Stay (His Command Book 3)

by Piper Scott

  All that mattered was that Sterling was stripping it from him.

  Bare chest to bare chest became bare body to bare body. Adrian’s pants slid down his thighs, and his boxer-briefs followed not long after. Sterling’s hands cupped Adrian’s ass, his fingers squeezing into his flesh and splitting his cheeks apart to expose his hole.

  “Lube?” Adrian gasped. He pushed up into Sterling’s hands, needing more pressure, more contact, more anything.

  “No.”

  “Then let’s go to the bedroom.” Desperation quivered in Adrian’s voice. “Please.”

  “No.”

  The rejection was hurtful, but the pain didn’t have time to sink in before Sterling gathered Adrian in his arms and flipped him around. Lightheaded, Adrian found himself propped into a sitting position, one leg hanging off the couch while the other rested against the back cushion, folded to accommodate Sterling.

  Sterling, who was wrapped in a towel that slumped down his hips, revealing the first curls of his light pubic hair and the defined V-cut of his groin. Sterling, whose muscular chest and smooth stomach gave way to flawless abs interrupted only by the dark dip of his navel. Sterling, who was on his hands and knees, head hovering just above Adrian’s engorged cock as his eyes ate Adrian up from below.

  Adrian parted his lips to gasp, but he couldn’t summon the sound. Instead, he watched as Sterling dropped his head and accepted Adrian’s cock between his lips, then swallowed him whole.

  “Oh my god.” Adrian’s voice was scratchy, strained by pleasure. His whole body vibrated from the way Sterling touched him, and that pleasure only grew more intense as Sterling wrapped his palm around the base of Adrian’s cock and pumped him as he sucked. “Oh god, Sterling…”

  Sterling looked up at him, mirth in his eyes. The flash of mischievous blue twisted in Adrian’s groin, as though one look was all it took for Sterling to own his entire body. It wasn’t the first time a man like Sterling had sucked his dick, but there was a distinction in the way Sterling’s lips fluttered against the skin of his shaft and the way his tongue caressed his slit that set him apart from the rest.

  The strange tightness was back in Adrian’s chest, stronger than it had ever been before.

  And Adrian liked it.

  He wrapped a hand around the back of Sterling’s head, threading his fingers through Sterling’s hair. Sterling’s hand pumped in steady rhythm, and every now and then, he glanced up to look at Adrian. Adrian caught his eye each time.

  Sterling’s hand released Adrian’s cock, and he plunged down over it with his mouth instead. The warm wetness was intoxicating, and before Adrian had time to think it through, he was already pushing Sterling’s head down onto his groin.

  Sterling’s nose met his skin. Adrian’s cock hit the back of his throat. With a sudden, breathless cry, Adrian bucked into him, desperate for more. The lines were blurred between dominant and submissive now, a strange mishmash of what felt right and what they both needed. But even as Adrian buried himself in Sterling’s throat, Sterling held his own. Every choked gag and sputtered cough was a testament to his devotion.

  He couldn’t breathe, but he refused to let Adrian out of his mouth. For as long as Adrian wanted it, Sterling’s rapidly clenching throat was his.

  “Sterling!” Adrian gasped. Both of his hands secured Sterling’s head in place, and while he knew that Sterling could break away if he wanted to, the added pressure felt good. Adrian rocked his cock as deeply into Sterling’s throat as it could go, never wanting to give up on the pleasure that his constricting passage provided.

  His balls tightened. It wouldn’t be long before Sterling drove him over the edge.

  “Sterling, I’m gonna come. I swear to god, Sterling, I’m going to come.” Adrian’s hands shook. They loosened to allow Sterling the chance to back off, but Sterling pushed harder than before. The desperate, gagging noises he made as his body fought for air were contradicted by how eagerly he devoured Adrian’s length.

  Then he buried his nose against Adrian’s abdomen, letting Adrian deeper into his throat than he had been before.

  Adrian howled. He threw his head back and thrust, and by the time his hips crashed back to meet the arm of the couch, he was already coming. Sterling pulled his head back, and Adrian spilled into his mouth as Sterling continued to suck and lick.

  It was bliss.

  When his balls were empty and his orgasm had tapered off, Adrian collapsed against the arm of the couch and struggled to catch his breath. One of his hands ran through Sterling’s hair lovingly. The other fell to his side, useless. The release left him kitten-weak.

  Sterling swallowed. At last, he drew back from Adrian’s shaft and let his lips part from the head of Adrian’s cock with a wet pop. Adrian watched as he ran a hand across his lips, then crawled up the couch so they were chest to chest again. Thighs tucked over thighs, hands left to fall where they would, Sterling looked him in the eyes. Little more than an inch separated the tips of their noses, and Adrian wanted badly to kiss Sterling all over again, but it looked like Sterling had something to say.

  “I want this baby.” There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation in Sterling’s voice. He laid a hand on Adrian’s flat stomach and stroked. “But I’d rather raise him or her as a family.”

  “No.” Adrian’s tone hardened instantly. “Absolutely not. I won’t. I can’t.”

  “Then let’s come up with a new arrangement.” Sterling’s expression didn’t change. “Let’s try this out on a test basis. If you want to walk out on me after the baby is born, that’s fine. I won’t stop you. I’ll help you in whatever way you need, and agree to whatever visitation terms you want. I won’t even ask you for any child support.”

  “But?” Adrian pursed his lips to keep himself from saying anything he’d regret. He couldn’t stay in this baby’s life, but at the same time, a part of him wanted to know what Sterling had to say.

  “But if you don’t want to go after the baby is born—if you decide we can be a family—then you’re welcome to stay, and we can take things one day at a time.”

  Adrian’s heart told him that all he needed to do was tilt his head and kiss Sterling, and that all the niggling concerns in his brain were exaggerated and untrue. But as his heart fought for what it wanted, his brain rebelled in kind. Doubt dragged in Adrian’s stomach, weighing it down until it felt like he’d swallowed stones. It stopped him from acting on his instincts—from seeing the kiss through.

  Inaction brought Sterling to lean back, and the magic of the moment faded. Adrian frowned, then looked away. All of this was his fault. If he hadn’t been so eager, he would have been more cautious, and the night they’d spent together wouldn’t have resulted in anything more than a good time.

  “I need some time to think about it,” Adrian admitted at last.

  “You can take whatever time you want. The offer will stand for however long it’s needed.” Sterling eased up from the couch, the towel around his waist dipping low on his hip to reveal tantalizing skin that Adrian was already familiar with. “You know where to find me.”

  Adrian ducked his gaze. Between the orgasm still weakening his knees and the pregnancy hormones encouraging him to do remarkably irresponsible things, he wasn’t in a place where he could make a rational decision. What he needed to do was get out before Sterling manipulated him into doing something he didn’t want. Spending his life as some playboy’s fucktoy, trapped in a loveless relationship for the sake of a baby he didn’t even want, wasn’t the kind of life he wanted to lead. He refused to let anyone push him into it.

  The sound of Sterling’s voice redirected Adrian’s attention to the present. “But since I’ve made my decision, and the child is mine without a doubt, no matter what you decide, I’ll be coming with you to your first prenatal visit to the obstetrician. Have you already made an appointment?”

  Obstetrician? Prenatal appointment? Adrian wrinkled his nose. “No.”

  “Then, since the child is mine, I’ll make
the appointment for you.”

  “Really?” An orgasm wasn’t going to be enough to turn Adrian into some meek, sniveling yes-man who listened to everything Sterling said. It didn’t matter if the child was Sterling’s or not—he wasn’t going to be led. “Do you really think that?”

  “It didn’t take long for you to find that mouth of yours,” Sterling remarked, arching a brow. “Yes, really. Prenatal visits are important to the health and development of the baby. I won’t have you go without.”

  “I’ll schedule it myself.”

  “Then you’ll let me know when the appointment is, so I can go, too.”

  “You can eat a dick.”

  Sterling smirked. “I already did. I’ve paid my dues—it’s time to uphold your end of the bargain.”

  Adrian got up from the couch. Irritated by the turn of events, he pulled on his boxer-briefs, then found his pants and stepped into them. “We’ll see.”

  “You need to book it soon, Adrian.” Sterling’s tone left no room for argument, but at the same time, wasn’t overbearing. “The first visit is ideally scheduled at the eight-week mark. If you conceived on the night your brother came home, that means—”

  “I got it. I’ve got to go in soon.” Adrian pulled on his shirt. He wasn’t going to stay any longer than he needed to. “You’ve got my phone number, right? In my membership files somewhere? If you need to get in touch with me, you can reach me through call or text.”

  When it came down to it, no matter how satisfying sex with Sterling had been, he was still the enemy. He was the one who’d strung Adrian along, letting him believe that the only way he could return to The Shepherd was by giving up his body.

  The fact that Adrian had done so willingly didn’t mean that he’d forgiven Sterling. Not at all. Nor had Sterling excused himself by standing up for Adrian at his parents’ place, distracting his relatives so he could tend to Gabriel.

  The only link between them was the bundle of cells growing inside of Adrian, and once it was born, Adrian would cut ties, and that would be that.

  “Do you need a ride home?” Sterling asked.

  “Not with you, thanks. I’ll call an Uber.”

  He finished getting dressed, then headed for the door. Sterling tagged along, just as infuriating as always. As Adrian left, Sterling stood in the doorway. He braced his arm against the door. “You will make an appointment, Adrian, and you will notify me when it’s for.”

  “I already said I would.” There was just one more door before Adrian would lose Sterling. Part of him itched to hurry up and cross through it while another half begged him to stay and be civil. “You asked me if I trusted you, and now you’re going to have to trust me. I’ll do it. I’m not heartless. But don’t expect me to be enthusiastic about it.”

  “That’s fine.” Sterling made no move to stop him as he pulled open one of the two mahogany doors. “All I want is to be there. It’s important to me.”

  “Right.” As if a man like Sterling could think something like that was important. As if he really cared. Adrian began to regret his decision to inform Sterling at all. When he’d been close to hysterical, it had seemed like a good idea, but Sterling’s gentle insistence was annoying. Could he put up with it for the next seven months?

  Adrian stepped through the doorway, letting the bass beat ground him back in reality. He’d done his bit, and for once, he’d done the right thing. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

  “Remember my offer, Adrian,” Sterling said before the door closed. “You’re welcome to take me up on it at any time.”

  “Right. Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” Adrian took a deep, grounding breath. He didn’t turn around to look at Sterling, but feeling his gaze was enough. “Goodnight.”

  Adrian closed the door, then headed down the third-floor stairs and slunk his way across the bar, then down the stairs to the dance floor. It wasn’t long before he was in the back of a car headed back to the Lowe estate.

  A family. As if.

  Adrian had enough trouble trying to hold together the one he already had to think of starting another.

  14

  Sterling

  Two young men exited the Lowe family home early one Tuesday morning, one of whom Sterling knew very well. Adrian, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose graphic t-shirt, locked the front door and tested the doorknob to make sure it was secure. The younger, thinner man attached to his hip looked different than he had two month ago, but there was no mistaking him. The sheen of his golden-brown hair and the shape of his face were too similar to Adrian’s to think he was anything other than his brother.

  A few weeks at home had done Gabriel good.

  Sterling pushed off the hood of his car. He met Adrian not all that far down the path leading to the front door of the Lowe household and walked him to the passenger side door. As he approached, Gabriel shrank away, but didn’t separate from Adrian.

  The fear in his eyes wasn’t right. It left Sterling uneasy.

  “Thank you for coming to pick us up.” Adrian’s hand rested on the door handle, but didn’t yet pull it open. “You didn’t need to.”

  “I wouldn’t have you go to your first prenatal visit alone.”

  “Gabriel would have been there.” Adrian nodded at the timid young man doing his best to blend in with the car and disappear. “I could have driven. It would have been fine.”

  Sterling should have known to expect the pushback—Adrian had been doing his best to avoid his calls and texts. Communication was better than it had been before Adrian’s confession, but to Sterling, it was still lacking. And to make matters worse, the topic Sterling was most interested in discussing hadn’t been brought up at all—Adrian still hadn’t given him an answer.

  Not knowing stretched Sterling’s patience to the limit.

  Adrian’s pregnancy wouldn’t last forever, and they were already more than eight weeks since conception. Time was ticking, but all Sterling could do was wait and hope he’d made a good enough impression that Adrian would consider his offer favorably.

  “You know…” Sterling glanced over Adrian’s shoulder at Gabriel, who was making himself small against the side of the car. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Sterling. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Gabriel’s eyes widened and his lips formed a tight, terrified O. He made no other sign he’d heard Sterling. It was as though acknowledgment turned him from living flesh into a statue.

  “Gabriel…” Adrian slipped away from the door to stand by Gabriel’s side. He set a hand on the small of Gabriel’s back, and slowly Gabriel defrosted. “Can you introduce yourself to Sterling? He’s my… boyfriend, remember?”

  The title made Sterling want to beam, but he shelved most of his enthusiasm and settled for a smile instead. Whatever was wrong with Gabriel, he didn’t want to exacerbate the issue by revealing too much about his relationship with Adrian. Sterling was sensitive enough to see that not all was well with him, and he didn’t want to trigger him any more than he already had.

  “Hello, Sterling,” Gabriel whispered. He didn’t meet Sterling’s eyes, but Sterling didn’t try to push the issue. The small way Gabriel spoke betrayed his fear.

  “Hello.” Sterling smiled. “Thank you for coming out with us today. I’m sure Adrian appreciates the support.”

  A glint sharpened Adrian’s eyes, but Sterling couldn’t tell if it was thankful or irritated. “I do.”

  “I didn’t want to be alone,” Gabriel admitted. “It’s not… good to be alone here.”

  Sterling wanted to pry, but he kept his questions to himself. He could infer what Gabriel meant. He’d seen the red flags firsthand on the night of Gabriel’s return. Knowing would only make him more concerned. If anything happened to the baby, Sterling didn’t know what he’d do. All of it was so sudden, but being a father was second nature to him, and he was excited to have a chance to do it the right way this time around, no matter if Adrian was there beside him or not. />
  “And you don’t have to be alone. Not ever again.” Adrian kept one hand on Gabriel’s back and used the other to open the back door of the car. “Get settled, okay? We’ve got to make sure I keep my appointment.”

  “Yes.” Gabriel lowered himself into the car and sat. Once his feet were safely inside and he had started to do up his buckle, Adrian closed the car door and kept one hand on it as he turned to look at Sterling.

  Sterling met his gaze.

  “We haven’t really talked about Gabriel.” Adrian’s expression tightened, and for a moment he looked troubled. “He’s… he’s delicate. Don’t talk about anything related to you business. He doesn’t… he isn’t really ready to hear about anything like that. I’ve been trying to get him to see someone, but he shuts down every time I bring it up.”

  “I won’t say a word.” Sterling didn’t plan to. In all things, he was discreet. The proclivities of his patrons were no exception. “I’m not here because of The Shepherd. I’m here because of you.”

  The worried look on Adrian’s face became a little less worried. He plucked at the hem of his shirt with his thumb, then shook his head as if making a decision. “Let’s just get going. I don’t want to be late to this appointment.”

  “Neither do I.” Sterling opened the passenger side door for Adrian and held it in place while Adrian settled on the seat. “And we won’t be. You can trust me.”

  The disconnected look on Adrian’s face said that he didn’t think that statement was true, but Sterling didn’t let it get to him. All he could do was continue to prove that not only was he an exceptional man, but that he was an exceptional father as well.

  One day, Adrian would see that, and he’d come around. At least, that was the hope Sterling clung to.

  He sank down into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and left the Lowe estate behind.