She stares at me, her bright blue eyes widening beneath those impossibly long lashes. “Yeah, that’s definitely embarrassing, but I need something deeper. Much more vulnerable.” Her lips quirk up at one corner. “Like I need to know if you had a bad circumcision, or have a ridiculous tramp stamp with dolphins or something.”
I drop my arms and shake out my shoulders, letting out a long groan. “Uhhh, fine. Okay, here’s a big one. The only woman I ever loved left me when my family lost our wealth. It took me three years to stomach that, but tonight I think I just found out that she might’ve been cheating on me before shit hit the fan. Sothere’s a possibility she didn’t just leave me because of money. It’s very possible she just didn’t want to be with me. It’s kind of…messing with my head. I tell everyone I’m over it, but I cried. Not bawled like a baby, but there was a single, glistening manly tear.”
The pity permeates her eyes, her head doing that slow tilt, the way someone looks at a three-legged puppy.
“Is that worthy enough?” I ask.
She nods. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“And now you? What secret did you want to swap?”
“I came after you,” she admits.
I duck my head, nodding along as I gesture to my abdomen. “I mean, I get it.”
She cackles. “You cocky son-of-a-gun. I meant I came after you because I had questions. Whatever your client was going to pay you, I’ll match it. I’ll pay you more.”
“For what, exactly?” I ask. I could’ve sworn on my life this girl has a boyfriend. I’m sure of it. The guy looks like the doppelgänger of a twenty-five-year-old Brad Pitt. “You have sex questions?”
Her nod is so small it barely registers. “Sort of.”
“So you want to hire me for tonight?”
“I don’t know. I don’t ever do this. I always thought this is against the law, but I just…”
I take a step closer, close enough for our body heat to wrap around each other. “You’re interested?” I rake my top teeth over my bottom lip, the universal symbol for,just ask for what you want.
“I must sound absolutely off my rocker, right? I don’t even know you. You were a total coincidental accident.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, pairing it with a sweet smile. “Sometimes good things are born out of accidents.”
“You can’t tell anybody?”
I shake my head. “Not a soul. That would hurt us both.”
“And if I don’t like it, can we stop?”
“Of course,” I say gently. “Absolutely. It’s all about you. We’ll talk numbers, then you just tell me what you want.”
Her gaze skips away for a beat, then slowly comes back to meet mine. “And what if I don’t know…what I want?”
I try to read the pained expression on her face which seems to say yes and no all at once. I don’t like the ambiguity. I step back, giving her space. “Charlie, I’m not into pressuring you, or anyone. If you’re asking me to stay, then I’ll stay. If you’d prefer I go, I’m a ghost. It’s up to you.”
“I want you to stay, I just don’t know what I want because…” She clamps her eyes shut. “I’ve never done it before.”
“Done what?” I eye The Detonator again. “Been with an escort?”
“Had sex, Taio. I’ve never had sex with an escort…or anybody. I’m a virgin.”
Full. Fucking. Stop.
Charlie Riley—pop star, tabloid fixture, woman in crisis—looks at me with those big, tired eyes and makes a choice. “And I’d like you to stay.”
chapter 6
Charlie
I just told a complete stranger I’m a virgin and basically asked him to take care of that for me. Like I’m returning a defective waffle maker to Target.Excuse me, sir, I seem to have this pesky virginity I can’t get rid of. Would you mind?
