Page 16

T he glass shattered against the wall, sending crystal shards across the media room's polished floor. Xavier stood with his arm still extended from the throw, chest rising and falling rapidly, tension vibrating through every line of his body. The call with Algerone had gone as badly as I'd feared.

"That manipulative fucking bastard," Xavier snarled, his voice low and dangerous in a way that made my stomach tighten, but not with fear. Unlike my father's unpredictable rage, Xavier's anger was controlled even in its intensity. Deliberate. Focused like a laser cutting through steel.

"He's using this to control us," he continued, pacing. "To keep us trapped here while he plays the savior."

Annie and the others had already left, departing twenty minutes ago in armored vehicles with a security detail that looked like a presidential motorcade. Algerone had relented enough to let most of the family visit Yuri, recognizing that keeping Annie from her husband's side would only escalate an already volatile situation.

But Xavier, Xander, and Xion had been forbidden from leaving. "Too valuable," Algerone had said, his voice smooth as silk through the video call.

"Annie gets to go. River goes. Even fucking Paxton goes. But his actual children?" Xavier had argued, voice tight with barely controlled fury. "We stay locked up?"

Now Xavier looked like he might put his fist through one of the media room's expensive screens. I approached carefully, keeping my voice steady.

"X? What can I do? What do you need?"

His eyes snapped to mine, glacier green and burning with an intensity that made my breath catch. For a moment, he seemed to look straight through me, too consumed by rage to register my presence. Then his focus sharpened.

"You," he said simply, the word raw and possessive. Then, to my surprise, his expression cracked slightly, revealing something softer underneath. "Just... be here with me."

The unexpected vulnerability in his tone made something in my chest clench. These glimpses beneath his carefully constructed armor were rare, precious things I'd learned to treasure.

"I'm right here," I said, moving closer and gently reaching for his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

He allowed the contact, his fingers curling around mine with a desperate intensity that spoke of deeper fears than he was willing to voice. He let out a long, shaky breath and pressed his forehead against mine.

"I hate feeling trapped," he said quietly, voice barely above a whisper. "Hate that he's controlling our movements, separating us from the family, treating us like possessions instead of people."

"I know," I replied, squeezing his hand. "But at least we're together."

His jaw worked silently, frustration evident in the tightness around his eyes. "I just know I can't lose you."

The quiet admission hung between us, heavier than any passionate declaration could have been. Coming from Xavier, who categorized and controlled every aspect of his existence, such raw emotion was almost shocking.

"You're not going to lose me," I promised, reaching up to touch his face. His skin was warm under my fingers, the barely perceptible stubble rasping against my palm.

His laugh was hollow, bitter. "Not like we have a choice. We're prisoners, Leo. Trapped in this fucking gilded cage while Phoenix is out there targeting my family."

The abrupt shift back to anger was jarring but not surprising. Xavier retreated to rage when vulnerability became too uncomfortable, using fury as a shield against emotions he couldn't categorize or control.

"Algerone made a tactically sound decision," I said quietly, knowing it would infuriate him but needing to say it anyway. "You know that."

"Don't." He pulled away, eyes narrowing. "Don't defend him."

"I'm not defending him," I clarified quickly. "I'm stating facts. Phoenix is clearly executing a planned sequence of attacks. You, Xander, and Xion are logical next targets."

"So I'm supposed to hide while my father might be dying? While they're all out there exposed?"

"They're protected," I pointed out. "And Yuri isn't dying. War wouldn’t have stayed if he thought that was a possibility."

Xavier's jaw tightened, the muscle there jumping visibly. He knew I was right, which only seemed to make him angrier.

"That's not the point," he growled, turning away from me.

I hesitated, then stepped around to face him again. "What is the point, Xavier? Tell me what you're really angry about."

His eyes met mine, something complicated flickering behind them. Then, unexpectedly, his shoulders slumped, the fight draining from him so suddenly I almost reached out to steady him.

"That he was right," he said quietly, voice stripped of its usual confidence. "That I'm more valuable as an 'asset' than as a son. That's all I've ever been to Algerone—an investment. And I hate that he's right about this. That I'm helpless to protect the people I—" He cut himself off, looking away.

"The people you what, X?" I pressed gently.

"The people who matter to me," he finished, the words coming out rough and unfamiliar. His eyes briefly met mine before darting away, uncomfortable with the vulnerability he'd just shown.

My heart stuttered in my chest. From Xavier, this was as close to an emotional declaration as he ever came. He didn't talk about caring for people. He showed it through protection, through possession, through calculated actions rather than vulnerable words.

"You're not helpless," I said, reaching for his hand again. "And you're not just an asset. Not to me, not to your family."

He looked down at our joined hands, something like wonder crossing his face. "I've never needed anyone before you," he admitted, voice barely audible. "Never had someone whose absence felt like missing a limb. I don't know how to do this, Leo. I don't know how to be... whatever I am with you."

"I don't either," I confessed, the honesty feeling like a risk and a relief simultaneously. "I thought I understood relationships, but this... us... it's beyond anything I've known before. It scares me sometimes."

"It scares you?" Xavier's eyebrows rose, genuine surprise crossing his features. "What about me scares you?"

I laughed softly, the sound slightly strained. "Not you, exactly. How I feel about you. How much I need you. How quickly everything has changed between us."

Xavier stared at me for a long moment, then unexpectedly pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me with careful strength. "I get that."

I breathed in his familiar scent of leather and smoke, eyes closed.

His hand came up to cup the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair. "I need you," he said, the words muffled against my hair. "Need to feel something I can control when everything else is spinning away from me."

I understood immediately what he meant, what he was asking for. "I'm here," I said, pressing closer. "Whatever you need."

His arms tightened around me, and I could feel his heartbeat accelerating against my cheek. "Are you sure? After last time... I don't want to hurt you."

The concern in his voice was new and unfamiliar, making my chest ache with a sweetness I couldn't name. "You won't hurt me anymore than I want to be hurt."

He pulled back, searching my face. "I'm not good at knowing where the line is. At holding back when I need..."

"When you need what?" I pressed gently.

"When I need to feel like I own something," he admitted. "When I need to mark you. Claim you. Make sure you remember who you belong to."

His honesty should have frightened me. Instead, it sent a thrill through my body that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with longing. "I'm yours, Xavier. You know that."

"Do I?" His hand moved to cup my jaw, thumb brushing over my lower lip. "Because sometimes I wonder if you really understand what that means. What it means to be mine. To give yourself to someone like me."

"Then show me what it means," I whispered. "Right now."

His grip tightened slightly, not painful but unmistakably asserting control. "It means I'll break you apart and put you back together. Again and again. It means I'll push you to edges you didn't know existed. It means you'll never be free of me, even when we're apart. It means I'll protect you with everything I have, even from myself, if necessary."

The raw honesty in his words made my heart race. This wasn't Xavier being dominant for the sake of control. This was him offering a truth about himself few ever saw—the depth of his possessiveness, yes, but also the responsibility he felt for what he claimed as his.

I closed my hand over his. “Yes to all of it,” I said, and gently pulled him toward the bedroom.

"C hance, privacy mode," Xavier commanded as soon as we entered the bedroom. "Complete blackout. No interruptions unless the building is literally on fire."

The door sealed behind us with a soft hiss. His hands were on me immediately, but not with the rough urgency I'd expected. Instead, he cupped my face with surprising gentleness, studying me as if memorizing every detail.

"Sometimes I can't believe you're real," he murmured, almost to himself. "That you see what I am and you're still here."

The unexpected vulnerability in his voice made my chest ache. I covered his hands with mine, holding him there. "I'm real. And I'm not going anywhere."

"I want to believe that. But people leave, Leo. They always do. When they see the truth. When they realize what I am beneath the surface."

I shook my head, pressing closer. "I've already seen it, Xavier. The fire and the ice and everything in between. And I'm still here."

For a moment, he looked almost lost—the confident, controlled Xavier I knew replaced by someone more hesitant, more human. Then he kissed me, the gentleness of it so unexpected it made my heart stutter.

Xavier's fingers intertwined with mine, his grip just tight enough to ground us both. "Strip for me. Slowly. I want to see all of you."

I nodded, stepping back to give him the view he wanted. My fingers went to the buttons of my shirt, unfastening them one by one. Xavier watched with that predatory focus I'd come to crave, his eyes tracking every movement.

As I revealed more skin, his expression shifted from uncertainty to desire. This was the dynamic he understood, the clear structure of dominance and submission that gave him comfort when everything else felt uncertain.

I let my shirt fall to the floor, heart racing as his gaze raked over my exposed chest. The marks from our last encounter had faded to faint shadows, but his eyes lingered on where they had been, as if seeing their ghosts on my skin.

"Beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself. "Even unmarked, you're still carrying my history on your body."

The unexpected poetry in his words made my breath catch. I reached for my belt, unfastening it with fingers that trembled slightly under his intense scrutiny. The sound of leather sliding through fabric seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet room.

"You still nervous with me?" Xavier asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "After everything we've done?"

I looked up, meeting his eyes as I pushed my jeans down my hips. "Not nervous," I corrected softly. "Excited. There's a difference."

I pushed my underwear down, my cock already hard and leaking against my stomach. Standing naked before him while he remained fully clothed created a power imbalance that should have made me feel vulnerable, exposed. Instead, it felt like offering a gift—my trust, my body, my willingness to be seen completely.

Xavier's eyes darkened as he looked at me. "Come here.”

I crossed the short distance between us, stopping just within reach. He circled me slowly, examining every inch of exposed skin. When he completed the circuit, he stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body, but not quite touching.

"What’s your safe word?" he asked, his voice gentle despite the command in his tone.

"Isekai," I replied without hesitation. The genre of anime I could never get into despite Xavier's attempts to convert me—something I'd never say during sex, something distinctly unsexy that would immediately signal I needed to stop.

He arched an eyebrow and fought not to smile. “Fuck, that’s so… you.” He reached out, fingers tracing the contours of my face. "I don't deserve you."

"You don't get to decide that," I replied, leaning into his touch. "I do. And I say you do."

"You’re too sweet for me sometimes.” He planted a kiss on the end of my nose before commanding, “On your knees.”

I sank down willingly, settling on my knees before him. This position had become almost meditative for me, a physical surrender that paradoxically made me feel safer, more centered. From here, looking up at Xavier, the rest of the world ceased to exist. There was only him, only us, only this moment.

"Hands behind your back," he instructed.

I complied, clasping my hands at the small of my back. The position forced me to arch slightly, my cock standing proudly between my thighs, the head glistening with pre-cum as Xavier's eyes raked over me.

"Perfect," he murmured, fingers threading through my hair. "You were made for this, you know. For kneeling at my feet. For surrendering so beautifully."

The praise dripped over me like warm honey, settling in my chest and spreading outward. I leaned into his touch, silently encouraging more.

Xavier's grip tightened suddenly, pulling my head back by my hair. "But that's not all you were made for, is it?"

I swallowed. “No.”

His thumb brushed over my lower lip, the touch surprisingly gentle. "What else?”

My tongue darted out, wetting my lips. “For pleasing you.”

“That’s right.” Xavier pulled me to my feet and kissed me roughly.

When he pulled back, his eyes were darker, more focused. I watched in silent appreciation as he began to shed his clothes, licking my lips. God, I wanted to taste him. I hoped he’d let me soon. I hoped he’d let me put my fingers back inside him, let me—

"I want you inside me," he said. "I want to be your first. Want to feel you give up that part of yourself to me." His eyes held mine with fierce intensity. "Because it belongs to me. This moment. Your first time. All of it."

My breath caught at his words. After years of holding onto my virginity—first from religious guilt, then from never finding someone I trusted enough—Xavier was asking me to give it to him. Not just as a physical act, but as something deeper. A claiming that went both ways.

“I want it to be you,” I said quietly. “I always have.”

Xavier's expression softened for just a moment before he took my hand, leading me toward the bed. There, Xavier pulled me down beside him onto the soft mattress. He retrieved lube and a condom from the nightstand drawer, setting them on the bed between us. There was something almost ceremonial in the way he arranged them, a deliberate acknowledgment of what we were about to do.

"Remember what I showed you last time?" he asked, his voice rough at the edges.

I nodded, my throat tight. Last time had been a revelation—Xavier guiding my fingers, showing me exactly how he liked to be touched, how to work him open, how to find that spot inside him that made even his iron control slip for a second.

"Show me," he said, leaning back against the pillows. It wasn't a command exactly, more like an invitation, but with Xavier, everything had that edge of authority.

My hands were shaking as I grabbed the lube, warming it between my fingers the way he'd taught me. Xavier watched me with those intense eyes that always made me feel like he could see right through me. He reached up and brushed my hair back from my forehead, a surprisingly gentle gesture from someone who usually calculated every touch.

I settled between his legs, completely fucking mesmerized by the sight of him. His tattoos—the ones I'd spent years secretly staring at—were all on display, from the health bar over his heart to the gaming icons scattered across his ribs. I hesitated for a second, still not quite believing I was allowed to touch him like this.

"Touch me," he said, his voice lower now. "I'm yours tonight too, you know."

Fuck. Hearing Xavier Laskin say he was mine, even for one night, sent a surge of heat straight to my dick. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his health bar tattoo, then worked my way down his chest. His breathing picked up, his fingers threading through my hair as I kissed my way across all the ink I'd dreamed about touching for years.

I circled his entrance with slick fingers, adding just enough pressure to make him feel it. Xavier was watching me, eyes dark and focused in a way that would've been intimidating if it wasn't so fucking hot.

"That's it," he said as I pushed one finger inside. The tight heat around my finger made my dick throb in sympathy, and I had to bite my lip to keep focused.

When I curled my finger just the way he'd taught me, Xavier's whole body tensed up, and his cock twitched, a bead of pre-cum forming at the tip. Holy shit. I'd made that happen. Me. The sight of Xavier responding to my touch was like every fantasy I'd ever had come to life.

Without thinking, I leaned forward and licked the drop of pre-cum off the head of his cock before it could bother him. The taste hit my tongue—bitter, a little salty-sweet, and completely, unmistakably Xavier. I'd never tasted another guy before, and something about having this part of Xavier in my mouth, on my tongue, felt right. Spiritual, almost.

His hand fisted in my hair, almost painful but not quite. When I looked up, his eyes were wide, pupils blown, and his usual perfect control was just... gone.

"Fuck," he gasped, sounding wrecked in a way I'd never heard before. "Leo, do that again."

I tentatively leaned forward, hesitating just inches from Xavier's cock. "Like this?" I asked, giving the head a few kittenish licks. My eyes locked on his face to gauge his reaction.

Xavier's entire body went rigid, a sound escaping him that I'd never heard before—half growl, half gasp. His hand in my hair alternated between pushing me away and pulling me closer, like he couldn't decide which he wanted more.

"Don't stop," he finally managed, voice strained in a way that sent a thrill through me. "More fingers. Need you inside me."

I added a second finger alongside the first, biting off a moan at the sight of him stretched around me. Xavier's usual control was cracking. His hips were moving against my hand, asking for more without words. Watching him surrender even that tiny bit of control felt like I'd been given something rare and precious.

"Fuck, you're incredible like this," I whispered, a little awestruck by his trust.

His eyes locked onto mine, something raw and exposed in them. "Only for you," he admitted, the words hanging heavy between us. "Only ever for you."

I scissored my fingers like he'd taught me, watching his body open up for me. Another drop of pre-cum appeared. I leaned down and lapped at it gently, swirling my tongue around the head of his cock while my fingers continued their careful exploration.

Xavier practically came off the bed, making this sound that was half growl, half moan. His hands came up to hold my face, surprisingly gentle even as his body tensed with pleasure.

"Your mouth," he managed, voice breaking. "Fuck, the way you look right now—"

I hummed against him, experimenting, and he shuddered hard. The knowledge that I could do this to Xavier—that I could make him lose his famous control—was the biggest rush I'd ever felt. I committed every reaction to memory, every hitch in his breath, every tiny movement of his hips.

When I worked a third finger in, Xavier's eyes fluttered shut, his head falling back against the pillows. That gesture of surrender, coming from someone who controlled every aspect of his life, hit me right in the chest.

"I'm ready," he said, fingers stroking through my hair with surprising gentleness. "Want you inside me when I come."

I carefully pulled my fingers out, grabbing the condom with hands that wouldn't stop shaking. Xavier watched through half-lidded eyes as I rolled it on, his gaze making my skin feel too tight, too hot.

"Come here," he said, arms opening for me.

I positioned myself at his entrance, the head of my cock pressing against him. This was it, the point of no return. Everything changed once I pushed forward, once I was inside Xavier.

"Wait," he said, hands coming up to hold my face. His eyes burned into mine, serious and intense. "I want you to know this means something. You giving me your first time like this." His voice got rougher, more emotional than I'd ever heard it. "I'm going to take care of you, Leo. I promise."

The unexpected tenderness behind his words made my throat tight. This wasn't just Xavier the dominant, taking what he wanted. This was Xavier opening up to me in a way I'd never seen before.

"I know," I whispered, turning to kiss his palm. "I trust you, X. With everything."

Something crossed his face—something beautiful and vulnerable—before he nodded, his hands moving to my hips to guide me forward. "Show me," he said quietly. "Show me how much you want this—want me."

I pushed in slowly, and holy shit—the feeling of Xavier's body opening up for me, the tight heat gradually taking me in—it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. My brain short-circuited, and all I could focus on was the incredible pressure around my cock and the look on Xavier's face—unguarded pleasure and total focus on me.

"Xavier," I gasped when I was finally all the way inside him. My whole body was shaking with the effort of not just coming right then and there. “Fuck, I might come…”

"Don't you dare," he commanded, his voice instantly shifting back to that dominant tone I knew so well. His hands gripped my hips firmly, holding me still. "Not yet. You don't come until I say you can."

His eyes locked with mine, intense and unwavering. "Breathe. Control it. I want to feel you inside me for longer than thirty seconds, Leo." His fingers dug into my skin, grounding me through the overwhelming sensations.

"I—I don't know if I can—" My voice broke as his muscles tightened around me.

"You can and you will," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Because I own this moment. I own your pleasure." One hand moved to my face, cradling it with surprising tenderness despite his firm words. "Now breathe with me. Find your control."

I followed his lead, matching my breathing to his until the urgent need to come subsided enough that I could think again. He must have seen the change in my face, because his grip on my hips loosened slightly.

"Good boy," he murmured approvingly. "Now move. Slowly. Let me feel how much you want me."

I started to thrust, eager and clumsy, my hips jerking forward too quickly in my excitement.

"Oh my god," I gasped, overwhelmed by the intense heat surrounding me. "Holy shit, Xavier... you feel... fuck, you feel incredible..."

My words dissolved into incoherent moans as Xavier's hands immediately moved to my hips to slow my frantic pace.

"Easy," he commanded, his voice steady despite his obvious arousal. "Not like that. You're not jerking off. This requires finesse." His grip tightened, physically controlling my movements. "Slower. Deeper. Like this—" He guided my hips in a rolling motion that was nothing like what I'd been doing.

"Oh—oh fuck," I whimpered as the new angle changed everything, the sensation so intense I thought I might black out. "I can't... it's too... Xavier, I can't think..."

"I know," his voice softened slightly. "That's why I'm teaching you. Angle your hips more—yes, like that." His breath caught as I followed his instructions, finally hitting that spot inside him that made his thighs tense around me. "There. Right there."

"Like this?" I asked, trying to replicate the exact movement, my voice breaking as another wave of pleasure crashed through me. "God, I never knew... never imagined it would feel this good..."

"Fuck, yes," he growled, his head falling back briefly before his eyes locked back onto mine. "Now keep that angle and find a rhythm. Not too fast. Make it last." His hands remained on my hips, correcting me whenever I started to lose the proper technique. "Good. You're learning quickly."

His praise hit me like a shot of whiskey, warm and dizzying. I leaned down to kiss him, needing to taste him, to be connected in every way possible. The kiss was messy and desperate, all tongue and teeth, but perfect.

Xavier's hands were everywhere, like he couldn't get enough of touching me. When his fingers dug into my hips, urging me harder, deeper, I gave him what he wanted, losing myself in the rhythm and the incredible feeling of being inside him, of being exactly where I belonged.

"Shit, I'm getting close," I admitted, the pressure building too fast and too intense. "You feel too good—"

"Then let go," Xavier said, his voice gentler than I'd ever heard it. "Let me feel you come inside me."

His permission was all it took. I thrust once more, as deep as I could go, and then I was coming harder than I ever had in my life. Pleasure crashed through me, whiting out my vision at the edges as I emptied myself inside Xavier.

The whole time, he was watching my face, witnessing me at my most vulnerable moment. His hand stroked my cheek as I shook above him, his body squeezing around my cock like he was trying to milk every last drop of pleasure from me.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick.

As I came back to myself, I realized Xavier was still hard between us, his cock straining against his stomach. I pulled off the condom, wrapped it in a tissue, and tossed it into the bedside trash before sliding down his body, my movements almost desperate.

"Let me taste you," I begged, my voice rough with need. "Please, Xavier, I need to feel you in my mouth."

His eyes darkened as he watched me position myself between his legs, his hand coming to rest against my cheek. "You want my cock in your mouth that badly?"

"God, yes," I breathed, already leaning forward to run my tongue along his length. "More than anything. Please let me taste you."

Xavier's fingers threaded through my hair, guiding me down. "Take all of me then. Show me how grateful you are."

I moaned against him, swallowing him as deep as I could, driven by a primal need to please him after the mind-shattering pleasure he'd just given me. The taste of him—salt and musk and something uniquely Xavier—made me dizzy with want.

"That's it," he encouraged, his grip tightening in my hair. "Use your tongue... yes, just like that."

I lost myself in the act, worshipping him with my mouth, hollowing my cheeks as I sucked and licked. Each sound he made, each subtle tightening of his fingers in my hair, only made me more desperate to please him, to show him exactly what he meant to me.

"Look at me," Xavier demanded. “Look at me while you suck my cock.”

I raised my eyes to meet his gaze without stopping.

"Fuck, Leo," he groaned, his control finally slipping. "I'm going to come in that perfect mouth of yours. You're going to swallow every drop, aren't you?"

I moaned around him, the vibration making his hips buck up. I doubled my efforts, desperate now to taste his release, to have that part of him inside me.

When he finally came with a shuddering gasp of my name, I didn't pull back. I swallowed eagerly, greedily, not wanting to miss a single drop. The taste was stronger than I expected, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that it was Xavier, that I was the one making him lose control like this.

I kept sucking gently until he hissed and yanked my head away. His eyes were heavy-lidded as he pulled me up his body, guiding me to rest against his chest.

"Perfect," he murmured, his voice holding a satisfaction I'd never heard before. "Absolutely fucking perfect."

I lay there with my head resting on his chest, catching my breath, my mind still reeling from everything we'd just experienced. The taste of him lingered on my tongue. I'd never thought I would enjoy that so much, but the way he'd looked at me when I swallowed, the raw approval in his eyes, had made me feel like I'd accomplished something extraordinary.

"You okay?" I asked quietly, tracing the health bar tattoo on his chest.

He was quiet for a while, his heart beating steady under my ear. "Better than okay. You were amazing.”

I kissed his chest, emotions I couldn't even name swelling up inside me. "You too. Being with you like that—it was everything, X."

His arms tightened around me, protective and possessive at the same time. "This changes things," he admitted, speaking slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully. "I don't—I've never—" He stopped, and I could feel the frustration in his body.

"I know," I said, understanding what he couldn't quite say. "It's okay. We'll figure it out together."

He nodded, his chin brushing the top of my head. "Together," he agreed, that one word carrying more meaning than most people could pack into a whole speech.

We lay there in comfortable silence, our breathing falling into sync, our bodies cooling in the dimly lit room. Xavier's fingers traced patterns on my skin, thoughtful and gentle in a way that felt new.

"Thank you," he said suddenly, the words so quiet I almost missed them.

"For what?"

His hand stilled on my back. "For trusting me with your first time. For letting me guide you. For..." He hesitated. "For accepting all of me. The control, the dominance. Everything."

“You make it easy. You taught me everything to do. I just…did what you said.”

"You did pretty well for a beginner," he said, a hint of his usual smugness returning. "Though we'll need a lot more practice to get you properly trained."

I laughed softly against his chest. "I'm a quick learner."

"Yes," he agreed, his voice taking on that possessive edge that always made my stomach flip. "You are."

"Chance," he said after a while, his voice thick with approaching sleep. "Lights to twenty percent."

The room got darker, shadows playing across Xavier's face. In this light, I could see him more clearly than ever. Not just the dominant or the predator, but the man underneath all that. The man who'd just let himself be vulnerable with me in a way I suspected he'd never been with anyone else.

His breathing deepened as he fell asleep, his body relaxing against mine. Only then did I let myself hold him tighter, pressing a kiss to his hair that he might have rejected if he was awake.

"Te amo," I whispered against his skin, saying in Spanish what I wasn't ready to say in English. Words he wouldn't understand even if he heard them.

But someday, I promised myself. Someday I'd say them when he was awake. When we were both ready to hear them.