by K. C. Wells
“Has he specified what he’d like to do in a scene too?” Leo thought Gabe sounded like a brat. There’d been that whole cocky attitude to him.
“God, yes! He was very specific. He wants it to involve the St. Andrew’s cross, and he went so far as to specify which whip he wanted used on him, but stated it had to be one that’s never been used before.”
Leo groaned. Thomas’s words confirmed his suspicions. “God save us from pushy bottoms.”
“I think he sounds just right for you. I’ll set it up for next week.” Thomas’s eyes gleamed. “I might just come and watch. In fact, this might be a good time to make a training video for some of our members. Yes, I think I’ll do that.”
What the hell? Leo arched his eyebrows. “Oh, you will, huh? Do I not get any say in this?”
“No.” Thomas closed the folder with a smile. “I think this is just what you need—someone to push your buttons.”
Leo gave Thomas a hard stare. “And what if I don’t want my buttons pushed?”
“La-la-la, can’t hear you,” Thomas sang back as he walked through the office to the door, coffee jug in hand.
“Remind me again why I put up with you?” Leo shouted after him. He shook his head.
Seconds later Thomas stuck his head around the door. “Because I make better coffee than you, I was your first Dom, and I do all the jobs you hate around here.” He grinned and then disappeared again.
Leo couldn’t argue with any of that.
LEO SMOOTHED the cooling gel into the heated flesh of Gabe’s back. “Does that feel good?” He thought he was doing a damn good job of keeping his emotions in check, considering what that brat had put him through.
Gabe nodded, his head dropping onto his chest. “You have good hands,” he murmured. “Big hands.” There was a moment’s pause before he added quietly, “Makes me want to know if the old saying is true.” He peered at Leo through dark blond lashes. “You know, big hands, big… feet.” He gave Leo an impish grin before lowering his gaze.
Leo froze. He withdrew his hands and stood. “You’re fine. And if you’re happy with how the scene went….” He let his words trail off as he stared at Gabe, as if daring him to find fault. Again.
Gabe rose to his feet, gazing up at him, making no attempt to hide his cheeky grin. “Well, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I guess there’s always the next time.” He chuckled.
That was it. Straw, meet the camel’s back.
Leo grabbed Gabe’s chin and forced his head back, making the submissive gasp. “I think I managed to grasp your… disappointment with how the scene went, but you know what? I was the one running the scene. You take what I give you.”
Gabe swallowed and then ran his tongue over his lips. “And if I wanted you to give me a kiss?” His voice was husky.
Leo didn’t trust himself to reply. He released Gabe and strode off in the direction of the office. Once inside the sanctuary, he expelled his breath in a long push of air.
“That bad?” Thomas asked from his chair.
“You have no idea,” Leo growled.
Thomas regarded him for a moment. “Enlighten me,” he said simply.
Leo began to pace. “The first swat with the whip—the first, okay?—he said, ‘Maybe you should raise your hand a bit higher, and then bring it down faster so I can actually feel it next time.’”
Thomas bit his lip. “He didn’t.”
“Oh, he fucking did,” Leo gritted out. “Then the little shit said, ‘Are you sure you’ve done this before?’”
Thomas smothered a snicker. “Sorry. Please, go on.”
Leo glared at him. “But do you know what was the icing on the cake? When he let out this heavy sigh and muttered something about how he should have chosen a Dom who knew what he was doing.”
Thomas gaped at him and then howled with laughter. “Oh, I like him.”
“Good—then you do a scene with him.” Leo whirled around and stormed out of the office, only to find Gabe standing by the door, dressed in his jeans and T-shirt.
He grinned at Leo, eyes sparkling. “Now, what about that kiss?”
Leo grabbed him and shoved him against the wall, his arm across Gabe’s throat. “I will kiss you when I am ready,” he ground out, his voice low.
Gabe swallowed but didn’t break eye contact. Leo shuddered out a long breath and released him.
“And someone clearly needs to give you a reminder that topping from below can really piss off your Dom. Your role is to please me, not the other way around.”
Gabe’s breathing hitched. “Yes, Sir.” The effect was spoiled when he grinned.
Leo’s palm itched, but he managed to push down hard on the desire to put the boy over his knee and turn that gorgeous arse rosy red. Instead he strode off toward the showers.
“GORGEOUS ARSE?” Alex grinned. “Wow. He certainly made an impression on you.” He craned his neck to look up at Leo. “How long did you leave it after that scene before you collared him?”
Leo laughed. “He wanted it to be after we’d been together four months. I made him wait for six.” He’d never imagined he could feel so relaxed, talking like this with Alex. Maybe because it was finally the right time.
Alex cocked his head to one side. “When did you know you loved him?”
Leo smiled. “I think it’s fairly obvious I was attracted to him from the start.”
Alex snickered. Leo took his hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it.
“Once he was wearing my collar, I realized I wanted more than him as my submissive. I wasn’t content anymore to keep our relationship strictly limited to the club. I wanted him in my life.”
“So how long did you wait after collaring him until he moved in with you?”
Leo knew his face was flushed. “I wanted him to move in right away. He… he made me wait two months.”
There was a moment’s silence before Alex burst out laughing. “Oh, what a pair you must’ve made.”
Leo tugged Alex until he was sitting astride him. He cupped the back of Alex’s head and drew him down into a kiss, loving how Alex opened for him, their tongues sliding together.
When they parted, Leo sighed. “I am a very lucky man to have had two such wonderful men in my life.”
Alex’s eyes shone. “Thank you for telling me about him,” he whispered, looping his arms around Leo’s neck. “I feel I know him a little now.”
Leo looked across to where Alex had hung Gabe’s photo on the wall above the mantelpiece.
“We don’t have to leave the picture there,” Leo told him. “It was good to be able to talk about him with you, but the picture can go back into the desk drawer if you like.” Leo was happy with that.
“And will your feelings go back into the drawer too?” Alex met his gaze, those pale blue eyes frank. “Have you ever, even for a minute, stopped loving him?”
Leo shook his head. “No. I’ll always love him. Does that bother you?”
Alex smiled. “Not in the slightest. But can I make a suggestion?”
Leo nodded, intrigued.
“What if we put our pictures with his? He’s part of our family, after all.”
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He pulled Alex in and squeezed him hard. “You have no idea how much this means to me,” Leo said softly. “Gabe would have loved you, you know. He’d probably have driven you nuts, though. He was every bit the brat you are.”
“Hey! Having a moment here,” Alex squawked. Then he said nothing as Leo took his mouth in a brutal kiss, all teeth and tongue.
“Need you,” Leo whispered. “Want to be buried in you tonight. Every day you remind me how grateful I am that Thomas and I went into Severino’s. You changed my life, you know.”
Alex kissed the tip of his nose. “And don’t you ever forget it.”
Their mouths met once more, Alex rocking gently against Leo’s hardening shaft. He clambered off Leo’s lap, a wicked smile on his face.
“I have an idea.”
Leo rose slowly to his feet. “Yeah? Will I like it?”
Alex backed away. “Oh, I think so. It involves cuffs….”
Leo grinned. “My kind of idea.”
Alex’s eyes sparkled. “And you, chained to the bed.” Another step back toward the door.
Leo stilled. “Just to clarify something. Where do you feature in this plan?”
“I’ll be the one riding your dick,” Alex replied hoarsely. “After my tongue has had its wicked way with your arse, of course.”
Fuck. The air was alive with sexual electricity.
Leo was as hard as steel. “Get the cuffs from the toy box.”
Alex grinned. “They’re already waiting on the bed.” And with that he took off, dashing up the stairs, laughing.
Leo wasn’t far behind.
Chapter Four
DARREN STRETCHED out on the couch, a glass of whiskey held in one hand, balanced on his belly while he scrolled through the contacts in his phone with the other. He’d replied to all his e-mails and paid the bills. The accounts were up to date—a task he loathed but forced himself to do once a month, just to get it out of the way—and he’d cleaned the house from top to bottom.
Ready for a new week. Sunday was the only day he got to spend away from the salon, and that usually amounted to getting accomplished all the things he couldn’t do during the week. By the time Sunday evening rolled around, Darren needed a day off to get over it. This was his weekly ritual—a relax on the couch with an hour or two of TV and a glass or two of whiskey.
Except that could all be about to change.
Darren waited patiently for Michael to answer. He hadn’t talked to his ex in a month or so and wanted to touch base with him. Who are you kidding? You want to tell him about the club. Why be shy now?
“Darren!” As always, Michael sounded pleased to hear him.
“Good evening, Michael. How are you?”
“Really well, thanks.”
“And how is Roger?”
“Thank you for asking. He’s great. We celebrated our six-month anniversary on Tuesday. Had a nice dinner at Severino’s with a bottle of wine, then came home and cuddled on the couch.”
Darren smiled. He could hear the happiness in Michael’s voice. “That’s wonderful. I knew the two of you would be good together.”
Michael had met Roger about two months after the breakup that really wasn’t a breakup. He and Darren had progressed initially from being really good friends to lovers, until it had become clear they both wanted different things. In the end, it had all come down to sex. Darren had wanted to explore their relationship, to push their boundaries in the bedroom. However, he knew that Michael was vanilla to the core. It had been enough in the beginning, but everything had changed for Darren the day Thomas and Peter walked into his shop. From then on, he’d been aware of an itch he couldn’t scratch, a feeling that he was missing out on something that would have made him… complete.
Darren had dealt with some of the subs from Collars & Cuffs as customers at the salon. There had certainly been no spicy stories of what went on behind the blacked-out windows of the club, and although Darren itched to know more, he was impressed by their integrity. Consequently, the light conversation had never piqued his interest. All that changed the day Thomas asked for his help.
That afternoon in the upper room at the salon was burned into his memory. He had been witness to something innately breathtaking when Thomas had shaved Peter nearly bald from head to toe. It shouldn’t have been so… enticing an event, but there had been something more to it than a mere ritual. The implicit trust in Peter’s eyes. The affection Darren saw from Thomas. The way Leo and Alex stood together, hand in hand, as they watched the proceedings. The entire thing had been… transcendent. Peter had emerged with the healthy glow of someone being reborn, and the way he’d clung to Thomas? Like nothing Darren could have prepared himself for.
That whole episode had opened the door. More clients from the club had come his way, and Darren had picked up on a few stories about some of what went on. It seemed the Canal Street club was not without its own share of drama.
“So what’s up?” Michael questioned. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Darren laughed. “Can’t I just call to say hello? Maybe invite you and Roger to dinner?”
“Yes, of course, Roger is dying to be friends with my ex.” Michael snorted. “Pretty sure you know that’s not going to happen. He barely tolerates the fact that we talk on the phone.”
Darren sighed. “He knows neither of us is interested in getting back together, right?”
“Told him that many times. But he seems to think you’re going to change your mind and steal me away from him.”
“Yeah, that’s so not going to happen. I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”
There was a moment of silence. “I don’t think you ever were,” Michael said quietly.
Darren’s throat tightened. “You know that isn’t true.”
Another pause had Darren’s stomach tensing up. It was Michael’s turn to sigh.
“I knew you loved me, but we were after different things. You wanted excitement. I wanted cuddles on the couch. You wanted sex a bit rougher than I could give you. Not that that was wrong,” he added quickly, “it just wasn’t me. That was all. It didn’t change the fact that I had a great time with you.”
“And I did too,” Darren admitted. But Michael had been telling the truth. They were friends with benefits, nothing more. He hadn’t even been upset when Michael had decided to move out.
“So you’re calling because….” Michael prompted again.
Darren took a sip of his whiskey before continuing. “Remember me telling you about that club I wanted us to check out a while ago?”
“The one you went on about incessantly? How could I forget? That was what made me realize we were headed in different directions.”
There was suddenly a knot in Darren’s belly. “I’m sorry, Michael.”
“Don’t be, because I’m definitely not. After all, look what I got out of it. I met Roger.” His voice was gentle. “So what about the club?”
Darren took a moment to breathe. “I’ve decided to check it out.”
Another pause. “About time. Although….” Michael snickered. “You certainly took your time about it. I thought that once I left, you’d have been there the next day. Hell, I expected it.”
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I can’t get Thomas and Peter out of my head. The way they were with one another. The absolute joy on Peter’s face.” If Darren closed his eyes, he could still see it.
“And that’s what you need. Someone who gives themselves to you with their whole being. We both know that was never me.”
That much was true, but Darren had pretended it didn’t matter. He believed in fidelity. There was no way he’d have been the one to walk away from his lover, even though he knew they’d never have been able to stay together. It had to have been Michael’s decision.
“I know. I’m glad we’re still friends, you know. It means a lot to me.”
“Me too. And I am working on Roger, honestly. I’d really like you to get to know him.”
“I’d like that too,” Darren replied honestly.
“I should go. Roger and I are going to meet some of his colleagues for dinner. I’m… really glad you called. I hope you find what you’re looking for at your club.” He disconnected the call.
Michael’s blessing meant a lot to Darren. Now all he had to do was figure out what to say to Thomas when he walked into what could be his new lifestyle. And as for when that might be….
The following day was a public holiday, so the salon would be closed.
Okay, then. Tomorrow it is—providing the club is open, of course.
The way his heart was pounding, anyone hearing it would have thought he was nervous.
PETER TRIED not to think about Thomas sitting in Laura Herne’s waiting room. Becau
se that only brought back memories of being over his knee, his arse on fire.
I still can’t believe he….
“Thomas mentioned he… took you in hand,” Laura began.
Peter clenched his jaw, and she tilted her head to one side.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about, right now.”
“He spanked me,” Peter muttered. “Like a petulant child.”
Peter knew Laura was a submissive, but whatever she might have thought about Thomas’s actions, her expression remained neutral.
“And do you think you deserved it?”
“No!” Peter snapped. Then he slumped in the chair. “Maybe.”
“Can we talk about that?”
It hurt to think about it, let alone talk about it. “What’s there to say? I behaved badly; he punished me.” And Peter didn’t want it to happen again.
Of course he’d known Laura wasn’t about to let him off the hook.
“One point before we go any further. That was not punishment, that was discipline, okay?” She stared at him, clearly awaiting acknowledgment. He nodded slowly and she smiled. “Okay, then how about if we talk about why you behaved badly.”
“I’m sure he’s already told you all about it,” Peter griped.
“Actually, he didn’t,” Laura said, glancing through her notebook. “He said if you wanted to talk about it with me, that would be your decision.”
“He… he did?” Shame flooded through him. He should have known better. Thomas wasn’t like that.
“Mm-hmm. So, would you like to talk about it?”
Peter fidgeted with the hem of his shirt for a good minute before he sighed. “It’s not fair,” he whispered. “Me and Jeff live in hell because of what Curtis did to us, but at least we survived.” He swallowed hard. “Ethan didn’t. He tried to do the right thing, and Curtis killed him. So now every day, Jeff and I have to remind ourselves that we’re free of him, but those thoughts are never going to go away. We’ll always have them in here,” he said, tapping his temple. “When Master Thomas rescued me, he kept telling me I had to be strong, and I thought I was. But Curtis? He took the easy way out. We have to be punished for the rest of our fucking lives, and he just… ends it. It’s like he gave us one last ‘Screw you’ before he died. Because now he’s free, and we’re always going to be stuck in the hell he put us in.”