Escorting the Billionaire #3 (The Escort Collection) (7 page)

“
I
still like you
,” I whispered to James. “Barely.”

“Gee, thanks,” he said, kissing me on top of my head. “Do you need to go to your apartment? To get anything?”

“I’m going to have to. And I need to go to New Horizons, and also call Elena. There’s a lot I need to take care of. But I think I’d like some coffee first.” I blew out a shaky breath. “I have to go see my mother, too. To make sure she understands the financial incentive/blackmail package we’re offering her.”

“It’s a day of reckoning,” James said, looking at his watch. “My parents are flying back tomorrow afternoon. Everything needs to be in place before that.”

I looked at him, still not completely understanding what he had planned. “What do we need to do?”

“I’ll call Danielle’s parents, to see what they’ve done in terms of contacting the police. I’ll probably have to follow up and give the detectives a statement. They’ll want to speak with you, too. You’ll have to tell them how my mother threatened you and exactly what she said with respect to Danielle. And then we’ll go from there. I need to speak with my brother, to tell him what’s happening. This is going to be very hard for him. And I have no idea if my father was involved or not.”

James ran his hand over his face. He suddenly looked tired. “I don’t know if they’ll have enough to arrest either of them. They need probable cause—I don’t know if the information we’re going to give them will amount to that.”

My head was spinning. “What if it doesn’t?” I asked. “What if it
does
?”

“I don’t know,” James said. “But we’ll be prepared either way.”

“You’re methodical. And smart,” I said. “I’m just pointing that out to you.”

He laced his fingers through mine. “That’s what you’re here for, babe.”

W
hen we headed
into the lobby of The Stratum, it felt as if we were coming home. I was so comfortable with James now, it was the opposite of the first time he’d brought me here. The attendants greeted us warmly, their faces open and familiar. When we got into the elevator, I started to laugh.

“What?” he asked.

“I’m just remembering the first time I was in here with you,” I said. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you—and your big hands.” James lifted his hands up and examined them, as if for the first time. “And I kept wondering what you had going on underneath your suit.”

“Well, you ought to know,” he said. He leaned down and kissed me. “You’re the expert in that department now.”

“I was so annoyed that I was attracted to you,” I said. “I thought it was inconvenient. Especially since you said you didn’t want to sleep with me.”

“Oh, I wanted to sleep with you,” he said and tucked my hair behind my ear. “As soon as I saw you, I wanted you.”

“It sort of took you a long time,” I said, pretending to pout.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve made up for lost time,” James said, his eyes darkening as he looked at me. I leaned up and kissed him, slowly, our tongues connecting. Heat shot through me, and I threw my arms around his neck.

“I’m ready for more now, though,” he said. “You didn’t come near me last night.” Now it was his turn to pretend pout.

“That’s because you said I was a grifting whore. Just like my mother. That’s not exactly my idea of foreplay,” I said.

“How about this instead,” he said. As the door opened, he grabbed my ass and hoisted me up on him; I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he carried me toward the door, kissing me deeply.

I could feel him against me, hot and hard, and it caused a familiar ache all through me. He punched in the code without looking.

I wanted him, but the hurt I’d felt last night bubbled up in me, mixed with the hot, heavy desire I was feeling. “Tell me you love me,” I said.

“I love you. You know I do,” he said, carrying me into the bedroom. He laid me carefully on the bed, then he looked around and smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to be here before. I don’t even hate Boston anymore. What have you done to me, Audrey?”

“Taught you how to relax and eat onion rings in bed. Went to Fenway Park with you and drank beer. Oh—and I popped your swan-boat cherry,” I said and shrugged. “All the important things.”

He knelt on the floor before me and kissed me, gently at first. Then the kiss deepened, and I felt myself open up to him. I hadn’t realized it, but I’d been balled up inside myself, like a fist, after what he’d said last night. But now I clung to him, forgiving him, trusting him.

He pulled back from me for a second. “Tell me you’re mine,” he said. “Say it.”

“I’m yours,” I said. “I love you so much.”

“I want to see you naked with that tan,” he said, stripping my clothes off roughly. “It’s been too long.”

“It’s only been a day,” I said, laughing, but I felt it, too. The need. “James—I was hurt last night. It was stupid, because I understood what you were doing. But still.”

He’d already managed to take my clothes off, and I looked up at him, as naked and vulnerable as I could be. “It’s hard for me not to believe… the bad things about myself.”

“But you shouldn’t believe them,” he said, his eyes burning into mine. “You’re the best person I know, Audrey.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. I didn’t want to cry and ruin our sexy moment—I was aching to have him inside me. “I trust you, James. It’s real. And I… I trust you with all of me.” I ran my hand down my naked body as his eyes raked over me, making me flush with heat. As he watched, I started playing with my breasts, making my nipples hard and elongated. I opened my legs a little, offering myself to him.

“My turn,” James said and grabbed my hands, holding them above my head. He put his mouth on me, licking and sucking my breasts hungrily. He ran his hands down my body. He quickly found my clitoris and circled it slowly with his powerful fingers, making me moan as he got me wet.

“I want to bury myself in you,” he said, as I moved beneath his hand. “After I make you come first.” He continued to circle my clit, and I rocked against him, getting slick with wetness. I could already feel a tremendous orgasm building inside me. He bit at my nipples, and I cried out, arching my back. He increased the pressure on my sex as I writhed beneath him.

I was fighting my orgasm. I preferred to come when he was inside me, when we were totally connected. Like this, I was completely at his mercy. He was in charge of my body right now, and my body was out of control.

“I can’t,” I said. “I don’t want to… I need you inside me, babe.”

He stopped touching me and watched my face. “Do you trust me?” he asked. I nodded at him. “Then let me be in charge. I want to explore your sweet, tight body,” he said. He got on his knees and put his lips on me, and his tongue circled my swollen sex. He was in control, and I had to ride the waves of pleasure that were crashing through my body. I had no choice.

He pulled back for a second. “When I’m ready, I’m going to fuck you. Deep and hard.” He took my clitoris in between his teeth and bit it gently, and then continued to suck and nip at me. I threw my head back and cried out. He continued to lick me, and suck me, and play with my body until I shattered beneath him, an orgasm ripping through me. Completely out of control, I screamed his name as my body spasmed.

“James,” I panted as it started to subside.

“Are you ready for me now, baby?” he asked. He stood up and put his long, hard cock against me, rubbing it against my slit as I was still shaking from my orgasm.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Please.” I was desperate to feel him inside me. He didn’t make me wait; he was so hard he was about to burst. He stood at the side of the bed and entered me like that, almost immediately, all the way to his hilt. I moaned as he filled me, and I looked up at his glorious, tanned, and muscled body. His cock was enormous and hard inside me, and my body fit around his tightly, as if I’d been built for him.

He thrust into me once, twice, deep and sharp. I ran my hands down his muscled lower torso as pleasure ripped through me. He was in deep, like he promised, and it felt so good. I felt complete.

I wrapped my fingers around the base of his shaft as he continued to drive into me. I let my hand stroke his base with each thrust, wanting to increase his sensation and his pleasure. It worked. He threw his head back and was riding me hard, his hands gripping my hips. “Holy fuck, Audrey.”

He was in deeper than I’d ever felt him. I felt the familiar pleasure build inside of me, and I started to come, all of my senses overtaken by him. He buried himself into me, over and over, fucking me through my orgasm and finding his release. His powerful arms wrapped around me as our orgasms shook the bed.

Afterward, he collapsed next to me. “Damn,” he said and pulled me against him. I nestled there happily, feeling content and completely connected to him. I was waiting for him to say something more—then I watched as he promptly fell asleep with a smile on his face.

“I love you,” I whispered.

He opened one eye and looked at me, that happy smile still on his face. “I love you too, babe.”

I
woke
up a few hours later with sun streaming through the windows. James was up, wearing his Wharton T-shirt and some sweats. He was pacing around the room.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “I got you your coffee.” He motioned toward the nightstand.

“Thanks,” I said. I sat up and took a sip, eyeing him warily. “You’re pacing for a reason, James. I’d like to know what that is.”

“We’re back home from the trip. Our two weeks are up. You’ve fulfilled your contract.” He ran his hands through his hair.

My heart clenched, and I put the coffee down before I spilled it. “Is this the part where you fire me? Again?”

“Not if it’s the part where you quit. Again.” We just looked at each other for a beat. “No, Audrey—we’ve reached the end of our mutual agreement, is what I’m saying. There’s nothing but free will going on here.”

“Okay,” I said, a nervous pit forming in my stomach. “When you asked me to move to California with you… that was free will, right? So has something changed?” I asked nervously.

“No,” he said. “Yes.” He ran his hand through his hair again. “Being with my family these past two weeks has had me thinking. And all of this horrible stuff about my mother and Danielle—it’s made me realize some things.”

He paused for a beat. “Do you remember what I told you Todd said to me? Right before the wedding?”

“No,” I said. I looked at him blankly. “Was it something like, where the hell is Audrey running off to? ’Cause that’s when my mom showed up.” He was scaring me, and I was just babbling, afraid to hear what he had to say.

“No,” he said and sighed. “That wasn’t it. It’s something that’s been bothering me.”

“Okay,” I said again. I braced for whatever was coming next.

“He said that when you finally figure out what you want in life, you’re pretty ready for forever.” James came and sat on the bed next to me. He reached for my hand. “Like I said, these last two weeks have had me thinking. About family. About what I want… for
my
family.”

I held my breath.

“Audrey, it’s taken me a very long time to find you. And we haven’t been together very long. But I’ve
finally
figured out what I want. And I am pretty ready for forever.”

He got off the bed and knelt by me. He pulled a small black box out from his pocket, and I was pretty sure I was no longer holding my breath—I’d just stopped breathing. He opened the box, and inside there was an enormous, square-cut diamond, fit for a princess.

“Are you?” he asked.

I was stunned. I just blinked at him. “Am I what?” I asked stupidly.

“Ready for forever?”

I blinked at him again.

“I don’t want to wait anymore,” he said, watching my face. “I love you. I want you to know that I mean it forever.”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t find my breath.

“Audrey, will you marry me?”

Finally, comprehension dawned on me and I nodded my head up and down.

“I’m going out on a limb and guess here—is that a yes?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” I whispered, finding my voice. And then I threw myself at him. “Yes, yes, yes.”

T
he next two
days passed in a blur. We’d gone to the police and given statements. We’d also given them my parents’ flight information; the detectives said they would be waiting at the airport when they arrived. They wouldn’t tell us if they would make an arrest, but we knew they would at least question both of my parents. That was something.

I was still having a hard time adjusting to my new reality. This was real. My parents were involved in Danielle’s death. I let the shock, betrayal and disgust course through me as Audrey and I went about our other business. This was my new reality, and it was going to take some time getting used to it.

My parents had always been difficult, but now I found them abhorrent. No matter how distant we’d become, that wasn’t an easy thing for a son to feel.

Audrey and I went to New Horizons, and I’d finally met Tommy. “This is James,” Audrey told him. “I love him, and you will, too. He wants us to move to California with him.”

“What about Mom?” Tommy had asked.

Audrey had shrugged. “She’ll probably come out and visit, even though I don’t want her to. Because she’s Mom.”

They both laughed at that.

Then we paid a visit to East Boston. Because before we got to
my
horrible mother, we had to deal with Audrey’s. We had to make sure she was completely on board with my proposed agreement. She had to promise not to blackmail us and/or communicate with my mother, in exchange for my private investigator’s silence on her ongoing parole violations and a large sum of money being wired into her bank account.

Mrs. Reynolds was wearing an old Pour House T-shirt and hadn’t bothered to clean her apartment, but she did say she was happy to see us.

“You’re happy to see
me
?” Audrey asked, flabbergasted.

“Mostly him,” Mrs. Reynolds said, lighting a cigarette and jutting her chin out at me.

Audrey gave me a quick look and turned back to her mother, her brow furrowed. “Didn’t that investigator come over here?” she asked. “And tell you about his file?”

“Yeah,” her mother said, exhaling in Audrey’s face. “He didn’t bother me none. I mean, once he told me what I was gonna get.”

I pretended to study my phone while Audrey gave me a scathing look.

“What exactly
are
you going to get?” she asked her mother.

Mrs. Reynolds looked at me too, possibly waiting for some sort of direction. I continued to study my phone, not wanting to admit anything. Audrey sighed. “Never mind, Ma,” she said, resigned. “I’ll get it out of him later.”

It was quiet for a beat. I looked up just in time to see Mrs. Reynolds holding her hand over her chest, clutching at her heart and staring at Audrey’s left hand. “Sweet baby Jesus in the manger,” she said, “is that an
engagement
ring?”

“Yes. It is.” Audrey sighed again. “James and I are getting married. And I’m moving to California with him. And we’re bringing Tommy.” Audrey looked defiantly at her mother.

“Well. Huh. Okay,” her mother said, agreeably enough, not missing a beat.

Audrey appeared speechless, like the wind had been knocked out of her. “
Okay
?” She looked suspiciously at me again. “How much freaking money did you give her?”

“Enough,” I said innocently.

“I know you’ll take good care of Tommy,” Mrs. Reynolds said, interrupting us. “And I’ll come out to visit all the time.”

Audrey looked at her in horror, her eyes wide. “Visit…
us
?”

“And stay at a
hotel
, Miss Holier Than Thou. Your boyfriend—I mean, your fiancé—has made all of that possible.”

“I thought you didn’t like him,” Audrey said, jerking her thumb at me. “I thought you said he was prick masquerading as a gentleman.”

“Yeah, but things change,” her mother said and shrugged. “Except you. You’ll always think you’re too good for me.”

“That’s because I am,” Audrey said.

Her mother laughed a little, and then took another deep drag. “Well, you
are
holier than thou. And I’m sure as hell not.”

“Being holier than thou’s not for everybody,” Audrey said.

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Mrs. Reynolds said, through a cloud of smoke.

A
udrey called
Elena from the car and quit. “I’m not coming back to the service, Elena,” she said. The relief was evident in her voice.

“You and Jenny
both
?” the madam wailed. I could hear her from across the car. “Jenny already called me from the island. Jesus, it must’ve been quite a vacation.”

“It was, Elena.” Audrey said, lacing her hand through mine. She hung up and turned to me. “I’m officially unemployed,” she said.

“In this particular case, it’s really for the best,” I said.

Audrey smiled at me but wrinkled her nose. “I’m pretty young to be retired.”

“I’ll keep you busy,” I said.

“You have to. You promised. Remember the cowboy thing?” she asked.

“Can the
cowboy thing
get retired?” I asked.

Audrey laughed. “Maybe. I don’t mind you being the bed, though,” she said, and snuggled against me.

“When you put it like that, I guess I don’t either.” I pulled her close to me, not minding at all.

“
I
have
to return those clothes to Elena,” Audrey said later. We were in her room and she was staring at the formidable closet.

“Nah,” I said, “I’ll just pay her for them. I’m very fond of that black dress. And I might frame that bikini.”

A
ll things considered
, I was happier than I thought I could be. Especially because I was about to meet my mother at the airport with two police detectives and Danielle’s parents in tow.

I still couldn’t believe that my parents were involved in Danielle’s death. And yet, I
did
believe it. What my mother had said to Audrey, and the way that she’d threatened her, confirmed my worst fears. I knew in my heart that my mother had done something terrible, even though I still didn’t know exactly what it was.

I also believed that my father knew. Even if he’d done nothing to help my mother, I was certain that he’d done nothing to stop her. And that made him guilty and reprehensible, too.

We didn’t know what, if any, charges the police would bring. We didn’t know if my father would ultimately be implicated as well. But still. Danielle had been an innocent girl, and her murder deserved justice. For Danielle’s sake, her parents’, and for mine. If we couldn’t have justice, we could at least have some sort of public acknowledgement. Some sort of reckoning.

Danielle’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, were waiting for us at the airport. I hugged them awkwardly and introduced them to Audrey. They looked tired and strained, but they said they were glad to be there. They wanted to see my mother’s face.

“All these years, and we’ve never made peace with Danielle’s death,” Mr. Anderson said. His wife blotted her eyes. “I told myself it was because it’s so terrible to lose a child. And it is—but it was more than that. It seemed more than just… unnatural. Like it was more wrong than that.”

Mrs. Anderson cleared her throat. She had aged gracefully, but there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked hollowed out. “When you called it was like we’d been waiting for that call for twenty years,” she said. “We didn’t know it, but we had been. Your mother never thought Danielle was good enough for you, James. Danielle used to tell me that. I always thought your mother would finally warm up to her, see what a great kid she really was. Now I know the truth. My daughter never had a chance.” She started crying and Mr. Anderson pulled her to him. I turned away.

The two Boston police detectives we’d spoken with were waiting nearby. There was also a reporter from
The Boston Tribune
and a photographer for
Paparazzi
.

“How did the press know about this?” Audrey whispered to me.

“I took a page from your mother’s playbook and called them,” I said. “I figured that would push Celia right over the edge. Which is exactly what she deserves.”

Audrey nodded at me, and I held my breath, watching as the plane pulled up to the gate. I waited for my mother to come out and meet her fate. And my brother. I had to tell my brother the horrible news.

Todd and Evie came first, followed by Cole and Jenny. They all looked surprised by our presence. “What’re you two doing here?” Todd asked. “Mother said—”

“Don’t believe it,” I said, grabbing his shoulders. “Everything’s fine. Audrey and I are engaged.”

“That’s so great,” Todd said. He beamed at us.

“But I’m not here for good news,” I said lowly and urgently. “I tried to call you, but I couldn’t get through. I’m here because of Mom and Dad. Because of something terrible.”

“But they’re fine,” Todd said, confused. “They’re right behind us.”

“Not something terrible that happened to them—something that they
did
.” I gave my baby brother a long look and then I motioned to Danielle’s parents. “This is Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. Do you remember my girlfriend from high school? Danielle? These are her parents.”

“It’s nice to see you,” Todd said, shaking their hands. “And I’m still so sorry about your daughter. I was young when it happened, but I remember what a tragedy it was.”

Todd turned back to me. “I don’t understand,” he said, looking baffled. He looked from Mr. and Mrs. Anderson to the police detectives standing behind them. “What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, knowing the blow I was about to deliver. “Mother has been implicated in Danielle’s death. She threatened Audrey in Eleuthera and we started putting the pieces together,” I said. “The police are here to bring her in for questioning, and maybe dad, too. And the Andersons are here to see them face-to-face.”

Todd went pale beneath his tan. “Are you kidding?”

“No. I’m sorry, I’m not.” For the first time, I felt real sadness and regret about our parents, not just the rage that had been coursing through me.

“Come and sit down,” Evie said gently. She led Todd to some nearby seats, talking to him softly and rubbing his arm.

“Holy wow,” Jenny said, coming up next to us. She must have overheard at least part of the conversation. “I’d say I didn’t believe it, if Mrs. Preston wasn’t such a c-word. Sorry, James.” She turned to Audrey. “She just kept looking at me the whole flight. Like I was going to infect her with hooker cooties, or something.”

Audrey gave her an exhausted smile. “I’d say I was surprised, but—”

“Ho my frickin’ God, Audrey!” Jenny shrieked, interrupting her. “Is that an engagement ring?” Audrey nodded at her and Jenny grabbed her, jumping up and down. “It’s not even a rock! It’s a frickin’
boulder
!”

“Jenny,” Audrey said calmly, “let’s talk about it later. We have some bad stuff to take care of right now.”

“Right,” Jenny said. She stopped jumping and crossed herself. “But wow. Just wow.”

My mother swept off the plane then, in a green polo shirt with the collar turned up, immaculate khakis, and white loafers. Her face managed to move enough to register shock when she saw us.

“James?” she said. “
Audrey?
”

I glowered at her, and she stopped dead in her tracks, my father bumping into her from behind. “Watch it, Robert,” she snapped.

“Mother, be polite—we have company,” I said, motioning to the Andersons. “You remember Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, right? Danielle’s parents? And this is Detective Gordon and Detective Fisk, from the Boston Police Department. I believe they’d like to ask you and Dad some questions—downtown.” I smiled as she fought to maintain her icy composure. Just then, the photographers started snapping pictures, their flashes going off.

“And that’s the
Tribune
. And
Paparazzi
.” I smiled tightly at her while she regained her composure and perfected her posture for the photographers.

“Mother, a couple of other quick things: Audrey’s mom is playing for my team now. You can still pay her if you want to. I’m sure she won’t object.”

I watched as the detectives headed purposefully toward my parents. The Andersons followed close behind, pale and resigned.

“Oh—and more thing,” I said. “Audrey and I are engaged.”

“Mr. Preston! You’re engaged?” called one of the photographers. “Let me take a shot of the happy couple!”

They published the picture all over the Internet that afternoon. In it, Audrey and I had our arms wrapped around each other, tired smiles on our faces. In the background you could just see my mother, the police converging on her. Her face managed to move enough to look as if she had swallowed a very bitter, very low-class pill.