An Escort for Christmas: A Billionaire Novella (6 page)

Chapter Twelve

“Harper?” Jameson’s voice sounded from the other side of the bathroom door again.

I didn’t answer. I was curled onto the shower floor, letting the water wash over me in hopes it would make me feel clean again.

“Please tell me you’re alright at least,” his voice cracked. “I’ll break the door if you don’t.”

“I’m fine,” I called out. “Please just leave me alone.”

Silence fell between us, but I knew he hadn’t left. I could almost picture him there, on the other side of the door, wondering what to say.

I wanted to leave. And if there wasn’t a room full of people downstairs to witness it, I would have.

In the morning, I would have to make a decision. I knew Jameson was drunk, and he hadn’t meant what he said. It was his emotion getting the best of him. But his words hurt me. And for the first time since he’d brought me here, he treated me as though I were nothing more than a whore.

Tears streamed down my face and I sobbed. I still had twelve more days of this to get through. Would I ever be able to manage? I didn’t know.

***

I woke to the sound of a light rapping at the door.

“Jameson?” Julia called out from the other side. “Is it safe for me to come in?”

I glanced over at the sofa to see Jameson’s confused expression, followed by a moment of panic. He stumbled quickly across the room and stubbed his toe on the bed frame before falling in beside me.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked.

He answered by burrowing under the covers and pulling me against him.

“Come in, mom,”

His warm body pressed against mine, nothing but his boxer briefs and a silk cami separating us. I tried to ignore the way my body responded as he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me against him as though I might bolt at any moment.

The door swung open and Julia appeared, a worried expression on her face.

“Is everything okay between you two?” she asked.

Jameson tensed against me, squeezing me a little tighter in response. I couldn’t breathe he was holding me so snug. I reached over and clasped his hand in mine to let him know I wasn’t going to rat him out.

“Everything’s fine.” I yawned. “It was a lovely party last night.”

“Yes, it was,” Julia agreed, narrowing her gaze on Jameson. “Until Lleyton told me that you mistreated Harper.”

“Of course he did.” Jameson grunted. “Any opportunity to screw me over.”

“This isn’t about Lleyton,” Julia scolded. “I want to know what happened last night, Jameson. I did not raise you to mistreat women. And Harper, I’d want you to tell me if he were.”

Jameson was quiet, taking his mother’s criticism without any defense. And when I looked up into his dark eyes, I saw that they were filled with guilt. So I took it upon myself to remedy the situation.

“Julia, we just had a small misunderstanding,” I said. “It was silly of me. But… I got jealous over Katherine, and I said some foolish things that I shouldn’t have. Jameson didn’t do anything wrong.”

The words surprised me when I said them, and it seemed I wouldn’t be thinking over what I was going to do today after all. I’d just made the decision myself. Julia glanced between me and Jameson for another moment with the weight of a mother’s uncertain gaze before she finally relented.

“Okay,” she said softly. “I’m sorry for butting in, I just want to make sure that everything’s alright.”

“Everything’s great.” I mustered up a smile. “Thank you so much for allowing me to come and spend the holidays with you, it’s been… really nice.”

“You are welcome any time, sweetie,” she insisted. “Now I better get downstairs and make some breakfast. It seems that Jameson isn’t the only one who had too much to drink last night.”

He groaned, and she shut the door softly behind her when she left. I’d expected Jameson to release his hold on me, but he didn’t. In fact, he pulled me closer.

“I’m so sorry, Harper,” he whispered into my hair. “I know I was a complete asshole to you last night, and you didn’t deserve that. Can you forgive me?”

“Yes?” My voice came out breathy and unsure.

He moved his hips, and something hot and hard grazed against my bottom. I swallowed. My heart was racing a thousand miles an hour, and all I wanted to do was lay there with him like this all day long.

He rolled me over in his arms, searching my face with his eyes.

“I should probably let you go,” he noted in a husky voice.

“Yes.” I croaked. “You probably should.”

He didn’t.  His gaze fell to my lips, and I licked them in response. I wanted him to kiss me so badly, but I knew he wouldn’t. He still seemed unsure, like he didn’t believe I’d really forgiven him. I knew I shouldn’t. But I wanted to taste him again. I wanted one kiss that wasn’t for show. So I threaded my fingers through his hair and pulled him against me.

Jameson groaned when his lips brushed over mine, and then he devoured me completely. The next thing I knew, he’d flipped me onto my back and was hovering over me, kissing his way down my neck and across my chest.

I was breathing hard, my nipples scraping against the silk fabric, longing to be free. My hands clung to his biceps, marveling at how strong and solid he was. I wanted to feel his body against mine. To feel him inside of me. I’d never wanted anything so much in my life. But he pulled away and sat back on his heels, scrubbing his hands over his face.

“I’m sorry,” he bit out. “I took it too far.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. I couldn’t stand to see him go cold again, so I just nodded and acted like it was no big deal. Though in truth I wanted to tell him he hadn’t gone far enough.

“It was my fault,” I said. “I started it.”

“I’m uh…” His eyes darted around the room for a likely escape route. “I’m gonna’ go hit the shower.”

I didn’t even have time to respond before he was gone.

Chapter Thirteen

The snow fell hard that day, and I was introduced to another King family tradition.

Building snowmen.

It brought back my inner child, and I was actually quite enjoying myself, even though Jameson wasn’t participating. He sat on the bench outside and watched as I helped his sisters make Mrs. Clause in snow form. The men were responsible for Santa, and even Charles seemed to be enjoying the youthful festivities. The longer I spent in his presence, the less suspicious he seemed of me. He’d even gone so far as to give me a friendly smile at breakfast that morning.

“So what are we going to do while the boys go out tonight?” Lily asked.

I’d only just learned they had a bachelor party to attend tonight, and for obvious reasons I wouldn’t be accompanying Jameson.

“We could rent some movies,” Lacey suggested.

“Boring!” Lily retorted.

“Nothing is ever boring if you’re with the right people,” Lacey admonished.

Lily tossed her a wry look.

“Okay, then we’ll add some alcohol too.”

“What do you think, Harper?” Lily asked. “Movie night and drinks?”

“Sure. That sounds great.”

***

Jameson’s sisters and I made it till midnight before we called it a night.

Lacey was passed out on the sofa, snoring like a log, and Lily said she wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t surprised after the amount of Margaritas she’d downed. Still, the night had been a blast, and I had a great time.

As I snuck upstairs and prepared for bed, the guilt started to eat away at me again. I really liked Jameson’s family. And though I knew some of them were suspicious of me, they had every right to be. I hated lying to them.

As much as I wanted things to be different between us, I had to remember this was a job. And the money I earned from it was going to change my life, for the better. But in the end, I had to question what the costs would be. Who would be getting hurt when it was all said and done?

I curled into bed and glanced at the clock. It was one am, and I wondered if Jameson had found someone to indulge in for the night. Now that I knew he wasn’t gay, it was a very real possibility. The thought brought out my green-eyed monster again. I was really starting to hate that bitch.

I’d just closed my eyes when I heard him stumble into the room. He kicked something and cursed before he collapsed onto the bed. I flicked on the bedside lamp.

“Jameson, are you alright?”

His gaze met mine, and I was surprised by the amount of playful hunger I saw there. “Hello, beautiful.” He grinned.

Okay, so he was drunk. Like very drunk. But happy drunk, which was a definite improvement over the night before.

“Do you need some help?” I asked as I watched him struggle out of his jacket.

My words seemed to amuse him for some strange reason, and he nodded. I flipped off the covers and stood up, gesturing for his foot.

“I’ll take off your shoes.”

I didn’t get that far, because the next thing I knew, he was pulling me into his lap.

“Jameson?” I squeaked. “What are you doing?”

He nuzzled into my hair and breathed me in. “God, you smell good. Always so good, Harper Nichols.”

He smelled like whiskey, but even so, it was delicious.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day,” he murmured into my ear. “About your lips on mine. Your perfect body rubbing against me this morning. It’s driving me fucking crazy.”

A soft mew escaped my lips as his mouth nipped at my earlobe. He’d managed to set a fire inside of me in two seconds flat. I was about to tell him that I couldn’t stop thinking about him either. About how much I wanted him.

But then he spoke again.

“So I was thinking,” he whispered. “That there’s only one way to rectify this problem.”

I leaned back against his chest and rubbed my bottom against his groin. “Yes, Jameson. I’m listening.”

“I want to take the no sex clause off the table,” he said. “I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

I froze in his arms, and instantly my arousal was gone. His words had just dumped a bucket of ice water on the fire he’d set only moments before. I shot up out of his arms and turned my back so he couldn’t see how upset I was.

“There isn’t any amount of money you could pay me to sleep with you.” My words were filled with venom, and I couldn’t hide it.

Jameson sighed behind me. “I don’t understand, Harper. This is what you do for a living. You’re acting like I’ve insulted you.”

A tear spilled down my cheek and I shuddered. “Just go to bed, Jameson. Please.”

He didn’t say another word. And when he got up and shuffled across the room, I crawled into bed and silently cried myself to sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

The King family took the expression shopping with the girls to a whole new level.

I’d spent all day following them to every high end department store they could find. It was fun, and I was more than happy to be away from Jameson and the hurt from the night before. But I couldn’t afford anything in shops like these, and they were starting to notice.

“What do you think?” Lily asked, holding up a floor-length crimson gown. It was beautiful, but I didn’t have to look at the price tag to know I couldn’t afford it.

“You have Jameson’s card,” she said with an evil grin. “Use it.”

I smiled weakly in response. He’d given me his card on our way out the door this morning as though this was the typical thing for him to do. Of course, I had no intentions whatsoever of using it. But they didn’t need to know that.

“I brought too many clothes as it is,” I said. “I can’t fit anymore into my suitcase.”

Lily just looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language before she put the dress back.

“Okay, well then have you bought Jameson’s presents yet?” she asked. “I still have to get him something.”

Presents.
Crap. How did I not realize that I would need to get him a present to keep up the pretense?

“I haven’t,” I admitted sheepishly. “I wasn’t sure what to get him.”

“Great.” She clapped her hands together and tugged me along through the store, leaving the others behind. “I can help you.”

She led me to the men’s department and started sorting through dress shirts, ties, and cuff links. Every once in a while, something would catch her eye but then she’d put it back down and shake her head.

“He is hard to shop for,” she whined. “What do you get a man who already has everything he needs?”

“Good question,” I agreed.

“I would suggest lingerie.” She crinkled her nose and giggled. “But that’s my brother… so I’m not even going to go there.”

A faint blush crept across my cheeks and I shook my head.

“What about this?” Lily asked, holding up a teal tie. “Jameson looks great in this color.”

It was beautiful. And she was right, he would look great in it. I reached over and picked it up, imagining how it would contrast with the color of his beautiful eyes. My own eyes fluttered shut, and I winced at the painful stab in my chest.

I felt too much for Jameson already. Things were becoming complicated. And I thought that maybe, just maybe he might have felt the same last night. Until those words flew from his mouth. He offered to buy me, like I was just another business deal to him. It stung, and I didn’t want to admit how much.

“Harper?” Lily placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”

I blinked my eyes open and made myself get a grip. “Of course. I’m going to get the tie.”

“Great.” She beamed. “Now we just need to find something from me. I was thinking cufflinks. How cliché, right?”

“I think he’d love them,” I answered. “He’d probably love anything you give him, Lily.”

She smiled up at me in agreement, and I knew she thought the world of her big brother. I hoped she wouldn’t ever find out how we’d deceived her.

***

Jameson and I sat in uncomfortable silence throughout dinner while everyone else made small talk around us. We still hadn’t spoken about what happened the night before, and I hoped we didn’t have to. I just had to get through one more week with him.

“Can you believe Harper didn’t use your card once today,” Lily smirked.

Jameson glanced at me in surprise and I pushed the food around on my plate, uneasy with everyone’s eyes on me.

“Why not?” he asked.

Lily answered for me.

“I had to practically twist her arm to get her to buy anything at all,” she said. “And she used her own money. I think we need to train her in the fine art of shopping.”

All the women laughed, and I humored them with a smile. Jameson’s father was staring at me with a curious expression, as though he wanted to delve further into the subject but knew better of it.

“Why don’t you all move into the sitting room,” Julia suggested. “I’ll get the dishes cleaned up.”

The family stood up to leave, but I decided to hang back. I wasn’t ready to face Jameson yet, or the questioning gaze of his father.

“Let me help you,” I offered Julia.

She smiled, and it lit up her face. “Oh, thank you, Harper. That would be lovely.”

We cleared the dishes and made small talk while we worked. It was nice, and I didn’t feel any pressure to be anything other than myself. That’s what I loved about her. Julia told me she taught piano lessons in her spare time, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.

“You have a piano?”

“Of course.” She beamed. “Would you like to see it?”

“I’d love to.”

She dried her hands and ushered me down the hall to the infamous Library I’d been looking for on the first night. It was huge and filled to the brim with books and interesting bric a brac. And right smack dab in the middle of it was a beautiful black grand piano.

I ran my hand over the wood in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Do you play?” she asked curiously.

“A little.” I gave a hesitant nod. “I’m not very good, and it’s been a while.”

She pulled out a music book and flipped through the pages before gesturing for me to sit.

“I can’t actually read music,” I admitted. “I just learned to memorize the notes.”

“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “That’s interesting. Well, go on then. Play something you know by heart. I’d love to hear it.”

I sat down uncertainly and debated whether I wanted to do this. It was revealing to play the songs I knew by heart. The first one that came to my mind and leached out of my fingers was
Hallelujah
in the style of Kate Voegele.

My fingers were a little stiff at first, but they came to life as they poured over the keys, the music flowing through me. I closed my eyes and began to sing, and before I knew it, I was playing another Kate Voegele song.
Lift Me Up
. It was my all-time favorite, something that really spoke from my heart.

When I finished, my hands fell away from the keys and I opened my eyes nervously. I was surprised to find every set of the King families eyes on me as they crowded into the library to watch my performance. My cheeks heated in embarrassment at the surprised expressions on their faces. And when Julia started clapping with tears in her eyes, everyone else did too. She pulled me in for a hug as I stood up, and I was grateful for it. I didn’t want them to see my emotion.

“You play so well,” she said. “And you have such a lovely voice, Harper. It’s truly special.”

Her praise resonated through my soul the way that only a mother’s could. When I opened my eyes, Jameson’s gaze met mine with an unfamiliar expression.

He cleared his throat and his eyes blazed with warmth as they danced over me. “That was beautiful, Harper.”

Julia pulled away and held me at arm’s length. “You must let me teach you how to read music whenever you come to visit.”

My happy face melted under her words and was replaced by a pang of longing. Because even though I nodded in agreement, I knew I would never truly be a part of this family.