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

“Oh.” It’s a tiny sigh of a sound but the contentment, the relaxation that it holds goes straight to Josiah’s cock and he has to resist the urge to turn things in another direction instead of what he has planned for the moment.

“You went down far for our first time.” It’s true and Josiah does nothing to hide the pleasure it brings him to know that already he can take Rafe down so far without even really touching him.

“Hmm.” Rafe hums a pleased sound and rubs the back of his upturned head against the firm wall of Josiah’s thigh.

“Do you need help standing?”

Rafe seems to contemplate the question for a moment before he nods as he slowly unwraps his arm from its place around Josiah’s leg. Josiah stands up, careful not to jostle Rafe as he maneuvers around until he’s in front of him looking down at his still kneeling form. He reaches out a hand and is pleased when Rafe immediately clasps it in his own. He tugs the submissive to his feet, steadying him when he stumbles slightly because his legs are most likely asleep after so long in one position.

He guides him around the living room a few times, careful to make sure that Rafe stretches and gets his blood flowing properly. Then when he knows that Rafe’s steady and able to support himself he releases his hold and turns to look him in the eyes.

“You and I need to speak. Sit down on the couch and listen to me very carefully.”

Rafe immediately sinks down on the cushions, his body reacting almost without thought to the commanding tone in Josiah’s voice.

“We still need to deal with what happened earlier, Rafe.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Josiah takes a deep breath and lets the part of himself that he’s always held back rise closer to the surface, the part that chafes with the urge to dominate, to show others their place beneath him. It’s a part of him that he’s never really been able to embrace, never been able to truly tap into with any of the submissives at the pleasure houses, no matter their tier. He intends to unleash it on Rafe fully however, intends to show him just how he really is.

“You offered yourself to me, offered me a contract and then you went against the spirit of that offer, Rafe.”

Rafe stares at him in disbelief and confusion and when he speaks his voice reflects both.

“I…we haven’t actually entered into the contract yet and from what I saw we won’t be able to for a while, if ever, since I doubt Noah’s going to give up without a fight.”

The newly unleashed part of Josiah growls in displeasure at hearing his submissive speak of another with such familiarity. Josiah reaches down and tangles a hand deep in Rafe’s hair, a gesture that he’s quickly become obsessed with, and tips his head further back.

“His name is Frisch. You’ll not be so familiar towards him again; he’s neither asked for nor earned the right to have you use his first name. Do you understand me? You’re mine now whether we have a contract at the moment or not. He’ll never get you back.”

5Rafe’s breathing goes deep and his eyes are wide as Josiah looks closely at him. There’s no fear in his gaze, which is something Josiah is thankful for. Rafe seems to know instinctively that Josiah’s not trying to truly hurt him; he’s simply exerting his rights as his dominant. Still holding Rafe by the hair Josiah lowers his voice again, lets it slip into the commanding baritone from before.

“You damaged my property, Rafe.” He sees the confusion on Rafe’s face and knows that he’s going to have to explain, knows that this is something that Rafe will not understand to begin with, but it’s something that they both need.

“You’d already offered yourself to me, had already offered me your contract, and yet you turned on me, Rafe. You didn’t trust me enough to not jump to conclusions. More than that you turned on yourself, tried to take blame that I didn’t give to you and that’s not how this works.”

Rafe gapes at him, stunned at what Josiah’s implying before words begin to tumble out of him.

“That’s…you can’t do…you can’t punish me for blaming myself for something!”

“It’s well within my right as your dominant when that blame is doing you harm that I’ve not approved.”

“What was I supposed to think, Josiah? My own Head of House, my father’s sister, wouldn’t help me. No matter what I did, no matter what I said, there was never anywhere to turn, never any way out until that last day. If no one else had a problem with what was going on, how could I not believe that the problem was with me?”

Josiah doesn’t ignore Rafe’s words but he doesn’t respond to them either. Technically he knows that what Rafe’s saying is true, but he has a point to make and he’s not going to get sidetracked. He loosens his hold on Rafe’s hair and slides his fingers through the strands as he pulls back so he can grasp him by the chin instead.

“I’m going to go into my bedroom and I’m going to wait for you, Rafe. If you want to be here, if you want to be mine, then you’ll come to me. If not then go to your room and don’t come out for the rest of the night.”

He lets his hand fall away from Rafe’s chin, spins on his heel and goes to his room, careful to leave the door open a crack so that Rafe knows to come inside. He wants to pace but he doesn’t let himself. Instead he stands silently at the end of his bed and waits. Rafe will have to come