Одри Карлан - February (Calendar Girl #2)

Even though I was tired, so ready to sleep, I rolled back over and held him close. He put his head on my chest and snuggled into my breasts. That’s what he needed, where he wanted to be. I’d give him that, because he was giving me something too, the realization that I was more than just Mia the sister, the daughter, the friend. I am a woman. A woman with feelings, desires, aspirations, and I was not just the sum total of what my mother left me with all those years ago.

Being an escort was what I needed to do for now to save my dad once more. A means to an end. At least I’d enjoy myself in the process.

Cuddling close, I ran my fingers through Alec’s long hair. He groaned and snuffed against my chest and slowly became dead weight. For the first time since meeting Alec, he fell asleep in my arms.

***

Today Alec made me breakfast…in bed. Apparently he was pretty pleased with last evening’s photo shoot. I couldn’t wait to see the images. I encouraged him to view them in private in the event that I attempted to jump him. He said we would later, but again…we had much work to do. A quick morning orgasm with Alec’s mouth between my legs, and I was rip roaring, and ready to go. Literally. He’d used it as a means to get me up and out of bed. Sneaky bastard. I’d made it too easy on him. All he had to do was please me, and I’d hop to it.

When we arrived at the loft, he hustled me into my chair. Only we were standing in front of the painting he’d done last night of Aiden. This time he had me remove all my clothes and stand side by side next to the painting. Then he had me turn to the side and place my left hand over the paintings erection covering some of it. My other arm was tucked into my hair. He leaned me on my elbow along the wall. So if I was lying down, it would look as if I was jerking Aiden off. Alec took a ton of still shots like this. That was it for the day.

The following day he had me once again in my chair and painted my lips. He led me over to the painting he’d finished last night only this one was simpler. It just had a silkscreen over the painting of my arm reaching out. Once he positioned me, he had me kiss the silkscreen image of my hand over Aiden’s cock. It was interesting to say the least, though I didn’t quite understand it.

“You will Mia, I promise,” he said but didn’t explain further. Another day passed, and this time when I arrived at the loft a giant painting of Alec and me deep into the throes of passion had been painted and hung alongside the image of Aiden. In between the one of Aiden, and the one of us held a silk screen of Aiden and me. Only this was not a picture I’d planned to see, nor did I think he’d taken it.

The picture was taken when Alec had stopped the photoshoot yesterday. This one was when we’d faced away from one another. Somehow though, our nakedness had been captured where a limb covered the important private parts. I had my knees up to my body, Aiden had turned and was reaching out to me. If the picture wasn’t captured so honestly, I would hate it.

I pointed to the image in the center. “Why is that there?” I asked.

“You know why.”

“Are you trying to be obtuse?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Look at the three as a whole, not as one, and you will see it.”

I stared at the first image. Aiden caught in the act of pleasing himself, finding gratification in his own hand. My hand coming over trying to hide his private moment from the world but not being able to. Then the image of him trying to touch me when I was uncomfortable and unsure of what we were doing. Then the painting of Alec and me intertwined. My leg was over his, he was inside me, but you couldn’t see the actual penetration. My arm around him prevented my breasts from being exposed. The look on our faces was precious. We were both at the height of our love making tumbling over the abyss together.

When you viewed the three together, it told a story. A man pleasing himself. The man who was supposed to love and protect my character but didn’t. His love was not being returned as shown in the second image. Then finding love in the arms of another.

“You see it now?” Alec whispered into my ear as his arm came around me from behind and pulled me into him.

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s broken.”

“Broken love?”

Again, I couldn’t find the words so I just nodded and leaned back into him.

“Then that is what it shall be named. They will be hung together and labeled Broken Love.”

Of course it would. Broken love. That’s all I’ve ever had. It’s all I know. How very fitting.

Chapter 8

My time with Alec was going to end soon. Eight days to be exact. We had two more pieces to finish and I’d yet to leave this warehouse. I’d seen absolutely nothing of Seattle and even though the sun was shining now, I doubted Alec would want to leave. The last few days he’d been deep into adding finishing touches on each painting. He said he’d add something to them every day, almost to the point of no return when they’d need to be put up on the walls at the exhibit a week from today. The day after, I’d be leaving Seattle. Finally going home between clients.

Home.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t referring to LA. I was headed to Vegas. I needed to see Dad and I was being forced to make my second payment in person. Give ole’ Blaine a face-to-face meeting. Not my idea. Part of the deal. Son-of-a-bitch. I should have known all those years ago that getting involved with Blaine was bad news. Never failed. I always got myself into situations with men. At least now, I was being paid to and after the better part of a month it ended. Move on. No drama. Just a job. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Wes and Alec didn’t feel like a job. They were nice men that I cared about…deeply. Men any woman would jump at the chance to commit to. Not me. Not even an option. Though I didn’t believe that, even in different circumstances, my time with Alec would last longer than a few months. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed him, thoroughly, and he definitely appreciated having me around. Only it wasn’t a relationship to build a foundation on. He needed me for his work. I needed him for the money. In the middle of that, we formed a bond that survived on physical attraction and friendship. Nothing more. Wes, however, was another story altogether. Wes was the kind of man you fawned over, bragged to your girlfriends about, dreamed of marrying one day. He was not the love em’ and leave em’ type, even though, at the beginning, he tried to go that route—until it no longer worked for him and he’d asked me to stay.

Wes asked me to stay. With him. For him. So we could be an us .

I sighed loudly looking around the empty room and out at the sunny day beyond the tall windows. Alec needed to take me out. Period. I’d been in this warehouse for over two full weeks. Stick a fork in me, I was done.

Just as I was heading to the elevator to shanghai Alec, my cell rang.

“Hello?” I asked the caller without looking at the display.

“Good afternoon doll-face. How’s my best money maker doing?”

I rolled my eyes and slumped into the chair near the door. “Hey, Aunt Millie.”

“What did I say about calling me Millie? It’s Ms. Milan to you, baby girl,” she reminded me and which I continued to ignore.

Even though she couldn’t see me, I shook my head. “No dice. Never gonna happen. You changed my diapers, you know me better than my own mother—your loser sister—does. It will always be Millie, Auntie.”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me of what an old crone I really am. You might give me a complex. Which reminds me...” She paused and I heard a scratching noise, probably her making a note. “...to call my surgeon and get my Botox freshened up.”