Escorts and Thieves (12 page)

“Why would that destroy anything?”

“Because she only slept with you because she thought she’d never see you again, so you couldn’t hurt her. And besides, she felt safe because she could pretend to be somebody else. She could pretend it wasn’t
her
having sex with a stranger. She could pretend it was
me
.”

And then it dawned on him. “You planned this?” Startled, he looked at her.

“It took me long enough. I had to wait for the right man for her.”

Her admission shocked him. What kind of person would knowingly send her friend into the lion’s den?

“You couldn’t have known that I’d be the right man. You could have sent her in with some pervert. Are you crazy?” Daniel was furious.

Holly sighed impatiently. “Do you really think we’re amateurs? We get bios and detailed background checks on anybody who books us. Trust me, we know who we’re dealing with. Why do you think you pay through the nose for our time? All that background work has to be paid for somehow.”

“You knew who I was?”

She nodded. “Pictures, birth date, social security number, birthmarks, family background, gossip, jobs, investments. When I saw your picture I knew she’d like you. Hell, I would have done you, but—”

“—you were sick that night,” he sarcastically completed her sentence.

“No. I have the constitution of a horse. I took some stuff to make myself throw up so it would look realistic. Otherwise she would have smelled a rat. So, there’s no way you’re going to tell her now that you know she’s not an escort. She’s not ready for that.”

Holly crossed her arms in front of her chest, a sure sign that she wasn’t going to budge.

“Fine. For now. But I’m not going to let her continue thinking I lied to her about Audrey. I’m going to fix this. So you, Holly, will help me just the same. I’ll book Holly for the next week, and
you
will make sure
she
will take the booking.”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Oh, I’m dead serious. You’ll tell her today that as of tomorrow morning she’s with me.”

“She’s never going to agree. She thinks you lied to her. She’s hurt.”

He wouldn’t be dissuaded. “That’s why you’re going to give her my cell number and have her call me tonight.” He wrote his number on a card and handed it to her. “Tell her whatever you have to. Tell her if she doesn’t want to take the booking, she’ll have to convince me to cancel with your boss, otherwise you get fired. I need to speak to her.”

Reluctantly, Holly put his card into her bag. “Had I known how stubborn you are, I would have never asked her to do this.”

“You know what, Holly? If it had been you that night, I would have never had sex with you. No offense, you’re a gorgeous woman, but I wasn’t looking for sex that night. I just needed somebody to fend off those single women at the reception. But when I saw her, everything changed. And I’m not just going to let her go.”

“Remind me again why I’m helping you.”

“Because you love your friend,” he responded simply. “And because I could still get you fired if I told your boss.”

Daniel got up. “I will pay the entire exorbitant fee your boss suggests since we don’t want anybody to smell a rat. Whether you give the money to Sabrina or not, doesn’t matter to me.”

“She didn’t take the money for the first two nights. Flat out refused it,” Holly admitted.

He smiled and relaxed. “I figured as much.” She hadn’t taken his tip either, and the thought of it pleased him now that he knew who she was. If Sabrina needed to pretend she was an escort in order to be with him, he’d play along—for now. Until he could figure out a way for her to trust him enough to be with him because she wanted to and not because he paid for it.

“Hey, buddy. One more thing: if you hurt her, I’m coming after you to kick the living daylights out of you.” Holly gave him a firm stare.

Daniel nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

13

“No, I’m not doing this again,” Sabrina announced angrily. “I’ve had enough. You’ll just have to go to Misty and tell her.” She stormed into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Seconds later, it opened again.

“I can’t. She’ll fire me,” Holly retorted as she stepped into the room. “The only way we can get out of it is if you can make him cancel the booking from his side.”

“And how am I going to do that?”

Holly handed her a card with a number. “Call him, and tell him you can’t do it. Tell him you find him disgusting, whatever it takes to make him cancel.”

“I don’t want to talk to him!”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s the only way this is going to work.”

Sabrina stared at her friend. She didn’t understand why Holly couldn’t be more supporting. After all, she’d helped her out of a jam, and at least she could be more understanding about her refusal to see Daniel again. She could make up any excuse with Misty to get out of the booking, but she flat out refused to do just that.

Instead, Holly insisted that Daniel was the one who cancelled so she would be out of trouble. Perfect.

Sabrina didn’t know why Daniel still wanted to see her. Hadn’t his wife or girlfriend gotten back last night? How had he managed to get rid of her that quickly? Lying, cheating bastard!

She felt like sinking into the ground for shame about what they’d done the night before. She’d let him use her. Jerk! The gall he had to request her for a long-term booking after all he’d done. Cad!

She was in the right mood to tell him just what she thought of him! Self-righteous philanderer!

Sabrina grabbed the phone off the hook then gave her friend a sharp look. “Can I get some privacy here?” she barked.

Holly instantly shuffled out of the room.

The line was picked up instantly.

“This is Daniel.” His voice was as smooth as it had been the night before.

“It’s S … Holly.”

“I’m glad you’re calling.”

“I’m only calling to tell you that I can’t take the booking.” She kept her voice tight. “So, if you’d please call Ms. Snyder to cancel, I’d appreciate it.”

“I think we should talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There is. Why did you run out on me yesterday?”

Sabrina exhaled sharply. “Why? I don’t come between couples. I might be an escort, but I have my standards.”

“I’m not with Audrey anymore.”

“Well, maybe not at this moment, but you are with her, she made that pretty clear.”

“Holly, Audrey and I broke up before I left New York. She just couldn’t face the truth. Please let me explain. Please. Meet me tonight, and I’ll explain everything to you, and if you then still want me to cancel then, I will.”

“I’m not that stupid. As soon as I’m in your room, you’ll just haul me off to bed, and there won’t be any talking. No thanks.”

“Meet me at a coffee shop. Please. I promise, if after our meeting you want me to cancel, I will.”

Sabrina was torn. She knew nothing good could come from meeting him, but she could also sense the determination in his voice. He wouldn’t agree to a cancellation if he didn’t get a chance to give his side of the events.

“Okay.”

She gave him directions to a coffee shop in her neighborhood and hung up. She should be whipped for agreeing to see him.

Sabrina had chosen the coffee shop around the corner because it was always busy. There’d be no chance he could pull a fast one on her there. And it certainly wasn’t an intimate place. There was no place to hide, no dark corners or niches where he could ply her with his charm.

She would arrive early to stake out the least private area in the coffee shop. She wasn’t going to make this pleasant for him. If he thought he could use his sexy body to change her mind, he’d have another thing coming.

Unfortunately, it turned out that his sexy body came with an extremely sharp mind that had already anticipated her move. As soon as she arrived at the coffee shop, ten minutes early, she saw him. Daniel had managed to snatch up the only couch in the place. How he’d done it, she had no idea, since the couch was permanently occupied by somebody or other.

He stood up and waved at her. Grudgingly, she walked toward him.

“I see you’re early too.” He smiled knowingly and pointed to the spot on the two-seater couch next to him. As they sat, she was too aware of his body and his male scent permeating the air.

“Thanks for coming.” He gave her a sincere look. “I’m sorry for what happened last night.”

“Which part?” she shot back.

“Only the part when Audrey showed up. Everything else was perfect.”

“Oh, I bet!”

“Would you please let me explain? Audrey and I were dating for a few months, but things weren’t really going anywhere. I wasn’t exactly the most attentive boyfriend or the most romantic. I guess she felt lonely, and then this week I found her in bed with my attorney. So I broke up with her.”

“Does she know you broke up with her? It didn’t look to me like she did,” Sabrina interjected caustically.

“She knows. She just didn’t want to face the truth. She figured she could get me back if she pouted long enough.”

“So, did she pout long enough?” Sabrina didn’t dare look at him as she asked her question. From the corner of her eye, she saw how he shook his head slowly.

“No amount of pouting will make me get back with her.” Quite unexpectedly, Daniel took her hand. “You’re not getting in between a couple. I’m single, I’m not in a relationship, and I’m free to do what I want.” He forced her to turn toward him.

“Why me? Can’t you just book somebody else? The agency has lots of nice women you can choose from.”

He inched closer to her as Sabrina sank back into her corner of the couch. She tried to pull her hand away, but he didn’t release her. “I feel comfortable with you. I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Misty doesn’t like us to get too comfortable with our clients,” Sabrina lied.

“Misty didn’t seem to have a problem with it when I negotiated the deal with her this afternoon.” Daniel pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it tenderly.

His kiss spread a wave of heat throughout her body. “I can’t do it. Sorry. Choose somebody else. There are plenty of women who’d jump at the chance to have sex with you. But I’m not one of them.”

“You’re not interested in having sex with me anymore?” His eyes narrowed.

“No, I’m not.” She couldn’t remember ever having had a bigger lie come over her lips.

He gave her a long look. “Fine.”

Good, she’d finally convinced him that she wanted nothing to do with him. Now all he needed to do was to cancel the booking, and she and Holly would be home free and out of trouble.

Sabrina shifted on the couch to get up, but his arm pulled her back down before she’d even had a chance to lift herself up.

“I said fine, no sex. But I didn’t say you’ll get out of the booking.”

She glared at him, shocked. If he didn’t want sex, why hire an escort? What was wrong with this man? “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You’ll call the shots when it comes to sex. If you don’t want to sleep with me, I won’t force you. But you’ll come to the wine country with me this weekend. I’ve reserved us a little bed and breakfast for tomorrow night. And you’ll share my bed. And I’m allowed to kiss you.”

She was so screwed. How was she supposed to
not
want to have sex with him when he insisted on them sharing a bed?

“You’re crazy.”

“Be that as it may, that’s my compromise, you spend the weekend with me, as well as the evenings and nights when we’re back in town, and you’ll sleep in my bed. I’ll make no attempt to have sex with you unless you want me to.”

Daniel seemed serious about the proposal. But she didn’t understand him. “Why would you book an escort knowing she doesn’t want to have sex with you? That’s the most hare-brained idea I’ve ever heard.”

He shrugged. “I like your company, with or without sex.” He moved his head closer to hers, looking suggestively at her lips. “Maybe you should say
yes
right now, before I have to use other means of persuasion, which might not be appropriate for a neighborhood coffee shop.”

Sabrina shot him a shocked look. “You wouldn’t!” Would he really embarrass them both and make out with her right in the middle of the coffee shop where everybody could see them? He couldn’t possible have in mind to touch her the way he’d touched her before when they were alone.

Looking at the wicked glint in his eyes, she realized he had no scruples. And knowing that he was from out of town, he probably didn’t even care if he embarrassed them.
He
didn’t have to come back here day after day to get his coffee.
She
did.

“Baby, you have no idea what I’m capable of.”

His lips brushed lightly against hers in a barely-there kiss.

Sabrina gasped instantly. “Okay. But you have to keep your side of the bargain. No sex.”

“As long as you keep to yours. You share my bed, and you’ll let me kiss you.”

Seconds ticked by until she finally nodded in agreement and Daniel pulled back and smiled. “I’m glad we finally agree. Even though, this could have been fun.”

She cringed when she saw his wicked smile before he broke out in hearty laughter.

“Come, I’ll walk you home so I know where to pick you up tomorrow morning.”

“No, that’s not necessary.” It was better if he didn’t know where she lived. “And besides, it’s against company policy.”

“Ms. Snyder authorized it since I’m taking you out of town tomorrow.”

He took her arm and led her out of the coffee shop.

As they arrived at her building, he took her hand into his again. “Bring some casual clothes, we’ll be touring the vineyards in Sonoma. And a swimsuit. There’s a pool at the place we’re staying. I’ll pick you up at 9am.”

He kissed her palm then let go of her hand.

“Daniel,” she started.

He locked eyes with her. “What?”

She shook her head slowly. No, she couldn’t tell him the truth. “Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

When she reached the flat and opened the door, Holly was waiting for her.