I hold off a week, but that’s all I can do. I want to see Angel again.

Today.

Okay, fine, I want to fuck him more than anything. Seeing is a bonus, but I’ll do it in a blindfold if necessary. I just like the way my hard cock fits inside him as if he is a lock and I’m the key made just for him.

When I open the door to his office, Angel is sitting at the desk with a book in his hand. He immediately snaps it shut and sets it aside. “Hello, Garrett. Come in.”

I kiss each of his cheeks despite his insistence that he doesn’t like to be kissed. His heartbeat races and his body temperature rises whenever my lips touch his, so I know he’s just being stubborn. “You look gorgeous today.”

“Thank you.” He pulls away from me quickly and reaches for his notepad before sitting back down at the desk.

I guess we’re not using the couch today. “So, how are you doing?”

“Fine.” His tone is clipped, and I can sense his annoyance. “What would you like to talk about today?”

“What has you so upset.” It’s not a question, it’s a response. I hold his gaze, not allowing him to ignore me by looking away.

“I’m not upset, Garrett. And we’re here to talk about what you want.”

“We are.” I blow out a frustrated breath. I hope we’re not going to talk in circles for the next hour. “What I want is to hear about why you’re acting so cold. Are you mad at me?”

Angel’s shoulders relax, and his eyes soften. “A little.”

“Why?” I whisper, thinking back to my last visit. I don’t remember being rough or doing anything that could have hurt him, but maybe I did. “What did I do?”

“You talked to Mark behind my back.” He stands up and marches to the back of the room before coming back. “You might think of me as just a whore, but he’s not my pimp.”

Shit. That’s not at all what I was expecting. “Angel, please.” I stand up and pull him into my arms. He resists but doesn’t completely pull away. And after a second of me holding him against my chest, he sighs and relaxes in my arms. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just telling him how much I enjoy your company and that I’d love a more exclusive arrangement with you.”

Angel inhales deeply before shoving out of my arms. “I appreciate that, Garrett. I really do. But I already told you. I need this job right now. I need the benefits and the hours and the tips. I’m sorry, but please, let it go.”

“If this is about money, I—” He cuts me off before I can continue.

“It’s not.” He holds up his hand to stop me. “At least, not completely.”

“Then why?” I reach for his hand and am grateful when he places it in mine. “Is it me? I thought you enjoyed our time together, but if you don’t, I won’t continue to bother you.”

“It’s not you.” He closes his eyes and tilts his head back. “You’re my favorite client. But I have other responsibilities to consider, and I can’t let this opportunity pass. It’s not exactly the kind of job you can come back to when you’re fifty.”

“Well, you probably could…” I give his hand a squeeze.

Angel smiles but doesn’t look at me. “You know what I mean. If I do this now, I can set up my family—my whole colony—for the future. That’s what I need to do.”

I don’t understand what he’s talking about. He’s not making any sense. “How is that any different from what I’m offering, other than the fact that you’d only be with me? You wouldn’t have to deal with several different clients all day. Everything else would be the same. You can choose your hours, and I’ll provide full benefits under one of my other companies. Whatever you need is yours.”

“Because being exclusive would be too close to being real,” Angel whispers and finally meets my gaze. “It’s easy to stay disconnected from my clients because they come and go and there are no real feelings involved. But if it’s just you…”

“What?” I really thought he was attracted to me, but it seems less and less likely with every word he says. “You just said I’m your favorite. I don’t understand.”

“Don’t make me say it, Garrett.” He covers his face with his palms and turns away. “Let’s just get your session started.”

“Not a chance.” I reach for his wrists and gently pull them away from his face. “Say it.”

Angel’s cheeks are pink as he looks at me with devastated eyes. “If it’s just you, I’ll probably do something stupid like fall in love. And that’ll just hurt too much when it’s all over. I’m not strong enough for that right now. I need to just go to work and collect a paycheck. No emotions attached.” He smiles sadly. “And I don’t think I can do that with you.”

Again, not at all what I was expecting to hear. But his insight is just further proof that he’s smarter than the average man. He knows himself well enough to not trust that he can stay detached…and he knows me well enough to know I’m not mate material.

I might like the idea of a boyfriend experience with him. It would be short term and distant, but it wouldn’t be a real relationship at all. I have no interest in that. My life is too hectic, and my businesses are too important. This development project with Finn will take all my time for the next eight months. Other than a quick fuck now and then and a lot of compensation, I don’t have anything more to offer a man like Angel.

“Fair enough.” I scoot back to put some space between us. “I respect your decision, and I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you.” Angel looks genuinely relieved that we’re moving on from the topic. “Can we get to the good stuff now?”

I smirk and loosen the tie around my neck. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Despite starting off somewhat awkwardly, Angel is a consummate professional and fucks me like there’s nowhere else in the world he’d rather be. And despite my reluctance to ever be in a real relationship, I have to admit that there’s nowhere I’d rather be either.

Over the next several weeks, I try to stay busy on my own projects and avoid going back to visit Angel. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable, and I don’t want to torture myself with the knowledge that I can only have a small part of him…after several other men have had him first.

In fact, I wouldn’t have any reason to see him at all, if not for running into him at a fundraising auction for the children’s center for performing arts. I’ve been a supporting member for over ten years, and I’ve never seen Angel at an event in the past. But when I step away from some of my partners from a startup I’m invested in, there he is.

Sitting at a table next to a young boy and a beautiful woman.

“Long time, no see.”

I turn and see Syrus James at my side. He’s a friend who I met through Mark. Syrus represented me when I broke away from my pack down in Southern California. My wolf needed power that he couldn’t get in a pack full of other strong alphas, so I needed to go on my own for a while. “Hey, Syrus. How are you?”

Syrus shakes my outstretched hand and pats my opposite shoulder. “I’m well, Garrett. How are you?”

“Good. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, and for good reason.” He laughs, resting his thumb on his jaw and covering his mouth with his forefinger. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since CES last year.”

I groan quietly at the unwelcomed memory. “I thought we agreed to never mention CES.”

Syrus holds in a smile as he slides his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, that was a fun night.”

I don’t remember much of what happened on the last night of the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, but I was there with my venture capital team. Syrus came as a guest to our hospitality suite after the show. There were drugs and strippers and so much alcohol I couldn’t remember where I was when I woke up the next day. Or why there was a kitten tattooed on my ass. I still never got the story on that, but I had the tattoo removed as soon as I got home from my trip.

“That your table?” My eyes are still glued to Angel, but I’m curious about the people he’s sitting with.”

“Yes, that’s my fiancée, Emily. You should come meet her.”

“I’d like that.” I follow Syrus to his table and wink when Angel recognizes me.

His eyes move from me to Syrus, silently questioning us about how we know each other.

“Garrett Madison, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Emily White.”

I reach for Emily’s hand and brush a soft kiss over her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure.”

Emily’s blue eyes sparkle, and I can see why Syrus is so smitten with her. “The pleasure’s mine, Mr. Madison.”

“Please, call me Garrett. Syrus and I go way back. No need for formalities among friends.”

Syrus pulls Emily to his side then gestures to Angel. “And this is her best friend, Andre Pavel. Andre, this is Garrett Madison.”

“Andre.” I reach for his shoulders and pull him in for a kiss on the cheek. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Hi, Garrett.” He’s a little stiff, as if he’s not sure how to react to me.

I hate that.

“How do you…” Emily starts to ask but then quickly realizes the connection. “Oh, okay.”

“Yeah.” Angel gives her a shy smile, confirming his friend’s suspicion.

I can’t help but notice the child is leaning toward Angel. “And who is this little man?”

Angel practically shakes himself back into the conversation. “Oh, sorry. This is my nephew, Henry. He’s living with me for a while.”

Interesting. Now all his hesitation about working nights and weekends makes a lot more sense. I extend my hand to Henry, gently shaking his. “It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”

His grip is firm, as firm it can be for a young boy. “Nice to meet you.”

I glance at the three open seats at the table. “May I join you?”

“Of course.” Emily points to the seat next to Henry. “My brother is sitting there, but those seats are open.”

“Excellent.” I pull out the chair across from Emily and have a seat, carefully watching Angel’s reaction.

He’s clearly uncomfortable with my presence, but I don’t know if it’s because of the conversation we had when I last saw him or if there’s something between him and the brother that I’m intruding on.

Either way, I can’t exactly walk away now, so I spread my napkin on my lap and try to ignore the surge of energy I suddenly feel in my bones. Part of me wants to flee the scene, but I have a much bigger urge to pull Angel into my arms.

This was probably a bad idea.

“Have you bid on anything, Garrett?” Angel asks, trying to make conversation.

“A few things, but they’re just a few token bids to get the auction started. If I don’t win anything substantial, I’ll show my support through a direct donation. What about you?”

Henry grins widely and looks up at his uncle, waiting for him to respond.

Angel wraps his arm around the boy’s shoulder and pulls him to his side. “Yes, we did, but I explained to Henry that lots of people are still bidding, so we might not win anything tonight.” He looks down at his nephew. “You understand that, right? There’s only one of each prize and lots of people are placing bids them. So only the last person who bids the highest amount will get it.”

Henry’s grin fades, but he nods his head. “Yes. I know we might not get anything.”

“What did you bid on?” The thought of this child walking out of here without whatever he seems so excited about is heartbreaking.

Angel also seems sad that he has to force such disappointment on his nephew, but he’s handling it well. “There’s an overnight stay in the aquarium and a painting party for his entire class. We put bids on both, but I don’t know how it’ll turn out.”

I notice Emily giving a pointed look at Syrus and he subtly nods. I’m guessing he has the same idea in mind that I have. “Well, we’ll just have to wait until the end of the night to find out who the winner is.”

Henry nods vigorously. “Yeah, but I hope it’s us.”

A man suddenly appears to my right and pulls out the chair beside me before dropping into it, placing a plate full of fruit and treats in front of Henry. “Jesus, those people are ruthless. I barely got out of there with all my fingers.”

Henry giggles as he reaches for a chocolate-dipped strawberry. “Thank you, Uncle Eli.”

“Anytime, buddy.” The man ruffles Henry’s hair before turning toward me. “Hey, man. I’m Eli White.”

“Good to meet you, Eli. I’m Garrett Madison, a friend of Syrus.”

“Oh, cool.” He turns to Syrus and shrugs. “Syrus is a good guy.”

Emily scoffs. “Oh, come on. You know you have a crush on my future husband. Just admit it.”

Syrus smiles and shakes his head while Eli mumbles choice words at his sister before Angel kicks him under the table to shut him up.

“Not in front of Henry, please.”

Henry chimes in at the mention of his name. “It’s okay, Uncle Andre. I know all those words already.”

Andre just rolls his eyes. “Well, just like how you’re not allowed to say them, you don’t need to hear them.”

The salad course interrupts the conversation, giving us all a welcome respite from the bickering.

As soon as everyone digs into their food, I thumb out a text to Melissa, one of my assistants who is volunteering at the auction table.  Who has the winning bids on the aquarium overnight stay and the classroom painting party?

A moment later, Melissa responds. Eli White is hugely in the lead for both. Do you want to bid?

I glance at the man sitting beside me and wonder just what his interest in Angel really is. No, unless someone else outbids him. If so, double their bid. But if Eli stays in the top slot, leave it be.