I had to know who this woman was. She was in search of someone, but I just hoped she wasn’t married or seriously attached. It wasn’t often I felt I had to push my shyness aside and act, but this was one of those occasions. I could deal with having to be at this boring benefit if I got to sit next to her. I put my hand over my heart, not understanding the feeling, the natural reaction I had to this stranger. I didn’t know her, never saw her before in my life, but the cobwebs were being swept out of that thing in my chest called my heart.
I saw Porter move next to me, and I heard him murmur to Camber. He shot me a sidelong glance and then stepped forward. I watched in horror as he walked right up to that breathtaking woman and touched her elbow. She stopped and tipped her head up to peer at his face. He was a good six inches taller than her, even in heels. We were just over six feet tall, so she was petite. When she smiled at him, I swore my heart stopped beating. It wasn’t just the ruby red lipstick she wore or the rows of straight, white teeth. It was…her.
“Is that Porter’s date?” Camber’s voice reminded me she was still here.
Of course, she was. It was a cruel trick life liked to play on me.
Porter tipped his head and whispered something in the woman’s ear, and she laughed. He put his hand on her back and turned her toward us like he was about to bring her over here, but an older man stopped him.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. I had to give myself time to steel my reaction. Never in my life had I felt an electric current just seeing a woman until her, and I couldn’t show that to her or Porter.
She was his escort.
His escort.
“I guess so,” I said, forcing my voice to be even.
“Want to sit next to me? I have an empty spot at my table.” Camber pressed her breast against my arm again, and I didn’t even pretend the stirring of my libido was from her. I watched Porter talk to the older gentleman. His escort stood there, her eyes sparkling and a smile on her face, playing the part of Porter’s date. She seemed affectionate and interested in whatever they were discussing.
I was jealous as hell.
Of my brother’s escort.
I wanted to know if he would sleep with her, and if he would pay her.
For the first time, I wondered what it would be like to pay someone for a night of their time.
Because I wanted to have her.
I wanted to know her name, what her lips felt like against mine, and how her body would shudder as she came undone under me.
To hell with Porter. I needed her.
“Brecken?”
I forced my gaze away from my brother and into Camber’s green eyes. I had no choice but to sit with her instead of my family. I couldn’t be at a table all night with Porter’s date while he gave his speech.
“Sure. Let’s get another drink and go find your table. I’ll just say hello to my parents on the way.” And hope to God Porter and his “date” don’t come by until I’m finished.
3
Raven
The man Porter spoke to was one of the doctors at the hospital. I tried to remember his name, but honestly, it flew right out of my head the second he said it. I was too worried about trying to stay in character and keep my racing heart from exploding out of my chest to do much more than stand next to Porter and smile. They droned on about hospital business while I tried to appear interested and engaged. It was all part of the job.
Porter was hot as hell. I knew from Penny that he was thirty years old and a neurosurgeon at the most innovative, highest ranked hospital in all of Florida. He had short, cropped blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a chiseled jaw any sculptor would be envious of. His tux didn’t hide the cut muscles underneath, and his smile was out of a dental pamphlet. The heat of his hand on my lower back made me want to squirm for reasons I didn't want to think about.
For my first “client,” he sure as shit set the bar high for the rest of them. Maybe I could just pretend to be his girlfriend at all his events, and he could be my only client. It was clear he had the money to pay me. I could certainly get behind that arrangement.
It was obvious the man oozed sex from every pore of his body, and every woman at this benefit ogled him with lust in their eyes and at me with disdain. To them, I was competition.
If only they knew.
The second he stepped out from behind the pole in the parking garage, my breath caught in my throat, and I swore my heart literally stopped. I refused to think about why he’d been behind a pole to begin with.
And when his low, sexy voice said “hello,” my knees went weak.
Until he reached out his hand and said, “Porter Kingsley. Thanks for doing this tonight.”
When I reached my hand out, I remembered why I was here. Under no circumstances could I get attached to a hot doctor that was many years older than me. He hired me to escort him only, not fall at his knees and swoon like a love-struck teenager.
“Doctor Kingsley? They’re looking for you. Your speech will begin in a few minutes.” A young guy interrupted his conversation, and Porter smiled in his direction.
“Thank you, Carlton. I’ll be right there as soon as I get my date settled.” He turned back to the doctor. “I’ll see you later, Jim. I need to get Janie over to our table.”
Jim appraised me, as he had multiple times during their conversation. “Don’t leave that one alone for too long there, Porter.”
Porter laughed and wrapped his hand around mine, squeezing gently. “I’m not worried about that. Janie’s here with me. Aren’t you, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart. The term of endearment made my heart thump and my pulse race. No, Raven. Remember what you’re doing. You can’t get attached. He sure as hell won’t be.
I forced a smile on my face and winked at the older gentleman before turning my gaze to Porter. “You got that right, baby.” The second the pet name came out of my mouth, I regretted it. Porter’s face tightened, and his eyes narrowed in on my lips. He wanted to kiss me right here, and if he tried, I knew I wouldn’t stop him. He was that captivating.
I cleared my throat, desperate to rid the sexual tension swirling around us before I did something stupid. Maybe I wasn’t ready for a job like this after all. “Ready?”
He stepped forward and started walking without answering. My hand was still entwined with his, so I maintained a brisk pace to keep up with him.
“I’m going to introduce you to my parents. They may ask you some questions when I leave. As far as they’re concerned, we met at a coffee shop near the hospital and just started seeing each other. That’ll help when they try to ask questions you don’t know the answers to. Sound good?”
My stomach tightened. An inquisition by his parents. Great. That’s just what I needed. “Sure, sounds good, Doctor Kingsley.”
“Porter. And most of my friends call me Port.” He squeezed my fingers again, and a small smile played on his lips. “If we’re dating, you wouldn’t call me Doctor Kingsley. Unless you want to scream it out later as I give you the orgasm of your lifetime.”
I sucked in a breath so quickly I began to choke on my own saliva. I stopped, my lungs constricting and violent coughs wracked my chest.
“Janie.” Porter put his hand on my back and leaned in so his breath tickled my ear. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, tears springing to my eyes from the lack of oxygen. Porter grabbed a glass from a waiter and handed it to me. “Take a drink. Slowly.”
The cool water traveled down my esophagus and slowed the coughing. Within seconds, I had myself under control and smiled up at Porter.
“I’m really sorry.”
He smirked. “Don’t be sorry. I’ve had a lot of reactions from women before, but never one who almost choked herself to death.” He leaned closer to me again. “Besides, you have nothing to worry about. While I’m paying you to be here with me tonight, I don’t pay for sex. Period. I know you’re new to this, and you don’t know what to expect, but at least as far as I’m concerned, sex is con
sensual between two people.” His gaze dropped to my ample cleavage. A flush started low in my body and climbed rapidly. His sexual stare made me want exactly what he proposed. “Would I like you in my bed? Abso-fucking-lutely. But I’m not the kind of guy who pays, and I’m not planning to start. So, if you have a nice time and would like to come home with me, it’ll be on your terms. We clear?”
I cleared my throat, trying and failing to make my libido calm down. “Crystal.” I forced myself to put the confident, no-nonsense persona back in place. “Can you show me to your table?”
Porter studied me for a beat too long before he took my elbow, and we resumed walking. Within seconds, we stood in front of a large table at the front of the room.
A couple that I knew instantly were his parents smiled the second we stopped, and both of their gazes swung to me immediately.
“Mom, Dad.” Porter glanced over at me. “This is Janie. She’ll sit with you while I go get ready for my speech, okay?”
His parents were older but seemed in good health and were dressed to the nines, his dad in a tux and his mom in a formal gown adorned with crystals. He got his good looks from a mixture of the two of them.
His mom was the first to stand and offer her hand. “Janie, great to meet you. I’m Brielle Kingsley.” She gave her son a pointed stare that I read to be a question on who the hell I was. I guessed he didn’t often bring dates. Their faces were so amusing I almost let out a giggle, but I forced myself to remember my role here.
“Preston Kingsley.” His dad stood and followed his wife’s lead. “Great to meet you.” He turned to his son. “Where’ve you been hiding this one? Is she a nurse?”
“Nope.” He winked. “And of course I’ve been hiding her. So you won’t give me the third degree. Now be nice to her while I’m gone.”
Porter leaned over and kissed my temple, sending shocks throughout my traitorous body. “I’ll be back in a little bit,” he whispered in my ear. “They won’t bite. I promise. Just stick to the story.”
His parents both watched the exchange with mouths slightly agape and eyes wide. When Porter stepped away from me and walked away without another word, I took a shaky breath. This wasn’t for the faint of heart, that was for sure.
“So.” Brielle Kingsley appeared like she may start clapping in glee. “Janie, right?”
“Yes.” I wrung my hands in my lap before forcing myself to keep them still. They won’t find out. Just play it cool.
“Where did you and Porter meet? He spends his entire life in that hospital, I swear.” She nudged her husband. “The apple doesn’t fall far.”
Stick to the story. “We met at the coffee shop around the corner. He came in for some caffeine on a long shift, and I was there with a friend.”
Brielle glanced at her husband, and they exchanged a smile. “How long have you been seeing each other?”
I cleared my throat, hoping Porter was about to take the podium so I wouldn’t have to talk anymore. “Not long. He’s so busy—”
“What do you do?” His dad interrupted my answer to his wife.
The bottom fell out of my stomach, and I opened and closed my mouth. We never discussed what to tell them about that. Then again, we only spoke a few sentences to each other, period.
“I’m in college to get my MBA.” It came out before I could stop myself. I had to get a story for any future clients. I couldn’t just be a college student. It was too suspicious. Plus, I knew I appeared older so I could say I was a professional of some sort. But, an MBA was impressive. It showed I aspired for things beyond being a trophy wife.
Brielle’s eyebrow raised, and I wondered if I was in deep shit. Obviously, I was way younger than Porter, and they were well off. She probably thought I was in it for the money. She wouldn’t be far off, but not for the reasons she may think. “MBA, wow. That’s impressive, isn’t it, Pres? A smart and beautiful woman. A great match for our Port.”
“Ladies and gentlemen.” I glanced up to see the same man Porter had talked to earlier standing in front of the podium with Porter next to him. “Thank you so much for coming tonight. While we’ll enjoy amazing food, drinks, and company, let us not forget what the real reason is for being here. Before I turn it over to Doctor Kingsley, I wanted to tell you a little bit about this impressive young doctor. Many of you know that Doctor Kingsley is a bit of an anomaly in the medical world. He’s the youngest neurosurgeon we’ve ever had, and definitely one of the youngest in the profession. This has come from hard work and determination. Porter started volunteering in this hospital at the age of sixteen. He knew he wanted to be a doctor, and learning about it through books wasn’t good enough. Here we are, fourteen years later, and he’s here to share his passion with you. I proudly introduce Doctor Porter Kingsley.”
Porter’s eyes met mine as the room clapped, his gaze unwavering, and I swore my whole body hummed. Not good, Raven. Not good at all. You’re never going to be able to get the money you need if you fall for every guy you meet. Take your head—and your libido—out of this. This is a job. That’s all. You’re getting Chrissy out of that apartment and somewhere she can focus on growing up. Stay. Focused.
As Porter began talking about the money they needed to raise and the research he and his team were working on, I observed his parents. They watched him with adoration, and I wondered what that feeling might be like. Here he was, a grown man, and his parents sat front and center with him as the keynote speaker at an important hospital function. I wondered about his family. I glanced at the other people at the table, but none of them seemed to be related since they only chatted cordially. There was an empty seat on the other side of me, and I wondered if Porter had a brother or a sister who was supposed to be here. They seemed like the sort of family to do things together, not that I knew what that even looked like.
Salads were served while Porter continued to speak. His parents didn’t say another word to me during his address, but I could see their curious gazes every few minutes.
I hoped he’d make it back before the main dish so I didn’t have to try to come up with answers I didn’t have.
His speech concluded a few minutes later and the entire room stood and applauded for him. I saw the adoration on the faces of the people around the room, specifically of every female, no matter the age. Even the men watched him like they wanted to be him.
Porter Kingsley was a force to be reckoned with.
He had the world at his fingertips.
And he hired me to be at his side tonight.
I wondered for what reason.
I watched, as well as the rest of the room, as Porter made his way back to the table.
Our eyes connected when he was a few feet away, and he smirked at me, his mouth quirking up in a way that made my libido go into overdrive again.
He leaned over and kissed my cheek, and I knew every person in the room just watched him—I could feel hundreds of eyes on my back.
It was a public statement, and I found myself continuing to question his motivation.
Porter slid in next to me just as they put the dinner plates on the table.
“You did great.” Porter’s mom beamed at him.
“Thanks. I just want the hospital to get the money it needs.”
Her gaze connected with mine and she smiled. “I think you broke the hearts of every woman in this room.”
Porter stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth. “Why?” He glanced over at me and then back to his mother.
“Because you made it very well known that Janie is here with you.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve never seen you make such a public declaration before. Everyone in this room watched you stake your claim.”
He put his fork back down on his plate, and my heart thumped in my chest. I had no idea what he’d do, but every cell in my body froze. Porter reached over and put his arm around my shoulders. I smelled his cologne, a woodsy, masculine scent that made my head spin.
“Where’s Brecken?” He ignored what she sa
id and indicated to the empty chair. I exhaled slowly. He would deflect the whole topic, and it relieved me. I wondered who Brecken was, but figured I would get the answer soon enough. “I saw him earlier.”
“He came over before you and Janie got to the table and said he was sitting with a woman named Camber for the dinner. It seemed rather unusual for Breck, but then again, you’re both acting weird tonight.” Brielle Kingsley turned to her husband. “What’s gotten into our boys tonight, Pres?”
He shrugged and continued to eat his meal. So, Porter had a brother. And he was here somewhere. I wondered absently if he was as hot as Porter. Lord, that would be a sin. Two hot brothers. I wondered if he was a doctor, also. Curiosity killed the cat, Raven. It doesn’t matter. You’re here for a job and that’s all.
“That’s very weird. I’m not sure why he would want to sit with Camber, but okay.” He craned his neck around, obviously searching for him.
He turned back to get back to his dinner and rested one large hand on my thigh. When I dared to sneak a peek at him, his bright blue eyes bored into mine. Sparks flew between us, and suddenly, his hand on my leg felt very heavy and warm. Electric shocks radiated from each of his fingers directly to my core. I now throbbed embarrassingly. Geez, Raven. You act like you’ve never been around a handsome man before. Get it together.
“You’re gorgeous, have I told you that yet tonight?” Porter’s voice was too low for anyone else but me to hear, but he could’ve mouthed it, and I would’ve heard him. I didn’t know if this was part of his act, but it didn’t feel like it was.
“Th-thank you.” I smiled so I could mask the way my body shook at his words. I had to be the confident woman tonight. I had to be Janie.
Ravenous: The Kingsley Brothers Duet Page 3