Perfect Ten (20 page)

Instead of rolling off to the side, I raised myself up on my forearms, relieving some of my weight from her. “Jesus. We are definitely good at this part.”

Faith was still panting when she smiled up at me. She was an entirely different person in bed. Once she got over her fear of me seeing her naked—well, mostly over it—she was all in. It wasn’t what I would have expected from her, but I fucking loved it. I’ll bet she would be open to all kinds of fun things in the bedroom.

She reached up and pulled me down for a long, wet kiss, and my cock started to harden again. When neither one of us could breath, she gently pushed me back as I rolled off her onto the rumpled comforter beside her. We never did get down to the sheets.

Faith turned toward me and flung a leg over mine while she drew patterns on my chest. “You don’t have any chest hair. It’s different, but I like it.”

I laughed. That was the first time anyone had mentioned my lack of chest hair. “I’m glad you like it, because I can’t do anything about it. A lot of the guys get their chests waxed, but I just never had any.” She continued to run her finger over me, tracing the lines of my abs.

“Looks like you like this.”

Since my dick was jumping to attention with each pass of her finger, it wasn’t something I could deny. “I like anything you do to me, Faith.” And it was the truth. I loved it when she touched me. In any capacity.

“Really? Because I was wondering…”

“Yes?” I tried to tip her head up to look into her eyes as we spoke, but she buried her face in my neck. “What were you wondering?” My fingers ran rhythmically through her hair as I waited for her answer.

“I’ve always thought it might be fun to tie a man up.”

My hand immediately stilled. Holy shit! She was holding her breath waiting for me to answer her, but was she kidding me? “Are you fucking serious? Jesus. I would love that.”

“I’m sure you’ve done that a lot, but—”

My smile was huge and genuine. It was great to be able to tell her that I had not. “Believe it or not, I’ve never been tied up. Never. Those women were money to me. I know how bad that sounds, and it probably is, but that’s how it was. I would never have trusted them to do that to me. Plus, being tied up is too intimate. I didn’t kiss those women either.” She probably wouldn’t believe me, but I needed to say it anyway.

The bed dipped a bit as she raised herself up with an arm on either side of my head, her tits just brushing my chest. I’m not sure exactly what she said, as all my blood ran south at the feel of her nipples rubbing up against me.

“Joe?”

I peeled my eyes back up to her beautiful face. “Huh?”

“You’re not listening to me at all, are you?” She pushed off the bed and flopped down on her back next to me again, not even covering herself. Yay for me!

“I’m trying, but you swung those gorgeous breasts my way, and my brain shut down.” I leaned up on my side and gently traced patterns on her belly like she did to me. It had a different effect on her, though. Belly quivering, she wiggled out of my reach, laughing. “Ticklish, are you?”

“Don’t you dare! Keep back.”

“Fine.” I’d file that information away for another time. “Let’s get back to the interesting stuff. You want to tie me up?”

Down went her eyes and up came the blush. “Well, no. I mean yes. Maybe. If you wanted to do that, sure.” She shrugged and tried to cover herself up with the blanket at the end of the bed.

“Hey.” My arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back to me before she got a chance to cover up all that glorious skin. “Don’t be embarrassed. I want to hear all your fantasies. Every last one.” I rubbed my dick up against her. “Got any rope lying around?”

She spun around to face me. “No. If you really want to do it, I want to do it right, and I don’t have what I need yet.”

“Okay. For now, though…” I flipped her back over onto her stomach, and with one smooth thrust of my hips, I was back in paradise. The covers bunched as I slipped my arm under her hips to lift her up a bit, getting a better angle for deeper penetration.

Through a soft moan, Faith said, “Again?”

“Oh yeah. Again.” We spent the next several hours in bed, pleasuring each other until Faith fell asleep in the cradle of my arms. It was most definitely the best night of my life.

* * *

W
hen I woke
up the next morning, the bed was empty. It took me a minute to realize it was a weekday, and most people worked during the daylight hours. I couldn’t wait to be one of those people.

We never did talk the night before, as I knew Faith wanted to. I couldn’t help but feel, I don’t know, good. Yeah. Just plain good as I looked at the space around me. The covers on the bed were comfortably messed up; Heidi had a water bowl next to her at the foot of the bed and some bits of something orange, which I assumed were from carrots. Last but not least, there was a note on Faith’s pillow.

Joe,

Didn’t want to wake you. Went to work. You’re going to have to do this in the daylight too, someday. :)

XO,

Faith

I took it as a good sign that she could joke about my old job. Yup.
Old
job. I had only one date left, and it was with Mrs. Covington. It should have been two dates, but Stan finally agreed to let Vaughn take my other one.

That sly gal must have pulled some strings to make sure she was my last date before I gave up my status as escort—and I couldn’t be happier. I called her right then, knowing she was an early riser, to see if she wouldn’t mind an adjustment to our date.

As I knew she would, she picked up on the first ring. “Hello there, Joe. How are you, young man?”

“I’m great. I see that you’re my last official date at Perfect Ten. I couldn’t be more honored, Mrs. Covington.” She tittered on the other end.

“I don’t even know what I want to do. I just didn’t want you to have to go out with anymore of those vultures, dear.” Could I love this woman more?

“Pulled your trump card, did you?” I knew she could hear the affection in my voice, because it was real.

“Something like that. How about you bring that sweet gal of yours over for dinner here on Saturday night at seven o’clock? And don’t forget, I dress for dinner. We’ll make it an event. Black tie.”

My heart melted for this woman. I know I was supposed to be a womanizing sex addict, and I had been, but the teachings of my mother were still ingrained in me, and there was nothing that I needed to do more than respect my elders. “That sounds perfect, Mrs. Covington. I’ll bring a bottle of your favorite white.”

“That’s sweet, dear, but we’re having a pasta dinner. Bring red.”

As if I could deny her anything. “Red it is. We’ll see you at six forty-five on Saturday.”

“Oh, you sweet thing. You really do know me. Good-bye, Joe.”

“
J
oe’s
only got
one more date left. You can’t imagine how happy that makes me.” My coffee sat steaming on my desk waiting for the dollop of cinnamon vanilla creamer I always added to sweeten it up. Technically, I wasn’t on the clock yet, so I dared to make a personal call before starting my work for the day.

“That’s so great, Faith. It’s about time you found the right guy. Is it too early to say I told you so?” I knew Gracie would want the credit for my budding relationship.

“You might want to hold that thought. While I’m enjoying having Joe around, we still don’t really know each other. We haven’t done a whole lot of talking.”

“Fucking like bunnies, huh? Well, that’s okay too. Actually, it’s better than okay. I need to get me some of that.” Gracie was more into love ’em and leave ’em than she was into long-term relationships.

“Done with Jake already? That was kind of quick, wasn’t it?” Her guys usually lasted more than a couple of months, at least.

“He couldn’t get the job done, you know? And if I’m only looking for, let’s call it temporary companionship, and if he can’t get the job done, what good is he to me?”

“You should have been a man, Gracie, you know that? You get on me all the time about men, but yet you won’t commit to anything.”

“Wait a minute, Faith. There’s a big difference between you and me. You
want
a relationship. I don’t. I want to get a good lay in now and then, and I do. I never sit around making excuses for why I don’t have a man, now do I?”

Damn. She had a point. “Fine. But someday, the love bug is going to bite you right on the tush, and you’re going to fall hard. Then you’ll know what it feels like to doubt everything about yourself.”

“Are you saying you’ve fallen for the mighty Joe Starling already?”

“No! Oh no. I don’t think that’s what I meant.” Shonda took that most inopportune moment to pop into my office, excitement making her bounce up and down.

“Faith!”

“Gracie, I have to go. Shonda looks like she’s going to pee her pants.” I hung up and gave Shonda my undivided attention.

“Good morning, Shonda. What’s up?”

“Holy shit, girlfriend! There’s someone here to see you, and he is
hot
. I’m talking over-the-freaking-top and get-me-a-fire-extinguisher hot!”

Must be my day for hotties. Woke up with one and now I get to see another? Happy Thursday to me. “Who is he?”

“I don’t know. He just said to tell you Joe was here to see you and asked if he could have just one minute of your time. And honey? If you don’t have that minute, I’ll give him at least sixty of mine. Yum.
Smoking
hot!” With that last exclamation, she walked out of my office, leaving me to go greet my visitor, which could be only one person.

I wound my way through cubicles to the front lobby. There, in all his masculine beauty, stood my very own eye candy. His face lit up when he saw me walking toward him, making my heart do a funny flip-flop. I was
so
falling.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He leaned down and gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek, which I had to admit left me wanting more. “I just wanted to drop this off for you. I was on my way home, and I remembered that we never got to the chocolate I promised you last night.” He handed me a bag that had a heavenly scent coming from it.

I opened the white bag, spying a huge chocolate-chocolate-chip muffin inside, drizzled with chocolate icing. “Joe! I can’t eat this. It’ll go straight to my hips.”

He grabbed my hips and bit his bottom lip. “I fucking love your hips,” he whispered. “Eat it and think about what else we could do with chocolate.” Giving me one more altogether too quick kiss, he pushed me away, accusing me of manhandling him. “Come on, Faith. We’re in a place of business here.”

“Yeah, Faith. Stop attacking our…new client?”

Shonda was back, though she probably never really left in the first place. No doubt she was trying to get the scoop on the hottie. “Shonda, this is Joe. Joe, meet Shonda—the office gossip.”

I swear, Shonda actually giggled when Joe bowed over her offered hand. Shonda never giggled. She was the type who laughed from deep in her gut, but as soon as Joe touched her hand, she giggled like a schoolgirl.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joe. And how do you know our Faith?”

“He’s my…” What was he? Boyfriend seemed so high schoolish, friend didn’t quite fit, and I’m sure fuck buddy might be a bit crude, eh?

“Boyfriend. Significant other, whatever you’d like to call it. That’s what I’m trying to be anyway. Faith’s a little resistant, but I’m going to break her down with chocolate.” One of those smiles that made my clothes fall off flashed across his face, drawing another simpering giggle from Shonda.

“Girl, if you don’t grab that up, you’re crazy.” After one last long look at Joe, she sashayed her way back to her desk.

“I actually came here for another reason. My last and final date is with Mrs. Covington, and she’d like you to join us for dinner at her house. Saturday night at seven o’clock. What do you say?”

It took me all of two seconds to come up with my answer. “I say yes. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the company. Is it safe to assume she dresses for dinner?”

He laughed at how well I knew the traditions of the rich. “Yes, ma’am. Black tie.”

“Good. I have an excuse to go shopping.”

“You could wear a burlap sack and look incredible, Faith. I can’t wait to see what you come up with, though. Until Saturday?” His hand snaked around my waist and pulled me up against his chest. “I’ll be counting the minutes.”

One smoldering kiss later and he was gone, leaving me standing there with my fingers on my lips. He was one hell of a kisser.

* * *

Well, it’s officially my last day at Perfect Ten, and I couldn’t be happier. One more date that’s not really even a job for me, and I’m out. Thank fucking Christ.

Faith and I were in the Audi, which would be leaving me any day now, heading toward the Perfect Ten office. I wanted to pick up my last commission check and grab the few personal items I had there before going to Mrs. Covington’s so that I never had to go back there again.

Faith’s hands were simply lying in her lap, so I reached over and grabbed one. Her fingers instinctively closed around mine. “You look beautiful tonight, Faith.”

Her laugh was so free with me now. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her. “Thank you. Again.”

“Sorry. I can’t help myself. You really are stunning.” She had on a simple black dress that was anything but simple on her. It was very low cut, which was freaking awesome—until she wrapped one of those fancy scarves around her neck. Don’t get me wrong, it looked pretty, but it covered up one of my favorite parts of her.

“Right back at you. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re beautiful too, Joe. God, your eyes are amazing. I’m sure you’ve been told that a million times before, but they really are.”

“I may have been told that before, but you’re the first woman I’ve
heard
say it. Thank you. The words that come out of your mouth mean something to me.” Damn, I was in sappy mood, huh? What a difference a good woman makes. I’ve hardly said fuck at all tonight.

I pulled into the Perfect Ten parking lot and got a dirty feeling about me. I should have stopped there before I picked Faith up. She shouldn’t be anywhere near this place. It’s surprising to me that I never gave my occupation, or the people who worked with me, a thought until I didn’t want to do it anymore. Now I feel like everyone else does about escorts. Faith worries about her body, and now I’m ashamed of what I did for almost seven years. I guess that’s
my
hang-up.

Faith had her hand on the door handle before I got out of the car. “You can stay here if you want, sweetheart. I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”

“Okay.”

When I got out of the car, the shit hit the fan.

“Joe! Hey, baby, over here!”

Holy fucking Mother of God. Sophia DeMarino. I looked back at Faith and motioned for her to stay in the car. I didn’t want Sophia anywhere near Faith, for obvious reasons.

Before I had a chance to walk more than a few feet away from the car, Sophia was upon me, mashing her body up against mine.

“You’re looking gorgeous tonight, cupcake. Gotta hot date? I’d be pleased to come along.” She reached up and grabbed my neck, planting a wet, openmouthed kiss on my lips. “I told you I’d be seeing you again. I stopped by your house, but—”

I pushed myself out of her embrace and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “You know where I live?”

“Yes, of course. I pulled into your parking garage, but only your truck and Lexus were there, so I figured I’d try here. And here you are!” She hooked her arm through mine. “Let’s go get nasty.”

“Sophia. You can’t go to my house. And I already told you, I quit Perfect Ten. You have Vaughn now, remember?” She was really off her rocker. I guess I never looked at her too closely before. I’d fuck her and leave. Again, I’m feeling a bit dirty.

“Vaughn’s pretty good. He has a nice fat dick, but he lacks a certain… I don’t know. Commanding presence? Come on.”

I yanked my arm away from her and made the mistake of looking back at my car, where Faith was watching our exchange.

“Who’s that, Joe?” All playfulness left her when she saw me glance at Faith. “Who is that woman?” She walked over to my car and banged on the passenger window, causing Faith to jump in her seat. “Open the window. I want to talk to you.”

“Keep it closed, Faith.” It would have been too good to be true if she’d listened to me, I guess. She didn’t just open the window; she actually got out of the car.

She climbed out and stood close to me. “I’m Faith Graham. Who might you be?”

“I’m Sophia DeMarino. I’m sure Joe’s told you about me.”

“No. I can’t say your name rings a bell. Should it?”

Sophia’s face gave nothing away. I might have enjoyed the way Faith was putting her claws out for me if I wasn’t slightly concerned about Sophia’s sanity.

“Joe and I go way back. We’ve certainly fucked a lot. Hell, the very first time we met, he fucked me right up the ass. He likes fucking me in the ass, don’t you, baby?”

“That’s enough, Sophia. You need to leave.”

Sophia’s laughter held a menacing quality. “Oh, I’ll leave when I’m ready, and not before. I want that nice, hard dick back in my ass, baby.” She ran a finger over my chest. “Don’t you remember how good it was? Pumping into me harder and harder, me screaming out your name? It’s never been so good. Not even the other night when you watched me with Vaughn.” She looked at Faith to tell the rest. “Most men are afraid of hurting us weak women, but not Joe. He fucked me like I was built like you. Nice and sturdy, you know?”

Faith simply stood there, taking it all in. I had no idea where her thoughts were, and I had no idea how the fuck to get rid of Sophia.

* * *

To be perfectly honest, I figured Joe’s past was going to bite him in the ass at some point. That it was before he even officially got out of Perfect Ten was a bit daunting, though.

Sophia was making me doubt the trust I’d put in Joe again, but you know what? When I decided to give Joe a chance, give both of us a chance, I decided to give it one hundred percent. One last time, I’d throw myself out there. Well, guess what? This crazy bitch wasn’t going to ruin that. If our relationship wasn’t going to work, it would be because of us. Joe and me—not some pathetic, needy woman.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say, Sophia. We all have a past. Some of it we aren’t so proud of, but it’s there. I know what Joe did. That’s his past. I’m his future. He also told me about your last
date
, and I know he didn’t touch you.” I was holding my breath, waiting for her to contradict me. Did Joe really leave her alone that night? When Sophia said nothing, pure joy burst free in my chest.

Joe’s head hung down in a gesture I never wanted to see again. How many times had he assured me that he was more than his past job? How many times did he tell me that he wasn’t proud of it and that those women meant nothing to them? My father’s teachings were burned in my mind at that moment.
Everyone
deserves a second chance.