“That's not true,” I argued, desperation creeping into my voice. “I'm making this choice myself.”
“And it's the wrong one,” he whispered. “I can't be the reason you abandon everything that makes you who you are.”
I shook my head. “It's terrifying, stepping into that unknown. I've never lived without the weight of my title. I've never had to make my own way.” I squeezed his hand. “But I know which path I'd rather take a chance on, Theo. I'd rather have one real thing than a lifetime of gilded emptiness.”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what came next. “I'm asking you to take a chance on this... on us. To come with me, to stand by my side as I figure out what my future looks like now.”
For a long, agonizing moment, Theo said nothing. Then, to my surprise, his face broke into a smile, not the practiced, seductive smile of a companion, but something genuine and bright that transformed his entire face. He leaned in and kissed me, a soft, sweet pressure against my lips that sent warmth spreading through my entire body.
When he pulled back, he was still smiling. He lifted his wrist, where the sleek black wristlet that marked him as a companion gleamed in the low light of the villa. With deliberate movements, he unfastened it and set it on the coffee table beside us. “I already gave my notice to The Master,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
Relief and joy surged through me, so powerful I felt dizzy with it. I pulled him close, burying my face in his hair, breathing in the scent of him. “You were leaving The Ranch?”
He nodded against my shoulder. “I realized I couldn't do this anymore. Not after...” He pulled back, looking up at me with eyes that had haunted my dreams. “Not after you. Nothing else felt real.”
The simplicity of his admission touched something profound within me. “You know this won't be easy,” I said softly, needing him to understand the complexity of what lay ahead. “My life in Avaline is... complicated. There will be scrutiny, expectations, protocol. The press can be merciless, particularly when they sense scandal.”
“And your family?” Theo asked, his gaze steady. “How will they react to you bringing home—” He pointed at himself.
“There will be resistance,” I acknowledged, refusing to sugarcoat the challenges. “My parents...” I shrugged. There were those who would disapprove on principle. “But Avaline is more progressive than many realize, and public opinion has shifted considerably in recent years.” I touched his face. “More importantly, my position grants me certain privileges. I have the financial independence to live as I choose, regardless of their approval, should it come to that.”
“What about Casey?” he asked, concern clouding his expression. “My brother needs me. His care, his therapy—I can't just abandon him.”
“Of course not,” I replied immediately. “Your dedication to him is one of the many things I admire about you. There are excellent rehabilitation facilities in Europe, including several in Switzerland near our border. We could arrange for him to receive the best care available.”
Theo's eyes widened. “You'd do that? Help with Casey?”
“He's your family,” I said simply. “That makes him important to me as well. Besides,” I added with a small smile, “I believe I'd like to meet the man who raised such an extraordinary brother.”
I kissed him again, this time not fueled by lust, but by a deeper connection. We lingered, basking in the warmth of our bodies, until I murmured, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Not for a moment.”
His hands framed my face, thumbs brushing my cheekbones with a tenderness that contrasted with the heat in his eyes. “Me neither. It was like you took something essential with you when you left. Like all the colors just drained from everything.” Theo's eyes searched mine. “Where do we go from here?”
“Forward,” I said. “Together. One step at a time.” I traced the curve of his jaw with my fingertip. “I've spent my life with every moment planned and scheduled. For once, I'd like to discover what happens without that.”
His smile broadened at that, and with a sudden boldness, he began to work at my tie with deliberate care.
I reached for his hands, holding them in place. “Theo, I didn't come here expecting—”
He silenced me with another kiss, this one more insistent, his body pressing against mine in a way that left no doubt about his intentions. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark with desire. “I know you didn't.” His hands moved to my tie, deftly loosening the knot. “But I want to. Not because it's my job, but because it's you. Because I've been dreaming about touching you again since the moment you left me. Because this time, it's just us. Ricard and Theo.” He smiled as he tugged the knot open. “Just two people who choose each other.”
My restraint, already tenuous, snapped at his words. I pulled him closer, claiming his mouth in a kiss that held none of the gentleness of our previous ones. This was hunger, raw and unfiltered, and he responded in kind, his fingers working at the buttons of my shirt as our tongues tangled.
He pushed the shirt from my shoulders, his hands immediately exploring the newly exposed skin, tracing patterns that left fire in their wake. I wasn't idle either, tugging his gauzy robe and briefs, nuzzling the lean, muscled torso that had featured in so many of my recentdreams. I pressed my lips to his collarbone, then lower, savoring the way his breath hitched as I explored the contours of his chest, his abdomen, the sensitive spot just above his hipbone that made him shiver when kissed.
We stumbled backward, toward the bedroom, shedding remaining clothes as we went, unwilling to break contact even to navigate the short distance. By the time we reached the bed, we were both naked, breathless with need. I fell back onto the mattress, pulling Theo down on top of me, reveling in the feel of his skin against mine. The full-body contact sent electricity racing through my veins—the weight of him, the warmth of him, the reality of him after days of dreams and memories, overwhelming my senses.
His mouth moved down my body, leaving a trail of kisses and soft bites that had me arching off the bed. When he reached my cock, already hard and aching for his touch, he looked up at me with a wicked smile that sent a fresh wave of heat through me. “I've been thinking about this,” he murmured, his breath hot against my sensitive skin. “About tasting you again.”
Before I could respond, he took me into his mouth, the wet heat of it nearly undoing me on the spot. I groaned, my hands finding their way into his hair, not guiding but simply needing to touch him, to anchor myself as pleasure surged through me.
He worked me with a skill that bordered on artistry, his tongue and lips finding all the places that made me gasp and moan. But this wasn't the practiced technique of a companion. There was an enthusiasm, a genuine enjoyment in his movements that made it infinitely more arousing. The knowledge that his desire was real, his pleasure authentic, heightened every sensation.
Just when I thought I might lose myself completely, he pulled back, crawling up my body to claim my mouth again. I could taste myself onhis tongue, an intimacy that sent another spike of arousal through me. He straddled my hips, his own erection pressing against mine in a way that made us both gasp. “Tie me up,” Theo gasped against my lips, his hips arching up to grind against mine. “Like before. With your tie.”
My fingers froze where they'd been tracing the curve of his spine. I pulled back just enough to see his face, his pupils wide and blown. “Are you certain?” My voice came out graveled, rough and hungry. “This isn't part of our arrangement now.”
He ran his hands through my hair, tugging the strands. “It wasn't about the arrangement last time either.” His teeth scraped my jaw. “Tie me because you want to. Because I'm yours.”
