Page 40 of The Tenor's Shadow

“It was a drunk driver. The youngest son of some rich family. He’d been out partying, and no one had taken his keys or tried to stop him. He ran a red light, and they were killed instantly. I was safe in the back seat. The kid hit us and sped off.”

Tears were rolling down his cheeks now. Freddie was desperate to take this pain away, to eradicate the hurt, but Anthony needed to say this. It was part of who he was, and he was sharing it with Freddie. That was an honor.

Anthony turned back, simmering rage shining in his eyes. “Uncle Danny took me in and raised me. The guy, the man who murdered my parents, got six months of community service. And I…I had a hard time. A couple of years where I was just not good, despite how kind my uncle was, despite the therapy he’d gotten me. But when I came out the other side, I just…I wanted to be in control, you know? I wanted to make the decisions, to captain the ship. To go after my dreams and not let anything stop me. I didn’t want that drunk asshole to be the one in charge. I still don’t.”

Anthony’s words hit Freddie like a knife. Physical pain spidered through his nerves and muscles. It was a new, unpleasant sensation. But this moment wasn’t about him.

“You deserve to be in charge. I don’t want to stand in the way, but—”

Anthony looked up, putting both his hands on Freddie’s chest, his eyes still wet with the remnants of tears. “Listen. If you can promise me we will be partners, that we will make decisions together, then I’ll concede that you know best about…punching stuff.”

Freddie chuckled, his heart opening at Anthony’s words. “Punching stuff?”

“I guess you did some wrestling on those steps in San Francisco. Also throwing.”

“Wrestling?”

Anthony ignored Freddie’s faux-outrage. “It’s your job, after all. You can be obsessive if you want to be.”

Freddie shook his head ruefully. “It’s not that I want to be. But if you were in danger…” Freddie’s throat closed up at the thought.

Anthony’s hands cupped Freddie’s face, and the warmth was a balm to his anxiety.

“Hey.” Anthony’s voice was firm. “I’m not in danger now. I’m here with you.”

Freddie looked down at Anthony’s open, playful face. There was a vibrancy there that had been absent from Freddie’s life for a long time.

Freddie leaned down and kissed him.

Anthony’s lips were soft and plump, and a shock of electricity ran down Freddie’s spine at the touch. The scent of leather and lemon filled Freddie’s nose. He’d never get enough of that. The kiss was gentle for a moment, but Anthony pushed forward and it turned ravenous.

Freddie matched the change, and his tongue tapped at the place where Anthony’s lips met. Anthony opened up, and Freddie invaded, tasting and roving as Anthony trembled in his arms. Anthony whimpered, and it spurred Freddie on, his hands moving down to cup Anthony’s beautiful round ass.

He fucked Anthony’s mouth with his tongue, and Anthony sucked on the welcome intruder as Freddie took control. The blood flowed to Freddie’s cock, and he got even harder as Anthony moans grew louder.

After a few moments, Anthony broke it off, breathless. “Damn. You make me want to let you take the lead. You’re so strong and…solid. I didn’t know I needed that.”

Freddie bent down and stole another kiss, tame and sweet this time. “You taste so good.”

Anthony reached down and squeezed Freddie’s cock through his pants. “I want to know how you taste.”

Anthony looked in either direction along the path. It was a more secluded area of the park, and as dusk turned to night, they had seen few other people. Anthony guided Freddie back against a short stone wall and dropped to his knees.

“Anthony—”

“Shh. You don’t get to be in control tonight.” Anthony undid the button at Freddie’s waist and pulled down the band of his navy boxer briefs. Freddie shivered as the cool night air reached his bare cock. Anthony rubbed his cheek against Freddie’s shaft and wrapped his hand around the base.

Freddie throbbed inside Anthony’s tight grasp.

“God, you are perfect,” Anthony whispered, and then came an intense, wet warmth as Anthony’s tongue ran along the underside of Freddie’s balls.

“Fuck, you feel so good.”

Anthony looked up at Freddie and winked, and Freddie knew he was done for. This unreasonable, ridiculous human was never escaping him.

With one swift motion, Anthony swallowed Freddie’s heavy girth to the hilt. Freddie thrust forward involuntarily, his cock hitting the back of Anthony’s throat.

Anthony didn’t gag or move back, instead rocking back and forth a little at a time, as the head slid against the root of Anthony’s tongue. It was incredible. He was enveloped inside Anthony’s warm mouth.

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