Page 27 of His to Break

Ryker let out a low chuckle, the sound resonating through his muscular frame. "I've had worse, kid."

Caleb couldn't help but laugh, feeling the tension between them dissipate slightly. "Where's Eli?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep. The question tugged at the edges of his pleasure-fogged mind, a reminder that there was more at stake than just his own desires.

"Asleep in the other room," Ryker replied, his deep voice rumbling through the quiet space between them. "He's safe."

Aching and still feeling half-asleep, Caleb swung his legs over the side of the bed, the cool air raising goosebumps on his skin. He stood up and padded silently across the plush carpet of the hotel room — bigger and better than the dive motels that were in his budget — and peeked through the slightly ajar door of the adjacent bedroom.

There, bathed in the soft glow of the morning light, lay Eli, sprawled out like a starfish on the big, comfy bed, his dark curls fanned out against the crisp white pillowcase. A tiny smile played at the corners of his lips, betraying dreams of innocent joys.

Caleb felt a wave of deep relief wash over him, his heart swelling with affection for the little boy who had become his world. He closed the door gently and returned to other bedroom — and to Ryker.

He knew he should get back to running. Hunter wouldn't call off his search just because Ryker had taken him down… and even if for some reason he did, his boss would just send someone else.

There was always going to be people who wanted him dead.

But Ryker was still in the bed, watching him…

"It's cold," Caleb said, playing up his goosebumps. "I'm gonna grab a few more minutes." He slid back into the warm blankets, and it was like he'd never left. Ryker let him, without saying a word, only cocking an eyebrow.

Caleb had already been naked in front of Ryker, stripping down to trick him all that time ago. But waking up next to each other like this was far more intimate than he'd ever experienced in his life.

Oh, don't get all mushy on me now,Caleb chided himself internally.Back off the sensitive stuff, make a joke, come on…!

"Is it weird that I find your ability to take a punch kind of… sexy?"

"Only if it's weird that I find your sass just as sexy," Ryker replied, his voice gruff and seductive, making Caleb's heart race.

"Then I guess we're both weird," Caleb said, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

The air between them crackled with sexual tension. Caleb bit his lip, trying to suppress the desire coursing through him. But the more he tried to resist, the more it threatened to consume him whole. He stared at Ryker's bruised jaw, the evidence of the physical pain he had endured for him. It stirred something deep within Caleb — a deep, long-forgotten need to care for this man who had risked so much to protect him.

"Promise me you'll be careful from now on," Caleb said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "You were just going to let Hunter hurt you to give me space to get away… Don't do shit like that again, okay?"

Ryker's eyes softened, his dominant exterior momentarily cracking. "That's a hard promise to make, Caleb."

"That's good. I like hard things."

Ryker laughed, a real laugh that softened the dangerous lines of his face. Something electric and wild flared up inside Caleb, something that would overwhelm him if he let it.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, Caleb,'" Caleb said, feeling a strange mix of vulnerability and relief washing over him.

Being in bed with the man who had been sent to kill him… This was nuts.

But what about his lifewasn't?

When he laughed at his own thoughts, Ryker just sighed. "Shut up and go back to sleep."

"I would, except there's a strange man in my bed."

Ryker regarded him with an unreadable expression. "I wanted to keep an eye on your breathing," he said. "You scared the shit out of me, slipping under like that."

"I knew I was going to be fine." Caleb shot him a grin. But… His grin faded. "Is it safe for us to be like this?" he asked hesitantly. "Shouldn't we check the doors, the windows…"

"I gave Hunter the slip. This place is under a fake name, and the door is locked — with a real lock, this time. This is the safest place in the world right now."

Oh. Caleb sank back against the soft pillows, the warm sheets… And then leaned in, to rest against Hunter's chest. Caleb swallowed hard, his pulse quickening with a mixture of fear and anticipation. He closed his eyes, whispered words slipping past his trembling lips. "Not for me."

"Why?" Ryker's voice was gentle, but insistent.

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