Page 73 of Escorted

Ten

Naturally, Ander could iceskate.

He could doeverything well—from cunnilingus to military history to pillow fights. Sheshould have known he was an expert ice skater as well.

Apparently,he’d played a lot of ice hockey when he was younger, so he slid across the icewith such ease and confidence that Lori couldn’t help but glare at him inannoyance.

She’d neverice-skated before. She’d always wanted to but she’d not gotten the chance as akid. In high school, she and her best friend were supposed to visit an ice rinkso she could learn, but something had come up and they’d never rescheduled.And, once she’d grown up, the interest had basically disappeared from herradar.

But thatafternoon, in thinking over what she wanted to do with Ander, the idea ofice-skating had randomly crossed her mind. Then she couldn’t think of anythingelse she’d rather do. So she’d mentioned it in half-jest in her response to Ander’semail, asking where they should meet.

And here theywere. Not at one of the big rinks, but at a newer, smaller one that Ander saidwas less crowded and had more convenient public skating times. She couldn’thelp but wonder how many other clients he’d taken ice-skating in the past.

For the lastfew weeks, ever since she’d found out Ander’s real identity, she’d felt weirdabout just meeting him at their regular hotel for sex. It wasn’t that shedidn’t want to have sex with him. She did. And they always had sex for the lastcouple of hours of their scheduled engagements. But, especially knowing who hereally was and the kind of sophisticated monster he had for a father, Loristarted feeling cheap and guilty about meeting up with him purely for sex.

It made herfeel like she was just using Ander—in the same way everyone else always had.

She knew shestill was. She knew her change of routine was mostly an empty gesture. But itmade her feel better. Made her feel like their liaisons weren’t quite sosuperficial and objectifying. And she had a good time with Ander—even outsideof the bedroom.

On the firstevening she’d suggested a change, they’d gone to an exhibit of antique Asianfans that the art museum was displaying for the month. Ander had wowed her withhis knowledge of Asian fans until she’d needled him into admitting that he’dspent the day before doing research on them.

For their nextengagement, they’d gone out to eat and then to a newly opened bookstore,specializing in used and rare books. They’d spent almost two hours searchingthe shelves and talking about books before they’d gone back to the hotel tohave sex.

And today theywere going to ice skate. Something Lori had always wanted to do.

Now she wasn’tsure why.

She washorrible at it. She knew how to roller-skate and she’d done some roller-bladingin college. Somehow, she assumed that experience would help her on the ice.

It didn’t. Shewobbled around, clinging to the wall or to Ander’s arm and falling down so manytimes it was mortifying. Six-year-old kids were skating better than she was.And Ander, damn him, had to be the most patient, considerate teacherimaginable.

She would feelbetter if he would just laugh at her.

Lori hadn’tsaid a word to him about knowing who he really was. She felt kind of guiltyabout snooping into his personal life—when he’d been so clear with her beforeabout his vigilance over his privacy. Plus, she wasn’t sure what to say. Heobviously had reason to keep his identity secret, and he’d probably be mad ifshe blurted out that she now knew the truth.

She toldherself it didn’t matter. He was still the same Ander she’d known for the lastsix months.

But itdidmatter. It made him feel even more like a whole person. A person with atraumatic, conflicted history and a father whom the papers and news showsconstantly characterized as heartless and money-hungry. A man who neverhesitated to wipe out anyone who happened to be in the way of what he wanted.

Had Lori met Anderas Ander Milton, she probably would have been immediately suspicious and takenhim for a spoiled, selfish playboy. But she knew Ander now. Knew he’d probablybeen one of his father’s most damaged victims.

Knowing who Ander’sfather was made her feel weird and awkward in a way she hadn’t expected.

The change intheir routine helped, and pushing her knowledge of Ander’s identity from herconsciousness helped some too. But a tiny, stifled part of Lori’s mind kepthinting that she wasn’t going to be able to shuffle through this emotionalbalancing act for very long.

Determined toenjoy herself as much as she could for as long as she could, Lori tried toskate another lap around the rink. She did a little better this time. Herankles wobbled a bit but she held herself upright and made it several yardsbefore she felt herself lose her balance.

She reached outto clutch at Ander, who was skating slowly beside her and trying to give hersome pointers.

Ander came to aneat stop in time to catch her. She whimpered in frustration and buried herface in his shirt for a moment. Then she looked up at him and gritted out, “Damnit!”

Ander’s lipstwitched just a little. “You’re doing fine.”

“No I’m not.Everyoneis doing better than me. I’m usually good at things. This is ridiculous.”

His armsloosely draped around her waist, Ander’s eyes were momentarily so warm theytook her breath away. Then he said with his typical cool composure, “You’re toouptight now. It’s making you clumsier than normal.”

Lori gaspedindignantly. “Clumsy!”

---