Page 61 of Pieces of Me

“So fuckin’ sexy,” Michael growled against his shoulder, roaming his hands freely over Scott’s belly and chest. Scott arched and flexed for him, making his six-pack pop.

“How much to fuck you, Scott?” Philip leaned over and breathed hotly in his ear. “Name your price. How much to spend the night with both of us?”

“Oh, no, baby,” Scott said, still circling his hips over Michael’s crotch, infusing a regretful tone to his voice. “I’m not available for sex.” Philip’s rubbery lips took on a mutinous droop, and Scott tilted his head toward him, “I’m already breaking all the house rules letting you touch me like this.” He bit his lip with a convincing little moan. “You’re making me so hard, though. You’re so sexy that you’re going to get me in trouble.”

He endured some more fevered groping from Michael before pushing himself off the man’s lap, ignoring his sound of sharp protest. Philip was treated to his attentions next, but when he went too far and tried to pull the front of Scott’s underwear down, Scott rolled to his feet once more, letting his hand trail across Philip’s sweaty cheek in apology.

“I’ll get some whiskey for us,” he purred, and he moved to the bar, where Danny had a fifty-dollar bottle of Glenfiddich single malt already open and breathing. Scott gathered it up, along with three tumblers, nodding when Danny said under his breath, “Thirty more minutes. Everything okay?”

Scott felt a jolt go through him when he suddenly noticed Rylan sitting a few stools down. Scott didn’t acknowledge him, but he was painfully aware of Rylan’s presence as he moved back to the private couch, pouring a few fingers of whiskey into each tumbler before he sank down between the two men.

The remaining minutes crawled by excruciatingly slowly as Scott gave his full attention to his clients, pouring them drinks, letting them touch him above the waist, even allowing a few wet, boozy kisses, but at last Danny tapped the back of his wrist once, signaling time’s up. Scott stood once more with finality and relief.

“Gentlemen, it’s been my very great pleasure to host you tonight, but our time together is unfortunately at an end.”

Philip and Michael were so drunk they were almost in a stupor, and it was an easy matter to cajole them up off the couch and down the rear stairs to a waiting bouncer and the limo that would whisk them back to their hotel, all part of the deluxe VIP package they had purchased.

Scott pulled on a silk robe that was hanging on a hook next to the door and headed back up to the bar area, where Danny handed him yet another cold glass of water. Rylan was nowhere in sight.

“Fantastic job tonight, Scotty,” Danny said approvingly as Scott took grateful gulps of the water. “Total tab with gratuity was a shade under fifteen hundred!” Scott reached out and gave him a weary knuckle bump, and they grinned at each other in triumph before Danny turned away to do last call throughout the lounge and start the initial closing procedures.

Scott stepped into the supply room behind the bar and pulled his jeans and tank back on, feeling adrenaline and a low-grade arousal still coursing through him. Even though he hadn’t been attracted to Philip and Michael, the sexually charged atmosphere he worked hard to create never failed to keep him buzzing, and he made his way down to the main dance floor, his body feeling liquid and hot.

He prowled the room restlessly, brushing off drink offers, or invitations to dance, searching the avid faces staring back at him, looking for―he didn’t even know what. The crowd shifted and Scott caught a glimpse of Rylan, who was leaning against the bar top talking to someone. As he watched, Rylan threw his head back and laughed, his body language toward the other man open and flirtatious, his eyes glowing with warmth and interest as he looked at him.

Scott drifted closer, hearing the guy say, “―the views from the top of Camelback Mountain are breathtaking, Rylan. You’d get some really great shots from up there.”

“I’m a Florida boy,” Rylan replied, his soft Southern drawl brushing over Scott’s skin like the kiss of silk, bringing with it the memory of humid sea air, the smell of the woods. “Not sure I’m up for climbing any mountains.”

“Well, we can, uh, take it real slow,” the guy said, a wealth of meaning behind his words.

Rylan winked at him, a knowing, sexy smile on his lips. “Or not.”

The man reached out and put his hand on Rylan’s hip suggestively, and before he knew what he was doing, Scott insinuated himself between them, gazing down at the guy, who tilted his head back to look up at him, his mouth falling open.

“H―hey, Scott,” he stammered, and Scott aimed a dazzling smile at him.

“Hey…Josh, is it?” A shot in the dark, but Scott had met this dude, and he had a knack for remembering names and faces.

“Yeah, it’s Josh. Wow, I can’t believe you remembered. How, uh, how’s it going?” Josh’s voice had gone sort of high and squeaky, and Scott settled in against the bar top, turning the full force of his charm on him.

“Better now that I’ve seen you,” he murmured, ignoring Rylan’s audible snort at his shoulder. “You haven’t been around lately.”

“I’ve been here every Friday,” Josh said eagerly. “You’ve been looking for me?”

“You know it.”

After a few more minutes of pointed flirting, Josh stumbled off, looking dazed and starry-eyed, clutching his phone, Scott’s club cell number newly entered in his contacts. “I’ll call you soon, Scott,” he promised, the look on his face adoring, Rylan totally forgotten. “Soon, okay?”

Scott winked at him, satisfaction coursing through him. He turned to Rylan, surprised by his look of rather amused annoyance. “Thanks so much,” Rylan said drily, lifting his glass and draining the contents. “There goes my night.”

Scott made a sound of derision. “That guy is a thirsty little bitch, a club crawler. He’s been trying to get with me for months. He’s here every weekend looking for a cheap hookup.”

Rylan gave him an incredulous look. “And what exactly do you think I’m looking for? I haven’t had sex in―hell, three months now. Has it been that long?” He shook his head in disgust. “Josh was cute, and I liked him. I liked where things were heading.”

Scott could feel his mouth drop open, and Rylan took one look at him and laughed out loud. He patted Scott’s arm. “Oh, Scott, I’m not sixteen anymore. And I’m not a virgin anymore either, far from it. I know what a hookup looks like, and I can take care of myself, believe me.”

He pushed away from the bar and headed toward the hallway leading back to the dressing room, and Scott followed. Rylan opened a locker and pulled out his backpack, checking the contents and carefully stowing his camera in it.