Page 366 of A Matter of Time

“You’re not going to let me take you home.”

“No.”

“Because you belong to someone already.”

I nodded.

“But you would if there was no other guy, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.”

He was stunned; there was no missing it. “You would, wouldn’t you. No bullshit. You’d come on your own. I wouldn’t have to force you.”

“No.”

He was having trouble digesting my honesty. “Follow me.”

“Sure,” I agreed, as he slowly let me go, and straightened his suit. For my part, I buttoned my jeans, buckled my belt, and then smiled at him. “Lead on.”

He had me go first back through the door to the dance floor. Halfway there, he stopped me with a hand on the back of my shirt.

I looked over my shoulder at him.

“You’ve got a lot of balls. Other guys’ve pissed their pants when I did that to them.”

I scowled at him. “Why would you do that to anyone?”

“People don’t know what they’re capable of until they’re tested. Guys who say they’d never suck dick or take it up the ass change their minds fast sometimes.”

“So you see a guy in your club, any guy, and if you think he could work for you, you drag him off somewhere and see what he will or won’t do?”

“Something like that.”

“So that’s what you are? You’re a pimp?”

“I’m a businessman.”

I nodded. “You just got boys?”

“Yep.”

I stared at him. “You have a lot of boys working for you?”

He nodded slowly. “Jory what?”

“Keyes,” I said, giving him my old name without a second thought. He looked at me for a long minute. “And you’re Rego James.”

“Yes, I am.”

I tipped my head toward the dance floor. “Are we gonna dance or not?”

“No.” He shook his head, hand going to the back of my neck. “Come sit with me.”

I let him steer me through the club back to the couch, and he tugged me down beside him.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Bottle of water.” I grinned at him.