Page 53 of The Decadent Gift (The Gift 3)
I’d had a feeling it had been a while since anyone had truly listened to her. The way she’d opened up had forged an intimacy between us, and that was likely why I remembered her.
When she’d smiled, her green eyes had twinkled, and I could still remember that look in them.
So when I opened up the details of tonight’s assignment in my inbox, I grinned.
My eyes were probably twinkling too.
Because I could sure as hell recognize a cosmic confluence, even if I was an engineer and not an astronomer.
Tonight’s client was Sidney from Phoenix.
The one who hadn’t fallen from my mind.
Hell no. She hadn’t fallen out of my head one bit.
* * *
Wow.
Just wow.
As I walked into the bar at The Venetian, I had one thought.
Sidney was more lovely than I’d remembered.
Or possibly more lovely, period. When we’d first met, she’d seemed a bit brittle. Not her personality, but her emotions, almost as if they were pottery fired in an oven too long and a hard knock might shatter her.
But as I joined her, dropping a kiss on her soft cheek, the woman with me now seemed resilient, with rosy color in her face and a newfound liveliness in those eyes—as if the sparkle in them was no longer fleeting. It was regular.
“How have you been?” she asked, and she sounded like a good friend, someone I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Terrific. And you?”
“I’m well.” The smile she flashed was bright and genuine.
We made small talk while we waited for the server to bring our drinks, and it felt more like a date than work.
Was it because this was my last assignment? Because I’d checked out of this job already?
Or was it because of her?
The only one I hadn’t ejected from my mind.
The one who’d stood out.
And I had my answer.
It was her.
Though this was my last job, I felt anything but disengaged.
After the waiter brought our drinks, Sidney ran her finger along the rim of the glass. “I suppose you’re wondering why I asked for you tonight. Besides the obvious.”
Her blush hinted at what she meant, but I didn’t feel like rushing to get there. I’d be disappointed if we did. I wanted to take my time with her.
“I never assume anything is obvious,” I said, and then surprised myself by asking, “Why don’t you start by telling me how you’ve been doing the past year? I want to hear more about you.”
Her lips curved slowly into another smile. “Well, I graduated, for one thing. Master’s in environmental science.”
“Congratulations, then. You were looking forward to working in that field, I recall.” I raised my glass, toasting her.
“I was. I am. I’m touched you remembered.”
I leaned a little closer. “I just graduated too,” I said, then I blinked.
What the hell was that? I just shared a detail of my private life, and I never did that.
“Ah! What a coincidence!”
Sidney didn’t notice anything amiss. She wouldn’t, because she hadn’t worked as an escort and kept her private details private, at the peril of . . . well, unlikely but terrible things.
“What were you studying?” she asked.
I supposed it didn’t matter now. No need to keep my real life under lock and key. “Aerospace engineering.”
Her eyes widened with obvious delight. “So you’re a . . .”
“Go ahead and say it.” I gestured in invitation. “Get it out of your system.”
Her grin was full of mischief. “I’ll save it for when you’re not expecting it.”
“I’m always expecting that joke.” I sipped my drink. “But go on. Catch me up on life in Phoenix.”
“For one thing, I’m not in Phoenix anymore.” She slid her glass around on the table, leaving a trail of condensation. “I’ve moved here.”
Surprise after surprise tonight. That just didn’t happen often. Not while still sitting in the bar, at least. “Have you really?” I asked, trying hard to rein in a grin.
Or perhaps not trying hard to at all.
Because it seemed like a damn fine coincidence too.
“I have indeed.” She tucked her chin almost shyly and looked at me through her lashes. It could have been annoyingly coy, but on Sidney it was sweet and genuine, and just like her. “Antony . . . is it too early to ask to go up to my room?”
My muscles tensed briefly. The reminder of why I was here was unwelcome. Yes, the thought of going up to her room was hugely appealing, but not for the reasons she likely thought.
I didn’t want to go up as an escort.
I wanted to go up as . . . her date.
And that wasn’t anything I’d ever experienced before.
But I was still on the clock, and I’d been taught to respect not only my employer but also the client. Still, was she ready? Truly ready? She hadn’t been before. I considered it part of my job to make sure the client was comfortable at all times, and sometimes that meant I needed to apply the brakes for a smoother ride.
