Beautiful Entourage (24 page)

“Rumor has it,” another girl said. “That her boyfriend isn’t really her boyfriend. He’s an escort.”

“Shut. Your. Mouth.” Isabella’s high-pitched voice sounded through the door. She sounded utterly delighted that I had to pay someone to be my date. “I knew he was too hot for her! This is priceless.”

Kill me now. Just kill me now.

“I bet she has to pay to have sex with him,” a girl said. “Because John wouldn’t even do it for free.”

I couldn’t look at Rhett. I could never look at him again. I was so ashamed and so humiliated. If my life ended right then and there, I wouldn’t even fight it.

“They don’t have sex with their clients. They don’t even kiss them. They have very specific rules. If those rules are breached, they end the arrangement. They just stand there and hold your hand or put their arm around your waist,” the girl said.

“How do you know that?” Isabella asked.

“Oh…” She faltered. “I heard about it from a friend. And I think I recognize him from the website.”

Fucking liar.

“No wonder why he hasn’t kissed her,” Isabella said like she just solved a case. “That is so pathetic. John actually told me he almost fell asleep while having sex with her. That’s how bad she is.”

Why couldn’t they stop talking? Hadn’t they destroyed me enough? Why did I have to stand in this room with Rhett beside me and have him listen to every word of that? I’d never been so humiliated in my life. Whatever chance I had with Rhett was gone.

“Let’s go find her and make her life miserable,” Isabella said. Their heels echoed against the floor as they waked away.

I stood there, absolutely still.

Rhett didn’t move.

I didn’t look at him, not wanting to see his reaction. My biggest secret was out, and now there wasn’t the slightest possibility that Rhett would want me. My family scandal had finally reached his ears, and no amount of humor could get him to smile at me ever again. I turned to the door and opened it.

“Aspen.” Rhett grabbed me. “Hold on.”

I twisted out of his grasp without looking at him. “Don’t touch me.” I stormed out and headed down the hallway. I just had to get my purse from the table then I could get out of there. After I reached the main road, I would call a cab. I didn’t want to be at this party, surrounded by people who only wanted to see me drown, and I couldn’t look at the man I loved and see him stare back at me with pity and disgust. I couldn’t handle it if Rhett looked at me that way. He was the one person who actually made me feel good about myself.

I was near the table when I heard Isabella.

“There she is! Let’s get her, girls.”

If she came near me, I’d deck her. She wouldn’t get any mercy from me. I wouldn’t take the high road again and just walk away. Now I would punch her right in the nose and break it.

I reached my purse and snatched it. They were closing in on me. I just had to get out of there and make it to the main road. In my haste, I knocked over a glass but I didn’t have time to clean it up. I turned and prepared to take off.

Rhett appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path.

“Move—”

Rhett cupped my face then gave me a hard kiss on the mouth. His lips were soft despite his aggression. The hold he had on me was unbreakable. I couldn’t run even if I wanted to. His lips slowly moved against mine, and when I realized what was happening, my mouth reciprocated. The music faded and the sound of Isabella’s voice became muted. All I heard was the sound of Rhett breathing. All I felt was his kiss. One hand remained on my face and the other moved around my waist. He held me close to him, having no intention of letting go.

This was not how I imagined our first kiss, but it’s exactly how I hoped it would feel. It was explosive and hot, scorching me with every purposeful kiss he gave me. He kissed me like he loved me and couldn’t live without me. I’d never been kissed that way before. I’d never been held like that.

Rhett parted my lips with his tongue then lightly touched mine. The feel of our tongues dancing was enough to make my knees give out. It was electrifying and wonderful. I breathed hard because I couldn’t get enough air. He knocked the wind right out of me.

I gripped his shoulders just the way I wanted to, and gave into the desire I felt for him. My lips devoured his like I’d wanted to. His lips were soft and felt perfect against my mouth. I could kiss him all day. I could do this forever.

Rhett reluctantly broke the kiss, keeping his face against mine. He breathed hard and his eyes shined in desire. It seemed like I was the only one in the room who mattered.

“I guess you were wrong, Jessica,” Isabella said in a disappointed sigh. Her heels trailed away as she and her posse walked off.

Rhett continued to stare at me. “I quit.”

I searched his eyes, unsure of his meaning. “What?”

“I quit. I will no longer be escorting you.”

What did I do…? He was the one who kissed me. Was he that embarrassed of me? I tried to hide my hurt.

“I would rather be your boyfriend—if you’ll have me.” His thumb stroked my cheek as he held me close. It trailed my face then moved to my lips. He looked at them for a moment before his gaze shifted back to mine. “Will you?”

All the pain I felt from that night faded away. The drama and hurt seemed irrelevant. The only person who mattered in the world was standing in front of me, looking at me the way I should be looked at. Tears burned in my eyes but not from sadness. For the first time, they were from joy. “Yes.”

Rhett

“Why are you grinning like a dumbass?” Troy demanded.

“No reason.” I shrugged then relaxed against the booth.

Troy could see right through my act. He narrowed his eyes like he didn’t believe a word I said. “You fucked Battleship.”

“No.”

“Battleship gave you head?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“Did she jerk you off with her feet?” he asked. “That shit is pretty hot, actually.”

I rolled my eyes in response.

“Then what the hell happened?” His beer was untouched, his entire focus on me.

“She’s my girlfriend.” I kept grinning from ear-to-ear.

“That’s it?” he asked sadly.

“We kissed.”

“Dude, you know this is a lawsuit waiting to happen. She could turn on us and sue.”

“Battleship would never do that. Besides, I quit.”

“You did?” he asked in surprise.

“She’s no longer my client. I still escort her but now I do it for free.” I drank my beer, feeling happier than I had in a long time. I had an amazing girl all to myself. I’d never felt anything like this for a girl before. Normally, I just wanted sex. But Aspen made me want a lot more. A night of playing cards and eating ice cream was more than enough. Just being with her satisfied me.

He shook his head in disapproval. “It’s your funeral.”

“Hey, you’re the one who told me to go for her.”

“Yeah, I meant get laid, not commit to her,” he said. “Relationships are stupid. They don’t work and they never will.”

I could tell he was still bitter about his break up even though it happened years ago. I never mentioned it because it put him in a sour mood. “Aspen and I will make it work.”

He shook his head. “I’m just glad you dropped her. That was the smart thing to do.”

“Yeah.”

“Make her sign a termination contract, just in case.”

“You’re being paranoid.”

“Hey,” he snapped. “We were sued once before. Battleship seems like a nice girl but don’t screw over the rest of us by being careless.”

“I won’t,” I said. “I’ll take care of it.”

“So, when are you going to sleep with her?”

I shrugged. “It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen. I just kissed her for the first time. There’s no rush.”

“How long have you known this girl?”

“About three months.”

“Have you gotten laid in that time frame?”

“No,” I said. “I haven’t even gone out with another girl. I was kinda with Aspen…but not technically.”

“So, you haven’t gotten any for three months?” Troy asked. “That’s a long ass time…”

“I’ll manage.” My sex dreams of Aspen had become more vivid and occurred more often. As a result, I was jerking off more often. It was holding me over until I could get the real thing.

“Fuck that, man,” he said. “If I held out that long for a girl, she better give me something. Even a hand job.”

I chuckled but didn’t say anything.

“Are you in love with her?” he asked bluntly.

I dodged the question. “What is this? Gossip hour?”

“You are, aren’t you?” He shook his head in disapproval. “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks for getting on board…and for being a jerk about it at the same time.”

He laughed then clanked his glass against mine. “To Rhett, for finally settling down.”

My glass hit his then I took a drink. “To Troy, for being next.”

***

Aspen and I sat down in front of Danielle’s desk.

“What do you need me to sign?” she asked.

“A termination agreement.”

She looked at me blankly.

“It just covers me legally.”

“Okay.”

Danielle slid the paper toward her. “By signing here, you state you and Rhett have not slept together by this date. You also state that Rhett did not breach the contract during his time working for you.”

I did breach the contract, several times.

Aspen didn’t say otherwise and signed it.

“Initial here and here,” Danielle said as she pointed to the paper.

Aspen filled them in.

“Excellent.” Danielle took the paper and made a copy of it. “For your records…”

Aspen folded it and placed it in her purse.

“Congratulations, love birds.” Danielle gave us a smile then returned to her desk.

I turned to Aspen. “Lunch?”

“Okay,” she said with a smile.

We left the office hand-in-hand then walked inside a deli. After we ordered our food, we took a seat outside on the patio. It was a beautiful day and we wanted to soak up the sun.

“Why did you want me to sign that?” she asked.

I knew what she was really asking. “A few years ago, one of the guys slept with his client. She took it to court and said it was prostitution, since she technically paid him for the evening. We were almost shut down.”

“Now I understand.” She took a small bite of her sandwich. “That’s unfortunate.”

“She was upset he didn’t want more. She wanted revenge.”

“I’m glad your business didn’t close.”

“That makes two of us.” I nudged her knee playfully with mine.

She smiled then took another bite of her sandwich.

“So, me being an escort doesn’t bother you, right?”

“I trust you, Rhett.”

Those words filled me with warmth. “Your trust isn’t misplaced.”

“But, I’ll get into a catfight if any of those girls tries for something more.”

I chuckled. “I can’t picture you hurting anyone.”

“If you get me angry enough…”

“Even then.” I gave her a fond look. “But that’s not a bad thing.”

After we finished lunch, we walked back to her apartment. There was one thing on my mind. I wanted to go inside and make out with her until the following morning. I’d wanted to kiss her without any interruption.

When we reached her door, she turned to me. “Want to come inside?”

“Definitely.” My hand was still on her waist.

She unlocked the door then we entered her apartment. She set her purse on the kitchen table and ignored the pile of mail sitting there. “So?”

“So.” I came close to her then moved my hands to her hips. “What do you want to do?”

She looked at my lips. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

“Battleship?”

She shook her head.

“Poker?”

“Nah.”

“Margaritas?”

“Yuck.” She made a disgusted face.

“Make out on your bed?”

Her eyes lit up like the New York skyline. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment you walked inside that coffee shop.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I’ve wanted to do the same thing.” My hands guided her to her bedroom then to the mattress. I lay her down then moved on top of her. Her arms hooked around my neck, ready for me to lean in. I grabbed her leg and wrapped it around my waist. “Have I ever told you I love your legs?”

“No.”

“Well, I do.” I fisted her hair then kissed her. Energy flowed through my body, and blood immediately headed south. My cock hardened the moment our mouths sealed together and I knew she felt it against her hips. But now I wasn’t ashamed.

Aspen was an amazing kisser. Her lips teased me, giving me a small amount sometimes then giving me more passion than I could take. Her small tongue moved against mine, sending chills down my spine. I could do this all day.

Aspen pulled my shirt off then felt my hard chest with her palms. Her other leg wrapped around me and held me close. Every fantasy I had about her came to the front of my mind. I wanted to be inside her, to make love to her, but I didn’t want to rush it. I already knew everything about her, and had been dating her, in a way, for three months already. But I would take this as slow as she wanted.

But judging the way she kissed and touched me, she wanted me the same way I wanted her. She wanted all of me, right then and there. Her mouth devoured mine like she couldn’t get enough. Her lips were swollen from all the kissing but that made her mouth feel better against mine.

Hours passed and neither one of us came up for air. Aspen gave me a final slow kiss before she pulled away and looked into my eyes. The sun had set and now it was dark. Time had passed without our knowledge.

“I love kissing you,” I whispered.

“I love kissing you.” Her forefinger outlined my lips then moved to my jaw. “But I have to pee.”

I released a reluctant laugh. “We have been kissing for…” I glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “Three hours.”

She chuckled, and when she did so, her eyes lit up.

I leaned in and kissed her neck. “Pee and then let’s eat.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “What do you got?”

“A drawer of takeout menus.”

I chuckled then kissed her shoulder. “I’ll order a pizza then.”

“I love pizza.” She left the bed then went into the bathroom.

I sat up and felt dizzy as the blood started to move back to my head. I forced myself to stop thinking about kissing Aspen. Otherwise, I’d have a permanent boner and would need to head to the ER. When I felt calm, I made the call and ordered.

She came out of the bathroom. “What did you order?”

“Half moose meat and half raccoon.”

She cringed. “Looks like I’m not eating tonight...”

I pulled her to the couch beside me then put my arm around her. “Kidding. Pepperoni.”

“Can’t go wrong there.”

“Now what?” I moved into her, my face pressed close to hers.

“You tell me.” Her green eyes challenged me.

“There’s something I want to tell you,” I said. “Get it off my chest.”

“Okay.” She patiently waited for me to speak.

“In the bar, I asked you what I was thinking. You said I was thinking about a canned margarita. Do you remember it?”

“Yes,” she said. “It was the one time I couldn’t read your mind.”

“Want to know what I was thinking about?”

“What?” she whispered.

“Kissing you. Actually, I’ve thought about it at least a dozen times. But I was thinking about it then, in particular. I didn’t like seeing you talk to that guy. It was then that I realized just how much you meant to me.”

Her eyes softened as she stared at my face. “I’ve had a thing for you…for a really long time.”

“I wish you told me.” I grabbed her hand and kissed her wrist. “Because I’ve been into you for a long time.”

“I was afraid you would stop seeing me…for breaching the contract.”

I nodded. “I was afraid you would stop seeing me because I made you uncomfortable.”

“You never make me uncomfortable.” Her eyes flashed as she said it.

I kissed her wrist again. “You’re the sexiest, coolest chick I’ve ever met. I want you for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Then expect to be around for a long time.”

“I look forward to it.” I rubbed my nose against hers.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Have you…ever had a relationship with another client?”

“Never,” I said bluntly. “I’ve escorted more women than I can count but nothing ever happened. I never felt anything for any of them. You’re the first. I broke every rule and didn’t feel any guilt as I did it.”

Aspen’s cheeks reddened slightly. “I feel special.”

“You are special—extremely.” I kissed the corner of her mouth then pulled away.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“I’m an open book.”

“Have you ever had a relationship before?”

“Not a serious one,” I said. “The longest I’ve seen the same girl is about two weeks. And most of those relationships were just physical until the lust grew stale.” I refused to lie to Aspen and try to hide my past. That wasn’t fair to her. But I didn’t think it would bother her anyway.