Marcus turned the crank again. This time, he was met by resistance. Lucian groaned as his arms were stretched beyond the point of comfort, and Marcus watched as he shuffled his feet and stood on his toes to try to minimize thesensation.
So Marcus crankedagain.
The chains clicked against each other, but the sound was overshadowed by the noise that left Lucian’s lips. It wasn’t quite a gasp, but it wasn’t a groan, either. The high notes of it suggested pain, but the refined, baritone bass notes betrayed it for whatitwas.
Amoan.
Lucian’s arms and the tips of his toes supported the weight of his body. His torso was elongated by necessity, spine straight. Lucian’s skin stretched thin over his muscles, leaving nothing to the imagination. He’d always been gorgeous, but in that moment, Marcus saw his true potential. Pecs stretched upward by his arms gave way to the humble hills of Lucian’s abdominal muscles. The muscles in his thighs looked powerful as he struggled to support himself through the suspension. But despite it, Lucian’s almond-colored nipples were hard, and his cock strained against the front of his pantsinsistently.
Anyone looking in from the doorway would be able to see it, and Marcus wanted them towatch.
He would never hide such a vital part of his lifeagain.
Marcus drove a bar suspended from the frame into the pulley, locking it in place. The chain would not give. For as long as Marcus wanted, Lucian would stand at attention for him—and until they saw, until word had spread and no one would mistake what Lucian meant to him, he would notrelent.
The night was still young. The room was theirs for as long as they wanted it, and then would never be theirs again. It was a goodbye, but one they were bothpreparedfor.
It was timetoplay.
30
Lucian
The chain tuggedat the cuffs on Lucian’s wrists, and in turn, the leather pushed into the underside of Lucian’s thumbs and rubbed him raw. Lucian balanced on the balls of his feet, his hands struggling to grip the rings that bound him to the chain. If he could only lift himself up, he wouldn’t have to worry about how the chain stretched him—but the moment Marcus stepped into his field of vision, Lucian knew that getting a grip on anything wasn’t going to be within the realm of possibility for muchlonger.
Both of Marcus’ hands trailed up Lucian’s sides, his touch electric. Lucian shivered against it, and as he did, the chains clinked. Suspended as he was, even the smallest movements were enough to makenoise.
Lucian had a feeling that the room wasn’t going to be quiet for muchlonger.
“Look at you,” Marcus murmured. His hands traveled upward, over Lucian’s chest to brush his hardened nipples. There was nothing Lucian could do to stop him. “You were born to look like this, weren’t you? Put on this earth to be strung up for my pleasure, your body on display like the piece of artitis.”
Marcus’ fingers pinched suddenly, and Lucian cried out in shock rather than pain. The chains rattled, and he lost his footing and found himself stumbling. The erratic movement put more pressure on his wrists, and the strain caused the muscles on the insides of his armstoburn.
It was torture, but it was torture that made Lucian’s cockthrob.
Nothing so uncomfortable should have feltsogood.
“Shh. Be easy.” Marcus set both hands on Lucian’s hips, and the balls of Lucian’s feet found balance. It wasn’t until he was still that he realized how quickly he drew breath, each gasp short and shallow, panicked. It wasn’t distress over the scene, but an instinctual impulse to the conditions he was subjected to. Marcus’ hands provided support, and Lucian drew a deep breath to try to groundhimself.
“I want them to see how beautiful you are,” Marcus told him. His hands trailed upward until his thumbs trailed over Lucian’s nipples again. “And how well-behaved you are. We want them to remember,don’twe?”
“Yes,” Lucian breathed. He closed his eyes and let his head hang forward. He wanted them to know he belonged to Marcus as much as he wanted Adrian to know that he held no power over them anymore. “Yes,wedo.”
It hadn’t been an easy decision to cut ties to The Shepherd, but leaving his position at the bar had been made easier by Marcus’ promise that he wouldn’t be leavingalone.
Tonight was their swan song, and Lucian intended to give it allhehad.
Marcus slid his hands over Lucian’s collarbone, and as he did, Lucian lifted his head. Passage granted, Marcus’ hands slid farther upward. They traced the sides of Lucian’s neck until Marcus’ fingers curled around the back of Lucian’s head and his thumbs hooked under the ridge of Lucian’s jaw. The position prevented Lucian from looking down, and his eyes met Marcus’ with suddenintensity.
“Endure for me,” Marcus commanded. “Let them see what extent you’re willing to go to for the pleasure Iprovide.”
Lucian’s lips parted to choke out a noise building in his chest, but it emerged mute. Unable to look away, he stared into the pools of Marcus’ dark eyes and found himself drawn in. Inescapable currents of emotion weighed him down, and Lucian was helpless but togivein.
He drowned inMarcus.
Marcus directed Lucian’s head forward, and just as Lucian was about to lose balance, Marcus kissed him fervently. The kiss tore through the waters of Lucian’s soul, turning them turbulent with desire. He kissed Marcus back just as eagerly. It was only when their teeth clacked and their lips were sore that Marcus pulled away, leaving Lucian gasping for breath that never made it to hislungs.
There were people in the room. Lucian saw their shapes and heard their quiet conversation, but try as he might, he couldn’t bring his eyes to focus on anything that wasn’t Marcus. Other details wereinsignificant.
