“If your Handler had not warned you against sex with other men, would you have tried it?” Drekk asked.
Ryen found himself admitting the truth. “Yes.”
“Good. Curiosity is human, Ryen.” Drekk winked. “We were Created to be human, weren’t we? Why then wouldn’t we want to experience everything? Perhaps after you bed a male, you’ll find you don’t like it.”
Ryen hadn’t thought of that.
“What do you have to lose? If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”
“How do I know you’ll stop?” Ryen held up his wrists. “If you want to earn my trust, try it without these.”
“I would if I could trust you. I don’t. I know what it’s like in the early years. You need help with restraint.”
“You said you’re strong. You don’t need these.” Ryen glared at the magnecuffs.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Every time Drekk mentioned hurting Ryen, Ryen’s blood spiked. The thought that Drekk had enough might to overpower him intrigued him to no end.
“You’ve done well today with the meditation. Now it’s time to relax. Pull your chair over here.”
“I could use the rest. Where should I bunk down?” Ryen deliberately ignored Drekk’s command. Nervous and not liking it, he forced himself to pretend Drekk didn’t have the upper hand. Because as much as Ryen despised the cuffs, the knowledge that he was under Drekk’s authority didn’t repulse him as it first had.
“Do I have to use the cuffs to move you? Relax, Ryen. I’m not going to hurt you.” The smirk on Drekk’s face irritated him anew. Ryen stalked to within an inch of the male and glared down at him. “I’m not scared of you, Drekk.”
“Then pull your chair next to mine and sit. I have another exercise for you to complete.” Ryen sat, as stiff as a board, prepared for an attack of some kind.
“Open your mouth.”
“What?”
“Say nothing. Open your mouth. ” When Drekk’s gaze blackened before returning to light grey, Ryen felt his will to resist fade.
More curious now than alarmed, Ryen opened his mouth. Drekk took a piece of fruit and placed it on his tongue.
“Close your eyes and your mouth and chew. Then swallow it and tell me what it tastes like.”
Ryen closed his eyes and mouth, catching the tip of Drekk’s finger in the process. The taste of salty flesh mixed with the ripe sweetness of the fruit before Drekk slipped his finger free. Ryen chewed and swallowed, hypersensitive to the weight of Drekk’s gaze, to the subtle scent of the male mixing with the fruity sensation on his tongue.
“The fruit is sweet.” He couldn’t help the rasp in his voice.
“And? What of its texture?”Drekk murmured.
Ryen started to answer when a hand landed on his thigh. He opened his eyes and stared at Drekk’s large hand.
“Close your eyes and answer the question. What of its texture?” Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Ryen closed his eyes and said, “It’s fleshy, soft and chewy. The fruit fills my mouth with juice when I bite into it.” That hand inched higher on his thigh before lowering towards his knee. The tension in the room thickened.
“Relax, Ryen. Now keep your eyes closed, open your mouth and take another bite.” Ryen didn’t understand what Drekk expected him to learn from this ‘exercise’ but didn’t see the harm in complying. The fruit tasted delicious. If Drekk got out of hand, Ryen could take him down and mute him before Drekk had an opportunity to voice-command the cuffs. He hoped.
Another piece of fruit landed on his tongue. A bit of juice dribbled down his lip. Before he could wipe it away, Drekk took it with his thumb.
The soft caress over his mouth nearly caused Ryen to choke. Such carnality in a simple touch. The hand on his leg moved from knee to upper thigh, close but not touching his hard cock, much as Ryen tried to will his desire away.
“It’s okay, Ryen. I’m familiarising you with touch. Not every male you meet wants to harm you. For so long you’ve seen men as your enemy and women as no more than sexual objects or beings to protect. I’m a male. I don’t want to hurt you. Take comfort in this contact,” Drekk said softly.
“It feels strange,” Ryen admitted, his voice huskier than he might have liked.
“But not bad.” Drekk eased his hand over Ryen’s other leg. His knuckles brushed Ryen’s groin, sending fire through Ryen’s entire body. “Not harmful.” Ryen kept his eyes shut, not wanting to see Drekk’s smug face. Drekk surprised him by saying nothing about his excitement. He continued to feed Ryen, petting him into a sensual lassitude Ryen found amazingly comforting.
Not sure how long the two of them sat there, Ryen finally noticed Drekk’s stillness.
He blinked his eyes open. Drekk stared at him with a curious look on his face, one that confused Ryen as much as it captivated him. What the hell was Drekk thinking about?
Drekk gripped his leg and patted him. To Ryen’s chagrin, Drekk seemed unfazed by their interaction, whereas Ryen had an aching erection needing ease.
“It’s been a long day. I think it’s time we turned in.” Excitement touched the dreamy reality of the moment as Ryen followed Drekk into the bedroom. Would Drekk try to take him tonight? Would the male finally mount him and fuck him? Force Ryen to suck him off, to swallow his seed?
“Remove your clothes.”
Ryen wavered on his feet. What the fuck? Baffled by his sudden weariness, Ryen put up no protest. He disrobed and remained standing, watching Drekk through half-slitted eyes.
“Now get into bed.”
Ryen lay down in the middle of the monstrous bed, consciously forcing Drekk to order him over. Though tonight had been a pleasant surprise, Ryen didn’t know what more Drekk might want from him, or if he should allow it, as much as his body wanted some ease. The past few days had been sheer hell.
“Good night, Ryen. Rest well.” Drekk left, his mysterious gaze both tender and calculating.
Bastard. Ryen thought on a yawn, and then thought no more as sleep overtook him.
Chapter Five
Ryen woke the next day to see Drekk at the foot of the bed, wide awake and smiling.
“What? You been staring at me all night?”
“In your dreams.” Drekk chuckled. “You look better.” Ryen felt better, more centred, his limbs relaxed. Damned if he’d admit it to Drekk. He stretched, satisfied when Drekk’s gaze darkened and lingered on his chest before sweeping down his front.
“I’ll meet you at the table in the front.” Drekk pivoted on one foot and left.
Maybe he’s not as calm as he’d like me to believe he is. Stars knew Ryen wasn’t. As he took care of his morning needs in the lav and dressed in clean clothes—clothes Drekk had apparently stolen out of his dwelling—Ryen pondered his new state of mind. He wouldn’t say he was miraculously healed of any and all anger, but his pressing desire to lash out wasn’t there.
Fastening his trousers, Ryen grazed his cock, not surprised when it failed to respond.
He’d been conditioned never to experience pleasure at his own hands. Creations were meant to focus on what their Handlers wanted. Sex had its place, a reward for a job well done, to soothe the savage beast. Masturbation took a warrior’s mind off his mission. If he could please himself, why work so hard to earn that sexual favour?
Drekk had taken himself in hand yesterday, Ryen remembered with startling clarity.
Like a switch, his libido turned on. His cock rose at the recollection of Drekk coming over his hand, his belly...