Page 2 of The Minotaur’s Maze (Bathhouse Beasts #3)

I glanced at the open-plan showers as I walked by.

It was usually filled with guys fucking and sucking while others watched and slowly stroked themselves.

But today it was fairly empty. There was a pair in the back corner making out, a human and a man with scales and fins peppered across his body.

Their hands roamed over one another’s bodies, but it wasn’t exactly the explicit sex show that usually happened in the showers.

I didn’t mind though. I wanted to go to the bath first to relax.

Steam curled around my ankles as I pushed through the door to the main roman-style bath.

The lighting was dim, casting everything in a dreamlike glow.

A few men lounged in the steaming water to my right, their conversations a low murmur beneath the bubbling water.

Others were scattered around the edge of the pool, either watching or just taking in the heat.

I found a secluded spot for myself in a dark corner and tossed my towel down on the ground.

It was nice to stand there in the steam, my soft cock free of any fabric prison.

I loved being naked like this, exposed and free where anyone could see me.

Not that I was built like a god or anything.

My dick was a little above average and my physique, while thin, had definitely softened in the past couple of years at the company.

I always wanted to go to the gym to trim up again, but I just never had the time.

Still, I enjoyed the nudity enough that it was able to quell the self-critical voice in my head.

That and I got a thrill when guys looked at me. I loved being watched.

I eased myself into the hot water, feeling the heat penetrate my aching muscles. The tension in my shoulders, knotted from hunching over a keyboard for fourteen hours straight, began to dissolve. I sank deeper until the water lapped at my chin, closing my eyes and letting out a long, slow breath.

This was what I needed. No spreadsheets. No impossible metrics. No CEO sipping cocktails in Hawaii while demanding I perform corporate miracles.

Just heat, steam, and the promise of release.

I must have dozed off for a few minutes because when I opened my eyes again, the dynamics in the bath had shifted.

A few more men had entered and at least one Kraken, their gazes more purposeful than casual.

One man caught my eye, tall, broad-shouldered, with a tribal tattoo spiraling down his right arm.

He gave me a slight nod before turning his attention elsewhere.

Not my type, but the acknowledgment sent a small thrill through me nonetheless.

The water rippled as someone slid in beside me. I turned to find a man I hadn't noticed before. He was older than me, maybe mid-forties, with salt-and-pepper hair cropped close to his scalp and eyes so dark they seemed to absorb the dim lighting.

"First time?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the water between us.

I shook my head. "No, just been away for a while."

"Work?" He didn't wait for my answer. "I can always tell. You've got that look, like you're carrying the weight of an entire company on your back."

I laughed, surprised by his accuracy. "That obvious, huh?"

"I used to have the same look." He shifted, and I caught a glimpse of a muscular chest dusted with gray hair. "Corporate attorney. Seventy-hour weeks until my doctor told me my heart was about to give out."

"What happened?"

"Quit. Opened a bookstore. Make half as much, sleep twice as well." He studied me with those dark eyes. "What's your poison?"

"Internet service provider. Head of customer service." Even saying it out loud made my headache threaten to return.

He winced sympathetically. "Brutal. Everyone hates their internet company."

"Tell me about it."

We fell into an easy silence, the kind that felt comfortable rather than awkward. I found myself stealing glances at him. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but there was something magnetic about him, a confidence that came from knowing exactly who he was.

“You’re very handsome,” he said, sliding a bit closer.

“Thanks,” I replied, loving the attention. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Would you… like me to rub your shoulders?” he asked, his dark eyes fixed on me.

“That would be great.” I nodded, the idea of his hands on my tense muscles suddenly the only thing I wanted in the world. "Please."

He moved behind me, his hands finding my shoulders with practiced ease. His thumbs dug into the knots that had formed at the base of my neck, and I had to bite back a moan. It was part pain, part relief, and wholly intoxicating.

"Jesus, you're tight," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "When was the last time someone touched you like this?"

I tried to remember and couldn't. "It’s been way too long."

His fingers worked their magic, breaking down months of tension with methodical pressure. I leaned into his touch, letting my head fall forward as he worked down my spine. The water lapped around us, creating a cocoon of warmth and intimacy.

As his hands moved down, he got closer. Eventually he wrapped his arms around me, massaging my chest and teasing my nipples. I felt his hard, thick cock pressed against my lower back, throbbing under the water. Between that and the massage, I was hard too.

“Can I suck you off?” the man asked, his lips against my ear.

My breath caught in my throat. The directness of his question, combined with the feeling of his thick cock pressed against me and his hands still working my chest, sent a jolt of pure need through my body.

"God, yes," I whispered, surprised by how desperate I sounded.

He chuckled, the vibration rumbling through his chest against my back. "Good. I've been watching you since you got in the water. You look like you need to let go."

He was right. I needed this more than I'd realized. Not just the physical release, but the surrender of control. For once, I didn't have to make decisions or solve problems or manage anyone's expectations. I could just be here, in this moment, letting someone else take charge.

His hands slid down my torso, fingers trailing through the hair on my chest before finding my hard cock beneath the water. I gasped as he wrapped his fist around me, stroking slowly while his other hand continued to tease my nipple.

"That's it," he murmured against my neck. "Just let me take care of you."

I closed my eyes and sank into the sensation.

His touch was confident, experienced. He knew exactly how to work me, alternating between firm strokes and teasing touches that had me trembling.

Around us, I was vaguely aware of other conversations, other bodies moving through the water, but they felt distant and unimportant.

"Come on," he said, releasing me and standing.

Water cascaded off his body, and I got my first full look at him.

He was built like a man who'd taken care of himself, not gym-sculpted, but solid and strong.

His cock jutted proudly from a nest of dark hair, thick and cut, with a slight upward curve that made my mouth water.

I followed him to the edge of the pool, my legs unsteady from both the heat and arousal. I sat on the warm tile, spreading my legs so he could position himself between them in the shallow end.

"Take your time," I said, running my fingers through his hair. "No rush."

He smiled up at me, his hands resting on my thighs. "I plan to." His fingers traced patterns on my skin as he studied my face. "You have beautiful eyes. They're tired, but beautiful."

The compliment caught me off guard. In the corporate world, no one looked at me long enough to notice my eyes, let alone comment on them. Here, with this stranger whose name I didn't even know, I felt seen in a way I'd forgotten was possible.

He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the inside of my thigh. The gentle contact sent shivers up my spine. His mouth was warm and wet, and when he looked up at me through dark lashes, I felt something shift inside my chest.

"What's your name?" I asked, suddenly feeling like I should know.

"Does it matter?" He kissed higher up my thigh, his stubble scratching deliciously against my sensitive skin.

"I guess not," I breathed, but part of me wanted to know anyway. I wanted something to anchor this moment, to make it more than just anonymous release.

His tongue flicked out, tasting the chlorinated water on my skin. "You can call me whatever you want," he murmured against my leg. His breath ghosted over my cockhead, making me gasp. "Names don’t matter anyway. Just focus on how this feels."

When his lips finally closed around me, I gasped aloud.

It had been so long since anyone had touched me like this, since I'd allowed myself this kind of pleasure.

His mouth was perfect, warm and wet and eager.

He took his time, exploring me with his tongue, learning what made me moan and what made my hips buck involuntarily.

I gripped the edge of the pool, my knuckles white as he worked me over.

Around us, I caught glimpses of other men watching, some stroking themselves as they enjoyed the show.

The Kraken had taken notice too, two of his tentacles stroking the cocks on either side of him.

The attention should have made me self-conscious, but instead it heightened everything.

I was on display, vulnerable and desperate, and I loved it.

He pulled off with a wet pop, his hand replacing his mouth. "You taste good," he said, pumping me slowly. "I like that."

I wanted to respond, but coherent thought was becoming impossible. Every nerve ending was focused on his touch, on the building pressure in my balls, on the way he looked up at me with those dark, knowing eyes.

"Please," I managed to gasp. "Don't stop."

"Wasn't planning on it." He dove back down, taking me deeper this time, until I felt my cock hit the back of his throat.