Center stage.
What was he really afraid of? How people would see them?
That was silly.
“Green, Sir. I want to fly tonight.”
Bryce rubbed his thumb through Dustin’s hair. “You sure?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“We’re going to talk about this later. I want to know what made you freeze up like that.”
Had he? He didn’t think he’d reacted quite that strongly, but then again, maybe he had. “Yes, Sir.”
Bryce stepped back. “Strip, boy.” He still used that same quietly firm tone, not even one Dustin had really heard him use before. This was…he didn’t know how to explain it.
Like Bryce had stripped himself of the fun and playful parts of his personality, set them aside, and it was now the Dom in full charge, not just directing from the shadows of his soul.
Once Dustin started undressing, Bryce opened his rope bag and started removing coil after coil of rope. Then he took out a large ring and hooked it through the heavy-duty swivel climbing carabiner already attached to the A-frame by a stout piece of chain, which itself was attached to a point welded to the frame by a heavy-duty shackle. The whole set-up looked like you could hang a dang car from it.
Most of Bryce’s rope was blue or black. The rigger slid a pair of paramedic scissors with neon pink handles into his back pocket, but Dustin spied something attached to one of the handles.
“What’s that?”
Bryce pulled it out and showed him. “Rope cutter. I must have lost a dozen of the damn things before I finally got smart and cable-tied the scabbard to these. I never lose my scissors.” He returned them to his pocket.
Dustin stood where Bryce told him to and held still as he started wrapping rope around him. He tied a hip harness on him first, and it seemed to both amuse and please Bryce that Dustin remained hard throughout the process. Not only did part of the harness go between Dustin’s legs, but Bryce took a length of black paracord and fashioned a rope cock ring around the base of Dustin’s cock and balls, ensuring he’d stay hard.
Dustin kept his focus on Bryce, not on the people behind them in the social area who he knew were watching. If he kept his focus on Bryce, what he was doing and the feel of his hands, the nervous jitters disappeared. The slightly uncomfortable wedge against his balls, just enough to distract him, also helped.
Bryce was calm, methodical, his long fingers nimbly wrapping rope and tying knots and apparently sure of what he was doing. Once he was satisfied with the hip harness, he started creating a chest harness.
The rest of the dungeon and the attendees slipped away from Dustin’s mind. All he cared about was Bryce, the feel of the rope sliding across his flesh, the way it held and hugged him.
Letting go to Bryce and giving him complete control over him and his body. His pulse slowed, evened out, calm filling him.
Bryce paused, smiling as he met Dustin’s gaze. “Color, boy,” he asked in that same low, sure tone.
No hesitation this time. “Green, Sir.”
“Good boy.”
Once Bryce finished the chest harness and connected it to the hip harness, he started running ropes through the ring, down through the back side of the harness, back and forth. Dustin had seen a few suspensions, but since he’d never had a relationship with a rigger, it really hadn’t been something that had drawn him in beyond casual viewing.
To be honest, he wasn’t sure how, if he outweighed Bryce, that Bryce was going to get him in the air.
Finally, Bryce stepped around behind him. “Lean forward.”
He did, shocked when he felt the slack suddenly taken up and his feet left the ground. Before he could really process that, though, Bryce had grabbed him by the ankles, hauled them up, and was tying his legs bent back.
Bryce stepped back and gave him a hard shove, grinning as Dustin let out a startled yelp before he realized he was secure.
But he was flying.
Bryce pushed him again, and again, turning him to push him in a different direction, and Dustin realized the laughter he was hearing came from himself.
Bryce finally brought him to a stop and held his head. “Now, if we were at one of the private parties,” he softly said, “we could have a lot more fun. Since I can’t fuck you here, I’ll have to have fun in other ways.”
There was enough of his ass not blocked by his legs being tied the way they were that Bryce was able to spank him. He’d pulled a small acrylic paddle out of his implement bag and was using that on his ass cheeks, and along the sides and tops of his thighs. With the paddle light and stingy, Bryce held Dustin still, braced against his body as he spanked him, then suddenly gave him another hard shove, taking swats at him every time he swung past.
Between the impact play, and the way the ropes held his body, Dustin felt subspace suck him under. Wasn’t even the hardest impact play he’d ever endured, not by a long-shot, but it was Bryce.
After a few minutes of this, Bryce swapped out the paddle for a riding crop and repeated the fun. Encouraged by Bryce’s playfully teasing taunts, Dustin did his best to twist and squirm away from each swat in the ropes, and it was only when Bryce gave him a moment to catch his breath that Dustin realized at some point Bryce had spread two towels under him.
He froze when he felt the flapper on the end of the crop brush against his cock. Bryce now held the harness to keep Dustin still. He leaned in close.
“Glad I put those towels down there. You’ve been dripping the whole time, boy.” Bryce nipped the shell of his ear as Dustin felt his face grow hot. “What would you like to trade me in return for letting you come when we get home, hmm?” The crop’s flapper traced up his cock, lightly flicked his balls just enough to make him flinch but not painfully so, and back down again.
“Anything Sir wants,” Dustin replied without even thinking.
* * * *
Bryce was glad he hadn’t used a blindfold on Dustin tonight. His gaze traced the fine lines along the outer edges of his hazel eyes, the strands of grey here and there in the soft, fine brown hair he was addicted to playing with. They were halfway through Walt’s usual playlist, and the occasional paddle smack or moan drifted through the doorway connecting the two sides.
“You don’t think that’s a dangerous thing to tell me, boy?”
“No, Sir. Because I trust you. I know you won’t violate my limits.”
Bryce threaded his fingers through Dustin’s hair. “Good boy.”
Dustin would have several nice welts along his thighs come tomorrow morning. Bryce wasn’t sure which one of the two of them was having more fun right now, based on how Dustin kept laughing and his cock never went soft. It’d been so long since Bryce had been able to really play with someone the way he wanted to. If they were at a private party, he would have already emptied at least one load of cum down Dustin’s throat and jerked him off while he was suspended. When he tied someone, unless he was dating them, he never played with them. Sometimes the bottom’s partner played with them once they were up in the ropes, while he stood aside and watched and kept an eye out for any potential safety issues.
This was a close second. The other part of this fun could happen at home.
Tonight, not only as he’d tied Dustin, but once he was in the air, Bryce could feel the energy swirling around them, through them, joining them.
That’s because I’m in love with him.
There was no way to deny it any longer.
The more time Bryce spent with Dustin, the deeper and harder he fell for him. There were no red flags. Not a single one.
The only major point they differed on was having kids, but Bryce had pretty much decided that was a non-issue. He was thirty and a workaholic attorney. Dustin was a workaholic, too. In their free time, they played hard together—so far.
Like they’d really have time for a kid, anyway.
On the shallower side of the personality pool, children would put a massive crimp in Dustin’s nakey time around the house, too.
Nakey time for both of them.
Hot couch-sex time.
Yeah.
Besides, Dustin was fine with maybe getting another cat or two to keep Archer company.
Sure, they had to make sure their vanilla lives long-term were going to align, but nothing so far made Bryce think they wouldn’t.
Was he really going to give up a guy who seemed to be the perfect love of his life in every other way just because of kids he didn’t even have?
Uh, noooo.
Duh.
He’d rather be happy with a life partner who seemed to be a perfect match for him.
He brought Dustin down and had him sit on the towels while he coiled and stowed the belaying ropes and retrieved his ring from the A-frame. The rope harnesses he could take off him elsewhere, but he could already see people queuing their equipment bags for their turn on the A-frame. It didn’t seem like Dustin had dropped very far into subspace. Then again, this had been on the lighter end of impact play.
Bryce hadn’t wanted to do anything that couldn’t be undone.
Once he was packed and moved his stuff, leaving Dustin’s folded clothes on top of the rope bag, he got Dustin up on his feet and headed over to one of the aftercare couches on the other side. He grabbed a fleece throw from the rack of them as he passed, and they snuggled together on one of the couches.
Walt was still going to town on their friend while Holly watched from a different couch. He knew with her pain issues the play Walt engaged in with her was different and more therapeutic. But she didn’t mind Walt pummeling the crap out of someone else, as long as it wasn’t sexy play and she could watch it happen, or veto anything.
If he was gay I soooo would have done him, Dom or not. He loved watching Walt play.
Pulling his attention from their scene, he looked down into Dustin’s face. He smiled up at Bryce while Bryce played with his hair.
“How’s my boy?”
“Good, Sir.”
“Why’d you freeze up before?”
He could see it churning in Dustin’s head. Yes, mean to make him actually think right now, but he hoped it’d help wipe away Dustin’s filter and get him the most emotionally honest answer.
“I’ve never been a ‘show’ before, Sir. On display.”
“You’ve played in public before, you said.”
“But it was…different. Never been a featured attraction before.”
“Ah. We all right?”
“Yes, Sir. That was fun. When do the ropes come off?”
Bryce smiled, a thought hitting him. “At home.” Beneath the throw, Dustin’s hard cock was tenting it. Sure, the paracord he’d tied around him was helping the situation.
“Home, Sir?”
“Yes. You can put your clothes on over the rope. Leave your underwear off.” Dustin had worn slacks tonight, so the rope harnesses wouldn’t be too snug on him. He leaned in and nuzzled noses with him. “I’m looking forward to holding on to those ropes while I fuck your brains out, and hopefully grind an orgasm out of you with my cock.”
Dustin swallowed hard, his voice a whisper. “Yes, Sir.”
Chapter Twelve
New favorite thing—sex in rope.
Dustin wasn’t thinking that because Bryce was able to plow one out of him just by fucking him, but because there was something incredibly erotic about Bryce tying him. Making his rigger fantasies come to life using Dustin’s body as his canvas, painting him with rope.
And, yes, using the rope to hold on to as he fucked Dustin.
They’d no sooner made it through Bryce’s front door than Bryce was stripping Dustin as he led him to the bedroom. Dustin loved the hungry way Bryce looked at him.
He loved Bryce.
Dustin couldn’t deny what he already felt for the man. He’d felt attraction and lust and the slow burn of what might have turned into a long-term relationship, but nothing had ever felt like this.
Like Bryce.
Bryce put Dustin on his back on the bed. After Bryce stripped, he threw Dustin’s legs over his shoulders as he first worshipped Dustin’s cock—and the man could suck a cock.
With every ounce and more of hunger in his gaze, he devoured Dustin’s cock, but not letting him get over the edge. Keeping him begging and aching and needing more.
Needing Him.
Yep. Complete slut for him.
Not that he was complaining—because he wasn’t. It was nice having someone in his life who seemed to genuinely want Dustin exactly for who and what he was.
He was enough for Bryce.
No hesitation in his gaze, no caught wistful glances at guys younger and hotter than him, no worries about whether Dustin could “keep up” with him in bed or outside it.
That was all secondary.
Bryce made him feel like the most important person in the world.
Bryce made him feel.
In ways no one had ever made him feel before.
It wasn’t long before Dustin was begging Bryce to fuck him, needing him, wanting to be completely owned by the man.
Possessed.
Bryce grabbed lube and a condom and had quickly knelt between Dustin’s thighs. His blue gaze burned down into Dustin’s, hot and intense, like a flame, flickering and just as alive and all-consuming.
Sometimes Bryce liked to take his time and make love to Dustin, and sometimes he just wanted to fuck him.
Tonight was about the fucking, and that’s what Dustin needed, too. Every tug of the ropes against his flesh, especially the paracord around the base of his cock and balls, felt like Bryce pulling on him, pulling Dustin into the center of his heart.
With his fingers wrapped around the rope, Bryce thrust hard, drawing a moan from Dustin as he plunged balls-deep into his ass.
“Yeah,” Bryce hoarsely said. “That’s what I like to hear out of my boy.”
Bryce bent Dustin in half, the man’s legs over Bryce’s shoulders and his knees pressed into his chest. Dustin held on to Bryce’s arms while Bryce sawed his cock into the man’s ass.
A slight pause and adjustment of his angle, tightening his grip on the ropes. Bryce grinned when Dustin moaned even louder. “That the spot, boy?”
“Yes, Sir!”
“That’s what I thought.” Now that Bryce had him, he pounded him, every stroke of his cock gliding along Dustin’s sweet spot, his cock throbbing with every stroke Bryce took.
“Don’t take all night to get over, boy,” Bryce teased. “I might make you hold it until tomorrow.” He stopped with his cock buried in Dustin, grinding, more moans rolling from Dustin.
He didn’t care who heard him. This man could make him moan in ways he never even knew he could.
Like hell he’d keep quiet.
Bryce picked up the pace again, rapid-fire strokes once again finding their mark and whether it was Bryce’s cock or the fucking sexy, cocky look in his eyes, it tipped Dustin over the edge. His ass squeezed Bryce’s cock, milking it, and the man added his own noises to the symphony as he took several last, hard strokes before falling still inside Dustin.
Slanting his lips over Dustin’s, he kissed him, devouring him.
“I love you, boy,” he whispered, his breath warm on Dustin’s lips.
His heart raced, even harder than while they were fucking. “I love you, too, Sir.”
Bryce stared down at him for a long, sweet moment, the hint of a smile playing along the edges of his mouth. “So I guess all that’s left for us now is to keep spending time together until we run out of excuses not to be living together, or we get so tired of having two places we finally do it, hmm?”
* * * *
Bryce hadn’t meant to say it.
Not now, not yet, not this soon.
But he was done lying to himself and trying to find excuses to deny what he felt.
Better to lay his cards on the table now and be done with it rather than trying to dance around the topic and maybe leave Dustin wondering where he stood with him.
“Maybe, Sir. I�
��d like that, at some point. Hopefully soon.”
Hell, they hadn’t spent a night apart since they’d met. That said something, right? Even weeknights, where normally Bryce would be focusing on work the next day. He’d rarely spent weeknights or work nights at someone else’s place when he was dating them.
Bryce sat up. “How about at the one-month anniversary of when we met we sit down for a serious talk to check in and see where we’re at? And we start seriously discussing that option, if you’re good with it.”
Dustin nodded, his smile reaching not just his eyes but to the depths of his soul. “Yes, Sir. I’d like that.”
“No pressure. Or if you decide you want more time—”
Dustin reached up, snagged a hand around the back of Bryce’s neck, and pulled him in for a long, sweet kiss. “Stop,” he said. “I’m an adult. If I need more time, I’ll tell you, I swear. I think based on what we know so far, we might even be checking in sooner than that to see if we want to.”
Bryce nodded. “Maybe.”
Dustin seemed to be thinking about something, and Bryce let the silence play out between them. “Are you really okay with me not wanting kids?”
“Yeah. Because the more I look at it, the more I realize it’s one of those things I don’t have to have. In a perfect world? Sure. But if I have to choose between a man who, so far, is perfect for me, or holding out for someone who might not even exist just so I can have kids? No, thank you, it’s not even a choice. It’s you, and maybe what I needed was meeting all the idiots I have in the past to show me you really are perfect for me.”
* * * *
Sunday, Bryce took Dustin in the en suite master bathroom of the house where Dustin was running the open house, in a short time frame between potential buyers when they were there alone.
This time, Bryce hopped up on the bathroom counter and sat there while Dustin blew him. Bryce grabbed Dustin by the head and pulled him onto his cock, basically fucking his mouth.
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