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“Words,Rhys.”
His hands continued until his fingers wrapped around my cock and gave an experimental stroke. “Fuck me,” I breathed. Gianni twisted me around just enough to steal my lips, licking me from the inside out. He kissed differently than the others, more playful and way more passionately, a way to get lost in the world that he created.
When he pulled away, his eyes were glittering, his hand still moving in languid strokes along my cock. “I’m not going to fuck you right now, babe. I don’t want it clouded by the murky thoughts in your head. However, I will gladly give you this.” Then he hastened his pace, my hips moving in time with his hand as I tried to muffle my cries and failed.
Gianni’s other hand wrapped around my mouth, squeezing my jaw. “Can’t have Paval wondering what’s going on here, Rhys.” His lips dipped to the curve of my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin as he continued to stroke me, his thumb running across my slit as I jerked forward.
I squeezed my eyes shut, falling apart in Gianni’s hands as the water sloshed and splashed over the side, Gianni focused on me and only me. My hands fell to his thighs as I fought against the sensation, unconsciously sliding my ass along his thick cock.
“Fuck, you feel so good, Rhys. Just like that. Keep going.” I kept up my movements, twitching and trying not to scream when I exploded all over Gianni’s hand, Gianni biting into my shoulder as he came with me, the flood of his release slipping through my ass. Even in the water, it was a strange sensation, one that made me want himinsideof me, rather than just against me. As if he knew, he kissed my neck, running his lips over his fresh claim.
My head fell back against his shoulder as I opened my mouth, unable to hold my tongue. “Why didn’t you tell me that you loved me?” I asked quietly, realizing the double-edged sword after I asked. Had Gianni said something, maybe I would have never chosen Owen. Or maybe nothing would have changed and I’d have broken Gianni’s heart.
My question was met with silence for several seconds, Gianni slowly standing up and helping me to my feet afterward. “You weren’t ready to hear those words, Rhys. Now, I wish I had.” There was sadness in his eyes as he reached past me to drain the tub, putting a cork in that conversation. “Let’s finish up with a shower and then see what they’re whipping up for breakfast.”
I didn’t argue, worried that the first of many cracks had begun to show in a relationship that had barely started.
Chapter twenty-three
VALENTYN
I couldn’t help but think we were dragging Rhys into our world, that soft, sweet, loving kid, and yet, what Dmitri was telling me, told me that Rhys was far deeper into our world than I would have liked. Watching Rhys break down again before Gianni was able to get him in the bathroom broke my heart and the amount of pain he was carrying told me that there was something more between him and Owen than just fear.
“So, what you’re telling me is that Owen is a piece of shit?” I asked while scrapping a pan full of cheese eggs, onions, and peppers around. Dmitri had run back out to the store for essentials seeing as Rhys only had alcohol, sweets, and Chinese food, minus whatever shit Owen had put together last night. Using the little bit of counter space not messed up from our ‘renovations’, I had been free to stir up scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and those stupid potato pancakes that Paval liked. They tasted like ass to me but whatever made him happy was okay in my books.
Dmitri chuckled as he swiped Paval away from grabbing a fistful of a pancake just out of the oven. “Yes, but it’s worse than that. Owen’s been in this business for years. Apparently, he went to France to look for Hawk International’s newest program—which, yes is where Rhys Knight comes in. Rhys was over there for a conference and they magically met. Come to find out they live close to each other. Nothing’s a coincidence. Owen engineered everything. He needed it to work. Unfortunately for Owen, Rhys is the purest kid I’ve ever met and won’t break his secret clearance for anything. Not even for a fiancé. Well, ex now.”
That made way more sense than Rhys had just stumbled upon Owen and they started darting. They didn’t even run in the same circles as far as I knew.
Dmitri continued, watching my expression as he spoke. “And apparently, Rhys neglected to mention that he has a fucking restraining order against the guy. I don’t blame him for not saying anything, seeing as the few times he’s called the police, it hasn’t gone anywhere.”
An undignified grunt tore from my throat. Leave it to Dmitri to figure out the connections. The restraining order gave more weight to Rhys’ fear and that bruise clearing on his neck. The fact that Rhys had called us instead of 911 told me just how much he trusted us. Or just how scared he’d been.
“What are you thinking?” Dmitri asked.
I shrugged as I pulled the pan off the stove and emptied it into a bowl. The shower shutting off told me I had timed it perfectly. “Just that Owen’s a little more dangerous than I thought before. Yesterday, he was just a crazed ex, one who didn’t understand that they were over. Now, it’s not love driving him but power and possibly also obsession. You can’t combat that with a few extra locks on the door. Rhys also knows a little more about our job than we told him. Don’t look at me like that. Apparently, google truly is a wealth of information.”
The conversation was paused as Paval squeezed out of Dmitri’s arms and ran up to me, hands out to grab the plate, oblivious to what we were talking about. “I can take it to the table.”
“Yes, you can Pav. Just be careful. It’s hot.” He nodded and wiggled his fingers as I handed it to him, Paval taking off to the island where Dmitri was preparing the other food and gently placing it on the edge as that was all he could reach. I watched him pull out a chair, climb on it, and then shove the plate into the middle before rushing back to me for another. I couldn’t help the chuckle that fell from my lips. He was one of the few bright things in my life. Rhys was the icing on the cake.
Rhys made an appearance at the edge of the kitchen, his arms tightly wrapped around his chest as if he were guarding his heart. His eyes were a torrent of gray and uncertainty as he looked around before meeting my gaze. “I don’t have juice.” I never knew it took only four words to break my heart.
I let out a deep sigh as I made my way to the island and prepared his plate and handed it to him. “You do now. Go sit and eat. We’ll be right there.” I poured him a glass but he didn’t take it, Gianni swiping it from me as he guided Rhys to the couch in the living room. It wasn’t lost on me that while there was a seating area in the kitchen, Rhys didn’t have a table to fill it.
I caught Dmitri as I prepared the other plates. “Don’t mention the restraining order. We already put a lot of shit on his plate. Rhys will let us know but either way, we’ll make sure Owen’s not a problem.”
“Regardless of the job?” Dmitri asked, gathering two of the plates.
“Regardless of the job,” I said. Rhys’ safety was more important than whatever fuckery Owen had in mind.
We ventured into the living room, Gianni taking a seat first and then pulling Rhys into his lap. I knew Gianni would eat eventually as I set his plate on the coffee table, each of us eating in silence, eyes trained on the man who had somehow wormed his way into our hearts. I couldn’t handle that broken expression on his face anymore. If Rhys truly was in danger, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
Owen was already dead in my mind.
If anyone else tried anything? There would be no second chances.
Chapter twenty-four
