Page 53 of Broken Obsession
“You’re a walking contradiction, you know that?” Ares clicked his tongue, then got up, taking both of their mugs to the sink even though neither was empty. Afterward, he turned, resting back against the counter, and crossed his arms, liking the flicker of annoyance and uncertainty in Eden’s eyes. “You’re also terrible at comprehension, so let me spell it out for you one last time, okay?
“This is not just about sex. I’ll kill for you, you’ll spread for me, sure. But do you really think your ass alone is worth all this hassle? I had to research, identify the culprits, and lure Zonnie to a secluded location so I could drug and kidnap him. It was exhausting work.” It really hadn’t been. He’d spent maybe an hour on it, tops. “Not to mention all the time and effort I put into making him suffer tonight. Do you really think letting me fuck you is enough for all that?”
It looked like Ares was going to have to take the longer route to building trust. On the one hand, he was glad Eden wasn’t as naïve and easy as he’d feared, but on the other…This would delay things.
“I could step outside and find a willing hole in under a half hour, Eden,” Ares stated. “Hell, I could have taken you at any given moment leading up to now, willing or not. Do you think anyone would do anything about it if I had? I’m an Imperial. I don’t have to work for anything.”
“Then why are you doing all of this?” He pursed his lips, and the wheels in his head could practically be seen turning. “You didn’t actually mean all that bullshit about not wanting a shell, did you? Is that how you usually play with people? You invade their lives and rearrange things to your liking, and then once you feel like you’ve won, you move on to the next target?”
“Careful, you’re starting to sound a little jealous, babe.”
“Like hell I am,” he snapped. “I have nothing to be jealous of. You’re a virtual stranger. You’re hot, Ares, I’ll give you that, but you’re not the only one here who’s never struggled to find a willing bedpartner. There are over a dozen guys on my phone I could call and have out on my front porch within thirty minutes.”
Was this tit for tat?
Adorable.
“Get on the table, Starling.”
“What?”
“Now.”
Eden hesitated and then stood, turning so he was facing Ares before lifting himself onto the dark wood.
Ares pushed off the counter and slowly stalked forward. “If having your hole stuffed was all you wanted, I wouldn’t be here. If all I wanted was a hole to fill,” he set his hands on either side of Eden’s hips, careful not to physically touch him anywhere as he bent so they would be eye level, “I wouldn’t be here. This isn’t about having someone willing to put out. I want someone willing to go to war for me. Someone I’d be willing to go to war for.”
“That sounds,” Eden inhaled, “like a lot.”
“It sounds like connection,” he said, then ordered, “Lie back.”
Eden did as he was told, his thighs automatically widening to accommodate Ares when he stepped in closer. Heheld completely still when Ares reached to undo the tie at his waist, brushing the towel open to expose Eden to his gaze.
He was semi-hard already.
“I meant every word in the car. I don’t want a shell. I want your body, but I want your attention as well. Your adoration. Your longing.” Ares placed his palm against the center of Eden’s chest and slowly glided downward. “I want you to yearn for me the way I’ve yearned for you.”
“It wasn’t me.” Despite his protest, Eden’s voice had dropped an octave, coming out little more than a whisper. “It was Ransom. Ransom is who you’ve wanted all this time. I’m just the consolation prize.”
Ares’ hand stilled just beneath his navel. “Are you getting jealous of yourself now, Paradise?”
“Stop.” Eden grabbed onto Ares’ wrist, but he didn’t push him away or try to make him continue his descent down his body.
“Why? You don’t like it when I call you Ransom or Starling.”
“They aren’t me.”
“All right,” he hummed in agreement, then trailed his fingers lower, tugging lightly at the snatch of dirty blond curls above Eden’s straining dick. “I’ll give you a new nickname, one that’s all yours. All Eden’s.”
“You’re making fun of my name.”
“I’m making better use of it, actually.”
“Why do you have to call me anything at all?”
“There’s power in a name. Anyone can call you Eden, but only I have the right to call you Paradise.” He captured Eden’s dick suddenly, giving him a powerful pump that had his hips lifting off the table and his eyes rolling back in his skull. “Eager. Always so eager. Have you been thinking of me doing this to you?”
“You know I have,” he growled. “Creepy stalker.” It seemed to occur to him that Ares had alluded to having bugged his house, and Eden tipped his head back and searched around.