Escorting the Groom (The Escort Collection Book 4) (10 page)

"I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about my friends," Blake said out of the blue. She was trying to get a crouton under the control of her fork and struggling.

"I was being an ass," I said. The other escorts were hot, but salivating over them in front of her had been insensitive.

"You're free to ogle who you like," Blake said, finally skewering the crouton.

I smiled at her. "That's not true. I'm spoken for. Engaged."

"You know what I mean."

I put down my fork. "Blake, I won't be with anyone else while we're together." I hadn't thought this part through, but I meant it. In addition to just being rude, it would be dangerous for me to seek physical release with someone else. If my sister got a hold of something like that, she would be crying fraud immediately.

Blake put down her own fork and raised an eyebrow at me. "You're going to be celibate for a whole year?"

I coughed. When she said it like that… "Aren't you?"

She shrugged. "Yes, but I don't
mind
." Her tone was challenging.

"I don't mind, either."

Blake furrowed her brow as she took a sip of wine. She was obviously mulling something. "Why are you so against…
being
with me? Do I disgust you? I mean—because of what I do?" Her tone wasn't self-deprecating. It was genuinely, intensely curious.

"Listen to me." I reached for her hand and held it across the table. "You are not capable of eliciting disgust from anyone. It doesn't matter what you do. You're a good person, Blakey." I smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood.

She pulled her hand back. "Don't tease me. I'm being serious."

I reached for her again, trapping her hand underneath mine so she couldn't escape. "So am I. You do not disgust me. In fact, the opposite is true. You’re gorgeous. I'm attracted to you. I was thinking about you this morning when you so rudely interrupted my jerking off." I felt my heart rate pick up. I was laying it all out for her.

She looked pleased for a moment but then stifled her reaction. "Oh."

"On top of that," I continued, "I think you're a good person. You take care of your mother. You're working as an escort in order to protect the people you love. I
admire
you."

I could feel her knee starting to bounce nervously under the table. "Okay."

"I would sleep with you six ways from Sunday if I thought it wouldn't cause a problem between us down the road. But I think it would. And I can't jeopardize my family fortune in order to test that theory. Okay?"

"Why do you think it would?"

I let out an exasperated groan. "Are you dying to sleep with me? Because you're being awfully stubborn about this."

Blake cleared her throat. "I just want to be sure I understand."

"That's a non-answer, Blakey."

"That's the only answer I've got." Blake smiled at me bravely. "So tell me again."

I drank some more wine and reluctantly let go of her hand. "Ever since Elizabeth and I broke up, I've only had one-night stands with women. I'm sure that sounds terrible."

"
I'm
not going to judge you," Blake said. "Is it because she broke your heart?"

"No." I scrubbed my hand over my face. "I realized that the relationship was a waste of time, and that I didn't want another one. My needs could be met in other, more short-term ways."

"Just sex," Blake offered.

"Right. And after I lived like that for a year or two, I realized I preferred it that way. I didn't have to try to negotiate some messy emotional entanglement. I hadn't met anyone who could hold my interest that long. And that's true for Elizabeth, too. It had just become routine with her. It's not like I was shattered that she married my father. I just thought it was tacky, like everyone else."

"But we won't have a messy emotional entanglement," Blake persisted.

Sheesh. Maybe she really can’t stop thinking about my cock.

I smiled smugly to myself.
Wouldn't be the first time.

"And I'm not saying that because I'm desperate to sleep with you—trust me, I'm not," she said, as though she were reading my thoughts. "
But
I still would like to understand where you're coming from."

"If we have sex, you're going to want it every night," I warned her.

"So
that's
what you're worried about, big boy?"

I shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"I think I've finally met my ego match." Blake laughed then pointed to herself. "You think you wouldn't want
this
every night?"

I chuckled. "Of course I would. Well, maybe I would—or maybe your charms would wear thin when you started snoring next to me. Or maybe you'd turn needy. But that's the problem. You'd be here either way while I figured it out. And if we're married, and we're sharing a bed, and we're having dinner together… for a
year
… that's starting to sound a little bit too much like a relationship to me. And I don't want that. That's messy, and I don't do messy."

"Got it." She drank some more wine. "Enjoy your period of celibacy. I know I will."

"Cheers." I clinked her glass. I sounded sure of myself, but then again, when didn't I?

Later that night, I lay in bed, wide awake. I refused to masturbate. If Blake walked in on me again, she would never let me live it down.

But I was still thinking about her. And not just her hair and her luscious body. I was thinking about when she'd ordered for me at lunch today, and how we liked the same foods. I was thinking about her cheeks getting heated when I ogled that other escort.

I was thinking about holding her hand and introducing her to Herman Pace.
I'm expecting the future holds good things for you two.
And the pictures, the goddamned engagement pictures…

I lay awake for a long time that night. And I wondered what it would be like if I asked Blake to join me in my bed every night for a year.

And I decided it would be anything but a good thing.

T
he reservations had been made
, the menus chosen, and the bags packed. We knew what we had to do to obtain a valid marriage license as soon as we landed in Las Vegas. I couldn't believe it: we'd planned an out-of-state, black-tie wedding in less than a week.

Having billions of dollars at your disposal sure helped you get shit done.

I decided to call my mother one last time before we left. But it wasn't my mother who answered her cell phone. "Blake?"

"Chelsea?" My stomach plummeted. "Is Mom okay? Is she sick?"

My sister sniffed. "She's fine now that I'm here."

I felt a sudden, intense headache coming on. "What does
that
mean?"

"It means it would've been nice if you'd told me you were going out of town so I could check in on her."

You mean so it was safe for you to come over and ask her for money
. I bit the thought back. "She's fine. I've been checking on her. I always do."

My sister snorted. "For a hooker, you sure do have a superiority complex."

I counted backward from ten so I wouldn’t jump through the phone and throttle her. "Can I just speak to Mom, please?"

"Fine."

"Hi, honey," my mother said a little too brightly.

"Everything okay?"

"Of course! Your sister and I are just having a nice visit." I could hear the forced cheerfulness in her voice, the way she always sounded when Chelsea came around.

"Okay. I'm leaving town today, so I just wanted to check in. Don't say anything to Chelsea, okay? I'll call you soon."

"Love you, honey," my mom said.

Just as she was hanging up, I heard my sister in the background. "Don't tell Chelsea
what
?" Then the line went dead.

Perfect. Just fucking perfect.

I went and checked my bags one last time. I had some amazing lingerie that Elena had purchased just for this assignment. It was all neatly packed in the side of my suitcase, just in case. Lucas had been very clear that we weren't going to be needing it. As much as I respected his new vow of celibacy, I'd seen the way he'd looked at me. There was a real heat between us, a kind I'd never felt before.

So I decided to pack the lingerie, just in case he changed his mind. I hoped he did. Not only because I wanted to explore that fine body of his, but because I wanted to get him out of my system. I didn't need to be crushed out on my emotionally unavailable billionaire fake fiancé. He seemed like the perfect guy, but I knew the truth: there was no such thing, at least not for me.

The sooner I slept with him, the sooner the version of him I was currently building up in my head would come crashing back to earth. Then we'd both be better off.

Especially me.

Still, I wondered briefly what it would be like for Lucas to hold me. To wake up in his arms, in his bed, every day for a year. I ran my hands over my favorite black lace teddy one final time.

Then I zipped the suitcase shut, fluffed my hair, and mentally prepared myself for my impending nuptials in Vegas.

* * *

L
UCAS

"Don't we have to wait in line?" Blake asked, looking curiously around the airport.

"We're flying private."

She just blinked at me. "You own a plane?"

I nodded. "And a helicopter."

"Why do you own a helicopter?" She seemed clearly baffled.

I shrugged.

"You don't know?"

I shrugged again. "I fly it sometimes."

"Lucas Ford, no you do not. All you do is work." Blake crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me skeptically. "When have you flown it?" It didn't sound like a question. It sounded like a taunt.

"Twice."

She raised an eyebrow.

"To my house in Maine."

"And the second time?" she asked.

I coughed. "I flew it back."

"I want you to take me out in it," she said immediately.

"Really?"

She nodded. "I want to go to Maine. And I would like it if my husband flew me there."

A knot of desire, or maybe longing, twisted deep in my chest.
Her husband.
She was talking about me.

Because you paid her, you douche,
I reminded myself.

"That's quite the leap of faith. Flying with someone so inexperienced."

She linked her hand through mine and leaned toward me conspiratorially. "It's not much more of a leap than marrying a complete stranger for money. Or agreeing to live with him for a whole year. And
this
seems to be working out all right."

I felt a large, stupid grin spread over my face. "It does, doesn't it?"

"Oh, will you two get a room?" A raucous voice called out from behind us.

I realized that Blake and I were holding hands, staring into each other's eyes. "Brace yourself," I told her.

"For what?"

I groaned. I could practically feel the ground shaking as he approached. "For my college roommate. Jake Ryan."

"The
senator
?" Blake asked, peering over my shoulder.

"The very same," Jake said, coming up and slapping me on the back with his big meat paw of a hand. He was a former college running back who'd recently leveraged his law degree, bigger-than-life personality, and huge physical presence into a seat as a Massachusetts senator.

"Ow," I said, brushing him off. "And
hi
. I wasn't sure if you were going to make it, Mr. VIP. I haven't seen you since Christmas."

Jake scrunched his handsome face into a mask of incredulity. "You think I'd miss your
wedding
? What kind of best friend do you think I am?"

"The kind who's a politician, too busy screwing others and sucking up to remember the little people."

"Can you
please
shut up, little person? And introduce me to this gorgeous, clearly
insane
woman who's agreed to marry you?" He turned to Blake, his eyes sparkling. "Come to Jake and give me a hug, girl! We're practically family now!"

Blake yelped as Jake turned his meat paws loose on her, clamping her and pulling her in for a crushing hug. He kissed the top of her head. "She smells good," he said to me, still holding her.

"I know. Please let go of her."

Jake released her and held her out for his inspection. He let out a low wolf whistle. "
Damn
, Lucas, you finally did something right!"

I karate-chopped his hands from Blake and stepped between them. "Paws off, Jake. And I know—she's fabulous. Now let's get on this plane and start drinking. The whole crew's coming."

Jake looked suddenly wary. "Who do you mean?"

I straightened myself and took Blake's hand protectively. "Serena. My father. Elizabeth. And Blake's bridesmaids."

"Serena?
And
Elizabeth?
Fuck me
," Jake said. His face turned hopeful as he looked at Blake. "Are any of the bridesmaids as hot as you?"

"No," I said quickly. "Besides, they are off-limits to you, Mr. Senator."

Jake turned back to me. "We're going to
Vegas
, dude. Are you going to be a buzzkill this whole trip?"

"Not if you pour me a bourbon before I have to face the firing squad."

Jake nodded solemnly. He understood. He'd known my family for years, and he'd been there for me when my mother died. He'd also been around during the entire shit show that was my father and Elizabeth. "Right. Let's do this. I'm going to need some liquid courage, too. Your sister scares the piss out of me."

We settled in the plane, each with a healthy pour of a drink, and Jake was asking Blake one thousand questions. He did that with new people. Cross-examination was the one thing he'd liked about practicing law. To my amusement, Blake answered his questions flawlessly, charming my burly best friend even as she lied to his face. I would tell him the truth about her and the bridesmaids eventually. But I couldn't risk him melting down in disbelief before my family even boarded the plane.

Which they did, all too soon.

"Keep the drinks coming," I told the flight attendant lowly. "And make sure you hit the three of us first."

"Serena, Elizabeth, Mr. Ford." Jake beamed at them like the master politician he was. "So wonderful to see you!"

"Jake." Serena wiped herself off after he released her from a bear hug. "I was hoping you couldn't make it."

"Aw, Serena, you haven't changed a bit." Jake pinched her cheek until her eyes started to water. "Let's see if we can get you to loosen up a little this weekend, huh? I remember you used to like to party…"

Serena pulled back and gave Jake a filthy look, her face reddening. There had been one night in college that I'd caught the two of them making out. I would encourage Jake to try that again this weekend, but I'd already made other arrangements for my sister.

Just then, the bridesmaids appeared—Nikki, Christie, and Helena. "Yay!" Blake said, popping up. "My girls are here!"

"Blakey!" Nikki pranced over to her and pulled her in for a hug. She was wearing a crop top and what looked suspiciously like a cheerleader skirt. Christie had on the tightest jeans I'd ever seen. Helena wore a skintight dress and spiked high heels.

"This is
awesome
," Jake said, staring at Blake's friends. My father looked positively gleeful, too.
Christ.

"Don't touch them," I warned Jake. "I'll explain later."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me, dude." He spoke low enough that my family couldn't hear.

"I'm not kidding," I said. "The buzzkill continues."

Serena was aghast as she watched Blake and the bridesmaids. "Who are
they
?"

I smiled, suddenly feeling excited. "Blake's friends. Her bridesmaids."

"They must work in
marketing
." According to my sister's tone, marketing was a seriously filthy business.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think they do."

My sister grabbed the flight attendant as she passed. "I need another drink. Make it a double."

"Me too," said Jake, checking out Nikki and her cheerleader skirt with longing.

"Me too," I said. I watched the spectacle and rubbed my hands together with glee. I was probably going to enjoy this weekend more than I should.