“That the guy you set Josie to watch?” Adam asks, lounging his slender body against the wall beside me, a lit cig between his lips. He shoves white-blond hair from his face and fixes his icy-blue gaze on me. “That Ryan guy.”

“Raine.” I speak his name automatically, and then what Adam says sinks in. “He’s here?”

“Dude, he’s staring at us. Is he turning into a regular?”

“Nah.” I pass a hand over my hair, lick my lips. Do my best not to glance in the direction Adam is looking. “Is he coming this way?”

“Yeah. Oh boy, he’s hot. Mind if I take a turn with him?”

Irrational anger sparks deep inside of me. “Fuck off.”

“I thought you were avoiding him.”

I clench my fists and don’t answer, because yeah, I’ve been avoiding Raine, but…

Guy’s damn persistent, coming around in the evenings just to check on me, bring me a bagel and coffee in the morning. This has been going on for almost a week now, and I don’t know what he’s up to. It’s suspicious.

But I find myself smiling as he approaches. Jesus, Jason. Get a grip.

“Jase.” His deep blue eyes sweep over me, lingering on my face, then my chest, then my package. I wonder if he realizes what he’s doing. “What’s up?”

“You tell me.” I nod at his crotch and lift a brow.

He frowns at me, then glances down at himself, and blushes.

He actually blushes. If he hadn’t pinned me like that in the shower the other night and jacked us off together, I’d swear the man is a virgin. “What?” he mutters.

“How’s it hanging?” I smirk at him, and notice the bulge in his pants growing larger.

Oh yeah, he’s definitely rocking a boner. From checking me out, or was he thinking of me as he drove over here?

That’s a heady thought, and predictably, pressure starts gathering in my balls, my dick starting to stir. That rare rush of pleasure always startles me, and I lean back against the graffiti-covered wall to recover my cool.

I know he wants me. He never pretended otherwise, never tried to hide his reaction. I get lust. When he’s looking at me like this, we’re speaking the same language. This, his hard dick, his flushed face, his arousal, I can understand. I know what to do with it.

“I just came by to see how you’re doing,” he says, jamming his hands in his pants pockets.

Too late to hide that monster erection, though.

“Ah huh. I’m fine.” Bruises are fading. Thanks to Raine’s morning offerings and a burger I managed to grab at midday, I’m stable. Simon and his men haven’t shown their faces these past few days, and I try not to think of the white powder, and of the payment due soon. Very soon. “As you can see.”

He nods, as if agreeing with me, and swallows hard. “Yeah.”

“Wanna take me home?” I ask, letting my head fall back, looking at him from under my lashes. “I can take care of you.”

“What I want,” another swallow, another sweep of that deep blue, hot gaze over me, “is to take care of you.”

He looks startled at the admission, but I barely notice, because his words strike me deep, somewhere I can’t place, making my breath hitch.

I struggle with it. “We can take care of each other, how about that?”

“Jesus, Jason, that’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

I wink at him. “But does your cock know it?”

“Ah, fucking hell.” He turns to the side and rubs a big hand over his face. I gaze at him, so handsome, so sexy. So determined not to fuck me. To make me believe he wants something else from me.

But what?

“Just tell me what you want,” I try again.

Adam is giving me a questioning look from across the street where he’s parked his ass—for a good view of us, I’ll bet. Fucking voyeur.

“Never mind,” Raine mutters. His brows are drawn together when he turns back toward me. “You’re right. I want you to come home with me.”

Okay then. “Forty for a BJ, hundred for a fuck, and…”

“And what?”

He’s watching me, and I lose my train of thought. I’m looking at his lips, and thinking that I’d totally throw in a kiss for free. Hell, I’d let him do me against the wall for free, if he decides he wants to, and fuck the consequences.

Shit.

“Here.” He fishes out his wallet from his back pocket and pulls out forty bucks. He shoves the bills at me. “Shall we get going?”

I take the money and nod, then push off the wall and start after him. I clench my fist, crushing the bills, and don’t know what my fucking problem is. He paid. I’m going to give him a BJ. Everything’s okay with the world. He’s a customer…

…and he’s not. He’s more than that.

Is that why I’m weirded out? Because I fell asleep on his sofa twice? I don’t do sex for free, that’s for sure. Earlier, that was just lust talking, no matter how beautiful he is.

Maybe that’s the problem. As I catch myself staring at him again, admiring his taut ass in those jeans, the long legs, the strong line of his back and the glossy dark brown hair, I decide that’s why. I’m not used to feeling attracted to customers.

But it doesn’t matter. I need the money. I need to pay Simon, and eat, and pay for Adam’s ticket out of town. No shame in it.

And yet , as we approach his pick-up truck and he glances at me, I find myself sweating, my face and neck too hot. My cheeks are burning, and my dick is getting hard, just like Raine’s was before.

It bothers me.

Which is nuts. It has always bothered me that I can’t get fully hard with sex, though over the years I sorta came to terms with it. With Raine, though… It troubles me that I get excited. And it annoys me that I can’t get it up all the way.

Even if I’d probably panic if I did. Christ, talk about a Catch Twenty-two.

It doesn’t help that my heart is pounding like I’m about to have a fucking heart attack when Raine’s arm slides around me, and he walks me the rest of the way to the passenger door.

Why do I have shivers skittering up and down my spine? The good kind of shivers, the kind that shoot straight to my balls and make me stare at his lips like a starving man.

I turn, and we’re chest to chest, and damn, his mouth is right there, and I want… I want more than I’ve ever wanted before.

His hand lands on the truck beside me, and he leans in, pressing his hard-on into my hip. “Ready?” he whispers.

His mouth trails on my jaw for a second, and my whole body tightens, zapped by electric shots that lead—where else?—to my dick. His scent makes my mouth water.

“Yeah.” I’m so fucking ready. For anything. For more.

He yanks the door open and draws back to smirk at me. “Then get inside.”

Mute, I watch his broad back as he walks away, vanishing around the truck. The driver’s door opens and closes.

Fucking cocktease.

My dick aches as I climb inside the truck, and my head is spinning. I glance at him, and he’s busy revving up the engine and pulling off the curb. His profile is a dark outline, and the way the muscles shift in his forearms as he turns the wheel, fucking God… so damn hot.

He tosses me a wink as he eases into traffic, and I just stare at him, my mouth dry, my pants way too tight.

Oh yeah, I’m so fucked.

By the time we stop and I get out of his pick-up, I’m more or less under control. He doesn’t take my hand or put his arm around me, and it’s better that way. No mixed signals. They always get me confused.

Or does it mean he’s upset with me?

Why should that matter, anyway? I carefully avoid looking at him as we ride up the elevator to his floor, and he unlocks the door to his apartment.

“Come on in,” he says, flashing me a smile, and fuck, if it wasn’t for the money in my pocket, I’d think we’re on a date or something.

Yeah, talk about mixed signals.

Okay, Jason. Work time. Stop fucking around. And with that thought, I feel a smirk pull at my lips and a calm descend over me.

Much better.

“Why sure. Since you ask so nicely.” I saunter inside as if I don’t have a care in the world and unzip my jacket. “Where do you want it?”

Yeah, so much better. I’m back in control. Not like before, on the street.

Or like last time, here, when he washed me, and fed me, and held me like something precious. When he told me I was worth it.

Fuck.

“Want what?” Raine closes the door and rakes a hand through his hair, then tugs at his jacket sleeves.

“Me.” I run my hands over my chest, down, until I reach the hem of my tank top—a tame one today, since a john ripped my glittery one yesterday—and drag it up. “Where do you want me?”

“Whoa, wait.” Raine’s right in front of me in two strides—boy’s got damn long legs—and puts his hands over mine.

Which is fine by me. I keep pulling, and he doesn’t try to stop me. We remove my tank top together, but when I try to lower my hands, he won’t let me.

He presses my hands together over my head, locks them together in one big fist, and the look he shoots me has my breath going out in a whoosh.

Shit.

“I wasn’t gonna…” He licks his lips, eyes going dark and deep. “Oh fuck me. You look…” Another sweep of his tongue over his lips, and my control is shattered, that easy. I press against his hold, arching into him, crushing my mouth to his, a moan escaping me.

God, yeah. His hold on my wrists tightens. His other hand drops to my hips, and he jerks me against him, his hard-on jabbing into my crotch, and a different sound escapes me, a deeper groan. The pressure against my cock feels so fucking good, the way his chest rubs against mine, my pierced nipple throbbing in time to my frantic heartbeat, it all feels amazing.

He walks me backward until my legs hit the back of the sofa, and he props me against it, his hand going to my zipper.

Holy shit my mind is chanting, this ain’t no good, hold on…

His hand is inside my pants. On my dick. I should stop him, touch him, be the one who unzips his pants and—

His fingers curl around my cock, and fuck, oh yeah… His grip is hot and strong, and he sucks on my tongue as he strokes me, the pressure building fast in my gut.

It’s… Oh God. What was I thinking about before? That I should… I should be… Shit, I’m running out of air, and it only ratchets up the pressure. My vision is etched in black by the time Raine breaks the kiss and draws back, panting harshly.

Or is it me? Can’t catch my breath. Shit, I’m leaning against him, off balance.

Out of control.

Lost.

No, dammit. I can’t let this happen, not again, but he has me literally in his hand, my throbbing dick wrapped in his fingers.

“Raine,” I whisper, and his focus shifts to my face. “Let go.”

His hand on my dick stills. Then it lets go, as I asked.

I lean heavily into him, forcing him a step back, then bring my hands down. He releases my wrists, too, and I slide my palms under his shirt.

Defined muscles, clenching tightly under my touch, his stomach hollowing, his breath coming out in a huff. I push his shirt up, bending my head to lick a trail over his abs, his pecs, shoving the fabric higher and higher, and he yanks the T-shirt off him with a curse and throws it away.

It hits the wall with a soft thump and falls.

I smirk against his skin. Yeah, baby. Your turn to lose control. He’s been holding himself so damn tightly tonight, keeping the upper hand, not letting a crack show.

Until now.

My mouth waters at the taste of his skin, salty and musky, and my dick tries to burst through my pants. Such a good, crazy-ass sensation. Makes me wanna jack off while tasting his skin.

But no way am I letting that distract me. I nip and lick and suck my way to his neck, pressing our bodies back together, and he’s rock hard inside his jeans. I gasp at the feel of his hard-on against mine, resist the urge to grind myself on him, wondering if I’m getting fully hard for the first time ever with a guy—

He grabs my hips and does just that, rubbing our hard-ons together through the fabric, and my vision sparkles from the pleasure of it. How would it feel skin to skin?

Focus, Jason, goddammit.

Gripping his muscular forearms, I walk him backward until we bump into his armchair. I push until his knees bend and he sinks down on the cushion, then I straddle him.

His eyes widen.

Heh. This is more like it. I kiss him, long and hard, sucking on his tongue until he groans in my mouth. I rub his nipples until they’re tiny hard points, then twist them and he gasps in my mouth.

He’s so hot. He’d look even better with his nipples pierced. Probably get more sensation out of it, too.

I wonder if he’s ever had anyone play with his nipples. Bite his earlobe as I’m about to do now. He curses the moment I break the kiss, then his hands clench on my hips in a bruising grip when I breathe on his ear and tug on the soft flesh with my teeth.

“Fuck me,” I whisper, and he trembles. “I’m ready, lubed and everything, and there’s a condom in my pocket.”

His cock thickens more. He can’t hide his reaction to my words, how much he wants it, not with the way I’m sitting on top of him. I rock my hips and he groans, his body tensing.

“Christ, Jase. What you do to me. Can’t hold back.”

“Why would you wanna hold back?” I frown, and straighten as a doubt strikes me. All this hemming and hawing… “You’ve done it before, right?”

Red splashes over his cheeks. He opens his mouth but ends up saying nothing.

Holy fucking shit. “You’ve never done it? Like, ever? Jesus, Raine. We playing at the whore and the virgin now?”

I’d laugh, but it’s not funny.

“I didn’t say I haven’t.” The tips of his ears are bright red.

Phew. Shit, my heart almost stopped for a moment there. Not even sure why. Maybe the idea that I’m so fucking jaded, though I can’t even come from fucking—and he has never even gotten his dick wet.

“Good,” I purr and pick up where I’d left off. Sure, my dick has mostly deflated—it doesn’t take much—but his is still diamond-hard, and I have plans for it. “Just sit back and enjoy then.”

I’m not sure what I was planning to do when I first entered the apartment. He only paid for a blowjob. I wasn’t thinking of sex, and certainly not in any position where he can see my face or my dick and lack of a satisfying hard-on.

But here’s where we ended up, on the armchair, and I’m reluctant to move in case he changes his mind again.

I just need him to fuck me. Don’t ask why. I’m not really a masochist. It’s not like I love my job, no matter what I claimed in front of Raine before. Fuck, no.

But a good, hard fuck will jolt me out of this confusion, right? That and… it’s Raine. When he pulls my head back down for a deep kiss, another sparkle of pleasure runs through me, and heat gathers at the base of my balls.

It’s Raine, and he’s all I’ve ever wanted and could never have.