“Hey, hey. It’s okay,” William soothed, resting his hand on Adathan’s back. “I’m not gonna punish you. I promise. I shouldn’t have reacted that way—I swear I’m not gonna punish you.”
“I’m sorry, Master,” Adathan whispered against the sofa.
William’s heart sank—after all the progress they’d made, they were back to square one. “Adathan,” he said softly, “don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.”
“Is it because I’m a male?”
“No!” William shouted despite himself. He couldn’t care less about Adathan’s gender and reproductive organs—or anyone else’s, for that matter. It had never had any impact on who he was attracted to. His potential partner’s ability to give clear and enthusiastic consent, however, was non-negotiable. “None of this is your fault. Nor is it because of your gender or appearance.”
“What can I do to make you want me, William?”
William gritted his teeth, focusing all his energy on staying calm. “Nothing. You don’t have to doanything.”
Adathan lifted his head, his watery eyes meeting William’s gaze. The confusion on his face crushed William’s heart. Adathan was unfazed by the multiple cuts on his fingers, yet these words seemed to put him through unbearable pain.
How could William keep messing up so badly?
He glanced at the bed, exhaustion seeping through his bones. He wished he could just go to sleep and forget about everything for a few blissful hours, but it wasn’t an option. Not yet. He had to find a way to fix this.
“Listen,” William said softly, pulling his hand away from Adathan’s back. “Everything they taught you is wrong. I told you earlier: I’m nothing like them. I’ll never ask you to touch me or—”
“I want to.”
“No. You don’t. It’s what you were trained to do, but it’s not whatyouwant.”
Adathan straightened slowly, his frown fading as he sat on his heels. “I see,” he said, no sign of distress left in his voice.
“What?” William asked warily.
“William. I can promise you...” Adathan took William’s hand and pressed it against his heart. “That I truly want this.”
William’s breath caught. “No. You’re brainwa—” He flinched as Adathan climbed into his lap.
“You know I’m a person,” Adathan said, straddling his hips. “But do you treat me like one?”
“I—” William’s voice cracked, and a shiver tore through him as Adathan cupped the back of his head.
Adathan looked deep into his eyes. “Do you think I’m lying when I say I want you?”
“No,” William said tensely.
“Do you find me unattractive?”
William wanted to scream. There were no good answers to Adathan’s questions. Every word, every action so far had only made things worse, and now Adathan was sitting in his lap, practically grinding against him.
“Do you?” Adathan asked, his brow furrowing.
“No!” William blurted. “I don’t. I don’t think you’re unattractive.”
Adathan smiled and leaned in, his divinely scented hair brushing William’s cheek as he whispered in his ear, “It’s okay, William. I know you want it too. I saw your erection earlier...”
A jolt ran through William’s chest, a whine nearly spilling out as Adathan pressed his body against him.
“... and I can feel it now, growing against me.”
Oh, God.
William closed his eyes and let out a sharp breath, his resolve eroding with each passing second. The documentary, the room, the hotel—everything became a blur overpowered by Adathan’s scent, his warmth, and the slow movement of his hips against William’s.
