The drive to August’s place was uneventful, but Quinn felt like he was trembling for the thirty minutes it took to park next to the curb outside the house. Niko’s car wasn’t there, which was a good sign, and one checkof his phone told him that August had confirmed the absence of his roommate.
Perfect.
Quinn went to his trunk and removed two cases to bring inside, grunting and cursing how heavy his art case was. He wished he had packed his smaller one, but he wanted all of his media available for class when he needed it, so he was stuck lugging around a bag the size of a suitcase.
“Jeez,” August said when he met Quinn at the front door. “Did you rob your school before you left?”
“Shut up,” Quinn muttered, motioning for August to take the heavy one. “Save me?”
August grinned and took the case from him, making it seem like it weighed less than a fucking feather because he was a dick.
“Niko is done with his manic routine, but he’s hanging out with our goalie at his place,” said August as he led Quinn upstairs. “I told him to stay there for a while because you’re visiting, so now you don’t have to worry about anything ruining your focus.”
“Thank you,” said Quinn. “I don’t want to keep him away all night, so if we run more than a few hours, I’ll give him the okay to return.”
“You will?” August tilted his head like a confused puppy while holding the bedroom door open for Quinn. “Why can’t I text him?”
Quinn shrugged. “You’ll be too busy holding your pose.”
August would know the truth momentarily, but first, Quinn had to set up his portable easel and canvas. The bedroom had amazing lighting, so they wouldn’t have to move the furniture around, and the bedside table made for a perfect place to set his things.
August sat on the bed watching him prepare, not saying a word, just smiling contentedly. Helookedso much better, even over the last week. Quinn hadn’t seen his nose bleed since the first time they had sex, and August was no longer rubbing his head to soothe his migraine. Other than looking a little bruised from Quinn’s kisses, he appeared healthy.
“Alright,” said Quinn, setting his other briefcase on the bed at August’s hip. “If you say no, there are other projects I could use you for, so don’t agree if this makes you nervous.”
August leaned in, eyes locked on the mysterious briefcase. “What could make me nervous about art? Do you have a knife in there?”
No, that wasn’t Quinn’s thing, but he had other tastes.
“Have you done any BDSM activities in your adult life?” Quinn asked, opening the case with a flourish so August could see what was inside. Coils of bright red rope were folded neatly to keep them safe anduntangled, and among the rope were a few toys that Quinn had picked up along the way.
August was slowly turning the same shade as the ropes, and Quinn could see the moment he realized what the intent was.
“You want to…tie me up?”
Yeah, Quinn had been dreaming about it, trying to work up the courage to ask. He didn’t know if August would like it, but if he did, it would make a few of his wishes come true.
“It’s called shibari,” said Quinn. “I saw it done live at an art show, and it blew my mind. I spent two years learning how to get good at it because I wanted to capture it on page with a model of my choosing, but I never found the right person.”
His past boyfriends had either been too controlling to let him try or they didn’t have the correct proportions he’d envisioned for the project. August was perfect, because of course he was, and he was so sweet about following all of Quinn’s orders until now…
“Like I said,” Quinn continued, giving August time to process. “If you don’t want to do it, I have other projects that I can use you as a reference for. Don’t feel guilty if you want to say no.”
August licked his lips, blinking at the ropes before his head lifted to meet Quinn’s eyes. “So, I’ll be tied up, and you want to paint me like that? Draw—whatever—”
“Paint eventually,” said Quinn. “But first, I’ll have to sketch you and take time to figure out how I want things to look. I could take pictures to use for the painting portions, or if you like it, we can do it as many times as we need to finish the work.”
Quinn wasn’t a newbie at this, so he knew he could take care of August through the process. He wasn’t a practiced Dom by any means, but he had researched the BDSM world extensively, and he understood exactly what August would be giving up if he agreed. He studied aftercare methods and sub drop scenarios, so at least he knew how to handle every situation.
“Let me show you,” said Quinn, pulling out his phone so he could find pictures for August to see, as well as a description of the process. “We’ll pick a safe word, and if you panic, I have a way to cut you out of the ropes. Your face is telling me you’re new to this, so I know how to take things slow to make you feel safe.”
August flicked through the pictures, nodding slowly. “I can see why you want to paint it. The ropes lookpretty,somehow.”
Well, at least August wasn’t running away screaming.
“It’s a show of vulnerability, trust, and intimate connection,” August murmured, and then it was Quinn’s turn to blush because he felt like an idiot.
Trust wasn’t something that came easily between them, so there was no way August would agree.
