I regarded her. “You physically assaulted me less than twelve hours ago as well.”
Annoyed, she clipped, “Are ye’ tryin’ to start an argument, sir?”
I scratched my chin. “You aren’t shy when you’re frustrated. I’m helping you relax.”
She leaned back. “I’m not shy at all.”
“Then ask the question you came here to ask me.”
She glanced at her surroundings, and said, “Can we not do this inside?”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I was more than happy to get her inside my house. I wasn’t about to make things easy for her though, so I turned to the side and gestured her in with my hand. She was hesitant for a moment, then turned to her side so she could slide past me. While she carefully shimmied by me, I watched as her eyes locked on my pecs. Her mouth was even height with them, and I could just about feel her breath roll over my skin. She looked up at me, her eyes doe like.
“Hi.” I smiled.
For a moment, she stared at my mouth, or more so my cheeks, and I knew she just realised that I had dimples. She was so into me. Her behaviour was textbook, though I was sure she had no clue how obvious she was being.
She licked her lower lip, and said, “Hey.”
She amused the hell out of me. One minute, she was a boss bitch, and the next, she was a timid kitten who couldn’t look me in the eye. She had no problem raking her eyes over my body, though. Once I closed the front door, she visually assessed me, and I didn’t interrupt her.
“We can talk here or in my bedroom,” I said after a few moments of lingering silence. “Which do you prefer?”
“Right here,” she answered in a rushed breath. “Right ‘ere is fine, thank you.”
She was nervous now. Or more nervous that before.
“I need help with somethin’,” she said nonchalantly, “and Aideen told me that you are more than qualified to help me with it.”
That made me pause, but I tried not to show any reaction to what she said.
“Clarify ‘it’.”
A tinge of redness flared on her cheeks, and Keela tried to cover them with her hands in an attempt to identify it, but it was futile.
“God.” She exhaled. “This is so bloody embarrassin’.”
I was patiently for her to get the courage to say whatever it was that she came here to say.
“She told me that you’re an escort.”
Well, fuck.
“I’m retired,” I said after a few moments. “Sorry.”
Keela lowered her hands from her face and gnawed on her lower lip.
“Oh,” she said. “So ye’ can’t help me then?”
I wanted to help her. I wanted to do a lot of things to her, but anything that involved me being an escort was off the table.
“No, I can’t. I don’t deal in that business anymore. You will have to find another guy.”
I watched her face fall, and I’d be damned if I didn’t feel sorry for her at that moment.
“But I don’t want your, um, regular services. Ye’ don’t have to do anythin’ sexual or anythin’ like that, I promise. I just need ... you.”
I felt my entire body tense.
“Sexual?” I repeated. “I was an escort, Keela, not a prostitute.”
She blinked. “Are they not the same thing?”
Anger rolled through me, but it quickly evaporated when I saw confusion in Keela’s eyes, not judgment.
“I’m s-sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to offend ye’. I just don’t know the difference. I thought escorts—”
“You thought escorts were paid money to fuck people, right?”
I didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but I couldn’t help it.
“Um, well, yes, I did.”
I shook my head. “Escorts provide companionship to a person. Sex is optional but not the baseline. Prostitutes are paid for sex and only sex; that is the baseline.”
Her cheeks flared with colour once more.
“I apologise for bein’ naive.”
I shrugged, uncaring. “It’s okay, but I still can’t help you. I’m not in that business anymore.”
She was sad with my response. I saw it in her eyes.
“I understand,” she said, lifting her chin. “Sorry again for offendin’ ye’. I didn’t mean to pass judgment. I know I probably came off as a bitch last night, but I am a nice person, and I wouldn’t purposely try to hurt your feelin’s. I’m not like that. I’m very sorry.”
And just like that, she broke my damn heart.
“Damn, kitten, don’t get upset.” She chomped down on her lower lip, and the sight was arousing. “Stop biting your lip; otherwise, I’m going to bite it.”
She released her lip on a gasped breath. I scrubbed my face with my hands, feeling irritated with myself because I was considering helping this woman even though I swore to God, and myself, my escorting days were done with. Something about this woman made me want to help her, and not because she was hot. There was a vulnerability in her eyes, and it made me feel protective of her.