Escorting the Groom (The Escort Collection 4)

I shook my head. "I'm off tonight. And tomorrow, actually. We have some things that we need to attend to."

"Oh? Like what?" She tilted her head up at me in a way that was both attractive and annoying. Attractive because she was beautiful, and annoying because it was the perfect angle for me to kiss her. I wondered if she was attempting to prove something to me again, like when her hand had skimmed over my belt earlier.

If she was trying to get under my skin or make me want her, she didn't have to work so hard. But this was a business arrangement that I wouldn't allow to fail, and I wasn't going to complicate it by letting things get physical between us. Because if I did that—if I did her—I would push her away afterward. I was a one-and-done sort of fellow. And I didn't know if she had the emotional wherewithal to deal with that, then live with me and pretend everything was great for a whole year afterward.

I took a step back from her. Nope. No way. No how. I didn't do self-destruct. I wanted this to work, and I wasn't about to let my dick get in the way.

Still, Blake was looking up at me expectantly, with her shiny blond hair and her perfect pink lips, which were slightly parted. She knew what she was doing—tempting me.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" I finally asked.

She tossed her hair and licked her lips. "Like what?"

Yeah, right. "You're giving me a fuck-me look again. Why?"

Blake promptly closed her mouth and stood up straight. "Sorry. I was trying to see if you wanted to, you know. Just get it out of the way."

"I told you I'm not interested." The lie sounded harsh as it hung in the air between us.

A flicker of hurt might have passed over her features, but it was gone before I could be certain. "Then I'll stop trying to make it easy for you." She smiled at me as though my rejection had rolled right off her back.

I took a step toward her, inhaling her scent. It was her hair; it smelled fantastic. I wanted nothing more than to wind my hands through it, throw her over my shoulder, carry her to my giant bed, and bury myself inside of her. Explore her body. See her breasts freed from the tight bondages of her prim lace dress. Run my hands down her naked skin.

Christ, I was getting hard again. Down, boy.

"It's not like I don

't want to." My voice came out husky. I allowed myself to trail a finger down her arm, relishing her responsive shiver. "But I told you before: I don't do complicated. And I can't imagine that anything good could come from us compromising the integrity of our agreement."

Blake watched my finger with fascination as I trailed it back up her arm, which was raised with goose bumps. "Just one question about that." She still watched me but sounded alert and focused.

I let myself wrap a hand around her arm, stroking her. My cock was getting treacherously hard. "What's that?"

"Why would sleeping together complicate things?" She sounded genuinely curious. "You and I are both adults. We've agreed to a business arrangement. If we have sex, it would be just that—an extension of the agreement. We both know it has an expiration date." She stepped closer and looked up at me expectantly. "But I understand if you don't want to."

"You're pushing me." Heat and longing filled me. My erection tented my pants, trying desperately to reach out and touch her. "Christ." I let go of her arm and took a step back. "I am a breathing, human male. Of course I want to. I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Okay," Blake said simply. She stepped back, dismissed.

"Do you need an ego boost or something?" I asked, annoyed. I wasn't sure what she was playing at, making me ache like this.

She let out a surprised bark of laughter. "No. It's just that I want you to be happy with the arrangement. And I wanted to make it easy for you in case you changed your mind. I didn't want you to be… embarrassed… if you had to make the first move after all your proclamations and decrees against it."

I laughed in spite of myself. "Proclamations and decrees, huh?"

"You have been going on about it," Blake said under her breath. "I thought it was like a 'protest too much' kinda thing."

I stopped laughing. My cock was still throbbing, irritated as hell that it wasn't going to get what it wanted. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. And I don't get embarrassed, babe."

"Of course not." It was like a veil was lowered over her face; she seemed to shut down her openness and any honest emotion on cue. "Well, good night. So I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"

"Yes." Disappointment flashed through me as she headed to her room alone, just like I'd instructed. "We have things to do. A wedding to plan. Venues to book. Dresses to buy."

"Dresses? As in my wedding dress?" Blake whirled back toward me, her hair swinging, emitting that scent that made me stiffen even further. Fuck. I was going to have to go back to my room and jerk off again.

Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, and I noticed, much to my chagrin, that this pleased me a great deal.

"Yes, Blake. Your wedding dress. I made an appointment with a bridal salon tomorrow. Also, we're having our announcement pictures taken in the Common." I'd had nothing to do with any of this, of course. I'd gotten a lengthy text from Shirley, who'd made all the arrangements and taken care of all the details. She'd only offered to help, but in her typical fashion, she'd gone above and beyond, hiring Boston's best photographer and making an appointment at an exclusive bridal studio on Newbury Street for first thing in the morning.