The shower steamed around him, the tiles slick with condensation, the hum of ether-heated water filling the marble chamber. Gabriel braced one hand against the wall, head bowed under the spray, letting the heat wash away the ache Damian had left behind.
And there was plenty to wash away.
He laughed under his breath, sharp and incredulous all at once. 'Why in all hells did I say yes to an alpha who knots more than twice in a night and is arrogant enough to prove it?'
His neck still carried the faint bruising of Damian's teeth, the bond mark burning with a heat that hadn't dulled even with years of claiming. His hips and thighs bore their own reminders, the kind he'd conceal beneath silk and robes before the ministers ever dared to meet his eyes.
Yet instead of exasperation, amusement curled through him. He'd wanted this.
