Page 25 of Doubts of the Egoist
“No. Answer the real one.” Kuon tried to pull his hand out of Yugo’s grip as if to say, “No answer, no hand.”
Yugo grinned and interlaced their fingers. “Yes, all the cameras record sound.”
“That’s how you knew it was Mio who let me out…”
Unlike the former detective, Yugo didn’t want to dwell onthe past or hand out free answers. Still, he needed to gain Kuon’s trust and wipe the worry from his eyes, so he nodded. “Yes, the white room also has cameras. I watched the recordings; I know what he told you. Since all the local vehicles here have GPS tracking, it wasn’t hard to find you.”
Kuon fell silent. It took him a good minute to think of his next question. “If Mio hadn’t interfered that day, would you have ever let me go?”
“Ask something else.” Yugo winced inwardly.
“No, answer.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Never? What if you got tired of me? Would you have killed me or sold me to a brothel?” Kuon tried to pull his hand away, but Yugo held it.
“Don’t be silly.”
“Then what was the plan? Keep me isolated for the rest of my life and watch me lose my mind day by day?”
“No,” Yugo said, cheek twitching. “I hoped you’d come to like me and decide to stay.”
“Seriously?” Kuon laughed. When Yugo didn’t reply, his gaze turned inward, clouded by memories. “Jesus, Yugo… Never thought I’d feel like sending Mio a thank-you card.”
To prevent him from plunging any deeper, Yugo said, “I didn’t know how to let you go. I wanted you to look only at me. I still do.” Kuon didn’t reply, but he didn’t pull his hand away either, so Yugo took that as a good sign. “Since I’ve satisfied your curiosity, pay the price. Simon says your arm is mine for five minutes to do whatever I want.”
He flashed his platinum Patek Philippe watch in Kuon’s face and activated the timer.
Kuon blinked and relaxed his elbow.
“What do you need my arm for?” Realization crossed the scarred face as Yugo lifted the trapped limb and took Kuon’s little finger into his mouth. “For five minutes?”
“Not a second less,” Yugo confirmed with a flat lick on the heel of his palm.
Holding Kuon’s gaze and fighting the grin tugging at the corners of his lips, Yugo dragged his tongue along the ring finger, then closed his lips around a knuckle. The poorly trimmed, sharp nail jabbed his palate, scratching it as Yugo took the finger as deep as he could. The black pupils shrank in pain as Yugo bit down, desperate to hold Kuon’s thoughts on him alone.
Kuon hissed asYugo bit him, bruising his flesh to the bone before the cruel mouth withdrew. Throbbing, aching, the white teeth imprint branded the space between his palm and middle knuckle. Within seconds, the mark saturated with red.
“Fuck, what are you, hungry?” Kuon rasped, trying to distract himself from the pain and the odd thought that the bite mark resembled a ring. A small muscle on his wrist twitched with the need to tear his captured hand away as Yugo’s tongue dragged over the bruise.
“Don’t complain. It’s your fault I missed dinner and am starving.” The dubious words sent a shiver down Kuon’s spine. He tried to collect his thoughts, but couldn’t look away from the insolent mouth.
Yugo’s eyes glowed with animalistic hunger as his teethnipped lower to leave another bloody mark on the edge of Kuon’s palm.
A wild smile revealed his canines before Yugo lavished more throbbing marks on Kuon’s forearm. With his free hand, Kuon pushed Yugo’s head away, complaining, “Seriously, who are you, Jeffrey Dahmer?”
“Why? Want to arrest me? Put handcuffs on me?” Yugo purred as he pressed the captive hand to his own cheek, then dragged it down his throat, demanding Kuon touch him. Entranced, Kuon watched his fingers slide over the notch of Yugo’s throat, then down the silky shirt to the defined pecs.
Yugo distracting him from his goals seemed illegal. He nodded, floundering in a sinking haze of thoughtless lust. “I do.”
Kuon’s hand glided over Yugo’s chest without being prompted. The back of his finger outlined Yugo’s erect nipple, then drew a line down to his stomach. Kuon swallowed hard.
“Ah, I missed watching you watch me,” Yugo whispered.
Watching me?Kuon blinked as an old thought took on new colors.There were cameras in the white room. What exactly did he see?
His eyes narrowed, and Yugo’s face fell into perfect focus. “Wait… Were you watching me all that time?”
