Heated Rush - Leslie Kelly [71]
Nor did he say a word all the way up to his floor, or even to his room.
Once inside, he dropped the bags and put the crate down. Opening it, he lifted Wally out, then finally turned his attention to Annie. And with six simple words, he clued her in on what he was planning to do.
“You might want to sit down.”
GIVEN THE CHOICE between going home and walking into one of his father’s surprise engagement parties, or telling Annie the truth about his past, Sean would willingly have booked a trip to Dublin right now. Because knowing the dismay—disgust—he was going to see in her eyes, proceeding was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
But proceed he did.
“That woman…you’re thinking she was a girlfriend.”
Annie, who had taken his advice and sat on the plush sofa that took up the outer room of his two-room suite, nodded. “Yes.” Shaking her head, she added, “Look, just because I told you about my sordid past doesn’t mean we have to go sharing romantic stories.”
“There’s nothing romantic about this one.”
She waited.
“In fact, my relationship with Constance, which lasted for about a week a few years ago in Munich, was entirely business.”
“Did she know that?”
Though it was only the middle of the afternoon, Sean couldn’t help opening the minibar. He needed a drink. And he wanted her to have one…because he had the feeling she’d soon need it, too.
But she declined with a brief shake of her head, waiting while he opened a small bottle and poured himself a shot of whiskey. Not particularly good whiskey, since it didn’t come from Ireland, but it would do.
He finally answered her question. “Yes, she knew. Despite appearances, she’s a very nice woman.”
Annie nodded, not doubting it, obviously having seen the genuine regret in Constance’s face over her faux pas. His former associate wasn’t stupid—she’d taken one look at Annie and had realized that she’d stepped right into the middle of a very personal relationship. Because anyone could see that the beautiful young blonde sitting across from him would never need to hire any man to give her what she needed.
“She owns a gallery and had just gone through a bad divorce. She was in Munich attending some auctions, wanted someone to keep an eye on her and on her purchases…and hired me to be that someone.”
Annie thought about it for a moment, her head tilting in obvious bewilderment. “You mean, you were her…bodyguard?”
“Yes, actually. That’s what she asked me to be, at least at first.”
“I’m confused. I thought you were a businessman.”
He sipped his drink, then laughed harshly. “I’m in the people business, Annie. Wining and dining, wheeling and dealing, mostly for big corporations these days. But back then, my clients usually wanted something other than a good translator or negotiator.”
“Like what?”
She still didn’t get it. Didn’t see the truth he was laying out in front of her.
So he made it a whole hell of a lot more clear.
“Like a lover.”
She gasped.
“Though, love certainly had nothing to do with it. Attraction, yes. And money. But not love.”
He saw the exact moment when understanding washed over her. Annie’s pretty pink mouth trembled, then fell open in a nearly inaudible gasp. Her blue eyes grew huge in her face and her sun-kissed cheeks went pale.
Oh, yes, she understood.
Sean made no effort to explain, to backpedal his way out of the truth. Or even to make it clear that his business dealings now were much more normal and impersonal than they’d once been. Nor did he use the justification that he’d never had sex with a woman he wasn’t attracted to, no matter what he was offered.
Because none of that mattered. The reality was, he’d done exactly what she thought he’d done.
“You were a prostitute.”
He flinched. But didn’t duck from the verbal stone. “Yes.” Smiling with absolutely no humor, he clarified, “Though I preferred to be called a male escort at the time.”
Annie rose, walked on shaky legs to the minibar, and helped herself to the bottle she’d refused before. She twisted the top off, brought the thing