9. Leo

After touring my share of old homes in Sutton City, I expect Steve to take me to a tiny bathroom complete with a wooden toilet seat and a discolored sink. I'm pleasantly surprised to see one of those deep clawfoot tubs next to a frosted window and new double-sink vanity.

He must do very well as an accountant.

"There's a shower in the downstairs bathroom, but I thought taking a bath together might be nice." He drags his hand through his hair bashfully, like he's nervous to admit he wants to take a bath with me. He's so goddamned sweet.

"I'd like that," I say. "Thank you."

My skin has already begun to ache the way it always does before my heat. Cuddling usually helps. Snuggling up to Steve in a hot bath sounds perfect.

He flips the water on and feels out the temperature. "How hot do you like it?"

"Scorching. Set it to as hot as you can stand, and that will be good for me."

He sneaks glances at me as he moves through the bathroom, getting out bath salts and washcloths. I take the opportunity to look at him, too. His long, lean legs are naked with the exception of his white socks, and his cock peeks out underneath the hem of his button-up shirt. Even flaccid, it's an unreasonable size. It swings back and forth like an elephant trunk while he walks.

He unbuttons his shirt and shrugs it off onto the floor. His shoulders are covered with freckles. They bring out the touch of auburn in his hair and the flecks of green in his eyes. He takes off his socks and climbs into the tub, wincing as he submerges his foot in the water. Lowering his long body into the basin requires him to bend his knees and keep most of his upper body dry. The tub simply isn't made for someone of his size. He holds his arms out to me.

"Are you sure there's enough space for both of us?" I ask. "You're huge in more ways than one."

He shrugs. "I have a way of making things fit."

I laugh. He certainly does. I'm surprised my ass is only mildly sore after how much he fit in there. I yank off my own shirt, finally naked before him. He devours me with his eyes, taking in every inch of me with an obvious hunger that leaves no question of what he thinks of my body. I notice the way his cock stiffens. He's not completely erect yet, but my own cock reacts in kind, plumping up a little bit. I can't seem to get enough of him.

I climb into the tub, careful not to step on any body part that might make Steve uncomfortable. His arms close around me. I feel surrounded by him in the best way. It takes me a moment to get used to the heat of the water. It truly is scorching. But that's nice too.

There's nothing better than cuddles and a hot bath.

"Can I ask you something?" Steve says.

"Sure."

"Why were people filming us at your house?"

That's the last question in the world I want to answer right now. I'd rather pretend that I'm an ordinary guy who signed up for the Perfect Match Agency to find love. Then I could just cuddle with Steve while I descend into my heat without a care in the world.

I twist in his arms and look up at him. "Because my life is a mess right now."

He narrows his eyes. "So you're letting people film it?"

He's right. That was a shitty explanation.

"My agent threatened to drop me a few weeks ago. Some photos of me at an orgy got leaked, and I almost lost a big role because of it. He told me I had to clean up my public image, or he wouldn't represent me anymore. And part of cleaning up my public image is getting into a long-term relationship with a respectable alpha."

He looks away from me with hurt in his eyes. "Then this isn't real for you. It's just some publicity stunt?"

"It was in the beginning," I admit.

"And now?" he asks, his gaze returning to mine.

"And now I wish I'd met you under different circumstances. My life really is a mess, Steve. My career is in shambles, my dads won't talk to me, and I don't have any real friends. So yeah. When a hot, funny guy fucks me better than any alpha I've ever had sex with, and then cuddles with me in his antique tub in his adorable apartment, of course I want more than a publicity stunt with him. I'm only human."

His lips quirk up. "Okay. That's honest. I like honesty."

"Yeah?"

He nods. "I also like it when you call me hot and funny. That helps with the whole, ‘I only signed up for a match to save my career' thing. While we're being honest, my dads got a cat for me because they were worried about me spending too much time alone, but it didn't help because the cat hates me. That's why I signed up for the Perfect Match Agency. It was to soothe the pain of rejection from a cat."

I laugh. How did the agency find someone like Steve? He's almost too perfect. A part of me wants to keep him at arm's length until I find out what his flaw is, but after everything that's happened in the last few months, I desperately need something good in my life. Would it be so bad to let myself hope that Steve is everything he appears to be?

"I don't know how much you know about me, but there's a sex tape of me and my ex out there. Lots of people have seen it. I also got arrested for drug possession, but I was cleared. Then there are the orgy photos. Not to mention the films I've done with nude scenes."

He lifts his hand to cup my chin. "It's okay."

"But the agency said you're close to your dads."

"And you're worried they won't like you because of that stuff?" he asks.

I nod.

"Well, don't. I assure you that my alpha dad will be too fixated on the fact that you've worked with Batman to be able to focus on anything else you've done. Also, my omega dad will talk about legalizing sex work to anyone who will listen because of this book he read about human trafficking, so I wouldn't worry about him. My dads aren't judgmental people."

I bury my nose into his chest to mask the tears welling in my eyes. He can't possibly be that accepting. He's far too perfect.

We lie there in silence for a long time. Eventually the water gets cooler, and my fingers are all wrinkled. It's time to get out. But I don't want to.

The connection I have with Steve seems horribly fragile.

"Are you okay?" Steve asks.

"Yeah. It's just… I really want you."

"And you think you don't have me?"

I reluctantly sit up. The air is cold after being submerged in the water for so long. "What is it that you want? Other than help getting over your cat rejection?"

His lips slide into a half-smile. "I want a real chance with you. That's it. I don't mind making our relationship public if you need to do that to placate your agent, but I don't want anything between us to be just for show."

After years of everything in my life being just for show, my heart aches for what Steve is suggesting.

"Okay. I promise everything between us will be real."

If Steve is really as perfect as he seems, that's the least I can offer him.