Page 64 of Sycopation
“You’ve been doing internet searches, haven’t you?” Ray’s blush told Zavier everything. Thing was, Ray had a point. “Yes...yes, it is a kind of relationship, one built on consent and trust and caring. On surrender and control.” He couldn’t fault Ray for shivering. He trembled a little himself.
“But you don’t do relationships,” Ray said.
Yeah, that sounded contradictory, but explaining that he was aromantic and didn’t fall in love wasn’t a conversation hewanted to have at the moment. Besides, chances were that Ray wouldn’t believe him, or that he’d think Zavier was broken or some of the other shit former partners had said. “I do kink relationships, but I don’t do romantic relationships.”
Ray studied his hands. “So this is...friends with benefits?” He looked up and met Zavier’s gaze. Lovely amber eyes with such a yearning in them.
“Are we finally friends?” Zavier murmured the question. “Or are you still pissed at me?”
Ray grunted a laugh. “Touché.” But his smile was bright. “We’re friends. I may always be a little pissed at you. And I’dreallylike to know more about these benefits, please.”
If they’d already had this conversation, Zavier would’ve hauled Ray over his knees and spanked his ass for that. But they hadn’t, and he didn’t even know what Ray enjoyed. Hell, he didn’t know if Ray knew what Ray enjoyed.
He patted Ray’s thigh.Friends. They were friends. Thank god. “Tell me what you know from your internet reading.”
Ray did, and it was about what Zavier expected, plus a few deeper topics. Information about safewords, consent, and subspace. But he’d also learned about the differences between sane, safe, consensual play and risk-aware consensual kink play. He’d looked into types of domination and bondage. Slavery. Pain and edge play.
“I’m not so sure about knives and things like that,” Ray said.
That Zavier understood. “I’m somewhat squeamish when it comes to blood, so you needn’t worry about that.” Aside from the whole man-loving-man thing that barred him from donating blood, he’d also fainted every fucking time. Not from giving his own, but seeing all those bags of other people’s blood. He shuddered.
“And yet, all your tattoos.”
Zavier grunted and rubbed his arms. Painful in their way, but so worth it. “Most of the time, I don’t see any, and it’smyblood. There’s a difference.”
Ray nodded absently.
“What turns you on?” That was what he really wanted to know. What fantasies could Zavier make come true for Ray—or torture him with?
Wants and desires apparently took a little more to pry out of Ray. He stammered, shifted in his seat, then got up and paced, his neck red and his body in motion.
The answer was, however, fairly close to what Zavier thought Ray might enjoy. Being tied up in various ways. A number of sex acts. Toys. Gags. Cuffs. Submission. Everything he loved to do to a willing partner, a willing submissive.
“But none of that humiliation shit. I get enough of that from Carl.”
“I willnevertreat you like that pile of assholes does.” That came out a little harsher than he intended, but the look in Ray’s face was priceless, full of thankfulness and hope.
Ray breathed out. “Can we—just—” He waved his hand. “Start?” All that energy, both the good and bad, had returned and was ramping him up.
“Very soon.” Zavier watched as Ray moved back and forth again. “How do you feel about spanking?”
A blush to high heaven. Excellent. Fire for Zavier’s blood.
“I’d—like to try that. Maybe more.”
“Flogging?”
Ray nodded. “I want to know what it feels like—if nothing else.”
“We can work up to it.” Zavier made a mental list of items he’d need to order and have shipped to their next hotel. They’d both enjoy their next day of downtime. So many ways to tormentRay zipped through Zavier’s mind. What he could do with a nice bed and some lengths of rope.
He pried out a few more details before Ray was too keyed up to continue—apparently descriptions and photos of cock-and-ball torture had made him both curious and horrified—that was also something they could see about trying, should thebenefitspart of their friendship work out well, but that was far too much to start with.
“Do you have a safeword in mind?”
Ray shook his head. “Linguini?” He laughed. “But no, I don’t know. What about red and yellow? I read about those, and I like the idea of a word that means slow down.”
“Perfect.” Everything was falling into place.
