by Tawny Taylor
They would share the next twenty-four hours. No more. No less. And in that time, Matt would finally face the part of himself he’d only just realized he’d been hiding from.
Standing beside Matt, the Dom chuckled. “Remind me to never play cards with you.”
“You have nothing to worry about. The old man was a notorious cheat. I’m not. I’m a firm believer in learning from other people’s mistakes. Ironically the same thing that gave him so much, including this place, eventually cost him his life.”
“Hmmm.” Stahl shoved his thumbs in the waistband of his pants. “Karma’s a bitch.”
“That she is.”
Master Stahl would be the key. Or at least, Matt hoped he would be. So many doubts plagued him, even now, even in this place where he was always at peace, always happy. He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by agreeing to this, or suggesting they do it here.
“It’s beautiful.” Standing beside Matt, Master Stahl was the picture of quiet male strength. Matt didn’t know the Dom well, but he could tell already he’d have no trouble trusting him. That was why he knew Stahl was the perfect man to take this journey with.
Matt motioned toward a fallen log, placed at just the right distance from the rippling water to sit and dip your feet in. They sat in obsidian shadow on a shallow sandy beach. A cool breeze swept off the lake every now and then, but in between the gentle gusts the air was thick and sticky and smelled like campfires and earth and lush, green life.
Matt tugged his shirt away from his skin. He was tempted to remove it. He was tempted to remove more than his shirt.
It wasn’t just the weather making him so fucking uncomfortable. It was Stahl. Or more specifically, the carnal need Stahl caused that was making him so hot. Damn, his balls were tight. It had been five days since that kiss in the club. Five nights of thinking, planning this trip. Of imagining another kiss. Anticipating the Dom’s touch.
Matt sucked in another deep breath.
A swim would be good. Last night Matt had dreamed he’d been here with Stahl, right here. Swimming in this quiet, still lake, his burning skin caressed by the cool water as his body brushed against the Dom’s. That had been one hell of a dream.
His cock hardened even more.
Standing, Matt motioned to the log. “On nights like this nothing feels better than sitting here, letting the water lap at your feet.”
“I bet.” Smiling, Stahl kicked off his shoes and tugged off his socks, his hair falling over his forehead as he bent to hook a finger through the laces. Stahl plopped on the log, pulled his pants up to expose two sculpted calves, and stretched his legs in front of him. His toes disappeared from view, submerged beneath the murky water. “Mmmm, you weren’t lying.”
Matt pulled off his shoes and socks and sat beside the Dom—after receiving an unspoken invitation.
“So tell me, why do you keep renewing your membership?” Stahl asked. “Do you know the answer yet?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? He still wasn’t sure how to answer it.
Staring out over the lake, Matt began, “I was working a case and our investigation led me to The Den. That was the reason why I’d purchased the membership in the first place.”
“I remember. You never told me, did you solve the case?”
“We did. We might not have without your help.” He glanced at Stahl and their gazes tangled. The tip of Stahl’s tongue swept across his lower lip. A few seconds later, Matt realized he hadn’t inhaled. He pulled in a lungful of air and smiled.
Master Stahl was a stunning man with golden-blond hair that was only a shade or two darker and an inch or two longer than his own. Unlike his sleek, straight hair, which Matt tended to wear pulled back at his nape, Stahl’s was a mass of thick waves that beckoned his touch. In his dreams last night, he’d run his palms down the soft length, the locks tangling around his fingers and wrists, as if they were trying to bind them.
“Anyway,” Matt said, breaking the tense silence that had fallen between them, “the first night I’d gone there, as I watched you before the interview, something inside me clicked. I wanted to know more. I felt there was something there I needed to understand. Not because it had anything to do with my case, but because it touched something inside me.”
The Dom nodded. “Okay, so why’d you wait so long?”
“I don’t know. I kept telling myself I didn’t feel those things. Maybe I’m afraid it’ll complicate my life.”
“I get that.” After a beat, Stahl asked, “Do you think you’re submissive?”
“I think I might be.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Did he know why? Should he know? “Just because?”
The Dom’s lips curled at the corners in a ghost of a smile. “Maybe by the end of the weekend you’ll be able to answer that question. Maybe by the end of the weekend you’ll decide you’re not submissive. Or dominant.”
“Maybe.” Matt couldn’t disagree. This was all too new for him to know what to expect.
“Why here?” Stahl asked.
“Because of my job, I don’t feel comfortable…exploring this so close to work. This place is far enough, private—”
“Isolated,” the Dom pointed out.
“Are you afraid of me?” Matt curled his toes, digging them into the sand.
“Should I be?”
Damn, the look on Stahl’s face was doing all kinds of good things for him. “I guess it depends.”
“I wouldn’t have come if I’d felt there was even the smallest chance you might be dangerous, in the most obvious sense, that is.”
Matt wondered what the Dom meant by that. “Yet you decided to bring a…friend,” he pointed out, glancing over his shoulder to see whether the woman who had accompanied Stahl was within earshot. Matt would have preferred it if Stahl had come alone, but after what he’d seen in his job, he couldn’t blame the Dom for traveling with a companion.
“I’ve never met a submissive in such an isolated place before.” Stahl stretched his arms over his head. His shoulders arms tensed, every muscle flexing, contracting. Matt’s cock hardened even more. His teeth gritted. “But I could appreciate your concern about your job. This was the best solution I could come up with. Jenn is extremely trustworthy. Discreet. Even so, I’ve done what I can to protect you. She doesn’t know your real name. And I’ve asked her to give us as much privacy as possible.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Now that they’d had that necessary, if slightly awkward conversation, what would be next? Would Master Stahl pull out the dildo and restraints?
Was he ready for that?
Matt shifted slightly on the log, all too aware of his twitchy nerves and throbbing cock. He was growing more and more uncomfortable with the passing of every minute, even with the soothing comfort of their surroundings—the cool breeze drifting off the lake, the water gliding over his skin, the song of insects and the sigh of leaves as the breeze ruffled them.
At work he was in control. He was the one who made the decisions. And he could anticipate what would happen next.
But this was different. He didn’t hold the power now and he couldn’t step in and take it.
Master Stahl did.
A part of him bristled at the thought. But the bigger part of him felt such incredible relief, as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his chest, allowing him to breathe freely.
“I’ve known men like you before.” Stahl stood, turned to face him. The moonlight reflecting off the lake highlighted the perimeter of his body, like a well-placed movie backlight. What it did for the Dom’s shoulders, his angular face.
“What kind of man is that?” Matt asked, unable to stop staring.
“The kind who thinks they want to submit. Believe they do.” Stahl walked deeper into the lake. “In reality, they have no idea what it means, or how to accomplish it.”
Not quite understanding what the Dom meant, Matt shook his head as he stood to
follow Stahl into the water.
“They try to steal the power, take little bits at a time,” Stahl explained as he pulled one ankle through the water in a narrow arc.
“I promise I won’t do that.”
Stahl crossed his arms over his chest. He met Matt’s gaze, his eyes sharp. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. The fact is, you probably won’t realize what you’re doing.”
“But you’ll tell me. That’s what I need you to do,” Matt said to the Dom’s profile as Stahl looked out over the lake.
Stahl nodded. “If this is truly what you want.”
“It is.”
Stahl’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “One last time, I’ll ask—are you absolutely certain?” He turned toward Matt. His gaze swept down his body then back up. “Because I won’t stop once we start.”
“Absolutely certain.”
“And you understand the rules? You’ve read them?”
Matt began reciting, “Safety for both Dom and submissive is primary importance. There will be no sexual intercourse between Dominant and submissive—”
“I asked if you understood them, not if you read them.” Was that a playful twinkle he saw in Stahl’s eyes?
“I do. I understand.”
“And you agree to abide by every rule?”
“Yes.” His fingers curled, fingernails digging into the log’s rough bark. And his heart pounded against his rib cage. He could only remember one time when he’d been more excited in his life—the first day at the academy.
“Very well.” Master Stahl took a single step back, standing ankle-deep in the lake. He motioned with one hand. “Take your clothes off.”
A heated chill swept through Matt’s body.
Chapter Three
Ben had scened with a fair number of men since he’d taken his first step into the world of D/s, but none had ever been like this.
Physically Matt was utter, total, complete perfection. From the smooth white-blond hair that hung to his shoulders to the angled plane of his cheekbones and line of his jaw. And then there was his body, which was now being slowly, temptingly revealed to him as he pulled off one garment at a time. The silver moonlight highlighted the bulge of every muscle, the dim light casting dark shadows in the recesses between.
He was mesmerized.
He reached for Matt, let one finger follow the slope of a biceps. His skin was warm satin beneath Ben’s touch. A heartbeat later, it was rough with goose bumps.
So was Ben’s.
Oh shit.
It had been hard enough being objective before. Now it was impossible. There were so many things Ben wanted from this man, and ninety percent of them were forbidden.
Keep it together, dammit. You can do this. You’re no newbie.
The truth was, he’d brought Jenn along not because he distrusted Matt. Ben knew who Matt was. There was no reason to worry about anything, even staying out here in the middle of nowhere. No, he’d needed to bring Jenn to make sure he didn’t do anything out of line.
This was going to be the longest twenty-four hours of his life.
His nerves prickled as the sound of dried leaves crunching and twigs snapping underfoot echoed through the still quiet. Ben snapped his hand back, pressing it behind him.
Matt’s body went slightly rigid. He’d heard Jenn too.
“Do you have issues with being nude in front of strangers?” Ben asked.
“No.” Matt’s eyes narrowed slightly. “But I get a little jumpy when I hear someone sneaking up on us in the dark.”
“It’s only Jenn. I asked her to check on you—me—if we didn’t come back to the house in a half hour.”
“Okay.”
“Jenn?” Ben called out, knowing she was within earshot. “You can head back to the house. Thanks.”
“M’kay. Call if you need anything,” she responded from a deep shadow up the path.
“Will do.”
Ben turned his attention back to Matt and tried to imagine he was a seventy-year-old man with thin wispy hair, a pot belly that made a pregnant woman’s swollen waistline look tiny, and a weathered face full of deep lines.
It worked. His hard cock went soft.
For about two seconds.
Then Matt’s brilliant blue eyes met his and the illusion evaporated into the pine-scented night air, leaving him with the glorious reality standing within reach. “It’s just so…clean, fresh out here. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars before.” Ben jerked his eyes away, deciding it was better to focus on the water, the deep shadowy forest, or the full moon overhead, or the millions of stars dotting the velvet skies. He consciously tightened his voice, giving it the harsh edge that was so powerful during training sessions. “You dare look me in the eye? Was that not one of the rules you promised to obey?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Do you think disobeying my rules makes a good impression on me?”
“No. I didn’t realize we were—”
“And do you think I should forgive this transgression?” Ben hazarded a look at Matt again. Matt hadn’t moved, was still standing at the shore, his skin kissed by the moonlight. He looked almost ethereal.
Ethereal? Since when was he such a romantic pussy?
He wasn’t.
He had two feet firmly set on the ground. No head in the clouds, not this guy. He was sensible. Clearheaded. Responsible.
“No, Master Stahl.”
He pointed. “Bend over and hold your ankles.” When Matt took his position, Ben told him, “You will receive three lashes on your ass.”
Ben found the small bag of gear Matt had carried out with them, located the soft, suede mini-flogger he’d told Matt to buy. It would deliver very little sting but a nice thud. Ben placed each strike carefully, making sure he found fresh skin each time to maximize the effect.
Matt showed very little reaction, outside of thanking him after each blow.
Next time he’d use something stronger. That ass would look damn fine pinked up. His body warmed at just the thought of it, and he decided it would please him enormously to have Matt go out into that lake, wet himself down, then masturbate until he was just about to come.
“I think you should take a little swim in the lake. To cool off.”
“Thank you, Master Stahl.” Matt waded into the still water, sending ripples out across the glassy surface as he walked deeper. When he reached hip-deep water, Ben lifted a hand.
It was a sight right out of Ben’s fantasies. That big, strong, beautiful man standing in the moonlight in a lake. “That’s far enough. Wet yourself down and come back here.”
“Okay.” Matt splashed water on his stomach, his chest, arms and shoulders. Ben appreciated the view. Very much. And afterward, Matt knelt, leaned back and immersed his hair. When he straightened, walked toward Ben, little rivulets of moisture trailed down his torso.
Ben was burning with the need to lick them away.
“On your knees,” Ben commanded the minute Matt was on dry land. And Matt obeyed without even a blink. So far, with the exception of that one small mistake, he’d proven to be a promising submissive. Willing to please. Eager to do as he was told.
That wasn’t what he’d expected.
He hadn’t hit the right button yet, hadn’t discovered the one thing Matt might resist. As difficult as it would be, he needed to push him harder, test him.
In the process, he’d test himself. His self-control. His will. His commitment to the promise he’d made and his duty as a Dom.
Matt’s nerves were on fire. Not only because of that punishment—which hadn’t really been much of a punishment, but he wasn’t going to tell Stahl that—and not because of the cold lake water, but because of him. Ben. Amsler. Master Stahl.
He wanted Stahl. Bad.
Was it because he knew he couldn’t have him? Probably. What guy didn’t want the one person they couldn’t have, right?
Oh shit he was gorgeous. That face, those wide-set eyes, a soft blue. T
hose full, kissable lips. How he longed to taste them again. The mane of gold waves falling over his shoulders. The broad chest and the round ass filling his khaki slacks perfectly.
His cock was painfully hard. His balls were tight. And all he could think of as he knelt before Stahl was how he would control himself. In a blink he could jerk Stahl against him and slant his mouth over his. Would the Dom try to stop him? Or would Ben Amsler, the man, surrender?
Shit, he was the one who was supposed to be doing the surrendering. And clearly Master Stahl was going to remind him of that fact, as many times as he needed.
For the first time he wondered if D/s, or more specifically submission, was for him. Maybe Stahl had been right.
No. It’s too soon to know that.
Kneeling on the sandy beach, his hands resting on his thighs, head lowered, he listened to the soft song of insects as he waited for Stahl’s next command.
It surprised him.
“I want to see you come,” Stahl said coolly.
He’d jerked off more than once or twice in his life. Early on, when he was too young to do anything else. Later, when he was between relationships. And lately, because he didn’t want to bother with women…or men. But he’d never masturbated in front of someone. For one thing, because it took a long time for him to orgasm. A very long time. He felt his face warming. His heart started thumping heavily in his chest, each hard thud sending a rush of heated blood shooting through his veins.
He heard something land next to his knee. Looked down. It was a bottle of lube.
“I said, I want to see you come.”
A flare of carnal need blazed through his body. Okay. Stahl wanted to see him come, he’d do his damnedest to make it happen. Maybe it would be different now with Stahl watching, waiting. He started by squirting some lube on his hand, and with his eyes closed, he began stroking his cock slowly. He moved back to the base, up to cup the sensitive head and back to the base again. Over and over. Still, even with Stahl watching, his mind wandered, as it always did when he masturbated, and thoughts of the case he’d left behind started to invade his mind.