“The life of a criminal.”
“Yes. But criminals have so much fun. And I would never have realized that if it wasn’t for you. I owe you one, big guy.” Kyle blew Blaze a kiss before spinning on his heel and returning to his car. When he reached it, he paused to speak over his shoulder to his crew. “Kick his ass and dump him on the riverfront. And get that shipment loaded onto another truck as soon as you’re finished dealing with him. I want that product delivered on schedule.”
Blaze lowered his chin, ready to fight. Kyle could issue all the orders he wanted but no one was dumping him anywhere. And that shipment of Croton was not going to hit the streets of St. Louis.
About fifteen Red Vests circled up — some with weapons most without. Blaze did a quick survey of the people surrounding him, eyeing the threat level of each. Once he’d identified the punk with the most potential to give him trouble, Blaze faced him directly. He squared his shoulders and clenched his fist, goading the Red Vest into making a move with his body language. The punk took the bait and charged forward. Blaze immediately zapped him with a bolt of electricity to knock him out then whipped around to block a blow from the woman who’d snuck up behind him with a metal pipe.
After that, the fight was on. Blaze fought viciously. He had one code when it came to tangling with criminals: Don’t kill. Everything else was fair game. He busted several noses. Broke a few bones. Dished out too many bruises to count. As the ebb and flow of the brawl took him away from the truck, a few piled on, attempting to defeat him by burying him beneath a barrage of kicks and punches from several directions at once.
Blaze brought his arms into his chest and supercharged his electromagnetic ability. Then with a roar, he threw them out wide. A burst of power sent them all flying. They landed in a circle around him, their hair and clothes smoking, but still alive.
Once everyone was down, either groaning in pain or unconscious, Blaze made his way back to the truck. He ripped open the rear doors, his chest pumping with his heaving breaths as he stared at the boxes of Croton inside. His body ached with exhaustion and he was near drained of power. But he couldn’t leave without doing what he’d come there to do.
Drawing in a deep breath, he gathered his remaining energy, letting electricity build in his palms until they blazed bright blue. Turning his palms outward, he sent multiple bolts of electricity into the truck, frying the Croton to ash and rendering it unsellable. Sweat trickled down his temples from the effort, dripping beneath his mask, but he kept up the blasts until all of it was destroyed.
Kyle ran up but smartly didn’t get too close to Blaze and the deadly bolts of electricity. Still, he was close enough for his hair to stand on end as he screamed in fury.
“No! Do you know how much money you just cost us?”
Blaze turned his head, staring Kyle right in the face while he sent forth one last bolt. “Every time you bring this shit into my community, I will find it and I will destroy it. Run and tell that to your lover or boss or whatever the fuck he is to you.”
“You’ll pay for this,” Kyle snarled.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But you’ll definitely have some explaining to do. Good luck.” Keeping his eye on the Red Vests in case any of them got it in their heads to do something stupid, like restart the fight, Blaze jogged backward out of the warehouse. On the street, he melted into the shadows and disappeared into the night.
Mission accomplished.
Chapter Seven
A
day later and Jordan was still bothered by Kyle’s reappearance. Running into his ex so unexpectedly had been an unpleasant surprise, marring his triumph at destroying the Croton. Seeing his former lover for the first time in over three years had his brain buzzing with ugly memories. One ugly memory in particular. He tried to block it out but it kept popping up like a hideous Jack in the Box.
To make matters worse, he now had the knowledge that he’d basically been the one to turn Kyle into a criminal. The night of their breakup, he’d made the decision never to see or speak to Kyle again, and he’d stuck to that decision all these years. Anything of Kyle’s at his place had been packed up and sent to him by courier and he’d blocked the other man’s number. The brutally clean break meant he’d had no idea that Kyle had thrown in with Leon and his L Street Posse. That was one more mistake laid at his feet and another layer of guilt added to the many layers that already rested on his shoulders.
As Blaze, he helped people. But in his personal life, he ruined them. Which brought him to the man currently walking at his side as they made their way to his suite at Club Decadence.
What had he been thinking getting involved with Danny? He should have left him alone after sending him the club membership as he’d originally planned. But he hadn’t. He’d let his attraction get the better of him. And now he knew the sounds Danny made when he was overcome with pleasure. He knew the sweetness of his lips and the warmth of his skin. He’d had a taste and he hungered for more. Unfortunately, his conscious struggled with allowing him to have what he wanted.
Honesty was paramount in a D/s relationship. The thought of becoming Danny’s Dom while keeping the fact that he was Blaze a secret didn’t sit well, even if the lie was for the other man’s protection. It was bad enough he’d visited him as Blaze the night he’d orchestrated their face to face meeting. Continuing the charade wouldn’t be fair to Danny. Jordan didn’t want to lie, but if he continued down this path, more lies would become inevitable. Eventually he would have to come up with something to explain why he vanished for hours every night and why he returned home with fresh bruises.
If he couldn’t be honest then he couldn’t claim Danny for his own. But he didn’t want to let him go either. Which is why he was currently at Club Decadence for their second date. He should have cancelled, but his selfish desire to see Danny, to be close to him, had stopped him every time he’d tried to pick up the phone to make that call.
Jordan tried to push all of those thoughts aside as he led Danny up the stairs and into his suite. The small room was empty, and Jordan hoped they would have it to themselves for the entire evening.
“I thought it would be nice for you to see this demonstration on impact play,” he said as he pulled out a chair for Danny to sit at one of the three small cafe tables.
“I’m excited to see it live. I’ve watched lots of videos about it. Some more instructional, some po-,” he stopped and pressed his lips together.
“Porn?” Jordan finished for him.
Danny ducked his head, hiding a shy smile. “Yeah.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe one day you’ll share with me which videos you like the best and why you like them.”
“You say that so easily, like it’s no big deal.”
“I believe in healthy expressions of desire between consenting adults. Being honest with your partner is freeing and leads to spectacular sex.” His conscious twinged when he mentioned honesty but he ignored it. “And it’s another way for a Dom to learn what pleases his sub.”
Danny’s eyes went wide. “Oh. I mean, that makes sense.”
Jordan held back a smile at Danny’s delightful innocence. “Let’s watch the demonstration,” he said as the lights flicked on over the stage.
The lead hostess walked out with a microphone. She introduced the instructor and his partner then ceded the stage to the couple. They both wore headsets so they could be heard by the audience and answer questions as they worked. A small table was set up where the Dom set out various impact play tools: whips, floggers, paddles, crops, canes, even hairbrushes.
One by one, they went through and explained the benefits and drawbacks of each toy, following with a few strikes on the sub to show how to wield it and its effect. The sub took a few minutes to describe what each toy felt like on their body, and explained which ones were their most and least favorite and why.
The two worked well together. They were knowledgeable and affable, getting chuckles from the audience during some of their c
ommentary, and patiently and thoroughly answering every question put to them. At the conclusion of their workshop, they both bowed and left the stage to appreciative applause.
“What did you think of that?” Jordan asked.
“It was helpful. I already knew the areas on the body that were off limits for impact play but it was interesting to see how the different types of toys could bring on different sensations. There were only a few I’d be afraid to try.”
“Never take more than you can handle or let a Dom talk you into trying something you’re uncomfortable with.”
Danny shook his head. “I won’t, trust me. I’m too afraid of getting hurt.” He paused, his forehead crinkling in a little frown. “Isn’t it strange how I don’t want to be hurt — not really — but I want to be spanked?”
“Not strange at all. Your brain and your body know the difference between pain meant to hurt and that meant to arouse.”
“It’s nice to hear that explained by someone else, and so matter of factly. I knew that but I struggled with finding a way to express it without being flippant or putting myself down. And forget about trying to explain it to someone who isn’t into any type of pain play.”
“I’m glad I could help. It can be challenging finding the right words. But remember, you don’t have to explain anything to anybody. Not even yourself. Just go with what makes you feel good. The words will come later. And if they never do, that’s all right too.”
Danny gave him a relieved smile before turning his attention to the staff cleaning the stage and equipment. “What’s next?”
“A violet wand exhibition. This is a show rather than a lesson so there won’t be any questions allowed.”
Finished cleaning, the club staff retreated behind the curtain. Lucille came out again, accompanied by the couple she was introducing. They were both in black, the Dom in tactical pants with multiple pockets, and a chest harness, while the sub wore a pair of spandex shorts that left the majority of their body bare. The lights in the club dimmed and the spotlight over the stage changed to a cool blue, highlighting the performers and casting everything else into darkness. Soft music began to play as the sub lay back on the table, and the violet wand glowed to life in the Dom’s hand.
At the first spark, a ripple of sound went through the crowd — gasps, soft exclamations, and a sprinkling of applause. But the club quickly fell silent as the patrons became engrossed watching the couple work their magic on stage. The Dom was both careful and dramatic in their movements. And the sub held nothing back in their response to each touch. It was a beautiful, erotic performance.
Jordan kept an eye on Danny as he watched the Dom move the violet wand over their sub. He appeared interested in the play, leaning forward in his seat, eyes rapt on the stage. When sparks touched the sub’s nipple, making them arch and moan, Danny’s tongue darted out, sliding over his bottom lip in a shallow swipe. And he shifted in his seat, legs moving in that tell-tale way of a man trying to make room for a growing hard-on. Jordan raised a brow and amended his assessment to interested and aroused.
There was no denying how much it pleased him to see Danny enjoying electric play. Electricity was the source of his strength and power. He used it to fight. But he had other uses for it too. Jordan could show Danny how amazing it felt to dance with electricity. And he wouldn’t need a violet wand to do it.
The performers on stage started building to a crescendo, the top sweating under the lights as they applied the wand with increasing speed, the sub writhing on the table in a continuous wave. When they reached their climax, the audience burst into applause. The Dom set the wand aside and moved to pick up their sub. They took a bow with their sub cradled in their arms then carried them from the stage.
Danny clapped along with everyone else as the house lights rose. Once the applause died down, he twisted in his seat to look up at Jordan, his eyes bright and shining with excitement.
“Wow. I’d like to try that.”
“Would you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Danny tilted his head to the side as he thought about his answer. “Because it seems dangerous — like maybe you could be hurt even while it feels good,” he finally said. “And you have to trust that your partner won’t let that happen so you can let go and enjoy.”
Jordan loved that Danny was interested but he was obligated to explain it wasn’t as simple as it looked. “Electric play is advanced, not something you start off doing. It’s important for the sub to be trained and to have a good rapport with their Dom before attempting it.”
“Well, if I need training to try it, maybe you could train me?”
Jordan angled his body so that they faced each other, and leaned in close to speak his question in the air next to Danny’s ear. “Is that what you want?”
A shiver ran through Danny before he answered. “More than anything,” he said in a soft whisper.
There it was again. The chemistry between them that sparked to life at the tiniest provocation. Jordan was playing with fire here. Could he do it? More importantly should he do it? Was it right to continue spending time with Danny while keeping a major secret from him? Jordan had to consider that if he didn’t teach Danny then someone else would.
At the thought of another man touching Danny, making him weep and beg, his power surged and sparked in his palm. He quickly flattened his hand on the table to keep Danny from seeing.
He couldn’t let someone else have what he was desperate to claim for himself. He had to do something to keep from losing Danny. Thinking fast, he came up with a plan. “I will. But I have one ground rule. We don’t have sex.”
Danny’s dark brows drew together in silent question.
“I don’t want to muddy the waters while you’re learning,” Jordan explained. “It’s too easy to form bonds when sex is involved. And it’s not that I don’t want to form a bond with you. I would love that actually. But right now, I’m not in a place where I can allow myself that luxury. That means if we do this, our relationship will be restricted to a Dom training a sub. Nothing more.” Even as he spoke the words, Jordan knew that his plan was only a stop gap, a temporary solution while he sorted the situation out. But it would have to suffice for now.
“And that’s a thing that people do?”
“Yes. There are professional Doms and subs who work to teach others about the lifestyle. I’m not a professional Dom, but I’m afraid that’s all I can be for you. I want to be upfront about that.” He waited as Danny thought it over. By rights, Danny should say he wasn’t going to waste his time with someone who wouldn’t even entertain the idea of forming a bond with him. If he was smart, Danny would turn down what was basically a fuck boy offer — albeit without the sex. But selfishly, he hoped Danny would say yes.
“I’d love to be taught by you.”
It was the answer he wanted but didn’t deserve. “And I would love to teach you.” As Jordan gazed down into Danny’s dark eyes, the moment between them had a strange duality. The mood was soft, with words quietly spoken. But it was also weighty and earnest, as if they were agreeing to far more than a trainer-trainee partnership.
Jordan had the sense that he was on a train hurtling down the tracks toward... something. He didn’t know whether the outcome of this decision would be good or bad. He didn’t know if he should put a stop to it before they were any further along. He only knew that right here, right now, he’d gained the opportunity to spend more time with Danny, and he was going to take advantage of every second of it. Besides. He didn’t have the power to stop a runaway locomotive.
“Let’s go downstairs.” He stood and held out a hand, drawing Danny to his feet when he accepted it. Their fingers entwined, he led Danny from the suite, keeping him protectively close in a manner that made it clear to any Dom eyeing Danny that the sweet little sub at his side was off limits.
In their reserved play room, the same one as before, Jordan got right to work. “If I’m going to train you, we’ll
start with basics, like a submissive’s positions. Kneeling is one of the most important. If your Dom asks you to kneel, you’ll do so as gracefully as you’re able. Let me see how you kneel.”
Danny drifted to the ground slowly, and somewhat awkwardly. Jordan coached him, helping him get into the correct position. “Heels tucked under your ass, spine and shoulders straight, arms relaxed.” Jordan looked him over with a critical eye, trying not to focus on how much he liked seeing this gorgeous man kneeling at his feet.
“Good. You’ll want to practice this position. Also, stretch your limbs, and work on your core so that you can hold it for long periods if necessary. Be sure to use a pillow so that you don’t hurt your knees. Now, try rising.”
Danny made it half way up before he stumbled and fell against Jordan’s chest. Jordan reflexively caught him with both hands, holding onto his slim waist. “Steady.”
Danny slowly raised his head and Jordan stared down into wide, ebony eyes.
“Thank you. I guess I’d better practice getting up too.”
His fingers flexed, briefly tightening his hold. Danny was so warm under his palms. Jordan wanted to drag him closer, to feel all of his body’s warmth pressed up against him. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be appropriate for the boundaries he’d set not even ten minutes ago. He needed to get his shit together. His plan to train Danny wasn’t going to work if he could barely resist doming him for real every time they touched.
Jordan cleared his throat and dropped his hands. “You’ll also need to know the inspection pose,” he said as he took a step back, delivering the instructions in a calm, detached voice. “Feet shoulder width apart. Arms up, hands together behind your head.”
Danny followed his directions and moved into the pose.
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