Page 40 of The Cult

“It’s okay,” I said, hoping my words were convincing. What happened was not okay. He was my dad’s best friend. This was a big deal. He was straight … and married. What a mess I’ve made. “No big deal.”

“It was to me.” He whipped his head in my direction, his face sweaty and red. “I never should’ve let that happen. That was a terrible mistake.” He punched the concrete wall, and I could only imagine how much his fist hurt. Tobias winced, shaking his hand in the air. “God, how old are you?” he asked. His face contorted with confusion and perhaps even remorse.

I didn’t know why, but knowing that he regretted touching me stung no matter how wrong our actions seemed. A small part of me hoped—wished—that he’d enjoyed what we shared too. That he wanted to touch me. But I was wrong. So fucking wrong.

“Abel, answer me!” he demanded, his voice shaking.

“I’m nineteen,” I said, unsure why it mattered. “Twenty in two months.”

Tobias blew out a breath, his shoulders relaxing a little. “Thank fuck. We gotta go. I need to get you back before they notice we’re gone.” He had ignored my question about his sexuality, but I decided to let it go for now. He was right—we had places to go. “Follow me,” he ordered, turning his back to me and walking away.

We moved in silence, Tobias keeping his distance from me. It was for the best, because my mind kept wandering where it shouldn’t. My body craved a second round with him. Preferably him on the receiving end of my talented mouth. I snaked my hand inside my pants to adjust my cock. With my luck, Tobias chose the same time to glance over his shoulder at me.

His eyes widened; a vein in his right temple bulged. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?” He stopped walking, pivoting his delicious body to face me. “You came like you haven’t blown in weeks just a minute ago.”

I could be wrong, but he sounded amused. “What? I was just—”

“Just what?”

“Adjusting.”

“You’re fucking killing me, man.” Tobias’s stare traveled between my crotch and eyes, unable to hide the spark of desire in them. I was learning that his eyes betrayed his actions. His body language said no, but he couldn’t hide the hunger in his eyes. He swallowed hard before grabbing his crotch. Hell fucking yeah!

I snapped the button of my pants. I might’ve just come minutes ago, but I was always good for multiple rounds. My personal best was five in a row, and I’d love to see that record broken one of these days.

Tobias’s steps quickened and I knew I had him hook, line, and fucking sinker. Slowly, I unzipped my pants. Everything around me faded into the background. My sight focused on Tobias closing the gap between us. He moved with purpose, like a predator in the wild and I was his next meal, a role I was more than happy to play if it meant being devoured by him.

He stopped halfway when voices traveled through the woods. Cock-blocking guards. “What do you think happened over there?” one asked.

“I don’t know, but it didn’t sound like an accident, according to one of the guys,” another answered.

“But that place had been abandoned for years,” the first voice added.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” a third guard said.

The sound of their voices was sobering. It was as if a bucket of ice water was dumped on my flaming body. Tobias squatted, and I again marveled at his ability to shift gears on a dime. He motioned for me to do the same. He placed his index finger over his lips, brought three fingers up, and pointed to the gate behind me.

I nodded, buttoned my pants, and crouched to the ground. That was a close call, and, once again, I scolded myself for my lack of self-control. I needed to calm down around Tobias. Just a few days with him and I was off my axis. It’s only sex. Nothing more, nothing less. Focus, I reminded myself, but my dick had a different idea, punishing me with a slight discomfort.

“Abel,” Tobias whispered, grabbing my attention. “They’re heading east, so we’ll head that way.” He hooked his thumb to the west, in the direction opposite to the North Compound, where the other guys were.

I shook my head. “That way,” I mouthed. It was the fastest way to get to the guys and, thanks to our little detours, we were running out of precious time before they noticed my absence.

He shook his head. “NO. This way,” he insisted.

“Why?”

“Trust me.”

Tobias had earned my trust after he revealed the real purpose of his sudden appearance in The Creed and for agreeing to sneak me out. He didn’t have to be here, but he’d chosen to help us. I trusted him—but not completely. Yet. I couldn’t risk the progress we’d made.

He stood and ran swiftly behind a tree about twenty feet from the guards’ view.

“I trust you,” I said but doubted he heard me. I followed him until the guards’ voices faded into the darkness.

Tobias was waiting behind the trunk of a giant ponderosa pine. He pulled me against his body when I reached him. How the fuck was he able to do that? I was six foot three with two hundred and ten pounds of muscle, yet he was manhandling me like I weighed nothing. “Let’s wait here for a second.” We stood eye to eye, our breathing in sync. Either he’d forgotten about what happened earlier when I attempted to seduce him for round two or he had a mental switch that he’d flicked, because his eyes meant business and his moves were intentional.

Whatever it was, I was thankful. Someone had to be the responsible one, and I sure as fuck was not the one.

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