Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

he'd said. Not one single stroke and Ty wasn't expected to give any either. Chase seemed perfectly content with Ty on the floor without really anything to do.
    Every conversation took place with Ty on his knees in the back of Chase's shop. Ty was starting to think he was going to end up spending the rest of his life in that position. And it went on and on, with nothing new added to the mixture and it was slowly driving Ty insane. How was this getting him anywhere?
    "Your hands feel okay?" Chase asked one evening when Ty had spent what felt like seven hours on the floor. Ty nodded and kept his eyes away from Chase while the man walked up to him, standing still for a moment before crouching behind him. "Move your fingers."
    Ty did, bored to death and a little aggravated too, and he only stopped when Chase's fingers touched his. Other than taking his belt and tying it around Ty's wrists, Chase hadn't touched him in days. And now that he did, Ty yearned to feel more. On his skin, on his hair. On his body and core and soul and spine. All over. Only those hands left much too soon and Chase stood up. "Feels warm…I'd hate to drive you to the ER for lack of circulation."
    Ty fought the urge to roll his eyes while Chase walked back to his desk. "It's not nearly tight enough for that to happen."
    Chase glanced at him while sitting down. "You want it tighter?"
    "No," Ty muttered and frowned while he wasn't completely sure that was the truth. "I'm only saying that it could be a lot tighter and it probably wouldn't even leave a mark let alone cause any difficulties in my blood flow."
    Chase leaned against the back of his chair and looked at Ty with a knowing beam in his eyes. His hand played with the pen he'd held in his hand even while testing the fucking circulation in Ty's hands, playing with the tip and tapping it against the desk. "So you want marks on you?"
    "That's not what I said."
    "No…but that's what you meant."
    "Oh…you read minds now?" Ty grunted. Very mature, yes. And Chase appreciated his childishness enough to grin with amusement written all over his face. "Someone's having a bad day."
    Ty ignored the mock and looked at the man who seemed to be way too pleased with Ty's bad mood. "I'm pretty sure I could pull my hands out if I tried hard enough, so no need to worry about my circulation."
    "So why won't you?"
    "What?"
    "Why won't you pull your hands out? You could. I wouldn't beat you for doing it 'cos you're down there out of your own free will. So why won't you?"
    Point taken.
    Ty shut up, not sure if he even had an answer. He hadn't really even thought about getting out, though he knew he could. That just wasn't an option. No matter how shitty he felt, he'd feel even worse if he left now. So instead of doing much of anything, he held his eyes on Chase while the man dropped the pen on the desk and leaned his elbows against his knees while looking at Ty. "I know you feel pissed. I know you feel like you're wasting your time and that you could take a lot more than what I'm giving you. And you're probably right."
    What?
    Ty felt a wave of smothered panic inside him when Chase sat up straight and the expression on his face went from amused to absent. Bored. The change in his expression forced Ty to look up, really look up to the guy who wasn't even touching him now and still Ty felt every part of his body alarmed. Chase ran his eyes over Ty's body, every part that was visible, before his eyes returned to look into Ty's. "If you want marks and if you want pain, I'll be glad to show you a dozen clubs in the city with fifty men who'll be more than willing to whip your ass 'till you can't sit for a week."
    The thought was thrilling and yet it left Ty's body completely cold. He'd dwell on the pain, would savor it and love every second of it. But he didn't want fifty men. He only wanted one.
    He only needed one.
    "Pain is not the issue, Ty. You don't need pain, and that wasn't what you wanted. It would be much too easy for you and I won't give it to you now. But if that's what you want, then all you have to do is say it and you're free to leave."
    Why was he scared? Why did he feel his heart pound against his throat? Ty made an effort to shake his head but he couldn't do that. Couldn't do anything. Not move or speak or even breathe when he thought about walking out. When had that become the biggest of his obstacles?
    "You wanna leave?" Chase asked. No longer even bored but completely blank. Ty saw nothing, and the