"As for being a sub… I suppose it's for similar reasons. I don't like the whole pleasure/pain sensation, but I know lots of people do. I understand why my subs find it titillating, but it doesn't really turn me on. Equally, lots of people enjoy submitting and being told what to do, whereas I enjoy the other side of that coin."
"Bottoms don't have to be submissive," Mason murmured.
"I know. You were quite the brat last night," David laughed.
"But you wouldn't want me to be?" Mason asked. "You'd want me to be completely compliant?"
David began to kiss him again. "That depends."
"On what?"
"Some subs are brats. It's a variation on the kink. But talking back, not doing as you're told, is a way of asking for rougher play. I'd have to put you in your place and punish you."
Mason shivered. "Punish me?"
"I might spank you," David said. "Or deny you something you really want, like an orgasm. Or I might let you have it, but only after you've begged and apologised for being naughty."
Mason laughed nervously.
"You're not sure, are you?"
"No," Mason admitted.
He'd been kind of onboard with giving it a go before the notion of being spanked had come up. It felt kind of perverse to him, but then he was Mister Tame in the bedroom, so what did he know? Maybe he would enjoy it more than he thought.
"What are you nervous about?" David asked, letting Mason's wrists go.
Mason didn't move his arms. "It's just not something I've ever thought about doing before. And last night… I answered back and got cocky with you. But you didn't…" He chewed his lower lip for a second before carrying on in a hushed whisper. "You didn't punish me for it."
"Because we hadn't discussed any of this," David said. "If I'd done anything of the sort, it would have been completely out of order. Consensual, remember? You can't consent to something you know nothing about. And you don't have to be a brat," David reminded the young man. "You might choose to be, at some point, but to start with, just try out being completely submissive. If you want to," he added.
The concern in David's voice made Mason laugh loudly.
"What?" David asked.
"You're acting completely different to how you did last night. You're all concerned, not bossy at all." He imagined David smiling in response to his words.
"I told you, I'm not a Dom in every facet of my life. Right now, I want to be sure that you're armed with all the facts you need to make an informed decision. I don't want you to rush into something you might regret. I want to be your Dom, Mason, but only if you're happy with that idea. I'd never force you into anything."
"I know," Mason said, his voice soft.
"But?"
"I need to think about it."
"That's okay." David got off Mason and settled back down beside him. "Would you like me to leave?"
"No." Mason wrapped his arms around David. "Not yet."
"But?"
Mason sighed. "But I will need some time on my own to think. Maybe do some research of my own."
"Anything you need," David said. "Take your time."
Chapter Thirteen
Mason
Several hours later, Mason was sitting in a pub attached to a train station, waiting for Adam. He'd got them both a pint but was halfway through drinking his by the time Adam arrived. He felt like a livewire, so he'd been picking his glass up, taking the smallest sip, and putting it back down again, over and over, for the last half-hour.
"What's up?" Adam asked.
Mason arched an eyebrow.
"I know you, Mase. You hardly ever send out an SOS. When you did, I knew something was up."
And Adam had dropped everything and jumped on a train because Mason had asked him to. There were times when Mason really missed being in close proximity to his best friend, and this was one of them. They had to meet halfway because the train journey would be too long for them both, otherwise. As it was, they were only going to have an hour or so before they'd both need to get on trains and head in opposite directions.
Mason grabbed his pint but cradled the glass in his hands rather than drinking any of it. His knee jittered up and down. "I don't even know where to start."
"Well, you're looking better than the last time I saw you," Adam said, though concern still pinched his brow. "Are you okay?" He sat down next to Mason.
Adam's statement knocked the nervous excitement straight out of Mason. He glanced down at his lap, feeling a flush of guilt for not having confided in Adam. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I should have told you how run down I was when I last saw you."
Adam nudged Mason's shoulder with his own. "We're talking now, aren't we?"
"Yeah, I guess." It didn't stop Mason feeling bad.
"And you're doing better now?"
Mason nodded. "Yeah. It's easier to take care of myself now I've got a kitchen."
Adam laughed, though there wasn't much humour in the sound. "I'm glad, Mase. I was worried about you for a while." He sighed. "But I was also so caught up in my own crap that I let it go. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."
Mason turned to stare at him. "You're here now, aren't you?"
Adam's lips stretched into a grin. "Yeah, I guess," he shot back. "How are things going at BalletEast? You got the part of Puck, so you must have made a great impression."
"Yeah, I've made an impression all right." Mason sighed heavily. "One of the other dancers is not happy I got that part." He regretted his words instantly. He hadn't dragged Adam all the way here to talk about Kirk.
"He wanted it?"
Mason shrugged. "He wanted a better part than he got. He's a leading soloist, and I'm a junior. My role is bigger than his. He thinks I stole the part from him."
"He's being a jerk about it, then?"
Mason nodded. "Yeah. I thought it was just a one-off. He hassled me about it the day the casting announcements were made, but it's been four weeks, and he's still giving me grief."
"How?"
"Jostling me whenever we pass each other. He's tripped me up during rehearsals a couple of times. Staring at me. It's just… intimidating."
"That's tough," Adam said, then sipped at his beer. "If he hassles you too much, tell someone."
Mason pressed his lips together. He didn't want to make things worse for himself. Right now, it was only Kirk giving him any trouble. He could ignore Kirk. He couldn't ignore the entire company if they got pissed at him for ratting out their friend. Bullying was grounds for gross misconduct, which would get Kirk fired.
"I mean it, Mase. You don't have to put up with being bullied by anyone."
"I can handle it."
"You shouldn't have to." Adam took another sip of his drink.
They'd both handled bullying. Dancing while they were in high school hadn't been fun for either of them. They'd gone to different schools, but after dancing lessons, they'd swapped stories and made themselves laugh about it. Ultimately, they'd both cared more about dancing than they had about the bullies, so they'd held each other up and got through it.
Adam peered at him. "You're bouncing. There's something else going on. Spill."
"I don't bounce."
Adam laughed. "Yes, you do. All the fucking time. You're hyper on life, Mase. Always have been. And right now, it looks like you're so wired, you could bounce into space."
Mason took a deep breath. "I'm sleeping with David Morton."
Adam's eyes popped open. "As in, the dancer and choreographer? As in, the guy who’s choreographing for the ballet company you're dancing with this season?"
Mason nodded, biting his lower lip in an attempt to stop his grin from splitting his face in two. It felt good to be able to talk to someone about David.
"Isn't he old enough to be your dad?"
Mason closed his eyes. "No. He's not old enough to be my dad." The corners of his mouth quivered up into a smile.
"Maybe not your dad," Adam teased. "But
he must have been in his twenties when you were born."
Mason knew that, but it hadn't bothered him at all. Now, hearing Adam's shock, he wondered if the age gap did matter.
No. It didn't. All that mattered was that he was into David, and David was into him.
"How the hell did you end up sleeping together?" Adam asked, edging closer, excitement oozing off him in waves.
"I met him before I started at BalletEast," Mason said hurriedly. "He's my next door neighbour, and he helped me move in. I didn't even recognise him." Why was he justifying himself?
"Wow." Adam shook his head. "I’d never have believed that Mason the choirboy would end up fucking his choreographer. I’m impressed, Mase."
Mason scowled. "And? Your parents were in the same company."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "True. But this is different."
"How?"
"He's your boss. He's twice your age."
Mason folded his arms. "And? We're both consenting adults. We can do what we want."
Adam sighed. "Let me buy you another drink."
"Okay."
Mason watched as Adam left the table. He knew his friend needed some time to think and process his news, although he was disappointed that Adam's reaction had been so immediately negative.
Adam came back a few minutes later with another couple of pints, even though he hadn't finished his first. He handed one to Mason and then sat back down, putting his second pint next to his first on the table.
"Does anyone in your company know?"
Mason shook his head. "We're being discreet. Who I sleep with isn't anyone else's business."
"Okay," Adam said, dragging out the syllables. "Well… you seem pretty confident in your decision to screw around with him. So, if that's not the reason for your SOS, what is?"
Mason ran his fingertip around the ring of the pint glass, creating a soft whining sound. "He told me he's into kinky stuff." He took several gulps of his beer, dreading Adam's reaction.
"Like…?"
"Like, stuff I've never done."
Adam play-punched him on the shoulder. "That really doesn't narrow it down a lot, Mase."
Mason pressed his chin against his chest. "He likes power play games. He wants to be my Dom."
Adam's lips quivered as he pressed them together, his eyes sparkling as he obviously tried hard not to laugh.
Knowing it couldn't get much worse, Mason carried on, his voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "He wants to tie me up and blindfold me."
Adam burst out laughing.
"Not helping," Mason muttered through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry. I just can't imagine…" Adam took a few deep breaths. "Actually, maybe I can." He used the back of his hand to flick Mason's arm. "Hey, how do you think Luc would react if I picked up a pair of handcuffs and a blindfold on my way home?"
"I think he'd want to use them on you."
"Yeah, you're probably right. He'd have a fight on his hands, though. I'm pretty confident I'd win."
Mason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm glad things are good between you two."
"Yeah," Adam said, leaning against the back of the booth. "They are." He cleared his throat. "But we're not here to talk about me."
He took a few more sips of his first pint, which was going down very slowly. Unlike Mason's second drink, which was well on its way to being downed.
"I'm sorry," Adam said, finally getting control of his laughter. "So… you're hesitant because you don't think you'll like the shit that he's into?"
"Yeah. I really enjoy being with him. He's funny and intelligent and inspiring…" Mason sighed. "But becoming his submissive—I don't know if I can. What if I hate it? What if he hurts me?"
"Do you think he will?"
Mason rolled his gaze upwards. "I don't think he'd do anything that would injure me," he said carefully. "But he would do things that would cause me pain. He bossed me around last night to give me a taste of what it would be like to be his sub," he admitted. "But from what he said, that’s nothing compared to the things he actually wants to do to me. I don't know whether I should be turned on or scared." He drank again, glad that Adam was giving him the chance to think. "If I'm honest, I'm a bit of both."
Adam's hand came to rest on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Your head's telling you one thing, but your heart's telling you another?"
Mason snorted. "I don't think my heart's telling me anything."
"Your cock, then?"
Mason nodded.
"You're confused," Adam said. "I've been there, remember? I was so fucked up when Luc told me he loved me. My head was telling me it was disgusting and wrong, but my cock got hard just thinking about him."
"That was different."
"Was it? I was contemplating sleeping with my brother."
"Stepbrother. And I don't think what David's into is disgusting and wrong, I just don't know if it's something I could be into." Mason prodded Adam's knee. "You and Luc being together never was, either."
"No," Adam conceded. "But it was a messy situation."
"Yeah," Mason agreed. "It was."
But things had worked out well. Adam had decided to follow his heart and be with Luc, and then they'd come clean to their parents. It hadn't been easy. Their parents had fallen out with them for a few weeks, but they had come round. And in the meantime, Adam had made the decision to stop teaching at their dance school and follow his dream of becoming a professional dancer.
"Do you like David?" Adam asked. "Really like him?"
"Yeah," Mason murmured. "I do."
Adam tipped his head. "Are you sure your heart doesn't have a say in this?"
Mason shook his head. "I'm not about to pick out wedding rings with the guy, if that's what you mean."
"Doesn't mean you don't love him."
"We've only known each other a few weeks. It's way too early to be talking about love."
"Then I guess the next question is: Do you trust him?"
"Yeah," Mason whispered. "I think I do."
"Would it be so bad to try something kinky?" Adam dropped his hand to Mason's and tried to ease out the tension in it by stroking it. "Wanna come back with me and have a threesome? Maybe if you enjoy that, you'll feel less self-conscious about trying out a different kind of kink."
Mason laughed, even though he was unsure whether or not Adam was actually serious. "I'm pretty sure Luc wouldn't want to share you with me."
"I bet I could convince him." Adam winked. "I'm not talking wedding rings, either, just a bit of fun."
Mason snorted. "You're not being serious."
"Half-serious."
Mason shook his head. He hadn't wanted to sleep with Adam in a long time, and he knew the feeling was mutual.
"You're turning me down?" Adam asked, a fake-shocked expression plastered on his face.
"Yeah, I am."
Adam pouted comically, and then his expression became serious. "For what it's worth, I think you should give it a go."
"You do?"
"Not what you wanted to hear?"
"I don't know," Mason admitted. "I needed someone I could talk things through with."
"And you chose me?" Adam asked, laughing. "You know I've always liked it rough."
"Yeah," Mason breathed.
"And I have a very clear memory of you letting me take the lead. How can I put this?" Adam pursed his lips and paused for several seconds. "Not that I know much about BDSM myself, but I think you'd make a natural submissive."
"Adam—"
"I'm serious, Mase. Stop overthinking and give it a try. Have some fun with David. I reckon you'll like it."
"Really?"
"Yes," Adam said, his voice absolutely serious. "It's all safe and consensual, right?"
"Yeah. We had a big talk about it. He explained how it all works, and that there would be a safe word and things." Mason sighed. "But I'm still not sure." He felt his cheeks blaze with heat. "He talked about spanking me." He tensed, waiting for Ada
m to burst out laughing again, but he didn't.
"But he won't if you don't want him to?"
"I don't think so."
"I guess you get to set the limits. That's the only way it could be consensual. Tell him you need to take it slowly. He'll appreciate the hell out of you for even wanting to give it a go."
"And if I can't get into it? If I hate it?"
"Then he has to cope with that," Adam said. "And if he wants to be with you, he will."
Mason let out a deep breath, feeling a little weight leaving his body with it.
"Have I helped?" Adam asked. "At all?"
Mason nodded. "I think so."
"I know you've always been a perfect little choirboy," Adam said, a note of teasing in his voice. "But sometimes it's more fun to be naughty. Be naughty with David. I'm pretty sure the kink will turn you on, even the spanking." He grinned. "Especially the spanking."
Chapter Fourteen
David
It was late on Sunday night when David opened the door to find Mason standing on the stoop, his hands in his pockets, his head slightly bowed.
"Can I come in?" Mason asked.
"Of course."
Apprehension rippled through David as he shut the door behind Mason. He couldn't guess what Mason was going to tell him. He couldn't read him at all, which was unusual. It made him worry that Mason was not only going to refuse to be his sub, but that he might walk away from their relationship, too.
He was about to move through to the sitting room when Mason grabbed him and kissed him. It was a hard kiss, full of passion and need.
"Just to prove I can take charge," Mason said, staring at David with those bright blue eyes. "I don't want you to forget that."
David raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're offering to be my sub?"
Mason breathed in slowly. "I'm willing to give it a try."
David's eyes widened. His stomach did a little flip-flop, and his body ached for Mason. Not tonight, he told himself. Tonight would be for talking.
"Come and sit down," he said.
They wandered through to the sitting room together. David sat on the sofa and motioned for Mason to join him. They lounged, David hugging Mason against his chest.
Love on Pointe Omnibus Page 27