Into The Fire (3 page)

“I’ll ask him for it.” He pulled out his
phone and sent a text. “Oh, and the chick was really hot. At least
that’s what he said.”

“Like, how hot?”

“Like, he beat off to her in the shower
hot.”

I nodded with an awed look on my face. “Damn,
that is hot.”

“I know. I kinda want to rent one just for
fun.”

“Do they…do other things?” Not that I would
ever pay for sex.

“I’m not sure but I think they don’t. But
they’re expensive, a lot more expensive than a whore.”

“Interesting…”

His phone lit up with a response. “It’s
called Beautiful Entourage.” He handed me the phone. “There’s the
number.”

“Thanks.” I typed it in my phone.

“Are you really going to do it?” he asked.
“It’s pretty lame if you have to pay for a date.”

“But it would be worse if I used a girl like
that. Women can get so clingy sometimes. It’s fucking annoying. If
this is a business transaction, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Good way to think about it.”

I put the phone in my pocket. “I’ll call
tomorrow.”

“Good luck.”

***

Beautiful Entourage was damn hard to find.
There was a Chinese place near the sidewalk, and the smell of chow
mein made me hungry. A part of me wished the place was inside the
restaurant so I could get some lunch.

When I finally realized the place was in the
rear, I walked inside and stared at the hardwood floors, gray walls
with white trimming, and the elegant white furniture of the
lobby.

Damn, this place was nice.

“Can I help you?” A girl was playing
solitaire on her desk.

I walked further inside. “This is Beautiful
Entourage, right?”

“You found the right place.” Her eyes dilated
when she looked me up and down, clearly liking what she saw.

Yeah, yeah, I’m hot. I know
. “Great.
So…how does this work?”

“I’m more than happy to explain.” She cleared
her desk of the cards then pulled out some paperwork. “We assist
clients with dates for various reasons. But you need to understand
this isn’t a dating service, and it’s not a hookup service. Our
only job is to play a part for you.”

“Okay.”
So far so good.

“We have very strict rules, and if you choose
to break them, you’ll be terminated from our contract and we’ll
also pursue legal action. This is not a joke.”

“Okay…”
Pursue legal action for
what?

“Now to the fun part.” She turned to her
computer and started clicking with her mouse. “What’s your
type?”

“I prefer my coffee black.”

She smiled. “No, your type of woman. Blonde?
Brunette?”

“Oh.”
Whoops
. “I don’t care.”

“Tall or short?”

I was six foot three so I doubted a girl
would be taller than me. “Don’t care.”

“What about—”

“Sweetheart, let me save you some time. I
don’t care.”

“You’re easy…” She kept working on her
computer before she printed something out. “Payment is due up front
and there are no refunds. You’ll meet with Alessandra on Friday at
the coffee shop just on the corner.”

“Alessandra?”

“She will be your escort.”

“Is that her real name?” I asked. “Because
that’s hot.”

She grinned. “You can ask her yourself.” She
handed the papers over. “I just need you to sign here and
here.”

I grabbed the pen and added my
signatures.

“The meeting at the coffee shop is
complimentary so don’t worry about that.”

“A coffee date with a hot chick named
Alessandra? Sweet deal.”

She chuckled. “Have a good time. I can
promise you’ll like her.”

I bet I would.

CHAPTER THREE

Alessandra

I got to the coffee shop early and sipped my
coffee. I had so many of these meetings that they blurred together.
It was easy to forget names and faces. I knew this guy’s name was
Ash, and apparently he was hot.

Lucky me.

My clients were hardly ever cute. If they
were, what would they need my services for? But I did enjoy my job
because it was fulfilling. I helped people get through difficult
times. I was even friends with some of them.

The door opened and a tall man walked inside.
He wore dark jeans that hung low on his hips and a dark green
t-shirt. He had wide shoulders that reminded me of a soldier, and
his chest looked broad and powerful. He was more than just fit. He
looked extremely athletic, like a marine or something.

He had dark brown hair and fair skin. His
eyes were blue like the ocean, and they were endless in their
depth.

Damn, he was hot.

His arms were covered in sleeves of tattoos.
Instead of being all black ink, there were various colors. Green,
orange, and blue were prominent colors, and they were highlighted
under the fluorescent lights.

There was no way he was my client. That would
be a dream come true.

He looked around the shop like he was
searching for something—or someone.

I opened the folder and flipped through the
pages until I found a copy of his driver’s license.

Shit, it was him.

There was no way he was straight. He must
need me to pose as his girlfriend to his family or something. I’d
done gigs like that before.

I stood up and gave him a quick wave.
“Ash?”

His gaze focused on me, and those blue eyes
seemed even brighter. Approval was in his look as he approached me.
He carried himself like he owned the room and everyone in it. His
appearance was intimidating. I’d never seen someone so beautiful in
my life. The tattoos just made him a million times sexier.

Get a grip.

He approached me and extended his hand.
“Ash.”

“Alessandra.” I took it, and my hand felt
petite in comparison to his. The skin was warm but calloused like
he used his hands all the time.

“That’s a hot name.”

“Thanks…” I’d never gotten a compliment like
that so I was a little flustered. “Ash is cool too.”
God, why
did I say that?

He sat down, and his torso completely blocked
the chair.

I was normally the confident one but now I
was a little shaky. This guy was too beautiful to be true. He had
to be gay. The hot ones were always gay. “So…how can I help
you?”

He shrugged. “I need a girlfriend so my
parents will get off my ass. That’s where you come in.”

“Are you gay?”
Ugh, why did I ask it like
that?
It was so abrupt and harsh.

“No…” He narrowed his eyes on my face. “How
the hell did I give you that impression? I checked out your rack
the second I walked in the door. And when you turn around, I’m
going to check out your ass.”

He did? I didn’t even notice. And a comment
like that would normally result in a slap across the face. But he
somehow pulled it off without sounding like a perverted sleazebag.
“I just…”
Think of something intelligent to say
. “Guys like
you don’t normally need to pay for a date…unless they’re gay and
need a fake girlfriend.”

“Oh, I get it.” He leaned back in the chair
and rested one hand on the table. “Nope. I’m definitely straight.”
His eyes moved down to my chest before he looked me in the eye
again. Then he winked.

I should feel violated but I didn’t.
“Okay…what do you need me to do?”

“Just act like my girlfriend when I’m around
my family. That’s it. Nothing complicated.”

“But why do you need me?”

He rolled his eyes like the question
irritated him. “It’s a really long story, but basically my parents
owe me money but they won’t give it to me unless I have a serious
girlfriend.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t make any
sense.”

“I couldn’t agree more, sweetheart.”

“Why do they owe you money?”

“They have a software company and it took a
bad turn when this competitor got big. My parents needed the cash
for a prototype so I lent it to them. Five years later, I still
haven’t gotten it back even though their company is making bank.
They don’t approve of my lifestyle and my interests. I need the
money to open up my own shop, but I can’t get a loan because my
credit is terrible. So, I have to play by their rules or kiss my
dream goodbye.”

That sounded complicated. “What kind of
shop?”

He presented both of his arms. “Tattoo shop.”
Every inch of his skin was covered with ink. There were different
images, like a ladder that led to nowhere, song lyrics, and a
Hawaiian flower. “My parents think I’m a worthless loser. And
perhaps they’re right. But I don’t care. I need to get this shop
open. I’m tired of working for someone else.”

I replayed his story in my head. “That’s just
wrong.”

“What?” He returned his arms to his sides.
“My ink?”

“No, that your parents are controlling. You
helped them out when you didn’t have to and this is how they treat
you?” I’d struggle to smile in their presence.

He rolled his eyes. “They’re lame. I
know.”

“Why don’t you sue them?”

He chuckled. “That would cause more
headaches. And money. They could afford a much better lawyer than I
could. If I just play their stupid game, I’ll get my money. Then
they can kiss my ass.”

“I’m still a little confused…how does a
girlfriend change any of this?”

“They think if I have a serious woman in my
life, it’ll change me. Because nothing they have said or done has
made a difference, maybe a wife will.” He rolled his eyes
dramatically. “I don’t understand their thought process. But
whatever. The sooner I get this shit over with, the sooner I can
move on.”

I’d had a lot of unusual clients but this
seemed to be the strangest one. “Well, I can do that for you.”

“Great.” He drummed his fingers on the table
like he was playing a song. He could hardly sit still and he talked
a lot. It was like he had ADD. “So, we’ll go out to dinner with
them and begin this stupid charade.”

“Whoa, hold on.”

He stopped drumming. “What?”

“You can’t just show up with a girlfriend
that quickly.”

“Why not?” he asked. “Let’s get the ball
rolling.” He did a quick drum solo with his fingers.

“Don’t you think that would look suspicious
to have a girlfriend twenty-four hours later? You’re going to need
to wait at least a few weeks.”

He groaned then covered his face like he
wanted to scream. “A few weeks? I don’t have a few weeks.
Sweetheart, I got shit to do.”

“Well, it’s just not believable. You’ll have
to be patient.”

He lowered his hands and sighed like I was
right. “Maybe I should just hire a hit man. I’d get a much higher
return on my investment that way.”

I knew he was joking. Well…I hoped he was
joking. “There’re a few rules I want to go over before we do
this.”

“Yeah, me too.” He stopped drumming and
leaned forward across the table. “Look, I know this is a business
transaction and you’re just doing your job, but nothing is going to
happen between us. I’m not the boyfriend type and I never will be.
I don’t want you to get your hopes up just to be disappointed.”

What
?

“Girls always think I’ll change for them and
I’ll fall so madly in love that I won’t be able to live without
them. That’s not the case. I’m set in my ways and I won’t change
for anybody. So, don’t expect anything. I really don’t want to
break your heart like I did to all the others.”

What the hell is he talking about?

“And since this is a business relationship,
I’m not going to hook up with you either. I just want a
professional—”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

He halted in midsentence and shut his
mouth.

Man, I’d never met someone so cocky in my
life
. “I’m not sure what I did to give you the impression that
I want to jump your bones, but I don’t. You’re my client and I will
give you whatever you need to reach your goals. I’m not looking for
a hookup or a boyfriend, especially from a client. Don’t make
assumptions.”

“I’m not making an assumption,” he said. “I’m
just warning you.”

“Warning me?” I asked. “You aren’t my type so
we have nothing to worry about.”

“I just like to be honest with my intentions.
In the past, women have misinterpreted my actions and it always
leads to them crying their eyes out. And they always say, ‘You are
the one. Let’s get married. I can’t live without you. Blah blah.’
and it’s super annoying.”

“Damn, you’re a dick.”

“What?” A blank expression came over his
face. “I’m just being honest.”

“Well, stop talking. Now, can I say what I
need to say?”

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “The
floor is yours.”

He was such a beautiful man, but he was such
a dick underneath that pretty package. I should have known there
was something wrong with him. “This is a strictly professional
interaction. There will only be handholding and waist touching. No
kissing, no feelings, and no sex.”

“That’s fine.”

“If you ever cross the line, our arrangement
is terminated.”

“Fair enough.”

“This is not a dating service—”

He rolled his eyes.

“Sorry, am I boring you?” I snapped.

“Shelly already told me all of this. I know
the rules.”

“Well, people choose to break them anyway and
I need to make sure you won’t.”

“Believe me, I can control myself. You’re
smoking hot and have a perfect body, and you’re nice too, but I’m
not some weird creeper that’s going to stick my tongue down your
throat just because my dick is hard.”

He could be really sweet, but he was an
arrogant jerk at the same time. At least he was thoughtful and nice
some of the time. “Well, I’m glad we got that out of the way.”

“It sounds like we understand each other,” he
said. “So, this should be no problem for either of us.”