Escorting the Actress (The Escort Collection Book 2) (17 page)

"Awesome," I said. "Just awesome."

The photographers started calling my name as soon as we got outside. A thousand flashes went off as Tori pulled me toward the Town Car.

"What happened with Kyle? Did you two break up?"

"Are the rumors true? Did he cheat on you?"

"Are you two taking a break?"

"Knock it off!" Tori hollered. "Just let us get to our car!"

She managed to push me through the throng and to the car. We both collapsed inside, exhausted.

"Please get us out of here," she asked the driver.

We sped off into the early morning light. I kept my sunglasses on and my hood up so Tori couldn't inspect me.

"How are you
dealing
with that?" she asked, motioning back toward LAX.

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Kyle made it a lot better." Saying his name made me choke up, so I was relieved that I had my sunglasses on.

But of course, this was Tori I was dealing with. She put the divider up and turned back to me. "Lo?" She patted my knee. "Talk to me. Where's Kyle? When I got your text to pick you up, I assumed you meant both of you. What happened?"

"I broke up with him," I said, and tears spilled traitorously down my cheeks.

"But I thought you guys weren't even really together," she said, trying to be comforting.

"We weren't." I sniffled.

She handed me a tissue, and I honked my nose into it.

"But?"

"But I still broke up with him." I blew my nose again. "His dad offered him a position with his company—
if
he agreed not to see me anymore."

"Did Kyle take it?"

I shook my head
.
"He said… he said he wanted to stay with me." My words came out in puffy little sobs.

Tori patted my knee again. "Aww, that's sweet, Lo. That's really nice."

"I know. He even said he'd quit being my escort before we left—but he hadn't told me that before."

"So he was just with you because he wanted to be with you?"

"Yes."

"I think I like this Kyle," Tori said.

"But that's exactly why I had to let him go. I can't ruin his life, Tor. I can't make him miss out on a great opportunity because… because… I'm selfish." I collapsed into tears.

Tori pulled me into her arms and shushed me. "S'okay, Lo. It's okay."

I pulled back and continued to ugly-cry. "N-n-no, it's not. His father forbid him from being with me. And it made sense. Because it
makes
sense. Then my mother showed up, and she freaked out when she saw him. She asked me for more money—"

"Ugh! I knew she was gonna do that!" Tori fumed.

"And when I said no, she freaked out even worse. She threatened to blackmail me." I tore off my sunglasses and wiped my face. "It's such a mess. I was trying to do the right thing. That's all I was ever trying to do, I swear."

"I know," she said soothingly. "I know."

We were quiet for a minute while I collected myself.

"So… what happens now?" my friend asked.

"Kyle goes to work for his dad. That's the important thing. He'll get the chance he deserves."

"What about
you
?"

I shrugged. "I go deal with Lucas and Shirley and everybody else who's gonna be disappointed in me. And just pick up the pieces. Maybe… quit the business."

"So that's it? You're just gonna give up? On your career and on Kyle?"

"I'll figure work out." I blew my nose again. "It's not as if I really have a choice about Kyle."

Tori snorted. "Of course you have a choice. You're either going to give him a chance, or you're not going to give him a chance."

"Did you not hear a word that I just said?" I asked incredulously. "His father will do anything to keep us apart. So will my mother. On top of that, there are some minor details you might remember: He is my stepbrother. He is my escort."

Tori held my gaze. "He
was
your stepbrother. He
was
your escort."

"Still sounds pretty insurmountable to me."

"I think he's nice. I think you should give him a chance."

"I
can't
." I shook my head, feeling desolate. "It's not a good time."

My best friend, who knew me too well, patted my knee again. "When's it ever gonna be a good time?"

I
drank half
the bottle of vodka, but it did nothing to dull the pain. I sat on the bed, running my hands down the sheets, just thinking about Lowell.

My heart hurt. I didn't know that was actually a thing, aside from in movies and books, but it was happening. To me. It actually hurt pretty badly.

Then my father called, going on about Caroline Barton. Some nonsense about her threatening to go to the press and him giving her money to stop her. I only half-listened through the haze of vodka, but it sounded as if Caroline would be able to afford her next series of cosmetic procedures, along with another Louis Vuitton bucket bag, courtesy of my father.

As if I gave a fuck.

We hung up, and I sat there, fuming. I wanted to tell him I wasn't coming in tomorrow. I wanted to tell him I had more pressing matters to attend to, but I didn't. I wasn't sure if Lowell would want me if I walked away from him. She might think I was never going to grow up, never going to be the man she needed.

Old Kyle would have just finished the bottle, passed out, and slept in late.
Fuck you
to my dad,
fuck you
to my questionable future,
fuck you
to the woman who left me.

But Kyle 2.0 couldn't do that.

For once, I felt as though I had something at stake that mattered. And I wanted it more than I'd ever wanted anything.

I put down the bottle and called my father back.

S
ome photographer
—one I would be punching later, when I could get my hands on him or her—had taken pictures of Lo and me in front of the Stratum. We were clearly fighting. In the picture, her face was angry and mine was despondent. My abs had made it into the shot; at least they looked good.

The headline on
XYZ
read:
Lovebirds
Done Already?

Then there was another shot of Lowell, looking exhausted with puffy eyes, getting out of a cab at the Boston airport:
Lowell Packs on Pounds Amidst Breakup.

I cracked my knuckles, just thinking of what I was going to do to Katie from
XYZ
.

I
pulled
up in front of Lo's house the next afternoon. I'd only made one stop between LAX and her house. I hoped she would understand what I was about to do.

I also hoped she would be happy to see me, but I kind of doubted it.

There was a full-on campground of reporters splayed out on the sidewalk, drinking coffee, chatting, and waiting for Lowell to come out of the house.

I triple-parked and got out, waving to my favorites. "Hey, Jimmy. Jose. Hey, Lila." I stopped when I saw Katie. "Your click-bait headlines had it all wrong. Again."

"Really?" she asked, not missing a beat. She snapped about a thousand pictures of me as I forced myself to smile pleasantly at her. "Tell me how I got it wrong. That wasn't a fight? It sure looked like one. Is she expecting you today, or is this a surprise visit?"

I flashed my dimples. These pictures would be a far cry from the ones last night, dammit. "I don't think I owe you a detailed explanation," I said, flashing my teeth at her, "but I
will
say that I'm thrilled to be here."

She snapped some more pictures as I moved on, then she trained her zoom lens on the door and waited like a cheetah stalking its prey.

I ignored her. I would deal with her later.

I smiled and nodded at the other reporters as I headed toward the door; I would allow nothing in my face to give away the jagged nerves in my stomach. It was as if I'd swallowed a bunch of teeth and they were rattling around in there, chattering. I took a deep breath. I rang the doorbell and took the box out of my pocket.

My back was to the reporters—hopefully they couldn't tell I was scared shitless.

Lo came to the door and peered through the side pane of glass, her brow furrowed. She probably thought one of the paparazzi had had the audacity to ring her doorbell. When she saw me, shock registered clearly on her face. I nodded at her, praying that she'd regain her composure quickly. We had a job to do. By the time she opened the door, her face was serene.

I'd always said she was a fabulous actress.

"Come in," she said, motioning me through the door.

"Not yet," I called, loud enough so the closest reporters could hear me. "I wanted to say something first."

Her brow furrowed again. I noted, stupidly, that she was wearing jean shorts and a tank top with flowers on it. She looked innocent and adorable, her face scrubbed clean of makeup.

I had a feeling I would always remember this moment. For better or for worse.

She crossed her arms and watched me. "What?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," I said, again loud enough to be heard. "I'm so sorry about how I'm doing this,"
I mouthed to her.

I watched one of her eyebrows go up as I went down on one knee. I opened the small box to reveal a square-cut diamond engagement ring, fit for a princess and paid for by the credit card I'd begged my father to lend me.

Now both of her eyebrows were up.

I looked at her pleadingly. "I'm sorry about last night, Lowell. I said things I should never have said. But after you left, it got me thinking…" I was still speaking loudly enough for the press to hear, but I was getting choked up because I meant every word. "I don't ever want to be away from you again."

She still wore a skeptical expression, her arms crossed firmly. "What is it y'all is asking me?" The Texas that had leaked into her question was the only giveaway that she was freaking out.

She's gonna kill me once she lets me into her house.
That was surely the truth, but it was too late to stop now.

"Are we back to
y'all
status?" I asked.

She continued to look at me skeptically. "Some of us are. Let me see that." She edged closer, and her face softened when she saw the ring. "That's… pretty. You have pretty good taste."

"I actually have excellent taste."

She looked at me and blushed, knowing full well I wasn't talking about the ring. I took a deep breath, praying for several things all at once. First, that she would forgive me for this someday. Second, that she'd say yes. Third, that the reporters would get a good shot.

I was still looking at her pleadingly, inwardly begging her forgiveness. "Lowell Barton, would you do me the undeniable honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me, Lo?"

Our eyes locked for a second, and a thousand different emotions shone in hers.

Then she flashed me her megawatt smile—the one she saved for the press. "Why, Kyle Jordan, I thought you'd never ask."

She threw herself at me, and I put the ring on her finger, petrified of what her private reaction would be—but thrilled nonetheless to have her back in my arms. I pulled her tight against me.

"I love you," I whispered against her hair.

"I freaking hope so, because everyone thinks we're engaged," she whispered back.

We turned around and posed for the cameras, the ring front and center, my arms wrapped around her like a vise.

"
Y
ou have
a lot of explaining to do, Kyle Richards." I stomped toward my couch and collapsed on it, spent from the performance on my front porch.

"Don't you mean
y'all
have a lot of explaining to do?" He threw himself into the chair across from me and grinned.

"Ha ha." I looked at the ring on my finger, temporarily distracted.

"Pretty, isn't it? Just like you."

I looked up and found him watching my face. "That was some stunt."

"It wasn't a stunt."

I raised my eyebrows, and he looked sheepish.

"Okay, it was sort of a stunt."

I winced as if he'd kicked me in the stomach and automatically wished that I hadn't.

He sat up straighter, watching my face. "Lowell, I meant it. What I said."

Which thing you said?
I wanted to ask, but I couldn't, because I was holding my breath.

He came over to me and kneeled in front of me. My eyes filled with hot, traitorous tears, and I blinked them back. He pulled my left hand to him and ran his fingertips gently over the ring, looking so deep into my eyes I felt it in my stomach.

"I love you."

I still wasn't breathing. He looked at me, waiting for an answer. I finally gave up, blew out a deep breath, and roughly wiped the tears from my face.

"I love you too," I admitted.

He smiled. "You don't sound too happy about it."

I pulled my hand back and defensively put my other hand over it, as if to protect the ring. "That's because I'm not. What're you doing here? You're supposed to be at work. In Boston."

He looked a little wounded and went back to sitting across from me. "I called my dad last night. I told him that I love you and that I need to be with you for your premiere. Then I told him that I really,
really
want to come back to work for him and that I'm going to follow through as soon as I feel okay about coming back east."

"You know he's going to cut you off for good, right?"

I sounded accusatory, and I was—but not for the reasons he might think.
I
didn't care if Kyle had a lucrative career or a massive trust. I would take him shoeless and shirtless, just as he was last night. But I didn't want him to miss out on a great opportunity, and I didn't want him to lose the chance to mend his relationship with his father. Not because of me.

"I don't want you to give all that up. Not for me. I'm not worth it." My voice wobbled, and I inwardly cursed as I wiped more tears away.

"Lowell, knock it off." Kyle looked exasperated. "Of course you're worth it. But I don't have to choose—Pierce agreed to let me start after the premiere. He was surprised I had the balls to call him and tell him the truth. It was definitely a first for me."

"What about his app launch?"

Kyle shrugged. "We just have to keep the truth about our past a secret. We've done it so far…"

"Did he tell you about Caroline? That she called him again?" I didn't want to give Kyle any more of a reason to hate my mother, but he deserved to know what we were up against.

"Yes. She threatened him, and for some reason, he agreed to give her exactly what she wants. He seemed… happy about it." He looked baffled. "Your mother seems to have a knack for keeping my dad's attention. I think they might go on a date, or something."

I shook my head. I was just as confused by our parents' love-hate relationship. "That is completely messed up."

I didn't even want to think about the ramifications, for us, if our parents dated again.
Ew.

"I went to see my mother after I left the Stratum last night. We had a terrible fight." I looked at him. "She said she was going after Pierce for hush money, and if that didn't work, she would sell her story—
our
story—to the press. So we're only safe for as long as your dad keeps her satisfied, which is a tall freaking order, let me tell you."

He shrugged. "My dad seems happy to give her money, at least for now."

"Until she gets too greedy, like last time."

"Hopefully she's learned her lesson. Maybe they both have." He paused as if he was thinking it through. "But for the short term, we should be safe. I think my dad said he has pictures of her she wouldn't like going public. They'll keep each other busy by blackmailing each other for now. They really might deserve each other. But your mother won't go to the press, and my father won't cut me off. Done and done."

"So we
could
be okay," I mused.

"As long as nobody else finds out about our past." Kyle chuckled. "This really is sort of crazy, huh?"

"That's a massive understatement." I took a deep breath and held up my left hand. "What about
this
?" I wriggled my fingers, secretly loving the weight of the engagement ring. "What're we going to do about this?"

"What do you want to do about it?" His voice was dead serious.

A pit formed in my stomach. "Everyone's gonna think we're getting married."

"Okay." He shrugged a loaded shrug.

"Okay?" I wailed, my voice reaching a near-hysterical pitch.

"That's what I said." He didn't falter.

I put my hand back in my lap and fiddled with the gorgeous ring. "You really are a PR artist, you know."

"I know." He gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart speed up.

"So what're we gonna tell the press?"

"The truth." He kept grinning. "That we're getting married. Whenever you're ready."

I stared at him. I had the sense, for once, to just keep my mouth shut. But that was where the sensibility ended. I threw myself into his lap and kissed him with wild abandon, letting my body say what I was too chicken to.

After our kissing became more frantic, he carried me to the bedroom.

"I missed you," he said quietly.

His mouth claimed mine, his tongue probing my mouth until I was dizzy with lust. I arched my back beneath him, trying to get as close to him as possible.

"I need you," I said urgently. I felt as if I was gonna cry if I didn't have him inside me right now.

I whipped off my tank top and my shorts. The self-consciousness I'd felt before was long gone. It was just me and Kyle, his glorious chest pressed against me, his strong arms wrapped around me.

I unzipped his shorts, somehow struggling to get him out of them, while he fisted my hair. His enormous cock, hard and glorious, sprang out to meet me. I leaned down to stroke him, feeling him get even thicker. I greedily took him into my mouth and heard him suck in a sharp breath. I took him all the way to the base of his shaft, wanting to taste every inch of him. He moaned and threw his head back as I sucked on him hard, wanting to get him ready to be inside me.

"Oh,
fuck
yeah."

Lost in the moment, he thrust into my mouth, and I felt myself getting even more turned on. I loved how he responded to me, like he loved me being in control. I was throbbing though. I needed him. Being apart from him, thinking I was going to lose him—even for a little while—had been too much, and now my body physically craved his.

He gently stopped and pulled me up to him. He ran his hands through my hair and looked at me, his eyes urgent.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too." I leaned over and kissed him, my need for him overpowering.

He grabbed a condom from his pocket of his discarded shorts and handed it to me. I ripped the foil packet open, pinched the tip, and rolled it down his length. He pushed me back onto the bed with a deep, probing kiss that made me moan. He trailed his fingers down to my sex as he kissed my nipples. His fingers circled me, making me arch against his hand. Finally his fingers touched my clit and he rolled it back and forth. Pressure built up inside me. I arched up to him again, greedy for more.

"You looking for something?" he whispered in my ear. I heard the grin in his voice.

All I could do was nod and hope like hell he knew what I needed.
Now.

He slid his tip into me, and I groaned. Then he hitched himself in farther, with small thrusts, and my body stretched to accommodate him. His thrusts became harder and deeper, bringing me to the edge already. He put his hand against my hip bone and pulled me against him for every thrust, making my vision go blurry, a scream building up in my throat.

"Come for me, baby."

As soon as he said it, an orgasm ripped through me. I was shaking, screaming his name as I shattered around him.

He fucked me ruthlessly through my orgasm. Then he took my hands and held them over my head. He licked and sucked my nipples between thrusts, making me moan. Every roll of his hips sent shockwaves through me. It was as if my body had been built for his—he filled every inch inside me. Every thrust brought me closer to the edge again.

"Tell me you're mine now. Tell me you mean it." He slid into me, making it difficult to breathe.

"I'm yours. I mean it."

He thrust all the way into me again, making my heart speed up and my world go woozy, as if my impending orgasm was going to knock me out.

"Tell me you love me, Lo. That you're mine."

I felt my body clench. "I love you, Kyle." I was crying and laughing, moans escaping my lips without my consent. "I'm fucking yours."

Now his thrusts were deliberate, deep, and bracing. I could tell he was about to come, and he was holding on until the very last second. I adjusted my hips and forced his cock all the way into me. I moaned deeply as he fucked me until I found another release.

I shattered beneath him, screaming his name again. He slid even deeper inside me, lacing his fingers through mine, his thrusts ragged.

I heard myself still screaming, but I also heard Kyle.

"Mine. You're mine," he said as he came inside me, holding onto me for dear life.

"
A
re you always that loud
?" he asked later with a self-satisfied grin.

I smacked him. "Apparently I am with you."

He managed to look even more self-satisfied.

Both of our phones were blowing up, but we were in bed and ignoring them.

"Our parents are going to freak out when they see the headlines," I said.

"What else is new?"

I considered that. "With the two of them? Not too much."

"Tori's
really
gonna freak out." Kyle laughed.

"Yeah, she is. And my agent. And Lucas. They're all gonna go nuts." I snuggled into him. "And Katie, that bitch from
XYZ
. I think she's carrying a torch for you. She's probably crying right now 'cause you're off the market."

"And because everybody loves you. No matter how hard she tries." He kissed me.

I beamed at him. "Can we just stay in bed for the rest of the day?"

"Hell, yeah," he answered, beaming back. "Until we go out to dinner to celebrate. And show off that bling. Gotta feed the machine, babe."

We grinned at each other.

"Let's feed some other machines," I said.

He laughed. "That doesn't make any sense, but somehow I know exactly what you mean." He pulled me on top of him. "Now, shh. No more talking."

"Until I scream your name," I reminded him.

"Until you scream my name. Again. I could get used to this, babe."

"Well, you better," I reminded him.

"
I
missed you so much
," he said after we'd had sex for about the zillionth time. He trailed lazy kisses over my shoulder.

I laughed. "We were only apart for a day." I flopped over and put my head on his chest, snuggling into him and relishing the feel of his naked body against mine.

"It was a long day."

I smiled into his chest. "I agree."

He took my hand and ran his fingers over the diamond again, as he'd done repeatedly since we landed back in bed. "This is just a placeholder. Once I start working and I can save some money, I'm going to get you something killer."

I sat up and looked at him. "You're going to replace my fake engagement ring?"

He looked appalled. "It's not a
fake
. It's real, not CZ."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." I wanted to shut myself up, but I couldn't.

He scrubbed his hands across his face. "I said it was a placeholder ring because I eventually want to get you something else. Something spectacular. After I've earned the money to do it. That would really mean something to me. In fact, I'd like that to be my first act as a responsible, salaried adult."

His thumb stroked the ring again, and I pulled my hand away. I held it up and looked at it in the light. "This one's pretty. I like it."

Kyle stared at me. "I'm getting you another one." He hesitated for a second. "If you want it, that is."

I sighed and rolled onto my stomach. I couldn't look at him. A million emotions were running through me. Kyle was smart. He rolled on top of me so I could feel his long, perfectly muscled body pressed against mine.

"Do you want it?" he asked and kissed the back of my neck.

I felt him, erect and extraordinarily hard again, pressing against the small of my back. I groaned. "Of course I want it! What are you, crazy?"

"Which it?" He poked me with one of the
it
s I wanted, and I automatically spread my legs a little.

But then I remembered what we were talking about. I tried to muster my last dregs of self-discipline and swatted him away. "I want
it
"—I jerked my thumb at his lovely, erect, large piece of man fun—"and
it
." I waggled my ring finger. I turned to look at him. "But we can't be engaged, Kyle."

He sat up and ran his hands through his hair. "You're really doing this? After all
that
?" He jerked his thumb at the bed.

I sat up too. Even in my glowing post-sex haze, I felt as though I needed to be responsible. To be serious about this. "It hasn't been long enough, first of all. We've only been together for a little over a month. Second of all, our parents were married, and they might be… dating again. I don't even know if we
can
ever get… you know."

"
You know?
You sound like a middle-schooler." He cocked an eyebrow at me, and I desperately wished I'd thought of a different word than
cocked
. "You can't even say it?"