The way Asher said his name, groaning and desperate while hovering over him like this, sent heat spiraling down Levi’s spine and into his toes. He stroked once. Slowly. Testing. Feeling the violent pulse against his palm, the way the vein throbbed under his thumb.
Asher’s arms trembled, his hands fisted the sheets on either side of Levi’s head until the fabric creaked, but he didn’t touch Levi.
This is insane. He’s the one on top. He’s the one who could take everything right now. And he’s choosing to let me do this.
Levi tightened his grip and stroked again, twisting his wrist at the head. Asher’s hips twitched once before he forced them still again. Another broken sound escaped him, closer to a whimper this time. Levi’s face burned.
No wonder he’s obsessed with this. Making me loud. Making me shake. It feels… good. Making him fall apart while I’m trapped under him. It feels like power.
Emboldened, Levi craned his neck upward and pressed his mouth to the side of Asher’s throat — the exact mirrored spot where Asher always marked him. First he kissed. Then he bit. Gently. Asher’s head tilted, baring more of his neck in silent invitation. The groan that vibrated against Levi’s lips made his own cock jerk hard between them.
He bit harder.
Asher shuddered above him in a full-body tremor that Levi felt in every place they touched. The hand closest to Levi’s head fisted the pillow so tightly Levi heard threads pop, but still Asher didn’t grab him.
Levi tasted blood.
He’d bitten deep enough. The metallic bloom flooded his tongue, warm and sharp and real.
This mark would still be on Asher’s neck tomorrow and the thought of it made Levi dizzy with something terrifyingly close to euphoria. He sucked at the fresh wound, tasting more, and Asher made a sound that was half growl, half sob.
When Levi finally pulled back, lips smeared with blood, Asher looked at him with awe.
“Fuck, Levi,” Asher breathed, voice hoarse and reverent, blood trickling slowly down the side of his own neck. “You bit me. Right there. You beautiful fucking thing.”
Levi stared at his own work — the perfect mirrored imprint of his teeth on Asher’s throat, bleeding freely. His hand never stopped stroking, slow and relentless.
“Levi—” Asher moaned. “If you don’t stop I’m going to cum just from your hand.”
Levi’s heart hammered against his ribs. The terror and arousal had fused so completely he couldn’t breathe. He tilted his head up again, lips brushing the fresh bleeding bite, tasting iron one more time. “Then stop me.”
The words had barely left his mouth before Asher moved.
It wasn’t violent, exactly, but the speed of it stole Levi’s breath. One moment Asher was braced above him; the next Levi was flipped onto his stomach, face pressed into the pillow, Asher’s full weight settling over his back, one broad hand gripping the back of Levi’s neck, pinning him down.
“Okay, baby,” Asher growled against his ear. “Let’s do this my way again.”
Levi’s face was still shoved into the pillow, Asher’s weight pinning him down, when something cool brushed Levi’s cheek. He turned his head and felt all the air leave his body.
Asher was holding leather handcuffs.
“I told you it was on the list,” he whispered.
“You put those under the pillow before dinner?” Levi rasped. “Before Paul came over?”
“I like to be prepared,” Asher murmured, almost tender. “This is the first time it’s real forever. No resets. I wanted to be ready in case you tried covering your mouth again.”
Levi laughed, almost hysterically, but that dissolved into a whimper as Asher’s cock nudged against him.
Before he could spiral further, Asher hauled him over by the hair. Pain flared across Levi’s scalp as Asher yanked him onto his back like he weighed nothing. Levi gasped, arms flailing for half a second before Asher caught both wrists and pinned them above his head against the headboard.
Asher worked the buckles shut faster than Levi could track, then the short connecting strap was looped over the rail and secured.
Levi pulled, and they did not budge.
Asher yanked his hips further down the bed so his arms were stretched tight above his head, his shoulders already burning, completely unable to protect his face, his throat, any part of himself. The fear that had been simmering exploded into full panic.
“Asher — wait. Wait. I can’t — I can’t move—” He pulled harder against the leather, the soft lining doing almost nothing to cushion the bite of it. “Asher, please, this is too much, take them off—”
