Chapter 15 #2
Ah, yes. “Well, I warned them I wasn’t that into movies and, quite honestly, I need some downtime, too.”
“Downtime,” Ray murmured. “Fucking me.”
Zavier closed the gap between them, but didn’t touch him. “We’ll see about the fucking once we see about the obeying.”
Ray’s normally light eyes were as dark as the night sky above them. “Okay.” His voice had shifted from heartbroken to gravelly with lust.
Good. Zavier’d lift a little bit of the stress Ray carried. “You should go get on the bus and wait for me, Ray.”
“Okay—I—yes.” He nodded once.
Zavier turned and let him pass, then followed him down the path back to the lot. Once they hit tarmac, their paths diverged. He found Mish talking with one of the crew members, a fine-looking woman with dark brown skin and short, curly hair. God, he hated to interrupt them.
Thankfully, Mish looked up. “Hey, was that Ray?”
“Yeah. He’s crashing. Hit the wall.”
She grunted. “Similar to other concerts?”
Mish wasn’t a fool, and Zavier bet she was just as observant as he was. He nodded. “You know how it goes.”
“You gonna watch over him?”
Something about the glint in her smile made that question not so innocent. “Was thinking about that. Movie nights aren’t my thing.”
The crew member—he racked his memory until he pulled out Sasha as her name—grinned. “You seem more of a people person than a watch-people person.”
That, strangely, did sum him up well. He liked to watch, sure. But hands-on was so much better, and he had a willing Ray waiting for him in the bus. He chuckled. “I also need a little quiet. Even with ear protection—it gets a bit much in the kit.”
Mish patted him on the shoulder. “Go take care of Ray. We’ll see you guys in a couple hours.”
He nodded, and detangled himself from the crowd around one of the buses to board the other. He waved at the driver, then passed behind the privacy screen.
Ray looked up from the couch, all nerves and beauty. The stress still hung on him like an ill-fitting shirt. “I didn’t know what to do, so I waited.”
Perfect. “That’s exactly what I told you to do.” He gestured toward the back of the bus. “Let’s go have a chat where it’s a little quieter, before the buses start moving.”
It was also far more private back there. No chance they’d be overheard by the driver.
Ray rose, and Zavier followed him past the berths and into the lounge at the back. He pulled the curtain closed, then turned. Ray was breath and lust and jangling tension. Not exactly where Zavier wanted him to be, but they would work on that. There was time. Right now, though?
“Ray, may I kiss you?”
Shock washed across Ray’s features. He stammered out a reply. “Yes.”
Good. Zavier stepped close, enough to see the wild beating of Ray’s pulse.
“But...why ask?”
“Consent,” Zavier murmured. He cupped Ray’s face with one hand. “Everything tonight has to be something you want.” He slid his hand against the other side of Ray’s head. “You can say no. You can tell me to stop.” He tilted Ray’s head up and their lips touched.
Ray whimpered.
“Trust that I’ll heed your wishes.” He held Ray’s head firmly between his hands. Brushed a thumb against a flushed cheek.
“I—do trust you.” Ray’s words were warm breath against Zavier’s lip.
“Good. Will you listen to me tonight? Will you obey me?”
Ray was trembling against him. “Yes.”
Zavier kissed Ray, gently at first, letting him stiffen and moan, then relax.
Lips moved gently, coaxing, opening, claiming, until Ray’s mouth was his and that hard, lithe body was molded to Zavier’s.
That taste, the press of Ray against him put fire into Zavier’s blood.
He’d needed this. Wanted it since he’d auditioned.
They’d danced and danced for months. Countless days of living with each other. It was time already.
The second time he kissed Ray, it was to claim his mouth.
A kiss that pulled whimpers and sighs from him, had him digging his fingers into Zavier’s arms. But it also had him tipping his head back and thrusting his hips against Zavier.
Savoring Ray’s desire was a joy. Finally, his hands were where they belonged, playing a different kind of music.
Zavier held Ray’s head with one hand and slid the other down to his ass to pull them tightly together. He drank in Ray’s gasp and groan when Zavier ground their dicks against each other so there’d be no doubt about Zavier’s intent.
They weren’t in high school anymore, and Zavier would have every inch of Ray that was offered to him.
When he broke the kiss, it was only to bite and lick and suck at Ray’s neck until he was twisting and thrusting and shaking in Zavier’s arms. “Oh fuck. Oh god, yes.”
There. Each word cascaded down Zavier. Ray’s pleasure, his need.
The engine turned over, then the bus lurched, sending them both off balance and breaking them apart for a moment.
Zavier laughed. Not the most ideal conditions. But a little space would keep him from getting too far ahead with Ray.
Ray groaned in exasperation. “Cock-blocked by a bus.”
“If you think you’re frustrated now, just you wait.” Zavier grinned.
Ray caught his breath. “I remember. I remember that night.”
So did Zavier. Ray was glorious in obedience and breathtaking to watch come. “This time, we need to set some ground rules.”
A nod and a curious expression. “Like—safewords and stuff?”
So, Ray did know a little bit about BDSM. Zavier sat on the lounge’s couch and patted the cushion next to him. “That’s part of it. Come, sit.”
No hesitation. A good sign. Ray didn’t lean back, so the nerves were still there.
But then, Zavier was nervous, too. This was the hardest part...the beginning. “I want to set some expectations.”
“Okay.”
“This isn’t going to be a love affair. I don’t do relationships.”
Ray’s brows knitted. “But I thought...dominance and submission was a kind of relationship?”
“You’ve been doing internet searches, haven’t you?” Ray’s blush told Zavier everything. Thing was, Ray had a point. “Yes...yes, it is a kind of relationship, one built on consent and trust and caring. On surrender and control.” He couldn’t fault Ray for shivering. He trembled a little himself.
“But you don’t do relationships,” Ray said.
Yeah, that sounded contradictory, but explaining that he was aromantic and didn’t fall in love wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have at the moment.
Besides, chances were that Ray wouldn’t believe him, or that he’d think Zavier was broken or some of the other shit former partners had said.
“I do kink relationships, but I don’t do romantic relationships. ”
Ray studied his hands. “So this is...friends with benefits?” He looked up and met Zavier’s gaze. Lovely amber eyes with such a yearning in them.
“Are we finally friends?” Zavier murmured the question. “Or are you still pissed at me?”
Ray grunted a laugh. “Touché.” But his smile was bright. “We’re friends. I may always be a little pissed at you. And I’d really like to know more about these benefits, please.”
If they’d already had this conversation, Zavier would’ve hauled Ray over his knees and spanked his ass for that. But they hadn’t, and he didn’t even know what Ray enjoyed. Hell, he didn’t know if Ray knew what Ray enjoyed.
He patted Ray’s thigh. Friends. They were friends. Thank god. “Tell me what you know from your internet reading.”
Ray did, and it was about what Zavier expected, plus a few deeper topics.
Information about safewords, consent, and subspace.
But he’d also learned about the differences between sane, safe, consensual play and risk-aware consensual kink play.
He’d looked into types of domination and bondage. Slavery. Pain and edge play.
“I’m not so sure about knives and things like that,” Ray said.
That Zavier understood. “I’m somewhat squeamish when it comes to blood, so you needn’t worry about that.
” Aside from the whole man-loving-man thing that barred him from donating blood, he’d also fainted every fucking time.
Not from giving his own, but seeing all those bags of other people’s blood. He shuddered.
“And yet, all your tattoos.”
Zavier grunted and rubbed his arms. Painful in their way, but so worth it. “Most of the time, I don’t see any, and it’s my blood. There’s a difference.”
Ray nodded absently.
“What turns you on?” That was what he really wanted to know. What fantasies could Zavier make come true for Ray—or torture him with?
Wants and desires apparently took a little more to pry out of Ray. He stammered, shifted in his seat, then got up and paced, his neck red and his body in motion.
The answer was, however, fairly close to what Zavier thought Ray might enjoy. Being tied up in various ways. A number of sex acts. Toys. Gags. Cuffs. Submission. Everything he loved to do to a willing partner, a willing submissive.
“But none of that humiliation shit. I get enough of that from Carl.”
“I will never treat you like that pile of assholes does.” That came out a little harsher than he intended, but the look in Ray’s face was priceless, full of thankfulness and hope.
Ray breathed out. “Can we—just—” He waved his hand. “Start?” All that energy, both the good and bad, had returned and was ramping him up.
“Very soon.” Zavier watched as Ray moved back and forth again. “How do you feel about spanking?”
A blush to high heaven. Excellent. Fire for Zavier’s blood.
“I’d—like to try that. Maybe more.”
“Flogging?”
Ray nodded. “I want to know what it feels like—if nothing else.”
“We can work up to it.” Zavier made a mental list of items he’d need to order and have shipped to their next hotel. They’d both enjoy their next day of downtime. So many ways to torment Ray zipped through Zavier’s mind. What he could do with a nice bed and some lengths of rope.
He pried out a few more details before Ray was too keyed up to continue—apparently descriptions and photos of cock-and-ball torture had made him both curious and horrified—that was also something they could see about trying, should the benefits part of their friendship work out well, but that was far too much to start with.
“Do you have a safeword in mind?”
Ray shook his head. “Linguini?” He laughed. “But no, I don’t know. What about red and yellow? I read about those, and I like the idea of a word that means slow down.”
“Perfect.” Everything was falling into place.
“Now what?” Ray stood still at last, and seemed to be holding his breath.
Zavier relaxed into the leather and crossed his arms. Time to take control. “Now we start.”