by Piper Scott
“We didn’t speak once while you were at work. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about.” Lucian’s eyes narrowed. He kept his voice down, but every now and then, he glanced back toward The Shepherd like he was afraid they were being watched. “You kept looking at me the other night.”
“I didn’t realize that was a crime.”
“It’s…” He balled his fists, and Marcus had to fight to keep the smile off his face. “It’s not! But you’re saying things with your eyes when you look at me that aren’t appropriate, and ignoring me to make me notice you? That’s not any better. We’re both bound by the rules. If I get caught, I could get fired.”
“And if I get caught, I’ll be expelled from the club.” Marcus let his eyes sweep down Lucian’s body. The way he held his hips and kept his posture open led him to believe that anger wasn’t Lucian’s only driving force. Marcus read his body language fluently. Lucian wasn’t only irritated—he was aroused. “It didn’t stop you from taking my number home. It didn’t stop you from reaching out to me through text.”
“Listen.” Lucian took a few steps closer to the wall, likely trying to better conceal himself within the shadows. “I was in heat.”
“You’re not in heat now.”
“But I was in heat then. You can’t blame me for making irrational decisions.”
“Then how are we going to explain away tonight’s irrational choice?” Marcus lifted a brow, meeting Lucian’s eye. “You could have walked away from me. You could have pretended you didn’t see me standing by the door, waiting. I left you alone all night long and you almost fell apart at the seams. I’m not buying that you called me back here to tell me no. If you wanted to do that, you could have said it directly to my face on your way out the door.”
Lucian’s eyes shimmered, but didn’t lose any of their fire. “When we’re inside The Shepherd, you need to stay the hell away from me.”
Marcus kept his expression unaffected, but on the inside, his soul was stretched wide with a grin that would have made his cheeks ache.
“And when we’re outside The Shepherd?” Marcus asked in little more than a whisper.
Lucian’s fists trembled. A beat passed between them as their chemistry thickened and choked the air. Marcus held Lucian’s gaze, watching Lucian’s eyes flicker with untamed emotion. The sight woke goosebumps that ran the length of Marcus’ arms. He hadn’t even touched Lucian, but he felt the electricity between them regardless of Lucian’s distance. It arced across his skin and jolted him back to life, inescapable, urging him to make his claim now, no matter how forbidden it was.
Marcus endured.
But Lucian broke.
Their lips met savagely. Lucian’s fingers curled into Marcus’ shirt, anchoring them together. He pushed Marcus against the alley wall, taking control that didn’t belong to him.
Marcus allowed him the privilege, if only for tonight.
“Don’t stop touching me,” Lucian whispered against Marcus’ lips, the words burdened with his arousal and stressed from breathlessness. Lucian pushed up against him, the outline of his erection pushing against Marcus’ leg. Marcus groaned and held him by the hips, pushing him closer. “Don’t stop. Never. I can’t…”
Each sentence was disjointed, but Marcus didn’t need words to know what Lucian felt. The desperation in his voice was telltale—Lucian wanted to be caught.
Marcus’ hold on Lucian’s hips tightened. He flipped them around, pushing Lucian against the alley wall. Their kiss deepened, and Marcus took back control. The hotter the kiss grew, the more the power balance between them shifted, until at last Marcus parted Lucian’s lips, letting his tongue trace along the points of Lucian’s teeth before he took his mouth in full. Lucian moaned and Marcus swallowed the sound.
Lucian’s heat was over, but what they shared burned like fire through jet fuel.
The kiss broke. Lucian panted for breath that Marcus didn’t allow him to draw. He stayed close, their lips brushing, and ran a hand tenderly along Lucian’s scalp as Lucian struggled to reel himself in.
“This?” Marcus asked. His fingers wove through Lucian’s hair, then clenched to hold Lucian’s head in position. The staccato gasp that broke from Lucian’s lips was addictive. “This needs to stay our secret.”
“Yes,” Lucian whispered. His eyes were closed and his face was strained with unquenched lust. “I promise.”
“You’re mine.” Marcus spoke the words in a low, rumbling voice, staking the claim he’d wanted to establish since the very first time he’d laid eyes on Lucian. “And as long as you are, there will be no other lover in your life. Not without my permission. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The utterance was just as breathless as the last, Lucian’s words delicate, starved little things that barely made it to Marcus’ eardrums. “God, yes.”
Marcus pulled Lucian’s head back and nuzzled at his exposed neck. His lips grazed the soft, warm skin there, feeling the flutter of Lucian’s pulse. The scent of omega was strongest on the underside of Lucian’s jaw, and Marcus nuzzled his nose against that spot, breathing him in until the scent of his new toy was committed to his memory. It left him throbbing, but Marcus’ desire was secondary to the job that needed to be done.
Lucian would be tamed.
Marcus nuzzled against the underside of Lucian’s jaw one last time, then kissed his neck. With tenderness, Marcus sealed his lips and sucked, drawing Lucian’s skin between his teeth.
Lucian quivered. His breath quickened.
“Bite me,” Lucian begged in a whisper, his voice trembling. “Do it.”
But Marcus let him go. While one of Marcus’ hands kept Lucian’s head locked in place, the other discovered his thigh, then the bulge behind his fly. Marcus’ fingers traced absentmindedly as Lucian shook for him, too strung out by pleasure to speak.
“My toys don’t beg, Lucian,” Marcus whispered against the crook of his neck. He pressed his nose into the dip of Lucian’s collarbone, showering him with heated affection while his fingers caressed Lucian’s cock. “My toys let me play with them how I want to play. Is that understood?”
“Yes.” Lucian’s voice was hoarse with need. The confirmation died almost as soon as it had left his lips.
“Good.”
All at once, Marcus released him. He took a step back, watching as Lucian braced himself against the wall. A beam of pale moonlight illuminated half his face, allowing Marcus to see the distant, dreamy look in Lucian’s eyes.
“I’ll see you next week,” Marcus said as he turned.
If Lucian spoke, he didn’t hear it. The beating of Marcus’ heart and the excitement swelling in his chest drowned out his surroundings.
Crawford’s words rang true—doing it right was better than doing it quickly.
And with Lucian, Marcus intended to do it right, no matter how long it took.
13
Lucian
Counselor Ellis would be upset. Counselor Ellis would be very upset. But that didn’t stop Lucian from working the dildo in deeper, imagining that it was Marcus filling him instead of a lifeless piece of silicone.
“Oh fuck.” The word was partially choked, and Lucian squeezed his eyes shut and bore back upon the dildo as best as he could. “Fuck me. Fuck me. Feels so fuckin’ good.”
If he pretended, he could still feel Marcus’ hand on his cock. If he pretended, he could imagine Marcus’ teeth pulling at his skin. The taste of Knob Creek bourbon clung to his lips, a reminder of the kiss they’d shared. All the small details dragged Lucian further into fantasy, and they didn’t let him go.
He wouldn’t want to even if he could.
Like this, it was easy to imagine Marcus’ weight on top of him, pinning him face-first into the pillows as he wrecked Lucian from behind.
Lucian couldn’t blame his heat any longer—what he felt was inside of him, rooted in his soul in a way he couldn’t hope to weed out. He wanted Marcus.
He wanted him more than he’d wanted any other alpha before. It didn’t matter if being with Marcus meant risking his job—if Marcus wanted him to, he’d drop to his knees in front of the bar and do whatever he asked.
There would be other jobs. But a man like that? Lucian bit back on his teeth and rode the dildo. There would never be another man like Marcus.
An accidental slip of his fingers activated the inflating knot at the base of the dildo, and Lucian suddenly found himself full. With a guttural cry, he lurched forward and came, the knot driving the cum from his body. Spent, he slumped onto the bed. Clarity came all at once, ridding him of his destructive thoughts.
Marcus may have been different than any alpha Lucian had come across so far, but that was no reason to give him everything. Momentary lapses in judgment were fine, but Lucian needed to find the line between what was reasonable and what wasn’t. He wasn’t a whore anymore—he wasn’t—and he wasn’t going to let a man like Marcus Hayes turn him back into a subservient, spineless servant.
A secret was fine. A secret was enticing, and fun, and everything that Lucian wanted from his new life.
A secret wasn’t going to ruin him, though. He had a future to think of, and to trade it for a dick to ride?
No.
Confident in his choice, Lucian let the knot deflate and brought the dildo into the bathroom. He showered, cleaning it while he rinsed away memories of his sinful night. No more Knob Creek. No more phantom bite marks. When he was at home, he was his own entity.
Marcus wasn’t welcome here.
Steam swirled around Lucian’s ankles. The constant patter of water as it hit the porcelain helped drown out Lucian’s troubled thoughts. He turned off the stream only when he was sure he’d scrubbed Marcus from his skin and from his soul, but when he pulled back the shower curtain to see the light on his phone blinking, Lucian found himself right back where he’d started. Anticipation swelled in his chest, relighting the same guilty desire that he knew he shouldn’t encourage.
Marcus had sent him a message.
Lucian wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out onto the bathmat. He wiped his palms dry, but couldn’t bring himself to pick up his phone. The light blinked in a steady, rhythmic fashion, taunting him, and Lucian found himself apprehensive of what the message might contain. Back when he’d worked for Baylor, communication had always been predictable, but he wasn’t with The White Lotus anymore, and Marcus wasn’t like the men who treated him as nothing more than a hole to squeeze their dicks into. Even when Marcus had called him a toy and pulled his head back, tugging so tightly at his hair that his roots tingled, Lucian didn’t feel that what he did came across as objective.
Not really.
The difference was simple. The men who patronized The White Lotus treated Lucian as they did for their own pleasure.
Marcus did what he did for Lucian’s.
Lucian picked up the phone. It sat heavily in his hand, and he looked down at the blank screen, wondering if he should ignore the message completely. Temptation, Counselor Ellis once told him, could be circumvented by avoidance.
Tonight, though, Lucian couldn’t resist—he’d foster temptation with indulgence instead.
Lucian activated the screen and was ready to access the conversation when the name of the sender caught his eye. It wasn’t Marcus at all—it was Clarissa.
Hey, just wanted to make sure you got home okay. Didn’t see you on my way home like I usually do.
Lucian scrubbed at his face. Marcus was under his skin and twisting his mind, and if he didn’t figure out what he wanted and needed soon, it was only going to get worse.
I’m back home now. Tried out a shortcut that got me home faster. Thanks for checking in.
Message delivered, Lucian returned to his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. There was a lot to decide before next Friday’s encounter. Lucian wouldn’t show up to work without knowing exactly how he wanted to proceed.
He had his freedom—now it was just a matter of deciding what to do with it.
I need something from you tonight.
The text came at noon the next Friday from the man Lucian had spent the week trying to figure out. In the end, he’d decided that he needed more time before he could draw any conclusions or set up any boundaries. The truth was, he was still too new to Marcus’ affection to know how it would continue to affect him. Should he be too distracted to function during his shift with Marcus in attendance at the club, he’d reevaluate from there.
But Lucian had a feeling that this text was about to change that strategy.
He pursed his lips and replied.
What is it?
Tonight, you will cause a scene, Marcus replied. Not a big scene, but I want to see that clever mouth of yours put to use in front of Clarissa. Drag me through the mud. Make her think you hate me.
Why?
It’s not your place to ask. There was a pause. Lucian frowned at the screen. He knew that Marcus was involved in kink—and by the looks of it, that meant some form of BDSM—but Lucian still wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He’d left most of his issues behind at Stonecrest, but there were niggling triggers that got the best of him from time to time. Being owned was hot as hell, but it also made him nervous. But tonight, you’re allowed to question me. If you can pull this off, we’ll draw attention away from ourselves. Clarissa won’t suspect a thing, and as far as I’m concerned, she is the only one who might find out our secret.
Lucian squirmed on the couch. He knew that what they were doing was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. Even the mention of it made his heart flutter.
So u want me to act like I can’t stand u?
Yes.
Okay. Lucian took a deep breath and committed himself to tonight’s performance. If he went through with it, it would mean he was committed to keeping the secret alive. I’ll see u tonight.
Knob Creek, neat.
Lucian could never forget.
“Hey, new boy.” Marcus sat on one of the bar stools, his expression lascivious. Lucian turned to face him, keeping the way his pulse raced from showing in his face. Tonight was about acting, and he wasn’t about to slip up now. “What are you doing behind the bar on a Friday night?”
“Staying the hell away from men like you.” Lucian let the lowball glass hit the counter a little more dramatically than usual. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Clarissa took stock of what was going on. Lucian got the impression that she was worried. “It’s been four weeks now. When are you going to give it up?”
Marcus’ smirk wasn’t fabricated. “When I get what I want.”
The thrill of their subtle flirtation made Lucian want to smile, but his face stayed a stony mask of impartiality. He poured the Knob Creek Marcus always ordered, then slid it across the counter to him. Marcus caught it in his palm. “Then here you go—you got what you wanted. Now give me what I want and leave me alone.”
The smirk on Marcus’ face crept into his eyes, and Lucian wanted nothing more than to jump the bar and sink onto his lap. “Boys like you don’t deserve to be alone on a Friday night. Let me give you some company.”
“I’m here to work, not to be preyed on by creepy old men.” Lucian didn’t know how old Marcus was, but he was at least ten years older than he was, if not more. To Lucian, age didn’t matter, but the way his statement lit up Clarissa’s face did. She was falling for it. “I’ll call security if you don’t listen to me and back off.”
Marcus’ smirk faded. The disappointment and reproach on his face was artificial, but Lucian could barely pick it apart from genuine sentiment. From a distance, Clarissa had to believe it was real.
“I know when I’m not wanted,” Marcus said, voice stern. He stood, drink in hand, and shot Lucian a look that told him it wasn’t over. Lucian could barely contain his excitement. It was wrong, but it felt so right. “I’ll be going. You’re not worth the chase.”
“Then go.” Lucian’s voice was just as cold. “I don’t want to
see you here ever again.”
But after hours, outside of The Shepherd’s walls?
That was a different story.
As Marcus left, Clarissa came over. She nodded her chin toward Marcus as he retreated. “Do you need help with him? I can have security throw him out if he’s making you feel uncomfortable. Everyone knows that you don’t play with the staff.”
Lucian shook his head. “He got the message. I don’t think he’s going to be back.”
“As long as you’re sure.” Clarissa squeezed his shoulder, then patted his back and went to tend to the patrons who’d started to cluster around the bar. “Proud of you, Lucian.”
Lucian was proud, too, but for different reasons. They’d pulled off their deception without a hitch.
Their secret would be safe.
Lucian got back to work.
14
Marcus
Waiting was divine torture. Seconds ticked by like passing seasons, minutes lasting decades that bled into infinity. In the tiny offshoot of the back alley, Marcus had nothing more to keep him company than the scant light that made it past the overhang and his own thoughts.
And his own thoughts led back to Lucian relentlessly.
The ease with which he followed instruction was breathtaking. He took to submission as naturally as birds did to flight—all it took was a little push and Lucian had spread his wings.
Now it was time to see if his fledgling would come back to the nest.
He did.
Marcus scented his omega in the air before he saw him, and as soon as Lucian rounded the corner, Marcus drew him into his arms and pushed him against the wall. The gasp Lucian rewarded him with was worth the wait.