The Escort Service

chapter 6

Chapter 6



  “I’m telling you,” Jeongguk insisted, trying so hard not to laugh he almost slopped his champagne. “He wasn’t leering at my ass.”



Min Yoongi —lean, dark, sexy, and rugged with his five o’clock shadow and deeply tanned face—gave him a rakish grin. “Deny it all you want. I know where his eyes were lingering. And it wasn’t on your waist. And he perked up even more when I told him you wrote sexy romances under a penname.”



  Jeongguk moved an unconscious hand to his slim leather belt he’d paired with his deep blue dress shirt. Cuffs of shirt rolled around his arm. “Yoongi, he’s about a hundred years old! And the chair of the museum board!”



  “Even prestigious museum boards boast pervy old men,” Yoongi murmured, moving an arm around his waist as they strolled out of the elegant ballroom, clustered with well-dressed, affluent guests, and into the wide hallway that led to rooms with the artwork being showcased tonight. “He was definitely sneaking a peak at your back side. And, since you chose to wear that jeans, I can hardly be surprised.”



  Sniffing disdainfully, Jeongguk gave him a pseudo-cool look. He and Yoongi had gone to lunch a few days ago and had a great time. So far their date to the museum fundraiser was a success as well. Yoongi was smart, funny, and handsome, and he liked his blunt manner and quick humor. He even liked his books. “This dress shows only a perfectly respectable amount of curve.”



  Yoongi’s eyes then lingered obviously at the deep crease and shadow at the neckline of his shirt. While it wasn’t revealing as to be crude, the dressing was sexier than anything he’d ever owned before. He lifted his dark eyebrows and drawled, “Yeah.”



  He chuckled and came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, next to a huge mirror with an elaborate, gilded frame. A quick glance in the mirror showed him to be looking quite nice this evening, with upswept hair and more makeup than he usually wore. He twisted his neck slightly to make sure there was no longer any hint of a bruise from where Taehyung had bit him the week before.



  He was a little surprised that Taehyung hadn’t asked permission before he’d marked him, but he hadn’t minded the bruise, really. It evoked very pleasurable memories. He was glad it had faded in time for this evening, though.



  He slanted a teasing look over at Yoongi. “Obviously, elderly chairmen of museum boards don’t hold exclusive rights to perviness.”



  Yoongi took a step closer to him. “Who exactly did you have in mind?”



  Feeling a little thrill of excitement at his obvious attraction, Jeongguk took a step back. “I had in mind a certain younger, smug lawyer who has recently taken a turn at being a writer.”



  With a low laugh, Yoongi pushed him gently against the wall of the hallway. Most of the guests were still in the ballroom, where the welcoming address had just been made. “Guilty as charged,” he said in a gruff voice.



  Then he took his face in his hands and kissed him.



  Jeongguk didn’t have much experience, but he suspected that Yoongi was a very good kisser. His mouth moved with ease and confidence against him as he gently licked the line of his lips.



  Yoongi had kissed him very briefly after their lunch date on Wednesday, but this kiss quickly became something else. He opened for him unconsciously and wrapped his arms around his neck while he pressed the hard line of his body against him.



  They kissed for longer and deeper than was probably wise in the middle of a hall at a stuffy museum fundraiser. While Jeongguk didn’t feel any urgent sexual desire, he was jittery and breathless when he heard voices at the other end of the hall and pulled away.



  An older woman and man promenaded through the hall, giving the flushed couple still entwined against the wall a very disapproving look.



  Jeongguk stifled a giggle and shared a guilty look with Yoongi, who still had one hand at his waist and the other cupping the back of his head.



  Then his eyes drifted toward the ballroom again, to see who else had spotted him in such a disgraceful position.



  His giggle died a sudden death.



  Taehyung stood about halfway down the hall, frozen in place, staring at him with a blank intensity that took his breath away. He held two glasses of champagne in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on his face.



  Jeongguk froze too, feeling like a weight of shock and disorientation had slammed into him from above. He’d done a really good job of compartmentalizing his sessions with Taehyung—allowing them to have nothing to do with the rest of his life, enjoying them as one would a harmless indulgence.



  But the barriers between his interactions with him and the rest of the life had abruptly, brutally been ripped away.



  He was on a date with Yoongi. A good date. Something he hadn’t experienced in a really long time. And he had fucked Taehyung exactly a week ago in a plush hotel room. Fucked him twice. He’d made him come over and over again. He had paid him at the end of the night.



  And both men were now in the same hallway.



  His cheeks burned so hotly he knew his skin had flamed. He shifted restlessly until Yoongi dropped his arms and stepped back. He was looking over at Taehyung curiously. “A friend of yours?”



  Jeongguk had absolutely no idea what to say.



  He was saved from answering by the arrival of the man who must be Taehyung’s date for the evening. Jeongguk had met the Jung Hoseok a few times in the past. They weren’t friends but they had done some work together in New York for a national charity that raised money for local literacy programs.



  Hoseok was in his mid-thirties and had recently gotten divorced from a New York business mogul. He must be visiting Seattle this weekend.



  He’d obviously found a painless way of getting a date for the fundraiser.



  “Giovanni,” Hoseok said, hurrying over to take Taehyung’s arms. “Sorry. I got waylaid by Amelia Bernard.” He glanced over toward Jeongguk and Yoongi. “Jeongguk! How nice to see you again. I saw you earlier across the room, but couldn’t say hi.”



  Jeongguk steeled himself, took Yoongi’s hand, and led him over to the other couple. “Hi, Hoseok. Getting bored with New York?”



  Hoseok flashed a dimple. He was Jeongguk’s height but much thin and lean and around ten years older. He was attractive, with curly dark hair and a face so bright just like shinning sun. “Actually, just trying to annoy the ex by maintaining the position on the museum board that he pulled strings for me to get. He thought I would just slink away after the divorce. Silly man. This is my date. Giovanni.”



  Jeongguk shook hands with the man he knew as Taehyung. He supposed he probably used whatever name his date wanted him to use when he escorted a man to a social event. “Jeon Jeongguk. This is Min Yoongi.”



  Although Taehyung had obviously been taken by surprise at the sight of him tonight, he’d recovered with remarkable composure. His expression was cool and neutral as he shook hands with Yoongi and they made some innocuous small talk.



  Jeongguk was relieved that his voice was natural and friendly, although he was horribly distracted by the way Taehyung kept his arm around Hoseok’s waist, his fingers occasionally giving a little caress.



  Finally, Hoseok said, “I guess we should go check out some of that art.” He smiled brightly at Taehyung. “You’ll have to explain it to me, I’m afraid.”



  “I’ll be happy to,” Taehyung murmured, his eyes resting on his face in such a way that Jeongguk could have sworn he was in love with the man. Then, a voice he could barely hear, he added to Hoseok, “Although no piece of art on the wall could be as exquisite as you.”



  Jeongguk almost gagged.



  He was doing his job. Playing a part. This was what his services entailed. Acting the romantic escort, making a man feel like he was the most important person in the world, whether or not the evening ended with sex.



  He managed to mumble out a farewell as Hoseok and Taehyung walked on. He’d known—he’d known—that this was what Taehyung did. He was a male escort. Among other things, he fucked men for money. He was hardly his only client. He had a very busy schedule.



  It was just that knowing was different than seeing.



  “Ex-boyfriend?” Yoongi asked, studying his face.



  Jeongguk couldn’t possibly tell him the truth—not on a second date—so he accepted this as the easiest of excuses for his reaction. “Yeah. Something like that.”



  “Maybe you’ll tell me about him sometime,” Yoongi murmured, slipping his hand around his waist as they strolled more slowly toward the galleries.

  He shot him a sharp look.



  “I’m not blind, you know,” he explained, giving him a little smile. “You could cut the intensity between the two of you with a knife. But there’s no hurry. We have lots a time.”



  His smile up at him was genuine—made up of relief and affection. What a great guy he was. “Maybe I’ll tell you sometime.”



  He thought he’d gotten over the worst of the hurdles in his initial encounter with Taehyung. But he kept seeing him and Hoseok for the rest of the evening. And Taehyung always seemed to whispering intimately into his ear, or stroking his back, or discreetly holding his hand.



  And the truth was it bugged Jeongguk. A lot. However irrational, his encounters with Taehyung had felt isolated, cocooned, cut off from the rest of the world. They’d been special to him. Not because he thought they shared romance or a real emotional connection. But because he’d learned so much about himself  and about human nature from his interactions with each other. Plus, he’d just simply enjoyed it.



  And seeing him at his job with another man made the whole thing feel…tawdry.



  Maybe it was.



*******



  Two days later, Jeongguk arrived at the familiar hotel room a little later than normal. He had just enough time to bathe, shave, apply lotion, and dress before seven o’clock.



  He’d seriously considered canceling. All day yesterday, he’d begun to compose an apologetic email to Taehyung, saying he didn’t need his services anymore. He just wasn’t sure he could continue as they had, after being slapped in the face with reality on Saturday night.



  Plus, Yoongi had asked him out again. Obviously, things were just at the beginning—casual and non-exclusive—but he felt like they had some potential and paying for sex on the side seemed like It might not be the best way to begin a relationship.



  Jeongguk had finally decided to keep his engagement with Taehyung, mostly because he felt bad about backing out at the last minute. He genuinely liked Taehyung, and it felt kind of heartless to blow him off with an email, after they’d had such a long-standing professional relationship. He’d give it a try. If things felt weird or uncomfortable, he just wouldn’t schedule another appointment.



  He was just putting on the little cardigan—a weave so

Fine it was almost transparent—over his light blue t-shirt and his usual pajama pants, when he heard the knock at the door.



  As he swung open the door with a smile of greeting, he was greeted to a sight that was like a kick in the gut.



  Taehyung stood—as cool and handsome as always in all black. On his face was a practiced smile. Urbane and sensual and so fake Jeongguk wanted to scratch it from his skin.



  Definitely not a propitious beginning.



  “Hi,” he said, stepping aside to let him into the room.



  Taehyung murmured a greeting, and he followed him to the table where he always left his case. The ubiquitous envelope of cash was lying on the table as usual.



  Feeling more awkward than he had since the first couple of engagements, Jeongguk lowered himself into a chair. Figuring they might as well get it out in the open, he said, “So it was kind of weird, huh?”



  Taehyung seated himself in the other chair and arched his eyebrows at him coolly. He wasn’t a big fan of that expression either.



  “Seeing each other on Saturday,” he said in response to his silent question. “Wasn’t it kind of weird?”



  “I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable. You handled it fine.”



  Jeongguk’s jaw dropped slightly as he stared at Taehyung. He hadn’t thought the discomfort had only been on his side. He was definitely acting prickly tonight. Not at all like his normal self. “You didn’t find it a little weird too?”



  Taehyung’s eyes were bland and unrevealing. “No. Not really. But I’ve had years of experience in this. I can understand why it might be awkward for you. In fact, I wondered if you might cancel our engagement tonight.”



  He swallowed, knowing how close he’d come to doing just that. It was a little unnerving to learn that their encounter at the fundraiser hadn’t bothered Taehyung at all. He knew it had surprised him. His expression had revealed at least that, but apparently it hadn’t affected him otherwise.



  He was determined to not pretend anything, not add any other layer of unnaturalness to his relationship with Taehyung. “I thought about it. A lot. It just seemed kind of…I don’t know. It would have made me feel shitty.”



Taehyung cocked one eyebrow, looking slightly amused, albeit not in a warm way. “Why would you feel shitty? About me losing a client?”



  He shifted uncomfortably, wishing Taehyung wasn’t being so cool and standoffish tonight. If he would just be himself, they could have gotten through this with less awkwardness. “No. I mean, not really. But we’ve been doing this for a while now. And it seemed kind of rude to just cancel your services over email.” He stared down at his hands. “I don’t know.”



  “Do you want to cancel my services now? Face to face?”



  “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t know.” Tired of feeling like a fool, he raised his eyes and scowled at him. “You don’t have to be snotty about it, anyway. It’s not that strange. I feel bad if I have to find a new hairdresser.”



  Taehyung met his eyes evenly. “I believe you. But if you have someone at home who can do your hair to your satisfaction, you have no reason to pay a professional.”



  Jeongguk felt a little flicker of amusement at the way he’d stretched the analogy, but he understood what he was saying. “Yeah. I guess so. That’s not the case with me. Not yet, anyway.”



  “So you haven’t yet had the chance to practice your new experience?” Despite the smooth, indirect question, for the first time he saw something other than coolness in his eyes. “I had assumed, from what I saw—”



  “It was a first date,” he explained. “A second date, actually. Obviously, if things become more serious, I’ll have to…to discontinue our engagements.”



  “Of course.”



  “It’s nothing personal. You know how much I respect you and your…your talents. It’s just that…”



  “There’s no need for an explanation, Jeongguk. We have a business arrangement, and it can be terminated at any time. I hadn’t expected you to a long-term client anyway.”



  He sucked in a breath, feeling oddly insulted by his impersonal words. “What does that mean?”



  “It wasn’t an insult. I just meant that, of course, you would like to move on to a permanent relationship with a man you could love.”



  His words were true. He wanted a healthy, committed relationship with a man he loved and who loved him. But something about the way Taehyung had worded his comment caused his belly to twist. “Oh. Yeah.”



  Taehyung was silent for a moment, sitting perfectly still in his chair. Then he cleared his throat. “Did you want to proceed with our engagement tonight?”



  Jeeongguk stared at him, wondering what had happened, why he had turned into this poised, detached stranger instead of the Taehyung he’d known for the last few months. He’d never been emotional or open or vulnerable, but he’d seemed real. In a way he didn’t tonight.



  “Well?” he prompted, raising his eyebrows again. “I would have guessed you weren’t in the mood, but maybe my charms are simply too irresistible.”



  Then he smiled at him. That smile he couldn’t stand.



  “What’s wrong with you?” Jeongguk snarled, nearly snapping his teeth with frustration.



  Taehyung blinked, the smile fading abruptly. “Excuse me?”



  “Why are you acting this way tonight? Totally fake.”



  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jeongguk. We were having a conversation. Obviously, I behave differently when I talk than I do when I provide other servic—”



  “Don’t give me that crap. That’s not what I’m talking about. You’re not acting like yourself. You’re all cold and…and fake.”



  “I am myself. This is me.” He met his eyes with a look that was almost a challenge.



  “No, it’s not. I mean, this isn’t how you’ve been with me before. And I don’t like it.” He stuck out his chin and glared at him, wishing he’d just break down and get mad at his like a normal person.



  “My apologies.” He stood up and picked up his case. “In that case, I’ll just—”



  Jeongguk stood up too with a gasp. “I didn’t say you should go. I just wanted you to act like yourself again.”



  Taehyung shook his head and started to walk toward the door, still perfectly polite, perfectly cool. “Obviously, this isn’t what you want anymore. I think it’s best if we just call it off. I wish you the best.”



  And then the bastard just walked out the door.



  Jeongguk had been expecting an argument. He’d actually kind of wanted an argument—since then at least Taehyung would have been genuine. He certainly hadn’t expected him to just leave.



  He suddenly realized that he didn’t want him to leave. He wasn’t ready for this to end yet.



  He went after him, catching him just as he stepped onto the elevator. He made it onto the elevator too before the doors slid shut.



  “Why are you leaving?” Jeongguk demanded, glaring at him heatedly. Jeongguk was mad. Full of emotions. There’s no way Taehyung just walked out like that. “You’re acting like a jerk. We were having a conversation. There’s no reason for you to walk out on me.”



  Taehyung lifted the eyebrows again. “The conversation was going nowhere. I understand that you feel uncomfortable about seeing me when you were with your boyfriend Saturday night. It’s perfectly natural. And you needn’t feel any guilt about discontinuing my services.”



  “He’s not my boyfriend,” he snapped, beginning with the most irrelevant of his objections. “And none of that is the point. You’re not acting like yourself. That’s what all I wanted.” That’s want all he wanted. Yes.



  “Jeongguk, you’re presuming too much.” Taehyung wasn’t looking at him now. He’d pressed the button for the ground floor and was staring at the numbers light up as the elevator started to descend. His voice was still cool and control, but his jaw and shoulders had tensed. “We’ve never had a personal relationship.”



  “I’m not saying we did!” Jeongguk’s voice was loud, and he wished Taehyung would just get angry, show some real emotion instead of the impersonal mask he put on. “I know it was professional. But I thought we …we worked well together. And I told you I didn’t want to pretend anything, so I thought you were…were basically being yourself when we talked.”



  “You presume too much.” His eyes never left the lit numbers, but he noticed that his hand was clenched around the handle of his case.



  “Stop saying that,” Jeongguk bit out. The hotel was built in the 90’s, and the elevator was one of the old fashioned ones with a thick brass rail running across the middle of the walls and an emergency stop they didn’t require a key. Afraid the elevator would reach the bottom before they could finish this conversation, Jeongguk pulled the emergency stop bottom, relieved when no alarm went off. “I’m not making this up. I’m not imagining things. I know how you normally act with me, and I know that’s not how you’re acting now. What the hell is wrong with you? Did I offend you somehow?”



  “You didn’t offend me.” He reached for the emergency stop, but Jeongguk planted himself in front of him to keep him from starting the elevator up again.



  “Well, then why are you acting like you’re mad?” he demanded.



  “I’m not mad.” His expression was still controlled, but a little muscle was twitching on one side of his jaw and his voice sounded slightly impatient. “Jeongguk, can you please get out of the way?”



  “No.” He was starting to understand now. He was mad. This coolness must be some sort of instinctive cover to mask his real feelings. He had no idea why he would be angry with him, however, and the Idea really bothered his. “If I offended you in some way, I’d like to know how. I never wanted to. I’ve always tried to…to be nice.”



  Finally, he met his eyes again. “Jeongguk, you don’t have to be nice. You pay me for my services.”



  He almost sputtered in outrage. “What the hell does that mean? Of course, I have to be nice. You’re a human, aren’t you? What the fuck did your father do to you to make you think you don’t deserve to be treated with dignity?”



Sudden panic started building up in Jeongguk. He hadn’t really meant to voice that last question. His volatile feelings and confusion got the best of him. But he had voiced it. Almost spit it out in his face.



  It finally broke the iron control Taehyung had been using to rein in his feelings.



And



   He turned on him abruptly, stepping forward, pressing his back against the wall with his intense presence rather than force. “Jeongguk,” he began, his voice thick and low. He planted one hand on the wall next to his head. “I fuck you. You pay me. That’s our arrangement. That doesn’t entitle you to invade my privacy, demand to see the ‘real me,’ or pry into whatever motivations I might have for doing what I do.”



  Jeongguk gulped. He’d never seen Taehyung like this before. His dark brown eyes held him imprisoned. He was almost pulsing with some sort of intense emotion, and the force of it left him trembling and boneless. “I didn’t mean …” He had to start over when his voice cracked. “I didn’t mean I wanted you to spill your guts. I just didn’t want you to act so hard and cold. You’re mad at me, and I don’t like that.”



  “I’m not mad,” he said again, although his entire body belied his words. He was coiled so tightly he was practically shuddering. His cheeks were slightly flushed, body warm Jeongguk could feel it, and his eyes had ignited.



  Absurdly, Jeongguk felt his body respond. He knew it was entirely inappropriate. They were in the middle of a very bizarre argument, and sex should be the last thing on his mind. But he looked so intense, almost passionate. For once, he seemed to be expressing something real—with his body language if not with his words.

His cock twitched, and he felt his nipples tighten. Hoped it wasn’t visible through the thin fabric of his little t-shirt.



  “You’re sure acting mad,” Jeongguk snapped back. “You look like you want to rip my head off.”



  “Jeongguk.” His voice was even thicker than before, and it ridiculously made him think about sex. He leaned his face toward him and gritted out against his ear, “Jeongguk, give this up. If you want to keep our appointment, we can go back upstairs. But my private thoughts are none of your concern.”



  Jeongguk shuddered. He wasn’t even touching him but he felt him all over his skin. Blazing with heat and desire, he still managed to hold up his end of the argument. “I told you I don’t want you to spill your guts. Keep your private thoughts to yourself. Just tell me why are you mad.”



  “For the fourth time,” Taehyung rasped, still speaking into his ear. “I’m not mad.”



  He shifted restlessly against the wall, dying for some sort of friction against his skin. His squirming caused him to brush up against Taehyung.



  He felt something. Something that shocked him so much his mouth fell open. His lower belly had brushed against the front of Taehyung’s trousers.



  He was hard.



  Taehyung must have seen his reaction. He must know that he knew he was aroused. He didn’t acknowledge it in any way, though. He’d pulled back enough to look him in the eye and ask hoarsely, “Tell me why you’ve continued to schedule engagements with me.”



  Jeongguk was too confused and overwhelmed and turned-on and shaky to even begin to make up a lie. So he gasped out the truth. Breathless and timid “Because I like having sex with you.”



  He nodded, as if he’d known he would say that. “Hmm, So why do you keep making this more complicated than it is?”



  A home question. Jeongguk had no answer to.



  His hand was still planted next to his head, trapping him against the wall. He was hard. Aroused. As aroused as the other was.



  Unable to hold himself back any longer, Jeongguk reached out and grabbed Taehyung by the hips. Pressed his pelvis against Taehyung’s. Rubbed himself against the bulge he felt and almost moaned at the resulting sensations.



  Then realized how shamelessly he’d groped him, when it wasn’t clear they were in the midst of one of their sessions, and he dropped his hands abruptly with a gasp. “Sorry!”



  Taehyung put down his case, which he’d been holding in one hand all along. Then he planted his second hand on the wall on the other side of his head. “Jeongguk?”



  “I didn’t mean …” Jeongguk began, his cheeks blazing from embarrassment “I mean, if you didn’t want to keep the appointment tonight, I shouldn’t have—”



  “We can keep the appointment,” Taehyung rasped, eyes raking over his face. “Do you want to do this here?”



  In the elevator. In between floors ten and eleven in an expensive, old-fashioned hotel.



  “Yeah,” Jeongguk breathed, arching against the wall so he could rub his aching nipples against his hot escort’s chest.



  Without another word, Taehyung buried his face in his neck, mouthing and nibbling and kissing in an urgent pattern he couldn’t begin to follow. His arms went around him, pressing body tightly against Taehyung’s. Then he began to make small, rhythm thrusts, rocking Taehyung’s erection against his own hard cock.



  Jeongguk knew he was really turned on. Taehyung couldn’t possibly have done any sort of mental thing to get himself ready, since he’d assumed they wouldn’t be having sex today.



  Taehyung must be aroused by him. Genuinely aroused. By him. Jeongguk. The knowledge sent a wild thrill up his spine that intensified his body’s sensations.



  Taehyung moaned in his arms, grabbing at his back, trying to yank his shirt out from his trousers. Before he could get very far, Taehyung had bent down farther, mouthing one nipple and then the other through the fabric of his tank top.



  As he suckled, one of his hands dipped in at his waistband and slid down between his legs. Jeongguk bit down on his lower lip as he felt fingers stroke his flesh.



  Taehyung would feel how hard and aroused he already was. As aroused as he was.



  Without waiting for his permission, Taehyung freed his hand from between his thighs and then, with one smooth move, pulled his lounge pants down over his hips. As he did so, he fumbled with his own belt and the zipper.



  They were in a public elevator. For the moment, it was stopped, but they both knew they had no time to dally.



  Taehyung straightened up and released him for just long enough to pull a condom and lube packet out of his case. Once he’d rolled it on, he cupped Jeongguk’s bottom with both hands and heaved him up so he was propped on the brass railing that spanned the middle of the elevator walls.



  It wasn’t much support, but Taehyung used his body to hold him in place. He spread his legs and sank into him, pushing his back against the wall.



  Taehyung split open the lube packet with his teeth, spreading all over his hand and rubbing it against Jeongguk’s rim. It was hurried and messy. But Jeongguk was thrilled.



  Jeongguk gasped in pleasure as Taehyung penetrated him, the full substance of his cock filling him completely. Instinctively, wrapped his legs around his waist to brace himself more securely, and clung desperately to his shoulders.



  “Fast,” he said shamelessly, on a taken breath, tossing his head restlessly against the wall as his body screamed for friction. “Hard. Please.” Jeongguk moned.



  Taeehyung began to thrust, his motion limited by their precarious position. His hips pumped against Jeongguk’s, his cock pushing into his slippery passage with the urgent speed and force he needed to feel.



  “So good,” Jeongguk breathed, the words barely audible. He squeezed him with his thighs and with his intimate muscles. “Fuck,” he breathed again, on every one of his drives inside him.



  Taehyung had bent his neck to bury his face against the side of his throat again. Jeongguk felt his hot breath on his skin. His lips and tongue and teeth. He moved his mouth along his neck, shoulder, and up to his jaw.



  His mouth was so close to him now that all it would take was a slight shift of his neck for them to kiss.



  They didn’t kiss though. Taehyung’s thrusts grew shorter and faster, and Jeongguk dug his fingers into the skin beneath his collar. His position wasn’t entirely comfortable but everything felt so incredibly good. He didn’t think he would come. He hadn’t had enough stimulation on his cock. But he didn’t even care.



  Something about the intensity of their coupling felt as good as any orgasm he’d ever experienced.



  Taehyung’s pelvis pistoned against his, and shifted his neck again so his mouth was almost at Jeongguk’s ear. Their cheeks were almost pressed together. He was as hot as the other. “Jeongguk,” he rasped.



  Jeongguk didn’t know if it was a question or an expression of pleasure. He answered instinctively. “It feels so good Taehyung. You come,” he panted. “I want you to come.”



  Taehyung’s breathing accelerated even more.

Jeongguk’s whole body started to shake. He’d never experienced anything like it. All the shuddering angst that he’d been trying to stifle earlier seemed on the verge of imploding in Taehyung’s arms.



  Jeongguk’s eyes blurred and his nerve endings buzzed with pleasure. He wasn’t working up toward any climax, but the whole thing felt like one long high.



  Taehyung arched his neck forward again, lowering his mouth once more to the crook of his neck. Jeongguk cried out loudly when he felt his teeth bite down into the flesh. Then his whole body pulsed and jerked as Taehyung came with an extended guttural sound.



  They held the position for a few moments as his body slowly started to soften. Jeongguk’s legs felt stiff and his feet were losing circulation, but he didn’t want to unwrap his legs. Taehyung hadn’t yet lifted his head. He just kept panting against his skin.



  And then a scratchy voice sounded in the quiet elevator without warning. “The emergency stop was pulled. Is everything all right?”



  Jeongguk nearly jumped in surprise, and Taehyung pulled back, gently extricating himself from Jeongguk’s legs and pulling his cock out of him while taking care with the condom. When Taehyung had set him back on the floor and he’d started to pull on pants, Jeongguk also fumbled with his pants to pull on. he found the call button and spoke into the speaker. “Everything is fine.”



  He pulled the emergency stop, and the elevator jerked into motion. They got off on the ninth floor so they wouldn’t have to face security or maintenance or whomever was probably waiting for the elevator on the ground floor. Instead, they took the second elevator back up to Jeongguk’s room.



  There, they got into bed and Taehyung attended to Jeongguk with slow, leisurely foreplay. He brought him to climax with hand two times before he put on another condom and entered him again.



  Taehyung rested most of his weight on him and taught him how, if he slid upward slightly and they made a gentle, rocking motion, they could stimulate his cock with the motion between their bodies. Stomach pressing his cock. After the urgency of their fuck in the elevator, both of them could go slow, and Jeongguk found the new position deeply enjoyable.



  Their faces were close again, their cheeks brushing against the other. And the mingled texture of their breathing was the only sound besides the soft, rhythmic shaking of the bed.



  Once again, Jeongguk had to tell him to come, and he came just before he did, releasing a low moan as his hips rode out his orgasm.



  When Taehyung got up to take care of the condom, Jeongguk pulled up the covers, feeling chilly at his absence.



  Jeongguk reflected about how strange it was that he always waited for his permission before he came. Taehyung was always so in control



  Although he hadn’t really felt controlled in the elevator tonight.



  He shifted restlessly under the covers, feeling a strange twisting of his belly. The comfortable professionalism of their encounters didn’t feel quite so comfortable anymore.



  Taehyung returned from the bathroom wearing his boxers and he went over to pour two glasses from the bottle of wine Jeongguk’d ordered from room service.



  Taehyung handed him a glass and then he sat down in one of the chairs to sip his.



  Jeongguk wondered if it was significant that Taehyung didn’t get back in bed with him.



  “I never expected to do it in an elevator,” Jeongguk said, voice low, mostly for something to say.



  Taehyung gave him a half-smile. He didn’t look tense and coiled anymore. He looked drained. Kind of pale. And really tired. “We were lucky not to get caught. I’ll have to check with security to see if they have us on tape.”



  Jeongguk  gulped and covered his mouth with one hand.



  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”



  He wouldn’t be surprised if he had some sort of contact in every important hotel In the city. “Thanks.” He paused. And then found the courage to ask, “Are we…are we okay?”



  Taehyung smiled again. It wasn’t the smile he despised, but it wasn’t that irresistible twitching of his lips either. His smile was slight and half-exhausted. “Yes. Of course.”



  “I didn’t mean to pry into your privacy or anything,” he began, remembering what he’d said in the elevator. “I just—”



  “Don’t worry about it,” he said again, with a dismissive gesture. “We’re fine.”



  Things didn’t feel exactly fine to Jeongguk. There was an odd tension in the air between them that hadn’t existed before. He wasn’t sure if it was coming from his or from Taehyung or from both of them. But he knew he wasn’t mistaken about it.



  Searching for something casual to say, he rubbed the sore spot on his neck with one hand. “Now I’m probably going to have a bruise again,” he complained, making sure it was clear he was teasing. He craned his neck to see in one of the mirrors. “Thanks a lot.”



  The corner of Taehyung’s mouth quirked up. “Sorry about that.”



  His expression eased some of the discomfort in his chest. So he sustained the mood. “Don’t be. It was really hot. I wouldn’t have thought I’d like that.”



  “A little pain can go a long way,” Taehyung said, in the voice he always used to give his advice or instructions.



  “I guess so. I’m not sure I’d want much more than that, though,” Jeongguk added honestly, mulling over memories of his own physical responses to stimulation. Following that train of thought, he asked idly, “I guess some people do though. Do you lose a lot of clients by only doing the romantic thing?” At his questioning look, he explained, “What we talked about last week—about not doing all the S&M stuff.”



  “Oh,” he said with an enlightened look. He shook his head. “No. I don’t think I’ve lost any.”



  Relieved to find a subject—however unusual—that felt more like their normal interaction, Jeongguk  pursued it. “So it’s not all that popular?”



  “It depends on what you mean by popular. There’s a small percentage of the population that’s into that lifestyle, but there’s a whole industry built around it. And, in general, those who participate in that lifestyle want to engage in the culture as a whole rather than using the occasional services of someone like me.”



  “Huh.” Jeongguk  thought about it for a minute. “If recent erotic romances are to be believed, most men are really into stuff like that.”



  Taehyung chuckled and shook his head. “But that’s the stuff of fantasies. Most men who get turned on reading about it wouldn’t actually want to live it out. It might turn them on in fantasies, but it wouldn’t in real life. Tell me the truth. What would you do if I tied you up, muzzled you, and started to whip you?”



  Jeongguk thought about all the hot sex scenes he’d read featuring such activities. Then he honestly examined his own nature. He snickered. “I’d have you arrested for assault.” Not really. He thought to himself.



  He returned his smile. “Exactly. I know I’m making a generalization and everyone is unique and has their own needs, desires, and expressions of feeling. But, in my experience, the majority of the men would still rather be genuinely loved than just fucked.”



  For some reason, at his final words—as matter-of-fact as they were—he felt a stab of aching knowledge shoot through his heart.



  He didn’t know about the rest of the men in the world, but for his at least his words were true. He would rather have a man he could love and who really loved his than just be fucked, no matter how skillful the man who was doing the fucking.



  Jeongguk didn’t regret his sessions with Taehyung, but he finally had to admit himself  that they couldn’t last forever. Already, it was starting to feel a little strange to him—as if it wasn’t as impersonal and professional as it should be.



  Now that he had a potential relationship with Yoongi, was this thing with Taehyung what he really wanted?



  When he looked back at him, he saw he’d been studying him closely. “Shall we set another appointment?” he asked.



  Put on the spot, Jeongguk was slammed with a wave of confusion. He had no idea what he wanted to do. “Um, I’m not sure what my schedule will be.” That was true. He didn’t know if Yoongi would ask his out again. “Why don’t I email you and let you know?”



  Taehyung nodded, no expression on his face. “Sounds good.”



  He showered and dressed after that. And he gave him the cash and walked him to the door like usual. Their goodbye seemed to be more final than usual, and Jeongguk couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever see him again as he walked away from him, down the hall.



  Jeongguk felt weird. And disturbed. And upset. And kind of sad.



  But he knew he needed to face reality. He couldn’t pursue a serious relationship and fuck a gigolo on the side. Maybe some men did it, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.



  If given the choice, he would rather have a man to love than pay a man to fuck him.



  ***



  Two days later, Jeongguk  sent a long, rambling, apologetic email to Taehyung, explaining he would no longer need his services. Yoongi had asked him out again, and he was going to focus on that for the time being.



  Taehyung sent his a brief, impersonal reply, saying he’d enjoyed working with him and to keep him in mind for any referrals.



  And that was it. Jeongguk  inexplicable experiment with a male escort had come to an end.



  He had another date with Min Yoongi on Friday night, so at least he could look forward to that.





*******