Page 34 of Open Road (Tattooed Hearts Duet 3)

Paul looked at Slade, who’d suddenly focused on his burger, finding it fascinating, and I realized how much of that little boy who was scared of being rejected by his father was still present. I squeezed his hand, giving him my strength.

“Yeah, we’ll be there,” Paul said, making me like him just a little bit more. Though, if he failed to show up tomorrow, he’d be on my list, and my daddy had taught me how to shoot a gun and dispose of a body.

“What about bodies?” Simon whispered, leaning over.

My face flushed when I realized I’d been saying it aloud.

The rest of the meal was pleasant, and I could see some cracks in Slade’s armor repairing right before my eyes. After we cleaned up, we left with hugs and a few pictures that Kara had drawn us. And I prayed that nothing would keep Paul from attending tomorrow. Slade’s heart depended on it.

ChapterSixteen

SIMON

When I heardthe door open and close early in the morning, I wasn’t surprised to find the spot next to me empty. Slade was chasing some demons, and when his mind was this full, he struggled to sleep. With the convention later today and his father’s impending attendance weighing on him, I had an idea where he was. Only a few things made his thoughts clear, and at this hour, that meant one thing—the gym.

But I had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough. Not this time. Crawling out of bed, I silently dressed, grabbing a few things as I made my way to the door.

“Si?” Lennox whispered, her voice soft with sleep.

“Hey baby, I’m right here.” I leaned down on the bed, kissing her forehead.

“Slade?” she asked, blinking her eyes, trying to open them.

“I’m going to take care of him.”

“Okay. He needs you,” she mumbled, patting my hand before giving up the fight with her eyes and leaving them closed. Smiling, I kissed her lips and headed toward the door.

Some days, I still didn’t quite believe this was my life. That I got to have both of the people I loved in it. Thane being added had given me a brother, and I loved our dynamic altogether. We were a family, and it was more than I ever imagined.

Stepping out into the hallway, I quietly shut the door behind me, hoping they could get some more sleep. I was jazzed up as it was, hoping today would be a turning point for me. Memphis’ competition was a little different with categories you could compete in, and there was one for stage makeup that I was excited about. I wanted to branch out and do more with my skills, and this was the perfect place to do it.

The thrill of creating something zipped through me as I jogged down the stairs, humming a song under my breath as I descended the floors. When I got to the bottom marked with the fitness room, I pulled out my card and swiped it, heading in the direction the sign pointed. There weren’t any other people up yet since it was around four in the morning. Most people were still snuggled in their beds at this hour, which helped with my plan.

The fitness room loomed ahead, and as I hoped, there was one lone tattooed figure inside. Swiping my card again, I slid into the room, leaning against the door for a moment while I watched the muscles flex in his back. He was staring off into the distance as he lifted weights, his earbuds in, and hadn’t noticed my arrival yet.

Ninety percent of the time, with Slade and me, he was the more dominant one. But every now and then, he needed me to dominate him and force him out of his own head. And I believed this was one of those occasions.

Stalking forward, I hit the lights, casting the room into darkness. He tensed, but before he could turn around, I grabbed his earbud out and leaned close to him. His tattoos already shone with sweat, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. At my touch, he stilled, relaxing.

“Did you think you could sneak out of bed, and I wouldn’t notice?” I whispered, grabbing his hips and pulling him to me. I licked his neck, tasting the salt on his skin. I growled when he didn’t answer, nicking my teeth against his flesh. “Answer.”

“Yes,” he said, gulping. Slade’s body began to vibrate, proving even more that he needed me to take control and get him out of his head.

“Good thing I find your stubbornness hot, babe. But you need to stop fighting your battles alone.” My hands snaked around, trailing over the band of his shorts. His happy trail teased me, and I flattened my hand onto his abs, enjoying how they felt beneath my fingers. I rocked my hips into him, my own arousal evident as it found the space between his ass cheeks. A whimper left him at the motion, inching my own lust higher.

Giving into what he needed, I slipped my hand below his shorts, finding his cock waiting for me. Slade’s head fell back onto my shoulder as I stroked him, squeezing him tight. As I rubbed my thumb over the slit, the tip was already leaking.

“More,” he wheezed, panting into my neck, his eyes meeting mine. They were blown, and I could see the relief in them that I’d come to him.

“Did you forget how this works? You do as I say. And I’m not done playing yet.”

He nodded, biting his lip to moan as I tugged his cock harder, slowly drawing my hand down his length. His eyes rolled back, and he squeezed them shut.

“You have two choices,” I said, pulling back. I’d decided my plan when I saw how desperate he was for me. I was all for living on the edge and grabbing a handful of his junk in this public space, but I didn’t fancy being caught balls deep in him and chance getting kicked out of the hotel before the convention even started. “I can jerk you off here, and then we can go back to the room with breakfast…”

“Or?” he asked, his eyes opening to look at me when I didn’t finish. Smirking, I rolled my thumb over his dripping slit again.

“Or, we can move this to the room, and I can own your ass while Lennox sucks you off.”

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