“Sir?”
“That’s enough pleasure for tonight, Gabriel,” Sir murmured. “I want you to do the dishes, then I want you to gotobed.”
A lump rose in Gabriel’s throat. Somehow, he’d donewrong.
But maybe, just maybe, he could fix things by being good. In that moment, all he wantedwasSir.
At Sir’s hand, dreams of Garrison were eroding intonightmares.
13
Cedric
Breed me,and make me do what I was borntodo.
Cedric braced his palms on the wall of the shower stall and squeezed his eyes shut. The memory of Gabriel’s body still spoke to him—the heat of his torso against Cedric’s chest, the silken sensation of his cock in Cedric’s palm, and the smell of his omega as Cedric nuzzled against the back of his head and played with his ear. Gabriel’s body language had indicated that he was ready, but the things he’d said revealed a story far moretroubling.
Breedme.
Make me do what I was borntodo.
No matter how Cedric tried, he couldn’t escape what he’dheard.
If that was really how Gabriel felt, he couldn’t have sex with him. Hell, he shouldn’t have ever laid a hand on him. Disturbing thoughts like those ran deep, and until Cedric rooted them out, he couldn’t reward his omega in the way hewantedto.
Above the noise of rushing water, Cedric heard Gabriel in the hall. The guest bedroom door closed, and Cedric’s guilt built. He’d left his omega unsatisfied and wanting more when he should have been rewarded. It washismistake. If he’d been strong enough not to shut down completely when Gabriel had demeaned himself in such a way, then he could have carried on and rewarded Gabriel in other ways—worked to stoke his confidence and knock down the walls of ignorance he’d locked himself behind. But that hadn’t happened, and now Cedric had to live with theconsequences.
Sterling’s warning made more sensethanever.
Of course he was the Dom properly outfitted for the job—Cedric understood submission well, and that meant he understood that what Gabriel was doing was harmful to his mental health. Submission didn’t meandefeat.
Cedric rinsed the rest of the soap from his body and worked the shampoo out of his hair. When the water ran clear, he turned it off and stepped out of the shower stall. His toes curled against the lush fibers of his bath mat, and for a moment, all he did wasbreathe.
He wanted Gabriel. The attraction had been instant, and the connection was there. Gabriel had been responsive to his touch, and his body had told Cedric that he was doing right. If he could only get his mind in alignment, then they could continue their sessions the way Cedric wanted them toprogress.
But until then—until he knew that Gabriel understood his importance and his worth—Cedric couldn’ttouchhim.
It waswrong.
He patted his face down with a towel, then wicked the water away from his hair and wrapped himself up. The en suite bathroom attached to the master bedroom was flush with the hall, and Cedric took a moment to be sure that Gabriel wasn’t on his way back out of his bedroom. Right now, he needed some time to himself tothink.
When he heard nothing, Cedric left the bathroom and started to change. He glanced toward the door to make sure it was locked. Living alone meant he wasn’t used to closing doors behind him and locking them in his wake, but he was learning. Besides, having someone in the guest bedroom made the house feel more lively. He’d been on his own for so long now that he’d forgotten what it was like to have someone elsearound.
If only his heart could saythesame.
Cedric toweled off by the end of his bed, then tossed the towel into his hamper and climbed across the mattress. He lay atop his blankets, chest down, and folded his arms beneath his head. What Gabriel needed was a gentle touch from someone who cared about him, but who could restrain himself enough not to take advantage of him when he was vulnerable. Cedric could fill that role for him. He was skillful enough to coax Gabriel from his noxious mindset and teach him that he had worth outside of sex and childbirth. It wouldn’t bethathard.
Except the problem was,Cedricwashard.
Soft, golden-brown hair. Expressive blue eyes. Aslenderbody…
Fuck.
It was going to be a balancing act between doing what was right for Gabriel and keeping himself in check, but Cedric was ready. Sterling had given him this job for a reason, and no matter how much of a temptation Gabriel was, he was damned well going to see it through totheend.
14
Gabriel
