Cherished

by Sara York

  Wesley wasn’t going to harm him, and he wasn’t going to finish off without making sure Scotty came too. Scotty could trust Wesley to give him what he needed. He relaxed, allowing Wesley to set the pace. The sweet rush of excitement built, pulling his balls tight.

  “Don’t come yet,” Wesley stated.

  Scotty wanted to obey, and it took all of his concentration to hold back. He was being driven crazy, but submitting to Wesley was beautiful. It didn’t make him less of a man like he’d felt when he’d been younger. There was power in giving up his rights to rule the lovemaking. He fought the urge to come, and Wesley rewarded him with a kiss.

  “You are so breathtakingly gorgeous.” Wesley lifted up, then sat back slowly.

  Scotty cried out, his voice hoarse with emotions, “I love you, sir.”

  “Lover, you’re amazing. So amazing when you let me guide you.”

  “Yes, I love this.” And he did, which surprised the hell out of him. He’d never let another man dictate what happened.

  Wesley stilled above him, his ass squeezing hard on Scotty’s dick. The electricity racing through his body had him on edge. When Wesley threw back his head and moaned, Scotty opened his mouth to tell Wesley he couldn’t hold back, but his man beat him to the punch.

  “Now, come now.”

  Scotty complied, emptying his balls, sending his cum into the condom. Submitting didn’t mean he had to give up a part of himself. He was still Scotty even though he’d been under Wesley’s control. Tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes, his whole body shuddering as he recovered.

  Wesley’s fingers were at his wrist, undoing the clasp securing him to the bed. “Lover, that was beautiful.”

  “Wesley,” Scotty sobbed.

  “Shh, I’ve got you.”

  The rest of the bindings were loosened, and he was given permission to move. He curled into a ball, his past meeting his present, slamming into him hard. He’d done it, allowed a lover to control him. It was one of the things he’d never imagined doing. Letting go of control forced him to look at his past. He’d been so angry and full of fear, which led him to force control on others so he never felt weak again. Wesley wrapped his arms around Scotty’s shoulders, allowing him to cry. Eventually, he turned to face Wesley, snuggling against his chest. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  When he woke, Wesley wasn’t in bed with him. Without hesitation, he jumped from bed and ran to the door, pulling it open. Wesley was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee between his hands. Scotty ran to him and dropped to his knees, laying his head in Wesley’s lap. Wesley didn’t move for a moment, but finally, he started stroking his fingers through Scotty’s hair, then placing his palm under Scotty’s chin and lifting his head.

  “Hey, lover, are you okay?”

  “Wesley, I’ve never felt so much. You opened my world.”

  Wesley stroked his fingers down Scotty’s face to his neck, then his shoulders. “I love you, and I know I overreacted the other day. You said you were forced to have sex with men. I want you to tell me everything.”

  Scotty froze, not knowing if he could spill the whole truth. “I don’t know if I can. I’ve never told anyone.” Nervousness and fear twisted through him. Memories from the past raced over him. Revealing his deepest secrets wasn’t something he’d ever intended to do. It was one of the reasons he kept everyone at a distance.

  “You submitted to me so beautifully last night, and you can submit on this. Sharing your deepest secrets with me will only make our relationship better.”

  He stared deep into Wesley’s eyes, and he knew this man would never abuse him. He’d never have to worry about Wesley using the information against him or abusing his power. But could he tell him all of it—that he’d been the one who’d started the fire that killed everyone?

  “Do you trust me?” Wesley asked.

  Scotty hadn’t trusted anyone, ever. He’d never really trusted any of his lovers, and that’s why he never allowed them to dominate him. The guys at the club, subs or Doms, weren’t trustworthy. At work, he liked the people, but he kept them at a distance. With Wesley, he trusted him—totally and completely.

  He grabbed both of Wesley’s hands, kissing the knuckles before looking up into Wesley’s loving gaze. “Yes, with all of my heart, I trust you.”

  “Then tell me.”

  He rested his forehead against Wesley’s hands and drew in a deep breath. “It’s going to be difficult. No one has ever heard the truth. Even the police, my social workers, my foster parents, and all of my lovers never heard it. I’ve never told anyone the whole story.”

  Wesley dropped down in front of him and lifted his chin. “Trust me, I’ll keep your secret safe. Let’s move to the couch, and I can hold you or you can hold me, whatever is best.”

  He nodded and followed Wesley to the couch, stretching out so his head rested in Wesley’s lap. The deep gulp of air helped, but his heart still raced, and sweat beaded on his brow. Wesley ran a soothing hand over Scotty’s chest. He glanced up, calmed by Wesley’s gaze.

  “I don’t even know where to start. Growing up, my family life was odd. I wasn’t allowed to go to school. We were raised inside and only given outside time when my parents could trust that we wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone or be seen. We kind of lived on the outskirts of town. They taught me to read and write, but I’m not sure why. I’m fairly certain that if I had reached adulthood in that house, they would have killed me.”

  Wesley stroked his arm as he talked, revealing the horror that he met when he turned ten. How they took him to parties and he had to do things to men, things that were disgusting and terrible. He talked about how they punished him by taking away books. Then when he was twelve, he accidentally knocked over a lantern—they didn’t have electric lights everywhere in the house—and it started a fire. He couldn’t save any of the other kids, only himself. He stood in the shower, water running until the outside wall crumbled. The firemen were there by then, but his father had threatened him enough times that fear ruled his tongue, and he revealed nothing.

  “It was terrible and wonderful. Terrible because everyone died, wonderful because I was finally free. My best friend, the baby, the other kids I rarely talked to—everyone.”

  “Scotty, you need to forgive yourself.”

  He shook his head, rejecting forgiveness. “But I killed them.”

  “No, you didn’t. The doors were bolted, and you couldn’t get out.”

  “I tried so hard to save them. My hands were scorched.”

  “I’m so sorry, but babe, you didn’t kill them.”

  “I tried.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  Scotty huffed out a breath, wishing this were easier. “The first time my foster mother took me to a library, I fell in love. I’d never seen so many books. Everything was in neat little rows, and all of the books had a place. I loved it.”

  “Is that why you work at the library?”

  “Books have never hurt me. They don’t try to make my life harder. They’ve never demanded I degrade myself. I know it doesn’t make sense. I go to Barringers and ask young men to be tied up and then…”

  Wesley tilted his head so Scotty had to look in his lover’s eyes. “I’m not going to judge you…ever.”

  “Until you said something about me doing that to young men, tying them up and taking advantage of them, I never thought of it that way. I just wanted control.”

  “What about now, after I had you submit?”

  He swallowed hard, closing his eyes and trying to form words that would describe exactly how he felt. “I liked the freedom of letting you tell me what to do.”

  “It wasn’t too much?”

  “Almost, but I was able to hold it together.”

  “You know I love you.”

  He sat up and pulled Wesley into his arms, his lips sliding over Wesley’s. “And I love you,” he mumbled against Wesley’s lips.

  “Do you think we can make this work?�
�

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to be tied up again.”

  Scotty sunk down on the cushions and pulled Wesley with him. “Babe, we’ll work our way through this. We’ll do what we have to and make it work. We don’t need anyone else to tell us what to do, we can make it up on our own.”

  “So no more clubs.”

  “No more clubs.”

  His phone rang, and Scotty glanced at Wesley before answering. “Hello, Scotty Fuller here.”

  “Scotty, it’s Stephens. I couldn't get Wesley on his phone. Is he with you?"

  "Yeah, he's right here."

  "I thought you and Wesley would like to know that Dustin is awake.”

  “Thanks. We’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”

  Wesley climbed off his lap before he hung up. “What’s up?”

  “Dustin is awake.”

  “Oh.” Wesley bit his lip and closed his eyes. “I need to go see him.”

  “Sure, I’ll be there with you. And Wesley, you can lean on me and tell me anything. I’m yours forever.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Wesley stood outside the door to Dustin’s room. He hadn’t faced Dustin’s parents yet, and it freaked him out. Telling them that he’d seen the guy almost kill Dustin would be hard. Scotty’s hand on his back gave him courage, and he pushed open the door, sucking in a gasp when he saw Dustin lying on the bed. His head had been shaved and a scar ran over his forehead and into his hairline.

  All eyes turned to him, and his fear ramped up. How could he explain to Dustin’s parents what had happened? His mom stood, then his dad, stepping around the bed and coming to him. They pulled him into their arms, both of them hugging him tightly. He let go a shuddering breath and glanced up to stare into their faces once they loosened their hold.

  “I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

  “Nonsense,” Dustin’s mother said. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You poor child.”

  He’d met Dustin’s parents before but didn’t remember their names. He was glad when Dustin’s dad stepped away and introduced himself to Scotty.

  “I’m Larry, and this is my wife, Jane.”

  “I’m Scotty Fuller.”

  “Ah, we hear that you’re the one who called the police. Thank you. You saved our Dustin’s life.”

  Dustin moaned and opened his eyes. “Hey,” he whispered when he saw Wesley.

  It was almost too much. Wesley rushed forward and dropped into the chair next to Dustin. “I was so scared.”

  Dustin bit his lip and nodded. Tears swam in his eyes, and his mother came to the other side of the bed, taking Dustin’s hand and stroking it. He turned to his mother and let go of a ragged breath before turning back to Wesley.

  “Thank you,” Jane choked out as she wiped away her tears.

  “For what? It’s my fault.” Guilt filled Wesley, and he wanted to run out, hiding from Dustin’s parents. They would probably be so mad at him.

  “No, it isn’t,” Dustin said. “It’s mine. He was the guy who hit me.”

  “What?” Wesley almost jumped up, but Scotty’s hand on his shoulder steadied him.

  “The guy, he’s the one Jesse had me go out with.” Dustin bit his lip and looked at his parents.

  “Baby, I know you date, and it’s okay,” his mother said.

  “I can’t…” Dustin glanced at his dad, giving him a pleading look.

  “Jane, let’s leave the boys alone for a bit. They need to talk.”

  “Okay, but Dustin, there's a lot of stuff you could do, and none of it would ever make me angry or make me see you in a bad light. You are my son and always will be. I’ll love you no matter what you do.”

  “Thanks,” Dustin choked out.

  After Larry and his wife left, Dustin turned back to Wesley and glanced to Scotty, his discomfort obvious. “It’s okay, Scotty is my boyfriend. He’s a good guy.”

  Dustin nodded, then closed his eyes. Wesley wondered if he was going to say anything, but then he started speaking, his voice low.

  “Jesse wanted me to go out with him so I did—you remember, you were supposed to go with us, but you backed out?”

  “Yeah.” Wesley nodded.

  “I went with Jesse even though I had a bad feeling. The guy was the one who came to our apartment, Aaron.”

  Wesley bit his lip and shook his head. “That man is bad news.”

  “Yeah and I knew it. He raped me the night I was out with Jesse.”

  “What?” Wesley tried to stand, but Scotty’s strong hold kept him seated and calmed him again. “You should have gone to the police.”

  “But I’d agreed to let him fuck me the first time. Then he started getting crazy rough, and I wanted him to stop. But he held me down the last time, forcing me to take it.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Wesley whispered. “Have you told this to the cops?”

  “Yeah, I think I did. I’m a little spaced out most of the time.”

  “Are you okay right now?” Scotty asked.

  “Yeah, I just—”

  The door opened and Officer Stephens stepped in. His face was white, and he had a hard time meeting their gazes. He stood at the end of Dustin’s bed for a few beats before staring each one in the face. “I’m sorry to be the one to give you the news, but they found your friend, Jesse, this morning. He was murdered.”

  Dustin gasped and his eyes fluttered for a second. Wesley was glad he was seated, because he was sure he would have dropped to the ground. Scotty gripped his shoulder, his fingers digging into Wesley’s flesh.

  “What happened?” Scotty asked.

  “We don’t know exactly—toxicology reports won’t be back for a while, and the ME is still working on the body, but he was raped, and I think I know who did it.”

  “Fuck,” Dustin breathed out.

  Wesley grabbed his friend’s hand and held it tightly. “Dustin, think hard, did you tell Officer Stephens everything?”

  “I don’t know.” Dustin tried to sit up but couldn’t move. He grunted and laid his head on his pillow, his brows wrinkled as he stared at Wesley.

  “Do you think you know something?” Stephens asked Dustin.

  “I don’t know. We, me and Jesse, went out with Aaron—well, it was supposed to be out, but he took us to his house. He ended up raping me before the night was over.”

  Wesley watched Stephens’s face while Dustin spoke and noticed the angry scowl develop. He scratched words on a piece of paper and nodded. “I wish you would have come forward.”

  “But I’d agreed to have sex with him earlier that night,” Dustin stated.

  “I can understand your hesitancy, and yeah, it would have been hard to prove, but rape is never okay, even if you say yes to sex initially but after that don’t want to have sex again.” Officer Stephens turned to Wesley, his mouth in a thin line. “Goes for you too, you know that, right?”

  A single tear trickled down Dustin’s cheek, and he shook his head. “I could have prevented Jesse’s death.”

  “There’s no guarantee of that. Who’s to say Aaron wouldn’t have tracked you down and killed you earlier? Really, the guy is crazy, and you don’t know what would have happened.”

  Scotty cleared his throat. “I know Aaron from Barringers. I think it’s time I sat down and talked to you, Officer Stephens.”

  Stephens looked Scotty up and down, then turned his gaze to Wesley. “Is he nice to you, Wesley?”

  Wesley stood and stepped away from Scotty to stand in front of Stephens. “Yes, and I really mean it. This is serious, and I don’t want you to have any doubts about Scotty’s character. He’s not going to hurt me, and he always makes sure I’m safe.” He turned back to Scotty and smiled, holding out his hand to his man. “I trust Scotty with my life and with my safety. We’re lovers and boyfriends. Well, that’s not really a good description, we’re more than lovers, and we’re more than boyfriends.”

  Scotty stepped close and placed his hands on Wesley�
�s shoulders. “We’re going to be together for a long time. I want you forever.”

  “Same here.” Wesley folded Scotty into his arms and hugged him tight, vowing to figure out a way for them to make it work though they both had issues. He leaned back and smiled up at his man. “Forever.”

  “Yes, my love, I promise you forever.”

  They weren’t at the most romantic location, and the audience wasn’t what he would have picked for their declaration, but he felt special, knowing he and Scotty would be together forever, building a special relationship that they could thrive in, where neither one of them ruled over the other, but they both were equals, given time to shine and cherish each other.

  Officer Stephens cleared his throat. “Scotty, Wesley, you both need to be vigilant until we know where Aaron is.”

  “We will,” Scotty said.

  Wesley shivered and glanced back at Dustin. He wondered if Dustin knew that Aaron was HIV positive. It wasn’t his place to tell, but his friend had a long recovery in front of him.

  “It’s time Wesley and I go home, and Dustin probably needs some rest.” Scotty squeezed Wesley’s hand and kept him close.

  “Will you come into the station tomorrow, Scotty?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

  Wesley and Scotty said their goodbyes and took off for Scotty’s house. “Not everything is perfect.”

  “It rarely is.”

  “I’m fine with how things are right now.”

  “Same here.”

  “So, Wesley,” Scotty whispered.

  “Yes, lover?”

  “When we get home, will you tie me up again?”

  Wesley laughed and reached for his man’s hand, squeezing tight. “Anything for you, babe, anything for you.” And he would do anything for Scotty—well, almost anything.

  THE END

  Trademarks Acknowledgment

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  SCAD: The Savannah College of Art & Design, Inc.

  Starbucks: Starbucks Corporation