Darkness Bound Read Online Free PDF Page B

came complete with batted lashes and a simper.
    “Oh, thank you!” Jack smiled broadly at the waitress. She reluctantly dragged her attention away from Hawk to scrutinize Jack in obvious disapproval, lips pursed.
    “You’re welcome.” After a pause and a glance in Hawk’s direction, she added, “He’s really great, you know.”
    Ah. This bar was Hawk’s normal hunting grounds. Jack wondered if Nola had even gone so far as to instruct the concierge at the hotel where to send her, and decided it was completely within the realm of possibility. Her best friend had wanted to make it seem as realistic and coincidental as possible. This was getting better and better.
    “Oh, totally .” Jack nodded emphatically and leaned over the table. “I can totally see that. I mean, look at him, right?”
    Hawk’s jaw was clenched so hard she thought all his teeth might shatter. The waitress glanced back and forth between the two of them, and hesitantly said, “It’s not my place to say this, but . . . but you shouldn’t fire him. He’s . . . there aren’t many men like him out there.”
    “Fire him!” Jack scoffed. “Oh, no way! I’m getting my money’s worth! Well, Nola’s money’s worth, anyway.” When both the waitress and Hawk stared at her as if she’d lost her mind, Jack said happily, “Oh, never mind, it’s all good. Thanks for the tequila, I’m probably going to need it!”
    Jack downed the shot in one gulp, savored the burn, set the glass back on the table, and smiled broadly at both of them.
    A male escort! This was going to be so much fun ! No strings, no attachments; he’d leave afterward without all that awkward Uh, I’ll call you BS. As long as he had condoms—plenty of them—she was good to go.
    The waitress turned and fled. Jack happily watched her go, then said to Hawk, “So how exactly does this work? Do I need to tip you afterward or anything, or is that all taken care of?”
    That lazy, seductive smile from before had turned to a mean-looking scowl, which Jack decided was utterly adorable. God, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him. Just look at those arms! Those abs! That bulge in his jeans! She almost hopped up and down in her seat with excitement.
    This way, she could be absolutely free. She could let herself go. There would be no consequences, no ugly recriminations, no relationship whatsoever. She hadn’t a single hesitation about the ethics of bedding a male prostitute—it was called the oldest profession in the world for a good reason, and they were both consenting adults, and he was beautiful —she wasn’t worried about the possible dangers of having a strange man in her hotel room because Nola would have paid a high price to ensure the quality of the merchandise, and the safety and total anonymity of the transaction. In fact, she’d probably had an extensive background check run on him and made him sign a nondisclosure.
    The cherry on top of this delightful sundae of sin: there would be exactly zero emotional entanglements. She’d wake up tomorrow morning and he’d be gone, never to be seen again, and she’d be on a plane on her way back to the States.
    Her glee was only briefly marred by the cold pinch of anxiety she felt every time she thought about having sex. With an efficiency born of years of practice, Jack ruthlessly squashed that feeling before it had a chance to flower into fear.
    Hawk growled, “What the hell are you talking about? And who’s Nola?”
    “You’re right: we should stay to the script. Stay in character, I love it.” She grinned at him, more excited than she’d been in years.
    “Are you drunk?” He enunciated every word, glaring daggers at her all the while.
    She sighed and rested her chin on her threaded fingertips. Looking him right in the eye, she softly asked, “How are you going to fuck me first, Hawk?”
    All the blood drained from his face.
    It rushed back in with a speed that left blotches of red high on his sculpted