Love in the Land of Fire

by Brochu, Rebecca

  “We still need to deal with what happened earlier, Rafe.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Josiah takes a deep breath and lets the part of himself that he’s always held back rise closer to the surface, the part that chafes with the urge to dominate, to show others their place beneath him. It’s a part of him that he’s never really been able to embrace, never been able to truly tap into with any of the submissives at the pleasure houses, no matter their tier. He intends to unleash it on Rafe fully however, intends to show him just how he really is.

  “You offered yourself to me, offered me a contract and then you went against the spirit of that offer, Rafe.”

  Rafe stares at him in disbelief and confusion and when he speaks his voice reflects both.

  “I…we haven’t actually entered into the contract yet and from what I saw we won’t be able to for a while, if ever, since I doubt Noah’s going to give up without a fight.”

  The newly unleashed part of Josiah growls in displeasure at hearing his submissive speak of another with such familiarity. Josiah reaches down and tangles a hand deep in Rafe’s hair, a gesture that he’s quickly become obsessed with, and tips his head further back.

  “His name is Frisch. You’ll not be so familiar towards him again; he’s neither asked for nor earned the right to have you use his first name. Do you understand me? You’re mine now whether we have a contract at the moment or not. He’ll never get you back.”

  5Rafe’s breathing goes deep and his eyes are wide as Josiah looks closely at him. There’s no fear in his gaze, which is something Josiah is thankful for. Rafe seems to know instinctively that Josiah’s not trying to truly hurt him; he’s simply exerting his rights as his dominant. Still holding Rafe by the hair Josiah lowers his voice again, lets it slip into the commanding baritone from before.

  “You damaged my property, Rafe.” He sees the confusion on Rafe’s face and knows that he’s going to have to explain, knows that this is something that Rafe will not understand to begin with, but it’s something that they both need.

  “You’d already offered yourself to me, had already offered me your contract, and yet you turned on me, Rafe. You didn’t trust me enough to not jump to conclusions. More than that you turned on yourself, tried to take blame that I didn’t give to you and that’s not how this works.”

  Rafe gapes at him, stunned at what Josiah’s implying before words begin to tumble out of him.

  “That’s…you can’t do…you can’t punish me for blaming myself for something!”

  “It’s well within my right as your dominant when that blame is doing you harm that I’ve not approved.”

  “What was I supposed to think, Josiah? My own Head of House, my father’s sister, wouldn’t help me. No matter what I did, no matter what I said, there was never anywhere to turn, never any way out until that last day. If no one else had a problem with what was going on, how could I not believe that the problem was with me?”

  Josiah doesn’t ignore Rafe’s words but he doesn’t respond to them either. Technically he knows that what Rafe’s saying is true, but he has a point to make and he’s not going to get sidetracked. He loosens his hold on Rafe’s hair and slides his fingers through the strands as he pulls back so he can grasp him by the chin instead.

  “I’m going to go into my bedroom and I’m going to wait for you, Rafe. If you want to be here, if you want to be mine, then you’ll come to me. If not then go to your room and don’t come out for the rest of the night.”

  He lets his hand fall away from Rafe’s chin, spins on his heel and goes to his room, careful to leave the door open a crack so that Rafe knows to come inside. He wants to pace but he doesn’t let himself. Instead he stands silently at the end of his bed and waits. Rafe will have to come to him, will have to willingly place himself into Josiah’s hands knowing that punishment is imminent if this is going to work between them. Josiah can’t be a proper dominant to a submissive that subconsciously fears him and isn’t willing to submit to the proper forms of punishment.

  Five minutes pass agonizingly slow and then another and Josiah’s about to give up when he hears Rafe’s soft footsteps come padding down the hallway. He holds his breath, waits for the horrible moment when the sound passes by his door and heads towards Rafe’s instead. It never comes. Rafe enters his room cautiously, like he’d not just spent the hours curled tightly in Josiah’s arms on those same rumpled sheets. Josiah stares at him silently for a moment before he motions for Rafe to come closer until he’s standing directly in front of him.

  “Strip.”

  Rafe falters for a moment before he seems to gather himself and pulls down the loose sleep pants he’s wearing with a single fluid motion. He picks them up and folds them without being told and presents the small bundle of cloth to Josiah like an offering. He takes it carefully and places it on the smooth top of his dresser before he turns back to Rafe.

  The submissive is beautiful, long planes of smooth, tanned skin and perfectly formed muscles. It hits Josiah 5suddenly that Frisch must have paid a small fortune in medical care to keep Rafe from scarring too badly. He shakes the thought off viciously and focuses back on Rafe’s nude form. This time he doesn’t try to hide the desire that he knows is shining in his eyes or the way his cock is rapidly filling from the submissive.

  He wants Rafe to know that even if he’s displeased with him, even if he’s going to punish him, he’ll always want him, will always desire him. The trick is going to be showing Rafe that punishment and pain are not always bad things, that they can heal as well as harm, and that it’s something they both need to be happy.

  Josiah walks a small circle around Rafe, reaching out a hand and running the tips of his fingers over Rafe’s chest and back as he goes.

  “A dominant is nothing without a submissive and all dominants dream of having a beautiful one. And you are beautiful, Rafe. Now say yellow if I’m approaching your limit and red if I reach it.”

  Rafe jerks at the mention of a safe-word and Josiah has to grit his teeth at the anger that rises in his chest at seeing the open surprise on his face. He hopes Frisch gives him an excuse so that he can rip his throat out with his teeth.

  “You won’t need it this time, hopefully not ever, but you will have one. I’m going to hurt you, Rafe, and you’ll take it because you’ll want to please me, but I promise that I’ll never actually damage you. You’ll always be cared for, Rafe, always be the first thing on my mind before anyone or anything else. I’ll protect you even if it means protecting you from myself.”

  Josiah takes a step back away from Rafe and settles down on the edge of his bed.

  “Now, over my knee.”

  Rafe only hesitates for a moment—Josiah’s more than willing to overlook it this time given the circumstances

  —before he steps forward and lays himself face down across Josiah’s lap. Josiah runs a hand gently down Rafe’s flank, fingers flirting with the cleft of his ass, dipping in for a second to prod gently before retreating again. Rafe squirms lightly and Josiah stops him with a firm hand on his hip before he pulls it away.

  “There is no count. I’ll stop when I think I’ve made my point and I don’t want to hear a sound until you can’t hold it anymore.”

  Rafe nods jerkily and Josiah begins.

  He delivers the first five strokes in quick succession, not pausing as he spreads them evenly across the rapidly reddening skin of Rafe’s ass. Rafe holds still, his body telegraphing resistance, but Josiah presses on. He falls into a rhythm, finding the necessary headspace easily as he alternates the speed and spacing so that Rafe is incapable of anticipating them. Rafe’s fingers tangle in the loose material of Josiah’s pants leg but he doesn’t make a sound, doesn’t try to get away, and Josiah is proud.

  Josiah redoubles his efforts, working towards a goal that he can’t properly express. He knows what needs to happen, knows what they both need; it’s just a matter of getting there.

  When Rafe finally breaks
, Josiah has no idea what the count is. His hand is fairly numb and Rafe’s ass is darkening with the promise of bruises, but it’s worth it for the way that Rafe clutches at him and groans deep in his throat. Josiah counts out ten more swift strikes as Rafe moans softly across his knees before he stops and slides an arm under Rafe’s chest to pull him upright and into his lap. Rafe’s eyes are blood shot, his face streaked with tears and sweat, but there’s also relief in his gaze, the beginnings of a sort of peace that reaches out and grips Josiah hard.

  “You did so good, Rafe, so perfect. I’m so proud of you.” He cradles Rafe’s long body closer to him, 5tucking the submissive’s head under his chin as he rocks them both back and forth.

  “Let it all out, Rafe. Give me everything just like we agreed. You’re not alone anymore.”

  Rafe sobs then, tears coming full tilt and without hesitation. Just like earlier, when Rafe had wept silently into his shirtfront, Josiah knows it’s a good thing. Before had been about releasing Rafe’s pent up emotions but this, this was about absolution, about true healing.

  “Thank you.” Rafe whispers the words into the hollow of Josiah’s throat and all he can do is smile, a small upturning of his lips that doesn’t do justice to the way he’s feeling inside.

  He holds Rafe carefully for a moment before he prompts him to stand. Rafe’s shaky when he gets his feet underneath him and Josiah has to reach out and steady him with a hand on his arm but he doesn’t hesitate to obey. There’s a newfound look of contentment in Rafe’s eyes, a gentle glow of peace that reassures Josiah that he’s done the right thing. This is what they’d both needed. He’s managed to show Rafe that punishment and pain aren’t always the horrible scarring things that Frisch had always shown him and in turn Rafe’s obviously grown to trust him on a deeper level.

  “Undress me.” His voice is low and husky and he sees the way Rafe’s eyes widen and go dark at the sound of it.

  Rafe raises trembling fingers to the top button of Josiah’s shirt; he fumbles for a moment but recovers quickly and makes swift work of working his way down the line of buttons. He looks up and Josiah sees the silent question in his eyes. He nods and Rafe’s hands slip under the fabric of his now open shirt, fingers trailing over the skin of Josiah’s shoulders as he slowly draws the silky material down his arms and off. Rafe gathers the shirt before it can hit the ground and to Josiah’s pleasure folds it neatly and places it beside his previously removed sleep pants on top of the dresser.

  He comes back then and his fingers hesitate for a slit second over Josiah’s zipper, once again asking silently for permission to continue. When Josiah nods again, Rafe grasps the tab and slowly draws it down. He goes down on his knees in front of Josiah, wincing slightly at what the other man knows has to be a painful twinge from a sore ass, and hooks his fingers into the sides of Josiah’s pants. Rafe slowly tugs them down his legs.

  The loose material goes easily, and Josiah raises first one foot and then the other to step out of them. Rafe rises, gives the pants the same treatment as the shirt before going back down in front of Josiah to do the same with his underwear.

  Josiah’s cock bobs with the movement, curving up towards his belly, head flushed and glistening with pre-cum. Rafe eyes it hungrily, tongue flicking out to wet his lips, and Josiah almost snaps at the sight but manages to rein himself in at the last second.

  “I want you on all fours on the bed and don’t move until I tell you to.”

  Rafe scrambles to comply and Josiah has to wrap his fingers tightly around the base of his own cock at the sight of him. He’s gorgeous, tanned skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat, ass red from Josiah’s hand.

  Bruises are already forming, the darkening skin marking him as owned as clearly as any contract.

  Josiah rips his eyes away from the sight and rummages through the top drawer of his dresser, coming back with a small pot of oil. He pours a small amount into the palm of his hand before he sets it aside on the bedside table and crawls onto the bed behind Rafe. He tips his hand and lets the oil dribble down onto the flushed and bruised skin of Rafe’s ass, watching almost transfixed as the droplets disappear into his cleft.

  Rafe tenses slightly but doesn’t move, mind obviously concentrating on following Josiah’s instructions.

  Rafe hisses a quick indrawn breath that’s nearly silent in the next second when Josiah lays a hand on him, but 5it’s a reaction that doesn’t displease Josiah. Josiah prods softly at one of the quickly darkening bruises before he goes about following the oil with his fingertips. He traces his fingers across Rafe’s skin, relishing the feel of it beneath his hands and the knowledge that Rafe is his now and that hopefully very soon no one will ever be able to say otherwise. He doesn’t hesitate to slide a finger down Rafe’s cleft, oil slicking the way as he nudges softly at his tightly furled hole. Rafe is entirely too tense, his muscles clenching in obvious nervousness that Josiah cannot fault him for, so instead he tries to soothe his nerves.

  “Relax, Rafe. You belong to me now and I’ll always take care of you. Always.”

  He continues stroking his fingertip lightly over Rafe’s bud, spreading the oil around and encouraging him to relax. He reaches around Rafe’s kneeling body with his free hand and grasps his cock, soft from the pain of his punishment and his onslaught of nerves, and gives it a few firm pulls until he feels it begin to thicken in his hand.

  “Look at you responding so beautifully to such a simple touch. I’ll teach you how it should be, Rafe, how pain can mix with pleasure until you can’t see straight.” He lowers his voice, makes it that gravelly growl that he knows Rafe likes. “You just have to let me in first, Rafe. Just let me in and I’ll take care of you, of everything.”

  Rafe drops his head so that it hangs down between his arms and Josiah feels the shudder that works its way through his body as he struggles to relax his muscles. Josiah continues to prod gently at his hole but releases his hold on the submissive’s cock. He doesn’t want Rafe to get too worked up yet. He wants him to feel everything, every slick push and glide in excruciating detail with every inch of his body. Finally he pushes the tip of his finger past the now slightly loosened ring of muscles and then nearly groans aloud at the feel of Rafe’s heat, at the thought of having it wrapped so tightly around his cock.

  He pushes in further, the oil easing his passage as he begins the slow work of stretching Rafe. He’s determined to do it properly, will accept nothing less for their first time and doesn’t want it marred by memories of unnecessary pain. The punishment doesn’t count, is an entirely separate issue that Josiah’s prepared to deal with, but Rafe’s trust in him is still too new, too fragile for anything truly rough when it comes to sex. That is something Josiah will take great pleasure in introducing him to in the future.

  Josiah continues working his finger deeper and deeper into Rafe, feeling the way the younger man begins to slowly relax more and more as he seems to realize that Josiah is truly not interested in rushing things. Finally when there’s no more resistance, when there’s only the smooth glide of him working his way into Rafe he adds another finger. Rafe stays relaxed as Josiah thrusts deeper into him, careful of the bruised flesh of his ass, and then begins to scissor his digits to stretch him even wider.

  He leans over Rafe’s back and licks a stripe up his spine, tongue dragging through the droplet of sweat on his skin as he works his way up so that he can lay teasing kisses on the back of his neck. Rafe moans, a low sound of pleasure that drags a smile out of Josiah even as he pulls back so that he can watch his fingers as they disappear into Rafe’s body.

  “You’re so beautiful like this, Rafe. You take me so perfectly, like you were made for it, made for me.”

  He crooks his fingers on an in stroke and watches the way Rafe’s entire body twitches in pleasure when he rubs against his prostate. He massages that spot for a moment, sees the way a new coat of sweat is slowly starting to form on Rafe’s skin as he struggles to stay still, to not buck back into Josiah’s touch
. He keeps it up until Rafe begins to tremble, his arms growing weaker from the heightened pleasure, and then he reaches around Rafe’s hips and clamps his fingers tightly around the base of his cock again. Rafe keens, hips jerking, and Josiah twists the fingers that are still working their way deeper into his body and suddenly adds a third.

  5Josiah works them in deep, twisting and curling his fingers on every odd stroke to send stars bursting behind Rafe’s eyelids again. He lets Rafe’s cock go and slides back across the mattress, lowering his upper body to the mattress and using his free hand to spread Rafe open in front of him. Rafe groans again at the slight pressure on his bruised skin but the sound is choked in his throat when Josiah leans forward and runs his tongue lightly around his stretched rim. Josiah inhales the musky scent of Rafe, mixed with the slightly pungent smell and taste of the oil that’s coating his skin before he licks him again.

  He sets to work on Rafe in earnest then, tracing his tongue around the fingers still buried in his body and occasionally slipping it past the ring of muscle alongside them. Rafe’s arms buckle underneath him, sending his upper body crashing to the mattress and Josiah’s fingers even deeper inside of him. Josiah pulls back and swats him lightly on the ass in punishment and Rafe immediately tries to scramble back into place, struggling to get his arms to hold him up. Josiah takes no pity on him, bending back to his task with single-minded focus.

  A few more minutes pass like this, Josiah’s fingers and tongue tormenting Rafe as he struggles to maintain the position he’d been ordered to before he finally pulls away completely. His fingers make a sloppy, wet sound when he pulls them free that sends a bolt of sheer lust through him and makes his own cock jump in want. He arches himself over Rafe’s back, laying another kiss on the nape of his neck, and whispers hotly in his ear.

  “I’m going to fuck you now, Rafe, and it’s going to erase the memory of every other touch you’ve ever had.