David Gage Donnelly.

Gage’s picture stared back at me — and no, it wasn’t the least bit horrid, damn him — but that wasn’t the name he’d given me.

He hadn’t wanted to give me his real name, which made perfect sense if he were truly planning to ditch me as soon as the novelty wore off.

What a dick.

Why did that bug me so bad?

It was better this way, I tried to tell myself. No entanglements, he’d said. With a fake name, I wouldn’t have been able to find him on social media, not because he wasn’t a fan like he’d claimed but because Gage Rochester doesn’t fucking exist.

And who picks a name like that? Pretentious as fuck, if you ask me.

David Donnelly had a better ring to it, honestly.

But he didn’t actually look like a David.

Was I more incensed that he’d given me a fake name or that the fake name was just proof that I truly wasn’t anything special aside from what was between my thighs?

He had truly just bought me for exactly what he’d said — a plaything.

I guess he hadn’t lied.

How sad was it that I sorta, wished he had?

“What are you doing?”

Gage’s voice at my back caused me to fumble his wallet like a third string quarterback, making it impossible to hide what I’d been doing.

So I didn’t hide.

“Snooping through your wallet,” I answered boldly, daring to meet his gaze in the moonlight. “Nice to meet you David.”

Gage bent to pick up his wallet and return it to the dresser. “Come back to bed,” he said as if my discovery meant nothing.

I didn’t budge. I held my ground, though why I wasn’t sure. None of this really mattered, right? I was his plaything, not his partner. A fake name, a fake job, fake whatever didn’t matter as long as the money was real.

A horrifying through ripped through my bruised ego. What if he hadn’t actually deposited the money? I assumed he had because he’d made a grand production out of it at the bar but I hadn’t had a chance to check my bank app to see if it truly had landed.

“What else have you lied about?” I asked.

He sighed in irritation. “Really? It’s three in the morning. Can’t this conversation wait until morning?”

“Technically, it is morning.” I shrugged coldly. “So…what else have you lied about?”

“What does it matter?” he countered, his tone matching mine. “I paid for your company, not your approval.”

“Who is David Donnelly?” I asked, his gaze narrowing at my use of his true name. “Are you a con artist or something?”

“Just because I didn’t share my true identity, doesn’t mean I’m conning you. You already saw half the money delivered. The other half will follow by the end of the day.” He paused, then with a small shake of his head, grabbed his phone. With a sharp swiping motion, he said, “There. The rest of the money is there. Now you can stop being an accusatory shrew over nothing.”

I glared but I logged into my banking app. It took a moment but when the balance popped up, I tried not to swallow my tongue. I don’t think my bank balance had ever reflected that money all at once.

“Satisfied?” Gage asked, his tone curt. When I nodded, he returned to the bed, conversation over, except to add, “Don’t call me David. I don’t answer to that name any longer” before turning on his side and shutting me out completely as I had suddenly turned invisible.

“I’m not an accusatory shrew. I just don’t like being lied to,” I muttered, caught between wanting to shake him awake and climbing back into the bed and forgetting about it all because, like he said, it didn’t matter.

But it did fucking matter!

Answers would have to wait, though. Gage was already out, sleeping like a goddamn baby, not a care in the world, whereas I was twisting in on myself.

I stomped to Gage and shook him hard. “Oh no, if I can’t sleep, you can’t either.” I didn’t care that I was breaking the rules between us. I needed answers and I wasn’t going to stop until I had them.

Gage rubbed at his eyes with a frown as I stood over him, probably looking like a crazed bitch with an agenda but I didn’t care.

To be honest, I think I cared too much and maybe that was driving me to be reckless but I didn’t have the time to question my actions — I’d already lit the fuse.

Gage clicked the bedside lamp. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I’m tired and I want to get some sleep. I told you, we can talk later.”

“And I said, no, I want to talk now. You might be accustomed to people bowing and scraping to meet your every need but fucccck thaaaat, buddy, I’m not that kind of girl. Hello, remember me? The feisty one? Yeah, still here.”

Gage scooted to a sitting position, the blanket falling to the side, revealing a thick, muscled thigh. I purposefully dragged my gaze away. “Start talking,” I told him, folding my arms across my chest.

“Or what?” he asked, a coldly amused smirk on his lips. “Sorry…but you don’t have any leverage. First rule of business, babe, know your opponent’s weakness.”

“Do you get off manipulating people?” I said, frustrated that I wasn’t able to get to him the way he got to me. “How fucked up are you that you have to use people to get what you want?”

“Pretty fucked up, I think that was already established when I paid to fuck you raw,” he said easily, not the least bit ashamed or bothered. God, that spoke volumes, didn’t it? “Let’s get down to brass tacks, Pet, so I can go back to sleep. What’s really pissing you off? So, I didn’t tell you my name? Why would I? I never promised you honesty, never promised anything aside from money, which I’ve paid as agreed. So what’s your problem? Have I not fucked you well enough?”

My cheeks burned. Obviously, that wasn’t the problem. “I don’t like being lied to.”

Gage yawned. “Yeah, well, I didn’t see the point in sharing my identity when I knew this little adventure would end by morning.”

I tried not to wince when my ego took the hit but I was already bruised and Gage had just round-house kicked a tender spot.

I blinked back tears, more mad at myself than him. “I want to go home,” I said hotly, wiping at my eyes. “I’m done with this game of yours.”

“You’re not done until I say so,” he reminded me, springing from the bed faster than I could process in my state of mind. He pulled me into his arms and I immediately tried to push him away but his arms were like steel bands around me, saying, “You’re breaking the rules, baby girl.”

“I don’t want to play anymore,” I cried, hating that I wanted more from this man than he was willing to offer but I doubly hated that I’d fallen so fast and hard for a complete stranger. “It’s not okay to fuck with people’s emotions and I’m not cut out for this type of bullshit. Go find yourself a real hooker who won’t ask questions or care.”

“I didn’t want a hooker,” he said, sealing his mouth to mine. Why not, you made me into one, I wanted to shout but his tongue was sliding against mine, melting my argument as easily as my bones. “I wanted you.”

Something about his tone struck a chord and I knew he hadn’t meant to reveal so much. As if needing to distract me from his admission, his touch became more urgent as he swept me off my feet, carrying me back to bed.

I wanted to protest, to hold my ground, but I couldn’t. Gage’s mouth was already traveling down my belly, nipping at the sensitive skin until he settled between my thighs, tasting and feasting until I was shaking and moaning, ready to break apart.

But he stopped short of me cumming. “Not yet, baby,” he said, flipping me over to my belly and pulling my hips toward him. My eyes squeezed shut as he pushed himself deep inside me, his cock filling me so completely in this position. I groaned as he gripped my hips, each thrust gaining in savagery as he fucked me.

“You’re mine,” he bit out, his voice a strained growl. I clutched at the bedding, the only sound able to escape my parted lips was a breathy cry as my thwarted orgasm began to build again. “Jesus, Mari,” he groaned before losing control, his hips flexing spastically as he poured himself into me. I followed a heartbeat later, shattering into tiny pieces, sobbing into the bedding as my body pulsed with each wave of pleasure.

This time when Gage rolled over and pulled me with him, tucking me into his arms, I went without protest. I told myself I was too weak but that wasn’t the truth.

Lord help me, in his arms felt like home.