by Kiru Taye
James took a reflexive step backward.
“I can think of all the fun I’d have showing my mouthy boy a little hell, Marine-style,” Ethan continued. “However, I doubt you’d enjoy my punishments. But if you really want to find out, we can start the day with a chastisement.”
James swallowed hard. He would rather be curled up in bed, preferably with Ethan beside him, instead of getting penalised for being mouthy. “No, Sir.”
Ethan didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Your good behaviour will make me happy, and earn you rewards.”
James didn’t say anything, although the idea of making Ethan happy sent a tingle of excitement through him.
“Later today, we can discuss a list of different activities that we may perform, and you can strike out any you consider as hard limits. In the meantime, is there anything that comes to mind that you don’t want to do?”
James tilted his head and thought about the question. Nothing leapt at him. “Nothing, Sir.”
“Is there anything in particular you want to try?” Ethan asked.
James’s face heated up. “The idea of being tied up appeals to me.”
“Good. Now, for your safe word. This is the word that you’ll use when you want to stop play. It should be a word that you rarely use so that when I hear it, I know what it is.”
One word leapt at James, and he said it. “Daddy.”
It was a word he rarely used because he’d never had anyone to call father all his life. The closest he’d had to a male parent had been his brother.
The word was also packed with so many negative connotations for him that if he ever got to say it, he would be in a negative frame of mind.
“Daddy,” Ethan repeated, as a frown crossed his face briefly before returning to a neutral expression. “Okay. With that out of the way, let’s go and work out.”
Five minutes later, they were downstairs in the gymnasium. The place wasn’t busy, although there were other users.
Working out with Ethan proved to be like having his own personal trainer. James loved the attention he received from the man, although the exercises were strenuous.
Ethan certainly attracted attention. A couple of women checked him out, but he didn’t pay them any attention.
So it didn’t bother James at first. When they finished the workout, James strode to the fountain for some water.
Ethan was doing his stretches. The blonde woman approached and started talking to him. She stood close, smiling up at him as they chatted.
James couldn’t hear what they were saying but he didn’t like the suggestive expression on her face. His chest burned and his stomach hardened.
A trigger flicked in his brain. He swivelled and headed for the exit. Ethan wouldn’t like him leaving without prior knowledge or permission, but he didn’t give a shit.
If Ethan wanted to stay and be chatted up, then it was his business. James didn’t have to watch.
This was exactly the reason he hadn’t wanted to get involved with another man with roving eyes. Not that this thing he’d started with Ethan was a relationship. He didn’t even know what to call it. Were they dating? Exclusive?
Ethan had demanded for James not to see other people for the rest of their trip to London. Could he expect the same thing from the man?
He shoved the door leading to the lobby but hadn’t taken a step through before he heard, “James, stop.”
He didn’t obey, and carried on across the lobby to the lifts. Heart pounding and breaths coming out harsh, he pushed the button. His skin prickled with heat before he saw the bodyguard standing beside him. He expected an argument.
Ethan said nothing. Not even when they got into the lift.
James wanted Ethan to say something. Anything. The continued silence unnerved him and made the ride in the lift seem to take forever.
He couldn’t stand still. He rubbed the back of his neck as his foot bounced, his anger now overtaken by anxiety.
He must be in trouble.
He opened his mouth to speak. “Ethan, I...”
The lift pinged. He hesitated when the door opened.
Ethan walked out first and strode down the corridor. He opened the door and went inside.
James followed. “I’m sorry.”
Ethan’s only response was an instruction. “I’m going to take a shower. Be clean and dressed by the time I come out.”
He strode into his room and the door shut behind him.
James stood disorientated for a minute. Then he realised he didn’t know how long Ethan took in the shower and rushed into his room.
He’d already pissed the man off once. He didn’t want a repeat anytime soon.
He didn’t think he had time for a shave so he skipped it. He showered in the quickest time, rushed out and dressed. He was pulling a T-shirt over his head as he hurried out of his room. His belt buckle wasn’t even done up, and his body was still a little damp from not drying fast enough. His feet were bare.
Ethan strode out of his room, his gait like a panther’s, cool and fluid. His face lacked any expression as he strode to the phone and ordered breakfast.
Damn, seeing Ethan being all business was a kind of turn on. He couldn’t even explain it. Suddenly, he wasn’t happy that he’d pissed Ethan off. He wanted to make it up to the man.
James’s heart raced as he buckled his trousers.
Ethan settled in the padded armchair, legs apart, arms braced on the rests. “So, James. It looks like we’re going to start our day with a punishment before breakfast.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Punishment?” James’s throat clogged up. His pulse thumped as he wondered whether he’d made the right decision. When he’d teased Ethan earlier about there being no fun in behaving, he hadn’t actually thought Ethan would follow through.
After all, he was a fully-grown adult of twenty-eight years old, and the newly-appointed design director at Coker Constructions. The last time anyone had threatened to punish him had been over fifteen years ago when he’d been a child.
“I explained some of the dynamics this morning,” Ethan said, his voice still stern. “I warned you about misbehaving.”
“But I apologised,” James protested.
“Do you even know the things you did wrong this morning?” Ethan raised his brow in that warning expression of his.
James frowned. “I didn’t stop when you told me to do so.”
“Really? That’s all you did wrong?” That brow again.
James swallowed. “I left the gym without telling you I was leaving.”
“Yes, that was the first. Then you didn’t stop when I ordered you to stop. Then when you supposedly apologised, you couldn’t even be respectful about it.”
James opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when he saw the implacable expression on Ethan’s face.
“And you’re being argumentative on top,” Ethan concluded.
James didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. If he opened his mouth, he would argue. And that would only get him into more trouble.
So, he stood still and waited for whatever Ethan was going to dish out while his heart raced.
“For your punishment, I want you to get down on the floor and get in the plank position. I’m being lenient this morning, so I’ll let you stay in the position for three minutes.” Ethan pulled out his phone.
“Three minutes?” James protested. He’d just done a strenuous workout at the gym and was tired. On a good day he could do a two-minute plank. But three minutes?
“The time you delay will be added to your punishment.” Ethan didn’t bother looking as he fiddled with his phone.
James hit the floor and got into position. There was no way he wanted more plank time.
Ethan placed the phone on the floor in front of him. The stopwatch app counted down from three minutes.
He walked away. The fridge door opened and closed. The gentle thud of glass on wood. The squish of cushions as lowered his body into the c
hair.
James didn’t look up, although he felt the man’s presence just outside his visual periphery. His concentration stayed on the countdown, which seemed to drag.
His sore muscles strained. Sweat formed on his forehead and his pits as his body temperature rose.
He tried to regulate his breathing to help ease the ache and distract him from the stretching time. He scrambled to exert control of mind over weary body. Struggling now. He wanted to collapse on the floor.
“You’re halfway down, firefly.” Ethan’s rumbling voice refocused him and strengthened him.
Did Ethan just call him ‘firefly’? James wanted to ask, but he was using his energy reserves just maintaining the position.
More than anything, he didn’t want to break position. He didn’t want to fail this task, even though it was a reprimand.
He wouldn’t fail, damn it.
“One minute to go, firefly.” The encouragement in Ethan’s voice boosted James.
Strange for the man to be supportive while dishing out a punishment.
Perhaps Ethan could see the strain in his muscles, saw them trembling and knew he was in difficulty.
His mind and body screamed for him to lie down.
“Ethan...” He licked his lips and tried again, using the correct title. “Sir, please.”
“You’re doing great, firefly. Less than thirty seconds to go. Stay in position.”
Ethan’s words were another injection of strength.
He stayed upright on pure adrenaline and determination. He breathed heavily while his muscles trembled.
As soon as the clock hit zero, he collapsed on the carpet, panting hard.
After a few seconds, Ethan spoke. “Can you move?”
James lifted his head and looked at the man. “Yes. I think so.”
“Crawl to me,” Ethan said. “Bring the phone with you.”
It was just as well James was instructed to use his hands and legs, because he didn’t think his legs alone could carry him yet. He pushed to all four limbs, grabbed the phone and dragged his body to where Ethan sat, only a few feet away.
He stopped in front of the chair, but didn’t do anything else. His brain wasn’t attempting to do any over-thinking. He would do whatever the older man wanted.
Ethan extended his palm, and James dropped the phone into it.
Ethan placed the phone on the table beside him and lifted the glass of water. “Sit and have a drink.”
He obeyed, placed his bum on the carpet and took the glass. He gulped the water down and returned the glass.
“Come closer.” His minder patted the space between his legs.
James moved the few inches. The man’s thighs rubbed against his shoulders.
It took him a few seconds to realise where his head lay. All he needed to do was turn around and he would have his mouth on the crotch. The flick of a belt and zipper and he could find out what the man’s cock looked and tasted like.
But for the first time since he’d met the man, he wasn’t entertaining sex. He was too exhausted.
Damn. He never thought he would see the day when sex wasn’t on his mind in the company of the man he crushed on.
Ethan reached down and placed hands on James’s shoulders. “Are you hurting anywhere?”
James shook his head. “No. Just tired.”
“This is what punishment is about. If this was fun for you, then I guess we’ll be doing more of it.” Ethan’s voice held amusement.
“No way. That was not fun at all. I don’t want to do it again,” James replied.
“Let’s hope you learned your lesson.”
“I did. I’m sorry, Sir.” James sighed.
“Apology accepted, firefly.” Ethan kept massaging his shoulders and down his upper arms.
Although it was through his T-shirt, his muscles loosened. James relaxed, dropping his head onto Ethan’s lap. He felt good being here, getting tenderness and attention from the man. He could stay here forever.
“Why do you call me firefly?” James tilted his head to look up.
“Because you are as restless and inquisitive as a firefly.” Ethan’s amber eyes held an intensity that took James’s breath away. The man’s fingers stroked up James’s throat to his chin which he hadn’t had time to shave this morning. The short hairs made a grating sound as Ethan stroked over his skin.
Despite his exhaustion, warmth spread through James and a smile curled his lips. The name actually fit him.
“I like it,” he said. “But I’m curious. Why are you being so nice? I thought I was being punished.”
Ethan’s hand stilled. “The point of punishment is to correct a bad behaviour, not to inflict physical or emotional injury. You served the allocated penalty, which was three minutes of planking. And you’ve shown remorse for your inappropriate actions. Your slate is wiped clean.”
“Does that mean you won’t hold things I’ve done in the past against me?” James asked as he turned around.
Ethan shook his head. “Our arrangement started this morning. Anything you did before then doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t misbehave again, then there won’t be any more punishment. But if you continue misbehaving, then I’ll have to explore why it’s happening and find a permanent solution.”
“Like what?”
“Well, if the reprimands aren’t effective, then it may be that we aren’t well-matched and our agreement will conclude.”
James’s insides went cold. “Really? You’ll end it?”
“Yes. If it’s the appropriate thing to do. Your persistent bad behaviour will be interpreted as you wanting out. I won’t keep you against your will.”
James’s stomach sank. Their arrangement was for the duration of their stay in London. The idea that it could be cut short left him conflicted, even when he knew there would be nothing beyond the holiday.
Why did it matter when the arrangement ended? Tomorrow or next week, it shouldn’t matter.
This was temporary. He was only experimenting.
“This brings me to why you walked out of the gym in the first place,” Ethan continued. “I thought we had a good workout. What changed?”
It took James a few seconds to abandon his thoughts and pay attention. As soon as he remembered the gym, the image of the woman talking to Ethan flashed in his mind. Some of his annoyance returned.
His smile slipped, and his head ached as his jaw clenched. He tried to pull away.
Ethan held his shoulders, keeping him down. “Stay. This arrangement won’t work if you don’t talk to me.”
“But that’s exactly the problem,” James said in exasperation. “What is this thing we have? Are you my boyfriend? My lover? What? I came to London to get away from the constraints of my life and be free as a gay man for a few days. I...” He trailed off and looked away.
Ethan gripped his chin, locking their gazes.
“You came here to have casual sex,” Ethan said. His tone wasn’t judgemental.
“Yes. I came here for casual, hedonistic, shameless sex.” James balled his hands. “And then you offer me this thing and you say there’ll be no sex yet, which is not fine. But I’m thinking I fancy this guy and I want to be with him, even with his weird rules, and I want to experiment. So, if no sex is what it takes, here I am. I’ll do it.” James folded his arms across his chest. “But what I won’t accept is another man who can’t be faithful. I put up with Kezie doing that. No more. I don’t care that this is temporary. Seeing the woman chatting with you just drove me insane. I want to be the only one you date. I d—”
Preoccupied with his rant, James didn’t notice Ethan move until their faces were separated by inches of air, making James freeze mid-word.
“You are.” Ethan’s voice rumbled—deep, seductive, and reassuring—before he stole James’s breath with a kiss.
James’s body tingled, and gooseflesh broke out all over his arms and legs. He hadn’t expected this sensuous, languid caress from a man like Ethan. The man oozed enoug
h mystery to make James vibrate with anticipation in his presence. His heart raced with the promise of the intimacy.
Ethan leaned back, breaking the sweet contact.
Thirsting for more, James followed the man’s movement, chasing his mouth. He rose from the carpet and climbed onto Ethan’s lap, straddling him.
James expected a reprimand for breaking protocol.
Instead, Ethan gripped James’s nape in his callused palm, keeping their foreheads together as their breaths mingled.
“Do you mean it? I don’t want to share you,” James asked, aware that they were treading a fine line, on the threshold of something unexpected, something so alluring that his pulse pounded and his body ached.
“Yes.” Ethan’s amber eyes darkened with intensity as his voice acquired a sexy rasp. “For the next few days, you have one hundred percent of me. You are mine and I am yours.”
They had to be the best words James had heard in a long while, certainly since his break-up with Kezie.
Lightheaded, warmth radiated through James. If a gust of wind came through the windows, he would float into the clouds.
He wanted to be anchored to Ethan, connected to him in a way he hadn’t done with anyone previously. Wishful thinking, considering the man’s rules and the cost of breaking them.
Still, he pressed forward, letting his body mould to Ethan’s as he resealed their lips. A few more moments in the man’s embrace would be worth whatever penalties he dished out later.
Ethan held him, his arms caging James’s body, the man’s muscles firm and strong.
He moaned as Ethan’s tongue prodded his lips, and he opened up as a wash of dizzy intensity swept over him.
A knock sounded at the door.
Chapter Seventeen
Ethan hadn’t meant to kiss James. Not at first. Not today, at least.
But as James had complained about what happened in the gym earlier, he’d heard the insecurity in the younger man’s words, and seen the fragility in his wounded dark gaze.
Something inside of Ethan had unfurled and risen to reassure James.
Ethan was naturally protective. It was the main reason he’d signed up to serve in the armed forces and continued in the security field even after he left active duty.
