A Dom and His Warrior Read online

  “That’s your biggest concern?” Jonathan couldn’t believe it. “I mean, you could be mad at me for springing this on you so suddenly, or overwhelmed because you never thought of it until now, or, I don’t know, generally pissed because I blurted this out during aftercare. Yet you worry about Peyton’s reaction?”

  Leeland tilted his head sideways, grinning at Jonathan like a madman. When Jonathan saw the amused twinkle in Leeland’s eyes, he knew he had walked right into that one.

  Leeland chuckled, obviously seeing the understanding dawn on Jonathan’s features.

  “I’m not completely kidding. Yes, your proposal comes as a bit of a surprise, and, yes, you could have chosen the moment a bit more—carefully. But I’ve been thinking about moving in together as well. I spend a lot of time at your place already, and it’s close enough to Dade and Whisper that commuting isn’t a problem. Unfortunately, Peyton is going to kill me when I move out now. He put a lot of effort into making the apartment perfect, and he somehow even managed to talk Richard into paying for it.”

  Leeland furrowed his brows. “I still don’t know how he did it, though. I mean, Richard has already given me the apartment, which is beyond generous. I didn’t even know it was him paying the bill until Peyton slipped. Till then, I had bought his story that he was doing this for free in exchange for taking pictures from the apartment for his website.”

  Jonathan bit his lip. He remembered the day Leeland had found out about Richard paying the bill. His sweet boy had called the owner of Whisper immediately, telling him he didn’t have to go so far and trying to talk him into at least splitting the bill. Richard had flat-out refused. After about twenty minutes of ranting on Leeland’s side, Richard put an end to the call, using his Dom voice. Leeland had relented, though Jonathan knew he wasn’t happy. Two days later, Jonathan had met Richard and asked him about the whole incident. As it turned out, it was Dean who paid Peyton to do the interiors for Leeland’s apartment. Dean was beyond grateful for Leeland’s help and support during his falling-out with Richard and had wanted to show his appreciation without endangering their friendship over something as mundane as money. After Peyton’s slipup and subsequent blaming of Richard, Richard had agreed to be Dean’s beard. Normally Jonathan didn’t approve of this kind of scheming, but it was for his beloved boy, and nobody knew better than him how stubborn Leeland could be. He deserved everything. Dean had found a way to give him at least a good portion of everything, and Jonathan wasn’t going to argue with that.

  “It’s fine, honey. You can always tell Peyton it’s my fault.”

  Leeland wiggled around until he was on his knees, facing Jonathan, an impish smile brightening his face.

  “You do know he’s going to make you pay for it in some truly horrendous way, don’t you?”

  Jonathan huffed.

  “I’m not afraid of Peyton.”

  “Because you don’t know him that well—yet.”

  Leeland’s voice sounded ominous enough to have Jonathan a tiny bit worried. Peyton had been to his own apartment once when Jonathan had been thinking about renovating. Peyton’s proposal of what could and should be done with the rooms had been enough to scare Jonathan off changing anything.

  Sensing his distress, Leeland pressed a kiss on Jonathan’s mouth. “Don’t worry. He’s probably just going to have a hissy fit. Don’t talk back, and remember to say ‘Yes, Peyton’ at the appropriate moments, and you’re fine.”

  Jonathan huffed. “I’m a Dom. I can deal with a thin streak of nothing like Peyton.”

  Leeland laughed out loud. “Of course you can, Master.” He spread his legs, wincing a bit when the plug inside him seemed to graze his sweet spot, and settled on Jonathan’s thighs. “You’re my Master. My Dom. I love you.”

  Jonathan kissed his boy deeply.

  “And I love you. Does that mean yes?”

  “Yes! Gladly.”

  Jonathan pressed Leeland closer. With the fingers of his right hand, he nudged the base of the plug, sending another shiver through Leeland’s body.

  “Once you have your license, you can have one of the Harleys to drive to Dade and Whisper.”

  Leeland made a surprised sound. “Really?”

  “Yes, boy. Anything to make your life with me comfortable.” Jonathan could understand Leeland’s surprise. His Harleys were his most prized possessions. But Jonathan had realized more than half a year ago that Leeland was even more precious to him. And he would soon have his license.

  “My life with you is perfect. You just keep making it better and better.”

  “Keep the compliments up and my head is going to explode.”

  Leeland chuckled. “Don’t worry. If you get too conceited, I can always challenge you to a round in the gym. That should reduce you to a reasonable size.”

  “Such a sweet-talker.”

  Jonathan knew he stood no chance against Leeland in a fight unless he managed to pin him down with his weight. Usually Leeland was too quick on his feet for that to happen. Having such a strong, self-reliant man submit to him, love him, put up with him, was more than Jonathan deserved, and he had every intention of showing Leeland for the rest of their lives how much he appreciated and loved him.

  They started kissing, and soon the plug was replaced by something a lot more enjoyable for them both.

  Chapter 3

  “HI, LEELAND, Emilio! It’s so good to see you!”

  Leeland couldn’t help but smile at Collin’s eager greeting. The scatterbrained artist was a real doll.

  “Hi, Collin. Thank you for having us!”

  Collin hugged first Leeland, then Emilio. “Don’t mention it. I’m so excited. The others are already here, and Martin is over at Richard’s place, and I ordered food from Mamma’s all on my own, and Dean was right, it really is easy, and we’re going to have pasta and salad and tons of dessert, because dessert is just the best, and Martin has set up the TV for me so I only have to press two buttons.”

  Leeland grinned. For a typical Collin sentence, this one was fairly short. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  They followed the happily bouncing Collin into the huge villa where he and his Dom, Martin Carmichael, co-owner of Club Whisper, lived. Leeland made sure Emilio stayed close to his side. The pretty sub with the dark eyes and sinful lips seemed hesitant, which Leeland could relate to. Martin’s house was huge, the immense wealth of its owner displayed in every little detail, from the polished antique-brass knobs on the doors to the gleaming hardwood floors and sparsely displayed trinkets that screamed money. And that was only the hall. The only thing that dimmed the intimidating feeling a bit were the sketchbooks, brushes, crayons, and pencils scattered around. Leeland knew Martin wanted Collin to keep his art in the conservatory that was his atelier, but it was an impossible demand. Collin worked wherever the muse struck him, and if it happened to be the hall, then he started sketching there, usually forgetting about tidying up afterward. They all had learned to walk carefully in Collin’s home. Slipping on a pencil was not funny. On their way to where the others were, they passed a wall that had been blank the last time Leeland had visited. Now it sported a huge sketch of a naked man with half-spread wings, a collar around his neck, and a chain in his hands. The end of the chain was drawn in a way that it turned into a flock of butterflies flying along the wall. There wasn’t any color yet, but the drawing was already mesmerizing.

  “This is beautiful, Collin.”

  Collin stopped and looked at the wall with his head tilted to the right.

  “I know. We were just back from Whisper a few days ago, and when Martin opened the door, I saw some moths dancing in the light above the entrance, and it struck me how much wings are connected to subs, and how important it is to fly, and how the chains really help us, how it all transcends, and I couldn’t stop drawing, and I already know what colors I need, and I’m so glad Martin said it was okay to use the wall, because it just has to be here, and I can’t imagine it being on canvas for some reason, thou
gh I need to get some real chains to work into it.”

  Leeland smiled. It was cute how excited Collin became whenever he talked about his work. It was also refreshing to spend time with somebody who had such a unique view of the world.

  Now Collin led them into the living room, where Dean, Richard’s husband, Peyton, Dean’s friend and interior design genius, and Curtis, gallery owner and Collin’s agent, were lounging on the two gigantic cream-colored sofas dominating the room.

  “Look who’s here!”

  Peyton jumped up from where he was seated to hug first Leeland, then Emilio. Dean and Curtis followed his example. From the corner of his eye, Leeland watched as Dean embraced Emilio. The young man stiffened for a moment before he relaxed. When Dean’s parents had tried to take his niece—now daughter—Emily away from him almost a year ago, they had hired a PI to find incriminating proof that Dean and Richard weren’t able to take care of a baby. Because the security at Whisper was too tight for an outsider to just walk in, the PI threatened Emilio and forced him to take pictures of Dean and Richard in their leathers at Whisper. Emilio had been smart enough not to photograph anything explicitly sexual, figuring the pictures would then be worthless, which was the reason Richard and Martin hadn’t fired him from his job at Whisper. He had received his punishment but was still a bit wary around Dean, as if he couldn’t believe the writer had truly forgiven him. Leeland smiled. Dean was a generous man who had welcomed Emilio with open arms into their little gang of subs.

  The doorbell rang, causing Collin to race outside again.

  “The food!”

  Only a few moments later, two men carried huge warming boxes with the logo of Mamma’s on the side into the living room. The enticing smell made Leeland’s mouth water. Curtis inhaled deeply, then furrowed his brows.

  “Shouldn’t we take this into the kitchen?”

  Collin looked confused. “Why?”

  “Because this is the living room, not the dining room?” Curtis gave the impression that he was trying to hold back a laugh.

  Still, Collin didn’t seem to understand. “We don’t eat here?”

  Dean slung an arm around Collin’s waist. “It’s your house, sweetie. We eat wherever you want. Mr. Gentleman over there just doesn’t know you can eat in the living room. It’s an alien concept to him.”

  Dean threw Curtis a mischievous smile, one the older man answered very maturely by sticking out his tongue.

  Collin’s eyes had become huge. “You don’t eat in the living room?”

  Curtis grinned. “As Dean said, this is your house. We eat where you want. I was merely—surprised by your choice of location.”

  Collin sighed in relief.

  “I think it’s nice to eat here. The couch is very comfortable. Peyton chose it. And today we don’t have to worry about Dog stealing everything from our plates because Martin has taken him over to Richard’s on a play date with Donar and Thor and Wilma and Fred, although he might be a bit disappointed because Dean said Emily is already asleep and Dog loves to play with her as well.”

  Leeland shared a look with Dean. It had been a surprise to everybody except Collin how well the sharp dog got along with the two dogs of Dean’s father-in-law and the two cats Richard had gotten for Emily.

  “Collin, sugar, we still need silverware and plates. I don’t mind roughing it here, but I absolutely won’t eat from the same crate as all of you. For that, there’s not nearly enough alcohol involved.” Peyton flashed his most charming smile. “And if any of you get a stain on the couch or the carpet, I’m going to string up your balls, and not in a good way.”

  When they all stared at him, he shrugged. “Hey, it was a nightmare getting those couches.”

  After that warning, Leeland helped Curtis and Collin to carry the cutlery into the living room. Peyton had already opened the different boxes, and the heavenly smell of pasta permeated the air.

  Leeland licked his lips. “What have you gotten?”

  Collin blushed. “I didn’t know what everyone wanted, so I asked them to send over a selection of their pasta dishes, some salad, and lots of dessert.”

  “You mean lots of tiramisu.” Leeland grinned when Collin looked at Dean for help.

  “I think tiramisu is the perfect choice.” Dean patted Collin’s hand reassuringly. “If you don’t want it, all the better. More for us.”

  “Hey, don’t even dream about hogging all that creamy goodness! We want our share, am I right, Emilio?” Peyton nudged the youngest man in their midst with his elbow.

  Emilio looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Leeland wasn’t sure if Emilio was a shy person or if his years spent on the streets had made him that way. Now he was squirming under the combined attention of all the men.

  “I… I probably shouldn’t eat anything. Master Garrett has me on a strict diet.”

  Leeland furrowed his brows. In the back of his mind, an alarm started shrilling. Emilio had started doing scenes with Master Garrett about four months ago. Two months later, the master had asked him out on their first date. Until now Leeland had the impression that everything was going well between the two. Emilio seemed to thrive on the attention and care he received from Master Garrett.

  “Why would he have you on a diet?” Curtis beat Leeland to the question.

  Emilio blushed a deep red. “He wants to build up my stamina. For our scenes. He… Master Garrett can be very intense. He wants me to be able to get through the rougher scenes without passing out at the end. I’m going to his studio five times a week.”

  So that made sense and wasn’t the bad scenario Leeland had anticipated. Still, it felt somehow off. As if Emilio wasn’t entirely happy. Leeland could also see where Master Garrett was coming from. The man owned a string of high-class gyms all over the States. He was his own best advertisement, a perfectly built stud with not an ounce of fat marring his beautifully sculpted muscles. Emilio was—normal. He had the build of a young man who spent his time working and studying. Gym rat material he was not. Looking closer at him, Leeland detected some changes in Emilio’s physique. His upper arms in the plain green polo shirt he wore seemed more defined, his chest a bit broader than it used to be. Yes, he was definitely training.

  “Did he say anything about food restrictions for tonight? I mean, he must have known there would be food here.” Dean sounded apprehensive.

  Emilio shook his head. “He didn’t say anything. But last time I failed to keep to the diet, he made me wear a cock cage throughout the weekend, fucking me whenever he pleased. Monday morning he took it off, sent me home, and forbade me to come for the entire week.”

  A collective wince came from Dean and Curtis. Leeland shuddered. Cock cages were mean. And Master Garrett was one of the strictest Doms at Whisper, even stricter than Richard and Martin, who were saps at heart and so firmly wrapped around Dean’s and Collin’s respective pinkies that it wasn’t funny anymore. Jonathan had a bit more bite, but he, too, could easily be swayed with a pout or a pleading look. It was interesting how love could change a person.

  “The question is, do you want to be punished?”

  Peyton’s voice tore Leeland from his musings. As always, the lively blond struck at the heart of the matter. Earning a punishment could be a fun thing, depending on the kind of punishment a Dom dished out. Even cock cages had their merits, though Leeland wasn’t too keen on them.

  Emilio seemed torn. “I don’t know. He’s so strict.”

  “I guess not telling him is out of the question?”

  Peyton sounded matter-of-fact. Curtis shook his head.

  “A sub doesn’t lie to his master. At least, not in a functioning relationship. Absolute honesty is very important in BDSM.”

  “And you guys wonder why I don’t want to give the pain ride a try.” Peyton threw his hands in the air. “Make your choice, Emilio. Are you going to be naughty?”

  The way Peyton said it had them all cracking a smile. Even Emilio, who still looked torn.

  “Mayb
e just a bit. If it’s only a small portion….”

  “Okay, that’s settled. I’m starving!”

  With that Peyton grabbed a plate and started loading it with the different pasta variations. They all followed suit, Emilio included, who put about four strands of spaghetti aglio e olio on his plate before he settled down next to Leeland. For some time, happy silence ruled.

  When their worst hunger was sated, or, at least Peyton’s worst hunger, he looked around with an adventurous gleam in his eyes they all had come to dread.

  “Any juicy news for us to chew on?”

  Leeland tensed, hoping one of the others would come up with something outrageous that would keep them occupied the entire evening. He had no such luck. One after another, the men shook their heads. Collin and Martin were still discussing the perfect date for their wedding, and before that date was set, Martin had forbidden them to talk about the wedding itself because it worried Collin when he was confronted with so many choices. Leeland was almost sure Martin would hire a wedding planner at some point, just to keep his boy from stressing out. Even Dean didn’t seem to have any news on the surrogate front, a topic that always kept them well-entertained. About five months ago, Richard and Dean had found a surrogate who was now trying to get pregnant. The first round had failed, and Dean was still disappointed. Hopefully the next try would be successful.

  Leeland took a deep breath. He would have to tell them eventually, and with the others present, Peyton would perhaps not lose it completely.

  “Uhm, I kind of… have news.”

  Leeland felt all eyes on him. A cold tingle ran up his spine. This was going to be a massacre.

  “Jonathan asked me to move in with him and I—agreed.”

  The room erupted in chaos.

  “Leeland, how wonderful! Congratulations!” That was Dean.

  “Ohh, moving can be fun, you find so much stuff you never knew you had, it’s like an adventure!” Collin added.

  “Congratulations, Leeland. You and Jonathan are such a good couple. I’m sure this will be great.” Curtis, kind and supportive as always, with a trace of sadness and longing in his eyes.