Winter's Knight (22 page)

“I’m here.” Lucian shuddered with the collision of hot flesh to sweaty skin, and he had to fight to regain ground on his plan and course of action. He was far from immune from Shea’s journey or from the spell Lucian cast to annihilate bad memory and sow the seeds of hope. “You may touch and hold at will, and since there is a decision on the near horizon, please tell me anythingyouwishto say.”
“Huh? Oh...” Shea’s hand spread on Lucian’s leg, and he shook his head with a hushed sound of denial. “Nn... oh... like... like this. Love this, Sire. Keep going?”
Satisfied that Shea was both at peace and able to make reasonable choices, Lucian gently nipped Shea’s neck and reached for the second swath of velvet covering the table behind the bench. Beneath it were a wooden paddle with holes, a fiberglass cane, and a long, leather tawse. Lucian had specifically selected the tools, knowing that Shea expressed the want for significant pain, but Lucian suspected a moderate level would suffice. Judging by Shea’s state, Lucian thought he was right.
Lucian waited until Shea was fixated on the items, stirring in the confines and grunting when the clamps bit and the binding restricted. “You will choose one, two, or allthree,” Lucian said. “And you willselect the order ifyouwant more thana single implement.”
Chain jingled as Shea tried to move one hand to indicate his choice, and he coughed when brought up short. “Ah... I... oh, God, Luke. I want the cane.” Shea heaved a massive breath. “First. Then... uhm... the paddle, please?”
“Very well,” Lucian answered, resisting the temptation to sigh. Naturally Shea would choose the implement designed to deliver the most impact. It coincided nicely with how Lucian thought the pain portion of their program would go, and he already had a plan to turn Shea’s expectations on their ear. Lucian picked up the cane by the handle, knee-walking to one side. Lucian rested an arm across Shea’s upper back; the bench was sturdy enough that Shea could rest against it without being in danger of shifting it across the rug. “Rules for the game, sweet Shea, are as such,” Lucian bent to speak directly in Shea’s ear, “I go until you call for the next tool, and the blows continue until youbegme thrice to fuck you.”
“All... all right, Sire,” Shea’s voice shook, and he braced himself. Lucian kissed Shea’s cheek and neck, dragging the length of the cane’s shaft across Shea’s lower back, over his ass, and down his thighs. Quivers followed each pass, and Shea began to whimper when Lucian didn’t strike, choosing instead to continue the caress, over and over for aching minutes, heightening the suspense to a near-tangible, crackling electricity around them.
Gradually, Shea’s breathing took on louder tones, notes of desire and pleading, and Lucian muffled a moan against Shea’s skin. “Beautiful,” Lucian whispered, and after another thirty-count in Lucian’s head, he begantappingjust beneaththe curve ofShea’s ass. Not hard, not strikes at all, but a carefully measured series of raps to the exact same line of skin that escalated from barely there to almost a hit and retreated to nearly nothing once again. A quick set of three, light, less light, nothing; a set offour, light, harder, harder, a mere kiss of cane; a set of five and onward without a hint of hurry. It was a warm up with an instrument meant to cure anyone of their need for sincere pain, and ferocious delight seized Lucian at being able to undermine Shea’s assumption that Lucian would simplywelt Shea fromthe onset.
Shea squirmed, his skinflinched and jumped, but he settled as the pattern became apparent. With a low murmur of a frustrated curse, he craned his neck to look at what Lucian was doing. An adorably confused frown creased Shea’s brow, but he didn’t say a word, put himself back into position, head turned to watch Lucianinthe mirror.
“Something you wish to say, beloved?” Lucian asked, sliding his free arm from Shea’s shoulders to Shea’s chest, and takinghold ofthe clamp’s chain.
“Uh...”Shea bit his lower lip, and Lucianknew how difficult it had to be for Shea to rise above prior experience and get to ask for something. Lucianwaited, and Shea found his courage when he looked into Lucian’s eyes. “I... harder? Please?”
“Certainly,” Lucian said pleasantly. He changed the angle of his swing and the length of the cane struck the metal plug, a quiet “clink” echoing in the room in sync withShea’s gasp. “Somethinglike this, perhaps?”
Shea stared at the mirror, and Lucian put more force behind the ensuing blows, rattling the plug and slapping sweetly across Shea’s backside in repetitive impacts that did not waver, did not deviate, did not relent. “Oh, I see, perhaps you’d rather...” Lucian aimed carefully and struck harder, but the plug took most of the weight, not Shea’s skin. Shea moaned, arched, and hissed in surprise. “There we go.” Lucian praised, doingit againand againwithout pause.
Flexing against each of the small invasions, grunting in time to Lucian’s rhythm, Shea’s hands clenched around chain. A low snarl met Lucian’s ongoing onslaught, stirring Lucian’s cock and thrilling Lucian’s sense of Shea, Scene, and what was right. As Lucian continued the teasing taps, Shea’s breathing ratcheted higher and higher, body tensing, and sweat rolling as the anticipation built with no peak in sight. Lucian allowed himself a handful of forceful swings that still fell short of fullarm, and Shea shook withobvious need.
Slowly, Lucian pulled on the clamps until Shea’s flesh had to be screaming, and Shea’s eyes screwed shut. “It continues until you tell me what you want,” Lucianreminded, and cane hit metalwitha crack.
“God... damn it...” Shea groaned and leaned back, tugging against the nipple clamps. “Shit, Luke. Just... fuck. Go onto the paddle. Sire. Please.”
“Very nice,” Lucian said with a devious smile. He dropped the cane and snatched the paddle’s handle without slacking on the chain attached to Shea’s chest. Lucian twisted his hips slightly, yanking Shea’s arm tighter against Shea’s middle back. “I’ve been waiting for the chance to use this on you. One of my favorite toys.”Lucianaligned his aimwhile Shea chased oxygen, torso following the sharp tug Lucian gave to the clamps. “Such wonderful range.” Lucian steadied himself and brought the paddle down with an echoing crack onto Shea’s upper thighs with a swing just short of wrecking ballforce.
“Yyy-hah!” Shea cried out, body bending and giving to the blow. Suddenly pliant, Shea writhed. “Yes... God.... another?”he whispered betweengasps.
“Oh, hell yes, sweet Shea.” Lucian drew back, let go of the clamps’ chain, and undid one vice from Shea’s nipple just as paddle met Shea’s ass. Lucian grabbed a handful of Shea’s hair, squeezed tight, and swatted again, aimingjust below the end ofthe plug.
Shea yelped and jerked against all that confined him. Lucian braced against the lounge, not giving Shea any roomto escape, and when Shea hit all the imposed limits at the same time, he thrashed witha helpless yowl. “Nnnghhh... God.... oh, God... yes...” The affirmation hardlyhad time to form, and Lucianstruck again. “Fuck me, yes!”Shea called, voice high.
“One,” Lucian bellowed through gritted teeth, and he tapped paddle to the toy in Shea’s ass while undoing his fly. Lucian groaned when flesh met air, and he stroked himself, sights on the mirror. Shea’s skin, reddened and gleaming, Shea’s muscles, bunched and tightening, Shea’s dick, wet and bobbing. Lucian rose higher on his knees. “Oh damn the earth, Shea, suck me,” Lucian said, the demand seasoned liberally with desperation.
Sliding along the bench and using it for balance, Shea grappled with bindings, chains jingling, and with a lunge, Shea took Lucian’s ready cock into his mouth. Lucian cried out, uninhibited, and with a wet greedy noise, Shea’s cheeks hollowed, and he sucked Lucian deeper into constrictingheat.
“Oh,” Lucian groaned, shuddering, and with a burst of willpower and a snarl for control, he clung to Shea’s shoulder and got fingers on the base ofthe plug, fucking Shea withit without warningor preamble.
“Mmmph,” Shea garbled, vibration ringing about Lucian’s cock. The angle somehow changed, and Lucianslid into Shea’s throat.
“Shit, Shea, yes... oh good... so good...” Lucian bucked into Shea’s mouth, and Shea’s hips ground for friction to and fro. “Hot... just... nnngh...” Lucian shoved the metal home and withdrew from the terrifically amazing suction. Lucian planted a hand on the lounge, his arman iron bar across Shea’s front, and took up the paddle again. Shea had enough time to lean for balance against Lucian and the bench before the wood collided with rosy flesh, and Lucian struck in a blur ofsuccessive, heavy, blows.
With unrestrained ardor, Shea started to roar. With each loud smack, Shea pitched headlong against the lounge and lurched partially upright to meet Lucian’s next hit. The swing of Shea’s form was hypnotic, impossibly erotic. Lucian’s hair stuck to his back and arms, and he kept going until his shoulder burned and his cock was screechingfor something, anything. Shea’s bellows were breaking on the crags of physical limits, and Lucian gave them both a needed reprieve. “Beloved,” Lucian panted, licking, touching, grinding, grabbing. “Do youwant me to fuck you?”
Shea’s first answer was a lengthy miserere, no doubt at being made to speak when sensation was crowned king, but finally, he visibly swallowed, body undulating to Lucian’s demands. “Y-yes... God, please, mylord... master. Fuck me... I plead thee... f-fuck me.”
The world disintegrated into distilled chaos. Lucian kissed Shea, tried to eat his lover alive from the mouth down. Shea’s lips and tongue were dry, and Shea’s noises spoke of starvation. Lucian fed themby stroking Shea’s cock and reaching for the line of foil wrappers under the bench. When Shea’s calls heralded warning, Lucian let go, covered himself in latex and slick, and marred Shea’s skin with the indents of his teeth. Together they wrestled into position, Lucian behind a prone Shea, gazes locking in the mirror. Shea grabbed at Lucian anywhere within reach, gasp and garbled moans urging. Lucian snarled in possessive want, and he removed the plug to a high whine. Tip to ring, and the shove inside was heaven and hell, bliss fueling torture that Luciandidn’t wishto stop.
Shea pitched back into Lucian with a shout of triumph, and Lucian echoed it with one of his own. Shea’s body sucked himdeeper, and Lucian slapped a sweaty grip on the bench and Shea’s hip. “Oh... Shea!” Theywere the onlywords Luciancould manage, and he cut the ties on control, fucking Shea fast, deep, and hard.
“Oh God!” With each voracious thrust, Shea cried out with unrestrained desire and need. “Yes.... please... God... good... shit... Luke...” A grinding, repeating, twisting shove and Lucian’s balls were tight, everything screaming with the demand for release. They were sweat slicked and puffing for air, and Shea tautened under Lucian. “Soon.... gah... Sire... I’m....”
Lucian tossed his hair out of the way and then dipped lower, slowing just enough to make them both sling curses for the delay. There was nothing but sex and rhythm, and the burn built a tower ready to fall. At some point, Lucian realized he was speaking, loudly enough to drown out the slaps of flesh thrashing in the room: Shea’s name, Shea’s titles, and pieces of praise. Part of Lucian stood to the side, amazed, but the important parts readjusted to claim Shea’s dick, so full that Lucian’s throbbed in sympathy, and Lucian pumped intime to his mad pace.
With a desperate wail, Shea shuddered, rolling uncontrollablyinto Lucian’s hand, bodyjudderingto the wind of Lucian’s will. Wet, thick heat flowed over Lucian’s fist, and Lucianstrangled a yellwhenthe tunnel about his cock spasmodically constricted. Lucian slammed into Shea, reckless and without relinquishing his grip. Lucian’s moans rose and fell, clamoring in his ears in tune to Shea’s breathless shouts, but Lucian abruptly silenced when he finally spilled, freezing and staying deeply within Shea until the orgasm was done with him. Lucian collapsed across Shea’s back, hair scattered in a stringy curtain, too warm in the leather pants wrapped around his thighs but too uncaring to do anything more than familiarize himself with gravity. He listened to Shea’s soft sighs of satiation, and his heart broke and remade itself while he counted long eyelashes floatingover a ruddycheek.
With a gentle kiss and murmur of warning, Lucian slipped from Shea, busying himself with the necessary motions to get his beloved to the nest awaiting themon the couch. “Rest and let me, sweet Shea,” Lucian instructed, unbinding and removing restraints. Shea didn’t respond with much more than a slow blink, and Lucian left a small pile of soiled leather on the floor. “Cool touch,” Lucian whispered, cleaning themup with wipes he fetched from a pack beneath the lounge. Lucian stripped out of his boots and pants, and though Shea’s tiny grunt was the only answer, Shea went willingly and helpfully upright upon Lucian’s suggestion. Lucian assisted Shea to the couch, helped Shea to lie downonthe pillows, and joined Shea, tuckinga blanket around their feet. Lucian pulled Shea into his arms. “My brave, sweet, summer Shea, your service to me is over for now, and I will remember your perfection for the rest ofmydays.”
Nestling further into Lucian’s hold, Shea gave a slow, deep sigh against Lucian’s throat. Atrickle of hot tears dampened Lucian’s skin, but these were not like the sobs that had met Lucian just inside the front door. Here and now, safe and relaxed and secure, Shea’s breathingpicked up onlya little. Shea cleaved to Lucian as if to bedrock, and Lucian found solace in returning the embrace.
Gradually, the crying passed, and Shea swallowed while Lucian stroked his hair. “I... I’m gratified that I was able to serve youso, myLord.”
“You are incredible Shea. In every way.” Lucian suppressed a sliver of the sleepy, old fear that always rose with the tide of emotions Shea inspired. “I’ve... never been so... happy as I am with you like this,” Lucian said with unsuppressed wonder, and he hugged Shea tighter. “Or anywayI canhave you. Thank you.”
The chuckle that rumbled from Shea’s chest banished the last shadows of worry from Lucian. Shea was very much still Sheldon of the too-long name, solid and content in Lucian’s arms. The scene had worked, the night had been successful, and Lucian’s eyes burned, but for once, he didn’t mind.
“You’re more than welcome, Luke.” Shea paused to rub his cheek against Lucian’s shoulder. “Hm. Does that mean that I should get to work putting up a white picket fence? And is that enough for you to trust me with the keys to the castle walls and the code to stop the crocodiles fromeatingme?”
“The atrocity of white picket will never disgrace my land,” Lucian said loftily. “But keys, codes, and disarming techniques for the moat I can do. Can’t have you risking life and limb every time you come and find a happyending.”