Jen glanced up as her computer made a noise, reaching for the mouse to click on her email. It was red flagged and she sighed, shutting her textbook. So much for a quiet night at home studying.

Be at the Beacon at 6:30 sharp. Dress is on its way. Explicit instructions not to overdo. All the usual formalities apply.

She sighed again and stood up, heading for the door as the buzzer rang. "Yeah?"

"Dress is here."

"You guys are frighteningly efficient."

"That's why we're so in demand." He paused. "Can I come up?"

"Yeah." She buzzed him in and stepped back, opening the door long before he had a chance to reach the top floor. Settling on the couch, she tucked her feet under her as she waited for him to climb the stairs. He poked his head in and waved the hand that was resting on his shoulder, the silver hanger cutting into his skin. "Hey."

"Hey. Nice dress for tonight. Guy picked the style out himself."

"Great. Let me guess, he's gay?"

"Details are attached. You know that I'm far too much of a professional to look inside your top secret packet."

"Pacey, you look the second you can."

"Never for yours." He shook his head. "Knowing you…well, it just makes it easier not knowing."

"Pace…"

"Ah-ah." He shook his head. "I'm just a concerned friend. But I know you're smart and I know you don't do anything you don't want to do. Not even for the money."

"I've got over 50 thousand dollars in student loans, Pacey. I'll do pretty much anything for the money."

He hung the garment back on the hanger on the back of her door then moved over to the couch to sit next to her. "Would you really?"

"No." She shook her head, giving him a half-smile. "Unless it was really good money."

"The ones with really good money are either the oldest or the kinkiest. Or both." He reached out and ruffled her curls. "Just be careful tonight, huh?"

"I'm sure he'll be a perfect gentleman."

"They always are until they have you bent over their knee and their manservant is spanking you."

"Oooh, Pacey." She fanned herself. "I'll dream well tonight."

"Shut up." He stood up and kissed her on the top of her head. "Be good."

"I'm always good."

"And, as always, I'll have to take your word for it."

Jen took the driver's hand and climbed out of the car, waiting for him to hand her the garment bag. Shouldering it, she looked down at the note in her hand then headed for the door.

"Can I help you, miss?"

"I'm supposed to go to room 1575."

"Of course. We've been expecting you. Straight through these doors, the fifth elevator on the right. Scott will take you right up." He tipped his hat to her. "And, if I may say so, you're just as lovely as he said you were."

"Thank you." She nodded and headed for the elevator. There was a teenager standing beside it, his red uniform accentuating his golden blond hair. "You look like a poster child for a superior race."

"I left my Nazi party card in my other pants." He winked. "Hey, Madison."

"Hey." She answered to her fake name just as easily as her real one these days, taking it in stride. "How's tricks, Scott?"

"Well, I got a real job, so I'm only turning them on the weekend." He laughed at her surprised look. "Just kidding. I'm off the streets for good now."

Jen nodded. "Good for you."

"Yeah." He grinned again as the elevator dinged. "Your floor. Turn right, all the way to the end of the hall." He held out a key. "You're supposed to go right in."

"Thanks again." She stepped off the elevator, following the instructions. She stood outside the door and took a deep breath, sliding the key through the lock and pushing the door open. "Hello?"

A voice came from the back of the suite. "The first door on the right is your room. Go ahead and get changed."

"Thanks."

"There's a bar in there as well. Help yourself."

She entered the room, barely noticing the furnishings as she set the dress on the bed and moved to the bar, digging a Coke from the mini-refrigerator. She snapped it open and took a long drink, sighing as she set it down on the polished walnut surface. There was a small cream envelope on it. Reaching for it, she opened it and pulled the letter out.

You're his fiancée. You know the drill. Nothing too outrageous. He's trying to impress. Make sure he does.

"Like I have any control over him." Jen dropped it back on the bar and moved over to the bed. She stripped off the dress she was wearing, standing there in her creamy white bustier, garter belt and shimmering white stockings. Leaning over, she slid the garment bag's zipper down and stared at the dress inside.

Pulling it on, she zipped it up and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. The skirt fell just above her knees, slightly full to accentuate her slim waist. The bodice was form fitting, the off the shoulder drape falling back to a low cut back, curving into a waterfall pile at the small of her back.

"He was right, whoever you are. You've got good taste."

"Thank you."

Jen turned slowly. "I'm…oh, shit." She swallowed hard. "Oh. Shit." Shaking her head, she took several steps backward, sitting down hard on the bed. "Oh. Shit."

"You're kidding me." Doug tilted his head back and laughed, the sound bitter. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"What are you doing here?" Jen straightened and got to her feet, suddenly aware she was in a cop's hotel room. "This is my room. I have a key." She started toward the dresser to pick up the slim plastic disk when his voice stopped her.

"I know you do. I told them to give it to you."

"You're a cop."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that." Doug sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "This is un-fucking-believable."

"You're a cop and yet you hired me?" Her brow wrinkling, she tilted her head, staring at Doug. "Is this some sort of sting operation?"

"No." Doug blew out a breath and shook his head, walking into the room. He didn't notice as Jen edged away, leaving him room to sink onto the edge of the bed, his head buried in his hands. He glanced at her briefly, noticing the very real worry in her eyes. "No. It's not a sting. Not the way you mean it, anyway. And now, well, now it's not anything."

Her brow furrowed further at his tone of voice and she moved beside him, running her hand gently over his shoulder. "What was it supposed to be?"

"It was supposed…" Doug blew out a breath. "It was supposed to be simple, for starters."

"Everything is." Jen got up, sensing that he needed space. She grabbed her soda and walked to the window, moving the blinds aside to stare down at the street. "But nothing ends up that way. You want a drink?"

"No." Doug inhaled and held his breath, blowing it out. "Fuck."

"I can call the office. They can send someone else."

"You're the only one who matched the description."

"I have to match a description?" She asked then nodded her understanding. "So you've described your fiancée, but you don't actually have one?"

"I've been working this pretty high profile case. Big Boston ring that had Capeside connections. I was their way into the small town." Doug lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "It all broke a couple of weeks ago. I ended up being in on the final crackdown and so tonight we're all getting medals from the governor."

"Impressive."

"We'd all gotten to talking one night and the guys were going on and on about wives and girlfriends and everything. And all I could hear in the back of my mind were the digs that would be whispered behind my back. I mean, I'm 35, I'm not married, not seeing anyone steadily. I've heard enough gay jokes and slurs to last me my entire life…"

"Mostly from your brother."

"That I didn't want any more. So I told them about my fiancée. She's beautiful. She's blonde. She's sexy as hell. She lives in Boston, goes to school there."

"What is she studying?"

"She's moving back to Capeside after she finishes school and we're getting married then. I had all the details. Everything was great. She was almost real. And then I didn't think anything about it until they announced that the ceremony was going to be in Boston and a couple of the guys said something about meeting her."

"And here we are?"

"Well, there are a couple more steps in between, but yeah. Here we are. But it can't be you."

"Why not?" Jen's eyes widened slightly, curiously. "None of these guys are going to know me. And it's not like there are going to be…oh. There are going to be people from Capeside there. Wait. How did you plan to explain everything to them?"

"I told my folks I was seeing someone, that it might be serious, but I didn't want to bring her home until we knew for sure."

"That works to our advantage." Jen moved back over to the bed and sat down, careful of her dress. "Look, Doug, you need me tonight if you're going to pull this off. There's no one else at the agency that fits the look you need, right? And you don't have the time and probably don't have the money to go somewhere else. So we'll have to make this work."

"And how are we going to do that? You went to high school with my brother, for God's sake. Who's going to believe it?"

"First off, only your parents will know I know Pacey, right? And that's assuming that they even remember me. It's not like I hung around your house all that often. And the few times I was in trouble with the law, I usually ended up dealing with you or someone else on the force. And if they remember, you just tell them that we hooked up when you came up to see Pacey for some reason."

"And what about…" Doug shook his head. "No. It won't work. I'll just tell them you're sick. Dying. Studying. Something."

"Doug…"

"They said your name was Madison."

"It's sort of a stage name."

"How the hell did you end up being a prostitute?"

Jen stiffened and stood, her expression frozen. "That's kind of a loaded question coming from a man who paid at least two thousand dollars to spend the evening with me. The evening," she reiterated. "Not the night."

"Well, if I'm paying you, then I guess I don't need to apologize." He stood up, smoothing his pants. Jen's mouth was pressed into a firm line as her gaze traveled over his tuxedo. "Do I?"

"Not at all." She smiled thinly. "You do, however, need to tell me a few important details. Like whether or not you've told anyone my name."

"Your name?"

"Your fiancée's name."

"Ah." He glanced at his watch then at her. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then we'll talk in the car."

Jen glanced around the ballroom, not focusing on the lavish arrangements so much as the warm feel of Doug's hand at the small of her back. Survival instincts kicked into play and she scanned the crowd, looking for any prospective problems. She'd asked Doug for as much of the guest list as he knew, sifting through names for anyone who might have paid for her services.

"Anyone?" He whispered the word softly in her ear, his breath stirring the golden tendrils that hung against her neck.

"Not so far," she shook her head slowly, smiling carefully as she turned. She lifted her head slightly, tilting her lips toward his. "My clientele might be a little out of the price range for a Policeman's ball."

"The mayor's here."

"I'd know if I'd been with the mayor." She laughed softly as he leaned in, a ghost of a kiss brushing across her lips. "Unless there was an election I missed."

"We need a signal."

"The lighted bat on the ceiling won't work for you?" Her smile was laced with laughter as she nibbled his lower lip, allowing him to angle her toward the wall. "We're putting on quite a show."

"I haven't seen my fiancée in over three weeks. It's a wonder I even made it here." Doug lifted his hand, smoothing it along the length of her neck. "If you see someone, what are you going to do?"

"Tell everyone I've missed you so much I have to give you a blow job right away and dive under the table?"

"As…appetizing as that sounds, maybe we need something more subtle?" His fingers traced the shadow of her curls on her skin, his mouth so close she could taste his breath with every word.

"Hand job?"

"Maybe something a little less of a public display of affection?"

Jen smiled, flicking her tongue out to touch his lips, inhaling his soft sigh as they parted. "What if I just lean over and whisper in your ear. We'll look all loving and sweet and no one will be able to tell that I'm hiding my face?"

"Much better."

"You're no fun at all," she pouted. "Why on earth did I ever say yes?"

"My rugged, manly charm?"

"Your…rugged?" Jen shook her head, laughing. "Maybe we should go in now before you say something else like that and we totally give the game away."

"You wound me."

Jen shook her head again, taking a deep breath of air as he pulled away, surprised at how easy it was to breathe when he wasn't standing in front of her. "That costs extra."

"So, this is her, huh?" Doug stiffened slightly then smiled, nodding once. "You didn't lie, Witter. She is beautiful."

"And taken."

"Yeah, well, I didn't say she had any taste."

Doug moved his hand back down to the small of Jen's back and pressed softly. She nodded and excused herself from her conversation, turning to face him. "Is this one of your co-honorees?"

"This is David Sloane."

"Nice to meet you." Jen held out her hand, watching as the tall blond took it. His eyes swept over her, his head tilted slightly as he lifted her hand to his mouth.

"The pleasure is all mine." He released Jen's hand and turned his attention back to Doug. "You didn't do her justice."

"She's hard to do justice with just words." Doug's hand slid over the open back of Jen's dress before moving up onto her shoulder, bringing her closer. "I told you that then."

"I figured you were lying." David smiled at both of them, his eyes still on Jen. "Anyway, I'm afraid I'm going to have to break up your little twosome. They want us up on the stage so they can make fools out of us."

"And here I thought you guys did that all by yourself." Jen reached up and smoothed her hand over Doug's cheek, bringing him down to her. She kissed him softly, her tongue playing along the curve of his lips. "I'll miss you."

He smiled and pulled away, following David toward the stage. As they walked away, Jen closed her eyes and sighed, moving away from the center of the crowd toward their table. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, sipping it as she sat down, listening to the band.

"I haven't seen your parents."

Doug laughed softly as he settled into the chair beside her. "You really expected them to be here?"

"You're the golden boy of the family, right? I figured this would be your father's wet dream."

"And thank you for describing it in such a way that the whole night is now tainted beyond repair for me."

"My pleasure." Jen took another sip of her champagne. "So where are they?"

"In Capeside, I would assume." He shrugged. "My dad thinks I sold the Capeside department out when I helped the Boston PD. He figures we could have handled the whole thing by ourselves and me agreeing to cooperation was basically my way of saying that he couldn't do it."

"Oh."

"David told me he thought he recognized you."

"He might have."

"Oh?"

"He arrested me about a year ago at a pro-choice rally. I got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with a couple of assholes who thought that a woman's right to choose should be determined by the guy what put his seed into her."

"Is that what they said?"

"No, it was more along the lines of the devil's work is done by women, who tempt others to give up what the Lord, their God, has implanted in them through his will."

"And you didn't take kindly to that?"

"Actually, the bull-dyke lesbians behind me took offense at that, as well as the shouted advice that what they really need is a man to give it to them up the ass if they were so determined to be men, and decided that free for all was sort of a fun concept."

"And you were caught in the middle?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I was an innocent bystander." She grinned slyly. "I imagine there's one or two radical pro-lifers who won't have to worry about causing any of those nasty abortions ever again."

"Hell hath no fury."

Jen shrugged. "One of 'em tried to cop a feel."

"And so you ended up feeling a cop?"

"Pretty much." She shrugged again. "Fortunately your friend didn't actually take me shouting to that asshole that he had to pay for the privilege seriously, otherwise I probably would have been in a hell of a lot more trouble than I was."

"Did you do time?"

Jen laughed. "Why? Does the thought of me behind bars turn you on?"

Doug's face lost its animation and he shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, does it?" He met her eyes, holding them with the piercing seriousness in his own. "I didn't pay for the privilege, did I?"

Jen leaned against the car door, watching Doug as he closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the seat. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" She was silent until he lifted his head, meeting her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"At the party. What exactly happened? Because one minute you were my sweet, loving, attentive fiancé and the next you were…this."

"This what?"

"Like this. Silent. Morose."

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing." Jen shook her head. "You're suffering from buyer's remorse, right? Tell me, which is worse? Knowing that other guys have paid for the privilege of being with me, or knowing you didn't pay enough?"

"You think that's it? That I'm pissed off that I didn't pay to fuck you?"

Jen felt the quick contraction in her chest and lifted her chin. "I don't know, Doug. Either that or you've got a real problem with my stance on abortions."

"I could give a fuck about your stance on abortions."

"Well then I guess it comes down to you giving a fuck about who I fuck."

"How much does it cost?" He snapped. "Tell me how much those guys paid for the chance to get under your skirt, Jen. How much did they have to shell out to strip the outfits they chose off of you?"

"At least they knew what they were buying and paying for." Her voice caught and she swallowed hard. "They wanted a service. They wanted one night to feel appreciated and loved…"

"Loved? Ha."

"And worthy of having a beautiful woman on their arm."

"And rich enough to pay for it."

"Why do you fucking care?" She felt the tears stinging her eyes, inhaled sharply to keep them from falling. "You paid to have me pose as some sort of trophy wife for you. You're the one who is apparently incapable of finding some poor girl to actually show any interest in you. Or maybe Pacey was right all along, huh? Maybe you should have looked through the other book and found some nice young stud to be your wife."

Both of them froze as he slapped her, the sound ringing through the rear of the car. Jen was the first to move, pounding on the glass that separated them from the driver. It rolled down slowly, sedately, in stark contrast to her rapid breathing.

"Stop the car."

"Ma'am, we're in the middle of…"

"Stop the goddamn car!"

The limo moved like a drunken shark, swaying toward the side of the road as it weaved through the thick traffic. The second he slowed down, Jen threw open the door closest to her. She started to climb out, stopping when Doug grabbed her wrist.

"Let me go."

"Let us drive you home."

"Let me go now."

"Jen, please." He took a deep breath. "I won't…I won't talk or touch you or anything. Just don't get out of the car. It's the middle of the night. Let us take you home."

"Let. Me. Go."

He released her hand, sighing as she closed the door. "Just take me back to the hotel. I'll catch a cab from there."

"We can take you home."

"Read the contract you signed, Mr. Witter. You're not allowed to know where I live. In fact, you're not supposed to know anything about me, including my real name. So I think we're just going to call this night a bust and pretend it never happened."

"I can't do that."

"I don't think you have any choice."

"I paid for a full week of services."

"You didn't pay enough for the privilege of slapping me around." Her voice was flat and cold. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say you've violated over half the stipulations in your contract, which would make it null and void."

"I need you."

"And I don't need the money that badly." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Take me back to the hotel and I'll catch a cab."

Doug closed his eyes then sighed and nodded to the driver. The window slid up as the limo began moving again, Jen seated as far from him as possible. "Right before this whole thing started - the case, not tonight - I was having an affair. Married woman, nothing I should have been involved in. We'd been together for a…a long time. She told me she was going to leave her husband about two days after the Boston guys came into town. I begged her not to, not yet."

"Why?"

"It was her husband we were after." There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "I asked her to stay with him, play it cool. We didn't want anything to upset him, anything to blow the cover off our surveillance. We didn't…" Doug shrugged. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'acceptable losses'?"

Jen nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"Anyway, that's why I don't actually have a fiancée to show off. That's why you're here. And, trust me, that's exactly why I didn't pay extra to have you crawl into my bed every night."

"What happened to her?"

"He held her hostage when the final bust came down. Held a knife to her throat until we broke through the door, then he slit her throat before he ran out the back."

"You caught him?"

"Yeah. And I have the medal to prove it."

"Did she…did she die?"

"No. She's fine. She can't talk very well, but she managed to tell me to stay the fuck out of her life." Doug shrugged. "Acceptable losses."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." He moved forward in his seat, leaning toward her and touching her cheek, the slightly red area where his hand made contact. "About this."

"It's easier to hate you if you don't apologize."

"I don't want you to hate me. I want you to stay the rest of the week."

"I can't."

"Why not? You can live in the lap of luxury for a week, not have to worry about anyone attempting to sleep with you for money or otherwise, and you'll be well compensated for the privilege." Doug shrugged. "Easy money."

"You think this is easy?" Jen laughed softly. "I didn't bring enough clothes."

"They've all been provided."

"I don't want to."

"Please, Jen?" Doug sighed softly, kneeling in front of her, his hands resting on the seat on either side of her. "One week. That's all I'm asking."

She was silent, refusing to meet his eyes. Chewing the inside of her lip, she finally sighed and gave in. "One week. And do us both a favor and, when it's all over, tell everyone that you found out I was cheating on you, unable to handle the distance. Or tell them that I have a horrific disease and will be dead by Christmas. Or something that effectively makes this engagement of ours completely null and void."

Doug settled back in his seat, his gaze turned to the window as he watched the river passing by. "I promise."

"What are you doing?"

Jen stopped and glanced back over her shoulder at Doug. He was standing in the door of his bedroom suite, wearing nothing more than a pair of sweats that clung precariously to his hips. Swallowing, she forced her eyes up to his face, her eyes grazing over the lines on his smooth chest from where the sheet had been wrinkled beneath him. "Going to my apartment."

"I thought we had a deal."

"We do," she nodded. "But I need some things the agency didn't provide. Personal things."

"Give me ten minutes and I'll give you a ride."

"No." Her voice stopped him before he was completely turned around. "You can't know where I live, Doug. If we're going to do this, we have to do it right the rest of the way. It's bad enough that you know who I really am."

"You realize that I could find you, knowing that."

"I do. But I'm trusting in your reputation as a gentleman not to." Jen ran a hand through her tousled hair. "I just need a few things and I'll come right back."

"What if you just agreed last night to lure me into a false sense of complacency and you're really going to bolt this morning?"

"I've never broken a contract." Her eyes leveled at his. "No matter what."

A variety of potential "whats" crossed his mind and he exhaled, nodding. "Can I call you a cab?"

"I have someone from the agency picking me up. Another way to reassure you of my return." She smiled and Doug let his eyes move over her. Last night she'd been elegant and gorgeous, never more so than when she was ready to walk through the streets of Boston in a fancy gown. Today she looked her age, jeans that hugged the curves of her hips, a t-shirt for some band he'd never heard of, her long hair cascading around her face in a deliberate mess. Heat curled in his groin as he dropped his eyes back down, lingering at the lettering stretched across her breasts. "Do we have plans for today?"

"This evening. There's a dinner at the Governor's house." At Jen's raised eyebrow he shrugged. "Apparently this bust saved his son a lot of embarrassment, since his company was involved in some way. So he's thanking us all on a personal and not in the press level."

"And here I was telling my fairy godmother last week that I never got to go to the ball."

"Tomorrow there's a picnic. A police thing that I received an obligatory invitation to. I figured I should go rather than insult the locals."

"So, casual dress."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Well," Jen took a deep breath, "I'll be back in about an hour, okay?"

"Yeah."

The pager hooked to her belt buzzed and she pulled it free, glancing at the number. "That's my ride. I have to go."

Pacey yawned as he reached over and flicked the passenger's side door open. Jen slid in and shut it behind her, falling back against the seat. Giving her a small grin as he pulled out into traffic, he didn't speak until she turned and glared at him. "What?"

"What's that smile for?"

"I was told last night that I wouldn't be picking you up today. In fact, that I wouldn't be picking you up for a week. And then I receive an urgent but not worrisome SOS and the last time that happened, you fell head over heels for the guy."

"Trust me, that's not the case this time."

"Mmhmm." Pacey smirked. "So what is it? Is he gay? Famous?"

"He's your brother."

Pacey slammed on his brakes, ignoring the squealing tires and blaring horns that surrounded them as he stopped dead in the middle of the road. "What?"

"Pacey." Jen gestured at the traffic moving around them, sighing with relief as the car started moving again. "It's Doug."

"So he is gay."

"Pacey."

"Sorry. Reflex." Pacey rubbed his chin absently then gripped the wheel again, his hold a little tighter. "What are you going to do? Did he try anything?"

"No. He didn't. He was a gentleman for the most part."

"What do you mean for the most part?" Pacey gave her a quick look. "Does that mean for the most part until he ripped off all my clothes and preceded to give me the fucking of my life? Or does that mean until he chased me around the room in black stiletto heels with a bullwhip? Or does that…"

"He was a gentleman, Pacey." Jen dropped her head. "What am I supposed to do? I mean, I can't back out of the contract, but…"

"Yes you can. Knowing him breaks a cardinal rule. In fact, knowing him and knowing he's a cop breaks two of the rules. Just report him and it'll be over."

"He needs me."

Pacey stiffened. "Yeah, well, a lot of guys out there need you and have more money than my brother. So go be with one of them for a week."

Tears stung Jen's eyes, her throat clogging with emotion. "Thanks. I'm really glad you think so little of me."

"Jen." Pacey sighed. "Fuck, you know that's not what I meant."

"I just want to go home and get my books. Then you can take me back and not worry about it, okay?"

"I can't not worry about you." He reached over and took her small hand in his. "You know that." Jen extricated her hand, setting it on her lap as Pacey sighed again and pulled into her apartment complex. "You want me to come up with you?"

"No. Give me fifteen minutes." She glanced at her watch. "You don't have any runs today, do you?" "Nope, not for another couple hours. I'm actually here on my own time."

"Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be right back." As she pulled back, she held up Pacey's cell phone and pager. "Don't call it in, Pacey. I mean it."

"Give 'em back, Jen."

"No. Because you're tempted right now to report this. But if you do that, then I lose my job for not being the one doing the reporting." She set the two items on her seat. "I've got two years of school left, Pacey."

"He's a cop, Jen."

"And he hired me for a reason. One he probably doesn't want to come out into the public eye."

"Or he's telling you some sob story in an effort to get under your skin when all he's really trying to do is get information on how everything works and then he's going to bust us all straight into the local prison."

"Pacey."

He rolled his eyes then sighed, shaking his head. "All right, all right. I won't call it in. But if this ends up being anything other than my brother not being able to get a date…"

"It won't." She smiled and leaned in, kissing his cheek again. "Thank you, Pacey."

"Don't thank me until it's all over. You never know, I might be stricken with a pang of conscience later and tell Lyla everything." His eyes reflected his concern for her. "You're not falling for him, are you?"

"Not falling."

"Go get your stupid books."

Jen moved away from the car, hurrying toward the doors. The entire trip up to her apartment was spent wondering why she was so adamant about finishing this job. Pacey was right, Doug could just be using her to get to the agency.

"Hey, Othello." She reached down to pet her cat as soon as the door opened, smiling as he wound through her legs. She ignored him, having long ago perfected walking with a feline between her feet. Heading to her desk, she flipped on her monitor and pulled up her email program, searching for the one she knew would be there.

Everything checks out. Sent someone down to talk to the wife and she did admit to affair with him. The mention of him did not make her happy. She says any woman who trusts him should watch her back. Hope you know what you're doing.

Me too, Jen thought as she grabbed her bag, shouldering it as she gave the desktop a cursory glance. Othello leapt up onto the smooth surface, turning over so that his completely white underbelly was exposed, his black back hidden from view. "Pacey's going to feed you while I'm gone, baby." She scratched his tummy, making sure to hit the spots she knew he loved best. "Try not to scratch him more than twenty or thirty times. He really is a nice man."

She made her way into the kitchen, the cat hopping over and following her, not even waiting for the sound of food. Jen filled his dish then replaced his water with fresh, setting both down on the floor. "Be good. And don't eat the plants. Pacey's going to disown us both if you make him clean up vomit again." She reached down and gave him one last scratch behind the ears, ignoring his low growl.

Jen hurried down the stairs, knowing the elevator would take twice as long, and climbed into Pacey's car only slightly out of breath. "Okay."

"I didn't call."

"I didn't think you would."

"I still think it's stupid."

"I still think it's not your decision to make." She set her bag between her legs. "Think of it this way, I'm in a controlled environment, so I'll have plenty of time to study for my test without interruption."

"That's not comforting enough."

"He doesn't want to sleep with me, Pacey."

"He doesn't get to regardless." Pacey looked at her, his blue eyes intent. "No pay, no play."

"Oh, that's catchy."

He cracked a smile. "You like it?"

"Oh yes. You're down wid it. You so fly, homie." She giggled as he looked offended. "What?"

"You're mocking me."

"Pacey, you're coming up with pithy slogans that were big in the late nineties. And you're acting serious about it."

"Fine, would you rather I simply said that if you fuck my brother, I'll kill him?"

Jen took a deep breath and held it, counting to ten before responding. When she let it out slowly, she turned and looked at him. "Pacey, I'm a big girl now and I don't need a protector. In fact, I didn't need a protector when I wasn't a big girl."

"I don't want you fucking him."

"I'll do whatever the job requires."

Pacey slammed on his brakes, jerking the car to a halt in front of the hotel. "Then he'll pay."

"That's the rules."

"By those rules, you're a whore."

"Pacey." Jen reached out and touched his arm, sighing when he jerked away. Shrugging, she opened the door and slipped out of the car, leaning in to grab her bag, standing there until he looked at her. "By any rules, I'm a whore."

"I got room service." Doug gestured at the tray sitting by the door as Jen walked in, slowly closing the door behind her. "I had no idea what you liked though, so I ordered what I liked and hoped you'd be okay with it."

"I'm not hungry."

Her stomach growled and Doug stifled a grin. "So I hear. Eat something." When she looked like she was going to refuse again, he sighed his annoyance. "Consider it part of the job description."

"Fine." Jen lifted the lid off one of the trays, her stomach growling again as the smell of bacon rose up in the steam. Grabbing the tray off the cart, she carried it over to the coffee table and sat down on the floor in front of it. Doug leaned back on the couch, watching her as she started to eat.

"Did you get all your stuff?"

"So there aren't any plans until this evening? Right?" Jen didn't bother to look up from her food. "So did you need me for anything today or do I have the day free? I have some stuff that I need to do and the contract does require that I get at least five hours free time."

"No, there's nothing planned. What is it you have to do? If I can ask."

"You can ask." She realized she was being a bitch and forced the conversation with Pacey out of her head. "I have to study for a test."

"What kind of test…?"

"Would a girl like me have to study for?" Laughing, Jen picked up a piece of bacon and bit the end off. "Well, there's the Kama Sutra final. That's a toughie. And then there's an advanced course in sodomy. The test for that one is a pain in the ass."

Doug laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't mean that. I realized halfway through the question that I probably didn't have a right to ask it."

"You're right." Jen took her time buttering a piece of toast. "I'm studying psychology. I've been working on getting my degree slowly but surely for the past seven years." She nibbled the end of the toast then set it down on the plate. "We're on break right now, but I've got a huge test the day we get back. It's a comprehensive exam covering fourteen chapters of our main text as well as an assortment of case studies. We're also going to get a cold case, one we've never looked at or heard of before, and we have to suggest courses of therapy, treatment, that sort of thing."

"Wow. That's…wow."

"Yeah. I was hoping for a quiet week, but…well, when you've racked up as much debt as I have pursuing my degree, you don't pass up a deal like this one."

"I'll make sure you have time to study."

She smiled, feeling the telltale blush creep up her cheeks. "Thanks, Doug."

"In fact, if you want, we can blow off the picnic tomorrow and you can just stay here and study. I'll bring you snacks and make sure you take study breaks. We'll order pizza and play loud music and I'll throw beer bottles into your room every couple minutes to simulate a frat party down the hall. What do you say?"

"I say we go to the picnic." Jen pushed her nearly empty plate away and stood up. "After all, that's what you hired me for."

"I'm a very generous employer. I give people days off for no reason."

"Thank you, Doug. But no thanks. I'm good at what I do," she ignored the sting of pain caused by the slight raising of his eyebrows. "And I don't need you to feel sorry for me. So just let me do my job, okay?"

"Far be it from me to stand in the way of a trained professional." He held up his hands in surrender. "We'll go to the picnic."

"Good." She hefted her book bag and headed for her room. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

Doug stood in the doorway of Jen's bedroom, watching her as she studied. Her headphones were blasting loud enough that he could almost make out the words and he wondered vaguely if she was even hearing it. Her hair was twirled into a half ponytail, half bun, stabbed through with four pencils. As he watched, she felt the surface of the desk for one then, not finding it, bent down and dug another one out of her bag. She scribbled on the paper in front of her then, as she had three times before, reached back and speared her hair again.

One foot rested on the edge of her chair, her chin resting on her knee. As she leaned forward he could see the back edge of her shirt rising up from her jeans, a sliver of creamy white skin peeking through at him. Sheer temptation teased him, beckoning him forward, a marked desire to touch that thin band of skin nearly overwhelming. He ignored it and shifted his stance, the sudden ache in his cock tied directly to her unwitting show of flesh.

He took a step back just as she lifted her head, reaching up to grab the headphones. She pulled them back, her face crinkling in confusion as they stopped, their downward progress impeded by the pencils. She felt the back of her head with one hand and grinned, pulling out pencils and letting the headphones hang around her neck. "Hey." She stretched, her thin, lithe body growing rigid then relaxing smoothly.

Doug shifted again, lifting a hand in a wave. "Hey."

"What time is it?" She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand while looking at the watch on the other wrist. "Oh. Wow. Is it really that late? What time's the party?"

"Seven."

"I should shower and get ready then." She stood up, her bare feet disappearing in the thick, plush carpet. "Is there something special for me to wear?"

"Yeah. They put them in the closet. I think they're all labeled."

Jen walked over there as Doug took a few steps into the room, taking advantage of her turned back to reach down and adjust his burgeoning erection. Her jeans hugged her ass, fitting snugly over the swell of flesh. Jen opened the door and snapped on the light, pulling out the first of the black garment bags, her company's logo emblazoned on the upper right corner.

"Let me." He took the bag from her and carried it to the bed, trying to remember what he'd chosen for tonight. He slid the zipper down and nearly groaned, the sight of the sexy black dress - and the thought of it on Jen - sending a shiver of pure lust down his spine. "Oh."

Jen peered around him and nodded. "Oh. That one." She nudged him out of the way and reached in, slipping the lingerie hanger free and setting it on the midnight blue bedspread. "You do have good taste in clothes."

"Thanks."

She started to tug off her t-shirt, stopping with a blush. "Uh. Hmm. Okay, I'm going to take a shower now. So you should leave. To get ready yourself." Her hair, no longer held in check by any writing instruments, was tumbling down around her face, tendrils clinging wispily to her skin.

"Yeah." She held his gaze, neither of them moving. Finally Doug cleared his throat, taking a step back. "Yeah. You're right. I'll be back here in a while."

"Okay." She watched him walk out of the room, shivering as he closed the door behind her. Her body was flushed, hot with longing, and she didn't quite understand it. She'd never looked twice at Doug during their entire time in Capeside together, not that his ultra-straight and narrow, though questionably straight, persona had encouraged it.

But now, even though she knew it was stupid for a myriad of reasons - he was a client, she was being paid to act like she loved him, it served his purpose to act like he loved her, he was rebounding hard from a relationship that ended badly - "And so on, and so on." She shook her head, smiling ruefully as she headed for the bathroom. "Besides," she reminded herself as turned on the water, stripping off her clothes as the bathroom started to swirl with steam, "no pay, no play."

The thought of Pacey made her sigh sadly, hating knowing that he was disappointed in her. He wanted her to report it, end it. He wanted her safe, which she appreciated, but he probably also wanted to tarnish his brother's reputation, which she didn't. She knew something had happened between them in the intervening years since he'd left Civilization, tried his hand at being rich and famous as a stock broker, then settled into the more carefree lifestyle he enjoyed now, and whatever camaraderie they'd had when Pacey left Capeside was gone.

Which made it very hard to figure out who was looking out for her best interests and who was looking out for their own.

"Don't be stupid, Lindley." She doused her hair with the strong spray, standing underneath it and reveling in the sensation of steaming hot water coursing down her skin. "The only person looking out for you is you."

Doug lay on his bed listening to the shower running in Jen's room. His eyes were closed, his body still. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a small smile as she started singing, and he shook his head, willing himself to get up.

His naked cock twitched slightly, reminding him that up was not a problem. Picturing her svelte curves completely naked, her entire body covered in that creamy, smooth skin that had felt so warm against his palm last night. He moaned softly and gripped the bedspread, refusing to allow himself to do what he'd stretched out on the bed wanting to do.

Well, the second thing he'd wanted to do. The first thing he'd wanted to do didn't involve the bed at all. It involved that voice drifting in toward him hitting a much more urgent and frantic note of arousal than it was currently finding in the medley of songs from Grease.

"What are you doing, Witter?" He asked himself, forcing himself to his feet

"I have a question." He looked up as Jen popped her head in the door, freezing as she saw him. Her hand reacted to the shock of seeing him naked and aroused, loosening its grip on her towel. The white material slipped to the floor and she met Doug's equally shocked eyes for the split second before they slipped down to her breasts.

"What…what question is that?" He asked, his tone strangled.

"Why did they believe you had a fiancée if you were having an affair with this lady and they knew that enough to know you could manipulate her?" Her hands fluttered nervously, unsure of which exposed body part to cover. Doug's gaze continued to linger on her breasts, his lips curving as the nipples hardened in response, the rosy skin growing darker as it tightened.

"I lied." He tried lifting his eyes to her face, but the soft swell of flesh held him enraptured, especially as he took a step forward, notching up the hitch in her breathing as he did so. "I wasn't having an affair with her."

"She said you were."

His grin widened, his curiosity, not to mention his libido, piqued at the thought that she'd checked on him. "She was very well compensated for the lie." Doug took another step forward, unable to help himself, pulled toward her by the rush of blood to his cock. "Not that it would have mattered either way."

"And why is…is that?" Jen swallowed hard, her eyes raking down Doug's bare chest to his stomach, then down the dark trail to his cock. "Exactly?"

"Because she's my sister." Doug stopped in front of her, his hand moving up to brush over her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "She was cheating on her husband and having an affair with a very bad man." His thumb moved down to her lower lip, slightly swollen from her teeth worrying it as she'd studied. Her skin was hot from her shower, still slightly damp, as were then tendrils of hair that clung wetly to her neck. "Dad and I promised not to tell her husband, or to let her name out to the press if she went along with the story."

"Oh." Her mouth closed, trapping his thumb between her lips. Her eyes were hazy with desire as she brought them to his. Their bodies were closer than he knew they should be, the heavy rise and fall of their chests treating them both to the aftershock of her nipples scraping against his chest. "I should go get ready."

"Yes," he agreed, bending down and tasting her mouth, slipping his tongue where his thumb had been, feeling the heat of her mouth surround him. The mimicked sensation made his cock jump, the tip brushing against her thigh.

Jen took a step back, panting lightly. "I'm going to go." She backed out of the room, turning to run when his voice stopped her.

"Jen?"

She glanced back over her shoulder, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "Yeah?"

He held up the white fabric that had been pooled at her feet. "You forgot your towel."

Jen leaned back against her door as she tried to catch her breath. She'd been in the shower, just enjoying the feel of the pulsing spray when the thought had popped into her head and, for reasons she didn't want to think about, she'd gotten out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her and headed to his bedroom.

She hadn't knocked, hadn't thought. Or, she admitted to herself as she pushed away from the door, maybe she had thought and done it anyway. Heading to the bathroom again, she closed the door behind her before removing the towel and staring at herself in the mirror.

Her nipples were still hard, the skin around them rosy with arousal. Her breasts felt heavy, her whole body seemed aching with longing. She leaned on the countertop, facing her reflection. "He's a client, Jen."

He'd wanted her though, she'd felt it last night and she'd certainly felt it in his bedroom. His cock had been thick and hard as it pressed against her thigh, heating her blood until she thought it was boiling. His tongue had slid over hers like velvet, smoothing into the cavern of her mouth and tasting her.

"A client." She told herself forcefully, turning away from the mirror. "He paid for you to act like his fiancée and, as much as your body might want that to mean you should be sleeping in his bed, that's the one thing he didn't pay for. So just cool your jets and get dressed and go to this damn party so he can put his hands all over you again."

She shook her head and stormed out of the bathroom, letting the door slam into the wall behind her.

Laura: 1) - Should Jen actually do the dirty deed with clients or just be an escort?
2) - Should I make them get all hot and bothered at the dinner party tonight and then have them not do anything, so they're both ripe and frustrated at the picnic, leading to big sex?
3) - Should they have sex at the picnic or after, thinking they've sucessfully managed not to give in?
4) - Should Doug find some evidence that makes him think that Jen's seeing someone else (Pacey, though Doug won't know who yet) and separates them before the end of the week?
5) - Should Doug discover it's Pacey and assume he's a client or should he see Jen out with someone else and be furious that she's continuing to do her job (assuming that she's sleeping with them) and ask her if she's sleeping with them all for free or if he was the only one?
Laura: 6) - Should Pacey be the one to reconcile Jen and Doug, thereby forcing him to deal with whatever it is that ruined their relationship?
7) - What should that thing be?
Lara: 1. Hm. I think that if she doesn't actually do it, then that'd be a good plot twist, but I don't know how real escort services work. I've always been under the impression that they're ALL secretly hooker-dealers. Hee.
Lara: 2. Uh, YEAH.
Lara: Hm, I think at would be more fun
Lara: (#3)
Laura: Well, I was thinking that since she keeps talking about how much money she owes, she could just be an escort, not graduated to the hooking aspect of it.
Lara: Ah, that definitely works
Lara: for 4, is she dating Pacey? I'm confuzzled.
Lara: 6. Yes.
Laura: 4 - no, she's not dating Pacey. They're just friends and he works there 1) for the money and 2) to protect her as much as she can, since he worries about her. But they're just good friends.
Lara: then yeah, for 4, that'd be oooh yeah to have Doug be all jealous and yummy like that. 5. I think that he should discover it's Pacey, because then Pacey can clear it up, leading to Pacey's reconciling Jen and Doug
Lara: and 7. Seeing as how the whole debacle involved their sister, I assumed that was where Pacey's anger came from
Laura: Is that too obvious though? Jen's thought made it seem like it had been going on for a while. Maybe stemming from the fact that he knew and wanted Doug to get her out of it, but he wouldn't?
Lara: That also works really well. I don't know, I like both options, so it's your call. Hee. I'm so helpful - not.
Laura: Hee.
Laura: No, you are.
Laura: Who should instigate the A) almost fucking and B) the fucking? And who should stop the A) almost fucking?
Lara: Hmmm. Which is first?
Laura: the almost
Lara: k. Hmm.
Laura: gotta run to the store. brb
Lara: If Jen stopped it, it'd be be because she's keeping him at a distance. If Doug stopped it, that'd be because in the back of his mind he's thinking about all the other guys she's fucked. So, again, your call.

5/15/03