“No, sweet boy. The lifestyle is different for everyone. You’re allowed to have specific wants and needs, same as everyone else.”
“No one wants me once they find out what my limits are.”
“You’re not boring, River. I promise you.”
“Yeah, but… it’s like being picked last for teams. All the subs with fewer limits get picked first. The more you’ll let someone do to you, the more people you have willing to do anything to you.”
Zane hooked a finger under River’s chin and tilted his head. “You said you don’t believe in fate, River, but I do. I think there is someone out there for everyone. There’s all kinds of people in this world, and there is someone out there who’d be happy to have you as his boy.”
“You’re sweet, even when you’re wrong.”
Zane might have laughed were it not for the heartbreaking sincerity in River’s voice.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you have to work?”
“No. I never come when I have work the next day.”
“Good boy; that’s very responsible of you.”
River rolled his eyes. “Yes, because all the Doms want a responsible boy.”
“Everyone wants different things.”
“And what do you want?” River challenged.
“Right now, I want you to tell me that you’re okay with coming home with me.”
River blinked at him. “What?”
“Well, you see, baby boy, Daddy wants to take you home.”
“Why?” River interrupted.
“Because you need someone to show you how not boring you are.”
“I’m confused. First you suggest we pretend to be together, but now you want to take me home. That doesn’t seem very pretend.”
River was right. Zane was sending all kinds of mixed signals. Zane needed to be completely honest, even though it might send River out the door and away from Zane—and the club—forever.
“The minute I suggested we fake it, I didn’t want to. Not because I don’t want you, but because of how much I want you.” To prove his point, Zane shifted River so he could feel Zane’s thick cock press against his ass. “You’re not boring, River. Not even a little. You’re the most perfect, most interesting person I’ve met in a long time. Fate plopped you down in my lap for a reason.”
One day, River would be broken of his bad habit of rolling his eyes every time Zane mentioned fate or destiny. But not today.
“What happens if I go home with you?”
“Tonight, not much. We talk some more, maybe we watch a movie. I’d like to sleep next to you. Then, tomorrow, I’d spend the whole day as your Daddy.”
River tensed. “Is that what you want? Someone to be your boy all the time?”
“In a perfect world, yeah.”
“And what happens after tomorrow?”
“We’ll take things one day at a time, but I have a good feeling about you.”
Zane already wanted to keep him, but he tried his best not to get ahead of himself. He was usually more cautious about entering into a relationship of any sort, but something about River screamed at him. He knew if he let River walk away now, he’d never see him again, and that thought was unfathomable.
“Isn’t that why you came here tonight? To meet someone?”
“Well… yeah. But… everyone thinks I’m with you.”
“I’m fine with that. Let them think what they want. And if you come home with me, it won’t be a lie. Does that make you feel better?”
“I don’t want people to know I lied. I’m not a liar. I just panicked.”
“Then you’ll come home with Daddy tonight. And tomorrow, I can show you all the glorious things we can share without ever going near your limits.”
River practically vibrated in Zane’s lap. From fear or anticipation, Zane couldn’t be sure. He was certain, however, that River was meant to find him tonight. River needed him. He had never encountered someone who affected him the way River had in such a short time. Or at all.
Already, the compulsion was there to keep River. And if River needed people to believe they were involved, that was fine by Zane. It meant that no one would try and take this treasure away from him before he could convince River to give him a chance.
“Are you ready to go, baby? Do you need anything? Did you come with a friend?”
River shook his head. “No. I came alone.” Zane gave him a look, and a smile tugged at River’s lips. “I need to get my coat.”
Zane stood and let River down. He linked their hands together; his much larger one swallowed River’s. Zane stood at least a head taller than River, and he was broader, older.
River looked up at him. “I’m ready, Daddy.”
Zane led him through the club, aware of all the eyes on them. Aware of the whispers and rumors that would sweep the scene like a wildfire. Clint would’ve seen to it, the shameless gossip that he was, that everyone heard about Zane’s new boy.
Zane waited while River went into the dressing rooms and collected his belongings from his locker. Now fully dressed, River was ready, and he slid his hand into Zane’s as they exited the club.
Zane opened the passenger side door for his boy and helped him buckle up before climbing into the driver’s seat. “I live at seven-three-five Aldergrove Lane, if you need to text a friend your whereabouts.” Zane was happy to see River take his phone out and take his suggestion.
He put a hand on River’s thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Good boy.”
Chapter Three
Zane’s house was crazy nice. It wasn’t ‘lifestyles of the rich and the famous’ nice, but more on the level of ‘I’ve never had to worry about money’ nice. It looked too big for one person, if River was honest. A two-car garage attached to the main house, and they entered through the door that led into a mudroom off the kitchen. Before River could slip out of his shoes, Zane turned to him and cupped his face in his hands.
“I’d very much like you to give control of everything over to me while you’re here, River. Will you do that?”
River wet his lips. He took a breath and hoped his voice came out steady. “Yes, Daddy. I’d like that.”
Zane’s megawatt smile made River melt. “Good boy. If you need to stop or discuss something, just tell me, okay?”
“Okay.” River exhaled. He felt a little relieved that Zane hadn’t jumped immediately into the discussion of safewords. That always made him think a Dom wanted to crack his body like a glow stick and would only stop if River yelled something like ‘Chihuahua.’
River reached for the zipper on Zane’s jacket, but Zane tutted and gently moved his hands away.
“Daddy is in charge now.” Zane unzipped his coat and removed it. He hung it on an empty hook and then knelt down to help River out of his shoes. An unfamiliar emotion niggled at the back of River’s mind. On one hand, he was horrified that something so simple could thrust such a powerful feeling upon him, but on the other, he was wholly consumed by the idea that no one had ever helped him with something so simple before.
Zane took his hand. “Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
Zane tugged him into the kitchen, a spacious room with stools along one side of the island. It looked like a room River would see in a magazine. Zane guided him to one of the stools and patted the top.
“Up you get.”
River obeyed and watched as Zane moved to the fridge. “Are you allergic to anything?”
“Tomatoes.”
“Anything you don’t like?”
“Fish.” River wrinkled his nose.
“Well, how about some granola and yogurt? Do you like raspberries?”
“Yes, thank you.”
River watched Zane prepare two bowls. He set one in front of River and took the seat next to him.
“Tell me more about yourself.”
River stirred his granola into his yogurt. “I’m twenty-three, an only child. My parents were la
te bloomers, and I spent the last few years of high school being raised by a family friend. My parents left me enough money to put myself through college, and I still have the house. I moved back in after I graduated high school.”
“What did you go to school for?”
River was grateful that Zane skipped over the condolences. He’d had enough sympathy to last him a lifetime. “I spent a year taking general courses, then decided that it wasn’t for me. I started taking art courses at a local college and some basic business classes. I have my own studio now, and I’ve been selling things online. Pottery, mainly.” A couple of his pieces were in the gallery downtown, but he kept that bit of information to himself.
“That’s an amazing accomplishment.”
River shrugged but thanked Zane anyway.
“What do you do?”
“I was a pilot, but I hung up my wings a few years ago. Now I write books.”
River glanced at Zane. “Anything I might have read?”
“Have you heard of Z. Harrison?”
River shook his head.
“I write a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction.”
“Like zombies?”
“Among other things, yeah, sometimes.”
“That’s cool.” River finished his snack and set the spoon in the bowl. He almost asked Zane what he wanted him to do with it, but Zane had already finished. He took both bowls and stacked them in the dishwasher.
Zane returned to River and held his hand out expectantly. River took it and slid off the stool, then followed Zane through the house. It really was too big for just one person. River often had the same thought about his own home, but Zane’s home had a formal dining room and a large rec room that was half gym, half theater.
Zane opened the door to the master bedroom, and River held his breath as he was tugged gently over the threshold.
The room was huge, but River only had eyes for Zane. Zane pivoted so he was facing River, and he let his gaze roam over River slowly, appraising him. River felt naked standing before him.
Zane moved closer until their bodies nearly touched. “I’d really like to kiss you now.”
River nodded.
He didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t the tender touch of Zane’s lips brushing against his. River tilted his head up and put his hands on Zane’s waist to keep himself steady as he lifted himself onto his toes. Zane had teased him with just a gentle taste, and River had a sudden urge to be devoured by him. He kissed Zane eagerly, his lips parted to allow him to explore further.
Zane wrapped his arms around River and pulled him close, and suddenly the kiss was full of heat and purpose. River clung to Zane and let himself be cradled against his larger frame.
River whined when he pulled away.
“You say you don’t believe in fate, but you kiss me like you were meant for me.”
River’s pulse raced. Unable to decide how to respond, he said nothing. That didn’t seem to bother Zane, whose hands found the hem of River’s shirt.
“I’d really like to see the rest of you.”
River nodded and raised his arms so Zane could strip him of his shirt. As it went over his head, River closed his eyes and concentrated on staying still and letting Zane look. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen earlier, but that had been different. This was private, and River could feel the intimacy of the moment seep into his skin.
Zane took River’s hands and place them on Zane’s broad chest. He held them there under his own.
“Are you going to help Daddy with his shirt?”
River bit his lip and nodded. God, he wanted this. He traced the first button and Zane tutted. River stopped at the familiar sound and looked up. He could only guess at what Zane wanted to hear, but he didn’t have to force the words out. They came as naturally as breathing.
“Daddy, can I help you with your shirt?”
“Go ahead, baby.”
River poked the first button through the hole and moved on to the next. The sight of a thick mat of hair made his cock throb. He wanted to bury his face against Zane’s chest and inhale the scent of him. He wanted to be pinned under him, at his mercy but not needing it because he’d be safe with Zane.
By the time River had Zane’s shirt unbuttoned, he was uncomfortably hard. River unrolled the sleeves, then pushed the garment off his shoulders. It fell to the floor, and Zane kicked it away.
“It’s getting late,” Zane said. “We should get some sleep.” He carefully removed River’s pants but not his jock, which barely contained his aching cock. River yearned to be touched, but he wasn’t calling the shots.
“Do I have to sleep in this, Daddy?” River tugged at his jock.
“You can sleep naked if you’re more comfortable, but that’s all we’ll be doing in bed.”
River shimmied out of his jock. Zane turned down the bed and ushered him under the covers before stripping out of his pants and climbing in beside River. River took the short window of opportunity to get a good look at Zane. His cock hung heavy and hard between his legs, and River bet it would feel amazing. He squirmed under the covers, aching for any sort of touch at all.
“Are you comfortable?”
River laughed. “Most of me.”
Zane tugged him into his arms, and River used him for a pillow. Turned on his side, his erection pressed against Zane’s leg, but they both ignored it.
“Better?”
“Yeah,” River exhaled. He remembered trying to apologize for lying about being at the club with Zane and how unworried Zane seemed about it. “You honestly didn’t mind that I said I was with you, did you?”
Zane’s laughter tickled the top of River’s head. “Not even a little.”
“You didn’t care that a stranger claimed you, sight unseen?”
“You needed someone, and I was happy to be that someone.”
“And if you want your friends to think we’re together?” River chewed on his lip, unsure where he was going with this.
“Whose bed are you in right now?”
“Yours.”
“Whose good boy are you going to be tomorrow?”
“Yours,” River answered. The frantic beat of his heart had the blood rushing so hard in his ears that he almost couldn’t hear his own voice.
“Then you didn’t lie. You were there to meet me, you just didn’t know it until you said it.” Zane chuckled. “And you say you don’t believe in fate.”
River didn’t. At least… he hadn’t. Fate was usually what people used to describe bad things. Bad things were planned by fate. When his parents died, it was their time. When his dog got hit by a car, it was his time. River never entertained any of that stuff, not in any serious sort of way. But the way Zane kept clinging to the idea, it had him wondering if fate existed after all. Was it possible for something so wonderful to be River’s destiny?
He’d have to wait and see what the morning brought with it.
Chapter Four
Zane and River had talked for a while longer, and both of them had laughed at the fact that this was the first time they’d slept with someone without having sex with them first. He’d kissed River soundly and thoroughly, assuring him that he wanted nothing more than to go down that road, but that they had time.
Then he’d told him that tomorrow would come before he knew it, and River had gone red all over. He made the loveliest noises when he was happily frustrated. He was making them now, Zane noticed, as River wriggled under the covers. His face was buried against Zane’s chest, and his hands were curled up between them. Every so often, Zane felt River’s fingers toy with his chest hair.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Are you ready to start our day together?”
River looked up at him, blinking his wide green eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Then give Daddy a good morning kiss.”
River quickly pecked Zane on the lips. “Good morning, Daddy.”
He sat up, and Zane snaked an arm around his waist. “Where do you think you’re going?
”
“To use the bathroom.”
“Without permission?”
River opened his mouth, maybe to protest, maybe because he’d been caught off guard. “Can I use the bathroom, Daddy?”
Zane released him. “Of course you can. Hurry back.”
River climbed out of Zane’s bed. He returned a few minutes later and climbed back in. He smelled of spearmint, and the faint scent of lemon still clung to his hands.
“Do you want me to tell you what we’re going to do today?” Zane asked, pulling River closer to him.
River bit his lip and nodded. Eager boy. Zane grinned. They’d talked a great deal the night before about River’s hang-ups, as he called them. Zane refused to think of them that way. Everyone was different. People had their own unique set of preferences, and River wasn’t any less worthy because he didn’t want the same things as everyone else.
“First, Daddy is going to get his boy all cleaned up.” Just the idea of River in the shower with him made Zane’s blood run hot. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on River properly. They had so much to explore together. “After that, we’ll have a nice breakfast.”
“And after that?” River pressed his cock into Zane’s thigh, and Zane reached down and gave the cheek of River’s ass a squeeze.
“Don’t worry about a thing. I said I’d take care of you today, and I intend to do that. I want to show you that you’re just as desirable, even if you don’t want to be suspended from the ceiling and whipped into oblivion.” Zane echoed River’s words from their conversation last night.
River’s expression fell and Zane whipped the covers off them, climbed out of bed, and scooped River up into his arms. The shock made River laugh, and he clung to Zane.
“You’re so strong, Daddy.” River rested his head on Zane’s shoulder as he carried him to the bathroom. River squeezed Zane’s bicep. “Your arms are really big.”
“All the better to hold you with, my dear.”
River giggled, and Zane set him down on the bathroom vanity. “I’m little red riding hood now, am I?”
“You started it.”
River’s cheeks flushed, and he eyed Zane’s naked figure. “My, what a big dick you have.”
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