“Oh, uh, well, thank you.” I grabbed what looked like a pair of thin sweatpants, briefs, and a T-shirt. “I’ll slip these on and be right back.”
“You don’t gotta leave the room to change. You ain’t got nothing I haven’t seen, and I ain’t gonna jump you, so no worries.” He chuckled. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll turn my back and stay in the kitchen. Gotta put the food on plates anyways.” Still laughing, he retreated to the kitchen to pull plates out of the cabinets.
I turned my back, dropped the towel, and swiftly got dressed. The clothes fit and felt like a million dollars against my clean skin. No pure-silk shirt or custom-made suit ever felt as wonderful as these hand-me-downs.
“I hope you don’t mind—I used your deodorant.” I joined Cort in the kitchen and took the plate he handed me. It smelled like heaven, and my stomach let out a huge growl. Embarrassed, I said nothing and took my seat to wait for Cort.
“You can borrow anything you want.” He sat across from me, his earnest face smiling at me. “Your clothes’ll be ready in about half an hour.”
I chewed my sausage. “Thanks. Then I’ll be out of your hair, I promise.”
The smile faded. “Um, well, somethin’ else I wanna talk to you ’bout.”
“Oh?” I quirked a brow. Here it was. Disappointment flooded me as I waited for Cort to tell me the real reason I was here. “Go ahead.”
“Well, you remember where I work at night, right? Man Up? It’s a male strip club.”
“I’m aware,” I said, toying with my fork.
“This morning, while you were sleeping, I called up my boss, James. He owns the club. I asked him if there was a job for you in the club.”
My mouth hung open in shock as disbelief warred with the warm feeling that he’d gone out of his way for me.
“Close it or you’re gonna catch flies. That’s what my momma always said.”
He reached across the table and tipped my chin up. Our eyes met, and he kept his fingers steady. The skin burned where he touched, and I swallowed hard. He let go, but not before trailing his fingertips across my jaw. My heart slammed, and I pulled away with a shaky laugh.
“Well. That was very kind of you. But I’m no exotic dancer. That should be obvious to you.”
He snorted. “Yeah. That would be pretty funny.”
“Hey.” Pretending outrage, I glared at him. “I’ve never had complaints.”
“I believe that.” His gaze grew heated for a moment, and my dick shifted in the slightly tight briefs. I clasped my sweaty hands, hoping he didn’t see them tremble.
“Gettin’ back to our discussion. I thought maybe you could help behind the bar. The bartender gets overwhelmed sometimes and could use a hand with stacking glasses and stuff like that.”
A job? In a gay strip club?Oh, how the mighty have fallen.And how ironic, that I’d end up in a place like that, considering the reason my family disowned me.
“You know what? I might take you up on that. What did he say when you asked?”
A delighted smile lit up Cort’s face. “Really? He said to come by this afternoon and you can meet him.”
“Thank you. I don’t know why you’re doing this for me, but I appreciate it.”
For years, I’d joined in on the bullying and homophobia in my firm while sinking into a life of depravity, recklessness, and abandon. The consequences of denying what and who I was drove me to alcohol and drugs, resulting in the man sitting here today. Disowned by my family. Fired from my job. My trust fund decimated by a supreme arrogance that I was untouchable.
But now Iwantedto work there. I wanted to show them that although they might wish it, they hadn’t seen the last of me. I might have been tossed out like trash, but Harlan DeWitt wasn’t gone for good. No matter what I had to do, I would return.
Chapter Three
CORT
He had noidea I knew. Last night when I was jerking off and the door to my bedroom opened, I’d kept my eyes averted, pretending I didn’t hear it. I couldn’t stop, especially when the reason for the dirty dream that woke me up with a raging hard-on stood in my doorway. So I decided to give him a show.
Little did I know, I’d get one too.
And goddamn, watching him beat off to me was sexy as fuck. Hearing the little moans and whimpers he tried to hold in, knowing I turned him on so much he couldn’t control himself, even now made me hard. When he came from the shower all cleaned up and smelling like soap, I wanted to rip that towel off. I could almost taste him in my mouth, that pale skin so soft. So sweet.
