Page 66 of The Key Holder

“Sure thing.” I closed the door and hurried down the stairs, shocked I wasn’t greeted by plumes of black smoke, or even a burning smell. Grabbing the oven mitt from the drawer, I pulled them out and they were…fine?

A nice, golden brown.

It seemed I wasn’t gone for as long as I thought. One by one, I popped them out and put them on a cooling rack. After the next batch was in the oven and the timer set, my fingers found themselves twirling the key much like Dylan had been doing.

I heard footsteps, then a voice. “You got that boy locked down.” I turned around, unable to tell if Axel was asking a question or not. While I tried to decide how to respond, he continued, pointing at me. “That’s some kinky shit, bro, wearing the key to it like that.”

Wait, what?!

I turned away from him and held the key out in front of me, stretching the thin chain taut.

The key I’d had for weeks.

That Dylan said wasn’t his.

That he liked me having.

Was the key to his chastity cage?

16

Dylan

The rumble of River’s truck finally faded, taking with it the incessant hammering, the muttered curses, and Axel and Brock’s leering glances. A wave of pure, unadulterated relief washed over me.

They were gone. All of them.

And that meant the cabin was ours again.

“Thank fuck.” I collapsed against the doorframe as the dust from the driveway drifted off with the breeze. The silence that followed was golden, a balm to my frayed nerves. I didn't even give Ford a chance to turn around before I was wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his back.

"They're gone, they're gone, they're gone!" I mumbled into his shirt, pressing kisses to his back through the thin fabric. My hands were already roaming, slipping under his shirt, careening down his abs. I wanted to feel all of him, to erase the lingering awkwardness of the interruption and reclaim our space.

Ford chuckled, and I felt him relax into my embrace. “Yep, they’re finally gone.”

I spun him around, my hands instantly grabbing his ass and pulling him against me. My mouth found his and with a desperate, hungry kiss I tried to convey everything I couldn’t say: relief, desire…and a little bit of lingering embarrassment. He tasted like coffee and something uniquely him, and I loved it.

But as the kiss deepened, I felt it. There was a stiffness in his body, and not the kind I’d usually make a joke about. It wasn’t the same Ford from a few days ago, and I wondered if it was because of yesterday or something else.

I pulled back, just enough to look at him. I could see it on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked, my voice a little breathless from the kiss. “Did I do something wrong? Is it…is it because of Axel?”

“No, not at all.” His eyes were a little distant, a thoughtful frown tugging at his lips. He reached up, his fingers touching the key hanging from his neck. “I think,” he began, his voice slow, almost a murmur, “this key…I think it goes to that cage around your cock, doesn’t it?”

I smiled, hoping this was a positive development. "When did you figure it out?" I asked, a mix of curiosity and dread swirling in my gut. Somehow he knew. My face grew hot, remembering all the times I’d casually dismissed it, the easy lies I’d told.

His curled finger hooked under my chin, tilting my head back until our eyes met. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ford asked, his voice soft, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“I was waiting for the right time.” I shrugged. “Trust me, I wasn't going to wait forever, but I liked seeing it around your neck.”

“Even after we were together?” Ford asked, his eyes were still on mine.

“Especially after that.” I squeezed his butt, then slid my hands up to his back, holding him close. “You don't know how much of a tease it is. It’s been like a faucet. I'm pretty much turned on all the time.”

“I can tell,” Ford said, the words practically rumbling out of him. His eyes narrowed, and his grip on me tightened.

I pushed his hand aside and leaned in, my voice dropping to a low, husky murmur. “Does that mean you don't want to fuck me?”

Ford's eyes blazed, his lips just inches from mine. “I definitely did not say that.”