Page 60 of Naughty November

My eyes snapped back up to his. Oops.

I cleared my throat. “Sorry about that.”

“I don’t mind,” he whispered, so softly that I’m not sure I was meant to hear. Especially since he immediately started chewing on his lip again, his breaths becoming short and anxious.

I let it go, not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable than he already was, and focused on working his pants and briefs down his legs.

And then, goddamn, had to focus even harder on the fact that I was here to help, not perv on him, once he finally stepped out of them and stood half-naked, slim, caged, and fucking beautiful in front of me.

I reached for the little cage, his cock so soft and pretty inside that my own started to thicken despite my best intentions.

“You don’t think I’m too weird for letting Cindy do this to me, do you?” he blurted, his hands still curled around the rucked-up hem of his shirt, turning into a white-knuckled grip.

“Sit down, pretty thing,” I murmured, helping him onto the couch before his legs gave out from nerves. “That’s it. Now spread your legs wide for me so I have room to work on this. And no, I don’t think anything’s wrong with wanting to give someone control in the bedroom, no matter what that looks like.” I pinned him with a hard look. “As long as youwantedto.”

Because I wouldn’t put it past someone who’d leave him locked up like this to have bullied him into it in the first place.

But Holden blushed for me again and gave a little nod. “I didn’tmind. Um, not at first. It would have been better if she’d been, um, nicer about it, though.”

I was going to get pissed off all over again if he kept dropping these hints that his ex hadn’t treated him right. Not pissed at him, of course. Holden had always been a people pleaser, and it was all too easy to imagine how that had gone down.

“You deserve better,” I told him, unable to keep a bit of growl out of my voice.

It was true, though. He was sweet as honey, and so far, all signs pointed to him being incredibly submissive in the bedroom, too. What he deserved was someone who’d actually take care of him properly and cherish himfor that, not take advantage of his nature in some kind of sick power game that I suspected he’d never actually consented to.

Or even been asked to.

The overbearing, protective part of me wanted to press him on that issue, but before I could, he blurted out, “You said you’ve done it before? Um…”

He waved a hand toward his dick.

“Chastity?” I grinned, running my fingers over the shiny bars of his cage. “You know I’m someone who’s always loved to be in charge, Holden, and that definitely includes my taste in the bedroom. So yeah, I’ve got a little experience with it. There’s nothing better than a pretty boy who trusts me enough to let me lock up his dick and decide when he gets to use it.”

His breath stuttered, and this time, when he blushed, it extended all the way down his throat, disappearing under the neckline of his shirt and forcing me to stifle another groan of inappropriate arousal.

Fuck. I really had to get it together, especially when I’d just been getting riled up on his behalf over the way I suspected Cindy had bulldozed right over his wants and needs.

“You know that’s only good when it works for both parties, though,” I murmured, forcing my attention off how fucking delectable he looked and onto the reason I’d come over.

I hefted the cage in my palm, running my thumb over the locking mechanism as I tried to focus on what it would take to get it off of him instead of how hot it looked to see him wearing it.

“I thought it sounded nice,” Holden said softly. “Um, the idea of it, at least.”

“Then maybe you’ll try it again sometime,” I said, fighting down the surge of irrational jealousy at the thought. “But this time with someone who will appreciate what a good boy you are for wearing it and praise you for the beautiful way you’ve handed over control. Someone who willearnthe right to take that control by treating you right and taking care of you properly.”

“Would you?”

My head jerked up, my heart pounding… and the blood pounding through my dick even harder.

Holden squeaked a little, his face going from that pretty, pretty pink to something resembling the color of a ripe tomato as he slapped his hands over his mouth like he hadn’t meant to ask that.

“What?” I asked, tugging his hands down and holding them against his chest.

“Not with me!” he said frantically, shaking his head.

I let go of his hands.

Right.