Candy grit her teeth to keep herself from calling him a couple of choice names that might help her feel better but wouldn’t get her out of this situation. She needed to buy herself some time so she could think. “I’ll get in on one condition.” Ellis still needed her. There was an edge of desperation in his actions and tone.

He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. “What?” he spat.

“I’m not having sex with him today. I’ll meet with him and talk to—”

Ellis cut her off with a laugh. He turned his eyes to the sky and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The senator doesn’t want to meet with you to discuss the weather or politics.” He laughed at his own stupid joke. “He wants a set of perfect tits and an ass that just won’t fucking quit. He wants to fuck, Candy.” He just stood there looking at her, blinking his eyes like a moron. “If a fuck is what the good senator wants, then a fuck is what he will get.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t sign up for this. This wasn’t a part of our agreem—” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Ellis backhanded her. It was hard enough to make her stagger. Hard enough that she could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth but not so hard as to leave a mark or a bruise. Her lipstick would still be perfect. She didn’t even have to check. Ellis was a pro at roughing up a woman without leaving a mark.

“You listen and you listen good. I’m sick of your whining. My girlfriend puts out more than you do. You’re taking this gig with the senator and you will keep seeing your granddaddy dates. More importantly, you’re going to pretend to love every second.”

“All I’m asking is to be given an opportunity to meet with him first.”

“What for? You’re a hooker. You might get paid more than most but that’s what you are. A cheap, fucking whore. It’s about time you realized that.”

Not by choice. She screamed it inside her head.

Ellis pointed at her, his finger only inches from her face. “You are getting in this car and putting out. Whatever Senator Lawson wants, he gets. I don’t care if you have to suck dick or take it up the ass. I will stand outside that fucking hotel room door and I want to hear him having the time of his life. When you walk out of there, so fucking help me, he had better be a satisfied man or…”