Eric shook his head warningly, annoyed as he’d expressly asked Mark to be discreet. Mark seemed to get the message because he quickly said, “Eric, you look stunning as always! It’s been too long! Too, too long! I’m so glad you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence. The place simply hasn’t been the same since you stopped coming ’round.”
Though The Cavern was by invitation only, a select few individuals had an open invitation. Eric was one of these, not only because he and Mark had been friends since high school, but because Eric was always sought after by experienced players in the scene, not only for his devastating good looks but for his skill as a Dom.
“Well, we’ll try not to be such strangers going forward. Johnny and I needed a little time on our own—”
“Say no more,” Mark interrupted them, holding his hand palm up like a stop sign. “Say no more. Not a word. We’re just glad you’re willing to give us another try.” Mark, though he hadn’t been present during the scene that had so upset Johnny, of course knew every detail inside out, backward and forward, as told, retold and embellished by all members present and even a few who weren’t. Eric gave Mark a rueful smile.
They made their way into the juice bar as Mark went off to hang up Johnny’s coat. Jason, a thin wiry man of medium height with reddish hair came forward to greet them, giving Eric air kisses on either cheek and nodding warmly toward Johnny. “What can I get you? A ginger ale? Some fresh juice?”
“Ginger ale sounds fine,” Eric nodded.
“Coke for me,” Johnny said. As Jason moved to the bar Eric said, “How you doing, chico?”
“Okay, I’m good,” Johnny said. Eric watched his face carefully for any sign of misgiving or fear but saw only his ready grin. Jason returned with the drinks and said, “Don’t stay down here too long. There are a lot of guys already in the main playroom. You’ll be a welcome addition, I assure you.”
“We’ll be up soon,” Eric answered. He glanced around the room, noticing for the first time the couple at a table in the corner. As he made eye contact with the redhead, the man stood up and said in a loud, overly dramatic voice, “Well, as I live and breathe! If it isn’t the sexiest Latino this side of Guadalajara!”
Ginger Crane, a submissive very active in the Manhattan gay BDSM scene and onetime lover of Eric Méndez, albeit briefly, bowed toward Eric and Johnny. Eric saw he was wearing a jeweled dog collar around his neck from which a leash was hanging. “The king and his consort have returned,” Ginger announced dramatically. He looked at Johnny, adding, “And even though you were the one he jilted me for, I have no hard feelings. If Eric hadn’t dumped me, I never would have found Sir Edward, my lord and master.” Ginger sat down, his laugh like the notes of a musical scale.
The room was small so it wasn’t necessary for anyone to get up. The man called Sir Edward nodded toward Eric and Johnny. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Eric. More than I care to, from this little slut here.” Ginger grinned sheepishly and Edward tugged on the leash, pulling him toward him, his expression affectionate.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Edward. This is Johnny, my partner.”
“Your slave! Call him your slave!” Ginger interjected. Edward jerked the leash again.
Eric answered, “I don’t have to call him that. What we share is understood between us.” As Johnny smiled, Eric turned toward him. “Are you ready to go upstairs?”
“Yes,” Johnny said, taking a small sip of his soda before pushing his glass away. Eric drank most of his ginger ale and stood, taking his bag full of toys.
“Well then.” Turning toward Ginger and Edward, he said, “We’ll see you upstairs?”
“You might. I brought Ginger for a private torture session in one of the smaller dungeons. If he can still walk when I’m done with him, we might pop into the big room.”
“Oh Sir Edward,” Ginger breathed, his expression rapt. Eric left them staring happily at one another and made his way up the curved oak staircase to the second floor and into the large, dimly lit dungeon, Johnny close behind him.
Just before they entered, Eric turned to Johnny. “Remember, if you need it, use your safeword. I’m going to test you tonight but I won’t push you past where you need to go. If for some reason I’m not picking up your cues, don’t hesitate, Johnny. It’s not a disgrace to use it—in a public scene it can be your only defense.” Johnny swallowed, now looking quite nervous. Impulsively Eric pulled Johnny’s face down to his and kissed him on the lips. “I love you. Remember that and you’ll be fine.”
The playroom was the size of a large living room. In one corner of the room, sheer netting had been stretched over a wooden frame with thick, flat bands of rubber stretched across it in random patterns. Clips were hanging at various intervals along the bands, ideal for securing a slave. Eric watched Johnny lick his lips, his face registering his memory of being secured there for his punishment on that fateful night.
The room looked much the same as it had the last time, though most of the screened partitions had been taken down, leaving a large open space in the center. Sturdy chains still dangled from the ceiling here and there, with thick leather collars and wrist cuffs already attached and waiting to be filled. One wall had a variety of floggers, whips, canes, riding crops and paddles hung on bicycle hooks, though most Doms brought their own favorite toys as had Eric.
The room was full of men, some standing in clusters talking, others riveted to a scene in progress. Just about all of them were good-looking, the Doms usually sporting more clothing than the subs, some of whom were completely naked or nearly so. In one corner a naked man was lying on the floor, his long blond hair spread around his face like a fan. His cock was suspended by a long thin chain from the ceiling, secured to the Prince Albert piercing at his cock head. The chain served to hold his penis at a right angle with the man’s body. Another man, dressed in black denim, straddled the supine man’s chest, facing his cock, which he was methodically lashing with a small whip. The sub was crying out with each lash as a group of hushed onlookers watched.
In another area two subs dressed alike in black leather body harnesses, strips of leather crisscrossing their bodies at the chest, waist, around the balls and between the ass cheeks, had been bound in black nylon rope facing one another. Their respective Doms stood on either side, smacking their asses with the flat of their palms, laughing as the men struggled to keep their balance. The men clustered around this group were laughing and jeering at the slave boys as they stumbled and danced to stay afoot.
In still another spot a man was being lowered onto a chair that had a rather large dildo strapped to its center. A man on either side of him was holding him under the arm and under each thigh as they guided his poor ass onto the thick rubber shaft. Johnny was watching this little scene with his mouth slightly open, his hands unconsciously coming behind his back and clasping themselves over his bare ass.
Eric felt a hand on his shoulder and recognized the posh English accent before he turned around. “Eric, old bean. You finally decided to make a comeback, eh? Yes, I’d say enough time has passed for people to forget the mess your sub made of things that night, hmm?”
Eric felt Johnny tense at his side at these words, his cheeks flushing slightly. Peter, a tall, heavyset man with silver hair smiled slyly, his eyes hard. Eric looked to see if his lapdog was nearby and sure enough there was Alfonso, dressed only in black bicycle shorts, the silver barbells still at his nipples, on his knees behind Peter. Eric noticed his head was shaved bald, a look that actually suited him better than the thinning, receding hair Alfonso had when last they had met.
“Ooooooooh,” Alfonso said, tugging at Peter’s pants to get his master’s attention. “It’s the boy who hit me! The boy who can’t control his nasty little thing. The boy who can’t obey a simple command! He’s come back for more humiliation. Not the good kind either!” Several men nearby were listening, their heads craned toward the foursome. Alfonso laughed a high-pitched little squeal and Peter slapped
him on his bald head.
“That’s enough, slave. We don’t need your running commentary. When I want you to speak, I’ll let you know. You could learn a little something in deportment from this slave here,” he added, pointing to Johnny. Alfonso quieted, glowering from behind Peter’s leg at Johnny, who stood next to Eric, his eyes down, his body relaxed. Eric felt a rush of pride. Johnny hadn’t risen to the bait of people not worthy of his attention. Eric was pleased Johnny seemed to be handling it, at least on the surface.
“I think you’ll find Johnny’s come a long way in his training since we last met,” Eric said to Peter, ignoring Alfonso entirely.
“I don’t doubt it,” Peter said. “There could only be improvement.” Eric again felt Johnny stiffen at his side but as Eric lightly stroked the top of Johnny’s hand, he felt him relax. Peter continued. “How about we have a little test—a demonstration to prove your assertions? Alfonso will remove that lovely little codpiece from your slave’s cock with his teeth and suck him off. Your slave won’t come until you command it. If he comes a second before he’ll be punished in a method of my choosing. If you think he’s up to it, of course. No pun intended.”
For one ridiculous moment Eric found himself considering the proposal, rising to the bait of one Dom’s challenge to another. As Johnny stood again stiff but still silent at his side, the moment passed. Eric shook his head. “No thanks, Peter. I’m not interested. Johnny is well past Alfonso’s little attempts to force him to prematurely ejaculate. Thanks just the same.”
As Eric and Johnny moved away, Eric heard Peter mutter, “Think they’re too good for us now. Don’t worry, Alfie, I’ll find a nice boy toy for us to torture.”
Johnny gave a little laugh. “You were great, Eric. Thanks for that. I was ready to submit to them if you asked, but I have to admit I’m glad you didn’t.”
“They don’t deserve to kiss your feet, Johnny. Peter’s right. I do think we’re too good for them.” Eric leaned his head toward Johnny and said, “Are you ready to meet our special guest? He’s eager to see you again.”
“Where are we going? I’m confused.” Johnny asked as Eric steered him out of the main playroom and down the hall to a smaller dungeon. The door was ajar and as they entered, Johnny saw the room was outfitted much like the other with BDSM paraphernalia hung along the walls, various racks, posts and crosses placed strategically for the torture of willing slave boys.
The room was dimly lit with track lighting along the edges of the ceiling and with tall candles set in candelabras on sideboards along one wall. A tall man stood in the corner, his face obscured in shadow. Johnny knew he recognized the man but his brain hadn’t yet processed who it was without seeing his face.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light the man moved forward. “Hello, Johnny. We meet again. Under rather different circumstance, hey?” Johnny turned to Eric in confusion, aware his face must be red as he felt the heat lick his cheeks.
“Eric? Albert Miller? Here?”
Albert laughed, a low, rich sound. “Didn’t know I had an interest in these wicked games, eh? To tell you the truth, I’ve never been to a place like this! My God, I didn’t know such places existed, except on porn sites for horny guys to jerk off to when their own feeble imaginations didn’t suffice. But when Eric called me and invited me to your little event, I thought, how wonderful! Johnny made my art show such a success, I’d love to come and see his show.”
Seeing Albert sent a little thrill through his loins Johnny couldn’t deny. The man was drop-dead gorgeous with his dark, smooth skin, his long, braided hair falling about the strong, fine planes of his handsome face. The fantasies he’d had of Albert taking him, Albert making love to him, came back in full force as he looked at the man, dressed elegantly tonight in a white linen shirt and black linen pants.
At the same time, Johnny felt as if this intense attraction were a betrayal toward the man he loved beyond anything in this world. He knew now in his bones he would never cheat on Eric. It simply wasn’t an option. Eric knew of Albert’s advances—why then had he called Albert, invited him here of all places, where the action was going to be rough and most decidedly sexual? Was Eric testing him in some strange way? Was he testing himself?
As if reading his mind, Eric said, “Johnny, I know you’re attracted to Albert. Shit, I’m attracted to him myself!” As Albert again bowed, his smile broad, Eric said, “You don’t know those people back there. I barely know them anymore. I know how important returning to The Cavern was to you. A symbol in your mind of how far we’ve come together, how far you’ve developed as my submissive. You’ve said you wanted a witness. Someone to see, to know, to feel, our devotion to one another and your ability to submit with grace to whatever erotic tortures I devise.
“Since we haven’t had a lifetime together, not even a whole year, we haven’t yet built a network of friends, people of like mind with whom to share such a personal experience. I tried to think who I could invite who might appreciate the evening. Albert came to mind because I know you care about him. I know he’s in your fantasies.” Johnny looked down, unable to deny it. “I thought perhaps it would be exciting to make him a part of your reality without forcing you to go behind my back in the process.”
“If I may,” Albert interjected. “While I’ve never actually had a formal D/s relationship with anyone, I find the idea of erotic submission quite sensual. I guess I have a dominant streak, though I’ve never really labeled it as such. I do like to take what I want as you know, Johnny boy.” He nodded toward Eric. “With apologies to Eric, you are pretty much impossible to resist. When Eric had this little idea of letting me watch you be strung up and sexually tortured, perhaps even serve me in some delicious capacity, why, only a fool would refuse!” He laughed that low, rich laugh again.
Eric put his arm around Johnny’s waist. “I’m not a jealous lover, Johnny, though I do feel very possessive of you. But I also feel sure of your love. You’ve shown me every day we’ve been together that you belong to me. Tonight is your chance to submit to me by also submitting to someone who has affected our lives. It will be just you, me and Albert. Though I’m sure, knowing the guys in the other room, you’ll have spectators. But we don’t care about that. Let them learn a thing or two.”
Johnny took a deep breath, processing what the two men were saying. Whatever he thought, his body was raring to go, his cock rigid and straining against the soft leather of the codpiece covering him. His pierced nipples tingled with anticipation. Though he had no idea what the night still held for him, his lover was giving him a boy toy in a sense, by offering Albert as a witness and active participant in their little games.
Slowly he nodded. “I belong to you, Eric. If this pleases you, it pleases me.”
“Nicely phrased,” Eric said, playfully cuffing Johnny’s head. “But your cock doesn’t seem to care about such niceties. I think you’re about to rip the seam on that thing.”
Chapter 13
Johnny was sweating. His hair had fallen over his eyes and he shook his head, trying to shake it away. He was naked save for the black leather codpiece still covering his cock and balls. Tethered at the wrists and ankles to a St. Andrew’s cross, his body was a perfect X. As Eric had predicted, a rather large group of spectators had made their way over to the small playroom to see where the two had disappeared to. Many of them had been present at Johnny’s last scene and knew they could expect something intense from the duo. But Johnny wasn’t thinking about the men crowding at a respectful distance as they watched Johnny and Eric. He was aware only of Albert, tall and sexy, his expression bemused as he watched the erotic torture unfold before him.
Had it been wise of Eric to introduce Albert to BDSM via such an intense scene? At first Johnny had been distracted by his fear Albert would be turned off by the sexual torture. As a vanilla spectator, would he be able to appreciate the nuance of sexual submission, the heat of a lash as sweet to Johnny as any soft kiss?
As Eric began to warm Johnny�
�s ass with his favorite flogger, he whispered into Johnny’s ear, “Albert knows what to expect, Johnny.” He smacked Johnny’s ass harder and Johnny felt his cock stiffen with pleasure at the erotic sting. “I told him all about us, about what we share, what turns us on. He’s very, very curious. He’s less naïve than he might have you believe.” Eric continued to flog Johnny from thigh to shoulder as he spoke. Johnny had to concentrate to pay attention. “He’s never done anything explicitly sadomasochistic but he’s quite Dom in his sensibilities, always the partner in control in any relationship. He’s eager to see how pain fits into the equation. How it can heighten the sensations, stimulate the passion, dictate the emotion.”
He struck Johnny quite hard square across the back with the flogger, causing Johnny to grunt and pull hard at his restraints. He opened his eyes just as the endorphins were beginning to kick in in earnest. As he focused in the flickering candlelight, he saw Albert watching him, his expression very intense, his large hand covering his crotch, moving slowly up and down over the linen. Slowly and sensuously he licked his lips as he moved his hand to reveal the sizable erection beneath his trousers.
Johnny was distracted from this show of arousal by Eric suddenly in front of him. “We’re going to increase the level now, slave. To remind you of your position, hold this chain in your mouth. Drop it at your peril.” Eric lifted the pretty gold chain secured to Johnny’s nipple rings. Obediently Johnny opened his mouth and bit down on the fine gold. The chain was just the right length so the tension created from this action pulled against Johnny’s nipples. They were red and erect, hard little nubbins on his broad, sexy chest.
“I like it,” Albert said, flashing his white teeth. “You make him cause his own pain. That’s devious. What happens if he drops it?”
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