He turned his body to face me, tucking one leg up on the couch. “And what are you going to do with it?”
I turned my palms up toward the ceiling, shrugging. “I’m still figuring that part out.”
Xavier looked away shyly. “I guess I’ll never have that kind of ambition. I’m just happy serving my customers, keeping my father’s memory alive, and appreciating the little neighborhood where I live.” He picked an olive off the tray and tossed it in his mouth. “That probably seems silly to you.”
I rested my arm on the back of the couch and considered pulling him into my embrace. Once that started, however, I couldn’t guarantee we would keep our hands off each other.
Or more like my hands off of him.
“It doesn’t seem silly,” I said sincerely. “You already have a more satisfying and fulfilling life than most people. Trust me, the corporate types of New York are always unsatisfied, always craving more. It’s what happens when you only care about money and power.”
“And what about you?” he asked, fluttering his long eyelashes at me. “You’re not always craving more?”
I took in a breath, then let it out slowly. “I’m always craving something,” I answered, holding his gaze with my own.
Xavier bit down on his bottom lip and squirmed against the couch. “Speaking of,” he said. “I did the homework you gave me.”
My lips turned up in a grin at that word. “Homework?” I teased.
He blushed and looked down at the ground again. Seeing the pink spread across his cheeks was like watching a piece of fruit, ripening in front of my eyes. “You asked me to think up something we could explore together…”
“I remember.”
Xavier looked around the apartment, almost like he was checking to make sure no one else was around. “Am I supposed to just tell you about it? Is that how these things normally start?”
I reached out, taking his hand in mine. “There’s no right way to do it,” I assured him. “There’s just the right way for us to do it. Do you want to tell me what you came up with?”
“Maybe,” he said, running his thumb across the back of my hand. “If that’s what you think is best.”
I felt my cock stiffen. The more he acted shy, the more I wanted to throw him to the ground, but I had no problem taking my time. If he didn’t feel safe and comforted, the whole thing would fall apart. And anyway, the more time we spent together, the more I realized how much I liked the guy. Not just for his body and his kinks, but for his company, too, and the way he reminded me of what was actually important in life.
I’d never find something like that in the boardroom.
“I think it’s best if we clarify a few things before we play around,” I said. “But if you want to leave a few things to surprise, that sounds fun, too.”
He nodded. “Okay, well, what should we clarify?”
I squeezed his hand, letting him know I was there with him, and in response, his anxiety seemed to fade a little. “A spanking can really hurt, especially if it lasts a while. In the heat of the moment, you might not even feel all the pain, but when the next day comes, trust me, you’ll be feeling it then. Will that be okay with you?”
He took in a deep breath, then grabbed his wine, drinking greedily from it. “Yes,” he said. “I think so. I mean, I’m not really sure. But I think so.”
I nodded. “We’ll still take things easy,” I said. “But if it starts to get too hard, just sayyellow, and I’ll slow down. And if you need things to stop, sayred, and I’ll cease immediately.”
Xavier placed his hands over his face in an adorably awkward gesture, and when he pulled them away, I saw that he was grinning. “Okay,” he said, giggling to himself softy. “We’ll really do it.”
I chuckled. “That’s right. But one more thing, too.” I paused, waiting for him to pull his eyes back up to mine. “I’ll make sure not to break your skin or anything like that, but there might be some marks when you wake up tomorrow. Will that be okay?”
He rested his hand on his backside, and his fingers traced along his cheeks. “I’d like that,” he said softly.
“Good,” I said. “It will be a reminder that you were mine tonight.”
This time, the silence that stretched through the apartment was electric. I could have sworn I could feel Xavier’s heart pounding from across the couch. I could taste the perspiration on his neck and feel the tremble in his muscles. It was like our bodies were in tune, and he was already under my control.
“Why don’t you go ahead then,” I said, dropping my voice. “Show me what you want.”
Xavier took in another deep breath, then rose to his feet. His backside swayed back and forth as he crossed to grab his backpack, sitting on the counter. I couldn’t tell if he was putting the bounce in his step on purpose or not, but then he turned to face me, and I saw the glint in his eyes.
Definitely on purpose.
