so-“ “Are you sick? Do you have anything I need to worry about? When last were you tested?” What The Fuck? He realised the look on her face right now was panic. He ran through what she had previously mentioned in her frantic state as he had not been paying attention when she voiced her concerns. Shit! He had been so hard he didn’t bother to wrap up. He always used protection unless he was sleeping with the regulars he considered part of his harem. They always got tested and were on birth control. Last night, his mind had claimed her as his, forgetting the necessary precaution he took with one-nighters; this morning was a different story, he did not need a little bastard running around. He got tested every few months, the results boasting a clean bill of health. He could put her mind at ease with that part but the unwanted pregnancy was something they would have to fix immediately. A thought struck him and even though it was unconventional, it was worth a try. He picked up the phone that was on his side of the bed and dialled the concierge. When the man on the other side of the line answered he asked to be put through to the closest private physician. As the phone rang he turned his gaze to the naked woman who was looking at him as if the world was coming to an end. He felt a tinge of guilt for the position he had put this young woman in, neither wanted any accidents from a night that had promised unbridled passion, but looking at her forlorn expression he knew he should have taken better care in this. He was more experienced and she was very young and new to this kind of relationship. After giving a quick synopsis of what he required to the doctor, he hung up the phone then stood to face her. “The doctor is on the way with the pill and I’m clean. I can email you a copy of my latest results which I had done last month.” He saw her visibly relax at the news. “Go take a shower and I’ll order room service, you need to eat before you take any kind of medication”. Valerie did as instructed and fifteen minutes later she walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. Room service had also just arrived and she could hear Vladimir talking in muffled tones with whoever brought the food up to the living area of the suite. During the shower she realised that she had made one of the biggest mistakes in her adult life – sleeping with someone she knew absolutely nothing about without protection. She could be pregnant or hosting an STI, only time would tell. When Vlad walked back into the bedroom she asked one of the questions that had been floating around in her head during her shower. “What do you do for a living?” Vlad didn’t know how to answer that. The only people that did know what he did were in direct dealings with him. How could he explain what he did for a living without eliciting fear or disgust for his crimes or the role he played in the crimes perpetrated by others aided by him. He decided to masquerade it as best he could. “I’m an independent contractor. I go in and offer specialist advise for the people who require my services.” It was vague enough to fit a vast array of professional categories without giving anything away. “What does that mean?” Valerie inquired. She knew what consultants did but most were usually forthcoming about the field of consulting they specialised in. The answer Vlad had supplied her with was too ambiguous to be genuine and she had had her fair share of surprises with this guy to withstand one more. “You’d have to have a contract for specifics my dear and you are definitely not the kind of client that I would offer my services to. So I doubt you would ever know exactly what it is that I do.” Val was quiet as she mulled over what he had just told her, which was not much. She decided to drop the subject. After today she had no plans to see this man ever again. What started out as a fun way to forget her past had almost wreaked havoc on