You don’t know what you were expecting when you decided to follow a stranger into an alley, but you definitely didn’t expect this.

“Do you give?” Ray asks, looking down at you.

He’s managed to pull your balance out from under you, guiding you down to your knees, your locked together—overpowering you in only seconds, with the strength of someone who’s done this before.

“Yeah—yeah, I give…” you gasp, breathless, adrenaline flooding your veins.

You chuckle nervously, your heart racing so hard it feels like it might break out of your chest.

Down on your knees in front of him, you’re suddenly aware of how small you are next to him, how easily he could move you anywhere he wanted.

He smirks, one eyebrow lifting in silent amusement, his hand brushing over your hair in a strangely careful gesture before he tips his chin downward, directing your attention toward his boots.

“Lick,” he says simply.

You stare at the scuffed leather and then up at him again, confusion and anticipation tangling in your stomach.

“You want me to…?” your voice trails off, thin and shaky. He doesn’t answer, doesn’t need to. He looks away, giving you nothing but silence, leaving the weight of the choice entirely in your hands.

Your throat tightens. This isn’t about the boots, you realise. It’s about whether you’ll step across a line you can’t uncross. And he’s waiting, just to see what you’ll do next.