"Why won't you look at me?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Because."
He smiled and dropped his hand. "Because what?"
Because you're the hottest person I have ever seen.
His brothers were fine as hell but Alec was... in your face hot! That hot!
I shrugged again. "Just because."
Alec chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. "To what do I owe this unannounced pleasure, miss?"
I rolled my eyes and said, "Daley."
"Miss Daley." Alec smiled.
I stared at his smile before I looked down and mumbled, "I need to ask you somethin'."
"Okay, but look at me when you do it."
I felt my heart pound against my chest as butterflies filled my stomach. "Look, it's hard enough to swallow my pride and ask a stranger this question, a stranger who I had an argument with less then twelve hours ago."
Alec regarded me. "You physically assaulted me less than twelve hours ago as well."
I snapped my head up and fixed a deadly glare on him. "Are you tryin' to piss me off?"
A thoughtful look fell over his face as he scratched his chin. "You clearly aren't shy when you're angry, I'm helping you relax."
I clenched my hands into fists. "I'm not shy at all."
"Then ask the question that you came here to ask me," he challenged.
I glanced at my surroundings and said, "Can we not do this inside?"
Alec raised his brows as he gave me a once over, but did as requested and pushed away from the doorframe and strightened to his full height. He then turned to his side and gestured me into the house with his hand. I swallowed and turned to my side so I could slide past him. While I shimmed by him I locked eyes with his pecs then looked up to his handsome face.
"Hi," he smiled down at me, revealing deep identical dimples in his cheeks.
Why did he have to have dimples? Why?
I let out a big puff of air and replied, "Hey."
A sly smile curved his mouth as he shook his head. Once inside his house I fully looked him over. He had his hair back in a bobbin, but the strands from the front of his head escaped the tie and hung loose. I clenched my hands into fists so I wouldn't brush them out of his face even though I really wanted to.
"We can talk here or in my bedroom, which do you prefer?"
His bedroom?
My legs shook and nearly buckled from under me.
"Here," I squeaked then quickly cleared my throat. "Here is fine, thank you."
Alec fully smiled at me so I looked down to my fingers and said, "I need help with somethin' and Aideen told me you are more than qualified help me with it."
"Clarify 'it'."
I felt my face heat up, so covered my face with my hands. "God, this is so bloody embarrassin'."
Alec didn't say a word so I closed my eyes and blurted, "She told me you're an escort."
Silence.
A long period of f**king silence.
Oh my God.
I wanted to die.
"I'm retired," Alec replied after ten seconds that felt more like an hour.
I looked up at him and found his face completely passive.
I shifted my stance a little and licked my suddenly dry lips.
"Oh, so you can't help me then?" I frowned.
Alec titled his head to the side and looked at me for a long moment.
"No, I can't. I don't deal in that business anymore. You will have to find another guy."
I felt my heart jump.
"But I don't want your, um, regular services. You don't have to do anythin' sexual or anythin' like that, I swear," I blurted out then tensed up when Alec's face turned to stone.
"Sexual? I was an escort, Keela, not a prostitute."
I shrugged my shoulders in confusion. "Are they not the same thing?" I asked, quizzically.
I regretted my question as soon as the words left my mouth because Alec's jaw set and his face hardened even more than it already was. He was glaring at me, and was clearly angry but I couldn't help but notice that he looked so bloody hot when he was mad.
"I'm s-sorry," I stuttered. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just don't know the difference. I thought escorts-"
"You thought escorts were paid money to f**k people, right?" Alec cut me off.
I swallowed, nervous over his clipped tone.
"Um, well yes, I did," I replied honestly.
Alec shook his head and muttered something under his breath before his fixed his eyes on mine. "Escorts provide companionship to a person, sex is optional, but not the baseline. Prostitutes are paid for sex and only sex, that is the baseline."
I wondered how many times he had to explain that to people who knew about his previous job.
I swallowed feeling awful that I assumed the worst in him.
"I apologise for bein' naive."
Alec shrugged uncaringly. "It's okay, but I still can't help you. I'm not in that business anymore."
I felt my stomach drop at the rejection. I was mentally prepared for it, but it still wasn't a nice feeling.
I nodded my head to Alec and looked down to my fingers. "I understand, sorry again for offendin' you, I didn't mean to pass judgement. I know I probably came off as a bitch last night but I am a nice person and I wouldn't purposely try to hurt your feelin's. I'm not like that. I'm very sorry."
I heard Alec hiss as he inhaled.