Take It Off

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Synopsis

High-class rent boys Tristan and Jared have found their market, working together to seduce their wealthy customers by playing power games. But lately Tristan has been longing for something more than just earning money with his partner. He's craving a real relationship with Jared outside of Market Garden, but he has no idea whether Jared feels the same way or if everything they've been doing is just a game to him. When Rolex, the john who started them down the path of performing together, returns, they're eager to once again service their client. Tristan thinks it might also present the perfect opportunity to show Jared how much he cares, but then Rolex and Jared turn the tables on him, teasing and tormenting Tristan until he doesn't know if he can take it anymore.

Review

Take It Off is the second book in L. A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov's Market Garden series that follows a group of rent boys who work at an exclusive, upscale London club of the same name. It picks up Tristan and Jared's story just a short time after we left them in the last book, Quid Pro Quo. It's been perhaps a couple of months since their first encounter together, "performing" for Rolex, the nickname they gave to the wealthy john who set them on this path. Since then, they've continued their act for other johns or sometime to tag team the customers. Given how close they've become, Tristan has been catching feelings for Jared, but lately he feels like Jared has been pulling away. Tristan wants to take their relationship outside the club and away from the customers, but unsure if Jared feels the same way, he's been trying to screw up the courage to find out. Then Rolex returns for a repeat performance, giving Tristan what he thinks might be the perfect opportunity to show Jared just how much he's come to care about him, until Rolex and Jared turn the tables on him so that Jared can get sweet revenge by tormenting Tristan this time around.

The first story of the series was written from Jared's POV, but this one is from Tristan's perspective, which was a welcome change of pace. Previously Tristan was the confident, charming, and more dominant one of the pair, while Jared was a little more unsure of himself. We knew from that story that Jared was crushing hard on Tristan, so he was eager to team up with him to give their customer a steamy show. This time around Tristan is the one developing feelings for Jared. He's starting to want alone time with him so that they can just get to know one another and do what pleases them rather than having to always please the customers. But because they've never really discussed it, Tristan isn't sure if their performances together are just an act for Jared or if there's something more to it. I liked seeing this more vulnerable side to Tristan, because it showed him as more than the confident, dominant lover. It was also an interesting twist to have Jared be the one teasing and tormenting Tristan, because it not only showed that Jared has gained confidence but also showed Tristan in a more defenseless state, where he just can't resist Jared's hotness. As with the first story, Take It Off is mostly about the sex, and whew!, is it ever steamy, totally setting the pages on fire. Also like the first, it has more of an HFN ending, with Tristan and Jared finally agreeing to see each other outside of work. However, I know that there's one more story to come for these two heroes, the sixth book of the series, Pay Off, where I hope they'll finally get their HEA. I just adore Tristan and Jared together and look forward to reading more about them and the other boys at Market Garden.

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, including voyeurism/exhibitionism, sex work, and a little MMM menage action, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers.

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L. A. Witt

Aleksandr Voinov