“Yeah, you should have,” she said, unrelenting, although her frown smoothed at his apology, “so why didn’t you?”

Because Micah had known he would end up spilling his guts about agreeing to become Damon’s escort if he did. And then she’d tell him how much of a short-sighted idiot he was – which, he already knew, by the way.

“It’s… complicated,” Micah decided on after a moment.

Tessa wasn’t impressed. “So uncomplicate it,” she demanded.

Micah groaned, fighting the urge to bury his head in his hands. How exactly was he supposed to explain that he’d literally signed a contract to become Damon’s personal escort/pretend boyfriend for the foreseeable future? All because the man was operating under the delusion that he was rescuing Micah from his dangerous life as a sex worker?

Tessa leaned in close, a mischievous – evil – glint in her eyes. “Did you fuck?”

Micah flushed, a little embarrassed, but mostly relieved Tessa no longer seemed angry with him.

“Why?” he snarked, his first line of defense against potentially uncomfortable conversations. “Want to hear the sordid details?”

“Yes,” Tessa said, unabashed, throwing in an eye roll for good measure. “Obviously.”

Honestly, anyone operating under the misconception that women weren’t just as big of horndogs as men was dead wrong.

“Well, unfortunately for you, I have no details to share. Damon and I didn’t have sex.”

Tessa raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

“I’m serious,” Micah insisted. “I mean, not for lack of trying on my part,” he confessed reluctantly. That was as close as he was going to get to admitting he had attempted to blow Damon in the backseat of his car despite the fact the man had still had his pants on.

Tessa looked confused. “He rejected you again?” she demanded before her bewilderment turned to anger. “What is his problem? Practically stalking you, but refusing to follow through. He’s a cock tease, is what he is.” She paused. “Unless he thought you were too drunk to consent and he was just protecting your virtue?” She nearly swooned in her seat. “Oh, please tell me that’s what happened.”

“Well, I was pretty drunk,” Micah agreed, “but I think the main reason is what you said before. Damon, he, um… he still thinks I’m a prostitute.”

Tessa’s eyes widened. “Still?” she demanded incredulously. “Why haven’t you told him you’re actually a cop?”

Micah shrugged. Mostly because he couldn’t find the words to explain to her that he was afraid that if he admitted to his true profession, Damon would drop him like a hot brick. As far as he could tell, the man’s interest in him stemmed from wanting to “save” Micah and little else. If it turned out Micah didn’t need to be saved, well… there was little stopping him from kicking Micah to the curb.

And Micah wasn’t ready to sever the weird connection he had with the man. As pathetic and desperate as it was, he would take the farce of a relationship Damon had planned over no contact with the man at all.