Chapter 118. Just in case
The heat slowly faded from the air, replaced by the quiet rhythm of two hearts still catching up to each other.
Adrian lay limp against Ethan’s chest, a sheen of sweat cooling on his skin. His breath came slow and soft now, lashes fluttering as he blinked up at the ceiling, dazed. His cheeks were still flushed, lips kiss-bitten and parted slightly, hair a silky mess across the pillow.
Ethan was silent for a moment, simply holding him. His strong arms wrapped around Adrian’s delicate frame, his chest rising and falling steadily beneath Adrian’s cheek.
Then he shifted, gently rolling them onto their sides.
"Stay right there," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Adrian’s temple. "Let me take care of you."
Adrian didn’t protest—just let out a faint hum, the sound of someone safe and warm and loved.
Ethan slid off the bed, naked and unhurried, and padded barefoot into the bathroom. He returned with a warm damp towel and knelt beside the bed. His eyes were soft now, the dark dominance replaced by quiet devotion.
He sat beside Adrian and began to clean him—slow, deliberate, and gentle.
Adrian flushed, shifting shyly, but Ethan caught his wrist and smiled. "Don’t hide from me now. Let me love you like this, too."
Adrian relaxed, closing his eyes as Ethan wiped him clean—his thighs, his stomach, the places marked by pleasure. Ethan was careful, even reverent, as though each touch was a vow.
When he finished, he tossed the towel aside and pulled back the covers. "Come here, sweetheart."
Adrian let Ethan guide him under the sheets, then curled into his arms like it was the only place he’d ever known. Ethan lay back and cradled him, one hand stroking his black hair, the other drawing slow circles on his bare shoulder.