The Mistaken Escort's Pleasure: A Liaison Novel

by Valerie Ullmer

  “I’m Gabriel Kane, Rebecca’s husband.”

  Ellie looked up to find that the couple had moved closer to her. Although Rebecca smiled, Gabriel seemed to be assessing her in a way she didn’t understand. Her hand shot out, and when Gabriel’s warm hand encompassed hers and shook it once before letting go, she forced herself to relax.

  “Ellie Roth. Oh, before I forget, I wanted to give you this.”

  She turned the canvas over and held her breath as they assessed the painting. She had fussed with it for several weeks before she thought it was perfect, even after Lucian had assured her that they would love it.

  There was a sharp intake of breath. Rebecca placed her hand over her mouth, and Ellie spotted the tears that welled up in the other woman’s eyes. She was about to reach for her, but Gabriel laughed, pressing his wife closer to his side.

  “Lucian said you two loved New York, and I wanted to capture that for you.”

  “It’s perfect,” Rebecca whispered. She handed the painting to her husband and stepped up to Ellie, wrapping her in a hug that brought tears to her eyes. Ellie, not used to so much affection, was slow to hug her back, but when she did, the other woman gave her a reassuring squeeze and stepped back.

  “Thank you so much. I’m going to put it in my office and lock it up, then we’ll grab some lunch.”

  “Sounds good.” Ellie noticed that her voice caught and cleared her throat.

  Gabriel watched his wife as she walked toward the office with slow, measured steps. “She’s getting over the worst of the morning sickness, but she still has bouts at the strangest times.”

  That startled Ellie. “Should we be going out to eat? I don’t want her to be in any pain.” Ellie had no idea what came along with pregnancy, but if she did anything to make Rebecca uncomfortable, she wanted to avoid it. She looked up to see Gabriel’s assessing eyes on her, and she still had no idea what he was searching for.

  “I can see why Lucian likes you,” Gabriel said.

  “Oh, um…” She trailed off, unable to form any reply to his statement.

  “Ready to go?” Rebecca asked.

  “Are you sure you’re up for it? I can run down to the nearest place and bring back some food.” She glanced at Gabriel and back to Rebecca.

  “You are the sweetest.” Rebecca pulled her in for another hug that squeezed the breath out of her. Although Ellie wasn’t used to such affection, she thought back over the last month or so. Each time she and Lucian were together, he made it a point to touch her and kiss her. His family must be very affectionate. When Ellie hugged her back this time, Rebecca giggled and gave her another squeeze.

  “I’m sure.” Rebecca said before she turned to her husband. “I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Gabriel replied.

  Ellie’s thoughts drifted to Lucian, and again, the thought of him calmed her. She knew that each moment she knew him, she grew closer to falling in love with him. She still had no clue how it would work between them, but each day they were together made her more hopeful that it would.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ellie had taken a sip of her iced tea when Rebecca’s blatant statement caused her to gasp, and her free hand lifted to clap against her mouth. She swallowed without choking and set down her glass full of iced tea. She made a shocked noise and widened her eyes when she remembered where they were. The upscale American Fusion restaurant was half-full of late lunch patrons, and she breathed a sigh of relief when no one paid attention to her. Her eyes drew back to Rebecca, who sat across from her with a smile.

  “What do you mean? You’ve never met any of Lucian’s girlfriends?”

  Rebecca shook her head and snagged another French fry off of Ellie’s plate. Ellie absently pushed the rest of her fries across the table toward the pregnant woman, stunned.

  Through their many conversations, Lucian had told her how close he was to his sister, even more after she’d married his best friend, so this bit of information came as a surprise. She imagined that Lucian dated many beautiful, sophisticated women who fit into his world. But even if he did, apparently there wasn’t anything serious between him and any other woman.

  “What about Gabriel? Has he met any of them?”

  “Lucian kept most of his dates casual, for events or fundraisers that he was required to go to, but he’d never had what you would call a relationship with any of them. I know he’s not a saint, but he never cared about any of them enough to introduce them to me or Gabriel.”

  Ellie couldn’t have been more surprised by what Rebecca was telling her. She knew that he was dedicated to his company, but he made it a point to arrive home at the end of the day before she did, and they would talk and laugh as they cooked dinner together. When he was with her, he didn’t even talk about work, unless she asked him about his day or had questions about what he did. She loved learning about his life, what he was passionate about, and he’d even taught her some basic coding and other shortcuts that came in handy with her graphics programs. She had found coding difficult, and respected him more for his ease and ability with it.

  He shared everything with her, no matter how personal the question was, but she’d never ventured to the subject of his past girlfriends. She didn’t want to know, so she’d never asked.

  Ellie looked up and caught her eye. “We’re not…serious.” She choked on the last word.

  Rebecca squeezed a dollop of mustard onto the plate, and dipped a fry into it before she popped it into her mouth. Rebecca tossed her head back and forth, before her narrowed gaze caught hers, while she held up a finger to indicate that she needed a moment as she chewed. As Ellie watched her eat, she couldn’t help a small smile that emerged.

  “I’m glad that you’re feeling better. I was worried about you back in your office.”

  “Don’t change the subject.” Rebecca sighed. “The doctor said that I should have been over the worst of my morning sickness by now, and they want to prescribe pills to help reduce it, but I refuse. I won’t even take an aspirin when I have a headache.” She rubbed her growing belly protectively.

  “I can understand that. Gabriel is worried about you, though.”

  A smile bloomed on the other woman’s face as she thought about her husband.

  Ellie had seen firsthand the love that they shared, in just one look. Despite knowing that her relationship with Lucian was temporary, she had allowed her mind to wander from time to time, dreaming about their lives together. But she knew that was dangerous territory to tread. Her life had cautioned her that no relationship was permanent, no matter how much you wished for it. For the first time, she wanted Lucian for herself. She was willing to sacrifice much in her life, but the decision wasn’t hers to make.

  “Are you saying that you’re not serious about him?” Rebecca demanded.

  Ellie sucked in a breath as tears filled her eyes. “No, I am. It’s complicated.” She took a deep breath. Even though this was their second meeting, Ellie knew that Rebecca could be trusted.

  “I don’t trust myself. My parents treated me as an annoyance, and during school, I never made friends because they were intimidated by me. When you spend most of your childhood alone, and your parents are college professors, you read as much as you could get your hands on to keep yourself busy. My nanny, when I was three, taught me how to read, and from that point on, I devoured any written material I could get my hands on. It wasn’t until high school that I realized I had artistic talent, and that was another escape from being alone. None of my relationships, other than my friendships between Nina and Ben, ever lasted. At this point, I’m not even sure Ben would consider me his friend.”

  Rebecca squeezed her hand, and Ellie was warmed by her concern.

  “Lucian is too good to be true. He cares if I eat, how much sleep I get, and knows automatically when something is bothering me. On top of that, he makes me feel loved for the first time in my life. I don’t want to interpret his feelings wrong if he thinks of our
relationship as temporary.”

  “There’s something between you. I can hear it when I talk to him. He’s happy for the first time in his life, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him,” Rebecca said.

  Ellie wanted to believe her, but there was a small part of her that still held herself back from believing. She opened her mouth to reassure Rebecca that she would never hurt her brother, when she caught a familiar head of blonde hair heading their way. She couldn’t help the groan that escaped her throat. When Rebecca glanced at her, she had just enough time to warn her.

  “Amanda’s coming this way,” she whispered.

  “Rebecca Kane.” Amanda’s high-pitched voice carried over half of the restaurant.

  Rebecca flinched and rolled her eyes, causing a short burst of laughter from Ellie.

  Amanda’s attention focused on Rebecca, effectively turning her back to Ellie, but she didn’t mind being ignored. Right then, she appreciated the fact that she wasn’t in the vicious woman’s cross hairs, but she was prepared to defend Rebecca if need be. She would never allow her to be hurt. To prepare for the possibility of a quick exit, Ellie slipped her credit card in the folder and handed it to a passing waiter.

  “How are you, Becky?” Amanda asked.

  Rebecca glared at the woman without a word. Ellie was hoping that Amanda would take the hint and leave, but the woman was as ignorant as she remembered. A nod was the response Amanda received.

  Ellie’s mind wandered, thinking about calling Lucian when she arrived back at the office just to hear his voice, but groaned at the thought of going back to work. She had thought about taking a few weeks off, but the timing always seemed to be off, so she’d waited. But if she didn’t take time for herself, she knew she would burn out and do something that she would regret. As the voice she’d rather forget droned on and on, she made up her mind to request time off that same day.

  “And if it wasn’t for Ellie trying to get Tim to cheat with her, we wouldn’t have never realized how much we loved each other.”

  Ellie’s head snapped up. As she opened her mouth to defend herself, she found that she was too late.

  “Amanda,” Rebecca sighed, looking distressed a split second before a blooming smile lit her face, “you’re such a bitch. Ellie is going to be my sister-in-law, and if you ever talk about her in that way again, I will have my husband and my brother sue you for slander. Do you understand?”

  Amanda’s hand flew to her throat. “Well, I never. If she’s engaged to your brother, why doesn’t she have a ring?”

  Rebecca laughed before she answered. “I don’t think that it’s any of your business. Now go…away.”

  The poisonous woman scrambled toward the exit, and Ellie’s eyes darted back to Rebecca. She didn’t think that Lucian had told her about the engagement, but she was wrong.

  “He told you?”

  “Of course he told me. He asked for advice on how to pick the right ring.”

  Ellie’s throat clogged up with emotion as she thought about how adamantly Rebecca had defended her. She couldn’t care less what Amanda or Tim thought about her, but she didn’t want Lucian, Rebecca, or Gabriel involved in something that could be damaging to them.

  Tim and Amanda had no idea how she’d met Lucian, but she would protect Lucian and his family from her old life, and anything vicious they might think about doing. She knew Amanda well enough that the woman wouldn’t let the snub pass.

  “You have to be careful with Amanda. She’s has a vindictive streak and I don’t want to see you hurt. She could also go after Lucian and Gabriel and their businesses.”

  Rebecca grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’d like to see her try. I’ll warn Gabriel, but I’m sure she’s not stupid enough to go after us. I’m more worried about what she’ll do to you.”

  She sat back as the waiter dropped off the check, and she nodded her thanks. After leaving a large tip, she turned back to Rebecca.

  “It doesn’t matter.” She glanced at her watch and grimaced at the time. She had twenty minutes before her meeting, but she found herself enjoying Rebecca’s company.

  “It does matter. You’re with us, and we always stick together. Thanks for picking up the check, and sharing most of your fries. The next one is on me, okay?”

  Ellie nodded and smiled. It was good to have another friend.

  “Do you have to get back?” Ellie asked Rebecca.

  “I’m taking the rest of the week off, and Gabriel and I are spending it locked at our place, with the phone unplugged. I’ve delegated most of the work to my partner and her assistant, and I’m at the point where I don’t have to work so hard.”

  “That’s great! I’m sure Gabriel and Lucian are happy to hear that. Unfortunately, I have a meeting with a client. Can I call Gabriel and have him meet you here to take you home?”

  Rebecca laughed as she stood. “He’s already outside. Ever since we confirmed the news that we were pregnant, he watches me like a hawk.”

  “I’m glad,” Ellie said, and she meant it.

  She stood, and they walked toward the exit side by side. When Ellie spotted Gabriel, she smiled as he opened the door for both of them. He swept his wife in his arms, and Ellie looked down as he kissed her roundly. They were laughing as they broke apart.

  “We’ll see you soon, okay?” Rebecca asked.

  Ellie nodded, and was taken by surprise when the other woman pulled her in for a bracing hug. Her arms settled around Rebecca, and gave her a quick squeeze before she stepped back and adjusted her messenger bag, grateful that she kept it at her back. To her utter amazement, Gabriel was next to wrap his arms around Ellie, leaving her speechless. Tears welled in her eyes at their easy acceptance of her, and she brushed her eyes as soon as he released her.

  She watched the couple as they walked away, the picture of happiness. At that moment, she decided that every minute she spent with Lucian was a gift, and she would stop wondering when it would end.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lucian paced along the outside of the kitchen island, waiting for Ellie to come home from an appointment she’d scheduled the day before. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it, because she had been afraid that she would jinx it, and he respected her decision. But it had been three hours since she’d left for her appointment, and she hadn’t returned and her phone went straight to voicemail.

  He’d never been a possessive man, and he’d remembered when he teased Gabriel about it when he’d fallen in love with Bec, never thinking that he would feel that way about any woman.

  That was until Ellie came into his life.

  Both protectiveness and possessiveness swelled in his chest, because he wanted her near him. He wanted to demand that he go with her to her appointment, but he knew that would be overstepping.

  He’d done plenty of overstepping already. He’d lied to her about being an escort, and then he’d claimed her as his fiancée, something he would never regret for as long as he lived. In fact, it was the best idea he’d ever had, but he had gone about it the wrong way. The black velvet box burned a hole in his pocket as he thought about making Ellie his wife. It had been surprisingly easy to pick the perfect ring for her, and after he slid it on her finger, he planned to keep it there.

  He had to admit to himself, at least in the quiet apartment as he waited for her to come home, that he loved Ellie with a ferocity that scared him but at the same time, made him feel exhilarated. He would convince her that they were perfect together, no matter how long it took.

  Over the last week, they’d grown closer as they spent every moment together. When she had put in a month’s vacation request on the same day she met his sister for lunch, he’d done the same thing the very next day. He was between projects, so it was the perfect time to take off.

  Each morning he woke with her in his arms, and they spent the day talking, laughing, and making love.

  Each time they came together, it started off slow and tender, but soon after, their passion for each other grew until t
heir lovemaking was intense, and each of them cried out for the other. He was left breathless and sated, but he still couldn’t get close enough. He whispered endearments to her when they were close, but kept most of his true feelings inside. If he pressured her, or admitted his feelings too early, he might scare her off, and that was the last thing he wanted.

  “Lucian?” Ellie called out.

  He hadn’t even heard the key in the lock, or the door open, distracted by his thoughts, but he rushed to the door and calmed when he spotted her smiling face.

  “Hi, love, how did it go?” He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her mouth. What he meant to be a simple kiss raged into an inferno. He forced himself to break the kiss, and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

  She blew out a sigh before she moved back to remove her messenger bag and her coat. As she moved to the coat rack near the door, his gaze fell to her hips. Her black slacks emphasized her waist, and the white blouse she had on gave him a glimpse of the lacy bra she had underneath. He wanted her. The urgency never waned, and he knew it never would because she was perfect for him.

  After she kicked off her shoes, she glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. She rushed toward him and leapt into his arms. He caught her and snuggled her against his chest, smiling at her enthusiasm.

  “Am I going to have to guess about your meeting?”

  Her head moved back so she could catch his gaze and shook her head.

  “I met with a gallery owner about showing my drawings and paintings.”

  “Are you going to have a show?” he asked.

  She nodded, but a shadow passed over her face. “He would like to have it next Thursday night, incorporating new artists in one showing. It gives me four days to choose seven pieces I want to show, and if it goes well…” She shrugged as she trailed off.