If he felt anywhere close to the chemistry that Cedric did, Cedric knew he wouldn’tforget.
Every now and then, Gabriel glanced over his shoulder in Cedric’s direction. Each time he saw Cedric looking back, he looked away and tightened his shoulders, like he expected to be hit. There’d been a time in Cedric’s life when he’d relinquished his power to another, and he knew what it felt like to be aggressively pursued—to have greedy eyes devour his body, and to be the object of the heinous appetites of men—but that meant he understood what Gabriel wasfeeling,too.
He’d never forget the way she’d made him feel nervous knots of excitement in his stomach, and in her honor, Cedric sought to gift another the samedelight.
More than anything, he wanted Gabriel to know what truesubmissionwas.
Gabriel dumped the potatoes onto a baking sheet, then drizzled them with the olive oil Cedric had brought out. As he sprinkled them with salt and pepper, Cedric put himself in Gabriel’s shoes. When he’d met Brittany, he’d made the choice to fall to his knees before her and to obey her every word. There’d been no doubt in his heart and no desperation in his soul—he’d given her his agency because it was what he’d wanted, and he’d thrived off the attention he’d received not only from her, but from the men in The Shepherd who’d lusted after an alpha so sure of himself that he wasn’t afraid to embracesubmission.
It wasn’t the same story forGabriel.
Until Cedric knew his narrative, he’d operate with caution. The fledgling relationship they now shared needed to be nurtured, and Cedric wouldn’t rush it. He wasn’t acquainted with Gabriel very well, but no matter what kind of a person Gabriel was, he deserved better than that. No matter what it took, Cedric would meet his needs in any way he could. He would find the confident omega who’d been so certain with the knife, and he’d coax him out ofhiding.
Gabriel slid the baking sheet into the preheated oven and dusted off his hands, then looked nervously over his shoulder at Cedric. Chicken was already cooking on the stove, and there were peas in the freezer waiting to be heated. Dinner wouldn’tbelong.
“Everything is cooking now, apart from the peas,” Gabriel said, bowing his head. “Does that pleaseyou,Sir?”
Cedric came to stand in front of him. He lifted Gabriel’s head with a single hand and ran his thumb across his lips. “You please me,Gabriel.”
Gabriel’s cheeks turned pink, and his eyelids fluttered. “Thankyou,Sir.”
No matter how Sterling inflated the importance of the job, Cedric’s task was simple. He’d teach Gabriel what it was like to bevalued.
No moresaltines.
12
Gabriel
The dishes slidbeneath the suds, sinking to the depths of the sink. Gabriel watched them disappear, but it wasn’t long before his attention wasdiverted.
Sirwasback.
The force of his presence made itself known to Gabriel before his body did, but when it did come, it was bold. Sir’s arms slipped around his waist like they’d always been together—like Sir actually thought Gabriel was worth his time. Then, in a low voice against the back of Gabriel’s ear that made him shiver with delight, Sir spoke. “Dinner wasdelicious.”
No matter which way he twisted his thoughts, he couldn’t find a reply. Gabriel opened his mouth, but the gesture was futile. Nowordscame.
“It’s been a long time since anyone’s cooked for me,” Sir admitted. As he spoke, his hands began to wander inward, tracing over Gabriel’s hip to arrive low on his stomach, near his groin. “I’d forgotten how nice it is. You please me,Rabbit.”
Rabbit.
Sir’s hands stroked the flattened part of Gabriel’s stomach that would one day swell with child. Fingertips like magic, palms treating him to wonder Gabriel had never known, made a tiny gasp spill from between his lips. His cock started toharden.
“R-Rabbit, Sir?” Gabriel asked. Arousal changed the sound of his voice, but he couldn’t hide it. Sir drove himcrazy.
“Do you like it?” Sir grinned against his ear—Gabriel felt his lips stretch in amusement. “My flighty, beautiful, timid Rabbit. I promise, no foxes will come. I’ll keepyousafe.”
The vow stunned Gabriel. He closed his eyes and let go of his lastinhibitions.
Sex was different than this—whatever this was. Sex was selfish, primal, and empty. When men groped him, Gabriel was always able to shut his brain off. There was no engagement in sex. Nopleasure.
But with a few words and the gentle touch of Sir’s hands upon Gabriel’s stomach, Gabriel’s balls ached, and his cock begged forattention.
“I like it, Sir,” Gabriel whispered. He couldn’t do anything else. “Thankyou.”
“Don’t thank me,” Sir whispered back. He traced his teeth along the ridge of Gabriel’s ear, and the hot words he spoke next were made for Gabriel and Gabriel alone. “This is your reward for pleasing me. Enjoy it. Beselfish.”
The hands low on Gabriel’s stomach slipped downward, and Sir cupped Gabriel’s clothed cock. With a startled gasp, Gabriel pushed into Sir’s hand and rubbed himself shamelessly intohispalm.
