Endings and Beginnings Read online

  Darren laughed so hard his belly ached from it. “God, I love your reactions.” When he’d finished shaking with laughter, he gazed at JJ, still smiling. “That’s fine. I feel the same way too.”

  JJ pointed to one item. “And since when is giving an enema erotic?”

  Another shrug. “I’ve always thought of them as a means to an end, but there you go.” He looked at the next word. “Is spitting out too?”

  JJ chuckled. “I’ve watched quite a bit of porn, and I’ve always wondered why the guys are so keen to spit in one another’s holes or mouths.”

  “Maybe we should see what all the fuss is about,” Darren suggested. The conversation was certainly providing a lot of talking points for the future.

  JJ put down his mug and took Darren’s from him. He edged closer until their bodies were touching, and Darren could feel the heat radiating from him.

  “Of course, if you were close enough to spit in my hole,” JJ said with a wicked smile, “you’d also be close enough to lick it.” He reached down and ran his fingers along Darren’s length, making him shiver.

  “Seems to me someone wants to be rimmed,” Darren responded, his voice sounding husky even to his own ears. His dick jerked as JJ wrapped warm fingers around it.

  JJ’s eyes lit up. “Now there’s an idea,” he purred. “We have time, don’t we?”

  JJ taking the lead was proving to be a huge turn-on.

  Darren grabbed JJ’s arms and tugged him until he was lying on top of him. He parted his thighs, and JJ’s body slipped between them, their cocks rubbing against each other as JJ rolled his hips sensuously. Darren brought his legs up and wrapped them around JJ’s waist. He stroked JJ’s cheek.

  “All the time we want,” he breathed, before diving in for a kiss.

  JJ WALKED into the club that evening, that floaty feeling still with him.

  I could get used to this.

  Darren had gone into work, leaving JJ alone for a few hours. What surprised him most was the fact that he missed Darren. The house carried Darren’s scent, a warm smell that seemed to cling to everything. Not that he could stay there until it was time to go to the club. JJ’s work clothes were back at the flat, so he’d had no choice but to go there and get changed. Of course, he’d have to return there after his shift. It was closer than Darren’s house, so it made sense.

  JJ didn’t like the thought of going there. He wanted to be in Darren’s house, Darren’s bed, Darren’s arms….

  How did he do that so fast? How did he come to be so important that all I do is think about him?

  “Good evening.” Jarod’s voice pierced through his internal meanderings.

  JJ gave himself a shake and greeted him with a smile. “Hey, Jarod. Missed me?”

  Jarod laughed. “I wondered why it was so quiet in the bar.”

  “Cheeky sod.” A thought came into his mind. “Careful—I’ll tell your Master you’re cheeking the staff.” He grinned. “What do you think he’ll do? Spank you?”

  Jarod laughed again. “Been there. Done that.” He walked with JJ toward the bar, where Scott and Ben were huddled together, peering intently at something.

  Ben raised his head at their approach and smiled when he saw JJ. “Hey, you’re back.”

  Scott beamed at JJ, and then he nudged Ben. “Concentrate. We haven’t finished yet.”

  Jarod came to stand beside Scott, while JJ stepped behind the bar. “What are you up to? If you don’t mind me asking,” Jarod added with a glance at Ben.

  “We’re going through a list of all our friends and family,” Scott told him. “We’re trying to decide on a few more guests to send wedding invitations to.” His expression sobered. “The problem is, we only have so much space at the venue.”

  “I thought your wedding was supposed to be a few weeks ago,” JJ said, puzzled. “Surely all the invites have gone out.”

  “That’s right,” Scott said glumly. “We canceled the wedding for that date, but when we rebooked it, we asked the venue if we could squeeze in a few more guests. They’re not that keen on the idea, if we’re being honest.” All the light had gone out of his eyes.

  Ben leaned across and kissed him on the cheek. “I know, pup. If you had your way, we’d invite the whole club, right?” Scott nodded enthusiastically. Ben nudged him with his elbow. “And speaking of invitations, now would be as good a time as any, don’t you think?”

  Scott stared at him, lips parted. “Oh. Oh, yeah.” He turned to Jarod and cleared his throat. “Jarod?”

  JJ had been talking with Scott since he’d started working there. He’d never really considered them close, but Scott’s careful expression and the quiver in his voice had JJ ready to leap in if Scott needed help.

  “Is something wrong, Scott?” Jarod asked, rubbing Scott’s arm.

  “I… want to ask a favor. It’s okay if you want to say no,” he added quickly. “I would understand.”

  Jarod smiled, which seemed to put Scott at ease.

  “I know you haven’t known me that long, but I was wondering if….” His voice trailed off and he looked at Ben, tears in his eyes. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  Ben came around the bar and pulled Scott into a hug. “It’s okay,” he whispered. Ben gave Jarod a half smile. “He had this speech all practiced, but it seems words have failed my writer. Jarod, I don’t know how much you’re aware of what your friendship has meant to Scott. His own parents have cut him off, and he feels, even with Alex and Peter there as his best men, he needs someone to take over the role of father, to give him away at the ceremony. He was wondering if you’d do him the honor.”

  “Me?” Jarod squeaked. “But Scott, surely there are—”

  Ben pinned Jarod with a stare, then looked down at Scott in his arms, who was trying to hold back his tears.

  Jarod heaved a sigh. “I’d be honored, Scott. You have no idea how much that would mean to me.”

  Scott jerked his head up. “Really?”

  Jarod held open his arms, and Scott threw himself into them. Jarod held him close. “You’re every bit as much family to me as I am to you. It would be an honor to be part of your wedding ceremony.”

  The affection in Jarod’s voice and the sight of the two men hugging warmed JJ’s heart. “That’s so nice, Jarod,” he said.

  Scott craned his neck to stare at JJ. “You’re coming, right?”

  “Me?” JJ wasn’t sure how to react.

  Scott grinned. “Well, duh. Yeah. You’re our friend. You’ve done so much to help Ben. We’d love to have you there, right, Ben?”

  Ben smiled and clapped JJ on the shoulder. “Yes. Definitely. Wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  “But you’re already having problems deciding who to invite now,” JJ protested. “There must be people higher up on that list than me.”

  Scott stuck his chin out. “So? I—we—want you there.”

  “Let me guess—wedding talk,” Leo said as he strolled across to them at the bar.

  Ben laughed. “You should spend time in our flat. It’s all we talk about these days.”

  JJ stifled a chuckle at the sight of Scott glaring at Ben.

  “Which of course is only natural, seeing as it’s a couple of weeks away,” Ben added, backpedaling furiously.

  JJ had to smile to himself. Scott might be the submissive, but he was clearly a feisty one.

  “Well, it’s about the wedding that I wanted to speak to you both.” Leo handed Ben a cream-colored envelope. “This is a wedding present from Thomas and me.”

  Ben frowned. “A little early, isn’t it, for presents?” He opened the envelope, and his jaw dropped. “Oh wow.”

  “Lemme see,” Scott whined, pulling the sheet of paper from Ben’s hand. He scanned it and lifted his head to gape at Leo. “Seriously? This is awesome!”

  JJ was dying to know what the owners had given the couple, but the sheet in Scott’s hand gave no clues.

  Ben blinked rapidly and gave a slow shake of his head. “I don’
t know what to say.”

  Jarod groaned. “This is driving me crazy. Will one of you tell us?”

  JJ nodded in agreement.

  Ben took a deep breath. “We decided we couldn’t afford a reception, so we were going to invite our wedding guests to join us at a pub near Heaton Hall, which is where we’re getting married. Just for a drink after the ceremony.” He pointed to the paper in Scott’s hand. “Leo and Thomas have arranged a reception at the hotel where Leo and Alex got married, and they’ve said they’ll cater for as many people as we want to invite.”

  Leo studied Ben. “Is the venue all done and dusted?”

  Ben shook his head. “Not until we give them the final numbers.”

  “So, in theory, if you wanted to change venue, it wouldn’t be that big a deal?” Leo’s careful study hadn’t altered a fraction.

  Ben became still. “Okay, what’s on your mind?”

  Leo shrugged. “I was just thinking that you’re struggling to limit the number of wedding guests because you want too many people to attend the wedding. The suite we’ve booked for the reception would take every club member and then some. It just occurred to me that it would make sense to hold the wedding there.”

  “Now hold on a minute.” Ben scowled. “This is still our wedding, right? We can still organize our wedding the way we want.”

  Scott tugged on Ben’s arm. “You said you wanted to invite a lot more people. And I know it upset you that we’ve had to trim some of our friends off the list.”

  He gazed at Ben imploringly, and JJ smothered a chuckle once more. He wondered if puppy dog eyes would work on a Dom.

  Before Ben could say another word, Leo added, “Think of it as me thanking you both for that little subterfuge last year, when everyone thought it was you two getting married. You did me a huge favor, after all.”

  JJ didn’t understand all of what Leo had said, but there was no mistaking Ben’s reaction. His expression softened, and he nodded.

  “I don’t want to organize your wedding, Ben,” Leo said quietly. “But it’s one of the most important days of your life, and I want it to be the way you want—and that means having all the people there that you want to be there.” He smiled. “At least think about it.”

  “It’s not just that,” Ben protested. “Thomas offered to pay for Annie’s flights too.”

  “So?” Leo grinned. “You could pay for the flights if you don’t have to pay for Heaton Hall. Unless they’ve asked for a horrendous deposit?”

  Ben shook his head. “It was quite reasonable.” He glanced at Scott. “I don’t have to ask what you think about all this, do I?”

  Scott stepped away from Jarod and flung his arms around Ben. “We only do this if you’re happy with it,” he murmured.

  Ben stroked his hair. “And if we do it, it means all our friends will be there with us, sharing our day.” He kissed Scott’s forehead and then looked to Leo. “We’d be nuts to say no to that. Thank you, Leo. I’ll thank Thomas when I see him.”

  Thomas.

  “Ben, would you be okay for a sec if I went to speak with Mr. Williams?” JJ asked.

  Leo laughed. “You’ve worked here long enough now, JJ. It’s Thomas, okay? Just like I’m Leo, not Mr. Hart.”

  Ben waved his hand. “Go see Thomas. I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

  JJ hurried off to the office and knocked on the door. Thomas opened it and smiled.

  “Welcome back, JJ.” He peered beyond him. “Darren not with you?”

  “He’s coming in after the salon closes,” JJ explained, “but I wanted to speak with you before my shift started.”

  Thomas stepped to one side. “Come on in, then.”

  JJ sat in the chair facing Thomas’s desk. “I’d like to become a member,” he blurted out before Thomas had sat down.

  Thomas burst into a peal of delighted laughter. “There’s no beating about the bush with you, is there?” He leaned back. “I take it you and Darren had a discussion?”

  JJ nodded.

  “And you’re keen to proceed? Both of you?”

  JJ nodded once more. “That’s why Darren is coming in later. There’s only one thing I don’t know, and that’s how much this is going to cost. There was nothing in the contract about fees.”

  Thomas opened his filing cabinet and drew out a sheet of paper. “We charge the Doms a lot more than the subs, which is only right. They have a lot of responsibility. And we have several subs who pay monthly, because they find it easier that way.” He passed the sheet to JJ.

  He studied it, his heart sinking. The monthly fee wasn’t exorbitant—it probably worked out less than the membership to his local gym—but JJ couldn’t afford that either. Well, not that and his rent. And food. And bills. And transport.

  “Is everything okay?” Thomas asked him, his forehead furrowed.

  “Yes, it’s fine,” he lied. “But I need to get back to work. Ben wants to leave soon.” He rose to his feet, disappointment clawing at his throat.

  “You know where I am,” Thomas said as he walked JJ to the door. “And JJ?” When JJ turned to face him, Thomas gave him a warm smile. “My door is always open if you want to talk. About anything.”

  “Thank you.” JJ attempted a smile, but it wasn’t happening. All he could think about was Darren’s face when JJ told him he hadn’t signed up as a sub. He knew what the first words out of Darren’s mouth would be, of course. He’d offer to pay JJ’s subscription.

  I’m not going to let him. If I’m going to do this, I’ll bloody well pay my own way.

  His mum had always said he was as stubborn as an ox. Come to think of it, she’d also mentioned his pride once or twice.

  Even JJ could recognize the two traits were a bad combination.

  Chapter Nineteen

  JAROD WATCHED JJ as he walked over to the bar. He didn’t know the young barman all that well, but enough to realize something was up. JJ’s shoulders were hunched over, his eyes distant. Jarod debated getting up from his seat and going over to talk with him, but his attention was caught by the sight of Thomas striding purposefully across to where he was seated. Thomas’s expression appeared guarded, and Jarod had to admit, he’d never seen Thomas like this before.

  “Good evening, Master Thomas.”

  “Good evening, Jarod. May I sit?”

  Jarod made to stand, but Thomas held out a hand.

  “No, it’s fine. Please stay where you are.” He pulled out a chair and sat, glancing around. Thomas’s face lit up. “I was wondering where you were.”

  The explanation for Thomas’s delight became apparent when Peter appeared at his side.

  “I was with Dorian. He was telling me about his counseling course. Did you want something, Sir?”

  “Could you fetch me a tonic water, please?” Thomas glanced at Jarod. “Something for you too, Jarod?”

  “I’d like the same, thank you.”

  Peter smiled and went over to the bar.

  “Where’s Eli?” Thomas asked him.

  “He’s meeting some friends from the haulage company. He should be here in an hour or so.”

  “Good. That’s perfect.” Thomas paused as Peter returned to them and placed their glasses on the table. “Thank you, boy. You can assume the position.” Peter knelt in one slow, fluid motion.

  Oh, the trappings of youth. It had been a while since Jarod had knelt that easily.

  Thomas reached down and stroked Peter’s cheek before meeting Jarod’s gaze. “May I be blunt?”

  Jarod stared. “Of course. I would expect nothing less.”

  Thomas chuckled, and Jarod felt certain he noticed Peter stifling a giggle himself. Thomas leaned back in his chair and studied Jarod.

  “Is Eli happy?”

  Jarod stiffened. Has Eli said something to Thomas? Am I not giving him everything he needs?

  Thomas straightened instantly. “Wait. I’m sorry. That had to be the most poorly worded question ever. Let me try again. Do you think Eli misses working?�
��

  Jarod slumped in his seat. “I know he does. I’ve told him if he wanted to go back to work, he should, but he insists on being with me.” God, but his Master could be a stubborn arse sometimes.

  “Excellent. That will make this conversation much easier.” Thomas must have seen Jarod’s confusion, because he laughed. “I’m cocking this up, aren’t I?”

  Jarod shrugged. The remark about Eli being happy had thrown him.

  Thomas took a drink of tonic water and sighed. “Let me try this again. Do you think Eli would be happy working again?”

  “I know he would,” Jarod exclaimed fervently. “The life of a kept man isn’t for him, and I can tell he’s growing restless.”

  “I suspected as much. He seems to be the type who likes to be out and doing something to earn his money.”

  Jarod smiled. “You do know him.”

  Thomas returned his smile. “I like to think I know all our members. Okay, I have a question for you. If Eli wanted to do something, say, invest in a business, would you be okay with that?”

  Jarod sat upright. Thomas was clearly going somewhere with this line of questioning. “Of course.”

  Thomas folded his hands on top of the table. “And if he needed your help, would you willingly give it?”

  “Without question,” Jarod responded immediately.

  Thomas nodded. “As I thought. Well, I have a friend in London. He and his husband own a BDSM club and have done for many years. They’re getting to an age where they want to sell up in order to travel and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They asked me if I knew anyone who might be interested, but the asking price is out of range for most of the people I know.”

  Aha. “But not me,” Jarod replied, filling in the unanswered question.

  “No, not you,” Thomas agreed.

  “Why not buy it and expand Collars & Cuffs to a second location?” Jarod wondered aloud.

  “Leo and I are too hands-on to trust someone else to run the club, and with the distance, it would be impossible. And it needs extensive renovation,” Thomas admitted. “Back when they opened it, the place was amazing. In fact, it was seeing their club that gave me the idea of opening one of my own. But, well, they’re both in their late seventies and not really active in the community anymore. They want someone younger to take the reins.”