by Heart, D. J.
But he wasn’t going to do that. It wasn’t what he wanted, and that in and of itself was a strange new normal.
“Well?” he asked when David didn’t answer.
“I guess,” David hedged. Adam waited patiently for him to continue.
“I think I liked it,” David said, sounding out the words like he was still trying to figure out how he felt. “But it was way more intense than I expected.”
“Too intense?,” Adam asked, foot stroking up and down David’s calf.
David shrugged. “Maybe?”
He didn’t look sure.
“It’s not like you have to do it again,” Adam said, taking a sip of his wine. “If it wasn’t fun, we’ll find other things to do.”
“There are a lot of hot guys here.”
David’s comment sounded embarrassed, and Adam’s resulting grin couldn’t have been more wolfish.
“There are,” he agreed, swirling the wine in his glass in lazy circles. “Any favorites?”
David shrugged, red faced but smiling softly. “Spike and Diablo were pretty terrifying.”
“But you liked them?”
Adam nodded.
“Rex sometimes brings them to the club,” Adam said. “Maybe next time he brings them we could stop by and ask to play?”
“Maybe,” David agreed. Then he looked up through his lashes like a devious little shit. “I liked the massage. You should do that more often.”
“I should, huh?” Adam bit his lip, studying David and enjoying the fact that he was his. “Anal beads included?”
David nodded, shifting in his seat like he could still feel the stretch of the next to last ball pushing him open.
“I’m not going to say no to that. I love putting my hands all over you.”
Adam let his voice dip into a growl, making David draw a trembling breath and look up with dark eyes. He lifted his glass from the table, eyes never leaving David’s face, and took a sip.
“I love it too.”
David’s voice cracked, and Adam grinned. Lifting his boot up between David’s thighs he pressed his heel between David’s legs, grinding it gently into his crotch, all the while maintaining eye contact.
David’s hands gripped the table, knuckles white and chest heaving, breaths coming in harsh little pants as his cock hardened under the heel of Adam’s boot.
“You up for another round?” Adam asked, grinding down harder, making David cry out and reach down to grab the boot between his legs with both hands. “Will you be a good boy for me again?”
Biting his lips and closing his eyes, David nodded.
Removing his foot from between David’s legs, Adam rose from his chair. He walked toward the door. When David just sat there he turned around, making his face stern and lowering his voice into a deep baritone.
“Follow me, David.”
David rose to follow, haste making him clumsy, and Adam narrowed his eyes. Without having to be told what to do, David sank to his knees and started to crawl. He looked eager and happy, and a little nervous.
Just like Adam liked him.
He turned around and headed to the bedroom, confident that David was just a few steps behind.
2
David
Coming back to the penthouse was weird. They’d borrowed Rex’s helicopter, Archie helping them carry their bags and seeing them off, and now that they were back the whole crazy weekend felt like some kind of hazy fever dream.
“Good to be back?” Adam asked, coming up behind him and kissing his cheek. He still hadn’t shaved, the rough stubble of two days ago now a short beard that tickled David’s skin.
“Weird,” David responded, kicking off his shoes and taking off his coat, putting them away in the closet.
“How so?” Adam asked, doing the same. Under his wool coat he wore a soft looking Henley and a conservative pair of jeans. The Henley hugged his wide shoulders, biceps stretching the fabric of the sleeves, but even so it was a decidedly soft look.
David missed the tight breeches and tall boots, though he was happy to take a break from the domineering attitude that accompanied them.
“That place was crazy, and now that we’re back here it doesn’t even seem real.”
“No?” Adam growled, playfully pushing him up against the wall and kissing him. Firm hands tangled in his hair, tugging just right, a forceful tongue licking into his mouth. He pulled back and smirked. “Maybe I should remind you?”
“Maybe you should?” David panted, hot excitement pooling in his belly. He reached out and placed his hands on Adam’s waist, sliding his fingers under the Henley and feeling his way up Adam’s muscular back.
“Yeah?” Adam growled, pushing him harder into the wall and leaning in to recapture David’s mouth. He bit down on David’s lip, hard enough to make him wince in pain, licking into his mouth before he could protest the harsh treatment.
It was perfect.
Abruptly, Adam ended the kiss and stepped away. He looked sheepish, hand scratching the back of his neck in a way that showed off his thick bicep beautifully.
“What?” David asked, lips swollen and cock aching to be touched. Adam reached out and cupped his cheek, thumb sliding over his swollen lower lip.
It still hurt from where Adam had bitten him.
“I’ve got to go get changed and go to work,” Adam said, rueful. His eyes roamed up and down David’s body, hungry and dark, like a wolf considering whether or not to stalk his prey. Giving his head a little shake, Adam seemed to make up his mind.
“I have a meeting in thirty minutes that I really can’t be late for.” Adam’s hand slid from David’s face, down to his chest, fingers finding his nipple through his shirt and giving it a little twist. “I’ll see you tonight. Do you want to do dinner here or out?”
“I don’t care, either is fine,” David said, miffed. He couldn’t believe that Adam had gotten him revved up like this and was going to leave him hanging.
The sudden hardening of Adam’s expression caught him off guard.
“Don’t be pouty,” Adam chastised, pinching down hard on David’s nipple and giving it a cruel tug. “You don’t want to spend tonight getting punished, do you?”
David shook his head, emphatic. He really didn’t – not after the weekend he’d had.
“Good. I’ll have my assistant make a reservation for us and send you the details. Sound good?”
David nodded. Adam was still holding him by his nipple, the pain sharp and urgent, and it was doing nothing to make his cock go down.
“Good boy.” He released his hold on David’s tortured nipple and patted his chest. “I love you, baby.”
“Love you too,” David replied, licking his lips. He was tempted to act out, just so that Adam would stay and punish him, the pain in his nipple making him want more.
Reason prevailed. Adam would leave for work no matter what, and all David would end up with was some kind of horribly uncomfortable punishment later when Adam had the time to really make him regret it.
Grabbing the bags, David followed Adam into the bedroom. He watched as Adam changed into his suit, salivating at the sight of Adam sliding the silky pants up his meaty thighs and shifting his cock in his briefs a little to the left before zipping them up, not at all embarrassed when Adam caught him staring and smirked.
“All right, I’m heading out,” Adam said, fixing his tie and walking over to David with a cocky strut. He leaned in for a kiss, but it was just a quick thing and David was left wanting more. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Looking forward to it.” David couldn’t hide the longing in his voice.
Looking over his shoulder, cocky grin firmly in place, Adam replied, “Not as much as I am.”
* * *
With Adam gone, David’s plan to unpack properly fell apart pretty much immediately. He made a token effort, opening Adam’s bag and rummaging around inside curiously, but when he found nothing interesting he abandoned the effort.
Feeling hungr
y, he grabbed his phone – wanting to order something to eat – but after going the whole weekend without being charged, it was dead.
“Fuck,” David mumbled, looking around for a charger. Usually he used the wireless pad on the dresser, but that would be too slow and cumbersome. He wanted food now.
He finally found a charger in Adam’s office. Taking a seat behind the imposing desk, feeling a little like he was intruding into Adam’s space, he plugged in his phone and waited for it to charge enough that he could turn it on.
Adam’s desk was spotless, not a sliver of paper out of place, and as he looked around the room David wondered what it was like to be so put together. It was an uncomfortable thought. David had been born with the same advantages as Adam – wealthy parents, a top education, and endless support – but he’d pretty much squandered it by partying and having fun.
Looking at the diplomas on the wall, the grown up books on the bookshelf and all the other evidence of someone who not only had their shit together – but who was a master of it – was depressing.
David didn’t have anything to show for his life – other than a slew of scandals and indiscretions that his mother had barely managed to keep out of the public eye.
Adam said he wasn’t just marrying David for his family’s business, and David believed him, but it was also true that Adam never would have spared him a second glance if it wasn’t for the fact that he wanted the Belvedere corporation.
No, more than that. Adam would have actively avoided getting entangled with someone like him.
Heaving a great sigh, David felt very sorry for himself. It was a startling contrast to the excitement that had been buzzing through his veins just fifteen minutes ago.
While he sulked, David’s phone had charged enough to turn itself on, announcing its newly awakened state with a cheery little start up jingle. Grabbing it, David was surprised to see that he had a lot of missed calls and messages.
Most of the missed calls were from Misha, all of them placed between one and three a.m. two nights ago. The missed calls, along with a number of increasingly misspelled texts, made it clear that Misha had forgotten David wouldn’t be available that weekend.
There were also two missed calls from his mother. He decided to call her back first, figuring that she wanted his input on some sort of wedding detail.
“David, so good of you to call me back.”
David rolled his eyes. His mom had called him on Friday evening, and she probably assumed the worst.
“Hi mom, you called me?”
“I did. On Friday.”
Her voice was frosty.
“I’m sorry. I spent the weekend with Adam at a ranch owned by one of his friends and I forgot my phone in the city.”
“Oh, you were with Adam? How are his negotiations in Japan progressing? Is the government still stalling?”
David didn’t have a clue how Adam’s anything business related was going. Adam looked good in a suit, and that was about the extent of David’s knowledge about how his future husband spent his actual work days.
“I’m not sure,” David said, wondering what Adam thought about how incurious he was. “Adam didn’t want to talk about work.”
David didn’t think there was anything wrong with his answer, but the long pause after he’d finished speaking made him wonder if maybe there was.
“What?” he asked, defensive.
“Did you ask him?”
The question was all accusation, and David bristled.
“Asked him what?”
“How the negotiations were going.” Now his mother sounded exasperated.
David grit his teeth. He certainly wasn’t about to admit to not even knowing that there were negotiations to ask about in the first place.
“Yes, and he didn’t want to talk about it,” David lied.
“That’s worrying. If they were going well he would probably want to tell you.” David’s mother actually sounded like she cared – which she probably did.
She hadn’t cared about anything David did since he finished high school.
“Or maybe he just doesn’t like to talk about work when he’s not working,” David said, a lot harsher than he intended.
His mother’s reaction was exactly as he expected. She sniffed, displeased at his tone, but not willing to argue with him.
“Either way, that’s not why I called. I need you to get in contact with your wedding planner. Adam’s father and I have agreed to a guest list, but she needs to know if you or Adam want to invite someone we haven’t included. She also needs the name and number of whoever Adam is going to have as his best man.”
David frowned. “What about my best man?”
“I already gave her Misha’s number. He’s incorrigible, but he performed well enough at Maybelle’s wedding, so I suppose he’s acceptable.”
“Who says I’m asking Misha to be my best man?” David asked, annoyed both by the fact that his mother just assumed and by the fact that she was right.
“Who else would you choose?”
“I have plenty of people I can ask.”
David was lying. Misha was his only real friend – and had been since elementary school.
“But Misha is your best friend. Why wouldn’t you ask him? Are you having a disagreement?”
David sighed. “No, we’re not. But I also haven’t gotten around to actually asking him yet.”
“Be that as it may, David. Can you find out who Adam has chosen and forward whatever guests you’re inviting to the planner?”
“Yes, mom.”
“Thank you, darling. You should come by for lunch some time this week. Let’s say Wednesday at one.”
“All right, mom. See you then.”
David hung up, exhausted. He leaned back, scrolling through his recent calls and calling Misha.
“What?”
Misha’s growl made David laugh. He’d completely forgotten that it was ten in the morning and that Misha was likely to be sleeping off a hangover. Come to think of it, that was probably why his mother hadn’t gone harder on him – she was happy he wasn’t sleeping off his own hangover.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Yes, you fucker. Now what do you want?” Misha sounded pained, and David laughed. Hangovers were hilarious when you weren’t the one suffering through them.
“Will you be the best man at my wedding?”
Misha groaned. “You had to ask me now? Of course I will. Bachelor party will be epic. We’ll do it in Vegas this weekend. Now let me go the fuck back to sleep.”
“All-”
Misha hung up the phone before David could finish his answer.
Grinning, happy and relieved that Misha had said yes, David leaned back in the chair and ordered himself some kimchi pancakes from his favorite Korean restaurant.
He was glad that he’d called his mother first and then Misha. The latter always put him in a good mood.
But still, he should probably ask Adam about work when they had dinner later. Not because of his mother – David made it a rule never to comply too easily with her wishes – but because it was probably the kind of thing he should know.
After all, he wanted his marriage to Adam to be real, and that meant that they had to talk about things that didn’t involve sex and bondage.
Didn’t it?
3
Adam
Adam rushed up the stairs to the restaurant, giving the hostess a brief nod as he scanned the room for David.
He was late, and if there was one thing Adam hated more than when other people were late, it was being late himself.
He couldn’t see David, and for once Adam hoped that he was late. It would give him the double pleasure of not being late himself, and having something to punish David for later.
“Good evening, sir. May I get your name, please?” the hostess asked, polite. She wore a slinky wrap dress and dangerously high heels, and the way she held herself reminded Adam of a sphinx guarding the entrance to a parti
cularly sacred temple.
“Wentworth,” Adam said, unbuttoning his wool coat and smiling at her. “I’m meeting my fiancé.”
“Very good, Mr. Wentworth. Mr. Belvedere is waiting for you at your table. If you would follow me?”
Adam bit back a curse, following the hostess into the restaurant to a secluded table in the back. He handed his coat to the hostess and leaned down to kiss David on the cheek, squeezing his neck briefly before taking a seat.
“Hi David,” Adam said, loosening his tie and pushing his foot out under the table to let it rest by David’s ankle. “How was your day?”
David tilted his head and grinned. “You’re twenty minutes late.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “I was held up in a meeting.”
“The last time I was twenty minutes late you spanked me,” David said, sounding absolutely delighted. “It doesn’t seem right that you should get off without having to face the same punishment.”
Adam let his grin sharpen and leaned forward. “Do you want to spank me, David?”
David shrugged, looking up through his lashes mischievously. “Maybe?”
Adam had been spanked before, wanting to know what it felt like, and it wasn’t for him. Still, the idea of letting David play master for a little while wasn’t unappealing.
As long as they never lost sight of who was really in charge.
“All right. When we get home you can try to put me over your knee.”
Eyes widening, David poked his tongue out to wet his lower lip. “You’d let me spank you?” Now he definitely sounded like the idea turned him on.
Adam laughed. “Let you? I didn’t say that. I said that you could try.”
“What does that mean?” David asked, biting his lip. His handsome face was set in an open and curious expression, and Adam felt a flutter in his stomach. He loved how expressive David was – how he could never hide what he was thinking.