Endings and Beginnings Read online

  “Why?” he yelled. “What the hell made you think I’d run off to a hotel with you for sex? Do I look cheap? Is it because I work in a bar? Please, tell me why you thought I’d be that kind of person.”

  Darren drew back, his face white, and JJ could see the shock in his expression.

  “Let me explain.”

  Something in his demeanor cut through JJ’s rage, and he stilled, fists still clenched. Darren held up his hands.

  “Ever since we met, I’ve been thinking about you. That’s not some corny line, by the way. You’re in my head all the time. When I realized we were really going to go out, I knew I couldn’t take you for a cheap burger, because yes, it felt cheap. I wanted to take you somewhere nice.” He dropped his hands to his sides. “I have a reservation at the restaurant in the hotel. I’m so sorry you thought I had ulterior motives, because I can assure you I don’t.”

  JJ scanned Darren’s face, searching for any sign of truth in his expression.

  “Now, about your assumption… I’d like to set the record straight. I don’t do casual sex,” Darren assured him. “I’m fairly old-fashioned when it comes to that, to be honest. I like to get to know a person before I take them to bed. In fact, I’m a firm believer in the three-dates rule before it even becomes a possibility.”

  “Please,” JJ begged, “don’t lie to me. I can’t… can’t… just don’t, please.”

  Darren walked up to him slowly and placed his hands on JJ’s shoulders. He locked gazes with him. “I promise you, I will never, ever, do it again.” He bit his lip, the slightest hint of a twinkle in his eye. “Though that will make it more difficult to surprise you.”

  JJ choked out a laugh and then found himself in Darren’s arms again. God, it felt good.

  “I am so very sorry,” Darren murmured against his cheek. “If I had thought it would hurt you, I never would have done it. Forgive me?”

  The words were on the tip of JJ’s tongue. Say no. Walk away. You can’t go through this again. But the plaintive look on Darren’s face, coupled with the sincerity of his words, had JJ doing something he thought he’d never do again. He nodded, then looked into Darren’s eyes.

  “Once, okay? I’ll forgive you once. But if you lie to me again, that’s it. I won’t talk to you again. I can’t abide liars.”

  “Understood.” Darren rubbed JJ’s back, his hand moving in a slow circle.

  JJ was suddenly aware of their surroundings. All around them people were staring. He tried to pull away, but Darren held him fast.

  “Not yet. I can feel your heart racing, so I want to hold you until you calm down.”

  “But you said you had reservations….” JJ’s heart pounded. The close proximity to Darren, the feel of those arms around him….

  “At the restaurant, yes, but not when it comes to you.” Darren grinned. “When it comes to you, I have no reservations at all.”

  JJ didn’t know how to reply to that.

  They walked across the paved area with its fountains, where jets of water bubbled up out of the ground, and crossed the street. A short walk along Piccadilly Plaza and around the corner to the entrance of the hotel, its reception area cool with dark marble. Darren led the way to the elevator, JJ at his side. When they arrived at the restaurant, a waiter showed them to their table, which overlooked Piccadilly Gardens.

  “Shall I order for us?”

  “Okay,” JJ agreed.

  When their waiter approached, Darren spoke quietly with him. JJ glanced around the restaurant, then down at his own clothes. He tried to sink down in the chair a little. Of course Darren noticed.

  “What’s wrong?” he said, handing over the menus to the waiter.

  “I’m not dressed for this place,” JJ complained. “If I’m honest, I don’t know that I have any clothes that would be appropriate in here.” The rest of the restaurant patrons were smartly dressed, and he felt shabby in comparison.

  “Please. You look just fine.”

  That was easy for him to say. Darren had a professional air about him. His hair was neatly cut and styled, and the watch on his wrist probably cost enough to pay for JJ’s room for a month or more. The more JJ tried not to think about it, the more he couldn’t take his mind off how different the two of them were.

  “JJ?”

  He lifted his head, surprised to see Darren smiling.

  “How about this for an idea?” Darren stood up and took off his jacket, then held it out to JJ. “Put this on and maybe you won’t feel like you don’t belong here.”

  “But it’s yours.”

  Darren nodded. “And I’d love to see you in it. Do this for me, okay?”

  Hesitantly, JJ reached out and took the jacket, his gaze taking in Darren. Even without the jacket, Darren looked hot. His crisp white shirt and black tie made the man appear strong, in control, and so at ease while doing it.

  Darren stepped around the table and took the jacket. “Here, let me help. Stand up for a minute?”

  JJ got off the chair as Darren slid his arms into the coat. From the feel of it, this definitely wasn’t polyester. And although he and Darren were the same height and relatively the same build, there could be no doubt this jacket had been tailored for him. Darren’s scent clung to the jacket, and JJ found himself pulling it a little tighter around himself.

  “It looks good on you,” Darren said, his voice husky.

  JJ’s cheeks heated as Darren looked him up and down. He sat quickly and busied his hands with the glass of water on the table. The silence should have been awkward, but it wasn’t. Darren didn’t offer up constant, uncomfortable chatter. He simply smiled at JJ as if he were—

  No, don’t think like that. JJ wasn’t important to anyone.

  He knew he had to break this spell, lest he blurt out something inappropriate. “What’s it like to run your own salon?”

  Darren shrugged. “It’s a business like any other. There are good days and bad. It’s taken several years to build up a clientele and a reputation. I have to admit, I do love it, though.”

  “What do you love about it?” JJ was captivated by the expression on Darren’s face. His eyes shone as he focused on JJ, his gaze unwavering. His calm assurance, coupled with that confident smile, was all kinds of sexy.

  “There’s something about getting a new client who has no idea what they want, but they’re prepared to leave themselves in your hands. You look at them, assess their needs, and get to work. Sometimes they’re nervous, so you draw them into conversation to calm them down. Make what’s happening seem like no big deal, and it usually works.”

  “And what about when you’ve worked your magic?” JJ said, fascinated. He’d never had the nerve to sit in a barber’s chair and ask for something drastically different.

  Darren smiled. “When you’ve finished and you show them the results, they’re very often stunned. Either they’ve never had a cut like that, or they didn’t think there would be a difference between a three pound haircut and what we charge. But when they see themselves, I know they’ll be visiting us again.”

  JJ couldn’t help but be enthralled. Darren had been so animated while telling his story. JJ doubted he had even been aware of the excitement in his expression.

  “And what about you? How do you feel about tending bar at the club?”

  JJ didn’t want to discuss the club, or anyone in it for that matter. He wanted to know everything about Darren, who’d admitted he’d been untruthful and owned up to it. Such a refreshing change from everyone else in his life.

  “It’s okay, I guess. I didn’t have any experience when I went in, and I think Leo might not have been that keen on hiring me, but when Ben told me I had the job, I couldn’t believe it. So, what’s the most outrageous cut you’ve ever been asked to give?”

  JJ had a feeling Darren saw right through his attempt to evade the topic, but he couldn’t help himself. Darren looked at him curiously, but then he shrugged and told JJ a story about a guy who’d wanted some weird-assed design car
ved into his hair.

  “So, let me ask you something,” Darren began, but he stopped as their waiter approached.

  JJ gawped at the plates. Two thick burgers loaded with slices of cheese and piled high with bacon, mushrooms, and onions, plus the thickest cut chips JJ had ever seen. He looked up and found Darren smiling at him.

  “I swore I wouldn’t lie to you again, and I did invite you out for burgers,” he said. “These aren’t on the menu, but they said they could definitely make them for us.”

  With that one gesture, JJ’s heart, which he thought he’d hardened so effectively over the past two years, thawed just a little.

  THE DINNER was beyond amazing. The burgers were juicy and almost melted in Darren’s mouth. But as good as they were, they were nothing compared to the joy on JJ’s face as he dug in, cleaning his plate and making appreciative noises with each bite. Watching him had been an experience Darren didn’t think he could ever get tired of. The brightness of his eyes, the curl to his lip when he found something amusing—all of it seemed fresh and new.

  “Dessert?” Darren offered.

  “I couldn’t—”

  “But you will, right?”

  For a moment Darren thought JJ might protest, but when he saw diners at a nearby table eating chocolate cake, his eyes went wide.

  “So, two chocolate cakes?” Darren teased.

  The expression on JJ’s face tugged at Darren’s heart. Who hurt you so badly? JJ’s attempts to redirect the conversation away from himself had been obvious. It could have been shyness, Darren surmised, but something in his date’s expression told him otherwise. He wasn’t about to push. JJ would tell him when he thought he could trust him. The fact that he’d agreed to give Darren another chance meant a lot to both of them, and he’d make sure JJ didn’t regret the decision.

  “JJ? Chocolate cake?”

  JJ reached into his pocket, then shook his head. “No, I don’t think I’d have enough money to pay for it,” he admitted, his eyes downcast.

  “Hey, this is my treat, remember? You bought me a juice, and I’m taking you to dinner.”

  “But it’s all so expensive,” JJ whispered.

  That one remark told Darren a lot. The prices weren’t excessive, but clearly JJ felt them beyond his finances.

  “It’s my treat. Please, let me,” Darren implored. “You can buy me another juice when I come back to the club. How’s that?”

  JJ stared at him. “You’re coming back to the club?”

  “Of course. You’re working there, so that gives me another reason to show up, right?”

  JJ blushed, but what gave Darren hope was that shy smile.

  “Can I ask you a question? You told me when we met that you’d come to the club chasing something. Do you think you’ll find it?”

  That was a good question. “I guess time will tell.”

  THE SUN had gone down and the air had cooled, but the warmth in Darren’s stomach chased away the chill. When they’d finished their dinner, Darren had suggested a walk. They’d strolled through the streets of the city center, gazing at shop windows and discussing the displays. JJ seemed calm, more at ease, and Darren loved to hear him laugh.

  He needs to laugh more. Part of that thought was a desire to know the root of the sadness in him. All Darren knew was that he didn’t want their first evening together to end.

  “I should go,” JJ said. “I don’t want to miss the bus.”

  The thought of JJ on the bus grated on Darren’s nerves. Something about the man brought out instincts Darren hadn’t encountered in any previous relationship. He wanted JJ safe, and deep down he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than him being the one to make it so.

  “Let me drive you home.”

  JJ shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I can take the bus.”

  Darren reached out and took JJ’s hand. When JJ faced him, Darren gazed at him imploringly. “Please. Just let me do this.”

  “I really don’t—”

  Darren wasn’t about to give up. “Okay, how about a compromise? You let me pay for a taxi and then call me when you get home.” He grinned. “It’s either that or you let me drive you.”

  JJ returned his grin. “Deal. I’ll take the taxi.”

  Darren smiled. Okay, so it wasn’t what he would have liked, but it was better than nothing. When they reached Deansgate, he peered into the street and stuck out his hand for a passing black cab.

  When the driver pulled up, JJ turned to him.

  “I… had a really nice time.”

  Something inside Darren eased up at his words. “So did I. It’s probably the best non-date date I’ve ever been on. I hope we can do it again. And next time, I promise to let you know where we’re going.”

  JJ’s smile gave Darren butterflies. He couldn’t put his finger on why it affected him until the urge to kiss JJ overwhelmed him. He leaned forward and paused, waiting to see if JJ was on the same page.

  JJ’s eyes took on a dreamy quality as he closed the distance between them and their lips met. Darren reached across and cupped the back of JJ’s head, drawing him closer. He took control of the kiss, keeping it light but wanting JJ to get the message.

  Feel what you do to me.

  Darren had kissed many men in his life, but never had a simple chaste kiss ever left him aching for more. He had no idea why the young man in front of him affected him so deeply, but Darren knew, deep down to his soul, that he needed to see JJ again. Needed him in his bed. Just… needed him.

  When JJ pulled away, his eyes were wide. “That… wow.”

  “Good wow or bad wow?” Darren teased.

  “Definitely a good wow. Like ‘I might want another one of those at some point’ kind of wow.”

  Yeah, JJ had gotten the message, all right.

  Chapter Seven

  “HEY, YOU’RE back!” Dorian hugged Pietro and then stepped back to look him up and down. “Wow. You look good.”

  Pietro gave a shrug. “It’s amazing what three weeks in Italy will do for a person’s tan.” It was more than that, but he wasn’t about to share. He was totally blissed out on three weeks of good food, glorious sights, hours of sunshine—and having Miles at his side the whole time. Days of sightseeing and hot beaches, nights of even hotter sex. And the icing on the cake? They hadn’t been Master and sub but two lovers enjoying spending time together. It hadn’t taken long for Pietro to remember all the reasons why he fell in love with Miles in the first place. When their time together at home was as limited as it was, it was easy to forget. Pietro had a sneaking suspicion that his bed was going to feel awfully big without Miles.

  Dorian gestured to an empty table, and they sat down. “JJ? Can we have two Cokes, please?” he called over to the bar.

  JJ nodded. “I’ll bring them right over.”

  “When did you get back?” Dorian asked Pietro.

  “This morning,” he replied with a heavy sigh. “And I’m back to work tomorrow. No rest for the wicked.” They’d stopped off at Severino’s on the way to the club so he could check on the roster for his first week back. He hadn’t liked what he’d found. The replacement sous chef who had been brought in to cover him wasn’t as tidy and methodical as Pietro. Sev didn’t look too happy about it either.

  JJ appeared with their Cokes. As he walked away, Pietro leaned closer.

  “So, it seems life has been interesting around here while we’ve been away. I got a text from Scott to say the wedding’s been postponed. Then Miles got one from Master Leo, telling him about Curtis Rogers.” He glanced around. “Is Peter here? How is he?”

  Dorian’s face fell. “He’s been at home most of this week. I thought, as it was Friday night, he might have come in with Master Thomas, but so far, no sign of him. Apparently he was a little… upset by the news.”

  Pietro could well imagine.

  Dorian peered around the club. “Is Master Miles with you?”

  Pietro nodded. “He went to talk to Master Leo. I’m hoping h
e doesn’t have to do a stint as Dungeon Master tonight.” He knew it was greedy of him after having Miles to himself for three weeks, but all he wanted to do was have Miles take him home and then “persuade” him to spend the night.

  Living apart really sucked.

  Two warm hands descended on his shoulders.

  “Hey, pup.” Miles kissed the top of his head. “Are you working Sunday?”

  Pietro angled his head to stare at his lover. “Sunday evening. Why?” His heart sank. He had plans for Sunday that involved Miles and morning sex, followed by breakfast in bed, then a nap. Waking up, more sex, then lunch. Then lazing about until half an hour before work, a quickie, a shower, and then returning to the real world.

  “Melissa just called. We’re invited for Sunday lunch.”

  Pietro stifled a groan. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Miles’s sister—far from it, she was a lovely person—but he’d wanted to hold on to his weekends. What with his job and the club, he didn’t see nearly as much of Miles as he’d like.

  Maybe it’s time to bring up the subject of us moving in together. What hurt him was that Miles hadn’t already suggested it. He was Miles’s submissive—heart, body, and soul—had been for three years, yet they still lived apart.

  Something’s wrong with this picture….

  “Oh.” He couldn’t share his real plans. “I was hoping to come round to your place, help you unpack, you know….”

  Miles grinned. “If you came round, unpacking would be the last thing we’d be doing.” He leaned over and brought his lips to Pietro’s ear. “Besides, we’ve just spent the last three weeks fucking like bunnies.”

  Pietro stared at him. “And your point is?”

  Miles straightened and burst into laughter. “Haven’t you had enough of me?”

  Slowly Pietro slid from his chair and knelt at Miles’s feet. He leaned in to rub his face over the outline of Miles’s dick where it pressed against his leather pants. Pietro mouthed the hardening shaft, inhaling the aroma of leather. Above him he caught Miles’s soft groan.