Any Way You Want It (Brand Clan #2)(55)

“A new one. Christine had gone to the restroom, so he asked me whether I could help him. Oh, my God, why did he do that? I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t work there, and the next thing I knew, I was setting up a date with him.”

Zandra groaned. “Damn it, Sky.”

“I know, I know. I’m so sorry, Zandra, but I just couldn’t help myself. He’s sooo damn hot. And, honestly, I didn’t think he’d believe that I was one of your escorts.”

Zandra frowned. “Why not?”

“Well,” Skylar said wistfully, “I know I’m not tall and leggy like your other girls—”

“Oh, stop it. You know you’re gorgeous. You’ve got the face of Jessica Biel and the body of Salma Hayek. Besides, not all of my escorts are tall and leggy. Claudia is petite and a voluptuous size twelve, and clients love her. Anyway, what am I gonna do with you?”

Skylar gave a lascivious chuckle. “I don’t know, but I can tell you what I want that hottie to do with me. Over and over and over again.”

“Skylar!”

“What?”

“You can’t go out with him.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” Zandra echoed incredulously. “Because he obviously went to the office looking to book an escort, and unless I missed something, you’re not one of my escorts.”

“Oh, please let me have him, Zandra,” Skylar begged. “Please, oh, please, oh, pleeeaaase.”

Zandra couldn’t help laughing. “Listen to you. You sound like a child begging for a new toy.”

“If you’d seen this particular toy,” Skylar purred, “you’d be begging, too.”

Zandra frowned. “Sky—”

“Please, Zandra? Pretty please?”

She heaved an exasperated breath, shaking her head at an anatomical diagram of a vagina. Damn Skylar and her raging libido.

“You can’t sleep with him, Sky,” she warned sternly. “You’re only supposed to provide companionship, not sex.”

“Aw, man,” her friend pouted.

“I mean it. If you want to pose as one of my girls, you have to play by my rules.”

She heard grumbling on the other end.

“By the way,” Zandra demanded, “where was Christine when all this deception was taking place?”

“I told you, she went to the bathroom. She was in there for a long time—must have had the runs or something. Anyway, by the time she came out, Jonah was already gone.”

“That’s the client’s name? Jonah?”

“Yes. Jonah Spanier.” Skylar gave a dreamy sigh.

“I’ll need to run his background check just to make this transaction legit.”

“Oh, he left all his information. I figured I should, ah, keep it from Christine until you gave the all-clear. Oh, and I told him my name was Brigitte, just in case he calls to follow up.”

“Brigitte?”

“Yeah. Like Brigitte Bardot. You know that’s always been my dream name.”

Zandra frowned, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” she muttered.

“Oh, come on, Zandra. I can impersonate one of your escorts. I’m well educated, I speak French and I’m up on world events. I’m demure and ladylike—”

Zandra snorted.

“—and you just said I’m gorgeous.”

“You are,” Zandra grumbled. “Crazy as hell, but yeah, gorgeous.”

“See? I’m qualified for the job. So what do you say?”

Zandra wavered.

“Please, Zandra? I’ll never ask another favor again. Well, not for a while at least.”

“Fine,” Zandra relented. “You can go out with him. But just remember my rule, Sky. No sex—no exceptions. Got that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Skylar said in a singsong voice.

“Let me know how everything goes.”

“Oh, you know I will,” Skylar purred.

Zandra ended the call and shook her head in exasperated disbelief.

What the hell have I just gotten myself into?

Hearing voices outside the room, she returned her phone to her handbag on the chair and climbed back onto the table just as the door opened and her gynecologist walked back in.

“Sorry about that, Zandra. One of my patients just went into labor.”

“Oh, wow,” Zandra remarked. “That’s wonderful. Do you need to leave?”

“Not right away. Let me finish your exam first.”

Dr. Gill was an attractive fortysomething woman with a short natural and smooth brown skin. Zandra had always liked and respected her. She was a wife, a mother of three, and very active in her church and community. Though she knew all about Zandra’s escort agency, she’d never expressed disapproval or passed judgment on Zandra. That was rare.

As one of Dr. Gill’s nurses slipped quietly into the room and closed the door, Zandra lay back on the table and tucked her feet into the stirrups.

Dr. Gill spoke to her as she gently eased the plastic speculum inside her, her voice warm and soothing. “So how’s everything going? Are you enjoying your summer?”

“Very much,” Zandra murmured, staring up at the ceiling.