A Strong Hand

right."
    "Yes, sir."
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    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Ashley smirked as the boy who'd been so defiant yesterday slid obediently and unerringly in the correct direction, anxiously watching Damian to make sure he was doing right.
    "Thank you," Damian said courteously.
    Nicholas looked as if he'd just opened his Christmas present.
    "See? He's yours," Ashley nudged Damian.
    "Don't want him. Don't want anyone," Damian grumped as he started shooting.
    Sure you don't, but someone wants you even if he doesn't know it yet, Ashley thought shrewdly. And I don't think you're going to have much to say about this one .
    Out loud, he said, "Quit acting such a hermit, Ian. You're only thirty-two! You have many years left to you. Do you want them all to be empty?" He held up a hand to forestall the photographer's hasty retort. "I know; you have your art .
    But are you really going to turn down a chance to bed that lovely creature?" He licked his lips as he turned to look at Nicholas.
    "Unbutton the shirt all the way," Damian called out harshly. He cringed at the wounded look on Nicholas's face as he started to unbutton the shirt.
    Damian strode forward and pulled at the shirt so it lay open over the boy's chest. He muttered, "Sorry, Ashley's taking the piss with me."
    "It's all right," Nick said softly.
    Damian patted the young man's hip absently, looking straight into the questioning brown eyes when he heard the sharp intake of breath. "Take it easy, kid. Not now."
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    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Nick nodded, his pupils dilated and his breath panting from him. He just knew his cock was outlined by the tight leather for the two men to see, but he didn't dare to look down to check.
    Damian was all business as he went back to shooting.
    "Okay, Nicholas, take off the shirt now."
    Nick did so, his dark skin gleaming under the lights like dull silk with the slight sheen of sweat.
    "Nice tattoo, Nicholas. When did you get that?" Ashley called out.
    Nick glanced at the bird partly visible on his hip, noticing all at once that the dark trail of hair leading down from his navel was very noticeable in the low-slung pants. "When I came to London to go to school," he answered, and then his gaze flew to meet Damian's.
    The older man was smirking. "Need to take a break, Nicholas?" he teased, but his eyes were serious, questioning whether the boy was really in distress.
    "No!"
    Well. That came out stronger than he'd intended. Nick averted his gaze and realized Ashley was laughing at him too.
    When Damian ordered him to turn around, he did so gratefully. He glanced back over his shoulder to see both sets of eyes glued to his arse, but at least turned this way, they couldn't tell how turned on he was when he obeyed Damian's orders.
    Ashley was hard-pressed to keep his hand off himself. The way the pants cupped the two perfect globes, hugging the taut flesh and creeping into the valley between them, made 40

    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    him very sure that he needed to visit one of his favorite clubs and soon. Preferably this afternoon.
    "Stick your butt out, Nicholas," Damian said.
    Ashley glanced sidelong at his crotch. Damian always looked tightly packed, but surely, surely, he was a little bigger than usual? He would have to be superhuman to resist a lovely boy like Nick. He was a born sub if Ashley had ever seen one, and his hands itched to have the training of him.
    But he was an honorable man, and he really liked Damian.
    He'd invited him to his favorite club and tried to set him up with some cute boys, but Damian had always smilingly refused. Ashley suspected that he had now met his match.
    The boy had spirit, but he needed a responsible person to look after him, and he seemed to have attached to Damian for some reason. It might take time, but he was sure that Damian would eventually succumb to the boy's charms.
    "Uh, I have to get going, Ian," Ashley said, shifting impatiently.
    "Wait. Let me download these shots, and you can take a look. This was all for you to decide whether you wanted to use him," Damian insisted. "It'll only take a moment."
    Oh, I'd have a use for him, Ashley thought, but he followed Damian to the computer.
    "Come on over, Nicholas. See what you look like."
    Nick approached the other two men, curious to see how he looked on film in these clothes.
    "Fuck," Damian said, low and husky, when he saw the images enlarged on his screen. "Nicholas, you're a natural."
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    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Natural sub, Ashley