Imprisoned Read online

  “What’s this all about, Ari?” he asked in a low voice. “Come on—you can tell me. You can tell me anything.”

  “Anything?” For some reason, his words drew another jagged laugh from the boy and then Ari shook his head and walked away, towards the less populated end of the Rec Yard.

  Lathe followed him, feeling more worried than ever.

  “Ari please… Ari…” He waited until they were at a deserted corner of the yard—the fuck-and-suck corner as a matter of fact he saw distractedly—and then took Ari by one bird-like shoulder and turned him around. “Ari,” he said as gently as he could. “What is it? Did something happen to you this morning before Mid Meal?”

  “You could say that,” Ari looked away and abruptly changed the subject. “You know, Wheezer told me that what Tapper said in the showers this morning was pretty much what everyone is thinking. About…you know—you and me? And what we, uh, were supposedly doing here yesterday?”

  “It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks when we know the truth,” Lathe said firmly. “Don’t give it another thought, Ari.”

  “I can’t help thinking about it,” the boy protested. “Especially when…when Wheezer told me it would be better to let them think it. Think that we’re… together. You know?”

  “Oh?” Lathe raised an eyebrow at him. “And why is that?”

  “Because…” Ari looked down, scuffing the toe of one small slipper in the sparse, dry grass of the Rec Yard. “Because Wheezer said that a man who’s protecting someone he loves—uh, cares about—is much more likely to fight for them and stay protective. Whereas a man who’s only looking out for a weaker inmate out of the goodness of his heart is probably going to get tired of playing that role and get rid of the person he’s protecting.”

  “Is that what you think?” Lathe demanded, feeling blindsided by the boy’s words. “That I want to get rid of you?”

  “No… not exactly.”

  Ari bit his full lower lip, a distractingly erotic gesture, Lathe couldn’t help thinking. Gods damn it, if only the boy didn’t have such a pretty face!

  “What are you saying then?” he asked, trying not to be distracted by Ari’s beauty.

  “I’m just saying…maybe it would be a good idea to let the other inmates—some of them in particular—believe we really are together. It might…help. You know?”

  His dark eyes darted to Tapper who was lounging idly in the far corner of the Rec Yard, laughing at something that Fenrus had said. Something stupid no doubt, knowing the dim-witted henchman.

  “Oh?” Lathe frowned at him. “And how do you propose we do that?”

  “Like this.” And Ari dropped suddenly to his knees before him. Reaching up, he had Lathe’s trustee jumpsuit open in a moment and was pulling out his shaft before Lathe could protest.

  “Wait! Ari, you don’t—” Lathe started but Ari was already licking the head of his cock, swirling his soft, pink tongue around the wide crown in a way that made Lathe—who hadn’t been erect at all before—instantly hard.

  For a moment he let it continue. Ari’s mouth was so hot and wet and the sight of the boy on his knees before him, looking up with those big, dark eyes as he licked and sucked Lathe’s aching member was unbearably erotic.

  But he’s not doing this because he wants to, Lathe reminded himself. He’s doing it because he’s afraid I’ll get rid of him—stop protecting him—if he doesn’t give me sexual favors.

  “Ari, no,” he said gently, pulling the boy away although his shaft ached in protest at the loss of the hot, wet mouth. “You don’t have to do that for me,” he told the boy, trying to raise him to his feet. “There is no price for my protection and I’m not going to get tired of you and throw you out of my cell just because the two of us aren’t…uh, intimate.”

  But Ari stayed stubbornly on his knees.

  “They’re all watching us now,” he pointed out, jerking his head at the rest of the Rec Yard. “If you make me stop before…before you finish, they’ll assume you’re angry with me. That you don’t want me anymore. At least…Tapper will think that.”

  Looking up at the interested eyes of the rest of the inmates, Lathe realized the boy was right. The last time they’d been in the fuck-and-suck corner of the Rec Yard, he had carefully hidden Ari with his own, much larger body. This time, however, the boy was in plain view, down on his knees before Lathe. It was almost as though Ari had positioned them for maximum visibility on purpose.

  Which is probably exactly what he did, Lathe thought grimly. Was Ari trying to manipulate him for some reason?

  Angry words rose to his lips but when he looked down again, he saw the fear and uncertainly in the large, dark eyes.

  He’s scared to death, Lathe realized, his heart aching for the boy’s fear. He’s got it into his head that I’ll leave him to Tapper’s tender mercies if he doesn’t please me.

  “Ari…” he said gently, leaning down to cup the boy’s soft cheek. “This isn’t right or necessary. I’ll protect you no matter what. Tapper won’t lay a hand on you, I swear. And,” he added, straightening up. “I don’t want you to do things for me you don’t want to do. I don’t want unwilling sexual favors.”

  Still Ari wouldn’t budge.

  “I’m not unwilling,” he protested, looking up at Lathe. “Please, Lathe, I admit I didn’t think I’d, uh, like this before I started. I’ve never…never done this before and all I could think of was Tapper and the way he shoved…” He shook his head, clearly pushing away the bad memory.

  “Little one—” Lathe began.

  “But it’s not like that with you,” Ari interrupted. “I like the way you feel in my hands…in my mouth. And you smell so good.”

  “I…do?” Lathe frowned, a suspicion forming in his mind. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean your scent. It’s like…warmth and safety and protection and it’s clean and masculine and it just makes me want to be with you.” He looked up at Lathe, frowning. “I don’t understand it. At first I thought it must be some kind of soap or cologne. But I’ve never seen you put anything on and you just use that same awful coarse brown soap that I do. Why do you smell so good, Lathe?”

  “I…I’m not sure,” Lathe muttered but inside his suspicion was becoming a reality.

  My bonding scent…he must be smelling my bonding scent.

  But that couldn’t be right. Why would his body make his bonding scent for another male? Lathe had never heard of such a thing. It must be that his body was unconsciously reacting to Ari’s female scent and making the same pheromones it would if the boy had really been a woman.

  Gods, this was confusing! Lathe shook his head, wishing for a moment that he’d never seen Ari in the first place…never rescued the boy from Mukluk and Tapper and every other Goddess-damned person who seemed out to get the lad in the evil depths of BleakHall.

  But then he looked into Ari’s eyes again. Large and beautiful and beseeching. The boy’s soft rosebud mouth was slightly open as though to plead…or to suck.

  Gods… Lathe groaned internally. This was so wrong. I can’t give him what he wants…what he needs. I can’t be with another male sexually…can I?

  He would have been certain of that fact only a week ago. And the sight of another male on his knees before him, begging to suck his cock would have turned his stomach. Now the thought of letting Ari wrap those soft, sweet lips around his shaft had him achingly hard. Was he changing? Becoming the kind of male who loved other males? Could someone change their sexual orientation so abruptly and completely?

  But I don’t desire all other males…just Ari. Only him, Lathe told himself. But just because he desired the boy didn’t mean he ought to let Ari—

  His thoughts were cut off abruptly when Ari leaned forward and placed a soft, sucking open-mouthed kiss against the head of his cock, making his shaft pulse back to aching hardness.

  “Please,” the boy whispered. “Please let me do this, Lathe. Please let me suck you.”

  He kissed La