God, I wanted him again as he disappeared from my sight. I remembered everything about him that night in a flash of memories that made me heat up in addition to the sweat that was soaking through my shirt. I had his email, and it would be easy, but no … I couldn't.
I finished my workout and went home to shower before work, dressing in a clingy gray dress with heels. It didn't really matter what I wore since I didn't see customers during the night, but sometimes a woman just needed to feel pretty.
I entered with a soft, warm greeting and went into my office to warm up the Mac for the day. I wondered what today would hold and sat down as I sipped the vitamin water zero today, feeling encouraged by the workout. There was a message from Declan immediately, asking how he could contact Rachel personally. I considered the answer.
Her name wasn't Rachel, and she's not interested in another night. It's not personal.
He shot back asking what her name was. Declan said that he couldn't stop thinking about the woman that he spent the night with, that he wanted to see her again. I told him again that I wasn't interested, or that the woman wasn't. I suggested another woman again as my heart ached.
He seemed to stop for the night as I kept the appointments moving, trying to push Declan from my mind. It couldn't work. I was married, which was wrong. I never should have slept with Declan, to begin with given that fact alone, but James worried me as well. I had a feeling that he wouldn't let me go so quickly, possibly going after anyone I got involved with. Even if James were cheating on me, he wouldn't feel as though I had the right to do the same.
I didn't want to risk anything happening to someone involved with me.
I worked steadily, feeling productive as I glanced at the clock. I didn't want to leave the office for lunch, so I ordered some Thai food in. I wasn't sure if I was worried about running into Declan again or not since we apparently lived in the same part of the city. He knew that Rachel was a fake name now so what would he think if we came across each other?
I made that a habit in the following nights, not leaving the office and going to a gym that was further away. James wasn't home a lot, but when he was, he made his presence known. His cruel comments echoed through the house as I only tried to avoid him, ending with him pushing me against the wall one night with anger in his dark eyes. He looked so much like his father, and I couldn't help but wonder of this is what Anthony did to my mother-in-law. "What do you want?" I asked softly as I gazed into his eyes. His hands were digging into my upper arms tightly, making me realize I'd be wearing long sleeves in the pleasant Spring weather that I cherished since it seemed to be so brief.
"Your hair … losing weight … tell me, are you fucking someone else, Rayna? Are you unfaithful to our marriage?" His voice was low in my ear, and I heard him chuckle.
"Are you?" I demanded as he pulled back, staring at me darkly. "You're the one that's never home."
"I work, Rayna. I do that to have this house and this life. Are you feeling ungrateful for that?" He asked as tears stung my eyes. "I allow you to work. Maybe I should see what it is you really do, even though it keeps you out of my hair," he mused aloud as I sighed and felt his grip tighten.
I showered after he left, feeling dirty and exposed. I'd distracted James from the idea of looking into my job the only way that I knew how. He was rough with me, and I clung to the memories of Declan as I gave myself to my husband the way that I was supposed to do.
I told everyone that I did freelance photography and since they had no interest in my favorite hobby, they never asked to see anything. If they did, I had photos to show them because it was an interest of mine. They just talked about the law firm or something worthy of conversation instead of anything about me.
I felt like James left the house forgetting about me today, hoping that he'd gotten what he needed. I couldn't bear the idea of being intimate with him, despite my title as his wife.
CHAPTER 7
Declan
I hit my desk as I leaned back, annoyed with my thoughts of Rachel that was getting in the way of the new hotel being built in Dubai. I tried to contact the agency to get back in touch with her, confused when I was told that she didn't want to work anymore. I thought that our night together was fantastic and only left because I had to go early in the morning to get out of town for work. I left her a lot of money and a note indicating that I wanted to see her again, even if it was vague. I even felt bad leaving her the money, but it was part of the deal, as she was an escort for the night. She spent hours with me that night and deserved it.
I thought about the last message that said her name wasn't Rachel at all. That did not surprise me, knowing that she might want to protect her identity. It also stated that she was done. I didn't know what to make of that, and I ran a hand through my hair.
I knew that the agency used a digital means of communication for bookings, but there had to be a number. There had to be a location that I could find. I needed to speak to the woman that I'd spent the night with that night, see who she really was. That woman never seemed like an escort to me. She never felt like one and I swore that there was more between us.
I clicked off the page and did some digging on the agency. They did a good job of keeping themselves an online company, but I was smart and well-versed with the internet. I got an address, jotting it down as I glanced at the clock. I should stay here today and tackle this tomorrow, deciding to plan to see her again.
I went to the gym that night, working out hard as I tried to push the image of her out of my mind. I felt eyes on me and scanned the room, people on nearly every machine. They all seemed to be into their own workouts, using headphones to listen to the televisions around the room or something else. I frowned and checked out in the other rooms, but nobody was paying any attention to me at all.
I must have been imagining things.
I finished the workout and left, going back to my small house to shower for the night. I thought that I might stop by the agency after lunch and see what I could find out. I went into my office for a while to finish the work on my project that I'd gotten so distracted from the day before, feeling some hope for today. I got a lot done and made my way to a favorite deli to have a sandwich before making my way down the street to the agency. From what I could gather, I could see that it might be in one of the modern buildings down the street. I thought about the way that she looked on the bed underneath me, coming apart as her nails dug into my back. It was the best of sexual sin, and I wanted it again.
I finished my lunch and made my way down the street, watching carefully as I approached the block that the agency was located on. I looked at the buildings and then back over the sidewalk before I paused. A woman with blonde and red hair was coming out of a parking lot, seemingly distracted as she walked towards a brick building. "Rachel?" I called out as she froze and took her time to look up. She widened her beautiful eyes as I stalked towards her, my eyes brightening as I smiled.
"What are you doing here?" she asked shyly as she looked around carefully.
"I couldn't get a hold of you the business way, so I wanted to take steps to find you myself," I told her as she frowned at me. "What is your real name?"
"Ray!" A voice called out as the woman turned with a scowl to look at the bright-haired woman coming our way. "How are you?" She glanced at me, curiosity on her pretty face as she sized me up. "Hello there." This was an escort. I could tell that just from the way that she greeted me though it wasn't overly sexual.
"Let's go inside," The woman identified as Ray said abruptly, walking towards the entrance as I looked at her long sleeved pink shirt. It was warm out today, and everyone else wore short sleeved shirts, if not shorts. Why was she dressed so warmly? She led the way with the other woman falling into step behind her, followed by me. I was surprised when Ray stopped and glanced at the other woman, assuring her that she'd see her upstairs in a few moments.
I stared at her face as she finally gave me her attention, realizing that she was just as beautiful with a natural face. There was a hint of liner on her eyes to make the blue stand out and a dark pink stain on her lips but that was it. "Why are you here, Declan?"
"I've been trying to contact you. Did you know that?" I asked as she sighed and dropped her gaze to the floor.