Claimed (Imprisoned Book 3)

by Victoria Vallo

“One night in my bed will change that.”

  His hands went still, and he crossed his arms, as if that would protect him. “You said you wouldn’t force me.”

  “No. I said it wouldn’t be against your will. By the time I slide into you, you’ll be begging for it.” He held Grim’s gaze. “I’m a very skilled lover, and so are you, so we’ll be amazing together.”

  “Will you stop with the crazy talk? As if we’re lovers who’ve found each other again or something. This isn’t romantic, and you’re delusional.”

  Duncan sighed. “I see you’re going to be difficult. Good thing I booked a room with lots of restraints.”

  A shiver moved over Grim, and Duncan watched his eyes. There was definite interest there, though Grim scowled at Duncan when he realized he was being watched.

  Duncan walked past Grim. “Go rest. We’ll arrive in the morning.”

  “Not going to lock me up again?”

  Duncan paused. “Not today.” He made himself keep walking back to the cockpit.

  You are mine, Grim, and soon you’ll see that.

  ****

  Grim stayed in his room alone all night, surprised Duncan didn’t bother him. He went to the main passage and watched as they orbited the planet. The oceans were such a bright blue, so beautiful. He could see why this had become a pleasure planet. He and his friends had talked about coming here for an entire month, but that had been before Grim had been cut off. Before his family had turned on him and thrown him out. His engagement actually had ended when his fiancé had caught him in bed with someone else. Grim sighed, thinking back over the past year of his life. He’d made so many mistakes, but there was nothing to be done now. He simply had to figure out how to make Duncan see sense and let him go. Grateful as he was, Grim wasn’t going to pretend to love someone over it. He cared for Duncan, but being his lover was … Grim tried to push the thoughts away. They confused him far too much. Duncan couldn’t love him—it simply wasn’t possible. When the landing sequence alarm sounded, Grim reluctantly went to the cockpit and strapped himself in. Grim didn’t know much about ships, but he knew this one was both expensive and relatively new. He probably could’ve walked around as they’d entered the atmosphere, the process had been so smooth and effortless.

  “It’s a nice ship,” Grim said as they descended, tired of the silence and isolation. He still thought Duncan was delusional, but the quietness in the ship was making him nervous.

  Duncan turned his head. “Yes, she’s a beauty. I only bought her two weeks ago. I’m glad I did. I was able to leave as soon as the prison had confirmed your identity.” He held Grim’s gaze, a strange look in his eyes. “Believe me or not, the idea of you in that place angered me. Frightened me. You’re too soft to survive in such a place.”

  Grim regretted playing nice right away. “See?” Grim said, his frustration returning. “You think you’re saying something nice, but you just insulted me.”

  Duncan tilted his head, an old habit Grim now remembered about him. “But it’s true. I wasn’t trying to insult you or impress you. I’m serious. I imagined you being hurt there, and I couldn’t stand it. I told my financial agent to be ready to liquefy all of my assets if needed. I had to come save you.”

  “Save me? That’s how you see this?”

  Duncan stared at him a moment, and then he turned away and set them down in the landing bay. His jaw was tight, but he said nothing. Once the ship had powered down, he stood and looked down at Grim. “You don’t think I saved you?”

  Grim realized he was being ungrateful, but he refused to back down. “You’re making it sound noble when you’re just gonna use me the way other keepers do. As a sex toy.”

  Duncan stared down at him a long time. He eventually turned his eyes to the view screen. “Come on. They’ve already checked us in. Someone will guide us to our room.” Duncan walked away briskly.

  As they walked down the ramp a few minutes later, Grim said, “I’m grateful that you came for me when no one else did. But my freedom is still in another’s hands. Try to see my perspective here.”

  Duncan looked over at him but didn’t reply. An attendant greeted them and took them to their room. Once they were alone, Duncan took his bags into the bedroom. When he returned, he poured himself a drink at the bar. He downed it in one gulp and looked over at Grim.

  “Say something,” Grim said.

  Duncan came over to him. “I’ve been trying, but you won’t let me.”

  “What? You’ve said plenty. I haven’t stopped you.”

  He ran his fingers into Grim’s hair and tightened them, bending Grim’s head back so they looked at each other. “This is what I’ve been trying to say.” He captured Grim’s mouth in a punishing kiss, taking Grim’s breath away.

  Grim let Duncan kiss him, at first. Duncan’s mouth was firm and skilled, and he kissed Grim deeply. Grim couldn’t help responding to Duncan’s probing tongue, and they soon battled for control. Grim had submitted to being fucked before, but he’d never given in to another man in this way. The kiss was possessive and rough yet also … Grim couldn’t describe it. They stared at each other as they parted, both panting.

  “I will not rape you. Or hurt you. I will never hit you or abuse you,” Duncan said. “But I will have you. Will make you mine.” He ran one thumb over Grim’s swollen lips. “That kiss was everything I imagined.”

  Grim drew back, hugging himself as he shook. “We should eat. It’s been a long night. You must be tired, too. You didn’t get to sleep any, I’m guessing,” he said, hoping Duncan would have mercy on him after he’d given in during the kiss.

  Duncan smiled. “And we need clothes for you.” He turned and activated a wall panel. “Let’s order breakfast. Then we can relax before we go shopping.”

  Grim stared at the floor. Was it really so easy? If he gave in, Duncan would act normal and quit rambling crazy shit? He licked his lips. He’d been wrong about one thing. That kiss proved Duncan did have feelings for him. It might not be love, but that embrace had held more than lust. He cleared his throat and looked up. “Yeah. Sounds great.”

  Duncan nodded and punched in an order. Grim walked over to the balcony window and looked down at the bustling city outside their hotel. It was barely sunrise, yet people filled the streets, and everything seemed to be open. He felt Duncan come up behind him.

  “This place looks crazy,” Grim said as he tried not to tense up at Duncan’s nearness.

  “It can be. We can explore, if you like.” He rested his hands on Grim’s shoulders. “Just say it, and you’ll have anything you desire.”

  Grim needed some air. “Let’s eat outside. It’s kind of stuffy in here.” It wasn’t at all, but Duncan didn’t object as Grim slid the glass door open. They went outside, and Grim walked to the railing while Duncan sat down on a lounge chair. Grim could feel Duncan watching him, and he tried to calm himself down.

  That, however, proved impossible.

  ****

  Duncan heard the shower turn on. While he wanted to go in there and join Grim, he considered how fun it would be to tease him a bit. He lay back on the bed and steadied his breathing as he went into a trance. Once free of his body, he drifted into the bathroom, the door and walls no obstacle at all. The shower took up one entire end of the room. There were five jets mounted at different angles, and Grim stood under the main one in the center of the ceiling while the others powered up.

  Grim stood with his arms lightly crossed, and he ran his hands up and down his biceps as he tilted his head back under the water. He slowly turned, running his hands over his body. One hand slid down to his balls, and he cupped them before sliding his fingers over his shaft. Nothing had happened between them since that kiss earlier in the morning. They’d eaten breakfast and taken a brief excursion to buy Grim some new clothes. But Grim had insisted he needed a shower once they’d returned to the room. Was Grim really still this needful, or was he thinking of Duncan? Memories of how insatiable Grim could be filled Duncan’s m
ind. He certainly didn’t object—he simply wanted to always be the one and only person satisfying Grim’s needs.

  Duncan moved into the shower with him. He’d have to concentrate, but he could make Grim feel him. Grim began to wash himself, and Duncan remained still and admired him. Grim was plain, when you got right down to it. Everything about him was average, his hair, his face, his build, his cock, his muscles, practically everything. Except for his eyes. They were an ordinary enough brown with no other colors flecking the irises, but something in them had always gotten Duncan’s attention. He longed to see them filled with desire, with love and lust and pure need. For him. Duncan traced one finger up Grim’s spine and watched him shiver. Next he leaned in and kissed Grim’s shoulder. Grim went on washing himself as if he hadn’t noticed. Duncan moved in closer and tried to focus his energy so Grim could feel him pressing near.

  Grim went still and turned his head, searching the shower. He went back to washing, his hand gripping his cock this time. He pumped the shaft and sighed, throwing his head back and looking so beautiful. Duncan thought back to the night he’d instructed Grim on how to pleasure himself. Grim had been so embarrassed when Duncan had moved to sit behind him on the bed and demonstrated how he should touch himself. Duncan had showed him how to grip his cock, wrapping Grim’s fingers around the shaft and covering them with his own, and then he’d moved both of their hands back and forth over Grim’s cock. Grim had sighed and leaned back into him, moaning and wiggling until his orgasm had hit. They’d sat like that a while, Duncan holding Grim as he panted and blushed bright red, his cum cooling on their fingers.

  Duncan frowned as he remembered what had happened next. He’d cleaned Grim up, the younger man seemingly unable to meet his gaze or say anything. When he’d returned to bed moments later, Grim had turned to face the wall and burrowed under the covers. Duncan had retreated to the bathroom to jerk himself off, and then he’d slid into bed beside Grim, asking if he was all right. Grim had pretended to be asleep, and Duncan had allowed that, which had probably been a mistake. The next morning, Grim had acted as if nothing had happened, but soon after that, he’d told Duncan he no longer needed someone with him at night, and Duncan had retreated permanently to his own room next door.

  Duncan had always thought it was embarrassment, or perhaps part of a bigger plan of sneaking others into his room. But how had Grim truly felt about it? Had he felt shame? Had he seen it as Duncan abusing him or taking advantage? Grim had said he’d often felt Duncan was making fun of him or condescending to him. In hindsight, Duncan knew it had been stupid not to talk about it outright, and it was wrong to put all the blame on their youth. Duncan ran his fingers up Grim’s spine again, and then he reached around to touch his cock.

  Grim moaned as Duncan placed another kiss on his shoulder. “I knew I felt you in here.” He let go of his shaft. “Did you do this when I was younger? Did you like watching me?” His eyes darted about, yet he seemed very focused, as if the answer mattered a great deal.

  Yes, I did. I loved watching you. You were so beautiful. Duncan watched Grim to make sure the words had gotten through to him.

  Grim’s eyes had widened a bit, but Duncan couldn’t be sure at which part. The naked man nodded slowly and turned under the spray. He finished rinsing himself and turned the water off. After wiping one hand down his face, he gazed around the shower before opening the glass door. “Might as well get back in your body.” He reached for one of the fluffy robes hanging on the wall and wrapped it around himself.

  Duncan was back in his body, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, when Grim came out of the bathroom. “So asking you to sleep in your own room didn’t really get me any privacy? You watched me jerking off? Having sex? Even showering?”

  “Sometimes, yes.” Duncan stood. “Were you embarrassed that night, or angry?”

  Grim stiffened. “What night?”

  His body language said he knew what Duncan meant—hell, they’d talked about it the day before—but Duncan indulged him. “The night I taught you to masturbate.”

  “You didn’t teach me. I knew what it was, how to do it. I’d just been taught it was wrong.” He narrowed his eyes. “Plus, you moved in just when I got interested. I never knew when you were gonna walk in. And you slept in my room half the time.”

  Duncan nodded slowly. “I misspoke then. I hadn’t thought of all that.” He licked his lips. “You were having those nightmares when we met. I thought you liked having me there.”

  “I did, but they went away.” He crossed his arms. “We’re getting off topic.”

  “You didn’t say you’d been taught not to touch yourself at the time.”

  “I was embarrassed! You threw the covers back as you came to bed and saw it. Then you just stood there staring at me.”

  “I was thrown. I already liked you in that way. The sight was … tempting.” He cleared his throat. “And in my defense, I offered to leave you alone to take care of it, and you said, Ignore it. It’ll go away. You didn’t seem to have any idea what to do.”

  Grim tightened the sash on his robe. “I made a fool of myself. Don’t you get it? You were older. You’d had sex before. I was embarrassed, and you acted like it was nothing. You made me sit up and moved in behind me. It was nice to be touched, held against you. You touched me and … I came in no time. It was like I was a child. You cleaned me up as if I’d spilled my damn sippy cup or something.”

  Duncan frowned. “That certainly wasn’t how I viewed you. Or how I felt. I found it very erotic, actually. Sharing that with you. Watching you come for what I’d assumed was the first time as you leaned back into my arms.”

  “Yeah, it was the first time, but…” He turned away slightly. “This is stupid. It was over a decade ago.”

  “Grim, I think we need to get another thing straight here. I never viewed you as a child. I’m only two years older than you. I’m sorry if you found it condescending. Maybe I did act like that without knowing it. I was trying to control myself. I was seventeen. Old enough to be arrested for touching you that way. Don’t even think for one moment your father wouldn’t have done it either.” He shook his head and stood up when Grim finally looked back at him. “You turned away that night, even though I know you felt my cock pressing against your back. I know you saw it tenting my pants as I cleaned you up. I wanted to crawl back into bed with you and keep touching you. But you were young so I didn’t pressure you. You had no problem asking for what you wanted any other time. For demanding it even.”

  “What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know anything about sex.”

  “You learned pretty quickly.”

  Grim scowled at him. “You never touched me like that again. I thought you were … laughing at me, I don’t know. I wanted to have sex, and I found willing partners. Are you going to take your revenge for that?”

  “Revenge? Grim, you’re the one who’s delusional. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to fix my mistake. I kept silent and never showed you how I felt. I watched you seduce others instead of trying to seduce you myself. I walked away when you became engaged to another instead of standing up and fighting for you.” He walked over to Grim. “Don’t shut me out. Come to bed with me now.”

  Grim turned away. “It’s not that easy. We can’t just reminisce for two minutes and then fall into bed together, saying it was all just a big misunderstanding.”

  Duncan pressed to his back and held him tight, reaching into Grim’s robe to grip his cock, which was still hard despite their arguing. “You’re just scared. Confused. Let me make love to you.”

  Grim struggled for breath as Duncan stroked him. “Make love? You mean fuck.”

  “Call it whatever you want. I’m finally going to pin you beneath me and slide into you as we kiss.”

  “No.” Grim pushed at Duncan’s arms and freed himself.

  Duncan advanced on him. “You forget who has the power here. Our roles are reversed. Now you have to obey me.”

  “You say you love
me. You wouldn’t turn me back over to them. That would be cruel. Monstrous.”

  “Monstrous? Well, then I can’t do that, can I?” Duncan paused. “I will have you any way I can.” He grabbed Grim by the arm and threw him down on the bed. He tore the robe open and pinned Grim down by his thighs. “And I’m finally going to taste you properly. Licking your cum off my fingers all those years ago simply wasn’t enough.” He leaned down and took Grim’s cock into his mouth. A moan fell from his lips as he felt Grim tremble and tasted the tangy musk of his pre-cum.

  ****

  Fucked up as this way, Grim couldn’t help sighing at the pleasure. Duncan’s mouth felt so good, and something about seeing the man suck his cock so greedily made Grim’s head go fuzzy. Grim had been burning with need ever since he’d realized Duncan was in the shower touching him. Being touched by Duncan’s ethereal form had been amazingly erotic, but he’d bite his own tongue off before he’d say that to Duncan. Had he really read the other man so wrong over the years? Was Duncan actually in love with him? The idea wasn’t so terrible. It was just … new.

  Duncan sucked him with amazing skill, his mouth both teasing and rough. And hungry. Grim thrust into his mouth a bit, which made Duncan look up at him. He pulled off of Grim’s cock and took it in his hand, licking the head. “Can’t wait for you to come.” He licked and nipped at Grim’s cock and then took him deep again.

  Grim couldn’t help fucking the other man’s mouth. It simply felt too damn good. He threw his head back and cried out as he came. The pleasure flooded his body as Duncan went right on sucking, and Grim watched him swallow every drop. Duncan licked his lips as he pulled back, and he crawled up Grim’s body and hovered over him. “I never looked down on you. Maybe I was cold. Reserved. I’m sorry.” He placed surprisingly gentle kisses over Grim’s face. “Let me take you.”

  “This is too weird. I can’t. Not yet.” But Grim wanted it. He wanted it so much. The look in Duncan’s eyes right now had him growing hard again already.

  “You’re lying, little one,” Duncan said as he flipped Grim over, disentangling him from the robe as he did so. “I know you are.”