Escorting the Billionaire (The Escort Collection #1)

by Leigh James

  “Did you talk to him about how you’re feeling? Did he tell you what he wants?” she asked.

  I shook my head no. “He tried to. But honestly, I don’t want to know. Because no matter what he says, I know I’m not the best thing for him.”

  Jenny squeezed my arm. “You’re such a good person—one of the best people I know. When’re you going to give yourself a chance?”

  “A chance for what?” I asked miserably.

  “To be happy,” Jenny said.

  “I am happy. At least I know what it feels like now,” I mumbled.

  She frowned at me again. “If you love him—and I’m guessing that’s what you mean—you’ve got to give him a chance,” she said.

  “I can’t, Jenny.” I felt as if I might cry. “I’m just trying to keep this from going from bad to worse. Bad is where I’m at. I love him, and he’s totally out of my league. His mother hates me, and she’ll never accept me into their family. My mother’s already tried to blackmail him. That’s why she came to the wedding. It’s not like we’re ever going to be one big, happy family.”

  I took a deep breath. “And it could get so much worse—that’s why I don’t even want to know how he feels. What if he loves me back, huh? It’ll never work out and that would break my heart. Or what if he doesn’t love me back? Then that would break my fucking heart. You get it?”

  “I get it.” Jenny sighed. “But you gotta stop this overthinking. And you gotta let him have a say. Otherwise you’ll never find out.”

  “Find out what?” I asked.

  “Who he is, Dre.” Jenny looked like she pitied me a little. “If you don’t let him tell you how he feels about you, you’ll never get a chance to know. And that might seem safe and perfect, in that little airtight container that you’re trying to create for yourself, but it’s not right.

  “I know you: you want everything in order. You want to take care of Tommy and keep your Mom out of trouble and keep James up on a pedestal. But that little airtight container’s not big enough for you, girl. It’s not big enough for you to have a life.”

  “Huh,” I said. I picked some more imaginary lint off my skirt. Jenny knew me better than I wished she did. “Have I told you lately that you’re smart?”

  “You have,” she said and smiled. “So if you think I’m so smart, you listen to what I’m saying. You gotta be brave here. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And maybe some liquid courage.”

  She hit the button above us and an attendant appeared instantly. “We’d like two large glasses of alcohol,” Jenny said. “Any kind you got. This being such a fancy flight and all, I’m sure it’s all good.”

  James

  The plane ride passed in a blur. Cole and I drank bourbon and talked about sports. He must have sensed that I needed to keep things on an even keel; he didn’t even bug me to switch back to my old seat so he could be next to Jenny.

  We got to the island, and although I was sure it was beautiful, I didn’t really notice. I’d been to a dozen beautiful islands before. I didn’t give a fuck. Audrey was like a prisoner next to me, silent and resigned.

  We’d just checked in when I heard my name. “James!” I turned around to see Todd waving at us. “Drinks poolside tonight,” he called, giving me the thumbs-up. It was still early, which meant Audrey and I had a few hours to ourselves.

  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  We walked through the resort’s property, and although I supposed it was sufficiently luxurious, I noticed none of it. All I could think about was Audrey. I didn’t know what was going on inside of her—I had no idea what she was thinking—and it made me feel off-kilter.

  She’d told me she loved me… had she meant it? She’d been so distant from me in the hours since then, it was as if she was someone else.

  The valet brought us to our villa, which was an enormous, ornate pink-stucco house with a wraparound porch. We went inside, and he assured me that our luggage and all the liquor I’d requested would arrive shortly. We had a butler assigned to us, but I dismissed him immediately; I only wanted to be alone. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be with Audrey right now.

  I had the sinking feeling she was getting ready to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. Again.

  “This is amazing,” she said, walking through the house. “It’s so pretty.”

  I looked at her then. She had a full, printed skirt on and a tank top. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She looked casual, young, and so beautiful it cut me.

  “Audrey.” She looked up at me. “I can’t do this. You have to tell me what’s going on with you.”

  A shadow crossed her face. “James… let’s just get through today. There’s been so much going on.”

  “Did you hear from your mother again?”

  “No,” she said. “But I know I will.”

  I reached out and grabbed her hand, pushing my wounded pride out of my way. “I’ll help you with her. You know I will.”

  She smiled at me, but she pulled her hand back quickly. “I have to do it myself.”

  I sighed in frustration. “Is this the cowboy thing again?”

  “Sort of.” She stepped back. It was as if there was some sort of chasm in between us now. Even if I reached out, I wouldn’t be able to get to her.

  “I’m going to go check out the rest of the place and take a quick shower,” she said. And just like that, she was gone.

  The butler buzzed then, bringing in the booze I’d requested. His timing was the one upside thus far today. The only one.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Audrey called to me from the bedroom. I went in, gripping my bourbon. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get Jekyll or Hyde right now.

  I stopped short when I went into the room. She was naked on the bed, her glorious body spread before me. “I know you said you didn’t want my services anymore.” She looked up at me and ran her hand down herself, skimming her breasts. Her nipples were hard and erect. “Would you reconsider?”

  I just looked at her, dumbfounded. I took another swig of bourbon.

  This was going to be a long day.

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Audrey?”

  She sat up immediately, as if she were surprised by my tone. “No.”

  “You think I want to have sex with you? Right now? After the way you’ve been acting?”

  She crossed her hands in front of her chest, trying to cover her nakedness. “I thought… I thought it would make it better. Like we could get back to what this was supposed to be.” She looked up at me defiantly. “Services requested and services rendered. You’re paying for it, remember?”

  A cold rage descended on me, and I had to fight to calm myself. I wanted to throw the glass I was holding; I wanted to hear it shatter and smash. But I stopped myself. One of us had to act like an adult.

  “Audrey,” I said, trying to keep my voice under control. “Do you feel as if I’ve mistreated you?”

  Now a blush started to creep up her neck. She grabbed the comforter and pulled it around her, as if to shield herself from me. I thought I saw a flash of sadness or regret in her eyes, but it was only there briefly. “No,” she said. Her voice was strained, like she was trying to keep it even.

  “Then why are you doing this to me?” I asked.

  She winced then. “I’m not doing this to you, James. I’m doing it for you.” It looked as if she might cry, but she was still trying to sound defiant.

  “Audrey,” I said, “what the fuck does that even mean?”

  Her face crumbled then and she looked sad, defeated. “I meant what I said last night. About loving you,” she said, miserably. “But I wish I didn’t.”

  I sat down on the bed heavily. I took another sip of my drink and looked at her wounded face. She was clutching the necklace again and I took that as a sign. A sign to be brave.

  “Well, it would suck if you didn’t mean it,” I said. “Because I love you, too.”

  She didn’t look at me.
She just reached over and grabbed my hand, holding on for dear life.

  * * *

  “Jesus, Audrey,” I said, cradling her on my lap. “You don’t have to cry.”

  “But I do,” she wailed, blowing her nose as she rested against my chest.

  “The fact that we’re in love,” I said, savoring the way the words felt on my lips, “that’s a good thing. Not something to get hysterical over.” I ran my hands down her back, thrilled and relieved to have her back in my arms, the walls between us finally coming down.

  “But you can’t love me back,” she said, blowing her nose again, “It’s going to ruin everything.”

  “In what screwed-up universe does this ruin everything?”

  “In yours,” she said. “Your screwed-up universe. No wait—mine.”

  I took a deep breath and pulled her in closer. “Can you please start making sense? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  She sighed and nestled in closer to me. “James, I love you. I do.” She looked up at me, her face honest and afraid.

  “I love you, too,” I said. It felt so good to say it out loud. Joy surged through me, and I hugged her to me. Audrey’s eyes were still shining with tears, but these looked happier. I leaned down and kissed her, my feelings for her overpowering and fierce.

  But she pulled back. “What?” I asked. “Why are you pulling away from me?”

  “I don’t want you to love me.”

  “Why the fuck not?” I asked hotly.

  “Because I’m not good for you, James. I can’t be with you like that.”

  “Of course you can.”

  She shook her head. “I’m an escort, James. That’s a fancy word for hooker, in case you didn’t know.”

  “I know exactly who you are. I couldn’t care less what you’ve done.”

  “Well, good for you,” she said, moving a little farther away from me. She dried her eyes. “Your family would have a very different opinion, I’m guessing.”

  “Good for them. They can call me to complain about it. Trust me, I won’t answer. They can have a hell of a time expressing their dissent to my voicemail, which I never check.”

  She sighed, sounding frustrated. “I don’t think you’ve thought this through.”

  “And you have?” I asked, challenging her.

  “I have,” she said, looking at me levelly. “And no matter how many different ways I picture it, this doesn’t work out.”

  “Then you’re a pessimist,” I said. I pulled her back to me.

  “James… really. What about your parents?”

  “I’ll deal with them,” I said. “We don’t owe them any further explanation—about your mother, or your background, or anything else right now. It’s not their business. And we’re not ready to tell them anything. We might never tell them.”

  “Babe,” she said, a hopeless look on her face. “I didn’t tell you what your mother said to me. And she said it when she thought I was a legitimate, above-board art student. Not an escort.”

  I waited, my temples beginning to pound again. “What,” I said, not bothering to make it a question.

  “She told me she wants us to break up after the honeymoon. She said that your children are going to have an incredible amount of money and society responsibility, and that they need parents who can help them with that.”

  The pounding in my head got worse. “And she said you’re not capable of that.”

  “She didn’t say that.” Audrey shrugged against me. “She didn’t have to. I’m not capable.”

  “First of all, that’s not true. You’re perfectly capable. Second of all, I don’t care what my mother thinks. I never have.”

  Audrey looked up at me. “I don’t believe that.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I think you understand what your mother is saying, even if you don’t want to. And I feel exactly the same way,” she said. “Your children are going to be some of the richest kids in the country. You need someone who can help them—with private schools, charity drives, organic foods, stuff I can’t even begin to imagine. That’s not me.”

  “You can learn all that stuff,” I said.

  “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves here,” she said. “The point is, your mother says I’m fine for right now. After that, I need to be gone. And she doesn’t even know what I really am.” She looked up at me miserably. “She offered to pay me off, James. After this trip. I would never take it, but I just thought you should know.”

  “She’s going to pay, all right,” I said, mostly to myself. I was quiet for a minute, running it all through my mind. “Audrey. Do you want to take the money and just go?”

  “Of course not,” she said. “But I think she’s right—I don’t think I’m good for you. I don’t even know what you want from me.”

  “All I want,” I said, pulling her to me, “is you.”

  “Don’t say things like that,” she said, her eyes filling with tears even as she settled against me. “Don’t. I’m the cowboy. You’re the bed. This is gonna end badly.” She blew her nose again.

  “Audrey,” I said. “Please stop talking. And sniffling. You’re the cowboy, remember? Cowboys don’t sniffle.”

  Audrey

  I’d lied to Jenny: I’d told her I’d be brave and that I’d be smart. But lying naked and waiting for James was not brave, and it was not smart. It was, however, all I had. It was my last-ditch effort to make him just a John and to save him from me.

  It hadn’t worked. He had shown me who he was. And he had told me that he loved me.

  When he said it, it was the best thing that had ever happened to me and the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So I cried. A lot.

  And then he’d held me, and I’d tried to tell him that it wasn’t going to work out, but he’d just kept holding me.

  After a while, we just snuggled together on the bed and fell asleep. Neither one of us had slept much the night before. I nestled into his arms, feeling protected and for once in my life, absolutely happy.

  I woke up a little while later in my normal state: absolutely petrified about the future.

  “Hey.” James opened one eye and looked at me, a smile spreading over his face. “Hey—I love you.”

  I couldn’t help it. It was contagious; a huge smile broke out over my face, too. “Hey. I love you, too.” We grinned at each other, and I kissed him then, hungrily. But as soon as I thought of the word “hunger” my stomach started howling loudly.

  “We need to eat,” he said, still grinning at me. “Does my girlfriend want to have an early dinner by the pool?”

  Even though I would berate myself for it later, I couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off my face. James’s happiness was infectious; his easy joy at our newly declared feelings was palpable. “I would love to,” I said.

  “Okay,” he said.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Our truce must have been patently obvious, because Cole smiled at us in approval when we finally made it out of our villa. We went to the restaurant by the enormous infinity pool; he and Jenny were sitting at the bar.

  “I see some people who look like they had sex and made up,” Cole called, grinning at us.

  “We didn’t have sex,” James said. I could see how Cole thought so: James’s skin was flushed and glowing, a happy smile on his face.

  “You didn’t?” Cole asked. He looked impressed. “You might as well put a ring on it, bro. You’re done for.”

  “Cole, leave them alone,” Jenny said, and she punched him playfully. “You two go have lunch and then come swimming with us.” She stood up and winked at me. I noticed she was wearing a crop top and a minuscule, black bikini bottom. Her curvy, luscious body was on full display. Cole was staring at her ass, a worshipful look on his face.

  “I’m glad you two look happy again,” she said. They turned and headed toward the pool, holding hands; I noticed that Jenny was indeed wearing a thong bikini l
ike she’d threatened. Cole put his hand firmly on her ass, and she turned and winked at me again before putting her aviator sunglasses on.

  I had to hand it to Jenny: she was certainly batting Cole Bryson around like a cat toy. And he appeared to like it. A lot.

  “Don’t you dare look at her in that bikini,” I said to James accusingly.

  “I would never,” he said, laughing. “But I might have to buy you one of those.”

  * * *

  We held hands all through our meal. I was so relieved to be with him again, to feel our connection back. Even though it had only been one night, it had been the longest one of my life. I didn’t let myself think about all the bad things that were on the flip side of my feelings for him. I couldn’t bear to spoil the moment.

  Everything was perfect if I could let myself ignore almost everything but James. I’d never seen him so happy before, so relaxed. For once, I wasn’t going to be the one to take that away from him.

  We ordered margaritas, fish tacos, and a curried vegetable rice. We ate every morsel. “I think I’m going to sink when I get into the pool,” James said, pushing his empty plate away.

  “It was worth it, though,” I said. “Yum.” He grabbed my hand and beamed at me. Heat shot through me at his touch, the way I felt under his gaze. But just when I thought nothing could burst my bubble, Celia Preston’s slim figure cast a wide shadow over our table.

  “Mother,” James said by way of a greeting. “How inconvenient of you to show up and ruin a perfectly decent meal.”

  “You two look much happier,” she said, ignoring his comment. She eyed our entwined hands and empty margarita glasses.

  “We are, Mother,” James said. He looked up at her, his face clear and calm. “I’ve actually never been this happy.”

  If his directness shocked her at all, she didn’t let it show—not even the slightest ripple moved across her face. Of course, that could have been the result of all the filler she’d shot into it before the wedding. I’d never know for sure.