Darcy’s groan was the only answer I needed. I reached out beside me, feeling the small coffee table I knew was there. The magazines were cool under my fingertips and I grabbed a couple that I passed to him.
“Anything interesting?” I asked, grinning. “They don’t keep porno, do they? Because if I’ve been missing out all these years, I’m going to be very upset.”
He made a sound suspiciously like a half laugh, and I heard him flipping through the magazines until he hummed. “Now this guy is hot. Look at that dick.”
Someone gasped to my right, and I chuckled when a small “oh my God, how rude” met my ears. It sounded like it came from an older lady, but Darcy didn’t seem fazed.
“I would love that inside me.”
I snatched the magazine out of his hand, and this time hedidlaugh. Shivers went through me, a pleasurable warmth that settled in my balls. “I don’t believe you.”
“Mm-hmm.” He huffed. “What’s the point of this? Sure, I might relax for these two weeks, but what happens when it’s over? I go back to a mess, and I’m stressed trying to fix it.”
“They’ll realize how much you do for them,” I whispered, interlocking our fingers. Much to my delight, he held on just as tightly as I did. “And they’ll respect you more than they do now.”
“Hah.” He grunted and sighed. “You don’t know how they work, Brooks. As far as they’re concerned, it’s my job to run around after them.”
“Then that’s not good enough,” I said bluntly. “And if that’s the case, I’ll steal you away from them forever. You can work with me in the office.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Annoyance returned to his voice, something Ididn’twant to happen. “I can’t just give up something I’ve worked so hard to build. The Courtesan is as much mine as it is Mother’s.”
“Really?” I turned in his direction, cocking my head. “Your mother gets the last say. That doesn’t seem like she thinks of it as yours.”
“She is the owner.” Darcy’s breath tickled my mouth, and I smiled. I loved him being this close to me, pulling as much as I pushed, like a coordinated dance we’d accidentally arranged with each other.
“And you are her son. Yet she sold you off in an auction without your permission. Sounds like you’re just another one of her products.”
Silence fell between us, and I worried I’d really overstepped my bounds, but when he finally spoke again, I sighed in relief. “You’re right, she did do that. I thought you liked her.”
“I do,” I admitted carefully. “I like her a lot. She took care of me when other employers would have run for the hills. She gave me money to start my business. I paid her back with interest, but that’s not the point. She didn’t turn her back on me. But that doesn’t change the truth, Darcy. You’re not her equal, sweet prince. She’s another one who takes you for granted.”
I hated throwing the words in his face, but Ineededhim to understand that he wasn’t respected the way he should be. No one deserved the treatment he got, especially not Darcy Winters.
