And you can thank me for it later.”
Giving up hope that it could be a scarf, or a coat, or even a season pass to the ballet, Kate swallowed and spoke, pushing her words through her tight throat. “Thank you for what?”
“Kathleen Frazier, starting tomorrow night, for three and a half weeks, you are the proud owner of one male escort. Merry Christmas!”
* * * * * *
Clive turned, the thick glass balanced negligently to his hand, and let his gaze skim over the richly appointed room. Nina had superb taste, and it showed; from the blue damask English sofa, to the crystal vase filled with red roses, everything held the gentle touch of quiet sophistication. But then, she understood her clientele, knew instinctively what it was they expected, and needed, from her. She made absolutely sure the women who came to her got everything they asked for; after all, she was just as picky with the men she hired as she was with the oil paintings that hung on the wall. And each man, she had once told him, was just as much a piece of art as those images in the expensive frames.
Tinsel Town
7
Remembering how she’d told him she could make a fortune off him, Clive smiled to himself. The mix of his Creole father and New York-society mother had created quite a potent punch. Nina had assured him that if his career as a professor ever fizzled, she could employee him well into his sixties, since she was sure he’d age beautifully. He chuckled as he took another sip of whiskey and wondered how the bosomy brunette would enjoy his lectures on human sexuality and the evolution of society. Considering the kind of information she’d allowed him to pull from her brain, Nina would probably approve…but still give him pointers.
“So, you’ve decided to write a book about sex.”
He looked up to find Nina breezing into the room, the soft scent of warm musk floating around her. She was dressed exactly like any other affluent woman, the tailored, soft blue shirt and black slacks elegant in their simplicity. She barely paused on her way to the unobtrusive wet bar, her dark hair slipping down to cover her face when she leaned over for a bottle of water.
“Well, the book would be about how sex is viewed and valued in the modern age.”
She lifted an eyebrow and gave him a droll look. “You make it sound so…dry, Dr.
Thibodaux.”
“Uh-oh, you’re calling me doctor again.”
Nina took a sip of water and cocked her hip. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
Meandering over, he gave her a smile and leaned against the bar. “Whenever you think I’m going to forget about human emotions and reactions, you call me Dr. Thibodaux instead of Clive.”
“Well, Clive, I will tell you that to write about sex, you have to write about love, too.
At least, when it comes to women. Men don’t necessarily need the emotional connection to climb into bed with a willing female.” Her eyes followed his hand as he took another small 8 Flesa Black
drink of whiskey. “There are exceptions on both sides, of course, but you’ll already know that.”
“I do. But what I’d like to put in the book is the way you create the illusion of emotional desire when it comes to your clientele.”
“Who says it’s an illusion?”
He watched her with his eyebrows lifted in derision. Nina held his stare for a long moment, finally letting out a long breath as she set down her water. She shook her head in agitation, her hazel eyes decidedly sad.
“You are a cynic, Clive.”
“I’m a realist, Nina. I’m not saying love doesn’t exist; I grew up with parents who have the real deal. But are you going to honestly tell me that there could actually be a true, long-lasting, emotional connection between your employees and your clients?”
She finally conceded with a shrug. “It’s happened a few times, but I’ll admit it’s a rare thing. Women come to me for the feeling that an attentive man can give them. Yes, sex is always a plus, but it’s not necessarily a definite part of the package.”
“And what I’d like to do is present that in my book. I want to show the two opposing sides of sex, the male and the female. It would give each side the chance to understand the flip side of the coin. You could help men and women know their own desires better, and the needs of their partners.”
“You are too good with arguments.” She laughed softly and reached out to touch his arm. “I’m wondering if you’re determined to put me out of business.”
“I don’t think that could ever happen, Nina.”
“Probably not.” She gave him a wink as she picked up the folder she’d laid aside. “But if I end up out of a job, I’m going to come knocking on your door.”
Tinsel Town
9
He watched her as she moved to the slick topped coffee table and tossed the file down as she swept past. His eyes strayed down of their own volition -- then his heart gave a stumbling start. He had to blink twice, snap his jaw shut, and blink again.
“Two twenty-five,” he managed through a tight voice.
He couldn’t believe it. Reaching down, he picked up the casual snapshot of the smiling redhead and stared at it. His body twitched in reaction, his cock swelling against the zipper of his jeans. Just staring at her photograph made him randy as a teenager. It was too easy to remember her rich, raspberry-and-cream scent, to imagine the curves that were so tantalizing his fingers itched to touch them. He’d had quick fantasies about fisting his hands in her long, wavy red hair. Worse, he’d lost track of the times he’d watched her sashaying through the parking lot in the last month while balancing her violin case in one hand and a leather-bound folder in the other.
Then there had been the run-ins; some he’d instigated, in the hallway and the laundry room. She’d made him insane, nearly incoherent, with her gorgeous smile and incredible penny-colored eyes. Her laugh was enough to drive a grown man to his knees; he could only imagine what the sounds she made in the bedroom would do to him. God, he’d like to find out.
But for all her good humor, 225 was surprisingly shy. Or at least he’d thought she was.
His flirting had been met with startlingly arousing blushes, lowered eyelashes, and husky replies. Of course, if he hadn’t spent his life studying sexuality and the human response, he might have missed those signs. The only problem was that she’d shaken him up enough that he hadn’t been sure if she was actually interested in him. He had deliberately been gentle with her, considering her reaction to his overtures. But now…now he had a whole other side of his neighbor to consider.
“I see you like the look of my new client.”
10 Flesa Black
Clive nearly fumbled the photograph and his glass of whiskey. Clearing his throat, he tried for a casual tone. “She seems…interesting. She’s new?”
Nina watched as he carefully set the picture on top of the folder. “Actually, her friend signed her up. Naturally, we’ve done all the relevant research on Ms. Frazier.”
He felt a surprising wave of relief sweep through him. “Her friend put in the application? That’s…”
“Strange? I would agree, only Betty is a wonderful saleswoman. She told me about her friend, about the predicament she was in, and how she wanted this to be a surprise holiday gift for Ms. Frazier.”
“Gift?”
Nina nodded, her lips tilting up as she eyed him. “A man as a present. Fine idea, don’t you think?”
“Ms. Frazier,” he said softly, battling to keep his gaze from wandering to the file. “You agreed to this little arrangement?”
“After our background check and her friend’s glowing reference, yes, I agreed. I’m sending Victor over tomorrow.”
Clive tried not to wince at the thought of the hard-bodied, bottle-tanned man touching the beautiful redhead. “Victor? Are you sure about the fit?”
Nina’s brow knitted tightly as her eyes narrowed. “She needs someone for over three weeks, and he’s the only one without any set plans.”
“Three weeks?” He couldn’t stop the way his voice rose in shock.
“Yes, three weeks. I thought you didn’t have a problem with my line of business, Clive.”
“I don’t.”
“Then why all the questions? We usually have a nice, rambling conversation, not an interrogation.”
Tinsel Town
11
He couldn’t explain what was wrong, not when he wasn’t sure himself. If this woman had been anyone else, he would have only had a mild interest in her information. But 225 -Ms. Frazier, he amended, was different. And somehow, he knew it wasn’t just the sexual attraction that made it that way.
Nina moved closer, tilting her head as she stared at him. “You have a vested interest in this woman.”
He didn’t reply to her statement, only kept himself still as he held her eyes with his own. She didn’t push, though she trailed her fingertips down his knuckles in sympathy.
“I like you, Dr. Clive Thibodaux. But ethically, I can’t tell you that Kathleen Frazier is an intelligent, talented young woman who is interested in sexual experimentation with a careful, experienced partner. I also can’t tell you that she needs a man to play her significant other over the holidays, as her friend says, for the sake of her sanity. And I also shouldn’t say that personal in-depth research is one of the best ways to create a more realistic book.”
Staring at her, Clive let what she’d just said seep into his mind before slowly sorting it all out. When it all finally clicked, his pulse leaped as the blood rushed straight down to his crotch. She was going to need a personal teacher, a very personal teacher, to walk her through her sexual desires. And she needed him for three weeks. It was all he could do not to demand the chance to play the male escort. For all that Nina liked him, she was actually very principled when it came to her clientele and employees.
“I can see the question, Clive. Why don’t you balls up and ask it?”
Waiting for her to stop him, waiting for her to tell him no, he swallowed back the knot of desire and fear that clogged his throat. “I would be very interested in being Ms. Frazier’s escort for the holidays.”
A small, knowing smile touched her rouged mouth. “Well, now, that’s a very enticing offer, doctor. You’ve been shadowing me for, oh, three months now. You go through the same tests every week that my employees do. You’ve gone through the same training 12 Flesa Black
sessions. You even once subjected yourself to the same spa treatment as my men. But I’ve never seen you show interest in any of the clients before.”
“Maybe it was your persuasive argument about research.”
“Maybe.” She raised a doubtful eyebrow, though her features didn’t show any mocking.
“I will admit that I noticed you and Ms. Frazier have the same address. I’m assuming you live in the same apartment building.”
“That’ll make it easier for me, then.”
“There is travel involved. You don’t have any family plans? Nothing to keep you from focusing completely on this woman?”
“My parents are visiting my sisters in Washington. I’m free and clear.”
Nina let out a soft sigh, tapping her fingertips together as she studied him. “You have to know that you’ll be representing me and my company. I don’t hire just anyone.”
“I understand that, and I know how hard you’ve worked to build your reputation. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
“You know, I think I might have been wrong about you, Dr. Thibodaux.”
Clive felt a ripple of uncertainty and shook it off. “How is that?”
“You aren’t as cynical as you might like people to think.” She reached down and picked up the image of his neighbor. “This is going to be an interesting few weeks. All right, Clive, in the spirit of Christmas, I’m going to give you the gift of my newest client. You, doctor, are going to be the present Kathleen Frazier will never forget.”
Tinsel Town
13
Kate checked her appearance in the cheval mirror…again. Tugging at the jersey material, she cast a critical eye on the neckline and again at the empire waist. She supposed it was conservative enough without being too sexy; still, she didn’t want to look like a frump, either. God knew it was almost impossible to find a dress that might impress a professional escort; adding her figure into the equation didn’t exactly leave her many options. Picnic blanket with head and armholes, or overly laced, cut down to her navel and up to her bikini line? With her body type, finding something in between was harder than it should have been. Luckily, she had just enough sewing experience to be able to alter the less-than-flattering outfits into something a bit more sophisticated. Still, she wasn’t sure if the sky blue material flattered her curves or accentuated them too much. Was the upswept hair too businesslike? Were the dark heels too risqué? Did she have on too much makeup? Exactly how did one dress for a man who was, according to his contract, supposed to be her own personal cabana boy? And since she had no intention of going through with the ludicrous plan, did it matter?
Sighing, she swung away from her image and made a grab for her purse. She would like to say it didn’t matter, but the fact that she’d waxed every available piece and part of her body spoke volumes. At least she could tell the man thanks but no thanks feeling sexy.
14 Flesa Black
She was just considering her tried-and-true black symphony dress when the doorbell rang. Immediately, her stomach rolled into a twist, and her heart made a giant leap for her throat. She checked her watch, seven o’clock, exactly on time. She couldn’t decide if his punctuality was a plus or a minus.
“I don’t suppose it’s nice to leave a man standing out there all night.” Taking a deep breath, Kate hurried from her bedroom.
When she reached the door, she stopped to smooth down her dress, which gave her a moment to gather her thoughts. Might as well get this over with, she decided, and quickly set a smile into place. The greeting on her lips died a quick, hot death when she saw who was standing there.