But he wasn’t strong when it came to her. He didn’t want to be.
His mind started clicking fast as he crossed the room and took his seat again. Yeah, they could do it. He kept things confidential as a lawyer, and she’d surprised everyone by what she’d done behind the scenes with Luxxor. Leaning forward, he caught her hand. ‘Would it be that bad?’
‘I…I’m not sure, Colt. My family and I are close. I tell them everything.’
He lifted an eyebrow.
‘Well, almost everything.’
‘I don’t want to give you up.’
She wiggled a bit in the chair. Finally, her gaze lifted. ‘I suppose it could be…hot.’
His hard-on came back with a vengeance. Whatever he’d been expecting from her last night, she’d surprised him.
His Erin was a sex kitten.
Catching her hand more firmly, he drew her out of her chair and back on to his lap. Fisting his hand in her hair, he kissed her deeply. It felt so good to finally be able to do that, to kiss her and touch her whenever he got the urge.
He just hoped she wouldn’t be too shocked by how often that urge came over him.
‘I haven’t had enough of you yet,’ he said against her lips.
The oven dinger went off, sounding just like the bell from last evening’s charity game, and a slow smile crossed her lips. ‘Good answer.’
‘So how are things between you and Colton?’ Nina asked.
So complicated.
Erin and the Luxxor executive were lounging in the seating area in Nina’s office, having another of their date-breakdown sessions. Rielle had brought them hot cocoa, and it sat steaming on the coffee table before them. Outside, soft flakes tumbled down past the window on their way to the ground. Just light flurries, but it was the first snowfall of the season.
‘Good,’ Erin answered instead. She picked up a throw pillow from the sofa and plucked at the tufts coming from the corners. She glanced up through her eyelashes. ‘Really good. I’m just surprised it’s actually happening.’
‘No more surprised than I was when I got Colton’s call,’ Nina said dryly. She toyed with one dangling earring. ‘I’ve never been approached with a cease-and-desist order in quite such a manner.’
Erin winced. She could only imagine. ‘I didn’t mean for him to do that.’
‘I know, dear. We discussed your need for an escort to that event, and I approved it.’
‘Jason was the one who put him up to it.’ The traitor. The beautiful, soft-hearted, over-protective, meddling traitor. She was going to have to do something special for him for making everything happen.
Maybe she’d make him a pie, too.
Nina lifted her mug of cocoa and blew upon it. ‘I can’t say that surprises me.’
So Nina had butted wills with Sienna’s boyfriend, too? Shocking. Although the idea of it made Erin curious. In a battle between those two, who would win?
She wrapped her arms around the pillow and hugged it against her chest. ‘Colton wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was here, either.’
Nina’s brow furrowed. ‘Why? We’re not in violation of any terms. This is what you and I agreed upon. He doesn’t have a say in the matter.’
Somehow Erin was sure Colt would have other opinions on that, but that wasn’t the reason. ‘He’s worried about Detective Morgan.’
‘The detective?’ Nina said, her voice jumping. Her foot began to bop.
‘Has he been around lately?’ Erin asked.
Nina rubbed the tip of her finger up and down her temple. Her nails were done in the prettiest burgundy colour.
‘Not for days,’ she said. A polite smile lifted her lips. ‘Although it seems like weeks. Why would Colton be concerned about that? The charges are against Jason. They should have no impact on you.’
‘It’s not necessarily the assault case that he’s worried about. He’s concerned about what the detective might find out…about Luxxor…’
Nina didn’t react outwardly. She sat in the leather easy chair with her killer legs crossed, holding her mug in both hands. ‘Colton told you,’ she said simply.
Erin held her gaze. ‘Is it true?’
‘I didn’t mislead you when you first visited me to inquire about our services. I told you that we specialise in short-term arrangements.’
Erin brushed her thumb back and forth across a soft tassel. ‘And do they include…you know?’
‘You’re aware of our policies, Erin. We aim for discretion. Those services are not available to you and, as such, we can’t discuss them.’
‘Was that Colton’s call?’
‘No.’ Nina lifted her cup and took a drink. ‘It was mine.’
Erin shifted and tucked her ankles together at the base of the sofa. ‘I’d like to understand,’ she said softly. ‘I admire you so much.’
Nina’s expression softened. ‘Oh, sweetie. That means a lot to me. I’ve become fond of you, too.’
Erin waited.
Sighing, Nina put her drink back on the table. She rubbed her hands up and down the armrests and then settled her fingers one by one around the ends. ‘Sometimes you find yourself held back in life for reasons outside your control. Others try to hold you down, and you have to find a way to claw your way up and take control.’
She cocked her head consideringly. ‘It’s not that unlike what you’ve done to make changes in your life. Sometimes you have to take paths that people don’t expect or necessarily approve of in order to get to where you want to go.’
Like using an escort service to bounce back from a failed engagement and finding yourself matched with your fantasy man?
Erin licked her lips. She really didn’t care about the moral boundaries of Luxxor’s business plan. That was Nina’s concern, and she’d have to live with her decisions. There was only one aspect of it that touched Erin, and she’d been fretting on it all day. ‘Did Colton use those services?’
Nina shook her head. ‘You know I can’t answer that. That’s a question you’ll need to ask him.’
Erin picked up her hot cocoa just to give her hands something to do. The idea of it bothered her, even though she knew she couldn’t hold it against him. He was single. The two of them had only just hooked up. She knew he’d dated; he wasn’t a monk. He had every right to use an escort service if he wanted – as long as nothing illegal had happened…
Like paying money to have sex with another woman.
Erin’s nails clicked against the mug as jealousy roared inside her.
‘Just consider again that you two were a perfect match when I set you up,’ Nina said softly. ‘He met your requirements, and you met his. I asked him the same questions I asked you.’
About likes and dislikes, looks, personality, physical traits…And other ‘wishes’.
The lion inside Erin went quiet.
‘Once clients give us their specifications, they rarely change them.’
And he’d been in that database first.
Nina smirked. ‘I do have to admit that, watching you two, I’ve found Luxxor’s foray into matchmaking quite rewarding.’
Erin let an eyebrow lift. ‘Not as rewarding as me.’
‘Oh, really.’ Nina’s eyes danced. ‘Things are going that well?’
‘He gave me his key.’
‘He did what?’
Erin laughed aloud. She’d wondered what it would take to shake up Nina’s cool composure. The woman was a rock. The only other thing that seemed to put her off the game was a big handsome detective.
Erin let her mentor off the hook. ‘He’s letting me redecorate his row house.’
‘Oh.’ Nina relaxed again. ‘That’s intimate, too. He’s letting you into his space.’
Erin was aware. A person’s home meant something to them. It was a safe harbour, a place to regroup and lower barriers. A place to be one’s true self.
Colton acted as if it wasn’t a big deal, but it was a big deal to her.
In fact, she already had some ideas that
excited her. She’d spent the whole weekend with him inside that personal space. Their time together had felt secret and privileged. And sexy. He’d had to work on his case, but she’d been fascinated to see that side of him. When he’d focused on his notes, he’d zoned out even her. She’d been able to watch the way his mind worked, which was a surprising turn-on, yet she’d been content to sit in the same room with him with her sketch pad and art pencils.
When that man finished working, though, he was able to switch focus fast.
‘We seem to be…compatible.’
Nina flicked her earring again. ‘After that call, I assumed he was ready to take things to another level.’
Another level. Yes, that was a good way to put it. Erin felt her blush coming on again.
Sex with Colton was opening a whole new world to her…physically, mentally and emotionally. She’d reached heights she’d never imagined, and he reacted to her touch like parched soil to water. She was learning so many things about herself. About sex, about heat, about pleasure and arousal and need.
Nina turned in her seat and leaned closer. ‘So the concerns we discussed in a prior session haven’t arisen?’
Her concerns about not being enough for an experienced man? It didn’t matter when he was a good teacher. Erin took a gulp of her hot chocolate to give herself an excuse for overheating, but scrunched her nose when she found the drink had cooled.
She stared into its depths anyway. ‘We get along great. He’s easy to talk to. He’s smiling more, and I think I might be good at keeping him from diving too deeply into his work. The sex is phenomenal…’
‘I hear a “but”.’
‘But he wants to keep our new relationship secret. I don’t understand. It’s so good. It makes me so happy I want to yell it from the top of the Washington Monument, but the only other people who know are you, Sienna and Jason.’
Nina fingered the ends of her ash-blonde hair. ‘When Sienna helped us pair you two up, she mentioned that Colton is a friend of your older brother.’
‘Dustin. They’re best friends.’
The older woman raised an eyebrow. ‘There’s a reason men won’t often date their best friends’ little sisters.’
But it wasn’t just Dustin who had told him to keep his hands off. Her parents had been involved, too.
Nina smiled a knowing smile. ‘You’re off-limits, Erin.’
She knew that. The message had come in loud and clear – and only about eight years too late.
But Colton had come after her anyway.
And how sexy was that? She was forbidden fruit. Taboo. A big no-no.
Pretty hot for a ‘boring’ girl.
‘Would keeping your relationship private really be that bad?’ Nina asked. ‘It would give you two time to learn about each other in your new roles as lovers.’
Lovers. Erin bit her tongue. She and Colton were lovers now. It was so grown-up. So sexual. They’d done things to each other and with each other. ‘I told him I’d do it, that I’d see him on the sly.’
‘What’s the alternative?’
None. She wasn’t going back to where they’d been.
Erin began to warm up to the idea even more. She’d told him it could be hot. Secret meetings, lunchtime quickies, clandestine hookups…
She was so down with that.
Nina smiled and settled her hand over Erin’s knee. ‘Concentrate on making yourselves happy first. Just remember what I told you – the path you take to get there doesn’t have to be the one everyone else expects. If it’s hot and sexy, all the better.’
Chapter Eleven
‘Come in,’ Colton said when a knock came at his door. He was in his office in downtown DC with his head deep in the case. So far, proceedings were going well, but he couldn’t let them draw on for too long. His client deserved swift justice, and he sensed he had the jury leaning in their direction. As they should. This was one of the more blatant cases that he’d seen of sexual discrimination in the workplace.
‘Are you busy?’
He looked up in surprise when, instead of hearing the male voice of his assistant, he heard Erin. ‘Not too busy for you.’
She closed the door behind her – and locked it.
He put his pen down slowly.
‘Your assistant seems to be at lunch, so I snuck in.’ She wiggled her eyebrows and lifted a brown bag with the Apple Tree Grille’s logo stamped on the side. ‘I brought you a quick lunch.’
He looked at his watch and was surprised that it was, in fact, the lunch hour. He’d been so immersed in what he was doing, he hadn’t noticed time passing by.
He rose and smoothed his tie. ‘Now that you mention it, I am hungry.’
His gaze swept over her. She was bundled up in a dark coat that went all the way past her knees. There’d been more snow overnight. From his bed, they’d watched it fall together. Winter was arriving, but she looked ready for the frozen tundra with a scarf tucked around her neck, and leather boots.
She put the lunch on his desk.
‘How hungry?’ she asked as she took off her gloves and unwound the scarf.
His brow furrowed. He saw now why she’d needed all the cover. Whatever she was wearing, it was low-cut.
‘Starving,’ he said.
It had only been a few hours since he’d left her to come to work, but desire was a funny thing. He’d gone months without doing the deed. Now, hard-ons were becoming a daily occurrence.
‘That’s good,’ she said as she undid her coat. She shook back her hair, and it glowed against the dark wool.
Colton inhaled slowly. The cold air outside had put pink in her cheeks. He loved when she looked like this: All-American, wholesome and sexy.
She opened her coat and –
Bam!
His eyes almost popped out of his head. She was stark naked, except for the boots. All smooth, flowing skin, tempting curves and leather. Sweet mercy, where had she got those things? They came all the way up to her thighs and drew his attention straight to the tender, bare flesh between them.
‘Oops, did I say a quick lunch?’ Wickedness was in her eyes as she reached up to undo his tie. Colton sat down hard on his desk, and she worked her way between his thighs. Some of the cold must have got through, because her nipples were rosy and stiff. ‘I meant a quickie and lunch.’
He folded his hands over her breasts, but shot a look at the door. ‘Erin, what do you think you’re doing?’
‘Sneaking around.’ Her soft palm folded over his crotch. ‘Am I not doing it right?’
He’d asked for this.
He just couldn’t believe he was getting it. Not like this.
His hands tightened on her breasts. ‘I’d say you’ve got it down.’
Picking her up, he strode fast to the sofa at the side of the room. ‘Now it’s my turn.’
She gasped when he dumped her on the cushions. Those leather boots looked spectacular on her. Raunchy and so out of place.
He spread her legs wide.
‘Your turn to do what?’ she asked as she reached for him.
He didn’t give her time to prepare. Hell, he didn’t even take time to strip before he dropped to his knees and dipped his head.
‘Go down.’
‘Ahhh!’ Her hips lifted sharply as his mouth came down on her. ‘Colton!’
She wanted to play naughty? He could do naughty.
He worked her legs open further and gave her one long lick. He felt her trembling and pressed his face more firmly against her. Opening his mouth wide, he began to suck. Quickie? He thought not.
She twisted on his oh-so-professional sofa. It was leather to match her boots.
She’d come here dressed like this? What if someone had seen her? What if her coat had flown up in the wind? What if someone on the Metro had got handy?
Oh, no. If she’d come here looking like this, she’d better be ready for a marathon.
Erin collected her things from the side of the exercise room when her pole-dancing
class finished. It had been a fun session today; they were starting to learn new tricks. Perspiration covered her body. She felt worn out, yet energised at the same time. ‘No wonder strippers have the bodies they do,’ she said to a classmate.
‘I know, right?’ the woman said. She lifted her arms overhead and stretched.
Erin took a long drink from her water bottle. The exertion felt good, though. Freeing. She’d never been a boot-camp kind of girl. She preferred floor aerobics, yoga and Pilates, but pole dancing was quickly becoming her favourite. It required exertion, yet had an artistic side that appealed to her.
‘See you next time,’ the pretty Asian girl said.
‘I’ll be here,’ Erin promised.
She looped her bag over her shoulder and joined the rest of the women leaving the class. She took another drink when the procession slowed. There seemed to be some kind of bottleneck at the door. She heard some giggles and a few flirty ‘hello’s. She discovered what the holdup was when she got to the door…
Or more, precisely, who. ‘Colton!’
He nodded to the woman who stopped behind her. The woman grinned and slowly passed them, but her gaze was moving up and down him like a yard rake. A shyer participant dipped her head and scurried by.
Erin pushed back a strand of hair that had slipped from her ponytail. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘You didn’t tell me they had a cardio room up front. Come to find out, you can pay for a one-day pass.’
Erin looked nervously down the hallway towards the front desk. ‘But you shouldn’t be back here.’
‘Why? Class is over. I didn’t peek.’ He stepped closer to her. ‘Even though I wanted to.’
She put a hand on his chest to stop him. He apparently was telling the truth about the workout. His T-shirt was damp, and his hair was spiky with sweat.
Oh, damn.
‘The manager watches guys closely,’ she warned. ‘Well, except the gay ones who take the classes.’
He leaned in.
‘You’re not gay,’ she hissed.
He grinned devilishly. ‘So you noticed.’
Courting Innocence Page 15
