“Give me a minute to finish this burger, and they’ll be right.”
Joe reached out and rubbed Scott’s back as Scott choked on a fry.
“I…” Scott shook his head, apparently giving up on the idea of talking altogether. He dropped his head back against the headrest as he caught his breath. By the time he turned toward Joe again, he seemed to have composed himself slightly.
“Joe?”
“Yeah?”
“The th-thing outside the restaurant, when you s-s-straightened my tie,” Scott said.
Joe frowned as he scrolled back in his memory. “What about it?”
“I expected you to b-be ashamed to be seen with me, n-not the other way around.”
“Then you’re an idiot.”
Scott smiled as if he thought that was some sort of endearment.
Joe rolled up all their empty wrappers. One sort of hunger had been dealt with. He was more than ready to move on to another. Getting out of the car, he tossed the wrappers in a rubbish bin attached to the fence around the car park. His car looked sexy, but it was damn near impossible for two reasonably tall men to actually do anything kinky in there. Rather than get back in the car, Joe ducked his head and peered in at Scott.
Scott kept staring straight at the misted up windshield until he seemed unable to remain still under Joe’s gaze. He turned and met Joe’s eyes through the open driver’s side door.
“Get out and come around here.”
Scott obediently exited the car and joined Joe. Joe locked it and turned to Scott. Neither of them had kept their jackets on while they ate and they were now both in their shirt sleeves. Joe quickly undid Scott’s tie and took it from around his neck.
Scott smiled and let out a quiet little sigh. Apparently, he felt a lot better about the world now that he knew he was about to be tied up and that he would have no control over whatever happened next.
Joe grinned. He’d known there was something he loved about Scott.
* * * * *
“Are you ready to play?”
Scott nodded so quickly he almost gave himself whiplash in his enthusiasm. “Yes.” He paused for a second, gathering his courage. “S-sir.”
The honorific felt good on Scott’s lips, but the way Joe smiled when he heard him say it was nothing short of amazing. Scott grinned, not caring how goofy his expression might be.
“Come on.” Joe caught hold of Scott’s wrist and led him into a wooded area to the left of the car park. Within moments, they’d both clambered over the fence—Joe with easy grace and Scott with, if not elegance, then at least with real determination to follow Joe.
Soon, they were completely surrounded by trees. It was hard to believe that they weren’t in the middle of nowhere, out of sight and sound of all civilisation.
Twigs snapped beneath their feet as Joe led Scott deeper into the woods. Finally, Joe stopped. There was just enoughmoonlight for Scott to see the way Joe’s eyes glistened with desire.
Joe had brought Scott’s tie with him. It only took him moments to have one end of it wrapped securely around Scott’s right wrist. Scott watched with a detached kind of interest, happy to hold his hand still while Joe worked; but not the least interested in learning how to tie complicated knots himself.
Joe slid a finger between Scott’s skin and the fabric, apparently checking the fit. Then, he seemed to lose all interest in both Scott and his tie. He turned away. Joe had almost revolved a full three hundred and sixty degrees when he set off toward a large tree growing a few metres further into the forest. Most of the trees had plants and bushes clustered around their bases, but the trunk of the one that had caught Joe’s attention stood straight and proud, isolated from all the other greenery.
Using Scott’s tie like the kind of lead another sort of man might attach to a dog’s collar, Joe led Scott to the chosen tree and positioned him facing the trunk. “Stay.”
Another canine command, but at least Joe didn’t suggest Scott cock his leg against the trunk.
Joe walked around the tree, taking his end of Scott’s tie with him. It wasn’t possible for Scott to stayexactlywhere Joe had left him. He had to step closer to the tree trunk—it was that or detach his arm from his shoulder.
“Give me your free hand.”
Scott reached around the tree toward Joe’s voice.
