Head On (Strength And Love)(20)

“I can,” I pipe up. Both men turn to look at me. “You screw women for money.” I keep my voice low. “There must be a lot of husbands who’d want to harm you if they found out. What if one did?”

“She’s got a point.” Luka smiles at me.

Ethan shakes his head. “I’ve spoken to all my clients, none of their husbands are aware.”

“As far as these women know.” I once more say my piece.

“Yes,” Ethan replies. “But it’s a fucking risky move. Most of these schmucks wouldn’t have it in them. And how and why would they have picked you? There’s no connection between any of my clients, and you that I can find. You’re a very particular target. So, unless one of their husbands knows about you. Knows everything about you, it makes no sense.”

I get immediately that he’s referring to my virginity.

“Think about it. Yes, they’d maybe get me into trouble. But if one of them had done it to get at me, it makes a lot more sense for them to have called the police or something five or ten minutes after I arrived at yours. Yet no police turned up. Also, do you normally have the landing light on? No, you don’t, do you?”

I shake my head. “No, we turn the lights off at night, I already told you that.” My stomach drops at the thought of waking up and seeing him loom over me. “I have blackout blinds on my window. The only reason I left the light on was because Dad was away, and I got doubly spooked by this silly book I was reading.”

“Which book?” Luka interrupts.

“Erm, It, by Stephen King.”

“Whoa.” Luka holds his hand up. “That’ll do it every time. Not one for reading when all alone.”

“So, as I was saying...” Ethan shoots Luka an inpatient look. “You sleep with the lights off normally. And the email from your account specifically said as much. That the lights would be off, and whoever did this already paid up front, so I didn’t need the lights on at the end to collect any cash. That happens sometimes. Some women want it to be extra authentic, they pay in advance, and tell me to leave without saying anything when we’re done.

“Think about it, the person who hired me knows you and/or your father well enough to share this detail. The lights being off would also mean you couldn’t see my face, and I couldn’t see you. No way to gage your reaction. See your genuine distress. If you hadn’t left the landing light on, things could have turned out much uglier.”

His words sink in and I feel sick. Oh, my God. Without the light on, he could have broken in, held me down, pretend raped me, but for real, and I’d never have been able to see his face. Then he’d have left and I’d have paid him for the privilege! I like to think I’d have fought back, but no one knows what they’d do in such a situation. I might have come out kicking and screaming once the initial shock wore off, but I might as easily have frozen.

A woman catches my eye hovering by our table. She comes closer and smiles at Ethan. He gives her a smile back, and stands to greet her, giving her a kiss on each cheek.

“I hear you aren’t working this week.” Her voice is low but I hear her because right then there’s a general lull in the conversation.

“No, sorry, Tina.”

“Such a shame. It’s my birthday, and Gerald says I can have whatever I want. I said I wanted you, for the night, and he said okay. I’d be willing to pay a lot, for the whole night.”

For a moment, I think Ethan is going to accept her offer, but he blows out a breath and shrugs. “As tempting as it sounds, on all fronts, I can’t. Not this week.”

“How about next week?” She looks around the table, and her gaze when it lands on me turns cool.

Ethan watches her for a long moment and then shakes his head. “I can’t say when I will be back for definite.”

“Oh. Such a pity.”

“I can give you Nate’s number?”

She screws her mouth up a little, in distaste. “No thanks. He’s far too smooth for my liking. I prefer my men a bit rough and ready.” She turns to Luka. “How about you? Are you in the…industry?”

Luka laughs. “No, babe. Sorry.”

“Oh well, not my night, is it?” She gives Ethan one last flirtatious look and then turns and stalks off toward the bar.

“You should think about it,” Ethan says to Luka when she’s gone.

“No thanks, pal.”

“Why not. It will pay well, and the amount of screwing you do for free, you’re way more of a whore than me. Might as well get paid.”

Luka takes a sip of his drink and sets it down, considering Ethan. He smacks his lips together and smiles. “I’ve stopped all that. Some time ago.”

Ethan frowns. “All what?”

“The screwing around. I’ve stopped it. My therapist says it’s as much of a distraction as the drink, so I’ve given it up.”

“You’ve given up sex?” Ethan’s jaw drops and it makes me laugh the way he’s hamming it up a bit.

“Yep.” Luka nods. “Or, I should say, casual sex. Which, with my track record means, yeah, for now I’ve given up sex.”

“Fuck me. You and Isla here should get together. You’d make a perfect pair.”

“Be happy to.” Luka shoots me one of his patented, panty-removing smiles, and I can’t help but beam right back at him. He’s gorgeous, and Ethan’s remark was a low blow.