The Hookup Handbook(32)
Sienna goes to the bathroom to clean up while I throw the used rubber away, and even in my post-orgasm haze, I can’t help but feel a little bothered. The five-grand comment, plus her laughing when I told her not to fall in love with me, only confirm what I’ve always been worried about.
Being in this profession means no woman could ever fall in love with me.
Not that I don’t get it. Sex is my job. I’m tainted goods. But hearing the confirmation straight from Sienna’s pretty mouth? Well, that hurts more than I’d like to admit.
When she returns, she climbs back into bed next to me, sliding her naked body under the covers and pulling the sheets up over her breasts.
“Are you really going to be shy now, after we just fucked?” Lying beside her, I prop myself up on my elbow, grinning as I look down at her. I’m still a little thrown off by that comment from her, but the sight of her in my bed helps a little.
A slow blush creeps over her face as she shrugs, artfully keeping herself covered as she rolls over to face me. “Maybe I’m just cold,” she says defensively, her gaze flicking for a moment to my semi-hard cock.
“Not having second thoughts, are you?”
“No, not at all. I just . . . I don’t know. I guess I just remembered that you’re my boss. And that our office is literally just a few feet from here.”
“Several feet, actually. But that’s not important. This has nothing to do with any of that.”
“Case, come on. You know this is complicated.”
“I don’t see why it has to be. It’s one night. Like you said before, this is just a fling. A simple solution to both of our problems.”
She sighs, propping her head up and running her hand through her hair. The sheet slips, exposing a rosy, taut nipple, and just the sight of it makes my cock twitch. Sienna seems to notice, arching a brow at me as she grins.
“Your problem definitely seems to be solved.”
We both laugh, and I climb under the covers with her. We talk for another half hour or so, our bodies naturally finding contact with each other.
This is the kind of tenderness and affection I avoid with my clients unless they specifically request it. Nothing is as confusing as that post-sex haze, your body flooded with happy-making chemicals, the world suddenly warm and gentle and good. Cuddling with clients is how you end up hurting them. They confuse the hormone rush for real feelings, don’t want to pay you for sex anymore, and then you have to drop them before it gets too far.
But being here tonight with Sienna, her legs intertwined with mine, her head resting on my chest, I realize I haven’t cuddled with anyone in years. I’ve been so go, go, go with work that I’ve completely let my personal life fall by the wayside. Sure, I have enough of a social life with the guys who work for me, and sex with clients is mostly good, but I didn’t realize until now what all of that really was. It was work. And somehow, I don’t have much of anything outside of it.
As Sienna drifts off to sleep, her breathing falling into a steady rhythm, I let my fingers find her hair, softly stroking the silky strands. It’s nice not sleeping alone, but I have to warn myself not to get too attached. All she’s looking for is a fling, nothing more.
Besides, she deserves someone better, a man who doesn’t get paid to sleep with women and make them feel safe and cherished for a pretty penny. I’ve always believed in what I do, but now that I have to think about it in relation to a real connection, it’s hard to see it for anything else.
I’m an escort. A certified manwhore. And Sienna deserves a lot better than that.
Chapter Fourteen
Sienna
Apparently, the only thing better than falling asleep in Case’s arms is waking up in them.
I don’t say that to downplay last night. Trust me, last night was pure magic. My imagination may be wild, but I never could have dreamed that sex with Case would be that earth shattering. After more orgasms than I can count on one hand, I fell asleep certain that nothing would ever, ever top this night. But waking up naked and vulnerable wrapped in his strong arms, it’s hard for me to admit, but somehow this moment of tenderness is every bit as amazing as that.
As my eyelids flutter open, I run the pads of my fingers down Case’s forearm just to verify that he’s real. He twitches a bit under my touch. Yup, this is no figment of my imagination. He’s real, all right, and cuddled up next to me, the smell of male and sex still lingering around us.
“Good morning,” I say, my voice coming out raspy.
He pulls me tighter against his frame, and I can feel his morning wood saying hello too. “Did you sleep okay?” he whispers. His hot breath against the back of my neck is heaven.
“Mmm.” I purr sleepily, cozying my curves even closer into him.
I’ve spent my fair share of nights in beds that aren’t my own, but even with ex-boyfriends, the mornings were always clumsy and unnatural, like we were both too embarrassed to show the undone, bedhead, and morning-breath versions of ourselves.
I expected this morning to be like that too, especially considering Case has almost exclusively seen me in work clothes and a full face of makeup. But instead of us scrambling out from underneath the sheets to face the day, we’re all wrapped up in each other. It’s way more natural than I would have expected sleeping with my boss would feel.