BEACH HADN’T noticed he was still wearing the cuffs until he tapped in the door-lock code at his apartment. Black leather, buckled around his wrists. The blood flooded back to his aching dick so fast he had to lean on the door or go to his knees. Turning the handle meant the cuff was there again for him to see, and he staggered into his hall, catching himself against the kitchen counter. The gravelly voice. You’re mine. The locked grip on his head, cock filling his throat, cutting off his breath. He pressed a hand to his cock to ease the throbbing back a notch, and it only made it worse.
Thank God he hadn’t noticed the cuffs while he was driving, too shocked at being handed his clothes and shoved out the door while sporting a hard-on that could have done duty as a bayonet. The unfamiliar dashboard, nothing preset to his preferences, was another useful distraction. Useful because if he had noticed his leather-clad wrists, he’d now be explaining why he’d driven head-on into a light pole. He was pretty sure there was no statute about driving under the influence of a killer erection—at least not in Maryland—but he could picture a test for determining the blood ratio between cock and brain. Sorry, sir, you’re way over the limit for that.
He stroked himself through the thin material of his trousers, twisting his wrist so the bulk of the cuff caressed him on the upstroke. It was like having Tai—Sir there. The unfamiliar touch of it. The sense of being possessed, controlled.
He wasn’t disobeying. Rubbing himself through his pants wasn’t jerking off, no matter how good it felt. With a little squeeze at the top, he put both hands on the counter and studied the cuffs. Tai had said he’d text tomorrow. But it was only polite to let him know Beach had unintentionally left with Tai’s property.
Beach’s pulse pounded high in his chest as he typed out I believe I still have something of yours. After snapping a picture of one of his hands with the cuff around his wrist, he sent that along.
Is that all that’s mine? Tai shot back immediately.
Beach’s balls tightened and throbbed. He swore they’d twist themselves into a knot in his sac if he didn’t get to unload them soon. One hand on his raw throat, he sent off No, Sir.
Good boy.
That rush. That absolute blissful sense of right, of completeness, when Sir had whispered the phrase when Beach finally managed to control himself enough not to choke on the thick cock.
How do you feel? Tai’s text came after a minute of silence when the screen had gone blank.
Beach’s half smile was one of his more seductive moves. He wished there was something other than the reflective countertop to appreciate it as he sent back Remember what I said about fishing? About hooking something big? I hooked a shark. I’m not sure I’m going to make it, but I love the ride.
When Tai didn’t respond, Beach wondered if Tai had meant the question more literally.
And I’m so hard I think it’s going to fall off.
You’ll live. Remember. No jerking off.
Stripping, climbing into bed, and jerking off were all Beach could think about. He suddenly realized how tired he was, but there was no way he’d fall asleep with a boner like this. He carefully peeled off his pants, then tossed his shirt away, wincing as it stuck to some of his chest hair, glued there by come.
He staggered toward his bedroom and put the phone on the nightstand. His text alert sounded. David. I expect you to answer me.
He wanted to tell Tai to fuck off. That it was Beach’s dick and he’d jerk it until it was raw if he wanted to. But more than that, he wanted to be back there. Know what else there was to learn about how it felt to let someone take control like that. So he made sullen stabs at the letters on the screen. Yes, Sir.
Yes, Sir, what?
Yes, Sir. No jerking off. How the hell would Tai know whether or not he did anyway? The monitor didn’t pick up semen.
Good boy.
Beach stretched out on the bed and stared at his dick.
BEACH DIDN’T know why he dreamed about getting fucked by Tai in Gavin’s boathouse. Something about trying to find someplace and constant interruption from the new passel of friends Gavin had. That was where they ended up. Beach felt the rough wood of the dock under his hands and knees, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was Tai’s cock filling Beach’s ass, a perfect, burning stretch and then thrusts to electrify him from inside out. Tai’s voice, rougher than the weathered wood. “Good. So fucking good for me. Gonna make you come so hard.”
The leather gauntlet on his wrist got in the way as Tai gave Beach a reach around, but he was so close he didn’t care.
“Give it to me. That’s mine too.” Tai poured the words into Beach’s ear like smoke.
And god-fucking-dammit, Beach was awake, his own leather cuff chafing his hard cock as his hips pumped against the mattress.
Don’t jerk off.
It couldn’t count if Beach was asleep, right? People even got away with murder if they were found to be asleep when they did it. He shut his eyes and tried to fall back into that dream, but his body had other plans.
So close. So fucking close.
He wasn’t exactly jerking off either. His hand wasn’t moving. It was his hips making the friction, the rub against his open palm and the lump of leather. The edge caught him just right, hips working faster and faster and Oh shit, I’ll buy him another pair of cuffs was the last thing that went through Beach’s head as the orgasm burst out of his balls. He shook through it. Hard, sharp, and over too damned fast. He yanked his hand away and rolled off to the side, dick more sensitive than usual. Damn, he’d needed that, but it would have been so much better if that bossy son of a bitch had actually been up his ass.
It was only ten steps to the bathroom, but the first one he tried with weight on his bad leg almost sent him to the floor. He hop-staggered the rest of the way in, wiped off his junk with a towel, and turned on the water for a shower.
When his text alert sounded, he jumped, though there was no one to actually see his guilty expression but the guy in the mirror. What the hell? Beach looked down at the monitor as if it had given him away. Assuming the monitor picked up the heat or his pulse, the new Officer DiPrazi or whatever wouldn’t have called Tai to tell him.
He hopped back to scoop up his phone, then blinked and squinted at the time. Not that Beach was an early riser, but that was usually because he didn’t get to bed before the morning. He’d been out for almost twelve hours.
Got any plans today?
Beach loved the way he could hear Tai’s voice in his texts.
No—Beach hesitated for a moment—Sir.
Then get your ass over here.
I haven’t showered.
Thought a guy who was desperate to get off would have other things on his mind, but take your time.
Beach gave a rueful look at his spent cock. I’ll be right there.
Tai hadn’t posed it as a question, so it wasn’t exactly a lie. And what if he found out? Would it mean some kind of punishment? Beach’s dick ached as a little spurt of blood tried to revive it.
TWO HOURS at the dog park had Jez’s tongue lolling and her steps dragging. That made one of them. The burst of energy that had Tai up and at the gym by five thirty was still riding him. All he had to do was picture David on his knees, hear the surrender in his gasps, feel him give up his throat, and adrenaline exploded inside like fireworks.
Tai knew Nic would tell him to keep David waiting, that the Dom had to be the one with the self-control to set the early boundaries, but knowing didn’t stop the need, the itch to find out how far this was going to go, if David’s curiosity had been satisfied or if he wanted more.
Given how fast David showed up, Tai was going to go with wanting more.
David leaned heavily on his cane as Tai shut the door behind him. “I’m afraid I’m not—I don’t know the protocol.” David picked at his silky button-down shirt, made an abortive effort to shove that hand in the pocket of his navy shorts, then tucked his cuffed wrist behind his back.
Tai had seen enough of David A. Beauchamp to know unease wasn’t something he was familiar with. That he was willing to let it show made Tai have to take a deep breath to find extra room in his chest for the heat spreading under his ribs.
Before he could answer, David lowered himself to one knee without any of the easy grace he’d shown yesterday. But it wasn’t for Tai.
“Hey, Jez. Who’s a pretty girl?”
Tai released her from her stay, and she trotted forward, accepting David’s pets and rubs with wriggles and licks.
“Yes, you are a very pretty girl. Look at those eyes.”
Jez tilted her head as if she were an actress mugging for the camera, then swung it back at David, catching him on the shoulder hard enough to make him wobble and have to slam a hand against the wall.
Tai stared at the leg David had stretched out in front of him, the scar and the area around it red and tight with swelling. The clench of Tai’s jaw kept back a snap of anger that would have startled Jez. Disappointment kept his frustration to an icy trickle down his spine as he got a rawhide for Jez to keep her occupied. When she was happily gnawing while sprawled on her blanket under the window, Tai hauled David to his feet, steered him into the bedroom, and shut the door.
Ignoring the seductive cast the location called up on David’s face, Tai kept his voice low and even.
“The first thing, the very first thing I told you was you’d have to be completely honest with me.” If David couldn’t manage that much, there wasn’t a chance of this working.
“What are you talking about?”
“You told me your leg was fine.”
“It is fine. Well, it was.” David shrugged like that was an excuse.
“You can’t hide pain like that. I have to trust that you’ll tell me if something is hurting you.”
“What about that punishment you told me about?” A deep flush stained David’s throat.
“That’s different. It would never be anything to put you at risk for injury. And I want you to be honest about how that makes you feel too.”
The flush climbed onto David’s face.
“Sit.” Tai pushed him gently onto the bed. “Is there something you need to tell me?”
David shook his head. “My leg is fine. Or it was fine last night. I woke up, and it was sore and swollen. I didn’t lie to you. I haven’t lied to you.” David looked up. “Sir.”
Tai let the moment stretch, reading David’s face, learning what he was willing to show in his eyes.
After a minute David looked down. “This… it’s too….” He swallowed and met Tai’s gaze again, this time with a regretful grin. “I don’t think I can lie to you now.”
Tai put a palm on David’s face, and the stubble on his cheek prickled as David leaned into the touch.
Shifting to move a breath away from David’s lips, Tai whispered, “Was that all that was swollen and bothering you when you woke up?”
“No.” David’s voice shook.
God, he was so open, offering himself so sweetly, Tai wanted to put David on a spreader bar and eat that tight ass until he passed out.
“You said you didn’t have time for a shower.” Tai peeled David’s shirt off over his head. It was twice as silky as it looked, but Tai was much more interested in what was underneath.
“Join me.” David pushed to his feet.
“You haven’t seen my shower, but I can watch.”
Tai hoped his eventual coffin was roomier than the shower stall in his apartment, but the close quarters in the rest of the bathroom weren’t bothering him now. He cradled David’s face and kissed him, tugging his lips apart and tickling inside them. David shifted against Tai. With a lurch of guilt, he pulled away. After lowering the toilet lid, Tai helped him sit.
“Sorry. Forgot about your leg.”
“Don’t let that stop you.”
Tai arched his brows and bent to leave wet kisses across David’s pecs, breathing in the sweat and sex smells on his skin. Trailing a palm down David’s arm, Tai stopped at the cuff. He bit back a grin. It was sweet and hot that David had kept them on.
David pulled his arm back. “I can get that.”
Tai held tight. “I put it on you. I’ll take it off.”
David shivered.
Tai reached for the buckle and noticed the crusted white stain. “Anything you want to tell me?”
“No, Sir.”
He snapped off the cuff and held it under David’s nose. David looked at him and blinked.
“Did you jerk off?”
Despite a guilty grimace, David tried to wriggle off. “Not exactly.”
Tai leaned back. “Spontaneous combustion?”
David shook his head.
“So?”
“I was having a dream. And in the dream, I was close, and then I woke up and—” When David tried to tell the rest of the story to his toes, Tai grabbed his chin and forced him to look up. “And I humped into my hand. Does that count?” David finished.
“What do you think?”
David grinned. “There’s not really a right answer for that, is there?”
“The answer is ‘Yes, Sir.’” He let go of David’s chin.
David swallowed. “So—uh—what happens now?”
He was pushing. No question about it. Tai hadn’t ever met anyone who was more in need of consequences. But unlike most subs, David didn’t understand that need in himself, and it wasn’t part of the power exchange that turned him on. Yet.
“I gave you an order. You disobeyed me.” Tai pulled David’s other arm up and unsnapped the cuff.
David looked down at his wrists and then encircled his left one with his fingers. “I did plan to replace them. After.”
“That’s not what this is about.” Tai slapped the cuffs against his palm. David watched, face set with a square jaw. “You can’t buy off a consequence with me.”
David reared back. “I didn’t—”
Tai put his thumb over David’s lips. “Don’t interrupt me. If I ask you a question, you can answer.” With David’s nod, Tai lowered his hand. “You had a taste of this. Enough to know if you like it. Do you want to keep going?”
David’s face became animated. “Absolutely. I—” He took a deep breath. “Yes, Sir.”
“Okay. Then part of it is accepting punishment. Take off your shoes.”
“What are—?” David stopped on his own.
“Go ahead.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I promised you I won’t spank you unless you ask me to. You’re going to take a shower.”
David leaned to look around Tai at the shower stall. “It might not be the spa at the Four Seasons, but I think I can handle it.”
Tai smiled. “You can think it’s funny now. Don’t forget your safeword.”
“Even in punishment?”
“Especially in punishment. Now, the next time you say something without being asked a question means more time.”
David might not understand what was coming, but he sealed his mouth.
“I’ll support you so you can keep weight off your leg. Put your hand on my shoulder.” Tai hunched down.
As David levered himself up, Tai reached for the fly of David’s shorts. His lips parted and then pinched shut again.
Tai peeled off David’s shorts, then slid thumbs in the waistband of his briefs. “What’s wrong?”
“It feels—Normally I enjoy being undressed by an attractive man, but this is making me feel uncomfortable.”
“That’s kind of the point of punishment, David.” Tai stripped the briefs down to David’s ankles, and he stepped out of them.
Tai put an extra towel on the floor before handing David a washcloth and liquid soap. David’s glance bounced around the shower, then searched Tai’s face for an explanation. “You can keep hanging on to me to keep the weight off your leg.” Tai reached in, adjusted the dial, and blasted David with icy water.
“What the—?” David tried to step forward, and Tai held him inside the stall. David’s eyes widened. He glanced at the temperature control and back at Tai, who nodded.
David stuck it through, Tai would give him that. Shaking and teeth chattering, David fumbled with the soap and washcloth. He managed to get through his face and arms, but as he rubbed down his chest and the cloth brushed his cock, he jumped. “Jesus fucking Christ, that’s cold.”
“Extra time, David. And if you swear again, that’s thirty more seconds.” David looked at the washcloth and his cock.
“Wash. It’s not getting any warmer.” Tai was only getting a splatter of the cold water. It was still cold enough to make his balls tighten, even safely hidden under two layers.
Squinching his face, David washed between his legs and into his crack, then down his legs, before dropping the washcloth. His mouth opened and then he shut it, standing with folded arms and shivering.
“Why are you being punished, David?”
David rolled his eyes.
“Another five seconds. Why are you being punished?”
“Because I was horny and jerked off,” David spat out.
“No. Keep thinking and give me the right answer.”
“I can’t think.” He stuttered the words. “I’m too cold.”
Tai reached in and shut off the water. “Why are you being punished?”
David’s jaw was tight, eyes narrow.
“You’re not getting out of there without the right answer.” Tai took the jutting jaw in his hand and rubbed his thumb across the trembling lips. “Tell me.”
The huffed sigh meant David was still fighting, but he answered, “Because I disobeyed you.”
“Yes.”
Tai reached in and turned the water on again.
“I answered.” David’s hands moved down to cover his dick. “C’mon. I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry. You’re sorry you’re being punished, but that will do for now.”
David shivered and shifted around the stall, trying to get different skin in and out of the icy spray.
“I’m starting your extra time now. Fifteen seconds.”
“Ten. I only said something twice.”
“Now it’s twenty.”
David looked away, but he didn’t stop the squirming around. Tai shut off the spray and handed David a fresh towel.
“Oh God, that’s so warm.”
Tai lifted him over the lip and onto the towel on the floor, wrapping David in the terrycloth and the warmth of Tai’s body.
David held himself stiffly for a minute, then relaxed. “That sucked.”
“Don’t disobey me.”
Tai dried him off, shifting from rubbing to caressing. David leaned against him.
Yes, this boy wouldn’t hold on to resentment. Tai could see how sweet a sub David would make. Brushing a kiss across his jaw and then behind his ear, Tai asked, “How do you feel?”
“Weird. It’s kind of dizzying. I’m still really pissed at you, but I can’t get close enough to you.”
Tai yanked off his damp tank top, and David’s cool arms landed around Tai’s chest, face on his shoulder.
“So, do we get to fuck now?”
Tai grinned and kissed him. “Don’t make me go shopping for a ball gag.”