Bound to Liberty

by Kiru Taye

  From the moment he’d first seen James at the bar he’d been drawn to him, although he hadn’t been able to put a finger on why. James had needed protection that night, and safeguarding. Ethan had stepped up, naturally.

  He’d ached for James, a driving, consuming hunger he’d fought, first because he hadn’t wanted to mix business with pleasure. Secondly, because he hadn’t thought he deserved the sweet man.

  The naivety James displayed had captivated him, grabbed him by the throat. Then he’d seen his anxiety and floundering at dating, and Ethan couldn’t resist offering reassurance. Eventually, he’d taken it a step further and offered his protection and guidance in an all-encompassing way.

  James had jumped at the proposal without hesitation, which had been so delightful to see, Ethan’s heart had sung.

  Now, having James in his arms seemed natural, like the man truly belonged to him for longer than ten days.

  Ethan tightened his grip around James’s back and let the weight of the man settle on him.

  Ethan hadn’t kissed a man properly in a very long while. His previous encounters had been brief, and focused more on pleasurable release rather than intimate exploration.

  James groaned, and Ethan dipped his tongue into his mouth. James tasted of peppermint and another flavour that had to be just him. Sweet and spice.

  Their tongues rolled around each other, and they both groaned.

  Something sparked in Ethan’s gut and his extremities tingled.

  A knock sounded at the door.

  James grunted. “Bad timing.”

  Ethan smiled as he leaned back. “That’ll be breakfast.”

  “Oh, well. I guess we have to eat,” James said in a mock protest as he climbed off.

  Ethan chuckled. This man was good for him. He couldn't remember laughing so much in such a small space of time.

  “Sit,” Ethan said when he got off the chair.

  “Yes, Sir.” James saluted, fingers stiff at his temple, feet clicked in place.

  The cocky man actually stood at attention.

  Ethan shook his head, and his lips curled in a grin as he strode to the door. “You better not be sassing me, firefly.”

  “I won’t dream of doing that, Sir,” James called out in an army recruit tone.

  “Oh, you would,” Ethan said under his breath, and he would enjoy it, too. He hadn’t thought he had a thing for brats until now. But James was certainly fun to have around, even with his cheekiness.

  He opened the door.

  “Good morning, sir,” the room service staff greeted. “I have your breakfast.”

  “Morning.” Ethan stepped aside and waved the man in with his trolley.

  Crockery tinkled as the man went past, through the lounge to the dining area. He set up the table.

  A glance at James showed he remained in the chair, silent.

  Ethan tipped the hotel staff and shut the door when he left. He turned around. James still hadn’t moved. A smile curled his lips. His boy was learning fast.

  “Come on, firefly. Let’s eat breakfast.” Ethan pulled out a chair and held it.

  James stood and walked over with a smile playing on his lips.

  “And you’re a gentleman, too.” He kissed Ethan on the cheek before sitting down. “Thank you, Sir.”

  “You’re welcome, firefly.” Ethan walked over to the other side of the table.

  He’d ordered what they’d eaten yesterday morning and his stomach rumbled as he settled in his chair.

  James’s full English comprised of grilled sausages and bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans.

  They ate for a few minutes in silence, the tinkling of silverware on porcelain providing the background noise.

  He enjoyed watching James slice into his food, picking it up with the fork, and the way he chewed. He hadn’t thought watching another man eat with relish would be a foray into eroticism.

  But something stirred deep in his gut, beyond the surface attraction. Something elemental and satisfying.

  He wanted to do this every morning with James. He made a mental note for them to eat breakfast and any other meal possible together for the rest of their vacation.

  James’s phone on the table beeped, and he put his cutlery down and grabbed it. He started typing on the screen.

  “James?” Ethan said in a stiff voice filled with irritation. “Was that message urgent?”

  He wondered if James was using the dating app again.

  James paused from his typing and looked up with a puzzled expression. “Urgent? I don’t understand.”

  “The message you’re responding to. Was it critical? Do you have to reply to it right away?”

  “No. It’s just a message from Seun asking to meet up later.”

  “As of this morning, your time is mine to allocate. I invited you to the table to eat. Not chat on your phone. You should’ve asked permission before picking it up. So, from now on, you’re not allowed to use your phone during meal times.”

  “What?” James raised his arms. “What if it’s urgent?”

  “You’re on holiday for ten days. I doubt that any message you receive will be urgent. But if the phone rings, you should ask for permission to answer it. Otherwise, you’re not allowed to check app notifications.”

  “Okay,” James said in a disgruntled voice, returning his phone to the table.

  “What was that? I can extend the ban to all day.” Ethan hardened his voice.

  “I’m sorry. I meant, yes, Sir,” James corrected.

  “That’s better.” Ethan resumed eating. He allowed James to get back to his food before asking, “So what were you going to say to Seun?”

  James sighed and put his cutlery down. But he didn’t meet Ethan’s gaze. “I was going to tell him that I have to talk to you first and find out what you were doing for the day.”

  Warmth spread through Ethan because James was going to consult him before making plans for the day. Perhaps this would work out after all.

  “James,” he said in a gentle voice, waiting until the man lifted his gaze. “I appreciate your consideration. The rule to not use your phone during meals isn’t meant to be harsh. We have very little time to spend together, and every moment matters. I don’t want you distracted by irrelevant things. Do you understand?”

  James puffed out a breath. “Yes, I understand. My brother made a comment the other day that I’m on my phone a lot. And he’s right. But it’s the thing that connects me with the rest of the world. I just feel as if I can’t function without it.”

  What James described sounded like an addiction to Ethan. But he didn’t say it, because it probably wouldn’t go down well to tell an addict that he had a problem.

  So, he chose a more diplomatic route. “For the rest of the week, the only person you have to be concerned about is me. You can connect with me. We can connect with each other. That’s the point of this arrangement. I focus on you and you focus on me. Can you do that?”

  For the first time since Ethan made the rule about the phone, a smile played at the corner of James’s lips. “I’m going to try. But I don’t know if I can ignore my phone totally. It’ll be like being naked and isolated.”

  An idea occurred to Ethan and he ran with it. “What if I give you an incentive to work towards?”

  “An incentive? Like sex?” James’s smile turned cocky. “I could give up my phone for sex.”

  Ethan chuckled. “How did I know you were going to say that?”

  James shrugged. “I can’t help it. I practically walk around with a boner since you turned up, and you’ve banned me from jacking off which was the only way I’ve had relief previously.”

  An unexpected sizzle went down Ethan’s spine. The idea of controlling James’s orgasm, withholding and allowing him release, was a huge turn-on to him.

  “Tell me you’re going to fuck me, and I’ll give up my phone,” James said enthusiastically.

  “You, go cold turkey for the rest of the week? I do
ubt if that’ll work. But I’m up for running a trial. If you don’t use your phone for the rest of the day, I’ll let you jack off tonight—”

  “Yeah, but that’s hardly an incentive. I can jack off anyway when I’m in the shower and...” James’s eyes went wide as if he’d realised what he’d said. “Oops. I shouldn’t have said that. I was just running my mouth.”

  “Trust me,” Ethan said. “Climaxing without my permission is not a rule you want to break. The punishment will make the three-minute plank seem like a walk in the park. And I’ll make you wear a cock cage for the rest of the time.”

  James’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m sorry, Sir. I was just joking. I won’t disobey you.”

  Ethan pursed his lips. “Hmmm. We’ll see. What I was saying before you interrupted was that I’d let you jack off in my presence. You’ll have me in person for inspiration.”

  Ethan wasn’t ready to jump into the deep end like he’d done as a young man when he’d first discovered the pleasures of sex. His careless actions had driven him to many regrets. He didn’t want to repeat those mistakes this time around.

  He would explore this thing with James one step at a time.

  Not wanting James to feel trapped with him, he had to give the man space and time to back off.

  James’s mouth dropped open. “Wow. Do you mean you’ll be in the room watching me while I masturbate?”

  “Yes. Would you like that, firefly?”

  “Fuck, yes. I want that very much, Sir.” James pushed his phone across the wooden table. “Take my phone already.” He groaned as he closed his eyes.

  “Is something wrong, firefly?” Ethan picked up the phone and smirked. He had an inkling about James’s problem but wanted to tease his boy.

  James groaned again and opened his eyes. “Yes, Sir. I’m as hard as a rock as I picture you sitting in that armchair, watching me stroke my cock.”

  “Well, I’ll make sure to re-enact that for you.”

  “That’s if I don’t fucking get blue balls before then.”

  “Language, firefly.”

  “Sorry, Sir. But it’s going to be a long day.”

  Ethan shook his head as he chuckled. James affected him in ways he hadn't expected. He was halfway in lust with this man already.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Little winged creatures fluttered in James’s gut as he picked at the rest of his meal, his hunger now overridden by a different craving.

  The moment Ethan had mentioned that he would watch James jack off, James’s dick had sprung to life.

  Now his mind conjured all kinds of scenarios for tonight.

  Would Ethan be clothed, shirtless, or even naked while he watched James?

  Ethan naked would be such a treat. James had never even seen him shirtless.

  Would Ethan participate, give instructions, or even touch James? Would he let James touch him?

  Ethan had said there would be no sexual contact between them. James understood the older man only offered this as an incentive to keep James off his phone.

  Perhaps Ethan thought that James’s continual use of his phone was more problematic than allowing James to climax.

  Still, James hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he would give up his phone to be fucked by the man even once.

  He pictured being tied up, and Ethan’s body pressing down on him while the man penetrated him.

  Blood rushed south. His cock hardened. He suppressed a groan and lowered his hand to press down on his erection through the fabric of his denim.

  “Firefly, do I need to order a cock cage?” Ethan’s stern voice cut through the rush of blood in James’s ears.

  He looked up and found Ethan staring at him with his brow raised in warning.

  James swallowed the lump in his throat as his cheeks heated. He’d been caught touching himself when he wasn’t allowed any sexual relief without Ethan’s permission.

  “Sorry, Sir.” He sighed. “There are pictures of you in my head I can’t seem to shake. Do we have to wait until tonight? If you let me come now, I promise I won’t touch my phone for the rest of the day.”

  “Oh, firefly.” Ethan shook his head as he chuckled. “You have no patience. You have to wait for tonight. In the meantime, we’ll find other things to distract you.”

  “Yeah. What did you want to do, Sir?”

  “We could do some sightseeing?”

  “I guess so,” James said without any cheer.

  “You don’t sound enthusiastic about that. What about some shopping?”

  James perked up a little. “That could be fun.”

  The sound of a buzzing phone cut through the air.

  James glanced at his on the table, but it wasn’t ringing.

  Ethan pulled his gadget from his trouser pocket.

  “Excuse me,” he said with a glance at James before he swiped to answer the call. “Lotanna, how now?”

  James couldn’t hear the person on the other end, but the name was male and the greeting familiar.

  They seemed to exchange a few more pleasantries, with Ethan enquiring about family before he said, “I’m not sure I can make it. I’ll have to call you back to let you know.”

  The person on the other side said something else to which Ethan replied, “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Ethan ended the call and placed his phone on the table, a frown on his face.

  “Is everything okay?” James asked, concerned.

  “Yes,” Ethan sounded distracted. “That was my cousin. They’re having a party and he invited me. I can’t go and leave you on your own.”

  “I can go with you. You shouldn’t miss out on your family gathering.” James didn’t want to be left on his own. For some reason, he wanted to meet Ethan’s family.

  “No. It’s not necessary,” Ethan said dismissively. “Do you need to do anything before we head out to the shops?”

  James’s heart shrank and his stomach clenched. Their relationship was temporary, yet Ethan’s reluctance to introduce him to family stung.

  All the hurt of being side-lined by Kezie for years returned. The pain cut through him. All those times he’d wished that Kezie would introduce him to someone important as something more than just a friend.

  How he wanted to mean something more to someone. Here, for one crazy moment, he’d hoped that Ethan would be proud to show him off, even if it was just for a few days.

  But he couldn’t even have that.

  So why, in Hell, was he doing this?

  Why was he hanging around a man who would never love him like he needed to be loved? At least with Kezie, he knew what he would get. Kezie had loved him, in his own screwed up way.

  What was Ethan really offering him? He still hadn’t figured that out.

  Frustrated, he shoved back his seat without responding to Ethan’s question.

  “James?” Ethan asked.

  “What?” he snapped in response, but continued walking towards his room.

  “Stop,” Ethan ordered.

  James halted immediately, although he still bristled. He remembered suffering through the planking and didn’t want a repeat, especially so soon. He didn’t turn around.

  “Look at me,” Ethan said in a gentle voice.

  The compassion in the man’s voice nearly unravelled James. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, not wanting Ethan to see how pathetic he was. To see how much he yearned for something that was so out of reach.

  He puffed out a breath and glanced back.

  Ethan’s eyebrows were drawn together in a worried expression. He stood and strode over to the armchair in the lounge before sitting.

  “Come,” he said.

  James took slow steps until he stood in front of Ethan.

  Ethan pointed at the carpet. “Kneel, bum on heel.”

  James took the position and lowered his head so that he stared at the carpet. He was too ashamed of his desires to meet the man’s gaze. Worried that Ethan would see him as needy and clingy.
>
  He was ashamed that he couldn’t just have a fling like everyone else seemed able to do without investing themselves. Why couldn’t he just take what was on offer and be satisfied?

  Why did he always want more?

  “Eyes on me, boy,” Ethan ordered.

  It seemed James had nowhere to hide, and he had no choice but to meet Ethan’s gaze.

  And again, the intensity of the man’s soul-searching gaze nearly unravelled James. He clenched his jaw, desperate to hold it together and not break down.

  “Why are you upset?” Ethan said in a surprisingly mellow voice.

  James had thought the man would be angry. But he didn’t look or sound annoyed.

  “It doesn’t matter, Sir.” He remembered to tag on the title.

  “It matters to me.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re my boy—”

  “Your plaything, your property, Sir,” James bit out. He knew about the connotations of the word and had read books about people in the lifestyle.

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed and his voice hardened. “Yes. You could look at it that way. I take care of my property. If there’s something wrong, I need to fix it. So, tell me why you’re upset.”

  Fair enough. Now James knew where he stood.

  Ethan didn’t claim to care about him. He wasn’t declaring undying love. James was grateful that the man hadn’t lied to him, even if it stung.

  “Are you ashamed of me, Sir?” James asked. He knew he was pushing his luck. But Ethan was the one who wanted to know why he was upset.

  Ethan flinched, blinking rapidly. “Ashamed of you? Of course not. Why would you think that?”

  James shrugged and glanced away, feigning indifference. “You don’t want me to meet members of your family. What else am I supposed to think?”

  The sound of Ethan’s harsh exhalation made James glance at the man.

  Ethan’s open mouth and incredulous stare told of his shock. He closed and opened his mouth a few times before he finally spoke in a halting tone. “You think I don’t want you to meet my family because I’m ashamed of you?”

  He shook his head. “The only reason I didn’t want to drag you down there is because this trip is about you, not me. My family shouldn’t monopolise your time.”