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With a lowlaugh, Phil pushed her gently against the wall of the hallway. Most of theguests were still in the ballroom, where the welcoming address had just beenmade. “Guilty as charged,” he said in a gruff voice.

Then he tookher face in his hands and kissed her.

Lori didn’thave much experience, but she suspected that Phil was a very good kisser. Hismouth moved with ease and confidence against hers as he gently licked the lineof her lips.

He’d kissed hervery briefly after their lunch date on Wednesday, but this kiss quickly becamesomething else. She opened for him unconsciously and wrapped her arms aroundhis neck while he pressed the hard line of his body against hers.

They kissed forlonger and deeper than was probably wise in the middle of a hall at a stuffymuseum fundraiser. While Lori didn’t feel any urgent sexual desire, she wasjittery and breathless when she heard voices at the other end of the hall andpulled away.

An older manand woman promenaded through the hall, giving the flushed couple still entwinedagainst the wall a very disapproving look.

Lori stifled agiggle and shared a guilty look with Phil, who still had one hand at her waistand the other cupping the back of her head.

Then her eyesdrifted toward the ballroom again, to see who else had spotted her in such adisgraceful position.

Her giggle dieda sudden death.

Ander stoodabout halfway down the hall, frozen in place, staring at her with a blankintensity that took her breath away. He held two glasses of champagne in hishands, but his eyes were fixed on her face.

Lori froze too,feeling like a weight of shock and disorientation had slammed into her fromabove. She’d done a really good job of compartmentalizing her sessions with Ander—allowingthem to have nothing to do with the rest of her life, enjoying them as onewould a harmless indulgence.

But thebarriers between her interactions with him and the rest of her life hadabruptly, brutally been ripped away.

She was on adate with Phil. A good date. Something she hadn’t experienced in a really longtime. And she had fucked Ander exactly a week ago in a plush hotel room. Fuckedhim twice. He’d made her come over and over again. She had paid him at the endof the night.

And both menwere now in the same hallway.

Her cheeksburned so hotly she knew her skin had flamed. She shifted restlessly until Phildropped his arms and stepped back. He was looking over at Ander curiously. “Afriend of yours?”

Lori hadabsolutely no idea what to say.

She was savedfrom answering by the arrival of the woman who must be Ander’s date for theevening. Lori had met the Sarah Jacoby a few times in the past. They weren’tfriends but they had done some work together in New York for a national charitythat raised money for local literacy programs.

Sarah was inher mid-thirties and had recently gotten divorced from a New York businessmogul. She must be visiting Seattle this weekend.

She’d obviouslyfound a painless way of getting a date for the fundraiser.

“Michael,”Sarah said, hurrying over to take Ander’s arms. “Sorry. I got waylaid by AmeliaBernard.” She glanced over toward Lori and Phil. “Lori! How nice to see youagain. I saw you earlier across the room, but couldn’t say hi.”

Lori steeledherself, took Phil’s hand, and led him over to the other couple. “Hi, Sarah.Getting bored with New York?”

Sarah flashed adimple. She was Lori’s height but about twenty pounds heavier and ten yearsolder. She wasn’t unattractive, with curly dark hair and a cherubic face.“Actually, just trying to annoy the ex by maintaining the position on themuseum board that he pulled strings for me to get. He thought I would just slinkaway after the divorce. Silly man. This is my date. Michael Blakely.”

Lori shookhands with the man she knew as Ander Lourdes. She supposed he probably usedwhatever name his date wanted him to use when he escorted a woman to a socialevent. “Lori Addison. This is Phil Rothe.”

Although Anderhad obviously been taken by surprise at the sight of her tonight, he’drecovered with remarkable composure. His expression was cool and neutral as heshook hands with Phil and they made some innocuous small talk.

Lori wasrelieved that her voice was natural and friendly, although she was horriblydistracted by the way Ander kept his arm around Sarah’s waist, his fingersoccasionally giving a little caress.

Finally, Sarahsaid, “I guess we should go check out some of that art.” She smiled besottedlyup at Ander. “You’ll have to explain it to me, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll be happyto,” he murmured, his eyes resting on her face in such a way that Lori couldhave sworn he was in love with the woman. Then, a voice she could barely hear,he added to Sarah, “Although no piece of art on the wall could be as exquisiteas you.”

Lori almostgagged.

He was doinghis job. Playing a part. This was what his services entailed. Acting theromantic escort, making a woman feel like she was the most important person inthe world, whether or not the evening ended with sex.

She managed tomumble out a farewell as Sarah and Ander walked on. She’d known—she’dknown—thatthis was what Ander did. He was a male escort. Among other things, he fuckedwomen for money. She was hardly his only client. He had a very busy schedule.

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