No Strings Attached (The Escort #1) (3 page)

So I was thirty-eight, and even after fourteen years of marriage, I had a lot of things I still wanted to check off of my to-do list. I was all for taking care of business, but I was convinced the person who’d lead me over the edge and catch me when I fell was out there. I’d rather find him late than never.

Jagger was still waiting for an answer.
I’m a strong, confident woman who knows what she wants.
As long as it has to do with everyone else. I’d built the foundation, and it was time to start decorating. Suddenly, I knew just what to do. “Let me show you.”

Chapter Five

Leah

I Brought Jagger Holiday Home.
To my house. I never, ever did this. None of the Right Match contingent had leveled far enough up in the relationship to meet Raven. Any extracurricular activities took place on their turf.

The light in Raven’s window burned brightly. It wasn’t that late, but that kid never went to bed. Usually it drove me crazy, but her grades stayed good so she insisted my argument was irrelevant. That wasn’t what concerned me as I led Jagger up the sidewalk. She could stay up and watch the sunrise, but tonight was not the night she was going to start meeting my dates.

We went in the side door, the one that usually only clients knocked on. The soft neon glow of the lettering on the wall greeted us, and I turned the lights up slightly. It was time to see Jagger in more than just the shadows. I did a lot of work in here at night. This was the time that I could let my mind wander and come up with my best ideas. Maybe it would work tonight.

“Is this your office?” Jagger followed close behind me. The heat of his body radiated against my legs through my skirt. I turned around and our faces nearly touched. His eyes locked on mine. They weren’t brown after all, they were hazel. The green glowed in the low rose light. I didn’t realize it was possible for him to get closer and still not touch me. “Beautiful.”

His voice was lower and huskier than it had been in the bar, and he wasn’t talking about the office. “Thank you.” If he had any idea I was a quivering mess on the inside, he didn’t let on. I sunk down on the couch, kicking off my heels but not leaning back on the cushion. “You asked me what I was passionate about. I love to create and make people feel relaxed and welcome wherever they go.”

“I can tell you’re amazing at it.” Jagger sat too, denim grazing against my bare knee. “You keep telling me about everyone else. And what you do for them. I still don’t know anything about you.”

“But that’s who I am,” I protested. “I’m a mom and a designer, and now that I’m saying it out loud I see your point.” I laughed, hoping it would fill the hollow place deep inside he’d brought to my attention. I’d managed to hide it from everyone else, but he dragged it out of me after only a couple of drinks.

“When was the last time you did something for yourself?” he asked. He put one finger on my lips before I had a chance to answer. I didn’t breathe. “Outside of work.”

It wasn’t an easy question to answer. Even without him touching me. “I let Kari call and make this appointment.”

He nodded, not moving that finger. “Before that?”

“I honestly don’t remember.” My voice trailed off on the last word.

“It’s time to change that.” Jagger leaned in, bringing his hand to my cheek. He ran his fingers along my jawline, studying my face. I didn’t feel shy about the way he was looking at me, even though it was much more intimate than my own husband had ever looked at me. For the first time in a long time, I felt beautiful. “From now on, any time you spend with me is all about Leah.”

“You’re good at this.” I chuckled softly.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He came even closer but stopped before he kissed me. I held my groan in. It didn’t seem fair. Those full lips so close to mine and still having no idea what he tasted like. His warm breath tickled my cheek and he cradled my face in his hand. Those long lashes fluttered lower, casting a shadow on his cheekbones in the low light.

“You smell amazing,” I said softly. Spicy, minty, and a hint of vanilla. My stomach rumbled with an intense craving for exactly that flavor. I wanted to lick it off of him like an ice cream cone. I ran my teeth along my bottom lip and that was all the invitation he needed.

Jagger pressed his lips against mine. The hand that had been on my cheek snaked into my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp as he drew me into him. I gasped; I loved having my hair played with. He ran his tongue along the open seam of my mouth before easing inside. I fell back against the cushion when his tongue tickled the inside of my upper lip before tangling with mine. He tasted even better than he smelled. And I’d been starving. His other hand slid under my back, pulling my body tightly against his as he nipped and sucked on my lips and tongue.

He drew away just enough that his lips still moved against mine when he spoke. “How was that?”

No one had ever kissed me like that before. Like they weren’t meant to do anything else than to please me. I could get used to this, if he didn’t cost so much. “You’re good at this,” I repeated as I caught my breath.

He traced the curve of my lips lightly. They were still tender from the kiss. “Let’s get you out of the office.”

Oh, shit. “And go where?”

“Somewhere I can get you to relax.”

Impossible. Anywhere else in the house and Raven might see him. I sat up, smoothing my hair back into place. “That obvious, huh?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t apologize.” The next kiss was too quick. It left me wanting so much more. “It’s okay that you’re nervous.”

More like absolutely terrified. The only place I could bring him was to my bedroom. I couldn’t risk Raven coming downstairs and find me making out with some guy she’d never laid eyes on before. But I wasn’t ready to tell him to leave, so I was going to have to leave my inhibitions in my office and get down to business.

Jagger backed me against my bedroom door as it closed, his lips finding mine immediately. God, he knew how to kiss. This one was soft and confident and something I never wanted to end. He didn’t rush things, acting like it was just a box he had to check before he got to what he wanted. Instead he let himself enjoy kissing me. With one of his arms balanced above my head, the other hand slid up my thigh, under my skirt, hooking into the lace of my boy shorts. He pulled the fabric, bunching it in his hand. Goosebumps erupted on my skin. I melted into the movement of his lips, until he moved to my ass, cupping it hard and pressing me against his body. I cried out against his cheek.

“Careful,” I warned him like he was the one making all the noise. “My daughter is home.”

“How old is she?” He kept me trapped against his body, his erection hard against my stomach. Jesus. I could barely think.

“Seventeen.” I tore my eyes away from him, tipping my head in the direction of her room. I imagined her disapproval radiating through the closed door like a cloud of tear gas.
Please don’t let her hear us.
Only the bathroom separated my room from hers. “She’s still raw from the divorce.”

“Does she know you date?” I shook my head. “Does she have a boyfriend?”

“She’s a gamer girl.” Whatever that meant. Raven wasn’t the most social kid and she hadn’t brought home any boys. Yet. But I was sneaking around on her and I knew what I did at seventeen. The thought of my daughter doing the same thing I was doing right now made the wine in my stomach turn sour. “I’m pretty sure she’s madly in love with a cartoon character.”

Jagger’s grin hovered over my lips. “Have you seen some of those cartoons? You’d be surprised what’s out there. Like tentacle porn.”

“What did you just say?” I couldn’t have heard that right.

“Tentacle porn.” He chuckled. “In Japan, they can’t actually show someone’s genitalia on screen, so they started drawing beings with tentacles to get around that technicality.”

“Gross.” I laughed, then ran my teeth over my bottom lip. I caught him off guard and his fingers dug into my ass cheek, pulling me in closer. But Jagger didn’t kiss me again. His hard gaze made everything inside me pulse as hard as his heart beat against my breast.

“Lay down on the bed,” he instructed, his words so soft I squinted in confusion. He nodded, his eyes flicked to the bed and there was no longer any mistaking what he wanted me to do.

Jagger let go of my ass and backed me up against my bed, pushing slowly on my shoulders until I sat on the edge. He didn’t join me, instead his gaze raked hot up and down the length of my body. My dress was still caught around my waist from where he’d jacked it up. My hands trembled as I grabbed the hem and pulled the fabric up over my head.

I let it drop beside me, but Jagger didn’t move. His eyes widened, but he stayed silent. I thought my black lacy bra with the white satin trim and matching underwear looked hot when I was getting dressed, but now, with an audience, I was questioning every decision I’d ever made. Once this bra came off, my breasts would droop against my rounded belly. My hips and thighs were full and could be firmer. I wondered if Jagger was questioning this decision, too, now that he saw what his options were.

When I couldn’t meet his eyes anymore, he sat down beside me on the bed, kissing my shoulder before hooking his pinky finger into my bra strap. My breath was coming fast with him touching my bare skin, his hair tickling my chest as he brushed his lips back and forth. I put my hand over his.

“Are you good with this?” he asked.

Was I?
So many emotions swirled through my head, detouring through my heart on their way to my belly. Kind of like an amusement park ride. And those usually made me sick now. This virtual stranger, who was being paid to spend time with me, had stripped me of almost all my inhibitions. Now was not the time to think about it.

I couldn’t trust words, so I nodded.

With the confirmation, he unhooked my bra with one hand. It didn’t fall away from my breasts immediately. Instead, Jagger slowly pushed the straps down my arms like he was unwrapping a present. Once the lace fell into my lap, a low moan caught in the back of his throat. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, my hands instinctively covering my breasts. My nipples were already rock hard and I fought the urge to run my own fingers along the peaks. They responded to the slightest touch.

“You’re beautiful.” His words were hot breath against my neck. I swallowed hard and nodded. “Why don’t you believe it?”

My eyes flew open and I looked at him in shock. That sadness was back in his eyes. Jagger lay on his side next to me, still fully dressed. “I want to make you believe it,” he said. Thank God he didn’t actually make me answer the question. “Move back to the pillows.”

Dragging my body back and still trying to look sexy took a lot of effort. I settled back on my pile of throw pillows, holding my breath, waiting for his next move. Jagger rolled up on to all fours, crawling up the bed. He ran his finger along the edge of my boy shorts, my back curled up off the bed when he reached the inside of my leg. I’d played right into his hands. The motion made it effortless for him to strip me of the last remaining barrier between my body and the unknown.

Jagger sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. I thought about doing it for him, kissing the hard muscles of his chest as each button came undone, but instead I lay back and watched the show. The whole world was spinning out of control and Jagger had become the center of my universe, the only steady thing.

God, he was perfect. Each muscle begged for my attention, sleek and firm, his broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist. I’d never slept with anyone who had washboard abs before. Check that puppy off the bucket list. Something radiated from him, an energy that I didn’t even know that I needed. His hair fell in front of his face, covering his collarbones and obscuring the top of a tattoo. I couldn’t tell what it was yet, but soon I planned to be running my tongue over every line of it.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked as he leaned over and opened my nightstand drawer. There were things in there he had no business seeing.

He reached in and my sex toys tumbled against each other. And that was exactly what he was looking for. Over his shoulder, he shot me a wicked boyish grin. “Every woman has a drawer just like this.” Oh, God. “I figured you have to have a hidden wild side.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but you’re not going to find what you’re looking for.” I shrugged, pretending he was not freaking me out right now. It was either that or throw him out. I’d met the guy hours ago and he was touching my dildos. No big deal, right? “Sorry.”

He sat up quickly. “What did I say about apologizing?” Light danced in his eyes and I forgot to be mortified that he had one of my vibrators in his hand.

“That you don’t want me to do it.”

“Right. I don’t have a lot of rules but that’s the most important one,” he teased as he ran his fingers along the length of the dildo, up and down, so excruciatingly slow. My body throbbed, soaking wet and ready, wanting it inside me. Wishing it was my lips making that same motion along the length of his cock. I writhed on the bed in the same rhythm, close to begging him to turn it on and fuck me with it. Something told me if I was patient, I’d get my wish.

He held the vibrator out to me. I blinked in confusion. This wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured it in my fantasies. Jagger and the toy were supposed to work together. A team. And if one of them had to go, sorry B.O.B. You lose. I’ll make it up to you another time, with fresh batteries or something.

Everything had come to a halt.

“Show me what you like.” The huskiness in his voice was back, and I had yet to take his offering.

“What?” He couldn’t have been implying what I thought he was.

“Break out of your shell, Leah.” His lips grazed mine as he put the dildo in my hands. “I want to see how you want me to fuck you.”

Holy crap. That was pretty frigging intense for the first…appointment. “I...I don’t know if I can do that.” Each word caught in my throat.