“You walked right into it, Blue. I make a living off taking advantage of girls. We,” Ark stresses, “make a living off taking advantage of girls. What makes you special?”

“You’re serious?” I stand up but he pushes me back against the couch cushions.

“Sit the fuck down. Because on the off chance that JD is out getting food and shooting the shit with Ray about this week’s whores, I’m gonna make sure we’ve got this straight before he gets back.”

My heart starts beating like crazy and then my whole body breaks out in a sweat.

“Good,” Ark says, noticing my reaction. “You’re starting to understand me. Because I’m deadly serious, Blue. You’ve got two choices.” He leans down into my face. “Right here. Right now. Stick it out with us and be part of the solution. Or get the fuck out of my house. Take your whore money, get on a bus tonight, and never come back.”

I spit right in his face.

And I’m face down on the floor. He’s got my arm twisted behind my back, and I’m screaming in pain.

“Don’t fuck with me,” he growls down in my ear. His body is pressed against mine, his knee between my legs, touching my pussy.

I moan.

“You like it like this. You want me to love you this way, Blue.”

“Fuck you. How dare you talk all that shit to me earlier and then throw it back in my face.”

“How dare you ask me to love you and then slip right into JD’s arms.”

“So you’re jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous? I can take you right here on the floor and he’d never know. Because you’d like it and you’d never tell him. You’re not gonna leave, are you? You want this fucked-upness, don’t you?” My chest is rising and falling so fast, I begin to get dizzy. Ark pulls my hair. “Tell me,” he demands. “Say it. Just admit you’re in.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re in, Blue. You’re gonna let us fuck you. You’re gonna stay here and be our little fuck toy. And you’re gonna tell us what we want to know.” He pulls my hair again and this time I feel the wetness gush between my legs.

He pulls my boxers down and palms his hand over my ass. “Oh, God,” I moan.

“Go ahead, fight it, Blue. Fight all you want.” He slips his fingers between my legs. Not enough to penetrate me, even though my throbbing clit is begging for it. Just enough to check how turned on I am.

His zipper comes down and then his cock is pressed between my ass cheeks.

“Let’s make a deal, Blue. I’ll let you stay here, and we’ll take turns feeding your addiction. And you’ll answer my questions. You will not talk to JD about any of this. You will go on acting like everything is fine. But you will tell me the truth. Every answer you give needs to be the truth.”

His tip pokes against my asshole and I bite my tongue to stop my urge to beg, that’s how badly I need him inside me right now. “OK,” I whisper. “OK.”

“Good,” he says, slipping his dick down my crack. “Then I’ll repeat the next question. What was your college major?”

“Why does that matter?”

He withdraws and leaves me empty. “Answer me,” he growls, pulling my hair so hard my whole body arches. I have to tip my head so far back, I find myself looking up at his face. “Answer. Me.” And then his mouth crashes down on mine. He kisses me hard, bites my tongue, bites my lip, draws blood, and sticks his cock back between my ass cheeks in less time than it takes me to take a breath.

Or maybe I just forgot how to breathe.

“English,” I whisper into his mouth as he continues to kiss me. “It was English.”

He thrusts his hips and then sinks himself inside my pussy. All the way. I can feel his balls move against my clit. “Love me,” I moan.

“I plan on it,” he says.

But then he releases my hair, my head falls down to my chest, and he gets up off the floor, extending his hand for me to accept it.

I turn my body around so I can see his face. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare leave me like this.”

He holds his hand out for a few more seconds and when I don’t accept, he withdraws it. “Oh, I’m leaving you like this, Blue. You want it rough, you get that from JD. You want me to love you?” He takes a deep breath, like he needs courage to get the words out. “Well, you come find me when you get to that place. I’m in for the love, but not for the abuse.”

He turns and walks down the hallway that leads to his room. And a few seconds later, I hear the click of the lock.

Which, in my book, is nothing but a big fuck-off.

“Let’s make a deal, Ark.” Ray is sitting at his bar and Silvie is getting him a drink. She passes him a Scotch and me a beer. Ray waits for me to pop the cap and take a long gulp. “You do understand I will buy you out eventually, right?” He takes a slow sip from his glass, the ice cubes clinking together.

“Maybe,” I say, enjoying some time away from JD and Blue. JD came back last night. It was late. And he had no food. Just an excuse about getting hung up over here at Ray’s. I had my ear to the bedroom door to hear that lie, because he’d never tell me that. Not when he knows I’ll ask Ray straight out if he came by.

Which JD didn’t. I asked Ray anyway, as soon as I got here.

“There’s no maybe about it, son.” I hate it when Ray calls me son. Not because he’s a dick. I like Ray. He’s a good guy. I think he’d have been a good father if he’d ever had kids. But because I’m not sure he means it. It makes me long for our relationship to be more than business. He treats me like family, sure. But am I family? Or am I just an opportunity? “You and I both know that as soon at Public Fuck is up and running, I’m gonna make an offer. So let’s just do it up front.”