***
Troy’s head jerked up. “What?” Confusion flashed in those pleasure-glazed blue eyes. He watched as Philip’s handsome face tightened in obvious anger. The tic in his mate’s jaw showed just how mad he was.
“You heard me.” Philip snapped, looking down at his mate’s flushed face.
“If you’re referring to Paul and I, of course, we don’t blow each other.” Troy’s voice was filled with shock. “Why would you even think that?”
“So who do you blow?” Philip shot back.
Troy felt his overheated blood, cool in an instant. “No one.” He moved away from Philip’s body and sat on his heels. “You know I’ve never been intimate with any other person but…”
“I don’t know any such thing.” Philip cut him off. “I’m not a fool. You’ve been clearly taught what you just did. You blew me like someone with a lot of experience. Like someone who’s been around.”
“Because Paul taught me what to do.” Troy’s voice shook with the beginnings of anger.
“And how exactly, if I may ask, did dear Paul teach you how to take a big cock down your throat? Huh?”
“Why the inquisition?” Troy snapped, mortified that Philip was questioning him on something that he’d done in secret just to give him pleasure when he eventually allowed him to.
“Answer the damned question, Troy.” Philip bellowed.
Philip did not only see the unmistakable vulnerability that sifted through his mate’s piercing blue eyes, but he also saw how Troy flinched at the command in his voice. He ignored both reactions and stared Troy down. Troy, on the other hand, stared up at Philip, his heart pounding with a mixture of confusion and fear. His eyes stung. He wanted to cry.
“He made me practice on a cucumber,” Troy whispered, suddenly feeling as if cold water had been poured over him. He wished he were very far from Philip’s bedroom. He looked longingly at the door, his entire body red from embarrassment. He bowed his head.
Philip felt his mate’s shame but just couldn’t stop himself. “You claim you’ve never been intimate with any other person.” He rasped. “What do you call touching yourself to the point of orgasm in the presence of another person?”
“I only did that with you,” Troy said in a small voice, willing himself not to break down. He definitely missed his fighting spirit which had completely deserted him in the face of his embarrassment.
“Who the fuck recorded what you sent to me this evening?” Philip growled.
At that point, Troy felt so wretched he couldn’t even bring himself to speak. He resorted to their mind-link. ‘I used a recording stand.’ He said quietly, not meeting Philip’s eye. ‘We…I bought it last week when I went out with the boys. That’s it on the table.’
Philip turned his head to look at the table in the room and nearly groaned when he saw a Tripod Stand Holder. He turned back to look at his mate. Troy’s head was still bowed, his silky blonde hair falling in a curtain around his face. Philip felt his heart drop as all the anger went out of him.
“Shit.” He groaned. Philip knew he’d goofed massively. “Well, I needed to know.” He muttered.
“Can I go now?” Troy’s voice shook. He’d never felt such humiliation. He couldn’t believe his reward after going to all that trouble to give his mate some pleasure. And he’d been so happy about it too. Now, it felt as if he’d been dropped from a mountaintop.
Philip winced at the wretchedness he heard in his mate’s voice. “Where are you going?” If only he’d just…
“To take a shower.”
“Look at me, Troy,” Philip said softly but Troy didn’t do as he’d asked. He didn’t think he could ever look Philip in the eye again. With a sigh, Philip went down on one knee before Troy. Then he reached up to brush his hair from his face, not missing how Troy’s lower lip trembled. “I’m sorry, baby.” He whispered.
“I want to go and take a shower.” Troy needed the cover-up the spray of the shower could give so badly.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I just wanted to know.” Philip murmured, omitting that fine detail about jealousy. “Forgive me.” He pressed a kiss to Troy’s cheek but Troy jerked away from Philip and stood up.
“I’m sorry I sent you the video,” Troy said shakily, not meeting Philip’s eye. “I’m sorry about everything.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Troy…”
“I…” Troy’s shimmering eyes widened when his breath hitched in his throat. He turned hastily and let the room.
“Fuck.” Philip swore as he raked his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…”
The guilt-ridden alpha covered his face in his hands and dropped into the couch with a groan. What had he been thinking going at Troy like that, he silently screamed at himself. After cursing himself for a while, Philip leaned down and took off his boots. His mind raced. How was he going to salvage the situation? But Troy had to understand that he needed to ask, Philip thought with a frown.
No one in their right mind would be okay with their mate being intimate with another person. It was better he knew exactly what happened between his mate and Paul than to assume the worst, right? When he heard his wolf retort from within that he could have asked Troy in a different and better way, Philip growled.
‘Oh fuck off!’ He snapped as he stood and began to undress.
He’d been angry when he entered his bedroom earlier. But the sight of his adorable mate sleeping peacefully in their bed had been so sweet he’d felt himself calming down. He’d taken a seat and just gazed at his mate, surprised he was still missing him so much even though he was looking right at him. Then Troy had woken up and decided to undress him for whatever reason.
Just when he was about to ask him to sit and listen to him, his mate had gone on his knees in between his thighs and looked up at him with such lustful heat in those beautiful mesmerizing blue eyes, he’d forgotten what he’d wanted to say to him. What hot-blooded man wouldn’t lose focus seeing something like that? All he could think of at the time was the wicked things he could do with Troy’s luscious lips. He’d completely forgotten about his earlier anger at what Troy had done. But immediately after his glorious release, all the anger and suspicion came flooding back.
“Fuck…” Philip growled as he grabbed a bathrobe and started for the en-suite bathroom. Apart from the fact that he needed a shower too after his travel, he thought Troy had been in there long enough.
Just as Philip entered the bathroom, Troy stepped out of the shower. Philip stared at the naked body of his mate and felt himself begin to stiffen. But he completely forgot about how good his mate’s body looked when their eyes met. Troy looked away quickly but not before Philip saw the shame in those eyes. Philip didn’t have to be a genius to know that Troy had been crying in the shower. His eyes were red. Philip felt a tightness in his chest that made him want to kick himself. For the first time since meeting his mate again, Philip wanted to see an angry Troy. He’d rather deal with an angry Troy better than an emotionally hurt one.