I can see the bulge in his pants, and I wet my lips. He reaches out, letting his fingers trail down my jaw. Shivers move through my body, and my cock leaks. “I think your punishment should be no touching me. No sucking my cock. Sleeping on the floor. Just no contact.”
That makes my eyes narrow.
“You play dirty.”
His lips twitch, and he puffs out his chest.
“You’re learning,” I add, and flop onto the blanket, accepting my fate. “But if you change your mind, I’m here, waiting and willing.”
He doesn’t say anything to that. He just lowers himself next to me and turns his face up to the sky. I scoot over as close as I can without touching. He knows what I’m doing, but says nothing in response.
“Would you really be a dead man if I escaped?” I finally ask.
He swallows. “Yeah, probably.”
Nope. I don’t like that at all. “I’ll protect you, you know?”
“I can protect myself,” he replies, but it’s not with the same biting tone he usually uses. It’s more resigned. “But please, don’t escape. Not yet. If you do as you’re told, you’ll be fine. I won’t let them hurt you.”
That makes me huff loudly, amusement in my tone. “Thank you.”
It’s said with all sincerity. My chest tightens with a foreign feeling. I don’t know if anyone has ever promised that to me. Usually it was a promisetohurt me. But then again, I was raised by a sociopath, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
“You’re welcome,” he says, eyeing me before leaning back slightly and staring up at the night sky. I do the same, watching the twinkling lights above us.
“Did you know that stars are born in batches in their stellar nurseries? Can you imagine little baby stars just collapsing into existence?” I ask.
Ansel peers over at me. “I had no idea there were nurseries in space.”
“Me neither. But then I looked it up and saw that it’s not what we think. It’s a cold, dark place made of clouds of gas and dust. This forms the perfect conditions for stars to be born.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
“Yeah, space is a fascinating place. I fixated on astronomy for a few years.”
Ansel smiles softly. “I can tell.”
“Did you know that stars travel the galaxy in clusters, like traveling with friends?”
“Nope.”
I put my hands behind my head and stare up at them. “I think I’m kind of like a star sometimes.” I have his attention. “It’s probably why I was so captivated by them for so long. I related.”
“You were born into a nursery and like to travel?” Ansel asks, and I turn toward him, meeting his curious gaze.
“Who I am today is because of a specific set of conditions—the way I was raised, the things I was taught. When I look back, it feels a little like space. Vacuous, cold, dark. And yet, here I am. I’m not aloneeither. I have brothers who have been by my side through it all. You could say we’ve traveled this existence together.”
“Do you miss them?” he asks, and I let out a laugh.
“I don’t.” I’m sure they’re tracking me right now. The fuckers. It doesn’t matter that I ditched my phone and watch; The Firm has endless resources. I’m more worried they’ll show up before the actual bad guys and end this extended date I have with Ansel.
“I don’t have siblings. I mean, I have a best friend I consider a brother,” Ansel says, and then shakes his head. “Fuck, I shouldn’t tell you this.”
“Is that the N scrawled on the wall?”
“Yeah, but still no siblings. No family.”
“Ah, more of a solitary star then.”
