Love in the Land of Fire, Brochu, Rebecca [best free novels .txt] 📗

gentles his voice, likes the way Rafe softens a bit at the sound of it and is surprised when the submissive immediately begins to talk.

“Noah used to…he would always…” Rafe can’t seem to find his words, can’t seem to form a coherent sentence.

Josiah releases him slowly and takes a step back until he’s no longer touching Rafe at all. He sees the way it helps the submissive calm down, sees how he’s able to get a better grip on himself. Josiah is equal parts pleased that he has such an effect on the man, that he can unsettle Rafe as much as Rafe unsettles him, but he’s displeased that it’s manifesting in such a negative manner. Rafe takes a deep breath and rubs at his wrists before he continues on, a bit calmer than before but still obviously shaken.

3“Noah’s a two and he doesn’t understand that I, people like me and you, subs and doms of higher tiers need the scene, the byplay more often than he does. That it’s different when you’re a four or even a three. He didn’t feel the need for it that often, didn’t have the same desires and needs that I do. But when he did…when he did it was…horrible.” Rafe shudders and Josiah has to stop himself from reaching out to him, from offering comfort that he knows might not be welcome when Rafe is so busy reliving something so obviously unpleasant.

“He’s a sadist, likes the blood and the screams and isn’t much for aftercare. I tried to explain to him and to Mistress Jean that I’m not a masochist, and that we weren’t suited for each other but they wouldn’t listen.

Jean would go on and on about it being my duty, reminding me that our family owed Noah a sub and that I was it. I never understood it, could never find any information on anything like that no matter how hard I looked. And Noah, it made him so angry and he’d punish me even though we hadn’t entered into a contract yet.”

Rafe looks up then, meets Josiah’s eyes head on and Josiah braces himself, because he knows that what Rafe’s about to say is going to break him.

“When I started fighting back, when it got to be too much, he’d have a few of his guard help him tie me down and he’d tell me…he’d tell me that he was going to make me love it, make me love him.”

Josiah springs back as if burned, his hands coming up to fist in his own hair to keep himself from doing something else stupid, like reaching for Rafe or punching a hole through the apartment wall. Both of those things were liable to frighten or upset the submissive even more than he already had.

“Rafe. I would never…there’s nothing…fuck! I would never hurt you if you were mine, not like that.

Anything between us would always be consensual and you’d always have the right to truly say no, and if you used your word I’d immediately back off. I’m not like Frisch. I’m not.”

Josiah isn’t sure who he’s trying to convince, himself or Rafe, but the idea of falling into the same category as Frisch makes him want to eat his pistol. He begins to pace back and forth down the narrow hallway, trying his best to ignore the way Rafe’s eyes follow his every movement, all wary watchfulness and alert tension.

“I want you. I’ve made no secret of that fact to anyone. Hell, everyone but you understands that to be a complete truth. So I’m not going to deny that I want you.”

Josiah looks up then and makes eye contact with Rafe, his own dark eyes clashing with Rafe’s green as he tries his best to emphasize just how serious he is.

“But it’s different than what Frisch wanted out of you. You owe me nothing, you owe him nothing, and I don’t see you as anything less than what you are. I want you at my feet and at my side, in each and every way I can get you and a few that I haven’t thought of yet. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t, but I would never do what he did to you. There would be rules, regulations for both of us, things that would be discussed and agreed upon before we entered into a contract.”

Josiah clamps his mouth shut, aware that he’s pleading his case when he probably shouldn’t be. Instead he takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself back down. It’s surprisingly hard to do, further proof of just how twisted up into knots Rafe has managed to get him.

“There are things we need to discuss, the reason why I was so angry about you leaving among them, but now’s not the best time. I’m going to go to my room and I would like for you to stay here. You’re welcome to do anything you want to. Just please don’t leave the apartment.”

He manages to get the words out as calmly and as evenly as he can and he’s relieved when Rafe gives him a 3cautious nod of agreement from his place against the wall. Unable to continue looking at the submissive’s still slightly fearful face without doing something stupid Josiah turns on his heel and strides towards his own bedroom. The door closes behind him with a quiet click and he sinks back against the sturdy wood, an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.

He’d almost made a mistake that would have haunted them both for the rest of their lives.

3Chapter Ten

Josiah spends the remainder of the night in his room, forcefully resisting the urge to head back out into the rest of the apartment and show Rafe just how tender and unlike Frisch he can be. He doesn’t give into the