Page 71 of Ravaged Devotion

His brown eyes. Dark, like molasses.

He was terrified right now.

“Hey.” Ryker stepped in close, blocking out the window with his broad shoulders, forcing Rue’s focus to narrow onto him and him alone. “Stay with me, baby.”

Rue almost scowled, mouth twitching before he caught it and evened it out. “You’re only half a year older than me, Ryk.”

“Rue, help me!” More banging, this time with squishing sounds whenever whatever that gray substance was smeared over the glass from the impact.

“Tell me about the rose garden,” Ryker said, holding Rue steady through the onslaught of noise at his back. “How did it feel?”

“Why do you keep asking me about that?” He did scowl this time, but his irises brightened some.

Good. That was good.

“How did it feel when you finally sunk down over the cock you’ve always fantasied about?” he continued. “Did it feel as good as when you switched positions? When you were rolled onto your back and rammed open with enough force to make your teeth rattle? You cried out my name, isn’t that right? Do it again. Call out for me, sweetheart.”

“Ryker?” Rue searched his gaze, more of the fear slipping away as his mind struggled to process and figure out Ryker’s angle.

“Want to know why you ached the other morning?” He leaned in, so their breaths mingled, and then grinned wolfishly. “It’s because I fucked you while you were asleep.”

“Wh-what?” He blinked.

“Those sleeping pills of yours are my best friend,” he stated. “They put you out so beautifully. Leave you so vulnerable. I can always do anything I want to you.”

“Always?”

“Been doing it for months.”

Rue went to shove him away, but Ryker held firm and pulled him in again. “Don’t.”

That thing was still outside, still using his mother’s voice, trying to get under his skin. Right now they were safe. They were inside and together. But if that thing tried this again when they were apart, or when they were out in the open…As hard as it was, he needed Rue to adjust, at least enough that Ryker wouldn’t fear him losing his mind and getting himself killed in the process if this happened again.

“Stay with me,” Ryker whispered. “Stay with me this time. Trust me this time.”

The fight drained out of Rue, and he was back to frowning.

“How did it feel?” he asked again, quieter, fully aware of Bowie still standing just outside the doorway, clenching his fists.

“Incredible,” the word left Rue’s mouth sounding breathy, then his brow furrowed deeper. “But it wasn’t real. It wasn’t you.”

“You’ve had me,” Ryker reminded. “I just told you about it.”

Rue stared at him, gathering his thoughts, and then asked, “All those times, when you visited the estate and I woke up covered in dried come…That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, baby, that was me.”

“Why?”

“Marking my territory.”

“Like a dog?”

“Would you rather I piss on you?”

He pushed against his chest, but not very hard, stopping when Ryker tightened his grip yet again. “That’s disgusting.”

“That’s why I didn’t do it.”