Zandra nodded slowly. “So you and Roderick have some sort of…understanding?”
“Yes.” Lena pushed out a deep breath, then reluctantly relayed the details of her arrangement with Roderick.
“Oh, my God.” Zandra stared at her in stunned disbelief. “Talk about an indecent proposal.”
“I know,” Lena muttered self-consciously. “It’s scandalous.”
“Positively,” Zandra agreed.
Lena eyed her cautiously. “Are you mad?”
Zandra frowned. “Honestly? I’m a little annoyed that you and Roderick made this secret arrangement without consulting me first.”
“I figured you would be,” Lena mumbled guiltily.
“Can you blame me? Considering that your deal with Roderick affects my bottom line, I think you at least owed me the courtesy of a phone call. As I reminded you before, the holiday season is always our busiest time of year. Not having one of my top escorts for three weeks will really cut into my profits. So, yeah, a heads-up would have been nice.”
“I know.” Lena sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Zandra. I was afraid to tell you, especially after I’d just violated the agency’s no-sex policy. I knew I was skating on thin ice.”
“You’re not alone,” Zandra grumbled. “I can’t wait to give Roderick a piece of my mind.”
Lena gulped on his behalf.
After a prolonged silence, Zandra sighed. “That said, Rod’s one of my closest friends, and using the agency was a one-time thing for him anyway. So it’s not as if you’ll be sleeping with one of our regular clients.”
Lena flushed all over, grateful for the clouds of steam that obscured her body’s reaction. “My college really needs the funds,” she felt compelled to explain. “I wouldn’t have agreed to Roderick’s offer if—”
Zandra held up a manicured hand. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Ultimately, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Believe me, Lena, I’d be the last person to judge you. Hell, most of my friends and relatives think I run a brothel.”
Lena grimaced. “That’s not good.”
Zandra grinned wryly. “At first it got under my skin. It made me feel like they were criticizing me and looking down their noses at me. Nowadays? I don’t even bother correcting them. And wouldn’t you know it? Some of those same judgmental people are the ones who’re always hitting me up for money.”
“Hypocrites,” Lena muttered.
Zandra laughed. Leaning her head back against the sauna bench, she drawled in an amused voice, “So when does your, ah, arrangement officially begin?”
Lena blushed, studying her lacquered toenails with focused absorption. “It already has.”
“Oh.” Zandra chuckled, low and indulgent. “Wasted no time, did he?”
“Nope.” Lena bit her lip, wondering if her face could possibly get any hotter.
“Before he got off the phone with me,” Zandra said, “Rod promised to compensate me for any revenue I’d lose as a result of not having you available. I told him to keep his money and send referrals my way instead. Within an hour the agency had two new clients—a billionaire philanthropist and a software tycoon, both of whom are close associates of Roderick’s.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Lena said sincerely. “I felt really guilty about costing you money, Zandra.”
“I know you did. But I’m not the only one you should be concerned about. You earn a substantial amount per month, Lena. Roderick should be compensating you for your time as well.”
“He offered to, but I turned him down. I don’t need his money—the college does.”
Zandra slid her a wry, teasing grin. “Taking one for the team, huh?”
Lena heaved the long, dramatic sigh of a martyr. “It’s worth the sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice. Riiight.” Zandra laughed. “Well, look at it this way. If you’re going to be anyone’s sexual companion, you could do a whole lot worse than Roderick Brand.”
“That’s an understatement.”
The two women grinned at each other.
Sobering after a few moments, Zandra murmured, “Just be careful, okay?”
“With Roderick?”
Zandra nodded.
“I will.” Lena hesitated, then couldn’t resist asking, “Are you trying to tell me something?”
Zandra looked pained. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Too late.”
Zandra pushed out a long, deep breath. “Okay, here’s the thing,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “Roderick is a wonderful guy—”
“Uh-oh. That’s never a good way to start off.”
“No, it’s true. He is wonderful. Absolutely. I told you before how much I cherish his friendship, and I meant that. But he, ah, doesn’t exactly have the best track record with women.”
Lena smirked. “You’re saying he’s a player. What a shock.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. He’s not a player. Yes, he’s dated a lot of women, but he’s never intentionally set out to hurt any of them. The thing about Roderick is that he has very high expectations. Maybe unrealistic expectations.” Zandra sighed. “You know how some guys are scarred by not having positive examples of relationships in their lives? Like if they grew up without a father, they often don’t know how to treat women? Well, Rod has the opposite problem, if you can call it that. His parents have a wonderful relationship. They’ve been happily married for forty years, and they’re still going strong. I used to wish they were my parents,” she admitted ruefully.
Lena gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Anyway,” Zandra continued with another sigh, “I think their amazing marriage may have led Roderick to develop impossible standards for women. Oh, I’m not talking about shallow stuff, like he’s gonna be checking your feet for bunions in the middle of the night.”
“Whew!” Lena said, wiping her brow in exaggerated relief.
Zandra laughed. “Girl, Roderick isn’t your typical billionaire playboy. Sure, he’s dated models here and there, but I can honestly tell you that he prefers regular women. He’s gone out with females that some of his friends considered too ordinary, but Rod didn’t care. He’s totally an around-the-way boy.”
Lena smiled, and felt her appreciation for him go up a notch. So far, Zandra hadn’t told her anything that would send her screaming for the hills.
“When I say Roderick has impossible standards, I’m talking about relationship matters. He brings his own rigid set of expectations to the table, and if they’re not met, he can get turned off quickly. He’s very stubborn—”
Lena snorted. “That’s an understatement.”
“—so it’s not easy for him to compromise. He’s been known to break up with girlfriends over things that could have been easily resolved, if only he’d been more willing to give and take.” She shook her head in exasperation. “It’s like he has this idealized version of the perfect woman, but I’m not even sure he knows what he’s really looking for. He just knows he hasn’t found it yet, and he puts women through hell in the process.” She paused, frowning. “His brother’s the same way.”
“The twin?”
“Yeah. He told you about Remy?”
Lena nodded, wondering if Zandra knew about Remington Brand’s feelings for her.
A shadow crossed Zandra’s face. Or maybe it was just a cloud of steam. A moment later she blew out a deep breath and said, “Look, the bottom line is that I think you and Roderick could be good for each other. That’s why I set you up on a date together. Honestly? I was hoping you two would hit it off and start seeing each other—gradually.”
Lena eyed her speculatively. “You really don’t approve of our arrangement, do you?”
Zandra grimaced. “I don’t, to be perfectly honest with you. But it’s not my place to approve or disapprove. You guys are mature, consenting adults with healthy libidos. Believe me, I totally understand that. But I just want to make sure you both know what you’re doing. This
arrangement of yours could get pretty complicated. Dangerous.” Her voice gentled as she regarded Lena. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Either of you.”
Lena swallowed hard, then nodded. “Thank you for being so honest with me, Zandra.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Since I’m the one who introduced you to Roderick, I just felt it was my responsibility to give you a heads-up, woman to woman.”
“I really appreciate that,” Lena said sincerely. She hesitated, then added, “If at any time I think I’m getting in over my head with Roderick, I’ll call the whole thing off.”
Zandra gave her a soft, intuitive smile. “Hopefully it won’t be too late by then.”
Chapter Eighteen
After leaving the spa, Lena drove to Lakeview Manor for her Saturday afternoon visit with her grandfather. She’d been there for an hour when Morgan arrived, the heels of her stiletto boots barely touching the ground as she floated across the terrace to reach Lena and Cleveland.
“Hey, you two!” Morgan kissed her grandfather’s cheek and hugged her sister before dropping into the vacant chair at the table and sighing contentedly. “What a beautiful day!”
Lena and Cleveland exchanged knowing glances and chorused, “What’s his name?”
Morgan laughed, her cheeks flushing prettily. “What’re you talking about?”
Cleveland guffawed. “You know what we’re talking about.”
“Who’s the new guy who has you floating on cloud nine today?” Lena added.
Morgan grinned. “I can’t get anything past you two, can I?”
Lena chuckled dryly. “Not when you show up here practically levitating off the ground. So who is he?”
Morgan sighed again. “His name’s Isaiah. I met him this morning when I was waiting in line at the bank. He’s an attorney at one of the top law firms in Chicago.”
Cleveland arched a snowy brow. “An attorney, huh? That’s quite an upgrade from your last boyfriend, who was always between jobs.”
Morgan scowled. “Which is the main reason he wanted me to move in with him—to help pay his rent. Good riddance to that loser.”
“Amen,” Lena and Cleveland agreed.
Morgan laughed. “Isaiah’s nothing like Jason, I can tell you that. He’s taking me out to dinner tonight—someplace fancy. Jason never did that.”
Lena grinned. “So what does Isaiah look like?”
“Girl, he’s fine,” Morgan gushed. “He’s about six-one, brown-skinned, with bedroom eyes and a gorgeous smile.” A sly grin curved her mouth. “Of course, he’s not as mouthwatering as Roderick, but since he’s already taken…” She trailed off pointedly.
Lena’s face heated. “Roderick’s not ‘taken.’ Not by me anyway.”
Morgan and Cleveland traded dubious glances. “He sure looked taken to me,” Morgan countered.
“Me, too,” Cleveland agreed.
“Then you’re both mistaken,” Lena told them.
Before either could argue, Margaret Jacobs appeared on the terrace. The sixty-year-old nurse was petite and slightly stocky, with smooth skin the color of maple and dark eyes that twinkled with warmth and humor.
Reaching the table, she clucked her tongue and draped a thick afghan around Cleveland’s shoulders. “I knew you’d be out here with no coat on. You know better than that.”
“I don’t need a coat,” Cleveland asserted, waving off her concern with his good hand. “It’s a perfectly nice day. No wind in sight.”
Margaret shook her silvered head in mild exasperation before turning her attention to Lena and Morgan. “Hello, girls,” she greeted them with a warm smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Hi, Nurse Jacobs,” the sisters chorused. “How are you?”
“Got my health and sanity, so I can’t complain.” She winked, drawing more smiles out of Lena and Morgan.
Like their grandfather, Margaret Jacobs was widowed, having lost her husband to prostate cancer several years ago. She had three grown sons but no daughters, so she’d unofficially adopted Lena and Morgan as her own. It was no secret that Cleveland was her favorite patient at the retirement home. She doted on him so much that Lena often wondered whether Margaret returned Cleveland’s feelings.
“So,” Margaret began conversationally, smiling at Lena and Morgan, “do you girls have any special plans this evening?”
Morgan grinned broadly. “I have a date with an amazing guy I met this morning.”
Margaret’s smile widened. “That’s wonderful, baby. I’m so glad you got rid of that other young man you were seeing. He wasn’t right for you at all.”
Morgan grimaced. “That’s what everyone kept telling me. I wish I’d listened a whole lot sooner.”
“Better late than never,” Margaret and Cleveland said in unison, then grinned at each other.
Lena and Morgan shared a knowing glance.
“So what about you, baby girl?”
Meeting her grandfather’s inquisitive gaze, Lena asked cautiously, “What about me, Poppa?”
“Do you and Roderick have any special plans tonight?”
She shook her head. “Roderick’s been very busy—”
Cleveland frowned with displeasure. “He’d better not be too busy to make time for you. The two of you just started dating. How are you supposed to get better acquainted if you hardly spend any time together?”
Lena blushed, wondering what her grandfather would say if he knew just how “well acquainted” she and Roderick were.
“That reminds me,” Cleveland said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully on hers. “You never did tell me how you and Roderick met.”
Lena darted a furtive glance at Morgan, hoping she would come to her rescue again. But her sister was preoccupied with sending text messages on her cell phone. Lena was on her own.
“We, uh, met at a party, Poppa.”
“Really? I didn’t realize the two of you had the same acquaintances. I’ve read magazine articles about Roderick hobnobbing with Oprah and the Obamas.” He grinned teasingly. “Are you leading a double life I should know about?”
Lena choked out a laugh. “Of course not, Poppa! What a crazy thing to say!”
Margaret clucked her tongue at him. “Why don’t you leave the poor girl alone, Cleveland? She’s almost thirty years old. She doesn’t need you interrogating her about her love life.”
Lena gave the woman a grateful smile as she briskly continued, “Anyway, the reason I came outside was to take you on your daily stroll through the gardens. Are you ready?”
Cleveland’s eyes lit up. “You’d better believe it.” He always looked forward to spending quiet time with Margaret as she wheeled him around the property’s lush, labyrinthine gardens.
Lena rose from the table, eager to escape just in case he decided he’d rather continue his interrogation. She bent, kissing his cheek and smiling at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Poppa. In the meantime, stay out of trouble.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry. Margaret will keep me in line.”
She chuckled. “Somebody has to.”
As Margaret positioned herself behind Cleveland’s wheelchair, Morgan glanced up from her texting and peered around the table. “What’d I miss?”
Everyone just laughed.
Chapter Nineteen
Later that evening, Lena was walking back to her apartment after making a trip to the neighborhood drugstore. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark SUV pull up alongside her. No stranger to being hassled on the street by leering, obnoxious men, she kept moving, intending to ignore the driver. But when the passenger window rolled down and the opening notes of “Stormy Weather” drifted out to her, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart lurched, and a foolish grin spread across her face before she could check it.
“Hey, beautiful,” came the deep, sexy drawl she’d been expecting—hoping—to hear all week.
Schooling her features into a neutral mask, Lena turned slowly to find Roderick seated behind the wheel
of a gleaming black Escalade. His mouth curved in that slow, lazy smile that always took her breath away.
She swallowed. “Hey, yourself.”
He looked her over, taking in her white V-neck T-shirt worn beneath a cropped blazer and skintight jeans tucked into black knee-high stiletto boots. His eyes glinted with appreciation. “Get in.”
Lena shook her head. “No, thanks. I can walk the rest of the way.”
“Let me give you a ride.”
“I’m good. Really.”
As she continued down the sidewalk he pulled up ahead, double-parked and climbed out of the truck. And then he was right there, blocking her path, smelling and looking too damn good in a black sweater, black jeans and black Timberland boots. Dark stubble shadowed his jaw, giving him a rakishly sexy look. All he needed was a gold hoop in his ear and a sword dangling at his side, and he’d be transformed into a swashbuckling pirate.
He cupped her chin, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. “Did you miss me?”
“No.” God help me, YES!
Laughing softly, he slid his hands under her blazer and into the back pockets of her jeans, pulling her closer. “Okay,” he murmured, smiling into her eyes. “I’ll say it first. I missed you.”
She hated that her heart flipped over and her insides melted. “You could have called,” she said, instantly wishing she could snatch the words back. She sounded petulant. Worse, she sounded needy.
“I was trying to give you some space,” Roderick drawled, bending his head to nuzzle her neck. “Isn’t that what you asked for this week? So you could look after your grandfather?”
“Y-yes,” she stammered, shivering at his touch. “I wasn’t complaining. I was just pointing out that you could have called to set up our, ah, next appointment.”
“Appointment?” He smiled against her throat. “We’ll have to come up with a better word.”
Forcing herself to pull away, Lena threw a self-conscious glance up and down the quiet, residential street. She blushed when she met the amused stares of a young white couple walking toward them.
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