She pressed a hand to her forehead. “Pike, I—We—No one can know I—”
“Shh, hey, calm down. I told you tonight I’m not into telling other people’s secrets.”
“This is—No one knows this, Pike. No one can know.” She closed her eyes. “God, this is mortifying. You must think—”
“That it’s incredibly hot? That the woman who I thought probably said fudge instead of fuck actually has the ability to talk dirty enough to get paid for it? Yeah, that’s exactly what I think.”
She groaned, tapping the back of her head against her pillow. “Of course that’s what you’d think, isn’t it? Guys are so ready to buy into the fantasy. You probably think I’m dressed in a silk nightie and have come seven times for my seven callers tonight.”
He laughed. “Oh, no. We allow ourselves the illusion, but most of us know that we’re probably talking to a Chris Farley lookalike who’s watching infomercials on mute while she talks to us about how bad she wants us to give it to her.”
“Sounds like you have some experience.”
“Totally. Fourteen-year-old Pike was a big contributor to the Dial-A-Girl industry.”
“Oh, God. Don’t say that. I need to have my own illusions that the measures they have in place to keep kids from calling me actually work.”
“Sorry. You’d probably be able to tell. They’d just want to talk about feeling up your boobs.”
“Ha. Welcome to half my callers.”
“Really?”
“No. That’d be too easy. Most require more effort than that.”
He got quiet for a second. “So do you get into it? I mean, it’s got to feel kind of powerful knowing you’re turning someone on.”
She blew out a breath. “We’re so not going to talk about this.”
“Aw, come on. I want to know.”
“No, Pike. I do it for the cash. My position at Bluebonnet is great and I’m hoping for a promotion, but I could never afford Reagan’s schooling on a receptionist salary alone. I do this because it’s good money that I can earn from home. It doesn’t turn me on. If anything, it numbs me. Makes me immune to things most people would find sexy.”
“Well, that would explain how you’ve so easily resisted my undeniable charms. But sexually immune? No fucking way.”
“Believe what you want.”
He sniffed. “I saw how you looked at me in the restaurant, Oakley. That look did not come from a woman who’s numb.”
“That look is called shock. I thought I heard something I didn’t. And seriously, how do you and your ego fit in the same room?”
“We work it out. And that was more than shock. You wanted me.”
“Whatever.” Great. Now she was sounding like the kids she worked with.
“Close your eyes, Oakley.”
“What? Why?”
“Humor me.”
“We’re not going there, Pike. I was not issuing a challenge.”
“Come on, close them. What can it hurt? I’m all the way across town. You’re safe from me.”
Lie. Lie. Lie. She closed her eyes. She couldn’t help it.
“Are you still wearing what you were earli