“You were awful to June,” I said, bringing my hand down harder. “She came here to help us, to give us an opportunity, and you were rude.”
“I know,” he choked out. “I know, I’m sorry—”
“Sorry isn’t enough.” Another spank, and another. His ass was bright red now, hot under my palm. “You need to feel this. Need to understand that your fear doesn’t give you permission to hurt people who care about you.”
Something broke in him then. His body went rigid for a moment, then collapsed, and he was sobbing—deep, wrenching sobs that shook his entire frame. Tears streamed down his face, soaking into the couch cushion, and his hands clutched at nothing, grasping for something to anchor himself.
I stopped spanking, my hands gentling, rubbing soothing circles over his abused skin. “That’s it,” I murmured. “Let it out. I’ve got you.”
“I’m so fucking scared,” he gasped between sobs. “I’m scared she’s going to realize we’re not good enough. That we’re just a couple of broke losers playing at being something more. I’m scared of wanting this—wanting her, wanting you—because everyone I’ve ever wanted has left.”
My throat tightened, emotions threatening to overwhelm me. I’d known Xavier was damaged, knew his father had fucked him up in ways I couldn’t fully understand. But hearing him say it, feeling him break, wrecked me.
I stroked his back, my hands sliding up to his shoulders and then down again, trying to ground him in touch, in the present moment. “We’re not leaving, X. I’m not leaving. And June—she’s not like the others. She’s real. She’s honest. She sees us as we are and she keeps coming back.”
“I don’t deserve it,” he whispered, his voice raw and broken. “I don’t deserve either of you.”
I shifted my grip, pulling him up so he was straddling my lap, his red, tear-stained face inches from mine. His cock was still hard, pressing against my stomach, and I could see the confusion in his eyes—the shame that his body was responding even as he fell apart.
“That’s not for you to decide,” I said firmly, cupping his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You don’t get to decide what we deserve or what we want. June wants you. I want you. And you’re going to have to accept that, even if it terrifies you.”
“Milo—”
I kissed him, cutting off whatever protest he was about to make. His lips were salty with tears, trembling against mine. But after a moment, he kissed me back, desperate and hungry and seeking something I wasn’t sure I could give him but was determined to try.
My hands slid down to his abused ass, squeezing the hot, tender flesh. He gasped into my mouth, his hips jerking forward,grinding his cock against me. I could feel him trembling, teetering on the edge of something, and I knew what he needed.
“Come for me,” I commanded, my voice rough as I gripped is ass and hauled him closer. “Right now. Let go.”
His eyes went wide, shocked, and then he was coming, his whole body seizing as his orgasm tore through him. His cock pulsed between us, cum spilling hot and wet against my shirt, soaking through to my skin. He cried out, the sound broken and beautiful, and I held him through it, my hands firm on his burning ass, anchoring him as he shattered.
When it was over, he collapsed against me, boneless and spent, his face buried in my neck. His breathing was ragged, hitching with the occasional aftershock of tears. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against my chest.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured into his hair. “I’ve got you, and I’m not letting go.”
We stayed like that for a long time, his cum cooling between us, the afternoon light fading to dusk through the high windows. Eventually, his breathing evened out, the tension draining from his body as exhaustion took over.
“I should apologize to June,” he said, his voice muffled against my shoulder.
“Yeah, you should,” I agreed. “But tomorrow. Tonight, you’re going to let me take care of you. Shower, food, and a cuddle.”
“Yes, Daddy,” he whispered, and I smiled, tightening my arms around him. I knew it would take so much more than this for him to heal, but still, it felt like a breakthrough.
Chapter 13
Xavier
My ass still burnedwith every shift of my weight on the motorcycle seat, a constant reminder of Milo’s hands on me the night before. The pain was grounding—something real to focus on instead of the knot of anxiety in my gut as we rode toward June’s house. I hoped she wasn’t mad at me. Hoped she understood. Hoped she didn’t notice how hard my cock got every time something made me think about Milo’s hands on me.
Milo rode ahead of me, his bike taking each turn with that fluid grace that made him look like he was dancing with his machine. I followed more aggressively, pushing into each curve like I was trying to outrun my thoughts. The image of June’s face when I’d snapped at her kept flashing through my mind—that brief flicker of hurt before she’d masked it with her usual matter-of-fact demeanor.
We pulled into her driveway, killing our engines in sync. Her house looked warm in the late afternoon sun, sage green exterior glowing against the backdrop of blue sky. I swung my leg over my bike, then glared at Milo when he smirked at me.
“Shut up,” I muttered.
“Didn’t say a word,” he replied, dimples appearing as he grinned.
“You were thinking it.”
