Clicking my tongue, I signal to Boston. She huffs but stands down, moving back a little and off to the side, though she still has a direct line to Ignacio.
He doesn’t say anything as I back up and turn toward the door, though he doesn’t take his eyes off me—smart.
“Goodnight,” I say cheerily as I leave his room. Once I'm clear in the hall, and Ignacio shows he's not going to go after me, Boston trails behind me.
Boston and I make our way back to my room, and when I release her from duty, she jumps on the bed and snuggles Roman, who hasn't moved in the time we were gone.
Putting my gun on the nightstand, I get back in bed and under the covers, arranging myself so I can get one hand on Roman’s still-casted arm.
I have no idea if my conversation with Ignacio worked, but I did what I promised Roman and left Benjamin alone, so no one can get upset over it.
I am so glad I never have to deal with this. Relationships are bullshit.
“Ican’t believe your sister threw us out of Carter’s room! He needs someone to be watching over him. What if he wakes up and nobody is there?” I pace our bedroom, hating every moment of being separated from Carter, especially when I know Roman was counting on us being there for his dad.
Keegan sighs and grabs me by the wrist, tugging me toward the bathroom. He turns on the shower before stripping me quickly. “Get in and clean up, Tease. For fuck’s sake, you’re still covered in his blood. Do you know what that does to me? I may not have been there, but every time I see you covered in blood, I damn near have a heart attack.”
Scowling, I quickly obey him, knowing any argument will only earn me time on my knees—and not in a good way. I wash thoroughly, going over my body and hair several times to get rid of the dried blood. When I know I’ll meet his standards, Istep out and into the towel he’s holding for me. With efficient movements, he dries me off, not lingering anywhere, even as my cock twitches from the attention. Instead, he gives me an unimpressed look and tugs me out of the bathroom.
Comfortable in my nakedness, I follow along. When we reach our bed, he pulls me down to sit next to him. With a heavy exhale, I finally let myself feel the day. It’s only then that I realize the doctor was right. I’m exhausted. Everything from the planning that went into the meeting, to holding myself back from killing Cristian, to the utter fear of losing someone I’ve come to love… Fuck.
I groan and lean into Keegan, letting him take my weight. Allesandro may have saved me, but it’s Keegan who put me back together and provided the constant support I need in life. And now there’s a chance to have Carter…
Of course, that’s if Keegan wants to go as far as I do with Carter. I rub my chin, worrying about it. I know how much he hated the Martelli way. Would he consider this the same? We came to an understanding, but my feelings for Carter are deeper than I thought. Having almost lost him, I’m not sure I could survive if that truly did happen.
“Ask me, Tease.” Keegan’s soft voice jolts me from my thoughts, and I stifle a chuckle. Because of course he can practically hear my thoughts. He’s the other part of my soul.
I reach out and hold his hand, squeezing it. “I know we talked about Carter. But after what happened… Fuck. I was so terrified. It really drove home how I feel about him. I guess…I just want to check in with you. I know how you felt about the Martelli way, and I don’t want to do anything that would hurt you. I love you. My feelings for Carter don’t change that.”
Humming, Keegan doesn’t say anything for a while. It’s a struggle to keep my composure as I worry about what he’s thinking. The last thing I want to do is hurt him.
“Tease… Marcus.” He clears his throat and touches my chin, gently guiding me to where I’m looking at him. The seriousness in his gray eyes makes me quake inside, and I force myself to wait for him to finish speaking. As parents—and lovers—we learned fast that miscommunication is dangerous, and this? This is one of the most serious conversations I’ve faced with him.
“You’re right. I hated the Martelli way. But perhaps not for the reasons you’re thinking. It’s not that I cared about you having sex, it’s the way Il Padrone forced it, even if it felt natural to you. I’ve never seen a group of people so completely under another’s thrall. It wasn’t healthy. If it was, I could have embraced it, but it wasn’t.
“There is also a major difference with Carter. It’s not just sex. I know you fell for him first, but I wasn’t far behind. I’m not sure if he’ll feel the same as us or not, but if he does, I’m happy to open our lives, and our home, to him.”
I wince, knowing that while Keegan and I are on the same page, Carter may not be. “I don’t even know whether we should bring it up to him. After what Cristian did…”
“It’s going to be hard for him to trust. We don’t need to force anything or push it. We can let him know that we love him, and see what happens. If anything, our friendship may be enough for him. Will you be alright if that’s the case?”
I smile at the man who claims so much of me. “Always. Because I’ll have you to help me get through it. And while, yes, I want to worship every inch of our Boss, I want him to be happy more than anything. Just like I want you to be happy, and I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen.”
“And that’s how I know I don’t need to worry. Marcus, you have a huge heart. What you feel for him doesn’t diminish what you feel for me. And it’s the same for me. This is real. It’s not the toxic shitshow you had with Allesandro. You can trust me to hold you up, to let you soar. I don’t want to put you in a cage. That’snot love. So let’s see where it goes. But remember, no matter what, you’ll always be my Tease, and when I want, you’ll be on your knees.”
I shiver at the last statement, because fuck yes. I want to be on my knees for him. I want to submit, to give him every part of my heart, my soul, and my mind. I open my mouth to offer that, but he gestures for me to be silent, before he tenderly strokes my head instead. I whimper, turning to nuzzle into him. It draws a chuckle from him, but instead of giving in, he stands up.
“Where are you going?” I pout as I stare up at him.
He crooks his finger at me and I get to my feet, hoping it will lead to fun times, even though my dick is refusing to cooperate with the lust sweeping through me. Keegan pulls the covers back and nudges me under them. With a heavy sigh, I listen to his silent command.
When I'm tucked into the bed, he studies me hungrily, before shaking his head and quickly undressing. He folds his clothes and sets them aside before joining me under the blankets. When I move to cuddle him, he catches my hand before it can wander.
“Tease,” he growls. “I know you’re not up to sex tonight, and neither am I. It’s been a long fucking day. Let’s just get some sleep. If you behave, tomorrow morning, I’ll remind you exactly who you belong to. If you push the issue tonight, you’ll be on orgasm denial for a week, minimum.”
Cringing, I immediately comply with his demands. Going without an orgasm? Fuck that shit. For a moment, I consider trying to negotiate at least, but once I relax against him, the day catches up to me. Fucker was right. My entire body feels worn out. Aches and pains are making themselves known now that the adrenaline has worn off fully, and all I want is to fall asleep in my love's arms.
I smile to myself when he lets my hand go. I stretch out, holding him tightly as I drift off to sleep, content in theknowledge that I’ll always have Keegan, and that he understands he’ll always own me. The correct way. And who the hell knew there was such a difference.
