“Hey, Nic,” I mumbled, sitting down.
“Hey, asshat,” she said, grinning, looking as surprised to see me as Jake had been. “Can you believe this? They said she died while fucking a hooker in a hotel room.” She looked at me, her eyes huge with disbelief.
Fucking great.
“Yeah. Hey, I need to talk to you guys,” I said.
Nic nodded, and muted the TV.
“Uh, can you turn that off?” I asked, my voice weak.
Having her picture right there in fifty-inch high definition definitely wasn’t making things any easier. Jake walked into the room and passed me a beer, and sat down next to Nic, his arm draping over her shoulder.
“What’s up?” Nic asked nervously, clicking the TV off. “It’s not about Mom, is it?”
“God, no.” I didn’t even think about that. Of course her mind would go right there. “Mom’s fine,” I assured her. I paused. “Are the kids in bed?”
“Yes. What is it?” Nic pressed.
Okay, just say it. Get it over with.
“I have no idea how to tell you this, and I just want to say first I’m so sorry about lying to you. Fuck, this is hard.” I shook my head. This was up there as one of the worst conversations of my life—right alongside the talk with Mom, when I was eleven, about how masturbation was normal.
“Liam, you’re scaring me,” Nic said, her voice shrill. She sat forward, her body tense, as if she was waiting for bad news. “Are you sick?”
“I’m not sick.” I sighed, wiping the sweat that had accumulated on my forehead. “Okay, I’m just going to say it. I don’t work in insurance. Never have. Wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”
Both Nic and Jake looked at me as though I’d grown an extra head.
“What . . . wait, are you mixed up in something illegal?” Jake asked. Nic stared at me, alarmed, her eyes wide with fear and anxiety.
“No. Nothing illegal.” God, just tell them already. “Since college I’ve been working as an escort . . . I sleep with women for money.”
“An escort?” Nic sputtered, her eyebrows shooting up.
“Yes. An escort. I started after Kara left me. A professor kind of took me under her wing, and now I have several very high-profile clients. Very high profile,” I repeated slowly, hoping I wouldn’t need to spell it out.
Nic’s mouth dropped open as she began to understand what I was trying to say. She clicked the TV back on.
“God no. You didn’t . . .” Her voice trailed off as I nodded. She looked from the TV to me, and back to the TV. “That was you?” she said incredulously. “What . . . are you in trouble? What happened?”
“We had an appointment, just like usual. We met every week, almost. For the past four years,” I added.
“You’ve been fucking Melinda Diveno for four years?” Nic squeaked. “Holy shit, Liam.” She jumped up suddenly, and disappeared into the kitchen.
I glanced at Jake, who shrugged.
Nic reentered the room, carrying a bottle of vodka. “I need a drink,” she muttered, unscrewing the top and throwing back a mouthful. She made a face and then sat back down. “Okay. Continue.”
“What, from the start?” I asked, confused.
Nic rolled her eyes. “From anywhere, Liam. Just start fucking talking.”
“Right, so today was no different from any other time. We met in the hotel room, we started . . . well, you know what we were doing, and the next thing she was dead.”
“And you called the police?” she demanded.
“I called 911. The police and the ambulance came. There was nothing they could do. They think it was a heart attack.”
Nic shook her head, struggling to comprehend what I was telling her. “Why? I mean, why do . . . that? Why pimp yourself out? Where is your self-respect? Don’t you think you’re worth more than a quick fuck for thirty dollars?”
I laughed incredulously. “Nic, how the fuck do you think I could afford Mom’s care? Without my job there’d be no trial, no treatment. Don’t you sit there and judge me when all I’ve done is care for our family.” My voice was hard.
I’d never spoken to Nic like that. Ever.
“I’m not judging you,” she said quietly. “I’m just trying to understand.”
“If it wasn’t for Mom, I probably would’ve quit years ago. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t enjoy my job, but you think I don’t want a life? You don’t think I’d give it all up for a chance at happiness?”
Nic slumped back against Jake. “I don’t know what to say.” She shook her head. “Mind-blown.” She threw up her arms. “Have you told Mia?”
I glared at her. “Why the fuck would I do that?”
Nic blushed and glanced away, looking like she’d just said something she shouldn’t have.
“Nic. What are you hiding from me? Did she say something to you?” I demanded.
Nic averted her eyes, embarrassed.
“Nicole,” I said, using her full name. She knew that meant I was pissed.
“Okay!” she said, exasperated. “She told me you guys slept together.”
She what? Fuck. I clasped my hands behind my head.
“And she told me she likes you. A lot. Like a lot, Liam.”
I sighed. Any other time hearing those words would be good news, but right then, all they did was add to the complexity of the situation.
“I gotta get out of here,” I muttered. “I don’t expect you guys to say anything right now, I just didn’t want you finding out through the media.” I stood up. “Look, it’s been a hell of a day. I’m just going to go home and get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you, Nic.”
Nic turned to me, tears in her eyes. “I love you, too.”
Jake stood up. “I’ll walk you out,” he said.
He followed me outside, shutting the door behind him. “Did you get the name of the officer you were talking to?”
I handed him the card.
He nodded, shoving it in his pocket. “I’ll give them a call and see if I can find anything out for you.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“Coop? It’ll work out. Nic is just shocked. Give her a day or two to process what you’ve told her. Go home and get some rest. Call me if you need me.”
I nodded numbly and walked to my car.
I was surprised to find Mia on the sofa when I got home.
Last I’d heard, she was moving to a hotel. Had I known she was going to be there, I probably wouldn’t have come back. I couldn’t think straight around her.
She hadn’t even responded to my message, which left me feeling like a dickhead. But then, knowing that she did like me made me want her more than ever.
Shit. When did life get so confusing?
“Thought you were leaving,” I said bluntly.
She gawked at me, taken aback by my abrasiveness. “I . . . I thought about it and decided we were both adults, and we should talk about this.”
“Oh. You decided?”
“Hey,” she said, jumping to her feet. “If it’s that much of a problem having me here then all you had to do was say so,” she huffed, her eyes flashing with anger. “I’ll be out of your hair in ten minutes.” She stalked off to her room.
Fucking great.
Shaking my head, I went after her. I stood in the doorway and watched as she shoved things into her suitcase.
“I’m sorry, Mia. I had a hell of a day. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
She shot me a look, her eyes still full of anger.
“I’d like you to stay. Please.”
She stopped packing, and walked around the bed until she stood in front of me. Her arms crossed over her chest and she eyed me, weighing up her response.
“Fine. I’ll stay. But dammit, Coop, don’t treat me like shit. I got enough of that from my ex. You think you’re confused about us—well, I’m ten times more confused.”
I doubted that.
“I’m sorry.” I grabbed her hand and nodded t
oward the living room. “Come on. After the day I’ve had, I need a drink.”
She let me lead her to the kitchen, where I grabbed two sodas from the fridge and then led her over to the sofa.
“That’s what you consider a drink?” She smirked.
I glanced at the can and shrugged. Wasn’t it?
“The way you said it, I was expecting something harder.” She begrudgingly took the drink from me, and sat down, making sure there was a good few inches between us.
I grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. Of course, it was on every single fucking channel. Between this and the text that still hadn’t been acknowledged, I was ready to give up.
“God, did you hear about that?” muttered Mia. “Poor woman. And her husband, how horrible must this be for him?”
“Yep.”
Mia turned to me. “What’s wrong? Maybe talking about it will help you feel better.”
I shook my head. God, if she ever found out, any hope of us being together would be gone . . .
“How about a movie?” I jumped up and raced over to the bookshelf where I kept my stack of DVDs. “The Professional or Usual Suspects?”
Mia shrugged. Her green eyes tilted to the floor. “Whichever. I don’t mind,” she said sullenly.
She tried to hide the fact that she was upset I didn’t want to talk to her. But what the hell was I going to say?
Hey, yeah I was with Melinda when she died, and by the way, I’ve been an escort for the last eight years. By the way, why the fuck haven’t you mentioned my text message?
She made it clear she didn’t want complicated. I wasn’t just complicated—I was fucking impossible.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I spent most of the next two days avoiding everyone.
Nic had called, and so had Beth, but I hadn’t felt up to talking to either of them. I’d waited until Mia had gone to work before I left my room, then calculated what time she would be home so I could be sure not to be there. The plan kind of fell off track when she arrived home earlier than I’d expected on day two.
“Hey.” She smiled, sitting down next to me on the sofa. “I was worried about you.”
“Hey,” I mumbled. “I was about to watch a movie.”
What I was really doing was avoiding the news channels, because they were still eating up the Melinda scandal. Mia shrugged and smiled, showing no signs of leaving. Sighing, I stood up and slipped a DVD in and sat back down, pressing Play. I cared so little about what we were watching that I didn’t even pay attention to which one I’d put on. I sat back down, my hand brushing past her thigh.
God, did she feel that? My hand felt as though I’d just placed it on an open flame.
We sat side by side, both pretending to be interested in some shitty movie. My phone buzzed in my pocket. The police still had my work phone, so I knew this was likely to be Nic, Jake, or Beth. I pulled it out and saw it was from Beth.
Hope you’re okay. Call me if you need me xx
I rolled my eyes, and put the phone away. Mia raised her eyebrows at me. I shrugged, turning my attention back to the TV. Halfway through the movie, she stood up.
“Are you hungry? I was going to make a stir-fry.”
“Sure. Thanks,” I replied. I felt bad about making her feel bad. Not knowing how to fix it made me feel even worse. “Can I help?” I stood up and followed her into the kitchen.
“You can cut this. And this.” She reached into the fridge and handed me an onion and two carrots.
I nodded. I could handle that. Grabbing a knife and a cutting board, I began to slice, ignoring the stinging the onion gas was causing my eyes.
“How was work?” I asked. The silence between us was killing me. Things had never been awkward between us. Not like this, anyway.
“Good.” Her voice sounded brighter as she smiled. “I’m really liking it, actually.” She snuck a glance at me. “I put in an application for two places today.”
“Oh?” I don’t want you to go anywhere. I want you in my bed every night, up against my body. I want to fall asleep with you curled up in my arms.
I flushed at the thoughts that were escaping my head. It was that damn cream-colored work shirt. I could see her hard nipples through her thin bra.
“Yes. Both are close to the hospital. I should hear back this week. You can get your freedom back.”
“Great,” I said, clearing my throat.
She bent down at the fridge to get the garlic, which caused me to stop and stare.
God, look at that ass.
The curvy silhouette of her ass, enhanced by her position, stared up at me, begging to be touched. Slowly, I moved toward her, my actions overtaking my thoughts. My cock began to swell as I stood behind her, my hand running over the outside of her skirt.
She jumped, shocked by my behavior, but remained bent over. My hand traveled down to her legs and then ran up the inside of her thighs. I lifted up her skirt, stopping just short of her lace panties. She gasped, her legs buckling as she reached out for the counter to steady herself.
“I want myself inside you so badly right now,” I whispered, my finger trailing the edge of her panties.
“Coop,” she gasped, her palms spreading flat on the counter.
“Shh, stay still,” I mumbled, as my finger entered her wet pussy.
She groaned, her fingers pressing into the sandstone of the counter so hard they were white. I slid a second finger inside of her, my mouth pressed up to her neck, my erection aching against my pants.
“You’re so beautiful, Mia. Everything about you amazes me,” I whispered as my fingers swept over her entrance again. Whimpering softly, she parted her legs for me.
Slipping my fingers outside of her, I unzipped her skirt, letting it pool around her ankles. A deep groan vibrated from my throat. Watching her bent over in front of me was almost unbearable. My hands wanted to be all over her soft skin all at once. She was there, with me; it made me lightheaded, as though a part of me was expecting to awaken at any moment.
At any other time, with any other woman, the sight of her red lace thong and messed shirt would’ve sent me over the edge. But that wasn’t what I wanted from this woman. The velvet-smooth feel of her skin; the scent of her perfume lingering behind her ears and in the divot between her collarbones; and that damn shampoo that smelled like honey…it was all busy torturing me every moment I wasn’t allowed to touch her.
“Come here,” I whispered.
She turned around, her arms wrapping around my neck as our lips melted into each other. I parted her lips gently with mine as my tongue eased onto hers.
My heart pounded faster, not knowing what she wanted from me. I wasn’t in a role, and I had no more games to play. This was me, Liam. She was getting a part of me that no other woman had ever been with. I wasn’t the Dom; I wasn’t the cabana boy; I wasn’t the actor, the playboy, or Coop the Escort.
I was just me. And the idea that I might not be enough for her scared the shit out of me.
I hoisted her up to my hips and carried her down to the bedroom, our lips not breaking apart for even a second the entire way.
“I love everything about you,” I mumbled, burying my face in her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. I lowered her onto my bed as she unbuttoned my shirt. I hovered over her, slowly unzipping my fly, and her eyes followed my every move.
The moment I parted her legs, I felt my erection ache for her. I rubbed once against her sensitive bare pussy, and I almost fell apart.
Quickly, I grabbed a condom from the nightstand and tore it open. I rolled it on with one hand while my other cradled her beautiful face, and eased myself inside of her.
Her breath caught. And I stopped breathing altogether.
There was nothing about that moment I wanted to change as I saw a lone tear escape her one of her green eyes. She swiftly wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer to her.
This was what I’d been missing. Sex was an act that I had given and received on a whim.
The intense feeling of making love to someone special was something I had convinced myself wasn’t missed. But it was.
Making love to Mia had just proven that.
My eyes fluttered open. It took me a minute to process my surroundings. Bed. My bed. Mia’s arm draped over my bare chest. Fuck, she looked so sweet, lying there asleep. Her mouth was open slightly and a little snore escaped from her mouth. I smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Easing her arm off me, I sat up and reached for my phone. Four missed calls. Two from a number I didn’t recognize, and two from Jake. There was also a text from Beth.
How are you Coop? Call me xx
Grabbing my robe, I threw it over my shoulders and crept out of the room. Walking into the kitchen, the first thing I did was make a coffee. The second thing I did was sneak out onto the balcony with said drink.
I called Jake. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Coop. How are you holding up?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve been better. What’s up?”
“I found out something that might cheer you up. The coroner has ruled Melinda’s death natural causes. She had a stroke. There was nothing you could’ve done to prevent it.”
I leaned against the brick wall, overwhelmed with relief.
Thank fucking god.
“Coop? You there?”
Shit. “Yeah, I’m here,” I replied. “Sorry, I’m . . . speechless. How did you find out? I mean, are you sure?”
“I’m a lawyer. I know people.” He chuckled.
“How’s Nic?” I asked tentatively.
“She’s okay. Still a little shocked, but you know her. She’ll be fine.”
“Thanks for calling me.” I hung up the call and dialed Beth.
“Coop?” she said breathlessly.
“Yeah, why are you . . . never mind.” I chuckled. Some questions were better left unanswered. “Good news—Melinda’s death was caused by a stroke.” Shit, that sounded horrible. “The stroke was not good news . . . you know what I mean.”
“I’m glad you’re in the clear, Coop.” She paused.
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