Chapter 37

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SKYLAR

SKYLAR RAN down a narrow hallway with dozens of doors on either side. The doors all stood open, each one revealing a client of his. The clients reached for him as he ran, their hands stretching out, fingers curling, snagging his clothing, ripping it to shreds, leaving him naked and exposed.

He couldn't run fast enough. They were all going to catch him. Pin him down. Take turns. He tried to scream, but there was nobody else around to hear him.

A door opened at the end of the hallway. Even though it was far in the distance, Skylar saw Ward and Charlie standing there, reaching for him, calling his name, begging him to hurry. Skylar tried. He ran faster, lungs burning, heart racing.

But they were so clean. And he was filthy. Every brief, glancing touch from the grasping hands left a hideous stain on his skin. Then the men grabbed him. All at once. Ward and Charlie beckoned him closer, but Skylar couldn't fit through the door. Not with all those men clinging to him.

He'd never escape.

Skylar woke with a gasp. He flailed and struggled, but movement was impossible. Something pinned him down. Had him trapped.

Something warm. And soft.

“Sky?”

Skylar sucked in a breath and went still. That was Ward. Or was he still dreaming? He tried to move again, then paused. He wasn't naked. If anything, he had way too many clothes on, the fabric twisting and tangling around him as he moved under the blankets of Ward's bed.

Ward's bed . Skylar let out a shuddering breath.

“Hey, kitten,” Ward murmured. “It's okay. Just a bad dream.”

Skylar trembled. “Ward?”

A hand landed gently on his back. “I'm right here, baby. You're safe. See? Charlie's here, too.”

Skylar turned his head. To his other side, Charlie was fast asleep, lying on his front. Between the two men, Skylar couldn't move far. He choked out a soft cry and shot forward, practically throwing himself on top of Charlie while trying to be careful so he wouldn't wake him. Skylar gave Charlie a desperate squeeze, then reached back, flailing, trying to grab Ward.

The man shifted closer, curling up behind him and putting an arm over him. “You're safe, Sky. It's over. Go back to sleep.”

But Skylar didn't want to sleep. He wanted to soak up this moment. Revel in it. Hide in it for the rest of his life. He wanted to belong to Ward and Charlie completely. In every way.

That was never going to happen, though. Skylar was too dirty. He was a whore and always would be.

Skylar pushed his ass back against Ward, rolling his hips.

“Sky?” Ward murmured. “What are you doing?”

“Please,” Skylar quietly begged.

Ward grabbed Skylar by the shoulder and gently pulled, rolling him halfway onto his back. “Talk to me, sweetheart. What's going on?”

“I never thanked you,” Skylar blurted out. “For everything you did.” He wedged a hand down between their bodies and groped around for Ward's cock. “I need to–”

Ward snatched him by the wrist and pushed his hand away. “Sky, stop. You need to rest.”

“But I owe you for–”

“Sky,” Ward said, his tone full of warning. “You owe me nothing.”

“But–”

“No but s. The only thing I want from you right now is for you to rest. I need you to be a good boy for Daddy and do that. Okay?”

Skylar trembled, feeling strangely flooded with relief. Even without that, though, Ward's tone left no room for argument. He had to obey. “Okay.”

“That's my good boy,” Ward murmured. He pressed a kiss to Skylar's temple, then gently pushed him back over onto his side.

Skylar immediately curled up around Charlie again, but he didn't start to relax until Ward surrounded him from behind, keeping him trapped and contained.

Safe.

Exhaustion dragged him down. The next thing Skylar knew, it was morning, and he was alone in bed.

He rolled over, rubbing his eyes. Jeebus . It was so weird that he even could roll over. Ward's bed was so big. It felt enormous compared to his own little sagging twin mattress on the floor.

Skylar slumped back and covered his face with both hands. Oh fuck . That mattress was gone. The apartment. All of it. There would be no going back.

Not that he wanted to go back. Just the thought made him shiver. But his whole life was up in the air now, filled with nothing but uncertainty. And too many things to do.

Soft footsteps approached, and Skylar looked up to see Ward framed in the open bedroom doorway.

“Hey,” Ward murmured, smiling at him. “I was just coming to wake you.”

Skylar sat bolt upright with a gasp. “Shit. Are we late? Did I sleep in too–”

“Easy,” Ward said, coming into the room and perching on the edge of the bed. “We're not late. The bank doesn't open for at least another hour.”

Skylar twisted around, searching the room, then stopped when he saw a clock on the nightstand. Sure enough, the time read just after half past seven. He sagged with relief.

“It's okay, Sky. We're gonna take care of everything, I promise. I called John last night and got the day off, so we've got plenty of time to get things done.”

Skylar ran his shaking hands back through his hair. “Okay,” he replied even as his mind whirled with all the things he had to do.

“But first,” Ward said, his voice taking on that gently commanding tone, “you're going to get up, use the bathroom, and come have some coffee. Charlie just made you a fresh pot.”

“Shit,” Skylar gasped. “Charlie. Did he wake you up? I know he gets up crazy early–”

Ward held up a hand. “Sky, stop. I told you, I can handle it. You're not allowed to worry about anything except doing what I say. Understood?”

Skylar had to stifle a sob as relief crashed through him once again. He nodded.

“Good boy. Come on. Charlie said you have to get up now so you'll have time for breakfast before we leave.”

Skylar did as he was told. He got out of bed, went to relieve his bladder, then padded into the kitchen. He found Charlie pouring a cup of coffee while Ward was bent over his phone, presumably texting.

Charlie looked up and gave a long squeak . He carefully replaced the carafe in the machine and ran over, throwing his arms around Skylar. He stepped back just as quickly, grinning as he bounced in place. Coffee time! Coffee time! He bounced and squeaked for another moment, then whirled away and went back to the coffee machine, adding creamer and sugar to the cup he'd poured.

Skylar watched him, having to hold his breath when a sob threatened to tear out of him. He loved Charlie's simple innocence. The way everything in the boy's life boiled down to small steps and routines. As far as Charlie was concerned, nothing else in the world mattered except for Skylar having a cup of coffee. Once that was accomplished, it would be time to move on to the next thing.

If only his own life could be so simple and unencumbered.

Skylar wrapped his hands around the mug that Charlie brought him. He took a sip, then let out a moan. “Oh. Damn. That's really good.”

Charlie squeaked and bounced again. Ward has right coffee!

Ward's phone vibrated on the counter. He picked it up and checked the screen. “Ah. Perfect.” He quickly typed something, then set the phone back down. “Okay, we'll need to leave a few minutes early. If we drop your car keys at my brother's shop, he can arrange to have your car towed down so he can get it fixed.”

Skylar's stomach threatened to bring the coffee right back up. “Ward,” he gasped. “That's gonna be really expensive.”

“It's okay, baby. I'm taking care of it–”

“No!” Skylar snapped. He had to set down the coffee mug, his hands were shaking so badly. “It's my car. My responsibility–”

“Sky–”

“I mean it, Ward. I don't need a fucking sugar daddy and I don't wanna be your whore!” he shouted. Skylar paused, feeling his entire face go hot, thinking about last night. About offering himself to Ward in exchange for all the man had done for him.

By the look on Ward's face, he was thinking about that, too.

“Won't that set you back, though?” Ward asked.

“Yeah, but I don't have a choice. It's my car. I have to take care of it.”

Beside him, Charlie whimpered.

“ Shhh , it's okay,” Ward said.

Skylar winced. “Sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean to get loud.”

“ Hhnn .”

Ward held up his hands. “How about this? I'll make the arrangements to get it down here. I'll have Vaughn fix it as inexpensively as possible while still doing it right.” Just as Skylar was about to interrupt him, Ward held up a hand again and went on. “And I'll get you copies of all the receipts, so you can pay me back someday. After your surgery. How's that sound?”

Skylar wanted to argue, but the truth was that he could hardly think straight. Just getting to the bank and the pharmacy felt too urgent to leave room for anything else, yet there was so much more he needed to do. His bills and an address change and all the other things to set up a new life. Dealing with his car was simply too much.

So he relented. Skylar felt sick, thinking of how much the towing and repairs were going to set him back, but it had to be done. He had to have a car if he was going to run away and start over somewhere.

A tiny voice in the back of his head told him that he didn't have to leave. That he could stay right where he was. But deep down, Skylar knew that was a dream. A temporary fantasy. It could never be real.

“Okay,” he agreed.

Ward smiled at him. “Okay. Good. Why don't you go sit down and drink your coffee while Charlie makes you some eggs?” His smile turned wry. “He saw me make my own and said I don't do it right.”

Charlie solemnly shook his head.

Skylar almost choked as a laugh bubbled up out of him. The mirth caught him completely by surprise, considering the tension of the past twenty-four hours. He had to brace himself against the counter, he started laughing so hard.

When he finally calmed down, wiping a few tears from his eyelashes, he found Charlie looking at him like he'd gone mad.

At Charlie's repetition of Ward's orders, Skylar went to sit down and drink his coffee. Quietly , Charlie said. Ward joined him, having another cup of his own. The two of them sat side-by-side on the couch while Charlie puttered about the kitchen, taking his time, doing things his way.

Charlie did make really good scrambled eggs, though, so Skylar wasn't about to complain.

Skylar turned and sat back against the arm of the couch with his knees drawn up, giving himself both a direct view of Ward and a peek into the kitchen, where Charlie cheerfully worked, squeaking along to every move he made.

Fuck . Maybe that nightmare last night had been reality, and this was a dream. There was no way this could actually be happening.

“Sky?” Ward murmured. “Easy, kitten. I see you worrying over there. Everything's gonna be fine.”

Is it? Skylar clutched his coffee mug with both hands as he shook his head. Stability never lasted long. People always eventually threw him out. Why would Ward be any different? Skylar wouldn't be able to stay here forever.

Despite how desperately he wanted to do so.

Maybe it was a good thing that Ward was arranging to have his car fixed. It would hurt like hell to have to dip into his savings to pay the man back for it, but once Skylar had wheels again, he could run away. Leave before he got kicked out. Run off and start over somewhere, just like he'd always planned.

Until his car was fixed, though, he was stuck.

Skylar had to fight a smile at that thought. For at least a few days, he had nowhere to go. He could hide here, tucked away from the world with Ward and Charlie. Live in a dream for a little while. Soak up a few more memories.

Ward reached out, draping his arm across the back of the couch, and rested his big hand on Skylar's left wrist. The man smiled, eyeing the ink. His strong, gentle fingers traced the designs, sending tingles of sensation all through Skylar's body.

Skylar bit back a moan, trembling as he realized two things.

One, no matter what it cost him, he was going to get Charlie and Ward tattooed inside the heart on his shoulder. But that would have to wait until after he left. After he was settled somewhere new.

And two, once he got a chance to experience these two men again—once he felt like theirs for good and all—he'd run far away and never have sex for the rest of his life. Never let anyone else inside his body so he could remain theirs forever. Nothing and nobody else would ever compare.

No one would ever make him feel so clean.