Page 39 of Corporate Bondage

Chapter Seventeen

(Keith)

I growled in my throat at Gio sticking his finger into his mouth. The front of my jeans constricted, as my cock stirred at the sight of his lips tugging at his finger. I'd never felt happier, relaxed and flirting. My emotions no longer compelled me to seek death. I was eager to explore life with Gio and this food obsessive side of him. I’d be more than willing to be his food tester.

“As long as I am perving on your ass, I don’t see the problem,” I told him, which led me back to my theory. I dipped the spoon into the ice cream and glanced at him. “I think you’re trying to fatten me up so nobody else will want me.”

The sides of his eyes crinkled with laughter. “First of all, I like you fine the way you are, muscles, six pack and all. Secondly, who cares if nobody else wants you. I’ll always want you.”

“Gio.” I groaned, his words hitting me in the gut. I wanted him. My eyes dropped to the front of his jeans. He wanted me just as much.

“Ice cream’s melting,” he warned and spooned ice cream into his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned. I followed the movement of his mouth and his throat as he swallowed. Holy fuck, I’d never been turned on watching a man eat anything before.

“Well, don’t just stare. Eat.”

Because I was at a loss for words, I placed the spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. He watched me expectantly, and I hoped I didn’t disappoint him. I hadn’t been lying about my reaction to food. Even now with all the money I had to savor food, I never really did. The habit had always been ingrained in me to eat whatever was provided and not give thought to the taste. I also never wasted food, always remembering a time when I didn't have enough.

The flavor of the ice cream exploded on my tongue. Malt, a hint of coconut, and was that rum? I took another spoonful and tried to separate the flavors, cinnamon, vanilla and definitely rum.

“This is good,” I told him, relieved that I could actually comment on the taste. I was afraid it would taste like every other ice cream, and I’d struggle to pay him a compliment. I didn’t want to disappoint him. “I like the combination of flavors. And the rum… that’s a great touch.”

“White Overproof rum shipped straight from Jamaica,” he remarked, grinning. “I had a taste of their Dragon Stout ice cream once when I vacationed there. They have this awesome little ice cream franchise called Devon House, and I knew I wanted a similar flavor. This is the closest I’ve come, and I think I like it just fine. The rum was an experiment, and I think it came out well.”

He sounded so pleased with himself, his eyes full of life. Then he turned his head and I had to face that bruised side of his face again. We were pretending it hadn’t happened, and that was no way to deal with it.

“Gio, we should talk about last night.”

The light in his eyes dimmed. He popped the spoon in his mouth licking it and I knew he was doing it for spite to avoid the conversation. I got up from my seat and walked over to him. His eyes widened as I took the spoon from him and stuck it into the bowl of ice cream. He licked his lips.

“Stop that.” I scowled at him. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work. Avoiding the issue won’t make it right. We need to talk about it.”

“Do we?”

“Yes. Gio, it’s not okay that I lost my cool and slammed you into the door like that. Looking at you fucking hurts because I’m reminded that I did that to you.”

“I started it.” He sighed and leaned back against the island. “If I hadn’t been so jealous I would have listened instead of punching you."

I nodded in agreement. “Yes, that’s something you’re going to have to work on. You’re an extremely jealous guy.” He flushed at my statement. “I mean I wouldn’t want it to completely go away. After all, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the attention. I do, probably more than my therapist thinks is healthy. I like that you don’t want to lose me to someone else. I’ve never had anyone care about me that much before.”

He opened his mouth to speak, and I placed a finger over his lips. “No, I’m not done, and you’re going to listen to what I have to say.” I inhaled deeply and swallowed hard. “I’ve a therapist that I’ve been going to since I met you because I want to work out my issues. I’m not saying I’m going to be fixed, but I think things will get better and I’m willing to make the effort because there’s something about being with you. It feels right and makes me want to be a better man.”

Gio nibbled on my finger and I pulled it away, the tenderness in my heart constricting so hard it hurt. “Are you done with the mushy stuff now?”

“No, not yet.” I pressed a kiss to his lips, and when I pulled back he chased after my lips. I chuckled and evaded him. “Dammit, Gio, I’m trying to be serious here.”

“And I’m trying to tell you that you’ve nothing to worry about.” He placed both hands at the back of my neck and locked his fingers. I stiffened, feeling the old panic edging its way to destroy this perfect moment. I concentrated on his words and tried to keep the darkness at bay. “I already know, Keith, that we won’t be like everyone else, and I’m fine with that. We are different, a little selfish, possessive and hot-tempered. We hurt each other at times and yeah, it’s not okay, but I think we’re trying to do our best.”

“Now who’s being sappy?” I had to make a joke of it otherwise, I would have been too choked up with emotions. In all my thirty-eight years, I’d never had someone tell me they loved me like Gio just did. Oh, he didn’t say the words exactly, but he said so much more. And, that was the reason I had to explain it all to him.

“Well, I couldn’t let you win.”

I smiled at him. “Gio, there’s something you should know about me.” I reached behind me and removed his hands from my neck. “Your hands around my neck triggered a memory last night that I don’t like thinking about." I held both his hands and squeezed them, probably too hard, but he didn’t protest. “For it to make sense, I’ll have to go way back. My mom died when I was four. I never knew who my father was, and I grew up in several state homes and in foster care. I was never always tall and as big as I am now. I grew up small and skinny. The older kids would pick on me. When I was fourteen, I learned if I did favors for them they would leave me alone and not destroy all my shit. I ran away when I was sixteen and did what I knew to survive. My first experience of sex, you see, was being the weak bottom who got passed around from one guy to the next. I was powerless to do anything about it.”

A tremor went through him and he clung to my hands as much as I was clinging to him. “Keith, you don’t have to dredge up the memories.”

“But, I have to so you can understand what happened last night.” I was touched he offered me an easy way out though. “One night I got picked up by a guy. I was desperately in need of some cash. By then I was trying to get out of the business, but every time I made enough I would never find a job to tide me over to pay the rent. I never finished high school, so I made very little. I ended up back at square one.” I tried to detach myself from the scenario while I explained the rest. “The guy got overly excited and all he managed was a blowjob. What was supposed to be an easy enough trick turned sour when he tried to strangle me.” He gasped but I ignored it to continue. “It was either me or him that night, and I made sure it wasn’t me. I killed him, Gio and then, I ran. I moved here to San Diego, living on the streets at first. I waited, expecting to be arrested.

It was years before I started to feel safe again like I didn't have to watch my back. I got my life under control but had to do so the way I knew how, except, this time the client wanted me to dominate him. He paid me well, gave me a starter position in his company, I worked on my GED, busted my ass off while dominating him the way he wanted. I liked the control, liked being in the driver’s seat. I liked hurting him for all those men who made me feel like nothing but a cum dump. So you see, I’m not an easy man to be with. I come with a lot of baggage, baggage that may hurt you.”

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