actually."

"Wow, congratulations. Where is it?" he asked, genuinely interested.

s.h.i.t. It was the most obvious question to be asked, yet I hadn't been expecting it. What the h.e.l.l was I going to say? Definitely not the truth.

"Just a hotel. Receptionist. I don't start until 10pm. Ara will be home for the kids." I'd never been good at lying, but if I was going to take this job, I needed to get better at it, and fast.

"Ara?" He repeated.

"My housemate and best friend." I explained, forgetting that he hadn't met her yesterday. She was going to wet herself when she saw how s.e.xy he was.

"Well good luck with your new job. I hope it all goes well for you." He stood up and walked to the door, me right behind him. I bit my lip as I sneaked a look at his a.s.s. Wow. No words could describe it, other than wow.

And maybe yummy.

"Well it was lovely to see you again, Kait." He turned so quickly it caught me off guard. I didn't have time to redirect my stare. He chuckled as I blushed. He'd caught me staring at his a.s.s, and he was amused.

Every time he said my name I felt my knees buckle, and it frustrated the h.e.l.l out of me. I was twenty-one, not twelve! I didn't get this way over guys!

"Right. See you." I said, all but shutting the door in his face. Leaning against the door, I groaned. Now he thought I was checking him out. Which I was, but that was beside the point. I didn't need him knowing that.

"See you later Sam. Behave for Ara, okay?" I narrowed my eyes at him. Sam nodded, his little face peering out at me from under his mound of pillows. He had insisted he needed six pillows to sleep, because that's how many he had when he was at home. I'd learned the hard way that it's not worth getting into an argument over pillows with a five year old.

I shut off his light and went next door to Neri's room. Rapping lightly on the door, I waited for her to answer.

"Come in." I pushed open the door. Neri was sitting up in bed, reading a book. I pointed to it.

"What are you reading?" She blushed and held up the cover. Twilight. I rolled my eyes, making her giggle.

"You've never read it?" She asked. Now it was my turn to blush. "Ah hah!" She exclaimed. What could I say? I was a sucker for romance. "Not really a valid argument, Neri. Everyone's read it once. It's the people who re-read it you have to worry about." I smirked as she shot me a dirty look.

"I'm going to work now. If you need anything, you have my number, or Ara is just down the hall." Neri nodded. "I'm glad you guys are here." I added, before closing the door. I hadn't said that to them since they'd arrived. It worried me that they might have thought I didn't want them here. Neri smiled.

"I'm glad we're here too." As I pulled the door shut, I realized how much I loved hearing that. I had missed my siblings.

Chapter Eight.

I arrived at work fifteen minutes early. I knew it would only take me twenty minutes from my front door to the parking lot, but I was terrified of being late, especially in my s.h.i.t box of a car.

The truth was, the whole idea of this job still scared the s.h.i.t out of me. I had no idea what to expect, or whether I'd be able to handle it. Waiting all day for my ten o'clock start was like waiting at the dentist to have a tooth pulled. I just wanted to get it over with.

The same scary looking man let me in, though this time he introduced himself as Barry, and gave me a small smile, before returning to his magazine. Was it wrong that I felt oddly safer with this mountain of a man nearby?

Mauve was waiting for me in the lobby. For an older woman, she was in fantastic shape. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if she still worked. She looked pretty hot in her royal blue dress that hid all the b.u.mps and showed plenty of cleavage.

"Kait! Great to see you. I have Emily working with you tonight, she will show you everything you need to know. Tuesday nights' aren't too busy, so you should be fine. I'll be floating around if you need me, dear." Mauve wandered off, leaving me with a pretty redhead, who I could only a.s.sume was Emily.

"h.e.l.lo." She smiled. I shook her outstretched hand, relieved that she was friendly. Some of my nerves settled as Emily chatted on as if we were old friends. She had a natural easiness to her that made me smile.

"Hi Emily, I'm Kaitlin. Call me Kait" I added, grinning.

"You look really nervous." She giggled. I nodded, making a face. Nervous was an understatement.

"Well don't worry. Everyone is really nice, and it's a pretty cushy job."

She led me into what could have easily been mistaken for a lobby of a posh hotel. This area hadn't been a part of my tour yesterday.

There were a few black leather couches, and a big coffee table. Magazines littered the coffee table, just like you'd see in a doctors' surgery, except these were all fine publications such as *Mature Mommas' and *h.o.r.n.y Babes'. Emily giggled at my expression.

"What the punters want..." She shrugged, still giggling. "We sit over here." We walked around a big long marble desk. "Basically, when a client comes in, you go over and introduce yourself. If he is a regular, he will usually just say who he is after. If he is a first-timer, and believe, me you'll spot them, you run them through this." She handed me a portfolio. I flipped it open.

"Each girl has their own page, with various photos. You look up on the computer, see who is available, and he can choose from the portfolio. All the girls are screened regularly for STD's and you must, must sign off a new clients STD report before accepting him as a client."

I ran my finger over the pictures. These women were beautiful. The images were far from what I would have expected, with none of the pictures revealing much, but suggesting a lot. I whistled softly at a blonde draped over a thinking seat, with only a sheer black scarf covering her.

"Oh yeah. That's Maya. She's pretty popular." Emily shot me a knowing glance. "I'd probably turn for her too." She joked. I laughed loudly. Emily was great. She was totally inappropriate, loud, and super friendly. I had a feeling we were going to get along great.

"Nice, hey?" Emily grinned. "And all the girls are so nice, too. I was expecting b.i.t.c.hiness left, right, and center, but really, they are lovely."

"How did you start out here?" I asked curiously. If I didn't seem the type to be working here, Emily certainly didn't.

"Same as you. I applied. I've been here almost two years." Wow, she barely looked eighteen. "I'm twenty-three." She added with another smile, seeing my shocked expression.

"So what does it cost... the men?"

"It depends on what they want. There are different *experiences'. Not all the girls do everything, either, so another thing to remember is check with the girl if someone asks for something specific. You'll soon know everyone, and what they like. Most of the clients are regulars anyway."