The Escort Service

chapter 7

Chapter 7
*******

  “Here’s to no more assholes,” Jimin said, raising his half-drunk bottle of beer in an enthusiastic toast.



  They were both slouched against the couch on the floor of Jeongguk’s living room, an empty pizza box between them. “Here, here!” Jeongguk  echoed, clinking his bottle loudly against his cousin’s.



  Jeongguk  was on his third beer. He was just starting to get a pleasant buzz, but he frowned as he took another swallow. “He was an asshole, wasn’t he?”



  “Of course,” Jimin said, picking the remaining cheese off the greasy cardboard and absently putting it in his mouth. “Don’t be stupid. Min Yoongi may be a tiny bit hot, but he’s a world-class asshole.”



  “Right. I mean, we’d only gone out three times. It wasn’t like I was holding out on him indefinitely. I’m not some frigid bitch.”



  “Of course not. He’s clearly the one with the problem. Talk about assholes. He didn’t get what he wanted soon enough, so he just moved on. He’s not worth worrying about.”



“I know.” Jeongguk  nodded, firmly believing his cousin’s words. But his frown deepened into a scowl just the same. “I was going to have sex with him. I really was. I just didn’t want to rush into it. It’s not like I left him hanging for months or something.”



  “He’s the asshole,” Jimin said in full support mode, even if that meant repeating himself  for an entire evening. “Not you.”



  Jeongguk’s scowl turned into a sneer. “Asshole,” he muttered, picturing Yoongi’s pale, cat like face.



  A few days ago, Min Yoongi had dropped him quite abruptly and quite rudely so he could fuck a twenty-year-old model. While he and Yoongi hadn’t dated long enough for his heart to be involved, it was humiliating, disappointing, and infuriating.



  With a sigh, Jeongguk said, “Maybe he thought I was a tease.”



  “Jeongguk ,” Jimin began, an edge of warning in his voice.



  “I know. I didn’t lead him on. But last Friday, we kind of got going and then I made him stop. Maybe he thought—”



  “I don’t give a rat’s ass what he thought. You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t have to give it up just because he wants you to. And you have every right to stop sex at any point, whenever you want and for whatever reason.”



  “I didn’t change my mind in the middle of sex. We were just messing around some on the couch. Still in our clothes and everything. But he was getting into it. And I wasn’t. As much.”



  Jimin’s expression changed as he set down his empty beer bottle. “Why weren’t you into it?”



  Jeongguk shrugged and tried to articulate his somewhat chaotic feelings. “I don’t know. I liked him—I thought. But when got going, it just didn’t feel right.”



  “What didn’t feel right about it?”



  “I don’t know.” Jeongguk blushed a little as he made himself  admit, “It was all right, I guess. But it wasn’t as good as I’m used to.”



  Jimin snorted and opened his mouth to respond.



  Jeongguk spoke over him. “I know. I know. I’m not an idiot. I’m not expecting the same level as expertise as I get with a professional. But…I don’t know. It just seemed like Min Yoongi was kind of selfish about stuff.”



  “I was afraid of this,” Jimin said with a sigh. “The truth is that, when it comes to sex, selfishness is pretty typical with guys.”



  “Great. How infinitely comforting.”



  “I don’t mean they’re all jerks. I just mean it’s more common for them to go about sex focusing on what they want rather than ensuring what you want.” Jimin shook his head and clicked his tongue. “It’s a sad fact of the world.”



  Jeongguk thought about that for a minute. Then he raised his beer bottle. “Here’s to selfish assholes in bed. May they stay far away from us.”



  Jimin chuckled and toasted with his empty bottle. “I’ll drink to that. Or I would if I had any beer left.”



  “I’ve got more in the fridge.” Jeongguk got up to get a fresh six-pack out of his refrigerator, and as he returned he heard a familiar bing that signaled he’d received a new email.



  He ran over and peered at his computer screen. Then exhaled in disappointment when he saw an ad for Viagra with every other word spelled incorrectly.



  He sent the message to his junk mail and returned to Jimin with the beer.



  “Who are you expecting a message from?” Jimin asked. “A new guy already?”



  “No. There’s no new guy. I’m not expecting anything.”



Jimin narrowed his eyes. “Jeongguk ?”



  Jeongguk made a face at his cousin, but there was no use trying to keep it a secret. “I emailed Taehyung yesterday to see if he’d schedule a new appointment with me.”



  “What? What? What?”



  Embarrassed by the confession and annoyed by Jimin’s obvious shock, Jeongguk scowled again. “Well, why shouldn’t I? You just got through telling me that most guys are selfish assholes. So why shouldn’t I take the necessary steps to make sure I have good experiences.”



  “No reason,” Jimin said, holding up his hands in defence at Jeongguk’s vehement tone. “But there are good guys out there. They’re just hard to find.”



  “I know. And eventually I want to find one. But right now I’m annoyed and frustrated and I don’t want to mess with dating again yet. There aren’t any guys I’m interested in at the moment. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t schedule another session with Taehyung!”



  “As long as you’re not using him as a crutch or secretly hoping for some sort of Pretty Woman scenario.”



  “Jimin!” Jeongguk  snapped, “Would you give that up? I’m not an idiot. I just want to do my own thing for a while. And this is my own thing.”



  Jimin studied Jeongguk’s expression soberly for a long while. But then he nodded, evidently satisfied with what he saw. “All right. I get it. But I think you’re mostly doing it because you’re pissed.”



  Jeongguk was pissed. With Yoongi in particular and with men in general. And, if he wasn’t so pissed, he might not have found the courage to go back to Taehyung, after the way they’d ended things.



  Another bing from his computer alerted his to a new email. This time, when Jeongguk went over to check, he saw Taehyung’s name in the “From” column.



  Jeongguk exhaled deeply with relief when he saw the response. He’d emailed Taehyung yesterday on a random impulse, but when he hadn’t heard back from him as quickly as usual, he’d started to get worried. Maybe he was tired of putting up with his whims. or, even worse, maybe he was hurt or offended by dropping his services last month.



  Jeongguk’d never wanted to hurt his feelings. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have worried, since surely he’d be pleased to get a returning client. But things had been so intense in their last session, and he was still confused about some of it.



  “He says he’s free on Monday.”



  “This Monday?” Jimin asked. “I thought he was always booked for weeks in advance.”



  “He is.” Jeongguk drew his eyebrows together as he returned to the floor next to Jimin. It was very strange that he had an available evening so quickly. “He must have had a cancellation.”



  As he opened another beer, planning to get significantly tipsier by the end of the night, Jeongguk felt a twist in his belly.



  He was excited about seeing Taehyung again. He’d missed him more than expected, and he kept getting the unprovoked urge to tell him things and hear his response. But he was also nervous.



  For a while, thought he’d gotten to know Taehyung pretty well. He’d thought he had a handle on his personality.



  But their last couple of encounters had taught him that there were depths to Taehyung he’d never plunged. There were truths hidden in his soul he’d not yet begun to explore.



  And he had no idea what to expect from Taehyung on Monday night.

  *******



  Jeongguk  pulled on his black and grey pajama set after his bath on Monday—the same thing he’d worn to his first engagement with Taehyung several months ago. The outfit was familiar, and the soft tank and pajama pants were cozy and comfortable.



  But it didn’t soothe the nervous jitters in his belly.



  He was on the second glass of wine when he heard the knock at the hotel room door. Took three deep breaths as he walked over. But then, when he swung the door open, he felt an unexpected flare of warmth at the sight of Taehyung standing in the doorway. Just as he always had.



  This evening, he wore a charcoal gray suit and a black shirt without a tie. He was smooth, handsome, and sophisticated. To his infinite relief, he wasn’t smiling that horrible fake smile.



  Taehyung wasn’t smiling at all. He just looked at him with an expression of quizzical scrutiny. He was fully composed, though. Whatever deep emotion had been eating at him the last time they’d met had been fully reined in and controlled.



  All of which was very reassuring.



  Jeongguk gave him a sheepish smile. “Hi. I changed my mind.”



  The corner of Taehyung’s mouth gave a tiny twitch. So slight he almost didn’t catch it. “So I see.”



  He let him into the room, and they walked over to the round table next to the window. “I hope that’s all right,” Jeongguk  said, perching on the edge of one of the chairs.



  “It’s not a problem for me.” Taehyung’s brown eyes were still scanning his face, as if he were trying to dig something out of his expression.



  “I just feel kind of bad about it. Going back and forth like this.”



  Taehyung shook his head, his lips giving another twitch. “Do you really think I expect a commitment from my clients? That’s the whole point of using my services.”



  Taehyung seemed sincere. There was no trace of angst in his eyes or his expression. In fact, he thought he saw a glint of amusement. It was something he never would have expected.



  He frowned. “Are you laughing at me?”



  “Of course not.”



  “I’m not really wishy-washy,” he explained. “My circumstances have changed.”



  “I suppose that means you dumped your boyfriend.”



  Jeongguk gave a little sniff. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. But I would have dumped him, I’m sure.”



  Taehyung’s eyes widened. “He dumped you?”



  Jeongguk couldn’t help but experience a quiver of pleasure at the faint astonishment in his voice. It was nice that someone thought he was capable of holding onto a man. “He was an asshole.”



  “Clearly. It was very wise of you to get rid of him as quickly as you did.”



  “Exactly,” Jeongguk said with a resolute nod.



  Taehyung’s mouth gave a smile again.



  So did Jeongguk’s.



  As simple as that, they fell back into their comfortable, companionable interaction. He’d been horribly afraid that tonight would be awkward or uncomfortable. Or tense and confrontational like their conversation in the elevator.



  But it was like nothing had happened between them at all.



  Contrarily, a tiny part of Jeongguk  missed the intensity coiled inside of Taehyung after the fundraiser last month. Missed the urgency with which he’d looked at him, touched him, fucked him.



  But that was absurd. This laidback sociability was much easier to deal with. And he was pretty sure he would have chickened out if he’d been confronted with any uncomfortable urgency or bewildering angst this evening.


Remembering his manners, he stood up and poured Taehyung a glass of wine. The other accepted it with thanks and sat down in the second chair.



  “I wasn’t expecting you to have an opening in your schedule so soon,” Jeongguk said, interested in his availability and also just wanting to make conversation.



  Taehyung hesitated as he sipped his wine. Then he finally said, “I’ve been cutting back a little.”



  Jeongguk’s eyes widened. “On your clients, you mean? Why is that?”



  His lips tightened and Jeongguk recognized the shuttered expression. He recognized it very well.



  Before he could fob his off with some piece of nonsense, He said, “I ask a lot of questions. I can’t help it. That’s who I am. But don’t get all tense and closed off if I ask something you don’t want to answer. Just tell me to shut up.”



  To his relief, Taehyung’s expression relaxed. “Understood.”



  He wasn’t sure why, but he kind of liked the idea that Taehyung wasn’t seeing as many clients as he used to. He clearly remembered how much he’d disliked seeing him with Sarah at the fundraiser. “I suppose being a male escort might not be a line of work you want to continue indefinitely. Have you ever thought about switching careers?”



  He nodded slowly, his eyes resting on the bed across the room. “Occasionally.”



  It wasn’t much of an answer, and he didn’t tell him nearly as much as he wanted to know. But at least he hadn’t told him to shut up. Jeongguk wanted to push him on this Issue, but he made himself hold back. Instead, he moved over to the bed with his wine and stretched out, making himself comfortable since he was pretty sure now he’d want to have sex later on.



Jeongguk said in a light drawl, “You know what you should be? A sex therapist.”


Obviously taken by surprise, Taehyung gave an inelegant snort over the rim of his wine glass. “Excuse me?”



  “A sex therapist. Just think about how good you were with helping me out. People would line up for sessions from you.”



  For a moment, Jeongguk held his breath—unsure of Taehyung’s reaction. It could have gone either way. But then his lips twitched. “There would be an appalling sort of irony to that career choice.”



  He grinned. “Or you could do what I suggested before. Do seminars and webinars with instructions on how men can better please their partner.” Thinking about Yoongi, his expression transformed into a bitter scowl. “They definitely need the advice.”



  Taehyung arched one eyebrow. “Any particular disappointing experience you’d like to share?”



  “Shut up.” Although he’d fixed his scowl on Taehyung now because of his smug smirk, he wasn’t really annoyed with him. He felt a ridiculous urge to giggle. “Oh, I know! You should write a book.”



  Taehyung shook his head with wry amusement. “If you’re going to suggest I write romance novels—”



  “No, no,” he interrupted. “Although I’m sure you’d probably write good ones. I mean you should write a non-fiction book on all you’ve learned about men. It would be a best-seller.”



  “The Confessions of a Male Hooker?”



  His voice was still amused but he didn’t like the note of bitterness he detected. “Not like that. I suppose your former profession could be a marketing ploy, but I mean more like a how-to book. I’m serious. You really should write up all the wisdom and insight you have about men and relationships.”



  “Wisdom and insight?” Faint scepticism was etched on his handsome features.



  Jeongguk straightened up on the bed, frowning at him in annoyance. “How can you be so smug one minute and then so completely oblivious the next? You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And I’ve never met anyone with the kind of experience with human nature you’ve had. I’m not saying it’s a blessing or that it didn’t come with a price. But you have it. Why not use it?”



  Taehyung’s gaze was oddly still. Quiet. “I do use it.”



  Jeeongguk made a frustrated noise in his throat. “I meant use it to write a book. Channel it in a different way. I have a lot of contacts in the publishing industry. I can almost guarantee I’d find at least a few editors who’d be interested in giving it a read.”



  Taehyung just looked at him for a full moment, his expression so acutely observant that Jeongguk wanted to squirm. “Are you trying to convert me out of my life of depravity?”



  Jeongguk almost sputtered. He hadn’t thought that was what he was doing. He’d just gotten an idea and run with it—the way he always did. He didn’t really mean it. “What kind of hypocrite would I be if I was doing that, given how much money I’ve paid you to fuck me? I hope you don’t think I was judging you. I wouldn’t.” He stared down at his wine glass, strangely self-conscious all of a sudden. “You don’t really think I was doing that, do you?”



  “Jeongguk,” Taehyung began, his voice drawing eyes to his face again. “Sometimes I have no idea what to think of you.”



  Not sure whether he’d been complimented or insulted, he gave him a cool glare. “Well, I assure you the feeling is mutual.”



  He thought his lip might have given that delicious twitch, but he was still seated in the chair, too far away from the bed to be sure.



  “Were you really thinking of leaving the business?” Jeongguk asked at last.



  “I never said that. You asked if I ever think about it, and naturally I think about it occasionally.”



  “Do you actually find this line of work…satisfying?”



  Taehyung gave a slight shrug. “I’m good at it. I make a lot of money. I set my own terms. I’ve succeeded in…”



  When he trailed off, Jeongguk prompted, “Succeeded in what?” Not for the first time, he wondered if Taehyung was happy. If he was anything close to happy with the life he’d made for himself.



  He really didn’t want to judge him—not knowing anything about what had shaped his choices—but he couldn’t imagine that he found life genuinely satisfying allowing his body and even his personhood to be used the way it was.



  He shook his head and didn’t answer.



  “Was it hard?” Jeongguk asked, letting the questions spill out now that he’d started on the subject he’d been too afraid to ask about before. “The first time, I mean. Was it hard when you started being an escort?”



  Taehyung was silent for a long time as he stared at an empty spot in the air. Then he said, “Shut up, Jeongguk.”



  Jeongguk huffed and gave a little flounce of frustration on the bed, but he couldn’t complain or say anything. He was the one who had told Taehyung to shut him down if he became too nosy.



  Watching him pout, Taehyung chuckled and finished off his wine. He looked a lot more at ease now than he had the last time he’d seen. He wondered what had changed. What kind of personal resolutions he’d come to. What had allowed him to level off the emotional tension he’d witnessed before.



  He still didn’t know what all of that emotional tension last month even meant.



  There were far too many things about Taehyung that he didn’t know. And he realized how much he deeply disliked his ignorance. The curiosity he’d always felt about Taehyung had, for some reason, intensified into a driving need to know.



  But Taehyung clearly wasn’t going to tell him—not even the most basic of answers.



  He just sat there, drinking his wine, still laughing softly to himself.



  “What are you laughing at?” he demanded, deciding he was annoyed with him for enjoying his frustration, even as mildly as he was.



  “Hasn’t anyone told you no before when you pry into their lives?”



  “Yes, but usually I’m able to get around that.” He gave Taehyung an assessing look, trying to figure out what it would take to get him to open up about his secrets, about all the things he refused to tell him.



  Taehyung just chuckled again, as if he knew exactly what he was plotting and knew he didn’t have a chance of succeeding.



  Jeongguk gave a gasp of outrage at his brazen amusement at his expense and impulsively chucked a pillow at him.



  It hit him squarely in the chest with a satisfying whoosh.



  Taehyung blinked at him.



  Pleased at having taken him by surprise, Jeongguk threw another pillow at him. This one was aimed even better, and it smacked into his face before flopping in his lap.



  Taehyung made a winded sound and dropped the pillow onto the floor near the first one. “A rather childish entertainment, don’t you think?”



  At another time, his dry tone might have smothered his playful impulses, made him feel foolish and young. But he knew he’d pitched his voice to be patronizing on purpose to adjust the playing field in his favor.



  Jeongguk ignored his comment. For the moment he had the upper-hand and he wasn’t about to lose it.



  There were six pillows on the bed. He threw another one at him. Again, it connected with his face and he made a huffing sound at the impact.

  Then Taehyung got to his feet.



  Feeling a thrill of excitement, Jeongguk grabbed the other three pillows in preparation.



  Jeongguk hurled another one as Taehyung advanced toward the bed. It hit Taehyung with more force than his other attempts, but his aim wasn’t quite as careful. The pillow hit his groin, making him grunt.



  Jeongguk couldn’t hold back a giggle as he prepared for another assault.



  To his dismay, Taehyung caught his next missile and smoothly dropped it into the pile with the others before he reached the side of the bed.



  Taehyung was smiling now. A new smile. One that was dangerous, almost predatory. It prompted a shudder of excitement along his spine and took his breath away.



  He clutched at his last pillow, gripping it desperately as he resisted Taehyung’s attempts to pull it out of his hands.



  “It is unquestionably foolish to begin a battle when you don’t know the full strength of your adversary,” Taehyung murmured some big words.



  “I do know,” Jeongguk insisted, scooting back on the bed a little as Taehyung loomed threateningly over him



  Then he cheated. He absolutely cheated. He grabbed Jeongguk’s ankle and brushed his fingers lightly over the sole of his bare foot.



  Jeongguk’s ticklish instinct triggered, he squealed and jerked his foot away.



  While he was distracted, Taehyung smoothly pulled the pillow from his loosened grip.



  “Hey!” He stared in mute outrage as Taehyung added the final pillow to his stash by the table.



  Now Taehyung had all the pillows. And Jeongguk didn’t have any.



  “That was a cheap shot,” Jeongguk gritted out, sizing up his position and the distance to the pile of pillows.



  “I told you. Without full knowledge of your adversary, you’ll invariably lose the battle.” Taehyung smiled at him again, that same predatory smile that seemed almost more natural to him than his ironic one. Until now, he’d never known this side of Taehyung even existed. “You have no idea how low I’ll stoop to win a challenge.”



  It only took Jeongguk a moment to figure out what to do. “You’re right. Well played.” He beamed at him, using his big doe eyes and bunny smile in the hopes that it would put him off his guard.



  Jeongguk didn’t drop his guard, but, as Taehyung gazed down at him, he saw a brief expression in his eyes that was just a little softer than usual.



  So he acted.



  Jeongguk reached out and grabbed his crotch, taken aback when he felt he was slightly hard. Pushing past that distraction, he squeezed him there—making sure not to genuinely hurt him.



  When Taehyung’ grunted, Jeongguk slipped past his looming figure and made a dash for the pillows.



  He’d almost reached them when he felt a strong arm wrap around his middle, heaving his up until he was slung over on the shoulder like a bag of grain.



  Jeongguk howled in outrage and flailed his arms and legs. To no avail. Taehyung’s arm was unyielding as he braced him in position until he reached the bed and unceremoniously dumped his back onto the mattress.



  Gasping, flushed, and more excited than was entirely reasonable, Jeongguk said by way of explanation, “You’re not the only one who will stoop low to win.”



  “Evidently.”



  “That’s what you get for tickling me.” Jeongguk stuck out his chin to show his determination and unwillingness to be cowed by Taehyung’s stalking intimidation.



  Taehyung stood next to the bed and stared down at him. He’d gotten tenser and the feral, dangerous look was even stronger in his eyes. Every muscle in Jeongguk’s body tightened as he waited in breathless expectation.



  Jeongguk knew the other was going to do something. But had no idea what Taehyung would do.



  Then he did it.



  Taeehyung grabbed his ankle again and started to tickle his foot. Jeongguk squealed and squirmed, but he couldn’t free himself. Taehyung was relentless as his strong, skillful hands worked over one foot and then the other. And then started traveling up his calves to the sensitive spots at the back of his knees, pushing up his pants as he went.



  Jeongguk writhed on the bed, overcome with gasping laughter and merciless torment. He tried to resist, tried to pull away and fight his hands. But Taehyung was as good at tickling as he was at everything else. Jeongguk was helpless, at his mercy, as his hands moved up to tickle his belly and sides.



  Taehyung was leaning over him now, and Jeongguk was practically screaming with both delight and agony. His legs hung off the bed, and he tried to get his feet on the floor to give himself some leverage. But Taehyung adjusted against his strategy, using the weight of his body to hold him in place.



  His hands had moved under his tank so he could tickle his bare skin. Jeongguk wriggled and arched and squirmed beneath him. He gasped out, “Oh God, Taehyung! It tickles Taehyung! Please stop!” he was laughing loud.



  Taehyung was hot and strong and substantial above him, and, in the blur of his tickle-induced haze, he caught a glimpse of an expression on his face that was half-militant and half-warm.



  It was the warmth in his eyes more than the militancy that shifted the nature of his physical sensations. He couldn’t stop squirming. Couldn’t stop rocking beneath the weight of his lean, firm body. Couldn’t stop panting and choking out his name.



  But the stimulation had somehow transformed into something just as delicious, just as torturous, but it didn’t make him laugh.



  He arched his spine, shamelessly trying to rub his chest against Taehyung’s. His arms flew back above his head so he could fist his hands in the bedding. “Taehyung,” he gasped, a jolt of deep arousal slicing through him.



Taehyung didn’t miss a beat. Just pushed his tank up even farther and leaned down enough to take one of his nipple in his mouth.



  Jeongguk moaned as Taehyung suckled his nipple, and his hands started to caress and fondle his sides, belly, hips and thighs rather than sustaining the tickle-assault.



  His mouth and hands felt so much better on his body than Yoongi’s had. And it wasn’t just because he was more skillful. It seemed natural to feel Taehyung above him feel his lips on his sensitive nipples, his hands on bare skin, stroking secret parts of him no one else had ever touched.



  His legs still hung over the side of the bed, so he tried to wrap them around Taehyung’s body. He was wearing far too many clothes, but he didn’t want to take the time to get rid of them. He rubbed his hard aroused cock against the bulge he felt in Taehyung’s pants, only a few layers of fabric between them.



  “Taehyung,” he rasped, tossing his head back and forth with a desire that was quickly spinning out of control. “Condom. Now.”



  He pulled his head from Jeongguk’s nipple that he has been sucking and released one of his thighs. He stared at him for a moment, eyes hot and oddly unfocused. Then he pulled off his cashmere pants and stood up for just long enough to grab a condom and lube packet from his back pocket and rip it open.



  Taehyung fumbled with his pants and boxers until he’d freed his cock. Then he rolled on the condom and moved back into the position he’d taken before, braced above him, half off the bed.



  Taehyung parted his legs for him, but pushed his thighs further apart before he slid two lubed fingers into his entrance to check his readiness. Jeongguk was fully hard than he thought was possible after so little foreplay. Jeongguk’s breath hitched as Taehyung fucked him with his fingers for a minute, curling them up to rub against his prostate.



  “Taehyung,” he begged, clutching at the bedding. “Please.”



  Taehyung was still wearing most of his clothes, and his flushed, tense face above his expensive shirt and suit was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.



  Taehyung’s thumb found his cock and he massaged it until the tremors of an orgasm pulsed through him, making him moan and shudder.

Sucking in air as he came down, he started to claw at Taehyung’s ass, trying to move him into position, still hungry for more. He adjusted his body to align his cock at his entrance.



  Then, with a pitch of his hips, Taehyung pushed his cock inside.



  Jeongguk arched up again as Taehyung entered him. He was tight from nearly a month without sex.



  “Fuck,” Taehyung muttered. He was bracing himself with his hands on the bed, and his face had jerked the side.



  Jeongguk wanted Taehyung to look at him again. Wanted to see the expression in his eyes. “All right?” he managed to ask.



  Taehyung straightened his neck and opened his eyes. Made a sound that might have been a choked laugh. “Yeah. You ready?”



  “Yeah.” When Taehyung made a first long thrust, Jeongguk’s lips were parted and stretched his neck with pleasure. “Oh yeah.” Taehyung thrust again, and Jeongguk dug his fingers into the clenched muscles of his ass. “Angg fuck feels so good.”



  They fucked like that, only halfway on the bed, and Jeongguk loved it. His body grew hotter and more urgent with every one of Taehyung’s hard thrusts, and his panting transformed into little sobs of pleasure as they rocked together and shook the bed.



  Jeongguk fumbled at Taehyung’s ass and his back, trying to pull him deeper inside him. He’d wrapped his legs around his hips and he kept trying to get them higher up his back so he could feel even more of him. Get him deeper.



  Taehyung’s body was blazing hot and sweating beneath his clothes, and his own uneven breathing turned into rhythmic guttural sounds—almost like grunts—every time he pushed inside him.



“Oh so Good,” he choked. “Taehyung.” His whole body had started to shake and waves of heat bombarded his.



  The speed of Taehyung’s rutting intensified and he was so tense Jeongguk could see the tight veins in his neck.



  “Gonna come Taehyung. You come too.” He clawed at his bare ass, knowing he was marking him, wanting to mark him. Then his whole body arched back and his mouth opened in a silent scream of pleasure.



  Jeongguk’s inner walls clamped down around Taehyung’s cock and he fell out of rhythm too. With a few last grunts, he pushed against his clenching channel. Then his cock pulsed, his whole body pulsed, as he climaxed on a choked word.



  Taehyung’s breathing was fast and sloppy as his elbows buckled and his body collapsed briefly on him.



Taehyung clung to him for the few moments he remained on top of Jeongguk, holding him with his arms and his legs.



  Then he heaved himself up with a groan. “Got to get the condom,” he muttered, holding it in place as he pulled out before his cock softened fully.



  Jeongguk was sore and his muscles felt overly stretched, but as he scooted back fully onto the bed and got under the covers, he felt ridiculously satisfied.



  Taehyung was right about what he’d said in the elevator last month. Why should he over-complicate this? He paid Taehyung good money. In return Taehyung gave him good sex. They got along just fine, and he liked to spend time with Taehyung.



  His only regret was that Taehyung had won the pillow fight.



  Taehyung stayed in the bathroom a little longer than usual but not as long as he had that night he returned from Hong Kong.



  Jeongguk realized, as Taehyung  walked back into the room fully naked, that they’d stopped turning the lights off at some unspecified point over the past few months. He could see Taehyung’s lean, nude body as clear as day as he made his way over to the side of the bed and bent over to pick up his boxers.



  Taehyung had broad shoulders, a tight abdomen, long legs and a trim, gorgeous ass. His butt was exposed to him as he pulled his boxers on, so he had an excellent view of the firm cheeks and trim flanks. And the angry red marks crisscrossing his fair skin from Jeongguk’s fingernails.



  Jeongguk stifled a snicker at this evidence of how vividly he’d marked Taehyung, and he pulled the sheet and comforter up to his armpits. He wasn’t wearing anything except his tank, and his body wasn’t perfectly chiselled for public appreciation the way Taehyung’s was.



  Taehyung gave him a questioning look as he returned to the bed and got under the covers beside him. “What?”



  Jeongguk must not have hid his snicker very well. “Nothing.”



  Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “Why are you laughing at me?”



  “I’m not. Not really. I was just looking at those scratches I made on your ass. Sorry about that.”



  With a half-shrug, he replied, “No big deal.”



  “I didn’t realize I scratched you that hard. They don’t hurt, do they?”



  “Not much. Don’t worry about it. At least it wasn’t my head.” His mouth quirked into a smile. “Although you were rather enthusiastic.”



  Taehyung’s tone was light and teasing, but Jeongguk’s cheeks burned painfully. He had been enthusiastic. More than enthusiastic. He’d been almost frantic in his need to get him inside him. He’d liked the feeling at the time, but now he was embarrassed by his brazenness, his almost childish eagerness.



  “What’s the matter?” Taehyung asked, studying his face. He tried to meet his eyes but he avoided his gaze.



  “Nothing.”



  “Jeongguk.” Taehyung’s voice held an edge of warning, the way Jimin’s always did when Jeongguk was being foolish.



  “Fine,” Jeongguk relented with a scowl. “I’m just embarrassed.”



  “Why?”



  “I don’t know. It’s not rational. It’s just that the world seems to think that being cool and collected is the way to go. And I can never manage to be that way, no matter how hard I try. I just get too excited about things. And this sex stuff is still pretty new to me, and you made it sound like I…like I …” He trailed off, not sure how to articulate his uncomfortable feeling.



  “Like you what?” Taehyung had turned onto his side and was watching him with a frown.



  “Like I was overly eager or something.” The flush on his cheeks deepened and he couldn’t look him in the eye. Wished he’d never brought the ridiculous subject up. “Never mind. It’s just a stupid feeling. I know it’s silly.”



  “Yes,” Taehyung said slowly. “It is.”



  Jeeongguk  gasped and cut his eyes back to glare at him.



  Taehyung just lifted his eyebrows. “Surely you know better than to think being enthusiastic in bed is a turn-off.”



  When he put it that way, Jeongguk’s embarrassment did sound pretty silly. But still… “No need to be snotty about it,” he huffed.



  Taehyung just chuckled and changed the subject. “So have you been practicing with your vibrator?”



  It seemed a perfectly natural transition to Jeongguk so he answered easily. “Yes. I’ve been doing pretty well, I think. Thanks for getting it for me and helping me with it.”



  “You’re welcome.” Taehyung stretched his long body, as if he were trying to make himself more comfortable. “So your boyfriend was a disappointment in bed?”



  Had Jeongguk been thinking about it, he might have noticed that there had been no real segue to this question. But he was feeling relaxed and satisfied again, and he didn’t notice anything odd about it. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. We never got that far.” At Taehyung’s puzzled look, he clarified, “We never got far enough for him to be my boyfriend. And, actually, we never got as far as bed.”



  “I see. He was one of those. Sloppy sex in the back of a car?” Taehyung asked, his voice dry and teasing.



  “No!” Jeongguk’s tone was outraged, but he was more amused than anything else. “We never had sex at all.”



  Jeongguk’s quivering smile faded as he thought about Yoongi and how he’d made him feel. He shook his head ruefully. “Evidently, that was the problem.”



  “What do you mean?”



  “I didn’t put out soon enough for him, so he found someone younger and hotter.”



  “What?” Taehyung’s question wasn’t loud, but the understated astonishment in his voice was once again comforting.



“So you think it’s bad too, don’t you?” Jeongguk asked, meeting his eyes earnestly. “I mean, you don’t think it’s acceptable for a guy to treat me like trash just because I didn’t fuck him on the third date.”



  For a moment, Taehyung’s jaw was tense and a little muscle flickered in his cheek. Then his face relaxed and he turned to give his a small shake of his head. “Sounds like you picked out an asshole for yourself.”



  Jeongguk giggled, feeling absurdly better about the whole thing now that Taehyung had so matter-of-factly sentenced Yoongi to the same level of hell he and Jimin had. “That’s what I say.”



  When he glanced over at Taehyung, he caught him scanning his face with obvious scrutiny. “What?” Jeongguk demanded.



  “You hadn’t really fallen for the asshole, had you?” Taehyung’s tone was casual, nonchalant, and it didn’t quite match the urgent searching of his eyes.



  “No. I really hadn’t. I mean, I felt like crap after he dumped me. But I was mostly humiliated. I really thought he had potential so I felt so stupid afterwards. And it did hurt. I’ve always felt …” His words had spilled out unthinkingly, but he cut himself off when he realized what he was about to say.



  “You’ve always felt what?”



  Jeongguk closed his eyes. He had no intention of opening up about this, but he heard himself saying the words anyway. “I’ve always felt second-best. You know, always in the shadow of someone else. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was in love with a guy all through high school and college who didn’t love me back. And this thing with Yoongi kind of made me feel that way again. Like I was being stupid for expecting the hot guy to fall in love with me.” His voice cracked a little as he concluded, “I guess I keep waiting for someone to choose me, to want me, over all the other men he could have.”



  The hotel room was silent as Jeongguk finished, and he darted nervous eyes over to Taehyung. His expression was quiet, reflective, and it made Jeongguk burn with self-consciousness again.



  What the hell was he thinking? Spilling his guts like that.



  Taehyung must think he was a needy, foolish guy.



  Taehyung didn’t speak immediately, and Jeongguk couldn’t think of anything to say. He squirmed restlessly, trying to talk himself back into the comfortable familiarity he’d felt earlier this evening.



  He was just on the verge of back-pedaling when Taehyung finally spoke.



  “There was a woman who was a business associate of my father’s. She was about ten years older than me, but she’d been making moves on me since I was eighteen.”



  Jeongguk blinked, disoriented at first with the change of subject. Taehyung lay on the bed beside him with hands crossed behind his head. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, and there was no trace of emotion on his face.



  Jeongguk realized Taeehyung was answering his question from earlier than evening—about his first time as a male escort. Maybe his confession, making himself vulnerable, had opened the door for him as well.



  “After my dad and I got into our ten-millionth fight, I swore I’d have nothing more to do with him. I kept my word. I’d been working on an MBA, but I dropped out of school, and I would no longer use any of his money or resources. I bummed around for almost a year, living with friends and doing nothing constructive. And this woman kept making moves on me. I wasn’t interested. She wasn’t my type and I didn’t like her connections to my dad. Then she offered me five-thousand dollars to go on a date with her.”



  Taehyung’s voice was dry and matter-of-fact, and his features were so calm they were almost stoic. “I accepted. I didn’t have a job and I had no money of my own. I took her to dinner, then a cocktail party, then back to her place where I fucked her. I lived for a month on one night’s work.”



  Jeongguk’s heart was racing for some reason, and he couldn’t seem to take a full breath. But he kept his voice natural, not wanting to make a big deal about the fact that Taehyung had opened up for the first time. “Did your father know about it?”



  “Oh yeah. I made sure he knew. It seemed so easy to me. Take women out. Make money doing it. This woman had a lot of friends, so I got referrals from the very beginning. Gradually, I made a whole business out of it.”



  “Was it hard?” Jeongguk asked, keeping his voice as light as possible. “That first time?”



  “No.” Taehyung shifted his eyes over to meet his gaze, although he only held it for a few seconds. “It really wasn’t. I was angry and…and determined. I’m not saying it wasn’t hard at…other times. But the first time wasn’t. At all.” He gave a bitter laugh. “It didn’t take long for my father to disown me completely.”



  “He knows you still do this?”



  “Yes. He pretends not to recognize my existence. But he knows.”



  As Jeongguk gazed over at Taehyung in the artificial light of the room, he thought for a moment that he looked incredibly young. Which was ridiculous. He was a few years older than he was, and had more than one lifetime’s worth of experience already.



  But Taehyung looked young. Like a boy. Like a boy who still wanted his father to love him.



  He moved instinctively, without planning ahead or thinking his actions through. He just raised himself up on his elbows and leaned over toward where his head was resting on a pillow.



  Then his lips found Taehyung’s. Pressed against them in a soft, brief kiss.



  It all felt perfectly natural until Taehyung’s breath caught audibly in his throat. His body jerked slightly and he stared at him in astonishment, his dark eyes wide and bewildered.



  Jeongguk blushed hotly and pulled away.



  “What’s going on?” Taehyung asked, his voice slightly breathless.



  Jeongguk felt breathless too. “I don’t know,” he admitted sheepishly. “I just…just felt like kissing you. Sorry about that.”



  “Ahh, you don’t have to be sorry.” Taehyung’s shock had subdued and he was looking more like himself, quiet and watchful as eyes scanned his face. “I told you from the beginning we could kiss if you wanted to. I just thought you didn’t want to pretend.”



  “I don’t. I still don’t want to pretend anything. I don’t know why I did that.” Jeongguk was still propped up beside Taehyung, looking down at him, but he wished he’d never started this whole thing. He was nervous, confused, and self-conscious, and he didn’t like feeling that way.



  Taehyung’s eyes never left his face. “We’ve never done it before, so maybe you were just curious.”



  It wasn’t the truth, but it was a good excuse, so Jeongguk wasn’t about to object. “Yeah.”



  “Do you want to try kissing?” Taehyung asked. “If it feels unnatural, we don’t have to do it. It’s entirely up to you.”



  Jeongguk stared down at his sober face, “Up to me?” deep eyes, and gracefully curved lips. He did want to try—just to see what it was like. But he was suddenly so nervous he couldn’t make himself move.



  “Jeongguk?” Taehyung prompted. He hadn’t moved. Not a muscle. He lay perfectly still and watched him. Waited.



  His body moved of its own accord and he scooted closer to him. Leaned down so his mouth was just a whisper away from Taehyung’s. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it, feel it in his head, in his fingertips, in his lips.



  There was no rational reason for him to be so hesitant and anxious about a kiss. But he felt frozen in place, breathing unsteadily and shaking a little.



  “Just try it, Jeongguk,” Taehyung said, his voice a little thick. He could feel his breath on his skin. “Kiss me.”



  Then suddenly he was kissing him. He didn’t know who had closed the gap between their mouths. He didn’t remember moving, but Taehyung’s lips were suddenly pressed against his.



  With a choked sound, Jeongguk grabbed his head with one of his hands. A thrill of excitement and arousal ripped through him as his mouth moved eagerly against his.



  Taehyung slid his tongue against the line of his lips in a questioning exploration. When Jeongguk opened for him, his tongue dipped inside, teasing and stroking with both hunger and confidence.



  Then Taehyung turned them over on the bed so he was on top. One of his hands cradled the back of his head as the kiss grew deeper and more intense.



  Jeongguk clutched at his head with both hands, feeling the smooth hair of his scalp with his fingertips. His whole body rocked up into Taehyung’s as their lips and tongues danced and dueled. He was so hot it felt like he was branding him—on his lips, all over his body.



  Jeongguk whimpered against his mouth and breathed desperately through his nose, until he finally pulled away and collapsed back on the bed beside him.



  Jeongguk panted hotly—aroused, exhilarated, and terrified.



  “How did you like it?” Taehyung asked. He was glad to hear that he sounded rather breathless and his voice was a little hoarse.



  “Um.”



  “If it feels fake or unnatural to you, we don’t have to do it. It’s up to you.”



  “Um.”



  “Sometimes it’s nice to do something different, but we can do whatever you want.”



  “Um.”



  Taehyung’s eyes finally found and held his. “Well? What did you think?”



  Jeongguk swallowed hard. “Amazing ! You’re really good at that.”



  Something softened almost imperceptibly in Taehyung’s face. “Should we try it again?”



  Jeongguk would be a sorry fool not to try something that good again. Why the hell hadn’t he been kissing him all along?



  Feeling a surge of deep desire, Jeongguk rolled back over and grabbed his head once more. Then he kissed him hard and deep.



  Taehyung’s arms came up around him immediately, pulled him into position on top of him.  Sprawled over his warm, lean body and couldn’t seem to stop kissing him.



  This time, he used his tongue more actively, trying to match the skillful motion of Taehyung’s. Jeongguk tugged his smooth hair and felt a jolt of sharp pleasure when the other moaned softly at the back of his throat.



  While they kissed, Taehyung’s hands were busy. He caressed down his spine and then moved lower to his thighs and bottom, where he fondled and groped his ass.



  Breaking off the kiss for a moment so Jeongguk could recoup and catch his breath, he slid one of his hands down past his chest and belly until he could feel his erection through his boxers. The silk was thin and slippery, and he squeezed his hard flesh through the fabric.


  Jeongguk heard his breath hitch and figured it must be a good thing. He hadn’t quite evened out his own breathing when Taehyung took his head in his hands and pulled him down into another kiss. Fingers tangled in his hair as he teased his mouth open once more with his tongue. He kept massaging his cock as they kissed, loving how firm and substantial he felt beneath his hand and how his body kept tightening with each squeeze.



  Soon, Jeongguk got lost in the embrace. His body did what it wanted to do, which was rub against Taehyung and try to suck his tongue into his own mouth. He felt his hands move down to his tank. He hazily thought Taehyung must be trying to pull it off of him, but wouldn’t release him enough to let him do so.



  Eventually, Taehyung gave up and instead moved Jeongguk’s hips away so he could free his cock from boxers. Their lips broke apart as he reached for a condom. Then helped Jeongguk into position straddling his pelvis and sank down, sheathing his erection inside Jeongguk.



  Jeongguk started to ride him the way he knew how, but after a few minutes Taehyung guided his upper body down against his and claimed another kiss.



  Jeongguk had no objections. He didn’t have much freedom of motion, sprawled over him in this position, but he didn’t care. He felt full and hard inside, and the slight friction of their rocking together was delicious. He could get some good stimulation on his cock by their rocking motion, and he started to moan and huff against his mouth as the pressure of an orgasm developed between his legs.



  Jeongguk’s head was spinning. The whole world was spinning. And it felt like Taehyung would eat him alive, swallow him whole.



  He jerked his head to the side as his body clenched up, just on the verge of shattering. He whimpered and panted, twisting his hips to get more stimulation from the penetration of Taehyung’s cock against his slick inner walls.



  Then he came, his body writhing clumsily, the spasms of pleasure sliced through him.



  Taehyung grunted and his hips bucked up with short jerks against his groin. His fingers dug into the flesh of his ass. “Jeongguk?” he rasped, his face twisting briefly.



As he came down from his orgasm, he realized what he was asking. “You come too,” he said hoarsely. “Come, Taehyung. Hugh Come.”



  His inner muscles were tight and they felt tighter as Taehyung pushed and thrust into him from below.



  Then he felt his hot, wet mouth at the hollow of neck. Then he felt his teeth.



  Taehyung bit down hard as he climaxed, and Jeongguk cried out in surprised release, coming again unexpectedly from the mingling of pleasure and pain.



  Their bodies twitched and rocked and softened as the waves of orgasm finally faded.



  Jeongguk was hot and sweaty, and so was Taehyung. Taehyung panted desperately against his shoulder and neck, while he panted desperately against him.



  After a minute, Jeongguk heaved himself up and pulled out of him the way he always did. As his cock slid out of his clinging channel, his body resisted. His inner walls seemed to clutch at his cock, and he felt a raw sensation as he finally slid out.



  When Taehyung returned from disposing of the condom, he really wanted him to get back into bed. He looked warm, relaxed, and sated. Almost irresistible. He wanted to cuddle a little. To be held, hugged, cherished.



  Jeongguk wasn’t completely delusional, though. This was one of the consequences of going about sex the way he had. Without a deep emotional connection, there would always be something lacking. He figured he could manage to kiss him while they fucked without losing his sense of perspective. But pretending to snuggle afterwards would definitely be going too far.



  So Jeongguk told him he could take a shower if he wanted. And he was feeling more himself  when he reemerged, composed and fully dressed in his charcoal gray suit.



  Taehyung sat down in a chair and met his eyes as he lounged in the bed. “So what did you think? Did it feel too unnatural, like you were pretending?”



  Jeongguk hadn’t expected the question so he had no choice but to answer honestly. “No. I wasn’t pretending at all. I mean, it didn’t feel fake. I liked it. It felt like a natural part of sex that I’d been missing out on before. Was it weird for you?”



  “Of course not.” Taehyung pulled his phone out of his case. “Do you want to schedule some other engagements this month?”



  “Yeah. Why don’t we? When do you have available?”



  “When were you thinking?”



  Jeongguk blinked in confusion. “I usually just take your earliest opening. When are you free?”



  “I have Friday available.” Taehyung was clicking on his phone, like he was looking through his appointments.



  “This Friday?” Jeongguk’s voice squeaked a little. “That soon? Aren’t you booked up?”



  Taehyung’s face looked oddly still for a moment. “I told you I’m cutting back a little.”



  “Oh. Yeah. Friday is good. And maybe sometime next week. I’m going to be in Quebec for the weekend the week after that, so we’ll have to work around the trip.”



  They set up a few more sessions and then Taehyung got up to leave. Jeongguk handed him the envelope of cash, and he didn’t even glance at it. Just slid it into his pocket.



  Jeongguk pulled on his pants before he walked him to the door. He felt a little shy as he smiled and said goodbye. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt bashful, but it had something to do with the way he looked at him when he opened the door. Almost questioning. And strangely sweet.



  “I’ll see you on Friday,” he said, lingering in the hall outside the door.



  Jeongguk smiled again, still ridiculously shy. “Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”



  “I’m glad you changed your mind. About scheduling engagements with me.”



  Something softened in his chest at Taehyung’s slightly stilted words. Maybe it was relief he felt. He was so glad that he seemed to enjoy engagements with him. Obviously, this wasn’t some sort of fated romance, but at least he was a little more to him than just a job.



  Seemed to like him well enough, and Taehyung didn’t mind having sex with him. He felt like that was quite an accomplishment, given his complete lack of experience.



  “Me too.”



  Jeongguk watched him walk down the hall to the elevator. Lean, upright, sleek, and urban. Infinitely experienced. And somehow wounded.



  He would see Taehyung again on Friday. Just four days from now. He would get to kiss him again.



  Jeongguk couldn’t wait.



*******