For the Night: Complete Box Set (33 page)

‘For Christ’s sake stay
calm,’ I warned myself, as my fingers trembled while I tried to do up my
bowtie. My breathing was out of control, my pulse rate was spiking and my heart
was on the verge of exploding, I was that excited.
Excited?
Bloody
nervous as hell more like. Tonight was a first and I had every reason to be
nervous. This was an insane idea. My cardinal rule “Never get emotionally
attached to your client” had been broken, but what was worse, if anything could
be, “No contact after the event, unless it’s for a new booking” applied to both
parties, and I was about to blow that one out of the water too. All for her,
Summer damn Beresford. My virgin for the night. The brunette with the stunning
blue eyes, perfect lips, curvaceous body, with seriously full pert tits and an
arse that was born to be grabbed. She’d plagued my thoughts since that one
booking, nearly ten months ago. That one night, where I’d deflowered her, made
love to her, held her and watched her sleeping, had been the best damn night of
my life.

Did she feel the same? I had no idea, which was
what made this plan even crazier. To her I was probably just the escort she
paid to fuck her, to show her how to be sexual to help her with her new film
role. Her premiere was tonight, the night I’d be hijacking, all because I’d
told myself I was protecting her from her overzealous co-star. Daron Beck
fucked anything with a hole between their legs, sometimes even the opposite
sex, and he’d also managed to sweep two reports of domestic abuse under the
carpet. He thought he’d covered his tracks well, but he hadn’t counted on my IT
guy, Ian Smith, with his world class skills, unearthing the evidence.
Thankfully Daron was clean, no sexual diseases to speak of. Though clean or not,
if he’d laid one finger on Summer, let alone fucked her, I was liable to lose
my cool. She may not know it, but Summer Beresford was mine. I’d be damned if
anyone else was ever going near her. I flexed my neck, just the thought of it
made me tense all over.

I still wasn’t sure what I was expecting from
tonight. I’d bribed Daron’s chauffeur to ensure that he took him directly to
Leicester Square, without picking Summer up en-route as he’d planned. I’d
ensured that I had a ticket set aside for me as Summer’s plus one, I’d arranged
for a dress and lingerie to be delivered to her stylist at the hotel, a single
boxed cala lily, also a bouquet of lilies and roses to congratulate her and
then I’d organised for another chauffeur in a limo to pick up her parents from
their home. I’d been too late to reserve the suite that we’d used at The Dalton
Hotel last time, the one I usually used for clients, but since her I hadn’t
been able to use that particular suite anyway. I was getting bloody
sentimental, trying to preserve memories of my time in there with her, so I’d
reserved the one below. She was staying at a top hotel in her own suite,
courtesy of the film company, so heading there was a possibility too, that was
if she even spoke to me in the first place.
So what was I expecting?
I
wasn’t sure I was ready to give up my lifestyle, but I wanted her, badly, and
pretty soon it would be too late, if it wasn’t already. Her career was going to
take off and she’d be inundated with offers, from guys who didn’t have my dodgy
history, or rather present.
Shit, what was I thinking?
Was I really
thinking about giving it all up for her? After one bloody night together?

I rubbed my hands over my eyes and blew out a
heavy sigh. I’d never felt so confused. My best friend was nagging me to quit,
to ask her out and date her. He was convinced that Summer would like me, the
real me, not Logan Steele world class escort. I wasn’t sure she’d even give me
the chance. I mean, if a female prostitute wanted to date me, I couldn’t see
myself wanting her. I was a chauvinist in many ways. I had no problem with a
guy sowing his oats, but I liked my women a bit more demure, out of my bed that
was. In my bed I wanted a woman who was open to experimentation, though I
definitely wasn’t into sharing. Being slightly old fashioned like that wasn’t
all bad, when I had girlfriends I spoiled them, treated them like princesses,
held open doors, protected them, and made sure that sexually, they were very
well taken care of. I just hadn’t had a girlfriend since I started this gig all
those years ago. My last girlfriend, Lucy, had left me when I told her I wanted
to put my considerable sexual talents to good use, to get out of the financial
jam I was in, and I wasn’t sure any woman would put up with me carrying on either.
I might lie to clients, tell them they were beautiful, tight, sexy, the best
I’d ever had, but in my private life I never lied. That was Logan Steele, not
me. The two were very different things. In my eyes anyway.

I checked my hair again and tugged on the cuffs of
my white shirt under my black tuxedo jacket sleeves. It was tailored to fit,
like all of my suits and even if I said so myself, I looked damn fine in it.
Summer had reacted favourably to me in jeans and a jacket last time, I hoped
that this would do it for her even more. I didn’t need to check my files to see
what aftershave I’d been wearing that night with her, I’d known I felt strongly
about her from her photo, before I’d even met her, so I’d worn the aftershave I
used every day in my personal life. Ted Lapidus. Summer Beresford had no idea
how badly I’d wanted her, the way she’d affected me that night or how
everything I’d said to her had actually been the truth. I mean I’d even driven
her home in my own car the next morning, something I’d never done before.
Neither did she know that I’d turned up at her house some time ago, trying to
decide if I should knock on her door. I’d chickened out then, not sure what I’d
actually say to her. I still wasn’t sure, but this was probably going to be my last
chance. Once this movie launched everyone would know her. Everyone would want
her too. I figured I’d just turn up in the limo and when she got inside I’d
play it by ear.

The thought that, at some stage tonight, I might
sink my tongue into her sweet willing mouth, or better still my cock into her
warm tight folds, had me close my eyes and groan, then reach down to squeeze my
erection tightly. I’d masturbated multiple times daily just thinking about her,
since I’d dropped her home that morning all those months ago. Today though, I
couldn’t bring myself to do it, not when there was the possibility of having
her for real later. I wouldn’t force myself on her, but she’d have to come up
with a damned good excuse to prevent me from seducing her again. I pocketed my
wallet and iPhone, as I heard my intercom buzz and headed out to meet my
driver, James.

‘So Sir, how are you feeling?’ James asked, after
we’d got our day to day banter out of the way.

‘How do you think?’ I chuckled. Even James had
been on my case about Summer, he’d seen a change in me since I’d spent that one
perfect night with her.

‘I would hope that you’re nervous as hell,
otherwise it implies that you don’t feel as strongly about her as you’d like to
believe.’

‘O, I’m nervous alright,’ I confirmed.

‘So, what’s your plan to woo her? Other than
springing this surprise on her and dazzling her with your handsomeness in a
tuxedo?’

‘I do look good, don’t I?’ I grinned at him in the
rear view mirror. ‘James Bond licenced to kill, but instead I’m Logan Steele,
licenced to thrill.’

‘Mr. Bond may get to bed the ladies, but he never
has much success with them in his personal life, Sir,’ James chuckled. ‘They
all seem to die.’

‘Actually you’re spot on there. So, if I was going
to be a movie character, who would I be?’ I enquired. A bit of mindless chat
was just what I needed, to take my mind off this growing anxiety inside me.

‘I would compare you to Batman, Sir. You wear the
mask of Logan Steele, swoop in to rescue damsels in sexual distress, then
leave, making them swoon for you. You also have the physique and deep gravelly
voice down pat.’

‘Batman,’ I mused. ‘Yes, that would be a good one.
Action being my reward.’

‘And the hefty fees, I’ll warrant that you’re
paid. May I ask an impertinent question?’

‘I guess,’ I replied hesitantly. I didn’t discuss
my fees with anyone, that was between myself and my clients.

‘Are you going to ask Miss Beresford out on a date
officially, as yourself? Nothing to do with your escorting profession?’ he
asked. I let out a sigh. Maybe the fees question would have been easier to
handle.

‘Truth be told I really don’t know. For starters
even if I did, I don’t think she’d want to date me, secondly, if I did ask her
out I’d probably have to give up this career.’

‘Would that be such a bad thing? You have your
fitness clients and I know Mr. Davenport has mentioned more than once, that as
his best friend, you’d have a job waiting for you in his firm and he’s
certainly not stingy when it comes to remuneration.’

‘No he’s not,’ I chuckled. He was too generous,
something I kept on at him about. ‘I just … I’m good at
this
. This is
what I excel at, what if I’m not cut out for a regular life, with a boring nine
to five job and a girlfriend?’

‘I sincerely doubt that working for Mr. Davenport
would be boring, or nine to five. Look at myself and Mr. Smith. We work
whenever we’re required to, in exchange for a very handsome salary. I was led
to believe that you were a manager in the construction industry before you took
up this occupation. Didn’t you enjoy or excel at that?’

‘I did,’ I nodded. ‘That was then though, I’ve
enjoyed this more.’

‘Maybe so, but you don’t have a girlfriend and as
long as you continue in this profession you aren’t likely to have one, unless
she’s in the same line of work and understands. Would you be happy with that?’

‘No, I bloody wouldn’t,’ I shot back and sighed
again, as I shoved a hand through my hair.

‘I think you’re lonely, Sir. I think that you’d
have carried on like this for some years without realising it, if you hadn’t
met
her
that is. Sometimes when we find the woman that we want,
everything changes, for the better. But surely to know that she’s yours and to
be lucky enough to be loved by her, would be worth infinitely more than
whatever perks you get in your job now?’

‘Maybe,’ I frowned. ‘But I don’t handle rejection
well. If I was to ask her to date me and she said no, which is a real
possibility, that would crush me.’

‘If you don’t ask her and she starts seeing
someone else, I think that would crush you even more, Sir. I believe that the
anguish you may feel at her declining your offer would be significantly less
than a lifetime of regrets, always wondering what could have been, when you see
in the media that she’s happy with someone else. Look at what you’ve set up for
this evening, just at the prospect of her going on a date with someone else.
She’s buried deep under your skin and you’ll never be able to claw her out. To
try and fail is better than to have never tried at all.’

‘I really wish I could believe that, James,’ I
nodded, as my stomach started to churn again. ‘As for her being buried deep
under my skin, I feel that deeply and possessively about her that I believe
she’s etched into my very bones.’

‘Well either way, I believe that she’ll be
expecting answers this evening. What will you tell her as to why you’ve
hijacked her evening and cancelled her date?’

‘Don’t remind me how unprepared I am, thank you. I
prefer to plan for everything, I like to be in control and I have no damn
control when it comes to this woman, or how I feel about her. I guess I’m just
going to have to think on my feet.’

‘You’re not just all looks, Sir. You’re a very
smart, intelligent, personable young man. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.’

‘Thank you for saying that, I really hope that
you’re right, but to have Summer think it would be even better, otherwise I’ll
be heading home in a considerably black mood.’

‘Then please warn me and you can either get a taxi
or walk home,’ James winked in the mirror. ‘We’re nearly there, Sir. Are you
ready?’

‘As I’ll ever be,’ I nodded, as my mouth went dry
and a ball of nausea started to build.