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She cuddled up to him comfortably, staring into the flickering flames and smiling. This was nice.
“I’m sorry you had to come be Prince Charming and rescue me. I saw you were working.” She was too exhausted to feel much of anything.
“I was? Oh no, that was Mother. I was talking to her about a few things. It’s okay.”
“I can pay you if you want. I know you could be out working or whatever, and I had another run of luck today. It’s why I was out celebrating.”
Aaron sighed. “No, I came here on my own. For some reason I just wanted to relax tonight.” He paused. “Actually, I am going to charge you.”
“For what?”
“The cost of dry cleaning my suit and car upholstery.” He grinned and Janice just shook her head at him.
Silence fell and, cocooned in warmth, they fell asleep in front of the fire, entangled and content.
Janice woke alone, curled up and warm from the fire that was still slowly glowing. She couldn’t expect Aaron to stay there. But she would have liked it. This was the closest she had come to a relationship in a while that meant anything at all.
Sure, she’d paid him at first but he hadn’t asked for anything since then and they had their share of sex and other treats. He’d been her Prince Charming the night before and saved her from a real bad situation. They could—and did—talk about everything and anything and it really didn’t bother her what he did for a living. Her only concern was that she would feel jealous of other women having what she wanted.
So many relationships began with sex or sex became such a big deal so quickly, and she’d grown tired of those games. With Aaron there were no games.
She rose from the chair and wandered around in his shirt, sniffing his scent, which lingered in the fabric. Even when gone, he was here with her. His kindness, the way he carried himself and the way he made her feel so damn sexy with a simple look.
It was going to hurt when she had to leave. No question about it.
Chapter Six
Aaron sat in his apartment, doing nothing. His agenda was clear and for some reason he was thankful. He had snuck out of Janice’s place and gone home, even though home seemed to have an odd sound to it.
Something was changing. It wasn’t as if Janice was the only woman to get to him. Others had tried to pry him away from his commitment with empty promises and wishful thinking. But what she did do was make him think about life beyond where he was. His future.
He’d gone from a rent-a-fuck to almost dating her. They actually talked a lot. There wasn’t the initial awkwardness that comes with the territory. He enjoyed her company. They started off as fuck buddies and had become friends. It had been a while since he had this sort of relationship with a woman other than Mother.
Mother made sure he stayed focused on what he did and what was expected. Don’t get emotional. Don’t get attached. Don’t care more than you should. That was the mantra hammered into him.
He sat on the weight bench and drank his bottle of water, still staring into blankness. The chirp of his cell phone interrupted his daydream and he picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello? Just hello? Where the fuck have you been? Don’t you answer your cell after dark anymore?” Mother’s voice was loud and direct. She was pissed. “Leslie will be there with the car in ten minutes so get your ass ready and meet him outside. We need to talk now.”
“Oh shit.”
“Look, I forgot. I’m
sorry.” Aaron stood in Mother’s office, pleading his case.
“Alesha called last night and said she was coming to town. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you since you left the bar with that woman last night. You know I hate tracking people down.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Who the fuck is that woman? You know how I feel about this shit. It’ll only cause problems, Aaron. You can’t get attached. You have a job and money you owe me. You haven’t given me anything since the other night, and I had to push you to take that other job. What the hell is going on?” Mother’s demeanor was harsh, and she seethed anger.
“She’s nobody, just a woman I met in the bar and spent the night with. I gave you the money she paid me.” He started pacing as he talked. “She…she just reminded me of what I can’t have. It’s starting to get to me, Mother.” He took a breath. “Things are different. I can’t keep doing this. I’m not twenty-five anymore. I can’t just fuck everyone that comes along.”
Mother glared at him. “Apparently she isn’t just a nobody. I told you a million times, no attachment, you’ll get hurt. So what, you just want to quit? That’s not an option, Aaron. We have a deal. You agreed to it, and you owe me.”
“I know. I know.” He sighed. “She’s leaving tomorrow, anyway.”
With a deep breath Mother stood and walked over to the window where Aaron stood. She rested her chin on his shoulder. “You remember all the time we spent together, Aaron? That wasn’t all just training for what you do now. You know that. I told you how I felt about you. You’ve always been my favorite. Things are different with you. That’s why I book the nicest, highest paying women for you whenever I can. You always make them feel special. And they pay for that privilege.” She moved away after giving him a hug around the waist.
