“Tell me, Spencer,” Nick said quietly, moving his finger along the underside of Spencer’s arm. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” The word came out quickly, sharply, almost like he’d coughed. “I do. Yes.”
Nick smiled. His finger reached the inside of Spencer’s forearm, which was trembling now. Hell, most of his body was. As Nick wrapped his fingers around—most of the way around, since they were only so long—Spencer’s wrist, he leaned closer. He kissed the back of Spencer’s shoulder, lips curving into a grin as Spencer groaned like Nick had struck him.
Nick let go of Spencer’s wrist and stood. He looked the man’s exposed back up and down, his mind superimposing all the welts he intended to leave across Spencer’s skin.
The scenes he’d done earlier today seemed far away, existing on the other side of some huge expanse of time, but as he debated the crop versus the flogger versus those evil sticks Spencer loved to hate so much, fatigue crept into his muscles. Not unpleasant, just a reminder that he only had so much left tonight. Pity; if there was one sub he’d gladly reserve all his energy for, regardless of the monetary cost, it was Spencer. Sweet, gorgeous Spencer, kneeling at the foot of his bed and waiting, waiting, waiting for anything Nick saw fit to give him.
Which meant Nick owed him one hundred percent. Not a half-arsed flogging. Don’t swing the cat-o’-nine-tails if the muscles are too tired to follow through and make it count.
At his feet, Spencer shifted on his knees. He grasped the top of the footboard, and loosened-tightened-loosened his grip. Not impatience. Just getting comfortable. Anticipating, perhaps. Nick had never had much trouble making this man squirm.
In the end, he went for the crop from the basic assortment he kept at Spencer’s, exactly for the precision. The first impact released some of the tension that had been building, and that first shock pushed Spencer physically forward as if he’d been punched.
Nick amused himself with placing the next one on the exact same spot before the burn had had any chance to bleed away into the tissue. Spencer squirmed, and for that, he received a third one so close to the others that the pain must’ve bled together into one spot.
And just as Spencer was clearly expecting a fourth, all Nick did was slide the tip down between Spencer’s shoulders to the small of his back. His fingertips itched to touch Spencer’s back, but there would be touching later, at leisure, and hitting him was just about as good.
Spencer was breathing heavily, panting a little, as the tension built again. Anticipation. Nick stepped to the side and hit him low on the chest, just under the ribs. Spencer sucked in a breath and tensed, adjusted his position by opening his legs a bit. Broadening for more stability. That was why Nick didn’t want to tie him up—it would dilute the little messages he got from Spencer’s responses.
He trailed the crop up Spencer’s side to his armpit, smooth and caressing, then up along the curve of muscle along the shoulder, to the neck, which caused Spencer to pull his shoulders up as if to protect his face. Nick merely adjusted the angle on the handle and traced the edge of the leather tip along Spencer’s temple.
“I can touch you anywhere I want,” he said softly. “I could even hit you on the balls. CBT is one of those things I’m definitely into.”
Spencer swallowed audibly. “Yes,” he said, a verbal blank check. And he’d felt nothing yet. Some ball-squeezing and dick-slapping had only prepared him mentally, but in practice, there was so much more they could do.
“What else, Spencer? Want to add anything to the list?”
“Yeah.” Spencer drew in a slow breath. “Since we’re . . . since we’re in a relationship. I only want you, Nick.”
“What? Barebacking?”
“That. Eventually. But also . . .”
Nick leaned closer. “I’m not going to beat this out of you. This is too important.”
“Like . . . lock me in. I mean, I’d still have to go to work, I just don’t want to be able to get off.”
Chastity play. Nick reached out to touch Spencer’s head. “I’ll absolutely lock your cock away. No problem.”
Spencer leaned into the touch. “Not weird?”
“Not at all.” Nick leaned in and breathed in his ear. “Actually, it’s extremely hot.”
Spencer shivered. From his words, breath, or touch? Hard to say. “Is it?”
“Mm-hmm.” Nick put a hand on Spencer’s side and slowly reached around, exhaling as Spencer’s abs contracted beneath his touch. “It’s incredibly hot, Spencer. Knowing no one, not even you, can get you off except me.” He trailed his fingertips further down. If Spencer’s erection had flagged while Nick had been using the crop, he had regained it, and he groaned as Nick closed his hand around his hard cock. “You’re giving me complete control.” He kissed the side of Spencer’s neck. “You know that turns me on.” Another kiss, and he growled, “You know it pleases me.”