Joe stared at the door before him, a bitter taste in his mouth. He grimaced when Ethan’s face flashed in front of his eyes.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. He’ll kill me if he finds out.

Two hours had passed since Eveline had called him, alarm raising the pitch of her voice as she told him hastily of the escort who’d just bailed out on her and begged him for his help.

“I’m sorry about this, Joe,” Eveline had blurted out. “You know I don’t normally ask you to do this kind of stuff anymore, but I’m desperate here. This client has the power to crush my business and I’ve got no one else in my books who fits his demands.” She’d hesitated for a couple of seconds. “Besides, he just wants to be dominated. There’s no sex involved, so this will be a walk in the park for you.”

Although Joe had seriously wanted to refuse her request, he owed Eveline too much to say no. It was only after he’d reluctantly agreed to bail her out that she’d sent him the details of the meetup. Joe’s eyes had widened when he’d seen the name of the hotel.

It was the most expensive place in Tokyo, with the cheapest rooms costing upward from six hundred dollars a night. The key card he now held in his hand was for the two-grand-a-night penthouse suite, which he’d gained access to via a private elevator on the tenth floor.

Joe closed his eyes and dropped his forehead against the door’s cool wooden surface.

She’s a friend. Ethan will have to understand if he finds out. Besides, things aren’t exactly going well for us right now.

It had been a month since Ethan’s stalker had attacked and almost killed him.

The gut-wrenching remorse Joe had experienced on that day had still not faded, nor had his fear of what would have happened to Ethan had he not reached that alley at the time that he did. If anything, those bitter feelings only resurfaced afresh every time Joe looked at Ethan.

Joe knew he’d failed Ethan. Knew he’d failed to keep his promise to the young man who had slowly and insistently wormed his way inside his heart. Knew he’d failed to keep the person he cherished the most in this world safe.

Though Ethan had tried to talk to Joe on countless occasions since that day, his green eyes bereft of the accusation Joe felt he justly deserved, Joe had been unable to oblige him.

Joe didn’t think he could stop himself from kissing Ethan if they were on their own again. Joe knew he definitely wouldn’t be able to stop himself from touching Ethan if that were to happen. And he was scared out of his mind at the thought of ever taking Ethan to bed.

Joe didn’t want to hurt Ethan. Didn’t want to break him. And he feared he would do just that if he gave in to the burning desire that now consumed him whenever they breathed the same air.

It took nearly losing Ethan for Joe to finally acknowledge just how much the cocky, green-eyed bartender had come to mean to him. How much he needed him. How much he craved not only Ethan’s sinfully gorgeous body, but his beautiful heart and his bright soul.

Which made what he was about to do all that much harder to swallow.

Just get this shit over with and get a cab back to Saron. At least Ethan’s not working tonight.

Joe frowned.

And Eveline owes me BIG time for this.

He straightened the cuff links of his blue Prada suit, steeled himself, and slipped the key card in the lock.

The suite was as stunning as he’d expected it to be, the glass wall spanning its length and width offering a staggering vista over the brightly lit city fifteen floors below.

Muted lighting softened the sleek lines of modern furniture dotting the dining area ahead, the amber beams sparkling off the well-stocked bar to his right. Joe strolled through and entered a large living space. A king-size bed dominated the sumptuous bedroom visible through the open doorway on the other side of the wooden floor. Joe caught a glimpse of a luxurious, glass walk-in shower and a hot tub overlooking Tokyo beyond it.

His gaze swung to the figure sitting on the couch to his left.

The man sat unmoving in a pool of shadows, his face and the lines of his body obscured, the background light from the city glancing off the tumbler in his hand.

God, I sure hope he doesn’t want me to stick my dick in him ’cause I don’t think I’ll be able to get hard.

There was only one guy who’d had Joe’s cock stiff and throbbing in the last year. And that guy was the one person he would never touch.

Joe allowed his lips to curve into a small smile, wishing it didn’t come across as stiff as it felt. Eveline had told him the client wanted to remain anonymous.

“Hi there. I’m from Le Se—”

The man suddenly leaned forward. His glass clinked when he put it down heavily on the side table next to him. He bowed his head and dropped his face in his hands.

“Thank God,” he whispered. “I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Joe froze. He knew that voice. Would have known it if he were blind.

“Ethan?” he said incredulously. He crossed the floor to a lamp and flicked the switch.

The shadows fled. The man sitting on the couch became visible.

“Ethan?!”

Ethan smiled tremulously and rose to his feet. He was dressed in a gunmetal-gray Louis Vuitton suit that hugged his body in all the right places, his crisp white shirt and green tie highlighting his stunning eyes.

“What the—” Joe stopped and scowled when he realized he’d been royally played.

He gritted his teeth, his emotions vacillating between shock and anger as he considered the man watching him from a few feet away. He froze when he suddenly registered the tremors running through Ethan’s hands and body.

Joe’s breath caught in his throat in the next instant. He blinked slowly, awareness striking him with the force of a speeding train and causing his heart to clench painfully.

He finally understood what this was.

What this beautiful man was trying to say to him.

This was Ethan surrendering himself to Joe, body and soul. Asking him not to be afraid. Telling him that he wanted this as badly as Joe did.

Begging him to take a chance on them.

Joe stared at Ethan for a timeless moment, his gaze searching the soulful green eyes that had filled his dreams for the last month. No, for the past year. He saw only love and hope there. And a sliver of nervousness that made his cock twitch.

Joe closed his eyes and groaned internally.

I give in.

The moment he thought those words, Joe sensed a huge weight drop off his shoulders. He opened his eyes and studied Ethan once more.

For the first time in weeks, Joe felt like he could breathe again. Felt like he could risk taking that chance he didn’t dare take before.

Felt like he could finally touch this man like he’d been dying to do.

“Um, Joe?” Ethan said hesitantly, his fingers clenching by his sides.

Joe walked slowly over to the side table and lifted Ethan’s glass to his mouth. He took a sip and savored the fine Scotch while he debated how much longer he would tease the young man before admitting the staggering conclusion he had just reached.

“Nice,” Joe murmured. He licked his lips.

Ethan’s gaze dropped to Joe’s mouth, a moth to a flame. He swallowed hard, desire flashing in his emerald eyes.

“Look, I know you’re angry right now,” he started falteringly, “but this was the only—”

“Shut up, Mr. Client.” Joe put the glass down and hooked a finger through the knot of Ethan’s tie. He ignored his muttered protest and tugged him across the living space and through the open doorway into the bedroom at the far end. “Let’s move to the main event, shall we?”

Joe grabbed Ethan’s shoulder and shoved him gently toward the bed.