Chapter 10

Caleb rapped his knuckles against the dark mahogany door of Roman’s room, the sharp taps echoing slightly in the dimly lit hallway. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his black training pants whispering with the movement. Tension coiled in his gut—the charged anticipation of a scene mixed with a solid dose of worry that Roman had changed his mind.

Caleb wouldn’t blame him. The man had a lot on his plate, and discovering this new side of himself had to be confusing under the best circumstances. His brother had been a Dom for twenty years, so Roman had to wonder why he’d never realized his own dominant tendencies. But maybe he’d never put himself in a position where he tried experimenting with that. Just like he’d stayed away from men for the most part—to protect himself. That would make total sense.

“Come in.” Roman’s voice carried through the door, a thread of weariness woven into the two words.

Caleb pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was cast in shadows, only a single lamp on the nightstand breaking the gloom. Roman sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in his suit pants and a white undershirt, looking tired. Stress etched deep lines into his face as if he’d somehow grown older that day.

“Hey,” Caleb said.

“Hey.”

“You said to stop by your room later, so here I am.”

“Here you are.”

Not the most enthusiastic welcome, but maybe that was too much to expect, given Roman’s mental state.

Caleb closed the distance between them and sat beside Roman on the bed. “You still up for some fun together?”

“You mean me using you.”

Caleb ignored the sharpness of that statement. “Use me, dominate me, fuck me, whatever.”

Now Roman looked up, his dark eyes brooding. “You truly don’t have a preference?”

“Of course I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m putting pressure on you.”

Roman sat up a little straighter, and some of his tiredness faded while a sparkle glimmered in his eyes. “Which I appreciate. So tell me. If you could choose, what would you have me do right now? If you knew I would say yes.”

The air was thick with unsaid words, heavy with a tension that begged to be unraveled. Caleb swallowed. “A spanking.”

“A spanking? That’s not what I expected.”

“You thought I’d have you whip me or something?”

“Whip? Jesus, no. More like… I don’t know. Something more serious.”

“Oh, I take spankings very seriously. When done right, they’re incredibly rewarding and erotic. And they’re intimate and perfect for beginners. It’s really hard to fuck up a spanking.”

Roman chuckled. “You’ve given this some thought.”

“You’re new to this. Of course I would name something I think you’d be good at.”

“You think I’d be good at spanking you?”

Caleb deliberately lowered his voice. “I think you’d excel at it. Sir.”

Roman cleared his throat. “Oh, you’re good at this. Very persuasive. Especially the way you just called me Sir.”

“You liked that?”

“I think we both know I did…which is why you did it.”

“Maybe, but I also meant it. I don’t call just anyone Sir.”

“That I believe.”

Caleb shifted on the edge of Roman’s bed, the tension between them thick enough to slice through. He trailed his hand down his torso as if he were caressing himself. “Impact play, a firm hand on my ass, me at the mercy of my Dom… It makes my blood sing.”

The words rang out, unapologetic and raw. Caleb watched Roman process them with that analytical mind of his. “It’s more than pain. It’s sensation, control, release. I don’t need promises, Roman. Just…your hand, my skin, our connection.”

Roman’s breath hitched, and his throat bobbed with his swallow. The room seemed to shrink, the world outside disappearing as they got locked into their own universe.

“You really want me to spank you?” Roman asked, his voice rough like gravel.

“Does that idea appeal to you, Sir?”

He knew he wasn’t playing fair. He’d already seen the evidence of Roman’s arousal, but he had zero regrets.

“You know it does, you sneaky tease. A more skeptical man than me would call it manipulation. You’re playing with fire.”

He should’ve known Roman would see through him. He didn’t sound angry, though. “I don’t mind getting burned a little, Sir. And if you wanted to punish me for, you know, being a tease, I wouldn’t object to that either.”

“Tell me the rules.”

“Green means go, yellow is slow down, red you stop immediately. You can fuck me, hit me, abuse my mouth, anything. I like it rough, and I don’t mind bruises and marks but don’t draw blood. And considering you’re new, no breath play other than with a blowjob, where I’m in a position to stop you. Too risky for now.”

He could’ve mentioned his aversion to golden showers and scat play, but that would only scare Roman off. If he had no experience, those wouldn’t be the first things on his mind anyway.

“Okay. Um, condoms?”

Was he serious about fucking Caleb? Oh yes, please let it be so. “Only if you need to. I’m negative and on PrEP.”

“I haven’t had sex in…” Roman sighed. “Too long. And I was negative on my last test.”

“Then bare is fine.”

“And I control your orgasm?”

“I won’t come without permission, Sir.”

“I don’t know why I find that so incredibly hot, but I do.”

“So, are we playing?” He held his breath as he waited for Roman’s reply.

“I shouldn’t. I can think of a million reasons why I shouldn’t, but I can’t resist right now. You were right. I do need to let go, to unleash some of this anger inside me, these negative emotions. Just… How will I know when I go too far?”

“You’ll know when I say yellow or red. And I will, Sir. You have my word on that.”

Caleb’s pulse quickened, excitement thrumming through him. The prospect of surrendering to Roman’s tentative grip on control, of guiding him into this dark, carnal dance, was intoxicating.

“All right, then. I’m in.”

The energy in the room shifted into an electric charge that raised the hairs on Caleb’s arms. Roman squared his shoulders, a storm brewing in the depths of his brown eyes.

“Strip,” Roman said without any of his previous doubts.

The single word was a touchstone for Caleb, a command that resonated deep within him, and a shiver rolled down his spine. He complied without hesitation, peeling off his simple T-shirt while Roman followed the motion with his gaze. He kicked off his sneakers and shed his workout pants and underwear, leaving him bare and vulnerable under Roman’s scrutiny.

“Good.” Roman’s tone held approval but also something else. A rough edge that spoke of burgeoning dominance.

Caleb stood still, waiting, every nerve ending alight with the promise of what was to come.

Roman rose, his pants tenting with his erection. “Turn around. Hands against the wall. Present yourself to me.”

Obediently, Caleb turned and leaned forward with his palms flat against the cool wallpaper. The position left his ass exposed, raised for Roman’s inspection—and whatever else he decided to bestow on him.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful like this,” Roman growled, the sound primal and possessive. “Your ass is a work of art. So perfectly round and firm.”

As Roman stepped closer, Caleb closed his eyes, intensely aware of his presence, and his entire body grew taut with anticipation.

Slap!

Roman’s hand landed on Caleb’s flesh with a resounding smack, the sting blooming across his skin in a delicious wave of heat. Caleb gasped as the sensation ricocheted through him—pain intertwined with pleasure.

“Like that?” Roman asked in a gravelly whisper laden with arousal.

“God, yes.” Caleb breathed out, pushing back against Roman’s next blow. “Please, Sir. More.”

Any other Dom would’ve punished him for begging, but Roman didn’t. Maybe it didn’t even occur to him. Then again, he hadn’t told Caleb not to speak, so was he technically disobeying?

Another slap, harder this time, struck the same spot, the impact reverberating deep into Caleb’s muscles. His knees trembled, but he held his position, craving the controlled brutality Roman delivered. He relished the burn that spread like wildfire, the sharp contrast between the warmth of his punished skin and the chill of the air.

“Count them for me.” Roman landed a third hit so hard stars exploded behind Caleb’s closed eyelids.

“One.” The number was torn from his throat amid a moan.

“Good boy,” Roman praised and administered another spank, even more forceful than the last.

“Two.” Caleb’s whole being was focused on the searing pain and the man wielding it. The endorphin rush was intoxicating, a high that made his head spin. “More.” He didn’t care that he was pleading. He was desperate to feel the full extent of Roman’s strength, to be molded and marked by his newfound dominance.

“Greedy, aren’t you?” Roman’s voice was thick with lust as he obliged, delivering rapid-fire smacks that painted Caleb’s rear, which had to be all shades of crimson right now.

“Three, four, five.”

Caleb’s mind emptied, all thoughts banished except the overwhelming need to submit, to offer himself up to the man who commanded his body with such fierce certainty.

“Six.”

His world narrowed to the blistering heat emanating from his ass and the relentless hand that both punished and pleasured. Roman slapped, strike after strike, blow after blow, and Caleb counted. His words became grunts, then mere breaths. Nothing else existed but pain and pleasure, this tantalizing torture that was exquisite and excruciating at the same time.

He wanted him to stop and never to stop. He wanted more but also less. He wanted everything, even when he had nothing to give but his obedience, his submission.

Roman rested his palm on the heated skin, fingers splayed wide. Caleb felt the other man’s heavy breathing, sensed the weight of his gaze. When Roman spoke, his words were dark honey, dripping with dirty promises. “You were right. I love spanking you.”

Caleb struggled to find words. “Perfect, Sir. It’s perfect.”

“Stay still. I mean it. Do not move a muscle.”

Even though Caleb’s knees buckled, he remained standing, resting his head against his arms. His mind drifted off until cold fingers jolted him back to the present.

“Spread your legs and push that ass back.”

Slick fingers pressed against his hole with far less care and tenderness than he would’ve expected. Roman had found his inner Dom. A shiver tore through Caleb’s body.

“Jesus, your ass is on fire. You’re like a radiator, so hot. Gonna sear my cock.”

The lube was cold against Caleb’s skin but heated quickly, and Roman didn’t go easy on him. Two fingers became three, then four.

Roman freed himself but kept his clothes on—one of the hottest things on the planet, even to Caleb’s half-present mind. “Kneel on the bed.”

Caleb obeyed instantly. Roman’s strong fingers dug into his hips, pulling him back onto hands and knees, and the blunt head of his slick cock pushed against Caleb. He breathed out, invited him in.

The first thrust was careful, almost tentative, but Caleb groaned his approval, encouraging Roman to abandon any shred of restraint. With a growl, Roman gripped Caleb’s hips tighter and plunged deeper.

“Fuck, you feel incredible,” Roman grunted, picking up his pace, only to halt seconds later. “You good?”

Caleb loved that Roman had checked. “Green, Sir. Very, very green.”

“Thank fuck.”

Roman slammed back into him, and Caleb howled with the sting of the intrusion. Each rough thrust rocked Caleb, the slap of skin on skin echoing in the room, a carnal symphony. The throbbing from the spanking mingled with the stretch and fill of Roman’s relentless drive, sending sparks of pleasure-pain coursing through him.

“Jesus, your ass is…” Roman panted. “The heat is amazing. You’re so hot, so tight. Can’t hold back.”

He didn’t need to, but Caleb couldn’t answer. His thoughts splintered, coherent words lost to the wave of sensations crashing over him. Roman’s fingers bruised his skin with fierce possessiveness, and every time Caleb slid forward, Roman yanked him back as if he were a rag doll.

“Need to fuck you,” Roman mumbled, almost as if he was talking to himself. “Can’t resist anymore. Need to claim you. Fuck, you’re so perfect.”

His movements became frenzied, every angle calculated to hit spots inside Caleb that unraveled him further. His cock leaked, twitched, but he clenched his teeth and fought back his orgasm. He wouldn’t disobey his Dom the first time they played together. No fucking way. So he rose above it, retreating to that elusive state where his body almost separated from his mind like he could see himself from above, taking the perfect abuse. He was aware only of the demanding grip on his flesh, the exquisite friction, and the fierce man behind him who dominated him so effortlessly as if he’d done it a thousand times before.

“Caleb,” Roman grunted. “Fuck, I need to…”

He sped up, his pounding relentless now as he chased his release. Caleb’s teeth chattered, all his muscles taut as he took what Roman was dishing out. He wanted to please him, wanted to…

Roman cried out, and his body convulsed against Caleb’s as he emptied himself inside Caleb, hot ropes of cum filling him. He wanted to cry with the perfection of it. Wait, he was crying, thick, silent tears of gratitude. His cock was straining, his balls so tight they were painful, and his entire body was on fire, but he’d never been happier. He’d flown so high and free. He’d served his Dom, and he’d served him well.

Roman lingered above Caleb for a moment, his breaths ragged and uneven, then pulled out, leaving a trail of wetness. He sat on the bed next to Caleb, shaking as he reached for Caleb’s ass. He traced a thumb over the red marks blooming on Caleb’s skin, evidence of Roman’s unleashed desire.

“Christ, Caleb…” Roman’s voice faltered, heavy with something like regret. “I’m sorry. That was… I didn’t mean to be so rough.”

Caleb dropped on his belly, his muscles stiff and unyielding from the exertion and elation. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked over his shoulder at Roman. Sweat cooled on his skin, but the warmth from Roman’s concern was unexpected, almost misplaced. His blue eyes met Roman’s troubled brown ones, and he sent him a smile that originated deep inside him.

“It was perfect, Sir. Absolutely perfect.”

A careful smile played on Roman’s lips. “Yeah? You sure?” Then he startled. “Shit, I forgot to… Turn around. On your back.”

How sweet was that? He only now realized he’d forgotten to give Caleb permission to come. “Sir, I don’t need?—

“Are you disobeying me?”

Oh, holy shit, that was so hot. That tone! So cocky and commanding. “No, Sir.”

Caleb scrambled onto his back, wincing as his tender ass rubbed against the bedding. His cock had flagged a little, but Roman’s heated gaze quickly fixed that problem. “I can’t suck you off ‘cause I’ve never done it, and I’m not about to ruin this perfect experience with my ineptitude.”

“That’s okay?—”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion. I was telling you, not requiring your approval.”

Oh my god, he was perfect. If it didn’t mean disobeying Roman again, Caleb would kneel at his feet for being so wonderfully forceful and dominant, hitting all those submissive pleasure buttons deep inside Caleb. “Yes, Sir.”

“You just stay still and let me do my thing, okay? It may take me a while, but I’m confident I can get you to climax for me.”

Seriously, all it would take was a command. Not that Caleb was going to tell him that. Nope, what his Dom didn’t know, he couldn’t punish Caleb for.

Roman positioned himself, studying Caleb with almost analytical curiosity. He mumbled something that sounded a lot like, “How hard can it be?”

He folded his fingers around Caleb’s cock. Caleb gasped, instinctively bucking into Roman’s hand. Roman tightened his grip in response, then made a corkscrew movement upward. Caleb saw stars and let out an uninhibited moan. Thank fuck he didn’t have to hold back in this house. Every day, sounds of sex came from various rooms and hallways. In fact, he was proud people heard him. That they witnessed him serving his Dom so well.

Roman’s movements were a little awkward, and his coordination was a tad off at times, but that didn’t diminish Caleb’s pleasure. He approached the edge quickly but held back, clenching his teeth. “Sir…”

Would Roman make him wait longer? Oh, Caleb would obey, no doubt about it, but he hoped with all his heart he wouldn’t have to.

“Come for me,” Roman commanded, his voice a blade that cut through Caleb’s iron control of himself. He let go, and heat exploded inside him, waves of pleasure that crested and broke over him in shuddering gasps as his cock jerked in Roman’s hand, spilling its load. Caleb emptied himself, body and mind, and sagged onto the bed like an empty balloon.

“Hold me. Please, Sir. I need to be held.”

He’d forgotten to discuss aftercare, but luckily, Roman seemed to sense what Caleb needed. He stretched onto his back, pulled Caleb into his arms, grabbed the comforter, and folded it around them.

Caleb closed his eyes and exhaled, mentally checking in with himself. His ass was still on fire, his muscles burned like a mother, and he’d have several finger-shaped bruises on his hips, but that was the extent of the damage. Oh, and his hole stung as well, but in the best way and would keep him grounded for at least two days. Something to look forward to.

“That was intense,” Roman said softly.

“It was.”

“Good intense?”

“Very good, Sir.”

“I wasn’t too rough?”

What could he do to dispel Roman of that notion? “I’m not made from glass. You can’t break me. I’ve got safewords, and I’m not shy about using them.”

“Yeah, but what if I don’t hear them? I was not myself, you know. Never felt like this before.”

“I don’t think you’d ever not hear me safeword.”

“But what if I didn’t? How would you prevent me from hurting you?”

The man needed a demonstration? That could be arranged. With a swift, fluid motion perfected from countless hours on the mat, Caleb slipped his arms and legs around Roman and held him in a headlock, just tight enough for Roman to feel the strength he possessed without actually cutting off air.

“That’s how. Don’t mistake submissiveness for weakness.”

He released Roman as quickly as he’d secured him. Roman’s expression shifted from surprise to a dawning realization, a mix of respect and, perhaps, a thrill at being momentarily overpowered by someone he’d just dominated so thoroughly.

“All right.” A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of Roman’s mouth, the residual tension bleeding away. “Point taken.”

Caleb settled beside Roman so their bodies were still close in the charged air between them. The gritty reality of what they’d shared didn’t come with promises and definitely not with guarantees, but it was raw and real, and for Caleb, that was enough. For now.