20. ~Caleb~

“You’re being too gentle yet again,” Skylar told Bastian, as he stepped back and wiped blood out of the corner of his mouth, while she bounced on the balls of her feet, her fists ready and raring to go in for another round after Bastian had just called a timeout.

For the fifth time since they’d started sparring in the King Manor gym.

During breakfast several days ago, Bastian had told her all about his recovery plan and how doing a whole lot of MMA with Luke was a part of it with him needing to keep physically healthy and also the fact that it assisted with his focus. Skylar had been all curious and interested and she’d wanted him to show her what he’d learned.

And now, once again, for the last hour or so, they’d been holed up in here going at it.

Just not in the way Bastian clearly needed them to be going at it.

It was obvious to me that he was trying to limit their physical contact right now, because he was really sexually frustrated and any skin-to-skin contact he had with her was causing a strain on him. Normally, he’d never shy away from making the first move. With her, it had been their thing from the get-go. But after them fucking when she’d first come back here and it being all empty and everything, he’d gone a little gun-shy. So he was waiting on her to show him—and us—that she was ready.

He made his way back to her in the center of the mats. “This is how we’re doing it, so take it or leave it, woman.”

She tugged at her ponytail. “Somehow it actually managed to slip my mind as to what a stubborn shit you can be.”

He scoffed. “Me?”

“Yes,” she insisted.

“If anybody’s campaigning for Stubborn Shit of the Decade, it’s you.”

I smiled to myself. This was actually a very good sign, the two of them getting back to their provocative banter.

In a lightning-fast move, Skylar hooked the back of his knee, then executed a follow through that had him on his back on the mats with a jarring thud.

Hell, yeah. My dick jerked in my sweats at the sight. There was nothing hotter than when she got good and rough and really went for it.

She grinned down at him as she stood over him. “You were saying?”

In the next beat, he smirked, then swept his leg at her ankles, bringing her down on top of him. He rolled, then pinned her beneath him, caging her in. “That’s what you get for pulling an underhanded move like that.”

“Aww,” she teased. “Do you need me to kiss it better?”

He hesitated and pulled back slightly.

It was all she needed to switch their positions with a hella impressive jujitsu move. She slammed his hands down either side of his head. “How about now?” she chuckled.

He gazed up at her, intensity flaring in his eyes. “A kiss isn’t gonna cut it. When you’re ready to go the distance where that’s concerned, say the word.” He twisted to the side, hooked around her leg and ripped her off him, before springing back to his feet. He gave her a hand-up, then stepped back. “Until then, we’re gonna have to limit the hardcore physical contact like this.”

“I… okay,” she said, caught off guard that he was bringing that brazenness of his out again after a couple of weeks of really holding off with that until she’d acclimated more to us.

I rolled my eyes. The problem was, somebody needed to break through the weird stalemate thing going on. It had reached an awkward place now.

I was all for doing it, but Cas had advised that it should be her.

Of course, he was right.

I turned away from checking in on them, hearing Bastian suggest they do some knife-throwing outside together, something they’d had a lot of fun doing and bonding over before.

I made my way through the mansion until I reached Caspian’s bedroom.

There was something I needed to talk to him about, something I’d been putting off because of its nature. I was worried how he was going to take it. We were back on good terms, solid standing, and this could screw with that, the last thing that I wanted.

But after he’d made that deal with Skylar, I couldn’t put it off any longer.

The door was ajar and I went to knock anyway, but pulled up short as I heard his voice.

And a certain other coming from his phone on speakerphone mode.

Dante Mancini.

His new bestie.

They’d grown really close since I’d been gone.

I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t jealous. I wasn’t. There was definitely no attraction between them or anything at all along those lines. But he was close to him now, like he was with the three of us and that… unsettled me.

It was the first time, outside of Skylar, that anyone had come close to him beyond the brotherhood of me and Bastian. And it made me nervous, I guess. Worried for him too.

To develop that sort of connection so quickly—by Caspian’s usually extremely guarded and paranoid standards, anyway—was out there to begin with.

I knew I should walk away and let him finish his call, then come back later.

But, of course, I couldn’t.

God fucking dammit, I listened in instead.

“The timing will need to be precise for this to work, Caspian. Anything less than that and it will invite some truly dire consequences.”

“I’m aware of the complications.”

“You truly care for Miss Bennett, I see.”

“For all three of them. This is what they all need.”

“She’s your balance.”

“In a sense. She brings out things in each of us that I’d long thought lost by time and circumstance. Bastian’s humanity, his softness, his former happy-go-lucky nature. Caleb is lighter around her too, bolder and more independent from me.”

He was seriously telling this guy all of these intimate details about us? They were clearly even closer than I’d realized.

“And what of you?”

“That balance you mentioned? Her presence serves as a stabilizing agent of sorts. I don’t need to worry every moment about my boys, to monitor every little thing, to kill myself trying to be everywhere for them.”

“Well, a four-legged chair does have more points of contact with the surface it’s positioned on, than one with three.”

Cas laughed. “Not your best analogy, but it still conveys the point.”

“Well, I was up half the night poring over this change to our strategy that you’ve proposed.”

“Ditto.”

“Ah, but an all-nighter for a man in his twenties doesn’t take the same toll as it does upon a man of my age.”

“You’re still incredibly youthful and you know it.”

“Yes, I am rather impressive, aren’t I?”

Their blended laughter filled the room for a good few moments.

“We’ll set up a conference call once we’ve both had a little more time with this new strategy. Suffice to say, we can accommodate this change, but it must be done carefully. I’ll have my assistant reach out to Daria and determine a suitable time.”

“We’ll need to add in time to discuss the luxury lounges development proposal as well.”

“Yes, our first joint venture.”

“Outside of plotting the destruction of Bane Industries anyway.”

“I’m looking forward to officially being in business with you, Caspian.”

“As am I.”

“Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. I hope you take some time to unwind. Remember our conversation concerning burnout.”

“Taken under advisement, just like your concerns about me venturing into the field too often.”

“I’m glad to hear it. A presto!”

“I look forward to it.”

They ended the call and I peered around to see Caspian placing his phone down on his dresser and smiling to himself happily.

Hmm.

He was freshly showered, his long hair still damp and just one of his luxurious black towels slung low on his hips. Jesus, so much teasing to my cock in the last few minutes, first from Skylar, now this.

I went to knock as though I’d just arrived, but he startled the shit out of me as he suddenly spun around and looked right at me. “Gathering intel all over the place lately, aren’t you?”

“All over?” I asked innocently, sauntering into his bedroom and throwing myself on his massive bed, propping my head up with my elbow. “That was kind of pointed.”

“It was meant to be,” he said, walking to me, his hot-as-sin ripped chest rippling with his every move as he took a seat on the bed.

“I’ve never known you to talk to business associates in just a towel before. Even over the phone.” His suits were like his armor when it came to operating King.

“You know I got a late start today, hence me coming down to breakfast in my pajamas, rather than being fully dressed as usual.”

“And I see now that this way out-of-character day of leisure you’re embracing was the brainchild of Mancini’s.”

“It was my decision.”

“Yet, he influenced you. And somehow you actually allowed it. Actually, not even just allowed it, but appreciated it.”

He gave me a withering look. “Is there a point buried in there somewhere?”

“Just wondering why you’re letting him so close. It’s not like you. You’re usually way more cautious than this, but it’s looking like he’s right on the edge of becoming inner circle caliber.”

“He’s an ally and a friend. It was gradual. If you’d been here, you would’ve seen that for yourself and you wouldn’t be this antsy about it.”

“But I wasn’t, and that’s why the two of you became so close.”

“I didn’t say that as a dig. I’m just explaining and trying to reassure you. He’s not a threat, Caleb.”

“If you say so.”

I was gonna look into that bastard as soon as we were done here.

Just to be sure, of course.

I couldn’t explain it and it was clearly seeming to Cas that I was just jealous that he’d formed a close friendship with somebody else—an outsider—but there was just something off about it. Mancini had some sort of weird hold over him.

And that didn’t happen to Cas.

Ever.

“Back to my intel-gathering comment. Do you want to offer it up, or do you wish to continue playing this game?”

I rolled my eyes. “There are no games. It’s actually what I came in here to talk to you about.” I sat up against the headboard. “I know about your deal with Damien.”

“Well, you’ve certainly honed your instincts while you were away.”

“It’s not so much about that, but thanks. It’s because I know you, Cas. You finally got the opportunity to drive Damien out of the city when Bastian lost his temper and his lax and cautious approach he had concerning his brother went out the window, so you no longer had to toe the line and operate within the restrictions he’d insisted upon when it came to dealing with Damien. So, bringing him back here? Yeah, I knew something was up, that it was more than just a case of enough time passing that he’d calmed down, and also with Bastian being in a better place.”

“All very well deduced.”

“Yeah, well, I also deduced that Bastian doesn’t know a thing about this, in spite of your apparent transparency agreement.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“You know how Damien operates. If he’s given an inch, he’ll take a mile.” He grimaced with obvious pain for me as he said, “You experienced that up far too close and personal very recently.”

I swallowed down the bitter taste of that last part—there was no fucking way we were discussing that, or even talking about it again. As far as I was concerned it was done, nothing bad had come of that night, it had all worked out well in the end. Given that was my stance, it should be his too. Jesus, he really couldn’t let things go sometimes. Whenever there was an injustice against us or any perceived slight, he went in hard to rectify it. It was the last thing I wanted this time around. He’d overreacted anyway. Majorly.

Staying on track, I said, “You’re worried Bastian knowing about this help Damien is giving you will have him wanting to repair their relationship?”

“He already wavered where that’s concerned a few weeks ago when he caught sight of Damien watching him, smiling at him too.”

“I know you’re trying to protect him, but it is actually Bastian’s call if he wants to fix things with his brother, Cas. Not yours.”

“I was too lax last time and look what happened.”

“That was then.”

He rolled his eyes. “You really think Damien has changed then? Is that why you’re taking this stance?”

“Perhaps.”

“He can’t, Caleb. It’s not in his makeup.”

“You don’t know that for certain. You’re going off patterns and previous behavior and actions. That doesn’t always accurately predict future behavior and outcomes.”

“Approaching it any other way invites risk.”

“Bastian is stronger now, the risk therefore lessened.”

“He’s already dealing with Skylar’s return and the sucker punch of an emotional impact that it has been for him.”

“And he’s doing well with it, handling it.”

“All the more reason not to burden him with anything else.”

“I think he can take it.”

He started shaking his head. “You don’t understand.”

I pushed off the bed and stormed up to him. “Well, that’s really fucking insulting.”

He held up his hand as he stared up at me from the foot of the bed. “I meant you don’t have the full picture.”

I cocked an eyebrow.

He shoved a hand through his caramel waves. “Damien has also been Skylar’s font of information regarding Jett’s movements.”

“What? He’s a triple agent?”

“In essence.”

“Jesus. And she doesn’t know that you’re aware of that?”

“No. You see the complications involved?”

“I do. Especially when I’m betting you’re closely monitoring both of them to see if she keeps to your deal. For example, her telling you when he comes to her again with a lead on Jett once he comes up for air again.”

“Unfortunately, as distasteful as it is, it’s a necessary precaution. To protect all of us. But, honestly, especially her. She’s agreed to stand down and wait on my word. But that deal was made while Jett was underground and back in hiding after her heavy-handed pursuit and actions, such as decimating the army he was trying to build in order to protect himself. If she gets a lead on his whereabouts before it’s time to take action against him, it will most definitely test her. This is an obsession to her and that sort of thing can transcend all else when you’re immersed in that headspace.”

“It hasn’t for you and that fucker, Elijah, murdered your parents.”

“It’s not as simple for me. I have so many other factors to consider. But, make no mistake, if things go south with this long-term operation against Bane, King and the Mancini Syndicate will take a hit. A formidable one.”

“It won’t come to that,” I said, stepping between his thighs. “You’ve gone about this the right way. Soon it will all come to fruition.” I reached out and fingered his hair. “And we’ll keep this Damien intel thing between you and me, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Yes? You’re actually in agreement with that?”

I nodded. “I get that it needs to be this way for the moment.” I trailed my fingers down his chest, brushing over his pecs and it had his tensed shoulders relaxing at my touch. “Besides, you’re already bearing and juggling so much, I don’t want anything else added to that burden for you.”

He smiled up at me. “I appreciate it, lovely.”

I leaned down and brushed my lips over his. “How about we take full advantage of this rare day of leisure for you?”

He slicked his tongue over my bottom lip, sending sparks of sensation through me as he breathed against my mouth in a teasing tone, “And what might that entail?”

I fisted his hair with both hands and crushed my lips to his.

He rose to it, and the kiss grew deeper, hungrier.

I used my hold in his hair to jerk his head and angle him, eliciting a groan from him that sent a thrill through me, knowing he was getting off on my slight show of domination.

That boded well for what I had planned for him.

I wasn’t sure how he was going to react to it, because it had been a while for us and it was very rare also for him to relinquish his position as top. But since I’d been playing that role a whole lot more over the last two years, the urge was right there for me. And I had a feeling that it was the opposite for him. With the burdens he carried and this leisure time he’d even taken to implementing, it all pointed toward him needing to let go once in a while.

My tongue curled around his, then I sucked it into my mouth, savoring his taste.

Our need exploded between us, becoming frantic, our tongues dueling almost viciously. I was roughly pulling at his hair, his hands were sliding under my white tee and feeling up my abs, then snaking around and grabbing handfuls of my ass.

I broke the kiss, the both of us panting, then I ripped off my tee and tossed it across the room.

His eyes were all over me, fucking blazing, as I shucked off my sweatpants.

“No underwear. You certainly came prepared.”

“More than you realize,” I said, grabbing a packet of lube from my pocket before I kicked the pants aside.

Stroking my hard cock with my free hand, I closed the distance between us, then shoved him down onto the bed with a hand to his chest so his back was on the sheets, his legs still hanging off the edge.

He laid there, staring up at me, his eyes never leaving mine as I untied his towel, then ripped it off him, baring his very hard cock, his piercings glinting in the light of the room.

I grasped his thighs and spread them wide, then dove down, licking along the insides with teasing flicks of my tongue. He shuddered in my hold, a long moan escaping him that rolled right through me and served to spur me on.

And then I was going feral all over his balls, licking, sucking, and biting. I slicked all the way up his shaft, up and down, over and over, reveling in the taste of him. I had him squirming for me on the bed, his thighs shaking in my hold. I tightened my grip so he couldn’t escape, then I scraped my teeth over his crown, raking over the piercings.

“Fuck!” he cried.

I nibbled at them in turn, then sucked him deep down my throat, before releasing him with a pop.

“Christ, you’re killing me,” he rasped at my teasing.

I grinned and released his thighs.

Then I ground my shaft against his, making us both groan. Up and down, sliding the entire length of my cock along his.

He threw his head back and sank into the delectable sensation as I teased the fuck out of us both. Every time I bumped my crown against his piercings it sent a shock of bliss through me.

“Caleb,” he uttered all breathy and needy as I pulled away, my cock leaving his.

God, hearing that from him was a hell of a rush.

I shoved him further up the bed so his legs were no longer hanging off the edge.

Then I jumped on and turned so I was sitting to the side of his head. Twisting a little, I spread my thighs either side, so my cock and balls were on his face.

He tipped his head back a little and then had me jolting as he licked my inner thigh, then my cock. He kept going, his eyes glazed. He was all blissed out from my teasing.

I reached over and pulled his legs back, making him bend and shift so his ass was partially in the air, his cock pointing at his face.

Then I grabbed the packet of lube and ripped it open, slicking two of my fingers.

I heard him suck in a breath as I peeled his ass cheeks apart, opening him for me to take in his pretty hole. He shuddered as I squirted some lube directly inside.

I started rimming his hole with two fingers, delighting in him panting and trembling for me.

A long, throaty groan came from him as I pushed inside to both fingertips.

“You doing okay with this, Cas?”

“Mmm… more.”

“Yeah?”

He nuzzled his face against my balls. “Fill me.”

“Fuck, I’m trying to take it slow and gentle.”

“Don’t.” He was panting and bucking on the bed then, demonstrating his need. “Stuff me with your fingers. All the way. Deep. Fucking deep, lovely.”

“Deep, huh?”

He nodded, licking my thigh again. “Rough.”

“How about feral?”

“Yes… fuck, yes,” he groaned, his tongue going wild and licking my thighs, balls, and shaft ravenously.

“Shit, Cas,” I grunted, grinding my cock all over his face.

With my free hand, I grabbed a pillow, then shoved it under his ass so his hole was in the perfect position, then I fucked my fingers deeper inside, pulling out with every inch, then sliding back in, opening him up.

“Ungh… yeah,” he rasped. “Fuck. Fuck it hard.”

Goddamn. He was driving me fucking crazy, taking this so well, I was close to losing it from his reactions alone.

It had that other side of me breaching the surface.

Slow and easy went to hell as it all took me over.

And then I was ramming two thick fingers in and out of his tight hole like an unhinged thing, making him really feel me.

It had him grabbing at his cock, fisting it brutally.

I angled my fingers and he roared as I hit his sweet spot.

I showed no mercy, stabbing at it, twisting my fingers as I pulled out, then plunged back in again, hitting it dead on each time, until he was roaring out into the room and fucking shuddering for me.

“Caleb… fuck… ungh…” His words were cut off by me grinding harder all over his face, smothering him with my balls and cock, basically riding his cheek and mouth.

I reached over and played with his balls, flicking then rolling them between my fingers as I drove in and out of his ass, working his body to my will.

“Mmm… fuck… fuck!” he roared, his muscles locking a second before he came, spurting all over his own neck, chin, and lips.

I ripped my fingers from his ass, then shoved them into his mouth, forcing him to taste himself. He slurped them up greedily, gagging for me as I drove deep down his throat, his body convulsing from it.

It was the final straw for me, watching him take it. Fuck, watching him take everything I’d dealt out upon him.

It was several levels beyond exhilarating.

A fucking revelation was what it was.

I pulled my fingers free, then straddled his head and shoved my cock down his throat. Grasping his head, I skull-fucked him, completely losing it as his throat worked and struggled to take me at such a brutal angle. He spread my ass open, making me jolt. And then his thumbs popped inside my hole.

“Fuck!” I yelled out, jackhammering his throat.

He squeezed me deep over and over.

His thumbs pushed further into my ass then twisted.

The burning pain slamming up against all the rest had me losing it.

“Swallow. Swallow it down,” I choked out a second before I pulled my cock out, rested it on his tongue, then exploded, my cum coating his tongue and spilling down his throat.

He took it all, then licked his lips clean, then smirked up at me.

I pulled back, then dove on him, and licked up all his spilled cum from earlier.

His hands were all over me as I cleaned him off, moaning as I swallowed down his taste.

As soon as I was done, he lurched up and snagged my arm, pulling me down beside him on the bed. His legs wrapped around mine, holding me to him.

We propped ourselves up on our sides with our elbows as we faced one another, both blissed out and panting as we basked in the afterglow.

“You took that so fucking well,” I said, gazing at him in wonder.

“You were expecting some pushback?”

“I was expecting you to take back control about two minutes in.”

“I didn’t feel the need. Succumbing to your attentions was exhilarating.” He reached out and stroked my hip, drawing soft, slow circles. “The moment you started taking the lead, I realized how much I needed it.”

“To let go?”

“Yes.”

I played with his hair. “With all the weight you’re taking, that makes a lot of sense.”

“I want to make this a bigger part of us.”

Wow. “Yeah?”

He nodded, then shifted so his head was resting on my chest.

I wrapped my arms around him, and then he clung to me.

So tightly. So intensely.

“Cas?” I asked worriedly. “Do you need me to start aftercare?”

“No. Let’s just stay like this for a while.”

“Something’s wrong. What is it?”

He nuzzled my chest. “While you were gone, I spent a lot of time at Obscura.”

“I figured. That’s your thing.”

“I don’t want it to be my thing anymore.”

“What?”

“Not with anyone else, at least. It was… hollow. Every time I went there to take the edge off, it left me with a bitter taste, and just drove home to me that you weren’t here, that our foursome was fractured.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It did make me realize something, though.” He shifted a little to look up at me. “I need it to just be us going forward.”

I frowned. “You want us to be exclusive?”

“The four of us, yes. Nobody else.”

“Wow, really? You’re sure you can be satiated without the rest?”

“The way things have shifted so much, I know I can’t be satiated with the rest.” He studied me. “Can you, though?”

“You mean, given my whorish tendencies?”

“I didn’t say that.”

I grinned. “Because you’re being super diplomatic about it.”

“Caleb.”

“Is this partly about Damien? Perhaps a certain other whose name you won’t let me speak in your presence? His lover too?”

He started. “You slept with Jonah as well?”

“I wouldn’t call it sleeping with.” It was an explosion of savagery, through and through.

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t want the details. Ever.”

“Understood.” I liked that, more than he realized. Him being all jealous and possessive of me did things to me.

“It’s about all of them. The idea of Skylar with Wheeler too. Me with the subs at Obscura. It just feels wrong now.”

“I actually agree.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Not what you expected?” I teased.

“You don’t take well to being boxed in—in any way.”

“Well, I don’t consider this as being boxed in.” I smiled. “Just like you telling me that what just happened between us was exhilarating for you, that’s how I feel when the four of us come together, or when I’m with you. It’s another level and it can’t be replicated by anything or anyone. It’s special and I agree we need to treat it as such. One way is by going the whole exclusive route.”

“Well, then. Excellent. We’ll talk it out with Skylar and Bastian.”

I kissed his cheek. “Sounds perfect.”

We sank into each other then, and I smiled to myself at the amazing turn this had taken.

I’d never thought the day would come where Caspian King would let go of his subs at Obscura, where he wouldn’t need it all.

Yet, here it was now.

That day had actually come.

I hadn’t allowed myself to acknowledge how much I’d wanted him to do this until he’d actually offered it up.

It was finally happening.