"I don't like sleeping with virgins. It's a hassle and honestly, not that fun."

Jace Whitmore's blunt rejection left Nerissa Noland standing there awkwardly, but after the phone call from her mom that afternoon, she had nowhere else to turn.

"You heartless brat, you damn ungrateful wretch! Your dad's already a cripple, and now you wanna act all high and mighty too? I've been the only one bringing money home, so where is it, huh? If you don't wire me the cash, just forget about your dad's check-up in two days. Let him rot in that wheelchair until he dies. We might as well all be dead."

When Nerissa was five, her dad took her out for ice cream on his bicycle. On the way back, a truck came barreling toward them. He threw himself in front of her, shielding her with his body. He took the full hit. Ever since then, he couldn't walk.

The driver tossed some hush money and disappeared. With her dad paralyzed, the family spiraled into poverty.

At eighteen, Nerissa got accepted into college. Her father insisted she go, no matter what other people said. He suffered through all kinds of insults and humiliation, even secretly borrowing money from relatives just to help her study. "Only education can change your life," he said.

And now, his long-awaited reconstructive surgery is in two days. They'd finally gotten a top specialist after waiting five years. If they missed this window, he'd be stuck in that chair for who knows how long. And if she couldn't graduate, she'd never escape the suffocating mess her family became.

With that thought eating at her, Nerissa tiptoed closer and pressed her shaking lips to Jace's.

Her voice was trembling hard. "Mr. Whitmore... I-I'm only twenty. I... I've never done this before. But I'm 5'7'', 108 pounds, and all my health reports are clear. If you can just give me a chance tonight... I promise I won't disappoint you!"

Jace let her kiss him, but his expression didn't change. Not a flicker of desire.

Her skin was so pale it almost looked translucent, faint blue veins visible under the glow of the liquor shelf. She was petite, dressed in a cheap off-white sweater and faded jeans. Standing there in his sleek, high-end apartment, she looked like a scared little rabbit that wandered into a wolf's den.

Her eyes were misty, lips trembling as she fought back tears — honestly kind of heartbreaking — but that was it.

Jace was used to powerful, confident women — top models, heiresses, you name it. Women who knew the rules and played the game. Tears never factored into it.

"I told you. You're not my type."

But instead of backing off, Nerissa shed her sweater in one smooth motion. She raised her chin and met his eyes dead on. "I've read about you in so many articles. Youngest tech elite, CEO of Stravion Group. I know you... have lots of girlfriends. I'm not asking to be one of them. I just need help this once. When I graduate, I'll pay you back everything, with interest."

As those words left her lips, her face turned bright red. Jace's gaze, however, was already focused on her exposed upper body.

Underneath the sweater, she only had on a basic white bra — plain, but it couldn't hide those curves. A D-cup that contrasted sharply with her tiny waist.

He'd assumed a girl with her innocent vibe would be flat and boyish. Clearly, he'd miscalculated...

His Adam's apple shifted, subtly.

The room was dead silent, with only the faint hum of traffic filtering in from the street. Every second felt like a lifetime.

Finally, Jace sat upright and walked over to the sleek leather couch in the middle of the room. He didn't spare her so much as a glance as he spoke in a flat voice, "You've got twenty minutes. If I'm still not interested, get out."

Nerissa froze for a second, then realized — this was him giving her permission.

She clutched the sweater she'd just taken off and padded barefoot across the floor. Jace was already seated, legs apart, elbows on his knees, giving her a look like he was appraising a product.

She had some idea what came next. She'd seen this kind of scene play out in the porn videos her little brother had stashed on the family computer. Watching was one thing — actually doing it was another.

Kneeling down onto the cold, expensive carpet, the chill seeped through her jeans. Her fingers reached toward his belt — a sleek one, embossed with tiny, intricate patterns. But her hands were shaking too hard, and it took her three tries to get it undone.

Then came the zipper.

As the metal teeth slid apart, revealing black boxer briefs underneath, her hands paused.

Even through the fabric, the... outline was impossible to miss.

Panic boiled up in Nerissa out of nowhere. This... was not what she expected. This was... too big.

Jace had been watching her the whole time, every stuttered move and flicker of fear didn't escape his eyes. Her startled expression lit a strange blend of irritation and desire in his chest.

Without warning, he yanked her wrist, hard.

Nerissa stumbled forward, crashing into his chest, nose bumping against warm muscle.

A gasp escaped her, but before she could react, his hand clamped the back of her head — and his mouth crushed down on hers.