“I’m pretty sure that’s in the job description,” I quipped as he buckled in. He reached for the box, then folded his hands sweetly in his lap. “Go ahead and hold it, but you’re not allowed to open it until we get to your apartment.”
I was pretty sure he called me a not-so-nice name, but I didn’t hear it before the door closed. I rounded the front of the car and hurried into the driver’s seat. “You’re lucky there’s not time for me to remind you how to be a good boy for me.”
In the past few weeks, Danny had really come out of his shell. Where he never used to show anything other than how sweet and polite he could be, he’d started talking back just enough to earn himself a few punishments. That was oddly reassuring, because it proved he’d finally let down his guard.
“I’m sure we’re not in that much of a hurry.” Danny squirmed in his seat. The devious boy was probably remembering the last time I’d lit his ass up until it burned red. That had been the night I realized spankings weren’t an effective punishment for him; he liked them way too much.
Danny traced one finger along the seam of my pants. “I already checked in, so I don’t have to be there two hours before my flight.”
“Are you doubting I know best?” I scowled at him, then glanced at the box. “Besides, I’m sure that if you have a choice between a spanking and a present, you’re not going to want to spend the little time we have over my knee.”
“No, but it would remind me that I’m yours while I’m gone,” he pointed out. It was a valid argument, but somehow, I thought my gift would be more effective.
I pulled into the parking stall behind Danny’s building. The back door being propped open made me nervous. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I quickly shook off my paranoia. I’d been this way ever since the incident with Jag.
Still, I held Danny’s hand a bit tighter than normal as we approached the building and guided him behind me as we climbed the stairs. I let out the breath I’d been holding when we got to the landing and nothing seemed amiss. I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t help feeling as if things were going too well between us recently.
“Do you have your bags packed?” I asked as I unlocked the door. Even though it was his apartment, he was rarely the one to let us in. It seemed almost natural for him to hand his key ring over to me when we were together.
“Yes, Sir. They’re sitting by the door, just like you instructed,” he responded, his voice soft and sweet.
Fuck. This wasn’t the time for him to slip into that headspace where he needed me to be the one in control. Then again…
“Good.” I kept my voice deep and steady as I gave him his next instruction. “I want you to take a quick shower. While you’re in there, I’ll pull out an outfit for you to wear on the flight.”
Danny was a fan of fitted jeans, but those wouldn’t do today. Just because he’d have a reminder that I was with him even when we were apart, didn’t mean the entire world needed notice.
“Yes, Sir.” Danny started stripping as soon as the door shut behind us. Unlike when we’d first gotten together, he carried his discarded clothing to the hamper.
After I dropped him at the airport, I’d come back to grab his dirty clothes and take them to my place. I didn’t want him worrying about coming home and having to deal with cleaning before he could relax.
Even though it was barely more than a few minutes before the shower turned off, it felt like forever as I sat on the end of Danny’s bed. The edges of the small box crumpled under my tight grip. Somehow, it felt like giving him a collar or an engagement ring would be less terrifying, but we weren’t ready for promises of forever.
Not yet, but soon.
“Drop the towel,” I demanded as soon as he entered the room. Danny gaped at me, holding tightly to the edge of the towel. He cocked his head to the side, silently asking if he’d heard me right. I gave him a curt nod and the fabric fell to the floor, leaving Danny deliciously naked in front of me. “Fuck, I wish I had a picture of you looking just like that. You’d do anything I asked right now, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, Sir.” His eyes were glassy and his pupils blown.
There was no doubt in my mind he’d bend over and let me fill and plug his ass if that was what I wanted. But a load of cum wouldn’t last nearly long enough.
“Present for me.” I jerked my chin toward the center of the cramped bedroom. Danny hurried across the room before folding his arms behind his back. He widened his stance, leaving his cock hanging between his legs.
He wasn’t hard, but if I didn’t hurry, this would be much more difficult. I stood, handing him the box. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Don’t thank me yet, boy,” I warned him. I curled my fingers around the nape of his neck, drawing him in for a chaste kiss. “This is the first test of our relationship. I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t make me nervous for you to be going so far without me. And I’m definitely not a fan of you having to face this alone.”
It broke my heart when Danny admitted his fears about seeing Michael again. The fucker didn’t deserve a single second of Danny’s attention, but I was certain the man was haunting him. That was what compelled me to give him this particular gift.
“Open it,” I insisted.
Danny’s hand shook and he fumbled a few times as he tried prying the top flap of the box open. I was not prepared for the tear that streaked down his face when he realized what the box held. He blinked up at me, his mouth gaping open.
“Do you like it?” He still hadn’t said anything, and his expression gave away nothing. “Talk to me, sweetheart. What’s going through your head?”
He finally gripped the translucent plastic cage in his hand, letting the box drop to the floor. He swallowed hard as he turned it over, inspecting it from every angle.
I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him to my chest as I kissed the top of his head. “If this is a limit, tell me. I thought it might help remind you who you belong to while you’re gone. Even if we’re not physically together, this was one way I thought I could give you the feeling that you’re mine.”
