Page 45 of Escorted

“It’s not aproblem for me.” His blue-gray eyes were still scanning her face, as if he weretrying to dig something out of her expression.

“I just feelkind of bad about it. Going back and forth like this.”

Ander shook hishead, his lips giving another twitch. “Do you really think I expect acommitment from my clients? That’s the whole point of using my services.”

He seemedsincere. There was no trace of angst in his eyes or his expression. In fact,she thought she saw a glint of amusement. It was something she never would haveexpected.

She frowned.“Are you laughing at me?”

“Of coursenot.”

“I’m not reallywishy-washy,” she explained. “My circumstances have changed.”

“I suppose thatmeans you dumped your boyfriend.”

Lori gave alittle sniff. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. But I would have dumped him, I’m sure.”

Ander’s eyeswidened. “He dumpedyou?”

She couldn’thelp but experience a quiver of pleasure at the faint astonishment in hisvoice. It was nice that someone thought she was capable of holding onto a man.“He was an asshole.”

“Clearly. Itwas very wise of you to get rid of him as quickly as you did.”

“Exactly,” Lorisaid with a resolute nod.

Ander’s mouthtwitched again.

So did Lori’s.

As simple asthat, they fell back into their comfortable, companionable interaction. She’dbeen horribly afraid that tonight would be awkward or uncomfortable. Or tenseand confrontational like their conversation in the elevator.

But it was likenothing had happened between them at all.

Contrarily, atiny part of Lori missed the intensity coiled inside of Ander after thefundraiser last month. Missed the urgency with which he’d looked at her,touched her, fucked her.

But that wasabsurd. This laidback sociability was much easier to deal with. And she waspretty sure she would have chickened out if she’d been confronted with anyuncomfortable urgency or bewildering angst this evening.

Remembering hermanners, she stood up and poured Ander a glass of wine. He accepted it withthanks and sat down in the second chair.

“I wasn’texpecting you to have an opening in your schedule so soon,” Lori said,interested in his availability and also just wanting to make conversation.

Ander hesitatedas he sipped his wine. Then he finally said, “I’ve been cutting back a little.”

Lori’s eyeswidened. “On your clients, you mean? Why is that?”

His lipstightened and Lori recognized the shuttered expression. She recognized it verywell.

Before he couldfob her off with some piece of nonsense, she said, “I ask a lot of questions. Ican’t help it. That’s who I am. But don’t get all tense and closed off if I asksomething you don’t want to answer. Just tell me to shut up.”

To her relief, Ander’sexpression relaxed. “Understood.”

She wasn’t surewhy, but she kind of liked the idea that Ander wasn’t seeing as many clients ashe used to. She clearly remembered how much she’d disliked seeing him withSarah at the fundraiser. “I suppose being a male escort might not be a line ofwork you want to continue indefinitely. Have you ever thought about switchingcareers?”

He noddedslowly, his eyes resting on the bed across the room. “Occasionally.”

It wasn’t muchof an answer, and it didn’t tell her nearly as much as she wanted to know. Butat least he hadn’t told her to shut up. She wanted to push him on this issue,but she made herself hold back. Instead, she moved over to the bed with herwine and stretched out, making herself comfortable since she was pretty surenow she’d want to have sex later on.

She said in alight drawl, “You know what you should be? A sex therapist.”

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