She blinked. “You want to come see me?”
“If you’re not doing anything else.”
Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t think of a thing to say. She couldn’t be hearing him right. And here she thought she’d mastered his pidgin language.
“Gabe? Still there?”
“Y-yeah…I’m just…for free?” This time, she did facepalm. What on earth was wrong with her?
But he laughed, seemingly unoffended. “Yes, for free. I don’t want to bother you. I just thought…you know. I kind of need some space. And someone who isn’t paying for me.”
A light came on in the fog. It wasn’t terribly bright, but she followed it anyway. Get away from the city. For free. He wanted to come spend the weekend with her, of all people, to be with someone without being paid for it. He didn’t want to get away from the city. He wanted away from his job for a while.
Relief and comprehension flowed through her. He probably just wanted someone not terribly demanding. Someone not paying for his services. Someone low-maintenance. Someone normal. She could understand that.
In a weird way, it was kind of a compliment. For a minute there, she’d thought—
“I don’t suppose I’m doing anything this weekend. I’d planned to just kick back and read a book, but I’m sure I can squeeze you in.”
A world of relief filled his chuckle, and she smiled a little. Jack. Getting away from professional sex by coming to see her. Who’d have thunk? Would he still want to have sex with her?
“You managed pretty well before, if I remember correctly.”
Definitely sex. That she could do, though she blushed to think of it.
“What time should I expect you?”
“What time do you get off work Friday? I can come down any time.”
For the whole weekend, even. She headed back to her place in line, grinning crookedly. “Five, usually. But if I’m having company, I’ll need to stop by the store. All I have is hamburger and Coke.”
“Hey, I’ve never turned down a good hamburger.” He sounded genuinely glad that she’d agreed. “I’ll try to be there around six. Or is seven better?”
“Seven sounds good.”
“I’ll be there. Thanks, Gabe.”
“No problem.” She put her phone away and stepped in behind Phil, bemused and still grinning.
“Who was that?”
Blinking, she shook off her silly, confused thoughts and wiped the telltale grin off her face. They would so tease her for this one.
“No one. Did I miss anything?”
“No one, huh?” Doug eyed her with ill-disguised speculation. “Doesn’t look like no one. In fact, I’d almost swear you’re blushing.”
She blushed harder. “Am not.”
“It was a guy.” Karen, Doug’s girlfriend, smiled coolly. “I can always tell.”
Her blush faded. She didn’t know Karen very well. The girl had been dating Doug only for a month or so, but for some reason, Gabe didn’t like her much. Far be it from her to comment on a friend’s taste, but she didn’t see a carefree guy like Doug being happy with someone so…high maintenance. The woman had little daisies painted on her fingernails, for God’s sake.
“Ooooh…Gabe’s talking to a guy.” Doug snickered and elbowed her, almost knocking her over. “Are you seeing someone and just too shy to admit it?”
“No.” Trying not to crack jokes like she always did when she was nervous, she scowled and socked him in the shoulder. “It was no one. And even if it was someone, it’s none of your business.”
“Ha! It was a guy!”
Grumbling, she blushed and avoided meeting anyone’s eyes. Luckily, her friends knew when to quit, whether they acted on that knowledge or not, and they left her alone with her thoughts for the rest of the wait in line.
Jack. She really hadn’t thought of him since her birthday. Well, Mike had circuitously mentioned him just a week or so ago, but not to actually talk about him.
She wondered if he was really so bored with gigolo-ing that he wanted to spend time with her. The way he’d said it made her think so, but…why her? Would he come all the way to Joplin just to have sex with someone who wasn’t paying for it? Surely there was someone closer to home that would tumble a good-looking guy like him for free.
The thought made her feel a little bad for him. She’d never considered it before, but being a prostitute must be some strange kind of lonely. It wasn’t like he could allow himself connect with any of his clients.
But he had connected to her, it seemed. It was kind of nice to be…picked. Not because someone had paid him to want her. She grinned again at the thought, then quickly hid it before her friends…before Karen could see. Doug and Phil, she didn’t mind so much, but she really didn’t know the only other girl in their little group well enough to take that kind of ribbing from her.
She bought her ticket, still trying to hide her smile. Jack. And for the whole weekend, it seemed. She tingled with anticipation, surprising herself. Maybe Mike was right. Maybe she did miss having a man in her bed. And if she had to have one, what could be better than a guy who would expect no attachment?
Her grin turned a little naughty. Maybe she should buy some new underwear. Something in lace…
He sat in his Envoy, his fingers clenching the steering wheel. Was he doing the right thing? Should he have been more up front with her? Should he have asked her out on a date instead of just shacking up with her for the weekend?
Staring at her house, he reluctantly admitted that she probably would have said no if she thought he wanted any of the trappings of a relationship. She’d made her position on that quite clear, both by herself and through her sister. He wouldn’t have even met her if she didn’t have a problem with commitment.
He breathed in through his nose, then out through his mouth. He could do this. He could spend time with her, ease her into a relationship. It wasn’t lying, really. He did want to get away from the city and his former job. She didn’t have to know about the “former” part. Yet.
“Come on, Jack. Sitting out here twiddling your thumbs won’t do anything but give you early arthritis.”
True enough. He snagged his duffle bag from the passenger seat and climbed out, grinning a little as he looked around her yard. It looked so familiar, though he’d only seen it the once. Still neatly trimmed, the grass was infinitely greener than it had been back in February. He wondered if she mowed it herself or hired someone to do it for her until he realized he was still stalling and made himself climb up to the porch.
“No guts, no glory.”
Gabe answered the door with a wide smile, her eyes lighting up. He didn’t bother hiding his return smile. She was glad to see him. Definitely a good sign.
“Well, well. Jack Savage. What have you been doing with yourself?”
She pushed the storm door open. He didn’t bother getting all the way inside before dropping his bag, throwing his arms around her, and planting a big, wet kiss on her mouth. He’d wanted to do it for two months. She chuckled and opened to him, flicking her tongue against his lower lip in invitation.
He hadn’t really kissed her before—just the once during that first bout of sex. He usually didn’t kiss his clients unless they specifically requested it. A kiss was a little more intimate than he wanted with a stranger, and he’d long since given it up.
But this…
She threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him close and tilting her head for better access. Her mouth tasted like honey and Tabasco sauce. He pulled away for a moment and ran his tongue over his lower lip.
“What have you been eating?”
That crooked grin. He’d thought of it entirely too much. It was so…Gabe.
“I was sampling the chili. It’s still cool enough in the evenings to really enjoy a good, hot bowl, don’t you think?”
He kissed her again, sliding one hand down over her butt and giving it a squeeze. He couldn’t believe it was this easy. A small part of him felt bad for letting her
think this was all he wanted her for, but he pushed that part away. He’d feel bad later. Right now, he was sampling some damn fine chili.
“So tell me about Mike.”
She blinked at him, a spoonful of chili halfway between her bowl and her mouth. “Mike? What do you want to know?”
He shrugged. “She’s quite a character. Not just anyone would buy her kid sister an escort for her birthday.”
Putting down her spoon, she stared hard at him for a long moment. How personal did she want to make this? Sure, he’d said he wanted to stay all weekend, but that didn’t make this anything more than great casual sex. Did he really want to get to know her?
His smile didn’t falter, but he did raise an eyebrow when she didn’t answer.
“Mike is…definitely not the usual sister.” She dropped her gaze to her bowl and poked her spoon at a kidney bean that caught her attention. “When our aunt died, Mike became my legal guardian so we wouldn’t have to be separated. She practically raised me.”
“Your parents?”
She frowned, flicking a glance up to gauge his expression. He wasn’t smiling anymore, but he didn’t look distressed, either.
“When I was two, they left me and Mike at our Aunt Tab’s and jumped a ship to some third world country to become missionaries.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
She spooned beans to one side of her bowl and hamburger to the other as the silence spun out. He seemed to be thinking this information over as he ate steadily. At least he liked the chili.
“So, do you know where they went? Do you ever hear from them?”
“I don’t even know what they looked like. Mike remembers, I think, but they weren’t exactly the family portrait type.”
He made some noncommittal noise and spooned in another bite of chili. “Where’d you pick up your love of football?”
She smiled, grateful that he’d changed the subject, even a little. “That was all Aunt Tab. Her husband was a Chiefs fan even back when they were the Texans. He was loyal ’til the day he died.” Her smile deepened. “Aunt Tab kept up the tradition and it kinda got passed down to us. I wish I could have met him. She always said I carried a bit of his ghost because we were too much alike.”
“How long were you with her? Must have been a long time to breed such loyalty to a team that hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since—”
“Hey!” She laughed, lobbing a slice of bread at him. “A team is more than its post-season record, you know.”
“As anyone with such a shoddy post-season record will attest.”
“Jerk.” Shaking her head, she shot him an assessing look. “And just who holds your loyalty, oh god of the gridiron?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, no. If you’re a Raiders fan, you can leave right now.”
He threw back his head and laughed, and she couldn’t help but be glad he’d called. She was a little surprised that he hadn’t scooted her up against a wall and banged her senseless when he first walked in, but she was glad now that he’d decided to wait until later to put any moves on her. This was fun.
“If I were a Raiders fan, I’d never admit it to you. And I’d have never survived this long in Kansas City. No, I have to admit to being in a bigger pit of loyalty than you.” Straightening his expression, he sat up taller and folded his hands on the table. “If you must know, I am a Bears fan.”
“Shut up.”
“I will not. Da Bears.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I live for the times they beat Green Bay.”
Now she threw her head back, hooting at the ceiling at both his preference and at the mental image of such a fine specimen going berserk over a football game. Somehow, she’d have never guessed it of him.
“Oh, Jack. Oh, God, that’s hilarious.”
“I’m sure. And now I will point out that my reaction to your team preference was far less unkind than yours to mine. You so owe me.”
She shot him a glance despite her winding down chuckles. He wore an absolutely angelic expression of patience that she didn’t trust any further than she could spit a dead rat.
“Owe you what, exactly?”
He picked up his spoon. “A boon, milady. A favor to be named at some later time.” His eyes met hers, darkening to forest shadows, and her laughter dried up. “Deal?”
Not sure why she was agreeing, she nodded, feeling a much less carefree smile quirk her lips. She had no idea what kind of favor a man like Jack would request, but she doubted she’d dislike it too much.
They ate in companionable silence for a while, Jack even getting up for seconds and then thirds. She grinned and debated ribbing him about it, then held her tongue. She couldn’t think of any snarks that wouldn’t come off sounding flirtatious, and she didn’t really intend to flirt with him. Surely, they were beyond that stage. Or were there stages to a booty call?
“How old were you when you and Mike ended up on your own?”
The question sideswiped her, and she coughed into her milk, then swallowed wrong and choked. She thumped herself on the chest with her fist, trying to breathe and cough at the same time. Getting herself under control took a long, painful minute, and her eyes watered enough to need wiping with her napkin.
Thankfully, he didn’t jump up and run around the table to give her the Heimlich maneuver. She’d never forgive herself if her weekend gigolo spent the evening performing CPR.
“I am so sorry, Gabe. Are you all right? I didn’t think it’d catch you so off guard. Can I get you anything?”
Blinking blearily, she shook her head, coughed again, then reached across the table for his water. He met her halfway with it, and she swigged a big gulp, trying to wash away the catch that made her want to choke some more. Feeling a little better, she handed his glass back.
“Keep it. Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” Her voice cracked. She sounded terrible. “I’m all right. You didn’t do anything. I just got ahead of myself.”
She felt herself blushing and hoped he’d attribute it to the coughing fit. Fortunately, when she looked up, all she saw on his face was concern and sympathy.
“Do you not want to talk about your family?”
Shifting uncomfortably, she shrugged. “I dunno, really. I guess Mike and I just don’t talk about it. Something we got over, you know? It’s…kind of hard to think about. She was nineteen, and there she was with a twelve-year-old kid of her own.”
He whistled softly and shook his head. “But you both turned out well, so she must have done something right.”
“Everything Mike does is right. She’s got the magic touch. She makes success out of ashes.”
His smile was more realistic than hers. “You admire her.”
“I love her. She’s my sister. She gave up everything for me.”
He tilted his head to one side. “She seems happy to me. At least, that’s what she said when I thought she was calling me for her.”
Her eyes widened. “You what? What did she say?”
A sheepish grin made him look about half his age. “Well, keep in mind that most of my clients pretend to be looking me up for friends or relatives when they first call.”
“I get that.”
“Anyway, she let me know in no uncertain terms that she really was calling for her sister and that she was a happily married woman.” He shrugged. “So what, exactly, did she give up for you?”
She frowned, doodling invisible circles on the table with her index finger. “Well, she’s happy now, but then…well, she gave up all her chances. She had a scholarship to a good college that she had to turn down. She had to go to work, though she got a bookstore job that she still claims she loved beyond all reason. I dunno. I guess I feel like she could have done so much more than get married and have kids…if it hadn’t been for me.”
Her gaze firmly fixed on the wood grain of the table, she listened to him breathe for a long moment. She didn’t want to know what he was thinking. She didn’t
want to be having this conversation. She didn’t usually talk to anyone—even her friends—like this, and certainly not to Mike.
“I guess you’re entitled to your opinion, but she sounded happy to me.”
“She is. I didn’t mean that she isn’t.”
He stood and picked up his empty bowl. “Should I rinse these before putting them in the dishwasher?”
“Nah. It’s a good one, so long as you don’t leave chunks.”
He picked up hers, too, and she glanced up to gauge his expression. He didn’t look bored or falsely sympathetic. What was going on in his mind? Why would he care about her history?
And when would they get to the sex, already?
It was only a matter of time before she asked him to leave.
He watched her turn a page in her book as she swung lazily in the godawful porch swing, and he wanted to kick himself. Why was he inside, looking at her through the storm door, when he should be out there, getting to know her better?
He should have made love to her last night. He’d wanted to, but he didn’t know how to just have sex when he wanted to do more. He’d had entirely too much sex. He wanted to make love.
She’d made herself discreetly understood when they went to bed, and he’d muttered a lame response about leaving his bag downstairs and claimed to be too comfortable just holding her to get up and get a condom. What kind of excuse was that? Not only had he likely damaged any credibility he might have had with her, but he’d halfway insulted her, too.
So he sipped his coffee and stared at her like an idiot, wondering when she’d come back inside and make up some excuse to send him on his way. Why was this so hard?
But he knew that one, too. It was hard because he wasn’t being completely honest with her. He wanted too much to give her what he knew she wanted.
Could he fix it? If he walked out there right now and kissed her, would she let go of her suspicion? Would she let him lead her upstairs?
Only one way to find out.
He put his coffee cup on an end table and opened the door. She looked up from her book, as wary as when he first showed up for her birthday—as if any ground he’d made up was gone.
My Gigolo: The Care and Feeding of a Male Prostitute Page 7