“Some guy. I think Vince found the guy on Craigslist or something.”
White hot anger lit up inside Cason. “Vince did what?” He didn’t know who he was more furious with, the asshole who hurt Vince or Vince for giving him the chance without knowing him at all.
“Yeah, I know. I gave him a piece of my mind. It’s one thing to meet a stranger at the clubs, but he didn’t tell any of us what he was doing until he came stumbling home. He had bruises around his throat and was walking funny.”
“The guy beat him?”
“I think so.”
Cason’s lips curled in a snarl. He really hated the idea of anyone hurting Vince.
“What happened after that?”
“Well, he hasn’t been with anyone else since then, and he asked me about you. The night he went out to the club last weekend he didn’t go home with anyone, but I saw him talking to a few subs.” He winked at Cason. “Including the one that you were with right before I set my sights on you.”
Cason sank back in his chair. Was Vince staying away from new partners while he considered the way he’d been playing, or was he looking at Cason to play with? A large part of Cason wanted that, but he couldn’t help the drop dead gorgeous man and then watch him walk away, especially without the spirits involved.
He would though. He decided that the instant Vince walked in the door, shaking snow out of his dark blond locks, and they locked eyes.
Heat suffused his body. He wanted Vince under him, looking up with those smoky eyes shining with their green glints. His breath held, Cason waited to see what the submissive would do when he waved him over, pointing to the chair next to his.
Vince strolled over with an air of nonchalance, and shrugged out of his coat before he sat down. He raised an eyebrow while looking at Page. “You didn’t tell me we’d be seeing anyone else here, or is this just a coincidence?”
“Of course it isn’t,” Cason said before Page could open his mouth. “I wanted to see you.”
Vince’s lips looked chapped, which was really too bad because they usually looked soft. Vince started gnawing on his bottom one as he turned his eyes on Cason, who was staring at him. “Why?”
“To apologize, for starters. I shouldn’t have spoken that way.” Cason didn’t apologize for what he said, and he wouldn’t, but he did need to make amends for how and where he’d said it. A perfect stranger telling him he’d been handling his sex life completely wrong would have pissed him off too. In fact, it had, back when his family had issues with the way he choose to use his daimon abilities.
“It’s forgotten.” Vince shrugged one shoulder. The white T-shirt set off the caramel tone of his skin. Cason didn’t often mark his subs but he wanted to pull up a vivid purple mark right above Vince’s collar on his neck so everyone could see it.
“Thank you.” Cason said simply. “Can I get you a cocoa? Perhaps a peppermint flavor? I asked when I came in and they said they have it in sugar free syrup.”
The look Vince sent Page was hard. “What the hell, Page? Have you been spilling all my secrets?”
Page shrugged. “Maybe.” He tipped his head back and drained most of his mocha in one long drink.
“Maybe Brandon needs to know about your thirty minute shower this morning?” Vince’s smirk was back. Cason had to hide his smile. The man definitely had a wicked streak, though he didn’t seem as bratty as Page.
“Maybe Brandon told me to take that long shower.” Page looked at his watch in an exaggerated movement. “In fact, maybe I need to be off to meet him right now. Have fun.” He wiggled a single finger in goodbye at Vince as he left. Cason couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the vulgar salute.
“He’s such a brat.”
Cason agreed. “That’s why I thought he’d do so well with Brandon. He always needed a challenge. Now, cocoa?”
“I’d like a cinnamon cocoa, actually. I’m not a big fan of peppermint.”
“Good to know. I’ll be back.” Exchanging his cold coffee for hot, he waited until Vince’s cocoa was ready before he went back to their seats, carrying both mugs. He stopped in front of Vince’s chair and held out the cup. “Careful, grab the handle. The mug is hot.”
Their fingers brushed as he handed over the cup. Cason wanted to touch Vince more than that casual contact, but he restrained himself. He’d spent weeks trying to think of how to help Vince with advice, maybe arranging a set up with a Dom… but he’d changed his mind. Or maybe he’d always wanted to be the one for Vince’s awakening to what a real scene could be like.
Vince sipped his cocoa and pleasure spread across his face. He smiled at Cason. “It’s very good. They have the best cocoa blend here.”
“Good. I’m a big advocate of only accepting the best.”
He didn’t want anyone teaching Vince the truth of his submission, and the peace that could come from a scene shared to the mutual satisfaction of both the Dom and the sub but him. He could see the need practically pouring out of the man for someone to show him why he felt the need to submit, and how to find the right way to satisfy that urge.
It would be him. Once he figured out how get Vince to agree, of course.
Considering how the man had been questioning people about Cason, Vince might be interested in return. The difficulty lay in not seeing the path Vince’s submission needed to go, but maybe it would be better this way. He would delve into Vince’s desires in a whole new way from how he usually planned out scenes.
They sipped their drinks in silence; the chatter of other people who had come inside to avoid the snow and seek their daily dose of caffeine muted in the background as they studied each other. Cason set his cup down. He decided to be direct; it was, after all, what he’d told Vince Doms and subs should do.
“I heard you’ve been asking around about me.”
Vince’s face flushed a little, his cheeks turning pink. He shrugged one shoulder. “I was curious.”
“And did you satisfy that curiosity?”
“I talked to three different subs, and Page and Brandon too. Every single sub said you were amazing and knew exactly what they needed, even if they didn’t know themselves.”
He couldn’t really explain he had an ancient Greek daimon for an ancestor who had passed down the power to see the influence the spirits had on a sub. He knew how to read those needs and reach through that to their inner spirits. Thankfully, his grandfather had been a daimon who sought to help people find the truth within that would bring them peace… not all daimons were good. Some sought to influence humans toward the darkness inside them, breaking them for their own purposes.
He compromised with the truth. “I’m usually very good at reading people. I’m not perfect. No one is. It helps that I insist on communication being a foundation to each and every scene I plan.”
“So you plan out what you are going to do beforehand?” A bit of sugar free whipped topping from the garnish on his cocoa clung to Vince’s lip.
Plans on how slowly he could lick that dollop of creamy white sweetness from the soft pink lips instantly struck Cason. Watching Vince lick it off sent more ideas of how he could have the man use his pointed tongue to lick other, now throbbing, areas.
Cason was glad he’d left his button up shirt casually untucked. “Each situation can be different, depending on where we meet and how well I know the sub. We always have a discussion beforehand, but sometimes I need a bit of time to set things up for us. Other times we can start playing as soon as we’re done going over their limits.”
“That sounds like a lot of work, not play.”
“I enjoy it. Planning on how to blow a man’s mind is very… stimulating.” Cason gave Vince a wicked grin, making the other man laugh.
That look was amazing on Vince; curving up his lips and making his eyes shine. More than anything, Cason wanted to see that face sated and relaxed after an intense scene where the man let everything go under Cason’s hands. “I’d like to do a scene with you,” he said. He blinked. That was not how he’d planned to bring it up.
Vince’s mouth dropped open and he stared at Cason, for once not seeming uncomfortable looking directly into his eyes. “Wh— what?”
Cason brazened it out, putting every ounce of his confidence into his voice. “I want to do a scene. With you.” He leaned back and watched Vince’s reaction.
The gorgeous blond wet his lips repeatedly and swallowed. All traces of levity had left him.
“Would you like that?”
Vince nodded.
“Talk to me,” Cason said. “Do you want to do a scene with me?”
“Yes, sir.” Vince’s voice was hesitant.
“Are you hesitant because you are nervous about doing a scene in general or because you aren’t sure you want to play with me, specifically?” Cason laced his hands together in his lap. All of his nerves had drained away and he was calm and steady. This is something he knew how to do. The importance of it just made him all that more serious.
“Nervous.” Vince’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. “Definitely nervous.” His fingers began to beat a rapid staccato beat on the arm of his chair.
“Good. It means you’re going to pay more attention.” Cason looked around the very public coffee shop. “Will you come with me?”
“Where? And can I call Page and tell him?”
Cason smiled. “Good. You should never just agree to go play with someone you don’t know, in a location you aren’t sure of. You can call Page and tell him you’re coming home with me. He’s been to my house before. That is, if you want to come now.” His voice dropped on the last line deliberately; Cason hid a smile as Vince shivered.
“Yeah. All right.” All five fingers were tapping now.
Leaning forward, Cason clamped his hand down on Vince’s wrist before he could reach for his phone. The tapping stopped. “I don’t need to be called Master by the subs I play with. I’m not looking for a slave. But you will pay attention when we’re talking, and remember how you speak to me at all times when we’re discussing playing together or actually doing a scene.”
Vince’s eyes were wide and his breathing was shallow. His pants did nothing to hide the thickening erection beginning to create a bulge as he tried to pull his arm back and couldn’t move. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, I understand.” Vince didn’t look away from his eyes while Cason was speaking. “I’ll call Page now, if I can still come with you.”
Relaxing his grip, Cason caressed Vince’s wrist where he’d been pressing down. “Of course. One small mistake isn’t going to change my mind. Finish your cocoa and then call Page. I’m going to go the restroom.”
Cason stood up. He dropped his coffee cup in the tub on the way to the restroom. When he was washing his hands he stared in the mirror. Shaking off the excess water, he ran his clean hands through his black hair, taming some of the curls the snow had brought out as it melted. There was a lot racing through his mind.
Vince had a lot of issues. His difficulty focusing tied directly into the problems he would have had with his previous Dom, who tried to force him to live the lifestyle all the time. Vince’s mind just could not focus all the time.
Clearly the sub had learned discipline when he wanted something; he loved what he did and he was going to school so that he could succeed in his chosen career. Cason didn’t want to live the lifestyle all the time either. That was a lot of stress and responsibility. He knew people who could, and some elements might spill into regular life, but he never wanted to boss a man around every second of the day.
Vince needed to learn the lifestyle he wanted was still reachable after his bad experiences. Cason was determined to help him, despite how long he’d tried to ignore his own need to do so. He’d start tonight. They could sit in the living room and discuss Vince’s limits. His play toys were clean and ready for use, as he always kept them.
“No sex, Cason,” he murmured. There were a lot of things he wanted to do with Vince. He wasn’t sure he could take being that close to his golden man without a chance to do it more than once. If he lost control and they had sex it would be over before Cason had a chance to spend enough time with the sub.
So he wouldn’t.
Even if his cock was already aching. He could take a bit of pain in order to save himself a lot later. He would focus on Vince; the satisfaction in helping the younger man find confidence in his submission would be enough.
CHAPTER FIVE
Vince followed Cason back to his house. Vince drove a really nice car; its polished exterior was shining, even through the winter rain pounding down. At least it wasn’t snowing anymore. If that was the quality of the work Vince did, Cason knew he’d have no trouble getting business… he could just park that beauty in front of the business.
“That’s a Mustang, isn’t it?” Cason had waved Vince into the spare bay in his garage.
“Yeah. A sixty-nine. My dad and I got it as a total junker when I was thirteen. That’s when we discovered my ADHD seemed to disappear when I have a car project to work on. I’ve been fixing cars up ever since.” He held the door open and Cason peeked inside. The inside was gorgeous; leather seats and sleek instruments.
“It’s gorgeous.” He stepped back and let Vince shut the door.
Vince rubbed his hand on the roof. “Thank you.” Cason took in the quiet pride of Vince’s expression as he stroked his car. That was the look he wanted to see when the man looked up at him from his knees. Vince needed to know that he could be just as successful submitting as he was fixing up cars.
“Come inside.”
Cason led the way, stopping just inside to take off his shoes. He emptied his pockets into a carved bowl with a flaring lip set on the glass topped table set beside the door. Taking Vince’s coat, he hung it up next to his on the coat rack. The small entry opened up in a large living room. There was a couch and an arm chair by a wall mounted flat screen opposite a lovely wood bar built into the left side of the room.
“Why don’t you take a seat.” Cason’s tone wasn’t an order, exactly, but he wasn’t asking a question either. “Would you like a glass of water?”
“Yes, please.” Vince sat down on the leather couch, his hands stroking the butter soft surface. “This is nice.”
The kitchen was just on the other side of the bar, so Cason could hear Vince easily. “I’m glad you like it. I’m not much for wearing leather, but I do like it for the feeling and smell.”
“I love leather. I have a few toys and some cuffs.”
Cason paused for a second, imagining Vince on his knees with his hands cuffed behind him, a leather half-hood over his head covering up his eyes. He breathed deeply for a minute before he grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice and water from the refrigerator. He walked back into the living room. “Here you go.” He flipped two coasters out of the holder onto the wood table he’d carved. He sat down on the other end of the couch and took a drink before setting down his glass.
“So.” Vince’s hands were clenched around his glass and he was staring at his knees. “Is this where we negotiate?”
Nodding, Cason settled back into the cushions. “It is. I can ask you questions, or you can tell me what your limits are.”
“I… you could ask me?”
“Okay. I remember you like bondage, but don’t like rope.” Vince nodded. “Are you willing to let me tie you up if I used something else, like silk? Or do you like cuffs?”
“I haven’t let anyone tie me up in a while.” His hesitance told Cason volumes.
“We don’t have to incorporate that, if it’s a hard limit for you. I don’t want bad memories to pull you out of your headspace while we’re playing.” Cason could work around that, though he loved to see a man held immobile, quivering as he waited for whatever came next.
“Maybe you could tie me so that I could get out of it, if I really needed to?”
Cason tapped one finger on his knee. “I’ll consider a few things. I have some options for bondage. What about pain? Not everyone feels the same about it.”
“Spankings can be hot, if they start slow. I don’t need it in every scene, though, and I don’t like a lot of pain. Definitely no blood or permanent damage.” Vince glanced up through his eyelashes in a look that was almost coy.
Cason felt a slow smile spread across his face. “Spanking could be fun, if used as foreplay.” With his hand. He could just imagine the taut curves of Vince’s ass slowly turning pink. His cock twitched with interest.
“What about toys?”
“Like?”
“Nipple clamps. Dildos. Cock rings. Though the last one might be considered bondage, there are different types like vibrating cock rings, ball spreaders, glans rings for guys who are uncircumcised… all sorts. I also have some ball straps which can take weights, cock cages. I own many things to play with.”
Vince swallowed. “Weights… that would hang from my balls?”
“It can stretch them beautifully and bring all of your focus to your balls.”
“Would it hurt?”
“I’d say it aches, but it isn’t a sharp pain. I never start a sub out with too much weight. The key is to build slowly.” That was going to be what Cason had to do with every scene; even the one he was already starting to plan. He would build things between them slowly; increasing the intensity bit by bit until he made Vince fly.
“Whatever you want.”
“So those are your limits? No blood or permanent damage? No severe pain? That’s it?” Cason wasn’t surprised that Vince seemed reluctant to speak up with the stories of how his past Dominants had treated him. “What about things like water sports?”
Vince’s nose wrinkled up. “Gross. No.”
Finally, a hard limit with no waffling. “Good. I’m not into that either. What about exhibitionism? Service?” Cason refused to suggest any humiliation play. He wasn’t into it and that would be the last thing that Vince needed. Breaking a sub down and pushing their boundaries didn’t mean breaking their spirit by degrading them.
“Service means what?”
Cason reached for his glass and took a drink, the ice clinking against his teeth. Vince was still holding his glass but he hadn’t taken a drink yet.
“Drink up,” Cason told him. “You need to stay hydrated.” He watched as Vince once again obeyed him immediately, taking a long drink. It pleased him, even if they weren’t playing yet. Clearly the man had a strong submissive streak, even if he didn’t want to live as a sub all the time.
“Service is just like how it sounds. You serve. It can mean taking care of the Dominant physically, or doing things like chores.”
“Doing chores can be a scene?” Vince sounded disbelieving.
Cason shrugged. “You’d be surprised what people get off on. For example, a sub could serve by washing my body in the shower before I let him suck me off. Or, a sub could bring me a drink while he fixed dinner for both of us, then sit blindfolded at my knees while we eat so I can feed him from my fingers. I’d consider that service, because he was taking care of my needs before I took him to my room and took care of his.”
Vince wiped at the droplets of water gathering on the side of his glass in short strokes with his thumbs. “I can’t cook,” he said bluntly. “But I’m not averse to being fed from your fingers.” He licked his lips as he looked down at Cason’s hands.
Cason chuckled. “That does remind me, you’re not allergic to anything, right?”
“No lubes or anything like that. I am allergic to shellfish, but nothing else.”
“Good.” He put his water down and then reached for Vince’s empty glass, setting it on the other coaster. “I think I have a pretty good idea of what you need. We’ve talked enough.”
“We have?” Vince bit his lip.
Standing up, Cason held out a hand to the nervous sub. “Yes. Come with me.” He normally didn’t have to guess what a sub needed. He could tell who needed to be hooded and whipped until they came screaming or who would respond better to being tied up and teased with a feather until they begged to come before their balls exploded.