GENRE: Gay BDSM Spicy Romance
LENGTH: 86,098 words
RATING:

Kai, a virgin, has been in love with his best friend Toby since he was fifteen, carrying the weight of unrequited feelings for years. In a desperate attempt to get Toby to notice him in a different light, Kai flirts with and kisses Franklin, a guy he just met, hoping to spark jealousy. But when his plan fails and Toby seems unfazed, Kai is left heartbroken and questioning everything.

A few days later, in a moment of weakness, Kai goes along with Franklin's suggestion to try bondage. He changes his mind before anything happens but, unfortunately for him, everything blows up in his face when he's left naked, alone, cold, and handcuffed to a bed. As Kai struggles to cope, Toby walks in unexpectedly. Will Toby rescue him from this awkward situation, or is finding his best friend naked and bound too much to handle?

When Kai is set free, his troubles are far from over. He’s left not only with the lingering threat of the man who left him handcuffed, but also with the task of uncovering the truths buried around him. Kai thought being handcuffed to the bed was the worst of it, but as he’s about to find out, that is only the beginning.

EXCERPT:
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

Silence surrounds us for a long time. The seconds drag on as Toby and I try to make sense of the situation. Or at least, that’s what I think is going on.

At first, I don’t understand how Toby even got into my apartment, but the answer comes to me quickly. When I moved into this apartment last year, I gave him a spare key because he’s the only person I trust. I handed him the key -- whereas Franklin stole mine today -- and used the fact that my brothers no longer live in this town as an excuse. But honestly, even if they were still here, I would have given it to Toby. I think I regret that now because I am stark naked, rock hard, and handcuffed, with a black rubber ring around my prick. Goodness, how much has he seen already?

“T-Toby? What are you doing here?” I stutter, shivering because I’m freezing again. The piece of fabric muffles my voice, so I’m not sure if he understood what I said.

“You didn’t answer my texts, so I called you,” he replies, still not sounding like himself. “And you didn’t answer that either, but you always pick up when I call, no matter what, so I got worried.”

He falls silent again, and I feel even more exposed because I have no idea what he’s looking at, and I can’t cover myself up.

After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, I hear him scraping his throat, followed by the sound of his approaching footsteps. Then he pulls the fabric out of my mouth and drags it down until it’s loosely wrapped around my neck. I move my face away, swallow, and cough, trying to get rid of the dry taste it left in my mouth.

“I didn’t mean to walk in on you like this,” he says, embarrassed. “But it sounds like Franklin left you here? Against your will?”

Those words bring me back to reality as I am reminded of my precarious situation. “Yes, please help me, Toby!” I exclaim. “He said he wouldn’t be back for two fucking hours! I don’t know how long he’s been gone, but I’m cold and ...”

And frustrated. I can’t stand it anymore. I’m twenty-one, I’m horny, and I need something -- just not from Franklin. Lying here like this has made me realize how much I need the release. I crave it ... But I’m not going to tell him that.

“And you’re in pain,” he says, thinking that he’s finishing my sentence. “There are red marks on your wrist.” He sounds concerned, and the sudden feeling of him brushing his fingertips over my skin, just above the handcuffs, surprises me. I shiver at the touch. I didn’t know he was so close, and his touch makes me realize that my wrists and arms do hurt. I must not have noticed it before -- I had other problems. But now that I feel the pain, I flinch, and he moves his hand away so fast it’s as though my touch has burned him.

“Sorry,” he says, and I hear him hurriedly rummaging through the items on my nightstand and in its drawers. “Where on earth are the keys to these things?”

I think I have the answer to that. “Knowing Franklin, he probably took them. It's a control thing.”

Toby sighs loudly as he closes the drawer. “Why are you even with him?”

I’ve never heard this kind of frustration in his voice before. Why is that? Why is he frustrated?