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Professionalism could wait.
He considered the layout of the houses, not too far from each other in the small village. If this was some elaborate ruse, he'd still be able to reach Eli in a heartbeat. "Fine," Ryker grumbled.
"Thanks," Caleb said, relief evident in his voice. He walked over to Eli, gently guiding him by the hand. "Eli, sweetheart, you're gonna go with Rosa for a little bit, okay?"
"Okay!" Eli chirped, his innocent eyes shining as he grinned up at his babysitter. Caleb gave him a brief hug before sending him off with Rosa.
"Be good, kiddo," Caleb murmured, watching as Eli took Rosa's hand.
"Promise!" Eli replied.
"Of course! Eli is a good boy," Rosa chimed in, her lined face lighting up with enthusiasm.
Finally, the door closed, leaving the two men alone.
The air between them crackled with tension. Their eyes met, and Ryker knew that beneath Caleb's playful exterior lay unknown depths.
"Okay, big shot," Caleb said, his voice low, setting the hairs on the back of Ryker's neck alight with a shiver that raced down his spine. "Eli's safe next door. You've got me all to yourself now. Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"
Ryker felt the heat of those smoldering green eyes searing into him, branding him with their fire. "Like what?"
"Like… anything you want."
"Anything I want, huh?" he murmured, his voice rough with arousal as he took a step toward Caleb, closing the distance between them until they were mere inches apart. He could feel the warmth emanating from Caleb's body, calling to him like a siren's song.
He'd fucked men before, of course. He wasn't some perfect little mindless hunting dog for Arkady, too loyal to take some time for himself. But on the road, chasing Caleb, those encounters had been few and far between. It seemed that just as quickly as he blew off a little steam, he'd just as quickly wind up pent up again.
Maybe this was exactly what he needed right now. Something mean, dirty — and forbidden. "That's a dangerous offer, sweetheart."
"Maybe," Caleb whispered, his breath hot against Ryker's ear as he leaned in closer, daring him to take control. "But isn't danger what you do?"
Ryker couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at that, a low, throaty sound that held all the weight of their unspoken desires. "You think you know me, huh?" he asked, his fingers grazing the line of Caleb's chin, tracing the sharp angles of his jaw.
"No," Caleb admitted, his eyes locked onto Ryker's with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. "But I know enough to see that you want me."
"Is that right?" Ryker mused, his hand sliding down to curl around Caleb's throat, feeling the steady pulse beneath his fingertips as he exerted just enough pressure to make his point.
He knew his orders.
All he'd have to do would be to squeeze…
It was what Arkady wanted, after all.
Ryker let go.
"Strip," Ryker commanded, his voice laced with authority and desire as he released his grip on Caleb's throat, stepping back to give him room to comply. He wanted to see every inch of Caleb laid bare before him.
Caleb's eyes flashed with a mix of amusement and arousal as he began to slowly remove his clothes, each movement deliberate and graceful.
As Caleb peeled off his shirt, Ryker's breath caught in his throat. His eyes hungrily drank in the sight of Caleb's slender body, with its smooth, toned muscles and tanned skin. The firelight cast a golden hue on him as he moved, highlighting every ripple and curve in perfect detail.
He was even more beautiful than Ryker had imagined.
As his eyes roamed over Caleb's body, they lingered on the shiny white lines of scars that peppered his body here and there. He could barely guess at some of them. Deliberate? Accident? Did someone do that to Caleb by force, or was it part of some dark thrill?
That was life in the underworld: no-one got out unscathed.
In a strange way, instead of jaded, it only made Caleb seem more vulnerable. Ryker's hands itched to run over that long, lean body, to press his fingers against each scar as if he could rub them away.
