Page 48 of Lay It Bare

Rei

Questions remained the next morning, though. And Rei’s work was to spot patterns. It was unavoidable. Whoever Sevastyan had been with was a tiger. Rei stared at the marks on Sevastyan’s back as he dressed.

What would it look like if my marks were there as well?

The shapes and angles of the scratch marks could only come from someone who had dominated Sevastyan. That was twice now, since coming to Chicago, that Sevastyan had surrendered to someone else. And he seemed better for it, this second time.

Late in the afternoon, Rei put his research away as Lisa came out of the bedroom. He stood up and took Lisa’s hand, tugging him towards the couch. Lisa raised an eyebrow. Rei ignored it, dragging Lisa across the room and throwing himself down. He pulled Lisa down, the larger man giving in and climbing on top of him. Rei urged him to lie down until Lisa’s full weight was pressing him into the cushions.

“We’re doing this?” Lisa asked.

Rei wrapped his arms around Lisa and squeezed.

“Um . . . okay.” Lisa made himself more comfortable and pulled a pillow around to cushion his head, rather than smooshing Rei’s face.

It was almost enough. Lisa needed to eat more. Then he’d be more satisfyingly heavy. Rei ran his hands over Lisa’s still prominent ribs.

“I’m eating,” Lisa groused.

Rei just squeezed Lisa against him again and closed his eyes.

In a world of no guarantees, moments such as this were the only safety. He was going to exist here, and only here, with his friend pushing him down into the cushions, the air in the room comfortably warm while snow fell outside, and a soft silence wrapping the space around them in protective stillness.

Just this moment. No future. No past. He breathed in the scent of Lisa’s hair and let Lisa’s heartbeat pulse against his own.

Slowly, Lisa relaxed. “I can put a cover over us. I’m kinda cold.”

Rei nodded.

Lisa used his long arm to find the blanket Sevastyan kept on the couch specifically for naked slaves. Neither of them were naked at the moment, but it was still welcomed. Lisa cocooned them and then relaxed fully on top of Rei. “You can breathe, yes?”

“Enough.” Rei wrapped both his arms and legs around Lisa until the other slave grunted.