Bad Behavior (Bad in Baltimore) (26 page)

David’s fingers grabbed up fistfuls of bedding on the second stroke.

“I will not ignore your texts, Sir.”

By seven, David’s feet were flexing rapidly, toes curling and uncurling, but they stayed on the bed. His answers had become repetitive, but sincere. “I won’t ignore problems, I promise, Sir, please.”

Tai wasn’t sadistic in the sense of just the idea of causing pain turning him on, but the sight of his David suffering so beautifully, holding himself there obediently, made heat prickle in Tai’s nuts, pump blood to stiffen his dick. But his boy still had to push. On ten, his feet kicked, drumming into the mattress.

“Don’t move. Two more.” Tai slid the grip down. Two full swings, even without muscle behind them, should take care of that.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” David said immediately, but Tai gave him the two extra spanks, and David held himself perfectly still.

“Stay right there.”

Tai found some kind of lotion in the bathroom and soaked a washcloth in cool water. David wiped his face on the washcloth as Tai smoothed lotion over the superheated skin. David arched into the touch.

“Good boy.” Tai stripped off his clothes and climbed on the bed. He licked a drop of sweat from David’s neck. “Very good.”

David came willingly as Tai pulled him onto his side, spooning up against him, though he flinched when his ass came into contact with Tai’s dick. Shifting slightly, David eased back and pushed his ass into Tai.

“Can we fuck now, Sir?”

“No.”

“But—”

“I want you to be quiet and feel that for a bit.” Tai moved the arm under them to place his hand over David’s heart, while pinning his hips with the other.

“Yes, Sir,” David sighed out, but his heart thudded against Tai’s palm.

Tai’s breath was steady in Beach’s ear. Even in sleep, Tai held Beach firmly. He’d gotten used to falling asleep like that, wrapped up in or pinned under Tai’s strength. On the occasions when Beach had shared a bed with a sex partner, Beach had preferred sleeping face-to-face, not touching. It was more convenient for talking, or to see if anyone was up for another round, or to make an excuse for departure. No matter how he and Tai fell asleep, Tai kept some body part on top of Beach, as if to keep him from slipping away. Usually he found it charming, flattering to be significant enough to merit a portion of unconscious attention.

Charming wasn’t what Beach would call it tonight. Consuming, maybe. Like he’d dived into the heart of a fire and somehow was safe, but he couldn’t escape, wasn’t sure he wanted to.

It wasn’t merely figurative. Tai radiated a good deal of body heat, but the biggest factor was Beach’s ass feeling like he was sitting on hot coals. The—
say it, Beach, you asked for it
—spanking had calmed the feeling that he was coming out of his skin but left him with another problem. The more sensation faded from fuck-that-hurts to a glow, the more Beach’s dick wanted to party. Somewhere between that eye-watering pain and the dread that he couldn’t take it was a warm flood of pride that he could offer Sir that much surrender. The more the simmer faded, the more pride and belonging built.

But right now, his ass was hot and itchy from Tai’s pubes, the breath across Beach’s ear a furnace blast, Tai’s whole body blazing like sand on an August beach at noon. The cool glass of the balcony door was only a few steps away. Incremental shifts moved Beach far enough to risk lifting Tai’s arm so Beach could slide out from under it.

Tai yanked Beach back. “No.”

Despite how much Beach had been craving the respite in a body length of cold glass, that one word moved through him like a complete reset. All levels back to normal.

A second later Tai’s voice rumbled, “Need to piss?”

“No.” Beach tried to find a cooler spot on the sheet for one of his legs. “Just hot.”

Tai chuckled. “I can feel where you’re hot, boy.” He ground his crotch into Beach’s ass and slid a hand down his chest before grazing Beach’s dick. “Oh.” The hand cupped Beach’s balls, fingers light, stroking. A harder pulse pumped in Beach’s cock. “If I jerk you off, do you think you could sleep?”

“Yes.”

Tai tugged on the sac. “And if I jerked you off with my dick up your ass, what about then?”

“Yes.” Beach rocked his hips back. “Please.”

Tai’s voice softened to a whisper. “I wouldn’t want you to be confused about punishment. Sex isn’t always going to happen after.” His hand slipped between Beach’s legs, squeezing the sore curve of his ass.

“I understand.”

“Good boy.”

Tai put him flat on his stomach, fucking into him at an angle that made Beach feel too tight, the friction more fire on his nerves.

“So fucking good, David.” Tai poured the praise into Beach’s ear with kisses and licks and sweet, sharp bites on his neck. It made Beach clench his muscles around Tai’s dick, the scrape of his thrusts making them both pant. “God, baby. Feel so sweet. Don’t move.”

Arms wrapped around Beach’s chest, Tai rolled them until Beach was on top, his own weight forcing Tai’s dick deeper, sweat cooling everywhere on skin suddenly exposed to the air-conditioned room, the shock taking the edge off the need in his cock as it waved in space instead of grinding against the sheet.

Tai held Beach pinned there with an arm on his chest and a hand on his hip, rocking them enough to keep his dick moving.

In twenty years of as much sex as he could get, Beach thought he’d tried every position. But this was new. Everything about it. The angle of the cock inside him, the motion like rocking in the
Nancy
anchored for the night, and that prickling, throbbing fire from his paddled ass dragging against Tai.

“Gonna stay inside you like this all night.”

“Yes.” Beach wanted that too. He pushed down to take in more. More cock. More soreness in his ass. More Tai. This was where he was supposed to be. Just here. Sir’s boy. Nothing else.

But as much as Beach wanted to freeze time, ride this perfect moment forever, his dick had its own plans. The urgency drove him up and down on Tai’s cock. Dick bobbing, balls tightening as a shift made Tai drive steadily across Beach’s gland.

“Work your cock, boy. Come for me.”

“Yes.” Beach’s cock leapt to meet his hand like it had been years instead of hours since he’d last come. Tai’s palm drifted up Beach’s chest until it rested over his larynx. Thumb and fingers stretched out to circle Beach’s throat.

“Put your other hand on my thigh,” Tai whispered. “Three taps, remember?”

Beach nodded as much as he could, precome dribbling from his slit at the thought of what Tai was going to do.

The pressure started slow, nothing more than a tight-collared shirt, until it wasn’t. Until Tai’s hand held Beach’s life in the squeeze of his fingers. Heat, so much heat. Cock, ass, head. Dizzy from it. Blood aching as Beach stripped his cock faster, harder, grinding down. His hand gripped Tai’s leg, the lifeline there if he needed it. The edge felt just out of reach with the puffs of darkness flooding his head, the strangeness he felt in his blood as it tried to feed his body. He strained for it.

“Mine. God, David. Mine.”

Beach couldn’t answer with his voice, but he could with his body. He stopped pushing for the orgasm and let Sir force it into him. Loose and tight, white hot and icy black, he gave into it, spilled over and through it. Cock shooting off fireworks to match the explosions of color behind his eyes.

He was more than wrung out, more than dizzy. The rush didn’t fade back to normal after coming like usual. Even though Tai released Beach’s throat, sensation kept pulsing into his toes.

Tai rolled Beach back underneath. In the roar of rich, sweet oxygen in his blood, he was only barely aware of Tai stripping off the condom, the quick sounds of his hand on his cock, a gut-deep groan and the heat of come splashing across skin. Tai rubbed his cock into Beach, spread the slick puddle, painted it on the sore spots on Beach’s ass, dragged it in a pattern across his back.

The last thought Beach had was wishing come could glow so he could read what Tai was writing.

C
hapter Twenty

Beach glanced at his watch and pushed back from the table, the iron legs of the chair in the little outdoor seating area grating hard enough to make his teeth ache. “I should leave to get dressed. I really am sorry about this.”

Tai folded his arms across his chest. The French-cafe-style furniture at Le Vol au Vent already looked doll-sized with Tai around. With both his upper arms in view, the table shrank further. He took up a hell of a lot of room, but after two days of him absent from Beach’s apartment and bed, Beach had decided that space was widely overrated.

“You’re only going to a friend’s party as a favor. Not to Europe.”

“Right.” Beach glanced at his ankle monitor. “Not anytime in the foreseeable future.”

“So the apology isn’t necessary. Neither was the fancy bakery for breakfast. Though thanks anyway.”

“You’re welcome. Things are just taking longer than I expected with the hotel and the address-change approval, but I’ll be in on Monday.” Beach’s leg was feeling stronger than ever, so he’d left the cane in Tai’s car for the walk down the block. He knelt to pet Jez behind her ears, and she leaned against him.

“David.” But Tai didn’t add anything to that. As Beach looked at him expectantly, Tai took an unusual amount of time choosing his words. “Is there something else to this?”

Beach raised his brows.

“Feelings for Gavin,” Tai suggested.

“No.” Beach shook his head for emphasis. “He’s just my oldest friend. Nothing like that.”

“His feelings for you?”

“I would imagine any feelings would come as a surprise to his boyfriend.” Beach smiled. “There hasn’t been anything like that between us for twenty years.”

“Okay.” Tai dragged his chair away from the table, and Beach noticed a few glances directed at Tai.

Beach had appreciated admiring, envious glances when he’d had a lovely woman on his arm. But these were from other men and women, aimed at his Sir. He felt like preening in a completely different way.
Yes. He is that incredibly strong and beautiful. And I belong to him.
The thought made the layers of the mille-feuille he’d consumed tip like the Tower of Pisa in his stomach, as a line of sweat broke on his forehead. He reached for his cane to distract himself and remembered he’d left it in the car.

“So what is going on?” Tai asked as they headed up the block.

“Aside from not wanting to go? I guess I resent the demand on my time when there are other things I want to do.” Beach offered his most charming leer.

“I’m sure you’ll survive.”

Beach heaved a sigh as he slung himself into the passenger seat of the Focus. “Contrary to medical belief you can die of boredom.”

Tai grabbed Beach’s jaw and pulled him across the console for a kiss. “Can’t have that. We’ll stop to get your clothes and car, then you’re getting dressed at my place.”

M
editating on what Tai might have in mind provided the distraction of shivering temptation. Beach couldn’t say what had thrown him when he’d read the looks aimed at Tai—and by extension himself—in the small cluster of pastry fans. Beach had never hidden his enjoyment of both men and women, but public functions being what they were, he’d never been out, so to speak, among the general public. And Tai’s body language had been exceedingly proprietary. Or was the exposure of his submissive side what made Beach’s breakfast lurch around? Either way, he wanted that moment of confusion out of his head. He double-checked that he had everything from his socks to his sunglasses to his black card, and draped his seersucker suit over the passenger seat like he was riding with the invisible man. As he drove, he imagined a conversation with Tai.

I forgot my tie, Sir. I’m sorry.

How late are you going to be, boy?

In Beach’s fantasy, Tai was tapping the bath brush against his palm.

Beach shuddered. He hated that thing. Should have broken it after what it did to his ass. He never wanted to do that again. Except, he wanted the after. The feelings that came after, in his body, in his head. His fingers went up to brush the fading bruise where Tai’s thumb had been on Beach’s throat. Would that have happened, been so intense…could Beach have let himself give in like that if Tai hadn’t first driven home how much Beach craved that intensity? Right on up to the pain that terrified him.

Tai and Jez were waiting on their front stoop when Beach arrived with his suit. “What time do you need to leave?” Tai rose.

“Gavin said the party was one to five. So around four?” Beach grinned.

Tai leveled a glare that had Beach’s dick testing the roominess of his shorts.

He tugged at them. “Fine. Ten of one. No one ever gets to these things on time. Not even the host. He would get a beautiful day too, the bastard.” Beach looked up at the fluffy clouds in the bright sky.

“I gather this isn’t the sort of thing you need to help him set up for?”

Beach laughed. “No. Not exactly. It’s a silent auction, thank goodness. A bunch of rare rose and azalea cultivars along with other garden delights to tempt the good charitable ladies of Charm City into supporting Gavin’s cause. I’m just eye candy.”

Tai let them into his apartment. “And what’s his cause?”

“This one? He’s started a foundation to fund a shelter for teens, focused on the ones who get kicked out for being gay.”

Tai stopped, and Beach banged into him, dropping his suit.

“What?” Beach asked.

“And you can’t imagine why that’s worthwhile?” Tai’s face had turned to sharp lines, his voice disdainful and not like Sir’s at all.

The pleasant tingles from anticipating Tai’s plans evaporated into the hot air. Real dread, real panic about where they might be headed was nothing like what they did as Sir and David. Tai’s anger, his disgust, slammed the breath from Beach much harder than any bath brush. The weight of it made his knees wobble, and he had to put his hand on the wall.

“Of course it is.” Beach tried to find a way back into that light, fizzy energy. “I much prefer this to saving the dwarf wedge mussel, however important it is to the Chesapeake ecosystem.” He picked up his suit. “And I do love the Bay.”

Tai stared at him, then turned and walked away. After standing at his desk for a minute, he came back with a check and handed it off. “Give this to Gavin. Tell him—if he needs help or runs into any kind of problems with law enforcement or corrections, he can contact me.”

Beach folded it without looking at the amount and tucked it in his wallet. “I don’t think that will be an issue, but I’ll tell him.” Maybe there was a reason behind Tai’s reaction to the shelter idea.

“Your mom didn’t seem to mind, I mean, she knew I was with you.” Beach had never bothered to say a word about his sexuality to anyone in his family. Gossip carried the news without any effort on his part. Had Tai and his mom had a conflict?

“I don’t have to personally experience an injustice to want to correct it, David.”

“I never said it wasn’t a good cause, just that fundraisers are boring as hell.”

“So is a lot of work. Filing, making phone calls, running drug tests. But it can help people.”

“Yes. Of course.” Beach’s easy agreement had no impact on Tai’s expression. “Well, maybe I should head out. I can get dressed at Gavin’s.”

“Yeah, you could.”

Cold. Had it been hot in here? Beach’s ears buzzed, and he put a hand on the wall again, staring down at his feet as if he wasn’t sure they were still there. He couldn’t feel them.

Tai went on, “Sure. Walk away. Hide behind that smile, and pretend everything is good.”

Every word made Beach feel less and less attached to his body. Yes. He was smiling. What was he supposed to do? Admit that Tai’s opinion of him mattered more than anyone’s ever had?

“Apparently, I’ve come off as some sort of selfish, unfeeling asshole in your eyes. And since I’m so unlikable, I think I’ll leave you to your own company.” Damn it. He’d left the cane in the Spider. It would have helped with the whole not-being-able-to-feel-his-feet thing.

Tai charged him, body held away, but his palms slapped into the wall on either side of Beach’s head, boxing him in. “I know you’re no coward. Christ, I know you’re not afraid of anything. So what’s so goddamned difficult about standing still and talking about this?”

Beach started to raise his hands to push Tai away, then stopped, leaning back against the warm plaster. “I don’t see the point. You’re angry. I’ll be angry. Things will be said to make people feel bad.”

“People? You and me, David. We’re the only people here.”

“Right.” He looked past Tai to Jez, who was watching them with a tilted head and barely audible whine. “Well, Jez doesn’t like it either.”

Tai glanced over his shoulder then slapped the wall hard enough to make her skitter off to the bedroom. “For fuck’s sake.”

Beach took a deep breath. “I think perhaps you misunderstood me. I think what Gavin is doing is wonderful. He has my support, personal and financial. The reason why I didn’t want to go today is because I wanted to spend the time with you. I know you have another important date tomorrow.”

Tai’s face relaxed at the thought of his daughter. “Maybe you should meet her.”

“If you want. But you both should have time to yourselves. I don’t want to arouse jealousy.”

“Usually she’s more interested in the dog.”

“I meant me. I am terrible at sharing. I had to repeat kindergarten.”

Tai pushed away from the wall. “But a fucking genius at getting me off track.”

Beach raised his palms and shrugged. Tai shook his head.

“I promise I will take my job of helping Gavin nail down donations very seriously.”

“Hm.” Tai narrowed his eyes, but everything was all right again. The threat of a permanent break—of options reduced to a good-bye—faded behind them, thunderclouds racing away on the horizon. “You’re damned right you will. You’re going to sell the hell out of those heirloom roses culti-whatevers, and I’m going to help you with a reminder.”

Tai went into his bedroom and came out with a small box, which he placed in Beach’s hand. “Don’t open it yet.”

The box was black, covered with a faux-velvet finish. Not Tiffany’s, that was certain. It had a solid feel though, heavy for its size. He was turning it around when Tai reclaimed the box.

“Strip.”

Beach complied, a buzz in his nuts as he slid under Tai’s authority. When he stood in nothing but his cuffs, he waited.

Tai took one wrist in his hand. “Are you keeping these on?”

“I want to.”

Tai growled and grabbed Beach’s face, kissing him. Everything—heart-lungs-cock—ramped up, zero to eighty, faster than his Spider, and then it was over too fast. Tai stepped away.

“Gotta get you ready to go.”

Beach glanced down at his dick, and he’d swear it winked back. “Oh, I am, Sir.”

“No, but you will be. You can open the box now.”

Beach knew what the bulb of shining heavy steel was immediately. But his brain took longer to connect a butt plug displayed on blue silk like it belonged in a museum with getting dressed for Gavin’s garden party.

“That should help inspire you.” Tai put the box on the desk.

Tai hadn’t said Beach couldn’t speak, but for once he had nothing to say. Tai was going to send Beach off to mingle with the cream of Baltimore society with a plum-sized piece of steel up his ass. The thought left Beach without a drop of blood anywhere but his hard, aching, dripping cock.

“Gonna need to get that under control, boy.” Tai picked up Beach’s shirt from the couch and guided his arms into it as he stared at the plug in the box. Tai had the buttons done up to Beach’s nipples before he noticed.

“Ah-uh-I.”

“I’ll take care of you.” Tai fastened all of the buttons, the collar brushing, hiding that faint bruise. “Tie?”

Beach shook his head, and Tai unfastened the top button before rubbing his thumb over the bruise. He’d touched it, kissed it, licked it dozens of times since it appeared. Beach was sorry it was fading so fast.

Tai helped Beach into his jacket like a master tailor, settling it across his shoulders with tugs on the sleeves. “Your eyes are so blue and sexy in that.”

The heat in Beach’s cheeks shocked him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d blushed.

Tai held up Beach’s ocean-blue briefs. “Matched to the skin. Step in.”

The blush burned hotter. “But—”

“We’ll get there.” Tai held the shorts out.

Beach wasn’t sure why he didn’t feel infantile, being helped into his clothes. All he knew was the warm bubble of excitement and contentment that came from Tai’s control. He stopped with the elastic waistband under Beach’s balls.

“Hmm. I bet some ice would help you there, make it easier to tuck inside.”

“Fuck.” Beach breathed the word. The throb in his dick faded at the threat.

“Better.” Tai jerked the briefs up, and Beach winced.

Slacks and his belt followed, Tai fastening everything.

It had only been a tease then. Beach looked at the gleam peeking out of the box. He supposed that was good, since he’d had no idea how he could sweet-talk Mrs. Dougherty into competing for a new azalea variety when his attention was on his ass. But he couldn’t prevent a sigh of disappointment.

“You look like you oughta be in a magazine.” Tai checked him over.

“Thank you.”

“Now go grab the lube and bring me the plug.”

Beach startled into obedience. The steel was heavier than it looked. Not too large or thick, but with the curve and weight there was no way Beach would be unaware of it. The illicit thrill of it made the hair on his body stand up, mind locked into a refrain of
This is happening.

Tai unbuckled Beach’s belt, unzipped his trousers. “You’re my submissive, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You wear my cuffs, and now you’re going to wear this. Every time you move you’ll know who you belong to. Bend over the back of the couch.”

Beach would have traded the
Nancy
for one minute of attention to his aching dick, but all Tai did was drag the elastic of the briefs over it again as he exposed Beach’s ass and spread the cheeks.