over, or would the temporary relief leave me even more aware of everything I had going on in my
life?
I nodded.
“Not good enough, Corey,” he scolded me. I gnawed on the corner of my bottom lip. I knew
enough about protocol to realize he wouldn’t move a muscle until I asked for what I wanted. William
was a stickler for clear consent, I couldn’t imagine him blurring those lines for me.
Silence lingered between us. The lump in my throat constricted my airway, to the point I worried
when I tried to draw in a breath. He was offering me something I knew I shouldn’t take, and yet I
wasn’t sure how much longer I could resist. He’d been right; I was burning out. “Help me?”
Watching the smile appear on his face wasn’t unlike watching the sunrise. He held out a hand as
he stood. I took it, noting the calluses on his fingers. A shiver raced through my body, imagining the
pads of his fingers scraping over my skin. But that wasn’t what this was about. He was offering me a
way to quiet my mind, not a quick fuck to get off.
When William drew me into his arms, I nearly collapsed. He had me. There was nothing to worry
about now. I couldn’t even bring myself to care how wrong it should feel. He was giving me what I
asked for.
I shuffled my feet as William backed up to the chair. As if he’d heard my silent wish earlier, he
pulled me onto his lap, softly stroking my hair as he murmured words of assurance in my ear. I closed
my eyes, trying to synchronize my breathing with his.
“Yeah, this is what you needed, isn’t it, baby boy?” I tensed as I tried to figure out if I loved or
hated him calling me that. “Shh, I’ve got you. I know it’s hard, but let your mind go quiet. Listen to my
voice, Corey, nothing else.”
I nodded so he’d know I heard him. It shouldn’t be this simple. Shouldn’t feel this right. My eyes
burned as he continued whispering. Eventually, my tense muscles began to relax. I felt myself sinking
deep into the space between William’s body and the arm of the chair. Hummed with contentment as he
held me tighter, never stopping the slow rhythm as he rubbed my back. My eyes felt heavy, and I knew
if I didn’t move, I’d fall asleep on him.
“It’s okay, Corey. Sleep if you need to. I’m not going anywhere.” Fuck, if only that were true. I’d
been right; a taste of what could be had me starving for more.
7
