Gabriel
Rohan was pissed. His flake of a younger brother was supposed to have met him at the Lumière for dinner. Another mess of Henri’s making—this time, he’d maybe-accidentally-on-purpose seduced élise Dubrule, an heiress whose family owned one of the largest hotel chains in Europe and whose father just happened to be one of their father’s oldest friends—the kind of scandal that required careful handling, especially with both families’ reputations at stake. had arranged this dinner to discuss what Henri had been thinking and hopefully contain the situation before it exploded in all their faces.
The chit was beside herself, having thought Henri was devoted to her. That they were bound for marriage. If she had known any better—or rather, if she hadn’t willfully ignored Henri’s well-documented reputation—she would have seen right through his false visage. But that was Henri’s particular talent: making each conquest feel special, unique, and different from all the others who’d come before. He probably thought it hilarious, watching an Accor heiress fall for his practiced lines and manufactured charm, knowing full well he’d discard her like all the rest.
Now, she was making quite the spectacle of herself, acting the part of the wronged lover as if she were the first to fall for Henri’s carefully crafted deceptions. It was as if Dubrule’s family name somehow made her immune to becoming just another of his amusements.
And now, true to form, Henri couldn’t even be bothered to face the consequences of his latest game. No call, no message, just sitting alone at the casino for over an hour, his anger simmering hotter with each passing minute. He was about to call his brother and demand answers when a different opportunity presented itself.
Ellis Anouilh had slunk into the seat next to him with a confident facade that belied his obvious nerves. The man was handsome, not pretty, like too many male escorts meant for male company. There was something appealingly solid about him—tall and lean, with a build that suggested strength rather than carefully crafted fragility. But what caught ’s attention was the poorly concealed bruise darkening the man’s cheekbone. A Union escort would never be sent out looking less than flawless, and certainly not with fresh marks covered by cheap concealer. When ’s gaze fixed on the bruise, he caught the slight tensing in Ellis’ jaw, the way the man clearly wanted to turn away but held himself still under scrutiny.
It was quite clear that Ellis had mistaken for a client—which was intriguing, as it meant this handsome escort didn’t recognize him. The calling card had explained everything: Heart Court was a non-union brothel in the Fourth Cat. Ellis was likely from the lower classes or perhaps a runaway, servicing common laborers and mid-level businessmen. This begged the question of why he was at the Lumière in the first place.
Someone had planned to meet Ellis here, likely a visitor to Porte du Coeur. A financier or a tourist with enough money to indulge in a cheap escort but lacking the connections to arrange something more discreet or to meet at a high-class brothel.
Too bad they would miss their appointment.
’s anger at Henri still simmered beneath his carefully controlled exterior, a familiar tension coiling in his muscles that demanded release. And here, walking right into his path, was the perfect outlet—not some fragile plaything who would break at the first hint of rough handling, but someone with enough fire in his eyes to make breaking him truly satisfying.
decided Ellis would be coming back to his Lafayette Square manor. He often used the place when the hour-long drive to the family estate in Second Cat proved too tedious, and it was conveniently close to La Sauvegarde’s headquarters. Tonight, it would serve a different purpose—helping work out his frustrations in the most pleasurable way possible.
Upon their exit, had spotted a squat man with a brown rat-tail snaking down his back. He was wearing a cheap black suit and an even cheaper maroon button-down underneath—the kind of outfit meant to pass as high-end to those who wouldn’t know better. The man typed furiously on his phone as he approached the front doors, eyes down, oblivious to his surroundings.
It wasn’t much of a leap to assume this was Ellis’ intended client for the evening. Just in case, shifted his newly acquired escort to his left side, using his height and broader frame to block the man’s view of Ellis entirely.
His suspicions were confirmed when the man began a frantic search of the lobby, eventually giving up to perch on the fountain’s edge, waiting for someone who wouldn’t be coming.
Someone who was now ’s.
shoved Ellis into the backseat of the Mercedes and slid in quickly after him, positioning himself to block any view between the lobby and his unexpected prize. As they pulled away from the Lumière, he watched through the tinted windows as the man continued his futile wait. A few minutes into their drive, Ellis finally whispered that one question, as if he had feared the answer. knew the smile that spread across his face was predatory.
reached across the short distance and grabbed Ellis’ chin between his fingers, forcing the man to maintain eye contact.
“I am. Does that frighten you, little bird?”
“Little bird?” Ellis asked, indignant, trying to pull away. pinched the man’s face, causing Ellis to wince.
“You appear as if you might take flight. It seemed fitting.”
Ellis stubbornly held his gaze. “I am not a bird. And I don’t want to ‘take flight,’ as you put it.” Ellis’ hand slid onto ’s thigh, and try as the escort might to keep his touch steady, could feel the slight trembling.
“Are you nervous, petit oiseau? After you so boldly approached me in the lobby?” watched as Ellis’ mouth pinched in annoyance briefly before that fake smile spread across his handsome features once more.
“I just wasn’t expecting a man of your caliber to be summoning the likes of me.”
hummed in response, content to let Ellis continue believing whatever he wanted. He didn’t want to give up his game just yet. He opened his mouth to reply when Ellis’ phone rang. Ellis went to answer it, but caught the name ‘Donovan’ lighting up across the screen, the same name as the proprietor on that cheap calling card his escort had handed him in the Lumière.
snatched the phone from Ellis, powering it down before tucking it into his breast pocket.
“Hey! That was my boss!” Ellis made a futile attempt to reach for the phone, but slammed him down into the seat. Looming over him, he pressed his thigh against the man’s groin, grinding down with deliberate pressure.
Ellis let out a delicious hiss.
“Don’t you think it rude to be accepting calls while on the job?”
“It was my boss,” Ellis repeated, as if that somehow changed things.
shifted the hand that had been cradling Ellis’ face a moment ago to his throat.
And squeezed.
It was not enough to cut off his air completely; it was just enough pressure to remind Ellis exactly who was in charge.
“Your boss can wait. Now, where is the dossier you received on me?” asked, not releasing the pressure on Ellis’ throat.
“Phone.” The man wheezed out.
hummed, trying to imagine that squat man’s sweaty hands pawing at what was now his. Just the thought of that cheap suit against Ellis’ fair skin, of those stubby fingers leaving marks that weren’t ’s own, made his jaw clench. No doubt the man would have bent Ellis over some tacky hotel bed, rutting into him like the common beast he was, treating this fascinating creature like just another Fourth Cat whore.
No. The phone would stay off. Let Donovan and his pathetic client wonder. had found something far too interesting to share, especially with someone who wouldn’t properly appreciate it. He tightened his grip on Ellis’ throat, savoring how perfectly it fit in his hand.
No, had Ellis now, and he planned to keep him.
“What did it say?” asked, releasing the pressure slightly so Ellis could speak easier. The man’s hands had wrapped around his wrist, his eyes wide with fear and arousal.
Ellis sucked in air, shifting slightly beneath , bringing their hard cocks into alignment accidentally. Ellis let out another hiss.
squeezed the escort’s throat again.
Ellis took that as the warning it was. “That you wanted to be in control. Needed it. And a list of preferences…”
“Preferences?” asked, amused. Curious about what the squat man’s sexual preferences were.
Ellis tried to nod, but ’s hand at his throat prevented it. He swallowed hard. The feel of the escort’s Adam’s Apple beneath his hand had ’s cock hardening further. He ground it into the handsome man beneath him.
“List them, little bird.”
“Is that all?” asked, running his thumb up Ellis’ neck, stroking the man’s pulse point. Lingerie. Now that was interesting. He’d never particularly cared for such things before, finding them too contrived on the delicate boys Henri favored. But the thought of what Ellis might be wearing beneath those carefully chosen clothes—what he’d put on expecting to please that worthless man in the lobby—had ’s fingers itching to explore. To discover and claim whatever secrets his little bird had prepared for another.
Ellis’ eyes darted to the driver and the man in the passenger seat, a flicker of unease crossing his face. smirked. His petit oiseau shouldn’t worry about Alain Beaumont and Lucas Moreau. They had been by his side since they were fourteen, handpicked by his father, Maximilien Rohan, from families just wealthy enough to attend the same prestigious academy as the Rohans, but not quite wealthy enough to maintain their social standing. The arrangement had benefited everyone—their families gained connections and status, while gained two shadows who would grow into his most trusted confidants.
Twenty years later, they were more than just a bodyguard and an assistant. They had weathered everything together: the brutal expectations of the Rohan name, ’s rise to CEO, countless boardroom battles and bedroom conquests. They’d watched him break hearts and spirits with the same clinical efficiency he used to destroy business rivals. Their loyalty wasn’t merely bought—it was forged, tempered by time and trust. They wouldn’t blink at their boss’s current entertainment. They never did.
Just as he never questioned theirs.
“I don’t remember. If you gave me my phone…”
“No. You will get it back when our time together is over. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Ellis said, his voice a breathy puff across ’s face.
“Good. We’re almost there.” abruptly released Ellis, settling back into his seat. He adjusted his suit jacket with practiced indifference, enjoying how his escort’s eyes followed the movement. The man was breathing hard from his little demonstration, a lovely flush creeping up his neck where ’s fingers had been moments before.
Ellis was slower to right himself in his seat, and savored the wariness in those dark eyes. Not fear, no, his little bird wasn’t frightened. Just appropriately cautious now, as he should be.
“Did you still want me to call you ‘Sir’ as you requested?” Ellis asked, finally settling into his seat. appreciated the deliberate emphasis on ‘requested’—just enough defiance to be interesting, not enough to require correction.
He caught the brief chortle from Lucas in the passenger seat before the man wisely covered it with a cough. knew well enough why Lucas was amused—the last man had picked up had practically mewled the word ‘sir’ at every opportunity, each utterance more grating than the last. He’d eventually gagged the insufferable twink just to shut him up.
A point that Lucas seemed to remember all too well.
“Yes,” responded, his eyes fixed on Ellis. Something told him that Ellis wasn’t the whining type. Unlike the others who parroted the honorific without meaning, suspected that when Ellis said ‘sir’, he’d mean it. doubted he would ever tire of hearing this man address him as such.
“And I will get my phone back?”
“Of course. I have no use for it. I simply want your full attention on me, little bird. You’ll receive it when our time comes to a close, as I said.” stretched out and ran his hand up the escort’s thigh, feeling it tense beneath his touch.
Ellis swallowed, and followed the movement of his throat. “And when will this arrangement come to a close?”
’s eyebrows shot up. Was that not in the dossier Ellis received? Had he not seen it, or had Ellis’ client bought him for an extended period? Either possibility was interesting—one suggested his escort was careless, the other that he’d walked into something far more involved than a simple night’s entertainment.
“Whenever I say.”
Ellis opened his mouth, but then shut it just as quickly. Choosing instead to nod his assent.
His little bird was quite smart. Smart enough to recognize which questions weren’t worth asking.
Tonight was going to be fun.