Page 27 of Nugget

“No!” Gavin growled out as he cupped Stryker’s face. “You listen. I was rough with you last night. We both enjoyed it. I’m not apologizing. But I will take care of you.”

Stryker ran his tongue over his teeth. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I’ve also been fucked before. I don’t need…all this.” He waved his hand toward the shower.

“I'm not really concerned with what you think you need or don’t need.”

Stryker snorted. “Really? That was kind of an asshole thing to say.”

Gavin grinned. “Are you saying that doesn’t turn you on?”

“You know it does,” Stryker admitted.

“And I didn’t say I didn’t care about you. I said I didn’t care what you think you need. I decide what you need now.”

Stryker barked out a laugh. “You decide?”

“Isn’t that why you’ve been calling me Papi all those times?” Gavin asked. “Because I’m someone that you can trust to make decisions for you?”

“I call you Papi because it’s hot,” Stryker replied. He didn’t want to even think about having someone else make decisions for him. That never ended well for Stryker.

“And because you’re curious.” Gavin started to strip off his clothes.

Stryker wasn’t even trying to hide that he was watching the other man. He liked getting a show. And he was already naked anyway. “Curious?” he asked half-heartedly.

“About the whole Daddy, or Papi, thing. You’ve been watching the other boys around here. There’s no way you’re not curious. You have a very curious nature.”

Stryker shrugged as Gavin stood in front of him naked now. “I like watching.”

“Oh! I know that.” Gavin laughed. “But you’re still curious.”

“Maybe.” Stryker looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine.” Gavin picked him up again. “Let’s take a shower. We can go back to your place and grab some of your stuff before returning here. We have some things to discuss.”

“Alright.” Stryker let Gavin carry him into the shower. It wasn’t like he could really argue.

The hot water cascaded down his back and Stryker groaned. With every muscle that ached the water soothed him. Stryker hadn’t lied when he’d said that the bathroom surprised him. Hell, the entire cabin was nicer than Stryker had been able to see. The construction crews that Stryker had been watching were good. Very good.

The bathroom though. That was pure indulgence.

“Who did you say designed this bathroom?” he asked.

Gavin turned him around before grabbing shampoo off the shelf. “River insisted on some upgrades for me. He hoped one day I would be bringing my mate here and didn’t want to have to remodel after they put so much work into the place.”

The wordmatemade Stryker stiffen against his will.

That’s right. Gavin had a mate out there somewhere. Just another reminder that Stryker didn’t belong there. One day, maybe even as Stryker watched, Gavin would find his special person.

Maybe that was what Gavin wanted to talk to him about. Why he said that they had things to discuss. Gavin would want to make sure that Stryker understood that he was nothing. That a mate would be more important. They were surrounded by mated pairs and throuples after all. Mates seemed to take precedence over anything else with this group.

Stryker would go back to his RV. Back to his stalking from a distance. He didn’t need to be told that he wasn’t wanted. That Gavin and his time was limited. He’d just finish watching out forhis new friends before hitting the road. That was what Stryker did best after all.

Okay, he was going to at least enjoy this shower and maybe have another sexy encounter with Gavin. Gavin’s fingers massaging his scalp felt amazing.

“Hey!” Gavin turned him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing much,” Stryker quipped. “Just wondering if you were going to massage anything else for me.”

Gavin chuckled. “If you play your cards right I might. Can you be a good boy for me?”

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