“The security team at the park have to know a bit about what’s going on, but it’s better that nobody else does. That way, people carry on acting normally.”
“Tripping over dead bodies isn’t normal, Clem,” Garth snapped. “Or maybe it is in your line of work?”
Clem raised an eyebrow and Garth regretted his tone.
“I’m fond of gags too—did I mention that?”
Garth swallowed and his dick remembered what it liked. He kept a tight hold of the covers, concealing his arousal.
“I think we’ll conduct a little experiment.” Clem got out of bed, putting both coffee mugs on the dresser. “But we’ll need to relocate to my room. I don’t have the necessary equipment in here.”
“Oh…” Garth stared at him.
“Come with me, sweetheart.” Clem paused at the bedroom door.
Garth tugged at the sheet with the intention of wrapping it around his body before he went anywhere.
“No. I want you bare.”
Garth stared at Clem, letting the words sink in. “But you’re not…” Clem’s pajama bottoms clung to his thighs, but the fabric was opaque and Garth could only imagine what lay beneath. Stubborn and immoveable as granite, Clem didn’t say anything else. From his expression, repeating an order was not something he expected to have to do.
Garth slipped from beneath the covers. As he stood, he attempted to cover his groin with both hands. The slight quirk to Clem’s lips told Garth that he didn’t approve. Garth kept his hands right where they were.
“You can either stop hiding from me, or I’ll tie your hands behind your back so you have no choice.”
Garth licked his lips. He kept his hands in place.
With a slight nod, Clem pulled the belt from the dressing gown hanging on the back of the door. Seconds later, Clem had used the makeshift tie to bind Garth’s wrists behind his back.
“Is that hurting your shoulder?”
Garth shook his head. He gave an experimental tug, attempting to pull his wrists apart, but though the belt was soft, there was no give in whatever knot Clem had employed. A degree of tension slipped from Garth’s shoulders. Clem had forced him to obey. He had no choice. His cock stiffened further at the thought and he remembered that he was now fully exposed to Clem’s gaze. He glanced at Clem, expecting to find disapproval or even anger in his expression. Instead, he saw smug satisfaction.
“Very pretty. You’ll look even better shaved.” From the direction of Clem’s gaze, Garth knew he wasn’t talking about the overnight stubble on Garth’s chin.
“You wouldn’t.” Of course he would.
Clem gave him a slight smile in response. A shiver of excitement ran the length of Garth’s spine. His cock jerked.
“It seems parts of you like the idea more than others,” Clem observed. “Good to know.” He strolled across the hall as if there was nothing unusual about being followed by a naked, bound man. Getting to his bedroom involved a trip up the stairs and across a landing. The short journey felt like a ten-mile hike to Garth. He wasn’t that interested in the décor in Clem’s room, but he did manage to observe that it reflected his personality much better than the bland guest room. A huge bed with a dark brown leather headboard dominated the space. At its foot sat a matching ottoman. Garth doubted it contained spare bedding.
“For the next hour, you’ll submit to me.” Clem paused as if giving Garth a chance to demur. “That means you do what I say, when I say it. If you disobey, you’ll be punished. Do you understand?”
Garth’s head nodded of its own accord. He hadn’t given it permission. He wondered if Clem was exerting some kind of mind control. The coffee hadn’t tasted weird, so it wasn’t drugs.
Clem lifted the lid of the ottoman. Garth wasn’t in a position to see inside, though curiosity made him itch to move. He was distracted by Clem releasing his wrists, the loss of the bondage bringing back all Garth’s uncertainties. As if sensing his discomfort, Clem ran a hand down Garth’s flank.
“Don’t worry. I know what you need.” He wrapped thick leather cuffs around Garth’s wrists, buckling them tight. He showed Garth a small plastic ball, which jingled when shaken. “This is your safe word. Drop it and everything stops.”
“But why can’t I just ask you to…oh.” Garth stared at the next object Clem had pulled from the ottoman. Seconds later his mouth was filled with rubber held in place by a wide leather strap that covered much of the lower half of his face. Clem cinched the buckle tight and speech was no longer an option. Garth wondered if he looked as shocked as he felt.
“On the bed. Sit against the headboard.”
Garth scrambled into position, letting his weight rest against the pillows Clem had shoved behind him. He watched, intrigued, as Clem removed two of the button studs from the headboard to reveal two hooks, perfectly positioned to hold Garth’s hands on either side of his head once the D-rings on his cuffs were attached. He gripped the bell ball tight, watching Clem’s every move.
“Spread your legs. Wide as you can.”
The spreader bar Clem attached to Garth’s ankles with heavy iron manacles was wide enough that he could feel the stretch in his thigh muscles. He suckled the rubber in his mouth, breathing rapidly through his nose. A sense of calm swept through him and he wondered at the part of his psyche that reveled in his helplessness.
Clem dragged an armchair from the corner of the room and positioned it at the foot of the bed, presumably so he could sit in comfort and watch. Garth yearned for his touch. His erection ached for physical contact and he came to realize that Clem’s idea of punishment had nothing to do with pain.
“I can hear the cogs whirring,” Clem said, steepling his fingers. “I think you want to be at my mercy and I suspect your fantasies involve a level of force. You want your choices taken away, don’t you?”
Garth nodded. There seemed little point in denying something Clem had worked out for himself.
“I’m giving you a very small taste of what it will be like to be my submissive. Denial is a unique form of punishment and I think it will suit you much more than a hard spanking. That’s something you’d enjoy.”
Garth moaned as much as he was able. He could easily imagine what it might be like to lie across Clem’s lap while Clem’s palm built heat in his arse.
“I said this was an experiment and it is. I want to judge your reactions when you can’t contradict your body with your mouth.” Clem leaned forward. “You want to come so badly right now that you’d do anything I demanded, wouldn’t you?”
A gleam of pre-cum highlighted the head of Garth’s cock. He shifted, pulling his knees up. His toes curled into the covers.
“I’ll ease that busy mind of yours, Garth. When you’re bound so tight you can’t move, when your dick is locked in a cage for days on end, when my collar is around your neck…you’ll be free.”
Garth whimpered. He wanted it so much it hurt.
“Come.”
Clem’s command was uttered in little more than a whisper, but there was nothing Garth could do to stop his body’s instant obedience. His orgasm ripped through him and he yanked on his bonds. Chains rattled and his cock pulsed again, responding to the sound. Cum spattered his thighs and belly. He sobbed, overcome with the emotion of the moment, and the bell ball fell from his hand. It hit the bed, rolled off then landed on the floor with a happy jingle.
Clem shot to his feet. He removed the gag first and Garth, ignoring the ache in his jaw, managed to squeeze out a word.
“No!” He sucked in a ragged breath. “I didn’t mean it. I let go by accident.”
Clem was already working to release him from bondage.
“That’s enough for now,” he said. “I think we can count the experiment a success, don’t you?” He climbed onto the bed and arranged Garth against him, imprisoning him in a cage of his arms.
Garth had no way to express what he was feeling. In his wildest imaginings he had never dreamed he could experience such powerful sensations. He
slumped in Clem’s hold. Clem’s low chuckle reverberated through Garth’s body.
“When two people’s kinks are compatible, there’s nothing better.”
Somewhere in a corner of Garth’s mind, he worked out that Clem’s erection was pressing against his spine. Clem hadn’t come. That couldn’t be right. Garth wiggled and squirmed until he was able to turn over and kneel between Clem’s legs. He gave Clem the most appealing look he could manage. Clem obliged and pushed his pajama bottoms down enough to let his cock spring free. Garth’s mouth watered even as he wondered if he could take the whole of Clem’s thick shaft.
“Take your time. There’s no rush.” Clem rested his hand on the back of Garth’s head and applied gentle pressure.
Being held in place made the moment all the more perfect. The tip of Clem’s cock proved to be much tastier than the latex gag but it was also bigger. As he bent lower, taking more of Clem’s girth into his mouth, Garth was aware that Clem’s control extended to his ability to breathe. He opened as wide as he could and let Clem control his movements.
Each tug on his hair sent miniature lightning bolts to Garth’s balls. He relaxed his throat, willing himself not to choke. Clem held him still for a few seconds before the pressure eased. Garth sucked hard, wanting to give Clem as much pleasure as he was experiencing. He bobbed his head, pulling against Clem’s hold to get his way. The moment a modicum of control shifted to him sent endorphins rocketing through his bloodstream. He jabbed his tongue into the sensitive spot beneath the swollen head of Clem’s cock and was rewarded with a stream of salty liquid flooding his mouth. Clem growled as he came, thrusting hard into Garth’s throat, holding him in place until his orgasm faded. Freed, Garth crawled into Clem’s lap, pressing close against him.
“Thank you, Sir,” he murmured.
“Rest now, sweetheart. I’m very proud of you.”
Garth didn’t quite understand why Clem’s approval meant so much but for once, analysis of the situation didn’t occur to him. He accepted the happy glow and closed his eyes.
Chapter Four
Garth curled his toes over the edge of the pool. The light reflecting from the water was blinding. The summer sun warmed his bare skin and he was very tempted to jump straight into the cool depths.
“So you don’t mind that our date is here at home?” Clem, wearing loose shorts, padded onto the patio carrying a jug of juice.
“I love it! It’s so quiet and private here.” Garth gave silent thanks for the privacy. Clem’s garden wasn’t overlooked, so there was no chance of Garth getting arrested for indecent exposure. Clem had a strange aversion to Garth wearing anything at all and, though Garth wasn’t entirely comfortable, it was nice to feel the sun on parts of his body that didn’t see daylight often. “You have an amazing place.”
“I lucked out. Got it at auction when it was a rundown wreck. Spent two years making it livable, but it’s worth it. There’s no way I’d be able to afford a house like this otherwise, not so close to the beach.”
“Did you put the pool in yourself?” Garth dipped a toe in the water and splashed a little.
“It was already here, but it had been emptied and used as a dumping ground for all kinds of junk. The old guy who lived here was a bit of a hoarder. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I had to clear out. There was even the rusty shell of a 2CV in there—not salvageable, unfortunately.”
“I’m glad you kept the pool.”
“Would you like to swim now or have a drink first? As we got up so late, I thought we’d have an early lunch rather than bother with a late breakfast.” Clem put the jug down on a table in the corner of the patio. A huge parasol provided shade for the four chairs set around it.
“A drink, please.” After surfacing just before midday, Garth had taken a quick shower, but that was it. He was thirsty and the iced juice would be perfect.
“I’ll get some glasses.”
While Clem went back inside, Garth wandered over to the chairs. They had thick cushions on the seats, but metal frames, and the back of the one he touched was hot.
Clem returned with two tumblers, a bowl of nachos and some dip that he put on the table. A towel was slung over his shoulder and he threw it to Garth.
“Here you go.”
Garth started to wrap it around his waist.
“It’s for the back of the chair, Garth.”
“Oh…” Garth was pleased Clem had been so thoughtful, but still wished he had something to wear. He spread the towel over the chair back then took a seat.
“You have a stunning body. You should understand why I want it on view.”
“I…” Garth’s face heated. “This is all a bit new to me. I suppose I’m just surprised. I thought…”
“You thought I’d whip you, fuck you then show you the door?” Clem poured two glasses of juice.
“No! You’re not like that. At least, I don’t think you are.”
“You’ve only known me a few days. We have a lot to learn about each other. I’m giving you a gentle introduction to me. Clem 101, the Americans would call it.”
Garth managed a wry smile. He sipped his drink. “Wow! This is amazing, what is it?”
“Cucumber and mint cordial over ice. I love it in this hot weather. It’s a recipe my mum taught me.”
“I can’t picture baby Clem—are your folks still around?”
“Sure. They moved to Dorset three years ago when Dad retired.”
“Chocolate-box thatched cottage with roses around the door?”
“Modern bungalow with all mod cons.” Clem chuckled. “My dad is no handyman. Mum wanted something low maintenance, for her sanity. I visit every few weeks. How about you?”
“I don’t remember my mum—she died when I was three. Lung cancer. She was a heavy smoker. Dad remarried and he and my stepmum live on Skye. Carrie, that’s my stepmum, comes from there and she got really homesick. It’s a stunning place. I can understand why they’ve settled on the island, but it’s a long way to go for a visit. I last went back at Christmas.”
“It’s hard being away from your family—it’s good you have a group of close friends.”
“I love them all. Like brothers,” Garth said. “None of them are my type.”
“I’m glad. I’m not going to fish and ask what your type is. I’m guessing you’re here because I hit at least some of the right buttons.” Clem drained his glass. “In case you had any doubt, you definitely hit mine.” He pushed his chair back. “I’m going to sort some lunch. Why don’t you have a swim?”
“Can I help?”
“Not today. I asked you on a date. I don’t expect you to provide kitchen service and besides, I like to cook. I’m a bit of a control freak in the kitchen.”
“That’s hard to believe.” Garth’s words oozed sarcasm. Clem’s narrowed eyes were enough to get him running for the pool.
The water was cool and refreshing. Garth sliced through the water for a couple of lengths, but his shoulder ached, so he slowed to a lazy float. It was unusual to have such a warm summer in the UK and though working in the heat at the park wasn’t fun, being able to relax in the sun rather than hiding inside from the rain was something he could get used to. He kept half an eye on Clem as he came in and out with various bowls and plates. Garth’s stomach rumbled and his appetite won over his reticence to climb naked from the pool. He used the ladder in the corner rather than haul himself out, unsure that his shoulder could cope with holding his weight. Water cascaded from his body and he shook his head like a Retriever, creating a rain of glittering droplets. He gave his hair a quick rub with the towel from the back of his chair then replaced it before he sat down. There was a tempting array of food laid out and Garth couldn’t help but be impressed.
“It all looks fantastic.”
Clem smiled—something he didn’t do often. “Thank you.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what some of these things are,” Garth confessed.
“You should try a little of eve
rything, then. There’s cold roast chicken with a mango dressing, asparagus, snap pea and feta salad, dilled cucumber salad and crushed new potatoes with parsley. There’s crusty granary bread too.”
“Wow. You know the way to a man’s heart.”
“Salad and sadism—the perfect combination on a hot summer’s day.” Clem winked. “Don’t stand on ceremony. The food won’t eat itself.”
It was an order Garth was happy to obey. He piled a bit of everything onto his plate then tucked in. Flavors burst over his tongue and he moaned.
“Oh my God, so good…”
“I don’t think I gave you permission to come again,” Clem said, with a straight face.
“Sorry, Sir, but the food is orgasmic.” Garth passed his tongue over his lower lip in deliberate slow motion.
“You are trouble.” Clem started eating. His expression remained stern, but there was a sparkle in his eyes.
“But am I in trouble?”
“Oh, yes. I’d say that’s pretty much guaranteed.” Clem carried on eating.
Garth was glad his lap was concealed beneath the table. He concentrated on clearing his plate and was helping himself to seconds when a phone rang in the house.
“Excuse me. I have to get that.” Clem pushed his chair back before strolling inside through the patio doors.
Garth tried not to let anxiety ruin the day. He hoped the call wasn’t about the murder at the amusement park, but a knot still formed in his gut. So far his date with Clem had gone well. The spark of attraction was strong and he wanted to explore where they could go together. Clem was exciting. There was something illicit about the way Garth felt drawn to Clem’s dominant side. Deep down, he knew there was nothing wrong with the way he felt and the things he needed, but there was a thrill that came from being part of a lifestyle that was invisible to so many.
It was a few minutes before Clem returned and his expression told Garth that the phone call had not done anything for his mood. When they locked eyes, however, the frown lines on Clem’s forehead smoothed and his smile seemed genuine. Garth couldn’t help but smile back. Clem had that effect on him.
Ghost Train Page 4
