Tragic King (The Dominant Bastard Duology 2)

He groaned, but wrapped one of his hands around his cock anyway, even though he was looking away and doing his best to pretend Severin wasn’t in the room.

“Eyes on me, puppy.”

Rodrigo’s gaze flicked up to his, and his tight-lipped humiliation as he stroked his cock made Severin struggle to maintain his indifferent façade. He alternated between watching the way Rodrigo handled himself, trying to memorize what he liked, then feeling weird about that for some reason, then watching his face as his eyes hazed with lust, lips parted as he watched Severin watching him. Trying to look bored and slightly disdainful while his dick felt like it was going to punch a hole through his jeans was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

Rodrigo’s hips started to buck and he gritted his teeth.

“Stop.”

“Fuck!” Ro let go of himself, his cock pulsing angrily. Pre-come dripped from the tip of his dick to the floor and his stomach was taut. His thunderous expression made Severin wonder if he’d take a swing at him.

Severin smiled coldly and fished what he’d stolen from Minnow out of his pocket.

“A hair elastic? What’s that for?” Rodrigo snapped. “You want me to braid your hair for you now?”

“Cock ring.”

Ro let loose a string of Spanish profanity.

“Put it on then put your hands on the fucking wall.”

Teeth bared in a feral smile, Ro grabbed the elastic out of his hand and slid it on, his expression mocking.

“Tighter.”

Rodrigo twisted the elastic and slipped the second loop over. He grunted in discomfort.

Severin arched a brow.

After a long, measuring look, Rodrigo turned and put his hands on the wall, the muscles in his back and ass tightening as Severin unbuckled his belt and pulled it free of his belt loops.

“I thought you weren’t going to punish me today.”

“I said I wasn’t going to fuck you today. I wouldn’t be punishing you if you’d behaved. Just because you’re usually a dominant, that doesn’t mean you can pull this dragging-your-fucking-feet crap with me. When I give you an order, you comply. Understand me?”

“Yes, Severin,” Rodrigo said tightly.

He wrapped the buckle end around his hand.

“Fuck,” Ro whispered.

“Do you like pain?”

“No.”

The excitement that thrummed through him threatened to take over his muscles, but he forced himself to pretend he was composed. How did other dominant sadists stay calm when it was time to punish their submissives? It was like taking one delicious bite of dessert then pushing away the plate.

He laid into Rodrigo, hard and fast, the way he’d done to Minnow the first time, adrenaline screwing through him. Ro made no sound, stubbornly clenching his teeth while Severin painted his back and ass and the back of his thighs with red welts. Under the onslaught, Rodrigo eventually lost composure, grunting with each blow.

“Shit,” Ro gasped. “Shit, shit, shit.”

The snap of leather was violent on Rodrigo’s skin, but it was civilized compared to the violence in Severin’s mind. Rodrigo wasn’t soft and dainty like Minnow. Rodrigo could take anything he dished out.

So many fucking years of frustration, being unhappily attracted to his best friend and not knowing how to interpret his feelings or deal with them. He knew it was his own fault, but he also blamed Rodrigo for being so fucking tempting all the time, for flirting with him – for forcing his hand and putting their entire friendship at risk.

If being together this way didn’t work out, it would probably ruin the only friendship he really had. It had been hard enough not to fantasize about Ro in the first place, but after having been together he doubted things would ever go back to how they were, no matter how badly he wanted that escape clause.

The rapid succession of blows was now accompanied by cries of pain, and Severin’s dick throbbed so hard he was gasping with his own brand of agony.