Page 99 of Hard Bargain

Knox’s reactions spilled out of him, and Dominic’s jaw clenched. “Such a mess for me already.”

Knox made a sound that was dangerously close to a whine.

That did it.

Dominic’s hand tightened in his hair, pulling his head back until their eyes met. Knox looked wrecked. Completely ruined. And still he held the stare without flinching. “You like this, don’t you?” Dominic asked. “Being handled this way.”

Knox didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Dominic could feel it in the way his body trembled, the way his hands fisted in the sheets, the uncontrolled sounds slipping out of him. “Yeah,” he said. “Thought so.”

He pushed him back down. For a split second, the urge to turn him around hit him. He wanted to see Knox’s face as he fucked him, his expression, the way he looked when he was completely undone.

His hand shifted, fingers tightening like he might do it—

He stilled.

No.

That would be too much. Too intimate. Knox was affecting him more than he should, slipping past defenses Dominic had never needed to question before. So instead he pressed Knox down harder, keeping him exactly where he was.

Safer.

Even though nothing about this felt safe anymore.

Knox made a broken sound. “Please. Dom, I need—” He shook under Dominic, his breathing falling apart.

“You’re right there, aren’t you?” Dominic said, his voice close to Knox’s ear.

Knox didn’t answer with words. He just made a shattered sound, head turning against the mattress, his whole body tightening.

That was all Dominic needed. His hand slid under Knox and closed around his leaking cock. Knox’s entire body jerked at the contact. Dominic tightened his grip and matched the rhythm of his hand to his thrusts.

“Fuck,” Knox gasped. “Dom, I—”

He didn’t even finish. His body gave out, tension snapping all at once as he came apart in Dominic’s hand. “That’s it,” Dominic rasped. “So fucking perfect.”

Dominic tried to hold onto control for a second longer. Tried. His jaw clenched, rhythm stuttering as he fought it. But Knox only trembled harder, giving everything away.

And Dominic… he went right after him. A rough sound tore out of him before he could stop it. His head dropped back, shoulders locking, his entire body tensing hard as the release hit. Violent. Immediate. Nowhere close to what he was prepared for. “Fuuck.” It came out broken, closer to instinct than language.

He couldn't remember the last time it had felt like this. If it ever had. For a moment, the sheer force of it almost disoriented him.

Knox sagged beneath him, completely spent, his body twitching as it tried to settle. Dominic stayed where he was for a while longer, chest heaving. Then slowly, he loosened his grip and shifted his weight. He pulled out slowly. Knox made a soft sound, nearly a whine. Dominic felt it too. For one brief, dangerous second, he wanted to stay exactly where he’d been.

He pressed his lips together and forced himself to move away, putting some necessary space between them. Distance. He needed distance. Without another word, he turned and headed for the bathroom.

He returned with a damp cloth, features reset into something more controlled. His steps slowed as he neared the bed. Knox hadn’t moved much. He was still on his stomach, body loose in a way that spoke of complete exhaustion, the kind that came from giving everything and having nothing left.

Dominic stopped beside the bed, gaze drifting over him. This had been Knox’s first time with a man. He’d offered that trust without a flicker of doubt, and the weight of it settled over Dominic. He couldn’t be careless now. His own reaction could wait; this couldn’t.

He set the cloth down within reach and moved onto the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight and Knox turned his head. Knox’s expression was still unfocused, like he hadn’t fully come back yet. Dominic watched him. “Are you alright?”

Knox blinked, then a tentative smile tugged at his mouth. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Dominic stilled. That smile—it caught him off guard. Before he could think better of it, his hand lifted. He brushed Knox’s hair back from his face, fingers moving slowly, lingering as they traced along his temple.

Knox didn’t pull back. The smile deepened just a fraction, his eyes softening as they slipped half-closed under the touch. “Let me clean you up,” Dominic said.

Knox didn’t argue. Just shifted, making space without being asked. The same quiet trust threaded through the movement that had been there all night.