Page 67 of Fitch

He took my face in his hands again and winced. “Do you know what it would do to me if you were hurt? Or worse? I worry about you every night you’re not here with me. And then you said it was a rush, and I couldn’t believe it. I wanted toshake some sense into you in front of everyone. Or drag you somewhere and teach you a lesson...”

Oh.

“It took every ounce of self-control I had to keep my cool,” he whispered. His eyes searched mine, his gentle hands cradled my face so tenderly. “And then I saw your tears.” He shook his head, his eyes watery. “To think I hurt you. I’m so sorry, Fitch.”

“I thought you were gonna fire me.”

“Fire you?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “You know, sack me. Tell me my services are no longer required.”

He gave me a sad smile. “You’re not... It’s not like that. You’re not an employee.”

But I kinda was, and we both knew it.

“I’m not ending our agreement,” he said firmly. “Is that what you want? Do you want to?—”

“Fuck no.” How could he even ask that? “I onlythoughtyou were going to end things and it made me cry, Dominic. I literally felt sick to my stomach, and heartbroken, and worthless. No, I don’t want to end this. How could you ask me that?”

His eyes met mine and I knew I’d said the wrong thing.

“Worthless?” he whispered, his whole face a show of sadness. “Fitch, baby, no. You’re not worthless. You mean the world to me. And to Benji and Ky. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“I’m a prostitute,” I whispered.

He let go of my face so he could hold me again, his arms tight around me. “And I’m a lawyer. You know on a scale of trustworthiness, I think my profession rates way less than yours. According to public opinion polls, that is.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, despite the seriousness of this conversation. The fact was, maybe the difference in our professions was a distance no bridge could gap.

I was a hooker and maybe that would be an obstacle we wouldn’t be able to overcome one day.

“Does it bother you?” I asked. Afraid to know but needing to hear his answer.

He pulled back, his hands finding my face, his eyes searching mine. “It did,” he said. “I wondered, in the beginning, what people might think. That’s the truth. But now?” He shook his head. “Now I don’t care what they think. I care whatyouthink. Not anyone else. Nolan once said to me that I’d need a catalyst moment, and I had that tonight. I realised, above anything else, you matter to me, Fitch. The rest is just background noise.”

“And my job? Other men,” I asked. “I know you said it bothers you, but is it something you can live with?” I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like this, but it was an uncomfortable truth we had to face.

He sighed, his eyes downcast. “Yes. It bothers me. Not the fact that you’ve had sex with a lot of guys before you met me or what you’ve done with them. That’s not what bothers me. But I’d be lying if I said I was okay with other men touching you, kissing you, and with you touching them. Just in general. I think of you asmine,” he said, flinching at the end.

“You’re my boy,” he continued. “Right or wrong, that’s what you are to me. And I keep telling myself you only belong to me on the nights we’re together. Any other time, you’re free to...workas you see fit. And that’s something I’m learning to accept. I don’t like other men touching you, but I would never ask you to stop. Unless it became too dangerous or if you were injured in any way, I’d...” He frowned. “I’d ask you to reconsider working... maybe not weekends or accepting sketchy clients, I don’t know. We would have to cross that bridge when we came to it.”

That was a lot to process.

But he was being honest with me and that was all I’d asked for.

“For the record,” I said. “I don’t let other men kiss me. Not in aPretty Womanway, it’s just not something men who seek my services are looking for. Plus, I don’t know when they last brushed their teeth, so...”

He narrowed his eyes at me. But my failed attempt at humour was better than the snot-sobbing from ten minutes ago. I sighed, mad at myself. “God, you’ve absolutely ruined me.”

He froze. “What?”

“You’ve ruined me for other men. No one else will compare. Your beautiful place, all the good food. And the sex, my god.” I shook my head. “You, Dom. How can any man compare to you? No one could even come close. You’re the best daddy a boy could ever hope for.”

His eyes met mine. “I want to be the best for you,” he murmured.

“You are.” I hated that he didn’t see how fucking amazing he was. How good he was at this. And if I had to reassure him, bolster him, then it was my job as his boy to do exactly that.

He was still standing between my legs, so I interlocked my ankles behind him. “You think of me as yours, huh?” I asked. “Your boy, right or wrong, huh?”

---