He walked up close, till he nearly touched Sean’s back. “Feels good, doesn’t it. That slow-fire burn.”
Sean jumped. Shivered. “Yeah. It actually does.”
The corner of Max’s mouth curved. “Yeah, it does, what.”
Sean stilled. Then stiffened. Then jerked in frustration. “Fuck! Not again!” He gathered himself quickly. “Yes, Sir. It does, Sir. Goddamn it, Sir. Fuck.”
Max tried like hell not to laugh but failed. “Relax. Your punishment this time will be short and sweet.”
“Short?” Sean turned his head. “And sweet?”
“Yup.” Max gave his ass a hard, brisk swat.
Sean gasped with a jolt. Then muffled a curse.
“You see? All done. Short and sweet. Say thank you.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Sean rasped.
“You’re welcome. My pleasure.” Max shoved the handle of his flogger into his pocket and moseyed back around to Sean’s front. “Eyes on me, sub.”
Sean lifted his gaze immediately, and just like that, their eyes locked. Sean’s were intense. And anxious. And hungry. But Max resisted the call to sink into their depths. Forced himself to watch Sean indifferently.
Another of their little stare-offs began.
Which, honestly, Max kind of enjoyed. Remembered their first one vividly. It’d been more on the brief side but was just as stimulating. Like a dark wave rushing over his body…
Finally, Max raised his brow. “Ready for what you’ve earned?”
Sean’s eyes sparked. “Yes, Sir.”
Max gazed down Sean’s body, regarded his straining cock. Rubbed his mouth. “Yeah. Me, too.” Sean shifted a little as Max reached for his dick. Emitted a soft sound when he clutched it. Again, Max met his eyes. Gave a firm, slow stroke. “You took my flogging well, Sean. You deserve a reward. One rub for each swat. That’s thirty, Sean. Thirty. Would you like them fast or slow?”
“Fuck,” Sean breathed. His gaze dropped to Max’s mouth. “Better take ‘em slow, Sir. Just in case.”
Max grinned. “That close?”
Sean nodded. “Shit yes.”
“Alright. Thirty slow. Hold my eyes, Sean. And count aloud.”
Sean chuckled incredulously. “You want me to count?”
“I do. Here we go.” Max pumped Sean’s cock.
“Fuck—One.”
Max pumped again.
Sean groaned. “Ungh—Two.”
By the time Max got to ten, Sean’s lashes were fluttering. By twenty, his lean hips were rocking. Slowly, absently, as he held Max’s stare. His breath coming shallow. And quick. Max’s dick thrummed at the sight. He stroked Sean some more.
“Shit—Twenty-six.” Sean started to squirm.
Max paused. Sean was close. Max held his restless gaze. “Almost there.” Only four more pumps. Took Max a while to dispense them, though. He didn’t want Sean to come, and since he hadn’t taught him orgasm control, Max needed to take it slow. Like, a-good-ten-seconds-between-each-rub slow.
But even then, when stroke thirty finally came around, Sean’s abs were dancing and his fists were clenched tight.
Max grinned and let go, his cock damn near purring. “Good job. Next time should be easier.”
“Easier?” Sean panted. His smile returned. “And why, Sir, is that exactly?”
Max palmed Sean’s jaw, ran his thumb along Sean’s lip. Sean’s blue eyes intensified. Max held them, then grinned. “Because your ass’ll be hurting a whole lot more.” He pulled his whip from his pocket and walked around. “Back we go, caitín. Halfway home.”
Sean breathed a curse.
Max smirked and resumed.
And so went round number three. When reward time came, though, Max offered some assistance to help Sean make it through his next handjob. Because he definitely needed it, no matter how slow Max stroked. And nipple-torture always worked so well. Max went easy on him, of course, like he always did. Just enough to keep him distracted.
Which it did. Not that Sean didn’t still come close, because he absolutely did. Looked so damn hot in the process that Max couldn’t hold back his growl. Which naturally made Sean grin amidst his squirming. Made his eyes flare with mutual lust. He liked turning Max on. That much was clear. Tried at every opportunity he got. And he rarely failed. Not that Max would let him know. Although, a lot of times that was easier said than done. Which meant he slipped sometimes, and Sean would see. No big deal. Every dog needed a bone.
The final lap’s flogging went as well as could be expected. By the end, Sean was hissing for every swat. No surprise there, though. His ass was practically glowing. Max grinned. Sean would be thinking about him for days. Every single time he sat down.
But Sean clearly had another kind of ache going, too. An ache that’d been roused by the room’s dark energy, by the raw sexual vibe of their exchange. So when endorphins flooded and mixed with his adrenaline, it only served to amplify that high. Max saw when it happened. Knew it by heart. Had seen the same occurrence hundreds of times. Subspace. Although, in Sean’s case, he’d only been skimming the surface. His feet had barely lifted off the ground. When his sessions grew more intense, though, that wouldn’t be the case. Max would have his ass kissing the stars.