Chapter 10 #3
God, he tastes good. I would never admit that to him, but I love taking him in my mouth.
I love hearing him groan my name and choking me.
When he sees tears staining my face, I can feel his dick twitching in my throat.
He would never admit that he loves to see me cry, but I’ve noticed how wild it makes him.
I bob my head faster. His shin is pressed against my shaft, his foot cradling the base of my balls. My hips grind against him, like a fucking dog in heat. His fingers are tangled in my hair as his hips buck into my mouth.
“Elias, baby, yes,” he moans over the cocktail jazz.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Oh, Jesus Christ.
I come in my pants, releasing a loud moan against his skin.
“Did you—?” Lucian starts.
I don’t let him finish. I start following my mouth with my hand encasing him in wet warmth. My other hand massaging his balls. I’m going too fast, but I need him to come in my mouth now.
“Elias. Elias. Elias!” His dick pumps his salty seed against the back of my throat.
I moan like a fucking prostitute. Dirty and greedy.
I release him from my mouth doing his pants up gently.
Lucian lifts up the tablecloth to get a look at me. I must look ruined. My cheeks flushed. Shirt not tucked in. A large wet spot darkening the front of my pants.
“You’re perfect,” Lucian murmurs.
??? ??? ???
Mara is beside me with a bucket of popcorn balanced in her lap, fully invested in the movie playing in front of us. She whispers commentary under her breath, dramatic and delighted, and I smile even when I miss half of what’s happening on screen.
Johnny sits a few seats down the aisle, pretending not to watch us.
He’s subtle about it. Black jacket. Baseball cap low.
But he doesn’t miss much. Not the exits.
Not the crowd. But I don’t mind. The fact that Lucian is allowing me this is huge.
This could make him look soft to the world, but he doesn’t care. He just wants me happy.
Halfway through the film, during a scene so quiet you can hear people shifting in their seats, I lean toward Mara.
“Bathroom,” I whisper.
She nods without looking away from the screen. “Don’t take forever. This is the good part.”
Johnny rises automatically when I do.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell him quietly.
His expression doesn’t change. “I’ll walk you.”
“It’s twenty feet,” I say. “I promise I can handle it.”
He studies me for a beat too long. Then nods once. “Three minutes.”
I slip out into the hallway, the noise of the theater fading behind me. The corridor is dim, lit by muted sconces along the walls. The carpet muffles my steps. For a second, it feels almost peaceful.
I wash my hands longer than necessary, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I look…lighter than I did a month ago. Softer around the edges. Lucian would notice that. The thought makes my stomach flip in a way I’m not ready to unpack.
When I step back into the hallway, I nearly collide with someone.
“Oh, sorry!”
“Easy there.” The voice freezes my blood.
Xavier Long hasn’t changed since we’ve dated. Still tall. Still polished in that effortless, smug way. His dark hair is styled perfectly, jacket expensive, smile razor sharp.
“Elias,” he says like we’re old friends. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
My pulse spikes, but I keep my expression easy. Casual. Like this doesn’t feel like walking into a memory I barely escaped.
“Xavier,” I reply lightly. “Didn’t expect to see you anywhere that sells popcorn.”
He chuckles, stepping closer.
His arm slides around my shoulders before I can react, pulling me into his side like we belong that way. My body goes rigid for half a second before I force myself to relax. Don’t escalate.
A memory of a punch to my face singes my skin.
“I hear you’ve upgraded,” he murmurs, breath warm against my temple. “Living with Romano now?”
My jaw tightens.
“Rumors travel fast,” I say.
“Oh, baby.” His grip tightens just slightly. “They’re not rumors. Everyone knows you’re the Devil’s new favorite toy.”
I laugh.
It sounds wrong in my own ears, but I make it convincing. I’ve always been good at that.
“You always did love gossip,” I say.
His hand shifts lower on my arm. That’s when I see it. The shape beneath the fabric. The unmistakable outline pressed against his hip. Gun.
My heart stutters once, hard.
I don’t react. Not outwardly.
“I just hope he’s treating you well,” Xavier continues, voice syrupy sweet. “Would hate for you to be stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
“I’m exactly where I want to be,” I reply evenly.
He tilts his head, studying me. “Are you?”
My mind races. Johnny is down the hall. Too far to hear us. If this turns loud, it turns messy.
So I smile.
“You always did underestimate me,” I say softly.
His grip shifts, fingers tightening at my shoulder. Not violent. Not yet.
“I could get you out,” he says. “If you wanted. You don’t have to play house with a man like that. Could always come home with me.”
There it is. The offer wrapped in condescension. Something sharp flares in my chest—not fear. Not quite. Anger.
“You don’t know anything about him,” I say quietly.
“I know enough.” His arm tightens again, possessive.
I step back abruptly, shoving his arm off my shoulders.
“Forget me, Xavier,” I say, voice flat now. No performance. No laughter. “Whatever you think you’re offering? I’m not interested.”
His eyes darken. For half a second, I wonder if I’ve pushed too far.
Then he smiles again, smooth as ever. “Careful, Elias. Men like him don’t keep things they can’t control.”
“Good thing I’m not something he owns,” I shoot back.
We hold each other’s gaze. Then I turn and walk away before he can answer.
My hands are shaking by the time I reach the theater doors. I shove them into my jacket pockets, steadying my breathing before stepping back inside.
Johnny glances at me immediately.
“You good?” he murmurs.
“Fine,” I say.
Mara looks over, eyes narrowing slightly like she senses something’s off.
I slide back into my seat, the movie picking up where I left it—soft dialogue, swelling music, a love story fighting against impossible odds.
I stare at the screen, but I don’t see it. All I can think about is Xavier’s words.
Men like him don’t keep things they can’t control.
My chest tightens. When Mara reaches for popcorn, her fingers brush mine. I realize I’m still shaking. I force myself to relax.
Xavier is the past. Lucian is—I swallow.
Lucian is home.
And for the first time, the thought feels less like a cage…
…and more like a choice.