Part 1The University Sugar Baby

I was thirty-two when I picked up my first broke college boy.

I was driving past the university when I saw him, Leo, holding a girl in his arms. His eyes were red-rimmed, a portrait of wounded pride. "Please," he choked out, "don't think I'm dirty..."

It was a straightforward arrangement. A business transaction. So why did he make it sound like I was the one corrupting him?

If he felt so dirty, there were plenty of others who wouldn't.

I took a long drag from my cigarette and blew the smoke out the window. My eyes landed on a blond kid swaggering down the sidewalk, decked out in head-to-toe knockoffs. I nodded towards him.

"Ask that one," I told my driver, "if he's interested in a sugar momma."

* * *

Eason was in my office by the afternoon.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the thirty-second floor, glinting off his Balenciaga t-shirt, his Yohji Yamamoto pants, and his Louis Vuitton sneakers.

Fake.

Fake.

And fake.

But damn, if he didn't have a pretty face.

He was nothing like Leo, who had that cold, clean-cut look, an air of untouchable pride. Eason was more like something manufactured, a walking plastic surgery template. Exquisite, cheap, and with a hustler's glint in his eye.

But I’d had my fill of fine dining. Tonight, I was in the mood for some greasy takeout.

They were both selling themselves, so why bother with the one who acted like he was above it all?

The moment he opened his mouth, I knew I’d made the right choice.

"Heard you were looking to adopt?" He grinned. "Should I call you Mom right now?"

He caught on fast. A little too fast.

But I wasn't into that kind of roleplay. I could already see the entire trajectory of our relationship flashing before my eyes. Today, he’d have me launch his career. Tomorrow, he'd be begging for a leading role. The day after, our arrangement would leak, and he’d be on his knees, pleading for me to bury the scandal.

Perfect. This was exactly what I wanted.

I ignored him, flipping through the file my assistant, Ms. Evans, had prepared.

He was from some forgotten town in the middle of nowhere. Family wasn't poor, certainly better off than Leo's alcoholic father and gambling-addict mother. His grades were average, a far cry from Leo's scholarships.

But he was a good two inches taller than Leo.

I glanced up at him. He beamed at me, a perfect eight-tooth smile. He was handsome, no doubt, but the fawning was a little much.

I pursed my lips, a flicker of distaste crossing my features. "How many? Men or women?"

Eason’s expression didn't change. Not a hint of shame or offense. "Just you, boss!"

Bullshit.

"Ms. Evans will take you to a clinic for a full check-up," I said flatly. "If you're clean, be here in a week."

"You got it, boss."

He practically skipped out of my office. As he turned, I caught a glimpse of his perfectly sculpted ass.

I wondered for a moment if he was wearing pads.