by Kendall Ryan
“For what it’s worth,” he says, his gaze firmly locked on his computer monitor, “I think your body is perfect.”
A wave of unexpected heat darts through me at his low words, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth as I struggle to respond to his compliment. But luckily, I’m saved from saying anything further, because Case chooses that moment to stand and suddenly crosses the office to set his laptop on my desk.
“Here’s what I’ve got so far.”
On the screen it says CHAPTER ONE. I scan the page briefly, and it takes me a second to realize that he’s showing me his book.
My gaze darts up to his. “Great. I’ll read it and give you my thoughts.”
He nods and then returns to his desk while I dive in.
Soon I’m several pages in, and my heart is beating steadily as I read. I expected some sort of macho bullshit, patting himself on the back or bragging about all his conquests. I expected a Mr. Know-It-All on the topic of sex, but this is none of that.
This is an essay—no, a beautifully written essay on sexual exploration and finding fulfillment. It’s very she comes first and female-friendly.
I love it. I love how sex-positive it is, and how wryly and candidly it’s written. He’s held nothing back, not even his own poor sexual performance with his first few partners. I can tell those experiences shaped him, made him eager to please his partners in the bedroom. There’s something sweet about it.
Wait. Did I just think of Case as sweet? The cocky manwhore playboy sitting across from me with a grumpy expression on his face?
I realize he’s waiting for me to say something—he’s just bared his soul and he wants me to react to his words. But at the moment? I’m a little too stunned to speak.
“Well?” he asks, his voice sharp.
I don’t even get a chance to respond before he starts talking again.
“Fuck, it’s shit, isn’t it?”
He stands and tries to grab the laptop from my lap, but my hand on his thick forearm stops him.
“Wait.”
His sharp blue gaze probes mine.
I swallow, composing myself. “It’s really good. There’s a paragraph at the end of chapter three that could use some more polishing, but honestly, this is really well written, Case.”
His mouth twitches with the beginning of a smile. “I guess it’s a topic that comes naturally to me.”
“I guess it is.”
Chapter Five
Case
The nice thing about working from home is that no matter what’s going on in your life, it’s always a short walk to the office. The shitty thing? The office is always there waiting for you, staring you down, even if you’re sick as a dog with a 101-degree fever.
When I woke up feeling like I’d been run over by a dump truck, I tried to push through it, even though my throat was sore and my head was fucking throbbing. I can’t afford to take a sick day, not with this damn deadline breathing down my neck. So I chugged half a bottle of DayQuil before sitting my ass down in front of my computer, determined to power through and make it work.
But by the time Sienna comes strolling into my office in a cream-colored blouse and a plaid pencil skirt that does all kinds of things to my lower half, I’m ready to concede and admit my weaknesses. While the upper half of my body feels like death, the lower half comes up with a half dozen ways we could kick this cold—all of them involving getting Sienna naked. Clearly, I must be hallucinating.
“Morning, Ca— Oh my God, are you okay?”
She stops dead in her tracks the moment she lays eyes on me, the look on her face a mix of alarm and unabashed concern.
How the hell does she manage to make even her freaked-out expressions look sexy?
“I’m fine. Just a little under the weather.” My voice is gravelly and congested.
She doesn’t respond, but instead crosses her arms and raises a critical brow at me. I clear my throat, loudly sniffing to clear my nose.
She clucks her tongue as she sets her things on her desk and suddenly appears at my side. Without a word, she places a cool hand on my forehead, assessing me.
I’m out of it from the DayQuil, and having her so close to me causes a slight twitch in my pants. Jesus, even when I’m drugged up, my dick is dead set on this chick. The stupid fucker.
“Under the weather, my ass. You’re burning up. If you don’t start drinking a ton of water and orange juice now, you’re going to be dehydrated until next Tuesday.”
“Remind me again when you became a doctor?”
Her eyes narrow. “It doesn’t take a medical degree to tell when someone has the flu. Or when he’s too stubborn to admit that he needs a little extra help running things today.” She takes a step back and plants her hands on her hips.
I’m about to fire back a reply, but my throat catches, setting off a coughing fit. Once the coughing subsides, Sienna gives me a knowing look.
I sigh, pushing my chair back and standing up, but the sudden movement makes me feel light-headed, and I steady myself on the edge of my desk. Damn it, I hate when she’s right.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, tiger. Let me help you get wherever you’re going,” she says, slipping her hand around my elbow.
Her touch is electric, and if I weren’t so damn sick, I might have actually enjoyed it.
I let her lead me to my bedroom, pointing out which direction to go, embarrassed that I need her help to stay upright and steady. Not exactly how I like to take a woman to bed for the first time.
As I lie down in my king-size bed, Sienna fluffs my pillows, and I notice her sneaking nervous glances around my room. “I don’t take clients back to my place, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“No, it’s not that, trust me. It’s just, uh, I’ve never been in my boss’s bedroom before.”
I smile. I can’t help where that comment makes my mind go. She’s not playing fair anymore. “If I were formally inviting you into my bedroom, you’d know.”
She blushes, shaking her head and tossing her golden locks over her shoulder. “How much DayQuil have you had today?”
“Not enough.”
“Right. Well, you can have more meds in four to six hours. In the meantime, I’ll bring you some hot tea. Then you should try to go back to sleep. I’ll handle all the paperwork and make sure the guys get to their appointments on time.”
She turns to leave but I reach for her wrist, my fingers grazing her skin. My eyelids are heavy as she turns back to look at me, her eyes wide.
“My mother. Make sure you text my mother and cancel lunch today. I don’t want her worrying when I miss it.”
“Your mother. Great. First week on the job, and I’m already texting your mom for you.”
“I can do it. I just need to go get my phone.” I start to sit up, but I’m instantly dizzy, making me immediately lie back down.
“No, no, you stay. I can handle it. Jeez, even when you’re loopy from medication, you still can’t take a joke.” She pauses before leaving, pressing her palm to my cheek and giving me one last once-over to make sure I’m okay.
I let my eyelids slowly shut as she leaves, watching her perfect figure exit the room before I drift off to sleep.
• • •
I wake a few hours later to my mother’s voice talking in hushed, worried tones. As I open my eyes, groggy from the medication, I realize that Sienna is there too, standing at the foot of my bed across from my mother, listening patiently as Mom rattles off her concerns one by one.
“Are you sure he’s not doubling up on acetaminophen? It’s very easy to get all those chemicals confused.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m sure. I’ve got him on a strict schedule. It’s all written down right here.”
“And what about water? Is he getting enough electrolytes? Fevers always did a number on his body when he was little . . .”
“I’ve got some tea waiting for him whenever he wakes up, and some coconut water on hand after that.”
“Johnson. But you can call me Sienna.”
“Sienna Johnson. That’s a pretty name. Now, make sure my son takes as good care of you as you are of him, all right?”
Sienna giggles, and I make sure to clear my throat before my mother says anything else that might undermine my authority in this house.
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re awake! How are you feeling? When Sienna here texted me to cancel lunch, I knew it had to be bad. You’ve never taken a sick day.” My mother rushes to my side, pressing the back of her hand to my cheek and forehead, her warm brown eyes filled with worry.
Even at twenty-nine, there’s nothing better than having your mom nearby when you’re sick, especially when your mom’s the biggest, most loving saint in the world. That said, Sienna has been a pretty good stand-in.
“I’m fine, Mom, really. Especially after that nap, I’m feeling a lot better.”
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll go. I was ready to stay and take care of you today, but it looks like Sienna is doing just fine.” She turns and smiles at Sienna, who smiles back, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
Watching the two of them interact is bizarre. I can’t tell if I’m intrigued or wish they’d never met. Either way, the sooner everything goes back to normal, the better. Sore throat, broken dick, and all.
My mother kisses my forehead and leaves, handing Sienna the soup with strict instructions on reheating.
Once my mom is gone, Sienna turns to look at me, a smile spreading across her lips. “I tried to tell her everything was fine, but she insisted on coming.”
“Don’t worry about it. I know how she can be. Besides, now that I’m feeling a little better, I could definitely go for some of that soup. Grab your lunch and join me in the office. I need to make sure you didn’t run this business into the ground in the four hours I was asleep.” I toss the white duvet back and make a move to get up, but Sienna’s hand on my shoulder stops me.
“Oh no, you don’t. You’re staying right here. You can eat your soup from bed.”
Damn, she’s bossy. But who am I kidding? Part of me likes it. “Can I at least get up to take a piss?”
Sienna blushes faintly and nods.
After I finish in the bathroom, I sit on the bed and grab my phone to find a half dozen missed calls and several texts. But when I try to read them, the words blur.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I guess those will have to wait until later. I just hope there’s nothing urgent.
Sienna returns with a tray of food and sits on the very edge of my bed. There’s a bowl of soup for me, a glass of ice water, and a reclosable container with a salad for her. She started packing her lunch after that first day, and always brings either a salad or a turkey sandwich. She’s very predictable that way.
As we eat, we go over everything she did without me, from paperwork to answering emails to getting one lazy piece of shit off the couch and to his morning date on time.
I have to say, Sienna really pulled it off. I wasn’t worried about her, per se, but I wasn’t sure she’d be up to the task. Honestly, she must have been paying closer attention to what I do than I thought. Guess I need to start giving her more credit.
Once we’re done talking shop, Sienna gives me a quizzical look. “So, does your mom know what you do here?”
“You mean, does my mother know I fuck women for a living?” I can’t help but recall her shocked tone that first day when she passed judgment on what I do for a living.
“Well, I wasn’t going to say it like that.”
I smile, pausing to set my spoon down in the bowl. “Yes, my mother knows what we do here. She’s more open-minded than you’d think.”
“That’s great. Good for her for being so supportive. This can’t be what she imagined you’d be when you grew up.” The way she says it lacks the usual bite, like she’s just stating a fact.
And Sienna’s not wrong. My mother had other plans for my future, ones that didn’t involve as much sleeping around. But she’s always been understanding of what I needed to do to get by, and honestly, at this point, I think she’s proud of how big I’ve made it on my own. Not everyone gets to employ their friends and run a successful business.
That’s why I’m so hell-bent on buying her this house. I’ve put her through a lot, and she’s never been anything but a source of love and support. It’s high time I do the same for her.
“She understands why I got into it. We’ve always been close, ever since my dad walked out when I was a toddler. I don’t think she was happy about it when I first started out, but honestly, we were so broke, she couldn’t deny that it brought in money.”
“How did you get into this business?”
I look up at Sienna then, her wide blue eyes trained on mine. So earnest. So full of life. And way too easy to get lost in at a moment like this.
“You really want to know?”
“Hit me with it.”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t my life’s ambition to be a male escort. It actually all kind of happened by accident. If you want the truth of it, I used to suck at sex. The old me? I gave new meaning to the term ‘minute man.’ Try twelve-second man. Things pretty much stayed horrible until my freshman year of college.”
“Oh my God.” Sienna giggles. “Please tell me some cougar lured you into her sex den, and you came out three days later a new man.”
I laugh. “Not quite. My freshman year of college, I was paired with this guy named Devon, and we ended up being roommates in the dorms.” Who knew that would change the entire course of my life?
As I pause to take a spoonful of soup, I realize Sienna’s still watching me, waiting for a point to this story.
“I’d slept with a grand total of two girls in high school. One was a serious girlfriend I was totally in love with—before she dumped me for the quarterback, that is. And the other was a casual hookup on spring break, otherwise known as a rebound fuck. That was it, the extent of my sexual experience. Then in college, one night after a keg party first semester, Devon and I each brought a girl home back to our shared dorm room. The girls were friends, also freshmen, and clearly wanted to cut loose and experience all the new freedom being at college had to offer.”
I pause to check that Sienna is following, and she nods impatiently.
“So you brought the skanks home. Then what?”
Is that a hint of jealousy in her tone? No way. I must be more under the weather than I thought.
“Well, when we got to our room, things started to get heated. Devon tossed me a condom as I led my date over to my bed, and he and his date climbed into his bed in the other corner of the darkened room. And then, well . . . can you imagine my embarrassment when I finished after about three minutes, and the fucking noises didn’t stop over on his side of the room for another hour?”
“Oh my God. You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was. So, I lay there, silently fascinated but also horrified at my obvious lack of performance. Knowing my date was listening to her friend ooh and ah over what was obviously a much better sexual performance totally sucked. I vowed then and there to become a better lover.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“I mean, it couldn’t have been that easy.”
“I had no problem picking up women and was skilled at the art of conversation, but what to do with them once they were actually back in my bed? That was a different story. But from that moment on, I spent years perfecting my techniques until I could turn any woman into a screaming sex goddess. Eventually, women were recommending me to friends and started paying me, and it’s been a damn rewarding line of work.”
Stunned, Sienna stares at me, her rosy lips forming a perfect o.
I’m not used to sharing so much of myself with other people, especially with women, and I expected to feel uncomfortable, or at least like
I need to close myself off to her again. But I don’t. It’s nice being so honest with her. It seems like she really wants to listen.
Finally, she breaks the silence, running her fingers through her long golden hair. “Screaming sex goddess, that’s good. You should write that down for your book.”
We laugh, and I shake my head. Okay, maybe I am a little embarrassed after sharing so much.
“Look, Ryder does this because he loves sex,” I say. “Before becoming an escort, he was a huge player, and pretty much bedded a different girl every weekend. I guess my point is, I was never like that. I do this because it’s the one thing I’m actually fucking good at. No pun intended.”
“Well, I don’t know that that’s true. Look at this business you’re running.”
“I’ve just been figuring it out as I go. I’m not like you. You can assess what needs to be done and then tackle it head-on. I’m lucky Ryder brought you here, because honestly, you’ve been a huge help. After you’re done helping me here this summer, I’d be happy to write you a letter of recommendation. I know you can do anything you set your mind to.”
She smiles, her focus on the empty salad bowl sitting in her lap. “That’s nice of you to say. I just . . . I don’t know. You should get some rest. I’ve got everything covered, so you just worry about getting better.”
She stacks my bowl on top of hers and leaves the room before I can say anything.
As I sink back into my pillows, I go over our conversation again in my head. Did I share too much? Did I make her uncomfortable? She seemed normal enough, but what if something I said rubbed her the wrong way, and she doesn’t want to work here anymore? Or worse, what if my pep talk about how she can do anything pushes her right into the next best thing?
If today proved anything to me, it’s that Sienna needs to stick around. She’s too valuable an asset, and I haven’t clicked like this with someone in years. Not to mention her every move sends an electric shock through my body.
I need to find a way to keep her around. And fast.
Chapter Six
Sienna