“He’s exactly my type.” Maybe not in the physical sense but that wasn’t as important to me as
other traits. In Corey’s case, I had a weakness for men who were afraid to make the most out of their
lives. There were times where watching someone come into their own was even better than the
tightest hole to fuck or the most talented mouth sucking me dry. “Unfortunately, even trying to ease my
way into gauging his interest proved to be too much. I thought he was warming up to me, but then he
bolted like a skittish colt.”
“He’s got a lot on his plate,” Jack told me. “I’m not one to go around sharing someone else’s
business, but it may not be that he isn’t interested in you. If ever there was a boy whose life was
complicated, it’s that one.” He nodded towards Corey. “Don’t give up. God help me, but you might be
exactly what he needs.”
“Doesn’t make a damn bit of difference what you or anyone else thinks if he keeps turning me
down.” I dug my fingernails into the wood trim of the doorway to keep from walking over to Corey
and crouching down behind him. “Everyone’s life is complicated, Jack. You know that.”
Jack shook his head. “Not like his. He keeps his cards close to the vest. I’m not sure why or who
he’s trying to protect but he feels it’s necessary. And I respect that.”
“So, what? You’re saying I should keep putting myself out there no matter how many times he
rejects me?” That sounded like torture. I wasn’t a fan of punishing myself, and Corey was stubborn
enough I could easily push him out of reach if I tried too hard.
“Get creative,” Jack suggested. “I get you don’t have much experience, but there are more ways to
approach a situation like this, rather than just storming in and trying to give him what you think he
needs. Tread lightly and you might be surprised at how he opens up to you.”
Jack left me alone to chew on that bit of advice. Corey glanced over his shoulder and tensed. That
wasn’t good. It would be easy for me to cross the room to him and see if he was enjoying himself, but
I was going to try Jack’s approach instead. I offered him a quick smile and made a shooing motion. I
was only going to watch him color for a few more seconds, then, I would get back to mingling with
the small crowd we had tonight.
I also wanted to track down Sam to remind him that the sparse crowd wasn’t an indication of the
potential for success of the playroom. Hell, when Jack first opened this place, he had been willing to
throw in the towel after six months of lackluster numbers. He had taken a gamble he wasn’t sure
would pay off. But month by month, business steadily grew. Eventually, his sporadic emails shifted
