by Lynn LaFleur
“Why?” Breanna moved closer and laid her hand over Jade’s. “You’ve always told me I could talk to you about anything. That goes both ways. I’m not simply being a daughter who loves her mother when I tell you how special and lovely you are. You’re surrounded by men because of your job. There’s no reason why you can’t find a man who will adore you. Why won’t you give anyone a chance?”
Jade pushed her hair behind her right ear. “When your husband leaves you for a younger woman, it doesn’t exactly boost up your self-esteem.”
Breanna remained silent for several seconds before softly saying, “No, I guess it doesn’t. But that was two years ago, Mom. Let it go.”
“I’ve tried, Bre. I really have tried to let it go.” Lowering her gaze to the lingerie in her lap, Jade fingered the silky material. “I thought we had a good marriage. I thought I’d made your father happy, in every way. That included the bedroom.”
Breanna squeezed Jade’s hand, but didn’t speak.
“We had a good sex life. Let me rephrase that—I had a good sex life. Apparently your father didn’t.”
“It wasn’t just sex, Mom. I think it was more of an ego thing for Dad. He’s very dominant. I don’t mean in a sexual way. At least, I don’t think you two had that kind of relationship, and I certainly don’t want you to tell me. That would be way too much information. But you aren’t a fawner and Melody was. He needed someone to hang on his every word and jump at his slightest command.”
Jade looked back at her daughter. “You’re using past tense phrases, Bre.”
“I know. Dad and Melody broke up three weeks ago.”
Perhaps the news should’ve been more of a shock to Jade, but it wasn’t. She’d never believed Carl and Melody would last forever. The fact that they never married proved that. “I didn’t know.”
Breanna shrugged. “I didn’t think it would make any difference to you. It’s not as if you and Dad will ever get back together.” Her eyes widened and a look of panic filled them. “You won’t, will you?”
Jade couldn’t help laughing at her daughter’s stricken expression. “I thought all children wanted their divorced parents to get back together.”
“Not me. I’ve watched you grow into your own person since you and Dad split. He’s too domineering for you, Mom. You need an equal, someone who will love you for the person you are, not the person he wants you to be. You need a guy who will appreciate you and love you so much, he’d never consider even looking at another woman, much less take her to bed.”
“Men like that don’t exist in my age bracket.”
“Who says he has to be in your age bracket? How about someone younger than you, someone handsome with a great body and a huge cock who’ll make you come three times a night?”
Jade’s mouth dropped open at her daughter’s language. “Breanna!”
She grinned. “Nice fantasy, isn’t it?”
Jade returned her daughter’s grin. “It certainly is.”
Breanna giggled. “Well, I don’t want a guy younger than me, but the rest of it would work.” She pointed to the lingerie in her mother’s lap. “And speaking of a younger man, you have a date in a few hours. Try on your new undies.”
“You’re determined for me to wear these, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. So up! Try them on.”
Arguing would be useless, Jade knew that. She could humor her daughter by trying on the underwear. That didn’t mean she had to wear it tonight.
“And don’t think you can get away with trying them on now and not wearing them tonight. I’ll be back to check on you later.”
“I hate it when you read my mind.” With a sigh of defeat, Jade climbed off the bed. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“It’s a day for firsts. Believe me, it was a first for me to buy a bra with a double D cup.”
Modesty had never been a problem for Jade with her daughter. She had taught Breanna that the human body was beautiful, not something “dirty”, no matter the shape or size. Peeling off her T-shirt, jeans, and underwear, she let them fall to the floor.
“God, Mom, you have a better body than some of my girlfriends. You don’t have one tiny bit of cellulite anywhere. I think I hate you.” Breanna stretched out on the bed and rested on one elbow. “I don’t know why you think you need to lose thirty pounds.”
“My scale makes me think that.”
“You should throw away that stupid scale and simply use your mirror.”
Jade slipped on the bra first. It didn’t have any padding, but the style pushed her breasts together and upward, creating a deep cleavage. She eyed the thong as if it would morph into a rattlesnake at any moment before taking a breath and stepping into it. After arranging the elastic so it was comfortable, she faced her daughter, hands on hips.
“Well?”
Breanna grinned. “You’re a total babe. Go look at yourself in the mirror.”
Jade crossed the floor and stopped in front of the three-way mirror. She turned left, then right, examining her body from every angle. A frown formed on her lips. This wasn’t her. She liked nice lingerie, yes, but not a bra that made her breasts look even larger, and definitely not a thong that barely covered her pubic hair.
“Don’t look at you, Mom. Look at the woman in the mirror. See how sexy she is.”
Jade met her daughter’s gaze in the glass before shifting her attention back to her own image. She turned from side to side again so she could see her entire body. The woman in the mirror looked…voluptuous, sexy, confident of her appeal to men.
Totally different from the chubby divorcee she usually saw in the mirror.
“If that was a friend of yours, would you think she looked good? Be honest.”
Honestly, yes, she looked good. A tiny smile played across her lips. She looked damned good.
“You’ll have that escort drooling all over you.”
“He’s paid to drool over me.” She met Breanna’s gaze in the mirror again. “By the way, how much did you pay him?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“That much? Breanna, the trust fund from your grandfather wasn’t meant to be blown on foolish things.”
“I’m not blowing my trust fund, Mom, I promise. You don’t worry about the cost. The only thing you have to worry about tonight is having a good time.”
“And making sure everything runs smoothly.”
“It will. You’re incredible at your job and everything always runs exactly the way it’s supposed to.”
Jade smiled. “Thanks, honey. You’re good for my ego.” She turned and walked back to the bed. “I have an idea.”
“What?”
“I’ll get dressed and we’ll go out for an early lunch. I’ll buy.”
“You bet you will. I’m tapped out after paying for your rent-a-stud.”
Chapter Three
Breanna sighed heavily when Jade tried again to pull up the bodice of her gown. “Mom, stop that. You’re going to tear it.”
“Are you sure this isn’t too low?”
“No, it isn’t too low.” Breanna pushed away Jade’s hands and tugged the bodice back down to where it should be. “You have beautiful breasts. Don’t be afraid to show them off. I’d show mine off every opportunity I got if they were as big as yours.”
“Are you sure my nipples are covered?”
“Yes, Mom, they’re covered.” She grinned. “Barely.”
Ignoring her mother’s glare, Breanna straightened the sweetheart neckline, then took a step back to look at Jade. She looked absolutely stunning. The long-sleeved emerald gown had definitely been the right choice. It made her mother’s eyes appear an even deeper green, her hair a richer shade of auburn. While not tight, the silky material clung to Jade’s curves, emphasizing her breasts and hips.
That sexy escort wouldn’t be able to breathe when he saw Jade. And that’s exactly what Breanna wanted. She wanted her mother to have a good time tonight, both at the gala and later in the
bedroom.
“You realize I never wear anything like this,” Jade said. “My gowns are more—”
“Boring,” Breanna quickly supplied.
“Sedate. I represent the hospital, Bre. I have to look professional.”
“You look professional every day at work. This is a party. You’re allowed to let loose and be sexy.”
“I doubt if the board would approve of my having a good time if it means my nipples pop out of my bodice.”
Breanna swallowed her smile. Her mother had a quick wit and a terrific sense of humor. Any man would enjoy being with her because of her sparkling personality. Although with Jade’s looks and body, Breanna doubted if he would pass up the opportunity to be with her physically, too.
Including the escort. Especially the escort. Breanna had made sure of that.
Jade laid one hand over her stomach. “I swear there are five thousand butterflies in here.”
“I’ll get you a glass of tea.”
“Thanks, honey.”
Breanna left Jade in the bedroom while she walked to the kitchen. She thought back to earlier today and her conversation with Zachary Cooper. Wanting to be sure he knew exactly what she expected of him, she’d called Coopers’ Companions this morning and asked for Zach to call her cell. She’d been in the bookstore when he’d returned her call.
“Ms. Talmage, this is Zachary Cooper. How can I help you?”
Breanna shivered hearing that deep, sexy voice. Oh, yes, he would be perfect for her mother. “Thank you for calling me, Mr. Cooper.”
“Zach, please.”
“And I’m Breanna.” She stepped to a corner of the store for more privacy. “I wanted to make sure you understand about tonight.”
“I’m escorting your mother to the gala celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of North Texas Highland Hospital.”
“I’m not talking about the gala. I’m talking about after the gala.”
“I don’t understand.”
Breanna glanced around to be sure no one stood close enough to hear her. “I want my mother to have a good time tonight. That includes sex.”
He remained silent for several seconds. “Did your mother ask you to call me?”
“No. She’d shoot me if she knew I was doing this.”
“Ms. Talmage—Breanna—it is totally up to the woman if our evening ends with a more…intimate encounter. It isn’t Coopers’ Companions’ policy to come on to the woman we’re escorting.”
“But your dates do include sex. My girlfriend, the one who recommended you, said her date with you ended with sex.”
Intense, mind-blowing sex. Breanna shivered again. She’d had sex, but never intense, mind-blowing sex. It sounded nummy.
“I’m not sure if this conversation is appropriate, Ms. Talmage.”
“No, it probably isn’t, but I’m concerned about my mother. I want her to feel…sexy and alive. I want you to make her feel that way.” She paused a moment as a customer walked past. “So, will your evening with my mother include sex?”
“Ms. Talmage, I am an escort, a companion. I am not a prostitute.”
“I didn’t say you are. But we’re both adults, Zach. Be honest with me. Many of your dates end with sex, don’t they?”
She heard him sigh. “If the lady requests it, yes. My job is to be attentive to my date, to show her she’s appreciated because she’s a woman.”
“What if she doesn’t request sex?”
“Then I say goodnight at her front door and go home.”
Breanna blew out a heavy breath. “My mother won’t request it. I want you to initiate sex.”
“I will not do anything to make your mother uncomfortable.”
She couldn’t let him slip away. Frantically thinking about a way to get through to him, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “I’ll give you more money—”
“Money is not the issue. I will escort your mother to the gala. I will be attentive and gracious to her. I will not initiate sex if she doesn’t want it.”
Well, shit. Now what?
“It’s been a long time for her. She hasn’t been intimate with anyone since she and my dad divorced almost two years ago. I know that for a fact because she told me so. My mother is a young, beautiful, sexy woman, Zach. She’s been alone much too long. I want her to feel desirable again.”
“I’m sorry. Unless your mother indicates she wants to be intimate with me, it won’t happen.”
“But if you get any kind of sign from her, any little thing, you’ll go for it?”
Zach chuckled. “You’re very persistent, Breanna.”
She took his chuckling as a good sign. “I’m a lot like my mother.”
When he didn’t say anything else, Breanna prompted him. “Any little sign, right?”
“Yes, any little sign.”
“All right!” If she wasn’t in a bookstore, she would’ve done a happy dance. “Show her a good time. And I mean a really good time. You’ll spend the night with her, right?”
“No. You won’t change my mind about that. We don’t spend the night with our dates. Ever.”
“But you can stay with her for a long time, right? I mean, the gala won’t even be over until probably midnight.”
“Staying late won’t be a problem.”
Breanna beamed. “Wonderful. Thank you, Zach.”
Yes, her mother would shoot her if she knew Breanna had called Zach. But she had to be sure that he paid extra special attention to Jade tonight.
She poured each of them a glass of iced tea and returned to the bedroom. She found her mother in the bathroom, putting the final touches on her hair. “Here, Mom.”
“Thanks, Bre.” Jade accepted the glass. She chugged down half the contents in one gulp.
“You really are nervous, aren’t you?”
“I’m going out with a man I don’t know, a man I’ve never even seen. I’ve never had a blind date. Of course I’m nervous.” She took another sip of tea before placing the glass on the counter. “What a stupid time for my brother to go on a fishing trip.”
“I think Uncle Paul purposely planned his trip when he did so he wouldn’t have to escort you. He hates wearing a tux.”
“‘Escort’. There’s that word again. Do you know anything about him, Bre?”
I know he’s going to give you the best sex of your life. No offense, Dad. “Not a thing.” Picking up Jade’s brush, Breanna smoothed an errant curl by her mother’s left ear. “Stop worrying. Everything will be fine. The gala will go smoothly, and you’ll have a wonderful time.”
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway made Breanna toss down the brush and jog to the window. She pulled apart two slats of the mini-blinds and peered outside. The sight made her gasp.
“What?” Jade asked anxiously.
“He’s driving a Lexus. What a sweet car.”
“Do you see him?”
“Not really. He’s… Wait, he’s getting out.” Breanna swallowed hard. Her knees trembled. Her knees never trembled at the sight of a handsome man. But rarely did she see a man so totally edible. “Oh my God. Mom, he’s gorgeous!”
Jade joined Breanna at the window. “He’s a baby!”
“Oooh, baby!”
“Breanna, I cannot go to the gala with a man that young. He can’t be more than twenty-five.”
“He’s thirty.”
Jade took Breanna’s arm and pulled her away from the window. “I thought you didn’t know anything about him.”
Oops. Watch it, Bre. “I don’t, other than his age. But what difference does that make?”
“I do not want to go out with a man ten years younger!”
The doorbell rang. “It’s too late to back out now, Mom.”
Jade huffed out a breath. Her eyes narrowed. “I am going to spank you for this.”
She turned as if to leave the room. Breanna quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Uh-uh. I’ll answer the door. You need to make an entrance.”
“An entrance?”
“Yeah. Wait two minutes.”
Breanna hurried from the bathroom while her mom hissed at her to come back. She wanted Zach to watch her mother walk down the hall. She wanted him to see the gentle jiggle of Jade’s breasts above her bodice and realize that beautiful woman would be in his arms tonight.
Besides, she wanted a close-up view of him first.
She opened the front door as the chimes sounded a second time. Her mouth would’ve dropped open if she hadn’t caught it in time. She didn’t know if Zachary Cooper was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, but he had to be in the top ten.
The top five.
Tall, at least six-one. Medium brown, shoulder-length hair with a hint of curl. Impossibly broad shoulders. Wide chest. Flat stomach. Husky thighs. A nice bulge between those thighs.
A very nice bulge.
Breanna sighed silently. Oh, yes, he would do quite nicely.
“Hi,” Breanna said when she managed to find her voice again.
He smiled. “Good evening.”
“Come in, please. I’m Breanna. My mom will be ready in a minute.”
She shut the door behind Zach. When she faced him again, he took her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and placed a soft kiss on the back.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Breanna.”
Her breath hitched. “Oh, you’re good,” she whispered.
“I know,” he whispered back with a grin.
He straightened and released her hand. She saw his gaze flick past her shoulder. The amusement in his expression quickly faded, to be replaced with an emotion she’d call awe.
Which quickly turned into downright lust.
Breanna turned and watched her mother gliding toward them. That’s the best word she could think of to describe the way Jade moved…almost as if her feet didn’t touch the floor. Tears filled her eyes. She was so proud of her stunning mother.
“Good evening,” Jade said softly once she stood before Zach.
He cleared his throat. “Good evening. I’m Zachary Taylor, your escort for tonight.” He held out a single white rose to her.
She gave him a small smile. “Jade Talmage.” She held out her free hand to him. Instead of shaking it, he took it in both of his and lifted it to his mouth. He kissed the back, then her palm.
