CHAPTER ONE

With a soft whoosh , the elevator doors closed quietly behind Dominic Olson as he stepped into the corridor of the mid-rise building.

He strode quickly, footfalls silent on the plush carpet.

When he reached 571, he glanced furtively over his shoulder to be sure no one was behind him. He slipped the key into the knob, unlocked it, then ducked into the condo, feeling foolish.

The secrecy was completely unnecessary.

Dom had a perfectly valid reason to be here, but paranoia clung to him like smoke, pervasive and difficult to wash away even now.

Still, he breathed easier once the door was closed behind him.

In the apartment, the lights were on and a hockey game played on the TV in the other room.

Sawyer was already here.

Dom's heartrate kicked up, arousal pooling low in his belly, anticipating what was to come.

He slipped off his shoes, then hung his long wool coat on the peg nearby. His toque came off too and he used the mirror by the door to settle his chin-length hair into place before he walked into the open-plan condo.

The lights of Toronto gleamed through the expansive windows and the room was dominated by the wide-screen TV and the large sectional Sawyer Barnett sprawled across.

The building wasn't particularly trendy or ostentatious, but a quiet, more subtle upscale. Nothing that would attract attention. Nothing that would stand out in any way.

Sawyer, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Big-bodied and muscular with thick sandy-brown hair and lightly tanned skin, he stood out in any crowd.

He glanced over, expression warm, even white smile gleaming. "Hey. You made it."

"Hey," Dom echoed, nodding at the TV. "What's the score?"

"5-3, Portland. Detroit had the lead in the first period but they totally blew it."

Dom laughed. "Don't they always?"

"Mmm, you have a point," Sawyer admitted. He waved the remote. "You want me to …"

"Nah. Game's almost over," Dom said with a quick glance at the time clock. He took a seat on the other end of the sectional. "I don't mind watching the end."

Sawyer snorted. "Better hope it doesn't go into overtime like yours did last night."

"Tell me about it." Dom stretched, feeling the tight ache in his shoulder lingering after the cross check from Dallas' defense.

The Fisher Cats had won. No thanks to him, but the team had picked up two points, putting them that much closer to a playoff spot.

"Sore?" Sawyer asked with a lift of his eyebrows.

"Yeah." Dom huffed, annoyed that he'd noticed. "When aren't I, anymore?"

That was what he got for playing a young man's game at the age of forty.

Sawyer winced. "Infrared isn't helping?"

"No. I mean, maybe? It's hard to tell."

The organization had invested in top-of-the-line infrared saunas and installed them over the All-Star break.

"Well, it's not a cure-all." Sawyer frowned. "Only another tool for your recovery."

Dom bit back the instinct to make a snarky retort. He fucking knew that.

Sawyer held up his hands, clearly reading the annoyance on his face. "I'm just saying …"

"No. I know." Dom looked away. "Just pisses me off. I used to play a full game plus overtime, go out drinking after, and not feel like I'd been hit by a goddamn train the next day."

Sawyer chuckled. "I hear that. Not playing a full game but …"

Reflexively, they both glanced down at his knee.

At the moment, Sawyer was fully dressed in a pair of fitted trousers and a button-down shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and pecs, so Dom couldn't see the scars from multiple surgeries that wrapped around the knee joint, testament to the injuries that had ended Sawyer's hockey career before it ever began.

But Dom had seen Sawyer naked plenty of times. He knew exactly what he looked like under those clothes.

Dom's gaze drifted across Sawyer, moving up. He looked great tonight, the shirt making his eyes especially blue.

Sawyer always dressed well, but he had to. That was part of their cover story.

On paper, Dom hired Sawyer to be his stylist. Since Dom did regularly make the NHL's best-dressed lists, it wasn't entirely a cover.

The agency made sure their escorts knew how to please in every way.

"Anything I should try on tonight?" Dom asked, nodding toward the clothing rack on the far side of the condo that held a couple of suits.

Sawyer glanced away from the screen, blinking. "Hmm?"

"Should I try anything on?" Dom repeated.

"If you want," Sawyer said with a shrug. "I think by now, I know your size and so does the tailor but …"

"Nah," Dom said. "I trust you."

It was meant to be a flippant, off-hand comment but it landed oddly, flat and weighty in the silence that followed.

It was true though. Dom trusted Sawyer as much as he trusted anyone.

After years of this arrangement, he'd had ample opportunity to sell Dom out and he hadn't done so.

If he had, he would have risked outing himself and that Dom had been paying him for sex for the better part of four years.

Mutually assured destruction was the safest option, after all.

Detroit scored, bringing it to 5-4, and Dom leaned in, staring at the screen intently as the last five minutes of the game wound down, both teams pushing hard, Portland trying to hold on to their lead, Detroit straining to close the gap.

In the final seconds there was a scramble in front of Portland's net and the goal horn sounded, the teams tied at 5-5.

Dom watched the replay, the puck bouncing off the goalie's pads at a weird angle. It didn't matter how ugly the goal was though; if it crossed the line, it was good.

"You jinxed it," Dom said, disgusted. "They're going into overtime now."

"Yeah, I guess so." Sawyer let out a rueful laugh. "Whatever, I can catch the highlights later."

He turned the TV off, the screen going black, reflecting a vague and distorted image of them sitting on opposite ends of the sectional.

"In a hurry tonight?" Dom asked with a lift of his eyebrows. "Hot date?"

Sawyer shot him an unamused look. "Just you, baby."

"Ha-ha." Dom scoffed because Sawyer was clearly in a weird mood tonight and maybe so was he.

"Bedroom?" he suggested rather than dig into that .

"Yeah." Sawyer popped to his feet, smoothing down his shirt.

Dom stood more slowly, biting back a groan at the twinge in his lower back, hoping to hide his discomfort. But Sawyer's gaze flicked to him, brow furrowing a little. Damn it, he had good eyes, always knew what to look for.

That's what you get for fucking a physiotherapist.

Because that was Sawyer's day job. It was why he'd gotten into sex work in the first place.

Dom didn't know a ton about him but he knew that much.

Knew Sawyer had been a highly touted hockey prospect until his knee injury in high school and that he'd had to scramble for money for university once it became clear his athletic career was over.

Knew he had a job outside of this as a sports physiotherapist.

When their arrangement began, Dom knew he'd have no hope of keeping his identity a secret from Sawyer and it seemed pointless to pretend like Sawyer wouldn't know exactly who he was.

Besides, they both liked to talk hockey, so it was a frequent topic of conversation before or after sex. Beyond that, they kept things close to the surface, rarely delving deep.

Just the way Dom liked it.

He followed Sawyer into the bedroom, watching the flex of his shoulders under the thin fabric of his shirt and the sculpted curve of his ass, mouth going dry at the sight.

In the bedroom, the lights were off except for the lamps on the nightstands and they stripped down with practiced ease, hanging their clothes on hooks nearby because it would look suspicious if they walked out of here with rumpled clothing.

When they were both nude, Dom let his gaze trail up and down Sawyer's body, taking in the finely honed muscles and broad shoulders. The sight was simultaneously arousing and a prick to Dom's ego. He'd never managed to put on muscle that way, not even at Sawyer's age, and the twist of envy in his stomach was irritating.

Sawyer was younger, hotter, and better looking than Dom had ever been. The kind of guy Dom would only get because he was paying for it.

"Want me to ride you?" Sawyer asked, tone deceptively casual as he pulled lube and condoms out of the satchel he must have stashed in the room earlier. Along with bottles of water on the nightstand.

Always prepared.

Sawyer was probably being kind, knowing it would be easier on Dom's back. It made Dom want to bend him over the bed and prove he still had it in him.

Instead, he swallowed his frustration at the ways that his body was failing him and nodded. He nodded because he had a game tomorrow and he should try to limit the number of Toradol injections he got during the regular season.

They all knew retired guys who were dealing with the consequences of addiction or the side effects of too many anti-inflammatories.

Besides, Dom didn't exactly want to explain to the trainers and team doc that he'd thrown his back out having sex.

They'd never know it was with a man, but still .

Just because he'd— reluctantly —told two of his teammates that he was gay earlier this season didn't mean he was in a hurry to let anyone else in on that secret.

"Sure, yeah, sounds good," Dom lied. He stretched out on the crisp white sheets, watching Sawyer set the supplies on the bed by his hip.

Dom was only half-hard when Sawyer wrapped a hand around his cock but he still let out a hiss of pleasure at the touch.

It had been almost three weeks.

They usually met on Sunday evenings like this one, but Dom had been away on a west coast road trip and, well … it wasn't like he was having sex with anyone else. It wasn't out of any particular sense of loyalty to Sawyer—this was a paid arrangement, after all—but the last time he'd had sex with a man he wasn't paying for, he'd learned his lesson.

How many other people Sawyer'd had sex with in that time, well, Dom would never ask. It wasn't his business. They both got tested regularly, used condoms, and Sawyer was on PrEP.

That was enough.

"Hey, you with me tonight?" Sawyer asked and Dom realized he'd been lost in his own head.

"Yeah," Dom said, shaking to clear it. "Sorry."

"No worries." Sawyer's smile was easy. He tightened his grip on Dom's cock, sending heat pooling low in Dom's belly.

His cock thickened, making Sawyer's smile widen. " There it is. I was starting to think I'd lost the magic touch."

"Ha. Not likely," Dom said. He thrust into Sawyer's grip, heat crawling across his body, ignoring the twinge in his lower back.

Whatever Dom's feelings about his sexuality were, however complicated it all was to keep the arrangement hidden, this part was easy.

Dom had tried out a few different escorts at the beginning. Several who hadn't been the right fit. Sawyer, however … yeah, it had been good from the beginning.

He'd had no need to keep looking after that.

With deft, sure movements, Sawyer rolled a condom on Dom, then knelt over his thighs. He reached behind himself, eyes fluttering closed as he eased a plug loose. He set the black silicone toy on the nightstand, the lube glistening in the lamplight.

He didn't always prepare himself that way but he must have known Dom would be feeling impatient tonight.

"Turn around," Dom said huskily. "Let me see."

Sawyer quirked an eyebrow but shifted so his back was to Dom.

Gaze trailing down the firm, thick planes of Sawyer's back, Dom let himself enjoy the view. He reached out, dragging his thumbs down Sawyer's crease, then tugging the muscles apart.

Greedily, Dom drank in the sight of Sawyer's ass, slick and a little open. He brushed one thumb across the rim, liking the way Sawyer's breath caught and his back rippled with the sensation.

"All ready to get fucked, huh?" Dom rasped.

"Yeah." Sawyer's voice was rough too. "C'mon, Dom. Don't tease me."

Dom laughed. Of the two of them, he wasn't usually the one who dragged things out and took his time. Sawyer was the one who held Dom on the edge of orgasm until it felt like he'd turn inside out.

"You feeling needy?" Dom teased, pushing his thumb inside where it was slick and hot. "Miss having my dick inside you?"

Sawyer shivered. "You know I do."

That was probably a pretty piece of bullshit that Sawyer said to every man but it still made Dom's skin go hot. Just because he knew it was a line didn't make it any less effective.

"I don't know," Dom mused.

He fucked Sawyer's hole with his thumb, toying with the rim, pressing in, then pulling out, keeping it slow and steady even as Sawyer moved his hips, subtly urging him to speed up. Dom resisted, maintaining the pace.

"Maybe you missed my cock," he teased. "Or maybe that toy is enough."

Sawyer shuddered. "It isn't. Fuck, c'mon, Dom. Fuck me. I need it."

"Or I could push that plug in and tell you to suck me off instead."

Sawyer glared over his shoulder. "Try it. I dare you."

Dom laughed because he was the one paying and, in the end, he got to call the shots in the bedroom as long as it didn't cross any of Sawyer's limits. But Dom enjoyed that Sawyer didn't let Dom push him around much.

Dom liked that Sawyer could tell when he was playing with him and exactly how far to take the bossiness. It was the perfect push and pull.

"Fine," Dom said with a smirk, sliding his thumb out and rubbing it around the rim in a way that always made Sawyer moan. "Fuck yourself on me."

Sawyer shifted, lining up so Dom's cock rested between his cheeks.

Dom had meant for him to flip around and face him, but this worked too. He could hardly complain about the view when he lined his dick up with Sawyer's hole and watched him rise to his knees before sinking down.

It made Dom's head spin to see his length disappear into Sawyer's body. Even dulled slightly by the condom, the snug, hot grip made him moan.

"Yeah, you like that?" Sawyer said, grinning over his shoulder.

Dom grunted his agreement, taking hold of Sawyer's hips, gaze locked on where their bodies were joined together. Sawyer fucked him hard and fast, a punishing rhythm that made Dom's chest heave, struggling to make it last.

It was so good. Too good, and he wanted to draw it out. Savor it.

But before long, the slick pressure, the slap of skin, and the noisy rush of their breathing made pleasure coil in Dom's belly and his hands bit into Sawyer's muscles. His body went tight, need boiling up and spilling over, filling the condom with a hoarse shout.

When Dom had been reduced to a panting, shaking mess, boneless, with his mind wiped clean of the stresses of the past few weeks, Sawyer eased off.

When he shifted, Dom realized Sawyer was still hard. He usually came when Dom was fucking him but not always.

Dom wanted to get his mouth on him but he hated the taste of latex and Sawyer wouldn't go without.

"Want to come on me?"

Sawyer nodded, already reaching for the lube. He slicked his hand, bracing the other on the bed next to Dom's ribs and kneeling between his splayed thighs.

Dom ran a hand up Sawyer's flank, damp with the sweat he'd worked up. He stroked himself, chest heaving, the slick sounds beautifully obscene in the quiet room.

"Yeah, come on," Dom urged. He reached down, wishing he could slide his fingers into Sawyer's stretched-out hole and toy with the sensitive spot inside until he shouted his release.

He couldn't quite reach, so he contented himself with sliding his hands across Sawyer's skin, mapping out the hard muscles, digging his fingers in and dragging his blunt nails until they left pink marks in their wake. They'd fade in a few minutes but he still loved the sight of them.

And from the way Sawyer always shivered, he liked the feel.

With a low noise, Sawyer came, shooting onto Dom's abs and chest, the spatter of it warm against his skin.

"Fuck, fuck," Sawyer panted, working himself through his release and Dom batted his hand away to take over, teasing a few more dribbles out before Sawyer trembled.

"Fuck! Too much," he finally gasped.

Dom eased up, reluctantly letting go.

Sawyer shifted, dropping onto the mattress beside him with a contented sigh. "You trying to kill me?" he muttered.

Dom laughed, eyes feeling heavy already. It had been a long, tiring road trip and he'd been tightly wound the whole time. The release had unspooled the tension, and without it, he felt ready to collapse.

The cum on his skin was cooling, beginning to feel uncomfortable and sticky, and Dom fumbled for the disposable wipes on the nightstand. He mopped himself off and Sawyer sat up, reaching for the spent condom.

Dom tossed the wipes away, then fell back, yawning.

"Shit, I should get up," Dom muttered but he was already sliding into sleep too tempting to fight off.