by Sara Brookes
Keep Enver all to himself.
When Enver twisted his wrist, Marcus shouted. That shout became a scream when Enver wrapped his other hand around Marcus’s throbbing dick. A few strokes against his oversensitive skin and the universe ceased to exist as Marcus exploded, convulsing in the ropes as he jetted hot come everywhere. Enver ruthlessly worked him, as though determined to wring every ounce of semen from Marcus that he possibly could.
Back in the real world, Marcus stripped away his headset, blinking a few times to readjust to real life. The first thing he noticed was the wet, hot liquid soaking the front of his pants. The second was that his fingers were shaking, his heart racing as he looked over to where Enver sat, his own headset dangling from one of his fingers.
Marcus forced out a breath. “Holy shit.”
Enver’s gaze met his, a sly smile turning up one corner. “Think you’ve got a hit on your hands, kid.”
Chapter Eleven
The next three weeks passed in a blur for Marcus as he worked through his lengthy to-do list. He’d been so focused, he almost forgot about the text from Davis.
As he worked on cleaning up some of the code, a reminder notification chimed on his phone. Immediately, his heart gave a few hard thumps. The cheerful tone was different from his text messages, but there was still a bit of residual trepidation he couldn’t shake whenever his phone made a noise.
Luckily it was just a memo to call Zoie. He pulled up her contact info, activated his Bluetooth and dialed her number. A broken line of code on his computer screen caught his attention, and he focused on fixing it while he waited.
“Pinky’s Porno Palace...what’s your pleasure?” Zoie asked when the line connected.
“Hey, cupcake.” He paused for a moment as he adjusted a few characters to smooth movements and then set the program to run. On the screen the faceless avatar he used for testing did several jumping jacks. “Thought I’d see how you were doing since we’ve both been busy.”
“Sorry, yeah. I’ve been meaning to catch up with you, but things are a little crazy right now and I’m trying to stay on top of things. Failing miserably, so I’m glad you called. Just got off the phone with Davis’s parole officer. Jerk took forever to get back to me.”
Marcus stopped typing as pain constricted his chest. “Any news?”
“They’re keeping close tabs on his whereabouts and cell phone usage. No more activity since that night, other than he’s trying to find a job and a place to live. I just can’t for the life of me figure out how he was able to get your phone number. The cell he used was a burner, so dead end before we even get started.”
Though Marcus couldn’t relax his guard entirely, it soothed him to know Zoie was on the case. “Thanks for the update.”
“Always. So are you hard at work or hardly working? Hang on a sec.” Her voice came across as muted for a few seconds. “Okay, I’m back.”
“Sounds like you’re busy.”
“Just another day in the pen. How about you?”
Marcus thought about the past week. “Have an assistant helping with my latest project. He’s been invaluable. Even more of a workhorse than I am.”
Enver had walked through the video frame by frame, methodically pointing out things Marcus had thought could be adjusted. Where a binding could be tightened to feel more realistic for the submissive. The surface of a latch could be smoothed so it caught the light better. All excellent suggestions that would add minute details to enhance the user experience. For the most part, Marcus had been able to distance himself from the subject matter and simply focus on the work at hand. Enver appeared to have taken the same approach as he tended to be all business inside the room.
Too bad they’d been so focused on the intricate, and necessary, details to replicate the powerful moment. Marcus couldn’t work up the courage to mention it to Enver and wasn’t sure he ever would. Better to keep things level between them by keeping focused on the program.
The previous evening, the intensity had finally gotten to him, and for the first time, he’d strapped on the headset, set the video to observer mode and simply sat back to watch the brilliantly captured scene. Though he knew it was physically impossible, the erection he’d had when the video had ended felt like it hadn’t flagged almost twenty-four hours later.
Taking care of himself was an option, but it would only lead to immense frustration. His hand was a poor substitute after the mind-blowing orgasm Enver had given him during their test run. Yeah, he’d only been in a computer simulation, but the stain soaking his pants had been real.
That kind of reaction was the one thing he knew that gave him a leg up on the competition. As far as he knew, no one else had been able to replicate that from their test subjects. Their simulations weren’t as consuming or realistic.
“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full. Good. Been a while since you’ve been that busy.”
“Yeah.” Sighing heavily, he pulled up Enver’s avatar, frowning at the gaps in the code he hadn’t been able to smooth over through usual methods. The fixes he normally employed weren’t behaving as they should have. So far, every attempt had brought nothing but frustration. As rewarding as this job was sometimes, it was also equally exasperating.
“You also sound defeated.”
He laughed lightly at her comment. “That too. Some code that is giving me some trouble. Every time I take a step forward...”
“You take three back. I get it. Listen, I gotta run. Give me a call later if you have some time to get together.”
He sat back as he disconnected the call, folding his arms across his chest while he stared at the nude computer generated avatar he’d created from the scan. His aggravation at his work was only eclipsed by his sexual frustration.
Caught up in thoughts of how it would be to experience that scene in real life, Marcus jumped when he heard a soft tap on the door. He killed the program before turning around. “Come on in.”
“Heard you could use some help.” A petite redhead stepped into the room with a widescreen laptop in her hand. “Grae Burrows—sorry, Templar-Denali now. Still getting used to the new name.”
He accepted the hand she offered. “Marcus. Kochran send you?”
“Ezra.”
“Oh, right.” The Noble House webmaster had stopped by earlier in the week to see if he or a member of his staff could provide some assistance to help Marcus work out any remaining bugs. Every time he checked one item off, ten more appeared. At this rate, he’d have the program ready to go in five years.
She set her computer down on the table and bundled her hair up into a high ponytail. “I’m a graphic artist. Usually spend my time working on trailers for movies, but I’m between projects at the moment, so I thought I could lend a hand.”
“The graphic problem I talked about with Ezra,” Marcus said with a snap of his fingers. “I figured he thought I was just rambling on and needed to vent.”
“I’m your girl. Let’s see what you have.”
He gave her a brief rundown, grateful she understood the programming language so he wouldn’t have to break down the terms. He didn’t mind the task for Enver, but it was a relief to not have to think about carefully breaking down each thing in more simple terms.
She popped open her laptop and logged in. “I ran into something similar a few months back with Ezra’s simulation program. Problem was in the source code. They missed a line that elevated what you’re talking about and glitched the whole system. Doesn’t sound like your problem is as widespread, but it could be the same thing. Maddy, one of our programmers, would know for sure, though. Here, take a look at this.”
She tapped play on a video and he watched in fascination as a computer simulation unfolded. Though the graphics weren’t as sophisticated as BLINC, the simulation was imaginative enough to satisfy a gamer looking to add a little kink to their sex life. If he wa
sn’t so caught up in developing his system, he could certainly see himself losing many hours in the Noble House sim world.
“There.” She paused it, gesturing to the center of the scene. “See those missing pixels right there? There’s a gap the average person wouldn’t pick up on.”
“That’s exactly the problem I’m having. I think. I don’t know, really, since graphics aren’t my strong point.”
“Good thing you have me then.” She gave him a wide smile as she dragged a chair beside him and sat, wiggling her fingers toward him. “Let’s have a look.”
He offered her the lenses, giving her the exact spiel he’d given Enver to explain how they worked as he pulled up the program: “Same warning I give everyone else the first time they go in. May feel a little nauseous for a few seconds while your brain and eyes adjust to the change.” When she nodded, he triggered the interface.
“Whoa,” she said suddenly, lifting the lenses to peer out from under them at him. “That is a little more of Enver than I expected to see.”
“Fucknuts.” He’d forgotten he’d left the avatar nude while he’d tried to solve the problem hanging him up. “Sorry. Only have two full-sized scans right now. Easier to try to solve the bugs before I do more.”
“That’s all right. Not like I haven’t seen him nude before. Just under different circumstances.” She fell silent as she dropped the glasses into place again and directed him to turn and bend the avatar so she could get a better idea. When she started firing off coding language, he had a hard time keeping up.
Before long, he saw the path she was heading down, and he was able to anticipate her instructions. They continued to work so seamlessly, Marcus lost track of time. He realized belatedly that Grae had stopped helping and he had closed up the hole on his own. He tapped out a few strings of code and ran it, laughing softly when Grae giggled as Enver’s avatar executed a perfect cartwheel.
Not a gap to be found in the programming.
“That should solve your problem.” She dangled the glasses off her finger as she gestured to his equipment. “Sweet program you have. When do you think it will be ready?”
“Too early to tell. Kochran was pretty generous with the contract terms, so if I see something getting screwed up, I can renegotiate.”
“Know how that goes, though I don’t work as many contracts as I used to since I relocated. But the bright side is that I get to be more choosy when it comes to work.” She looked over the setup before turning her gaze to Marcus, her mouth curving on one side. “I’d love to get a full demo when you’re ready for beta testing. Maybe talk Saint and Boyce into giving it a whirl. They’re always up for anything new.”
Marcus eyed her as she closed her laptop with a snap. He knew she was married to both men, and the way her face lit when she mentioned them clearly indicated the depth of her love, but something she’d said earlier made him wonder.
“You said you’ve seen Enver naked. Have you shared a scene with him before?” When she eyed him, he rushed on. “Sorry, I’m not trying to pry or anything. Feel free to forget what I asked. It’s really none of my business.”
“It’s all right.” As she shook her head, her ponytail brushed against her shoulders. “I’ve been a virtual member of the club for a while, but I worked up the courage to visit in person a few years ago. First time I came, I was extended an invitation to the Keep, which is Kochran’s private play area. I unknowingly walked into an initiation ceremony for Bracey and Dahlia. Gorgeous group session with two submissives and three Doms. But then my husbands showed up and I got a little distracted.” As she leaned back in the chair, her eyes lost focus for a moment as she clearly got caught up in the memory. “Anyhow, Enver did the rigging for the scene and then kind of oversaw everything. Wish I had a video to show, but Kochran doesn’t allow cameras or even cell phones in the Keep.”
“Does he do that a lot?”
“Kochran hasn’t done a lot of things since he started seeing Ezra and Maddy.” She lowered her voice, even though they were the only occupants of the room. “They’re still keeping things kind of quiet, but I suspect most of the membership already knows. They’re always together. Not hard to see the signs or the way they all keep making googly eyes at each other.”
“I meant Enver.”
Grae tilted her head. “It was his submissive in the ceremony, so he was the lead Dom.”
“Oh.”
Her eyes widened as she leaned toward him and set her hand on his knee. “You have a crush.”
“What? No!” Marcus spat out in horror as he waved off her statement. “He’s working with me on this project and he’s very private.”
She tapped her lip as she opened her laptop again, eying him as though she clearly didn’t believe his non-interest interest. “There are a few videos of him on the site if you search his name. Last one was a few months ago, when he did some ropework for Kochran and Maddy in one of their first scenes. Won’t find any of him doing much more than that, I’m afraid.” She pulled up the club’s website and gestured to the screen. “He doesn’t participate full tilt like most of us do, but he’s still one of the more popular Doms at the club.”
“People are drawn to the enigmatic.” Marcus glanced at the screen, swallowing when he saw there were only a handful of videos. He’d expected more, given the comments about Enver he’d seen on the message boards on the club’s website. “I’ll take a look through these later.”
Grae touched his shoulder, shaking him gently. “You really do like him.”
“I’m just trying to find out anything that will help me with the virtual model,” he lied. Getting attached to Enver had bad idea written all over it, even though he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since the convention. Even more so since he’d watched him masturbate in the car. And that test scene in BLINC...
“The important parts, right?”
Marcus was horrified to feel his cheeks heat. “Don’t think I’m really his type.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Are you breathing?” He didn’t respond as she set her hand on his shoulder. “I’m kidding. Enver is a special kind of breed that doesn’t come along often. Don’t let his gruff exterior deter you. Underneath, he’s an old softie.”
He thought about the picture hanging on the wall of the second floor. The indentations of rope temporarily marking the woman’s skin while she was cradled in the arms of her Dom. He knew they were no longer together, but a stab of jealousy exploded through his chest. Foolish, of course, because she’d done nothing to earn the green-eyed monster. But he couldn’t help but feel a little envious of the woman who had worked with Enver for an extended length of time. Who had obviously captured his attention enough to work with her and train her. She was the kind of submissive Enver deserved, beautiful and curvy.
Not some fucked up, scarred man who was sometimes scared of his own shadow.
“Hey, Marcus, you sure you’re all right?”
He glanced over, plastering on his best fake smile. “Been working too much.”
“Please don’t sell yourself short, all right?” Her expression softened. “He would be lucky to have you.” When he remained silent, she sighed. “Just try. Once.”
He wasn’t sure if it was her pleading look or the touch of sadness in her voice that made him say, “Yes.”
Chapter Twelve
Enver wiped at the sweat coating his forehead as he stripped off the visor. He blinked a few times as his eyes readjusted to the difference between reality and the virtual machine. The room full of electronic equipment took shape around him.
“Think my brain is going to leak out of my ears.” He handed Marcus the set and rubbed his burning eyes. “Jesus, that was intense.”
“Didn’t expect us to be in there for that long,” Marcus said apologetically. “You’re not late for anything are you?”
“Nah.” Enver stood,
setting his hand on the nearby desk for a few seconds until his balance was under control. “Think I’d get used to this by now. Want something to drink?”
Marcus wiped at the sweat dotting his own brow as he continued studying the data scrolling on the screen. “That’d be great.”
Enver retrieved two bottles of water, handing one to Marcus as he sat again. “Hope I was able to give you some good data in there. Half the time I’m not even sure what I’m saying.”
Marcus leaned back in his chair as he took a few large gulps of water. “It was perfect.”
Much to Enver’s surprise, each time he disconnected from BLINC, he found his system was overcharged and revved. Like he’d touched a live wire. Sitting there, staring into Marcus’s sincere, dark eyes, an ember began to burn in his gut.
A long stretch of silence filled the air between them.
Each time he left one of these sessions, Enver felt as though something hung in the air between them. An unspoken tension neither man was willing to acknowledge. He chalked it up to the desire to keep everything all-business.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you of a side effect I’ve been noticing whenever I come out of the machine,” Enver said slowly, measuring his words and tone so it didn’t seem he was accusing Marcus of manipulating his brain waves, even though that was exactly what he was doing. “Nothing bad, just...”
“Different,” Marcus finished, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Like everything around you is heightened. Yeah, I’ve noticed it too.”
“Is that normal?”
Marcus shrugged. “If it’s happened before, I never paid attention. I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about, if you’re concerned. Or if you feel you need to stop, I understand.”
The time they’d been spending together, both in and outside of the club, had been enjoyable. But Enver wanted a real, honest evening out with Marcus, something he hadn’t wanted in as long as he could remember. Everything had been about getting people off for so long, he’d forgotten the simple joy of spending time with someone in a non-power exchange level. He wanted to know the ins and outs, the stuff that made Marcus’s brilliant mind tick. What kind of movies he liked. His favorite food.