Tagging Mackenzie

by L. M. Somerton

  Steele pushed him back with a firm hand on his lower back. “I don’t recall telling you to stand. Stay put. I intend to warm your ass before I put you to bed.”

  Steele engaged in a bit of internal debate. A sound spanking with the palm of his hand would be appropriate, and a treat to deliver, but intensely intimate. He needed to maintain a little distance. He fetched his favorite flogger from the toy box. The collection of soft suede strands would gradually build the heat in Kenzie’s skin without damaging him. They had no contract, no agreement on limits, and though Kenzie had a safeword, Steele didn’t want to do anything that might force the sub to use it. That would be a failure on his part, not Kenzie’s.

  He let the tail of the flogger drift across Kenzie’s skin, teasing.

  “Please, Sir.” Kenzie’s words were close to a whine.

  Steele followed the flogger with his hand, stroking. He jostled the end of the plug. “Who makes the decisions here?”

  “You do, Sir.” Kenzie moaned.

  “I do. You’ll take what I give you, when I choose to give it.” Steele drew back his arm and let fly. The flogger made a satisfying whoosh before landing with a thud.

  Kenzie gasped. Steele admired the pink blush that rose on Kenzie’s cheeks. He landed three more blows in quick succession, making sure to impact the end of the plug. Kenzie pushed his ass out farther.

  “You’re enjoying this way too much.” Steele delivered two more strokes, then tossed the flogger aside. He held his hand over Kenzie’s flushed skin, not quite touching. He could feel the heat rising. Perfect. “You may stand.”

  Kenzie straightened and turned toward him. His face was almost as pink as his ass.

  “Keep your hands by your sides. No touching.”

  The urge to rub away the pain would be strong, but Steele wanted it to linger. Kenzie needed to feel him, even when he wasn’t present.

  Steele took the ankle cuffs from the bed and fastened them in place. The chain between them was short. Kenzie would be able to hobble to the bathroom if he needed to, but he’d be running nowhere.

  “Wrists next.”

  Kenzie held out his arms obediently.

  Steele cuffed his wrists together, testing the fit. “Not too tight?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Into bed, then.” Steele lifted the covers while Kenzie managed an awkward crawl beneath them, chains clinking.

  He wouldn’t be comfortable but was in no danger. The bindings weren’t locked.

  Steele was satisfied that it was safe to leave him alone. “There’s a phone next to the bed. Dial one for the workshop if you need me.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Kenzie murmured, eyelids already drooping.

  Walking away from him was the hardest thing Steele had done in a very long time.

  Chapter Three

  Kenzie groped his way out of sleep. He opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. After a few seconds’ bewilderment, he realized that the covers were over his head. Covers that felt wrong.

  “Oh, fuck me six ways till Sunday!”

  The previous night’s events came back to him in a rush. He struggled to a sitting position, heart pounding. The movement jostled the plug seated deep in his ass, which nudged his prostate.

  He moaned and reached for his cock, only for his fingers to come into contact with cold steel. “No! No, no, no.”

  His hands tangled in the bedclothes and he belatedly remembered the cuffs chaining his wrists and ankles. As he squirmed, his tender ass helped the final pieces of his memory slot into place.

  “I am in deep shit. What the hell was I thinking?”

  Bravery under cover of darkness became a whole different thing in the cold light of day. Kenzie had banked on not getting caught. He’d deliberately given the camera a fleeting view of his face in the hope that Steele would then recognize him at the club and be curious enough to ask a few questions. Instead Kenzie suspected he’d sold his soul to the devil. He rested his head on his knees. He had no idea what to do. He needed the bathroom. He wanted the damn plug out of his ass. He craved Steele’s attention and whatever he might decide to do next.

  “It’s hard, isn’t it? Being left alone without direction.”

  Startled, Kenzie jerked his head up. Not a single sound had betrayed Steele’s arrival. Kenzie nodded. He didn’t feel the need to deny what Steele had already worked out for himself.

  “Have you been working all night, Sir?”

  Steele had shadows beneath his eyes, but the blue that had captured Kenzie’s attention from the start still glittered.

  “I have, and that’s the only reason I left you alone. You needed to rest, and while you are under my control, I’m responsible for your well-being.” Steele moved from his position in the doorway into the room. “Present yourself.”

  Kenzie, glad of a clear order to follow, scrambled out of bed. When he realized the manacles prevented him from putting his hands behind his neck, he panicked until Steele touched his shoulder.

  “Calm down. In bondage, you may use a different position. On your knees, sit on your heels with your legs spread. Rest your hands on your thighs.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Relieved, Kenzie dropped to his knees.

  “No slouching. Back straight.”

  Kenzie did his best to perfect his posture. He kept his head up and his eyes down.

  “Excellent.”

  Kenzie glowed at the praise. He wanted Steele to be pleased with him, to get past the circumstances of their meeting.

  “You may use the bathroom. Take a shower. You can remove the plug then use the enema kit you’ll find under the sink. There are some disposable razors and a new toothbrush under there too.” Steele stepped closer. “Give me your hands.”

  Kenzie held his arms out and Steele unbuckled the cuffs from around his wrists.

  “You may remove the ones from your ankles.”

  Kenzie tipped back onto his ass and fumbled with the buckles. Once all the leather was gone, he felt shaky and insecure.

  “You’re trembling. Are you cold?” Steele asked.

  “No, Sir.” The room was warm.

  Steele nodded. “I took away your safety net, didn’t I? Bondage helps you feel safe.”

  Kenzie nodded, his cheeks heating. Steele stroked his face.

  “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I fully intend to keep your limbs wrapped in my leather as much as possible. However, leather and water don’t mix well.” Steele ushered him to the bathroom, one hand cupping his ass. “Leave the door open. I’ll be watching.”

  ****

  Forty-five minutes later, Kenzie was squeaky clean inside and out. He hadn’t realized that a full-body blush was possible until he’d been obliged to perform such intimate tasks under Steele’s penetrating gaze. Now he was convinced that every inch of his well-scrubbed skin had to be a shade of crimson.

  Kenzie desperately wanted Steele to touch him. Being held by a gaze wasn’t enough. He wanted to feel Steele’s work-roughened hands on his skin.

  “Your turn to watch.” Steele smirked.

  He stripped off his T-shirt, revealing hard planes of muscle and a sparse smattering of dark hair. Kenzie licked his lips in an attempt to regain some moisture in his dry mouth. Boots and leathers went next. Kenzie gaped. Steele had a stunning body. Celtic scrollwork ran down his side from chest to hip in a sinuous design of blue and black. Nudity didn’t seem to bother him in the least.

  It wouldn’t bother me either if I looked like that. Kenzie shifted from foot to foot. He was beginning to understand the sheer, agonizing frustration of the chastity tube. His cock fought in vain to harden and his balls ached.

  Steele stepped beneath the shower and soaped himself down. He tilted his head back and let the spray soak his face.

  Kenzie whimpered. This was better than any online porn he’d ever found.
He clenched his ass, wishing that it were still filled. Or that Steele would shove that beautiful cock into me. Pretty sure I’d still be feeling him next week.

  “Do you think it’s appropriate to allow your Dom to stand and drip, Kenzie?”

  “Oh! Sorry, Sir. I was a bit distracted.” Kenzie grabbed a towel and held it out for Steele to step into.

  He didn’t miss that Steele had said your Dom. Kenzie loved the idea that a Dom could belong to him just as much as the other way round. A little pang of regret shot through him. He didn’t belong to Steele. Not really. This was just a fleeting, if delicious, experience.

  “I’d never have guessed.” Steele’s sardonic drawl knocked Kenzie from his daydreams. “Can you cook?” Steele asked the question while giving himself a brisk rubdown.

  Kenzie found it hard to concentrate. When Steele dropped the towel and stood there, hands on hips, Kenzie’s libido did a happy dance that scrambled his brain even further.

  “When I ask you a question, I expect an answer.” Steele strolled back to the bedroom.

  Kenzie followed, unable to resist the magnetic attraction of Steele’s firm, muscular ass. He might as well have been on a lead.

  “Sorry,” Kenzie apologized yet again. “I love to cook, Sir.”

  “As much as you love your art?”

  Kenzie scuffed his bare toes into the carpet. “Not many people call it art, Sir. It is to me, though. And I do love to cook.”

  “So why the hell do you work in an office?” Steele pulled on jeans and a faded T-shirt.

  It didn’t escape Kenzie’s notice that he went commando.

  “You know where I work?”

  “I do.” Steele didn’t expand.

  “My parents didn’t consider art or cooking to be suitable career choices. They see success as a collar and tie.” Kenzie had given up the fight to convince them otherwise a long time ago. “I’m not brave enough to risk anything else.”

  “So the graffiti is your act of rebellion.” Steele straightened to his full height. “I have never come across a sub so in need of a firm hand. I see a different kind of collar as a mark of success.”

  Kenzie stared. He touched his bare neck. Wearing another man’s collar was an unattainable dream as far as he was concerned. He couldn’t allow himself that sort of fantasy. His stomach grumbled.

  “Time to eat, but first you need to be dressed.”

  Kenzie gave a little sigh of relief. He’d begun to think that Steele would keep him naked all day.

  “Put these on your ankles.” Steele threw him the leather cuffs he’d worn overnight, minus the connecting chain. Once he had them securely fastened, Steele buckled the second set around his wrists. “Perfect.”

  How could it be possible to feel even more exposed than before? Kenzie pouted. Cuffs and a chastity tube did not constitute dressed in his opinion. Steele clearly thought differently.

  “Follow me, boy. I’ll introduce you to the stove.”

  Kenzie loved to take care of people. Food was an easy way to accomplish that and the appreciative noises Steele made as he inhaled the eggs Benedict that Kenzie had created gave him a deep sense of satisfaction. Normally, peace would have come right along with it, but as he washed the dishes, Kenzie’s anxiety levels soared. He had no idea what Steele was planning but it couldn’t be as easy as a bit of domestic service. Other than to fasten his cuffs, Steele hadn’t laid a finger on Kenzie. Nor had he asked for any sexual service. Now that Kenzie had seen Steele’s dick in all its glory, he desperately craved a taste, but it seemed he was to be denied that pleasure as well as release.

  Kenzie dried the final piece of crockery. He no longer had an excuse to face the sink. He turned around to find Steele staring right at him. His grin lascivious, to say the least.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of a naked sub in my kitchen,” Steele said. “Breakfast was excellent. I don’t think my stamina will be affected by lack of sleep now that I’m well fed.”

  Kenzie shivered. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sir.”

  “I did. Now I intend to enjoy you.”

  “Oh God.” Kenzie’s whisper was so soft, Steele couldn’t have heard him, could he?

  “Pray all you like. I don’t think He’s going to help you. After all, today is about penance, isn’t it? Asking forgiveness for your sins. I’m pretty sure He is on my side.”

  “No doubt, Sir.” Secretly Kenzie decided that if there was a God, He was definitely smiling on Kenzie at that moment.

  “I don’t have a playroom here,” Steele said, getting up. “But there’s something I’ve been working on down in the shop that I think will do very well. Follow me and watch where you’re putting your feet. The floor down there is swept every night but there’s always a chance something will have been missed.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Kenzie followed Steele out of the apartment and down the stairs to the paint shop.

  In the center of the main floor sat the most beautiful motorbike Kenzie had ever seen. The artwork on the fuel tank seemed alive. A sapphire-and-silver dragon emerged from thunderclouds—shooting flame in every hue of blue imaginable. It was stunning work.

  “That’s what I had to neglect you for last night,” Steele said. “It had to be finished for a client coming to collect it this morning, which meant reassembling it once the parts were dry.”

  “It’s absolutely sensational.” Kenzie knew talent when he saw it. “Wait. Did you say someone’s coming to collect it? Here?” He glanced around frantically for a place to hide, panic rising, until Steele pulled him into a firm embrace.

  “Calm down. If things are going to work between us, you have to trust me.” Steele’s words were soothing but firm.

  Having Steele’s arms around him was far better than any bondage. Kenzie took a few deep breaths. “S-s-sorry, Sir.”

  “Displaying my sub to others is not one of my kinks, Kenzie.” Steele scooped him up as if he weighed nothing and carried him through to a back room.

  He set him on his feet and Kenzie took the opportunity to examine the new space. It was almost entirely occupied by an enormous steel frame in the shape of an open cube. Chains were slung across the top and two huge hooks dangled from them.

  “It’s a sling I’ve built,” Steele said, patting one of the uprights.

  Kenzie gaped.

  “For bikes, Kenzie.” Steele’s wicked grin told Kenzie that the delay in explaining had been entirely intentional. “Sometimes it’s easier to be able to get at the machine from all directions, especially for delicate work. It’s sturdy enough to climb on.”

  One end had an additional upright and a horizontal beam forming a cross. Thick rubber gym mats carpeted the entire area.

  Kenzie prodded one with his toe. “Why are these here, Sir?”

  “In case a bike drops, or a part falls off. They should limit the damage. For now, they’ll do to cushion your knees. Get down on all fours, facing the frame.”

  “Oh!” Kenzie got into position, painfully aware that Steele’s view was of his bare ass.

  A buzzer sounded. Kenzie peered over his shoulder.

  “Stay right where you are. That will be my client, so while I’m with him I want you to think about why you did what you did last night. I don’t mean the easy answer, to get my attention. What do you really want, Kenzie? Think about it.”

  Kenzie detected the click of the latch as Steele closed the door behind him. That relieved some of his tension. Physically, he wasn’t uncomfortable. The mats protected his knees and the temperature was pleasantly warm. The metal sheath containing his cock didn’t pinch, frustrating though it was. He had nothing to distract him from his thoughts and they were less comfortable. Steele was a bit too perceptive, but then Kenzie couldn’t complain. That was exactly what he sought in a Dom, a man who knew him inside and out, understood what made him ti
ck and was strong enough to give him what he needed—discipline, control and someone to care for. He closed his eyes. How on earth could he put voice to his thoughts for a man like Steele Denton?

  Steele didn’t usually have a problem focusing on his work, but as he dealt with his client, his thoughts were on Kenzie naked and kneeling in the next room. He gracefully accepted his delighted customer’s effusive thanks but was relieved when they finally shook hands and parted company. He locked down the roller shutters. A glance at the clock told him that he had around twelve hours of Kenzie’s penance left.

  He had every intention of keeping the beautiful, responsive sub once that time was up.

  He grabbed bottles of water from the staff break room along with a few other supplies. Time to demonstrate to Kenzie that a real Dom didn’t need a playroom or special toys to master his sub.

  Kenzie was exactly where Steele had left him—head down and ass up. Steele put his equipment on the bench that ran the length of the wall, then circled him. He leaned on the crossbeam of the sling frame.

  “I don’t expect an answer from you yet.”

  Kenzie blinked up at him from beneath ridiculously thick lashes.

  “I do expect obedience and a promise to use your safeword if you need to.” Steele gave Kenzie a few seconds to answer, but other than a small moan he got nothing. “Kenzie?”

  “I promise, Sir.”

  “Good.” Steele moved away from his impromptu seat to a position behind Kenzie. “Fuck, your ass is tempting.” He traced the line of Kenzie’s spine to the point where the cleft between his cheeks began. “When you’re mine, I’ll put my mark here. Nobody will be left in any doubt as to whom you belong to.”

  He had the perfect design in his head already. He took a small pot of water-based paint and a brush from the bench. Straddling Kenzie’s narrow hips, he dipped his brush in the paint and began a rough rendition of the design on Kenzie’s smooth skin. The black lines were stark against Kenzie’s pale flesh, coming together to form swirling letters, S and D. Kenzie didn’t tremble until Steele lifted his brush away.