“Mmm,” Riley stroked his back. “I like that. I like it a lot.”
“Y-you do?” Thorne asked.
“Oh yeah.”
“It’s…” Thorne’s cheeks were bright pink.
“Embarrassing?” Riley offered.
Thorne nodded. “Yes.”
“Trust me, I’ve heard far more embarrassing things.”
“I guess you would have. It’s your turn now.”
Heat raced to Riley’s face. He was nearly as nervous as Thorne had been. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
“Because you’ve done it all?”
“No!”
Thorne’s eyes widened in shock at Riley’s vehemence.
“Sorry. It’s because I’m used to fulfilling other men’s fantasies, not telling my own.”
Thorne cupped Riley’s cheek and caressed him with the pad of his thumb. “You do realize I would give you anything you asked for.”
Riley frowned. “What if you don’t like it?”
“I think I would like almost anything with you.”
“I’ve never been tied up,” Riley confessed. “I’ve never trusted anyone enough to do it. I’m not sure I’d like it, but sometimes I imagine being restrained, unable to move while a man plays with me. I don’t know if I’d actually want to be fucked like that, but…”
“Oh, Riley. I’d love to do that for you. And I’d only take it as far as you wanted.”
“Really?”
Thorne nodded. “I’d love to play with you when you couldn’t move, when all you could do was feel. I’d make your whole world be my hands, my mouth, my cock.”
“Wow.” Riley’s cock was so hard he wasn’t sure he could stand not to touch it, or worse, order Thorne to get on his knees and suck it. He couldn’t ask that when Thorne was so sore. “As hot as that thought is, I want to think a little more about exactly what I’m okay with, so let’s not try it this weekend.”
Thorne gave him a soft, sweet kiss. “We don’t have to try it now. Or next week. Or next month. We have plenty of time.”
“Forever?” Riley couldn’t believe he’d dared to say that word, but Thorne’s happiness was more than obvious.
“Yes, that is exactly what we have.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Thorne woke and reached for Riley, but the other side of the bed was empty, the covers no longer even warm. His heart skipped a beat. Riley hadn’t left, had he? Not after last night. The smell of coffee and bacon let him know he was being an idiot again.
He rolled over to stretch and gasped. Wow, was his ass ever sore. He’d have to stretch standing up. Hell, he might need to stay standing up all day, which wasn’t going to be possible if he was going to steer the sailboat in a few hours. As much as he’d wanted to feel Riley against him as he slowly woke up, it was probably better Riley wasn’t in bed. He’d have been tempted to do something about his morning wood, and he was really much too sore for that.
He winced as he stood and eased his stiff muscles. Fuck, he’d had a workout last night. A hot shower helped the soreness, and by the time Thorne was dressed in T-shirt and shorts, he was feeling much more agile.
“Good morning,” Riley said, holding out a cup for him. The man was a saint; a wicked, dirty-minded saint, but still.
“What are you grinning at? I expected you to be sore as hell this morning.”
“I am.” Thorne continued to smile. He didn’t care how much his ass or any of the rest of him hurt. He had Riley, and they had forever.
“You like the soreness?”
Did he really? “Yes, and…”
“What?”
Thorne didn’t know how to put what he was feeling into words. “Nothing; I’m just so damn glad I have you.”
“I feel the same way.” Riley handed him a plate with bacon and a veggie omelet. “Eat this, and we’ll go take our boat out again.”
“You’re eager to get out on the water.”
“The sooner we sail, the sooner I can have you in the kitchen for your first cooking lesson.”
“You really ought to be more apprehensive than excited.” Thorne wanted to try because Riley wanted him to, but he was expecting disastrous results.
“I’m also a bit excited about a surprise I have for you,” Riley confessed.
Thorne studied him. He was planning something Thorne wasn’t going to like, or more likely something he’d hate and love at the same time. “Tell me.”
Riley shook his head. “After breakfast.”
“You’re evil.”
Riley huffed. “You’re one to talk.”
When they’d finished eating and cleaned up, Thorne asked, “Now?”
“Go into the bedroom.” Riley used his I’m-in-control-and-you’d-better-do-as-I-say-or-else voice.
Thorne’s heart was beating much too fast as he crossed the room. What was Riley up to?
“Bend over,” Riley said, gesturing toward the bed.
Thorne lifted a brow.
“If you want me to stop, you know what to do.”
But Thorne didn’t want him to stop, not at all.
Riley yanked Thorne’s shorts down and sucked in his breath. “Your ass is still red. Damn that’s hot.”
“It’s fucking sore.”
“I bet.” He pressed a slick finger against Thorne’s hole. “You know the fantasy you told me about, the one where you wear a plug all day? Are you up for that today? I know you aren’t going to work, but you’d have to wear the plug while we sail, and I promise not to let you forget I own your ass.”