TWO
I’dalmostgivenup my search tonight when the boy in the kitty ears caught my attention in the rearview mirror. Standing by himself in the poorly lit area at the corner of the alley, close to an abandoned distillery, he was easy to miss. He was a small thing. A small, cute thing. Who was I kidding? He was downright pretty. I’d stolen glances at him a few times on our drive to our destination. I could only see his profile, but even that was gorgeous.
He was perfect for what I had in mind.
That was all.
“It’s gonna cost you extra if you take me somewhere,” he said. That’s right. He’s nothing but a hooker.
“I can afford it.”
“All right, then. I’m yours for as long as you want me. However you want me.”
Sex appeal dripped from him in spades. He’d climbed into the car, his lithe frame full of grace, kitty ears on top of his head. It was a silly costume, but it suited him, matched his sinuous movements, the low husky voice that could either be a man’s or a woman’s. Maybe he modulated it for his clients, but that didn’t matter. As long as he could reproduce that sound whenever I needed him to. The only thing that mattered was how his image fit perfectly with my plans.
I drove in silence to the Green Bay hotel. If our destination surprised him, he didn’t show it. He merely said “nice” as I parked the car. How long had he been a hooker? Nothing about him screamed he was desperate to do anything for money, but here we were. He had to be a little desperate, didn’t he?
“Stay.”
I exited the car and walked around to open the door for him. He smiled up at me from under his lashes.
“Well, aren’t you a gentleman?” He passed a hand over the front of my shirt. He was barking up the wrong tree. “Hmm, I wonder what I’ll have to do to see the animal beneath this polite exterior.”
He would never know.
I took his hand and placed it on my arm. “This way, please.”
He didn’t budge, and unless I wanted to drag him along, I had to stay put. The last thing I wanted was to damage our property, and I needed him to trust me.
“Wait. I have to let someone know where I am.”
Smart boy.
“Nolan gets upset if we disappear for too long, and if he knows I’m at a fancy hotel, he’ll be satisfied that I’ll make enough for him tonight.”
I frowned but released his hand. He fished a phone out of the fanny pack around his waist. Damn, he had a pimp who would know if he went missing.
His fingers flew across the keypad of his phone, and he smiled at me. “All done. Now, where were we?”
“I believe you were going to push my buttons to find out how animal I can be.”
“Ah, that’s right. Lead the way.”
Together, we entered the hotel. The lobby area was inviting with plants and earth-tone furniture. The woman at the front desk glanced up and flashed a smile. “Have a good night, Mr. Matthews,” she said. Her gaze turned to the petit boy at my side. A wistful, covetous look crossed her face.
I merely smiled in her direction and nodded. Since the hotel kept a suite exclusively at my disposal, I was familiar with the workers. Only one housekeeper was allowed in my room, and I had personal concierge service. He and I headed for the elevators.
“Ah, isn’t that sweet,” kitty boy said. “I think she has a crush on you.”
I grunted but didn’t respond. In the elevator, he took a step back and eyed me up and down. I allowed him to, taking the same opportunity to study him now that we had better lighting.
He was even lovelier up close, and my gaze constantly returned to his pink, pouty lips. He had to have colored them. No way they were naturally that color. Slightly tousled blond hair framed his heart-shaped face. I narrowed my eyes. He would look damn good in a dress and some heels. No one would know the difference until it was too late.
I couldn’t have chosen better. Liam would be excited. After weeks of surveying and interviewing boys, we might have found our guy whose looks would be the basis of our operation.
The elevator dinged as it came to a stop. “After you.”
He walked out ahead of me, and I fell into step beside him. We strode along the corridor to my suite. I unlocked the door to my room and ushered him inside. To the right was a coffee bar with a kettle and an assortment of coffee flavors and sweeteners. Apart from the king-sized bed, the room boasted a luxurious seating area and workstation. A set of sliding doors to the right led to the balcony, which overlooked the pool.