Excerpt
Option 1:
“Did
you have any questions about the prices your friend explained to you?” Ander
asked. “You’ll pay for an entire evening. That’s the base price. I offer
nothing lower than that.”
She
looked up at him, frowning. He didn’t have a website like some escorts, instead
relying on personal referrals, but details Sabrina had gotten from the women
she’d talked to were quite clear. She was a professional woman. Not an idiot.
“Yes, I was able to understand the services you offer and what you charge for
them,” she said, her tone a little snippy.
His
mouth twitched, so slightly she almost didn’t catch it. “Good. I just wanted to
make it clear that you pay for the entire evening, whether or not you use it. I
don’t hire myself out by the hour.”
For
some reason, his dry tone made her want to snicker again. She stifled it, in
case he would mistake it for mockery. “Understood.”
“We
can do whatever you like for the evening. I can act as escort, play a part if
you want or provide general companionship. If you’re interested in anything
sexual, that will cost extra.”
Lori
couldn’t believe she was sitting here, in the middle of a park in downtown
Seattle, having this conversation. Her cheeks burned involuntarily, but she wasn’t
as mortified as she’d expected. Ander was so business-like and matter-of-fact
about the situation that it helped Lori feel that way too.
“I
thought I made my interests clear when we talked on the phone,” she said.
Ander
nodded. “Of course. The prices differ for oral on you, oral on me, and full
intercourse.”
A
nagging question that had been bugging her for a few days prompted her to ask,
“Who would pay you that much money for you
to get the blow job?”
Again,
that slight twitch of his mouth. She wasn’t even sure it meant anything—his
expression was generally so calm as to be stoic. But she found that occasional
little quiver of his mouth the most appealing thing about him. “Women have
different desires when they make use of my services. Some find giving more
thrilling than receiving. Some simply want the practice.”
Lori
thought about that for a moment. It was something she’d never even considered
before.
Ander
cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. “Perhaps you can give
me a little information about your goals for this engagement.”
She
nodded. “Right. Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t pay this much money for a date.”
She took a breath. Summoned all her fortitude and courage. “I want to have
sex.”
“Yes,
but what are your goals for the sex? Are you looking for a particular mood or
brand of excitement? Do you just want to relieve tension? Get something you
can’t get from other partners? I’m not trying to pry into your personal
motivations, but I need a little direction if we’re to make this a successful
engagement.”
“Right.”
She shifted on the bench. Told herself she would be paying this man a lot of
money a few days from now so she had nothing to be embarrassed about. And
surely he’d encountered a lot of stranger things in his line of work. “I want
to have sex because I haven’t had it before. Yet.”
Excerpt
Option 2:
Ander looked over, his eyes automatically scanning
her body in her cashmere tank and pajama pants. But his gaze didn’t linger. He
handed Lori an unopened packet. “Dental dams,” he explained. “For oral sex. I
don’t have unprotected sex of any kind.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be using your services
otherwise.” She’d never seen a dental dam before so she studied the packet with
interest, glad for any sort of distraction from what would be coming next.
“These are the best quality I’ve been able to find.
Very thin and the texture is good. It will still be very enjoyable for you.”
She swallowed hard. “Pretty smug about your skills,
aren’t you?”
He made a brief choked sound, as if he’d smothered a
surprised laugh. Pulling out a tube of lubricant, he carried it with two dam
packets and a couple of condoms to the nightstand. “I guess we’ll have to wait
and see whether I’m smug or simply realistic.”
His dry response made her giggle a little, and she
walked over to join him next to the bed. When she looked from his slick, sexy
good-looks to the large bed draped with a fluffy down comforter, her giggle
changed to a nervous gurgle.
“You’re in control of this,” Ander said, holding her
gaze with a cool expression. “We do whatever you want to do. I can act however
you want me to act. Just tell me.”
“I don’t want you to pretend to be romantic or hot
for me or anything. I want it to be...be real. I mean, don’t pretend we’re
doing anything other than we are.”
“Understood. I can do that. Would you prefer me to
stay in my clothes or take them off?” Ander replied smoothly, not appearing to
notice her anxiety.
She thought for just a moment but knew the sight of
his undoubtedly fine, naked body would be the end of her nerve. “Keep them on.”
“And you?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, suddenly
conscious of the way her full breasts were outlined in the clinging tank she
wore and that her nipples were visibly tight from her arousal. “I’ll keep them
on for now,” she said, “Until ...”
He nodded. “Lights?”
“Off.”
“Is there anything else you’d like? Questions or
requests?”
“Um.”
He waited patiently, watching her with an oddly
quiet look of scrutiny. When she couldn’t manage to get anything said, he asked
softly, “What can I do to make you less nervous?”
.jpg)
Excerpt
Option 3:
Before
Ander came over to join her, he turned off the overhead lights. “Is it all
right if we leave the light on in the bathroom? It will still be quite dark,
but it might help to have a little more light to work with the vibrator.”
“Sure.”
She’d kind of liked the deep darkness of the room last time, but she wasn’t
about to argue with what was obviously good sense.
Ander
picked up the tube of lubricant and a couple of condom packets from his case
before he returned to the bed. “Did you want to lie down?” he asked, putting
the vibrator and other stuff on the nightstand and turning off the bedside
light.
With
a long exhale, Lori pulled up her legs and reclined back on the bed. She’d been
doing so well—focusing on anticipation rather than anxiety—but now she was
starting to get nervous. She was still aroused, but not so much she stopped
thinking about what was about to happen.
“Do
you want me to keep my clothes on this evening?” Ander stood, dark and looming,
beside the bed.
Since
she felt braver today, she replied, “Oh. No. I guess not. You can take them
off.”
Ander
started unbuttoning his shirt. His motion was slow, almost mesmerizing, as he
gradually revealed his bare chest beneath. When he’d untucked the shirt, he let
it slide with unhurried ease to the floor. His chest was toned and masculine.
She could see the clean contours of muscle development on his abdomen and
shoulders, even in the dim light of the room.
He
slid his belt out of the loops. He moved naturally, not ostentatiously, but
Lori suddenly realized he was giving her a little show.
It
was effective. As she watched, her intimate muscles clenched in excitement and
jitters rose up in her belly, but she also felt a gurgle of amusement. She had
to press her lips together to stifle it.
Who
would have thought that Lori Addison would be in the position to get such an
elegant striptease from a bald man?
She
must not have hidden her reaction well because Ander paused in the midst of
unzipping. He arched his eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”
“Oh,
no,” she said, keeping her eyes wide and trying not to stare down at what would
be revealed when his pants came unzipped. “Everything’s fine. You’re doing an
excellent job.”
Ander
narrowed his eyes, a little suspiciously, before he let his trousers fall to
the floor, revealing black silk boxers and a pair of very fine legs.
“Boxers?”
Lori asked, working past the surge of visceral admiration at the sight of his
near perfect body. “I was wondering what you wore.”
Ander
took off his watch as he replied, “I didn’t know what you’d prefer. Since
you’re American, I thought boxers were a better bet.”
Lori
blinked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“American
women tend to prefer boxers on men. If you were international, I’d have worn
briefs. Obviously, once I know a woman’s preference, I accommodate it.”
“American
women prefer boxers?”
“I
have only my own informal assessment to go by, but, yes, I’d say three-fourths
of them do. I try to pay attention.”
“Wow,”
Lori breathed. “That’s what I call attention to detail.”
Excerpt
Option 4:
Ander
was silent for a minute, sitting perfectly still in his chair. Then he cleared
his throat. “Did you want to proceed with our engagement tonight?”
She
stared at him, wondering what had happened, why he had turned into this poised,
detached stranger instead of the Ander she’d known for the last few months.
He’d never been emotional or open or vulnerable, but he’d seemed real. In a way
he didn’t tonight.
“Well?”
he prompted, raising his eyebrows again. “I would have guessed you weren’t in
the mood, but maybe my charms are simply too irresistible.”
Then
he smiled at her. That smile she couldn’t stand.
“What’s
wrong with you?” she snarled, nearly snapping her teeth with frustration.
Ander
blinked, the smile fading abruptly. “Excuse me?”
“Why
are you acting this way tonight? Totally fake.”
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about, Lori. We were having a conversation.
Obviously, I behave differently when I talk than I do when I provide other
servic—”
“Don’t
give me that crap. That’s not what I’m talking about. You’re not acting like
yourself. You’re all cold and...and fake.”
“I
am myself. This is me.” He met her eyes with a look that was almost a
challenge.
“No,
it’s not. I mean, this isn’t how you’ve been with me before. And I don’t like
it.” She stuck out her chin and glared at him, wishing he’d just break down and
get mad at her like a normal person.
“My
apologies.” He stood up and picked up his case. “In that case, I’ll just—”
Lori
stood up too with a gasp. “I didn’t say you should go. I just wanted you to act
like yourself again.”
Ander
shook his head and started to walk toward the door, still perfectly polite,
perfectly cool. “Obviously, this isn’t what you want anymore. I think it’s best
if we just call it off. I wish you the best.”
And
then the bastard just walked out the door.
Lori
had been expecting an argument. She’d actually kind of wanted an argument—since
then at least Ander would have been genuine. She certainly hadn’t expected him
to just leave.
She
suddenly realized that she didn’t want him to leave. She wasn’t ready for this
to end yet.
She
went after him, catching him just as he stepped onto the elevator. She made it
onto the elevator too before the doors slid shut.
“Why
are you leaving?” she demanded, glaring at him heatedly. “You’re acting like a
jerk. We were having a conversation. There’s no reason
for you to walk out on me.”
He
lifted the eyebrows again. “The conversation was going nowhere. I understand
that you feel uncomfortable about seeing me when you were with your boyfriend
Saturday night. It’s perfectly natural. And you needn’t feel any guilt about
discontinuing my services.”
“He’s
not my boyfriend,” she snapped, beginning with the most irrelevant of her
objections. “And none of that is the point. You’re not acting like yourself.
That’s all I wanted.”
“Lori,
you’re presuming too much.” He wasn’t looking at her now. He’d pressed the
button for the ground floor and was staring at the numbers light up as the
elevator started to descend. His voice was still cool and controlled, but his
jaw and shoulders had tensed. “We’ve never had a personal relationship.”
Excerpt
Option 5:
Finally,
he met her eyes again. “Lori, you don’t have to be nice. You pay me for my
services.”
She
almost sputtered in outrage. “What the hell does that mean? Of course, I have
to be nice. You’re a human being, aren’t you? What the fuck did your father do
to you to make you think you don’t deserve to be treated with dignity and
humanity?”
She
hadn’t really meant to voice that last question. Her volatile feelings and
confusion got the best of her. But she had
voiced it. Almost spit it out in his face.
It
finally broke the iron control Ander had been using to rein in his feelings.
He
turned on her abruptly, stepping forward, pressing her back against the wall
with his intense presence rather than force. “Lori,” he began, his voice thick
and low. He planted one hand on the wall next to her head. “I fuck you. You pay me. That’s our arrangement. That doesn’t entitle you to invade
my privacy, demand to see the ‘real me,’ or pry into whatever motivations I
might have for doing what I do.”
She
gulped. She’d never seen him like this before. His blue-gray eyes held hers
imprisoned. He was almost pulsing with some sort of intense emotion, and the
force of it left her trembling and boneless. “I didn’t mean ...” She had to
start over when her voice cracked. “I didn’t mean I wanted you to spill your
guts. I just didn’t want you to act so hard and cold. You’re mad at me, and I don’t
know why.”
“I’m
not mad,” he said again, although his entire body belied his words. He was
coiled so tightly he was practically shuddering. His cheeks were slightly
flushed, and his eyes had ignited.
Absurdly,
Lori felt her body respond. She knew it was entirely inappropriate. They were
in the middle of a very bizarre argument, and sex should be the last thing on
her mind. But he looked so intense, almost passionate. For once, he seemed to
be expressing something real—with his body language if not with his words.
Her
inner muscles clenched, and she felt her nipples tighten. Hoped it wasn’t
visible through the slinky silk of her camisole.
“You’re
sure acting mad,” she snapped back. “You look like you want to rip my head
off.”
“Lori.”
His voice was even thicker than before, and it ridiculously made her think
about sex. He leaned his face toward her and gritted out against her ear,
“Lori, give this up. If you want to keep our appointment, we can go back
upstairs. But my private thoughts are none of your concern.”
She
shuddered. He wasn’t even touching her, but she felt him all over her skin.
Blazing with heat and desire, she still managed to hold up her end of the
argument. “I told you I don’t want you to spill your guts. Keep your private
thoughts to yourself. Just tell me how I made you mad.”
“For
the fourth time,” Ander rasped, still speaking into her ear. “I’m not mad.”
She
shifted restlessly against the wall, dying for some sort of friction against
her skin. Her squirming caused her to brush up against Ander.
She
felt something. Something that shocked her so much her mouth fell open. Her
lower belly had brushed against the front of Ander’s trousers.
He
was hard.
.jpg)
(Escorted #1)
Publication date: December 15th 2012
Genres: Erotica, Romance
Synopsis:
She hired him to take her virginity...but now she wants even more.
Lori might be a popular romance writer, but she's never been anything but a flop with sex and love in her personal life. Still a virgin at twenty-six and increasingly frustrated by her inexperience, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires a talented, sexy male escort to take care of her inconvenient virginity.
She assumes one time with Ander will be enough, but she never dreams how much pleasure he can make her feel. Once isn't nearly enough. Twice isn't enough either. Soon, she becomes one of his regular clients.
Lori knows that nothing would be as foolish as falling in love with her paid escort, but she's never been wise with her heart. And, despite his professionalism, he doesn't seem entirely immune either.
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO
Claire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. She has a PhD in British literature and, when she's not writing, she teaches English at the university level.
She also writes contemporary romance under the penname Noelle Adams.
Website: http://clairekent.
Facebook (as Noelle Adams): https://www.facebook.
Twitter (as Noelle Adams): https://twitter.com/
Goodreads: https://www.
Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes - open INTL:
-10 signed copies of Escorted
No comments:
Post a Comment