Dan paused with his burger half way to his mouth. "Okay, in the I'm not sure how many years since the academy, that is the most I've heard about your family. That's the first I've heard about you even having a family. Just sort of had you pegged as an orphan.
Jack sipped his coffee. He had reasons not to talk about his family. "They're all back east." There was another buzz and Jack took his phone from his pocket to mute it completely. There were 23 messages from his brother, and one from a number with no name attached that Jack swiped open.
How are you doing?
Jack smiled.
"Now that's not your brother. At least I hope not."
I'm fine. Grabbing a late lunch. About to start shift. He typed in reply, ignoring Dan.
Hope it's an easy one. See you in the morning.
He heard Dan chuckle. "That is definitely not your brother."
Chapter 15
T he lights on Isaac's street were still sodium yellow, not yet changed to the blue LEDs of the central city. Jack knocked quietly. He was early, multiple hours early. He'd texted before driving over and was told it would be okay. The door opened after only a second. Isaac must have been waiting despite the late hour.
"Come on in," he said, his face tight with worry. He was fully dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt. He must have changed after getting the message.
"I'm sorry." The plan had been for Jack to come over early, they would have breakfast, then start over. But Jack needed to be grounded, now. If Isaac hadn't answered his phone, he would have been very tempted to go back to the Windsor Club or even just some bar. He liked to think he was beyond that but he wasn't sure.
"What happened?" Isaac led him to the couch and sat him down.
Jack shook his head.
"No," Isaac responded. "That's not stress on your face, that's rattled, bad. What happened?"
"A cook house went up. We were a block away, felt the whole van shake. We were supposed to go in. Seriously, my guys were a block away from getting killed. If we'd hit a green light instead of a red. If we'd driven a little faster, if the briefing had been a little shorter." He felt his hands begin to shake. "One extra block and…"
Isaac cupped his cheek. He leaned into the touch. He felt raw. His nerves and emotions were frayed. The wind had blown the smoke in the opposite direction but he'd still stood under the hottest shower he could for as long as he could, and scrubbed every inch of his body he could reach over and over.
"Hey, I see that one extra block every day. A step earlier crossing the street. A moment later leaving the house. The fish instead of the chicken. Everyone has a thousand moments like that every day that they never know about. You can't dwell on that ‘what if’. It didn't happen. You are here. You are safe. Your team is safe. Do you understand?"
Jack nodded. He knew all that. He was safe, his team was safe, but the van had shaken so hard he thought they’d crashed into something.
"Can you rest tonight if I put you into bed or do you need to be brought down first?"
"Down," Jack whispered. He'd gotten through the night with his chin up and holding firm to command in the chaos, but now his hands were shaking.
"Okay. You know where the bedroom is. Go there and get undressed. I want to inspect you."
"Yes, sir." And with those two words Jack began to calm.
♦ ♦ ♦
There were four leather cuffs and a flogger across the foot of the bed. It was the one Jack was supposed to hold until it could be used on him. He stripped quickly and took it in hand. The leather was cool to the touch but the solid construction was comforting. He clasped his hands behind his back and spread his legs.
"Did you get near the fire?" Isaac asked.
"No, sir."
"Your skin is very red." He leaned in close and took a long sniff of skin then ran his fingers over Jack's torso. "Don't do that again. Comfortably warm showers and no more scrubbing than necessary to get off the dirt. You are not to injure yourself, even in a passive manner." Isaac's voice was firm in a way that bore no argument.
Arousal and shame rocked through Jack followed by a calm. "Yes, sir."
"May I put the cuffs on you?"
"Please, sir." He remembered the feel of the leather, how they kept him in control so he didn't have to be.
Isaac strapped them on efficiently. The weight was minimal but it felt like they were dragging him to his knees, which was where he wanted to be. When Isaac was finished, he cupped Jack's balls.
"How many times did you masturbate while we were apart?"
"None, sir."
"That is not good." He began slowly stroking Jack's cock. "Two to three times a week to maintain health. You don't have to orgasm if you don’t feel you’ve earned one, but you should give things a good drain. Go kneel on the bed."
Jack clenched his hands around the flogger and got on the bed. Isaac lubed up his right hand. "I'm going to drain you now. Nice and slow. We're going to save a proper orgasm for tomorrow. For tonight you are going to only focus on my hands on your body and accept that I will make your body do what I want it to do. Your will or desires have nothing to do with it. I will be taking care of it. And after that you will sleep. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." Jack understood. He was going to be taken care of. There was guilt and shame for wanting and needing this, but so much relief it overwhelmed nearly everything else.
Isaac began to stroke him. He went slow and gentle, covering his whole cock. It was a teasing touch but he still found himself sighing softly with pleasure. Isaac wove his other hand into Jack's hair and yanked. Jack gasped at the sudden sharp pain then Isaac let go. He gave another half dozen slow strokes and yanked again, the pain crashing into the low and slow build of pleasure. He repeated that pattern over and over. A few strokes of his cock then a yank of the hair. Both were sending different types of arousal through him, like the wake of a boat crashing into the rising tide. It fast became overwhelming. He made no attempt to control the sounds he was making or the uneven thrusts of his body.
It wasn't just the pleasure that was building but an overall desire for more. To be touched, filled, bound, fucked. To serve and be praised. To kneel and be petted. To surrender.
"Oh, god."
Then there was nothing. Isaac's hands were gone from his cock and his hair. He felt his cock twitch and his balls squeeze. He looked down. Cum was flowing thick from his cock but there had been no orgasm, no fire of release, just shattering exhaustion. He gave a sob and Isaac's hands were on him again stroking his back and rubbing circles on his chest. Isaac kissed his jaw just below his ear and it sent one last squirm of pleasure through him.
"So beautiful," Isaac whispered in his ear. "Strong and beautiful. You please me greatly, accepting that you would not be receiving pleasure tonight. I know you are tired. I can see the exhaustion in you. You are going to continue to obey. Lay down now, close your eyes, and sleep. Just sleep and rest. Replenish your body for all the amazing things it's going to do in the morning."
Jack nodded. Sleep seemed like an excellent idea.
♦ ♦ ♦
It took an hour of watching Jack sleep before Isaac felt comfortable slipping from the bed and back upstairs to change. He hadn't been sure what the situation would be, so he had gotten fully dressed. It had been a good idea. Jack needed to be brought down fast, which meant Isaac had to kick into a dominant headspace more quickly than he liked. It was hard to do that in plaid pajamas. Luckily Jack had reacted well. Isaac usually saved ruined orgasms as a punishment meant to frustrate, but he took a gamble that putting Jack on that sexual edge would put him and keep him in a submissive state better than a quick hand job. And after the fright he’d had, he didn’t want to put Jack into bondage or use any kind of impact play.
He tried to be quiet as he slipped into his bedroom but Amalie cracked an eye open.
"Jack here?" she mumbled.
"Yeah, got him to sleep."
"What happened?"
"He and hi
s team got caught a block from a meth house when it blew."
"Shit." She opened both eyes. "Is he okay?"
"Physically yeah, mentally rattled pretty bad. Playing the 'what if' game."
Amalie nodded. "Have I ever mentioned how glad I am you're not in the field work side of law enforcement?"
"A few times."
She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I guess this is another test from the universe. Can you handle a relationship with a cop in a high-risk job?"
That was something that had been on his early pros and cons list concerning Jack, though not as far up the con list as a full civilian might have put it. "That is going to be the question. If he keeps coming to me, rather than doing something dumb to cope, I think we'll manage."
"And if something really bad happens?"
If he'd been that one block closer?
"That'll hurt. I know that already."
"Worth the risk?"
Yes Isaac wanted to answer but knew that was jumping ahead. "I think I'm going to find out."
Chapter 16
J ack's mind felt quiet. His breath came easy and there was warmth that sank deeper than even his bones. He was waking up but it didn't feel early. There was no painful jerk of his mind into the 6 A.M. daylight. Bits of memory floated to the surface. The heat and smell. The roar of the fire. His mind running in loops of fear and doubt. A thousand ‘what ifs’. Then Isaac was there giving orders. Strong and sure, to be obeyed without question. The cuffs on his wrists, his hands on the flogger, Isaac's hands on his cock and in his hair. Driving him mad yet making him feel safe.
He opened his eyes, the room was only lit by the green numbers of the alarm clock but it was enough to make out Isaac's shape. He was on his back and Jack was pressed to his side. He had some morning wood pitching a tent in the blankets. He wanted to reach out and touch it, feel the heat and weight in his hand. He wanted to relearn the taste of it. He took a deep breath and could smell harsh soap still on his own body. Isaac took a deep breath as well and turned his head.
"Good morning," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Jack answered. "Quiet."
"Quiet is good."
"Yes."
Isaac yawned and stretched before looking over Jack to the clock. "It's after eight."
"Really?" He couldn't hide his surprise.
"Are you up for making some coffee for us?" Isaac asked with another yawn.
"I can manage that." He could make coffee half dead in his sleep.
Isaac gave him a kiss. "Go to the bathroom, take care of yourself, make a couple cups of coffee and bring them back."
He rolled out of bed, remembering at the last second to fish out the flogger that had slipped under the blankets.
In the kitchen he found a surprise. Instead of fishing a bag of pre-ground out of the freezer, there was a new coffee grinder and a bag of whole beans waiting. He checked over the bag recognizing the small batch café it came from. Organic, fair trade out of Angola. He opened it breathing deep before popping a bean in his mouth. Medium roast, good oils and flavor. He smiled. Isaac had put some thought into this, and considering the can of Folgers still sitting beside the drip coffee machine, it had to be to keep him happy. Something warm that he didn’t want to think about yet, settled into his chest as he began cleaning and checking the espresso machine. People didn't appreciate that a good espresso machine was a unique and sophisticated piece of equipment. He might have no plans to sling coffee again, but that didn't mean he didn't keep his skills up.
He downed the first shot of espresso for himself to check the quality. It felt wonderfully warm on his still raw throat. He was steaming milk when he felt a hard but furry bump against his ankle and looked down. Murrcat head butted him again.
"Good morning." Murrcat made a noise, showing off where he got his name then rubbed himself on Jack's ankles. "There are probably rules about feeding you and I don't know what they are." Murrcat jumped up onto the counter and used a paw to open a cupboard door revealing a shelf of cat food cans. "Yeah, you're going to have to ask your person about that and I'm not your person." Next to the cans was a bag of gourmet liver cat treats. Murrcat purred and batted at the bag. "Okay, just to keep you from following me." He pulled out one treat and threw it to the far side of the kitchen then grabbed the cups of coffee while Murrcat chased his bribe.
By the time he got back to the bedroom, a cup in each hand, Isaac was sitting up and the lights were on. He patted the bed next to him. Jack slid in and handed over one of the cups. Isaac took a sip and moaned long and low.
"Do you make coffee for your other partners?" he asked.
"No." Jack wasn't expecting that question. "I never… I mean I was never in someone's home."
Isaac looked him over, his face unreadable. "More fool them."
That was the last comment Isaac made and they finished their coffee in silence. When they were both done, he took the cups and placed them on the bedside table, then he reached out and brushed his thumb across Jack's cheek.
"Are you feeling settled enough to pick up where we left off? Do you need more time to—"
"No." He craved this, every time his mind had a chance to wander. He needed to know what it was like to be wanted for more than a quick evening of fun. To know what it was like to be completely settled and fully claimed. Even if it never went further than that weekend, he needed to know. "I’m good. I want this.
Isaac smiled and put a soft kiss on his lips. "Good. I want you to go to the bathroom now. Take off your cuffs. Clean yourself fully, make sure your shower is warm but not too hot. When you're done don't dry off, just kneel on the bathmat next to the tub and wait for me. I want to inspect you before I put your cuffs back on and continue with the day.
The burn in Jack's cheeks was now as much lust as embarrassment and his cock was hard. Something about being ordered to perform the most basic of tasks was twisting in him and dropping his mind into the place where what he wanted most was to please. "Yes, sir."
Grabbing the flogger, he hurried from the room.
♦ ♦ ♦
The plan was to have Jack wash him. He seemed like he would react well to giving that kind of service, and Isaac was always up for some pampering, but if Jack had never been to someone else's home, maybe it was best not to push him this first full weekend. The realization that Jack had never been taken home made him both sad and glad. Sad because Jack was an absolute gift and one that had been obviously underappreciated. Glad because Jack would have these first kinds of experiences with him and trusted him enough to come to his home when things were bad. It was one thing to be in a club or even a motel where technically there were other people around, a safety net, if a thin one. There was far more risk in a private residence.
Jack had left the door open and he could hear the shower run. The hot water would bring up any marks and bruises he might have missed the previous night. He’d mentally set aside the first part of Saturday to get Jack back into the right headspace, and the second half of Sunday for recovery and general aftercare. He hadn't hesitated to pick up the flogger, so it would certainly be used after breakfast, he'd promised after all. Breakfast on his knees. And more rope at some point. Nothing too complicated but Jack had taken to it incredibly well.
He also wanted to play with Jack's ass some more. He had a nice collection of dildos and plugs, many of which vibrated. Isaac smiled to himself. Maybe he could bind up Jack during dinner with something in his ass on low. Watch him squirm and drip through the meal.
Isaac teased himself. Forcing orgasms out of Jack during their interrupted session had been extremely satisfying. Maybe binding him with something in his ass on high would be a nice way to spend the evening.
He heard the shower turn off. He gave Jack another minute to get into place before heading to the bathroom, grabbing a handful of clips on his way.
♦ ♦ ♦
The small extractor fan did little to pull the steam from the room. Jack's usually
pale skin was pink, but he was kneeling with the flogger in his hands. Isaac kept the door open, helping some of the steam escape. The moisture wasn't good for the leather on the flogger or the cuffs. They'd have to be cleaned and oiled later.
"Stand up. Spread your arms and legs."
Jack stood and spread. It was tricky to walk around him in the small bathroom but Isaac managed. "Did I leave bruises on you last time?"
"A few."
"Were they unmanageable?"
"No, sir."
He pressed his pinky finger into Jack's hole finding it clean. His cock was nicely hard.
"Kneel again."
Jack dropped to his knees. Isaac slipped the cuffs back on then clipped his wrists to his ankles bending his back.
"I'm going to take a shower now. Tomorrow you are going to clean me. Today you are going to watch." Jack's cock jumped. Isaac smirked.
"Yes, sir."
Isaac ruffled his clean, damp hair. "Good boy."
Isaac was usually one for a quick and efficient shower but he took his time, made sure Jack could see everything he was going to want, even took time to play with himself. He watched as Jack's tongue poked out in concentration. It would be so tempting to step out of the tub and rub his cock across that tongue but he'd save that for tomorrow.
Once he'd finished and dried himself he stood in front of Jack. "When I unclip you, I want you to strip and change the bed then put away the clips. They go in the closet in the bedroom. There is a utility closet at the end of the hall. There are clean sheets and a laundry bin in there. You can leave the blankets. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." Jack answered immediately, his cock twitching. Isaac wondered how he'd ever survived the army without a permanent erection.
"Good. I'm going to make breakfast. Contrary to Lydia's opinions of my cooking I can scramble eggs and make toast."
Isaac undid the clips and handed them to Jack to put away.
Tactical Submission: A Windsor Club Story Page 13