“Who wanted to talk me?”
“I did.”
“Ah. So, you put yourself above the rules to further your own gain.”
Ugh. When he put it that way...
A tiny nod. “Yes, Maximus.”
Max stared at him. “Did you know your actions would make me unhappy?”
Sean’s pulse raced anxiously. Fuck. “Yes, Sir.”
Max’s boot slowly tapped. “But you did it, anyway. Why did you think that was okay?”
Frustration boiled up. Sean wobbled. “I don’t know. I… I just wanted to…” He stalled out.
“You just wanted to what?”
“To get you with your guard down,” Sean blurted. “So you’d finally let me in… So I’d actually have a shot at—” He paused. Ah, God. How to say it without sounding like an idiot?
“At what?” Max muttered.
Sean frowned. “At making you happy.”
Max didn’t reply. Just stood there silently, letting his sound system fill up the void.
Sean’s calf burned hotter, his nipples ached. But all he could do was stare at his Dom. Max didn’t like his answer. That much was clear. But again, he didn’t seem mad.
Long moments later, Max softly cleared his throat. Then replied with a low controlled voice. “It’s not your job to make me happy, Sean. You’re not my fucking shrink. Now, for the next half hour, I want you to think about your actions. Why they were wrong. How they affected us. How you could’ve done things differently. Keep your eyes down. Don’t speak. And whenever you feel pain, know that it was your actions that caused it.”
TWENTY-THREE
Max would be lying if he said he didn’t hate watching Sean suffer. Because he did. A lot. Wished Sean hadn’t put him in this position. But Sean was still his sub, bound to the terms he’d agreed upon. One of which being punishment for bad behavior. Just like Max had said, Sean had brought this on himself. Had made his bed and now he was lying in it.
And in all fucking honesty, Max was going pretty easy on him. Could’ve subjected Sean to a hell of a lot worse. But he’d wanted Sean’s brain at least a little bit lucid, not mindless from some cruel and unusual punishment. For one, so Sean actually had a fighting chance to skirt the more painful aspects of his sentence. But also so he’d contemplate the things he’d done, so when shit hit the fan, he’d be able to connect the dots. Dots that said: If only you’d just let things be. If only you’d just left Max alone.
Alone.
Max’s chest tightened. In less than an hour he’d have his wish.
Sitting on the couch, answering emails through his phone, he sighed and peered over at Sean. His eyes were still down, but he didn’t look happy. Which made sense since he’d been teetering there for a while. Cheeks flushed, jaw clenched, body glistening with sweat, Sean wobbled on one foot with a scowl. Occasionally, he’d give a tiny hop-hop, but other than that, he stayed pretty stationary. Which wasn’t to say he wasn’t continuously moving. Max could see his muscles flexing from his shoulders to his toes, a balancing act that looked more like a dance. Captivating Max, mesmerizing him, every time he looked over. And a big reason he’d kept his eyes on his phone.
He looked at his cell’s clock. Sean’s time was up. Unfortunately, in more ways than one.
Max frowned and shoved to his feet. He didn’t want to do this. Dread inundated every ounce of his being. But it was time to pay the piper. He’d indulged for too long. If only Sean didn’t have to pay for it, too.
He drew in a breath and headed over. He may not be anxious to sever the ties, but he was more than fucking ready to end Sean’s punishment. He stepped into Sean’s personal space. Sean whimpered and fell against him, even as he stayed on his toes. Damn. He was trembling. And his breathing sounded ragged. Heart clenching, Max caged him in his arms and lifted him up.
Sean groaned the second his foot came off the ground. “You… are such an asshole… Oh my God, that was brutal.”
Max reached up with one arm and freed the smaller chains. “I know.”
Sean hissed at the slight movement. Buried his face in Max’s neck. “My nipples aren’t your friends anymore.”
“Not surprised,” Max muttered. He unclipped Sean’s ankle chain next. “I’ll miss them. They were nice.” And he really truly would. After tonight he’d probably never see them again.
Sean moaned in clear relief as Max lowered his knee, then tiredly wrapped his legs around Max’s waist. Max tensed, loving the feel of them way too much. But they also reminded him of that night in his office. When Sean had wrapped his legs around him as Max plunged into him repeatedly—only to end up having a full-fledged fucking panic attack. It’d been a bad one, too.