Hammer grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the wall with a powerful tug. “You will not damage my friend’s property. We’re guests here!” he said sharply.
“I’m not wrecking anything! It’s a solid wall! I’m just frustrated!” Anger was so easy to deal with at home, where he had plenty of old TVs to smash in the junkyard, but this entrapment felt increasingly hopeless, and they’d only arrived two days ago! He pushed at Hammer with his free hand, despite knowing he was playing with fire.
The smug bastard looked down as if he were dealing with an annoying fly, and smirked. “What was that supposed to do?”
Dex shook his head, only more hyper aware of the strength with which Hammer gripped his wrist. “I don’t know! Does everything need a purpose?”
Hammer shrugged as if Dex were an unruly child whose tantrum needed to be waited out. Or worse yet, who needed another spanking. “That’s generally what makes people effective. So stop thrashing around. I’m gonna remind you for the last time that you’rea hostage, okay? You don’t get to decide where you sleep, what you eat, or whether you get a dick to suck on. You want to stop feeling bored? Be a good boy, and I’ll do something about it.”
Dex took a deep breath and nodded, though he wasn't happy with any of this. What he did know was that he didn’t want to land on that spanking bench again if he could help it. Hammer had accused him of not being able to learn from his mistakes, so he needed to try, even if just to prove the bastard wrong.
“Okay.” Another deep breath. “But can we watch the oldThe Thing?”
Hammer’s face twitched, but he eventually grinned, pulling Dex along. “That’s the one Cora wants to watch, so you’re in luck,” he said, leading him through the guest room and back to the living area.
“Poor Baby is still shaken,” Cora said, petting the puma, who was back in her place on the sofa and peeked at Dex from where she held her head in her mistress’ lap.
“Maybe it would be better if you left her in her room when you’re out, just in case. I don’t know how to handle her,” Hammer said, but all Dex could think about was that the puma hadher own roomwhile he suffered, first in the cage, then in the bathroom.
“I can’t. Baby loves movies. Isn’t that right, sweetie?” Cora baby-talked to the puma and petted her under the chin as if it didn’t matter that Dex was standing naked right there, and his soft bits could become cat food if the house pet mistook them for a small animal trying to hide between his thighs.
He cleared his throat and tried to approach his worries from an angle that might work on their host. “Won’t she be scared of a horror movie?”
Cora’s head dropped to her nape as she laughed, sending long red tresses to tumble on the backrest. “Nooo, she loves slashers, and all kinds of horror, just like me and your Dom,” she said and pulled out her cell phone. “We’ll be getting pizza. What do you want on yours?”
Nowshe was speaking Dex’s language. Pizza. He glanced at Hammer in case he wanted to object to even this simple pleasure, but got no negative feedback.
“Spicy, or with barbeque sauce. Do they have sides? I like dips too. Can I get dips?”
Hammer’s hand landed on his back, making him stiffen in shock.
“If you promise to be good, you can even have dessert,” Hammer said, leading Dex to the other sofa. For the briefest moment, his big, warm hand pushed into Dex’s hair, but then it was gone, and before Dex wrapped his head around it, Hammer pushed him onto the soft leather seat.
Dex trailed after him with his gaze. Even in that stupid T-shirt, the unfeeling bastard looked like a snack.
“I’ll be good, so I’ll have cookies please. Is it okay to sit naked on your sofa? Don’t wanna be rude…”
Cora laughed, typing on the phone. “You couldn’t imagine the things that happen on this sofa every month. Don’t worry about it.” She pointed to a basket on a side table filled with condoms and an industrial size bottle of lube with a pump. “I host sex parties here.”
Dex raised his eyebrows and pointed to the puma. “And Baby…”
Cora rolled her eyes. “Of course she doesn't participate. I’m kinky, not a criminal.”
Despite so obviously hating Dex, Hammer sat next to him, since Cora still believed they were an item, but when Dex expected the customary arm-around-the-shoulders gesture, Hammer grabbed the open cuff and attached it to something hidden at the back of the seat, where it met the backrest. . Baffled, Dex pulled, only to find a freaking steel ring hidden inside the piece of furniture.
“Custom-made,” Cora said with pride.
Well, at least he’d get cookies. “Hammer knew where to celebrate our anniversary,” Dex said, somewhat bitterly.
“Hecanbe thoughtful. Sometimes. If you point him in the right direction,” Cora said while Hammer poured coke into identical glasses standing on the coffee table in front of him. He handed one to Dex and leaned back, placing his hand on Dex’s thigh. His touch was like a brand, and Dex’s toes curled as he stared into Hammer’s eyes like a love-struck doe. He knew this was all a mind game yet got fucked in the head by it every time.
“Same with this one,” Hammer said, and as a ray of light coming through the window hit his silver earring, for a moment Dex saw him for what he was—the most magnificent guy he’d ever gotten to touch.
And what… was he to give up on getting more out of this opportunity just because Hammer claimed to be straight? Wouldn’t be Dex’s first rodeo. If Hammer decided to unsettle him with touch, then Dex was more than happy to play this game of gay chicken.
“Aww, babe…” Dex grinned and stroked his fingers up the thick, tattooed arm dusted with dark hair. He glanced at Cora, who was busy setting up the movie. “All my exes put together can’t measure up. He’s got this fire, you know? I can never predict what he’s gonna do.”
He ignored the way Hammer stiffened under his touch. So maybe Dexwashounding him into a corner, but if Hammer’s dedication to their deception was greater than his fear of gay cooties, then he’d only have himself to blame. Dex could deal with whatever fallout came his way later, even if it involved spanking.