Room at the Top

by Jane Davitt

  He got up from his chair and walked over to the couch—standing over them, staring down. There would’ve been room for him to sit down between them, and part of Austin wished he would, that Liam would put his arms around them, gather them in, let them all touch and breathe together, enjoying the afterglow. The discussion was a good idea, he guessed, and it was a world away from Niall’s selfish plans for fucking them. And—like Liam’s expensive, bare, colorless house—it felt a little cold. He reminded himself they’d told Liam they didn’t want anything like that from him, and that Liam was straight and probably not comfortable with hugging them.

  “It’s early days, I know, but you have to trust me, even when it feels that I’m being unfair. Being a dom doesn’t give me godlike powers, but in that room, let’s pretend it does and believe you’ll each get exactly what you need. I don’t play favorites, and I’ll never leave either of you wanting, needing. I’ve felt like that myself too often to want to inflict it on others. It doesn’t mean that I won’t sometimes indulge myself and play with you a little. This is for me as well as you, you know. There were three of us in there wanting something, not two.”

  Liam sounded exasperated but his expression softened a moment later, and he sat on the coffee table across from them. It was solid wood and it didn’t even creak, but the informality of it made him seem less inflexible to Austin.

  “Okay, you can stop looking so crushed. I’m actually very impressed with you both, and from my perspective, you were everything I was hoping you’d be. Responsive, a challenge, interesting… The session was very short, I know—”

  Austin sneaked a look at a clock on the mantelpiece above what looked like a real fireplace, though it was spotless, unused. God, it was barely nine. They’d been in the house an hour. It felt like forever since they’d walked in the door.

  “I didn’t want to throw too much at you this first time.” Liam grinned at them, seeming relaxed, satisfied—looking, Austin realized with a stab of surprise, the way they probably did. “I had fun.”

  Austin found himself smiling too, even though he was confused about how to have this conversation and what its limits were. “I’m glad. Is it okay to say that?”

  “Yes, it’s fine.” Liam straightened his shoulders, like he was trying to stretch without appearing to. Austin wondered if his hand and arm were sore, and if there were any part of him that would regret tonight. He suspected the answer was no. “I’d like the two of you to go home and have a quiet evening. I won’t always suggest how you should spend your time when you aren’t here under my care, but on this occasion, consider it a very strong suggestion.”

  “We will,” Austin promised. “I think it’s pretty safe to say we’re both looking forward to an early bedtime.” Which might or might not include sex, but that part was better left unsaid, considering.

  “Good. In that case, let’s get you home.” Liam stood and moved off toward the front of the house, and the two of them rose hastily and followed. “And I’d like you to think about anything you might want to try next week. I’ll expect you here at the same night and time unless I hear otherwise.”

  “Okay. Right, good.” Austin was surprised how quickly they were outside and in the car, not because he felt Liam had rushed them but because it felt like he was moving through thick syrup.

  They were both silent on the drive home until they were two blocks from the house, at which point Austin asked Jay, “Should I stop at the convenience store? Do you need anything?”

  Jay shook his head. “No, I’m good. I bought some new arnica gel earlier in the week. You know, just in case.”

  Austin could feel the strain in his thighs as they made their way up the steep staircase to their apartment. He’d probably feel it for the next two or three days. They started to shed their clothes as soon as they were in the bedroom. A clatter as something hit the floor caught their attention, and Jay bent to pick up the bubble pack that the pill Austin had taken earlier had been in.

  “I’ve got that,” Austin said and took it from Jay’s hand, hoping they wouldn’t have to talk about it.

  Jay snatched it back and studied it. “Valium? What the hell?”

  “I was nervous, okay? Liam’s…he’s not Patrick, and after what we went through…”

  “I went through it too, but I wasn’t stupid enough to do a scene after I’d taken something like this.”

  It was so rare for Jay to get angry with him, beyond the usual spats a couple had, that Austin felt thrown off balance. “It didn’t affect me, not in a bad way.”

  “Yeah? Suppose you’d gotten what I did? He spanks hard, even when it’s just his hand. You might not have known when it was too much until it was too late. And you should’ve told Liam. You’re supposed to tell a dom something like that.”

  “If I had, he wouldn’t have gone through with it!”

  “Good.” Jay flung himself into bed, a wild flurry of arms and legs, his reddened ass showing for a moment before the covers were drawn up and all Austin had to look at was a hunched shape and the back of Jay’s head. “Because I’m still not happy with the way it all went down. As far as I’m concerned, the only person who got what they wanted tonight was him.”

  “You loved it,” Austin said flatly. He wasn’t going to let Jay work himself up into blaming Liam for anything.

  There was a moment when he didn’t think Jay would answer. Jay argued by retreating into himself—his Cone of Silence, as Austin privately dubbed it. It was hell when that happened, and Austin, used to his family, where disagreements were loud but short-lived, had never worked out how to deal with it.

  The covers were thrown back, and Jay turned, wincing as his ass touched the mattress. “I did,” he admitted in a small voice, “but are you sure you did, Austin? Really sure? He didn’t touch you, not the way he did me.”

  Austin put his fingertips on his chin, remembering Liam’s grip. He shuddered, rubbing at the goose bumps on his arms, then sat down on the bed, close enough that he could smooth Jay’s hair back off his face. “He still involved me. It felt like I was getting spanked with you.” Slowly, working it out as he said it, he continued, “Putting me in the corner, just because he wanted something to look at when he was dealing with you, the way he posed me… God, it was a fucking rush, Jay. It was about him, not me, not even you, and I-I know it’s not how it was with Patrick, because he always made sure he did stuff we wanted, but I liked it that way.”

  “I don’t get it,” Jay said.

  “I don’t either.” Austin sighed and slid beneath the covers. “I wish I did. But, well, it worked, so maybe I don’t need to understand it.”

  “You hate not understanding stuff,” Jay pointed out.

  Austin rolled onto his side and kissed Jay. He’d meant it to be a quick press of lips. That ended up feeling too casual, so he moved in for a second, slower one and Jay responded in kind.

  “Don’t do that again, okay?” Jay searched his eyes earnestly. “The Valium.”

  “I won’t.” Austin wasn’t sure he was telling the complete truth, but there were times it was hard to do that even with Jay. “It was a small dose anyway, just to take the edge off.”

  “I don’t care how small a dose it was. You can’t do it.” Jay hesitated, then added, “I’ll tell Liam if you do.”

  That was enough to widen Austin’s eyes. Some threats were a lot more motivating than others, and the thought of how Liam might react to that bit of information was squirm inducing. “Okay. I won’t.”

  “Promise?”

  Put on the spot, Austin hesitated for long enough that any assurance he gave was going to be suspect.

  Jay sighed. “Never mind.”

  “I promise,” Austin said, unable to deal with the disappointment in Jay’s voice. “Never before a session, ever. I probably wouldn’t do it anyway. The past few weeks have just been hard.”

  “Might be easier now we’ve found someone who knows what he’s doing,” Jay said and wriggled against him with a
soft whimper. “My ass is fucking killing me.”

  He made it sound like something that definitely belonged in the plus column.

  Austin drew his hand down Jay’s back and placed it on skin that still felt appreciably warmer. “Hot enough to fry an egg,” he agreed.

  “Felt so good,” Jay whispered, nuzzling Austin’s neck. His cock was rigid, the head jabbing into Austin’s stomach, insistent, impatient. “Hated getting dressed. Wanted to suck you. Or have you fuck me right there in the chair.”

  “He knew that,” Austin said drily. “It’s why he told us to hurry.”

  “He was hard too,” Jay pointed out. “Did you notice?”

  Yes. “I guess.” Austin slipped his hand down to his erection and lined it up with Jay’s, the two of them beginning to rock against each other, finding a slow, casual rhythm. It wouldn’t be long before they were rutting against each other, fingernails scoring skin, biting and kissing and panting out their own version of pillow talk, sweet and dirty, but for now this felt good. “Maybe he’s jerking off now, thinking about us.”

  “Straight.” Jay seemed to like the idea, though, if the sharp bite Austin’s shoulder got was any indication. “Doesn’t like our cocks, just our asses.”

  “I don’t think that necessarily rules him out of being—”

  “You know what I mean.” Jay licked Austin’s earlobe wetly, lavishly. “He looked at you, naked, your dick all hard, and he didn’t touch you. Straight or insane. No other choices. I wanted to touch you, Austin. Told him what I wanted, remember?”

  “My cock in your throat, choking you.” Austin rubbed his knuckles over Jay’s ass hard enough to get a grateful, adoring grunt of pain from Jay. “Bad Jay. Nearly made me break position and go to you.”

  “You can do it now, if you like.” Jay arched against him, shameless, hungry. “Please, Austin. Let me suck you. Fuck my mouth. Use it. Use me. God, please—”

  It would have taken a stronger man than Austin to refuse such a generous and eager offer. He moaned and pushed at Jay’s shoulder, encouraging his lover to slide down the bed toward his cock. Jay moved and a second later had taken Austin’s cock into his warm, willing mouth. “You’re so hot for it,” Austin whispered lovingly. “Make me crazy, you know? Yeah. Teeth are good.”

  He closed his eyes so he could concentrate on the feel of Jay’s lips and tongue. Almost immediately he had to open them again so he could see Jay. Jay’s dark hair was tangled, and the line of his nose pointed toward the ache that was Austin’s erection. Austin watched the head of his cock pushing between Jay’s lips, swollen flesh sliding deeper and challenging the stretch of Jay’s mouth. The scrape of teeth surprised him again, and Austin cried out, reached down and grabbed Jay’s hair.

  “Relax,” he gasped. “Gonna…do it now…fuck you hard…”

  His hips jerked forward on the first stroke, and he felt Jay swallow reflexively, the tightening around his cock a sweet pleasure. He used his grip on Jay’s hair to steady him and thrust forward again, shuddering. The look in Jay’s eyes when Jay glanced up at him was almost enough to make him come right then. Jay was like some spectacular sex toy, the perfect fit for Austin’s body and with a willing spirit to match. Austin had never loved anyone the way he loved Jay, and knew it wouldn’t be possible to love anyone more.

  He wanted so badly to come but knew if he did, he’d regret not having been inside Jay’s hot, bruised ass. He allowed himself a few more thrusts, clenching his jaw at the effort it took not to fuck so deep into Jay’s throat it made him choke or gag. Not that Jay was likely to do either of those things anyway.

  “Love you so much,” Austin said. “Gotta fuck you now; say yes, say it.”

  As a method of deriving consent, it would have been considered shaky, but Jay was already gasping his agreement and rolling onto his back. A quick application of lube and Austin was able to guide his cock to Jay’s hole and push inside. The sensation was incredible. There was nothing like the hot, tight clench of Jay’s ass. Austin was almost sorry for Liam that he’d never know how it felt.

  Not entirely sorry, though. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to share Jay under any circumstances.

  It occurred to him, though, as he worked his way deeper that in a way, Liam was part of this. It was what he’d done to them both that had gotten them this wild to fuck, and it was his hand that’d left Jay’s ass so tender to the touch that when Jay hooked his legs over Austin’s shoulders, trying to get Austin deeper still, the slightest brush of Austin’s hand over the punished flesh made Jay whine pleadingly.

  Liam was in a house that echoed with emptiness—no books, no plants, no clutter in any of the rooms that Austin had seen—and his pleasure in the aftermath of what they’d done would be a solitary one.

  Austin slid a hand down Jay’s leg to his ass again, a firm touch this time, cupping the flesh. “You’re going to be bruised tomorrow. Those little ones, tiny purple bruises under the skin.”

  Jay bared his teeth in a smile. “Good.” His hand dropped to his cock, encircling it so the flaring head was all that showed, deep with color like his ass.

  Austin paused and tapped his hand against Jay’s wrist reprovingly. “Nuh-uh.”

  Jay stuck his tongue out. “You’re not the dom of me,” he said. “Not now.”

  Austin grinned, not offended, though. God, if Jay ever did that to Liam… Yeah, now they had someone to keep them in line again, even if it was just a couple of hours once a week. It was enough. They didn’t need their lives micromanaged—just that precious space of time when they could kneel and say yes, Sir to someone.

  “True, but I’m the one with his dick in your ass.” He gave Jay a few hard, erratic thrusts just to remind him. “Want to play a game?”

  “As long as it’s not fucking Monopoly.”

  Even with his dick telling him to move, now, Austin couldn’t hold back a wince. Game night at his mom’s house was a family tradition, but Jay hadn’t taken well to April’s blatant cheating. His little sister liked to win.

  “No. How about Simon Says, but we don’t know a Simon, so maybe we should change it to—” He didn’t need to finish his sentence.

  “Oh, that’s just wrong,” Jay said, but he took his hand away from his dick and waited, obedient now.

  Austin rocked in and out of Jay once, twice, thinking. “Liam says…touch your dick again, but just one finger. Slowly.”

  “I can just hear him saying it in that funky accent of his. You’d think he’d have lost it by now.”

  Jay drew his finger along the length of his erection, balls to tip, a smooth, slow glide, leaving Austin to admire his control.

  “Good…God, you feel so fucking tight, Jay. Like no one’s fucked you in months. Now the head; make a circle.”

  Jay did it without thinking, tracing his fingertip through the gathering wetness crowning the tip. With a triumphant crow, Austin slapped Jay’s ass hard—not really much of a penalty, but who cared—and shook his head. “I didn’t say ‘Liam says.’” He was breathing as hard as if he’d been running now, holding back his climax with the distraction of the game and a lot of willpower.

  “You’re just mean.” Jay tilted his head back, bringing the point of his chin up, exposing his throat, submissive and challenging at the same time. “Be mean some more. Your hand where his was… God, yeah.”

  “He called you a slut,” Austin said, remembering how it’d made his cock throb hearing it. No need to clarify who he was. “He doesn’t know what you’re like when you’re really desperate. He’s gonna need to come up with some new words.”

  “Play some more,” Jay urged him.

  “What?” He was pumping steadily into Jay’s ass now, feeling the welcome squeeze and flex of the tight tunnel around his dick. Hard to concentrate on anything but the feel of Jay under him. Jay’s skin was damp against his where they were touching, warm and sweaty. Austin loved the earthy scent of arousal pouring off him. “Oh…Liam says, um, your nipples. Squeeze one of them, ha
rd as you can take it.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I like that.” Jay’s eyes fluttered half-closed as his long fingers pinched and tugged at his nipple. “Wish he’d clamped yours when you were in the corner.”

  “Oh, Jesus, I wish he had too.” Austin shuddered, losing the rhythm he’d created. He could feel a phantom throb in his nipples as if they had spent time being tortured by the brutal bite of clamps. He couldn’t wait much longer to come. “Liam says put those fingers in your mouth. Suck them like you were just sucking my cock. Get them so wet they drip.”

  He wasn’t sure if the last ones counted as valid instructions under the rules, but Jay was obeying the first instruction, two fingers sliding between his lips to be taken inside all that lovely, hot wetness.

  “Now put them in me,” he said urgently, feeling his control unravel as his muscles tightened in a warning. “Reach round. In my ass, Jay, do it, God why don’t you just do it—”

  “Didn’t say ‘Liam,’” Jay told him and slapped the side of Austin’s ass, a hard, resounding crack of hand on skin.

  “Don’t care.” Austin squeezed Jay’s ass, and Jay whined and bucked against him.

  “Oh! Ow, God, Austin, that hurts. Liam’s hand on me. Shit, he was so good.”

  All of it combined—Jay’s voice, Jay’s words, Jay’s ass—was driving Austin crazy. He shook with it, his hips stalling. “Liam says put your fingers in me, Jay. Please. Please.”

  The angle was awkward, so Jay’s fingertips pushed into him from the side, stretching skin that was so sensitive with nerve endings that Austin yelped with the pain/pleasure of it and thrust forward again, deep into Jay’s ass. Any semblance of control snapped. Austin came, his dick throbbing in Jay’s tight body, his mouth open, teeth biting down on the solid meat of Jay’s shoulder.

  It felt better than anything had in months.