Initial Kiss Read online

At six-thirty on Tuesday, James arrived at the restaurant. He was nervous, which was a first for him. He was usually so controlled and calm. But this woman stirred something in him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew she was different. He’d employed more than one escort service in the past to assist him in business meetings; at his age, his business associates wanted to see him more settled down than young and wild. He had a steady stream of women who accompanied him on business dates and because of them, he’d made several deals with his clients. They liked to see him in a loving relationship.

  His upcoming trip to Boston was a different story altogether. He needed a woman who would do more than just put on a show; he needed someone who he could actually see himself in a relationship with. So far, Kayla fit the bill. Her written answers were far more detailed than any other candidates and she was refreshingly honest. It made him feel a real connection with her.

  The hostess sat him at a table in a corner. It was set for three, but he hoped she would dismiss whoever she brought with her so he could confide his plans to her about the trip. He ordered a drink and patiently waited for her to arrive.

  At five minutes to seven, he watched her walk to the hostess stand and then she was led to his table. He was immensely pleased she was alone. He stood as she approached and took her hand in a gentlemanly gesture. Kayla fought the urge to pull back too quickly when he touched her, a spark igniting between them.

  “Miss Jones, a pleasure,” he said, waiting for her to sit and then following suit. He tried to ignore the burning sensation he felt when he touched her.

  “Please call me Kayla. I’m not much for formality,” she said, smiling at him. Her teeth were brilliantly white and perfectly aligned.

  “Kayla, of course. And please call me James,” He told her as he sat. Their server appeared and took Kayla’s drink order. He was impressed with how Kayla presented herself. Her blonde hair was long but pinned back and fell in waves down her back. Her blue eyes were accented but not overwhelmed by her eye liner and mascara. Her smooth skin complexion was not hindered by any foundation, as far as he could tell, and she was beautiful without it. She wore a simple yet elegant cream colored blouse with a black skirt that halted just above her knees.

  “So what do you do, Kayla?” He asked her. He took a sip from his glass and tried not to stare at her; he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

  “I believe I answered that question on your questionnaire, but of course, I’ll be happy to tell you again. I am an editor for a publishing company in England. I do a lot of consulting work for local writers, as well. Freelance editing doesn’t pay as much, though, which is what brought me here,” she smiled.

  “Editing is a time-consuming occupation. Are you sure you’ll be able to spend an entire weekend in Boston?” He asked.

  “Absolutely. It is time-consuming, but I also have the ability to make my own schedule. Especially over the weekend. I more or less work for myself,” she informed him. The server brought her drink and they both ordered their meals.

  “Well, let me tell you a little bit about the job,” he said after they ordered. “I need someone who can act; this is going to be a con on my family. At my age, they want me to settle down and get married, start a family; you know the drill. But I’m in the prime of my career and a family is out of the question right now. They won’t leave me alone, though. So the weekend trip to Boston is actually a family reunion. I need someone to pretend to be my serious girlfriend for the weekend. We’ll be staying at the Marriot in downtown Boston. I already have the suite booked, and like the ad said, you’ll have your own bedroom. But the hotel room will really only be for sleep; my family has a long list of events and social gatherings for us to attend. I haven’t told them much about the woman who’s captured my heart, seeing as I wasn’t sure I would find the right woman. I also figure that will make it easier to stay as close to the truth as possible, that way you won’t have to lie too much.”

  Kayla listened intently and thought this would be fairly easy for her. She wouldn’t have to lie for the whole weekend, except for the status of their actual relationship, which wasn’t such a big deal. She could keep the details as close to her own real life as possible. They would spend each night in his hotel suite, so everyone would think they were sleeping together, which was fine with her.

  “I’m glad you didn’t feel the need to bring someone along,” James said as their dinner arrived. He noticed Kayla’s blush and raised his brow in question.

  “I did bring someone, I made him sit at the bar,” she said, grinning.

  “Boyfriend?” James asked. He wouldn’t be able to deal with a jealous boyfriend being overprotective of her for the weekend ahead of them.

  “No! He’s my best friend’s boyfriend. She insisted he come. He’s at the bar, just to make sure you weren’t a serial killer or kidnapper,” she laughed. “Star, my best friend, told me that I could never be too safe. She wanted to come, too, but I said no. I figured we would just be getting to know each other a bit and I wanted to get the details of the weekend without worrying about her being a mother hen.”

  “Perfect. I can understand your apprehension. But now, what do you think about the trip?” He asked her.

  “There’s one problem I’ve found with your plan,” she told him. He gestured for her to continue. “If I’m supposed to be a serious girlfriend, how do you expect to get away with no kissing or touching all weekend?”

  It wasn’t something James thought about. His previous escorts never minded his mandate of no kissing, touching, or any sexual acts at all. But his family wouldn’t buy it if he didn’t try to kiss the beautiful woman in front of him all weekend.

  “You’re right. I guess I didn’t think about that,” he said. How could he ask for kissing and touching throughout the weekend when his ad promised nothing of the sort? He was stuck. He would have to reprint the ad, adjust it, and find someone else.

  “I’m okay with it,” she told him. She could tell he was losing his control because he hadn’t thought of the ramifications of not acting intimate with his girlfriend around his family. “As long as you understand that it won’t go any further than kissing and touching, I’ll do it.” She watched as he took a deep breath.

  “You don’t have to,” he started.

  “I’m aware that I don’t have to. But I really need the money. So if you are satisfied with me as your escort, I’d like to do it,” she knew her voice sounded weird, and she hoped he didn’t notice. She was ecstatic over the idea of being able to kiss this fine specimen. Although, she admitted, he probably kissed like a frog. There was no way he was a good kisser; no man was that perfect.

  “Well then. Kayla Jones, you’ve got the job!” He put his hand out to shake hers and she took it. There it was again, that little spark. She didn’t know what it was, but it excited her nonetheless. She smiled sweetly at him as he paid their bill.

  “May I walk you to your car?” He asked, thoroughly charmed by her energetic personality. At her nod, he put his hand to the small of her back and they walked out of the restaurant. He noticed her give a thumbs up to a man at the bar and the man nodded his head at James. He nodded back. She led him to her car, an older model Chevy. He didn’t like that she was in such an unsafe vehicle, but he let it go. He opened the driver’s door and waited for her to get in. When she turned to him instead, he thought to ask her what was wrong. When she went on tiptoe and brought her mouth to his, he shut up and let her kiss him.

  She was shaking with nervousness, but she put her hands on his shoulders and shyly kissed him. She thought only to prove that they could show his family some intimate caresses, but the moment her lips touched his, she knew she was lost. This man was like a drug, one she couldn’t get enough of. Beneath his suit jacket, his muscles rippled with restraint. He kept his hands locked firmly at his sides and his lips were cool on hers. She willed him to respond, and when he didn’t, she told him what she wanted.

  “Ki
ss me back,” she whispered shyly. It was enough. Suddenly she found herself pushed back against the car and his hands were in her hair. His lips moved over hers and she opened for him, more than willing to give herself over to his passion. His tongue snaked inside her mouth and she felt him press his full length against her. He was hard already and Kayla wound her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer to her. He smelled so good and she was soft, pliant in his arms. His hands roamed over her back and Kayla could feel the goose bumps he caused over her entire body. She whimpered in her helplessness at the feelings he stirred in her.

  He growled at her whimper and pressed closer. She moved her hands into his jacket and was rewarded with a groan from him as she put her hands over his chest. He was hard, hot, and more than ready, she thought. She whimpered again when his hands moved to cup her ass and pull her more firmly against him. She felt how much he wanted her. She knew she wanted him just as much. With a final groan, he pulled away from her just a bit to look into her eyes.

  He was amazed and humbled by the passion and desire he saw there. He knew he was shaking with his need to take her but he couldn’t stop himself. He slowly moved his hands up her back and noticed she was also trembling. The knowledge