Services Collected Boxed Set (8 page)

BOOK 4:

“I owe it to the mother of my child to try and fix things up, don’t I? Doesn't every child need a father?”

A bombshell has just been dropped on sexy, curvaceous Anna Watson. The ex-girlfriend of the man she loves is pregnant with his child. The drop dead gorgeous, movie star ex-girlfriend. And suddenly, she’s lost her man.

But Anna isn't going down without a fight. She’ll do anything to save their love – even if it means seducing the ex-girlfriend. Even if it means sharing him.

She has no doubt she’ll be able to do it. The question is, can she live with herself after?

“Anna. Things are
different now.”

The words kept reverberating through my head, playing over and over with each tear that slid down my cheek, each hollow platitude that echoed after. It had been a week since that conversation. A week since we broke up. A week since my world stopped.

“It can’t be about what I want anymore. I’m… I’m going to be a father!” he had said with a mix of wonder and fear in his eyes. It had almost killed me. “It’s, I mean, I owe it to the baby to try and fix things up, don’t I? Doesn’t every child need a father?”

“But what does that mean for us?” I’d whispered.

He’d looked at me with sadness in his eyes. “I don’t know. I really don’t. And I know that’s not fair. I’m so sorry.”

I’d started grabbing at straws; anything to try and clutch back what I felt slipping away. “But you didn’t cheat on me, did you?”

“God, no!” he took me in his arms. “Anna, I could never…  I was with her before…”

“I get it,” I’d said. “Well then are you sure you’re the father? I… the papers say this woman has had affairs.”

He’d run his hands through his hair. “Anna, Victoria’s bi-sexual. Her affairs were all with other women. We… we used to swing a fair bit, and as far as I know, I’m the only guy she’s ever been with.”

“Swinging?” My face had lost even more color. “Like, with other couples?”

“Individuals. It was always her, me and… another woman.” He’d shrugged apologetically, embarrassed for me. “Sorry. You wanted to know.” He’d clasped my hands in his. “You changed me Anna. With you, I didn’t need to do that. You were all I wanted.”

My voice was a whisper. “And that’s enough, right? We’ll get through this, too?”

His shoulders slumped. “The rules have changed now Anna. I’m going to have a child.” He’d said it with resignation. “I need to do what’s best for the baby.”

“But what above love?” I’d asked as he started pacing.

“I’ll love the baby.”

I’d seen where he was going. “Please… don’t.” 

“I got Victoria into this. It’s my responsibility to her, and my unborn child, to look after them.”

“Please…”

His chin had lifted, coming to a decision. “This is bigger than what I want. Bigger than what we want, too. I have to do what’s right, and that means trying to patch things up with Victoria. I’m sorry Anna. I love you, but it’s over.”

Try as I
might, I couldn’t hate him. The bastard had broken my heart; he’d lifted me up until I was living in the clouds, then suddenly cut my wings and left me to fall. But he’d done the right thing.

All this anger, this fury at the world; it had nowhere to go.
Because he was right.
His unborn child was more important than the dreams and hopes of one forgettable, lonely woman. It was right that he should want to care for his child. And it was right that he try and patch things up with the mother. Even in the depths of my despair I couldn’t help but think that if the situation were reversed – if I was with child and he was with another woman – I would want him to do exactly what he was doing now. I’d want him to drop everything to support me. I’d want him to try and give me a family; to help share the load.

The logic didn’t make it any easier though. It just made the wound harder to close. I still loved him, and I knew, underneath it all, he still loved me. It just wasn’t enough anymore.

Google became my best friend, and my worst enemy. They hadn’t announced the pregnancy – it was still early days, and she still looked amazing. But they had moved back in together. I started stalking them; fresh pain lancing through my chest each time I saw a new article, but unable to look away.

Did they love each other?
It didn’t look like it. They never smiled, never held hands. His eyes looked… lost.
But would they marry each other?
For the baby, they just might. 

If only there were some way that we could still be together. Jacob needed to be a father to his child, and there was no way I was going to change that. I wasn’t a home wrecker – I kept thinking about what I would do in Victoria’s place. I had to give them a chance.

Perhaps I could be a mistress?
The thought came unbidden; Jacob could keep me in a secret apartment, visit me each time he told his wife he was ‘working late.’ We’d have hot sex, made even more so by the naughty nature of our trysts. I’d live a life of luxury, loved secretly.

I dismissed the idea almost as soon as it occurred. Our love shouldn’t be secret. And I couldn’t be
that woman
who led a married man astray. It just wasn’t on my moral compass. It wasn’t something I could do.

But maybe…
I grabbed yesterday’s paper, flicking back to the gossip column urgently.
Yes.
Victoria was throwing a Masquerade Ball this Saturday. They’d both be there, and her events were known to be debaucherous.

Maybe there was a way I could be with Jacob without going behind Victoria’s back. He’d said she was a swinger, hadn’t he? And didn’t that mean that there was room for more than one woman in Jacob’s bed?
Could I be with them both, so I could be with him?

I’d never slept with a woman before. But now I found myself entertaining the idea. Victoria was beautiful, the stuff dreams were made of; the body of Gwyneth Paltrow, the face of Veronica Mars. I’d always wondered about women in college, I’d never been brave enough to find out, let alone have a threesome.

But how far would I go to be with the man I loved? Would I be willing to share him? If that was the only option,
the only possible way
I could ever be with my soul mate, would I share his bed with someone else? Could
I
be the someone else?

I set down the paper, then poured myself a stiff drink. If it meant seeing Jacob again – giving it one last shot on his terms – I’d do almost anything.

The day of
the party came around all too quickly. And at the same time, not quick enough. Now that I’d made up my mind I was eager, excited , scared.
Eager
to see Jacob again.
Excited
about what might happen tonight.
Scared
because I didn’t know if it would work. I kept telling myself it couldn’t be any worse than what I had now, which was nothing. I’d regret it forever if I didn’t try every single last thing I could think of to change that.

Despite my intentions, when I arrived at Victoria’s mansion, I realized that my plan of seduction was in danger of failure before it even began.

Maybe it was the fact that I had climbed out of a taxi, when everyone else was in limousines. Or maybe it was that I wasn’t famous and I didn’t look rich, but security strode up to me the minute it was obvious where I was headed.

“Can I help you miss?” The dark suited man was polite, but firm.

This was it. Now or never. “Yes. I’m here for the party.”

“Do you have an invitation?”

“Oh… um…”
Crap!
Of course there would be invitations. I was so stupid! What was I going to do? Should I just turn around and walk away?

“Anna?” The voice sounded familiar. It was Jacob’s limousine driver.

“Stu? What are you doing here?”

He laughed. “I work here, remember. I should ask you the same question.”

“Oh… um, I’m going to the party. But I forgot my invitation.”

Stu raised an eyebrow. “Jacob and
Victoria’s
party?”

I swallowed, eyes desperate. “Yes?”

His other eyebrow quirked, then he shook his head. “I always liked you. Whatever you have planned, I hope you know what you’re doing.” He motioned me past security.

I squared my shoulders. I did know what I was doing. An opportunity had presented itself for me to be a part of his life again. And whether I hated myself after, or it was the greatest experience of my life, I was going to try.

* * *

W
ow.
The foyer opened into a space larger than my entire house; a grand, high ceilinged affair that looked more like a ballroom than a living area. Elegant couples in suits and cocktail dresses dotted the floor here and there. Waiters served canapés beneath the looming presence of an imposing chandelier. I held my mask tightly to my face, and walked into the room like I was supposed to be there.

I was dressed in a daring little black number; with stilettos – the same I’d worn when I danced for Jacob oh-so-long ago – and a black lace mask to match. The shoes gave me height. The dress gave me cleavage. The mask gave me confidence.

“Dom Perignon ma’am?”

I took the proffered glass and then turned, surveying the room. There must be hundreds of couples here.
Hey, wasn’t he…
I was sure that muscle-bound body to my left was a movie star.
And over there.
Surely that wasn’t…
I shook my head, clearing it. I wasn’t here to guess the rich and famous behind their masks. I was here to seduce my lover’s ex-girlfriend – to rock her and Jacob’s world so hard that a one night affair became a permanent arrangement. 

Jacob wouldn’t go for it – not immediately. He didn’t see me as the sort of person who could do something like this.
Hell, I didn’t either.
But that wasn’t going to stop me, not when our future was on the line.

Victoria was the key.  She was the one I needed to convince to let me into their bedroom. I loved him, but Jacob was a guy. When he walked into the room to find the two of us naked, waiting for him, everything else would be a foregone conclusion.

But where could I find her? A lull in conversation caught my attention, and I turned toward the banister staircase that dominated the back of the room. I caught my breath. It was her.

She was the most beautiful, graceful creature I had ever seen; walking down the staircase in a tight, ankle length, sleeveless white gown. Legs that made me want to get a thigh master right there and then flashed through slits that rode high with each careful step she took down. Diamond earrings the size of golf balls glittered on each ear.

“Oh my god, I’m like so… you know?” Snatches of conversation made me cringe as I got closer, and suddenly, I wasn’t so afraid. She was beautiful, but I had smarts. I adjusted my dress.
And cleavage.

“Miss Cutly?” I maneuvered myself into the conversation with bravery born of mission and mask. “I’m such a big fan!” I breathed deeply, sticking my chest out just the tiniest, smallest amount further. “I’ve seen all your movies!”

The sad thing was, I
had
seen all her movies. And I
was
a big fan. She was the sort of woman that in another time or place might have been a celebrity crush.

Might have been, until she’d stolen my man. I channeled that jealously, that feeling that she was more beautiful than me, so much skinnier, so much more perfect, and let it show as lust in my eyes. Tonight, I was a predator. She was my prey.

* * *

T
wo hours later, I knew I had her hooked. We had progressed from small talk and platitudes to compliments and innuendo. She was a breast girl – she’d said it within the first five minutes of conversation – and when I finally broke off and walked away, she followed soon after.

“Anna!”

I turned. “Oh, Victoria.” I forced myself to giggle like a groupie. “I was hoping to see you again.”

Her hand touched my arm, and stayed there. “Some friends and I are having a little…
after party
later. I’m wondering if you care to join?”

I blushed demurely, looking at my champagne glass. “I don’t know, this alcohol seems to be going straight to my head!”

She waived over a waiter, who refilled my glass. “Nonsense! This is a party! I would be offended if you didn’t drink!”

“I notice you’re not drinking,” I said quietly. I couldn’t help it.

She waved my statement away. “A good hostess never drinks. Besides, I promised Jacob I wouldn’t before he arrived.”

I fought down an irrational urge to claw the woman’s face, lowering my gaze once again to my glass. “I hear he’s very handsome. Where is he, anyway?”

She preened. “He is, isn’t he? He’s at some fuddy duddy work meeting, but then, I shouldn’t complain – he makes the money, I spend it!” She tittered at her own hilarious joke. “He’ll be here later.  Would you like to meet him?”

I fanned myself. “Would I? No, I probably shouldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to control myself!”

“You ah… find him attractive?” she asked. She leaned in closer, running a delicate finger up the underside of my breasts, through my cleavage and then up to my lips. “More attractive than me?”

I licked my lips, looking around to see if anybody was watching, then slowly licked her finger. “I’m an equal opportunity player,” I breathed. “Aren’t I allowed to like you both?”

She looked at me, head cocked to one side, then smiled. “You should really come to this after party,” she said. “It’s a
very
private affair, Jacob will be there. I will too.”