“Did he touch you?” His hands run over me, as though searching for wounds. “What did he say?”
“Nothing,” I say again. “I saw him from a distance. He saw me, but we didn’t get close enough to speak.” I roll my eyes, groaning out loud. “I feel like an idiot, making you rush all the way back here. Zac is my ex, not the goddamned boogieman.”
Toni’s shoulders drop and he relaxes against me with a soft chuckle. “Don’t be so sure they aren’t one and the same.” Taking my hands, he winds them around his neck. “Besides, I’m your boyfriend. It’s my job to protect you from the big, bads of the world.”
I try to smile, but it feels forced. “Thank you for coming when I called.”
“You’re welcome.” He doffs an imaginary hat. “And hey, at least you popped the whole ‘seeing the ex’ cherry early in the weekend. The worst is past. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to fall into bed with him because he tells you to,” he says with a laugh.
I stare at him. “Won’t I?”
The laughter dies as he returns my stare. In the verses of silence playing between us, I know he hears all the truths I never wanted to reveal.
His eyes widen, and he licks his lips. “You really do like to obey, don’t you?” It’s not a question, but a consideration of the possibilities.
I don’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. Toni’s not supposed to know this much about me. Boyfriend or not, we don’t have that kind of trust. But now, with the way I reacted to the sight of Zac, keeping Toni in the dark seems the more dangerous option.
“I do.” Lowering my arse to the edge of the table, I part my knees so he can stand between them. “Be warned, sometimes I like to disobey.”
He hums an appreciative sound. “That attitude could get a man like you into all sorts of trouble.”
My dick stiffens at his words, eager for more. “Isn’t that the point?”
His low chuckle sends waves of arousal pulsing through me. When he threads his fingers through my hair, I lean into his touch.
“You are the most delightful surprise,” he murmurs, almost to himself. “You deserve a reward for avoiding mischief when mischief presented itself.”
He gets down on his knees then, yanking at my jeans and boxers until I lift up so he can lower them to my knees. My mouth falls open, but before I can speak his lips wrap around my erection. His cheeks hollow. His tongue swirls.
I fall back with a gasp, my hands reaching down to grip the edges of the table beneath me. My eyes squeeze shut as he works me over. Fuck yes, this is what I need. To give myself to someone. Someone who’ll take care with me. Someone who’ll make me feel good.
A cry rips from my throat as I come, emptying my balls into the back of Toni’s hot mouth.
I’m still riding the high when he gets to his feet and then tugs me to mine. “Time to get dressed.” He digs through his bag for a water bottle, taking a long drink while I set my clothes to rights. “Shall we head back out?” he asks when I’m done.
I eye the door reluctantly. “Maybe I should lay low for a couple of hours.”
“Piffle.” Returning to his position in front of me, Toni reaches into the neck of his shirt. He pulls out a silver chain, lifting it over his head before holding it up for me to see. A small T pendant hangs from the thin chain. “This is going to be your tether,” he says, putting it over my head. The chain is light and warm from his skin, the T rests against my breastbone. “The tether binds you to me. As long as you choose to wear it, you’re mine.” The insistence in his voice draws my gaze back to his. Then he takes hold of the back of my neck, and my knees threaten to buckle. That’s it, I am his to command. “It means you stick to my side like bubblegum to pavement. Yes?”
I nod quickly. “Yes.”
“And you’ll make yourself available to me.” He drags a hand down over my chest and stomach. “Only me.”
My spent dick gives an impossible throb at the thought of this man touching me, having me, at any time. “Only you.”
“Good.” He tucks the chain under my t-shirt, making its presence our little secret. “Come along, Ned. We’re going to have some fun.”
He turns towards the door, but I grab hold of his wrist and tug him back into my arms. “There’s one more thing I need to do before we go.” Leaning down, I capture his mouth with mine.
The kiss is soft at first, tentative, but then he moans quietly, and I let go. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I hold him close. Entrance to his mouth is sought and granted. We taste each other deeply, leisurely. When we part, I grin down at him. At this man I barely know, who has somehow managed to make me feel safe. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His smile is blinding, and he presses a last, lingering kiss to my lips. “Truly, Ned. It was my pleasure.”
TEN
______
TONI
