“Okay.”
The word broke free on two low beats that flew across the table to loosen every muscle that’d been strung up waiting for Grady’s answer. Micah released a low breath, his relief spilling into his smile.
“Okay what?” He had to be certain.
Grady lifted his chin, lips thinning. “I’ll give you control.”
Fuck yes. A rush of power and excitement expanded his chest. He shouldn’t be this invested in a guy he’d known for a few days, but time was fickle and irrelevant when matched against the chemistry between them.
Grady shoved out of the booth and stood, hands jammed in his pockets. “Should we go?” He nodded toward the hallway.
Want warred with indecision, which he couldn’t have. Not if he wanted to keep Grady’s trust. Trust he’d just agreed to give Micah.
He slid from the booth without a word and led the way to his room. The only room he could use. Dane had said it was available when he’d asked earlier, a stern look his only show of concern.
I’m not a child.
The reminder solidified his resolve. He could give Grady what he needed while getting what he had to have.
He opened the door but stepped aside to let Grady enter first. Tension seemed to simmer between them when he passed by, the current reaching out to snap at Micah. He sucked in a breath and savored the anticipation high.
He’d been thinking about this moment since he’d walked into the hospital last week. Maybe he should stay away or maybe he was exactly who Grady needed. Whichever it was, he’d tossed the decision into Grady’s hands and here he was.
He shut the door and moved to where Grady stood in the center of the room, back to him, hands braced on his hips. Spine stiff, shoulders, biceps, and forearms bulging with contracted muscles.
His worn jeans displayed the rounded firmness of his ass to perfection and thoughts of sinking into it fired Micah’s lust. He’d been hard since “okay” had left Grady’s mouth, but it was all part of the build. The deliberate yet unplanned nature of this act was hotter than any of his other encounters.
He stopped a few inches from Grady, his chest almost touching his back. He dragged a long inhale up the side of Grady’s neck, the warm spice scent solidifying into pine in his mind. It fit him and flooded Micah with heat.
He groaned his approval, still not touching him, even though every fiber of his being was desperate to do so. Grady’s breath hitched, head tilting. The stretch of his neck was a breath away, tempting. He waited a beat, then two before he sunk his teeth into the tendon at the juncture of his shoulder and sucked hard, uncaring about marks or bruises.
His restraint shattered at the salty taste beneath his tongue. He yanked Grady back, the air rushing from Micah’s lungs on impact. Not from the force, but the sheer intensity of having Grady pressed to his length.
“Fuck.” The mumbled curse was ripped from the depths of his chest. Grady shouldn’t feel this good. He kissed up the slope of his neck, hands mapping the contours of his chest, pulse accelerating with every touch. He swore again when he palmed the firm outline of Grady’s erection. Hard and ready for him. He squeezed the thickness, nipping Grady’s earlobe as he ground his own hard dick into Grady’s ass. So good.
Grady broke free in the next moment and spun around. He paused for one deep breath, eyes locked in heated communication before Micah gripped his neck and hauled him into a searing kiss. Fire blazed from the ensuing battle. Tongues warring, teeth nipping, breath gasping.
Micah dug his fingers into Grady’s hair, fisting his hand to direct him. He angled his head to the side and plunged his tongue in deeper, harder, stabbing in repeated motions mimicked by his hips. He still couldn’t get enough. Didn’t think he ever would. Not of him.
Grady met him at every beat. He gave over his mouth, but he dug his hands possessively over Micah’s ass. His hips thrust in time with Micah’s, their cocks meeting in long slides beneath clothing.
It wasn’t controlled, not even close, and Micah didn’t want to lose this fire. Yet he had to keep himself safe.
That thought alone forced him to break free, lungs burning. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He shoved Grady away only to spin him around and force him to the sawhorse. Simple in design with a padded top and cuffs attached to all four legs, it was a containment device more than a torture implement. Perfect for his needs.
He crowded Grady until his thighs hit the horse. Not giving him time to think, he dove his hands under the hem of Grady’s T-shirt and ripped it over his head. Grady didn’t protest, instead sighing back into Micah when the material was gone.
So damn perfect. His skin was smooth and hot. Muscles rippled under Micah’s palms, unseen scars providing a change of texture and hinting at the dangers of Grady’s job. His lean frame was solidly built, strong, and all Micah’s to have.
He yanked at the fastening of Grady’s jeans, pulled the zipper down, and plunged his hand in to grip his cock. Grady arched and groaned, head falling back. Micah stroked the velvety length, each pass a lightning bolt to his own aching dick.
“Yes,” Grady breathed. “Harder.” He thrust his hips forward with Micah’s downward swipe. So not submissive, but exactly what Micah loved. Power danced on his rocketing need, the addictive high a craving he feared.
Again, he broke away and stepped back. He fought for every breath and couldn’t resist running his hand down the long span of Grady’s back. Grady flexed under the touch, shoulder blades drawing together, spine bending as his head rolled back. His moan bubbled beneath the stretch of his throat, a sex-laden sound.
“Undress,” he said, withdrawing his touch. “And bend over the horse.”
His breath became trapped in his lungs, heartbeat tapping out the lengthening silence. Each rapid thump a mockery of his supposed control.
Grady slowly turned his head to eye him from beneath heavy lids. His hair hung in disarray across his forehead, adding to his lustful appeal. He slowly wet his lips, ending with a sultry smile. “Only if you get naked too.” The low tone was almost a purr, his own demand a challenge that kicked at the heart of Micah’s need.
Micah swallowed his growl, his dick throbbing in his pants. He was in deep and there was so much Grady didn’t know. He should’ve shared before they got to this point. Yet to speak now would spoil it for them both, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
The last thing he would do.
Blood roared in Grady’s ears, longing sped through him on each racing beat of his heart. He wanted Micah like he’d never wanted anyone. Wanted everything Micah demanded, but he couldn’t give in passively. It simply wasn’t in him.
Micah tipped his head back, laughter breaking free in short jerks. His gaze was heavy with lust when he lowered his chin. His deliberate grasp of the back of his shirt at the neck and slow tug of the material over his head was possibly the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
He swallowed and greedily sucked in every inch of exposed skin. The guy was built, six-pack abs and all. Grady had a few ripples beneath his firm abdomen, but definition like Micah’s took dedication and diligence.
Micah held still until Grady’s gaze traveled up to meet his again. Everything about the guy screamed control.
And Grady wanted all of it—him.
He hitched his thumbs under his underwear and slid them down with his jeans in one glide until he hit his boots. “Fuck.” So much for a graceful striptease. His pants usually didn’t get any lower than his knees, if that far.
Micah chuckled and Grady shot him a glare as he struggled with the damn bootlaces. He laughed when he caught Micah in the same predicament as him. “Not very sexy, is it?”
“Maybe not,” Micah agreed around a smirk before he dove forward and sucked down Grady’s dick in one gulp.
“Fucking…” His cry shot from him with the power it took to keep from coming. He squeezed his eyes closed, stumbling back only to be tripped up by his pants. He scrambled to stay upright and was saved by Micah’s strong hold on his hips.
Damn. He swore his eyes crossed when Micah drew up, the suction threatening to take the last of Grady’s sanity with it. Micah swirled his tongue around the tip, flicked that incredible spot on the underside, then wheedled the slit on top.
He dug his fingers into Micah’s shoulders, heat racing down his dick to flare in his balls. A flash of sweet heaven that flooded him with crazy wants and unattainable dreams.
He searched for air when Micah lifted his head, that smirk firmly back in place. He wiped off his mouth and gave a satisfied sniff. “How’s that for sexy?”
Grady cleared his throat, legs more wobbly than they should be from a suck and lick on his cock. He managed a shrug. “Not bad.” It was a weak bluff, but it was all he had.
He ducked down before Micah could call him on it and dispensed with the rest of his clothing. Micah was removing his pants when Grady finished, and he stopped to enjoy Micah’s profile. Again, strength radiated with every movement. Muscles flexing and shifting to make the task of undressing appear smooth.
And all that power was going to be over and in him soon.
His cock twitched, anticipation inflaming his hunger. Micah glanced his way, brow raising as he pointedly looked to the sawhorse. Shit. Right.
He turned to the piece of dungeon equipment, nerves racing in to tremble up his spine. This was it. The moment when choice took him closer to what he both wanted and feared.
He laid down before he could stew on the situation, on exactly what he was giving to Micah. The padding wasn’t wide enough for his entire chest, but it was enough to hold him without hurting. Slightly shorter in height than his legs, he was very aware of how his ass lifted if he locked his knees, his junk and hole on blatant display.
He gritted his teeth and gripped the handholds on the front legs. The exposed position was shameful and exciting at once. Memories flew wild and scattered, of bending over for James and losing much more than his sexual power in the end. Of turning over every part of himself only to have that trust manipulated into something that’d almost crushed him. But right next to them was the irresistible taunting of complete abandon and the freedom that came when he could forget everything and simply be.
Knowing he was doing this with Micah was another mixed dose of panic and relief.
He flinched when Micah tapped his inner thigh, that simple touch somehow shooting up his leg to harden his dick even more. A firmer nudge had him spreading his feet farther apart. His heart thudded against the vinyl padding, and he tried to catch a glimpse of Micah in his peripheral but got nothing.
A caress up his calf and another flash of heat lodged in his groin. Fingers circled his ankle, a warning perhaps before a band was strapped around it. His pulse jumped, breath hitching.
“Tell me if this isn’t okay.”
Micah’s low voice soothed over his doubts, yet…“What about safe words?” He could’ve lifted up to see Micah if he was really worried about it, which he wasn’t, even though he probably should be. A safe word would take it another step past fucking into BDSM.
“Stop works.” Micah fastened a second cuff on his other ankle before sliding his palms up the back of Grady’s legs. “I’m not a Dom.”
Grady forgot all about safe words and semantics when Micah squeezed his ass cheeks, spreading them. He tensed automatically, butt and hands clenching. Was he…
His thoughts were cut off by the hot swipe of Micah’s tongue over his exposed hole. “Holy…” Micah swirled around the sensitive spot, and the rest of the curse stuck in his lungs.
A wet pass, another prod, and Grady forgot his doubts, focused instead on the amazing things Micah was doing with his tongue. Hot breaths peppered with thrusts and a few hard sucks, and Grady was lost in the swarm of sensation that shimmied over his skin and sank into his dick.
He dug his forehead into the pad and pushed back. “More.” His orgasm built in his groin, the pressure contracting with each persistent dive of Micah’s tongue.
“No.”
The short rebuke was followed by the slide of a slick finger into him. “Fuckfuckfuck.” Grady groaned into the pleasure. No burn, no pain. Just a need for more. “Just fuck me.”
Micah’s chuckle was darkly sensual. Good? Bad? He didn’t care.
A withdrawal followed by a bite on his ass. The sharp pain flashed over his balls before it turned into a dull throb. Grady was panting now, breaths gusting out in coarse cuts. Micah was driving him insane and they still had the fucking to do.
The next breach was wider, more fingers, a quick pinch. He grunted at the swift slide, gritting his teeth around the moan that rolled out. So good. His spine dipped and rocked with the building hunger. Searching for that elusive more Micah continued to withhold.
The hit of pure ecstasy ripped a cry from his throat and he was on his toes, legs trembling as Micah continued a relentless rub over his prostate. Jesus. He bit his tongue to keep from begging. More, stop—he didn’t know what he wanted.
He slumped to the pad when Micah pulled his fingers out, asshole spasming around the sudden emptiness. Sweat chilled on his back and dampened his temple. His hands ached from his hold on the handles and his dick hung heavy and needy between his legs. Deprived and ignored, the neglect became a throbbing point of frustration.
A chain rattling followed by the quiet sealing of Velcro penetrated his awareness, but nothing new was strapped to him. The rip of a condom package shot his focus back to his dick and had him vibrating with need.
The warm glide of a hand up his back was a heavenly sweep of comfort. “Ready?”
“Yes,” he groaned, ass lifted in offering. “Past ready.”
Micah’s chuckle rolled through the room, then he gripped Grady’s hips and the blunt head of his cock was nudging Grady’s hole, pressing in.
He exhaled, relaxing into the pressure. Each sensitive ring of muscle balked before yielding to Micah’s girth. His jaw worked, but no sound escaped as he absorbed the stretch and burn. It was good, bordering on pain that only enticed. A gateway for the ecstasy to come.
Micah’s moaned sigh spanned the length of his descent into Grady’s ass. The sound echoed the emotions running unchecked within him. Heady and slow, a consistent slide until Micah bottomed out, his pubic hairs tickling Grady’s ass.
Perfect. Right. So fucking good. He squeezed his eyes closed, centered on the hot stretch and throb building in his balls. His dick was aching for a touch, even a brush against the hard sawhorse would be a blessing. Anything to fill the abandoned need resonating outward from that area.
He tried to push back, to urge things along, but Micah held all the control. He had no leverage or space to move. Not even forward. He tried to kick his leg out and was stopped short by the ankle cuff. His breath picked up, hunger driving his rising frustration.
There was no order to hold still, just a firm grip on his hips and the scalding length of Micah behind him reinforced by his damned patience.
This was Micah’s show. Micah’s outcome to drive and decide.
And Grady had given him that power.
A deep breath, another, and the tension spun from his limbs to leave him buzzing but off the edge. He wasn’t worried for his safety. Didn’t have to listen for someone approaching or being hurt by a straight-man’s rush to get off. It wasn’t James behind him or even a Dom.
It was Micah, and Grady only had to let go and enjoy.
Micah leaned forward until his chest melted into Grady. “So good,” he murmured, breath ghosting over Grady’s nape. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll forget your name.”
What a promise. “Then do it,” he goaded. “Fuck me blind and I’ll buy you a drink when we’re done.”
Micah’s laugh vibrated into Grady before he hitched his hips and slammed back in. Curses flew with the stars that exploded behind Grady’s closed lids. He arched, unable to go far with Micah weighing him down.
“If you want a drink when we’re done, then I’ve done something wrong.”
Micah sunk his teeth into the same spot on Grady’s shoulder that he’d sucked earlier. Grady winced before he dropped into the pain. It spread outward, flowing down, blending with the overwhelming rush coalescing in his core.
Two more snaps of Micah’s hips and he forgot how to complain or cajole. Sweet bliss shut him up, each quick stroke jarring him forward. His erection slapped against the wood frame with every thrust, a sharp pain firing into his balls. The dichotomous sensations blurred and made a sudden shift to amazing when it could’ve been agony.
Micah’s grunts resonated in his ear, the scent of sex and sweat invading with each inhalation. The slap of skin on skin hammered out the pace, and he could only hang on and take it.
Micah heaved himself up, one hand gripping Grady’s shoulder. The next hard plunge met in a clashing yank and shove, which set off another burst of stars behind his eyelids. His prostate sang its joy while his dick whimpered in anguish.
Hungry sounds tumbled from his chest and the world spiraled down to nothing more than this. The hard, driving dick in his ass, the flood of endorphins, and the building charge of his orgasm. Nothing mattered but the next thrust, the wild heat and insane rush.
The need to come hovered on the edge of insanity, but he ground his teeth to keep from begging. He could take whatever Micah gave him, last as long as he had to. And a part of him didn’t want it to end. Escape was only an orgasm away, and then reality would crash back in and fuck with everything.
Micah released his shoulder and between one withdrawal and the next descent fisted Grady’s dick. The touch jolted into Grady’s balls and contracted in his stomach.
“Mother…” His curse was cut off by Micah’s quick stroke over his erection. He twisted his neck, back tensing, muscles clenching from toes to fingers. “Shit.” He gasped. “Gonna come.”
“You better,” Micah insisted. “Now.”
Grady blew on that word, his world shattering beneath a raging wave of relief, amazement, and blinding flight. His release plowed through him, come flying with each rebounding hit of his orgasm, driven higher by Micah’s relentless hold and slams into his ass.
He crested the swell, holding on to the precipice of perfection for endless moments before he crashed down in a heave of air and darkness. His pulse swelled in his ears and he floated in a blissed-out state of nothingness.
He registered a last hard thrust, a roar, and then the welcoming bulk of Micah over his back. What was usually crushing and claustrophobic became a grounding connection.
Micah’s breath gusted past his ear, his heartbeat hammering into Grady’s back, another nonverbal declaration of satisfaction.
He let his hands fall from the handles, every muscle relaxing into the floating haze he hadn’t allowed himself to enjoy since James. This time he could though.
With Micah.