Thor (Recherché #1) (13 page)

“You’re Thor fucking Jameson.” He says slowly.

“Xavier, tell me you’ve never thought about it. Tell me you never consider something beyond this?” I know he can’t. He of all people should get this. “I’m thirty-three. Every single woman I’ve fucked since I was twenty-one years old was paying for it.” A frown mars his forehead and he drops his gaze to the table. “I’ve built the agency from the ground up. I’ve hired Maddox and Kaden. They’re young and hungry for it. Plus, you’ve been taking my clients for years anyway.” I’ve been taking a step back for a while. I guess Poppy is the push I need to step out completely.

“Jesus, you don’t do shit by halves.” He takes a packet of small cigars from his pocket and places one between his lips before tossing them across the table to me. He lights his and then slides the lighter to me. I light one and watch as he leans back in his chair, taking a slow drag on the cigar. “You still need to tell her.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” I sigh. “She’s not the kind of chick to take it well.”

He glances at me, blowing a long stream of smoke through his lips. “Would you?” He huffs a laugh. No, I really fucking wouldn’t. “I’d love to see April Farley’s face when you tell her you’re quitting.”

I groan and swipe my hand over my face. “Like I said, all fucked.”

“There’s not a lot I wouldn’t do for you, but I am not taking that crazy bitch on.” He points at me. “Give her to Maddox. He likes them fucked in the head. And we both know he’ll be taking the Russian chick off your hands.”

“Careful. I think she’s developed a penchant for threesomes.”

The door opens and Cora walks in, her eyes flicking between me and Xavier. “Boys.” She takes one of Xavier’s cigars out of the packet on the table and lights it. “This looks deep and meaningful.” She drops into one of the chairs and props her stiletto’s on the edge of the table. Her dress rides up her thighs, exposing even more of her long legs.

“Thor’s giving up.” Xavier’s eyes lock with mine and he gives a small nod.

“Well, you are getting on a bit.” She smirks, placing the cigar between her pouty red lips.

Xavier laughs. “We’re just discussing who gets to join Maddox in his Russian three way now.”

She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. “I hear she’s hot.”

I inhale another cloud of smoke. “Very.”

“And dirty.” Xavier adds. He’s fucked Anna before. The only one who hasn’t is Kaden and that’s because she’d probably break the poor kid.

“Well if she’s into a strap-on, I’ll fuck her with him.” I choke on the lungful of smoke and nearly cough up a fucking lung.

Xavier chuckles to himself. “I’m pretty sure Maddox would rather do you than Thor.”

She rises one perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s a close call.”

“Fuck off.” I grunt.

She laughs, a high-pitched twinkling sound. I swear to god if you met Cora you’d think she was gorgeous, sophisticated, delicate… She’s a fucking deviant. “Well, at least he managed to tick slapping balls with you off his list before you retire.”

I scowl. “There was no ball slapping.”

“He probably sucked those fuckers up.” Xavier tilts his head towards me, a wry smile on his lips. They both laugh and I get up, shaking my head.

“If either of you wishes to join Maddox in that fuck fest then be my guest.” I leave the room and head upstairs. I need to prepare myself to go and see April. I have a feeling shit is going to hit the fan when I return from my hiatus and she’s expecting a fuck, only to tell her that I’m quitting. Again, this is why I should stick to rules. I should have cut her lose about two years ago when she first started getting so damn clingy, but she was obsessed with me and I was obsessed with her fifty grand a month. You live and you learn. I’m about to learn the hard way.

I knock on the door and it immediately swings open revealing a smiling April. She’s wearing a satin robe loosely tied at the waist. The material at the top gapes open, revealing her bra and half her stomach.

“Thor, darling.” She opens the door wider and I step inside. She closes the door behind me and wraps her arms around my waist from behind. “I’ve missed you.” She breathes against my back. Her fingers splay across my chest, clinging to me.

“April, we need to talk.” I wrap my fingers around her wrists, pulling her away. When I turn to face her, her expression is a mixture of hurt and anxiety. “I’m quitting.”

“What?” She half laughs.

“I’m giving up. I’ll still run Recherché, but I’m no longer personally handling clients.”

A line sinks between her eyebrows. “But you can’t.” She cries, an edge of hysteria creeping into her voice.

I take a steadying breath and swipe a hand through my hair. “April, I’m an escort, a service that you pay for. I will happily continue to supply you with that service, but it will be Maddox or Kaden that deliver the service.”

“I don’t want some fucking escort. I want you!” She steps forward and presses her body against mine. I move away from her.

“I’m not an option. Your last month’s payment has been refunded to you as a courtesy, seeing as this is so abrupt.”

Her eyes well with tears. “A courtesy? How can you talk of money right now?”

“Because that’s what this is!” I snap. “A business transaction.”

A sob tears from her throat and tears stream down her face, streaking her mascara. “It’s because of that girl, isn’t it?” She hisses. I say nothing. I’m not going to stand here and argue with her. “We were fine, and then you went to that wedding with her and you changed. What, am I too old for you?” Her face is streaked with black and she’s sounding a little crazy.

“April, I’m sorry. You have the office number if you want one of the other guys.” Yeah right. None of my guys would want to get anywhere near her can of crazy. There’s a reason why I’ve been the one to handle her for so many years.

I turn away from her and pull the door open. “I will ruin you, Thor!” She screams. “I will drag your name through the mud!”

I glance over my shoulder. “That would require you telling people that you have to pay someone to fuck you. We both know you aren’t doing that.” I step outside and close the door behind me. I can hear her still screaming when I reach my car.

I make a conscious effort to stay away from Poppy for a couple of days while I tell all my clients the news. They’re all loyal clients, so I feel I owe it to them to tell them in person. The next time I see Poppy I want to be able to tell her. I’m not expecting it to go down well, but maybe she can deal if she knows I’ve quit. Not that I’m quitting for her. I’m well aware that after all this, I could very well tell her and have to watch her walk away regardless. And I would deserve that.

I like Poppy. I care about her. I want her. But that’s not why I’m doing this. She’s shown me something, given me a glimpse of a different life. She’s given me something to strive for besides a larger number on my bank statement each month.

I smile when I see Thor’s name flashing on the screen of my phone.

“Hey.”

“Hey, ginge. What you up to?” He asks. My stomach flutters at the sound of his voice.

“I am just about to head out to the gallery with some paintings. You?”

“Not a lot. I want to see you tonight.”

“You do?” I tease.

“Hmm, I miss your pussy.” God, it messes me up when he says things like that. “You’re blushing right now, aren’t you?” He says with a laugh.

“Maybe.” I say.

He laughs. “I’ll text you later.”

I clutch the phone in my hand and focus on my fluffy pink socks. “Okay.” I hang up and throw the phone in my handbag. Thor is becoming the best and worst thing about my life right now. I like him, we have great sex…okay, mind-blowing, totally epic sex, and he makes me smile. He tells me I’m his, very vehemently I might add, but there’s something off with him, something…non-commital. I feel like he’s too good to be true, and I’m waiting for it to blow up in my face, for the moment where he fucks me over monumentally.

“Oh, I love this.” Davina coo’s, holding the canvas up in front of her. A few of the smaller London galleries stock some of my paintings. I’m making money out of it and that’s more than my parents ever said I would do. I’m on a time limit, though. If I can’t earn enough money to live on in the next five months, then I have to go to university and study business. That’s the agreement I have with my dad. In return, he pays for my apartment and the rent of the studio.

“I’ll take those three.” She points at three of the four I brought for her.

“Perfect.”

“Kyle, take these out the back.” She says to a young guy manning the till. “IAnd I have a cheque for you. You sold two paintings yesterday.” She claps her hands together and I squeal.

“Oh, my god. That’s amazing!”

She checks her watch. “I actually told the buyer you would be here today. She wants to meet you.” She grins excitedly.

“Oh, wow. Um, okay.” Oh god, I’m suddenly really nervous. A few minutes later and a woman walks into the gallery, her six-inch high Louboutins clicking against the hard wood floor. She screams of wealth and affluence. I should know because she’s from the world I’ve known my entire life.

“Poppy, this is Elizabeth.” Davina says before stepping away and attending to a client.

Elizabeth’s white blonde hair is swept up in a French twist and when she smiles, her unnaturally full lips barely move.

“Thank you so much for taking an interest in my work Elizabeth…” I start.