Page 26 of Pain Play

“You thought correctly. Thank you for alerting me, Terry.” Gerard rose from his chair and regarded Phil. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I need to get my boy home. He’s going to need a lot of attention and care tonight.”

“My God, of course. If he’s doing better later this week, and you feel it’s safe to take him out, we’d love it if you would both join us for dinner. “

Terry let out a small snort. “Yeah, and we can have a rematch on that game of fish. He annihilated me.”

Gerard burst out in laughter. “He got you too? He does that to everyone. No one can touch Marco when it comes to games that require a good memory and strategy. I wouldn’t even try, he’ll get you every time.”

As Gerard and Marco made their goodbyes, Phil perceived Marco in a new light. He found himself not only grateful that Marco had Terry to turn to, but was surprised to discover how protective he’d become over the young sub as well. Anger welled in him at the thought of what horrors Marco must have endured as a child at the hands of his uncle.

That asshole better stay away from him. Phil mused that Marco’s uncle should hope they never met in a dark alley.

Chapter Nine

As soon as the door closed on Gerard and Marco, Terry fell against it and let out a relieved sigh.

“Holy cow. What wasthatall about?”

Phil ran his hand across the top of his head, his expression one of worry. “Why don’t we have a seat in the living room and I’ll explain everything.”

Terry followed Phil and when they reached the sofa, Phil was the one who sat while Terry kneeled at his feet. Phil leaned down and brought their mouths together, the kiss urgent, yet not seeming to come from a place of arousal.Something with Gerard and Marco upset him. Phil ended the kiss, but still held Terry’s face between his hands as he locked gazes with him.

“Do you have any idea how much I cherish you?”

“Oh God. Something awful happened to Marco, didn’t it?”

Phil pressed his lips to Terry’s once more before straightening. “In the past, yes. But Gerard is doing everything he possibly can to keep Marco from being hurt again. I told him we would do whatever we could to help as well.”

Terry swallowed hard past the lump in his throat, his chest tightening. He loved Phil more than anything, but Marco held a special place in his heart too. “Absolutely. If there’s anything I can do, I want to be there for him.”

Phil gave him a knowing smile. “It’s all right, baby. I care about them both very much too. But for now, I’ll share with you what Gerard told me.”

As Phil revealed everything he’d learned about Marco’s past from Gerard, Terry became increasingly agitated. He couldn’t bear hearing that Marco had ever been abused or locked away. But the thought that he might be ripped away from Gerard for any reason made him ill.

Phil regarded him with concern once he’d finished speaking. “This entire incident has stressed you out way too much. Strip and drape yourself over my lap.”

“But my potatoes…”

“Will be there after I’ve reddened your ass.” Phil raised the eyebrow that signaled that he’d better behave or pay the consequences.

“Yes, Master.” Terry jumped to his feet then quickly divested himself of his clothes. Once he’d made certain they were folded carefully and had been placed on a side chair, he got into what had become a familiar position. If it had been even a few months earlier, he never would have believed his current love of pain and submission would be possible.

At the first loud smack of Phil’s hand on a fleshy cheek, Terry found that instead of crying out or pulling away, he fell right into the sting, embraced it, took whatever Phil chose to give him and let it carry him far from his troubled thoughts. He didn’t focus on the ache building beneath his skin, he reveled in the pure bliss the exchange brought to him. His entire world became his Master and he was safe where nothing could harm him.

Gradually, Terry became more aware of his surroundings as Phil rubbed soft circles over his burning flesh. Their exchange hadn’t been meant to arouse, which Terry was grateful for. He’d needed an emotional release, not a sexual one.

“How are you doing, baby?” Phil’s words soothed him.

“Good, good.” Terry inhaled a deep breath then cleared his throat. “Would you hold me?”

“Always.” Phil helped him up and onto his lap. “Dinner can wait if you need to lie down.”

Terry nuzzled Phil’s neck. “Thanks, but I don’t need to lie down right now. I just want to be in your arms for a bit.” A lone tear escaped the corner of his eye then drifted down his cheek. “That was really intense with Marco. Not only what you told me,but when he showed up here earlier. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that at first, when he was so frantic and yelling ‘he’s coming’, I freaked out thinking it was Master Joe or his cohort.”

Phil squeezed him as he tightened his embrace. “That’s nothing to be embarrassed about, not at all. What happened to you was no small thing and you have to acknowledge your feelings about it no matter what they are. I would never say what you have a right to feel and what you don’t. If I can help you deal with your emotions, I will. I might even make suggestions. But I won’t tell you they’re wrong or that you have no business experiencing them.”

Terry squeezed back. “That’s why you rule, Master.”

Phil chuckled. “I rule? Hmm. I think I like that.”