Sex can be a dangerous business. So can love. On the worst day of his life, Wren Gallagher wants oblivion when he steps into Tricks for a drink. When a mysterious stranger steps up to pay his tab, he offers Wren the key to fulfilling his dreams of prosperity and true love. But appearances are not always what they seem. His savior owns the escort agency ? Louer, and he wants the young and handsome Wren as part of his stable of men-for-hire. Down on his luck, Wren figures, why not? He needs the money. When he joins, though, he doesn't count on meeting Rufus, another escort with whom he falls hopelessly in love. But their love story will have to overcome the obstacles of not only trading love for money, but ? Louer's dark -- and deadly -- secrets.

A Dangerous Game

Wren wanted nothing more than to grab Rufus’s hand and lead him down to the beach, where they could pull off their shirts and chase each other into the surf, playing like the boys they were barely past being. For a moment he saw the horseplay in his mind’s eye—their playful touches, the water glistening on their skin. Hell, he even imagined a kiss. In his mind there was no one around to cast a disapproving or mocking stare their way.


Instead of going back to the apartment and finding out—yes—how the rest of his life was going to go, Wren wanted to simply lie on the beach, fingers loosely intertwined with Rufus’s as they stared up at the sky and compared notes on what images the cloud formations suggested. He imagined falling asleep next to Rufus, their sun-warmed bodies just barely touching.


“Hey! You comin’ or what? Tick-tock, little man. We got places to go and people to see.”


Wren turned to see Rufus staring at him from a distance, smiling.


Chapter 29