Page 69
And that was the problem.
Because Daven was the one keeping him here. The one deciding where he slept, where he went, what happened to him.
Wanting comfort from the same man who kept taking his choices felt too close to surrender.
The hover car slowed, then dipped toward the private landing platform outside Daven’s penthouse. A moment later, it settled with a soft jolt.
Helianth glanced at something on his multi-slate. “Moargan wants us at the estate tomorrow morning.”
“If you have classes, I suggest you cancel them,” Kylix said.
Daven gave a smug little hum as he guided Ryneth out of the car. “We’ll be there. After we’ve had our lie-in.”
A moment later, they stepped into Daven’s penthouse, the door locking behind them. Daven’s hand settled at Ryneth’s back, steering him like he was something fragile and dangerous at the same time.
Arousal stirred at the unspoken promise in those words. Ryneth thought of earlier that night, when they’d been together in Daven’s bed. Of being fucked by the other man for the first time.
It made his hole throb and ache at once. He wanted Daven to hold him again. Wanted him to whisper filthy threats in his ear.
He shifted where he stood.
Stop it, you fool, he chided himself. But no matter how he tried, his body wanted more. Always more of Daven.
The penthouse was quiet when they stepped inside, the dim lights flicking on one by one as they crossed the open kitchen and moved down the hall toward the bedroom. Warm gold spilled over marble and glass, soft against the dark.
Ryneth wondered if it was possible that a place where he’d only been once could already make him feel like home.
He hated that thought the second it formed. Lysa was probably still out there somewhere, and all he could think about was warmth.
“Undress, then get in bed, aethera.” Daven went for the window and switched on the panel with the stars and planets. He turned and raised an eyebrow when he saw Ryneth just… standing there.
Maybe he was too tired to be ordered around.
“Here, let me help you.” Throwing the bottle of lube on the silk sheets, Daven threaded open Ryneth’s shirt, buttons scattering everywhere. He threw the rest of the garment on the floor, then unbuckled his pants and dragged them down. When Ryneth was naked, he hummed in satisfaction, then slid open the sheets. “Go and get warm.”
Ryneth was too tired to argue. Too raw to pretend he didn’t want the warmth waiting for him there. He climbed into bed instead, watching as Daven undressed, taking in those strong limbs and broad chest, the fine trail of hair disappearing down to—
His skin hummed as he took in Daven’s cock between his thighs, and some hot, stupid part of him wanted it.
“Aren’t we going to sleep?”
Daven grinned, then crawled behind Ryneth and uncapped the bottle. “We are.”
Slick fingers teased his hole, circling his rim before dipping in. Ryneth barely had time to adjust before Daven worked him open in a slow rhythm that stung and pulled a helpless sound from him. Maybe it only felt good because the sting gave him something simple to focus on.
His eyes stayed fixed on the stars and planets above, letting the pain wipe away every other thought that had been clawing at him.
“So beautiful, aethera,” Daven murmured against the back of his head, his breath giving Ryneth goosebumps. He moaned, rocking back on Daven’s fingers, his own cock fully awake now. “So brave.”
He soothed Ryneth as if he were a child, and that should have annoyed the fuck out of him. Maybe it did. But he was too tired to care right now.
A faint crackle danced over his fingers, blue light skimming his skin.
Daven huffed a quiet laugh and brushed his thumb over Ryneth’s wrist. “So precious.”
“That’s new,” he muttered.
Because his static didn’t answer the way it used to. Back on Düren, it had always come in panic, in corners, in moments when his body thought he was about to die.
