Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(152)

“I...” she began, but words failed her. What on earth could she say to the multi-million-dollar actor who, out of all the A-listers in the world he could have called, had decided to call her? Who had just said he needed to see her. Just that word alone made her body spasm with pleasure. “Why?” she finally said.

“I’ll explain later. Are you free?”

Sasha couldn’t help but note the distracted tone he spoke in. An image popped into her mind of a naked Thomas lying on a silk-sheeted, four-poster bed with the skanky Crystal draped across him nibbling his earlobe. She could picture him getting his kicks from arranging his next fuck with a gullible woman while another was already riding him.

Sasha’s resolve kicked into gear. “No,” she replied tersely. “I’m not free. And last time I checked, neither were you.”

He sighed. “I’ve upset you. You’re going to have to give me a clue.”

Though Sasha knew she should end the call there and then, she couldn’t help but keep him on the line. His voice—the soothing, lulling English accent—was arousing her as successfully as his tongue on her clitoris had earlier that morning. Speaking to him was like foreplay. She needed him, even if it was just his voice, just a fraction of what she’d had that morning. Maybe if she kept him on the line, her body would get the dose of Thomas Lloyd it needed in order to satisfy the cravings, to stop the unpleasant yearning of cold turkey.

“A clue?” she said, hoping he couldn’t hear the breathlessness in her voice as she spoke. “You can’t work it out?”

“No,” came his harried, clipped answer. “Can’t you just tell me? I don’t like guessing games.”

A little gasp escaped from Sasha’s mouth. Her insides clenched. The commanding tone of his voice reminded her of earlier that day when he’d demanded she remove her bra. She wanted to talk dirty to him there and then. She wanted to run to that secluded alley the barman had told her about and touch herself to the dulcet tones of Thomas Lloyd’s voice.

But the logical part of her brain was still working. And it kept reminding her that Thomas Lloyd was a player. It kept questioning his motives. Why was he bothering with her at all? Surely, his queue of woman hadn’t run dry on him? Surely, a sex addict like him would have an escort agency on speed dial?

She strode into a dark corner of the club and sat down in the red leather booth. A couple were making out beside her. The girl had ripped fishnet tights, and one leg hitched up across the man’s lap. Platinum blonde hair. Bright red manicured nails. The sight of her reminded Sasha why she had to turn down Thomas Lloyd.

“Crystal,” she said at last.

There was a pause. Then, with an exhalation, Thomas said, “What did she say to you?”

So he wasn’t even going to deny it. “It’s not what she said, Thomas. It’s what she is.”

There was another long pause. Finally, Thomas said, “So you do know how to use Google after all.”

Sasha frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“My sister. The junky porn star. You’ve found out about her and you’re running a mile. I can’t say I blame you….”

“Sister?” Sasha said. “You have a sister? Called Crystal?”

“Yes…Well, no, I have a sister called Olivia, but she goes by Crystal these days.”

Sasha pressed her back against the booth, making the leather squeak. Beside her, the woman straddled the man and the two began dry humping.

But Sasha was paying about as little attention to them as they were to her. She was gob-smacked by Thomas’s revelation. If true, it meant that everything she thought about him was wrong. There was no queue of women. No hookers on speed dial. No sex addiction. But without that, what was she left with? A sexy man who knew how to pleasure her like no one ever had or ever could—who was telling her, of all people, that he needed her…?

She had to get to the bottom of it. She owed her swelling clit that much.

“If she was your sister, why would she tell me she was your escort?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Escort?” Thomas muttered. “That’s a new one.” He sighed audibly. “I shouldn’t be surprised, really. My sister has issues. Well, of course, you can tell she has issues.”

“But what was she doing at your hotel? Didn’t she know you had interviews all day?”

“Crystal doesn’t care about my schedule. When she needs money, she’ll do anything.” His tone had become drenched in anguish. She could hear the pain in it. Crystal turning up at his hotel room had shaken him up as much as it had her.