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“His name was Matt.” Sanjay looked off into the yard. They’d stayed at the bakery until it was closing time. Dario had even helped Sanjay with sales and cleanup, but his best friend had been quiet the entire time.
Now it was dusk, the sun slowly sinking, leaving behind a warm glow in the sky. It was a peaceful evening, the kind that always brought comfort to Sanjay.
Though he felt no comfort at the moment. Not when he was revealing a very painful past.
“Matt and I had been together for a couple of years. At first, everything was great. He was sweet, attentive, and we had a lot of fun together. As Dario would say, he love-bombed me. But then, things started to change. He became more possessive, more jealous, and eventually, he started to become violent toward me.”
Jake’s face darkened at this revelation, and Sanjay hated to make him feel that way, but he knew that if he didn’t tell Jake now, he might never be able to.
“I tried to leave him multiple times, but he always found a way to reel me back in. He would apologize, promise to change, and for a while, things would be good again. But then, the cycle would start all over.”
Sanjay paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. He could still remember the fear he felt every time Matt raised a hand to him, the feeling of helplessness that seemed to consume him.
“Eventually, I realized that I needed to leave for good. I packed my bags and left while he was at work. I didn’t tell him where I was going, and I changed my phone number. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it was also the best decision I ever made.” He found the courage to look at Jake. “I was just like Dario. Even after I left Matt, I still loved him.”
Jake reached over and took Sanjay’s hand in his. “You can’t shut off your emotions like taps in a sink, Sanjay. He gave you a few good years, and that was what you missed. Not him. Not the abuse, but the good times.”
With his free hand, Sanjay wiped away a few stray tears. “I never told anyone what I endured because I was so ashamed that I stayed, that I’d convinced myself that I could change him. That if I just tried harder, he would go back to the man I’d fallen in love with.”
“Come here.” Jake tugged on Sanjay’s hand, and Sanjay went willingly.
He sat on Jake’s lap then rested his head on his mate’s chest, Jake’s heartbeat somehow soothing him.
“You were very brave telling me that,” Jake said, running his hand over Sanjay’s side. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s Matt who should be ashamed of his behavior.”
“Logically, I know that,” Sanjay said, “but it’s still embarrassing as hell to have stayed so long, to have put up with that in the first place.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Matt was a wolf shifter,” Jake said.
Sanjay nodded.
“Not all wolf shifters are like that, sweetheart.” Jake kissed the top of Sanjay’s head. “I’ve never raised my hand to anyone smaller than me. I’ve never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it, either. I’m not perfect, Sanjay. Far from it. I’ve done some things in my life that I’m not too proud of, but abusing someone isn’t one of them.”
And Sanjay needed to keep telling himself that. He was taking out his past hurt on Jake, his mistrust, and Jake didn’t deserve that.
Taking a deep breath, Sanjay got up, turned around, and climbed back onto Jake’s lap, straddling him. Jake placed his hands on Sanjay’s sides but didn’t say a word about the new position Sanjay had taken.
Sanjay was crazy nervous, because, in the few short days that he’d known Jake, he was already catching feelings for the guy. He hadn’t even realized that truth until now. Not until he was staring into his mate’s gorgeous eyes and saw the trust and compassion in them.
“I’d like to start over.” Sanjay was playing with the fabric of Jake’s shirt, looking at it as if asking the shirt to start over instead of Jake. “I know I can’t get over my fear just like that, but I’m going to work on forgetting about Matt and looking forward to our future.”
“I’d really like that.” Jake tucked his fingers under Sanjay’s chin, forcing Sanjay to look at him. “You might not fully believe me right now, but I would never hurt you.” He grinned. “I’d also love another one of your sweet kisses.”
Sanjay nodded, closing his eyes as he leaned forward. His eyes shot open as Jake cupped his face and took his mouth in what could only be described as the best kiss of his life.
It was even better than their first kiss.
Sanjay’s eyes fluttered shut again, a soft moan escaping him as Jake’s lips expertly danced across his. The sensation of Jake’s tongue entering his mouth sent shivers through Sanjay, and he couldn’t help but squirm in delight on Jake’s lap, lost in the intoxicating sensuality of their kiss.
Jake broke the kiss, licking the length of Sanjay’s bottom lip. “You taste so damn sweet.”
“I’m a baker,” Sanjay teased.
That made Jake laugh. “If this is how your kisses taste all the time, I’m completely addicted to them.”
Jake traced his hands down Sanjay’s spine, sending shivers of desire through him. The guy’s strong fingers caressed and massaged Sanjay’s ass, igniting a fire within him.
Sanjay’s breath hitched as Jake gently trailed kisses along his neck and nibbled at the sensitive skin behind his ear. Every touch was electric, driving Sanjay wild with desire and leaving him completely lost in the moment.
