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I shake my head. “Not all CEOs are sharks.”
“Apparently not,” she replies with a soft smile.
Then the lobster arrives, and both of us dig in with a flourish. It’s delicious, like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. I watch Annemarie practically moaning as butter drips down her chin, and let out a low growl.
“What?” she asks innocently.
“I like watching you eat,” I reply with a lascivious grin. “There’s something inherently sensual about it, sweetheart.”
She giggles a bit. “I’ve gained some weight since New Jersey two years ago. Have you noticed?”
I nod, my blue eyes flaring. “Absolutely, but it only makes you more beautiful, honey. You’re gorgeous, and I appreciate all of your curves.”
“Really?” she whispers.
I nod again. “Of course. There’s something lush and appealing about a woman with flesh on her bones because it’s inviting and ready for a man. You know I don’t like scarecrows with spindly elbows and knees. You’re a real woman, sweetheart, and I can’t get enough.”
She smiles and melts before me as my heart thuds with passion. The rest of the restaurant seems to fade away, leaving only the two of us, bathed in a golden glow. Is this how it will always be with Annemarie? Because if I’m not mistaken, we’re falling in love.
7
Annemarie
Two months, I think wonderingly as I stare out the airplane window from my first-class seat. I can’t believe it’s been two months.
It’s funny because with Bruce, time seems to fly, and even though he’s technically a client, I never think of my time with him as work. Hell, he could stop paying me today and I would be okay with it. My feelings for him go deeper than any exchange of money, and I think he feels the same. Even given his busy schedule, my boyfriend somehow always manages to find time for me, whether it’s just a quick phone call after he gets home late or a picnic in Central Park on the weekends.
Plus, because of Bruce’s generosity, I find myself with even more time to spend with Riley since I’m not forced to go out on City Girls dates anymore. It’s such a nice change, and I didn’t realize how much I’d come to dread working as a professional escort. I guess I just couldn’t make myself laugh at random men’s corny jokes anymore, much less flutter my eyelashes and act coy.
By contrast, spending time with Bruce is a dream, and one date seemingly melts into another like watercolors seeping into each other at the edges. I’ve done more in the past two months than I’ve had in my entire life up until now, to be honest. Bruce takes me to fancy shindigs and hasn’t hesitated to introduce me to the upper echelons of New York society; I’ve met socialites, other billionaires, and even a couple of A-list actors. To him, they’re just friends, but for me, it’s like wandering around in a completely new world.
However, I have to admit I have some reservations, Bruce’s son being the most important. I still haven’t told the CEO that I had his baby in secret, and now for every day that passes, I’m just digging a deeper hole for myself. Yet somehow, I can never bring myself to open up about it. What would I say? Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention a hugely important fact, and even though we’re now back in touch, I still haven’t done it? I’m such a coward.
Honestly, by now I feel like I’m in too deep to even go there with Bruce, especially given all the chances I’ve had to come clean. I haven’t even asked my boyfriend how he feels about children, and whether he wants a family in the future. I can’t just assume that he does, and even if the answer is yes, there’s no guarantee that he wants that family to be with me. So I push the topic to the back of my mind whenever it crops up, and allow myself to enjoy our time together without troubling the waters beneath the bridge.
“Do you like the view?” Bruce asks, interrupting my thoughts as he leans forward to press a kiss to my cheek. Outside the plane, the Canadian countryside drifts below us, all lush green hills, winding rivers, and fields of flowers as far as the eye can see.
I nod. “I’ve never been to Iceland before,” I murmur, unable to take my eyes off the landscape. “In fact, I’ve never even been outside the United States before.”
Bruce smiles against my neck, setting down his champagne glass to wrap a strong arm around my midsection. “There will be plenty more trips like this. I wouldn’t mind having you with me even for the business ones. That is, if you’re interested, sweetheart.”
“That would be amazing,” I breathe while smiling into his eyes. Seeing the world was never something I expected to be able to do. Now, anything seems possible, although my heart trembles. But what would I do with Riley while I’m gone? This is another perfect moment to tell him about his son, and yet the words die on my lips.
