Page 77 of Fire & Ice

As they pull onto the street where Leander’s apartment building sits, they both happen to tear their eyes away from their respective windows at the same time. The look Leander gives him is heated, purposeful, and Tripp instantly feels wide awake. As Tripp gathers their things, Leander tips the driver with barely a glance in the guy’s direction or down at his wallet. Hopefully, he doesn’t regret that later.

Inside, Leander nods a greeting to his doorman as he sweeps Tripp through the lobby and into the waiting elevator, and seriously, Tripp’s gotta ask about Lee’s money situation, because this place is bananas. His own building barely has a damn lock on the front door.

It’s quiet on the ride up, but Leander standsrightat Tripp’s side, invading his personal space with confidence, despite the otherwise emptiness of the elevator. Tripp can tell by his energy and the way he’s holding himself that he’s shifting into Hardcore Dom Mode—not that Leander ever really leaves it. Tripp snorts a little at that thought, and Lee looks at him sideways, eyes narrowing like he can read Tripp’s mind.

Fuck, that’s hot.

“When we get inside the apartment,” Leander starts, and his words come out slow and deliberate, enough to prick the hairs on the back of Tripp’s neck up to full attention. Lee’s nose dropping to his shoulder doesn’t help, either. “You’re going to head directly to the bathroom. Remove the plug, clean up, but don’t take off your harness. Obviously,” he adds as an afterthought, exiting the elevator rather abruptly and leaving Tripp to trail behind him with the bags.

Tripp eyes his friend suspiciously once he’s dumped their things on the living room floor, but Leander just folds his arms across his chest and raises an eyebrow. “Was something I said unclear?”

“No, Sir,” Tripp replies quickly, shaking his head before slipping into the bathroom and locking the door behind him, becausesomethings are just not sexy to walk in on, no matter how into someone you might be. He does as he was instructed, leaving his tux pieces folded a bit haphazardly on the sink. They’ll be sent for dry cleaning—no need to be precious there.

Clearly, Leander wanted him out of the way so that he could set something up, that much was apparent. Despite knowing that, Tripp isnotprepared to walk out of the bathroom and into the scene that’s awaiting him. In fact, he stops dead in the middle of the doorway, completely forgetting that he’s supposed to both be kneelingandkeeping his eyes down.

No, Tripp’s definitely staring, but who could blame him?

On top of the bed, Leander is standing barefoot on his toes, suit jacket gone and long dress sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His bowtie is also missing, and the first few buttons of his shirt are undone, but his waistcoat’s still there, accentuating his broad chest and trim hips. Nowayis this look anything but extremely intentional—it’s pushing nearly every button Tripp has that Leander knows exists (at least in the clothing department), and if Lee is planning on teasing him by looking likethat,Tripp might as well grab a white flag now, because he’s not going to last very long.

“Kneel,” Leander says dismissively, otherwise failing to acknowledge Tripp’s existence at all as he reaches up to clip an already-threaded pulley onto a ceiling hook. Tripp obliges, but can’t help noticing the way Lee's shirt pulls slightly free from where it’s tucked into his pants, watching with interest as it separates between two of the buttons.

Whythat particular tease is so hot, Tripp will never know, but here he is, drooling over thebarestflash of tummy skin.Woe.

When Lee finally jumps down from the bed onto the ground, he lands softly, crouched directly in front of Tripp where he reaches out with one finger to tip his chin up. It all happens in one smooth motion that Tripp can’t quite process. God knowshe’sstill tipsy, and if he tried that move, he’d be down for the count. True, he’s got no idea how much Lee actually drank tonight, and maybe he’s basically sober. That’s not impossible, per se, but Tripp has his suspicions that Lee's dismount was curated specifically to keep him from falling on his ass. From breaking the tension or thetonehe’s gone out of his way to set in the room.

Watching Lee straighten up, Tripp lets him have it. While he’s unquestionably a brat, those aren’t the kind of buttons he cares to press when it comes to their dynamic. He’s smart enough to leave well enough alone and just blink innocently up at his Dom.

From this close, Lee smellsgood. Not that too-fresh sort of clean that comes with hopping out of the shower, but a manly, musky scent that mixes with the expensive material of the suit he’s wearing and into his cologne—intoxicating. It’s all Tripp can do not to lean into it, to bury his face in between those spread legs and mouth there until he can feel Lee filling out. With any luck, that’s on the guy’s to-do list, because Tripp’s mouth is watering at the mere thought.

“Safeword?” Leander prompts gently, the crinkles around his eyes deepening as he stares down at Tripp. His gaze is soft and hard at the same time, like he’s looking right through him, straight into his soul.

Holy shit, he’s really drunk.

“Halligan,” Tripp replies, his voice cracking a little. Embarrassed, he flushes and tries to duck his head, but Leander is quicker—grabbing Tripp’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to maintain eye contact.

“Don’t look away from me,” he commands.

“Yes, Sir,” Tripp replies, keeping his voice soft and quiet, because he knows that Lee loves when he’s compliant and submissive, but also so that it doesn’t crack again.A man can only take so much.

“And your safeword, are you using it?”

“No, Sir.”

Leander nods. “I’m not going to gag you. I want you to let me hear every pretty noise you feel compelled to make tonight.”Starting to move and then thinking better of it, Leander settles back into a crouch as he looks pointedly down his nose at Tripp.

“Noises,”he clarifies, because he knows Tripp all too well. “Not words. No back-talk, no questions, no talking at all unless you’re feeling unsafe. As usual, you may say ‘yellow’, ‘red,’ or safeword if that’s the case, and I will respond accordingly. Otherwise,noisesonly. Am I understood?”

The still-tipsy part of Tripp’s brain just can’t help itself.

“Mmhmm,” Tripp hums, barely suppressing a smirk as he stares wide-eyed back at Lee. After all, he’s only following instructions. Before he can so much as blink, Tripp’s cheek is smarting and he’s looking at the floor instead of his friend. Thesmackof Lee's hand making contact with his face sends a thrill through Tripp’s body—he’ssofucking ready,sodesperate for this.

His hands clench behind his back as he breathes,in and out,closing his eyes and allowing himself an extended second to relish the sting of his skin before Lee is grabbing his hair and yanking his head up.

“Brat,” Leander growls. “We don’t mess around with safety. Answer my question immediately or I’ll stop the scene right now.”

“I understand, Sir,” Tripp gasps. Lee's grip on his hair is more ferocious than usual, and when he releases it, he does so with a little jerk that has Tripp toppling over from his knees onto his hip. “I’m sorry, Sir.” He’s not sorry, and Leander knows it, judging by the roll of his eyes he gives in return as he stands and beckons for Tripp to do the same.

“Up. Feet slightly apart, arms straight out, like you’re reaching for the walls.” As Leander saunters over to the far armoire, the one that holds all of his bondage supplies, Trippcomplies with his instructions. While he watches Leander rooting casually around in the top drawer, he regrets doing it so quickly, realization slowly dawning that holding his arms out in this way was not necessary positioning for shibari, it’s punishment for his sass.

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