“I don’t wanna explain it to you,” Paul said, his voice husky and seductive against his will. “You’re not supposed to know. That’d be terrible.”
“Why?” Danny asked, some of the lightning seeping out of his voice as he frowned at Paul. “What the hell is wrong with you? Are you fucked up? Did you take something?”
Paul shook his head silently, refusing to explain subspace. A part of him panicked at the idea of Danny becoming intrigued by it. Paul couldn’t think of anything more horrifying than Danny submitting to someone. He would do anything to prevent it, to keep the defiance in Danny, the absolute certainty that the world existed to serve him. It was selfish of him because that attitude was serving Danny poorly, but at that moment Danny’s outrageously bad attitude blossomed into one of the sexiest things Paul had ever come across.
He groaned under the weight of his need, knowing the wires were so crossed in his brain it would be extremely difficult to undo the damage. The desire was a shimmer of fire that danced over his skin. He leaned down, resting his forehead against his knees, his hands tangling in his hair as he tried to fight the lust that was going to put him in a worse situation than he was already in. It was one thing for Danny to discover Paul was a kinky bastard, it was quite another for him to think he was attracted to him. He could probably salvage everything with Danny over getting off on licking high-class pussy decked out in leather and high heels, but finding out that being the world’s biggest asshole was making Paul hotter than he could ever remember being, that would be a kill shot to their friendship.
So intense was his inner battle he didn’t notice them pulling off the road. His senses were suddenly overwhelmed when Danny leaned over, invading his personal space and grabbing his chin. Paul blinked when Danny turned on the dome light, feeling mesmerized by dark, calculating eyes as Danny studied him. Paul tried not to notice how good he smelled, expensive cologne mixing with tobacco in a way that was enticing enough to make his mouth water.
“Your eyes are dilated,” Danny growled in a low, dangerous voice, his fingers biting into Paul’s skin. When he spoke again, his words were sharp and concise as he said slowly, “What did you take?”
“N-Nothing,” Paul choked out, still blinking to fight the lust cloud affecting his vision.
“Bullshit,” Danny said, sounding deadly serious. “Tell me now, or you’re gonna be explaining to the doctors in the emergency room what the fuck happened to your back.”
“It’s the pain,” Paul said instantly, knowing for certain the emergency room was the last place he wanted to end up. “It, um…does that. It’ll go away. I promise.”
“Why’s it do that?”
Paul didn’t trust himself to speak. Danny’s hold on his chin was biting, his body close enough that Paul could feel the heat off him. He bit his lip to fight the urge to arch into him, to silently beg for closer contact. He wanted to close his eyes to hide, but he didn’t dare. Danny’s gaze held him captive.
Danny huffed in irritation when Paul didn’t answer and then clarified in a slow, concise voice that demanded an answer. “Why would pain fuck you up like this?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Paul snapped, the fight against the raging lust making him defiant and angry. He didn’t want to be waging this battle, not when he was hurting this nicely and Danny smelled like smoky sex wrapped up in one very attractive package. “Do I look like a doctor?”
Danny shoved him in retaliation. Taken by surprise, the back of Paul’s head smacked against the window.
That was all it took for the fight to slip out of him as if he had never waged the battle to begin with.
Paul arched into Danny with a low groan, his eyes rolling back under the flood of longing that washed over him, crushing every last bit of resistance he had.
Danny’s breath hitched, his body going ramrod stiff in reaction. “Oh my God,” he choked out, the shock ringing in his voice.
Paul’s mind ran rampant with the problem of trying to talk Danny into playing with him. He disconnected himself completely, freeing him from the worry of a destroyed friendship. When he opened his eyes, he made them soft on purpose. He licked his lips, very aware of how that action drew Danny’s gaze to them, and it was obvious they both knew what he was implying.
Danny opened his mouth, nothing but a choking gasp slipping past his lips. Then he pulled away, sitting back up in the driver’s seat and staring ahead unseeing. He rested his hands on the steering wheel, his shoulders unnaturally stiff, his chest rising and falling in rapid pants of what Paul could only assume was extreme shock.
“You have officially fucked up the voice of my conscience, Paul Guy,” Danny finally whispered after the longest minute of Paul’s life. “And it’s
really
bad timing.”
“I’m sorry,” Paul rasped, not really sure what he was apologizing for, but hating himself for pissing Danny off nonetheless. “I won’t do it again.”
“I can’t do this,” Danny started, his eyes still wide and staring into the darkness as if he were talking to himself. “It’d be such a dick move to take advantage of you when you’re like this. It’d be bad, Paul Guy, really bad—even for me. There’s something wrong with you. Your father fucked you up or something. I can’t take advantage of that. Tell me how fucked up that would be.”
Paul stared hard, his jaw falling slack.
Danny was actually considering it.
That was painfully easy, much more so than Paul had expected.
Excitement made his voice quiver as he said frantically, “But I like the idea of you taking advantage of me. It’s sorta—hot.” Paul looked away after the last word, feeling embarrassed despite everything because he’d done it, he’d laid it out on the table in a way only someone who got off on humiliation could.
“What triggers it?” Danny asked, still refusing to look at Paul. “Is it just the pain? Or is it something else?”
“I like the mind fuck,” Paul explained, answering Danny’s questions without an ounce of censorship because it wasn’t in him to lie to the person he’d handed the reins to. “And I love the pain, that’s my fetish. But I like to be dominated too, to be told what to do. I like providing pleasure. Really, I like whatever you like.”
“Can I just be an asshole?” Danny clarified, his grip on the steering wheel white knuckled once more. “Or do I have to hurt you?”
“Are you
willing
to hurt me?” Paul asked in surprise, unable to hide the longing and excitement in his voice.
“What’d I get if I do?” Danny finally turned to look at him, his glare so penetrating, Paul actually held his breath in response. “If I go along with this fucked-up shit you’re into, I wanna know what
exactly
I get in return.”
“Anything you want,” Paul said without hesitation. He gave Danny a look and punctuated his voice on purpose. “
Anything.
”
Danny was silent, unmoving, like a predator stalking prey. His eyes narrowed in a silent challenge before he leaned over once more, falling into him. Paul responded immediately, arching in invitation. When Danny reached up, pushing at Paul’s cheek, forcing him to look away, Paul went with it, offering his neck to him when he felt Danny’s breath hot against his sensitive skin.
Danny dragged his tongue from the curve of his neck up to the soft spot behind his ear, doing it slowly as if staking ownership. Paul knew he was being deliberately lascivious, testing the waters on purpose, but he didn’t give a fuck. He groaned out loud, his chest heaving under the waves of longing, his cock aching to the point he wondered if he was going to embarrass himself and come right there.
When Danny’s teeth sank into the curve of his neck, latching onto skin and muscle and then tugging, Paul’s entire body jerked in reaction. “Fuck,” he ground out, sliding his hand between their bodies and pushing his palm against his cock that was straining against his leather pants. “S-Stop,” he pleaded desperately. “Please stop, Danny Boy.”
“Can’t take it?” Danny asked, lifting his head to glare at him, his eyes shining with profound disappointment. “Wanna run back to your girlfriends instead of take what I have to offer?”
“No, I just—” Paul swallowed hard, fighting the lust that was hazing his brain to the point even speaking was difficult. He studied Danny, taking in the hurt that showed on his face and trying to figure out what he did to cause it. “I don’t wanna come—yet. Unless you want me to. Do you want me to?”
Confusion marred Danny’s brow for a brief moment before his eyes darted to Paul’s crotch. When he lifted them again, a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “No.” His voice was sultry, the lull of his Southern accent making it smooth and compelling as he licked at his full lips. “If you’re hard for me, coming would ruin it. I don’t like that.” He leaned closer once more, placing a kiss against the patch of skin he damaged with his teeth. “Maybe I’ll leave you hard and aching for days, months, years. That’s how long I’ve been hard for you. Turnabout’s fair play, dontcha think, Paul Guy?”
“Wha—” Danny’s words sank past Paul’s lust-clouded senses. He blinked and then reached out, touching his arm and ignoring the way Danny flinched from the contact. “Danny Boy—”
“Shut up,” Danny snapped, his eyes narrowed. Paul jumped when he slammed his hand against the headrest. “You don’t get to fucking talk. I’m gonna use you and you’re gonna let me. Isn’t that the game we’re playing?”
That was more than enough to have Paul filing away whatever confession Danny made to be dealt with later. He wilted once more, giving him a soft look on purpose. “Sure, I like that game.”
“Then I don’t want you to talk,” Danny said before he pulled away, taking the car out of park. He turned to look behind him, his hand resting on Paul’s seat as he took a deep breath. “You really fucked up, Paul Guy, because I don’t have an issue with using people’s weaknesses against them, and this is a pretty big fucking weakness. You could end up being my bitch for a very long time.”
* * * * *
The car ride was deathly silent. There was no radio playing, no conversation, not even halting, only the sound of the road against tires and the raspy breathing from both of them filling the air.
Danny drove on autopilot, the lights ghostly in the darkness, blending out to misty shades of white and red, but he wasn’t seeing them. His mind was on the man next to him, his scent an intoxicating mix of cologne and sweat. Danny tried not to notice the coppery smell of blood, and tried even harder not to admit to himself that it was turning him on.
He was silently praying it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He had wanted Paul for too long, hungered for him too desperately. The car ride felt like the last few steps out of a fathomless desert. He was parched for just a taste of Paul, for some way to quench the excruciating thirst. If spilling a little blood was all it took to get it, the scent of it was more than enough to get his dick hard.
He wasn’t trying to stop himself from taking advantage of Paul. He wasn’t that noble, not even close. He was, however, hoping to God that a lifetime of starvation on his part wasn’t going to clash too violently with Paul’s preference for pain. He should be taking him to the hospital as it was, not silently plotting a way to get him writhing beneath him. By the time he pulled up to his house, leaving his car in the large patch of open land in front of it, his hands were shaking and his cock was throbbing.
It was, by far, the longest car ride of Danny’s entire life.
Danny turned off the car without looking at Paul. “Get out.”
It was strange how Paul obeyed without a single hesitation. Not understanding for the life of him why this was what got Paul off, but not arguing with good fortune, Danny got out after him. He pocketed his keys as he walked around the car and stared at Paul curiously.
The house was lonely at the end of a long road. The trees surrounding it cast shadows in the darkness, but the sky was clear and Paul looked amazing wearing moonlight. He still wore Danny’s white shirt. It hung open, showing off Paul’s broad, muscular chest, and flapped in the breeze that was a benefit of autumn in Tampa. Paul tilted his head toward him, his crystalline gaze vibrant in the darkness. He took a shuddering breath, staring at Danny through lowered lashes that were surprisingly long, contributing to almost-pretty features marred only by his large size.
“Are you mad at me?” Paul asked, his voice laced with fear that had been absent in the car.
Danny shook his head, heaving a sigh. “No.”
Paul licked his lips, hesitance showing on his face. “You don’t have to—”
“I want to,” Danny said, trying to put himself in Paul’s shoes, with his secrets laid bare, his darkest desires spilled out on the table as stark and vibrant as the blood stains blossoming crimson against the white silk of Danny’s shirt. “I like it, Paul Guy,” he admitted. If Paul could lay his soul bare, Danny could too. “I like it a lot.”
Paul frowned, the murkiness to his thinking process obvious. “Like what?”
“Cock,” Danny clarified. “I enjoy fucking men. Particularly pretty college boys with innocent smiles and blue eyes that sparkle in the moonlight.”
“I’m not pretty,” Paul said defensively.
Danny snorted in amusement as a blanket of relief fell over him, making him feel more relaxed than he had been in a very long time. He hadn’t realized until right then how much that secret had weighed on him. “You’re pretty to me,” he said with a lustful sigh, letting his eyes run over Paul longingly once more. “God, you’re like candy, you’re so fucking sweet. I just wanna eat you.”
“That’s not sexy,” Paul said, giving him a disgruntled look. “Do you really fuck guys?”
“Yes.”
Paul’s weight shifted from one foot to the other. He bit his lip for one long moment before he asked, “Are you, um, a pitcher or a…catcher?”
Danny couldn’t help it; he smiled broadly, so much so his cheeks hurt from the effort. “I pitch—exclusively. Scared?”
“Yes,” Paul said quickly, but his voice was breathy-sounding with a catch of excitement that was totally out of place. One would think he’d just admitted to a secret love of chocolate instead of a very real fear of getting fucked by his best friend. “Terrified.”