bathing salons behind one of the doors,” Yev said with a chuckle and opened a window by the balcony before taking in Radek’s huge flat-screen TV.
Radek snorted. “Not really, but I do have a big bathtub. I have to get you over to my family house when Mom goes away to a medical spa again. We have a heated pool and sauna. Do you like swimming?” He pulled out a metal box of loose leaf tea, and held it against his body with one arm to open the lid with his remaining hand. Yev approached him slowly, his bare feet moving soundlessly over the smooth wooden floor. But Radek could hear them, and each tiny creak made hair bristle on his nape.
“I love swimming.”
Radek looked up with a smile, and his heart skipped a beat when Yev nudged his chin up for a kiss. But he hadn’t been careful enough, and the container slipped from the crook of his elbow. He yelped and tried to grab it, but it was no use. It dropped to the floor, and dry tea spilled all over the tiles like a colony of ants.
“Fuck,” Radek growled and made a dash for the little broom and shovel he kept under the sink, but he stilled the moment he opened the cupboard, helplessly staring at the tools meant for someone with two hands. “Fuck!”
Yev reached above Radek’s shoulder, hand open. “I’ll do it.”
Radek sat on the floor in endless frustration. “I know, but it’s just… I’m so fucking useless now. I know I should be considering getting a prosthesis to make my life easier, but just thinking about it makes me sick.”
“It’s still a new situation for you. Give yourself time,” Yev said and wrapped his arms around Radek, pulling him tightly to his chest. The scent of the forest he seemed to always carry with him offered instant relief.
He had to take a few deep breaths before he could speak, still holding on to Yev’s forearm. “I… can’t believe it’s gone, you know? When I close my eyes, I don’t even feel it’s not there sometimes, and I still have it in my dreams.”
“I know it must be hard. But that’s your new reality. You will learn how to live with only one hand. It’s not a flaw. You know what is a flaw?” he asked, pulling Radek up as he stood.
Radek turned around to press his face to Yev’s meaty shoulder. “Getting really horny during a full moon?”
A low chuckle echoed in Yev’s chest as he led Radek away from the mess. “Leave it. I’ll deal with it later. We need to address your lying first,” he said and sat on the edge of the sofa with a small smile. “Putting me on the spot with that whole marriage thing? I’m not happy,” he said and patted his knee.
Radek smiled and sat in his lap. “Sorry, I wasn’t planning it. My mouth just sometimes produces things before my brain knows how to register them.”
Yev swallowed and briefly pressed his nose to Radek’s. “No. I want you bent over my knee. This kind of thing can’t go unpunished.”
Radek’s lips parted as he met the steel of Yev’s eyes. “Are you serious?” He wasn’t even offended, just… couldn’t get his head around the concept.
Yev gave a slow nod, and his mouth stretched into a toothy smile that really reminded Radek of a wolf. “Dead serious, Ember.”
Radek pushed back some of his hair, confused rather than angry at the proposition. “I’ve never been… spanked,” he said, a flush creeping up his neck. He wasn’t afraid of Yev hurting him, but he’d never been with guys who wanted to execute some pretend-discipline, and wasn’t sure how to handle this. He was nervous as he slid off Yev’s lap only to lie over it. He did feel a bit guilty over not warning Yev about the marriage prank. Maybe the spanking would clear his conscience?
“There’s a first time for everything,” Yev said with a smile in his voice. His hand slid into the hair at Radek’s nape, holding him down while the other languidly wandered down his back, until it rested on Radek’s backside—a hot presence that somehow made Radek’s hole warm up despite the barrier of clothing.
He swallowed, shocked by how his body reacted to this act of submission, yet already certain he’d be feeling a hard-on against his stomach by the time they were done. He trusted Yev to make this fun, and longed for his touch,