Page 46 of Just a Little in Love

Gabriel nodded. “Says who?” he repeated.

Rowan seemed to be nonplussed at that and suddenly Gabe knew what to do. It was time to let his Dom out to play. He’d skirted around this, trying to find his feet. The happy medium. Well, that clearly wasn’t working for either of them. “What’s your safeword, baby boy?

He watched the long swallow travel down Rowan’s throat. “Red,” he whispered.

“Good, then unless you use it, you just failed in doing the one thing you were charged with, and you are going to be punished.” Gabriel watched the anxiety bleed into Rowan’s expression, but this was make it or break it for them. “Strip.”

Rowan hesitated a few seconds, but he could see him hang onto his last tiny bit of hope for them before he undressed. Gabriel knew he had him. He knew Rowan wanted to believe what he was promising was true, even though his fucking mother had managed to put doubt there without even being present. Gabriel was sick of battling an enemy he didn’t know. But Rowan’s confidence, or lack thereof, he did.

And as a Dom, that was something he could fight and win.

Gabriel watched as he stripped, deliberately leaving himself fully dressed, and saw the hesitation when he got to his briefs. “All off,” Gabriel reminded him and waited as if he expected immediate obedience, which he did. When Rowan stood naked in front of him, lower lip trembling, hands twisting, and Gabe wanted to wrap him up against the world, but they both needed this first. “Fuck, but you’re beautiful,” he said in awe, and watched Rowan’s pupils widen in pleasure. Gabriel sat on the bed, his feet on the floor, and met his eyes. “Lie across my lap, face down.”

He watched alarm move across Rowan’s features, but that was quickly chased by a hitch of breath, a lick of his lips, and those big eyes fixating on him. Oh yeah, he liked this idea. He was scared, but there was something in him that was intrigued. Gabriel waited out his indecision, his fear, and eventually Rowan crossed to him and glanced down as if he was unsure how to lie down. Gabriel resolved the problem for him, and tugged him on his lap, making sure his cock wasn’t trapped, catching the quick inhale and breathing him in. “What did I tell you to always do?”

Rowan’s breath hitched, but Gabriel answered for him.

“You failed to protect my most important possession. That’s you. It would have gotten dark in an hour, and you could have gotten cold or lost. You could have gotten hurt, and I can’t ever allow that to happen.”

By the gasp, Gabriel knew that hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. Probably some bullshit about running away, but this wasn’t about disobedience. This was about trust. It was about faith. It was about showing him Gabriel would always have his back no matter what life threw at them, and there would be plenty.

The first crack of Gabriel’s hand made Rowan jump. He knew shock rather than pain would be the dominant feeling until they got to about number four. By that time, it wouldn’t be about humiliation, it would just fucking hurt. Gabriel thought he would safeword at six, but then at seven something unexpected happened. A tiny moan left Rowan’s lips as Gabriel stroked his palm over the welts. Curiosity piqued, he trailed his fingers down Rowan’s crack. Another tiny moan escaped as he stroked Rowan’s red ass and, if Gabriel’s hands weren’t otherwise occupied he would have fist-pumped when Rowan pushed up into his hand. Gabriel could feel Rowan’s cock plumping beneath him. He quickly delivered another two and Rowan’s cry was stunning, just like the rest of him. Gabriel scraped his nails lightly over the marks and Rowan cried out again, but humped against him, lost in pleasure. Dragging it out another second, Gabriel delivered two more, leaned down, and murmured. “That’s eleven. You get an extra one for being such a good boy for Daddy.” And that was about all Rowan could take. With a finger trailing over his taint and down to his balls as Gabriel cupped them, Rowan cried out and came hard.

It took a while for Rowan to become aware of what had happened. He was a limp noodle and could barely manage any response while Gabriel got him cleaned up, the cream applied, especially to the new sore parts, and in bed with a glass of water waiting for him. He doubted he’d eaten since lunch, but Rowan was flying still, and he needed to watch for sub-drop, especially as Rowan was so vulnerable.

“Baby boy,” Gabriel started. “Why did you run from Daddy?” Because he had. Whatever dressing they put on it, Rowan had been scared, and Gabriel needed to know why.

Rowan sighed and mumbled, “Because you don’t love me.”

Gabriel froze. What the fuck? How had whatever happened led to him doubting how much he was loved? Gabriel took a long, slow breath and tried to make his voice even. “What makes you say that?”

“Because all I’m good for is being little. Mother never let me grow up, and it’s like I can’t do anything. You don’t want to be stuck with me.”

Gabriel made Rowan drink some water while he formulated a plan. Rowan was clearly afraid of or imagined Gabriel was going to replace his mother. He tried to keep his disgusted scoff quiet but wasn’t sure he managed it. Maybe he needed to pivot—he smiled to himself.

“I found the notes you made on The Mage.”

As Gabriel had figured, the abrupt change in subject knocked Rowan out of his haze. In the future, he would cuddle a blissed-out Rowan, but they had to get this straight first. “What?” Rowan echoed, probably scrambling for coherence.

“What made you think Raisa needed an extra mage power? He seems to be having enough trouble containing the ones he has, and where does he develop these from?” It took him a second, well a few seconds, but then with increasing eagerness Rowan explained how Gabriel could make Raisa one of the most powerful mages of his time, and ready to face the demon lord, win the battle for his prince, and save the kingdom, even if that didn’t happen until the next book, or even a trilogy.

“Of course, Raisa and Eras have to fall in love,” Rowan said as an almost off-hand comment. “Because Eras is the one that gives Raisa the power.”

“The prince?” Gabe pressed, his heart beating harder. “But Eras doesn’t have magic and Raisa is a lowly apprentice.”

Rowan shook his head. “But you need character growth. What if he only truly becomes powerful when he meets the prince? What if it’s their love that makes it happen?”

“And you don’t think that’s too far-fetched?” Gabriel pushed. “He’s only going to meet the prince if he manages to get past all the guards. And a man who cooks and cleans for the most powerful wizards in the kingdom could help his prince win a war? That it’s actually the lowly apprentice that holds all the real power?”

A small silence followed his questions and Gabriel smiled, knowing Rowan had gotten it, because his darling boy was intelligent and that was such a huge turn-on to Gabriel. “No,” Rowan said very quietly. “I just think Raisa has to be brave enough to try.”

Gabriel kissed the top of Rowan’s head. “Good answer.”

Chapter twenty-four

Rowan’s dad called him around two hours later, after they’d finished the slow-cooked chicken that Daddy had declared delicious. Apparently, the cops had rearrested his mother because she’d used one of the credit cards to book a flight to Europe. He didn’t know any more but would keep them updated.

“But isn’t it just my word against hers?” Rowan asked after they’d finished speaking. The thought of going to court was absolutely terrifying. It would be humiliating because he absolutely knew she’d blame him.

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