Page 99 of The Sterling Acquisition
“I—I can’t,” Orion managed, his breath coming in ragged bursts. “I can’t stop it. Please, I—”
Dante’s fingers found that spot inside Orion that sent shockwaves of pleasure through his body, and he gasped, his hips bucking wildly. “That’s it, baby. Let go. Let me give you what you need.”
The tension built within Orion, every muscle in his body coiling tighter and tighter until he felt like he might shatter. Dante’s mouth moved back to his cock, sucking and licking with such skill that Orion couldn’t hold back any longer.
With a cry of pure surrender, Orion’s body convulsed, his release crashing over him like a tidal wave. Dante held him through it, his fingers and mouth never stopping, drawing out every last shudder of pleasure from deep within Orion’s core.
Dante pulled away, his eyes still glittering with hunger, and Orion watched as he started to undress himself, revealing his hard, flushed body, a sheen of sweat covering his toned chest.
“I’m not done with you, yet,” Dante said, his voice filled with promise. “I’m going to make you feel so good, you’re going to forget everything else.”
Orion lay on the floor, panting and spent, his body still trembling with the aftershocks of his release. But as Dante stood before him, naked and aroused, Orion felt a new wave of desire building within him. He tried to push it down, to convince himself that the worst of the heat would fade like it had before, but his body wasn’t cooperating.
“Enough,” Orion gasped, trying to push himself up with what little resolve he had left. “I can’t—I can’t do this anymore.”
Dante paused, his eyes raking over Orion’s body, taking in every detail. “You sure about that?” he asked. “Because your scent is getting stronger, not weaker. You clearly need more.”
Orion’s heart skipped a beat. Dante was right. The desire was deepening, transforming from the sharp edge of desperate need to something more profound—a hollow ache that couldn’t be satisfiedwith a single release.
“I’ve never...” Orion whispered, unable to finish the sentence.I’ve never gone this far. I’m scared.Orion closed his eyes, unable to bear the weight of Dante’s gaze.
“I know,” Dante said softly, sounding like he had moved down to the ground.
When he opened his eyes again, expecting to see triumph or mockery on Dante’s face, he found a reverent tenderness that made his chest ache.
“Orion,” Dante said, kneeling beside him with unexpected gentleness. “As much as I’ve enjoyed pushing you until you bite back, we can stop if you want. I can help you through this without going further.”
The offer—genuine, with no manipulation or conditions—cut through Orion’s defenses more effectively than any force could have. This man, who could have taken what he wanted, who had the biological advantage and the physical strength to overpower him, was instead offering choice.
“I want you,” Orion admitted, the words feeling like they were being torn from somewhere deep inside him. “I want you, I don’t want to stop. But I’m so scared.”
The vulnerability was too much to bear. Orion threw his forearm across his face, blocking Dante from his sight and hiding his expression in the same desperate motion. He couldn’t bear to see Dante’s reaction, couldn’t stand to be seen in this moment of complete exposure.
Dante was quiet for a long moment, his breath warm against Orion’s skin. Then Orion felt the soft press of lips against his forearm. He tried to hold back a sob building, to maintain some shred of dignity, but it stuttered out of him in a broken sound that echoed his fractured composure.
Dante’s hand came up to rest over Orion’s heart, palm flat against his chest. The touch wasn’t sexual, wasn’t demanding—just a point of connection, an anchor in the storm of Orion’s emotions.
“What are you scared of?” Dante asked softly, his thumb tracing small circles against Orion’s skin.
Orion’s breath hitched as he struggled to find words for the tangled mess of feelings inside him. “Everything,” he whispered. “Losing control. Wanting this. Wanting you. What happens after?”
He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to continue. “I’ve spent my whole life fighting—SVI, Leo, my own body. Fighting is all I know. I don’t know how to... to just let myself have something I want.”
“Look at me.” Dante’s hand moved from Orion’s chest to gently pull his arm away from his face. When Orion reluctantly met his gaze, Dante brushed a thumb across his cheekbone. “You’re still fighting. You’re fighting for your freedom, for your life. This—” he gestured between them, ”—doesn’t change that. Wanting pleasure doesn’t make you weak.”
Something in Dante’s words resonated deep inside Orion, touchinga truth he’d been avoiding his entire life. Maybe surrender didn’t always mean defeat. Maybe sometimes it meant allowing himself something good amid all the terrible.
“We’ll go slow,” Dante promised, his voice gentle. “I’ll take care of you. And if you want to stop at any point, I will listen.”
All Orion could manage was a nod as his heat surged again, making him slick and desperate. Dante scooped him up from the hard floor, carrying him the few steps to the bed like he weighed nothing. The soft mattress cradled Orion’s overheated body as Dante laid him down with careful precision.
“Better?” Dante asked, settling beside him on the bed.
Orion nodded again, then pulled Dante down for a kiss. It was soft at first, exploratory, but when Dante’s tongue swept across his lower lip, heat flared through him again. He opened for Dante eagerly, letting himself get lost in the slow, thorough way Dante mapped his mouth.
When they broke apart, Dante’s eyes were intense but controlled. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “So perfect.”
The gentle praise made Orion’s chest tight with unfamiliar emotion, but it also sent heat pooling low in his belly. Dante’s hands moved over his body with careful patience, relearning every line and curve like he was something precious to be treasured.
