Page 55 of Escorted

With a huff, Loripeered in a mirror. She was sorer than she’d expected to be, so she kept onehand on the table for support. She had another bruise on her neck, and she waspretty sure she’d have marks from his fingers on her bottom and thighs. Hercheeks were flushed, and she was covered with a sheen of perspiration. Plus, herhair was slightly damp from all the effort she’d put into sex tonight, stickingout in crazy, messy flips.

With a scowlfor Ander, she said, “It’s your fault, so you have no reason to laugh. If youhad hair, you’d look messy too.”

The smile thathad been twitching on the edges of his mouth emerged completely. “No argumenthere.”

Glancing againat the clock, Lori felt a little pang of worry. “I’m sorry we went overtime.Should I give you—”

“No,” Anderinterrupted, a little sharply. “Don’t worry about it.”

She swallowed,afraid she’d offended him. He was generally pretty good natured, but she waslearning more and more that he had a sensitive psyche he hid beneath all thelayers of cool sophistication. And she didn’t always know when or how she mightaccidentally bruise it.

She took a stepaway from the table to go pick up her robe, feeling overly exposed all of asudden in her skimpy satin chemise. But she winced on the first step as a joltof soreness caught her between the legs.

“Sore?” Anderasked, stepping over to put a hand around her waist and then help her into achair. “Was I too rough?”

“Oh, no. Iwould have stopped you if it wasn’t good.” Reassured at his considerate manner,she grinned up at him. “It was good.”

Ander pulledout his smartphone and started clicking. “Next time?”

“Yeah. We’re onfor a week from Monday, right?”

“You don’t wantanything earlier?”

She was reallycurious about how much he’d managed to free up his schedule recently, but she’dbeen too hesitant to pry into exactly why he was cutting back on clients. Everytime she’d tried to hint at the subject, he’d closed down like a portcullis.“I’ve got that trip to Québec.”

He looked ather blandly, and she felt a little tremor of nerves as she considered apossibility. Then she decided she had nothing to lose. So she said casually,“Have you ever been to Québec?”

“Québec City?” At her nod in affirmation, he continued, “No, I haven’t.”

“Oh. I’ve gotto go up there for a conference. I’m giving a lecture on Friday night and thenhave to attend a banquet on Saturday night. But I have all day Saturday andmost of Sunday to hang out and do some sightseeing.” She almost made thesuggestion but then she chickened out. So she concluded lamely, “I waswondering if you had any ideas about what I should see, if you’d been therebefore.”

“I haven’t beenthere,” Ander repeated. He was still playing with his smartphone. Not reallylooking at her. “I’ve heard it’s a great city. It’s on my list of places togo.”

He appeared tobe speaking absently, as if he weren’t really absorbed in the conversation. Buthe’d given her a great lead-in, so she steeled her courage up again. “I don’tsuppose you want to—” The words stuck in her throat as a wave of anxiousself-consciousness washed over her.

She had no ideawhy she was nervous about asking him. She’d paid for him to fuck her many timesover the last six months. But something about this possibility made her feelmore vulnerable than her requests for the normal sessions with Ander.

Ander’s eyesshot up to her face. “You don’t suppose I would want to what?”

She gulped.“Come with me.” Now that she’d gotten it said, she hurried on in a rush, “Imean, I know you do weekends. It was on your list of services. But this isprobably too short notice. I should have planned earlier, but I was justthinking it might be fun. I mean, if you’re available. You’re probably not.It’s no big deal. Forget I said anything.”

“Which weekendis it again?” Ander asked. He was clicking on his smartphone again. Hisdistraction with it was getting a little annoying—she could only imagine thekinds of appointments he had scheduled in it—but at least he seemed to betaking her suggestion seriously. “I have plans the tenth and eleventh.”

“No,” she said,feeling a little hopeful. “It’s next weekend. I know it’s short notice, so it’sreally fine if you—”

“I don’t haveany engagements scheduled then,” Ander said, lowering his smartphone. “I thinkI could do it.”

Lori felt aridiculous rush of pleasure. “Really? Are you sure? I’d pay for airfare and thehotel and everything, like you have on your list of prices. And I know you havethe base rate for a weekend, and then I guess we could add up all the sex—”

“Lori,” Anderinterrupted again. “We’ll figure it out later.”

His lips werepressed together tightly. She must have offended him again. It was a littleawkward—having his company be a monetary commodity—but this was his businessand she wasn’t sure how else to address it. It was always better when theycould just leave it unspoken. Just pass the envelope at the end of the night. Shedidn't know how they could make plans for the weekend trip without working the moneyout first, though.

She shrugged,however, and left the topic alone. Just said she’d email him with more details.

Despite theslight awkwardness, she was really excited about his joining her on the trip.He would be such good company. They could look around the city together. Anderwas so intelligent, informed, and witty that she knew he’d be the best kind ofsightseeing companion.

Plus, theycould have a whole weekend of sex.

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