Chapter 3

THREE

Z ed felt wonderfully relaxed and shiny as they walked back to their suite. It had been quite a while since he'd indulged in so much pampering—he'd forgotten his skin could even get so smooth. And Flick's cheeks seemed to be even more rosy than usual…though that could have been residual embarrassment.

"You left them a good tip, right?"

Zed chuckled. "I left them a very good tip. They deserved it."

"It's your fault." Flick grinned. "I think you scarred poor Daphne for life."

"Yeah, yeah." Zed rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"No offense, but if you head back to the spa to get rebuffed-up, or…whatever," Flick said with a vague wave, "I'm not going."

Zed stopped and grabbed Flick's hands. Their connection snapped into place, like a metaphysical hug. "Promise you'll go with me once a year."

Flick groaned. "Why?"

"Because you look really glowy right now. I think you liked it more than you want to admit."

Flick scoffed. "Dream on, Anatolius." His eyes changed focus, to something behind Zed's back, on the wall. "Oh hey. What's a fantasy suite?"

Zed turned to check out the holo ad floating on the wall. He took a step forward, knowing most ads like this were activated by proximity and focus. An image of a sultry and scantily clad woman appeared where the placeholder text had been. She seemed to look right at Zed as she sucked on her index finger. And…okay, he was only human. There was a twinge down below. But just a twinge because he wasn't that super human.

"Looking for something special to share with your loved one? Eager to have a solo night to blow your mind…and other things?" The woman switched to a slender, shirtless man wearing a dog collar, eyeliner, and gloss on his plump lips. "Every fantasy you could dream of is at your fingertips in our Xanadu Suites. Customize your night of magic to fulfill all of your sexual dreams and desires."

The picture switched to a scene aboard some kind of old-time sailing ship, featuring men and women showing a lot of skin. "See how hot the deep blue sea actually is."

Another switch, this time to a scarf-laden tent strewn with pillows. "Enjoy a night of scorching passion with your harem of men and women in the endless desert." The next switch showed a picture of the suite, Zed assumed, without the holos in place. It looked kind of plain—until it transformed into a lush rainforest, complete with a loin-cloth clad hunk swinging through the trees. "Your wish is our command. Make your dreams a reality today."

"Wow," Flick said as the holo faded to black.

"That was…detailed. And very cool. But?—"

A new holo popped up, a spinning question mark. "You recently viewed the ad for Xanadu Suites. Additional information has been sent to your wallet. Do you have any questions about our services?"

"No, we're good." Flick tugged on Zed's arm and they stepped away from the wall. The question mark holo blinked out of view, switching back to the generic, text-only ad.

As they started down the hall in the direction of their suite again, Zed glanced at Flick. "It was kind of cool."

Flick grunted.

"The ship looked interesting."

"It could be fun, I guess." But Flick didn't sound too sure about that.

Zed was still thinking about it as they keyed open the door to their suite. He kind of wanted to test out one of the Xanadu Suites, because when would they ever have another opportunity? But he didn't have any real desire to have sex on a pirate ship or in a make-believe treehouse. Maybe he wasn't adventurous enough.

"Do you have any sexual fantasies?" he asked as he flopped onto the couch next to Flick.

"Uh…" Flick frowned. "Why? I don't want you to surprise me with one of those suites, Zed. They're weird."

"I won't. That ad got me thinking, though. About fantasies, and if I've got any, and what yours are. We've never really talked about it."

"'Cause I don't have any."

"Are you sure?"

"Plain old sex is good enough for me."

"But…it would be kind of fun to play, right?"

Flick shifted on the couch so one leg was bent and he was facing Zed. "Maybe I should be asking you if you have any secret fantasies."

"I don't know if they're secret, or if they're even really fantasies." Zed's ears grew warm. "Mostly, they're thoughts and I'm pretty happy for them to stay as thoughts."

"Oh?" Flick grinned his mischievous, playful grin. "You've got to tell me now."

"Remember…thoughts. Okay?" Zed took a deep breath. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have your cock inside me and another one in my mouth."

"It would probably be hot. But that's definitely not happening. I don't share."

Zed lifted his hands in surrender. "And that's fine. Thoughts only."

"You've got more, right?"

"Um…yeah. Sometimes I think about fucking you in public." He couldn't quite stop the growl in his voice.

"Jesus, Zed. Really?"

"Yeah. Like, not full on in a crowd or anything, but…in a dark booth in a restaurant where someone might see us. Or somewhere we can see people but they can't see us."

Zed didn't need his enhanced senses to know that Flick's pupils had dilated slightly and his breathing had sped up. "Okay…that one? That one could be fun. Next time we're on Alpha Station, you could commandeer one of the Anatolius Industries offices that overlook the promenade. One of the low-level ones."

"The ones with one-way glass, looking out?" Zed had to adjust himself. "Why is that so fucking hot?"

"Because it's forbidden." Flick's eyes twinkled, and Zed didn't miss that he'd adjusted himself in his pants, too—and his hand was still resting on his cock. "What else?"

"Watching you get yourself off."

Flick pressed his palm hard against the ridge in his pants. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'd be sitting across the room. Or maybe…maybe tied to the bed."

"You'd want that?"

"Just my hands. And ties I could break if I needed to."

Flick nodded. "Very doable."

"Really?"

"You brought a couple of ties with you, right?"

Zed's eyes widened. "Wait…now? You want to…"

Holy shit.

"Is that one of those thoughts you want to stay a thought?"

Yes. No. Maybe? "I don't know."

Flick knee-walked over the cushions of the couch to get closer to Zed. "You've already come twice today, and I haven't once," he said, his voice low. "I really want to."

Zed's mouth went dry. Flick in seduction mode didn't happen often—it didn't have to, since they were both usually raring to go with a single look. But…damn, Flick knew what to say. How to say it, too, in a low, gravelly voice that was raspy with desire.

"I kind of love the idea of kneeling between your legs, looking down at you, and watching your cock get harder and harder—" Flick broke off. "This sounds stupid."

"No! No, it's good. Keep going."

"Are you sure? I feel like I'm in a bad holo."

"Christ, Flick, you've got me almost ready to blow by just talking to me, so no, I think you're doing it just right."

"Either that or you have really cheesy taste."

" Flick. "

Flick smacked his shoulder. "C'mon, bedroom. Let's see if we can make this work."

Zed owned a lot of ties. Why he'd brought them on vacation was beyond Felix, but sorting through them for one he could twist without damaging the material gave them both a chance to recirculate a little blood. Would be a pity to get Zed all fastened to the bed so they could look at each other and explode. Zed wanted a show. Also, he was going to be incapacitated. Felix had no idea why that made his cock swell every time he thought of it, but it did.

"How about this one?"

"Any of them. Just pick a couple."

"But this one's got little light receptors in it. They'll break if?—"

Zed yanked the tie out of Felix's hands. "I can buy another one."

"Why do you have so many ties, anyway? We never go to things where we have to wear ties."

Zed gave him an odd look. "Do you want to go to things where we wear ties?"

"No."

The odd look flashed toward the ceiling as Zed lifted his chin and sighed.

"What?"

Zed was all composed when he looked back down. Even had a smile tugging at one side of his mouth. "You are the most frustrating man in the galaxy."

"Damn straight. Now let's tie you to the bed with a scrap of silk that cost the lives of three thousand rare worms on Bereta and the fingers of some poor little slave girl who had to sew in all those receptors by hand."

"I don't know why I haven't come already."

Snickering, Felix followed Zed up the bed as he scooted backward until he was nested into a pile of pillows against the headboard. Felix climbed astride Zed's hips and sat looking down at his lover. His H-word. Husband. Jesus, he was married. To Zed. His best friend. Zed smiled up at him and one of those timeless moments passed where they simply looked and smiled and existed. Happy. In love. In need of nothing but the presence of the other.

"Is it weird I could just sit and look at you and love you and it makes me this happy?"

Zed's smile widened. "When you put it like that, maybe?"

"Ass." Leaning forward, Felix kissed Zed's wonderfully full lips. Quickly and efficiently, pulling away before Zed could entice him into something deeper. The tease had begun. "Right, arm up."

Zed pressed his right wrist to the headboard and frowned at the smooth expanse of SFT. "What are you going to tie me to?"

"Hmm." The headboard was one of those upholstered arrangements hotels often used to preserve the wall behind the bed from head prints and chipped plaster. Even hover beds moved rhythmically when put to the test.

Abandoning his perch on Zed's lap, Felix shuffled forward on his knees and pulled at the headboard to see if he could get his fingers behind it. No go. Nothing above it or below it, either, and the mattress frame rested on moveable slides rather than legs. He'd need three ties a side to fasten Zed to the frame, and then he'd be lying flat rather than propped up.

"Maybe we could try the couch?"

"Nothing to tie you to there, either," Felix grumbled. He'd already thought of that. Pulling the tie straight between his hands, he scanned the suite for other possibilities. "We could use the shower, I suppose. That seems kind of clinical, though. I mean, who wants to stand up in a shower, tied to the head, while someone jacks off in front of him?"

Maybe Zed would?

Before Felix could blush, Zed muttered, "Yeah, no."

"We could pile up some cushions on the floor in front of the kitchenette. I could tie you to the little cupboard door handles."

Zed glanced through the open doors of the bedroom. Felix followed his gaze. Parts from his experiments still lined the counter. Even without the mess, the place didn't scream romance, though. Or fantasy. But?—

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Zed sounded all discouraged.

Felix cupped Zed's cheeks and gave him another quick kiss. "I've got a plan."

Ten minutes later, he had two hooks made out of recycled 'factor parts screwed into the headboard. Felix yanked on them one more time to test the hold, then settled back onto the bed with a grin. "How's that?"

"We're going to end up paying to replace nearly everything in this suite, aren't we?"

"For the cost of one of your ties."

Chuckling, Zed settled back into his nest of pillows and stretched one of his arms toward the new hook. Felix had positioned them so that Zed could rest his wrists on them. Seemed kinder than letting his arms dangle from ties.

"Perfect," he said. Then he wrapped the tie around Zed's wrist, threaded it through the hook, wrapped it all around again and sat back. "How's that?"

Zed gave an experimental tug. "Good. Not too tight, not too loose."

Once he had Zed all tied up, Felix crawled back down the bed to kneel between Zed's spread legs. Though still dressed, Zed had a deliciously rumpled look. His hair was all mussed from the massage and his skin still glowed pink beneath his perpetual tan. The collar of his shirt was open an extra button, and Felix could smell the oils they'd used at the spa and a hint of the mud. He leaned forward to cup the soft mound of Zed's resting cock through his pants. "How're we doing here? Any life left?"

Zed raised his hips. "For you? Always."

Kneeling back, Felix pulled his own shirt over his head, tossed it aside and reached for his belt.

"Slower. Do a tease sort of thing."

A tease sort of thing? Felix's skin itched as a shiver crept across his chest. "Not sure I'm the right guy to do a strip tease."

"You can do it."

Blowing out a breath, Felix thought sexy thoughts—which meant thinking about Zed, and not getting his clothes off as quickly as possible so they could fuck. He cupped his own slightly chubby cock and squeezed, breathing out as a fold of material dug into the sensitive head. Then he eased his belt open and shimmied his hips as he plucked at the fastening tabs on his pants. You could probably cook an egg on his cheeks by the time he was done, but Zed's heavy lidded look made his embarrassment worthwhile. As did the bulge at Zed's crotch.

Felix pushed his pants down over his hips, then left them there, figuring a state of half-undress might add to the whole ambience or whatever. Then he licked his palm and gripped his erection.

Zed let out a breathy groan and tugged at his bound wrists.

Felix squeezed his cock, which pulsed against his palm. His balls were already tight and tucked. "I don't know why you look so damned good tied to the bed like that. I wouldn't have thought it was my thing," he said.

"Don't know why not. You love having your way with me."

Felix began a slow and steady stroke. He tipped his head back and groaned softly, needing to voice his pleasure at even the feel of his own hand. Also, because if he met Zed's gaze, he'd spill his load. His balls were all tingly and prickly. He smoothed his crystalline hand over his stomach, then up toward his pecs. Zed's breath caught.

Dipping his chin, Felix noted Zed's attention was split between his cock and his wandering hand. He reached up to pinch a nipple. Zed's lips parted in a quiet gasp.

"You like that, huh?" Felix rocked his hips forward into his fist in a show of fucking his hand.

"God, yes." Zed sucked in a quick breath, only to lose it in another gasp.

Felix rolled his nipple and damn if it didn't feel good—and make the situation in his balls all the more urgent. Zed tugging against his restraints only ratcheted up the tension. Knowing Zed wanted to touch him, but couldn't. Touching Zed would be against the unwritten rules too, he supposed, though the straining fabric over Zed's crotch called to him.

"How hard are you?" Felix asked.

"Really fucking hard."

Felix teased out the length of his cock in one long stroke before twisting his hand off the end in a move he liked, that Zed always properly emulated when jacking him. "As hard as this? Are your balls aching?" He tweaked his other nipple. "Wish it was you touching me."

Zed whined and yanked at his wrists. The headboard squeaked.

Felix started stroking himself toward the finish line, hips bucking as he thrust into the warm grip of his fingers. He'd tried jerking off with both hands, the human one and the resonance one. He preferred the human one. The calluses on his palm added some interesting friction, and skin was skin. He could use a little more slick, though. Where'd they put the lube?

Ah, fuck it, by the time he crawled off the bed and found it, he could be done here and he really wanted to be done. Felix wasn't one for keeping a climax waiting, especially not when it was his hand on his cock.

He spat in his hand and pulled at his cock again, quickly working back up to speed. Then he reached down to tug at his sac, pressing the cool thumb of his crystal hand between his balls. Another roll and tug, two more strokes, and he was about there, holding off now by will power alone. Slitting his eyes open, he prepared to deliver one more taunt to Zed, get him fully riled up.

He didn't have to. Zed sat panting, shaking—no, trembling. His hips jerking up and down as he sought the friction. His arms smacked against the headboard like cargo ties being tested by fast acceleration. His face, though—the naked want, the frustration. The absolute need tempered with the knowledge he was helpless.

An urgent thrill shot down Felix's spine…and that was it. He came—suddenly and sharply, his cry oddly hoarse as he shot. He pumped harder with his newly wet hand and another jet spurted across the bed. Another, and then another. It felt as if he was trying to empty himself of three or four built up orgasms. It almost hurt. It felt fucking fantastic.

Over the sound of his own harsh breaths and throaty cries, he could hear Zed groaning and the headboard squeaking. Then a sharp crack cut through their little concert. Felix looked up. Zed had pulled one arm free. The hook still dangled from his wrist, but the headboard was toast. Same for the wall behind it. In fact…Felix tilted his head.

"I think I can see our neighbors through that hole." Which meant anyone on the other side of the wall had a great view of him milking his own cock. "Shit and double shit. Put something in the hole!"

He wasn't ready for exhibitionism. Not on top of a mind blowing orgasm. Or with Zed half tethered to the wall and the cost of damages rising every second. Zed turned to shove a pillow toward the hole and a second ominous crack reverberated through the room.

"Wait!" Felix held up his sticky hand.

Too late. The headboard swung like a pendulum, the lower half disappearing behind the bed with a great thump. Shoved away from its moorings by the falling headboard, the bed rocked backward. Zed yelled once before he dropped from sight, slipping off the top end of the bed. The remaining hook held his arm up for about a second before it tore loose from the wall. A mournful wail rose from the gap Zed had dropped into, a gap widening by the nanosecond as Felix rode the untethered bed back across the room. Something crunched behind him. Felix turned, afraid of what he might see. He'd put a serious dent in the bedroom door frame, but, thankfully, the doorway was just narrow enough to stop the bed from passing through.

"Everything okay over there?"

There was a face pressed to the hole. Felix quickly covered his limp dick. "We're fine. Nothing to worry about. Just, um, working out."

"Riiight."

"You wanna plug the hole from your side, or should we?"

"I'm putting something up now. Seen enough of your exercise to last me a lifetime, buddy."

Felix got off the end of the bed, paused to pull his pants up, and went to help Zed up off the floor. Then they assessed the damage. He'd bent the 'factor parts beyond recognition to fashion his hooks. Zed's ties were ruined. The wall behind the headboard had two holes in it. One large—now blocked with a cushion—one small and also apparently blocked.

The bed looked okay, or would be once they picked up the door and hung it back in the frame.

Felix turned back to Zed who wore a slightly constipated expression. "You look like you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"I'm thinking about doing both," Zed said, his lips twitching toward the former.

"We can't be the only guests who have trashed a room."

Shaking his head, Zed slid back down the wall to sit on the floor. "Probably not, but this is pretty epic, even for us."

Felix sat next to him. "Pfft, please. There is no hull breach, marauding aliens or evil doctors in this scenario. Also, we haven't crash landed anywhere. It's just a little hole in the wall."

"You know, I'm wondering if this is why fantasy suites exist."

Felix laughed. "Maybe." He leaned in to nuzzle Zed's neck. "Did you have fun before we trashed the place?"

Zed turned so their lips could meet in a passing kiss. "Yeah. How ‘bout you."

"I did. And we're going to do it again. We'll just plan it better next time."

"Mmm-hmm."

"What do you think Brennan would say if we sent a ripcomm asking him to install hooks over the bed in our apartment before we got back?"

Zed snorted, then chuckled, then laughed.