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Shit.
"My boss. What's it to you?"
Dane fake-nipped at his ear, making Elias yelp. "Brat."
"Ass."
"Whiny."
It was Elias' turn to stiffen up, hands forcibly guiding Dane's arms away from him. Whiny. He was worried about that, shy about that. It was something he hadn't expressed in years, but maybe he was wrong. The flush spread from his cheeks down his chest, his shame too much to bear.
He didn't wait for a towel, shouldering the door open. Dane was dazed by how quickly it happened, still naked as he watched Elias walk away, showing two middle fingers.
It didn't matter if his lower lip was wobbling.
Chapter Three
Elias went to his apartment first before going back to work, slamming the door behind him. It rattled the walls so hard a painting by his late grandmother slipped and fell. He gasped, fingers curling in frustration as he ran to pick it up, inspecting it. There were no chips or cracks in the glass; he got lucky.
"Phew," he mumbled, hanging it back up before kicking off his dress shoes and loosening his tie.
"Eli? Is that you?"
Oh. God.
Why was Ian home in the middle of the day? He didn't want to face him right now. He experienced a sense of dirtiness and shame and had a strong desire for a hot shower to cleanse himself of his sins. Rather than answer, Elias slunk around the corner, past the door leading into the kitchen and living room where the sound of the television was coming from, and through the next door on the right.
He didn't bother locking it before shucking off all his clothes and turning on the shower to the hottest temperature. He wanted his skin to be red after this. Well, at least redder than his throbbing asscheek. Elias dropped his chin to his chest with a drawn-out sigh. He couldn't even pretend he didn't like it.
I'm pathetic.
Fully naked, he stood in front of the mirror, inspecting his pale, freckled body. There were no unnecessary hickies or bites, but some hand-shaped bruises had formed around his hips…and the sight wasn't unwelcome.
It sent a fresh wave of heat through his stomach. Blockers completely gone, Elias' scent cloaked the light-washed room, mingling with the steam. His new claiming bruises and the disgusting amount of slick he was still producing were the only evidence of his recent coupling with an alpha.
This need that made his now-empty insides clench with longing was exactly why Elias didn't sleep with alphas anymore. He'd lied before. They weren't the only ones who lost sense. Eventually, he wanted too much, needed things too often, and it grew out of control.
Existing alongside betas… it was just better for him.
Okay, so no more of that mind numbing… perfect… life-changing… deliriously satisfying sex. Elias nodded and stepped toward the walk-in sandstone shower, reaching out a hand to test the temp.
He heard a knock, followed by Ian's voice seeping through the door. "Hey, Eli. Are you okay? Are you sick?"
Elias closed his eyes. He didn't want to tell Ian about his recent fling with an alpha because this was his first slip up in six years. And four years prior, he told poor, sweet Ian, his childhood best friend, that he didn't sleep with alphas anymore.
If he came in and caught Elias' scent right now, he had no clue what to expect. Would Ian be angry? Disappointed? Or worse… indifferent? His heart spasmed at the thought. Out of every alpha he'd ever known, the man outside that door was the best. That's why he couldn't bring himself to lie. Because no, he was not okay. And yes, he was sick—in the head for doing this to himself!
"I needed a shower, that's all."
"Are you sure? Because last night you were kind of lethargic."
Elias rolled his eyes. "Lethargic? Don't go all protective on me now. You saw me for all of two minutes before I crashed. Speaking of, why aren't you at the hospital?"
Despite his care for Ian and their close relationship, the only way they could reside together as opposites was thanks to their conflicting schedules.
Ian was a trauma doctor for the ER a few blocks away, working nights, days, whatever they gave him, really. Helping others was his passion, his life's purpose, as he so often called it. Elias found the claim a little cheesy, but would never, ever say so.
"I hit the max hours this pay period," Ian grouched, put out by the fact his workplace forced him to leave and rest for once.
