Our faces were so close. We were
practically breathing each other’s air, and in that moment, all of
my warnings to myself about how dangerous he was for me went flying
out of my head. All I could see were his blue eyes darkening. All I
could think of was the way his big body had felt against my own. My
lungs hurt with the need to breathe him in. My ass ached with a
yearning to feel him buried deep within it. I was practically
trembling with an aching hunger for him to bend me over the dining
table and ram his cock deep inside of me. My eyes dropped to his
lips, when his mouth opened, and he licked his lower lip, and my
dick, which had only displayed a mild interest before that moment,
hardened quickly, causing me to gasp.
When Dodger lifted his
hand, I just knew he was going to grab my shoulder and rip my
clothes from my body. I was ready for it, prepared for that
particular action. It was something I’d experienced before. It was
normal for someone in my line of work to be manhandled, tossed
around, jerked, pressed, pushed down, and used roughly. Usually I
detested it, and being treated in such a way always made the
darkness throb, threatening to grow and expand, but with Dodger? I
wanted it. I
craved
it. I wanted him to use me. I wanted him to show me that
passion, that savagery. Perhaps it was because he’d been so gentle
with me so far, had been a gentleman, in fact, and therefore my
feelings had stirred within me, and I needed to be reminded he was
a client. Whatever the reason, I was practically trembling when his
fingertips made contact with my right cheek. It’s the only
explanation I have for why my eyes slid closed at that moment, and
I sighed.
Dodger’s touch was like
cool water to my dry, thirsty soul and it was unnerving, startling,
and made me want to cry. I would have jerked away from it, but I
couldn’t. I was so goddamn
starved
for a gentle caress that wasn’t followed by a
demand for a vile act, I needed just a minute more to pretend
Dodger wasn’t about to ask me to get to my knees and suck his
cock.
“
You have no idea how
beautiful you are,” he whispered softly.
I snorted at his words. I knew exactly
how beautiful I was. I made a living off of it.
He chuckled. “I don’t mean your outer
beauty, Tyler. I mean your inner beauty. The part of you that no
one really gets a chance to see.”
My eyes flew open, and I stared at
him, pulling my face away from his hand then. “And you think that
you’ve seen this real side of me?” I asked.
Dodger shrugged. “I’ve caught a
glimpse here and there,” he said offhandedly as he gestured for me
to sit.
I sat down but watched him
suspiciously as he walked around the table to take a seat on the
opposite side from me.
“
And how could you have
possibly done something like that when we only met a few days ago?”
I asked.
“
You only met me a few days
ago. I met you years ago,” he told me.
I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure I
would have remembered you,” I told him.
Dodger laughed and lifted his glass of
wine to his lips, his full, perfect lips, and took a sip. “I wasn’t
rich enough to register for you.”
My eyebrows lifted at his words. “Are
you calling me shallow?”
Dodger nodded. “Extremely.”
I wanted to storm away from him. I
wanted to be insulted, but how could I be? He was telling the
truth. I was shallow. It was my job. I didn’t pay attention to men
who couldn’t take care of me, and if we had met years ago, and he
hadn’t looked as if he could take care of me, then there was no way
I would have noticed him. I shrugged at him and lifted my own glass
of wine. “I am what I am, Mr. Vanderbrook. I don’t apologize. I
have a certain lifestyle I have to maintain for a certain reason,
one you would never understand, and for that reason, I have to set
my sights on the men, or women, who will keep me in the life to
which I have grown accustomed.”
“
You mean because of Stella
Timson?”
Ice raced through my veins, and I
looked at Dodger, my eyes narrowing at him. Fear filled my body
even as a need to protect Stella, no matter what I had to do,
overcame me.
“
How do you know about
Stella?”
Chapter Nine
“
I am a very wealthy man,
Tyler,” Dodger said, lowering his glass back to the table as he
smiled at me reassuringly. “I am sure almost every other man you
have had as a client has known about Stella. You don’t hide your
relationship with her very well. I am, apparently, the only one to
mention your
sister
to you.”
I breathed a sigh of relief hearing
Dodger’s words and felt my racing heart settle in my chest. The
paralyzing fear that had gripped my body at the thought of him
knowing all of my secrets eased, and I slowly exhaled. I took
another sip and set my own glass of the robust red wine down on the
table. I rested my gaze on Dodger and leaned back in my chair,
adopting a nonchalant air.
“
So you know about Stella.”
I shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I am not still extremely
shallow.”
Dodger shook his head. “I
think it goes beyond you being shallow, and instead, it’s a matter
of you being a good big
brother
. You are picky and shallow
because you send the bulk of your money to Glendale to take care of
her.”
I smiled at him and chuckled. “You
have seen my home, Mr. Vanderbrook. Does it seriously look as if I
am sending the bulk of my money anywhere? Besides, I don’t think of
myself as being picky and shallow, I am selective. You have no
doubt heard I am considered an exclusive companion. There is a
reason for that. I give my clients a five-star, platinum
experience. They go home well-serviced and panting for more.” I
wasn’t sure why Dodger was putting such emphasis on the familial
ties he thought Stella and I had between each other, but in order
to distract him, I used the tool I had in my arsenal: my body. I
lifted my right hand, trailed my fingers over my face and throat,
down over my chest, and beneath the table to my groin, moaning
softly. I wanted to laugh when Dodger groaned, as I knew he would,
but instead, I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes, tilting my head
back. It was time for me to take back the control of this
situation. Dodger Vanderbrook was a client, that was it, and I had
to treat him like one.
I lifted my left hand to my shirt and
began to unbutton it, slowly exposing my skin to Dodger’s hungry
gaze. I only unbuttoned my shirt halfway before I lifted both hands
to the sides of the shirt and spread them wide apart. I watched as
Dodger’s gaze took in the sight of my partially nude torso before I
buttoned my shirt back up, smirking as he looked at me in
shock.
“
I am not looking to be
redeemed, Mr. Vanderbrook. I love my job. I don’t need you to
remind me that I have a soul or a heart. I don’t need you to get me
in touch with my emotions. If you are looking to reform an escort,
I will put you in contact with a few who don’t really like what
they do, but I am afraid that I am not one of them.”
Dodger’s face turned ruddy then. I
wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment, anger, lust,
disappointment, or a combination of all, but he didn’t speak, he
merely nodded his head and took a healthy swallow of his
wine.
“
Shall we eat?” he said,
not responding to my words.
“
Yes, we shall.”
I wanted to believe I’d won the battle
of wits, the battle for control of my heart, soul, and life against
Dodger, but if the glances he kept tossing my way during dinner
were any indication, he was merely adjusting his
strategy.
I should have been angry about it, but
for the first time in a long time, I felt… alive. I watched Dodger
as he rose from his chair to walk around the dining room, my gaze
finally taking in everything. Dodger came to a stop next to the
side of the dining table and that was when I saw the top was
covered with silver serving dishes. Two beautifully arranged
centerpieces filled with red roses, gorgeous white gardenias, and
buttercup flowers decorated the twelve-seat cherry wood dining
table, giving the room a happy glow. I watched as Dodger himself
walked around lifting the lids from the platters, and my jaw
dropped as Chicken Marsala, green bean casserole, macaroni and
cheese, yams, mashed potatoes, and honey rolls were all revealed to
me. I looked up at Dodger, wondering why my eyes were
burning.
“
These are all my favorite
foods,” I whispered.
Dodger’s eyes widened. “Really?” He
placed his hands on his hips and looked at the table in surprise.
“That’s crazy.” He shook his head. “I had a friend who used to love
this stuff. She said it was the best first-date meal. So I decided
to serve it to you.” He shrugged.
My stomach rolled at
Dodger’s words, remembering a conversation I’d had years before
with my best friend when…
no. There was no
way
. I grinned at Dodger and took a seat,
nodding as he began to make me a plate. “Well your friend is very
smart.”
“
Yeah. I always thought
so,” Dodger agreed.
I accepted the food and started to
eat. It was really good and so was the conversation with Dodger. I
found the connection between us made it really easy to talk to
Dodger, which wasn’t good with me trying to keep my distance. I
knew then I would have to find some way to put things back on track
between us. Dodger may be looking to have more between us but I
couldn’t afford to treat him as anything more than just a
client.
****
After dinner Dodger led me down the
hallway to his indoor pool. I stood at the doorway and stared at
him for a long moment before I laughed.
“
I don’t have my swimsuit,”
I told him.
“
You don’t need one.” He
winked.
I quirked an eyebrow. “You know you’re
paying for the night, Mr. Vanderbrook. If you wanted to get me
naked and wet, you didn’t need to use swimming as an
excuse.”
I saw the flash of—hurt? Or maybe it
was annoyance—cross Dodger’s face before he smirked at me. He
shrugged a shoulder at me.
“
I’ll keep that in mind for
next time, but for now—” He gestured toward the pool. “Won’t you
join me in some nude swimming?”
I giggled. I fucking
giggled
, just like one
of those dumb high school girls who always filled the malls
whenever I went shopping there. I cut off the annoying sound and
glared up at Dodger when he chuckled.
“
Don’t be embarrassed. I
thought it was the cutest noise you’ve ever made.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I
am an escort. A companion. I don’t do. Cute.” I tossed my head and
sailed past him into the pool room where I proceeded to undress as
I walked around the edge of the pool, deliberately swaying my hips
as I did so. I could hear Dodger’s heavy footsteps behind me. His
hot, lusty breath practically scorched the back of my neck as he
drew closer and closer to me.
This
was what I wanted. This was what I was
comfortable with. Lust. Passion. Desire. They were as familiar to
me as my skin, my fingertips, my cock. I knew them well. They were
old pals to me. I knew how to tease them, manipulate them, bend
them to my will. I was skilled in the art of lovemaking. I had once
made a client come without once touching his cock while we attended
the opera.
Me, naked with Dodger, in a
pool?
Well that was fucking child’s
play.
I stopped at the edge of the pool, my
toes hanging over, and I turned to look at him from beneath my
lashes, giving him my best sultry gaze. If the catch in his breath
was any indication, I had done a very good job. Turning my head
away from him, so he wouldn’t see my self-satisfied grin, I lifted
my arms, pushed off my toes, launched myself into the air, and dove
into the water.
I’d expected it to be cold, most pools
were, but I should have known billionaire Dodger, would have a
heated pool. Especially since his pool was so large.
Just like the rest of him.
Coming up from beneath the water with
a gasp, I shook my head in an effort to dispel that last thought
from my brain. I couldn’t let Dodger get to me. That was completely
unacceptable.
Looking at him, watching him as he
watched me, I smiled and ran my fingers through my hair.
“
Do you plan on joining me
in the water, Mr. Vanderbrook?”
Dodger swallowed and nodded. “Yes.
Yes, I do.” And with that he too executed a beautiful dive into the
pool and swam straight toward me. Once he was close enough, he
wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me beneath the water. I
let out a squeal of surprise as water flooded my nose and mouth, my
eyes tingling slightly from the chemicals in the water. When we
both came back to the surface, I opened my mouth to berate Dodger,
but the words died on my lips.
He was staring at me with a look. A
hungry, desperate look, and it called to something inside me.
Something I was helpless to ignore. So without thinking, I wrapped
my arms around his neck, buried my fingers in his hair and tugged
his head toward my own before I kissed him with every, single,
ounce of passion I had within me.