“I need money,” Scott murmured.
Thomas sucked in a breath. Scott reopened his eyes and looked at him. Thomas had gone tense, all apart from his nostrils, which flared.
“How much money?”
“£100,000.”
“Christ,” Thomas snapped, turning away.
“I owe it to someone,” Scott said, not mentioning that someone was a psychopath in a smart suit intent on hurting him. “I’m going to pay back every penny. I’m going to work off my debt.”
“I told you,” Thomas hissed. “You don’t bring anyone here.”
“And I won’t.”
Thomas’s hand tightened to a fist on his thigh. “Don’t…”
“Don’t what?”
“Ask me for it.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
Thomas relaxed. He turned back to Scott, studying him like he was an interesting specimen he couldn’t work out.
Scott snorted. “It hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
And it hadn’t. It was Scott’s mess, and he was going to fix it; Thomas’s wealth had no impact on what he needed to do.
“You’re going to be working while you’re here?” Thomas asked. He no longer had his hand in a fist but picked at the knee of his black jeans, going for nonchalant but failing.
Scott nodded. “If that’s…okay?”
“All I ask is –”
“Don’t bring anyone back here. I heard you the first two times.”
Thomas shook his head. “That goes without saying, but if someone books you for an evening and a morning after, let me know. I’ll give you my number. Text me if you’re not going to be home at night.”
“Home?”
Thomas blinked. “Back. I meant to say back, and if…if you need help. If something goes wrong. Call me.”
Scott was momentarily speechless, then he nodded. “I…I was actually thinking of trying something different.”
Thomas gave him a questioning look.
“I want to press pause on my escorting career and branch out into…video, or photography… See if I like it more.”
“You want to make pornography?” Thomas asked with a frown.
“Yes.”
They were silent again, but this time it was uncomfortable. Scott had been thinking about how to earn money quickly without putting himself at risk.
He’d be suspicious of every client, including his regulars, and the more he was out in public, the more likely that Warren would find him.
Amateur pornography seemed an obvious step to take.
