Deviations: Submission (2 page)

Tobias sighed dramatically and nodded. "Really, Brian, try to at least act like a waiter when you're at work," he teased.

Noah covered a grin with the backs of his fingers and nodded a greeting to Brian, then followed Tobias to the table.

Tobias noted with some interest that Noah waited for him to sit first, seemingly out of habit, before pulling out a chair for himself.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tobias asked as he shook out his napkin.

"San Pellegrino for me, please? With a twist," Noah answered smoothly.

Tobias nodded to Brian. "Ice water is fine for me, and Noah will be joining me for the trout, thank you."

Brian nodded once and flashed them both a grin before darting away.

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Deviations: Submission

by Jodi Payne, Chris Owen

"You do know," Tobias said thoughtfully, "that we've just become the discussion in the kitchen?"

Noah looked over his shoulder as Brian disappeared around a corner then looked back at Tobias. "Really? Are you that popular?" He leaned back in his chair. "Forgive me, I don't mean to be rude, but ... I'm here nearly every weekend and I can't say I've ever seen you around before. How do you know Brian?"

Tobias sipped his water as he studied the man before him.

A player, a trained sub, that much was obvious. But at the club every weekend and, Tobias assumed, usually unattached, which meant he was looking for something.

Interesting. Military haircut, but without the usual bravado-though that could have been trained out of him.

He'd learned long ago that there was little to be gained from hiding the truth for no reason, so he set his glass down and sat back in his chair. "I've been a member here for nineteen years," he said. "My visits have been somewhat sporadic over the last few years, however. Brian and I had a session about a year ago-he was badly in need of a spanking."

The last was timed to coincide with Brian's arrival at the table with Noah's drink. He set it down and whispered something to Noah, then fled.

Noah snorted and grinned, then laughed softly. "He corroborates your story," he informed Tobias, reaching for his lime to squeeze it into his glass. "Nineteen years. I see why we're now the subject of discussion in the kitchen.

Impressive." He picked up his glass and raised it to Tobias 11

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before taking a sip. "So what brings you here tonight in particular, other than dinner, of course?"

There was, Tobias allowed, also a time to decide how much truth to let out. In this case it might just be best to keep the important aspects to the fore-especially with a man who used words like corroborates. "Probably the same thing that brings you here-a need to fulfill, a hunger to satisfy."

"Bradford hasn't steered me wrong yet," Noah said and swallowed back another sip of his water. "So I'm going to presume I'm capable of what you're looking for, unless you see any reason to feel differently?"

"That depends entirely on what your particular taste is,"

Tobias said evenly. "There's little sense in going into any situation blind, as I'm sure you're aware. That Bradford thinks we'd do well together is a good sign, but we can make up our minds. Do you like pain?"

Noah leaned backing his chair and looked at Tobias thoughtfully. "That's a relative question. Do I like stubbing my toe on the coffee table, no. Do I appreciate the sting of a flogger wielded by a man that knows how to use it?

Absolutely. I'm rather versatile and I have a lot of depth in that regard, though I'd prefer it to be purposeful."

"Purposeful." Tobias nodded slowly and saw Brian returning with a tray. "For punishment or discipline?" he asked. "You may wish to wait a moment before answering."

Brian, trained to recognize the signs of negotiation, waited until Tobias nodded before approaching this time. Quickly and efficiently he began to lay out the plates, placing Tobias'

carefully in front of him.

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Deviations: Submission

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Noah sat up. "This smells great." He smiled and set his glass down on the table. "Can I get another?" he asked, pointing to it. "Thanks." He waited until Brian had moved away before answering and, Tobias noted, didn't pick up his fork. "Tonight? Discipline. My terms are simple: no humiliation, water sports, full deprivation or cages, the usual limits with regard to marks."

Tobias nodded. "What tools do you like? I can use them all, and well, but I prefer a flogger or crop. And do you have limits on bondage, aside from full deprivation?" He picked up his fork and flaked the trout carefully. "Oh, this is lovely," he murmured as the meat came off the bone.

"Crops and floggers are fine, whatever toys turn you on,"

Noah grinned at Tobias and tried a bite of the trout. "Very nice," he commented and mulled over another bite before continuing. "Hm. Bondage I'll defer to your comfort level, I'm broad in that regard as well-oh, and I don't feel the need for safe words ... unless that makes you uncomfortable?" Noah was a bit more confident about meeting his eyes this time, and seemed to be studying Tobias' reaction carefully.

Tobias raised an eyebrow and set his fork down. "Only in the sense that it's incredibly stupid. You'll use both a warning word and a safeword with me." He picked up his glass and leaned back in his chair, watching the man.

Noah didn't agree or disagree immediately. Instead he took a taste of the rice pilaf and considered it carefully before swallowing. His words felt like a test, as if Noah were trying to size him up without asking direct questions. "You know, I joined this club for a reason. The Doms here are well 13

Deviations: Submission

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screened. Most I've had sessions with are quite skilled and know their own abilities-within this pool of men, I don't think it's quite as stupid as you seem to feel."

Tobias found the man intriguing, though he doubted very much that Noah would use a safeword at this point even if he needed it. He wasn't sure if he could trust him to play entirely safely, which meant ... which meant that they would play Tobias' way. Entirely.

Oh, this was a lovely birthday gift. He'd have to thank Bradford, even if Noah didn't.

"All right," he said, finishing his trout and turning to the rice at last. "My way. Two words of your choice, or we don't play. Bondage choice is mine, I'll use a flogger, no warm up, and you give me a convincing reason why you need to be disciplined. No blood, no marks, but you will ache. We stop when you say the word or I tire. I may start again. If you're interested in actually giving up real control when it matters, we can discuss that once you've earned a little trust. Oh, and do you want to be fucked?"

Noah nodded and seemed satisfied by Tobias' rules, appearing to be just as intrigued with Tobias. He washed down what was evidently his last bite of a still more than half-full plate and put his fork down. "Fine. Yellow and red, we'll discuss real control when and if you feel it's appropriate, dinner was a fine warm up, and sex is preferable in my opinion, but then let's see where the session takes us. I'll leave the do-or-don't up to you. We have an agreement?"

Smiling at the man's attitude, Tobias finished a mouthful of rice and gathered another, taking his time. He'd always found 14

Deviations: Submission

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the opening negotiations to be an apéritif of sorts, and this one was no exception. Noah was a complete unknown and already wonderfully complex. "I'd say so," he said in a low voice, looking at Noah to watch him submit. To enjoy it.

"Yes."

Noah nodded, took one more long sip of his water, then straightened his shoulders, folded his hands in his lap and dropped his eyes to the table. "If it pleases you, sir, and since we are working with safe words," Noah paused, choosing his words carefully. "I need most to be still and to let go. To trust. It's been too long since I've been able to do that." He sighed, and it was clear to Tobias that Noah was giving him not teasing, playful words to fill an evening, but an honest account of his needs. They weren't given lightly, and Tobias had to wonder if Noah was this open with everyone, or if he had seen something in Tobias that made him want to take a more honest leap. "I need to focus on pleasing you, and not require reasons where there is only your will. I need to fully submit."

Tobias said nothing for a moment, merely ate his rice and let himself settle into the proper headspace. "All right then,"

he said in a low voice. "You may kneel beside me while I finish my supper, and then we'll go upstairs. You will be still, but you needn't be silent; if you have questions, feel free to ask, though I will answer at my discretion."

"Thank you, sir," Noah answered softly. He stood, moved alongside Tobias and knelt slowly at his side.

Tobias watched him, pleased that the man had good posture. His back was straight, his head was up and his eyes 15

Deviations: Submission

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were down. His hands, folded in his lap again, were still. He was definitely well trained; Tobias drank the last of his water and wondered idly who'd had the pleasure of teaching him, and if he'd learned from fear or affection.

Brian stood watching in the doorway, and Tobias raised his glass, asking for more water. Immediately the waiter walked over, ignoring Noah. "Sir?"

Tobias smiled at him and held out his glass for Brian to fill.

"Thank you. Please fetch my room key from the desk. We'll be going up in a few minutes."

"Of course," Brian murmured, leaving quickly. He really was a good boy, if a little unrestrained at times. He knew when to behave, though-for the most part.

Tobias glanced down at Noah and wondered if he knew the same thing. "No questions, boy?"

Noah took advantage of the opening. "With your permission to ask, sir, earlier this evening you spoke of a hunger and a need to fulfill. I can satisfy you better if I understand what it is you hunger for." Noah didn't move; only the slow rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed caused him to stir at all.

It was a fair question, if a piercing one. Tobias considered his answer as he finished the rice, making sure he'd swept up each grain. "I have several," he said, laying his fork across his empty plate and picking up his water glass. "Some are more pressing than others, at the moment. Tonight I require the use of your body-mine to pose, to tie, to manipulate. I need to control your reactions, which means that all you really need to do is feel and be honest. If I want you to 16

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scream, it's up to me to make it happen. That's what I hunger for. I want your submission and your honesty."

Noah nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said, "I have one other question. I am curious whether you have a regular sub, or if your reappearance at the club means you have recently lost one?" This was uncertain territory for a submissive to enter, and its weight was evident in Noah's respectful tone.

Tobias' smile faded a little, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"I'd tell you that it's none of your business, but I suspect that there are many who'd happily tell you," he said calmly. "I have no regular submissive, and I have not recently lost one.

In point of fact, I've never 'lost' one. The rest is not something I'm prepared to discuss at this point."

Noah nodded, "Yes, sir," he answered and fell silent and, Tobias suspected, thoughtful.

Brian once more appeared in the door and Tobias stood, not looking down at Noah but utterly confident that the man's training would be basic enough to not disappoint him at this point. "Come, boy," he said softly.

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Deviations: Submission

by Jodi Payne, Chris Owen

Chapter 3

Brian waited, his body still for once, and held a key out to Tobias as he approached. "Room three, sir. Have a pleasant evening."

"Thank you, Brian. Good night." He turned right and walked to the staircase, not able to resist glancing in the wall mirror as he passed it. The mirror was actually placed there for just such a reason-for Doms to check their subs without turning their heads. Very much an effective tool; the Doms either used it or didn't, and the subs tended to loathe it if their training was weak-or if they were.

The glance at the mirror didn't disappoint, and as Tobias had expected it had a profound effect even on one with Noah's apparent experience. Noah's shoulders went straighter still, his chin up, but his eyes remained studiously lowered.

He didn't reach for the handrail or check his stride but remained carefully in step behind Tobias as they ascended to the second floor.

Tobias moved a little more quickly, satisfied that he'd get at least part of what he wanted, and he was eager to find out if he'd have the rest. It had been far too long since he'd been here, and he knew it. But now he felt it too, a frisson of excitement tingling its way up his spine. He unlocked the door and strode in, crossing to the large armoire while he listened for the door to latch behind Noah.

He heard the click, the rest of the sound deadened by thick carpet and soundproofed walls. "Strip," he ordered as he threw open the doors to the cabinet. The scent of leather 18

Deviations: Submission

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poured over him and he loosened his tie absently, then turned to watch Noah undress.

"Yes, sir," Noah answered and began with his boots, bending over to loosen the buckle before toeing them off and setting them by the door. His vest was next, and Tobias could see a little of Noah's perfectionist streak as he tried to find a way to set the vest down without creasing the fine leather.

Noah settled on draping it gently over his boots. Tobias hid a grin, thinking Noah would have been much happier with a coat hanger.

Next, Noah unbuttoned his shirt, leaving it open and hanging on his shoulders as he slid out of his jeans to reveal black boxer briefs.

Tobias let himself enjoy the sight; he'd often found that frank appreciation of another man's body was worth almost as much as an encouraging word, and this was certainly a body worthy of admiration. Strong legs with well-formed thighs, narrow hips, and then a tight, flat belly; the open shirt was a tease, hanging from broad shoulders. He nodded, mostly to himself. Definitely a body that worked hard, but not built up to levels which suggested obsession.