Page 79 of Ethan

Daniel held my gaze, his exuding an emotion I prayed I was interpreting correctly. I saw love—so much love staring down at me. I grunted as he increased his pace and wrapped my legs around his ass, urging him on. A tear escaped. I held his face in my hands and kissed him.

Even now, I couldn't find the courage to speak those three words.

He slipped off the condom, came on my cock, and gently stroked me to ecstasy.

My head resting on his chest, his arms around me, I broke down—tears spilling free. He bundled me up. "Get it out, Ethan. I'm here for you. I promise I'll never let you go."

My mind pulled all kinds of meaning from that statement.

I picked the one I needed to hear.

That I was loved.

Chapter Fourteen | Daniel

I brushed the curls away from Ethan's forehead so I could see him better. My boyfriend truly was stunning. We'd made love again this morning. The wording fit what we had done.

There was no swearing.

No games.

No dirty talk.

No mention of Daddy.

Just us, enjoying each other. Pouring emotion into the union of our bodies. I'd never felt closer to Ethan than I did now. I nuzzled the side of his face and kissed his cheek.

"We should eat," I suggested.

Ethan hummed. "In a minute. I'm feeling euphoric."

"Chasing some of the darkness away?" Ethan had gone into detail about how the depression made him feel. His struggles. The times it had adversely affected his life.

"Having you here is doing that. I'll come out the other side soon. I always do."

I pressed my nose to his skin and clung to him. "That's an improvement from yesterday. Last night you felt doomed to stay in the darkness forever. That you'd never emerge."

"You've provided me with some light."

"Mm … I'm glad."

Ethan squirmed and tugged my arm tighter around him. "I like this the best."

"What?"

"Being held. More than the sex." I could feel the edge of Ethan's mouth lift into a smile against my lips. "Not that the sex isn't great. It is. But I have a need to feel safe and cared for."

He'd never admitted that desire to me before. Safe and cared for. I could do that for him. I desperately wanted to do that for him.

"I can be that person for you."

Ethan shifted to face me. "Are you sure?"

"Ethan, you're precious to me."

And much more.

But this wasn't the time to tell him. If he didn't feel the same, I would scare him away when he needed me most. I couldn't do that to him. Safe and cared for became my new mission.

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