Roped In

by A. M. Arthur

  “I’m going to enjoy watching this new toy turn your skin blistering red,” Avery said. “Do you want that?”

  “Anything you want, Sir.”

  “Good. Stand.”

  Colt did as told, hands still clasped behind his back, eyes straight ahead. He picked the doorknob as his focal point and stayed still. Avery’s feet ghosted across the floor, his clothes whispering as he moved. He returned, and Colt’s heart began pounding as Avery trailed the end of the rope up and down Colt’s arm.

  “You want this,” Avery whispered. “You want me to tie you up, don’t you? Answer me truthfully.”

  “Yes, Sir, I do. I want it so much. Need it.”

  Avery’s lack of immediate response made Colt worry he’d said the wrong thing. But he’d asked for the truth, and the truth was Colt needed this tonight.

  “Good, pet,” Avery finally said. “My knots want you, too. Hands in front.”

  Colt shifted position. Avery stepped in front of him, cheeks flushed, his hair tied back at the nape of his neck. Still fully dressed, despite the erection tenting his slacks. He positioned Colt’s arms so they were stretched out in front of him, side by side and tight together. The rope work began at Colt’s wrists, and he watched as Avery created magic with that slender rope. Beautiful knots he braided all the way up to Colt’s elbows, binding him with no way to escape.

  The absolute trust needed for such a thing was never lost on Colt. His first few sessions with Avery, his bonds were kept loose, only tightening as they went along and got to know each other better. Trust each other. But leather restraints on a spanking bench held no candle to how it felt to have his arms completely immobilized. He had no choice but to let Sir lead him toward his pleasure.

  Avery left a length of rope, which he used to lead Colt to one of the sitting room chairs. They were sturdy wood chairs with soft cushions. “Kneel here, chest against the back of the chair.”

  Colt did, armpits pressing into the top of the chair. Avery ducked behind it to secure the rope to the chair, leaving Colt bound and helpless. Totally naked and at Avery’s mercy.

  God, yes, please.

  Avery walked away, and Colt’s heartbeat sped up. His pulse jumped. His only view was of the cabin’s wall, and he stared at the swirls of wood grain, until Avery returned. A cap popped. Lube. A cold, lube-slicked finger circled Colt’s hole several times before pushing inside. Colt gasped at the sudden, forceful intrusion. Avery hadn’t usually mixed sex into their scenes, keeping them mostly separate acts in the past, and this new thing delighted Colt to no end. They were creating this new kind of scene together, making it their own. He clenched around Avery’s finger to show Sir his appreciation.

  Avery silently fucked him with a single digit, then pressed a second inside. Colt was totally up for fucking first, flogging later, if that was Sir’s agenda. Those fingers pulled out, and then something cold and blunt took their place.

  Butt plug. Oh fuck, yeah!

  Colt pushed down, taking a plug wider than the one he owned. It stretched him to the point of extreme discomfort, before the widest part popped inside. Once the base settled in his crack, Avery gave it a hard smack. Colt yelped as the plug vibrated against his insides, not quite pressing his gland.

  “Very nice,” Sir said. “You took that well, pet.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  “How does it feel? I bought it just for you.”

  “It’s amazing, Sir, thank you.”

  “I bought another toy for you. I think it’s time you two met.”

  Before Colt could respond, the first sting of the new flogger bit into his shoulder. He gasped, because it hurt, but it didn’t hurt. Not yet. This was the warm-up; he couldn’t wait for the main event.

  * * *

  Avery admired the small red mark his flogger left behind on Colt’s shoulder, then added a matching mark to the other. The red base of the butt plug winked at him from between Colt’s cheeks, a lovely visual reminder of where this was eventually going. He loved that they’d waited, saving up the bulk of their attraction and sexual energy for tonight. Not only did it allow them to work on their personal relationship as boyfriends during the week without too much of the D/s stuff between them, it had made Colt horny as hell. Avery wanted to make Colt soar with both pain and pleasure, to give him the perfect outlet for all his stress and anxiety. No amount of BDSM could cure someone’s nightmares, but giving in and letting go would help in its own way.

  He’d almost slipped, though, allowing his own self-doubt to enter their scene when Colt had said he needed it. The way he’d said it, as if he needed this scene more than any other part of tonight’s date, made Avery doubt himself and his place in Colt’s life. But in that moment, he was Sir and he had to take care of his sub, so Avery had pushed those doubts aside and focused on Colt.

  Like he was right now.

  Avery had gone online and placed an order through his favorite toy company. Good pricing, good merchandise, and perfectly discreet packaging. Judson had given him the box two nights ago without batting an eyelash, completely unaware of what it contained. The flogger had more tails and stiffer leather than the one Colt owned. A better bite to the skin. Avery had owned one before, but when he stopped seeing clients, he’d given most of his collection to his parents.

  I might have to build it back up again.

  Colt deserved the very best toys.

  Avery took his time peppering Colt’s smooth back with red marks, watching the skin blossom like the most beautiful spring roses. Colt jerked and gasped a few times, particularly when Avery focused multiple strikes in a row on his shoulders and ribs.

  Time to change it up.

  He altered his stance and landed a hard blow to Colt’s left ass cheek. Colt jerked forward, away from the sting. Avery did it again, then on the other cheek, loving how red his ass got after only four strikes. Early on, Avery learned that Colt reacted the strongest to having his ass beaten. Ass and thighs, so Avery concentrated on those areas, breaking up his strokes so he didn’t cause any real damage to tender areas.

  His shoulder ached in the best way—a way it hadn’t in a long, long time. He took a break to check on his sub. Colt’s eyes were half lidded, his cock rock hard. Hands red but still warm, so no loss of circulation. “You’re doing so well for me, pet,” Avery said with pride in his voice. “So well.”

  “Feels so good,” Colt rasped. “More.”

  “I’ll be the one to decide if you need more.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Sweat dripped down Avery’s brow, and he wiped it away. The cabin was warm, and it was getting more and more difficult to resist yanking out that plug and fucking Colt’s red, waiting ass. He put the flogger down and shucked his clothes, grateful for air on his heated skin. His own cock was stiff and dripping, and by God, he needed to claim his sub.

  He knelt behind Colt and played with the plug, changing its angle so it pressed against Colt’s prostate. Colt keened, adopting that high-pitched sound that said he was floating close to subspace. Avery removed the plug, then replaced it with three fingers. He milked Colt’s prostate until he came, splattering the chair cushion with his release. Colt gasped and whined, and Avery didn’t relent until he was sure Colt would stay hard.

  “You’re doing so well,” Avery said. “So well, pet.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” Colt’s voice was wrecked, half gone from pleasure.

  “Four more strokes, two on each cheek.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  Avery stood and took several deep breaths to steady himself. Used his left hand to smear lube on his dick. “Count.” He raised the flogger and struck.

  “One…two…three…four!”

  Colt’s shattered voice broke Avery a little bit inside for how perfect it was. He tossed the flogger onto the next chair, grabbed Colt’s hips, and shoved his way inside. Col
t cried out, then clamped down. Avery leaned over to bite Colt’s shoulder, earning himself a startled whine. Then Avery began to move.

  * * *

  His entire body was alive with pleasure and sensation, and Colt never wanted it to end. His back and ass cheeks burned in the very best way. Sir’s thick cock slammed into him over and over, leaving him sore and aching and desperate to come again. His first orgasm had nearly ripped him in two, and his second dangled out of reach, but that was okay. Sir would get him there when the time was right.

  All Colt had to do now was drift and feel. To take what Sir gave him. He floated on the sensations battering his body, into the very edges of subspace, a place where no worries could reach him. Nothing mattered except Sir’s pleasure. Sir taking him apart and being there to collect all the pieces later.

  Sir slammed deep and hard, and he held himself there as he marked Colt with his come. He continued to fuck him for a long time afterward, until he was too soft to continue. Colt whined at the loss of his Sir’s cock, then sighed happily as the plug was worked back in. Sealing Sir’s gift inside.

  Sir helped Colt stand, which was a little straining, considering his arms were still tied, but when Sir crouched in front of him and took Colt’s aching cock into his mouth, nothing else mattered but that tight, wet heat. Avery gave him this very special gift of going down on him, and Colt rode it out until he blasted down Avery’s throat.

  The world got fuzzy after that. He remembered being led to a bed and put down on his side. Lotion being rubbed on sore skin. The ropes slowly coming off. Hands massaging his arms and wrists as sensation returned. Then the scraping of furniture across the floor and a hot body curling up in bed next to him.

  Colt tried to voice his thanks for this perfect date, but he had none. No words or real thoughts other than thank you.

  Thank you, Sir, for loving me.

  He was probably dreaming it, but he swore as he drifted he heard Sir say, “Thank you for loving me, too.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The next three weeks flew by faster than Avery anticipated. He worked hard to make sure all of the ghost town’s interiors and exteriors were finalized before the end of his contract. He’d continue to consult remotely for a while longer, but the bulk of his work on the project was over. His evenings were filled with fun and camaraderie, as well as intimate cuddling with Colt. After the first scene when he’d been compelled to push their beds together and sleep as one, they’d kept the beds arranged that way.

  Sleeping next to Colt every night was a forbidden fruit best left untasted, but Avery hadn’t cared. And now he was slightly hooked.

  Two more wonderful Saturday dates passed, and all of them ended like the first—or close enough. He loved playing with ropes again, and Colt looked so beautiful covered in his knots. Sometimes Avery wondered if their weekend scenes were what Colt craved more than anything else, but he couldn’t make himself voice that fear. Avery was leaving Garrett soon, anyway, and then the real test with Colt would begin.

  The second time he tied Colt up in their bed, he simply sat there and admired Colt for close to an hour, until his sub was so amped up on anticipation he came from only two strokes to his cock. So many new, wonderful memories in that cabin.

  But tonight was their last night; Avery’s plane home left tomorrow morning at ten. He’d hoped to spend his entire evening with Colt, maybe even bring up his doubts, but he couldn’t in good conscience turn down an early dinner invitation from Mack. He wanted to take Avery, Colt, Reyes, and several guys from the construction crew out to dinner to say both thank you and goodbye to Avery.

  Avery considered all those men his friends, so he had to say yes.

  They drove into town in three cars, because Arthur, Judson, and Patrice invited themselves along. Garrett only had one small restaurant on Main Street, and they took up half the seats. Avery loved the charm of the place. The decor probably hadn’t changed since the fifties, and the menu was as down-home cooking as you could get.

  Avery sat at a long table between Colt and Mack. Wes was back from his shoot, and he was on Mack’s other side showing off set pictures to anyone who’d let him. Avery’s heart panged with jealousy knowing he was about to be separated from his heart just as Mack got his back.

  “So you got any new work waiting for you at home?” Mack asked after they’d all ordered. He’d also gotten two baskets of chili cheese friends as appetizers for the group.

  “Nothing outside of my usual university work so far,” Avery replied. “I’ve had a few inquiries, but nothing that’s really caught my attention.”

  “It must be nice to be able to pick and choose your freelance work like that. Makes me even gladder you decided to work with me.”

  “It has its perks, and I do enjoy traveling. If I get tenure next year, I won’t be able to travel as much, so I’ll have to be more selective. There’s no sense in committing to a project I don’t feel passionately about.” Avery felt Colt’s eyes burning into the side of his head, the double-meaning clear.

  “Exactly why I chose to renovate the ghost town. I want to see Garrett come back to life.”

  “I think you have a solid plan in place, Mack, and I hope I get an invitation to opening day.”

  “Count on it. And you’ve got a free guest pass for life.”

  “That’s very generous.”

  “You earned it, my friend.”

  The cheese fries arrived and appetizer plates went around. Avery’s fingers brushed Colt’s as he passed the plates down the table, and their eyes met. Colt’s bright blue eyes burned with emotion, and Avery looked away quickly. He took a few fries that had very little cheese or chili, mostly to be polite. This place looked like they served big portions, and he didn’t want to leave too much of his meal behind on the plate. He hated doing that when someone else was paying for him.

  Every cell in Avery’s body was keenly aware of Colt. His proximity, his heat, every time he moved to sip his iced tea or eat a fry. His casual conversation with Mack’s construction crew, back to his old self who could make friends with anyone. Avery knew some of that was because of their relationship, but Colt had done the work. And even though his nightmares were almost nonexistent now, he still refused to talk about the night he got shot.

  Avery would speak with Reyes about that before he left, so someone could keep an eye on Colt while he was gone.

  Wes kept the table mesmerized with stories of filming and how funny his costar was, until their food arrived. He still kept talking, but it was between bites of food, so the steady stream became more staccato. Avery dug into his cold salad plate—one of only a handful of menu items that wasn’t deep fried in some way. The three salads were all passable, but the tuna was a bit strong for his taste. Probably a few days away from being trashed, so he ate a few bites and concentrated on the fresher macaroni and potato salads.

  Colt had ordered the chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes, same as half the men at the table. Stick-to-your-ribs food, Colt had said. Avery resisted the urge to steal a scoop of mashed potatoes off his plate; boyfriends did that in mixed company, not simple friends. Then again, Avery was no longer Mack’s employee, and it had been Avery who’d wanted to keep their relationship quiet.

  Avery stole the bite of potatoes. Hot and creamy and salted just right.

  Colt turned his head, lips twitching, and he stole a bite of the tuna salad. Avery didn’t have time to warn him, and Colt’s Gross Face was worth it. He swallowed the bite and washed it down with iced tea. Avery swallowed a bark of laughter, then glanced up. Across the table, Reyes was smirking at them both.

  “So Colt,” Reyes said casually, “are you excited to get your single room back?”

  “Not really,” Colt replied. “Having a roommate does have its perks.” Under the table, Colt squeezed Avery’s thigh.

  Reyes leaned in and lowered his voice. “If you en
joy the company, I’m sure Arthur can assign you a new roommate.”

  Mack snickered. Colt glared at Reyes, who was obviously teasing, even Avery could see that. Avery loved the renewed camaraderie between the trio of friends, and he had every reason to hope that Mack and Colt would be best friends again. Yes, their relationship was forever changed, but deep down they still loved each other. Avery could go home knowing Colt wouldn’t be alone.

  Home is with Colt, though, not some plain apartment in Los Angeles.

  Clean Slate Ranch had stolen a piece of Avery’s heart, as had Bentley Ghost Town, and the tiny little town of Garrett, California. While Avery had no doubt he’d be back for many, many visits, it still hurt knowing tonight was his last night as a resident of the ranch.

  And his last night sharing Colt’s bed for a long while.

  * * *

  Thirteen people took a long time to order and eat, and Colt was a ball of anxiety by the time everyone returned to the ranch. He wanted every possible minute he could get with Avery tonight, and he’d volunteered to drive Avery to the airport in the morning. It gave them a chance to say goodbye as close to departure as possible.

  But Colt didn’t want to think about tomorrow. He didn’t want to think about driving the other half of his heart away from the ranch he considered home. Nope. Not tonight. He didn’t know what Avery had planned for them this evening, but he hoped it involved knots. God, but he loved surrendering completely to his Sir. Being bound so securely, knowing Sir would never hurt or abandon him. Never turn his back on him, beat him out of anger, or send him away from the only life he’d ever known.

  No, those were all things his family had done once upon a time. His new family was here in Garrett, and he treasured this life that he’d found.

  He also treasured Avery Hendrix, and he needed to make long distance work, so he didn’t lose Avery a second time.

  They rode in the back of Mack’s pickup truck with some of the construction crew, since it was only a few miles on country roads, and the two-and-a-half town cops didn’t care. Colt tipped his face up to catch the last of the day’s sunshine as the truck trundled to a stop by the main house. The tailgate came down, and he reluctantly opened his eyes. Riding in the truck bed reminded him a lot of Texas, where Colt and his siblings frequently rode into town in the bed, often goading each other into seeing who could stand the longest before they fell over from the rocking.