Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Protected, Loved, Claimed

Adrian rolled his eyes playfully, giving Matteo’s shoulder a light, affectionate swat. "Whatever. You know what I mean. What happened with Iris?"

Matteo’s smile faded into something a bit cooler, his protective instincts settling back in. "She’s here. Locked up somewhere secure in the house."

Adrian didn’t look shocked or upset. Instead, a quiet, resigned expression settled over his face as he thought about everything Iris had done. He nodded slowly against Matteo’s chest. "Good for her. Since she refuses to learn her lesson, maybe this will finally teach her."

Matteo’s grip tightened around Adrian’s waist, his thumb brushing a soothing path across the silk of his robe. "She won’t be causing any more trouble, Rian. I promise you that. Her father is going to find out exactly what she’s been doing, and until this matter is settled, she’ll remain exactly where she is."

Adrian let out a long breath. "I’m just glad everyone is safe. Maya, Mark... everyone. When Tony told us what she was planning, I was terrified." He lifted his gaze to Matteo. "You handled it perfectly, babe. Thank you."

"There’s no need to thank me for protecting the people I care about," Matteo murmured, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to Adrian’s forehead. He gently nudged his shoulder and offered him a soft smile. "Now, enough about Iris. You said you were waiting for me so we could have dinner together. Let’s get some food into you before you wear yourself out."

Adrian smiled. "Alright, but you’re carrying me to that table. My legs are still a little shaky from all the excitement."

Matteo let out a low chuckle. "Baby, the table is only a few feet away."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to carry me, or do you want to keep complaining?"

Matteo stared at him for a moment before shaking his head in amusement.

"As you wish, baby."

Without another word, he slid one arm beneath Adrian’s knees and the other around his back, lifting him effortlessly into his arms.

As he carried him toward the dining table, Matteo pulled out his phone and called Selene.

"Bring dinner upstairs," he instructed. "Nothing too heavy. It’s already late."

"Okay, Boss," Selene replied immediately before ending the call.

Matteo set Adrian down carefully in his chair before taking the seat beside him.

"After dinner, you’re taking your medicine," he reminded him.

Adrian smiled and nodded obediently. "Yes, I know, baby."

Not long after, Selene arrived with their dinner. She quietly set the table, poured their water, and made sure everything was in place. Once she was finished, she offered a polite nod and left the room, giving the couple their privacy.

Downstairs, the rest of the group had finally settled into a quiet, peaceful rhythm. The maids had shown Maya and Frank to their guest rooms and made sure they were comfortable for the night.

Meanwhile, Mark headed straight to his room, eager to finally relax after the long day.

He arrived a few minutes ahead of Charles, who had stayed behind in the corridor to finish a brief conversation with Frank. By the time Charles finally stepped into the suite, a calm, peaceful silence had settled over the room.

Mark had already showered. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt with dark shorts, sitting comfortably at the desk with his laptop open, his fingers typing away as he tried to finish up some leftover work from the past two days.

Charles smiled softly at the sight. He set his phone aside, took off his clothes, and headed into the en-suite bathroom. He took a long, relaxing shower, letting the warm water wash away the tension that had built up over the past days. By the time he stepped back into the bedroom, steam billowed out behind him.

Charles stood there for a moment, a stark white towel hung low around his waist, damp droplets of water still clinging to his bare chest. He stared at Mark, completely captivated by how effortlessly attractive he looked when he was focused, his sharp jawline illuminated only by the glow of the laptop screen.

Charles didn’t want to disrupt his workflow, but the pull was too strong to resist.

Walking barefoot across the plush carpet, Charles quietly closed the distance between them. He leaned down over Mark’s shoulder, his bare chest brushing against Mark’s back as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck.

"Will that take long?" Charles murmured, his voice a low, seductive whisper.

Mark’s fingers paused over the keyboard for a brief moment. He let out a slow breath and leaned back slightly into Charles’s touch.

"Yes, pretty," he murmured. "You don’t have to wait up for me tonight. Go ahead and get some sleep. I’ll be there as soon as I’m finished."

Charles trailed his lips up to the shell of Mark’s ear, his breath hot against his skin. "What if I need you right now?"

Mark slowly turned his head to look at him, his dark eyes meeting Charles’s unmistakably affectionate gaze. The look on Charles’s face made his resolve waver for a moment. Mark swallowed hard and let out a quiet breath, trying to stay focused.

"Baby, I really need to finish this before—"

Before he could even finish the sentence, Charles sank gracefully to his knees right between Mark’s parted legs. He looked up through his eyelashes, his hands reaching out to rest against the hem of Mark’s shorts. "Let me take care of you," Charles whispered against his thigh, his eyes dark with mischief and affection. "Just focus on your work."

A low groan escaped Mark’s throat the exact moment Charles’s warm palms slid beneath the fabric, his fingers confidently finding their way to his cock.

With slow, deliberate movements, Charles pulled the shorts down, leaving Mark completely bare from the waist down. He then reached up, rolling the white T-shirt up Mark’s chest just enough to give his hands free rein.

Mark desperately tried to fix his eyes back on the glowing laptop screen, his fingers hovering over the keys, but his breath was already turning shallow.

Charles wrapped his fingers firmly around Mark’s cock, using slow, rhythmic strokes to wake him up.

He watched with a quiet satisfaction as Mark growled softly under his breath, his cock hardening rapidly under the warm, practiced friction of his hand.

Mark drew in a slow breath, his grip tightening on the edge of the desk as he fought to keep his attention on the numbers on the screen.

But the absolute breaking point came a second later.

Charles leaned in closer, coating his palm and the slick head of Mark’s cock with a generous amount of saliva before wrapping his lips entirely around him.

The wet, sliding heat of Charles’s mouth engulfing him was too much to bear. Mark dropped his pen, completely abandoning the keyboard, and slammed the laptop screen shut in one violent motion.

"Fuck, baby," Mark gasped out, his head snapping back against the headrest of the chair as Charles’s warm breath sent a violent jolt of electricity straight down his spine.

Charles didn’t waste a single beat. He stabilized himself by gripping Mark’s thighs, drawing him deeper into his throat. He sucked him with a slow, agonizing heat, his tongue swirling expertly around the sensitive head before sliding all the way down the shaft.

The wet, rhythmic friction echoed softly in the quiet room.

Slurp... slurp...

The wet sounds filled the room, the friction agonizingly intense as Charles greedily drew everything out of him.

Mark’s fingers tangling into Charles’s damp hair to hold him securely. His hips twitched forward dynamically, completely surrendered to the overwhelming pleasure of Charles’s mouth.

Faster, baby," Mark groaned, his heart pounding as he kept his eyes shut.

In response, Charles took him even deeper, sliding his throat all the way down to the base.

Mark let out a strangled moan. "Mmm... yes... Don’t stop. Suck me deeper."

Charles’s mouth moved faster, his pacing turning ravenous. The wet, rhythmic slump, slump of his mouth working over Mark’s length filled the quiet bedroom.

"Please, baby... right there, just like that," Mark moaned, his voice dropping into a desperate register. "Ohh... sweetheart... I love it. Thanks, pretty... go deeper." He was practically begging for more, as he gripped Charles’s head, completely losing himself to the sensation. "Babe, I’m losing it... I’m gonna cum. I’m so close." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Hearing that, Charles pushed past his own limits and took him all the way down, letting the wet heat of his throat squeeze the sensitive head.

Mark’s head fell back against the chair, his hands tightening in Charles’s hair to control the pacing as his body took over. His hips buckled up fast, thrusting deep into the back of Charles’s throat.

"Fuck!" Mark screamed, his voice thick with raw friction. "I’m cumming, baby! I’m going to cum inside your mouth! Please... right there..."

Charles held Mark’s hips, completely unfazed as Mark almost choked him with the force of his release. "Yes, babe... do it," Charles murmured against him.

Mark screamed out as he hit his orgasm, a violent shudder writhing through his entire frame.

"Ahh... Oh... Fuck!" He spilled...