“And that is?”
“To see if you are the one the fates have given me or—” He paused and stared at Star, making him annoyed at what he was going to say next.
“Or what?” Star asked when he didn’t speak.
“If I’m just being a greedy bastard and want to ruin you for anyone else.”
“You sound like a man obsessed.” Anubis smiled, and Star felt a shiver run down his spine to his asshole. However, he couldn’t delve into the feeling—not yet, at least. He needed answers. “And what if I'm not? Are you going to cast me aside when the real one shows up?”
“No, I wouldn't do that to you.” He cupped Star's cheeks. “No matter what you think, I won't hurt you. I just need to know the truth.”
Star looked out the window, noticing that the sun had set, and the moon seemed fuller and brighter than he'd ever seen. His mind was running a thousand miles per second, but he was also angry and felt that Anubis had tricked him, giving him false hope. “I'm not some experiment, Anubis. I'm a human being with feelings. You're betting on whether the Fates threw us together, and I'm betting on my heart.” Star stood. “This was a mistake. I'm leaving.”
He went to step out of the tub, but Anubis grabbed his arms and pulled him back down, embracing him tightly. “I said that wrong. Forgive me.”
“Then what do you really mean?”
Anubis kissed Star on his forehead. “I've lived a long life, Star. And although I've accumulated a lot of wealth and I have the love of my family and friends, other than never being recognized by the award academy, the other thing that has always escaped me…” He raised Star's head, and their eyes locked on each other. “True love. At one point, it was all I searched for in life, and in another, I thought I had it, but she was never mine to love. And so I gave up on looking for someone to love. Until you. Star, I want you to be that person for me. ”
“You talk as if you're an old-ass man, when according to your bio, you're thirty-one. That's only a ten-year difference between us. And if I agree to go along with this, what will I get out of this? I would be putting more than just my body on the line.”
Anubis smiled but did not refute his words. “How about this? Why don't we draw up a contract.”
Star frowned. “What kind of contract?”
“One that will benefit us both.”
Star didn't know why he was still here, but part of him wanted to hear what Anubis had to say. “I'm listening. What are the terms?”
“I get that what I'm asking seems quite unfair to you, and I’m simply saying I want to spend time getting to know you. I want to see if there's more than just sexual attraction between us. In return for your time, I will help to cultivate your career. I can tell it's very important to you. You will move in with me, but you can keep your dorm room; I will pay the fees. If at any time you feel this is not working, you can walk away with no hard feelings.”
“That sounds all nice and neat, but what if one of us falls in love with the other?”
“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.” He caressed Star's cheek. “I can't promise you we won’t argue or disagree, but I would never betray your feelings.”
Star had to admit Anubis was good with words, and they were reaching him. He'd also wondered if he showed up tonight because he was attracted to the man and wondered if there could be more between them. He hated how needy he felt when he couldn't catch a glance of Anubis or hear his voice during the day. Yet, even with all of that, Star wasn't sure if Anubis would stand by his word. But he appreciated how upfront he was. Maybe going with a contract was the right course of action.
“I have a few stipulations if I agree to this.”
“Of course. Let me hear them.”
“I want it to be a formal legally binding contract.”I wonder if Terry would look at me weirdly when I ask him to draft a…what kind of contract would it be? Sex contract. Yeah, we’ll go with that. In any case, I have to watch out for my best interests.
“Okay, I wouldn't have it any other way. Anything else?”
Star looked at Anubis suspiciously. “You agreed so quickly, which makes me a little scared.”
Anubis laughed and pulled Star close. “I'm just eager to have you as mine for however long we are together.”
“As yours,” Star said softly. “Does that mean I'll belong to you and no one else?”
The smile slipped off Anubis's face. “If you're into sharing, we can stop our negotiations now. Because when I claim someone or something as mine, I don't let anyone else play with it. I'm a selfish man, Star, and if that is something you cannot handle, leave now, and we won't speak of this again.”
“I don't want anyone else but you,” Star said, gazing into Anubis's eyes, and unlike his time with Thornton, he could read the truth in the man's words, but Star still needed time to think things through.
“I'm glad that we’re on the same page. So does that mean we can draft up a contract to–” Anubis said, and Star raised his hand, stopping his words and time.
Star stood and got out of the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He had to think and couldn't be in Anubis's presence to do it. Walking into the bedroom, he sat on the bed's edge, not realizing he was being watched.
