7
Hunter hadn’t known what to expect when he’d first seen Payne’s “playroom,” and he’d been glad the reality hadn’t been quite as overwhelming as the picture his imagination had painted based on what he’d read online. If Payne had shown him something that had looked like an Iraqi torture chamber, Hunter would have run away as fast as he could, even if it cost him the career he loved. But as Payne led him back into the room two days after their trial run, Hunter felt a bit of trepidation that had little to do with the contents of the room.
When Hunter arrived, Payne had first shown him to the guest room, and Hunter had unpacked the things he’d brought, putting his toiletries into the bathroom with a wry smile as he remembered Payne’s comment about sharing a toothbrush. Afterwards, he’d followed Payne back to the playroom, and now that the time had come, he felt a degree of nervousness he hadn’t felt the first time. Maybe it was performance anxiety, to an extent, or worry he was putting himself through this and it wouldn’t work. He also wasn’t certain what kind of “scene” Payne had envisioned for them, though he felt he knew Payne well enough to be sure it wasn’t going to be something over the top. Which was a good thing, and he told himself to stand down from alert and relax.
One thing he was quite glad about was that they’d cleared the air about the issue of sex. He wasn’t at all averse to being with Payne, and if he was honest, part of his initial annoyance with Payne had stemmed from feeling attracted to him. He hadn’t been happy about being forced to work for Herc, no matter how temporarily, and he’d resented finding the partner he’d been assigned to so appealing. Maybe they would end up having sex at some point or maybe they wouldn’t, but at least he wouldn’t feel embarrassed about being aroused.
He was also relieved to see Payne was dressed in much the same kind of thing he wore for work: black and white camo pants, a tight black t-shirt, and boots. The outfit looked good on him, since even though Payne was quite a bit shorter and far more slender than Hunter was himself, he had lots of lean muscle Hunter found attractive. Just as he found those big blue eyes appealing — yet he didn’t think even the eyes would have helped him feel comfortable if Payne had dressed up like some of the Doms Hunter had seen online, in head-to-toe black leather with buckles and studs all over it. Not that Payne wouldn’t look good in it, but that kind of outfit seemed more like a costume than something a person serious about the therapeutic aspects of what they were going to do would wear.
“So… this is it,” Hunter said, taking in a deep breath. “What now?”
“Now we can discuss how our scene will go,” Payne said, offering a reassuring smile as he reached out to squeeze Hunter’s hand. “If you’ve got some ideas that appeal to you from your research, we can talk about them. I’ve got an idea too, if it works for you.”
“I think I’d like to hear what you have in mind first,” Hunter said, returning the pressure of Payne’s hand. He was glad Payne was willing to touch him without it being part of the scenario they would act out. Maybe it was weak of him, but he found it comforting, a reassurance that whatever happened in the scene, Hunter wasn’t just another body Payne was hitting. “Most of the stuff I found online either had me rolling my eyes or laughing.”
“Most of what you saw online probably wouldn’t apply to our situation anyway.” Payne laced their fingers together and led Hunter over to the loveseat, and he kept hold of Hunter’s hand even after they sat down. “I thought we could keep it simple with an interrogation scene. I’ll tie you up to the St. Andrews cross,” he said, pointing to the device, which looked to be sturdy and secure enough to handle even someone Hunter’s size and strength. “I’ll blindfold you, and I’ll interrogate you. We’ll start with what happened the day Stack died and go from there. How does that sound?”
Hunter couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine. He’d had nightmares every night for months, and the memories were never far from his thoughts. After he’d started on the rounds of the shrinks Lawson and Greer had sent him to, he’d managed to learn to keep some distance from the events, but he still had dreams where he woke up screaming in denial as he watched Stack’s death yet again. But he hadn’t trusted the psychologists and psychiatrists, and he’d been smart enough to give them the answers which would convince them he was all right. But this was different. Payne wasn’t one of those impersonal drones who had no real interest in him other than as a case study. Plus Hunter doubted he’d be able to hold back the truth when Payne was prepared to literally beat it out of him.
“I’m willing to try it,” he said, licking his dry lips. “It seems like a reasonable place to start.”
Payne squeezed Hunter’s hand, then released it. “Then let’s get to it, shall we? You get undressed, and I’ll get my stuff together.”
Hunter stood and went over to the St. Andrew’s cross, looking it over more closely than he had before. Then he stripped, removing his clothing quickly and efficiently, folding everything neatly and placing it out of the way. He’d gotten over body modesty back at West Point, and so he stood patiently waiting for Payne, emptying his mind and telling himself this was going to work.
A few minutes later, Payne rolled a small metal table with wheels over to the cross. On it were a blindfold, the rattan cane, a bottle of water, the tube of antibiotic salve, a spray bottle, some cloths, and a little first aid box.
“I like having the things I might need within easy reach,” he explained. He stood with his hands on his hips, one eyebrow raised, and for the moment, he looked like the same pain in the ass choirboy as he always had. “Any last questions before we get started? Once I restrain you, the scene will start, and there will be limits on what you’ll be allowed to say.”
Hunter looked everything over. The seriousness of what they were about to do seemed to press down upon him, but he shook his head. “I think I understand everything. And if it gets to be too much, I tell you ‘red’ and it stops, right?”
“Immediately,” Payne said. “I’ll also keep an eye out for warning signs, and if I think we need to end, I’ll either check in with you or put a stop to the scene myself.”
“Good.” Hunter took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Step up on the footrests,” Payne instructed. “I want your back to me. Keep your arms down for now. I’ll secure your ankles first.”
“Right.” Hunter did as he was told, feeling his heartbeat suddenly speeding up.
Payne knelt on one side of the cross and fastened a thick black leather cuff around Hunter’s right ankle, and he secured it to the cross with a sturdy D ring. “How does it feel? Too loose or too tight?”
Hunter looked down, then flexed his ankle. “It feels fine,” he said, then looked at Payne as a question occurred to him. “Sorry, but I guess I should have asked… these are strong enough to hold me if I try to break free, right? So they’ll hold me up if I pass out?”
“This cross has secured men as big as you many times,” Payne assured him. “No one has broken free yet. I hope you won’t pass out, but if you do, yes, the cuffs will keep you upright until I get you down. I can add thigh cuffs if you feel like you need some extra support.”
“Can I tell you after you have me secured?” Hunter asked. “It’ll probably be fine, but it occurred to me after the concussion I had, it might not be optimal to smack my head on the floor and knock out what’s left of my brains.”
“You’re right, thanks for letting me know.” Payne gave him a nod of approval. “We should probably add the thigh cuffs just in case. Go ahead and keep asking questions and giving me feedback. I’ll let you know when we’re starting.”
He moved to the other side of the cross and secured Hunter’s left ankle, and then he stood up and fastened a similar cuff around Hunter’s wrist. “They’re all fleece lined, so they shouldn’t chafe your skin, but if you feel any pinching or loss of circulation, let me know.”
Hunter tugged experimentally at the wrist cuff. “It seems right,” he said.
Payne secured Hunter’s other wrist, then stepped back and surveyed his work with a little smile of satisfaction. “Damn. You look even sexier than I thought you would, splayed up there like that.”
Hunter couldn’t help but feel a little smug at Payne’s admiration, but he told himself not to get too excited about it. Or at least not yet. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I’m glad you approve.”
“Oh, I do.” Payne walked behind Hunter, trailing his fingertips lightly across the warm expanse of Hunter’s back. “You’re a gorgeous canvas. Let me get the thigh cuffs so you’ll have some extra support. They’ll help if your wrists start getting tired too.”
