Page 5 of Expensive

That makes my body warm and tingly. Timber glances down at the growing bulge at the front of my slacks, and his lip twitches up on one side.

He sits down at the metal table. I sit across from him where my tea is now cold. There’s an awkward moment of silence until I remember to call Marjorie back. I tap my phone a few times, and she comes walking out in the same suit she was wearing when Davey paid us a visit.

“Would you mind making Timber some tea?” I ask.

“Andrew will need more tea as well,” Timber says. “Thank you.”

Marjorie stiffens, clearly flustered at being ordered around by a stranger. But she still spins on her heel and does what she’s told.

“You’re in need of a hired knot.”

“No. I want to make some porn. I—”

“Let’s get one thing straight. You are not a porn star. I am an experienced performer with a strong following. I do not make films with amateur performers at this stage in my career. The films you’d make with me would not be distributed widely either. Let’s not fool ourselves. You are in need of a hired knot.”

“I am,” I admit. There’s no use in arguing with him now.

He looks me directly in the eye. “I’m a porn star, not a hired knot.”

I try to mask my disappointment. I finally get to meet the man of my fantasies, only to be rejected by him.

“Yes, you’re right.”

He slides the blue folder across the table. “In the back of the folder, you’ll find an updated contract with my terms. I sent a digital copy to your lawyer as well.”

I don’t understand. What terms? He just said that he was a porn star, not a hired knot. I open the folder and flip toward the new pages at the end. First, there are his STI test results. He wouldn’t include those unless he intended to have sex with me, would he? Next, is my list of desired sex acts. Most of them have check marks next to them, including my request to be called baby boy. I can’t help but smile at that. This is really happening. However, one of the items has a “hard limit” next to it.

“But I’ve seen you do Shibari in your videos,” I say before I can stop myself.

He leans forward and rests his forearms on the table. “Yes, but your bond ache may make it difficult for you to stay relaxed at first, which is necessary for Shibari. I don’t want our time together to cause you any nerve damage.”

His hard limit is about taking care of me. That makes my heart race. It’s such a Timber thing to do. I can’t believe I get to have sex with him.

Most of the contract is the same. He’s signed the bottom of every page. However, when I get to the section about payment, the amount has been reduced to $100,000.

“I can pay you—”

“I specified the amount of money I want to be compensated for my time. It’s not something I’m willing to be flexible about. You are allowed to tip me up to fifty percent if you like.”

“But why would you—”

Marjorie steps outside with a tray holding two cups of steaming tea and crescent sandwiches. We both wait in silence as we’re served. Timber thanks her as she turns to leave.

“From what I understand your bond ache is permanent. I think this could be a mutually beneficial situation. I… would like to have regular sex with someone, and our kinks match up very well. If we keep the cost low, you can request my services more frequently. If that’s something you’re interested in.”

Regular sex with Timber? That’s more than I ever could have hoped for. His shoulders tense as he waits for my answer. Is he nervous?

“I’m interested,” I say.

His shoulders relax. “Very well. I have a two-week break between films at the beginning of March. Would that work for you?”

The beginning of March is only a few weeks away.

“Yes. That works for me.”

He takes a sip of his tea. “It might be nice to travel somewhere together our first time. That way we can get to know each other outside of the bedroom. Go sightseeing. Enjoy some meals together. Given the nature of the vulnerability you’re likely to feel, I think it might be grounding for you.”

Timber wants to go on a vacation with me? That seems an awful lot like something you’d do with a boyfriend or mate. I like the idea of it more than I should.

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