we can discuss talk about whether you’d like to keep exploring.”
“But I have to work,” he protested.
I smiled, happy to have foreseen this argument. “I’ve asked Doug to help out for the night, and
he’s agreed.” When he opened his mouth to protest again, I pressed my index finger to his lips. “If
you’re about to tell me you need the money, don’t. You will still be paid your full wages and tips for
the evening.”
Corey’s face scrunched up again and he took a halting step away from me. His shoulders squared
as he stood tall. When he spoke, every hint of the needy boy was gone. “I’m not a whore, William. I
don’t want you paying me to be your boy. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”
I reached out, this time digging the tips of my fingers into the back of his neck. He tried looking
away, his gaze snapping back to my face when I cleared my throat. “Don’t put words in my mouth,
boy, otherwise you’ll find yourself bare-assed and over my lap before we unlock the doors. I was not
implying that I would pay you for the opportunity to spend time together, I was saying you will still be
compensated since tonight is an event for the club. And if we agree to explore this more, beyond these
walls, I won’t promise I’ll never buy you a gift or take care of things I know you need. I don’t expect
you to roll over and take whatever I dish out, but when it comes to me spoiling you, I won’t
apologize. You work hard making sure everyone else is taken care of while ignoring yourself. That
stops now if I have anything to say about it.”
“How can I say no when you’re being reasonable?” Corey complained. “It’s tough for me, you
know, letting someone else take care of me.”
“But you want it.”
“Who wouldn’t?” he scoffed. “I don’t know how much I have to give you. I know a lot of Doms
and Daddies want it all, and I can’t offer anyone complete access to me. And you deserve better than
scraps of my time.”
“Oh sweetheart,” I sighed, pulling him back to my chest—back where he belonged. “I know going
into this what all you have on your plate. I don’t ever want to be an obligation you dread. I would
hope, in time, that I will be the person you can turn to when everything gets to be too much.”
Corey gasped, clutching his chest, and I was certain I’d gone a step too far. I could practically
hear Vivvie in my head, scolding me for trying to go from zero to one hundred with a man I knew
wasn’t eager to jump into a relationship. Right about then, I didn’t give a shit. He needed to hear what
