CHAPTER 25: SHOWER ROOM DISCIPLINE

POV: Callum Miller

The heavy footsteps of my father echoed up the basement stairs, followed by the muffled snap of a heavy oak door closing on the main floor. The moment the latch clicked shut overhead, the tense silence in the basement gym shifted, charged with a thick, suffocating electricity that made my knees wobble beneath me.

I pushed myself off the rubber exercise mat, my body trembling violently from the brutal conditioning routine. Sweat dripped off my brow, stinging my eyes, sticking my thin shirt to my chest and lower back. I couldn't look Gideon in the eyes as I gathered my towel. I needed water, steam, and distance before my shattered composure completely failed me in the middle of the basement.

I retreated into the narrow basement bathroom, stepping straight into the shower stall. Turning the brass knobs, I let the hot water roar to life, instantly filling the enclosed tile space with thick, white clouds of steam. I stripped off my sweat-soaked workout clothes, letting the damp shirt and athletic shorts fall into a heap on the bench outside the stall. Standing naked under the heavy cascade, I pressed both hands flat against the cool, slick tiles, bowing my head as the scorching water washed over my aching shoulders, thighs, and lower back.

My mind was still spinning from the weight of Gideon’s hands during the pull-ups…the ruthless, possessive squeeze on my hips that had left my skin burning.

The soft, distinctive metallic click of the bathroom door locking shut sounded over the roar of the water.

My heart slammed straight into my throat. My eyes snapped open through the mist.

The frosted glass door of the shower stall swung open, sending a draft of cool air against my wet skin. Gideon stepped into the narrow enclosure, cutting off the light, making the tight space feel impossibly small. He had stripped off his tank top, his massive chest and broad shoulders completely bare, mapped with faint scars glistening under the spray. He kept his dark trousers on, unbothered as the torrent of water soaked right through the fabric, plastering it against his thick thighs.

"Commander..." I gasped, my voice drowning in the thunder of the water.

Before I could back away, Gideon moved. His large hand shot out, wrapping around my throat with precise, unyielding authority, pinning my back firmly against the wet tile wall. The contrast between the scorching hot spray hitting my front and the freezing tile behind my shoulder blades sent a violent shudder through my entire frame.

"You handled that routine well, sweet boy," Gideon rumbled, his deep baritone reverberating straight through his chest against mine. He leaned down, his face inches from mine, his dark gray eyes tracking the water droplets rolling down my trembling jawline. "You held your tongue while your father was standing three feet away. You let me touch you, let me take control of your posture, and you didn't break."

"I... I tried, Commander," I whimpered, my hands coming up instinctively to rest against his wet, corded forearms. The sheer physical size of him, trapping me in the narrow tile stall, made my head swim with overwhelming surrender. "I wanted to be good for you."

"You were good," Gideon murmured, his thumb sliding up to trace my wet lower lip, pressing down hard enough to expose my teeth. "Extremely good. Do you know how tempting you were, trembling on that mat, begging me with your eyes while Harlan was speaking?"

A choked sound escaped my throat. "Gideon... please..."

"Look at me," he commanded softly, his grip on my neck tightening just enough to command absolute focus, forcing my chin higher into the stream of water. "I told you that your body belongs to me under this roof. Every line of sweat, every gasp, every ache you feel from that workout was given to you by my hands. And now I'm going to finish what we started in the study."

"Yes, Commander," I sobbed out, my vision blurring with steam and tears as my legs nearly gave out completely. "Please... whatever you want."

Gideon didn't hesitate. His free hand, heavy and calloused, slid slowly down my chest, dragging over my wet skin, gathering water as it traced down my stomach to rest over my lower belly. He smoothed slick water over my skin, his fingers wrapping firmly around my core, instantly taking total, unyielding control of my body.

A sharp, high-pitched gasp tore out of my mouth, my head cracking back against the tile wall as he began a steady, methodical rhythm. His thumb stroked over the sensitive tip with agonizing precision, taking advantage of the slick water and the intense heat of the spray to drive my senses completely over the edge.

"Quiet," Gideon growled into my ear, his wet lips brushing the shell of my ear as his chest crushed against mine, pinning me so firmly I couldn't move an inch. "Hold your breath, Callum. If your father hears you sobbing from the basement shower, I will make you stand on your knees in my suite all night."

I clamped my jaw shut, biting my lower lip until I tasted copper, tears spilling over my lashes as the intense, slick friction brought me to the absolute edge of a cliff in seconds. My thighs shook uncontrollably, my toes curling against the wet floor as Gideon’s hand moved faster, firmer, relentless in its discipline. Every time I tried to squirm or lean into the touch, his grip on my throat anchored me, keeping me perfectly exposed to his touch.

"Look at how easily you unravel for me," Gideon rumbled against my wet neck, his rough praise landing like fuel on the fire consuming my body. "So needy. So obedient. Good boy."

"Commander—I'm... I'm at the edge—" I choked out through clenched teeth, my entire body locking tight as the agonizing peak hovered just out of reach. "Please... let me…"

"No," Gideon commanded sharply, his thumb pressing hard against the sensitive head of my length, instantly halting my breath and locking the climax in my throat.

A muffled, despairing whimper exploded from my lips into his chest. Gideon held me right there, suspended on the razor-thin edge of complete surrender, my body thrashing uselessly against his firm grip while the hot water roared over us. He didn't let me release. He methodically stroked me right to the brink two more times, building the heat until I was sobbing openly against his shoulder, completely ruined and entirely dependent on his command.

Finally, Gideon slowed his hand, smoothing slick water over my burning skin to settle the unbearable ache just enough to keep me coherent. He released my throat, his heavy palm sliding up to anchor the back of my wet hair, resting his forehead against mine as I gasped for air, my chest heaving violently against his.

"Clean yourself up," Gideon whispered rough into my mouth, his gray eyes blazing with supreme, possessive ownership. "Dinner is in an hour, sweet boy. I expect you at that table, sitting straight, looking at me."

He stepped back out of the stall, letting the glass door click shut behind him, leaving me pressed against the tiles, weak-kneed, burning, and completely consumed by my Commander.