His gaze is slanted to the side, his eyes set on Rain–– the enigmatic smile threading through his gaze, and curling his lips in such a teasing way giving me goosebumps.

  It reminds me so much of the man I spent my night with.

  I swipe the screen a few more times, looking for a different picture of him. I find one that I took inside. The light was better.

  I remember that moment.

  He just walked out of his home office, and I caught him in the entryway. Lex was standing by his side as they were talking business matters.

  I snuck up on them and took the snapshot just as they both lifted their gaze to me. They’re both clad in dress shirts and suit pants and both look at the camera.

  The way James has his head slightly tilted down, and a small smile at the corner of his lips... The side glance shooting from under his eyelashes.

  That look right there.

  That’s where I see Christian.

  A soft chuckle falls from my lips. I have to stop this.

  I’m just driving myself crazy.

  I place the phone down and run my hands on my face, massaging my forehead and my temples as I pull my eyes away from that image for a moment.

  But it doesn’t take long before I tip my gaze down again and look at the man in front of me.

  James Sexton. What is his connection to this craziness? What is there that I don’t see?

  The phone begins to vibrate with a call, pulling the image away from me, bringing Rain’s name and face front and center.

  My heart starts jumping up and down as my pulse soars in an instant.

  “What are the fucking odds?” I mutter to myself before I take the call.

  4

  Eve

  “Hey. What happened to you?” she asks, grinning from ear to ear as she takes a glimpse of my face.

  She looks good. Rested, glowing, her hair exploding with light. A cream knit dress hugs her body, setting a contrast to her red lipstick.

  I get a glimpse of her bedroom in the background.

  “Are you going somewhere?” I ask, pretending that I didn’t hear her question.

  “Lex and Ed come over for lunch. Dahlia and Thea, too.”

  “Living the life, huh?” I ask before I take another bite of cake and pop it into my mouth.

  “So are you,” she says, motioning with her chin in my direction and gesturing with her index finger.

  “What did you do? I thought you’d called me.”

  ‘When?” I ask distracted.

  “Last night.”

  “Uh... Last night,” I say.

  “Yeah... You were supposed to meet that sexy stranger yesterday. Did he bail on you?”

  I look down at my cup of coffee, feeling her curious eyes all over my face. My lips begin to curve into a smile.

  “Don’t you tell me,” she mutters, washed with revelation.

  I tip my gaze to her before we connect our eyes.

  Her hand flies to her mouth.

  “Oh, my God. You did it. You fucking did it...” she cheers, her glee making me chuckle.

  “Shut up. I don’t want everybody else to know about it.”

  “You mean James?”

  “I mean everyone. Duh... Why is it such a big deal?”

  She laughs entertained.

  “I don’t know. You tell me. It took you forever.”

  “It wasn’t because of me.”

  She lifts her hand.

  “I’m not gonna argue,” she admits. “So, what happened?”

  She runs an expert eye on me.

  “Whatever he did to you, it must’ve been good.”

  “And you know that how?”

  “I know that look.”

  “What look?” I ask, gazing down to hide my smile, and also my flushed cheeks.

  “Oh... Don’t play coy with me, girlie. Tell me what happened.”

  It takes me a moment before I tilt my gaze up to her.

  “We had a great time together.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “That’s it...” I murmur.

  Her eyes stay steady on me as she reads my face.

  “Oh, my God. He got you hooked already.”

  I laugh.

  “As if that was hard to figure out.”

  She looks at me seriously this time.

  “Was he good?”

  “Mmm-hmm. He was really good.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He left about half an hour ago. He made me breakfast and left. I just got off the phone with him a few moments ago.”

  Her eyebrows push up.

  “No fucking way.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “This is getting serious.”

  It sounds like a joke, but she actually uttered her words seriously.

  “I don’t know about that. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I understand...”

  She stays quiet while I stare blankly at the table for a moment.

  “He’s taking me out tonight,” I say with a soft voice.

  “That’s great,” she says enthusiastically again. “I am happy for you. He sounds like a really nice guy.”

  A soft laugh falls from my lips.

  “Male escort.”

  “Male escort-guy,” she says, and I laugh again. “Why do you sound so defeated?”

  “I’m not,” I say with a different voice, letting her read my eyes again.

  “What’s bothering you?”

  “Nothing.”

  Everything.

  The fact that I’m already hooked on him and as these things usually go, now I’m sailing an ocean of uncertainties.

  The fact that I avoided to tell her the most important thing, and now I can’t make myself confess to her.

  The fact that I’m angsty either way. Whether this thing goes on or stops.

  And last but not least, the fact that there are so many things I don’t know about him.

  “Are you worried about his escort job?”

  “Is that even a thing?” I ask, dark humor tinging my voice.

  She doesn’t say a word.

  “Shouldn’t I be?”

  She looks at me. I search her eyes.

  For a few moments, she weighs her words.

  “Uh... I don’t know what to say. Have you talked to him about it?”

  “Isn’t it too early to ask someone to do something different for a living if he wants to do me?”

  “If you put it that way...” she says, smiling.

  “It’s the truth.”

  “He may have a different opinion on this.”

  “He may, but still. What am I supposed to tell him?”

  “Ask him.”

  “I did. He said that I shouldn’t be worried about the other women.”

  “See.”

  “He went even further. He said that he’s not seeing anyone else right now.”

  Her smile falls from her face, her eyebrows going up in surprise.

  I can’t read much on her face.

  “There’s no way I can believe a word he said to me.”

  “Why would he say it if it wasn’t true?”

  I shrug.

  “I don’t know, but it sounds ridiculous. That’s how he makes his money. And he has money, all right. He lives in a hotel suite–– don’t ask me why. He could probably rent something.”

  “He may like the convenience of a hotel.”

  “Yeah. He may, although from what I’ve seen he’s pretty good at taking care of himself. I asked him to eat at my place last night. From how he moved in my kitchen, nothing suggested that he was lost without staff catering to him. He even said to me that he is used to living alone, and taking care of his business. At any rate, escorting women is part of his business, and regardless of what he said to me I have a hard time to believe him.”

  “I don’t think you have a choice.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask intrigued.

  “If it doesn’t strike you as a blunt lie, you should trust what he says to you. Give him the benefit of the doubt. There’s no point in thinking that you know better than him. There’s a reason why he told you that. And I’m sure it wasn’t to get you in his bed. I bet it was after...”

  She pauses.

  “Wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was,” I say with a softer voice.

  “See. He wants to kill your fears. Why would he do that if it wasn’t true?”

  I ponder for a moment.

  “I guess, you’re right.”

  “Of course, I am.”

  Her face beams with a smile.

  My gaze lingers on her for a few moments.

  “You look good.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I mean good... good. Is there’s something I don’t know?”

  She sways her head from side to side.

  “Nope. It’s just being home and getting ready for the Holidays. I might have my family here for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. I’m still working on it. I talked to Daria, and I saw my niece in a clip. She’s adorable, and my sister is unrecognizable. I talked to my dad too. If he comes here, I’ll meet my little sister. It’s going to be fun.”

  I study her sparkling eyes for a moment.

  “I’ve never seen you so happy,” I mutter.

  “That’s because I am happy,” she says softly.

  “Are you ready, baby?”

  James’ voice resonates in the background before she swivels her head and swings her gaze away from me, glancing at her side.

  “Yes,” she says.

  “Who are you talking to?”

  “Eve.”

  Her phone swings up before I see his face.

  “Stop wasting time on the phone, Eve. Come here,” he says, tossing me a smile.

  The moment I lay my eyes on him, my heart starts pulsing at a different rate. His green eyes set on me, making me feel the fire of another blush.

  I grab the lapels of my robe and pull it closer to me, feeling naked under his eyes.

  Oh… This is going to be awkward. I know how easily he reads people.

  “Rough night, huh?” he asks before he gives me a swift once over, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth the way Christian does.

  Angst wraps around my neck, cutting my air supply.

  I open my mouth to say something, but can’t come up with anything. In the corner of the screen, I see Rain’s eyes.

  Smiling.

  “Meeting him tonight?” he asks before I have the chance to answer his previous question.

  “Uh-huh,” I say sheepishly.

  “Make sure he treats you right, or he’ll have to deal with me.”

  “Yes,” I say with a clipped voice.

  “Leave her alone,” Rain says, grinning. “She barely knows the man.”

  “I think she knows him pretty well,” he says, a knowing smile tilting his lips as he takes me in again.

  Slowly, he nods a couple of time, biting his lip again and flashing that smile that makes me sweat.

  “Come home next week. We have a big Thanksgiving dinner,” he says seriously this time before he winks at me, and swiftly pulls away.

  “I gotta go,” Rain says as well, rising from her desk chair. “You should come,” she adds as she runs her hand on her dress.

  She tilts her phone up.

  “How are things at work?”

  “They are better.”

  “So what are you waiting for? Take a few days off and come here.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I say, mulling over her invitation.

  “Do you have any plans with him?”

  “I, um... I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.”

  “Well, do what’s best for both of you. If you want to spend some time with him stay there. If not you are more than welcome here. You can fly in on Wednesday evening.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “All right, girlie.”

  We hang up a moment later.

  I put the phone down, my finger still lingering on the screen. I slide it across and go to the pictures folder again, but then I remember the clips, and I start checking them.

  The first recording brings to me snippets from last night.

  I get captivated by the images for a few good minutes before I go through a couple more, and then I check the last one. The sound of my moans and groans drifts through the air.

  “Shit...” I mutter as I turn the volume down.

  What is this?

  The recording captured us from a side angle.

  This must’ve happened when I tossed the phone on the nightstand. Somehow, my phone was propped against the lamp and the video recording feature was on.

  The frame recorded part of Christian’ shoulder, his neck and chest, his lips and the side of my hair.

  I never thought I’d say something like this, especially about a film featuring me, but this is hot.

  The microphone caught every sound. His heavy breaths, my moans, and groans, the swishing of the cotton sheets as he was rolling his hips and thrusting into me.

  The pounding motion makes me hot and wet between my legs, even now. I feel the tingles swirling and my nipples turning hard.

  I look away for a moment but can’t resist.

  My eyes go back. I play the clip again, slackening in my seat this time.

  I turn the volume up as well. The kitchen fills with the erotic sounds of our little movie.

  As the video clip plays, my eyes root to his muscles for a moment, and then shift to my grip on him. My nails scrape his skin, my fingers looking delicate in contrast with his muscular frame as he keeps rolling his hips between my legs and keeps pumping into me.

  The clip is long enough to make me witness the tantalizing progression, the increased force and speed of his thrusts, the desperation in my grip.

  My body writhes under his, captive to the sensual pleasure that he puts in me as I give myself to him. The thought makes my heart clench and my sex tingle and for a second, I forget where I am and what I should be doing, and slip my hand beneath my robe.

  I touch myself the way he touched me yesterday. Last night. Softly brushing the smooth flesh peeking through my folds, gently rolling my hips, my eyes glued to the screen.

  I fix my gaze on him, his face. His lips, the pounding motion of his hips somewhere at the corner of my eye.

  Staring at his mouth, I let my brain flooded by the image and my senses swept by the sound and the emotions, and as I come in that recording, I feel my body scaling up.

  It takes me a moment before I press my clit and rub it–– not even that, and swiftly, I experience a high and then a fall as I swiftly come.

  Panting and cursing and laughing quietly.

  When I’m done, I lean back in my seat, catching my breath.

  Smiling, I pick up my phone a moment later, send him the clip, and then rush to the shower, filled with excitement at the thought that I get to see him again.

  5

  Eve

  I spend an hour getting ready.

  For the most part, I dwell over what dress to wear. I have a few outfits, picked especially for shows and theater, but they are too dull for my taste right now.

  A club dress doesn’t go well with the scope of this event.

  At last, I find something close enough to what I want to wear. It’s a dress I bought in Europe when I spent a few days with Rain in Monaco this past summer.

  The fabric, a tight, silky acetate knit, molds on my body, highlighting my silhouette–– shoulders, chest, waist, hips, and legs.

  Long sleeves hug my arms, the skirt wrapping around my thighs, a small slit in the back allowing me to walk comfortably. The color–– midnight navy, looks almost black, yet catches the light and has a bit of sheen to it.

  The hemline stops above my knees, a low plunging neckline revealing my back down to my waist, a metal zipper connecting the tip of the back neckline to the hem.

  I pull it on and hop on my heels before I strut in front of the mirror. It looks good.

  My hair covers most of my back, a pair of small diamond earrings–– the only jewelry that I wear, dangling from my earlobes.

  It’s almost seven when my phone begins to ring.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes. I’ll be downstairs in a moment.”

  That’s when I hear the doorbell ring.

  “No way,” I breathe on my phone, smiling.

  I spin around and head to the door.

  “Are you really here?” I ask before I swing the door open.

  My mouth falls open as I set my eyes on him. Without tipping my gaze down, I tap the screen to end the call.

  “What a surprise... “ I mutter, taking him in.

  He wears no tie, yet fashions a dark suit and a white dress shirt. A warm smile tilts his lips.

  “You look great,” he says without tearing his eyes away from my face.

  “You like it?” I ask as I look down.

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  I lift my gaze.

  I’m not so sure he noticed my dress.

  He purses his lips, crushing a smile that spills all over his face.

  “What is it?” I ask, grinning.

  He doesn’t say a word, only sways his head from side to side in silent disbelief.

  “Do you want to come in?”

  “We should leave now, or we’ll be late,” he says, checking the time on his phone.

  I pick a short red coat with a lifted collar and flare bottom, my evening bag and my keys and walk out. He takes my coat from my hand.

  “It’s cold outside. You should put it on.”

  I sling my gaze at him, eager to point out that he doesn’t wear a coat either, but I decide to put it on and not argue with him.

  He sets my collar right and makes sure that my hair falls down my shoulders and my back.

  Silently, I watch him as he takes care of me. I feel as if my heart left my chest and hugs his heart now.

  I do my best–– I swear, not to get too caught up in this, more than I already am, but he makes it almost impossible.

  His eyes sparkle with a secret smile, his lips slightly parted as he runs his fingers through my hair.

  He gives me another swift once over, making sure that everything looks good before he shifts his eyes to me.

  “Hey...” he says with a quiet voice, running the back of his index finger along my jawline, his eyes stalling on my lips.