Endings and Beginnings Page 24

  “Maybe keep it simple,” Darren suggested. “I read somewhere that a lot of subs use red to mean stop and yellow to slow things down a little or take a break.”

  “Yeah, I could live with that.” JJ bit his lip. “Can I say maybe to piercing?”

  “Absolutely. You can say maybe to anything, but keep in mind that I might push you on those a little. Especially if they’re in my yes column. You can also say no to anything that is an absolute turnoff. We might revisit them in the future if you decide you want to extend our initial contract. Which I’m hoping you will.”

  JJ made a noncommittal sound, but Darren knew the truth. His boy had been aching for this ever since he started working at the club. The connection he’d sought for so long had begun to build between them and had made JJ more comfortable about them being together. He’d known it from the moment JJ had agreed to move in with little more than a token complaint.

  They continued to pore over the limits. JJ had surprisingly few hard nos.

  “Can we mark this part with a maybe?” JJ wondered.

  Darren let his gaze roam over the section they were on. Public displays. JJ had been so adamant about not doing anything at the club that Darren had backed off. “I thought you were dead set against it?”

  JJ shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t want to say no to something you might enjoy. I mean, after a while we might both give it a try. I’ve seen most of the guys doing scenes with their Dom, and I have to say, it’s not nearly as scary as I imagined.”

  “We’ll put a maybe there, then. I don’t know if we’ll do it, but thank you for at least being willing to take a chance on it.”

  The remainder of the discussion went quickly. Each agreed that this wouldn’t be a 24/7 Dom/sub relationship, but JJ had grudgingly allowed that Darren would be able to make decisions if he felt JJ wasn’t taking care of his health, and they also added a stipulation that the contract could be revisited at any time during the initial three months to modify it if the need arose.

  “So who signs first?” JJ asked.

  “You can have the honor, if you’d like.”

  Pen in hand, JJ bent over the table, then paused. “Okay, this is going to sound weird, but would you be okay with us doing this at the club?”

  “If you want, but can I ask why?”

  JJ averted his gaze. “I want us to do this in a place where it holds weight with other people. Where they’ve accepted me and will know that I belong with them like I will belong to you. Does that make sense?”

  In that moment, Darren doubted he could be more proud of JJ. The man wanted to publicly announce their contract, and Darren’s heart swelled with joy. He didn’t want JJ to be ashamed of the life they were going to build. While they may not step into the club to do scenes in front of everyone, they’d all know JJ had accepted Darren as his Dom.

  “I think it’s a great idea. I’ll give Thomas a call and see if he’ll have time this evening for us to drop by. Will that work for you?”

  JJ smiled. “We’re really going to do this?”

  His boy seemed so excited. Darren waggled his brows. “After we get done doing… other things, followed by a nap.”

  “About damn time,” JJ muttered. “Last one in the bed sleeps on the wet spot.”

  He laughed when Darren lurched toward him. JJ was up off the couch in seconds and running for the door, Darren in hot pursuit.

  “I’m going to smack your arse when I catch you,” he growled, charging up the stairs.

  “Promises, promises,” JJ sang back at him, the bedroom door banging as he flung it open.

  Darren was going to love their days off together.

  “ISN’T THIS your evening off?” Ben teased when JJ and Darren walked into the bar. “Can’t keep away from the place, hmm?”

  “I didn’t think you’d complain about seeing me, not after three days away from the club this week.” JJ had felt guilty enough when Ben had insisted he take his scheduled day off.

  “So what are you doing here?”

  Darren smiled. “We have something important to do, and this is the perfect place to do it.” His hand was at JJ’s back, connecting them, and JJ leaned into his touch.

  “It certainly is,” Thomas agreed, approaching them, “and I thought I’d join you.” He glanced around. “Okay, why can’t I see the Three Musketeers?”

  Ben laughed. “Scott roped Peter and Alex into helping him put together a playlist for the DJ for the reception. They’re in one of the private rooms, poring over Scott’s laptop. I think they’ve got Dorian in on the act too.” He paused. “Why, do you want them here?”

  Thomas smiled. “In a minute.” He turned to Darren and JJ and indicated a table. “Shall we sit down?”

  Darren pulled out a chair for JJ, and they sat. Darren placed the contract on the table and withdrew a pen from his jacket pocket. He handed it to JJ. “I believe you were going to go first.”

  JJ took the pen, inhaled deeply, and signed his name on the dotted line. He passed the pen to Darren. “Okay, your turn.”

  Darren signed neatly and placed the pen back in his pocket.

  “Congratulations, gentlemen. I have to say, this is a fairly unique situation for me. I’ve never had two members sign a contract who were both newbies.” Thomas smiled. “I’m looking forward to this.” He looked up. “Gareth, have you got a minute?”

  Gareth walked over to their table. “Yes, Sir?”

  “Would you do a quick search for Peter, Alex, Scott, and Dorian and send them our way?”

  Gareth nodded. “Certainly.” He disappeared off in the direction of the private rooms.

  Thomas faced JJ and Darren. “How keen are you to start training?” he asked Darren. “The reason I’m asking is I’ve been thinking about your situation since you phoned me, and I’ve had an idea how I’d like to start.”

  Darren stared at him. “Really? Wow. Well….”

  JJ leaned against him. “No time like the present,” he whispered. Inside he was buzzing. Having actually signed the contract, he was aching to get started on their journey.

  “You rang?” Scott bounced into view, a cheeky grin on his face. The others were with him.

  Thomas laughed. “You are much too hyper for me lately. I think Ben’s letting you have too much sugar.” He winked at Darren.

  From behind them, Ben groaned. “It’s not sugar, Thomas. That would be a doddle to control. This is pre-wedding excitement, and if you think he’s bad now, wait until we get closer to the day. He’ll be impossible.” Then he grinned at Scott. “It’s a good thing I love you, pup.”

  Scott blew him a kiss before facing Thomas. “Did you want something, Sir?”

  Thomas indicated JJ with a wave of his hand. “Oh, not much. I merely thought you might want to meet our newest submissive.” His eyes shone.

  Scott’s jaw dropped. “No kidding. That’s awesome!”

  Suddenly JJ was surrounded by four subs who took it in turns to give him a hug.

  “Welcome aboard,” Dorian said quietly.

  Beside him, Peter nodded. “I know your reasons for coming here, but I never imagined you’d be joining us. I think it’s wonderful.”

  JJ sprang up out of his seat and hugged him hard. “Thank you,” he whispered into Peter’s ear. When he released Peter, he pointed to Darren. “And this is my Dom.” His heart soared to say the words for the first time. They hadn’t even had time to congratulate each other.

  Alex’s eyes widened. “Oh boy. That puts a whole new slant on going for a haircut. We’re going to have to watch what we say now.”

  Darren grinned. “You’ve got that right.”

  “And now that we’ve finished all the hugging,” Thomas remarked dryly, “I need to take JJ and Master Darren somewhere quieter for a talk.”

  Darren stilled. “I’m not Master anything yet. You can call me that when I’ve done something to earn the title.”

  Thomas nodded in approval. “Then let’s get started.” He rose, Darren and
JJ with him, and led them away from the subs toward the rooms. JJ’s heart was hammering in anticipation.

  Thomas closed the door behind them and pointed to the chairs piled against the wall. “JJ, would you pull out three of those?”

  He nodded and did as instructed. They sat, and Thomas leaned back, observing them. “It’s an exhilarating feeling, isn’t it?”

  Darren nodded. “I also feel like Indiana Jones, stepping out over that chasm, just trusting that something would prevent him from falling to his death.”

  JJ caught his breath. Darren’s words uncannily mirrored his own feelings.

  Thomas smiled. “Interesting that you should mention trust. I’ve come to a great many conclusions about BDSM over the years, and I’ve come to the realization that a D/s relationship is built on three things—trust, safety, and surrender. Trust is the key, however. When you trust someone enough to believe that no harm will come to you at their hands, what results is something incredibly intimate, and often highly erotic.” He gestured toward them. “You’re here because you’ve both attracted each other’s attention. You’re focused on each other, and right now it’s time to start working on achieving that level of trust.”

  JJ was so still, Thomas’s words resonating deep inside him. Trust had been the one thing he’d found so difficult to attain. He was riveted, focused completely on Thomas.

  “Trust isn’t earned in our lifestyle. It isn’t given. It is built. It takes time and patience. You’ll both make mistakes and end up with a few bumps and bruises along the way as you build it. And you never reach the end. You’re always working on it.” Thomas’s gaze was solemn. “And it is something that can be broken in a single moment. If either of you is thinking right now that the other will break the trust you’re going to work so painstakingly at building together, then I can tell you now, stop worrying. Because it will happen,” he said simply.

  JJ’s chest constricted. “What?” He wasn’t sure he could afford to think that way, not when they were just starting out. The thought of Darren betraying his trust was more than he could bear.

  Thomas’s gaze met his. Those green eyes were kind. “JJ, this is real life. Real life gets messy. It doesn’t follow a script. And at some point, yes, the trust you two build will be broken back down. But this is why I’m saying this now. Expect it to break, and then worry more about how you will react when it does. Because once trust has been broken, the only important factor is what you choose to do about it. How will you react? How do you want to react?” He smiled. “Once you’ve worked that out, you’ll be well on your way to building a lasting relationship.”

  It was an introduction JJ hadn’t anticipated, but it made him think. “I think Peter is a very lucky man,” he said at last.

  The smile that lit up Thomas’s face was truly beautiful to behold. “Thank you,” he said softly. “We’re still working on trust, and yes, we have hiccups now and again. None of us is perfect, JJ.” He tilted his head to one side. “When you were children, did you ever play the game, Trust Me? You know, where one person stands behind the other and the one in front falls backward?”

  Both JJ and Darren nodded.

  “There’s an element of danger in Trust Me, because there’s always the possibility that the person behind you won’t catch you and you’ll end up hurt. You know why children like that game so much? Because when the falling player trusts the catcher enough to let go completely, and it works, there’s this wonderful moment of exhilaration.” He grinned. “Stand up, both of you.”

  JJ had a sneaking suspicion he knew what was coming next.

  Thomas stood too. “So which one of you is going to fall first?”

  “I will,” Darren said promptly. He locked gazes with JJ. “Because I know you’re going to catch me.”

  So many emotions fought for control within JJ at that moment—pride, apprehension, anxiety, curiosity—and he couldn’t repress the shiver that ran through him as he stood there, arms ready to catch his lover—his Dom.

  Darren faced away from him, standing still for a moment. “Ready?”

  JJ took a deep breath. “Ready.”

  Darren dropped back, and JJ moved swiftly to catch him, his arms slipping under Darren’s pits. Darren stared up at him, grinning.

  “Hey, you did it. Never doubted for a second.”

  JJ helped him up, and Darren turned to face him, then kissed him on the mouth.

  Thomas snickered. “Save that for after.”

  Darren laughed and whispered to JJ, “Your turn, sweetheart.”

  JJ nodded and turned away from him, heart pounding. He inhaled deeply, waiting for the moment when he felt confident enough to let himself fall. It was only when Darren cleared his throat that JJ realized he’d been standing there a while.

  “It’s okay, JJ,” Darren said softly. “Fall, and I’ll catch you.” The confidence in that rich voice permeated JJ’s senses.

  Just do it.

  He took another breath and let himself fall like a stone—into Darren’s waiting arms.

  “See?” Darren whispered, supporting his weight. “I’ve got you.”

  Darren had him, all right—his body and, more importantly, his heart.

  “YOU STILL with me?” Darren asked him with a grin. “Because you’ve been on another planet since that session with Thomas.”

  JJ couldn’t help it. The exhilaration he’d felt after falling into Darren’s arms time after time was still with him. It was a liberating feeling.

  Darren leaned closer. “I know how you feel. Who’d have thought a simple children’s game could leave us feeling so… alive?”

  JJ’s heart soared. Darren got it.

  “Hey, JJ, are you interested in picking up a few hours tonight?” Ben called out from behind the bar. “Kenton’s just called in sick.”

  “I’m not sure. Let me ask my Dom.” Just saying the words made him glow inside and out.

  “Not sure I will ever get tired of hearing that,” Darren said quietly. “And that’s fine by me. I don’t mind spending some time here, watching what goes on.”

  “You don’t want to go home?” JJ asked him.

  Darren smiled. “I’d rather be here with you.”

  That glow inside JJ brought him close to melting.

  Darren kissed him on the mouth. “Go work,” he said. “I’ll be around.” He got up from his chair and walked off toward the main floor of the club.

  “I take it that was a yes,” Ben said with a grin. “Excellent. The bar’s all yours. I’ll go find my pup.” He handed JJ the keys to the till and left him to it.

  Pietro walked up to the bar and collapsed on one of the stools. “Ginger beer, please.”

  JJ put the glass in front of him. Pietro put his head in his hands and sighed.

  “Tough day?”

  Pietro groaned and let his head drop to his arms on the bar top. “You’d think it wouldn’t be this hard to find a house in this economy. In the last two weeks we’ve looked at no less than twelve houses for Miles’s sister, Melissa. They’re starting to blur into one another. I can’t remember if the one that had the cockroaches the size of puppies was the one with the mold on the walls, or if that was the one that smelled like a dead body.”

  “Ew.” JJ shuddered, although he couldn’t help the relief that surged through him to be out of his flat and living with Darren. Put giving notice on my list of things to do. There was no way he was going back there.

  Pietro peered up at JJ. “I love Miles’s family, but I’m starting to think maybe I should run while I can.”

  “Oh, really?”

  JJ tried not to smirk at the sight of Miles, dressed in a black leather jacket and matching pants, standing right behind Pietro, who stiffened.

  “And where would you run to? Because if I’m going to have to track you down, it’s easier if I know where to look.”

  “Sir,” Pietro said, lowering his gaze.

  Miles laughed. “Not tonight, babe. I’m bone tired too. That last h
ouse is going to give me nightmares. To think people actually lived there.”

  Pietro gave a shiver. “Did you see the little girl with the stuffed animal hanging from her mouth? I don’t even want to know what was on that thing.”

  Miles took a seat, then asked JJ for a cup of coffee. “Not going to be able to sleep tonight, so I may as well start working my way toward a caffeine buzz.”

  “I thought you had to work tomorrow?”

  Miles grimaced. “I do, but Melissa has been calling, so I need to look through some more listings. I will look at them, so you don’t need to worry. I know how much stress it puts on you.”

  Pietro sighed. “Do you know how much I love you?”

  Miles slipped his arms around Pietro and held him close. “Enough to spend tonight at my place? I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.”

  JJ loved how they were with each other, so… free.

  Will Darren and I ever be that free in front of others? Then he thought back to how Darren kissed him, clearly not giving a damn who was watching.

  Yeah, he could see that happening.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  JJ WAS entranced by the multicolored lengths of rope that adorned the table in the private room Darren had told him to go to. He reached out with a trembling hand, then pulled away. There was something about the idea of being tied up and at Darren’s mercy that really got him hot and bothered. Not to mention hard. Bloody hard.

  “Touch them,” Darren said quietly from behind him, making him jump. “You should know what I’m going to be using on you.”

  Then the ropes were for…. He swallowed hard. “We… we’re going to….”

  “We’re going to,” Darren said with confidence. “I remember you talking about seeing Gareth trussed up and the peaceful look he had. I could hear the longing in your voice, so I spoke with Thomas about some training on it. He suggested instantly that Andrew teach us.”

  “So you’re going to tie me up?” JJ kept his tone light, but inside his heart was hammering.