I set Hunter Underwood’s crisp business card on the table and stared at it, silently wondering how long I would have to wait until I could call him. Three days? That was the rule, right?

On the other side of the room was Sawyer, and he was staring at me, arms crossed. He stayed silent the entire ride home from the jail, but I had a feeling he was going to ream me for fucking things up.

“I know what you’re going to say, Sawyer, and I’m sorry,” I said.

Slowly, Sawyer walked toward the large windows and stared down at the block below. “Sorry doesn’t cut it. They’re trying to force us out, Matthew.”

I grabbed Hunter’s business card and quickly pocketed it before he turned back around. “Who are?” I asked him.

Sawyer walked over to me and sat down. He was pissed, but I could tell that worse things were on his mind. “Never mind,” he said, voice low.

“Tell me,” I said. “I know I got into some trouble, and it’s going to be a hassle, but I can figure out a way to make things right.”

Sawyer closed his eyes for a brief moment before responding. The hard work of owning a bar in Brooklyn was starting to get to him. Shit, it was getting to all of us, but we had to keep going. Even though money was tight, we couldn’t give up on the Sixty-Six Bar. It was the only home we knew.

“We owe too much debt these days, Matthew. You knew that before you ran down to join that monster, Tyler,” he said.

There was no point in disagreeing with my brother on that. Tyler was the biggest turd I knew, and it was his fault I ended up in that jail cell in the first place. He couldn’t even be bothered to help out an injured friend.

“Christopher wanted to meet up,” I said. “It was stupid. I know that now, so you don’t have to rub it in my face.”

But that’s what brothers are there for.

“Great. I’d have no problem if you had the party upstate. Hell, you could have even gone to Rhode Island for the weekend and spent a few nights in a nice bed and breakfast like a trio of normal people. Instead, you called them down to the city. You knew that Tyler would run wild. He doesn’t understand how things go down here,” Sawyer said.

I laughed, but I could barely focus on my brother’s words. I had my mind set on Hunter again, and I couldn’t stop the illicit pictures from running in my head.

Hunter was rough around the edges, but soft enough to keep me wondering. I kept asking myself questions like how big was his cock? Or, how deep did he go when he gave head? I bet he treated his boyfriends like princes.

“Tyler saw someone hitting on me,” I said. “It gave him an excuse to throw a few punches.”

I left out the rest of the story. I couldn’t have my brother asking any more questions about the night. I was old enough to handle my shit, but that didn’t matter to my family. To Sawyer, I’d always be his little brother, and he sure as hell wouldn’t approve of another guy offering me money for my company.

I, on the other hand, was feeling curious. Not to mention, I needed some extra cash.

Sawyer stopped himself from looking morose. “Tyler really did that?”

I nodded my head and blushed. “It was pretty embarrassing. It felt like the entire stretch of Times Square saw it happen,” I said.

“He’s always been a loose cannon,” Sawyer said. “So, this guy you flirted with… That’s his business card you’ve been staring at so intensely, right? He must be hot.”

I felt the sharp edges of his card inside my pocket. Talking about guys with Sawyer wasn’t something I enjoyed doing. He was my older brother, but we didn’t have the chance to bond like most kids did growing up.

Sawyer left home at a young age, so there was a vast blank slate of time away from our family. I didn’t blame him for leaving anymore—our parents had a fair share of problems, and he had to make a go at life. Still, it was hard as hell, and it took a lot of pushing from his end to bring us back together.

“He’s mega-hot,” I said. “Very insistent.”

Sawyer kept his smile on his face, but he was in his thirties now, and he still worried about me.“Well, be safe. The city is full of creepers. Don’t let yourself fall into a trap,” he said.

I promised him that I wouldn’t. I was quicker than he thought, and no man was going to screw me over. After assuring my brother that I’d be a careful little angel, I went over the sales receipts. The wholesale prices were on our side, but we weren’t hitting our quota of sales. It wasn’t looking good, but we had to stay positive. We’d see more traffic once the tourists flew in for the holiday season.

Behind me, I heard the front door creak open. Theo and Sawyer’s husband, Marcus walked inside, holding the updated inventory list. “Hey, guys,” I said without looking up. “Got the inventory for me?”

Theo had always been supportive of me down to the first paycheck he sent my way. Before he knew a thing about me, he took me in and housed my sorry ass. He taught me the way of the city, and eventually, I became fairly self-sufficient. I owed these people a lot.

Holding the sheet of papers above my head, Theo frowned and forced me to stand on the front end of my toes to read them.

“Come on. Do you want me to do my job or not?” I asked, finally grabbing them out of his hands.

“Sure. Just don’t get yourself arrested along the way,” Theo said with a wink.

Marcus laughed and set a few groceries down on the counter. “Oh, stop being mean to him. He had a rough night. He’s paid for his crimes.”

“Not yet, he hasn’t,” Sawyer said. “He’s got a court date set in stone, and we have zero money to pay for the lawyers.”

In a rush to start working, I walked toward the front door. Before I could leave, I turned and said, “I’ll convince Tyler to take the blame.”

“He won’t do it,” Sawyer replied.

I knew this would turn into a longer discussion than necessary, so I quickly snuck out the front and jumped into my car, revving the old engine loudly. I loved driving in the city because it felt like a privilege, but today, I was set on making the rounds quick so I could go home and relax early.

I drove to the warehouse and greeted the supplier’s son, Jackie, in the back, as his workers opened the large rolling gates. I had a few crates to pick up for the week.

“Matthew. Everything holding up?” Jackie asked.

“It’s holding up,” I said. “Listen, I wanted to discuss the shipments this week. I was wondering if we could knock a few cases off the order.”

I felt my chest tighten almost immediately after I said those words. The Sixty-Six Bar had been doing business with these wholesalers for years now, but they weren’t people to sidestep.

Jackie smiled, but he wasn’t budging. “My father would lose his shit if the numbers were off. If it’s on the order sheet, it’s goin’ in,” he said.

I frowned and nodded my head. From time to time, it was my job to negotiate, but everyone on this block was having money troubles. Rent prices in the city were on a sharp rise.

I helped grab a case of beer and put it on the dolly in front of me. “It’s okay, Jackie. No problem at all.” I forced a smile.

Jackie helped me with another case, but when he told the other workers to head back inside, I could see that something was on his mind.

Running his fingers under his overalls, he looked down at the cement. “You sure everything is okay?” he asked.

I leaned against my car and held my tongue. Our money trouble was precisely that. Our problem. Whatever issues we had, we could deal with them ourselves.

“Come on, Jackie. Why are you hassling me today?” I asked.

“My dad was saying some shit earlier about money. You’re behind on payments,” he said.

I nodded and inhaled sharply. “Yeah. It’s been tight, but we have some events coming up. We’ll make up the difference.”

Jackie smiled and hugged me. “No worries. I believe in you guys even if my father doesn’t.”

He was a nice guy, but his dad was a tough son of a bitch. I was glad he wasn’t on shift today, or I wouldn’t have heard the end of it.

Waving his workers forward, Jackie had them unload the crates into the vehicle.

“I’ll see you in a few days, Jackie,” I said.

I got in the car and shut the door, waiting for the workers to roll the gate closed. Flipping the switch on my stereo, I flipped to track three on my favorite Led Zeppelin album, Since I’ve Been Loving You. I leaned the chair back and smiled, closing my eyes.

The heavy and downtempo drumbeat sent me into a relaxed daze, and when that wailing guitar rang out against the organ, I felt the coldness of life flow through my body.

I needed something else. Someone to hold me, maybe. But there was more. I needed someone to love me, and I wasn’t sure this Hunter guy was going to end up being the guy to do that. He seemed passionate enough, but how much of that was a careless act?

Zeppelin rang out, “Since I’ve been loving you, I’m about to lose to my worried mind.”

Turning down the stereo volume, I opened my eyes again and pulled out my phone. I glanced at the screen and started to dial Tyler’s number. I’d be free to daydream about Hunter’s strong arms and daring smile later. Right now, I needed to get to the bottom of my court case.

When Tyler answered the phone, all that left his mouth was a shallow, “Hey.”

I shook my head and angrily clenched my fist. Sawyer was so right. Why did I risk everything for one night?

“I was expecting a little more than a hey,” I said. “You want to talk about the other night?”

Tyler stayed silent for a brief moment, but when he was ready to piss me off, he said, “What’s there to talk about? I got away. You didn’t.”

With Tyler, I couldn’t hold my tongue. This was an issue of friendship, and it was clear that ours had run its course. “If you’re not going to come forward and tell the cops it was you, you can help me with my legal fees.”

No, I wasn’t playing around anymore.

Tyler issued a sharp laugh. “Like fucking hell. I can barely afford a beef on weck,” he said.

My heart rate was starting to speed up. I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against the steering wheel. “So, that’s it? You’re just going to let me hang in the rain to dry?” I asked him.

“It’s nothing personal, Matthew. We all played a part in what happened that night, and I can’t afford any lawyer fees,” he said.

Without warning, I hung up the phone and clenched it inside of my palm. Repositioning my seat, I turned the key in the ignition and sped to my house, a few miles to the south in Bed-Stuy. I could unload the carts later when I felt up to the job.

Fighting to hold back the aggression, I walked toward the front porch of the old brick building. No, things weren’t going my way, but I wasn’t going to solve it by sulking. There were things to look forward to such as… well, Hunter.

Walking up the steps of my porch, I saw a big, assuming object, strategically placed in front of my door. “What the hell?”

I stooped down to see it better, and I felt my stomach jitter with butterfly wings. It was a giant-sized plush bear, and around its neck was a silver choker with a golden lock in the center.

“Oh my God.”

A smile pushed against my face, daring me to fall into something faster than I thought I would. Next to the bear was a card. I unfolded it and started to read.

Daddy. Oh, Jesus. What had I gotten myself into? I scrolled to the bottom of the handwritten letter.

I unlocked the necklace from around the bear’s neck and held up the silver to the light. There, engraved in the center of the lock were my initials. The words “My Pet” was inscribed on the other side.

Unsure, I bit my lip and positioned the necklace around my neck until it clicked into place. It was a perfect fit.

If Sawyer or anyone I knew drove by and saw me holding a giant, fluffy bear doll, I’d get ridiculed for days. I quickly opened the door and walked up the endless flight of stairs.

Once I reached the eighth floor, I unlocked my door and reached inside my pocket, feeling the sharp edges of Hunter’s business card drag across my fingers. I had to call him.

One ring was all it took to get Hunter to answer the phone. “Hey, I got your gifts,” I said, smiling.

I held my breath and walked into my room, sitting down on the plush, baby-blue bed.

“You deserve more than that, sweetie-pie,” he said. “Have you thought more about the offer?”

I swallowed, feeling the quick heat of anticipation flood my cheeks. On the one hand, this was sounding hotter and hotter each day. I could have used some fun nights to counter the days running errands for the bar.

However, once you take somebody’s money, you become attached to that person in negative ways. As much as Hunter Underwood excited me, I didn’t know the guy, and it was a tough sell. If he wanted me, he’d have to really go out of his way to prove it.

“I’ve thought about it,” I admitted.

“And?”

The silence between us was deafening. “And, I think I need to see you a few times before I make up my mind,” I said.

He didn’t speak, but I could hear the light footsteps from his dress shoes echo in a building, probably walking around in one of his large properties. I saw the imprint on the card: Hunter Underwood, Entrepreneur. That meant big money.

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” he muttered.

I smiled, but there was a part of my brain telling me not to trust him. It was unlike me, but it was there, nonetheless.

“I’m sorry, daddy,” I whispered.

“What was that?” he asked. I could envision his harsh and devious grin, eyes begging me to let him taste me.

Clearing my throat, I made sure to say the words louder and clearer. “I’m sorry. Daddy.”

“That’s a good boy,” he said.

Wrapping my arms around the plush bear, I smiled and laid back against my soft mattress. As time passed, the idea became more natural, and it didn’t take much for me to fall into the role.

In a soothing voice, I calmed his nerves. “I can be good, daddy. I promise.”

“You should get some rest. It’s a substantial proposition. Fifty-thousand dollars isn’t easy to come by these days,” he said.

My jaw dropped open, but I managed to keep my cool. “Wait,” I said.

“Yes, pumpkin?”

My mind went back to the money. Suddenly, the air around me felt very thick. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I want you to bend me over your lap, daddy,” I said. “And when you’re ready to take me to bed, I want you to roll down the back of my pajamas. I want you to feel how soft my ass is in your palms. I want you to feel how excited you can make me.”

It was almost like my mouth had a mind of its own. The words just came barreling out without any filter. Without replying, I could hear the sound of his pants unzipping. Then, the rushed breathing of a man overcome by desire.

“Keep talking, pumpkin,” he said. “Make daddy cum.”

Quickly, I sat up on my bed and imagined his body and hard cock, firmly rooted in his palm. He was probably so frustrated with work that he had to let off some steam. I licked my bottom lip and moaned.

“I want to feel your warm lips kiss my cheeks. I want you to taste me,” I said.

Was he throbbing right now? There was no doubt in my mind. He wanted me. Bad.

“Oh, fuck. Honey, you’re going to make me blow my load,” he hissed.

“I want to be there with you,” I blurted out.

“Does it turn you on acting submissive for your daddy?” he asked.

“Who said it was an act?”

He groaned from the back of his throat. “Baby, I’m cumming. I’m fucking cumming…”

When he shot his load, the pleasure came bursting out like a thunderous roar. With sharp breaths in and some hasty moans out, he came back to reality.

“That was wonderful, kitten,” he whispered, voice shallow.

Well, it was over. I made him cum, and now I felt kinda… icky. “I have to go, Hunter,” I said.

I hung up the phone.

As hot as that was, I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. On the phone, I could pretend I was someone different. Face to face, I’d feel too embarrassed.

Yet, a part of me remained curious…

I had a major problem on my hand, and it wasn’t my hard-on. It was daddy. I didn’t want to let him down.

Uh-oh.