Dangerous Games

by Claire Thompson

  “I guess that means we should wait till you get back to try out the cane. After all, you don’t want to be too sore to sit on the airplane.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” Reese said quickly. “Come on. You have to show me the cane. It’s all I’ve been thinking about since you texted me.”

  “Okay, okay,” Luca said with a laugh. “But just be warned, I’ve never done this before on a live person. I did get a brief lesson at the store, and I practiced on a pillow when I got home. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos too. I think I’ve got the technique down. We’ll start slowly and play it by ear.”

  “Sounds great,” Reese agreed, eager to get started.

  “Just be mindful—a cane is a serious impact toy, and I’m still learning your pain tolerance levels and my own comfort level delivering erotic pain. You don’t have to just endure it. I want you to communicate. If it’s too much, you tell me, okay? And I haven’t forgotten your safeword. Red light.” He pushed back his chair and got to his feet. “I’ll load the dishes while you go get ready. You will wait for me on the bed, face down, arms loosely at your sides. It’ll be easier to start that way. We can work up to standing once I’m comfortable with what I’m doing.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Reese whispered, entranced with Luca’s apparent total metamorphosis into Master Luca. In the bedroom, he stripped off his work clothes and hung them in Luca’s closet. He lay on the bed, his ass tingling with expectation of his first ever caning.

  Luca came in a few minutes later. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and stepped out of his jeans and underwear. Reese’s mouth watered with anticipation as he admired Luca’s lean, muscular body and hairy chest.

  Moving to his bureau, Luca opened the top drawer and took out a long, thin rattan cane with a black suede-covered handle. He whipped it in the air a few times, the whistle making Reese flinch, even while his cock stiffened. “Wicked, huh?”

  “Definitely,” Reese agreed, excited but nervous.

  Luca sat on the bed beside him. Reese’s pulse was racing, his muscles clenched in anticipation. But instead of giving him a whack, Luca set down the cane. “I’m going to warm you up first. We’ll ease into this.”

  He massaged Reese’s shoulders. “Relax,” he soothed. “This is going to be fun. Intense but fun.”

  Reese sighed with pleasure as Luca’s strong fingers eased the tension from his body. He startled slightly when Luca brought his palm down with a light sting on Reese’s ass. “A nice spanking will ready your skin.”

  “Yes, please, Sir,” Reese whispered.

  Luca smacked and patted Reese’s ass, slowly increasing the intensity until Reese began to pant from the effort of processing the erotic pain. He loved the intimate feel of skin on skin. “More, please,” he panted. “More, Sir.”

  “I think you’re ready,” Luca whispered. “I’m going to use the cane now.”

  He picked up the cane and tapped it lightly over Reese’s now tender ass. It definitely stung more than Luca’s hand, but was nothing he couldn’t handle. Reese melted into the mattress as Luca moved the cane in a series of light taps over his skin.

  “You okay? This good?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Can you take more?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Luca slowly but steadily increased the intensity and, along with it, the pain. The burn on his skin was translating into a fire in his belly. His cock and balls throbbed with need. The cane was a conduit directly to his masochistic soul, lighting up every nerve ending with desire.

  “Breathe,” Luca said after a while. “And relax your hands.”

  Reese realized he’d been holding his breath, and he expelled it in a rush and drew in fresh air. His hands were clenched into fists. He had to make a conscious effort to unfurl his fingers.

  Luca leaned over him and kissed his neck. “I’m going to give you a real strike now, Reese. Okay?”

  Reese drew in a sharp breath, a stab of fear piercing his gut, along with a rush of raw desire. “Okay,” he managed.

  The cane whistled and crashed against his ass in a white-hot line. Reese gasped as it seared his flesh and vibrated through his loins. After a moment, the pain was replaced by a radiating warmth that traveled up his spine. “Oooh,” he moaned.

  “Another?”

  “Yes, please, Sir.”

  The second strike landed just below the first, catching him where his ass met his thighs. Reese yelped and then sighed as the pain metamorphosed into something transcending mere pleasure. Luca struck him several more times, each stroke more powerful and perfect than the one before. Reese drifted into a place he’d never been before, a sense of vast, utter peace suffusing his being…

  “Hey. Hey, you. Where did you go?”

  Reese opened his eyes to the sound of Luca’s voice. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. “Huh?”

  “You drifted somewhere,” Luca said. “You scared me. You okay?”

  Reese blinked as he returned to the planet from whatever amazing place he’d been. “Yeah.” He lifted himself on his elbows. “Man, yeah. I’m fantastic. Wow. What did you do to me?”

  “I’m not sure,” Luca said with a grin. “But whatever it is, I want to do it again.”

  “Yes, please,” Reese said eagerly.

  Luca chuckled. “Not now. That’s enough for a first time. Want to see the welts?”

  “Welts?” Reese twisted back in alarm, trying to see his ass.

  “Yeah. They’re super sexy. Don’t worry. It didn’t break the skin. It just looks hot.” Luca jumped up from the bed. “Let me get a mirror so you can see.” He grabbed a small hand-held mirror from the top of his bureau and positioned it behind Reese so he could see.

  “Wow,” Reese breathed, taking in the series of parallel raised red lines on his ass and thighs. “Jesus, you really caned my ass,” he breathed, both shocked and thrilled.

  “That was the idea,” Luca agreed with a laugh. “Let me just smooth some Arnica on the welts.” He reached into his nightstand drawer and took out a tube of the salve, which he stroked gently into Reese’s heated skin. Though his touch was light, the welts were tender and Reese flinched.

  “Shh,” Luca soothed. “This is good for you. Aisha swears by Arnica.”

  Reese relaxed beneath Luca’s careful touch, loving the sense of being cared for and taken care of by this amazing man. A deep sense of gratitude rushed through him, along with a thrill at what Luca had done. Instead of feeling belittled or weakened as he had so often with Hank, he felt empowered and brave. Luca understood and valued his submission. He’d taken a real caning and had the welts to prove it.

  “There,” Luca eventually said, giving Reese’s butt a light pat. “Now you can get on your knees at my feet and thank me properly.”

  Eagerly, Reese obeyed, taking Luca’s hard, thick cock deep into his throat. This was where he belonged, on his knees with his Master’s cock down his throat… He applied himself with gusto and joy, thrilling to each shudder and sigh. It wasn’t long before he had Luca panting and trembling. When Luca spurted his seed, Reese swallowed every drop. Then, impulsively, he bent down and kissed the tops of Luca’s bare feet.

  “I love you,” he almost said. But the words—words he’d never uttered to another man—stuck in his throat.

  ~*~

  Tuesday passed slow as molasses. Luca couldn’t wait for Reese to get back from his business trip tomorrow. It was so exciting to explore this dimension of their still-new relationship. He loved taking control of Reese and giving him what he needed. He loved when Reese looked at him in that sexy, submissive way and said, “Sir…” Luca’s every insecurity fell away at those moments, the real man he was inside finally free to emerge.

  Though he’d hidden it pretty well from Reese, he’d been nervous about the caning. Aisha had come over while he was looking at the myriad canes offered for sale and trying to decide if he dared. That day she was dressed in a skin-tight white leather mini-dress that set off her smooth,
dark skin nicely.

  “How was that flogger?” she asked, surprising him that she remembered.

  He had turned to her with a smile. “Great, thanks. Really good.”

  “And now you’re thinking about a cane, hm?” She reached for a medium length cane. “This is a good one to start with. The suede handle gives you a good grip and it’s not too thin or too long, so it’s easier to work with.” She turned toward a big, burly guy standing behind the counter. “Master Brad, could you come over here, please?”

  The man lumbered over. He smiled at Luca as he approached. “What can I help with?”

  “This gentleman is interested in possibly buying a cane. I was thinking maybe we could give him a quick demo in safe technique.”

  Master Brad had grinned at Aisha. “You little slut,” he said indulgently. “Any excuse.”

  “Yes, Sir,” she had agreed happily. Without a trace of self-consciousness, she’d lifted her short skirt, exposing her ample bottom, clad only in a thong that left her cheeks completely bare. Luca had been a little taken aback by the myriad marks that crisscrossed her ass and the backs of her thighs—welts and bruising, some fresh, some mostly healed.

  Master Brad had demonstrated wrist position and delivered a few whacks to her ass, followed by her delighted squeals of approval. Luca had surprised himself by accepting the offered cane and delivering a few tentative whacks himself.

  When he’d gotten home with his purchase, he’d taken Brad’s recommendation and sprinkled talcum powder over his pillow, which was covered in a dark blue pillowcase. Then he tried striking it, noting via the powder just where the cane landed. He listened to the sound of the rattan slicing the air and focused on matching the sound with speed and intensity as he got a feel for the implement. He practiced making patterns a set distance apart, imagining all the time it was Reese’s hot little ass.

  Luca managed to wrench himself away from his daydreams long enough to get some actual work done. He ended up staying at Strata until around eight that night, glad for the distraction of his work to help him pass the time until he saw Reese again. When he got home, he ate some leftover pasta and booted up Apex Legends, his most recent PC game purchase.

  He was deep into the game when the doorbell rang. It took him a moment to process the sound, but when he did, he leaped from his chair, his heart beating fast. No one ever came to his door, not at this time of night. It had to be Reese! He’d come home early to surprise Luca.

  Luca rushed to the front door and yanked it open without even looking through the peephole. A grin had already spread on his face as he prepared to greet his lover. The grin fell away in confusion, however, as he took in the stranger standing in front of him.

  The man looked to be in his late twenties, powerfully built with wavy brown hair and dark, soulful eyes. Was he selling something? Did he have the wrong apartment?

  “Uh, c-c-can I help you?” Luca asked.

  The guy looked him up and down in a way that made Luca uncomfortable. “My name is Seeley. Hank Seeley. May I come in?”

  Chapter 13

  Luca stared, mouth open, for several beats while his brain tried to catch up. The man didn’t appear to be angry or menacing in any way. He was very good looking, and nicely dressed in an untucked pale pink dress shirt over dark slacks. Luca had a sense he’d seen him before, but couldn’t quite place where.

  What in the world was Reese’s ex doing at his door? Not just his ex, but a friend since high school. Luca’s gut clenched suddenly, ice shooting into his veins. Had something happened to Reese? Was Hank listed as his emergency contact? “Is everything okay?” Luca blurted. “Did something happen to Reese?”

  Hank lifted his brows slightly, a bemused look moving over his features. “He’s not here?”

  Luca frowned. “I’m s-s-sorry. I’m not following you. Were you l-l-looking for him?” Shit. Why hadn’t he looked through the peephole before opening the door? His inclination was to slam it in Hank’s face. The last thing he wanted was some kind of confrontation with a disgruntled ex.

  Instead of answering the question, Hank said, “You must be Luca. It’s so nice to meet you. Reese has told me all about you.” Again, he performed a once-over, making Luca feel as if he were being undressed with Hank’s eyes.

  Luca crossed his arms over his chest. Why was Reese telling Hank “all about” Luca? What the hell was going on?

  At least he didn’t seem to be spoiling for a fight. Luca was taller than he was, but Hank looked like he had a good twenty pounds on him, all of it solid muscle. “Perhaps if I could come in?” Hank repeated, his voice pleasantly modulated.

  Not knowing what else to do, Luca took a step back and gestured him inside. “What can I d-d-do for you?”

  Hank entered the apartment, waiting until Luca had closed the door behind him before he spoke again. He fixed Luca with a baleful stare. “It’s more what I can do for you, Luca.” He blew out a breath, as if what he had to say was difficult for him. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid you’ve been played, my friend. I hate to see you being made a fool of, even if you’re blissfully unaware at the moment. It’s only a matter of time until you find out the truth.”

  Luca didn’t like the sound of this. He frowned, trying to get his skittering nerves under control. “What are you t-t-talking about?”

  Without being invited, Hank took a seat on the couch. He leaned back and spread his legs, making himself comfortable. “I’m not sure how much Reese has told you about us.” Clearly, Hank meant Reese and himself. “We’ve been together since we were kids. We’re very, very close. I know he’s been sniffing around you lately, but I’m guessing he didn’t tell you about our fun little betting game.”

  “Betting game?” Luca repeatedly stupidly.

  “Ah. I thought not.” Hank nodded sagely. “Have a seat. It’s straining my neck to stare up at you.”

  Disconcerted, all his senses on high alert, Luca perched on the edge of the chair to Hank’s right.

  “That’s better,” Hank said with a small, unpleasant smile that didn’t reach those dark, impenetrable eyes. “It’s a little game we like to play, Reese and I. We’ve done it dozens of times over the years. We pick someone—someone at random—and we make a bet about how long it will take to seduce that person. It’s great fun, and it’s mostly a victimless crime, since the poor bastard we choose never knows what hit him. I don’t need to tell you—Reese is a good-looking guy who pretty much has his pick when it comes to men or”—he paused, tilting his head as he regarded Luca, a sneer lifting the edge of his mouth—“in your case, boys.”

  “What the fuck?” Luca breathed, his heart compressing painfully in his chest. “W-w-what are you t-t-talking about?” Breathe. Slow down.

  “Of course,” Hank continued blithely, “he always comes back home to me once he’s made the conquest. In your case, I really had to sweeten the pot, since, no offense, the idea of seducing the office geek was less than appealing to poor Reese. But for ten thousand dollars, my boy would probably fuck a goat.” He barked a mirthless laugh. “As long as he uses a condom, it’s all the same to me. We make a fun evening of it once the bet is completed. He secretly records the action and then plays it back for me. We have a good laugh and then I give him the cash.” His voice hardened. “Then I fuck him to remind him that he belongs to me. Always has. Always will.”

  Luca stared at Hank with incomprehension, trying to assemble the man’s hateful words into some kind of sense in his head. Office geek? A bet for money? Was he actually saying this whole thing with Reese had been one long, horrible, cruel charade?

  Tears of fury and pain leaped into Luca’s eyes and he blinked them rapidly away. It couldn’t be true. Hank was making it up. Hell hath no fury… The guy was clearly insane. Reese had broken up with him, and he couldn’t deal with it. He was a stone-cold creep bastard, and Luca had heard all he was going to take.

  He leaped to his feet. “You’re full of shit,” he gasped. “G-g-get o
ut of m-m-my house, you b-b-b-bastard.” Luca couldn’t get his breath. There were marbles in his mouth and he felt at once hot and cold, and like he was going to pass out.

  Hank rose languidly from the couch, a sorrowful expression on his face. “You really need to get that speech impediment seen to,” he said snidely. He smoothed the front of his shirt and plucked something invisible from his sleeve with studied nonchalance. He looked at Luca with a sardonic smile. “You’re shooting the messenger here. But I get it. It’s not fun to be the butt of someone else’s vicious joke, is it? Reese has a mean streak in him a mile long. He’s just good at hiding it. I only came to tell you because I hate to see you get hurt. Sometimes Reese just goes too far.”

  “You’re a l-l-liar,” Luca shouted, his hand pressed against his chest to stop the blooming pain there. Flames of shame and fury licked his face. He was clenching his fists so tight that his fingernails dug into his palms.

  Hank chuckled, the sound low and cruel. “Come on, Hartman. Do you honestly think a guy like Reese Armstrong would look at you twice unless he had something to gain? He fucked you for money. And now he’s stringing you along for his own twisted amusement. Don’t shoot the messenger. Consider this my good deed for the day.”

  Luca managed to unclench his left fist enough to shove his hand into his jeans and pull out his phone. “I’m c-c-calling 9-1-1.”

  “No need. I’m leaving now. But first I’ll give you this.” Hank reached into his jacket and for a horrible second, Luca thought he was going to pull out a gun. Instead, he brought out a small manila envelope. He tossed the envelope onto the coffee table. “It’s all right there in the audio file. I always record the bets because Reese sometimes conveniently forgets the terms and tries to wriggle out from under. Not this time. This time, he delivered, you poor, pathetic bastard.” With that, he strode to the door.

  Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Luca followed him, slamming it shut almost before Hank was over the threshold. He bolted the door and leaned heavily against it, blinking back fresh tears, his mind roiling with confusion and pain. He sank down to the floor, his heart smashing painfully in his chest. He fucked you for money… Come on, Hartman, do you honestly think a guy like Reese Armstrong would look at you twice…