They’d all decided she didn’t want the temptation of submissives around. She wasn’t depressed any longer, but she wasn’t ready to admit there was a possibility that she might fall in love again. There were some mixed feelings on that in the family.
Of course, they had mixed feelings on everything.
With Dominants, a submissive, and a switch, along with assorted personality traits, they never saw things the same way. Garrett thought it made their family more interesting. Except when they were driving him crazy. Then he just wanted them to give him some space and let him do his own thing.
That wasn’t going to happen.
“It sounds like you like him.”
“I think I might. I never let myself really see him.”
“Well, you’re going to have that chance tonight.”
CHAPTER 6
Wyatt
“So how was your night?” The look on Carter’s face when Wyatt walked into the store said he had a good guess how well the evening had gone.
“How did you know?” Wyatt had barely had enough brain cells to get home, much less call anyone and try to explain what happened.
Carter laughed and leaned back against the counter, his long flowery skirt swishing over his black boots. No more almost-masculine. Wyatt was betting Carter’s evening hadn’t gone nearly as well. “How do you think he found you?”
Um. “I hadn’t thought about that.” Higher reasoning had been beyond him last night. Just the Dom’s presence made all the blood in his body run south.
Shaking his head, Carter laughed again. “He came by the store last night to see if you were still here. He had this look.” Carter’s smile turned into a mischievous grin. “That man seemed very excited to see you. So I told him you were down at your shop. I’m assuming I did the right thing?”
“Oh, yes! It was incredible.”
“Tell me all the details.” Carter grabbed his mug and went over to the funny little chairs to sit down.
Walking over to relax with him, Wyatt blushed and Carter nearly giggled. “There’s nothing like that to tell. He was a gentleman. He asked me out to dinner tonight!”
That had Carter frowning, “Just don’t let him take you out for steak.” His words came out sarcastic and to Wyatt’s ears, sad.
“What happened? Why were you even here last night? When I left, you were walking out the door.” Wyatt had stayed complaining and moaning right up until Carter needed to leave for his date. When Garrett stopped by, Carter should have been long gone.
“The steak dinner turned out to be the Golden Corral. Even then he was worried I was overdressed for the restaurant.” Carter made air quotes around overdressed. Oh.
“Vanilla guy was really vanilla, huh?” That sucked. Wyatt had hoped the guy would end up being more open-minded than that. Not high hopes, but still.
“Interesting is okay at home or in the bedroom, evidently, not out in public.” Carter sounded kind of bitter. Wyatt didn’t blame him.
“He knew you were more colorful than that. Heck, your profile picture is the one we took with you in that sundress.” Carter hadn’t lied about anything on his profile. He might have toned down the submissive part to hint at something like a more traditional bottom, but still, the guy had expected boring?
“That’s what I said. He frowned and said he’d thought I knew how to act in public.” Carter took a sip of his coffee and smiled at the look on Wyatt’s face.
“You’ve got to be kidding? That’s nuts!” Richmond might not be the most progressive place but there had been nothing outrageous in Carter’s outfit last night.
“Nope. So I told him very politely where he could stick it. Then went through the drive thru before coming back here.” Carter started to perk up again. “That’s when I ran into tall, dark, and naughty, looking for you.”
“You should have come to the shop or called me at least. We could have done something together.” Wyatt couldn’t get past the idea that Carter had been here alone after his disastrous date.
“Sweetie, I was hoping you were doing something much more fun than watching movies with me. And besides, I was terrible company.” Then he shook his head teasingly. “I am very disappointed you didn’t do anything interesting with that man.”
“He makes my knees weak just by looking at me. I had tons of fun showing him my shop. When I could actually talk to him. I was a bit wound up. When he asked me out, you’re going to be so proud of me, I did something completely shocking.” Wyatt paused for dramatic effect. “I asked him over to my house instead. I’m going to cook for him tonight.”
“Look at you, so take charge you’re almost a Dom! I’m surprised you made your mouth work enough to be able to ask him.” Carter knew Wyatt well enough to be surprised he’d managed to function. It wasn’t mean, just the truth.
Now Wyatt had to blush. His voice dropped like he was going to say something crazy. “I was sitting on his lap and my brain was in complete overload.”
Carter started laughing so hard he had to put his coffee down. “I thought you were going to say something naughty. All he had to do was make you sit on his lap and he blew your mind?”
“Yup, he can do it just by looking at me. He makes me crazy. But this time he was holding my hands in one of his so I didn’t fidget and he had his other hand on my leg. He was touching me! And not shaking my hand kind of touching. So it is perfectly acceptable to have gone a little nuts.” Wyatt knew he was starting to get too excited but he couldn’t help it.
“How nuts are you going to go when he wants to play with your furniture tonight?” The words weren’t dirty but the way Carter said them certainly made them seem that way.
“Do you think he will? I mean, will want to try them out? He said he wanted to go slow but not too slow and I was honest about the whole not-just-in-the-bedroom thing. But he also said he wasn’t going to go too slow. I think I said that. What do you think he meant?” Wyatt was starting to talk too fast and repeat himself but he couldn’t help it. Luckily, Carter interrupted him.
“I think you are going to have a fabulous evening but not get completely naked. If you’re lucky, he might get you all wound up and not let you come. If you’re really lucky, he might even say you can’t come all next week.” It probably sounded like Carter was teasing him but they both knew he was telling the truth.
“Do you think he knows?” Wyatt was shocked and slightly scandalized.
“How can he not have guessed that? You’re a sub who wants to be controlled in and out of the bedroom. You told him you’re looking for a more lifestyle relationship. He had to have guessed that last night. At the very least, he’s probably going to connect the dots tonight.” Carter smirked a little when he saw Wyatt start to squirm.
“I still don’t understand how you can be so shocked and nervous around Doms when you were in a serious relationship with one. You went to that club you’re always talking about and did things in public with your previous master.”
“That’s different. Doing stuff there was up to my master and I just had to behave. Not ask for stuff or start conversations. And he knew how nuts I was. I bounce back between desperate and crazy scandalized constantly. I can’t help it.” Wyatt shrugged.
Wyatt was starting to wish he hadn’t shared so much with Carter. He’d been feeling better about the date when he hadn’t been focused on those kinds of details. “Obsessing over what he knows and what I’m going to have to tell him will make me crazy. No more me talk. We’re going to focus on you.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Carter looked suspicious. Wyatt always knew he was smart.
“No more vanilla or even vanilla-ish dating sites. We’re going to find one that’s a better fit if you still insist on those sites. We are also going to make a plan to go visit the club! No excuses this time. Once I find my brain around Garrett, or maybe I’ll just email him or something, I’ll talk to him about us going up to the club. I think that’s something I need to get his permission on, even
at this point. Maybe. I’ll probably figure that out more tonight. But when that’s all organized, we’ll make plans. I’m not going to be told no this time.” Wyatt tried to give Carter his best I-won’t-take-no-for-an-answer look. The kind of firm look you would give a salesman who wouldn’t back off.
It must have worked, or maybe Carter was tired of bad dates and guys who were completely wrong for him. “Maybe. We’ll have to see how it works out for you and your sexy new Dom.”
It might not have been a yes, but that was definitely not a no. Wyatt wasn’t surprised though. As much as Carter seemed to dislike the idea of going to the club, the idea of trying to tone things down enough to date normal guys was worse. He should have dragged Carter before, but he’d thought his friend might like having a Dom come with them too.
Wyatt wasn’t sure exactly what made Carter nervous about the club. He preferred to go with a group if he was just going to have fun and relax. But even when he’d gone alone to look for something more serious, he’d never had a problem. Ben and Conner made sure the club was a safe space for everyone.
Carter must have had enough of Wyatt’s brilliant idea because he turned the conversation back around again. “So are you going to be okay if he wants to play some later?”
Wyatt thought about it but he wasn’t sure how to explain it. His leg started bouncing, and he fought the urge to start pacing around the room. “Yes and no. I’m going to be so wound up, I’m worried about scaring him off. Once there are rules and we’ve gone over expectations, I’ll be much calmer. But right now the unknown makes me want to climb the walls. Can I kneel or do I have to stay in my seat? Because let me tell you that feels really wrong around him. One plate on the table or two? Will my spanking bench in the living room be too much or all right? Should I have a list printed out to show him my limits or do I let him bring that up?”
He slouched down in the chair and took a deep breath. “Once I get past this part, I do calm down. You saw me with Richard a few times. I was nowhere near this scatter-brained.”
“You’re right. You are much more settled and focused when you’re in a good relationship. I want you to be happy. And until I can see you are, I’m going to worry.” Carter leaned over and gave Wyatt’s leg a squeeze. “I expect juicier details tomorrow! I know you’re not working here but I expect a phone call, unless you want me to hunt you down.”
“All right. Some details.” Maybe. Wyatt could keep things to himself when he needed to but depending on how stressed or nervous he was everything came tumbling out. Tomorrow could go either way. “What if it goes terribly?”
Carter gave his leg another squeeze. “The object of your obsession has finally noticed you. The BDSM gods are not going to take this away from you now. Just try to be open with him. Let him know what you’re feeling and what would make you happy. Just from the little I saw last night, he wants to make you happy.”
That sounded too easy and too perfect. “The BDSM gods have a wicked sense of humor sometimes.”
****
He might have been going a bit nuts. The food was ready, and he’d managed not to burn anything or forget something. The house was clean. Everything should be ready and he should have been relaxed because there’d been no major issues. But he wasn’t.
He still hadn’t decided about the furniture. Did it send the wrong signal or the right one to have a spanking bench in the living room? It looked like a nicely carved traditional bench, with a padded seat and back. It was old-fashioned, something that looked almost antique. It just changed into a padded spanking bench. Most people wouldn’t even know what it was, but Garrett would.
Wyatt liked the bench. It was one of his favorite pieces, which was the main reason he kept it. That, and he wanted that little reminder about who he was and what he wanted. He’d been without a master for so long and it was comforting.
Maybe that wasn’t the right word, but it made him feel better. It was kind of like the people who put up pictures of the nice vacations they wanted to be able to afford. Inspiration and something to work towards. It was just his version of what he wanted to attract from the universe.
He and Richard might not have been the best fit but Wyatt missed it. Having someone around who needed him and who didn’t think he was a little odd for wanting a full-time master. He liked kneeling. He liked making someone happy. He got a little thrill from having to ask his master for permission to do something.
When he’d started exploring the scene, he’d figured out pretty quick that just weekend fun in the bedroom wasn’t for him. If something felt so right, why would you want to do it once in a while? Why not all the time?
He hadn’t expected it to be so hard to find someone who wanted the same things he did. Most men he’d dated in the lifestyle thought a full-time D/s relationship was too hard. Maybe it was because Wyatt wasn’t into being anybody’s slave.
There weren’t a lot of masters who wanted something kind of in the middle. They either saw it as a role that you sometimes played in the bedroom or they wanted a full-on slave. Wyatt loved his work and couldn’t imagine giving it up. He also liked talking to his master and didn’t want his opinion completely pushed aside the way he’d seen happen to some subs in full-time relationships.
Garrett seemed to understand that. And Wyatt had never heard anything bad about him as a master. Some subs had complained he lived too far away from D.C. but no one said anything about him being too rough or just looking to play without any commitment.
Taking a deep breath, Wyatt walked around the living room one more time. He wasn’t going to change anything. Even though it was a rental, he liked the way everything fit together. And he wasn’t going to hide pieces of himself from Garrett.
Especially important ones.
But there was still the whole what-to-do-about-dinner thing…Should he do what he wanted or what was probably more socially acceptable? Garrett had wanted to take him out for a traditional date in a restaurant. Did that mean he just wanted a more traditional date here?
One plate or two?
What he wanted was to have one plate so Garrett could feed him while he knelt on the floor. Would that be too much? It was probably borderline but Wyatt wasn’t sure. It had been so long since he had someone to kneel for.
It was easy to imagine. His cushion on the floor by Garrett’s chair. Waiting for the Dom to feed him. Licking the food from his fingers. Wyatt shook his head to clear his thoughts. This had to stop. He couldn’t open the door hard and horny. That was probably not the best first impression.
It would be memorable though.
He still didn’t know what to do about the table. He was halfway there but not sure if he should push it. His cushion was sitting in the corner next to a bookshelf that divided the living room and the dining room. It could easily be brought out. There were two place settings on the table, but again, that was easy to fix. But did he want to?
Did he have the nerve to, was the better question.
Probably not.
What he wanted and what he had the nerve to do were two very different things. It had always been like that. When he was on his own, taking that last step to say what he wanted was almost impossible. When he had a Dominant it was completely different. He felt more comfortable and confident knowing he wasn’t doing it on his own. Knowing there was someone to help and guide him. A safety net.
He liked rules and liked knowing the best way to make someone happy.
He didn’t know what would make Garrett happy. Yet.
Wyatt knew the date wasn’t just about Garrett. He wasn’t completely fixated on the idea of only pleasing him. It would just be uncomfortable and awkward if Wyatt presumed too much…or not enough. He wanted the evening to be…well, perfect was too much to expect, but he wanted it to go smoothly.
The doorbell rang before he could talk himself into a decision.
“Deep breath. You can do this. You can even do this without looking like a spaz. You know you can.” The pep talk didn�
�t help.
CHAPTER 7
Garrett
Wyatt probably didn’t realize how loud his little pep talk was.
Garrett stared at the front door, trying not to smile. That might not be the best first impression. What was the boy so worked up about? It could be anything. He didn’t know the cute sub well enough yet to understand exactly, but hopefully, he’d be able to guess.
He wanted Wyatt to be relaxed and open tonight. Not worried and second guessing every decision. They both needed to be themselves and see what happened. Not that he’d been reminding himself that. No, he was calm and their date was going to go fine.
When Wyatt opened the door, he was looking a lot calmer than he’d sounded. But that wasn’t saying much. His hands were still twitching, and he was shifting his weight from one foot to the other like he was one worry away from needing to pace around the room.
There was no way the boy was going to have a good evening if Garrett couldn’t get him to calm down. Even a little would probably help. However, before he could do anything, Wyatt needed to invite him in. “Hello, Wyatt.”
Wyatt blushed, and the wiggling got worse. “Um, I, um, hi.”
“Hello. Can I come in?”
“Oh, yeah. I mean, yes, please come in.” Blushing, Wyatt stepped back from the door pointing toward the living room. “Come sit down. Dinner’s almost done. Well, most of it’s done. I have to finish a few things off when we’re ready to eat.” He must have realized he was starting to ramble because he abruptly closed his mouth and seemed to be trying to take a subtle deep breath.
This was a sub in desperate need of a master.
It was even worse than when he would come into the office. Garrett had wanted to comfort and take charge of the boy before. Now there was nothing to hold him back.
Wyatt closed the door and led him into the house. Garrett watched his lean, lithe body move. He couldn’t wait to see the boy naked. Not tonight of course, he wasn’t going to rush things. But soon, though. He and Wyatt had been dancing around each other for too long for his control to be that good.
Garrett: A M/m BDSM Romance (Bound & Controlled Book 1) Page 5