Page 30 of The Devil's Bargain
“I warned you what would happen if I ever caught you with someone else.”
“Whoa!” Calix threw up his palms. “Whoa, no, no, no. There’s been a misunderstanding. Nothing happened between Nero and me. I would never!”
“Never what?” Titus slid out of his pants and reached for his shirt, maintaining eye contact as he slowly undid each button. He wanted his little monster nervous. Wanted him to freak out and imprint this moment on his mind the same way Nero had no doubt imprinted the way he looked naked on his.
Wanted Calix to think twice the next time some other man invited him out for drinks or anything else.
Good Light, Aodhan was bad enough to handle, what with all the attention sent his way for so much as existing. Having onegolden boy on his hands was already a test against his possessive nature, but now this?
Titus had always prided himself on his ability to keep a level head. To not overreact over meaningless interactions—like the way that waitress at the dumpling restaurant across from the hospital batted her lashes athisdoctor every chance she got—or cause unnecessary scenes. His pod had their own lives, after all, even if their lives belonged to him, and it wouldn’t do to get pissy every time they received someone else’s attention.
He'd chosen sexy mates. He knew that. Sexy mates were noticeable. That was on him.
But Aodhan and Calix would be as well. On him.
Him.
No one else.
Finished undressing, Titus stepped up to the tub, hand shooting out to squeeze around Calix’s jaw.
“Mercy,” the detective licked his parted lips, “nothing happened. I swear. I would never do anything like that with anyone else. I would never cheat on you. You have to believe me.”
“Do I?”
His brow furrowed. “Mercy? Come on. You don’t really think—”
“What I think,” he cut him off and then released him long enough to step into the tub, only slightly appeased when Calix immediately shifted to make room for him, “is that there’s far too much evidence against you at the moment. Whether you allowed his touch or not, I witnessed him holding you myself.”
“He was just trying to make sure I didn’t fall,” Cal argued.
“Right, because you let your guard down around him. Getting this wasted with another? Putting yourself in such a vulnerable state that you required his touch to remain upright? Does that sound innocent to you?”
Calix had the good sense to hang his head, still seated while Titus stood towering over him. “No. I’m sorry.”
“You aren’t,” Titus said. “But you will be.”
Chapter 12:
It was a struggle not to let on that this was exactly what he’d wanted. Hell, Calix had seen it happen between his First and Second enough times that he should be able to mimic it, but he was unsure. What if he wasn’t getting away with it?
What if the punishment would get worse because he’d been found out?
This was a common dance between the other two. Aodhan would purposefully push his luck, and Titus would whip him back into line. On the outside, it looked like control, but in reality, the act was something they clearly enjoyed.
And Calix wanted in on it.
So he’d stupidly gotten drunk with Nero and convinced the other guy to bring him home. On the one hand, he’d also wanted his old classmate to see how well he was doing. That he lived in a big house with a hot director boyfriend.
Wanted to silently warn Nero off any bright ideas of getting close to Mercy during one of their little, secret meetings.
He’d known Mercy would be home, waiting for him, and that Aodhan was working late. It seemed like a flawless planat the time. Although…he’d admittedly already been a couple of drinks in when he’d concocted it.
Calix had tempted Mercy’s wicked nature on purpose, but the results were…unexpected. Aodhan got complex, drawn-out punishments. Acts that left everyone in the room writhing and needy and ready to beg for just about anything.
But not Cal.
He found himself tossed over the tub, half in, half out, and before he could process what was coming, Mercy was quite literally splitting him open on his massive cock.
