Chapter 22

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SKYLAR

SKYLAR HESITATED at the hotel room door.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself, too wound up to come up with anything more creative. Why am I even here? He knew who was in that room. The text message from the scheduling coordinator had merely read, Ward (repeat) , followed by a time and the address of this hotel. He had no other clients named Ward, and this was the same hotel where he'd met the man before.

So it had to be him .

Until that message arrived, Skylar had no clue that Ward was coming to the city again. Even with their halting, intermittent text exchanges, the man had never so much as hinted at it. Of course, Skylar hadn't really given him a chance. The lag between messages was entirely his doing. Granted, part of it was beyond his control. The two of them were only awake and unoccupied at the same time for mere moments, not enough to say more than good morning or goodnight to one another. All the rest of the time, one or the other of them was either at work or asleep.

But even when they did manage to catch one another, Skylar tried so hard to resist. Tried to ignore the messages. Ward felt like an addiction. A beautiful, glorious addiction, one he couldn't bear to give up. But he had to. Ward and Charlie were texting a lot, which was a good sign. If Skylar could simply keep himself away, there was a chance those two could turn into something more.

What Skylar should have done was turn down this job tonight. Maybe call in sick. Instead, he'd found himself rushing to get ready and flying across the city. Racing up to this room. Ward was just beyond that door. So close.

“Fuck,” he repeated, then lifted his hand to knock. He was usually so much better at resisting temptation, at denying himself all the little things he wanted.

But this was Ward .

The door opened, and there the man stood in all his glory, a soft smile on his face, his hair falling into his eyes. “Hey,” he murmured, taking a step back and holding the door open.

Skylar stared up at him, holding his breath, then let out a curse. “Fuck,” he spat once more for good measure. Skylar stepped into the room, yanked the door out of Ward's hand, and slammed it shut behind him. “Why are you here?”

Ward blinked. “I'm sorry?”

Skylar ran his hands back through his hair. He'd come as himself tonight, per the client instructions he was given. He wore the one pair of jeans he owned that didn't have holes in the knees, his only pair of sneakers, a long-sleeved shirt, and Charlie's old hoodie. No makeup. No hair products. He hadn't even bothered to shave his face or his legs, leaving stubble all over. Was he trying to turn Ward off? Or was he simply grabbing onto what Ward offered: a chance to be himself?

“Why are you here?” Skylar repeated, trying to avoid looking at the man, each glance making it harder to keep his distance.

“I missed you,” Ward replied simply. “I wanted to see you again. And if this was the only way to do that, then so be it.” After a long pause, Ward said, “But if you don't want to be here–”

“I do want to be here, Ward! And that's the problem.”

“Why is that a problem?”

Skylar paced, his breaths coming faster and faster. “Because…”

“Sky? Are you worried about Charlie? Because he knows I made this appointment.”

That stopped Skylar in his tracks. “What?”

“When he and I talked that night, Christmas Eve, he basically gave me permission to see you again. But he said it had to be like this. I had to pay you, because he said you need the money for your surgery.”

Skylar took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to shrink into Charlie's hoodie.

“Here.” Ward pulled out his wallet. “I'll pay you for last time, too–”

“Don't!” Skylar cried.

Ward flinched, then went utterly still.

Skylar's chest heaved as tears began to stream down his cheeks. “Fucking hell , Ward. Don't do this.”

“Sky? I'm just trying to help. I wanted to see you. And if it means paying so that you can be here instead of being off with someone else, then–”

“ I don't want to be your whore! ” Skylar screamed. He choked out a sob and sank heavily onto the end of the bed. “Please, Ward,” he whispered. “Please, don't make me feel dirty. Not with you. Not with you!”

“Okay,” Ward murmured. He set his wallet aside and knelt down in front of him. “Sky? Whatever you want. Okay? But Charlie told me how important this surgery is to you, and I don't want to keep you from getting what you need.”

“What if you're what I need?” Skylar blurted out. He slapped a hand over his mouth, then hid his face. “Jiminy Christmas,” he muttered. “Fuck. I shouldn't have said that.”

“Sky?” Ward whispered. “Look at me.” He waited quietly. When Skylar lowered his hands, Ward said, “We don't have to do anything. You are not my whore, you hear me? We can just sit and talk, if you want. Or go out to dinner. Go see a movie. Something normal. Or we can lie here in silence, and I'll hold you until you fall asleep. Whatever you need, kitten. Whatever makes you happy.”

Skylar felt his mouth twitch, and he breathed a laugh even as more tears fell. “That's growing on me, you know.”

“What is?”

“You calling me kitten .”

Ward smiled, and the gentle beauty of it almost broke Skylar's heart.

“Damn it.” Skylar lurched forward and crushed their mouths together.

Ward moaned, taking control of the kiss and gently pulling Skylar into his arms.

“Daddy,” Skylar whimpered, the word simply ripped out of him. “Need you. Please.”

“Are you sure?”

“ Please ,” Skylar begged.

“Okay.” Ward helped him to his feet. He reached for the hem of Skylar's hoodie, his fingertips nearly brushing the bare skin at Skylar's waist.

“Wait!” Skylar gasped, pulling back.

Ward let go, holding up his hands.

“I need a shower,” Skylar blurted out, suddenly feeling as though his skin were crawling. “I mean, I had a shower, but I need another one. I don't feel clean enough. I need to be clean for you–”

“Sky,” Ward interrupted him just as Skylar realized he was on the way to hyperventilating. “Easy, kitten. Just breathe, okay? Let Daddy help.”

Ward took control, guiding him into the bathroom. He knelt down and helped Skylar out of his shoes and socks, then stood up and reached for the hoodie again while bending to give Skylar a kiss.

A few dizzying moments later, they were both naked and standing under the hot shower spray, Ward holding him close as they kissed like the world might end. Ward spent what felt like endless hours simply running his soapy hands all over Skylar's body. Skylar kept waiting for the man to comment on his unshaved legs—or to at least shy away from them—but Ward kept up his slow, thorough attention to every inch of Skylar's body, making him feel more clean, treasured, and protected than he'd ever felt in his life.

Skylar was ready to beg again right when Ward finally rubbed two fingers between his legs. Skylar moaned, widening his stance, giving Ward more room.

But the second those fingers teased his hole, Skylar winced.

“Sky?” Ward asked, going utterly still. “What is it? What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Skylar lied. Ignore the pain. You've had worse . “Don't stop.”

Ward eyed him with caution, but moved his fingers again.

Skylar flinched back.

“Sky?” Ward repeated.

“I'm fine,” Skylar insisted. “I can take it.”

Ward leveled a look at him. “I'm not going to touch you if it means it'll hurt you.”

Skylar tried to turn on the flirtation, to pull out any one of his tricks to get Ward so desperate that there would be no stopping the man, but the earnest concern in Ward's eyes had him bursting into tears instead.

“I'm sorry,” he cried. “I'm just sore. But I can handle it–”

“Sky?”

“I had a client last night,” Skylar blurted out, feeling his cheeks turn red with shame. “Except he brought some friends and offered me an obscene amount of money for them to take turns with me, and it all just went on for so long that–”

“Geez, Sky,” Ward muttered.

“I'm sorry. Fuck. I shouldn't have told you any of that. I'm so sorry. Fuck. Now you're probably disgusted with me–”

“Never, Sky,” Ward murmured. “Look at me. If this life is what you need right now, then I'll support you one hundred percent. Okay?”

“But aren't you jealous?” Merciful gods, please be jealous .

“Of course I'm jealous,” Ward said. “But it's not my choice. It's yours. This is your life. Your needs are what matter. Besides, the jealousy has nothing on my concern. I hate knowing that you're hurt.”

“I'm fine, I swear!” Skylar gasped. “Don't stop, Ward. Please. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't stop. Let me take care of you.”

Ward cupped Skylar's jaw with both hands and leveled another look at him. “How about you let me take care of you?”

Another sob tore out of him as fresh tears threatened to fall. “Ward,” he whined. “That's not how this works–”

“It is now,” Ward said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You forcing yourself through pain is the very last thing I want.” He studied Skylar's eyes for a moment. “I've got an idea.”

Skylar watched in silence as the man shut off the shower and reached for a towel. Ward helped him out of the tub, then dried Skylar thoroughly, treating his body like glass. Once he was done, Ward grabbed another towel and made quick work of drying himself. Then he took Skylar by the hand and led him to the bed.

“Lie on your back,” Ward murmured. “Head on the pillows.”

Skylar eyed him with curiosity even as he rushed to obey. What was the man up to?

Ward climbed up onto the end of the bed. He ran his hands up Skylar's legs, not shying away from the stubble, then gently nudged them apart.

Skylar waited, chest heaving as he stared at Ward. The man's cock looked painfully hard, straining up towards his belly. Skylar started to reach for it, but Ward caught his hand and pressed it down at his side.

“I told you to let Daddy take care of you,” the man murmured.

“Ward,” Skylar panted.

Ward held his gaze as he slowly lowered himself to the bed. Those big hands of his pressed out and down on Skylar's thighs, leaving Skylar spread open and exposed.

“Holy fudgecicles,” Skylar gasped. There's no way. He's not–

Ward stuck out his tongue and gently ran the tip of it between Skylar's legs.

Oh fuck, he is . Skylar moaned, arching his back up off the bed. “Ward!” he gasped.

Ward dragged his tongue down, then fluttered it side-to-side before flicking it underneath Skylar's hormone-enlarged growth.

“ Jeebus , Ward. Wait! Shit. Fuck.” Skylar tried to reach out for the man, though whether it was to push him away or to hold onto his head and never let go, Skylar wasn't sure. “You don't have to… Ohmyfuckinggod .” Skylar sucked in a breath when Ward did something that made him see stars. “No, wait! This is wrong. I should be taking care of you. This is supposed to be about what you want–”

“This is what I want,” Ward said, his voice a husky murmur. “Let Daddy make you feel good.”

He fluttered his tongue again.

“Oh fuck,” Skylar gasped. He lost all sense of time and place, utterly consumed by the pleasure, by the fact that this man wanted to do this for him. Skylar writhed and panted, moaning and crying out at every little zing of sensation that Ward created.

It was pure magic.

Skylar had never experienced anything remotely like this. His clients were all about using his body to pleasure themselves. The idea of making him enjoy it never even crossed their minds. And as for Charlie? He didn't even understand the concept of oral sex. Skylar had offered to go down on him once, just to show him how it felt, but Charlie instantly vetoed the idea. As far as Charlie was concerned, genitals went together, but mouths had no business getting involved.

How the fuck is this my life right now?

Skylar cried out as he came.

Ward soothed him with gentle touches all over his belly and thighs, followed by lingering, open-mouthed kisses all around his groin. Once Skylar caught his breath, Ward rose up onto his knees, shuffling forward until he was as close as he could get, positioned between Skylar's splayed legs.

Skylar was just about to ask what he could do to make Ward feel good when the man shot him a look, like Ward knew what he'd been about to say. So Skylar snapped his mouth shut and watched as Ward took his cock in hand and stroked.

Holding Skylar's gaze the entire time.

“Oh my god,” Skylar gasped. “Ward!”

The man's heated look was insane . They were barely touching, but something in Ward's eyes made Skylar realize that he was giving the man pleasure, simply by being there. Simply by letting Ward look at him as he stroked himself.

“Sky!” Ward gasped as the first shot of cum streaked across Skylar's belly.

Oh hell . It was perfect. Beautiful and intense and utterly perfect.

How had he ever thought he could possibly resist this man?