Page 46 of Fire & Ice

“Besides,” he continues. “Considering the subject matter, it seems as if I’ll have satisfaction in that department soon enough.” He shrugs. “I’ll find a way to work it in.” He winks as he stands, holding out a hand for Tripp to take and then leading him to the playroom when he does.

“Strip,” he commands.

***

What follows is the longest inside-the-bedroom kink negotiation Tripp and Leander have ever tried, up to this point. Going down the S&M road blindly seems like something Leejust isn’t willing to do, and Tripp is fine with that—maybe even secretly relieved, just a little.

While Tripp kneels on the bed, a fully-clothed Leander sifts through his various toys and implements, holding different options up and explaining what they’re for, what theywilldo to Tripp’s body when used, and then watching his face for a reaction.

Tripp, for his part, is struggling a little.

Sure, theideaof pain inside a scene sounds all sexy and exciting in his head, and God knows Tripp is confident in chasing his dreams, but there’s nothing sexy about what Lee is doing tonight. Hearing the nitty-gritty details—the mechanical, clinical explanations of whatthisflogger andthatwhip feel like, the harmthispinwheel andthatclamp might cause him—outsideof any existing arousal or stimulation that’s designed to mitigate anxiety and extend payoff isn’t the same.

Without corresponding physical sensations to guide Tripp in what he’s looking for, Lee’s questions are difficult to answer and his presentation feels a lot like pure intimidation. It’s not exactly putting Tripp in the mood. Ironic, since his cock has finally been freed for the negotiation, and subsequently branded itself uninterested in taking advantage of the situation.

Thankfully, Leander seems to catch onto this and changes tack, though not before Tripp considers atleastthrowing up his yellow flag or maybe bailing out altogether. His mind is already half-gone, more focused on going in search of more beers than making a memory.

As he shifts uncomfortably—restlessly—atop the sheets, Leander very suddenly just stops. Stops talking, stops examining his collection of toys and tools, stops trying to solicit Tripp’s input on the best way to wreck his shit withoutscaring him off of ever scening again. Quietly, he closes up the armoire he’s been rummaging through and turns around to face Tripp, the thoughtful look he’s been wearing off and on all day returning to his face.

“This isn’t working, is it?” he asks bluntly.

“No, Sir,” Tripp replies, rather emphatically shaking his head while his shoulders deflate in relief.

“Alright,” Leander agrees. He presses a finger to his lips as he paces a little before once again rounding on Tripp. “Shall we start over?”

“Please, Sir.” Tripp doesn’t hesitate to answer, licking lips that have gone dry with his building anxiety.

Leander nods. “Sit up against the headboard.” He points for emphasis and then moves back to the middle armoire, the one that Tripp has learned contains the most practical items—restraints, plugs, a friggin’ endless supply of lube that Tripp suspects rivals the Astroglide Twitter intern’s personal stash.

When Lee returns, it’s to toss his favorite plug onto the mattress next to Tripp’s hip alongside a bottle of lube. “Prep yourself,” he says simply. “I’ll be right back.” On his way out of the room, Leander dims the lights and presses play on his sound system, releasing some soft, nondescript music to float through the air.

Slightly less unsettled now after the changes in both energy and atmosphere, Tripp sinks back against the headboard and squeezes some lube into his hand, stroking himself gently. Lee didn’t say hecouldn’ttouch his cock, and Tripp really needs his buddy to get back into the mood for what they’re about to do.

In the end, it’s not a difficult mindset to shift. Without Lee's (slightly terrifying) lecture-slash-show-and-tell dampening his arousal, just being in the playroom and in thisbed easily fires his libido back up. In turn, Tripp allows his mind to drift, thinking about Lee and Lee touching him, shivering a little when the cool air from the fan blows across his naked skin, letting his eyes fall closed as his fingers make their way down and inside himself.

It’s not long before he’s sighing and moaning quietly, riding his own hand with the other still slipping slowly around his cock, biting his lip and tipping his head back against the wall. In fact, Tripp gets a little lost in the feeling, nearly forgetting where he is and what he’s meant to be doing. At least, until he hears a soft growl from above and opens his eyes to find Lee staring down at him with themostheated look on his face.

“I regret not staying for the show, now,” he says, as Tripp blinks and hums and pulls his fingers free, accepting the damp towel Leander readily offers to clean them off. Without a word, Lee leans down and shoves the plug inside his ass, no warning save for the brief glimpse Tripp catches of some lube being squeezed onto it. Even still, the plug is a welcome sensation after losing his fingers, and Tripp can’t help but bite at his lip, making eye contact as Lee toys with it, tugging the bulb against his rim before letting it sink back in.

“Hands relaxed against the sheets, for now,” Leander instructs,finallypeeling off his own long-sleeved Henley and undoing his belt while Tripp’s gaze lingers lazily on his bare chest. Mid-strip, Lee gets distracted and moves back over to the nightstand where a handful of candles have appeared alongside their typical aftercare supplies…and a first aid kit.

Jesus, how into the momentwasTripp that he didn’t notice all of the apparent back-and-forth activity?Holy hell.

He blinks quizzically up at Leander, who just smiles and lights the candles, adding a romantic sort of glow to this side of the room. Without any further hesitation, Lee kicks off hisboots, drops his pants, and climbs up into Tripp’s lap. Reaching down, he takes one of Tripp’s hands and directs it to his own ass. Tripp’s fingers curve naturally around a cheek, tips coming to rest on something skin-warmed and metal nestled in between them. He raises his eyebrows in surprise and Leander nods.

“You wore the cage, I wore the plug,” he says easily, and a less horny version of Tripp would probably stop to wonder when the fuck Lee had time to dothat,but as it is, he doesn’t really care. He’s slightly surprised that Lee didn’t demand to be fucked in the dressing room, but Tripp figures he must have his reasons.

“I had a different scene in mind when we got up this morning, something to do with riding your cock while choking you into near-unconsciousness, but—” Leander shrugs. “—the mood shifted.”

“I’ll say,” Tripp murmurs, taking full advantage of Leander’s lack of instruction to finger the plug in his ass and pry it out playfully before pushing it back in with intention. Virtually unaffected, Leander rolls his eyes from above him like a God on high and slaps Tripp’s hand away. “I’m still going to ride you,” he says, almost conversationally. “I’m also going to fuck you, but later. And in between…”

He settles in Tripp’s lap, muscular thighs heavy over Tripp’s own, knees pressed tight against his hips. Lee’s well-toned chest looms teasingly close to where Tripp’s mouth is watering to taste it—in fact, he barely resists the urge to close his lips around a nipple as Lee leans over to pick up a small box from the side table before sitting back on his heels. The box snags Tripp’s attention—not a fancy or decorative thing, just some cardboard and tape, hardly bigger than a matchbox.

In his distraction, Tripp finds himself absently running a hand down Lee's thigh, yanking it away and pushing a fistfrantically down into the mattress before Lee can realize what he’s done. Whether he does or doesn’t, nothing is said about it as Leander opens the little box and pulls out what appears to be a tiny envelope.

Alright, color Tripp confused. What the fuck is Lee playing at?

Before he can ask, Leander flips the envelope open and extracts something that makes Tripp’s heart jump into his throat. It’s a brand-new, straight-edged razor blade. Lee's gaze flicks from the blade’s edge to Tripp’s face, his eyes sharp as the tool he’s holding as he carefully analyzes Tripp’s reaction.

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