Ties That Bind (The Escort, #3) Read online

  “I knew that. Just by the fact you called me, you planned to succeed. I watched you do it once.” She blushed. “Honestly, I came because you’re my mentor. I learned so much from you, and you listened to me and didn’t make me go fetch coffee like so many of my friends are stuck doing. You let me actually work on projects and grow. I want to work for you. It’s even better since I get to be your first employee.”

  “Wow. No pressure or anything.”

  “Nope. How did last night go?” She gasped, then smiled at the waitress when she brought our coffees and took our order. “I keep asking you things I shouldn’t. I’m sorry.”

  Things were different between Shannon and I in Miami. In Washington, we’d had a clear-cut boss and employee relationship. She’d come into an established, well-oiled network machine. Here, I’d thrown all the rules out the window. If I hadn’t trusted her work ethic, I wouldn’t have invited her to Miami. Kari had been less than supportive lately, and it was nice to have another woman genuinely interested in my life.

  And bonus points on thinking I was a badass.

  “It went really well.” No matter how many lines we crossed in the last twenty-four hours, she didn’t need to know Jagger’s story. But there was one detail I was willing to divulge. “We’re getting married.”

  Shannon squealed. “Congratulations! That’s awesome. You guys are great together. I was worried when you didn’t come to New York—“

  “I wouldn’t let that vulture Robyn sink her teeth into me on live TV.” I’d left Jagger high and dry during an interview on live TV. The network saw our relationship, and the scandal that emerged around it, as a ratings boon, thinly disguised as a way to get us back into the rotation. Up until that point, they still paid us, even though we weren’t welcome on TV while our names were said in hushed tones, in case they wanted us to work again. When the general public didn’t care anymore that I’d hired him as more than my co-host. My relationship with Jagger was too important to be exploited, and it cost me my job for good. If I had gone to New York that night, I knew I wouldn’t be here right now.

  Shannon rolled her eyes. “She was planning on it. She laughed about it all afternoon, how she’d put the screws to you in front of a live audience. Said she wanted to make you squirm. Man, she was so pissed when you didn’t show up. Then she told everyone that Jagger came on to her.”

  I gasped, but Shannon shook her head. “I was standing outside the makeup room when the whole thing went down. I heard her offer to pay him for sex. He refused. I called a car for him. He left alone,” she said.

  “I was going to lose my job over that show one way or the other.” I smirked, but I was shaking. I knew Robyn’s MO, but she’d always been so nice to my face. “I would’ve strangled her had I gone.”

  “Yeah, I won’t miss her.” Shannon grimaced when she took her first bite of her pancakes, but her color instantly improved, and she dove in with vigor. “I wanted to punch her when I heard it, and then I had to pretend everything was fine.”

  I had to change the subject. I spent the rest of the brunch telling Shannon what to expect from Claire. I didn’t have much, just what we’d talked about on the phone and what Jagger told me. Obviously I left out the part about the boat. Jagger mentioned she’d want more if she liked what we did, and I prayed our project wouldn’t extend to redecorating the yacht.

  “How does he know her?” Shannon asked as we stood up to leave.

  I sighed. “She’s a former client.”

  Her eyes got huge. “Oh. How do you feel about that?”

  “She seems to be able to keep it separate, so it’s not weird so far. She hired me because she loved the show, and has no idea I’m totally starting over. It’s a coincidence that you’re actually here for our first meeting—“

  Shannon waved her hand. “That’s okay. We’ve been doing this forever.”

  I loved Shannon. In a way, she was a lot like me, always thinking everything would work out. “Perfect. But it’s weird. Even though that’s how I met Jagger, too, I don’t think of him like that.”

  “I don’t either. I couldn’t believe it when I found out. I thought he’d been an actor.”

  I almost told her that he had been, but that would open a can of worms I wasn’t ready to address. On the way over to Claire’s house, I remembered that I had to find out if there was a dirty movie database, and then find a little boy that we weren’t even sure existed.

  The chances of my mission ending well were slim, but I had to know that Jagger’s son was okay. Even if he never met his father, I needed to know that he was safe, happy, and loved wherever he was.

  Claire kissed me on the cheek when she answered the door. I was already in awe driving down her half-mile long driveway, lined with palm trees and lush grass. Her house was even more impressive: at least twenty foot ceilings, all open and the interior was all . . . pink.

  “My husband’s asked me to update it for years. I told him I finally got it how I liked it. But I couldn’t pass up a chance to have Leah Godfrey redesign my house!” She squeezed my arm. “All my friends are so jealous you’re here. You might find yourself even busier than you already are.”

  Shannon pumped her fist behind Claire in silent excitement. It was hard not to laugh, between this ridiculously rich woman fangirling over me, Shannon cheering like she just scored a touchdown, and the realization that all these friends she referred to had sex with my future husband. In an Emmy-worthy performance, I pushed it down and followed her into the sunken living room. “Tell me what you love about this design,” I said.

  Claire sent me photos she’d found in magazines, but now that I saw the room, there was no way they’d work. They were very traditional, and a little boring, for a woman who I was pretty sure had a wild side.

  “All of it. I hope you could keep the feel of the room, but update it.”

  Maybe Claire didn’t know what she wanted. Those were two conflicting thoughts.

  “You’re willing to replace the carpet, right?” Shannon said, then bit her lip.

  She’d overstepped her bounds, but that rug had to go. It was antacid pink and older than Shannon. I ran with it. “Tile floors and area rugs would help make the look more modern and define the groupings in the room.”

  Claire looked down at the rug, frowning. “Okay.”

  Man, if we didn’t win on the carpet, we’d be so up shit’s creek on this redesign. And I needed to pull this job off. “I think the pastel theme works in here. It keeps everything light and airy. In this climate, anything heavy is too much. I see something sleek and sexy, new flooring, new window treatments, and an art update.”

  Claire looked around the room. “I saw a few things at Jagger’s party the other night that I keep thinking about.”

  She had no idea how happy that made me. “Great. Our first shopping trip will start at the gallery. We’ll pick the art first, and work our way down to the floor. I don’t want to make everything match, but that will give us the feel of your new room.”

  Claire’s face lit up. “You’re a genius. I knew you’d be able to work your magic.” She turned back and looked back to Shannon, who wandered the room, taking before pictures. They’d help us with scale when we shopped and I’d need them for my portfolio. Before and after photos were a major selling point with potential clients. I couldn’t rely on everyone being impressed with me only because I’d had a TV show. Claire stepped closer to me and lowered her voice. “I’m glad he picked you. I’ve always admired Jagger. He likes to take care of people. I hate to see him get used.”

  “I’m glad he picked me, too.” It was refreshing for someone not to think Jagger was a con-man, like Kari and Raven did. Of course, Claire could relate to him on a level that neither of them ever would. “I’ve never met anyone else like him.”

  “Jagger’s an old soul. He appreciates beautiful things, but sometimes he has a hard time expressing himself. He needs someone who listens to him, and who can accept him for the person he is.”
r />   I wondered how many times Claire had hired Jagger, but I was afraid to ask. “I hired him too. But I do have a hard time thinking of him, doing what he did with me, with other women. I know it’s hypocritical, but . . .”

  “You want to know that you’re different.” Claire finished my thought for me. I nodded. “I watched the two of you together the night of the gallery party. He looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world. I don’t know you yet, Leah, but I liked you the moment I saw that. He’s been chewed up and spit out. Treated like he wasn’t there. But what I liked the most was that you looked at him the same way.” She squeezed my hand. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  She’d hired him a lot, it was obvious. But more importantly, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t this big, scandalous thing anymore, Jagger with other women. Claire had called him back because she’d cared about him.

  The first time I came to Miami, Jagger only introduced me to Zach, his former coworker. Zach did care about Jagger, but I wasn’t sure he wanted the best for him. He wanted the best for Zach. I ached, leaving him here alone, in a playground ripe with temptation everywhere he turned. But I’d been wrong. He wasn’t alone. People like Claire cared about him in their own way. He’d described it as empty fucking, but that wasn’t the case. And strangely, that comforted me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jagger

  “Good, you’re here,” Leah said when she came back to the apartment. She crawled onto the couch and slipped under my arm. I kissed the top of her head, but she ignored me, angling the laptop screen toward her. “Is this what you shot today?”

  “Yeah.” I wanted to get these ready to put in the gallery for the first of the month. “Checked out a drug cartel’s bachelor pad.”

  Leah pulled away. “I hope he wasn’t home.”

  “Nope, had the place to myself.” The hair on my arms stood on end just thinking about that place. I’d put myself in some risky situations before, but I hadn’t shaken this one yet. I saved my work and flipped through the album, so Leah could see the rest of the shots. “He left in a hurry, because I know I would’ve never left this stuff behind.”

  She took the computer from me, putting in her lap so she could have a better look. “I’ve never seen your stuff unfinished before.”

  “I’ve never shown it to anyone unfinished before.” I tried not to freak out as she looked at it.

  Flipping through to the end, she started over again, stopping at a shot that caught her eye. It killed me to keep my mouth shut. I wanted to tell her what needed to be fixed. For all the crap I gave her about wanting everything to be perfect, I realized I was just as guilty.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  “It always shocks me that people live like this,” she said, but her concentration was still on the screen. “I’ve been lucky, Rich made good money and once I got established in design, I did too. But I can’t imagine coming home to a place like this and relaxing. I’d always be on point, afraid I’d mess something up. This isn’t a home.”

  There was no place like home for Leah, and she’d already put her mark on my apartment. She didn’t need to do much, but she’d added a few plants, put a rug between the couch and the TV, and moved a few pieces of furniture. It was the little things that made a huge difference. The boxes marked office had been pushed to the unused back bedroom. I’d originally planned it as a spare bedroom, but the only company I’d ever had slept in my bed if they made it through the night. I’d thought about switching it to an office, but I either worked on my photos in the living area or on the deck. I didn’t need anything that formal.

  “Want to go get dinner?” I stood up and stretched out. I’d been in the zone and it wasn’t unusual for me to lose all track of time when I worked.

  “That sounds amazing.” She put the computer down beside her. “I’m tempted to text Shannon and find out where she’s going. She’s got a date with some guy she met last night.”

  “Mama bear.” I grabbed Leah’s hands and spread her arms so I could bring her into me. I kissed her when she crashed into my chest.

  “It’s the girl code. Kari and I did it for each other all the time. She sent a spy the first night I met you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I had no idea she’d done that. No surprise that Kari would be smooth. “It’s smart. We can trail Shannon tonight. It might be kind of fun. And I’d rather she didn’t fall into the grips of some asshole.”

  “I want her to do her own thing, but at the same time I feel somewhat responsible for the outcome.” Leah picked up her phone and sent Shannon a text. “I have a feeling she’s sowing her wild oats, if you know what I mean. She’s newly single, so . . .”

  “Yeah. We’re going then. We can practice this parenting thing.” I needed it way more than Leah.

  Her grin was too big for her face when she looked up from her phone. She held it up to me so I could read the screen. “I love it. She’s meeting him at this place. Do they have food?”

  “No. It’s just dancing.” And I was glad I agreed to keep an eye on Shannon. The club was in a rough part of the city. “Let’s head out now so we can grab something before we go.”

  There was a place near the beach that served something I knew Leah would appreciate, especially after her earlier talk about nesting. Once we were seated, I grabbed her menu and opened it to the page I wanted her to see.

  “Breakfast for dinner!” Her face lit up as she scanned the menu. “Everyone else is getting steak and I’m already caught between the pancakes and the French toast. I’m not sure what I should be eating, everything’s so different than when I had Raven. They’ve changed all the guidelines.”

  I hated that she looked worried every time she mentioned the baby. Like somehow she’d fail as a mother. That time had made her less capable. I thought it was bullshit, and the complete opposite was true. She needed something to put her mind at ease, and I had no idea what it was.

  If anyone had a proven track record of failure, it was me.

  “Get whatever you want.” The waitress came and took our orders. “When do you see the doctor?” I asked.

  She sighed. “Next week. I’m not always this much of a Nervous Nelly. Even though you’d never know it, I gave Raven a pretty long rope when she was little. I’ll feel better once I talk to the doctor. I was still taking the pill and drinking wine almost every night. And I thought I just had my period. So once I get a clean bill of health for me and the little one, I’ll be good.” She put her hand on her belly, and the smile was back.

  “It’s not unusual. Think about what our parents did when they knew they were pregnant with us.”

  Leah laughed. “My mom and my aunts would have me in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. And I remember getting totally pissed off that I had to wear a seatbelt, like I’d been put in car jail or something like that.” Her expression softened and she reached across the table, picking up my hand, playing with one finger at a time. “Tell me about your mom.”

  “Leah,” I groaned. I’d ordered orange juice in solidarity but now I was sorely regretting the lack of vodka.

  “You can’t deny who you are. They’re a part of you. Please tell me it wasn’t all bad.”

  Our gazes locked, only broken when the omelets and the pancakes came. “It wasn’t. But it wasn’t like your family, either.”

  I hated the look she got on her face every time we talked about this. Like I couldn’t possibly be right about my folks. “Not everything was good with my family. We fought. We didn’t always get what we wanted. But we didn’t walk away from each other, because when it really mattered, we had each other’s back,” she said.

  “That’s the difference. I don’t want to talk about this tonight.” I cut into my omelet.

  “Okay.” Leah picked up her fork. “But promise me that sometime soon, we will.”

  **

  The heavy beat from the club pushed the crowd out to the sidewalk. Leah and I weaved thr
ough the throng of dancers, looking for Shannon.

  “She’s inside,” Leah yelled, grasping my arm tightly. Her eyes were huge, shifting back and forth. “Near the bar.”

  “You okay?” Once we got through the swarm, the line wasn’t that long. I’d been here a bunch of times with Zach, and the same door guy had been here a couple years. Forever in Miami life.

  “I figured we were headed to someplace on the beach. Not this.” Leah took in the scene inside the old warehouse. The hazy air, the flashing lights, the bass that rocked us deep inside, and the mass of people who dictated the rest of it. “I wish I could drink.”

  “As soon as we find Shannon, I’ll take you out on the dance floor.” I led her toward the bar. Fuck, I hoped I didn’t see Zach tonight. He’d open a can of worms I was not in the mood for. I expected Leah to try to dig through my past. I’d shared the worst of it with her, but I wasn’t ready to try to fix it all yet. My folks . . . I’d gotten used to not having them in my life. The emptiness would always be there, but the echo had long faded.

  “There she is! And that must be Paul. He’s cute.” Leah tugged on my arm.

  I pulled her back. “What’s our cover story?”

  “Do we need one?” She laughed. “We’re here dancing.”

  I didn’t have a chance to say anything else before she let go of my hand and hugged Shannon. Shannon waved to me over Leah’s shoulder, and I nodded at her date. He offered his hand and I shook it. Leah and Shannon had girl code, and that was guy code. He seemed all right to me.

  Leah turned back to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. “This music sounds dirty.”

  I laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She’d already started moving her hips, and I knew exactly what she meant. I was on board. She pulled me closer by the front of my shirt. “Remember when you asked me if I’d ever had sex in public?”

  Fuck. Didn’t expect that. Still on board. “We already checked that off the list.”

  “Pretend we’re doing that. But we’re keeping our clothes on.”