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The Deal

Page 27

by Sarah J. Brooks


  “He’s too cute for me,” I whispered into her ear. “I can’t sleep with him.”

  “You can, and you will. Stop with the rules. Just go have fun for once.”

  “Bella, you know how easily I fall in love. I can’t do it.”

  “For Christ’s sake Abby, then fall the fuck in love. You can’t spend your whole life avoiding men because you’re afraid of love. Now I’m going to go hang out with Jack. He’s got a line on a sweet gig that pays insanely well. I’ll let you know what I find out. Take care.”

  Isabella kissed me on the cheek and then pulled Jack away from Theo and took off out of the nightclub. I hadn’t been in love for a very long time, but that was because I purposely kept guys away from my heart. I found men that I knew I couldn’t love and went home with them, instead of the guys that could possibly break my heart.

  Theo and I stood there and watched them leave as we awkwardly tried to decide if we were going to go back to dancing or if we were going to do something else. I liked dancing with Theo. Mainly because I liked his hands on my body and the way he looked at me.

  “Drink?” Theo asked.

  “Only if we can keep dancing afterward,” I said with a smile.

  “Of course. Anything you want.”

  “Oh, anything?” I mischievously said.

  “Yes.”

  “Another foot massage?” I teased.

  “I’ll massage your entire body if you’ll let me.”

  “Maybe we’ll try that later.”

  “Is that a promise,” Theo said as we made it back to the bar.

  “Sure. You dance with me, and I’ll let you give me a massage. But you have to keep up with me. No lagging behind and trying to sit in that booth.”

  “I can keep up. I think it’s you who will have the problem keeping up.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Theo had ordered us a couple of shots, and we both downed them quickly. I liked talking with him and liked being around him. I felt myself letting down my wall when I was with him, but it scared me to death.

  “Another round,” Theo said to the bartender.

  I winced at the idea of a third shot. I liked to be in control of myself. The third shot was just on the verge of me having fun and being drunk. But I went for it. Usually, I didn’t drink much because I was afraid of what I would agree to do with a guy if I had too much to drink. But with Theo, I felt like I wanted to do every dirty thought that crossed my mind.

  After one more shot, Theo pulled me back to the dance floor and I was hyped up and ready to dance. I kicked my shoes off and handed them to Theo and then went to work dancing intensely to the house beat. Theo did pretty well keeping up with me, and we were both drenched in sweat within thirty minutes.

  His body felt good next to mine, and I occasionally reached up and let my hands run down his chest. I felt his hard pecks and abs under his shirt, and deep down I just wanted to slide my hands underneath his clothes and feel his skin. I had spent so much time chasing after the nice guys that I knew I could go home with and not have to sleep with that I hadn’t spent very much time with a guy like Theo. A man that I was crazy attracted to and wanted to have naked next to me as soon as possible.

  My mind spun with plans of what I should do next and how I should play the night with Theo. Then out of the blue, Theo threw me off.

  He leaned in, grabbed me and pressed his lips against mine. My first response was to push him away, but then, looking at him, I knew I instantly wanted to do that again. So I pulled him back toward me. That made him very happy, and his kiss intensified as he dropped my shoes and held my face in his hands.

  Our wet lips moved from one side to the next as we devoured each other right there on the dance floor. He was a good kisser, that was for sure. It was the first kiss I’d had in a long time where I actually felt my body wanting more and more.

  “Water,” I said as I pulled away. “I need water.”

  Theo smiled and pulled me behind him as we walked back to the booth. He sat me down and then went straight to the bar to get us some water. The club wasn’t packed, but it was getting really hot, and I didn’t want to turn into a dehydrated mess. I had certainly learned that lesson over the years and knew better now. Taking a break and drinking water was essential to making it through the night.

  This time, when he returned, he didn’t sit across from me; instead, he pushed me over and slid into the booth right next to me. He placed his hand gently on my thigh, and his lips moved right back into kissing me.

  I didn’t mind. In fact, I fucking loved kissing him. He smelt like a combination of Armani and old spice. I could tell he took good care of his body and I decided right then and there that I was going to sleep with this man. I didn’t care about my plan to play coy or try to land him. My desire for him was much too strong for any plan.

  “I’m glad I met you,” I said between kisses.

  “Me too. I had a horrible day today until I met you.”

  “I have special powers to fix any day and make it awesome.” I laughed.

  “I think you might be right.”

  As we sat close to each other, I felt a bond with Theo that I normally didn’t feel when I was around a man. He was sweet and confident. That was a unique combination for me; plus, he was extraordinarily handsome.

  His tall, thin frame had just the right amount of muscle on it; he had dark brown hair that was long enough for me to run my fingers through. And a gorgeous smile that I knew probably made all the girls wet with excitement when he flashed it at them.

  “Why was your day bad?” I ventured to ask.

  He mulled over whether to tell me or not, and I waited for him. I was perfectly comfortable with silence; it was my weapon in conversations with men. When I was silent, it forced them to talk. Most people didn’t utilize the power of silence very well. Silence makes people uncomfortable so they fill it up, but if you can learn to enjoy the silence, it makes for a much better bond with the person you are talking to.

  “Life isn’t about the lemons; it’s about the lemonade you make. Come home with me and make some lemonade,” Theo said as his hand stroked up and down my thigh.

  I couldn’t help myself and burst into laughter. It sounded like the cheesiest line I had ever heard. But Theo looked so damn adorable as he delivered it.

  “Does that line normally work on girls?” I asked.

  “What line? It wasn’t a line,” he said as his face flushed with red.

  “Oh, so it does normally work!” I exclaimed as I laughed more.

  Theo rolled his eyes as I had just caught him right in the middle of what appeared to be some routine pickup line he delivered to women to get them to come to his home.

  “Are you going to squeeze the lemons on me while you massage me?” I laughed.

  Theo started to laugh too. It was fun to see that he had some humility about his horrible pickup lines. I was having one of the best nights of my life with this guy and certainly was going to go home with him. I didn’t care if there was lemonade there or not.

  “If it will make you happy, I’ll make the whole lemonade right there on your naked body.”

  “Hmm, that sounds sticky,” I said, pushing him out of the booth so we could leave. “Oh, crap. My shoes!” I said as I noticed I was still barefoot.

  Without another word, Theo ran off to the dance floor to try and rescue my heels from a kidnapping fate that was sure to happen. I couldn’t help smiling as he looked back at me just before he entered the dance floor craziness.

  My eyes stayed peeled on the place where he had entered the dance floor, and I waited for him to return with my rescued heels. It was silly, but I hadn’t met a man who so quickly understood how important a pair of heels could be to a woman.

  I didn’t have to explain it to him and didn’t have to ask him to go look. Theo just ran off on the quest for my heels all by himself.

  Throughout my life, I hadn’t owned very many v
aluable things. When I was a child, I remembered a few cherished toys that I had to leave behind when we were taken to the foster home. Since I had arrived in New York City, I didn’t have a place to keep very many things. Isabella and I rented a small 4x4 foot storage closet that we had organized like a walk-in closet. It was where we kept our valuable shoes and other items that we couldn’t bring with us places. It was a hell of a lot cheaper than an apartment and allowed us to spend money on the necessary clothing items so we could find good guys to take us out.

  We certainly couldn’t pick up high-quality boyfriends if we dressed like trash. It was essential that we had a few pieces of premium clothing. Whenever possible, we purchased items from our friends or at resale shops. We were frugal, and it helped us have a little variety in the clothes we wore.

  But the Steve Madden heels that I had left on the dance floor were by far my most expensive purchase. I had saved up for two weeks to get them and swore they were the best purchase I had made. Guys noticed the spiky heels and used them as a conversation starter. They were unique, just like me, and I loved that.

  As I continued to stare at the dance floor, I started to get nervous that Theo wasn’t coming back. He had been in the crowd for a very long time. I moved closer to the dance floor and tried to peek through the crowd to see if I could see him, but the smoke and the sheer number of people made it impossible.

  “What size?” I heard a voice whisper in my ear.

  Oh, how I was starting to get used to his delicious voice in my ear. It was smooth and rough all at the same time.

  “They were size eight,” I said swinging around.

  “I’ll get you a new pair,” Theo said as disappointment swept across his face. “It was my fault; I set them down.”

  “No, no, it’s alright. They were old anyways,” I said, trying to cover up the absolute terror of losing my $600 shoes.

  “I won’t take no for an answer. I’ll take you to get a new pair in the morning.” Theo smiled.

  His hand weaved with mine and we walked toward the front door. It was cold out, freezing in fact. December in New York City wasn’t exactly the best time to be walking around barefoot. Although I wasn’t sure I would be willing to walk around New York without my shoes during any time of the year. I hesitated at the edge of the doorway, but before I knew what had happened, Theo had swept me up into his arms and was carrying me toward the black SUV that was parked out front.

  “Oh, my gosh,” I giggled as the people in line at the club watched us.

  Theo had a driver waiting who opened the door before we got there, and with amazing ease, Theo slid me into his SUV. It was like a scene out of a fairy tale, and I was eating it up. For a moment, I thought that he might just be playing a game with me. Maybe it was all just one of the ways he picked up women, but then I realized I didn’t care. I was going home with an extremely wealthy and handsome man who had been a total gentleman all night long. This was the kind of guy I had been waiting for. Theo was the perfect guy for me, and I was going to make sure he knew just how grateful I was for him coming along that night.

  It was about time I had a little fun and got laid. It had been months since I had been with a man. But I had never been with a man like Theo. Someone so put together, handsome and funny. Theo was my dream guy, and I certainly wasn’t planning on pretending to get ill when we got into bed together.

  Oh, no, I was planning on letting his hands explore anywhere they wanted. I couldn’t wait to feel his warm skin pressed up against mine as we made love. It was going to be one hell of a night, that was for sure. I was going to give Theo a sexual night he wouldn’t soon forget.

  Chapter 6

  THEO

  “Mario, you know my friend who was staying in the spare bedroom. How was she doing?” I asked.

  There was no way around the fact that Kimberly was sleeping in my condo. I needed to set the groundwork right away to make sure that Abby didn’t feel like something more sinister was going on.

  “Sir, she was doing well. The nurse you hired had arrived and was taking care of her.”

  “Thank you, Mario,” I said as I grabbed Abby’s hand. “One of the girls who work for me was assaulted horribly by her boyfriend. She was afraid he had a key to her place, and I couldn’t stand the idea of her staying in a shelter. She is staying in one of my spare bedrooms.”

  Abby looked confused, yet I saw her try to understand the situation and show empathy. Certainly, I wasn’t going to tell her the woman was actually one of the escorts who worked for me and would have to talk with Kimberly to make sure she wouldn’t tell either.

  “That’s horrible. Did they catch the guy?”

  “Yes, they did. I’m sure he will get exactly what is coming to him, but sometimes they don’t hold these guys for long in jail. She’s going to crash with me for a bit.”

  “It is really sweet of you to take care of her like that. You are a better boss than any of them I’ve ever had,” Abby said with a little laugh.

  I really didn’t know that much about Abby, but I assumed working at Glance wasn’t very financially feasible for living in New York City. My estimate was that she shared a tiny apartment with a half dozen girls and everyone worked different shifts so they could sleep at different times in the house. It was a common story for girls who came to New York, and one that was perfect for me when I wanted to bring a girl into the escort world. Although, I very much wanted to keep Abby for myself.

  Of course, Abby would make an excellent escort if she ever wanted to go into the business, and I was damn good at convincing girls to try it out. First, I would gain their trust. Then, I would show them what having money was like in New York City. It was what the girls had dreamed of, and often it was too hard for them to resist when I offered them a date with one of my friends.

  That’s how I started a girl in the business. I had different friends and clients that I trusted, who would take the girls out on their first date. They would wine and dine the women. Show them a great time. Typically the women were so smitten with the men that they willingly hopped into bed with the guy. The next day, I would take the young girl out to breakfast, hand her a few thousand dollars and explain what her date had been.

  At first, they were horribly angry. How could I trick them like that? they would say to me. But then as we talked, the girls would realize that being an escort wasn’t any different than going on dates. Except for two things: the girls had to keep the drama out of the date, and they got paid a great deal of money for their time.

  Abby would make a killing as an escort. Her slim frame, sweet smile and funny disposition were exactly what men looked for. Not to mention her knockout bright blue eyes; those would make her a fortune if she decided to give it a go. But I wasn’t sure I was going to be willing to give her up. The idea of having a regular girl that was just for me was appealing, especially one that drove me wild like she did.

  “I believe all men should protect and take care of the women around them. As a boss, boyfriend or friend to women; I’m always going to make sure they are safe and cared for.”

  “Awww, that’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard a man say,” Abby said as she moved closer to me.

  I watched as she rubbed her toes together and realized that they must have been absolutely freezing. Even though I had carried her to the vehicle, it was still December, and it was still cold out. I reached down and pulled her toes into my hands and started to rub them again.

  “Oooh, God that feels so good,” Abby said with a moan after her words.

  I saw Mario smile and look into the mirror at Abby and me, so I motioned for him not to look. He smiled and then moved his eyes back to the road in front of us. He was a good man and kept to himself. I didn’t have to worry about him ignoring an order I gave.

  “You must be freezing.”

  “No, I think all those drinks warmed me up just fine.”

  “Let me warm you up more.”

 
I spread her legs around me and pulled Abby onto my lap. As she straddled me, I saw that damn amazing smile of hers and couldn’t help but smile back. My hands reached for her and pulled her toward me as our lips locked together. I loved the taste of her, the sweet mix of vodka and what might have been strawberries or something else delicious. I just couldn’t get enough and wanted more and more.

  She tasted so good. She opened her mouth and let my tongue plunge into her as we enjoyed the soft touch of each other’s lips. Kissing was something I didn’t take lightly, it got me all worked up and I wanted Abby in my bed that very moment. It was hard for me to try and control myself and be a gentleman around her. Inside, I felt like a Neanderthal waiting to attack.

  I wanted to let my fingers move up her skirt and feel her wet center but decided it wouldn’t be the best way to gain her trust. And I needed her to trust me; I wanted her to trust me. Whether she was going to work for me or not, I had to have her trust if anything was going to move forward.

  Being an escort might be in Abby’s future, and I didn’t want to throw away that possibility by pushing her to move too fast. I couldn’t decide between keeping her or hiring her, and until I made that decision, I was going to have to avoid sleeping with her. Things got way too complicated when I slept with a girl before she became an escort for me. No. I had to behave myself at least for one night while I decided what to do next with Abby.

  I saw the awe on her face as we made our way up the elevator to my condo. In New York, the higher your apartment was in the building, the more expensive it was. My condo was the penthouse on the 40th floor of my building. It impressed women, that was for sure. It probably hadn’t been the wisest purchase of my life at $13 million. But at the time, I wanted it to show my status in New York. I wanted to throw parties and have people over who could be utterly impressed by my home.

  The problem was, the New York elite didn’t care about how expensive your condo was if you couldn’t do something for them. Over the last few years as I started legitimate businesses, I learned that rich people always wanted something for nothing. They always wanted to come to free parties, get free meals and have free gym memberships. For me to keep giving away free things, I had to keep my escort business going. The escort business totally financed my legitimate lifestyle.

 

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