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Conflicted emotions played across Roman’s face, a storm brewing in those rich brown eyes that had seen too much and still dared to hope. The room felt charged with an intensity that had nothing to do with dominance and submission but everything to do with the raw honesty that vulnerability demanded.
Something unspoken passed between them. Roman rose and pulled Caleb up, and they stood chest to chest, the air between them thick with things unsaid.
“Come here,” Roman whispered. It wasn’t a command but an invitation, a plea.
Caleb went willingly into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Roman’s broader frame, finding solace in the strength of his hold. Roman’s arms settled around him, a fortress against the chaos of the world outside. Their bodies aligned perfectly, fitting together as though molded from the same clay.
“Tonight, let’s forget the roles, the expectations.” Roman’s breath was warm against Caleb’s scalp. “Let’s just be us, no scenes, no power play. Just…together.”
A shiver ran down Caleb’s spine, not from fear or cold but from the profound sense of connection Roman’s words evoked. He nodded against Roman’s chest, the steady beat of his heart a reassurance that no words could match.
“Let’s get ready for bed,” Caleb said, his voice husky with the remnants of vulnerability. The room now crackled with a different kind of tension, one devoid of whispered commands and obedient submission yet somehow more intense.
Roman kept his gaze locked on Caleb’s, unguarded and raw. They moved in sync toward the bed, shedding layers of clothing with each step. Ties loosened, shirts unbuttoned, their usual meticulous undressing replaced by an urgency to simply be close.
In the muted light of the bedroom, Roman brushed his hands over Caleb’s skin, tracing the lines of ink that mapped Caleb’s history. His touch was no longer that of a Dom seeking submission but of a man yearning for connection. Caleb leaned into the caress, soaking up the warmth radiating from Roman’s fingertips.
Roman pulled Caleb toward the bed. They lay side by side, facing each other, a collision of need and reassurance. When their lips met, the kiss conveyed their mutual desire for closeness without the trappings of their usual dynamic.
They deepened the kiss, mouths opening, breaths mingling, hands touching and exploring. They broke apart, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breaths. Roman’s eyes, usually so full of authority, shimmered with something softer now. Caleb saw his own fears and hopes reflected at him.
“Stay with me,” Roman said, not a command but a plea.
“Yes, Sir. Roman.”
They slid under the sheets, cool against their heated skin. Roman stretched an inviting arm open for Caleb to nestle into. With a contented sigh, Caleb curled against Roman’s side and his head found its place on Roman’s chest as if it belonged there.
Before Caleb knew it, he was asleep.
19
“Heard Caleb spent the night in your room,” Wander said and lit his Cuban cigar with his engraved Zippo, a gift from Roman.
Roman sighed as he settled in the reading chair across from his brother. He lit his cigar and took a few puffs. “Not much escapes you, does it?”
“If it did, I should find a different profession.”
“Fair enough.”
Wander quirked an eyebrow. “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”
“If you want me to answer that, you’ll have to be more specific because there’s a lot going on at the moment.”
“Caleb. Talk to me about Caleb.”
Roman hadn’t expected his brother to back off, but a man could dream. “I don’t know,” he said, and wasn’t that the truth?
He had no fucking clue what he was doing. For the first time in his life, he was flying blind, and what was even more astonishing was that he didn’t mind so much. While he’d always needed control in every area of his life, somehow, he was okay with letting things develop naturally with Caleb. No rules, no promises, no secrets. Just that inexplicable connection, that invisible thread that bound them together.
“I’m gonna need a little more than that.”
Roman threw up his hands. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m as surprised as you by our… Whatever it is we share. This connection, this bond.”
Wander blew out a big puff of smoke. “Having sex is one thing, but sleeping together, sharing a bed, that’s much more. That’s intimacy.”
“You’re telling me. I haven’t shared a bed with anyone since the day Yolanda moved out.”
“So why now? Why Caleb?”
