Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I do.” He nodded solemnly. “I want you to feel totally safe. Trust me, if I have my way, you’ll come long before the timer dings, but it’s your…flotation device. In case of lifeguard failure.”
That he thought there was any chance of me kicking him out of the room was cute. But it was the level of thoughtfulness and caretaking that was most appealing. “You’re a pretty damn good guy, Professor Justice.”
“Thanks.” An uncharacteristic blush spread across his cheeks. And being Holden, he fussed over my position, adjusting the pillows for my head, neck, and upper arms. “There. All set.”
Chapter Thirteen
Holden
Cal was set, all trussed up and ready for…me?
Whatever we were about to do, I was woefully unprepared for. Not only was I in the middle of the longest dry spell of my adult life, making my libido into crackling kindling ready for a Cal-sized spark, but I liked Cal. A lot. I didn’t want to let him down. And sure, I liked to playfully take care of and boss around partners in bed, but I didn’t have much experience with someone willing to give up as much control as Cal.
I wasn’t even entirely clear why he’d asked me to stay, but I wanted it. I wanted to be what he needed, to fulfill his every kinky fantasy, and while I might not have had a prior thing for rope, I was rapidly developing a Cal kink. Whatever he was into, so was I.
And accordingly, I was nervous as I settled into the padded armchair in the corner of the room. Marley had dragged it in here from a thrift sale as part of helping me redo the space after she’d moved out, and it was a comfortable chair with a small matching ottoman. Comfortable as it was, I still had to resist the urge to shift around or clear my throat. So I did what I did best and cracked a joke.
“Damn. I have to admit bondage hasn’t been in my personal spank bank before, but I think that was a grave oversight on my part.” My voice came out a little too hearty. For once in my life, joking didn’t feel natural. “Sorry. You look…hot.”
Really, Holden? No better adjective than that? I exhaled hard, looking at Cal, really looking at him. Not the collection of muscles, triceps, lats, delts, each more defined than the last, or the acres of sun-kissed skin, more freckled than mine, or the intriguing tats, but him.
“Hot’s not the right word.”
Cal snorted. His head rested on a pillow, and he turned slightly toward me. “You don’t have to—”
“No takebacks.” I talked over him before Cal could send me packing. “What I was starting to say was that you’re…stunning. Like an erotic art installation. The afternoon sun filtering in, perfectly lighting your…supplication. And you’re bound, but you also radiate so much power, so much potential. You’re a vision.”
“You can go back to the cheesy one-liners. I’m not all that.”
“Now, now, I’ve got you restrained, so you’re going to have to take a compliment.” Relaxing more into the chair and my role, I smiled. “You’re hot. Beautiful even. Like a sculpture.”
“Well, I’m sure hard as one.” Cal subtly hunched his hips, rubbing against the towel underneath him. The pressure on his cock must have felt good because he groaned, and I nearly did too. The flex of his ass muscles was undeniably erotic, but the greater turn-on for me was the evidence that Cal truly was into bondage. Not as punishment for some unspoken transgression, but the restraints turned his crank, made him hard and needy, and apparently, so did my presence.
“Did I say you could move?” More confident now, I adopted a far sterner tone than normal and earned myself a sexy-ass whine from Cal.
“But it feels good.”
“Yeah, but I’m in charge. Move all you want, but I say when you come.” I gave him a hard stare until he stopped wiggling.
“You said I’d come before the timer went off.”
“And I plan to keep that promise.” I smiled wickedly. “You didn’t ask how long I gave the timer.”
Cal glanced upward before making a frustrated noise when he couldn’t see how many minutes were on the timer. “What if I get chilly?”
“I’ll just have to warm you up with my words.”
“Prove it.” His tone was demanding, but it also held a brattiness that was new and surprisingly provocative. Did something for me, made my own cock pulse even as he complained, “So far, you’re a lot of talk.”
“You’re sorely tempting me to add spanking to my list of kinks.”
“Hmm. Yeah. I could dig that.” He sounded thoughtful, a sexy hitch to his breathing. “I’ve played around with too-tight ropes and things like binder clips. A little bite to the restraint.”
“All the more reason you need a kink lifeguard.” I frowned at the idea of him causing serious unwanted pain to himself, yet I couldn’t deny I was also intrigued. I’d been joking, but now I envisioned that ass of his with pink handprints, and I liked it. Way more than I would have expected. I’d always prided myself on being a cool, calm guy. Gentle even, careful not to use my greater strength in bed. With Cal, though, the idea that someone might want that strength was intoxicating. “And apparently, you need one who’s not afraid to put a hurt on you.”