With Abandon: With or Without, Book 4

were in the kitchen, but this was different. It wasn’t coaxing. Aubrey’s tongue dove in and took possession like he had every right.
    Matt’s stomach knotted in a bundle of nerves, but it didn’t stop his cock from getting hard. This kiss
    was more intense somehow, more real than before. Because you’ve committed yourself fully. For better or worse. He shivered against the desire and leeriness racing through him at that thought.
    It was like Aubrey had flipped an internal switch and decided they’d be together. Even though Matt
    wanted to be with his mate, he couldn’t just pretend everything was perfect. He needed to talk more.
    Pulling back, Matt rested his forehead on Aubrey’s shoulder. In the back of his mind, he could practically hear his brother telling him to stop acting like a chick, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t separate his feelings like Logan could. He wanted to go into this with his eyes wide open.
    Aubrey wrapped a hand around Matt’s prick.
    Matt nearly jumped out of the water. The touch kinda scared him and not just because he hadn’t
    noticed Aubrey putting his hand in the water.
    Scooting away, Matt batted at the hand holding him. “Wait!” In his haste to get away he pulled
    himself off balance and slipped. He landed on his back with a splash.
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    With Abandon
    “Whoa.” Aubrey scrambled to grab him and help him sit upright.
    A clump of bubbles slid down Matt’s cheek.
    Aubrey sat back and released Matt. “What’s wrong? I thought you said you’d stay.”
    Matt nodded, trying to get his pulse to stop racing. His mind was made up. He just hoped Aubrey
    would understand. “I’ll stay, and we can try and make this work, but I have a condition. Two actually.”
    “Name your conditions, sugar.”
    “No more lies. You know that one, right?” Rivulets of water ran down Matt’s hair onto his face, but
    he looked so serious Aubrey didn’t dare smile.
    That was reasonable. Aubrey nodded. Hell, it was expected and didn’t even have to be said again, but
    for some reason Matt thought it did and that bothered Aubrey. Before he could reassure his mate, Matt
    rushed on.
    “I don’t want a relationship like my parents’. I can’t live with the constant drama and the lack of
    trust.” Matt worried his bottom lip and took a big gulping breath before saying, “They hate each other. All they have in common is sex. I swear the only time they aren’t yelling at one another is when they’re in bed.
    And because of that I think we should take things—you know the physical stuff—slow.”
    No sex? Once Aubrey had made up his mind he was keeping Matt, he’d thought to enjoy the perks that came with being mated. It was the ideal situation. Matt was here under his roof and had a valid excuse to be here. For the next four years no one would question Matt living with him. He hadn’t quite decided what to do after Matt graduated, but he had four years to come up with a solution. Logically, Aubrey’s brain got the abstinence request, but his body was already planning a protest using his erection as a damned picket sign.
    He held back a groan and nodded to his mate. What else could he do? “Okay.”
    “You’re mad, aren’t you?” Matt rested his hand over Aubrey’s arm and bent until he met Aubrey’s
    gaze. “Please don’t be mad. It’s just a lot to deal with at once, and sex never fixes anything. From what I can tell it makes things more complicated.” Matt shivered and pulled his knees back to his chest, reminding Aubrey how young he was.
    “I’m not mad. And you’re right, sex complicates things.” Damn it. He respected Matt for wanting more out of their mating than what he witnessed growing up. And just maybe they could have what
    Aubrey’s own parents had, even if it did have to be their secret.
    Matt grinned, looking a little surer of himself. Another shiver racked his body. The bubbles in his bath were starting to dissipate.
    “You’re cold.” Aubrey stood and turned to the linen closet. He got down a big fluffy towel and
    switched on the bathroom heater before returning to the tub. He held out the towel. “I’d put it on the towel warmer, but you’re freezing now.”
    “Towel warmer?” Matt sounded intrigued and surprised at the same time.

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    J.L. Langley
    Aubrey pointed to the towel rack a yard away on the wall beside the glass shower. “There’s a little
    switch to turn it on in the