“Mmm, poor baby. Did that hurt? Let me make it better.” Jay sucked the throbbing nipple between his lips and tongued it gently. Aaron stilled, conserving his energy for the torment he knew would come next.

  Jay reached into his suit pocket and produced a clamp, attaching it right at the center of the pulsating pain. He lifted his eyes up to Aaron’s face and winked with a sly smirk before latching his mouth onto the other side. He nibbled softly before increasing the pressure with his teeth.

  Pleasure zinged through Aaron’s body—small electric jolts originating in his chest, ricocheting around, and echoing through the plug that mercilessly pressed against his prostate. Aaron struggled fruitlessly, using every bit of his energy. He didn’t want to escape the ecstasy of this torture, but his body was overstimulated and moving on its own.

  His body belonged to Jay.

  “I love the way you writhe on that cross. Drowning in pleasure, unable to control yourself. And we’re just getting started.”

  Jay attached the second clamp and trailed a finger down Aaron’s chest and stomach, down the obscene bulge threatening to tear through Aaron’s shorts, pausing at the tip of his aching cock.

  Aaron didn’t know which sensation to focus on, wasn’t sure he still had the ability to focus on anything. His nipples were on fire, his asshole stretched around a hard, unyielding object, his arms and legs completely immobile. Every nerve cell was concentrated around Jay’s firm touch as he forced more desperate moans to fall from Aaron’s lips.

  Suddenly, Jay let go and stepped back. Aaron needed him to return, needed those hands touching him, teasing him. He let out a whimper, and Jay chuckled.

  “Don’t start begging yet. We have a long way to go.” He crossed the room in slow, deliberate strides, stopping in front of a bag sitting on a table. Aaron hadn’t paid attention to anything when they walked in, but as he watched Jay reach in and pull out a flogger, then looked around to see the wide selection on the wall, it hit him—Jay had brought his own.

  “A lot of people think nipple clamps are simple,” Jay said conversationally as he sauntered back over. “Put them on, feel the pinch, get off on it, done.” He released the clamps and stuck them in his pocket. “But the real fun comes after you take them off. All that blood rushing back. You’ll never be more sensitive than right after they come off.”

  To demonstrate his point, Jay rolled one of the throbbing red nipples between his fingers, and Aaron almost bucked himself off the wall from the intensity. Gulping in air, he trembled, his mind reeling as he looked between Jay’s satisfied smile and the flogger in his hand.

  He knew what was coming. A part of him wanted to thrash against the restraints and scream, while the rest of him was desperate to submit.

  Most of all, he wanted to let Jay take him apart and put him back together.

  There was a quick flash of uncertainty in Jay’s eyes, a barely-there crack in his confident armor. Aaron wanted to reassure him while he could still speak, letting out a low moan. “Yes, Jay. Destroy me.”

  The first impact was surprisingly painless. The tails landed on his pec, caressing the skin and leaving pink prints behind. Pain came after the third lash, a searing sting that brought tears to Aaron’s eyes.

  Jay worked methodically, alternating between the two sides and concentrating on the tender areas. Aaron jolted every time a tail landed on his nipples, the skin raw from abuse. He didn’t realize he was crying until Jay got to ten and paused.

  “Had enough?” Jay quirked an eyebrow at him, looking calm and collected, as if he wasn’t affected by the scene one bit.

  “No,” Aaron gritted out in a strangled whisper, a shiver rocking his body.

  “You’re the most beautiful pain slut I’ve ever seen.” Jay moved closer, their bodies almost touching. “Your chest is a beautiful shade of red. I want to see that color all over your body.”

  Aaron tensed with anticipation, his stomach somersaulting like he was about to jump off the edge of a cliff as Jay undid his restraints and led him to a yoga mat in the center of the room.

  “I considered cuffing you to a bench, but I think I’d rather have you present yourself to me. Get on your hands and knees.” Jay arranged Aaron on the mat, his harsh words in stark contrast to his gentle touch. He massaged along Aaron’s arms to ensure proper circulation, and that little detail warmed Aaron through the fog as he settled into the demeaning position.

  It didn’t escape his attention that his ass was pointed straight at the windows of the room. Anyone interested in the show would see him bent over, on display, begging and pleading for release. The thought made his cock twitch in shame.

  “Just like that, my sweet little thing. You’re gonna stay still and take every lash like a good boy, aren’t you?”

  Aaron moaned his assent and curved his back.

  “One more thing…” Jay peeled the tight latex down Aaron’s thighs, freeing his cock and letting it fill with blood that had been trying to rush into it for hours. Aaron swayed in place, and Jay steadied him with a hand on his hip.

  Aaron’s legs were now constricted by the shorts around his thighs. Without being able to spread his legs, he couldn’t maintain his balance without lowering himself to his elbows, creating an even sharper angle.

  Jay’s touch traced the curve of his spine, dipping into the crease and tapping the base of the plug. Aaron no longer had the energy to react. All he could do was make desperate sounds and clench around the silicone.

  “Oh, sweetheart, what a beautiful sight you are.” Jay slid his hand over the smooth skin of Aaron’s cheeks and gave him a soft slap. “Remember, I’m not going to stop until you beg.”

  Unlike the fast-paced attack he delivered to Aaron’s chest, Jay took his time with Aaron’s ass. After landing six sharp stings, he paused to play with the plug, teasing it in and out in shallow thrusts. When Aaron’s whimpers reached a new peak, Jay went back to the flogger.

  Aaron was losing track of reality. His world narrowed to the flames dancing across his skin and the forceful pleasure building up deep inside. His arms trembled under him, threatening to give out. His cock throbbed and leaked. His nipples pulsed with each heartbeat. Every crack of the tails forced a sob of pain out of his chest, until he was making a constant stream of pleading sounds, babbling nonsense, too far gone for words.

  There was a pause, a momentary reprieve, and then Jay’s hands were on him, kneading roughly. Aaron gasped and jolted forward, trying to escape the exquisite torture, but Jay used the momentum to flip him on his back. Through the tears filling his eyes, Aaron caught a blurry smirk, and then Jay stood up and stepped one foot over Aaron’s body, pressing his ankles against Aaron’s thighs to cage him in.

  With a feral look on his face, he unbuckled his belt and dragged his zipper down, never taking his eyes off Aaron.

  Aaron lay at Jay’s feet, exposed and helpless, as Jay towered over him and stroked his impressive length in a primal display of dominance. A hunter looming over his subdued prey. Smug. Cocky. In control.

  This was it, the feeling Aaron had been chasing his entire life—the shame of being reduced to a whimpering mess on the floor, the safety of letting go and trusting someone to catch him. He straddled the edge of oblivion and bliss, hard as a rock, unable to look away, his pleasure building as the seconds passed.

  Jay shuddered as his orgasm hit, pearly ropes of come raining down on Aaron’s face and chest, dripping into his open mouth. Delicious humiliation burned his cheeks as his tongue darted out to lick the sticky warmth off his lips.

  When he was done, Jay calmly put himself away and lowered to one knee, the fire in his eyes betraying his bored facade.

  “Please,” Aaron whispered in a shaky voice.

  Jay flashed a mischievous grin and trailed his hand through his release on Aaron’s chest, rubbing it in as if it were a salve. Sharp pain rained daggers everywhere he touched, twisting with the heated coil of desire in Aaron’s stomach. He was close. So close.

  “Fuck,” Jay growled as he spread his come around Aaron’s pecs and neck, moving up to the face. “Not gonna let you wash it off. I want you covered in me.”

  “Always,” Aaron whispered and tried to buck his hips, failing to even raise them off the ground. “Please. Make me come.”

  Jay slid down between Aaron’s legs. Aaron tried to watch, but the muscles in his neck wouldn’t cooperate, so he stayed flat on his back. The lights on the ceiling shimmered and twinkled as tears streamed down his cheeks.

  The plug moved, its pressure suddenly increasing. It took his foggy mind a few seconds to register Jay pushing his finger in next to the plug, stretching his rim to what felt like the limit.

  “Greedy, slutty hole, sucking me in, demanding to be stuffed.”

  Aaron shook his head and whined as Jay added a second finger and the stretch became unbearable.

  “Fuck. No. No more. Please.” He thrashed, clamping his muscles down on the plug and Jay’s fingers.

  “Unless I hear a red in there, I think I’m going to keep going. I’m having fun.” Jay punctuated his point by pulling all the way out and driving into Aaron’s hole with a force that left him sobbing.

  “Please. Fuck, please.” Aaron was too drained to keep begging, and the onslaught would only keep coming, keep ramming into him, keep building the pressure until he broke.

  “Mmm, you look so good for me. Your pretty face covered in tears, your skin so perfectly red. Your pathetic, desperate moans are getting me hard again.” Jay scissored his fingers, pushing Aaron past his limit. After what felt like an eternity, Jay finally—finally—wrapped his other hand around Aaron’s dick and stroked.

  Aaron’s vision went white. He may have cried or screamed, struggled or stayed still. The moment was lost as his body and mind were consumed by the singular overwhelming sensation that exploded across him, the inferno starting in his stomach and traveling through every nerve ending in his body.

  He floated on air, broken apart by ecstasy, his atoms circling around a singular awareness that slowly crept back into existence. Somewhere far away, deep inside, impossible to concentrate on, he could sense a kernel of warmth and comfort. He wanted to reach it, to touch it, to make it his. To feel this way forever.

  When he came to, Jay was hovering above, cupping his cheek tenderly. Jay’s warm, brown eyes pierced straight through to the depths of Aaron’s soul.

  “Shit. That was incredible,” Aaron muttered before letting his eyes shut.

  Kink Talk

  SubAir: I’m a walking cliché for falling in love with my friends-with-benefits Dom. Help!

  SubLily: Is that a cliché? It makes sense to fall in love with the person you are intimate with.

  SubAir: The cliché part is falling in love with the first person you have sex with, and he does happen to be my first Dom.

  DomPetty: Are you sure it’s love and not just really great sex?

  SubLime: I can definitely see myself falling for the first person who gives me what I’ve been craving. It would have to be anonymous for me not to obsessively stalk them afterward.

  SubAir: It’s both love and really great sex. I genuinely enjoy spending time with him. Outside of his Dom persona, he’s such a sweet guy. I’m fucking crazy about him.

  DomPetty: What about him? Is he into you?

  SubAir: Sometimes I think he is, but then I remind myself that it’s just an arrangement.

  DomAndDommer: It’s a cliché for a reason—happens to the best of us. It’ll pass.

  DomicronPersei8: I can relate. I’m catching feelings for my sub, and it’s messing with me.

  SubAir: I don’t want to make it awkward and lose him as a friend, but it’s getting harder to keep it to myself.

  SubZero: Feelings don’t have an off switch. You’re going to have to face them and hope that they’re reciprocated.

  DomPetty: Zero, are you ok? That was almost wise.

  SubZero: Take two—that’s not the only thing getting harder. Bu-dum-tss.

  Chapter 27

  JAY

  Choosing a seat that didn’t directly face the entrance was supposed to make him look casual, but it wasn’t working. With every chime, Jay craned his neck and stared at the door, willing Aaron to walk through it. Dozens of people had filtered in and out of the sushi restaurant over the past twenty minutes while Jay slowly sipped his water and gave the server a guilty smile whenever she passed by.

  Drumming his fingers on the table, he checked his phone. There were no new texts from Aaron, no indication of his absence. The last few messages had been a quick exchange, Aaron letting him know his new phone had arrived and asking him to lunch.

  They’d never gotten a chance to talk on Saturday. Not that any coherent conversation would have been possible after their explosive scene. They had cuddled in silence on the aftercare couch, Aaron’s pliant, exhausted body nestled closely against Jay, his warm breath ghosting across Jay’s skin. It was paradise, and Jay would have happily stayed in that position all night, but there were limits to how long they could linger. Each of the six couches in the lounge was taken, soft murmurs of reassurance creating a distant hum, and it was only a matter of time before another couple would need the space.

  He’d helped Aaron to the car, tucking him into the passenger seat. Aaron immediately fell asleep and didn’t stir until they pulled up to his building.

  “Thanks for the ride,” Aaron slurred, eyes struggling to stay open. Jay offered to help him up to his apartment, but Aaron shook his head and opened the door to leave. He paused, looking back at Jay, and a tender expression transformed his tired features. With a soft sigh, he leaned across the console to kiss Jay on the cheek, his lips pressing against Jay’s stubble and resting there.

  His touch lingered long after he left, burned into Jay’s skin.

  Seeing Aaron was supposed to alleviate Jay’s need for him, but it had only made it worse.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” Aaron dropped into the chair across from him. “Meeting ran late, and I kept saying I have a hard stop at one, but I don’t think anyone gave a shit.”

  Relief swept over Jay. Aaron was here—slightly out of breath, his emerald-green tie askew, flashing Jay a brilliant smile. There was a faint trace of sunburn on his face. Not surprising, considering how sunny the last few days had been.

  As soon as the server approached them, Aaron gave Jay a questioning look, waiting for his nod before rattling off the same orders as last time. She nodded and left with their menus.

  “What a day.” Aaron drained his glass of water and eyed Jay. “Was me ordering for you okay?”

  “More than okay,” Jay confirmed, butterflies swirling in his stomach. Something about Aaron effortlessly taking charge felt absolutely right. And the way he checked in with Jay, making sure he didn’t overstep, made Jay irrationally happy.

  “You can order for me anytime,” he promised with a smile. Aaron beamed back at him, his expression faltering when his phone made a loud chime.

  “Sorry.” Aaron scrambled to grab it. “I thought it was in Do not disturb mode, but the buttons are in the wrong place.”

  “What happened to your old phone?” Jay asked curiously, trying not to laugh. “You lost it?”

  Aaron rolled his eyes while jabbing at the screen. “It took a swim in Lake Michigan.”

  “What happened?”

  “We went kayaking, and I couldn’t manage to hold on to my oar and my phone at the same time. And that wasn’t even the most embarrassing part. After staring at it there in the sand, so sad and alone, I may have completely lost my mind and jumped in after it.”

  “Aaron!” Jay’s pulse picked up in shock. “That’s so dangerous.”

  Aaron waved his concern away. “I was fine. We were in, like, five feet of water. The kayak guy got really mad when I came to the shore dripping wet though, so I’m pretty sure I’m banned from that place for life. And it was a stupid thing to do anyway. The phone was already dead.”

  “Aren’t phones waterproof these days?”

  “Sort of? It was submerged for a while, and I couldn’t dry it off until we got home. I stuck it in a bag of rice, but it still wasn’t turning on the next day, so I ordered a new one. Which I should have done right away. Of course—just my luck—that package got lost, so I had to wait for a replacement. Long story short, I didn’t have a phone for five days.” He widened his eyes dramatically. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so helpless.”

  “People pay good money for digital detox retreats,” Jay joked. “All it cost you was the price of a kayaking trip. And a new phone.”

  Aaron snorted in amusement. Just then, the server appeared with their food and set Jay’s roll and salad in front of him. Jay caught Aaron’s gaze zeroing in on the bowl and tilted it slightly to demonstrate the distinct lack of tomatoes. His chest warmed at Aaron’s pursed lips. He had no doubt that his sweet and fierce protector was ready to jump into action on his behalf.

  “Thank you for calling my office to let me know what was going on,” Jay said when they were alone.

  “I didn’t want you to think I was ghosting you.”

  “You know, my coworker was convinced that’s exactly what was happening. You should have seen her face when Hailey told us about your call.”

  Aaron studied him, mirth flickering in his eyes. “You talked to your coworker about me?”

  “She noticed me staring at my phone,” Jay said. “I guess I wasn’t very subtle about it.”

  “And what did you think?”

  “What?”

  “Did you also think I was ghosting you?”

  Jay shoved a forkful of salad in his mouth and chewed slowly, giving himself a moment to think of an answer. In a matter of minutes, their conversation had gone from joking to serious. Aaron’s tone was light, but the question felt heavy, loaded with subtext.

  “Maybe at first,” he finally admitted. “But it didn’t seem like you. You wouldn’t hide behind silence if you wanted to stop talking to someone. You’d march right up and tell them before executing a perfect mic drop.”