Ropes and Dreams (14 page)

Ian ran his hands over Drake’s buttocks again. “What do you think about making our own videos for that website sometime?”

Drake’s ass went taut beneath his hands as Drake moaned again.

Ian grinned and leaned over that sexy body. “Someone likes that idea a lot, hmm?”

“Yes, geez, Ian, I can’t wait much longer…”

Ian reached beneath Drake and cupped his separated balls. “Yeah, I think you can.” But he stood up and quit teasing. He took the thin leather paddle and ran it over Drake’s back, from his nape to the top of his butt. Then he tapped Drake’s cheeks lightly with it.

“More, please,” Drake begged. Ian gave him more, landing several strikes that brought a deep red flush to Drake’s skin.

Drake squirmed and yelped, which had Buddy raising his head up to stare at them. The pup huffed and went back to sleep, but Drake stuffed his hand in his mouth.

Last time, Ian had told him not to do that. They didn’t have a signal in place of a safe word, so he stopped the spanking and smacked Drake’s hand with the paddle. “No. I can’t hear you if you safe word. We’ll take care of that problem tomorrow, but for now, just do your best to be quiet if that’s what you need to do. I like hearing you, though.”

Drake moved his hand, and Ian went back to tanning his hide with the paddle. When he hit Drake where his ass cheek met his thigh, Drake howled and clenched his behind as he thrust his hips. Drake seemed to like the pain, so Ian spanked him on the other cheek in the same spot.

Then he moved down and angled himself so he could get to the tender insides of Drake’s thighs. He’d had subs list that as a hard limit, refusing to be hit there. Ian didn’t blame them, it fucking hurt.

But when the paddle connected with Drake’s thigh, a few inches beneath his balls, Drake keened in a way that made his need obvious. He spread his legs more, and Ian slapped the paddle against the other thigh. Even though Drake was getting off on the pain, Ian wasn’t going to hit him very many times in that area. If he did, Drake would find walking almost unbearable.

Three strikes to each side were all Ian allowed, then he worked his way back up, darkening Drake’s skin until he knew the marks would remain as he’d intended them to. Ian tossed the paddle aside and grabbed Drake’s ass. He kneaded the red flesh hard, knowing it’d shoot pain throughout Drake’s lower region.

Drake shouted and his legs trembled. Ian pushed him forward, shoving him onto the bed. He slapped Drake’s butt several times, enjoying the heat against his palm and the way Drake tried to fuck a hole through the sheets.

Ian was the one doing the fucking, though. He gloved up his hands and cock, then opened the lube. “I’m gonna prep your ass as quick as I can, make you ready for me before I fuck you so hard you’re gonna feel my dick in every part of you.”

Ian wasn’t even sure he was making sense, but damn it, he had to fuck Drake soon or he’d lose his mind. He poured the lube right into the top of Drake’s crack then smeared it down lower. As soon as he reached Drake’s asshole, he pushed two fingers in. Drake gasped and rocked back eagerly. Ian had a third finger in him in minutes. “Ready for me to fuck you?”

“Yes, please,” Drake muttered, pulling at his hair as if he needed that little bit of pain. Ian slapped his reddened ass forcefully, driving Drake farther up the bed. “Oh!”

Ian withdrew his fingers and lined up his cock. He thrust in as he leant forward, bracing himself on his hands above Drake’s shoulders. Drake keened and Ian drove his cock in mercilessly, taking Drake roughly. Drake mewled and tried rocking back, but Ian wanted control of it all. He moved his hands to Drake’s shoulders, pinning him down, then he proceeded to hammer away at Drake’s hole.

Drake begged for more, so Ian used one of his knees to force one of Drake’s legs up. He sank in deeper with the next thrust, and Drake cursed, something he hardly ever did.

Ian wanted to tell Drake to get the cock ring off, but he couldn’t speak, he was breathing so hard. He lost himself in the exquisite sensation of fucking Drake, of the tight grip and clutch of his ass.

When Ian’s climax roared through him, he could only shake and moan as he ground against Drake’s butt. His release left him weak and sweaty, but he didn’t forget about his lover. Ian pulled his cock carefully from the confines of Drake’s opening, then he moved over and rolled Drake onto his back.

Drake’s dick was so hard and purple it looked painful. Ian lapped at the covered tip and he raked his nails over Drake’s balls.

“Ian!”

He got between Drake’s legs and shoved them farther apart. There were marks from the paddle, and Ian found them, pushing on those tender places. Drake humped the air and Ian lightly tapped his balls.

Drake’s eyes went wide and he froze, as if he were trying to decide what he thought about having his nuts spanked. Ian hadn’t done more than pat them, really, but when Drake’s lids slid closed and his legs fell open as far as they could, Ian knew they had another thing to explore at some point.

Ian freed Drake’s genitals from the rings. He gripped the base of Drake’s shaft with one hand and cupped Drake’s balls with the other. It wasn’t the best angle for giving head, but it would work. Ian bent and sucked the tip into his mouth. At the same time, he applied pressure to Drake’s balls.

That was all it took. Drake yelled and bucked, his spunk warming the end of the condom with each hard spurt. Ian worked his balls, massaging out every bit of cum he could. When Drake whimpered and tried to roll away, Ian left off sucking on him and released his balls, too.

Drake loosed some incomprehensible gibberish and shivered.

Ian felt pretty damned proud of himself. He got up and headed towards the bathroom. Cleaning up Drake was his job, and he didn’t think he’d ever tire of it. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of Drake, period.

* * * *

Ian ended up watching the training session with the puppies. Salt had glowered so fiercely at him when Drake had suggested Ian take over with Rex, Ian had been tempted to do it just to yank Salt’s chain, but Ian was a better man than that…mostly. It’d been fun to see Salt get all worked up over it. Ian figured the older man was panting after the young pup trainer. Either that, or he had a thing for Will, which would get Salt’s ass kicked by Carlos and Troy.

Ian no longer had any doubts about those three being in a relationship. He’d accidentally seen them in the kitchen after he’d fucked Drake into sleep. Ian had just wanted a bottle of water, but when he’d heard voices coming from the kitchen and peeked out of the bedroom door, he’d got an eyeful. Will had been on his back on the table, with Troy pounding away into his ass, and Carlos behind Troy fucking him so hard Troy had come up on his toes. Ian had quietly shut the door and thumped his cock as a deterrent to it becoming erect again.

Fuck, it was hot to see, though.
Ian was going to have to figure out a way to let those three know he was aware of their secret so they didn’t feel like they had to keep hiding it from him. Ian didn’t want them to be uncomfortable in their own home.

He didn’t intend to tell them he’d seen them fucking, though.

Ian had seen Will, Troy and Carlos watching Drake intently earlier that morning when Drake had been preparing breakfast. Ian saw what they saw—a man who was moving gingerly, like he’d been fucked so hard he was still experiencing it. Of course there’d been the spanking, too. Drake’s backside was deliciously tender—Ian knew because he’d grabbed it and let Drake feel him every chance he’d got.

Carlos in particular gave Ian a knowing look. In it, something passed between them. Ian knew Carlos was like him, and he also knew Carlos would call him out on it if he hurt Drake in the wrong way.

Will would probably just flat-out kill him and use him for cattle feed or something. Troy was the dark horse. Ian didn’t really know him, and he hadn’t spoken more than a few words with the bald cowboy. Troy was big enough to break him in half, but Ian wasn’t scared of him. He suspected Troy was the most cautious of the trio, and Ian respected that. It wasn’t like Ian was Mr Chatty either.

After the pups had worked on training their owners—as Lou said—Ian and Drake went for a walk around the ranch. Drake had offered him a tour, and Ian was glad for the chance to speak with Drake alone. Drake leashed Buddy up and they set out, taking a route leading out past the first barn.

“I don’t really get out here much, so I’m not the best person to show you around, but I do know the basics.”

“It’s okay,” Ian assured him. “It’s a nice day to be outside, but I really just wanted to talk to you about a few things without anyone else around.”

Drake licked his lips and nodded. “Okay. Do you have any family?”

Ian didn’t bother trying to figure what had brought the question on, he just answered. “Yes, but we’re not close. My mother married my stepfather not long after my dad was killed in a farming accident. She’s told me, when Bart wasn’t around, that my dad was the love of her life. She saw him, and she just knew, yanno?”

Drake nodded then shook his head. “I’ve heard stories like that, but haven’t ever actually met anyone who had it happen.”

Ian shrugged. “It did for them, according to her. She was a complete mess afterwards. I think Bart took advantage of that. He had her tied to him less than a year after dad died, and as I got older, I became aware of how controlling he was. Emotionally and physically abusive to her, and to me until I left home. She’s like his puppet now. I can’t reach her.” And it hurt—it felt like he’d lost his mom as well as his dad—but Ian was resigned to it.

“Oh, that’s…that’s horrible,” Drake said. “I wish it was different for you and her both.”

“Me too, but it isn’t. I’ve come to accept it. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.” Ian sighed. “And then there’s my stepbrother, Norman. He’s seven years older than me, got a record for sexual assault and battery. He just got out of prison a few months ago. When I was a kid, he used to hit me and threaten to kill my mom if I told. One day I got tired of it, and I told anyway. She didn’t believe me, even though Norman had a record by then. That’s when I knew there was no hope of saving her.”

Drake had stopped walking and Ian did too, turning to look at him. “Ian.” That was all he said, but the look of affection in his eyes, the way his lips quivered and his eyes shimmered, had Ian coming to him and embracing him. “You deserve so much better than that,” Drake said, holding onto him.

“We both deserve more than we’ve gotten,” Ian informed him. He kissed Drake, slipping his tongue past Drake’s lips and stealing a taste of the man. “Neither of us needs to settle for anyone who isn’t good to us.”

“Right.” Drake sighed. “Wish I’d realised that sooner. I guess I’ve never been the most confident person. My mother and grandma raised me. When my mom was eighteen, she fell for a rich married man’s line of bullshit. That’s how she got me. He dumped her right after she told him she was pregnant and she refused to have an abortion, so here I am.”

“Have you ever confronted him?” Ian asked.

“Why bother? He wanted her to get rid of me. Knowing that, I have no desire to ever speak to him.”

“But you know who he is?”

Drake nodded. “Sure. Everyone knew, really. Eric Breyer—”

“The football player?” Ian blinked, and he could see it then, the resemblance between Drake and the former NFL quarterback.

“Yeah. His dad was the mayor of our town. I didn’t get his height or sports skills, obviously.” Drake tugged on Buddy’s leash. “Hey, don’t get tangled around that—dang it.”

Ian chuckled. Buddy had wrapped his leash around a sapling several times and the pup began barking madly. “I’ll unwind if you’ll hold his collar.”

“Deal.” Drake handed him the leash and they freed the boisterous puppy. Ian didn’t hand the leash back when they resumed walking, and Drake didn’t ask for it. “Anyway, after mom had me, she—have you ever seen
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”

Ian searched his mind and finally remembered the movie. “Yeah, it had Johnny Depp in it.”

“Oh yes, that man is totally lickable,” Drake said.

Ian couldn’t disagree. “Definitely, although I don’t really find him so hot as a pirate. What about the movie reminds you of your life?”

Drake averted his gaze. “The obesity thing. Grandma couldn’t leave the house. She spent the last years of her life in bed, being tended by my mom. When I told them I was gay, they quit touching me, you know. Said they loved me, but they didn’t touch me anymore, like I was dirty.” Drake turned pain-filled eyes to Ian. “I feel dirty, especially now, with Rigo exposing me to HIV. It’s like the culmination of their unspoken accusations. I’m tainted, contagious—”

“No.” Ian stopped Drake. He tucked the leash handle around his belt and hoped it held for a few minutes. Taking Drake’s face in his hands, Ian leaned and pressed his brow to Drake’s. “No, you are none of those things. You’re open and loving, kind and gorgeous, inside and out, Drake. You’ve been hurt, and yet you smile and laugh and take care of those around you. I couldn’t do that, I’m not that strong. I pulled into myself, kept everyone at a distance. Look at me, twenty-four and never had a relationship before. But you know what?”

Drake gave the barest shake of his head. “No,” he whispered.

Ian smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with us for coping as we have. We learned to survive, and we are good people. You’ve taught me how to relax, do you know that? I felt so awkward before, trying to talk to people. It was easier to hold myself rigid, to wall myself off. But I see you, and I want… I want to be a better man for you. Because of you, I want to feel, to laugh and talk and make friends. You’ve shown me how enjoyable life can be, Drake. Thank you.”

Drake’s eyes flooded with tears and he sniffled as they streamed down his cheeks. His mouth moved, but words didn’t come out, and Ian dipped down for a kiss so sweet it made him ache with a feeling he suspected would only grow stronger.

After a while, they separated and walked hand in hand. Buddy tried to drag Ian off in every direction, but the pup wasn’t big enough to get his way. Ian turned over in his mind what he wanted to say next and concluded the best thing to do was just say it.