Five Days E-Book

Burke Lynn

• Herausgeber: Lynn Burke
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Five drama-free days in paradise.
That was my expectation when I found out I’d been hired as a companion for a vacation on a tropical island off Mexico’s shore. I didn’t expect to fall in lust at first sight with Callum, but his wary, stoic nature promised pleasuring the client would be an enjoyable task.
But Callum threw a curveball my way in the form of an unexpected guest I just happened to know—and hate.
Landon’s arrival brings back the troubling past I attempted to leave behind no matter how much I’ve pined for him. There’s no forgiveness for how he betrayed me, but the men’s proximity and persistence toward resolution are breaking down my walls.
I hoped for a relaxing getaway with sand between my toes and sun warming my skin, but I’m tempted to spend more time between the sheets than on the beach.
Those five days in heaven I’d hoped for?
They might end up leaving me in hell if I don’t guard my heart.
 

Leseprobe

Five Days

Elite Escorts MM 5

Lynn Burke

Copyright © 2024 by Lynn Burke

All rights reserved.

Editor: Katherine McIntyre

Proof Reader: Deborah Peach

Cover Artist: Golden Czermak / FuriousFotog

Model: Charlie Garforth

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review or article, without written permission from the author.

Visit my website at authorlynnburke.com

Contents

Prologue - Zack

1. Zack

2. Callum

3. Landon

4. Zack

5. Callum

6. Zack

7. Landon

8. Callum

9. Zack

10. Landon

11. Callum

12. Zack

13. Landon

14. Callum

15. Zack

16. Landon

17. Callum

18. Landon

19. Zack

20. Callum

21. Landon

22. Zack

23. Landon

24. Zack

25. Callum

26. Landon

27. Callum

28. Zack

29. Landon

30. Callum

31. Zack

32. Callum

33. Landon

34. Zack

35. Zack

Epilogue - Zack

Elite Escorts MM

About the Author

Also By Lynn Burke

Five Days

Five drama-free days in paradise.

That was my expectation when I found out I’d been hired as a companion for a vacation on a tropical island off Mexico’s shore. I didn’t expect to fall in lust at first sight with Callum, but his wary, stoic nature promised pleasuring the client would be an enjoyable task.

But Callum threw a curveball my way in the form of an unexpected guest I just happened to know—and hate.

Landon’s arrival brings back the troubling past I attempted to leave behind no matter how much I’ve pined for him. There’s no forgiveness for how he betrayed me, but the men’s proximity and persistence toward resolution are breaking down my walls.

I hoped for a relaxing getaway with sand between my toes and sun warming my skin, but I’m tempted to spend more time between the sheets than on the beach.

Those five days in heaven I’d hoped for?

They might end up leaving me in hell if I don’t guard my heart.

Prologue - Zack

“I didn’t do that,” I stated, my guts in knots and forehead dented with a deep frown. Leaning forward in my chair, I picked up one of the pictures Elite’s gay branch manager, Sean Fox, had indicated atop his desk between us.

Being falsely accused of sexual assault as a teenager had gotten me kicked out of my foster home, and now having it happen while on the job as an escort riled shit back up. My stomach clenched to the point of nausea.

I remembered the night in the images from a few weeks earlier as clear as though it’d been yesterday. The guy had asked me to make it appear as though I was rough with him. Push him against the wall with faked intent to hurt him. Pretend to choke him out. He’d claimed he had a role-playing kink, and as an EEMM employee, I aimed to fulfill his fantasies in a safe environment.

Causing pain wasn’t my thing—but there was one little asshole I wouldn’t mind choking out until he begged me to let him live.

Whenever I thought of what happened fifteen years ago with him, my blood sizzled from righteous anger and lust alike. He deserved my rage in spades. But physical hunger? I hated that I still wanted him and that he still wouldn’t leave me alone, no matter how many times I’d attempted to block him.

Well, fuck the asshole from my past, and fuck my one-time client Jackson Zerig, who was now going to throw me under the bus.

Teeth clenched, I looked at the second image of Jackson that showed a close-up of his neck where I’d supposedly marked him. Bruising appeared on his skin, but there was no way those were my fingerprints. He’d specifically asked me to not hold him too tightly.

So I hadn’t.

Please the client—those were words we Elite Escorts lived by, and I tried to always keep the peace and stay out of drama.

“He’s demanding two million in cash, or he’ll leak these to the press,” Sean stated, his voice shaken.

Blood drained from my face, and I jerked my focus off the images to meet my manager’s troubled expression. “But I didn’t do this! I barely put any pressure on his neck!”

Sean swallowed before assuring me he believed me. Promised I had nothing to worry about.

“Tell me what happened—every detail and word you can remember,” Sean said, so same as always, I did as requested. In my book, honesty was the best policy.

Reliving that night twice aloud to make sure I didn’t remember something wrong only caused my twisted stomach to worsen.

We went over the contract Jackson had signed along with his listed limits. He’d wanted to be wined and dined—his exact words—and seeing as how I was Elite’s best at setting clients at ease, Sean had assigned me to him for the evening.

The fucker had set me up. Used me in the hopes of swindling money out of Elite.

“You’re booked tonight then again on Friday, right?” Sean asked as I finally got up to leave.

“Yeah.” I pulled my car keys from my pocket, half expecting him to suggest I take a few days off until shit got straightened out.

“Are they new or returning clients?”

“Returning.”

Lips pursed, he nodded while gathering up the falsified yet damning pictures still strewn over his desk. “I know I don’t have to tell you to be careful. Along with Drake, you’re one of the best escorts we have. Rave reviews. Weekly requests. You’ve made quite a name for yourself, so fingers crossed this shit will only end up being a bump in the road.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. How long had it been since someone had my back?

My afternoon had been ruined, and my thoughts jumbled like a riotous mess that wouldn’t allow me to consider much else as I exited the building.

Ever since I’d been forced to go off on my own at eighteen, I’d been living by the rules as much as possible. Doing whatever work I could find to keep my head above water. And now, some asshole hoping to make a quick buck had to go and drag me into unwanted drama.

I’d always feared being accused of something else. It was why I didn’t trust people and had chosen to only look out for myself.

When the senator’s son had done this to me while we’d been teens, I’d moved to another state and started over, heartbroken and aimlessly wandering. I’d recognized I had no one to rely on but myself. No family. No close friends.

But now?

Jaw clenched, I turned my car back toward Boston, the place I’d come to love. The rich suburbs were beautiful and all, but the city was my home. I’d found a quasi-family in EEMM, bound by our work that straddled legal lines. Before I’d left, Sean said he and his brother, who owned Elite Escorts, would take care of the attempts at extortion. I had no choice but to believe him, as neither man had let me down yet.

At least I had no record staining my past should the event end up going to trial. It’d been my foster brother who’d initiated the affair by stripping down and climbing on top of me, dragging me from sleep. He’d intended to gift me his virgin ass as a present for my eighteenth birthday.

He hadn’t taken my refusal to break him in too well but hadn’t given me time to explain that I did want him—once he came of age and I wouldn’t get thrown into jail. I’d had no plans to leave our neighborhood once I’d graduated in two months, no thoughts of ever abandoning the kid who’d owned my heart.

And kinda still did no matter how hard I tried taking it back from his selfish grip.

True to himself, he’d thrown a nutty like the spoiled brat he was whenever he didn’t get his way, not giving me a chance to assure him that I would claim his hole—eventually. His hollering and crying had drawn attention. His father, the senator, had crashed into my room, getting an eyeful of me trying to restrain his son from punching me for the fifth or sixth time.

It didn’t matter blood ran from my broken nose or that I was innocent. I lay atop my foster brother, my hands wrapped around his forearms and pressing him to the bed.

The little shit’s screams of rage that he never wanted to see me again were the icing on the cake for his dad to assume the worst.

The senator had sent his son back to his own room, and the kid continued to rant his hatred of me until his bedroom door slammed closed behind him. Rather than pressing charges and dragging his family into negative drama, the senator had told me to leave. I’d had a single bag of belongings and a grand in cash he’d given me. Probably to make him feel better for tossing me from his home after acting as a parental figure for the previous seven years.

Things hadn’t gone well for me after I’d left Rhode Island.

I’d made do on my own, eventually escaping the streets thanks to a real job that allowed me to rent an apartment. It had taken me over a decade, but I’d risen from the ashes, and I prayed like hell some money-hungry asshole didn’t fuck up the good life I’d managed to create for myself.

Body still tensed into knots, I pulled into the parking garage for my condo’s building off Storrow Drive. A few months after starting at EEMM, I’d been lucky to get a steal of a deal that included a living room view of the Charles River. While not as high-end as Drake or Sean’s condos, I loved my place. It seemed like a real home with its comfortable furniture and older appliances.

It was also within walking distance of the shelter I volunteered at, the place that had kept me out of the cold, rain, and snow for longer than I cared to remember. I donated cash too since I had more than enough to live a meager existence while those less fortunate went without. Giving back offered me a sense of satisfaction, and I hoped they saw my actions as proof someone cared. I sure as fuck hadn’t felt the sentiment while I’d been homeless.

I trudged through the hallway to my condo, let myself into the dim interior, and went straight for my bathroom. A client had booked me for the evening, one of my regulars, someone I trusted not to call a bullshit foul against my character.

Rarely did I need help in pleasing clients, but after manscaping, showering, and trimming my permanent scruff, I popped a little blue pill. Better to be safe than sorry.

I shouldn’t have worried though.

Jamie met me at the hotel’s door, his country-boy good looks and muscles hot as fuck. And a white-toothed smile lit his blue eyes, stirring lust that would ease my mind for a time.

Nothing about this night would be a chore.

The soft cushion of Jamie’s lips met mine before I even kicked my shoes off, his hands greedy at my groin, making quick work of my button and zipper to get at my cock.

“Oh fuck, yeah,” he groaned into my mouth as his hand wrapped around my thick length. “Been too fucking long, man. Need this dick.”

“Whatever you want,” I assured him as I did every client, but I couldn’t have been more pleased to have him after the news I’d gotten earlier. Jamie never failed to meet me with hunger, an equal give and take that left me physically satisfied every time.

With a curse, he pulled away from me and yanked his shirt off, revealing ripples of muscle honed from years of playing football. He’d come down to Boston College on scholarship from some small town in the sticks of New Hampshire.

Other than that? I knew the guy could suck cock like a pro. Had a tight, hot hole he enjoyed having stuffed full. He also had a nice, thick dick for when the time came to flip.

Jamie’s knees hit the floor, his hands pulling down my jeans mid-thigh.

“Jesus,” I hissed, head tipping back as his wet mouth closed over my cockhead. “Fuck, did I need this.”

He hummed in agreement, his short hair prickling my palms as I clasped his head, allowing myself to get lost in the feel of his slick tongue and suction.

When I’d first sold my body, I’d been the one on my knees. Upon signing with Elite, I’d expected the same but had been thrilled to find those willing to pay for better service than a back-alley blowjob tended to have all sorts of wishes and kinks.

The extortion issue slammed into my brain, and I gritted my teeth, pulling Jamie off my dick when I should have let him have whatever he desired, what he paid for.

“Want your ass, Jamie. Now.”

Pupils already blown, he nodded up at me. “I’m not the only one needy tonight, huh?” he asked with a smirk while pushing to his feet. A quick shove sent his jeans to the floor.

He’d gone commando, same as always.

And his cock reached for his belly button, pre-cum welling at the tip.

“Fuck yeah.” I moved in close, palming his erection, smearing my thumb through his slickness. “Wet for me already.”

“Been too long.” He spun before I could take his mouth, bending over the end of the bed, juicy ass on display. “Fuck me clear into tomorrow morning, Zack. Give me all you’ve got.”

“Goddamn.” I palmed both cheeks, jiggling them. “Fuck.” A quick swat, and I fished a condom and lube from my pocket before kicking my shoes and jeans off. “Want me to eat your ass or get straight to the fucking?” I asked, rolling the rubber over my aching length.

“Just shove it in, Zack. Wreck my hole, then I wanna switch and fill you the fuck up.”

Growling my appreciation of his perfect plans for the evening, I quickly prepped him with one then two fingers.

“Hurry,” he demanded through clenched teeth, shoulders bunched, hands gripping the sheets.

“So impatient.”

“Fuck yeah, I am. Give it to—” The words ripped from his throat as I thrust deep into his ass, sinking over halfway.

He cursed, rising onto his toes, and I clasped his hips to hold him steady.

“You good?” I checked in.

“Fuck yeah. I like when it hurts.”

I pulled out and stabbed in again, my balls resting against his cheeks. “You took every inch of me, Jamie.”

“Fuck.” He gulped, chest collapsing onto the bed, hands fisting the blankets.

“So sexy.” I slid my hand up his arched spine, worshiping his gorgeous body he’d honed to perfection.

“Fuck me hard,” he begged. “Need to feel you clear into next week when—shit. I can’t even. Don’t hold back, Zack. Please.”

Same as always, I gave the client what he wanted, taking my pleasure then switching places so he could double his.

And obliterating my mind into silence.

Chapter1

Zack

Seven Months Later

I loved fucking for money, but it’d been months since I’d had a break. The stress had kicked me in the balls when EEMM had almost been taken for two mil, and even though Sean and his brother, along with an ex-client hacker, had fixed the mess, I hadn’t been able to set that shit aside as easily as everyone else.

Add in the fact the senator’s son had somehow gotten my new cell number, and I’d walked a fine line of going feral on people’s asses—and not in a good way—for a couple of weeks.

He texted the same as every time he managed to get in touch with me, asking if we could talk.

I had jack to say to him other than to fuck off, and there was nothing he could spew that would erase the betrayal that had ruined my life. Hadn’t he figured that out after the similar responses I’d sent every time?

He’d fucked our friendship and knifed the love I’d had for him when he’d left me to deal with the fallout of his own goddamned selfishness.

What he’d done was unforgivable.

Period.

Automatic block—again.

But the reminder of my past had laid heavily on my mind, making my need of a little help to get it up almost a constant in the previous couple of months. Except for the two other times I’d met up with Jamie again, I’d been hard-pressed to perform. Something about that boy filled the hole inside me and not just my ass. Had I been willing to put my heart on the line again, trust someone other than myself, it would be for someone like him.

EEMM hadn’t heard a single complaint from my other clients because I did whatever I had to for the sake of getting the job done—and well. With Drake moving in with his stepbrother Preston a few weeks earlier and no longer being on Elite’s menu, I’d become their number one escort. The demand was tiring as fuck.

Easier nights meant merely being eye candy with a ready smile and simple conversation, and while I preferred to withdraw into silence and be on my own, I’d learned how to play a room and bullshit with just about anyone. It helped that people tended to enjoy talking about themselves, and asking questions as though interested in their lives stroked egos and kept them focused on their favorite topic.

I’d gotten even luckier with my latest booking.

I was in-flight—first fucking class with all the perks—for five days in paradise playing a companion for some rich guy on vacation at a secluded island resort somewhere off the coast of Mexico.

Sure, I still had to put out, but a few days of relaxing with only one man’s needs to fulfill? Hell, even if he proved insatiable, I didn’t have to do anything else but shower, eat, and breathe.

No cooking. No cleaning up after myself. No worrying about the kids I sponsored at Humanity House, the LGBTQ community home I spent time at in Malden. I also didn’t have to volunteer or check in with the regulars at the local shelter someone—I expected Drake—had gifted with a hefty donation. The money would outfit the old building with a new roof, rehab the living areas and kitchen, and update bathrooms, thanks to Blake Harper, another ex-Elite, and his construction company. Brand new cots and linens would offer warm, comfortable beds for those in need, and there would be enough left over to cover electric and water bills for the months ahead.

The semi-break couldn’t have come at a more perfect time too, since that uneasy, sick feeling over the attempted extortion still stained my mind, casting a shadow over everything and dragging me low.

Blue waters stretched outside my plane’s small window, reaching for the western horizon lit in a rainbow of color. Peaceful beauty untouched by the ugliness of the world gave me hope I might find more of the same in the paradise we approached.

I looked forward to soaking in the heat and rays since it hadn’t been a warm spring in New England, and I was jonesing to catch up on my sleep. I imagined drinks with little umbrellas. Sand between my toes. Sunlight to reawaken my mind and tan. Refreshing waves breaking cool over my thighs. The scent of the ocean and fresh air in my nose and filling my lungs, rejuvenating my spirit.

And the file I’d gotten from BetsyAnne assured me the guy who’d hired me was easy on the eyes too. Slightly older than my thirty-two years, just shy of six feet, lithe from what I could tell in his picture from the waist up. Not skinny but far from bulky since a hint of pecs had bumped his T-shirt. Definitely my type with dirty blond hair, blue-green eyes, and a clean shaven, sharp jawline. And he was vers—major points right there.

Fucking Callum or bending over for him would be a pleasure rather than pure work.

The plane touched down on what felt like weightless wheels, as smooth as the flight itself. Grinning at having things go my way for a change, I grabbed my carry-on from the overhead bin and exited the plane, ready to start my vacation.

No responsibilities other than sex on demand ahead for the next few days…sign me the fuck up.

I’d been asked to meet our client in the outdoor restaurant behind the hotel for dinner. Once checked in to a room I would have to myself—another bonus, which promised some privacy if I wanted it—I hopped in the shower for a quick scrub to rid the day-long travel off me. Hoping for some good food and that Callum was just as hot in person as in his file’s picture, I made my way back outside into the humid warmth, thankful the sun had set.

I wore shorts, a nice T-shirt, and flip-flops because why the fuck not? There was no dress code in the email from my client, Callum, no suggestion of how I ought to prepare for him either. But I’d cleaned myself out just in case he was in the mood to top.

Actual butterflies played around in my stomach, a sense of expectation and excitement I hadn’t felt in years. Sure, meeting new clients tended to be a good time, but something about the ocean breeze caressing my face, the scent of flowers and spice, and even the ruckus of tropical birds in the forest off to my right suggested peacefulness.

Tranquility and rest.

All of which I was in desperate need of.

Tiki torches lined a stone pathway leading toward the outdoor dining area. Palm trees swayed and rustled overhead against a pink-streaked navy sky, and a hint of charcoal and grilling meat teased my nose.

I filled my lungs, expecting I looked like a dork with how wide my grin stretched my face.

A hostess in black shorts and a white button-down greeted me by name as though she’d been supplied with a picture of me.

“Right this way, Mr. Briggs,” she murmured with a welcoming smile.

I followed the twenty-something woman through a maze of greenery and flowers, noting the private nooks for intimate dining we passed.

Live music played quietly off to my left, and when we rounded a bend in that direction, I noted a small dance area and a few couples all up in each other’s spaces. A sense of romance and love hovered, and even though my jaded heart wasn’t interested in either, its allure tingled over my skin and left me hungry for more than seafood or steak.

The hostess led me to an area tucked away from the music and other patrons. The table was narrow enough that my and Callum’s knees would touch beneath its surface, and two tiki torches on either side provided plenty of light so our faces wouldn’t be cast in shadows and unreadable.

“Your dinner date will be joining you shortly,” she assured me, motioning for me to have a seat.

“Thanks.” I settled into one of three chairs, noting the bucket of ice and bottle of wine chilling. While I’d rather have a cold beer, I would make do with what had been supplied.

Glass of chilled white in hand, I sat back, lingering flutters in my stomach enticing adrenaline into my bloodstream as I glanced over the menu. A heady, rich scent of some sort of flower sweetened the air, intermingling with the grill, causing my mouth to water. I swallowed it down with a sip of the crisp wine.

The liquid cooled my esophagus, and I made a noise of appreciation for both the wine and the local cuisine listed on the sheet I held. Pasta and steak were available as I’d expected considering the fragrant scents around me, but it was the seafood that drew my eye. No lobster, but I could do without until back in New England.

Could the evening get any better?

I mean, I was all about fucking hot clients, but this guy obviously wanted something more, the type of “date” I enjoyed most and didn’t get to experience often. A slow start. Small talk, bullshitting, putting the client at ease prior to rocking their world and making them feel appreciative for having spent their money on an Elite escort.

I would ensure his satisfaction, watch him shuffle aboard his flight home in five days, his ass sore and balls spent. His mind would be at rest too from whatever had caused his need of a vacation with an escort as his guest.

Said client appeared, heading my way without guidance, proving that the night ahead of me would indeed be a good one.

Heart thumping with a strange yet heady cadence, I set aside both my wine and the menu.

Firelight danced over Callum, causing the wavy hair atop his head to glint like spun gold. Wide shoulders tapered down to a trim waist. He was on the slim side, more a swimmer than weightlifter, or perhaps a runner. But it was his fisted hands that piqued my interest the most. Was he nervous? Scared? Or just uptight and in need of a good, hard fuck?

I slid my gaze back up to his face to get a quick read on the sexy man I’d been hired to cater to. Our eyes connected, and instantaneous attraction roused to life like I’d never experienced before, waking every hair follicle on my body.

I’d had some hot-as-hell clients in my day—Jamie included—but this man? Goddamn, he was fine as fuck.

He attempted an easy smile with his full lips but didn’t quite pull it off. Arresting blue-green irises framed by excessively long lashes revealed the same unease as his hands, but I had practice at helping men relax when they felt tense from guilt over hiring a sex worker.

Not having to force the visible desire like I did with some clients, I rose to my feet and offered Callum my hand. We stood almost eye to eye, electrical currents teasing all my erogenous zones, balls especially, as a hint of cedar filled my nose.

Time to wine and dine his ass straight into his or my bed so I could sniff and lick every inch of his body.

“Callum?” I asked. His file hadn’t done the man justice.

“Yes, and you’re obviously Zackary.” He greeted me with a low, warm voice, his palm sliding along mine in a firm grip, considering his apprehension.

Zaps of lightning shivered up to my shoulders, raising the hairs on my forearms.

His lips parted on a quick inhale as though feeling the same, and I let him see the need tightening my groin in my bold stare. “Zack. And it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Same,” he murmured, swallowing hard before releasing his hand from my hold.

I lightly touched his back while pulling out his chair.

“Wine?” I asked, already reaching for the bottle as he sat.

“Please.”

Silence hovered over us until I settled across the small table from him. “Thank you for choosing me,” I stated.

His gaze flickered over my face as though searching for…I wasn’t sure what. Recognition? Confirmation of some assumption he’d made prior to seeing me in the flesh? Assurance I would live up to his expectations? Fulfill his desires and make sure he got his money’s worth?

Whatever went through his mind, I had no fucking clue, but something about the man called to me on a soul-deep level, causing a shift beneath my usually sturdy feet.

For the first time, I found myself unsure of how to set my client at ease. But, I would have no issue bringing him pleasure.

And not because I’d been paid to.

Chapter2

Callum

My boss hadn’t been wrong about Zackary Briggs.

The tall drink of cool water tempted my sex and love-starved body to guzzle him down at first sight. An initial glimpse of him sitting alone at our table before we’d made eye contact had heated my blood. The scent of bergamot and lime filled my nose, causing my mouth to water. And the way he looked at me…

I was in trouble.

His hazel eyes hinted at a wealth of hard-earned wisdom and promised a mystery that wouldn’t be easily unraveled. But it was the blatant lust in his steady gaze that suggested hiring him hadn’t been the best choice.

Regardless of who he was, how off-limits he was to me, I wanted him with a burning hunger inside I thought only one man would ever be able to fulfill. Fire licked over my skin when Zack and I had touched. Shivers raced down my spine at his palm’s tender press against my lower back.

And when his fingertips brushed over mine while he handed me a glass of wine, a shock blasted through my chest that caused my heart to race.

“Thank you for choosing me,” he said, pleasure coating his every word.

I hoped bringing him here hadn’t overstepped in some way. All for selfish reasons, of course, but a sense of having been ensnared in an unescapable trap twisted my insides and made me question what I’d done.

Fighting off the need to rub damp palms down my slacks, I sipped my wine, searching for something to say even though I’d planned how the evening would go from beginning to end. I’d never been good with conversation. I tended to keep to myself and immerse myself in work as the world went on without me.

Invisible.

Such a perfect word to describe how I felt most days, and while I didn’t trust my instincts, I had to do this for my own peace of mind.

I’d suffered for long enough.

“Tell me about yourself,” I said rather than explain to him I didn’t really have a choice in who I hired when I’d gone onto Elite’s website with a mission.

Zack’s grin remained even though a question hinted in his eyes.

“I suppose that’s not a request you often hear from clients,” I rushed to say, not wanting to raise any red flags before I got a feel for the man. “But this is something…new for me, and I’m not really sure how to proceed.”

Not one lie in my words, but my reason for bringing Zack to a remote island wasn’t exactly honest.

He settled back in his seat, seemingly completely at ease, his eyes flitting over my face as though seeking out my truth.

I fought the need to shift, deciding on another sip of my wine to occupy myself.

“Good evening, gentlemen.”

I hadn’t heard the waiter approach. Tearing my focus off Zack, I glanced up at the young man who brought handmade tortilla chips and a few different salsas. One appeared to be the usual tomato-based, another perhaps mango, the third more along the lines of guacamole.

“Are you ready to order?”

I glanced over at my supposed date.

“Would you allow me the honor of choosing for you?” he asked quietly.

Why did his question light up my insides and make me want to weep?

I’d been in charge for so long, looked to for answers in every facet of life for years, that bubbles of excitement exploded in my core. Yet another part of the dark-haired man that caused my insides to purr. He was the type who would care for my exhausted soul.

The sudden urge to change what I’d done, my reasons for bringing Zack to the gorgeous, remote location, hit me hard. I’d made a mistake, but there was nothing left to do but go forward and watch how things played out.

Consequences were a bitch. Always had been, and this time would prove no different, I feared.

“Please,” I murmured, taking comfort in the momentary respite from his undivided attention. A part of me selfishly yearned for hours—days—of having his focus on me when I knew damn well I couldn’t.

Taking advantage of the situation would be the ultimate betrayal to the man I loved, my only grounds for booking this vacation.

Zack rattled off our orders, something about grilled shrimp with coconut rice and a salmon dish in a leek and saffron cream sauce. Regardless of how delicious the meals sounded, my mouth watered for a taste of the man speaking rather than actual food.

But I needed to get my libido under control. After I’d laid eyes on Zack, nothing about the five days ahead promised me anything but sure heartbreak.

That plan I’d impulsively made was about to backfire in more ways than one. I was doomed—and I couldn’t hate the man sitting across from me even though I had thought for sure I did. Would. Well, wanted to.

I jumped into conversation before Zack could lead me astray.

“So back to my question,” I said the second the waiter left us alone, sure whatever Zack shared with me would only make my desire for him harder to ignore.

He hesitated before answering, his gaze once more inquisitive. “I get the feeling you aren’t looking for a canned response in order to fill the silence.”

“You would be correct.”

Zack cocked his head to the side and sipped his wine before replying.

Turning from his focus, I helped myself to the chips and salsa—mango, I identified as the sweet tang hit my tongue. Perhaps my churning stomach wouldn’t mind an addition to the roiling bile.

“I don’t usually offer personal information with clients,” Zack stated quietly, also reaching for the chips.

We both crunched in silence, eyeing each other with appreciation and a hint of wariness.

“Why are you asking?” he finally questioned when I didn’t speak.

“Because I would like to learn a little more about you before we…become involved.”

“Is this your first time hiring an escort, Callum?”

A shiver once more licked at my spine as my name whispered off his lips. “Yes.”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about⁠—”

I barely withheld my snort. If only he knew.

“—and I promise EEMM is professional. Nothing we say or do will leave this island unless you choose to speak of it.”

Being at my wit’s end, anxiety having ridden my body since I’d made the decision for a vacation, lended toward a stirring of impatience in my mind.

“If that’s the case, then what does it matter if I wish to know more about the man I hired for the next five days?” I shot back with more snip to my tone than I’d planned on.

A slow smirk curled one corner of Zack’s lips, and he lifted his wine in a mock toast. “You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”

I’d rather have you on your knees.

My eyelids fluttered closed. I was not supposed to feel this way, damnit.

“Callum.”

I chose to meet Zack’s gaze when I would rather have ignored his inquiry.

He leaned onto the table with both elbows, the intensity of his stare making it impossible for me to hide.

“You’re obviously uncomfortable with your decision to bring me here, so if you’d rather return to your room alone for the evening, I won’t be offended. I would love to try again tomorrow, or we could just pack up and return home if you prefer. I’m sure I could talk to my manager about getting you some sort of refund.”

I licked over my lower lip, feeling as though I drowned when I supposedly had my shit together. I’d been the safe haven, the rock, for so long, that I suddenly floundered at finding myself on shaky ground all because I was desperate for my best friend’s love.

“No,” I managed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to keep my next words from sounding like a desperate plea. “I—need this. Please.”

“Then I’ll give it to you.” A softer smile curved Zack’s lips and lightened his gaze as he once more settled back in his chair. “To answer your question, I spend a lot of my spare time in the gym.”

Zack’s shoulders and prominent pecs bulging against the cotton of his shirt already suggested that truth about him. Add in his clear skin, groomed scruff, and styled hair, and there was no question the man cared about his health and appearance. But nothing about his character thus far, unfortunately, suggested cockiness or an untamed ego that would have been a complete turnoff to me.

“What else?” I asked, my desire for information troubling to my already anxious mind.

“I enjoy reading about places I hope to visit someday,” he continued without hesitation. “Italy. Switzerland. Cyprus. Thailand and Japan—I want to see the world. And lucky me,” he said with a wink, “I finally got a stamp on my passport that has been sitting unopened atop my bureau for the past seven years.”

He crunched on a chip loaded with guacamole, and I allowed my hungry gaze to trail over his strong jawline and the muscle bunching there as he chewed.

“What’s your passion?” I asked, focusing on his mouth.

He licked lingering salt from his lower lip as I’d done moments earlier.

The sensual move shot lust through my groin, and I barely managed to contain my groan.

I expected another slow grin, a knowing look, but Zack shifted his gaze from me as though seeking out the live band playing quietly in the warm night off to my left.

“I volunteer at a homeless shelter down the road from my condo.”

A slew of questions rose to my mind, but I blocked them out as a shadow passed over Zack’s face. Anger, perhaps? Or a sad…fondness, maybe? I opened my mouth to tell him that I too volunteered, but he blinked and straightened, a less genuine smile on his lips.

Our waiter had returned with dinner.

Zack wore a mask, I realized, something he’d allowed to lower slightly with me. The sting of guilt intensified as whispers of happiness swirled in my chest.

The young man took his time refilling our wine glasses, then quietly slipped away when we assured him we didn’t need anything further.

A few minutes passed in quietness as we ate, but my mind was far from silent. Regret and desire battled in my brain, keeping me on edge.

“Do you like shrimp?” Zack asked.

“Yes, but you made the right choice for me with the salmon.”

“Trade a bite?”

My thoughts quieting at Zack’s easygoing nature, I agreed.

He went first, offering me a forkful of the coconut rice and a piece of shrimp.

I should have felt awkward leaning over the table with my mouth open but strangely didn’t.

He stared as I chewed, hunger for more than food in his heated gaze. “Delicious, isn’t it?”

“Mmm.” I hummed and prepared a bite of my dinner for him.

His parted lips held me transfixed. My mouth dried as his tongue flicked over the bottom of my fork before he closed his lips around the salmon.

He smirked.

Face heating, I returned my focus to my plate.

“So, what about you?” Zack asked, and I shook my head.

“This vacation isn’t about me.”

“The fuck it’s not.” He huffed a light laugh while I took another bite.

The salmon melted on my tongue like butter.

“My sole reason for living these next couple of days is to make you smile, Callum. Fulfilling your fantasies and just overall creating a vacation you never want to end. So tell me—what do you hope for? How do you see our time here in paradise playing out? Do you simply require a companion to keep loneliness from interfering with your rest, or are you in need of some tender loving care? Because I have to be honest.” Zack slid his gaze over my face, my shoulders and chest, stalling out at the table that hindered his perusal from slipping toward the bulge growing in my slacks. “I want nothing more than to give you pleasure however you desire.”

Jesus.

Since when did tingles race over my skin from a mere stranger’s words? My body had only ever reacted to one man in such a way, and Zack having done as much within minutes of meeting him confused me.

Unsure what to say or do, I returned my attention to my half-empty plate. “I-I’d rather not say just now.”

“Fair enough.” Zack didn’t sound put out or upset.

We finished our meals in silence that once more made me uneasy.

“Dance with me?”

I jerked my focus up while wiping my lips on the linen napkin.

The firelight glinting off his hazel eyes hinted of lust that incited the same inside me. “Let me hold you in my arms close enough that you’ll realize I won’t bite unless you ask me to. And even then, I’ll be sure the graze of my teeth only makes you groan with need for more.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded without meaning to.

Zack stood and offered his hand.