In Arrears (4 page)

Fox grabbed Roth’s hair and pulled him up, then back against him.

Roth winced, absently noting that his back was touching bare skin. Fox must have removed his robes, though he still seemed to be wearing the long flowing pants.

With his lips close to Roth’s ear, he growled low and liquid, as only a true beast could. “The chain attached to your ankle is bolted into the floor, and only I have the key.”

No escape...!
Cold and blinding panic surged through him, making his heart slam up into his throat and the blood surge in his ears. He threw out his arms and struggled to his feet, fighting blindly to get free. His feet wouldn’t allow him to stand and he tripped. His hands wouldn’t work to stop his fall. His mouth opened to shout out his panic, but nothing more than gasps escaped his throat.

From behind, Fox wrapped his arms around Roth’s chest, stopping his tumble and pinning his arms to his sides. “Calm yourself.” He pulled Roth back between his spread knees, practically onto his lap, and spoke against his ear. “I told you, your enemies will not find you here.” He pressed his right hand against Roth’s brow, pulling his head back to rest against his throat. “I swear that I will protect you and care for you. You will never be out of my sight for even a moment.”

His heart calmed, the rushing sound leaving his ears. Somehow, he had absolutely no doubt that Fox meant everything he said. The strange fox that walked as a man would not leave him alone and defenseless. Suddenly, it was easier to breathe. Fox’s masculine scent of sandalwood and something else, something...wild, filled Roth’s nostrils.

Fox sighed. “Much better.” He pressed his palm against Roth’s temple, urging Roth to turn to face him. Fox’s breath blew against Roth’s open mouth and then the feather-light caress of lips touched him.

Roth jerked, startled.
He’s not going to...?

Holding Roth’s head in place, Fox pressed his mouth fully and firmly against Roth’s and his tongue swept along Roth’s lips.

Roth gasped in surprise.
He’s kissing me?

Fox’s tongue surged past Roth’s parted lips to slide against his tongue.

Roth answered with a push of his tongue, determined to drive the invader back out.

Fox retaliated by sucking Roth’s tongue into his mouth, clamping his lips down and then suckling.

The tingling sensation from having his tongue suckled was stunning. It literally ran down his throat and made him shiver to the base of his spine. He would have moaned if he’d still had possession of his voice. Roth had been kissed expertly before, but Fox... God...! The man’s kiss was actually threatening to make him hard.

Fox released Roth’s tongue to nip at his lips. “Without your voice, you must use your body to tell me what you want.”

Roth frowned. What he wanted...?

Fox’s lips trailed down his jaw to nibble and lick his throat. “While you are here, your purpose is to give and receive pleasure. Nothing more.”

Roth’s inability to see closed his entire focus down to the tingles created by Fox’s mouth and tongue. Excitement surged, making his chest tight. He was forced to take deeper breaths, fighting the band around his throat for air. His thoughts began to scatter. He absently noted that his light-headedness was probably due to slight oxygen deprivation. However, the thought wasn’t enough of a distraction from the fact that Fox was clearly an expert with that mouth of his. He tilted his neck to the side to let Fox’s lips rove where they would.

Fox bit down on the long muscle on the side of Roth’s throat and rolled it between his teeth.

Roth shuddered, his mouth opening on a soundless moan.
Damn...

Fox’s long fingers slid down into the neck of Roth’s robe to caress his bare chest. He brushed against Roth’s nipple, then grasped the small nub and tugged.

Lightning bolts of raw pleasure streaked straight down to make Roth’s dick jump, then pulse and fill. Excitement became urgency. Roth shuddered and gasped for more air. He was getting hard, really hard, really fast.

Fox bit his way down the side of Roth’s throat. At the same time, his hands slid down to the tie holding Roth’s robes closed. He tugged the knot loose then used both hands to caress Roth’s chest and abdominals, making the muscles jump.

The faintest whisper of air let Roth know that his robes had been spread wide open, not that it really mattered. The man had already seen him fully naked. He felt something hard poking against his lower back. Was that Fox’s...erection? The idea that Fox was getting excited from touching him sent the oddest thrill through him. He couldn’t stop himself from arching upward, into Fox’s expert hands. His cock filled to full throbbing erection.

Someone released a deep appreciative sigh directly in front of him.

Roth jerked violently out of his sensual daze, his body going entirely rigid in alarm. His head turned to pinpoint the intruder despite his inability to see, his nostrils flaring, scenting the air. Someone... No,
several
men were right in front of him. Battle-honed instincts urged him to bare his teeth in a snarl and lunge to his feet to strike.

Fox threw his arm around Roth’s chest, his other arm going around his throat, stopping him through sheer brute force.

Roth choked and struggled, anger and panic surging through him. He pawed at Fox’s restraining arm with fingers that refused to work. His feet were unable to find purchase on the floor.

“Calm down.” Fox pulled Roth’s head back against his shoulder and his arm tightened, cutting off a bit more of his air. “Yes, we have an audience.”

Roth gasped for breath.
An audience...?

“Five extremely wealthy patrons.” He chuckled softly. “You’ve frightened them, you know.”

That actually made Roth feel somewhat better.

“They barely dare to breathe in your presence.” Fox brushed his lips against Roth’s temple. “Even though they know you cannot walk.” Fox’s hand slid from his throat up to cup Roth’s jaw, tilting his head back. “Even though they know you cannot grasp them in your hands.” Fox’s lips brushed against Roth’s throat and traveled downward, leaving shivers in their wake. “Even though you have been chained.” His voice dropped to the softest of whispers. “They fear you.”

Despite the fact that he was being watched, Roth found it hard to pay attention to anything but the words coming from Fox’s burning mouth and wicked tongue. His pounding heart eased. His tense muscles unwound. His cock began to pulse with renewed interest.

“You are a tiger restrained behind bars, but still deadly, and so beautiful.” Fox’s restraining arm loosened to sweep his palm across Roth’s chest. “Fire and molten steel.” Fox’s palm moved down his belly. “They don’t dare touch you, but they
want
to.” His hand pressed against the inside of Roth’s right thigh, pushing the leg wider. “They want to feel your strength.” His hand moved back up Roth’s thigh, his fingers brushing against Roth’s balls.

Roth’s belly clenched, startled by the sensation.

“They want to hold your power.” Fox fisted the base of Roth’s cock and pulled, delivering one slow, firm stroke all the way to the head. His thumb rubbed across the crown, smearing the seeping moisture. He slid back down then up then over, rubbing with his thumb.

Roth’s cock pulsed in both delight and shock.
Fuck...he’s good.
His head fell back, his mouth open on a soundless moan.
Damn it, I shouldn’t be enjoying this!
He’d never let any man touch him before, though he’d had plenty of offers, but under the current circumstances...?
It’s not like I can stop him.

Fox whispered against his ear. “Your lust is exciting them.”

Roth suddenly noticed the sound of heavy breathing coming from several sources right in front of him. The slight scent of sweat and musk drifted on the air. His audience
was
getting excited. Embarrassment clashed with a strange sense of pride.

Fox took hold of Roth’s hand to pull it behind Roth’s back and between their bodies. His fingers laced through Roth’s. Trapped by Fox’s hand, Roth’s fingers slid down Fox’s muscular belly. “You are exciting
me
.” Fox’s fingers curled around Roth’s hand, trapping his fingers around something hot, and hard yet silky smooth.

Roth stiffened. His fingers were curled around Fox’s very hard and very
thick
dick. His hand was drawn upward, then back down to the base.
Crap, it’s longer than mine!

He encouraged Roth’s hand on his cock to close a little tighter, and stroked a little faster. He used his other hand to pinch Roth’s nipple.

A bolt of electric lust burned from Roth’s nipple to his weeping dick. He gasped. Roth’s palm was pushed lower to massage Fox’s balls. Fox was hairless, shaved clean just as he had been.

Fox groaned in Roth’s ear. “Is it safe to assume that you’ve never been taken by a man before?”

Roth swallowed.
Shit...
He nodded.

Fox removed his hand from Roth’s chest and slid it up into Roth’s long red hair. He leaned close to whispered against his ear. “I’m pleased—” His other hand released Roth’s fingers to grasp his wrist. “—To be the first man that gets to fuck you.” He fisted his hand in Roth’s hair and pushed him forward while pulling Roth’s wrist up against the small of his back.

Roth gasped and threw his free hand out to save his face. He landed on his forearms up on his knees with his butt in the air. Instinctively, he twisted to roll away.

Fox jerked Roth’s wrist up nearly to his shoulder blades. “Hold still.”

Roth winced and held still. He didn’t want his shoulder dislocated.

Fox released Roth’s hair to jerk Roth’s sheer robes hard enough to rip them. The sound of tearing fabric was shocking, and thrilling. Fox tossed the rags away and ruthlessly kneed Roth’s thighs wider.

Cool air brushed against his raised ass. Roth panted for breath, his entire body trembling. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He had been rendered incapable of even the slightest hope of escape. He could only wait for the inevitable. His mind spun from apprehension and lack of oxygen because there was no way in hell it could be...anticipation?

The soft sound of squirting liquid reached his ears. An oily finger circled Roth’s anus.

He flinched and winced.
Crap...
This was it.

The finger stopped circling and pressed against the puckered opening. “To cause the least amount of discomfort, push out against me.”

Humiliation burned his face. Roth turned his cheek to the futon mattress he knelt upon and bit down on his bottom lip. He
didn’t
want to do this.

The pressure increased. “If you choose to disobey, you will only bring yourself pain.” The finger against his anus wiggled its way past the tight ring of muscle and moved inward.

His body ached in intimate protest. Roth stiffened and ground his teeth. He had an extremely high tolerance for pain, but this was different. This was...personal.
Goddamn it...!
Out of sheer self-defense, he pushed out. His body opened and swallowed the finger all the way to the knuckle. He groaned in humiliation, but it left his mouth as barely a sigh. Suddenly he was very grateful for his lack of voice.

“Good boy.” Fox slowly pressed a second finger into him. “You’re still fairly lax from your cleansing, so full penetration should not prove too terribly uncomfortable.” He turned his entire hand until his fingers curled upward, and stroked. His fingertips brushed against something.

Pleasure jolted through Roth. He jumped, his mouth falling open in astonishment.
Holy fuck!
His cock swelled to aching hardness.

“Oh yes...” Fox hummed in obvious pleasure. “I have you now.” He stabbed both fingers into that spot.

A flare of electrically charged and brutally intense pleasure seared Roth all the way up his spine. His entire body jolted hard and his mouth opened on a soundless shout. His swollen cock pulsed and spat out a dab of cum. He blinked in shock behind his blindfold. The son of a bitch damned near made him cum! What the hell was he messing with?

Fox slid his fingers back and forth across that spot, applying slow but strong pressure.

The intense but incredibly delicious sensations raised the small hairs all over his body. Cum dripped from his cock in long strings. Roth couldn’t stop his body from writhing, pressing against Fox’s fingers. Just a little bit more and he’d cum...

Fox chuckled softly. “You definitely have a taste for this kind of pleasure.” He pulled his fingers free.

Roth damned near shouted for Fox to put his fingers right the fuck back. His cock was agonizingly hard, it throbbed in time with his heart, and his balls were so tight they felt like they were going to explode. He
needed
to cum, damn it!

“Sit up.” Behind him, Fox’s voice was crisp and hard.

Roth ground his teeth.
What is he up to now?
He couldn’t use his fingers, but his palms worked well enough to push himself upright into a kneeling position.
 

“Do you wish to cum?”

Roth turned his ear toward Fox, bared his teeth, and hissed through them. Of course he wanted to cum!

“Then move back, straddle me, and take my cock into your body.”

Roth froze, every muscle utterly rigid.
He expects
me
to...?