Page 11

Water sloshed over the edge of the tub as Rain scooted closer, making him glad they’d had the forethought to put down some towels.

His tongue played with Austen’s. The hot bubbly water surrounded them, easing Rain’s tired muscles even as his body burned for Austen to take him.

His heart begged to get closer. He could never get close enough.

Rain tilted his head back as Austen sucked and bit his neck. He was in his version of heaven.

“I need to tell you something.” Rain dug his fingertips into Austen’s shoulders as he gasped out the words.

“Mhmm?” Austen licked his chin.

“I quit the ballet tonight.”

Austen froze. He leaned away and met Rain’s gaze. “Okay. Why? You love ballet.”

A flush rode high on Austen’s cheeks and his lips were swollen from their kisses. There was no missing how hard Austen was for him. Yet Austen obviously cared more about Rain’s happiness than his body.

Rain’s eyes burned. His nose stung. Every moment he spent with Austen proved he had made the right choice. “I love you more.”

A deep line appeared between Austen’s eyebrows. “I would never ask you to give up something you love for me.”

Rain nodded. “You’re amazing. I know you wouldn’t.

But the thought of spending the next year doing eight performances a week while I could be like this instead is too much for me.

” Rain took a breath. “And I’m tired, baby.

Everything hurts. Today, I was standing there, and I realized I don’t want it anymore.

Not like I used to. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never stop loving dancing.

But the exhausting performances and dancing through the pain, I don’t want that anymore. I want to be like this with you.”

Austen leaned his head back against the rim of the deep tub and held Rain’s stare.

His closed expression gave nothing away.

“There’s nothing I crave more than to live my life like this, but I need to know you’re happy.

If you miss it or change your mind, then go back. I need to know you feel fulfilled.”

A smile tugged at Rain’s lips. He rocked forward, teasing himself. “I’d like to be filled, please.”

Austen’s expression never wavered from serious. “Let the water out.”

Rain didn’t hesitate to flip the lever, releasing the water from the tub.

Austen pointed at their waiting towels. “Dry off. I want to watch.”

While Austen sat in a draining tub, Rain stepped out and did as told. He moved slowly, giving Austen the show he wanted. The way Austen’s heated gaze stayed locked on him had Rain nearly panting. He had never felt so desired.

Finally, Austen stood. He climbed from the tub and took Rain’s waist. Instead of pulling him close, the way Rain expected, Austen spun him to face the bathroom mirror. He urged Rain to lean over and hang on to the vanity.

“I want you to see what I do when I make love to you.”

“Oh, God.” He wouldn’t make it.

Austen yanked open a drawer and pulled out an unopened bottle of lube.

Rain nearly danced in place in his impatience as he watched Austen take his sweet-ass time opening the bottle.

When Austen finally fingered him, the neediest of sounds escaped him.

He bit his lip, trying to stifle it. Then the way Austen watched his every reaction in the mirror had Rain letting go.

Before that moment, he hadn’t realized how much Austen got off on Rain’s pleasure.

That was sexy. Not every man cared, much less wanted their partner’s happiness.

Austen more than cared. It was part of the experience for him.

“You’re looking at me. You’re supposed to be looking at yourself.” Austen impaled him.

Rain’s gaze jumped to his reflection. He nearly blew.

The pure and massive lust written all over him was way more than Rain expected.

He knew how Austen made him feel, but he had never realized how much he couldn’t hide it.

Rain had been trained to hide his true emotions and only show whatever part he played.

He was a real person with Austen. More than that.

He was raw. Rain was clay and Austen shaped him.

Once he noticed, Rain couldn’t tear his gaze away from his reflection as Austen fucked him.

That was what it was too. This wasn’t one of those slow lovemakings that lasted all night.

Austen took him. He already knew how Austen looked.

Austen was always open in his hunger and pleasure.

It was himself he didn’t know. He was the stranger.

Rain knew Austen wanted him to see how needy he looked when they fucked.

But Rain saw everything laid bare. He had become someone new since falling for Austen.

Rain was the best and truest version of himself.

He wanted to be better and normal. Rain wanted to be whoever stared back at him now.

This guy only knew love. Tears filled Rain’s eyes.

It happened from nowhere. He maybe shouldn’t have looked quite so closely.

Rain wasn’t someone Austen should be proud to be with.

The world flipped, and he found himself in Austen’s arms. Austen carried him to bed. He didn’t say a word until Rain was beneath him, getting that slow lovemaking he had come to crave from Austen. Austen kissed away his tears.

“I love you.”

“You shouldn’t.” Even as Austen made his body scream with pleasure, Rain couldn’t stop trying to warn him. “You deserve so much better than this. I’ll never be free or good.”

Austen claimed his lips and kissed him deeply before responding. “Stop. I didn’t go into this blind. From the first time we met, I knew you’d be mine. I felt in my soul you were my other half. Call me crazy. I knew. Please don’t regret me now.”

It hit Rain. Austen thought Rain doubted what they had.

Rain grabbed his face and held it between his hands where Austen couldn’t look away.

“I love you. You are the other half of me. I don’t think you’re crazy because I felt the same.

” His throat swelled, and it sounded in his voice.

“I’m scared as hell you’ll see the real me and stop loving me. That would kill me.”

Austen slowly lowered his head. He gently rocked inside Rain, hitting at the perfect angle. “Never.”

Rain felt the vow in his soul. This was truly forever.

Austen dug his hand beneath Rain and held Rain in place.

Their kiss turned desperate as Austen’s thrusts became almost violent.

Rain clung to Austen and took it. His every fear and worry scattered.

Austen would never let him hurt. He would never fail him.

Austen truly loved him—warts and all. The tension coiled inside him, stealing his breath.

He tore at Austen’s skin, needing release.

Then the world flew apart and Rain saw their future.

He would spend the rest of his life shaking just like this. Rain wasn’t disappointed.

In the back of his mind, even as he slept, Austen was always aware of Rain’s body against his during the night.

He always woke a little any time Rain left the bed, but he was always out again the second Rain was back.

That was exactly why the spot turning cold beside him had his eyes shooting open.

Unfortunately, it only happened a half second before he was ripped from the bed, making him slow on the uptake.

His gaze shot around the room as his heart shot to his throat.

Men in all black and LED masks scattered the room.

One already had Rain on his feet and a knife to his throat.

As quickly as the panic hit, it died. His earlier conversation with Edge came back to haunt him.

He was fucking pissed. These guys were such idiots.

They couldn’t give Austen one night to think about their offer.

Of course, they would try to scare him into complying.

That was who they were—dumbasses. Austen had already decided.

Rain had given up ballet for more time with him. Austen could give up a house.

The pure manipulation had Austen’s temper shooting through the roof. No one could get him angry like Rain’s family. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. What in the hell is wrong with you people?”

“Austen.” Rain said his name so quietly and calmly that everything inside Austen stilled. He focused on Rain. Rain looked like a different person. Cold. Empty. It hit Austen. This was real. These weren’t Rain’s brothers. Austen held his stare. “Close your eyes. Don’t look. Okay?”

The guy holding Rain jerked him closer, nicking his throat with the blade. He said something in Russian that sounded deadly to Austen without him even knowing the language.

Austen held Rain’s stare for a second longer. He knew he looked at the killer Rain feared so much Austen would hate. Never. Austen closed his eyes.

Loud but quickly muted shouts followed by gurgling noises surrounded him.

He was tugged harder from behind, but no pain came, and the knife was no longer pressed against his throat.

Something warm splashed his skin. Time ticked by and silence fell.

The temptation to open his eyes was massive as the scent of copper filled his nostrils.

“Keep your eyes closed.”

Relief poured through him at the sound of Rain’s voice. He hadn’t realized how terrified he had been for Rain until he heard him.

Rain took his hand. “Follow my lead, but don’t look.”

“Okay.” He was a doctor. A surgeon. He knew the scent of blood and had seen a lot of gruesome things.

Austen understood that wasn’t what Rain didn’t want him to see.

He didn’t want Austen to get a look at the side of himself he hated and couldn’t escape.

Rain wanted this one part of his life untouched.

Austen would give him that. Not only was Austen too blindly in love to care, Rain had just saved him.

If he had been with anyone else, Austen would be dead. He didn’t doubt that for a second.

Austen followed Rain’s lead. He heard the shower start. Rain pushed him inside. Warm water poured over him.

“Count to twenty, and then you can open your eyes. I’ll be back in a few.”

Austen stood still and slowly counted inside his head.

When he opened his eyes, he watched Rain drag a wet towel across the bathroom floor with his foot.

Walking backward, he cleaned up a trail of blood.

Austen turned away and worked to get clean.

There was a bottle of hospital-strength sterilizing soap in his shower for just this reason.

More than once, he had come home from work covered in blood.

He wasn’t always prepared for the destruction his clients called him in to repair.

Austen took his time. He was glad he did when Rain climbed into the shower with him.

He didn’t have any blood on him. Austen assumed he cleaned up elsewhere before coming in for a final scrub.

He didn’t say a word or look at Austen as Austen used the same soap to wash him.

“I spoke with Edge at the dance studio earlier. He showed me plans he’s made to turn one of the supply buildings into a surgical center for me.”

Rain finally met his stare. He looked exactly like a man who expected to lose everything now. “They’ll be here soon to clean up the mess. You won’t have to worry about any of this coming back to you.”

Austen kept going, talking over him. “That way, I can move in with you and not have to worry about things like this.”

“I’m sorry. You—”

Austen didn’t stop speaking over him. “If it means I get to hold you every night for the rest of my life, then I’m good with that.”

Rain held his stare. “I can keep us safe.”

Austen nodded. “I never once doubted you.” In fact, Austen had never been more impressed with anyone.

Rain had taken out four men by himself and hadn’t even been winded afterward.

That wasn’t the point. “Do you really want to sleep with one eye open forever? I know I don’t want that for you. You have an adorable snore I’d miss.”

Rain snorted. He slowly came back to life. “I don’t snore.”

“You absolutely do.” He kissed the tip of Rain’s nose. “It’s a soft, cute snore.”

Rain shook his head. “You’re just making things up now. All you had to do was say you wanted to move in together. That’s what I want too.” He shifted from foot to foot. “If you still want me, that is.”

Austen shuffled Rain against the wall. “Are you being serious?” Even Austen heard the hope in his voice. He ignored Rain’s insecurity. Rain would be over that soon. “Are you really willing to live together?”

Rain held his stare. “I want this. I want us. Forever.”

He knew Rain had said as much in the past, but this was different. They agreed to mix their lives and make them one. That was huge. It was life changing. He was fully aware he was older, and Rain should choose someone else. Austen was too selfish to point that out, though.

“Okay. Good.” He tried to sound like an adult making an adult decision instead of showing the way he wanted to jump and cheer. His lips skimmed Rain’s. A smile exploded across his face before he could stop it. “You’re really mine. I can’t believe it.”

Rain deepened their kiss, as if he needed to taste Austen’s happiness. Austen vowed, no matter what waited in the other room, nothing would spoil this moment. He just hoped Rain’s brothers didn’t make him regret this decision. That was his only true fear.