Page 53 of Ravaged Devotion

A whimper traveled up his throat, and Ryker’s lips pressed against his temple almost chastely.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he reassured, one hand quickening around his dick, the other squeezing and releasing his balls in measured motions that ended up driving Rue crazy.

The orgasm had him writhing and grabbing onto the edges of the tub, and he was stroked through it, until he was reduced to twitching and then lost control of his body entirely. The second he went lax, Ryker stopped, holding him through the aftershocks, kissing the top of his head and the rise of his cheek.

At some point, Ryker collected a hand towel he must have moved nearby, running the faucet to dampen it, before using it clean the drying spunk off of Rue’s stomach and from between his thighs. When he was finished, he tossed rag and then flicked the water on again, this time adjusting it so it was warm.

Rue turned and pressed his face against Ryker’s neck, curled against him as the bath filled and the soothing water coaxed his body into relaxing further.

“Sleep,” the Black Heart whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Gods, Rue was exhausted. It was as though all the rest he’d gotten last night never happened. His eyes slipped shut and he was certain he could pass out right then and there, but…

He grabbed a fistful of Ryker’s shirt. “Don’t leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised.

Rue thought of the library. How Ryker had touched him, gotten him off, and then left.

Or the forest just yesterday.

“Trust me,” Ryker urged.

He didn’t have the strength to argue.

* * *

Rue was snuggled under the covers when he woke later in the day. He was facing the window, déjà vu momentarily getting the best of him when his eyes focused on Ryker standing in front of the large pane of glass.

When he stirred, the Black Hart turned, glancing at him over his shoulder. He didn’t stare for long, seemingly checking Rue, found him fine, and then went back to staring outside at the darkening gray sky. The sound of pattering rain, and the rumble of thunder in the distance did nothing to brighten the mood.

Shifting into an upright position, Rue pushed himself against the headboard, watching the material of the blankets pool in his lap. He was dressed in his own clothes, a new pair of sweatpants and a pullover sweatshirt, but they were no longer in his room.

“The fog doesn’t reach as high as this floor,” Ryker spoke first, cutting through the silence. He kept his voice low, as though afraid to spook Rue, his tone calm and even. “You can see the top of it from here.” He leaned forward slightly, staring off to the right. “I can also see the pool house. The lights are on.”

That’s where Tod had been headed before he’d been attacked.

Thinking about what was out there caused bile to rise up the back of his throat, and Rue took a second to calm his nerves and prevent that from happening a second time before responding.

“Doesn’t mean they have a connection,” he said, and Ryker hummed in agreement.

“Only way to know for sure is if someone goes out there to check.”

Rue was on his feet in a flash, standing at Ryker’s side, clinging to his arm in a grip that might even leave bruises. “You can’t.”

Ryker didn’t seem too concerned over his outburst, merely turning to him and sighing. “Relax, sweetheart. I didn’t say it had to be me. And it sure as hell isn’t going to be you. Sit back down before you fall over. You still don’t look right. Your coloring is off.”

They stared one another down for a lengthy moment, and then Rue let him go and retreated back to the bed, perching on the edge of it. He dropped his gaze to his hands in his lap, fidgeting his fingers as he recalled the bathroom and what had transpired between them. What the Black Hart had initiated.

“How did you learn how to do that?” he asked.

“What?”

He scowled, somehow knowing Ryker was playing dumb on purpose, but unable to lift his eyes and look at him again. “With the tub.”

“Cold water can help reset your nervous system,” he stated matter-of-factly. “The trick is getting the temperature just right.”

“And you just happened to know that?”