A lie was simple. A liewaseasy.
A lie had gotten him into more trouble than he’d been in tobeginwith.
Crawford talked about his business deal with Yuliani over dinner, but Owen found himself too nervous to be much of a conversationalist. He nodded his head and prodded at the food on his plate with his fork, but he couldn’t snap himself out of histhoughts.
Crawford was going to punish him. Heknewit.
So why was Crawford acting socasual?
When dinner was done, Crawford took him by the hand and led him from the restaurant to his private car. Lauren had a spare set of Owen’s keys, and she would be responsible for making sure his car made it to the parking garage beneath Crawford’s condo safe andsound.
The drive back to Crawford’s place had never made Owen half as nervous as itdidnow.
Crawford opened the door for him as usual, and Owen obliged him by climbing in and sliding across to the far side so Crawford could sit. Once the way was clear, Crawford joined him. The car doorclosed.
“Undo your fly,” Crawford ordered. It wasn’t a suggestion—it was acommand.
“But—”
“Undo your fly,” Crawford repeated. There was no room for argument in hisvoice.
Heat crept up Owen’s neck. He looked hesitantly toward the partition dividing the drive from the back seats. The blinder was up and the windows were tinted, but his nerves wouldn’t quit. Trembling, Owen reached down to undohisbelt.
The rational part of Owen’s mind told him not to worry. Crawford was a good man, and he’d known Owen long enough to know Owen’s limits. Crawford wouldn’t hurt him. Crawford wouldn’t lay a finger on him if Owen didn’t want him to. They’d had long conversations about comfort levels and safety, and Owen knew that Crawford was respectful of hislimits.
It didn’t make the fact that he was to strip down in the back of Crawford’s private car any lessharrowing.
Fear bled into arousal, the line between them blurring. Owen undid the button of his fly and unzipped. Crawford’s expression didn’tchange.
“Pull your pants down to yourknees.”
The car began to move. Owen looked hesitantly out the window, then back to Crawford. He didn’t want to. It was too public, tooexposed.
“Do not make me repeat myself, pet,” Crawford warned. “I am beingverypatient. You’ve already made me wait oncetonight.”
The reminder jolted Owen back to his senses, and he bowed his head and lifted his hips. His ass left the seat of the car and he eased his pants down until they met his knees. All that was left were his black boxer-briefs. The beginnings of an erection strained the front panel and struggled against thebutton.
Crawford hummed low under his breath like he was contemplating something. Lazily, he let his fingers trace along the distention in Owen’s boxer-briefs, but the second Owen parted his lips to moan, Crawford tookthemaway.
“Over my lap,” Crawford said simply. He scooted over to sit on the middle seat. “I want your feet resting where I wasseated.”
After so much time spent together, Owen knew better than to argue. The collar around his neck served as a reminder of the position he’d voluntarily adopted. Crawford was his choice. To be with him in the back of his town car was his choice. To listen was hischoice.
The second he didn’t want it anymore, the second he decided Crawford wasn’t worth it, he couldwalkaway.
Owen wasn’t interested in that.Notnow.
Breath catching in his throat, Owen maneuvered himself so that he was over Crawford’s lap. He knew exactly what was going to happen, but a part of him still refused to believe it. Crawfordcouldn’t. Not here. Not while they were on the road in the back ofhiscar.
No.
Yet it didn’t stop Crawford from working down the back of Owen’s underwear to expose the globes of his ass. It didn’t stop his hand from smoothing over Owen’s skin with short-lived tenderness. It didn’t even stop him from praising the softness he foundthere.
The warmth of Crawford’s palm gave way to cool air, then a crisp, burning pain that manifested as asmack. Owen winced, but the pain was secondary to the twisted delight surging through his veins. Crawford was punishing him. He’d been bad, and now Crawford was setting himstraight.
God, did it make himhorny.
Owen shuddered and buried his head in the space between his folded arms. The pain seeped, spreading like fire across his sensitive skin. Crawford caressed the site of impact, and in a low, even voice, said, “You will tell thetruth.”
