Page 8 of His to Break

"Then, I'd get down on my knees and worship you, making you feel like the goddamn king you are." Caleb whispered to him, his words dripping with seduction. "And when you're ready to take me, I'll give myself to you, completely and utterly yours."

Ryker's breathing grew heavier, his jaw clenched tight. The air between them was charged, electric, as if one spark could set the whole room ablaze.

"Tell me you don't want it," Caleb challenged, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tell me you don't want to fuck me until I'm begging for your mercy, crying out your name."

The silence stretched on, heavy with the weight of their unspoken desires. Caleb could feel the heat radiating off Ryker's body, his resolve crumbling by the second.

He almost believed that he had succeeded, that he had finally pushed the older man to his breaking point—

But then, just as the tension reached its climax, there was a sudden knock at the door, shattering the moment like glass.

Chapter four

Ryker'shandinstinctivelyreachedfor the gun hidden in his jacket, but Caleb grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Easy," he whispered. "No need for that."

Ryker stared at him for a moment, surprised by the sudden authority in Caleb's voice and the way he obeyed without question. He shook his head, disentangling himself from Caleb's grasp, and warned, "Behave yourself. Don't try anything."

As he strode towards the door, Ryker couldn't help but marvel at the control Caleb had had over him in that moment. It was unsettling. He steeled himself, ready for trouble, and opened the door.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice gruff, but his sense were trained on Caleb, watching for any sign of deception or betrayal.

The door creaked open to reveal an older woman, her dark hair pulled back into a tidy bun. She looked at Ryker with suspicion, clearly not expecting to see him standing there.

"Hello," she said, hesitant. "I'm here to pick up Eli."

Caleb strode over to the door, looking surprisingly relaxed given the situation. "Rosa's our neighbor," he explained, his voice casual. "She babysits Eli sometimes."

Ryker frowned, distrust still lingering. "Babysitting is canceled today," he declared, crossing his arms in a protective stance.

Rosa looked at Ryker, her expression shifting from cheerful to curious. "Who is this?"

"Uh," Caleb stammered, clearly caught off guard by the question. "Ryker's a... friend from work."

Ryker could almost see the wheels turning in Rosa's head as she tried to guess the nature of their relationship. "Nice to meet you," she said, but her tone suggested that she believed Ryker to be more than just a mere coworker. Ryker inwardly groaned.

"Please," Caleb implored Ryker, his voice softening. "Just let Eli go for a moment. Let's… talk about this. Just the two of us."

"There's nothing to talk about."

There was something in Caleb's eyes. "There could be."

Ah.Ryker chuckled. Should've known that someone like Caleb would try this angle.

"She won't run with him. She's just our neighbor." Caleb locked eyes with him. "Wherever Eli goes, I go."

Ryker studied Caleb's face, searching for deceit or ulterior motives. But all he saw was genuine concern for the little boy who was still blissfully unaware of the tension around him. It was a rare thing, this kind of dedication – especially in the dangerous underworld life that Ryker had known for so long.

This was stupid. This was a rookie error. Ryker was aprofessional.

And every year of being professional, his life got a little more empty, a little more gray.

He'd spent months on the road, hunting down someone he'd never met just on his boss's orders. It was hot, hard work, and at the end of it… what did he have to show for it? Another tallymark on his belt, and more shallow, meaningless praise from Arkady, who was surely just going to turn around and send him off to chase yet another pointless grudge?

Where had being a professional got Ryker, really?

Caleb's tongue poked out just a little, wetting his lips.

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