Escorted by Claire Kent Page A

was in love with him all through high school and college.”
    “That’s a long
time to be in love with someone who doesn’t love you back.”
    “Yeah,” she
said with a sigh. “Sometimes you hold onto something—just because.”
    Ander met her
eyes. “In my experience, it’s rarely just because.”
    Lori was silent
for a long time, thinking about that. Thinking about her hopeless yearning
after her friend. So many years of her life.
    No wonder she
was a failure at love.
    Eventually, she
let the questions and insecurities dissolve into her memories and she turned
back to look at Ander. His eyes were closed, and she didn’t know if he was
dozing or if he was just giving her some privacy for her thoughts.
    Gazing at his
smooth bald head—which she now found infinitely attractive—she thought about
how he must have felt at seventeen.
     “You must have
been so lonely,” she blurted out.
    Ander’s eyes
flew open and he turned toward her with a little jerk of surprise. “Excuse me?”
    “As a teenager,”
she explained, feeling silly at her lack of segue. “I was just thinking you
must have been so lonely. Kids can be cruel about things like that.”
    He gave a
half-shrug. “I’ve grown accustomed to not having any hair.”
    “Of course. In
fact, I’m sure it’s been an advantage in your profession, since it makes you
look so cool and interesting. But I meant as a teenager. Even though you had
your reasons for not doing anything about it, it still must have been…hard.”
    Ander swallowed
and gave another half-shrug.
    Obviously, this
wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. So Lori changed the subject by
saying, “Can I feel it?”
    He blinked at
her.
    “Your head.”
She waved in the direction of his scalp, suddenly wishing she hadn't asked.
“It’s fine if you don’t want me to—”
    “Of course, you
can,” Ander said. He adjusted so that his head was within arms' length of her.
    She gently,
almost delicately, stroked his smooth head with her fingertips. It really did
feel delicious—the skin stretched tight over the rippling curves and ridges of
his skull.
    She let out a
breath as she caressed him and ridiculously felt her own body respond.
    She really
wasn’t very sore anymore.
    When she
brushed against a spot on the side of his skull, she heard Ander’s breath hitch
very slightly. Whether or not it was in response to her touch, the sound made
her inner muscles clench in excitement
    Without her
volition, her hands trailed down his head and neck to gently caress his chest. Ander
lay still and perfectly silent as she rubbed the smooth planes there. Then her
hands lowered and lingered on the rippling muscles of his flat abdomen.
    She felt the
sensations under her fingertips deepened in her growing arousal.
    After several
minutes, during which her breathing accelerated audibly, Ander murmured,
“Again?”
    She nodded.
She’d been noticing some progress in his boxers, but she didn’t know if it was
from her touch and because of the mental thing he did to prepare himself. “Is
it all right if we try another position this time?”
    “Of course.
It’s always your choice.”
    Feeling very
brave, she swung her leg over his hips and straddled his prone body. “Like
this?”
    “Of course.”
    Ander raised
his hands and stroked her upper body over her satin chemise, his skillful touch
triggering nerve endings and pleasure receptors and causing Lori to drop her
head back for a moment. Then he eased her upper body down so he could take one
of her breasts in his mouth, stroking her hard nipple with his tongue through
the thin lace and slippery fabric.
    He suckled and
kissed her breast for a few minutes while his hands slipped under the chemise
to caress and fondle her back, thighs, and bottom.
    She’d thought
being on top was supposed to make one feel more in control, but she felt
helpless and overwhelmed by the growing sensations as she sprawled on top of
him and panted hotly into the pillow.
    She