This short is dedicated to Grace and Nikki, without whom James would never have received the love he deserves or have grown into the man you will find within. Thank you, ladies, for your faith in me and in my characters.
chapter one
SETH STOOD beside the car as James sneered at the wheelchair in front of him. He understood why Seth insisted on the chair, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. No, the fact he would be tired from the long trip didn’t help his disposition in the least, nor did the long walk from area to area in the airport.
“James, it will not bite, and I don’t want you overtaxed when we arrive at our destination. Now.” Seth’s voice took on the commanding tone James loved, though he still had trouble admitting that outside his head.
Grumbling, he levered himself from the car and into the chair. James settled his crutches across his lap and watched as Seth collected their luggage. One of Seth’s newer assistants, Tyrell, stepped behind James, unlocked the wheels, and followed beside Seth as they moved inside. Once they were through the ticket area and had dropped off their luggage, Tyrell bid them a pleasant trip and walked toward the front as Seth stepped behind James and began pushing.
“I can walk, Seth.”
“I am well aware of that, pet, but we’ve had this discussion, and I will not put up with you continuing to fight me.”
James fidgeted in the chair a moment but then settled and kept quiet. He didn’t want to fight with Seth; he just hated the reminder of his limitations. “Sorry, love.”
“Thank you, baby. Now,” Seth breathed against his ear, “I want you to think about what I have planned for when we arrive at the hotel tonight.”
A soft whimper slipped out before James thought to control his reaction. “You mean…?”
“Yes, James, you will get to finish this time.” The dark promise in Seth’s deep voice had him rock hard and wanting, again. Not that he hadn’t been in a constant state of arousal for the last five days. James liked the denial games Seth had started with him a couple of months ago, but he didn’t usually make James go so long, nor did he generally tease and torment him quite so thoroughly. They still had sex every day throughout the denial, but the only one allowed to finish was Seth.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I plan to make you work for it. Now, be a good boy and let’s head to the plane.”
“Still not sure why we’re flying somewhere for the weekend. Or why we’re doing so on a commercial flight.”
Seth nipped his ear. “Shh…. You fuss when I spoil you, now you complain when I do things your way? Be good, baby, and I promise, you will enjoy the weekend.” He started pushing the wheelchair again. James bit his tongue and fought to calm his want and his breathing. God, he loved this man.
HOURS LATER—he’d dozed during the flight in the reclining first-class seat—James was wide awake, hard, and wanting Seth so severely he couldn’t manage to focus on the hotel suite he was now in. They had arrived, and once they’d eaten, settled into their rooms. Knowing Seth was the one who’d set up their plans, the thought flitted through the back of his head that he ought to take a moment to soak it all in, but then Seth tugged his crutches from his hands, moving them away.
James stood in the bedroom, next to the king-sized bed, confused. Seth never took his sticks away from him, knowing he couldn’t walk without them. “Um, Seth?”
“Center of the bed, naked, and on your knees, baby. Let me set this stuff down, and I will be right back.”
Unsure what Seth was up to, James slowly stripped, placing each item in a neat pile to the side. Again glancing toward his lover, James considered not cooperating, but only for a moment. Shrugging, he climbed onto the bed, settled himself on his knees in the middle of it, and sat back on his heels. Once comfortable, resting his hands on his thighs the way Seth liked, he considered what Seth had been doing to and with him lately. It was still weird for him, all the control Seth preferred, but James had come to terms with how much he loved that about his fiancé.
He watched Seth pace around the room, moving this, rearranging that, feeling more and more turned on. All Seth needed to do was exist and James got hard, especially during extended denial.
Seth looked at James and smiled. “Love how well you do that, baby. Now, tease and stroke yourself while I finish getting things ready. I want you aching and unable to think,” he added, his grin turning feral.
A whimper escaped at the thought of what Seth might be planning. Deciding to move forward with Seth’s request, James wrapped his hand around his cock, pulling in long, slow strokes, squeezing and twisting just the way he liked. With his other hand, he tweaked and toyed with his nipples. He knew how much Seth loved watching him do so. He didn’t enjoy pain, but the tiny shocks were one thing he loved, whether it was Seth doing it to him or him doing so for Seth’s pleasure. Of course, he’d found less and less he wouldn’t do for Seth the longer they were together.
His eyes slid closed as the pleasure built, his need and desire for his lover, his fiancé, growing every moment, with every touch. As need coiled at the base of his spine, James moaned and thrust into his hand, hoping Seth would hurry up and join him. As good as this felt, he wanted, needed, Seth’s hands, mouth, body, more than his next breath.
Just as he thought he might lose the fight and come, Seth barked, “Stop.”
James let go of himself, panting as he fought the drive to continue, to finish. Focusing on Seth instead of his body, he finally calmed, but the frustration riding him was worse than it had ever been. But then, Seth had never played this game with him for so long before, either.
“So beautiful, baby,” Seth praised, melting James a little more. He leaned forward and kissed James on the lips, soft as a whisper.
Seth set a closed box on the nightstand before sitting next to where James kneeled on the bed. “You please me so much like this.” He shifted, lifting the top of the box and rummaging around within it a moment before he withdrew a tightly bound bundle of what appeared to be indigo rope. “I have a few things I would like to do to you before we proceed, but you must give me your consent, James.”
James knew Seth loved to tie him up, though he was always careful not to overtax James’s joints. It was usually with ribbon or scarves, though, so he was a little concerned as he looked over the rope. He watched, his mind still hazy, as Seth used one end of the rope to tease along his length, the silky material sending a shiver down his spine to wind its way around his already significant need. “Mmm…. Please, Sir.”
“Please what, baby?”
“Whatever you want to do is good, but please….”
“I love how much trust you give me, James. You make me so happy,” Seth added, caressing James’s cheek.
“Love you, Seth.”
Seth immediately set about shifting James how he wanted, an action that still baffled James at times. Once satisfied, he untied the deep indigo silk rope that reminded James of the ribbon he usually used and began a series of intricate loops and cross patterns down his chest and abdomen.
James was confused when Seth retrieved another item from the box. Seth wasn’t done with the rope—not with his hands still free. He stared at the items as Seth held them up. Cuffs? James looked from them to Seth and back, his thoughts tangled, feeling a little intimidated. “Um….”
“These are padded so as to not injure, and I won’t be using them in a way that will harm your joints.” Seth leaned in, brushing his lips against James’s ear, and breathed, “Pleasure only, baby.” He pulled back with a wicked smile and held them up. Each padded cuff had little rings on the front and back, and they were in that deep indigo color Seth always loved against James’s pale skin.
Unsure how Seth wanted
his arms, but inexplicably excited by the thought of being completely at his lover’s mercy, James held out his wrists. “Then I want you to use them too.”
“Thank you.” Seth quickly put the cuffs in place. He raised each hand, kissing and nipping the sensitive skin around the restraints before moving James’s arms so they folded behind him, and then clipped the cuffs together. “That’s not too much on your shoulders, is it?”
James flexed and shifted, but it was no different than holding his hands behind his back, so he shook his head, not meeting Seth’s eyes. Seth never demanded that level of submission, but James often found himself driven to give that to his love. He truly craved Seth’s power and love and knew, just as with calling him “Sir,” it made Seth even crazier for him. In addition, it just felt “right.”
Seemingly satisfied, Seth continued the soft praises as he worked to bind the rope around James’s arms, the pattern intricate. As Seth moved lower, he retrieved a thinner, shorter version of the rope he had been using. Seth stroked James’s cock from base to tip a few times, pulling groans and whimpers from James, ones he would have been embarrassed not that long ago to have made but right then couldn’t make himself care about. With his other hand, Seth teased and tugged lightly at James’s sac, driving his need higher and making him squirm, though he fought to be still.
“I do love the sounds you make, pet. So beautiful, just like the rest of you.” Seth continued to tease a few more moments, but then stopped, releasing James’s painfully hard cock as he panted with the effort to not come. He knew he wasn’t to do that until Seth commanded it, but after all the denial and teasing over the last few days, he wasn’t certain how much longer he could hold back.
After James calmed some, Seth began an even more intricate series of knots with the smaller rope, binding his cock and balls tightly. He’d used a cock ring many times in the last few months, but this was very different and, oddly, served to make him even more desperate to please Seth. The odd ladder pattern was snug against his flesh and he watched himself swell a bit more, the binding standing out even further from his sensitive and needy dick.
By the time Seth was done, James knelt in the center of the huge bed, whimpering, ready to do anything to get Seth to move forward and fill him. To do that, Seth would have to remove the plug James had been instructed to put in on the plane. James squirmed, hoping Seth would hurry, even as he knew that wouldn’t happen.
Seth took his time teasing, licking, nibbling, and touching him everywhere. He was so sensitized, even the lightest of brushes on his sides or thighs had him fighting for control and moaning nonstop. Before long, the only sounds he could make were whimpers, groans, and the occasional begging for more, please, and can’t.
When Seth nipped his ear and gave a dark chuckle, James nearly lost his hold and came. It took a moment for his sex-addled brain to catch up with the fact Seth no longer touched him and stood beside the bed. “Sir?”
“Patience, James,” Seth murmured. He carefully removed his long-sleeved dress shirt and the tight undershirt beneath, revealing his strong chest and arms for James’s hungry gaze. He kicked off his shoes, removing one sock at a time, driving James crazy in the process. He knew the sex and orgasm to come would be better for all the denial and teasing, but he didn’t care right then. No, he wanted Seth. Now. Next went the belt and then the buttons and zipper for the dark slacks Seth wore, but before they slid down to reveal anything more than the black band of the boxer-briefs Seth wore, he stopped.
“We need to talk before I continue.”
James fought his need for Seth’s pleasure to focus on Seth and what he’d said. He knew everything would stop if he didn’t. “Y-yes?”
“This is important, James.” Seth voice was firm, the tone pulling James’s attention away from his desire for his lover. “I have something I want to give you before we continue. You will get your release either way, do not fear that, but….”
“Seth? What’s wrong?” The odd look in Seth’s eyes confused him. There seemed to be worry mixed with love and desire, but it was the worry that froze him.
“Nothing is wrong, but I need to ask you something.”
He tried to think through what he could want to ask now but drew a blank. “Love, you’re scaring me a little. I’m bound, hard, and leaking, but now you want to talk?” James gave a strangled laugh, not sure what to expect.
“Shh…, baby. Relax and listen, please. I was going to wait until later, but I cannot wait any longer.”
James bit his lip, but relaxed as much as he could, trussed up as he was, and nodded.
“As you know, I searched for a long time before I found someone I could love and who could love me as you do,” Seth explained, cupping James’s face and lifting it so their eyes met, pinning James in place. “Since that first meeting at Skye Designs, you have held my heart and happiness in your delicate and beautiful hands. You have learned to not just love me, but trust in that love and in our family since then, and soon you will become my husband, something I never thought I would want, much less have. But there is one thing more I want from you, for us.” Seth paused, holding James entranced.
chapter two
JAMES CLEARED his throat, unsure what Seth could want from him. He’d already given him his heart, home, time, body, and control. James’s thoughts swirled and distorted as he fought to puzzle out what else there could be. “What do you want, Sir?”
Seth wrapped his strong arms around James’s trembling body, peppering his face and neck with kisses and soft words of love. James reveled in the feel of Seth’s skin against his, in the sweet kisses and caresses, in the love he felt and could feel returned in everything Seth did.
Seth slipped his right hand down James’s back to cup one butt cheek, ghosting across the plug base, shifting it inside him and drawing a small whimper. He toyed with James’s testicles and cock, bringing his need back to the forefront of his mind.
“What I want, James, is your complete submission. For you to be mine in all ways. Not just when we play, but always.” Seth withdrew, leaving James again confused and aching. Moments later, Seth moved back in front of him, a large, flattish square box in his hands. “You wear my ring as a promise for our upcoming nuptials, but I would also like you to wear this,” Seth explained before he opened the box.
It took James a moment to pull his thoughts together enough to figure out what he was looking at. Nestled in the plush velvet within was a gleaming circle of platinum with purple-blue stones set into the band. A flat disk made of the same stone was set dead center in the choker, the chained links on either side of it connected by an unusual clasp.
James tilted his head, trying to read the inscription on the disk, but couldn’t make his eyes focus through the confusion and needy state he was still in. “I don’t understand. You stopped to give me a necklace?” He wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed or not by Seth’s odd behavior.
Seth’s deep chuckle startled James as he continued to stare. “It’s not a necklace, baby. It is a collar, though I wanted it to be one you could wear all the time.”
Collar? “You want to collar me? Like a real Dom/sub type collar?”
Seth nodded but did not speak. The uncertainty in Seth’s eyes tore at James’s heart. He didn’t like seeing his lover unsure of himself or his place in James’s heart.
“I….” James paused as he thought about how to answer. Since they’d gotten back together after his insanity, when he’d run near the beginning, James had done a lot of research, both online and by talking to people. Most of what he found wasn’t anything he wanted any part of; not that he had an issue with others that did… it simply wasn’t for him. However, he understood what a collar meant, what he would be agreeing to if he accepted it.
James twisted his hand and fidgeted with his engagement ring—he’d worn it since Seth put it on him at his first gallery show—and considered what the ring already said about his commitment, what the way he was restrained and decorated at that
moment said, and couldn’t come up with how he could be more “in” that he already was. “Will… will it change things between us? I mean, if I accept. Will you still accept my ‘nos’ and my limits?” James hated asking, but he had to be clear. He had to make sure Seth understood what he could and could not accept.
“It will in some ways, but not in the ways you fear. It is an outward declaration and reminder to both of us of your submission. Of you giving your power and control to me. It is also a promise and oath from me to protect, care for, and love you. It’s a power exchange, not a ticket to use or harm you, James.”
The fact Seth kept using his name, not any of the pet names he often used, told him how serious Seth was. The look in his eyes did as well. Swallowing hard, James met Seth’s fathomless hazel gaze and smiled. “If it would please you, Sir, I would wear it with the same joy and pride I do the ring on my finger. Will you put it on me? Take me with it on?”
Seth released an explosive breath as a huge smile spread across his handsome face. “I cannot imagine anything better, my beloved.”
James held completely still as Seth carefully removed the collar from its presentation case and shifted behind him. With slow movements, Seth placed it around James’s throat. It felt oddly good against his skin. James had expected the weight to be noticeable, or for the meaning to make it feel odd when the latch snapped closed, but instead he felt pride and love.
Seth grazed James’s nape with his lips where the lock settled, down the side of his neck and back up to nuzzle behind James’s right ear.
“What, what does it say?” Even when Seth had held it up, he hadn’t been able to read it.
“A ghrá mo chroí. It means ‘my heart’s beloved’ in Irish and is exactly what you are, James. You are my beloved, and it looks… stunning on you,” Seth breathed against James’s ear. “Better than I thought it would. Thank you.”
Before James could reply, Seth began teasing between the ropes, reaching around to play with the skin on his chest and cock, down to his balls, ghosting along his taint while continuing to kiss and nibble. The material of Seth’s pants abraded James’s oversensitive skin as Seth rocked against him, jarring the plug in his backside and tugging on the ropes at the same time.
Bound by Desire Page 1
