Page 80 of Broken Obsession
They both knew Eden had only referred to him as his boyfriend to get a rise out of Inzer, and they hadn’t spoken about it since, but judging by the satisfied way Ares had looked at him after he’d said it yesterday, the Black Hart wanted it to be true.
“Maybe you’re young and inexperienced.” He took a step closer, crowding into Ares’ space, holding his gaze firmly. “But that’s not the way to a healthy, successful partnership. Are we playing as a team, or are we playing against each other? I’m going to need you to clarify that right now, so I can adjust how I interact with you going forward.”
“I like the way you are with me now,” Ares replied softly. “What do I have to exchange? What would you like me to give you?” His red eyes dropped to the briefcase.
“I’m not talking about physical things,” Eden said. “What do you take me for? I have no intention to mooch off of you.”
“Because I’m younger?” He pursed his lips. “Only by a couple of years. Does that really matter?”
“It’s got nothing to do with age.”
“Pride then?”
“Lucifer.”
“I’m just trying to understand.”
“Why are you the only one who gets to do that?” Ares struggled to grasp concepts outside of his own experiences. Maybe this was the way to get him to see reason. Lead him to understanding. “You’re frustrated because I won’t be upfront, aren’t you? Imagine how I feel.”
“I’ve been honest with you from the start.”
“You’ve been cryptic,” he corrected. “Honesty isn’t hiding behind fine print and clauses that trap me in your castle.”
“You’re getting what you want. Why can’t I get what I want as well?”
“We’re both asking for the same thing, can’t you see that? You want fairness? So do I. I want to be your equal. I won’t just be a kept bedwarmer. I’m not a plaything, Ares, I’m a person.”
“Are we fighting?” Ares seemed so lost it was almost laughable. He reached for Eden again, taking his hand and linking their fingers. “I don’t want to fight.”
On the path opposite theirs, two female students briskly passed, glancing in their direction, but were too set on escaping the cold to stop and look for long.
Eden pulled away, shoving his hands into the warm pockets of the ridiculously expensive chocolate peacoat Ares had all but ordered him to wear this morning. In fact, he was entirely dressed, head to toe, in items the Black Hart had picked out and organized for him. The gesture could have been sweet if it hadn’t bordered on controlling. The only reason Eden had gone along with it with little protest was that none of his old clothes would work for this setting.
Sacrum Cor University was a dream job for anyone looking to teach, but at a prestigious place like this, a certain level of…expectation was called for. Eden had money thanks to Vanity, but with nowhere to go, he hadn’t bothered spending any of it on nice or fancy outfits. Now that they were needed, he found he fell short, so accepting Ares’ offerings had been a necessary evil.
But he didn’t want the younger man to think that was the only reason Eden stuck around. didn’t like the idea of this turning into something as vapid as a Sugar Daddy situation. He could never be satisfied with that type of relationship long-term.
“I’m using you for revenge,” he reminded, “and you’re using me for my body. Anything more than that is un—”
Ares hugged him before he could finish, arms banding around his shoulders, cheek pressed against his, in a flash of movement too fast for Eden to avoid. “You’re talking in circles to confuse me,” he surmised sulkily. “Message received, Paradise, so please, stop. If this is what it feels like to be pushed away, I understand your vexation.”
“Do you really?” He should order Ares to let go before they were caught, but the warmth of his body was too pleasing, and he found himself leaning into the embrace instead.
They were both crazy.
Ares was mercurial, intense one moment, almost childlike the next. There was no telling how much of it was manipulation, how truthful he was being when it came to his emotions or reactions. For all Eden knew, he was merely playing along and leading him into another trap, and yet…
He was too curious to see where this went to call it off. No matter how loudly logic and reason screamed at him to get his head on straight and see this for what it was. A dangerous proposition. A deal with a literal devil.
For all his talk about wanting to be seen as the Black Harts equal, Eden understood where he truly stood.
Right now, everything he had he owed to Ares. Even Vanity had ended up in his hands. He’d placed pieces of himself around the board, caging Eden in slowly but surely. Had kept him distracted with the promise of sex and a soothed vengeance.
“What if we settle with Inzer and Sedos, and I choose to walk away?” he asked, only daring to lift his voice as high as a whisper. The second he felt the Black Hart tense around him, he should have stopped, but now that the question was out there, he couldn’t bring himself to. “What happens to me then?”
“Are you asking if I’ll take your job and ruin all your prospects?” Ares' tone changed, the pleading, almost naïve sound of a lover morphing into the possessive man who’d pinned Eden with his cock and ignored his screams.
“If things don’t go your way, you throw a tantrum.” That was putting it lightly, but it was important to note. Eden had to remember what he was dealing with here.