Page 36 of Darkness and Duress

I pulled the stupid thing from its hook on the wall and backed up till my knees hit the mattress, sitting with another grunt as my achy joints and the stiffness of inactivity coursed through my limbs. The cat was hot on my heels, launching off the dresser with a cute little chirpy purring sound. I flicked the stick left and right and up and down, marveling at the insane athletics of the massive fur ball. He was a huge cat, but damn if he couldn't leap higher than any cat I'd ever seen.

I flicked, he pounced. I jerked, he rolled. I swirled, and he spiraled. Around and around and around until I was unable to stop laughing and he was unable to stand up straight. I took pity on the poor creature and let him grab the feather, still laughing as he wobbled away in a crooked line with the wand dragging between his legs. As I tracked his retreat, I jumped and drew in a startled gasp upon finding myself with an audience.

Bran had his shoulder against the doorframe and his hands in the front pockets of his too-tight jeans, looking far more attractive than any man had the right to be. Embarrassed, I pushed to my feet and then hesitated, not having a way to escape his enigmatic smile and knowing gaze.

“Oh, no you don't.” He pushed off the door and took three swaying steps toward me. “Never have I ever wanted to suck a dick more than I want to suck yours right now.”

Too many conflicting thoughts raced through my head. Shame over being caught playing like a little kid. Nerves over being startled when I was usually so aware of everything around me. Arousal over his unexpected comment. Confused for the same reason.

“The fuck…?”

“Yeah, that was probably the sexiest thing I've seen. You, laughing and playing with my fur baby? Fuck me sideways, baby. You just keep getting hotter and hotter.” His hands landed on my chest as he smirked up at me. “How was your day?”

I blinked a few times as I parsed his words, my brain working in slow motion. “Uh… fine. Same shit.”

“Mhmm. We’re going out tonight.” Bran’s palms caressed over my chest, kneading my pecs before an unexpected shove had me tumbling back into the bed.

“Oof! What?” I propped myself up on my elbows but got no further than that. He moved too fast. Before I could sit upright, he placed his hand on my chest and moved to stand between my knees.

“We’re going out. Having fun. Doing something. I know you’ve heard of it before.” He sank to his knees, one by one, all the while grinning at me like a loon.

“I don't want to. I shouldn't drink—”

“No drinking. We’re done with that. Jer’s got a meet. He got the call earlier. We’re going. You need to get out of the house.” His nimble fingertips tickled over my torso before hooking onto the waistband of the ratty flannel pants he'd loaned me. “But first, I'm getting this dick in my mouth.”

A moan snuck up my throat and out of my mouth before I could stifle the sound. What the hell was happening? How couldthis man reduce me to a dysfunctional mess with just a few words and a sultry smile?

“Gimme something to work with here, Sad Panda. Yes to dick sucking?” He paused, the pants pulled dangerously low over my hips. So low, I could see my fucking pubes and the mound of my pelvis. Fuck, even the base of my embarrassingly hard dick.

I nodded—barely—and lifted my hips to accommodate his movements as he jerked the elastic lower. I should have been full of shame for how hard I was, but Bran had a way of making my brain short circuit. All I could do was huff softly as my cock sprang free with vigor.

“Good. This time, I'm in charge.” He leaned forward and flicked the bead of precum off the head of my dick with the tip of his tongue. “Not gonna stop till you're screaming my name, baby.”

I rolled my eyes and tried to feign irritation, even as my pulse jumped and my dick throbbed. Recollections of the last time he sucked my dick slammed into my head and dulled the arousal. I had to swallow three times before I could make words work.

“Look… uh… last time…” Another pause, another swallow. “If you don't want me to get rough—”

“Shut up, Marc.” He rose up on his knees and grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. They were mesmerizing. Sparkly and clear and dilated with lust above cheeks that were dusted rose petal pink. “I like it rough. I like it really rough. And if that's something you like too, then halle-fucking-lujah for me.”

My tongue snuck over my teeth and I pulled it back with a sucking sound, my jaw hanging lax as my breath quickened in my chest. I was already fucking panting and he had barely even touched my dick. “Y-yeah… I do, but—”

“What do you mean, but? There is no but. I like it. You like it. Let's fucking go.” He settled back on his haunches and slid his palms to my thighs.

“I don't want to hurt you!” The words blurted out of my mouth too fast and too loud.

“Baby… hey. Hey, look here.” He waited until I made reluctant eye contact before he continued. “Do you trust me to tell you when I've reached my limit? That's how this works. We talk. We communicate. We listen.”

If only it were that simple. But it was never that simple. Yeah, I liked to be rough. I hated that I liked it. I knew what it was like to be used, abused, tossed aside and degraded and I fucking hated it. The nightmares still haunted me. The things I did, the things that had been done to me… before I realized what I was doing, my body was moving backward over the bed and my dick was already deflating.

“Whoa, okay… hey, it's okay.” Bran lifted his hands in surrender, moving cautiously to climb to his feet and advance. “Easy, Marc. No dick sucking. We’re going to just talk. Hug a little. Can you breathe for me?”

I gasped at his command, the panting quickly taking over as the panic seeped into my bones with a shiver. Fuck me, I was so fucked up. So incredibly, horrifically fucked up.

“Coming in, baby. Are you ready?”

As soon as he was within range, my hands whipped toward him and grabbed him. My brain was in some primal state of shock and all I could think was that I needed him close. I needed him safe. I needed to keep him safe fromme.

“What am I going to do with you, baby?” Bran came easily, effortlessly, shifting to straddle my lap as his arms coiled around my head and held it tight to his chest, his fingertips combing through my hair and easing my nerves just enough that I could breathe easier. “My Sad Panda.”

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