6. Soren

I unbutton my coat and let it fall to the floor. "Braken owes us for that one," I say as I enter our apartment, rubbing the cold from my hands.

Although the interior is luxurious in design and furnishings, it is a far cry from the mansion Locke owns and lives in, or the yacht and mansion Braken calls home. But it is ours, and it is enough. The high ceilings and expansive windows make the space feel even more grand, and at times too big for me. Merrick would have liked a more spacious place, but I'm not ready. I still need the sense of a bachelor pad. I don't want to play house with the white picket fence and the dog running laps in the yard. That I live with anyone at forty years old is surprising to me. If you would have asked the twenty-year-old, or even the thirty-year-old me, the idea of playing house with another man would have been laughable.

"He asked because he knows you'll say yes," Merrick states as he turns on the gas fireplace and looks straight into my eyes. "We both know that."

"You sound jealous," I tease as I stand next to him near the fire.

"Not jealous. Cold."

"Then let me warm you up." I give him a wickedly playful grin.

I move closer to unbutton his shirt and push it off his shoulders. The fire flickers and heats behind us as I trail soft kisses down his chest. Merrick sucks in a sharp breath as my hands find the button of his jeans. He isn't cold anymore.

"I'm not jealous," he murmurs, his voice husky with desire. "I just know that when Braken calls, you come running."

"And you don't?" I smile, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw.

"Maybe…" Merrick's voice trails off as I lean in to capture his lips with mine. Our kiss is slow and deep, a familiar dance that we have perfected over the past few months.

We haven't lived together for long. Before, we kept our sexual encounters to The Vault, and kissing never played a part. But as of late… I fucking love the change.

The taste of his lips is intoxicating, a heady mix of whiskey and something dark and untamed. I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him closer, letting his body heat flow through me.

"But I don't fuck Braken," I say between the kisses. "I fuck you."

Merrick's eyes sparkle with a mix of desire and amusement as he pulls away slightly, his lips brushing mine. "Damn right, you do." He lowers his hand to my cock and takes hold. "You want this inside me?"

My breath catches as I nod, unable to form words.

Merrick's smirk deepens, a knowing expression. He leans in to whisper in my ear, his hot breath against every sensitive nerve ending. "Then prove it to me."

I grip his waist tighter, feeling the muscles beneath my hands flexing as I hold him close. "Get naked," I command, my voice hoarse with need.

Merrick steps back, his eyes never leaving mine. He reaches for his belt, unsnapping it and pulling it loose before letting it fall to the floor. He drops his hand to the waistband of his pants, working the button and zipper with practiced ease. As the fabric parts, I glimpse his lean hips and the bulge that strains against the fabric of his briefs.

I swallow hard, my mouth dry with anticipation. "Show me," I urge, my need to dominate growing with every second.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Merrick pushes his pants down to reveal his erection, thick, jutting out from a nest of curly dark hair. My gaze is drawn to it, and hunger swells.

A fire burns in my veins, and I lunge forward, wrapping my lips around the tip of his cock. The taste of him is intoxicating, a mix of salty and sweet that sends a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. I swallow, feeling him throb in my mouth, and can tell by the way his knees nearly buckle that I am having the desired effect.

Determined to show him just how much I want him, I increase my pace, using my tongue to tease and tempt him. Merrick's breaths come faster and harder until I stop and stand.

"Now hand me your belt," I command, "and bend over the couch."

Merrick's eyes widen at the request, but he knows he is at my mercy. He fumbles with his pants before finally freeing the belt and handing it to me. He does as I instruct, bending over the edge of the couch, presenting himself to me in a way that sends a surge of heat straight to my cock.

I wrap the belt around my hand and step back to admire the sight before me. His toned body, expertly marked with the tattoos from the most sought-after artists in the world glistens with a thin sheen of sweat, revealing how much this is affecting him.

The desire to dominate consumes me, and I'm losing control, so I take a deep breath and step forward, running the belt up and down the cheeks of his ass, feeling the power inside me as I mark my territory.

As the belt makes contact with his flesh, he lets out a low, guttural moan. I bring the leather down again, harder, and then even harder the next time. Small welts are left behind from my savage lashing, but Merrick likes souvenirs from our play.

Merrick moans again, his words a strained, "Yes, please, more. Give me more."

With a burst of energy, I increase my pace, the belt biting into his skin but leaving behind a beautiful, intricate pattern.

His body shakes, his breaths shallow and heavy. Merrick's sounds of discomfort blended with desire are music to my ears, the evidence of a man surrendering not just his body, but his very essence of power and dominance to me.

I need this.

He needs this.

And we've stopped trying to figure out why.

This is us.

Unraveling.

Giving in completely.

The lines between pain and pleasure blurred to oblivion.

I reach for the side table by the couch and pull out the lube as I shed my clothing, the time for restraint and patience over.

Merrick remains bent over as I position my slick cock at his entrance, holding my breath for a beat before pushing forward. A gasp escapes Merrick's lips as I fill him, inch by slow inch. His body tenses around me, drawing a guttural groan from deep within my chest.

I reach for his hand, interlocking our fingers and grounding us both as I push deeper. A hiss escapes through his clenched teeth. His grip on my hand intensifies. It's a silent plea, a connection only we share.

His body submits to mine, the pleasure visible in his trembling form. The slaps of our bodies colliding fills the room, echoes bouncing off the bare walls of the apartment. Merrick's moans grow louder, hungrier. He is clenching around me—a clear sign of his impending climax.

"That's right." I hum into the shell of his ear, and he shudders beneath me at my praise. "You're doing so well. Take it all for me."

I snake my free hand around his abdomen to wrap my fingers around his straining cock, slick with precum. I mirror the thrusts of my hips with slow, torturous pulls on him.

"M-more..." he stammers. I couldn't have stopped even if I wanted to.

His ass constricts around me, making me groan loudly, my grip on his cock tightening. Matching his rhythm, I stroke him faster and harder, the coil in my stomach constricting. My own release is fast approaching, the raw need building within me.

"God...yes!" His breaths come out in ragged gasps as his climax washes over him. His seed spills over my hand, an intimate token of our connection—hot and sticky but proof of his surrender to me.

He clenches around me one last time pulling me over the edge with him. I let out a guttural sound that's halfway between a moan and a growl as I empty myself inside him. Panting heavily, I collapse onto Merrick.

Merrick turns to face me, a satisfying smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His eyes are soft but filled with raw emotion—contentment mixed with a sense of fulfillment that makes my heart swell.

I pull away just as my phone buzzes and lights up on the nearby table. It's Braken. He wouldn't call at this hour unless…

I pick up the phone, and before I can even say hello, Braken says, "Can you guys meet me at The Vault? It's important. Our situation with Fiora Godwin just got a lot fucking worse."

He hangs up before I can even reply.

"Fuck."