Scavengers: Collection - Books 1-4 (Zombie Gentlemen) (m/m zombie steampunk erotic romance) (21 page)

Ira released a sigh, letting go of the rope and moving closer to James. He pulled the long locks of hair back to uncover James' face and gave him an intent look. “What’s that all ‘bout now?”

James avoided his gaze, knowing very well that he was being silly. He was lucky to be alive, rich and well bred, but no matter how much he tried to convince himself of that, his stomach still tightened at the thought of his marred skin. “Someone asked me about them today and I didn’t know what to say. I forgot I had those burns.”

Ira rolled his eyes, and gave James a reassuring hug. He smelled so nice. “You silly boy! ‘ow can ya think like that!”

“I know, I sound like a girl worried about the size of her waist.” He felt himself getting red. The discomfort of the position his body was forced to endure was escalating as he tried to balance on one leg. “Maybe I could get one of those masks that cover the bottom of the face? I’d be masked and mysterious?” He couldn’t help the little smirk.

“Ah, but I wanna see the luvly face of m’lord Looker.” Ira kissed him gently, his breath deepening from the excitement.

“I assume it’s not just the face you wish to see?” James raised his eyebrows and tried to lean forward for a kiss but even that proved hard in the state he was in.

Ira nodded with a wide grin and showed him a long piece of white cotton fabric. “Now open that pretty mouth wide, boy!”

For a moment, James considered asking about more safety measures, but in the end, with his heart pounding like it wanted to knock his ribs out, he simply opened his mouth. He looked into Ira's eyes, dark, with pupils so wide there was only a thin ring of brown around them. The fabric felt soft on his tongue and even as the other man fastened it behind James’ head, he believed he still could speak, if a bit lispy. Ira scooted down and slid another end of the rope through a loop he made at James’ ankle, before standing up again. He bit his lip, examining his handiwork with a predatory smile. “Now ya gonna fly.” The power behind those words was all it took for James to start trembling.

Breathing only through his nose became even harder, as James watched Ira’s bulky body move, muscles tense beneath the skin. He already felt a slight stinging in his strained arms, but with his cock so hard it was almost painful, he would allow Ira to do anything he liked. As soon as James’ foot left the floor again, Ira quickly pulled at the rope, making James’ ankle rise straight up to line up with the rest of his body. This took the pressure off his chest, but also changed his position completely. James was now suspended in a semi-horizontal position and with his head hanging down, his long hair brushing the floor. He soon discovered that although he was able to control where most of his weight went, each of the options became uncomfortable after several seconds, forcing him to shift position every now and then.

His panting became louder as he tried to find the unachievable sweet spot. The suspension itself though, was a truly overwhelming feeling. He hung in mid air, with Ira having complete control over him and God, did he welcome it!

“‘Ow is it?” His lover slowly walked around him, fingers tracing James’ delicate skin.

James looked at him with a frown. He couldn’t answer and frankly, it was even hard to look up. His gaze followed Ira’s cock more than the man himself and his mouth watered, making the cotton gag wet. A thick pelt of dark hair, deliciously masculine, covered the muscled thighs of his lover. James could spend hours petting and kissing Ira's body. A strong hand at his throat stopped his thoughts. “Ya shiverin’.”

James let out a nasal moan, leaning into the touch like an eager puppy. His muscles trembled from time to time and he couldn’t help but shift his position again.

“Makes me wanna suck you.” Ira's rasp went straight to James' groin and he moaned, shifting in the air.

“Ya want that, boy? Tell me!” Ira demanded, lifting James’ chin.

The answer was a curt nod and a pleading mumble.
Oh God yes.

Ira patted his cheek, and dropped to his knees, diving under James’ stomach. He grabbed James’ cock without hesitation, like it belonged to him and traced the length with a warm tongue, caressing it with his velvety mouth. Immobilized, James was a slave to pleasure, spread for Ira just as the man wanted. He closed his eyes, imagining himself in the mystical land beyond the seven seas. Taken from a tavern, to be a handsome foreigner’s plaything. He moaned, bucking his hips at the intense sucking. His body felt as if set on fire, flushed, sweaty. Ready. Ira's groans were as loud as the slurping sounds he made around the cock in his mouth. He rolled James' balls in his large hand, squeezing them gently and pressing his fingers into his lover's taint. James never even hoped for such pleasure.

His body trembled from the intense mixture of pleasure and pain, of binds slowly digging into his skin. His moves became jerkier as he rode Ira’s mouth towards completion. He had no way to defend himself, but no reason to either. They had enough time for him to become excited again.

Ira’s sudden withdrawal came as a shock. James' eyes fell open right away and he gazed at his wet, achingly hard cock with a whine. It was swollen and purplish, on the verge of bursting, but Ira stood up, paying no attention to his lover's disappointment. He walked over to the bed, retrieving the jar of salve and took some of the slick substance on his fingers.

“Ya look like a trapped bird,” he whispered standing there tall and magnificent.

And that was how James felt. Shivering in the air, his heart fluttering like a canary in a dark coal mine. Having his head hanging downwards was making him dizzy, but that only made the entire experience more intense.

“So pretty.” Ira suddenly shifted something in the knots around James’ waist prompting the rope to push his buttocks apart. James moaned as cold air teased his contracting anus. At this point, he was beyond embarrassment. He had been over that for a long time now, especially with Ira doing his best to make him comfortable. Slick fingers traced the sensitive skin between James' ass cheeks, as if they were petting an animal.

“Oh God,” he mumbled from behind the makeshift muzzle, panting through his nose. He tried to push against the probing fingers, but all he managed was an awkward bend to the side, which left his straightened leg lifted in a compromising position. Ira was adept at reading body language though, and James felt one of his thick fingers tearing into his willing body. The moment it happened, his mind filled with the image of Ira’s cock ramming into him and a pleasing warmth spread through his body, tingling his every nerve. Once again he closed his eyes to indulge in his exotic fantasy. The ropes were tight around his body; the dizzying feeling of suspension and being filled with no way to prevent it took him places he could never reach before.

James let out a muffled moan when Ira found his sweet spot. His muscles went lax with pleasure. He had a feeling that it got easier every time, as if Ira was breaking him in, teaching James to accept and enjoy the touch. Now, his body longed for that thick length to fill him to the brim.

Even the slightest brush of a finger against that secret place inside made James' prick twitch. He started writhing in the ropes, his mind wandering somewhere between his imagined Asia, this room and Ira’s cock. Oh God, Ira’s cock...

“Ah, want it now?!” Ira's hoarse tone went straight to James' prick and he shook with the effort not to come just from that delicious voice and the slow massage of the tender nub inside him.

“Yes!” he uttered through the muzzle, embarrassed by how lewd he sounded. Too gone to care, he rocked his body onto the finger, his cock twitching with every touch to that pleasure spot inside. He practically wept when the pressure was gone, but then, the digit was replaced by something much thicker and he cried out as it went in up to the hilt. His lover drew back quickly before slamming back in. The exciting, rapid rhythm rocked James back and forth, his broken moans filling the room. His muscles were trembling and tense, but all he could focus on was that rock hard cock breaching him again and again and Ira’s fingers digging into the muscles of his thighs. Oddly enough, it was being fucked like this, utterly helpless and at another’s mercy that felt truly liberating. Even the glimmer of pain from the strings sinking into his flesh couldn’t stop the rapidly approaching release. If anything, it heightened the pleasure.

When James came, for a split second he actually felt as if he were flying. Ira’s cock was still hammering into his pulsating hole, when the last drops of James’ come soaked into the rug. He could barely breathe from the intensity of their coupling. Once he was spent, the thrusts became a bit painful, but he loved his man’s cock too much to complain. He relaxed in the web of dark rope and let Ira handle him. The sounds of his lover’s low grunts and their bodies slapping together was music to his ears. Fingers dug into his hips as Ira spilled himself deep inside James’ hole, fucking him for several more seconds, as if he couldn't get enough of it.

“‘ot... so fuckin’ ‘ot.” He gasped and leaned down, licking sweat off his lover’s back.

James felt weak now that they both came, but the raspy compliment left him deeply satisfied. He could fall asleep in the ropes if it wasn’t so damn uncomfortable in the long run. He tensed the muscles of his buttocks to feel Ira’s cock for just a moment longer, but the man finally withdrew, leaving him empty.

“Ya hurtin?” Ira ran his large hands up James' sides, nestling his softening prick against the crack of James' ass.

James moaned, trying to shove the piece of cloth out of his mouth with his tongue. He wanted to speak.

“Ah, sorry!” Ira was still out of breath after the rough fucking. He took the gag out and knelt down to kiss his lover’s wet, trembling lips.

“Hurts a bit, but
fuck
that.” James gave Ira a lazy grin, their mouths brushing. He was rarely this blunt, but felt liberated to be able to be so. Ira’s eyes lit up and he gave James another chaste kiss before moving up to untangle him. Despite the unearthly pleasures he just experienced, James was relieved to be back on the ground. Ira gathered him in his arms and gently lowered him onto the bed, joining him on the mattress to untangle all the knots.

“Was it all you imagined it would be?” James asked with a gentle smile and closed his eyes. Ira’s come felt hot and slippery between his buttocks and he relished every moment of it. He loved the idea of carrying a bit of his lover inside of him, of smelling of him. It might have been a dirty pleasure, but it made his heart leap with excitement.

“Much better, m’boy.” Ira finally set his partner’s wrists free. “You’re a joy.”

“Amazing.” James slowly rolled onto his stomach. “You’re so skillful.”

“Comes with experience.” Ira bowed his head down to kiss the welts on James’ wrists.

“Oh God! They’re all over!” James looked down at his arms, deeply red where the rope had dug into flesh.

“That bad? Ya didn’t protest after I flogged ya.” Ira massaged the tortured skin with his thumbs. His eyes searched James’ face for any signs of true discomfort.

“Ah, no worries, I’m always dressed up to the neck.” James shrugged and looked up at Ira. The sex was often dirty, but he could enjoy it with peace of mind, knowing that Ira wouldn’t hold it against him. Never before had he placed so much trust in another person.

“And you? Did ya like it?” the other man whispered, almost done with the ropes. He could be so gentle at times like this and James loved that quality just as he loved his man's dominant side.

He pulled his lover close, wordlessly urging him to lie down “Yes. Especially being in the air like that. I have never considered anything like it.”

With James completely naked again, Ira cradled the spent body into his arms and kissed the top of his head. For a moment, they lay in silence, enjoying each other's warmth. “You are... mine,” Ira suddenly said in a small voice.

James smiled at the thought. “I never think of anyone else.” He moved in for another kiss, deep, yet slow and sensual. With this man, James felt wonderfully safe and whole. And it wasn’t just about the physical pleasure. They actually had an outing together planned for the night and they’d already been to the opera twice. He was surprised by how much Ira had enjoyed it.

“Why would ya?” Ira pouted, apparently more than confident about every aspect of James’ fidelity.

“I know that many of my acquaintances cheat on their wives—,” he said before thinking and bit his tongue. Wasn’t that exactly what he was doing? It seemed so different though. The love he had for Katherine was miles away from what he felt for Ira. His lover didn't comment and James hoped the silence meant mutual agreement on the matter. It soon turned out it did.

“And you don’t wanna cheat on me.” Ira gave James a questioning look.

“No. I cannot imagine anyone who would befit me so well.” He wrapped his arms around Ira’s neck. Their eyes locked and his lover’s face lit up.

“Ya should treasure me then.”

“After all you do have the most precious gems,” said James, grabbing Ira’s crotch to make a point.

*

Katherine Hurst decorated her dining room traditionally enough to satisfy older, conservative guests, but added a modern touch, which was much more to her own taste. The large table was now covered by a white cloth and set with chinaware painted with metallic ornaments depicting clockwork machinery and delicate flowers. A similar motif was present on the ivory handles of the cutlery, on the crystal chandelier, even on the emerald green wallpaper. Despite the function of the room, the bright brown furniture had a simple design, which made it more suitable for a garden party than a formal room in the city. Ira knew James considered this a bit eccentric, but he didn’t want to interfere with household-related decisions, which were his wife's responsibility. Ira however, loved everything about the dining room, from the interior, through the lovingly prepared food, to the highlight of every party: a tower of colorful jelly set in motion by a mechanism that reached all the way down under the table. Their guests were mesmerized by this novelty.

Today, it was just the three of them though, so there was no fancy decoration. Fortunately, despite initial reserve, Katherine quickly accepted Ira’s presence and insisted that he dined with them, instead of doing so in the kitchen. He certainly didn’t mind.

After the fun they had with the ropes in the afternoon, James had an enormous appetite and smiled at Ira between every other bite of fish pie. He looked as happy as a well-spoilt puppy. Ira would be more than glad about that, if he didn’t feel as though he was under crossfire. Katherine’s glances were a lot more shy and discreet, but couldn’t escape Ira’s attention. He tried to be entertaining and did everything he could in order to behave politely, but he didn’t want to encourage her. He knew from experience that women, too, had sexual appetites and with Katherine not receiving any relevant attention from her husband long before he and Ira had even met, it was no wonder she was directing her attentions at someone else.

Strangely enough, James and Katherine made the friendliest couple Ira had ever met. It was just the lack of any sexual tension between them that even he was feeling, which made their relationship peculiar. The lady of the house liked to laugh, read books and newspapers or go on bicycle escapades with her lady friends. Of the two, it was her who was more modern and willing to bend the rules of etiquette.

“I was thinking of a themed party for Henry’s fourth birthday and it all came to me at the women’s book club today. We were reading parts of Casanova’s Diaries and we all agreed it would be a splendid idea to make it a Venetian themed party!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. She gave Ira another glance and turned to her husband. It would be hard to say ‘no’ to a smile as cheerful as that.

“You ladies read Casanova?” Ira flashed her a surprised smile. He wasn’t sure whether she was telling the truth or trying to provoke him.

“Oh! I know, it’s a bit modern...” She flushed when James raised an eyebrow at her.

“A bit?”

“Dear, please don’t change the subject!” Katherine laughed like a girl much younger than she actually was. It was endearing and Ira believed a woman that youthful wouldn’t be able to get rid of suitors if she wasn’t married.

Ira sighed, eating the fish pie bit by bit. He was very careful, because it’d been only a month since he has been trying to behave like a gentleman at the table, and he didn’t want to defy any rules, even if the lady of the house didn’t pay any attention to them.

“Venetian party for a four year old?” James sounded more than skeptical.

“Oh darling...” Katherine reached out through the table and touched her husband’s palm. “It would be so much fun for him, just imagine all the masks! We could hire a gondola and sail on the Thames!”

“Italy’s a splendid inspiration for anything!” Ira was doing his best to sound as polite as James. “Great culture and beautiful... people,” he finished with a smile, because it was mostly the masculine part of the population that was on his mind.

“Really?!”
 Katherine clasped her hands loudly and shot him a delighted glance. “Mister Russell, you are full of surprises!”

His lover also gave him a surprised look. “And you have read Casanova, sir?”

“Oh, of course not!” Ira gave him a prolonged look. “But maybe I could give it a try if both of you insist.” He grinned, feeding himself some pie.

“But you know of his work,” Katherine inquired.

“Yes, my lady.” He nodded, biting his lip, unsure of what was demanded of him.

“Was that in Italy?” James pushed away a loose strand of hair from his handsome face.

“Well, he was Italian, but traveled a lot as far as I know. Must have been a ‘andsome man to take so many lovers." Ira cleared his throat playing with the fork. He put it back on the plate when a maid came to clear the table so that they could have wine.

“Oh most definitely! Some of the ladies in the club wanted to travel to Italy after reading parts of his Diaries!” She laughed. “I am sure their husbands would not approve of those ideas. But a man like you, mister Russell, could travel wherever he desired!”

James didn't join their discussion, sipping his wine with a shadow of a smile on his lips.

“Yes, although I will be staying with your family for now.” Ira caught his partner’s gaze. “Stayin’ in a nice place is just as pleasing as travel.”

“And it’s so hard to travel nowadays, with so few trains and possibilities. It’s wiser to stay in the city." James nodded at his wife.

“I wouldn’t advise a trip to Europe, m’lady,” confirmed Ira with a curt nod, taking a sip from his wine glass. He sometimes felt guilty about being the only employee in the house to dine with their Lordships, but most of the servants liked him well enough and his status was similar to that of a private teacher rather than a servant.

“Then again, my friends who had the chance to travel before the Plague, said that British men are the most handsome!” Katherine hid a smile behind the wine glass, but Ira didn't have to look at her to know the comment was directed at him. It was gradually beginning to make him uncomfortable.

“Oh no, that isn’t the truth m’lady!” he blurted out, trying to mask his nervousness. James’ eyes instantly shot up at him, but Ira continued in a playful voice. “Southerners are renowned for their passions.”

“And what do you know of those passions, mister Russell?” James' voice was dry. It was amusing to see him jealous about days long gone.

“Do tell us!” Katherine giggled, almost finished with her wine.

Ira’s gaze shifted from her to James and he smiled at his lover. “They aren’t as well behaved as English gentlemen, but I’ve heard ladies enjoy cockiness more than they would like to admit.”

“A man like you sir probably knows a lot about those things!” Katherine was flushed from the alcohol.
Or
perhaps it was more than the alcohol.

“You overestimate my capabilities, m'lady.” Ira once again shot a glance at James. “But you don’t have anything to complain about, having such a well bred and handsome husband.” He decided to compliment James.

Although his lover's lips curved into a small smile, he didn’t look up at Ira. “I’m sorry to change such an engaging subject, but speaking of Henry’s birthday made me realize that maybe it is slowly time to start searching for a proper governess. Maybe someone your friends would recommend?” He gave his wife a questioning look.

“Ya don’t want to send him to one of those fancy schools?” Ira asked without thinking, before adding a hurried “m'lord”.

Katherine chuckled at his slip.

“It would be amazing to have him go to Eton, like I did, but that’s still a few years to go,” said James, finally looking up at Ira, with a mysterious smile.

“Oh." Their eyes locked, giving Ira a shiver. He let out a silent sigh. “How was it to be so far from ya family that young?”

“Sometimes lonely, I must admit. But it builds the right attitude in a boy. You learn to fend for yourself, you make alliances that serve you well in the future and learn a lot about dealing with people that you wouldn’t if you were home schooled. It had its downsides, but I suppose that is what happens in life too and you need to learn about it.”

“Being a girl is much less stressful.” Katherine poured herself some more wine. She was in an extraordinary mood today. “No caning for us.”

Ira snickered, shifting his gaze to James, whose cheeks flushed bright red immediately. “You were caned?”

“Well...” he cleared his throat. “Yes, I suppose it is unavoidable even for the best students.” James looked to the empty wine bottle with a sigh. “It is tradition.” He shrugged. “One could argue that it also helps create a strong backbone in a man. That pun was not intended!”

Ira bit his bottom lip, exhaling quite loudly at the vision of James bent over a teacher’s desk, with his pants lowered to reveal creamy buttocks, and a cane smacking them repeatedly to leave red welts. He imagined himself as the teacher and it brought a wide grin to his face. Maybe they could... pretend to be in this kind of situation sometime. “I’m sure.”

“Oh! I know!” Kathrine looked up at them all of a sudden. “Ingrid Dal.”

“What about her?” James raised his eyebrows.

“I do know it is horrible to think like that of her loss, but her husband died recently, so she may have to let some of her staff go. She has two boys and may want to leave just one tutor for them. I have to contact her before any other mothers do!” She stood up with such urgency; she almost made the chair fall over.

“Unless she gets a new rich husband like Lord Barnett,” Ira snorted and finished his wine.

James was clearly getting uncomfortable and looked at the massive clock on the wall. “Lord Barnett is still grieving his family. It’s time to go, mister Russell.” He smiled at Katherine. “We will be back very late, so do not worry, my love.”

“Oh I get it. Gentlemen’s club has another meeting,” she said with a laugh. “That’s all right, I will have mister Casanova accompany me tonight.”

Ira grinned into the table, unwilling to join the conversation. He couldn’t wait for their trip and it was impossible to scrape the image of James bent over a desk, from his mind.

It wasn’t long till they were getting ready for the outing to the theater. It was almost ten, but the shows went on well into the night. This time, they wouldn’t be going to Covent Garden though. Ira suggested James could enjoy something much less sophisticated than the opera or ballet and he decided to give it a try.

James was getting dressed in front of him, adding the last touch, though quite eccentric for his position - a firefly brooch to his silk tie. He wore it often since coming back from Kent. A symbol of the machine that helped them both escape the zombie rampage, named after the insect. Still, the outfit was modest in comparison to his usual evening wear.

“Now, I’m not gonna be ashamed to walk with such a beauty,” Ira confessed, embracing him from behind.

“Oh? You don’t want a southerner anymore?” James mocked, stroking Ira’s hands. His lover growled, nuzzling James’ neck until he laughed.

“Ya don’t want one?”

“I prefer a man from ‘here n’ there,” James gave him a peck on the cheek, before moving away.

“I prefer a man from Eton.”

James shook his head and dragged him by the arm towards the door. “Stop making fun of me and come. Otherwise we will be late even for the last performance!”

“I’m not makin’ fun of ya!” Ira shook his head and opened the door for him. “I just wanna listen some more ‘bout ya bein’ flogged in school!”

“I can manage a door, you know.” James walked into the elegant corridor. “And... uhm... I don’t know if that is the best topic.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Ira laughed, waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase. James let the servants have the rest of the evening off, so they, themselves, had to prepare for the outing and use the elevator on their own. Changing his place of residence, had no influence on Ira's fashion choices. He was wearing the same short leather coat and cap he had been wearing when they first met.

“It’s embarrassing. My boyhood problems. Not worth mentioning.” James shrugged, as they moved into the elevator, its interior decorated with wooden panels and mirrors, an oriental mosaic beneath their feet.

“Well, one would think you could have enjoyed it.” Ira grinned, slowly tracing his lover’s side with his hand.

James pouted as he pushed the button for the ground floor. “I assure you that trying not to get hard when spanked by a handsome classmate is
not
amusing at all.”

“I knew it!” Ira’s laugh sounded strangely muffled in the small cubicle. He licked his lips in excitement. “Why would a classmate do it?”

James let out a loud sigh. “I lost a bet.” His cheeks were turning red once more. “It was a cricket thing. I had a dare and chickened out.” He kept his gaze to the floor, as if afraid to look into any of the surrounding mirrors.

“Tell me... boy,” Ira breathed straight into his ear, drawing away once the escalator stopped at the ground floor.

“Aren’t you eager!” James gave a nervous chuckle as he exited into the lobby.

“Well, I envisioned m’self as the teacher. With a cane.” Ira grinned as they passed an elegant, uniformed doorman, who gave them a respectful nod.