Hooker (22 page)

She bows her head when I move my face within inches of hers.

‘Look at me,’ I demand.

‘No.’ She crosses her arms over her chest. It only manages to push her perky tits up further. I can’t let that distract me, I need to know what the hell is going on. Why am I finding her attitude a complete turn on? Is there something wrong with me? To my dismay, it only proves yet again that this woman owns my balls. If anyone else acted this way towards me, I wouldn’t care. I’d walk away without a backwards glance, wishing them a nice life in the process. Fuck me, why can’t I do that now? She has me tied up in fucking knots. ‘Goddamn it, Jade,’ I say, trying to calm my voice. Using my finger I tilt her face up to meet mine. ‘Talk to me.’

Her determined gaze locks with mine.
She’s so stubborn
. I’ve never seen this side of her before. I’m usually a good judge of character but maybe I’ve been wrong about her. Then, in an instant, her beautiful green eyes well with tears and I know I haven’t been mistaken—she is the sweet person I believe her to be. She’s just hurt or angry and I have no idea why. I can’t fix it if I don’t know what the hell is wrong.

Drawing her towards me, I wrap her in my arms. ‘Talk to me, sweetheart,’ I plead. She doesn’t answer for the longest time and it does nothing to calm my racing heart. Saying I’m confused would be an understatement.

‘I just met your fiancée,’ she finally whispers into my chest.

I
almost want to laugh because the notion of me having a fiancée is quite comical.
Why would she even think that
?

Drawing back, my eyes search her face and I can tell she honestly believes I’m engaged.

‘You’re joking right? I don’t have a fiancée.’ My response doesn’t sound very convincing, but it’s true.

Her brow furrows before she places her hands on my chest, pushing away from me. ‘Deny it all you want, Brock, but she told me you were engaged.’

‘Who told you?’ I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose. This conversation is giving me a fucking headache.

‘Your fiancée,’ she says, ducking under my arm to head back to the street.

Here we go again
. I should just let her go, but I can’t. I don’t want to lose her over a stupid misunderstanding. I don’t want to lose her period.

Who would say such a thing? My mind is swimming in a haze. Then realisation hits. Fucking Clarissa. She must’ve confronted Jade in the ladies’ room.

‘Fuck, Jade, stop walking away from me,’ I snap as I go after her again. ‘Do I even get a chance to explain?’

‘I think I’ve heard enough for one night,’ she replies glancing at me over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes. She’s so fucking sexy when she’s angry. I see her raise her hand to flag down the taxi as it pulls up to the kerb. If she thinks I’m letting her go, she’s delusional.

The moment she opens the door, I reach over her shoulder and push it closed. We have a silent standoff, before the driver interrupts us. ‘Do you wanna ride, or not?’ he asks impatiently, winding down his window. We answer in unison.

‘Yes.’

‘No.’
Of course my reply was the ‘no’.

Ignoring me, she tries to open the back door of the cab—again I close it.

‘For fuck’s sake, Brock,’ she snaps, and I smile. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard her use a profanity. I shouldn’t be turned on by her attitude, but I am.

‘I don’t have all night, lady, are you in or out?’

Reaching into my pocket, I remove a fifty dollar bill and pass it to the driver. The satisfying look on Jade’s face tells me she’s relieved I’m letting her leave.

‘She’s out,’ I say, before bending my knees slightly and wrapping my arms around her legs.

‘Let me go, you pig!’ she screams as I haul her over my shoulder.

I laugh. ‘Can’t do that, sweetheart,’ I reply smugly, walking towards the valet.

‘I’d like to collect my car myself,’ I tell him as Jade thrashes around on my shoulder. The valet gives me a quizzical look, but doesn’t argue. My company uses this luxury hotel often for functions, so they know me. ‘She’s had too much to drink,’ I say, trying hard to suppress my smile when she slaps my back.

‘Sure, sir. Let me get you the key to your vehicle.’

‘Let me down, Brock,’ Jade pleads when the valet walks away.

‘Nope.’

The valet approaches again, handing me the keys to my Lamborghini. ‘Take that door over there,’ he says, pointing. ‘Your vehicle is on the first floor, in the second row.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You
can’t take me against my will,’ Jade cries as I climb the flight of stairs. ‘This is kidnapping.’ When I chuckle, she pinches my arse.

‘You didn’t exactly give me a choice,’ I say. ‘You forced me into taking drastic measure when you refused to hear me out.’

‘I’ve heard enough lies from you, I don’t need to hear anymore.’

Her comment gets under my skin. I pride myself on my honesty. And I’ve never lied to her.

When I reach the car, I slide her down my body, pinning her against the side of the vehicle. ‘Listen here, I’ve never lied to you.’

‘Really? You just forget to mention that, while I’ve been living at your house and sleeping in your bed, you’re engaged to someone else? You snake.’

I chuckle when she calls me a snake, I can’t help it. I’ve been called a lot worse in my time, but I find what she said, and the way she said it, amusing. Especially coming from her sweet mouth.

‘You think playing with someone’s emotions is funny?’ she says, pushing on my chest. ‘I thought you were different.’

When I see tears well in her eyes again, I feel like a prick for making light of this situation. I hate that this has hurt her. I could fucking strangle Clarissa.

‘Jade,’ I say, cupping her face.

‘Get your two-timing hands off me.’

This time I manage to repress my amusement. I can’t lose her over this. ‘I’m not engaged. I never have been, and I never will be.’

‘Tell that to your fiancée,’ she snaps.

‘Clarissa is not my fucking fiancée, goddamn it.’

‘Oh,
but you know who I’m referring to without me even mentioning her name.’ She tries to push out from underneath me, but I hold her firmly in place.

‘Because she’s a psycho bitch, that’s why. Our fathers are friends. They’ve wanted us to get married for years. I can tell you right now, it’s never going to happen. I can’t stand that woman. Do you really think if I was engaged to her, I’d be here tonight with you?’

‘She told me you had an arrangement.’

‘There’s no fucking arrangement.’

Her green eyes lock with mine as she tries to absorb what I’ve just told her. Fuck—I hope she believes me, because it’s the truth. ‘Please believe me,’ I plead as my hands settle on her shoulders. I’ve never had to beg anyone like this before. I never wanted to, but she isn’t just anyone—she’s Jade.

‘I’ve told my father—and Clarissa—numerous times that I have no inclination to marry her. I’m not the marrying kind.’

‘You’re not?’ she asks, and I see a flash of hurt cross her face. My thumbs tenderly caress her cheeks. Marriage has never been on my agenda. My parents haven’t set a great example in that department.

‘No, I’m not, but if there was one person on this earth who could change that, it would be you.’ And that’s the truth. Having her staying at my home has opened my eyes to the possibility. Well, it’s planted a small seed, anyway. I still don’t think I have it in me.

‘Me. Really?’ she breathes as a small smile plays at her lips.

‘Yes, you.’ Closing my eyes, I exhale a large breath. It’s not until my forehead is resting against hers, that I open them. I can’t believe I’m about to admit this out loud.

‘I think I’m falling in love with you, Jade.’

*

JADE

I
gasp at his words. Taking a moment, I give myself time to let them sink in. The way he struggled when saying it makes me believe he meant what he said. I’m not sure if it’s hearing those words or if it’s just a combination of everything I’ve been through this week, but when the tears come I’m powerless to stop them.

I cover my face with my hands and I start to cry. Like, really cry. Cry as I never have before.

‘Jesus, Jade,’ he said, pulling me into his arms again. ‘That’s not the reaction I was hoping for.’

He holds me for the longest time until the tears finally stop. I feel foolish for crying in front of him. I hate showing anyone my vulnerable side. I’ve become a master at disguising my weaknesses over the years; I learnt at a young age that only the strong survive.

Placing his finger under my chin, he lifts my face to meet his. The look in his eyes tugs at my heart. The confident Brock I’m used to seeing is gone.

‘Do you really think you’re falling in love with me?’ I ask. My heart rate accelerates as I wait for his answer. I don’t usually allow myself to hope, but that’s exactly what I’m doing now. Hoping it’s true—hoping he really means what he said.

Using the pads of his thumbs, he wipes the tears from my cheeks. ‘I’ve never felt like this before,’ he admits. ‘I’m consumed by you, Jade. I’ve never been in love, so I can’t say with all honesty that I know what it feels like, but if wanting to be with someone every minute of every day, feeling like a part of you is missing when they’re not around, not being able to
imagine your life without that person in it, or finding it hard to function properly because all you can think about is them, then yes, I’m in love with you. Because you make me feel all of that and so much more.’

Tears rise to my eyes again. ‘Nobody has ever told me they love me.’

‘Oh sweetheart,’ he whispers as he holds me tight. ‘You’re such an easy person to love.’

I’ve always imagined what it would feel like to hear somebody say those words to me, but I can’t even put into words how wonderful it is to finally be loved.

JADE

Thankfully,
Brock didn’t want to go back to the event. He did offer to go and confront Clarissa with me though, which helped me believe he was telling the truth about not being engaged. The more I thought about it on the way home, the more I realised how unrealistic her claims were: Brock’s been with me the whole time; there were no visits, no phone calls; and the fact he introduced me to his parents as his girlfriend. Maybe that’s why his father was such an arse to me—he’d been pressuring Brock to marry that skank.

Brock held my hand the entire journey home, only letting go to change gears. After parking the car in his garage and entering the house, he scoops me into his arms, carrying me up the stairs towards his bedroom.

The moment we enter, he puts me down and turns me. ‘I’ve been dying to remove this dress all night,’ he whispers as his lips find my neck. Moaning, I tilt my head to the side to allow him better access. ‘Your skin is so perfect … everything about you is
perfect
.’

My skin pebbles with goose bumps as he slowly unzips my dress. ‘I think you’re perfect too,’ I admit. I’m grateful that
he didn’t let me walk away tonight. I should’ve allowed him the chance to explain, but I was heartbroken to think he’d deceived me. I honestly thought he was going to feed me a bunch of lies and excuses. My heart wouldn’t have been able to take another blow.

The moment my dress pools around my feet, Brock turns me in his arms before his lips capture mine. The way he kisses me shows that things have changed between us. As though his confession has removed the last of his resolve. I think he’s finally ready to give me his all. Like I am to him, but I can’t profess my love for him just yet. I’ve never uttered those words before, so it’s a huge step for me—definitely one I’m not ready to take. I’m sure if we continue to blossom, one day I’ll be ready, but not tonight.

My hands move to untie his bowtie before going to work on his buttons. While I’m doing that, he shrugs out of his jacket. His hands are all over me the moment it’s removed. Pushing his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, I pull out of the kiss to trail my lips over his chest before I fall to my knees. I look up at him through my lashes as my fingers undo the buckle on his belt.

The moment I get the button on his trousers undone I slide down the zipper. He growls when I reach into his boxer briefs and wrap my hand around his hard, impressive length. Hooking his thumbs into the side of his pants, he pushes them down around his thighs before cupping my face and drawing it towards him.

I work him over with my tongue before sliding my lips around his erection. I don’t stop until it hits the back of my throat. He releases a primal sound, tilting his head back in the
process. I have no gag reflex so I can take most of him in my mouth.

‘Fuck, you suck a mean cock,’ he groans as he gently pumps into my mouth. I wrap my fingers tightly around the base of his shaft and use my other hand to gently massage his balls. I love that I can please him like this, it turns me on just as much as it does him. With my clients I tried my best so it would be over quickly. With Brock I do it because I want to give him as much pleasure as I can. He goes out of his way to please me.

‘Jesus, Jade,’ he grates out a few minutes later as his body starts to shudder. I know he’s close, so I pick up the pace, sliding my lips down his shaft, swirling my tongue at the same time. It only takes a few seconds before he starts groaning loudly. After a few short thrusts his body stills, but I continue to suck until I’ve milked him of every last drop.

He places his hands under my arms, pulling me to my feet and devouring my lips. His hands are everywhere again and a moment later I hear that familiar tear as my panties are ripped from my body. He’s ruined five pairs since our trip to the lingerie store. If he keeps this up, we’ll need to make another visit.

Reaching behind me, he unclasps my strapless bra with one hand, tossing it across the room. Without breaking the kiss he walks me backwards to the bed. When the back of my knees come into contact with the mattress, he gently lays me down.

Standing to his full height, he gazes down at me, a smile gracing his face. ‘Do you have any idea how breathtakingly beautiful you are?’ Unlike the other men, his compliments don’t make me feel uncomfortable—they make me feel beautiful, desired.