Make Me Whole (35 page)

“I know what you want. Well, this is what I want, having you out of your mind, anticipating that spanking until it’s an acute ache and not knowing when I’m going to give it to you.”

Galen’s squirming rocked the bed, but whenever Nick glanced at his hands, Galen gave no indication that he wanted this to stop. And the last thing Nick wanted to do was stop tormenting Galen. When he slid his hand beneath Galen to fondle his cock, he found it rock hard. Galen’s hips rotated as he pressed against Nick’s palm, and when Nick didn’t squeeze, the sound of pleas changed to curses.

“Do you feel helpless yet, sweetheart?”

Galen whimpered with a frantic nod.

“You don’t know how much you’re turning me on right now,” Nick said in a rough voice and palmed Galen’s ass. His heart pounded while he squeezed Galen’s cheeks, and he traced his fingers down the cleft. Galen moaned and tried to lift his ass higher in supplication, though he didn’t have the leverage to do it. Nick smacked him lightly, just hard enough to tease, and the curses started up again.

“Fuck, Galen,” Nick rasped. He stretched out beside Galen, one hand rhythmically squeezing his ass as he sought out Galen’s neck again. He could smell how turned on Galen was, and Nick nipped his throat. Galen whimpered and turned his head so that Nick could get at his nape. Nick fisted his hand in Galen’s hair and used that handful to hold Galen in place as he bit the side of his throat again.

Galen struggled for a moment before relaxing with another groan when he realized that Nick wasn’t going to release his grip. Nick glanced at Galen’s hands again, then went back to tormenting his neck. He nipped Galen’s jaw, dragged his tongue back and tasted the clean skin from Galen’s shower. He kissed Galen’s favorite spot and smiled against his skin at the frustrated groan. “This is where you want it, isn’t it?”

Galen made a frantic sound and nodded as much as he could with the leeway Nick gave him. He smiled again and kissed the spot as his hand came down and smacked Galen hard on his ass. Galen cried out and stiffened before trying to lift his ass up for another. Nick draped his knee over Galen’s thighs to pin them down. It only seemed to spur Galen on to writhe even more. He panted around the gag, and the edges of the silk started to dampen.

Fuck, Galen was beautiful, his desire evident in the flush of his skin and those oh-so-sexy sounds coming from the back of his throat.

Nick’s cock pressed against Galen’s hip, and every move that he made had Nick’s cock aching a little more. He slapped Galen’s ass again and watched the flex of his muscles as he squirmed. His hips circled, grinding into the bed. “I think one of those toys we’re going to buy is a cock ring. Then you can grind all you want and keep working yourself up with no relief.”

The long, drawn-out moan was the only answer Nick needed. He traced his tongue over Galen’s favorite spot, smelled his scent sharpen, then bit him, just hard enough to make Galen cry out. He shuddered, and his hips jerked against the bed. Nick sucked on the spot and kissed the mark he made. It was hard to choose which he wanted to play with more, Galen’s neck or his ass. It was wonderful to know they’d have many more nights just like this so he didn’t have to choose.

He began spanking Galen
—
hard, measured slaps that quickly began to redden the sweet globes of his ass. The small bedroom was filled with the sound of bare flesh smacking against bare flesh and Galen’s muffled pain-tinged, pleasured-laced cries. Galen’s body moved in an erotic dance. With each blow he jolted and tensed, then his hips would grind as he moaned before he’d lift his ass again in anticipation of the next one.

Nick’s handprint stood out stark white against Galen’s skin before the blood rushed to fill the space. And when he would rub Galen’s ass between the strikes he could feel the heat burning hotter. Watching Galen rub himself into the bed, searching for the right amount of friction to get himself off as he was spanked, made Nick’s mouth go dry. He stared at Galen’s ass and thought about how it would feel to fuck him with that scorching heat pressed against his hips, to hear Galen’s hoarse pleas as his tender skin was given even more stimulation.

Nick groaned and squeezed Galen’s ass as he circled his cock against his hip. Fuck, if he kept this up he’d be coming himself, and this was not where he wanted to do it. Nick pulled his hips back and brought his mouth close to Galen’s ear again. “You going to come for me? You think you can get off from being bound and spanked?”

Galen moaned, sweat dampening his body as his cries became more and more frantic, and his body tensed. “That’s it, sweetheart,” Nick breathed, his gaze fixated on Galen. “You’re almost there. Fuck, you’re beautiful to watch.” His heart pounded, and he leaned down to nip Galen’s shoulder blade.

Galen’s hips jerked hard and his muscles stiffened even more. The gag did little to mask his shout of completion, and the scent of his orgasm rose hot and heady. Galen’s hips stilled, and he trembled, limp and sated next to Nick.

“Damn, that was hot.” Nick eased him onto his side and stroked his fingers over the ankh tattoo on Galen’s hip. Galen’s ass pressed against Nick’s hips, and Nick’s cock jumped, pressing forward eagerly. Galen whimpered and squirmed, and Nick’s jaw clenched under the onslaught of raw need. As much as the thought of fucking Galen now tempted him, while he was still on edge from that intense orgasm, Nick wanted his mouth even more. “I’m not done with you,” he said hotly, and Galen shuddered.

Nick eased him off the bed and onto his knees, supporting Galen until he was steady. The sight of him, still bound hand and foot, gagged and blindfolded made Nick wild inside. He didn’t think he was going to last long once Galen’s mouth was on him. As he stood up, his cock brushed against Galen’s cheek, leaving a smear of wetness behind. Galen moaned and leaned toward him.

When Nick stripped the tie from Galen’s mouth, he wet his lips and searched blindly for Nick’s cock. Nick’s heart jumped, and he threaded his hands in Galen’s hair, cradling his head and guiding him. Hot, sucking heat swallowed his shaft, and Nick groaned. Arcs of tingling need jolted through him, and he allowed Galen to take the lead. He bobbed his head on Nick’s cock with hungry sounds, and already Nick’s balls began to tingle and tighten.

He had to remind himself that this wasn’t what Galen wanted for tonight. He wanted to be helpless. Nick tightened his hands in Galen’s hair, holding his head still. Galen moaned, the sound vibrated around Nick’s shaft. He pulled out, the head of his cock brushing against Galen’s slick lips, and Galen retaliated with teasing flicks of his tongue.

“Please.” The husky, urgent note in Galen’s voice was enough to make any man’s knees weak. Nick stripped the blindfold off him, and Galen blinked before his gaze focused on Nick. The expression there, a mix of desire and trust, made Nick groan. He nudged his hips forward, sinking his cock into the welcoming heat of Galen’s mouth.

Galen’s head became heavy as he relaxed even more. He sucked harder, his tongue rubbing, his stare spurring Nick on. Nick’s heart pounded. “Fuck, Galen. Oh fuck.”

He didn’t last nearly as long as he wanted to. It was fucking impossible with the way Galen kept looking at him and the sight of Nick’s cock disappearing into his mouth. He came hard, the sensations rolling over him in hot waves. Galen pulled back and Nick let him. Come splashed against his cheek. Galen sat back on his heels, panting. “Oh God, that was intense.”

Nick dropped to his knees in front of Galen and gathered him into his arms, feeling shaky as his emotions tumbled about, love and intense protectiveness. Galen kissed him, leaning into him as Nick reached behind him to untie his wrists. He wrapped his arms around Nick and deepened the kiss, and Nick tasted himself on him.

He pulled back and nuzzled against Galen’s mouth. He wanted to keep on kissing and holding him until they were ready to go again. “Is that what you were looking for?”

Galen groaned and yanked off the tie around his ankles. “All that and more.”

G
ALEN
sat back so the waiter could refill his coffee and signaled that he wanted the check. Ella laughed at something Nicole said and poked her in the ribs before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple. Galen smiled to see her so carefree after the intensity of weeks spent on the mural. Her nerves would be up again on gala night, but for now she was relaxed.

The sun shone on his face, and Galen glanced over the crowded plaza. It was a perfect day to eat outside, yet he couldn’t stop the little niggle of dissatisfaction. He looked around the table and wished once again that he’d been able to get a hold of Nick. Suzane was there with Clint, Knox and Heather. Everybody who’d helped put the exhibit together was having a celebratory luncheon, everybody but Nick, who remained missing.

Galen frowned and took a sip of his coffee. Nick deserved a little of this impromptu celebration too; after all, he’d helped Galen keep it together when Suzane was gone, and the Dexios Collection belonged to him. Nick’s assistant had promised to pass along the messages as soon as Nick got out of his meeting, but it looked like he would miss the whole thing. This was what Galen got for setting it up at the last minute.

“I would like to propose a toast,” Galen said, picking up his water glass after he handed the waiter his credit card.

“Mr. K, shouldn’t we have wine for that?” Knox asked with a little smirk.

“Some of you are underage, and the rest of you have to get back to work,” Galen replied, waggling his finger first at Knox, then leveling it toward Suzane.

Suzane rolled her eyes. “A little wine never hurt anybody; a lot of wine is another matter.”

“Hush, you.” Galen cleared his throat at the outbreak of laughter, smiling himself, and waited until everyone else lifted their glasses. “As I was saying, all of you have been instrumental in bringing this exhibit together, whether by keeping me in line, doing grunt work, adding to the beauty of it, or keeping the rest of us sane while we worked. And I wanted to thank each and every one of you. And no matter what the critics say the day after it opens, we all can be proud of what we accomplished.”

“Hear, hear.” Ella echoed and clinked her glass to Nicole’s before touching Galen’s. “Hot damn, the madness is over. My parents even said they’d come.” Her dusky cheeks flushed with emotion, and Galen grinned at her. He knew how much her parents’ conservatism bothered her, but he had to give them credit for continuing to try. It was a far better deal than what Knox got with his mom, who hadn’t said one word to him since he came out.

“That’s great news, Ella.”

They talked for a few minutes more, and then the party started to break up as Suzane’s son left for class, and Knox and Heather went back to work, until finally it was just Suzane and Galen. “I like what you’ve built with those kids,” Suzane said, touching his hand.

“I like your help in doing it.” Galen sat back in his chair and pulled out the newspaper he’d saved from the morning. “I’m going to finish my coffee and the paper before heading back if that’s okay with you.”

“Since when do you ask my permission?” Suzane slid her purse strap over her shoulder. “What happened to Nick? I didn’t get a chance to ask.”

“I tried inviting him, but he’s been in a meeting. You can grill him next time. I know you’ve been dying to.”

“Please, I wouldn’t do anything of the sort,” Suzane sniffed. “That would be stepping over the line.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you before.” Galen laughed.

“I’m trying to mend my ways.” Suzane assumed a pious look, pressing her palms together with a glance skyward that had Galen laughing again. He took his coffee and paper and moved a few chairs over so the sun slanted even more against his face and he had an unobstructed view of the plaza. There were a few tourists about, the crush of the busy season was just getting started, and the fountain splashed merrily, providing a musical backdrop. He sent Nick another quick text as he sipped his coffee, then pulled out his paper.

He needed a few minutes of quiet time. Life had gotten more and more chaotic in the last several weeks. Not only were they wrapped up in the work at the museum, but as Galen moved more and more of his things over to Nick’s apartment, and they were spending every night there, they’d decided, why wait until after the gala, and he’d moved in. Even with Knox’s help, it ended up being a logistical mess with boxes everywhere. The first thing he was going to do once the gala was over would be to get all that organized before he lost his mind.

A shadow fell across the page, and Galen glanced up in irritation, blinking to see who stood between him and the sun. “Galen? I thought that was you. Where the hell have you been? I haven’t heard from you in ages.”

Galen grinned and rose to clasp Vincent’s hand, pulling him into a quick, one-armed hug. “Good to see you too. Come on, join me. I have a bit of time before I have to head back to the museum.”

Vincent stepped over the barrier and took a seat opposite from Galen. “How’s that going for you?”

“Keeping me busy. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve been so out of touch. We’re opening up a new exhibit soon. How’s your store doing?”

“Slow but steady. In this economy, I’ll take it.” Vincent ran a local art supply business, and he kept Galen’s workshop well stocked. He found him to be a lot more reliable for actual art supplies than the bigger chain stores. Come to think of it, he should have Suzane look into the state of their supplies. Or maybe Nick, since Suzane really enjoyed the promotional side of the business and hated the day-to-day grind of operations. Nick had taken over a lot of those little details while she was out, and he had suggested more than once that he’d be happy to continue to help.

“We’re having a gala for the opening in eight days. I’d love to see you there.”

“Are you asking me as a date?” Vincent said with his quirky smile. “We haven’t hooked up in a long time. You’re not still playing that abstinent card, are you?”

“Sorry, Vincent. I’m playing the happily-in-a-committed-relationship card.” Galen finished off the rest of his coffee and set it aside. “I finally gave in and called Nick.”