Love.
Family.
It was beautiful. Pulling him into a hug, I couldn’t take my eyes off the sketch. “It’s amazing. Thank you, Wilder.”
“You’re welcome. I thought that since you probably couldn’t get a tattoo that size, having it framed would be a reasonable alternative.”
Eli’s head jerked up from where he’d been cooing at my picture. “You’re right, his boss would say no to having a tattoo that size. Preston would have a heart attack.”
I chuckled at the image. “Roman wouldn’t be pleased, either.”
Eli snickered. “He’d have a cow. It would be almost worth it.”
I shook my head, not wanting Roman’s crazy to be turned toward me. “No thanks.”
Leaning into Wilder, I pressed a kiss to his lips. “It really is incredible.”
The picture was perfect but so was everything else. The way he got me. The way he made me stronger. He was just incredible.
Before Wilder could respond, Eli started shaking his finger at us. “Oh no, save those looks for the photo shoot. Let’s go.”
The little drama queen was in full drill sergeant mode. I had a feeling the photo shoot was going to be interesting.
* * * * *
Wilder
My worrier was even sexier than I’d imagined. The way the almost sheer fabric draped across his body in long waves hiding, then giving tantalizing glimpses of what might lie underneath was incredible. I wasn’t sure if Eli or Roman had picked out the nightgown, but it was perfect.
“It looks almost demure, but then you start to move and it’s—”
Eli interrupted, nearly purring the words out, before I could even think of how to finish the sentence. “Then you catch a glimpse of that sexy body, and it goes from being almost too virginal to a desperate desire-filled virgin on his wedding night getting ready to be ravished by the sexy beast.”
Roman snorted and shook his head. “You’ve watched that movie too many times this week.”
Eli gave him a dirty look. “There is no such thing as watching that movie too many times.” Then he glanced at Wilder and me with a dirty gleam in his eyes. “I saw someone online talking about a wicked anime version of Beauty and the Beast. I haven’t found it yet, though. Don’t worry. I’ll tell you when I find it.”
Lane laughed but didn’t tell the naughty drama queen he wasn’t interested, so I filed that information away for later. “So I’m basically the beast and I’ve captured my beauty?”
Roman was taking the shoot seriously, so it didn’t surprise me when he responded like it was any other project. “I think that’s a good way of looking at it. The two opposing looks that shouldn’t work but do…it’s the theme of a lot of our fairytales and movies. This is just a different take on it.”
He started moving around the room getting the backdrop ready and fiddling with random things. I had a feeling some of it was just designed to give Lane more time to relax. He was a little stressed out but hadn’t pulled the plug. I had to keep reminding myself that he would tell me if it was too much, but it was hard.
He wanted it, but he wasn’t comfortable wanting it.
Eli looked like he was ready to step in and say something outrageous again just to distract Lane, but I had a better idea. And one that was less likely to get Eli in trouble with Roman. The last thing we needed was him getting a spanking.
“Come here.” Reaching out, I pulled Lane close and tucked him against my chest. The fabric swirled against me as he moved, but the leather pants I was wearing kept me from feeling it. But the sigh that whirled across my naked chest perked up nerve endings down my body.
“You like it? It looks okay?” One hand wrapped around my back, but the other moved down to caress along his side. He didn’t seem to realize how tempting it made him look, swirling the nightgown around him in a careless, romantic way that made him look even more innocent.
God, the pictures were going to be beautiful.
“You look perfect. Sweet and sexy and almost virginal like Eli was saying, but with this eroticism that’s going to come through in the pictures.” He looked more than just okay.
Lane gave a low laugh that was almost a giggle and shook his head. “So you like it?”
I chuckled, but instead of just teasing him back, I changed my grip and tugged him up roughly. I braced him against me and pulled him so he had to rise up on his toes to stand. Instead of holding my sweet lover, I was now trapping my sexy captive, and I could feel him start to respond. “Are you teasing the beast? Is that really a good idea?”
Lane’s breath whooshed out of him, and he stared up at me silently for a moment, wide eyes making him look even more perfect. He couldn’t seem to find the words. But instead of fighting, his back arched away, giving the impression that he was startled, but it also pressed his cock against me, making it clear just how intrigued he was.
I could hear Roman grumbling that I was in the wrong place, but instead of letting the mood fade, I dragged Lane across the room like he was truly my captive. As we reached the backdrop where the lights were set up, Roman stopped fussing and focused on the pictures. I wasn’t sure what he was doing as he moved around silently adjusting things, but all I focused on was Lane.
His body arched into me, trusting me to keep him steady and safe. The nightgown went almost to the floor, but I knew the way it clung to his ass, and the way his body curved against me, Roman would be pleased with the way it looked.
“Are you my captive beauty? Who do you belong to?” I didn’t know if it was the way Lane was looking at me or just the fantasy of it all, but I felt rough and possessive like the beast who was getting ready to ravish the innocent he’d managed to capture.
Lane gave a breathless moan that was almost too low to hear and nodded. “You.”
Kissing him wasn’t really in the plan for the photos, but I leaned down and barely let my lips graze his before pulling back. “I have a way for you to remember that, my beauty.”
A delicate shiver raced through him and another low moan escaped. All I wanted in that moment was a way to capture not just the expression on his face but the low, sweet sounds as well. The combination was intoxicating.
“Kneel for me then, my beauty.”
Fuck. He was…incredible.
As I lowered him to the floor, his body folded under him until he was looking up at me with the nightgown pooled around his legs…the picture of erotic innocence. Eli must have realized what I wanted, because they appeared next to my hand without me having to look up from Lane’s eyes.
The collar.
The leash.
We’d never play this way in real life, but just for a few short moments, we’d pretend. I made slow, deliberate movements to bring the collar up to his neck as Roman focused the camera, and Eli helped adjust the lights in the background.
Lane kept his focus on my face and let everything else fade away as the shoot continued. He sank into the role of my beautiful, submissive captive with ease, and I wasn’t sure how much was him and how much was just his abilities as a model.
When the collar was snug around his neck, I buckled the leash to the small ring at his throat. My sexy, innocent captive was now my beautiful slave. Pulling the leash taut, I watched transfixed as he bowed his body and looked up at me like I was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.
I was his beast, but he didn’t want to run. No, he wanted to run his hands over every inch of me, even though his expression said he wasn’t sure what it all meant.
Fuck. The pictures would be incredible.
With every little movement that showed how aroused he was and the need that crossed his eyes, I wanted to pull him close and take him right there. He was mine, and I would show him what it meant to belong to his beast.
I could hear Eli whisper low words of encouragement as Roman continued to give almost inaudible directions to us. Eli’s words kept us grounded enough that the fantasy didn’t take over completely, but I was starting to
understand why people liked role playing so much. No matter how unreal it was, the passion and adrenaline rushing through me felt like I could climb the tallest mountain. It was a complete rush.
But watching my sweet Lane look up at me so trustingly and knowing that he was sharing a part of himself with me was even more special.
He wasn’t just sharing a fantasy. He was sharing his work with me and showing his family how much I meant to him…how much he wanted me…and that right there was even more magnificent than any fantasy. I had my Lane, and he knew I would always be right there beside him.
“Oh, my sweet stalker, the things I’m going to do to you when we get home.” I let my free hand move to cup his cheek.
A tiny mischievous smile passed over his lips. “Will it be as my beast or the tender lover who gave me the most beautiful soul-baring sketch I’ve ever seen?”
“Either. Both. Whatever you need, my sweet stalker.” Looking down into his eyes, so filled with love and tenderness, I knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him.
~~~
Lane
Bonus Chapter
Wilder was being sneaky…but he was terrible at it. It was almost like watching a five-year-old keep a secret. But that didn’t make me any less excited to see what he’d been up to.
The only reason he’d usually keep smiling to himself and randomly stare off into space was his art, so I was pretty sure whatever he was hiding was either something about a tattoo or something he’d drawn…and considering it’d been about twenty-four hours since I’d seen him naked, it could be either.
I wasn’t sure how much restraint he had when it came to the secret, so I was trying not to beg too much, but it was getting difficult. “But I’ll get to see it later tonight?”
Squirming on the chair, watching as he moved around the kitchen, I grinned as his smile widened and his walk got even bouncier. Yep, he was a kid at Christmas.
“Yes, you’ll find out tonight.” He got that excited, faraway look in his eyes. “I can’t wait to show you.”
He kept saying he couldn’t wait, but it didn’t seem to make him go any faster.
As he pulled the ziti out of the oven, I studied the way he moved. If he’d gotten a tattoo, I was pretty sure he’d have looked at least a little sore. I knew some people got a high from the actual process, but afterward everyone had to be tender. Right?
So that left art…unless he’d done something like book us a vacation or maybe he’d gotten a new contract…
Okay, so maybe I hadn’t narrowed it down any.
“That smells fabulous.” Pushing back the other questions I really wanted to ask, I focused on more mundane things. “How did work go today?”
As he poked at the ziti to make sure it was cooked, he gave me a grin. “Much better now that you’ve taken on some of the paperwork.”
I felt my face heating up. “It wasn’t as bad as he’s making it out to be. He just didn’t have any systems and was doing everything the hardest way possible.”
The man was still doing books in some kind of ledger he had to have ordered from the dark corners of Hell.
When I’d taken a few days last week and marathoned putting his books into an actual computer program, his accountant had started crying.
Wilder snorted but still seemed extraordinarily pleased with the changes I’d helped make. “No more complaints and no more asking me to be an owner of the business.”
His boss probably wasn’t happy with that part, but he really didn’t have any idea of how many hours a week Wilder was working and sketching at home. The man worked more hours than I did some weeks. He could probably beat Eli for most overworked, but I’d been doing my best to make sure he wasn’t doing that all the time. The only problem was that to him, the art wasn’t stressful, so he didn’t notice the insane hours until I pointed it out.
So we were working on a way to balance it out…and he made sure to include me in the no overworking department.
“You are busy enough without taking on something else. I just helped Stan see he didn’t need a partner to get some help.” He’d gotten no help from the people he’d tried to hire in the past, but the mess he’d created had been more than most basic assistants could handle.
Now that I’d cleaned it up, we were going to work on finding someone who had the skills to keep up what I’d put in place. We even had interviews lined up next week, so Stan hadn’t been able to complain.
If Wilder had wanted to be an owner in the company I’d have helped for as long as he’d needed, but he’d been adamant that he didn’t want it. So I was just bridging the gap until we found someone who could handle the business side of things and Stan.
I had a feeling that was going to be the hard part.
Wilder came over and kissed the top of my head. “I appreciate it—and don’t downplay your hard work. I have a feeling you weren’t terribly honest about how long it took you to get it all straightened out.”
I made a very cute “Who, me?” expression and shook my head. “You know Stan likes to overreact.”
Wilder chuckled. Wagging his finger at me, he went back to getting everything ready. I’d tried to volunteer, but he’d only agreed to let me make the salad. According to Wilder, I was working too hard and this was going to be my evening off. That included making dinner too.
I had a feeling someone had let slip how much I’d worked last week when he was finishing up a few projects he had a deadline for. My first guess had been Eli, but then he’d have had to deal with the fallout of Roman finding out how many hours he was working when I tattled on him…so it had to be someone else.
“Sure he does.” Wilder gave me a teasing grin, making it clear he didn’t buy it.
As he started bringing everything to the table, he glanced at me. “How was work this week? You had a lot going on.”
Shrugging, I smiled. “The shoots took the most time and energy. Eli and Roman aren’t fighting now, which thank god makes things go a lot faster, but everyone’s distracted. Even Preston was wandering in and out of the shoots like he couldn’t remember why he was there to begin with.”
I was starting to think they all needed a vacation and some sleep.
That earned me another kiss. “I bet your pictures turned out wonderfully, though.”
I grinned and gave him a quick peck before he could straighten. “They did. But I have to admit the highlight of my week was getting to have lunch with you.”
We couldn’t always make it work, but whenever we could, we’d meet for coffee or a full lunch in the afternoon. He was reading less, but he said I was worth it. Which, according to some of the guys at work, was the biggest compliment I could ever get from a voracious reader like Wilder.
Before he could respond, the doorbell buzzed. Grinning, I bounced up. “I’ll get it.”
Wilder laughed. “Everything’s almost ready, so it’s perfect timing.”
Heading toward the door, I could hear Eli’s excited voice. I couldn’t tell what he was chattering about, but the tone was enough to make me smile. Opening the door, I had to laugh. Eli was draped over Roman as he scowled and shook his head. “No.”
Pouting, Eli was aiming his best you love me, so you’ll give me what I want smile at Roman. “But it would be so much fun. I—”
Roman gave a pointed glance in my direction. “You’re being rude.”
Not really…he was just being Eli.
But Eli must have realized it wasn’t the right time to beg for whatever he wanted, so he huffed and pulled away before aiming a smile at me. “Hi. That smells fabulous.”
He stuck his head in the door. “What are we eating?”
Roman rolled his eyes, but I just grabbed Eli’s arm and tugged him the rest of the way in. “Baked ziti. I’ve had to smell it cooking for ages now and I’m starved.”
As they came in and we shut the door, I leaned into Eli. “What did you do?”
Roman just groaned. “Do not encourage his meddling.”
&n
bsp; Eli giggled but gave me a look that said he was going to tell me later. “He’s just grumpy because he didn’t get to—”
“Eli.” Roman’s stern voice had both of us giggling and even Wilder came out of the kitchen.
He seemed to be trying not to laugh and failing badly. “You can’t spank him right now, so you might as well just let him misbehave.”
Eli grinned and threw himself at Wilder. “I knew there was a reason I liked you so much.”
Roman just gave him a flat stare like he was refusing to give Eli the satisfaction of even rolling his eyes, but I wasn’t sure how long that would last.
“Dinner.” Deciding to save Eli from himself, I pointed to the kitchen. “I’m starving.”
Wilder was chuckling as Eli straightened and grabbed my hand. “Yes, lunch was years ago at this point.”
Roman huffed. “That’s because you didn’t eat lunch.”
“Oops.” Eli was trying to play dumb, but Roman wasn’t biting.
“You didn’t eat lunch because you were too busy sneaking away to your office and looking at doctorate programs.” Roman folded his arms across his chest. “Thought I didn’t know about that one, huh?”
Eli blushed, actually looking embarrassed. “I was just curious. I know I’ve got a lot going on.”
Roman’s expression softened, but I could see he wasn’t going to budge. “You have to make choices, Brat.”
I had a feeling this wasn’t a new conversation.
As we sat down around the table, Eli nodded. “I know.”
Yep, if he gave in that fast, they’d already talked about this and Roman had won.
“You know, you might not have time to get a doctorate, but you could probably pick a class to audit and do that a few times a week.” One class wouldn’t be too much. “As long as it’s not an accelerated course or anything like that, the pace shouldn’t be too much.”
Eli’s smile was starting to return. “That’s not a bad idea.”
He turned his head and batted his eyelashes at Roman. “Isn’t that a good idea?”
Leashes & Lace Books 1-3: MM Romance Boxed Set Page 52