He wanted to open his eyes, but orders were orders, and the thrusts were steadily speeding up until all Tim could do was clutch the rug under his hands and hang on. Jae didn’t say another word, just grunted and groaned and took his pleasure from one of his favorite holes. The bed squeaked with each forward lunge, and Tim didn’t have time to wonder how Jae was managing to move faster and faster still.
When he came the only warning was a choked gasp, but it was enough for Tim to be ready to accept the first shot of come on his tongue. He opened his mouth completely, knowing Jae liked watching each shot coating the pink muscle. Jae stroked himself, coaxing the last of his seed, then released Tim’s hair. Tim bowed his head and swallowed, awaiting his next order.
The mattress creaked, and then Jae spoke. “Open your eyes and come up here.”
Jae lay on the bed, resting against the headboard with pillows keeping him up. His legs were spread, one against the wall and the other off the bed, knee bent, foot on the floor. He patted the space between them, and Tim carefully sat there, back to Jae’s chest. Jae wrapped his arms around Tim and held him close, kissing his ear.
“You’re so damned amazing, pet. Now it’s your turn to get off. Will you scream for me?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good, look on the bed stand and see what I’ve got for you.”
His trusty Fleshlight, black, sat next to a bottle of lube. The insert was of a mouth. Tim shivered, anticipation and arousal making him downright giddy.
“Get it prepped and give it to me.”
Easy enough. Blobs of lube into the faux mouth. His dick would do the work of making sure it got all inside. Tim’s hand shook as he passed the device over to Jae, who kissed his ear again and chuckled.
“Tell me when you’re about to blow.”
And with no other warning, Jae slid the Fleshlight over Tim’s cock. Tim reared up and gasped at the sudden chill of the lube, but Jae’s smile against the back of his neck told him the beautiful bastard did it on purpose.
Besides, as hot as Tim was, it would take a lot more than some cool lube to make him soft. Jae pulled the Fleshlight back a few inches.
“Now fuck it.”
Jae’s voice was a husky rasp in his ear, and Tim’s hips shot up on their own accord. Tim threw his head back against Jae’s shoulder and moaned helplessly. The lube warmed up with his thrusts, and the inside of the Fleshlight had just the right amount of sensation rubbing against his cock—he chose this model well. Customized from trial and error from all of the extras to get him in all the best places.
“Ah, that’s so pretty. Faster, pet, just like how I fucked your mouth.”
Tim had to brace one foot over Jae’s leg on the bed and the other right on the edge to comply, shoving his hips into the air and into Jae’s strong grip. He rested his hands on Jae’s thighs, flexing his fingers with each wave of sensation.
He felt Jae stiffen as one of his nails dug in, and before he could check in, Jae had wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back into his lap. He worked the Fleshlight up and down, doing the work while Tim squirmed and bucked in his hold. It felt even better this way, just giving in and letting Sir take care of him. Good, because the bed was getting louder than his moans with them both moving.
“So good,” he gasped loudly. “Oh fuck, Sir. I’m close.”
Jae snarled, his voice as passionate as Tim felt. “Good, good boy. Come nice and loud for me.”
Tim couldn’t refuse that request, not as close to the edge as he was. He met the toy for two, three more thrusts, and then he felt everything explode and rush out of his body. He swore his voice broke with the cry that poured out of his mouth, and he barely heard Jae’s answering groan over it.
He collapsed against Jae, twitching and gasping as Jae pulled the toy free and set it back on the nightstand. Jae wrapped both of his arms tightly around him, and Tim shamelessly snuggled back. In that space surrounded by boxes and boxes, he was warm and safe.
“How do you not feel completely claustrophobic sleeping in here?” Jae asked quietly after they both had a moment to catch their breaths.
Tim shrugged. “Gotta put the shit somewhere. Wish I could live with even less space so I can bring the boxes from my office in here.”
“Don’t let Dad hear you say that. He’ll tell you about the apartment he lived in when he was in Tokyo for college. It always gets smaller every time he tells it.”
“It took some getting used to, but you do what you gotta do, right?” Tim pressed his nose against Jae’s neck. “God, I missed this.”
He tightened the hug. “I know, pet. I was going nuts with wanting you.” Jae shifted, and the mattress creaked. “So how do you manage to sleep on this? The noise would keep me up half the night.”
“So that means you won’t be staying over, then?” Tim asked, half-joking. The mattress would not fit the two of them unless they slept exactly like this. Tim hadn’t exactly decorated with having company in mind when he first set the place up.
“I can’t. Surprised I haven’t gotten a call asking where I wandered off to.”
“How’d you manage to escape, anyway?”
Jae sighed. “I lied. Had to get edits to my client right away.”
Tim sat up a little and glanced at Jae over his shoulder. “And that worked?”
“I didn’t stick around long enough for them to remind me that e-mail is a thing.” Jae grinned sheepishly. “It’s a weird writer-for-a-living thing, right?”
Jae cupped Tim’s cheek and murmured. “Are you going to be alright? They’re only here for a couple of more days.”
At least both sets of parents would be heading out the day of the Leather Ball. Then they could have Jae’s bed with no worries.
Except for Max. And just like that, the calm and peace of orgasm and being held close vanished.
Jae pulled him back into the circle of his arms before he noticed his own shudder. “Tim, it’s going to be alright. I’ll be there with an eye on you. He won’t get anywhere near you if I have anything to do about it.”
“It’s not that I’m worried about him hurting me. He can’t do more than he’s already done,” Tim grumbled.
“And since no one’s said anything about telling you to stay away, I think he’s not telling anyone about it either.”
Tim covered his face with his hands, trying to stem off the sudden well of fear. “But he could. He could. He says I ruined his life. He could very well ruin mine.”
Suddenly he had to get up. Do something. Anything. He couldn’t just sit and shake like a puppy left out in the rain.
He broke the hold and got on his feet. With Jae calling behind him, Tim went to the kitchen area, yanking the dishwasher open. He started unloading the machine, barely paying attention until Jae took a glass out of his hand. “Tim!”
“What?” Tim tried to keep the growl out of his voice. Barely. “I can’t fix this shit with Max, but I can at least make sure I have clean dishes for breakfast.”
A little part of Tim craved Jae’s hand on him, setting him straight, distracting him, taking care of shit with and for him. After having a taste of actually living Domestic Discipline, he needed a Head of the Household so badly. But Tim knew they were putting that on hold, and he understood why. That part needed to shut the fuck up, or it would drive him even more up a tree.
And from the look on Jae’s face, set and ready to do something, anything, Tim thought it was the same.
Then Jae’s phone went off in the bedroom area.
Jae hissed and let the glass go, marching around the bookcase to go answer it, leaving Tim feeling so off he nearly fell over. Were his glucose levels okay? He should check them. Now.
He was in the bathroom slipping a bloodied strip into the meter when Jae walked through the open door, fully dressed. “Spoke too soon. I need to get back. We….” He ran a hand through his hair. “Tim….”
“It’s alright,” Tim said, and the meter beeped. One hundred mg/dL. Good enoug
h. “I’ll see y’all for dinner tomorrow, right?”
“Tim….”
“Jae, please. I need to get a handle on this, okay? I’d like a kiss good-bye, though.”
Jae did just that, and Tim put on his bathrobe from behind the bathroom door to follow Jae out. Once all of the locks were secure and he was back in his lonely, crowded, tiny space, sitting on his tiny couch, he could let the tears fall and the shakes hit him fully.
He was such a mess, a grown man crying like a child bereft of his favorite blanket. Maybe Max was right. Maybe he was too much work to deal with. His needs were so strange and weird that no one really deserved to have to put up with him. What kind of pathetic creature was he to need such discipline, to have his needs considered? Max expected what most Dominants expected of their subs: obedience, deference, a willingness to take punishment. Until that night Tim was certain he met all of those requirements. That he was a good sub.
Then he woke up in a hospital. No, that wasn’t it. It was when he spoke out after receiving nothing but an e-mail from Max that didn’t bother apologizing for nearly killing him. It was all Tim’s fault, and he was too much of a chore to play with anyway, so he was being released from his service.
Released. Like Tim broke protocol, topped from the bottom or something. It devastated him. More than having that talk with his poppa to assure him he wasn’t at the mercy of some horrid pervert. That he was just as horrid and pervy.
Poppa finally got it. Max, well, it seemed he never would.
And now here he was, unable to be good for another Dominant. Unable to be “normal.” He never blamed himself for his limitations, his allergy, his diabetes until two years ago. Now all he could see were limitations, and how they would never allow him to be with anyone long-term.
Jae was trying. Lord, he was perfect with how he tried. And now Tim had one order—hold off for a damn week—that was so hard to obey. It hurt worse than the best sort of Predicament Play Reggie could ever cook up. Hold the bit of “normal” while trauma whipped at his legs.
Except if he let go of this bit, the cost wouldn’t be sore nipples. It would be losing everything.
Chapter TEN
TIM ROLLED his eyes, earning a chuckle from both Poppa and Gloria on the other side of the counter. He wanted to go and find a certain writer of a blockbuster excuse for kink lit and kick her in the ass. In the past few weeks, he’d been playing interference in keeping newbs from hurting themselves or others.
Normally it would be wonderful work, but one could only say “real-life BDSM involves communication, so you can’t just ‘surprise’ your sweetie with handcuffs and a butt plug” so many times in so many ways before one considered spiking his next coffee with Irish cream and whiskey.
“Ever licked a frozen lamppost as a child?” Tim replied over the phone, keeping his voice as sweet as ever. It wasn’t the fault of the newbies. They just needed a more experienced guide.
“Well, I saw that scene in A Christmas Story,” the wannabe Dom on the other end answered. “What’s that got to do with an ice dildo?”
“Ice sticks to skin, vaginas, and tongues, so if you try to put one into your lady friend, what do you think will happen?”
“…oh.”
Gloria leaned on the counter and mimed eating popcorn. Tim glared at her and replied, “See, playing with ice can be fun, but it’s gotta be wet ice. A layer of water will prevent sticking. Also, telling her what you plan on doing will keep her from nearly leaping off the bed at the first touch. Give her a chance to refuse. Not everyone is crazy about cold play. The type of play and the band.”
Wannabe didn’t even respond to Tim’s joke. “But if we’re playing and she’s my submissive, isn’t she supposed to just accept what I want?”
Tim’s eyes widened. Emergency, emergency, educate immediately before this poor girl gets hurt. “Not if you don’t want a pissed-off girlfriend. Look, if you’re serious about this kind of play, we have a great bookstore right here next to the shop with a good selection of 101 books. You can learn negotiation and communication and all sorts of ways to make this fun for both of you.”
A click answered Tim’s suggestion and he put the headset down. “I wish I could trace a number and find this fucker’s girlfriend before he sends her to the hospital.”
Poppa, who was in the “safe” section with the porn, snorted. “How you don’t reach through that phone and strangle someone is beyond me.”
“This from the man who was so sure no one wanted advice from a ‘swishy little queen’ like me,” Tim said with a soft smile. “You know if you buy one of those, the TSA is going to have a field day searching your bags.”
“I ain’t buying nothing from here, boy,” Poppa grunted, but his eyes didn’t move.
Gloria’s grin nearly split her face in half as she started to slink toward the section. “Oh really?”
“Oh Lord.” Tim covered his face with his hands. If anyone could convince a shy customer to buy something tame, it was Gloria. “You’re ringing him up, and I don’t even wanna see it.”
“Prude,” Gloria called back before stopping at Poppa’s side. “So thick women do it for you? I know just the videos for you….”
Tim walked away from the counter to find somewhere less in earshot. Like among the packaged latex section. Bless Gloria and her wrapping skills. Tim could actually walk around this area without his skin itching.
The bell over the door rang, and Tim turned, only to frown as Max entered, looking around until he saw Tim. Great. If Tim gave in to the urge to scream for the fucker to get out, Poppa would have to get his two cents in. Good thing he couldn’t get his shotgun through TSA.
So Tim walked toward him, allowing some tart into his voice. “If you’re here to threaten me some more, you can turn your ass around and go right back out the door.”
Max didn’t look the least bit impressed, and that deflated Tim’s balloon a little. Not even on his own turf could he defend himself. If he could get through this without losing his lunch, it would be a miracle.
“Calm down. We wouldn’t want you passing out or anything. This is apparently the only place in town with Gun Oil, so I’d like to buy it and get out of here.” A smirk crossed his lips. “Looks like you haven’t been as mouthy as I thought. I’ve got a date with a pretty sub.”
Ugh. At that point Tim would rather listen to his father’s porn preferences. He pointed to the lube displays. “Second display to the right. We’ve got three sizes. I’ll be at the counter.”
It was the most unhelpful Tim had ever been in his own shop, but they both wanted this transaction over with. He didn’t want to think about that sub who would have the “honor” of Master Max’s attentions. If only they knew about what a hazard Max could be. But Tim couldn’t make a peep without violating the restraining order. Not knowing who the sub was didn’t help. But hey, Max could have reformed. This sub would probably even be less trouble than Tim was.
As he rounded the counter, Tim noticed Gloria watching him, one eyebrow raised, as Poppa was perusing another shelf. Did he need help? He shook his head, nodded in his dad’s direction, and mouthed, “Keep him busy.”
Thankfully Max was ready to check out with the thirty-two ounce of Gun Oil. Tim fought the urge to roll his eyes. Maybe he was expecting to fly the rest of it back to the South, or he was hoping to use most of it on that sub.
As Tim scanned the bar code, Max leaned the same way Gloria did minutes earlier. “You know, that was just a terrible accident. There was no need to try to ruin my reputation over it.”
Tim’s lips drew downward. “That’s nice. Total’s $52.98 total, please.” He held out his hand for cash or a card.
“Come on, I’m trying to make nice here. We’ll be at the ball, after all.” He pointed at the small post taped to the counter. “I’ve heard things about this Leather Aid group, but they must be alright if they respect me enough to invite me. Probably best to pretend we don’t know each other, I know, but….”
“Jesus, you’re being a fucking bastard over this,” Max seethed, nearly slapping his card into Tim’s hand. “It’s been two years. You haven’t gotten over it yet?”
Tim’s nose flared. Hard to get over nearly fucking dying, but Max didn’t understand then, and he sure as fuck wouldn’t know if this was what he called “making nice.”
He rang up the order quickly, slipped the bottle into an unmarked paper bag, set the card and receipt and bag on the counter for Max to collect, and pulled out the inventory clipboard to keep his now-shaky fingers busy. “Have a nice day.”
“No wonder no one’s collared you yet,” Max snarled, taking what was his and stalking out the door.
Too late for Tim to counter that he had been claimed for six months and was most content, thank you very much, but it didn’t matter. The past week Tim had felt rudderless, barely holding himself together long enough to work and keep his dad company. How long before Jae realized how worthless he really was?
“Scoot, bitch, I’ve got a purchase to ring up.” Gloria bumping him with her hip got his attention. She held up two videos in her triumphant hands.
“Oh my God, Poppa!” Tim took the clipboard and scooted out of the way. “Are you serious?”
“No shaming, Timothy.” Gloria was too busy laughing for her warning to have any bite. “You know better.”
“Let me be a grown man, boy,” Poppa grunted, but it was obvious the two of them were enjoying freaking Tim out.
In normal situations it would be hilarious. But he was already freaked enough.
“I know the rules of my own damn shop, fuck you both very much!” Before he could stop himself, he slammed the clipboard on the floor and turned around so fast the display of lubes, Gun Oil included, tumbled to the floor.
Such a mess, boxes and bottles, greeted his eyes, and the urge to make it right was overridden by flight. By the time he was in his office, he was regretting those words. They didn’t deserve that. It was a joke. He had no reason to feel this off.
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