Dom of Ages (11 page)

I leaned forward, until our faces were scant inches apart. “My thoughts exactly.” And with that I kissed him lightly on the lips. The hitch in his breathing, followed by a soft sigh, was a lovely reaction.

It felt good to be on the same page. Things were definitely looking up.

Eli

JAROD WAS
curled up on the couch, the TV on in the background. Neither of us was really watching it, however. I sat in the recliner, studying him surreptitiously. It had been an odd afternoon. I was so used to working that for a moment the thought of two weeks without it was difficult to contemplate. What were we going to do with our time, for one thing? The idea of getting to know each other worked well in theory, but putting it into practice was another thing entirely.

Jarod had wanted to know about the two rooms that were locked, and that had provided the icebreaker. I’d shown him my little workout room. It wasn’t much, but I made the most of the available space. I’d kept it locked because I hadn’t wanted him to try and clean my multigym: that thing had cost me an arm and a leg. It was a complex-looking machine that I used to work on the various muscle groups. He gazed around, taking in the piles of weights and the barbell on its stand, the bench below it. Dumbbells filled a rack on the wall, and the multigym stood in the corner. Then it was up to my playroom.

He’d stared at my tall cupboard that contained various whips, canes and floggers, paddles, shackles, and other implements. There was a spanking bench that had caught his eye, and it had been several seconds before he’d let his gaze move on to something else. It wasn’t as if I’d gotten much use out of it up until that point: so far, it was virgin territory. Of course, I was looking at it with new eyes, already planning what we could do in here. It was plain from Jarod’s expression that he was doing the same.

Yeah, this was going to work out nicely.

He’d been fairly quiet all day. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to keep talking. I’d done some reading on grief, and Jarod needed to meet it head-on, and stop trying to hide it. If I was to be his master, then he would have to learn to put his trust in me.

I picked up the remote and switched off the TV. Jarod peered at me, his expression neutral.

I got up and moved across to the other end of the couch. “I thought we could talk for a while.” There was one thing we needed to discuss: our sleeping arrangements. I wanted him in my bed from then on, and I wasn’t sure of his reaction. Part of me thought he’d have no problem with it: he’d mentioned missing intimacy, after all.

“Okay.” He half turned toward me, a cushion hugged against his chest.

“Tell me about Phillip, pet. How did the two of you meet?”

His eyebrows arched a bit, and then he gave a slight smile.

“I’d just turned twenty-one, and was living at home with Mum. Dad had died not long before that, and she said she was tired of me being underfoot and insisted I find a job. It took her a few weeks to convince me that I had to do it, but eventually I found work at a restaurant as a waiter. I’d been there three days when an older gentleman walked in and sat in my station.”

“Only three days?” I shook my head in wonder. “It’s as if you were meant to meet each other there.”

His face glowed. “I never thought of it like that.” The soft note of awe in his voice told me the truth of his statement.

“Go on,” I urged him.

Jarod relaxed a little into the couch. “I walked up to his table and introduced myself, and he smiled. My heart skipped a few beats as I gazed into his blue eyes. Master Phillip was never the shy type. When he saw something he wanted, he went for it. I served him his dinner, and then asked if he would be interested in dessert. He asked me what we had on the menu, and I ran off the list of choices. He frowned and said we didn’t have what he really wanted. I offered to try and get it for him, if only he’d tell me what it was.” There was a faraway look in his eyes. “He reached out, took my hand, and said, ‘I want you. Will you come home with me?’”

“Wow.” Phillip reminded me of me, neither of us willing to pass up on something we really wanted, both of us seemingly scared to let go when we’d found it.

“I was flattered that this dashing man had taken a liking to me, and I said I’d love to. He waited in the restaurant bar until I’d finished work, and then he took me home. We made love that night lying in front of a fireplace.” Jarod’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes sparkling. “That night was my first time. When he found out I hadn’t been with anyone yet, he smiled and kissed me, and promised he would make it something to remember.”

“And did he?” I loved the expression on Jarod’s face, lost in a sweet memory.

He gave a shy smile. “He did. The next morning we woke up and made love again. Then I told him I needed to get home. He almost begged to see me again, but by that time he was already under my skin, and I couldn’t deny him.”

For a moment there was a burning in my chest as I contemplated the almost instantaneous connection that had taken place between Jarod and Phillip. How I’d ached to meet someone and have that kind of reaction between us. I pushed aside the pang of jealousy. After all, Jarod was mine now, and we were about to begin our journey together.

Jarod gazed at the rug in front of the couch. “He taught me ways to please him, which included using some light bondage. I never realized how slowly he introduced me to what he liked, but we found that I enjoyed it too. It seemed that he couldn’t get enough of me, and honestly, I would never have enough of him.” Jarod gave a quiet laugh. “I think I fell in love with him when he uttered that corny dessert line.”

I could
hear
the love in his voice for Phillip. It made my heart ache for his loss.

“One night turned to two, then a few weeks, and finally, one month after we met, he told me he didn’t want to share me with anyone, and he asked me to move in with him. He told me he would take care of me, if I would take care of him. I went home to talk to Mum, because I couldn’t think about leaving her alone. She clutched me to her chest, crying what she described as tears of joy, and said I must follow my heart. I did, and I never once regretted it.”

When he stopped speaking, my throat was tight. It wasn’t unheard of that a couple would devote themselves to one another the way that Jarod and Phillip did, but for twenty-four years?

“He must have loved you very much,” I said finally.

“He did. But he was still my master, and even after we were together all those years, I would be punished if I broke one of his rules. Even then, he still showed me he cared. I was sent to my room one night after… I forget what. He sat on my bed and asked me if I understood why I was being punished. Of course I did. Then he pulled the covers to my chin and lay down beside me. I was confused and asked him why. He said
I
was being punished, but he didn’t see why
he
should be too. Eventually he got up and left the room. Even though it hurt to be away from him, I knew he still thought of me as his boy.”

“I envy him,” I said. “To find the one person you will be with for the rest of your life is a rare gift.”

“It wasn’t long enough,” he whispered harshly, as he told me the circumstances of Phillip’s death.

“Hey, come here.” I pulled him to me, putting my arm around him. “It wasn’t as if he went out intending never to come home. If he had saved himself and forgotten about the others, he knew he wouldn’t be the man you loved. And he did love you, I can tell.”

Jarod rested his head on my chest. “He’s never coming home.” His voice shook as if the realization had finally sunk in.

My heart went out to him. “No, pet, he’s not. But he would be so proud of you, just like I am.” I tightened my arm around him.

He lifted his chin and met my gaze. “You are?”

I nodded. “You’re an incredibly strong person. It hurt to go on, but you did it. And now you’re ready to embark on a new journey, hopefully with me.”

He clutched my hand and held it for several moments. “I’d like that,” he finally said.

“I’m glad.” I cupped his cheek and turned his face toward mine. Our gazes locked. Jarod’s breath caught, and he gave the slightest nod before I pressed my lips to his and kissed him, breathing him in. Then we parted, and he leaned once more into me, only this time he snuggled up to me.

I picked up the remote from the coffee table. “Shall we see what’s on?”

I felt rather than saw his nod. We settled down to watch a comedy show, and soon both of us were chuckling, our bodies shaking with mirth.

It was a good end to our first day.

Jarod

I WENT
up the stairs and into my room to get ready for bed. Downstairs I could hear Eli switching off lights and closing doors, then checking the front door was locked. There followed the sound of Eli’s feet on the stairs. He appeared in the doorway, watching me as I undressed down to my briefs.

“Pet? I’d like it if you slept in my bed tonight.”

For a moment I was unsure of how to react. Did he mean just to sleep, or was it a precursor to sex?

Eli smiled. “And just sleep. For the time being, anyway.” His eyes twinkled, and my cheeks grew hot. “That okay?”

I realized with those two words that he wasn’t saying it was a done deal: he was asking me if it was all right. The thought of spending the night in his arms sent a rush of warmth through me.

I’ve really missed that.

“Yes, Sir, that’s more than okay.”

He beamed. “Then get your arse into that bed,” he said with a gleeful expression, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Eli’s good mood was infectious. I was still smiling to myself as I climbed under his soft sheets for the second time in twenty-four hours.

“By the way, I sleep in the nude,” he called from the bathroom. “And when you’re in my bed, so do you.”

I’d always slept naked with Master Phillip, so that was nothing new. So why did the thought of having Eli’s nude body next to mine send shivers tripping along my spine? I reached under the sheets and slipped off my briefs, depositing them on the floor next to the bed.

The bathroom door opened, and Eli entered the room. He stood at the foot of the bed, regarding me in silence. I wondered what he was thinking.

Then he smiled. “You look good in my bed, pet.”

The admission made me
feel
really good.

Slowly he began to undress, pulling his T-shirt up and over his head, revealing his remarkable body. It was a slow, sensuous striptease. Tattoos adorned each arm, adding to the masculine image he exuded. He pulled off his belt and lowered his trousers and underwear. His cock was thick and long.

The warmth I’d experienced suddenly flared into heat. It had been a while since I’d felt the strong pull of desire, but the sight of Eli had my dick hardening beneath the sheets. I watched him come around the bed and pull back the covers to climb in next to me. A sudden rush of shyness flooded through me, sending a hot flush that I could feel spreading from my chest, creeping up my neck until my face felt as if it were on fire.

Eli switched off the lamp, and the room became dark once again. I was aware of his body heat as he drew closer, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into him. He curled up around me, his breath hot on my back and neck, that firm body pressed up against mine.

“Go to sleep, pet. I’ve got you.”

His words made me feel incredibly safe, and comforted by the feel of those strong arms around me, I fell asleep.

Eli

“HOW LONG
have you been a Dom, Sir?”

The question caught me off guard. We’d gone for a walk in Heaton Park. Wednesday had been sunny and warmer than in recent weeks, and I’d made the suggestion to see how Jarod reacted. I didn’t want him to associate the park with his suicide attempt, not when it emerged during conversation that the place had been important to him and Phillip. I felt it important to get him back there. To my relief, he agreed.

We were strolling around the boating lake, although all the boats were safely stored somewhere else. There were people walking slowly along the paths, enjoying the unexpected sunshine.

“I started going to a BDSM club a number of years ago,” I told him as we walked. “There was a very experienced Dom, Derek, who was training me.” Not that I’d gotten as far as I wanted with my training, but that had been taken out of my hands. “Unfortunately, circumstances changed and the training came to a halt.”

“Why? What happened?”

I smiled. “Derek fell in love.” That was an understatement. He’d found himself a sub who simply
doted
on him. It was seeing their relationship that had made me ultimately decide I wanted what they had.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Jarod asked me.

I shrugged. “Yes and no.” When Jarod regarded me, his brow furrowed, I sighed. “I saw what they had, and I thought, yeah, I want that. So when I saw you, I acted rashly. I thought it would all fall into place, just as it had for Derek.” I gave a half smile. “Just goes to show, you should always think before you act.”

“But it all worked out for the best, didn’t it?” he asked, his face pink.

I took a glance around and slipped my hand around his. “Yes, pet, it did.” I loved the way his face lit up, how his hand felt in mine.

Yeah, things were working out nicely.

I knew deep down I was a romantic person, but up till that point I hadn’t let myself be with Jarod. Watching his reaction to such a simple display of affection made me resolve to let out more of that side of my nature. I’d enjoyed sharing a kiss or two with him, cuddling on the couch, snuggling under the covers in bed. We were learning each other, taking our time.

It was right. It was good. And I wanted more.

Eli

I WOKE
up and stretched. Not having to get up at stupid o’clock was
definitely
a luxury, and I still had just over a week to go before I had to be back at work. The bed was comfy, and I had a nice morning erection to play with. It took a moment for me to register that something, or rather, some
one
, was missing. I glanced at the clock: six thirty.
What is he doing up?