Healing Hark (Doms of Chicago) (4 page)

Hark lifted the baby off the couch and leaned back, cradling her against his chest. “Great, just what I need. To watch my former master with his new submissive.”

“Master Rai? Are we talking about the same man? A slim little oriental? He was
your
master?”

Hark chuckled and caught Sophia's little hand. “What? You've seen him in action. What makes you think that he couldn't master me? He's not much smaller than George was.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I guess you got me there. So Olivia wants you to stay with him and Bryan? Are you a masochist?”

“Not really. Though I will admit a good flogging does center me.” He blew bubbles on Sophia's palm.

“So what are you going to do?” Zhenya asked.

“I don't honestly know. I don't relish the idea of staying in a hotel for month, even if Olivia has offered to pay for it. But at the same time, staying at Rai's, watching him with his new submissive, isn't my idea of a picnic. Even though I know Olivia's heart's in the right place.”

“Tough decision.” Gabriel agreed.

“Yeah.” He bounced Sophia lightly, making the little girl giggle again.

“Well, I say you go for it.” Zhenya took Sophia from him.

Surprise flared through him. “You do?”

“Yes.” She gave him a smile. “Think about it. Didn't you say you were tired of being alone? Of being numb?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but I wasn't thinking about moving in with my former master and lusting after him.”

“But you're feeling again, right?” She pointed out.

“True.” He sighed.

“Then do it. See where it leads. If it gets to be too much, you can always leave. Take the chance. The hotel is always there, but this chance to live with Rai probably won't be.”

She had a point, he realized. “Yeah, I know. But it still doesn't make the decision any easier.”

Bryan paused as he pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer. He closed his eyes and prayed for patience as the doorbell echoed through the house a second time. He wasn't a hundred percent sure of this plan that Diachi and Olivia had come up with, but he had to trust his master. Setting the basket of laundry on top of the dryer, he left the laundry room and headed upstairs to answer the door. He'd taken the morning off at Diachi's insistence. He wanted Bryan to be the one to welcome Hark to their home.

“I can't believe I'm doing this.” But as he snagged the silk kimono off the hook next to the door and slipped it on, he knew he’d do almost anything his Master asked. Thankful the robe fell past his knees, he braced himself for the brisk wind as he opened the door. Winter in Chicago was no place for running around in a robe. But all thoughts left him as he took in the guy standing on his porch.

The huge behemoth of a man stood with his back to Bryan as he gazed out at the street. The long dark braid hanging between the man’s shoulder blades was like a thick line of black ink against the cream-colored leather jacket he wore. A pair of faded jeans cupped a spectacular ass and thick thighs before giving way to a pair of what looked to be handcrafted leather boots. He couldn’t stop the gasp that passed his lips. Of all things he'd expected, this wasn't it. Sure Diachi had told him Hark was a big man, but as the man turned at his sound, he hadn't been prepared for the reality of it. Sharp planes, a strong jaw, coupled with a nose that
looked to have been broken in the past, and a pair of gray eyes that seemed to see everything were far from beautiful, but were captivating just the same. This was the man his lover wanted him to welcome into their home?

“Hello.” The man gazed at him steadily. “You must be Bryan? Olivia said you were expecting me?”

The deep timber of his voice stroked over Bryan and his dick stirred at the sound.
What the hell? Get it together, Sterling
.
You
are not
lusting after this man.
He crossed his arms over his chest, already at the defensive. Not because of the man in front of him, but his body’s reaction to him. “Yes. Mistress Olivia called the last night. You must be Harkahome?”

Hark nodded. “Hark, though, if you don’t mind. Only my mother and one previous master called me Harkahome.” Hark seemed to take in the kimono he wore. “There’s no need to fear me. I promise I have no designs on your body as attractive as it is. I may be a switch, but I don’t tread where I’m not welcome, so you can relax. I’m not going to jump you.”

Bryan’s arms dropped to his side, taken back at Hark’s bluntness. “Excuse me?”

“Well, it’s obvious
you’re uncomfortable with my presence, and seeing you’re probably nude under the robe unless Master Rai has changed in the past twenty years…” He shrugged. “… I wanted to set you at ease. Believe me, I appreciate your generosity at allowing me to stay. I really wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in a hotel for a month. They frown upon the sawdust I tend to create.”

Confusion washed over Bryan. How the hell had they gone from talking about his
personal safety to sawdust? “Sawdust?”

Hark smiled faintly. “I like to whittle. So I tend to leave sawdust and shavings of wood in my wake. No matter how careful I am.” He leaned down to grab the two bags Bryan hadn’t noticed at his feet. “Which is why Teresina banned all my wood working tools to the basement. But why don’t we go in before you catch your death of a cold. That damned wind is brutal today.”

“Yeah, inside.” He wondered if he looked as lost as he felt. A brisk breeze brushed over him and under his robe, reminding him he was standing in nothing more than his kimono on his porch in January. Not his wisest move, considering he lived in Chicago.

He stepped back to allow Hark to pass into the house. Shutting the door behind him, Bryan turned and wondered what the other man was thinking as he took in the open space and minimalist furnishings of the living room. “As you can see this is the living room.” He stopped next to Hark. “The side facing us is our game area. Master enjoys our game nights and the table is perfect for playing...”

“Chess or checkers. Yes, I remember Diachi's fascination with the game the first time I brought out the checker board.”

A surprised sound escaped him. “You were the sub
who taught him how to play?”

Hark shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, growing up as the only illegitimate child of my mother’s clan
, I didn't have many friends, so I spent my nights playing board games with my mother.”

Bryan chewed on his lower lip, suddenly contrite. Now he felt like an ass. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories.”

“You didn't. I loved my mother, and teaching Diachi to love the games as much I as did is a fond memory. It pleases me to see he still enjoys them. I’m also happy to know what happened between us didn't ruin that.” Hark shifted his attention to the other side of the room. “Ah, a fireplace. Your master always wanted one, but in Arizona it was too hot most of the year to justify having one. Not that we could've afforded it on struggling student's income.” A smile tugged at the corner of Hark's mouth. “Does he make S'mores on it?”

Dazed at the ease Hark seemed to have in his presence, he only nodded.

“Good, it's nice to know he’s achieved one of his dreams.”

“Dreams?” Everything seemed surreal to Bryan. The last thing he’d expected when welcoming his Master’s former submissive into his home was for Hark to reminisce about the life he’d shared with Diachi.

“Yes. When we were together, eating pork and beans and franks out of a can for the millionth time, we'd talk about what we wanted in our future. It wasn't just save the world type of things. Simple things …like one day owning a fireplace where we could roast marshmallows and make S’mores.” Hark shifted a bit. “But I can see my familiarity is making you uncomfortable, so I'll stop. If you could show me where I'm to stay, I'll get out of your hair.”

“Ah, sure. Follow me.” He led Hark through the kitchen and to the open doorway leading to the basement. Flicking on the light in deference to Hark
, who wouldn't be familiar with the steps, he padded back down to the basement. “Our guest room is down here, along with our offices and laundry room, which is why it took me so long to answer when you rang the doorbell.” He gestured to the laundry room. “Laundry is over there, the two doors on the left are the offices. I do occasionally work down here, but you're more apt to see Master down here than me. He doesn't make a lot of noise usually, if you don't count the quiet cursing he indulges in when his clients won't listen to reason.”

Hark nodded. “Probably much like the way he used to curse at the professors who assigned homework over our school breaks.”

“Yeah, probably. He never screams, but just lets loose a bunch of Japanese curses I’m afraid to ask the meaning of. Anyway, you probably won’t see me down here much other than to work on laundry. I usually try not to bring work home, but Master doesn't normally work outside the house, other than a few business meetings here and there. Which is where he is this morning.” Bryan opened the door to the guest room. “He owns a consulting business where he fixes broken companies. His area of expertise is in streamlining them to make them more profitable.”

Hark joined him in the open doorway. “That doesn't surprise me in the least.
It’d suit the Diachi I used to know.”

“Yeah.” He flipped the switch next to the door, then scowled when a loud buzz filled the room but no light came on. “Oh, for Christ's Sakes. I asked Master to have someone come in and fix th
is. Stay here for a second. I don't want you to kill yourself in here. There's a light by the bed that works.”

* * * *

Hark sighed as he watched the dark figure make his way across the darkened room. The meager light spilling into room from the hall was just enough for him to make out the bed and Bryan. As the man bent over to fiddle with the light, he stifled his groan. Inwardly, he cursed his good eyesight. Even without being able to clearly see him, his imagination was quickly filling in the details of what Bryan's ass would like pressed against the silk. He hadn't expected to be attracted to his former master's current sub. But when he'd turned at the home’s entrance and saw the blond standing in nothing more than a silk robe, his desire to strip away the offending material had been strong. Only the self-control he'd honed in the service had kept him from acting. If he'd met Bryan around the time he'd met Diachi, he'd have been torn, wanting both men, but for opposite reasons.

“Shit.” The light on the nightstand flared briefly then went out. “I can't believe this. The damn bulb’s burnt out.”

“It happens. Perhaps it's a sign I shouldn't be here,” he said softly. As a Navajo, he had strong beliefs in balance of everything around him.

“Nonsense.” Bryan straightened. “We haven't used this room in a while. Can you go over to the laundry room? Under the sink is a package of halogen bulbs.”

He nodded, then remembered Bryan couldn't see his head nod as he dropped his bags. “Sure. Under the sink. I'm setting my bags down next to the door. Be careful you don't trip over them if you come back this way.”

“Yeah, no problem. I'll stay right here.”

Darting across the hall, he found the bulbs. Taking one out, he cradled it in his palm. Fragile. Just like he felt. His body hummed with awareness even as his emotions felt exposed. The unexpected attraction to Bryan had him wondering about the sanity of staying under the same roof as them.
I promised I'd try. Zhenya and Gabriel will be disappointed if I don't make it at least one night
. Taking a few deep breaths, he reminded himself he was strong and he'd get through this. His body returning to life was going to be uncomfortable.

“I found them.” He spoke clearly from the doorway so as not to startle Bryan. With the dark shadows it looked as if Bryan had sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Great.” Bryan stood and made his way around the bed. Deciding to meet him half way, Hark moved further into the room, never seeing the obstacle in his path. He cursed low under his breath when his knee hit something solid which sent him stumbling into Bryan. The other man cried out and grabbed at Hark's jacket. The unexpected tug so high up on his body pulled him further off balance. Dropping the light bulb, he wrapped his arms around Bryan, trying to keep them both upright.

“Dammit,” he cursed when he realized he was too far off balance to keep from falling. Twisting awkwardly, he tried his best to not land on Bryan, but in the end found himself half under the other man with his back pressed against the floor. Warm bare skin from where Bryan’s robe had opened rubbed against the taut plane of Hark’s belly where his own t-shirt had ridden up. The heavy weight of Bryan against his groin had a predictable effect. His erection rubbed against Bryan's exposed mid-drift.

“Fuck.” Bryan tried to scramble off him.

Hark groaned, as the man's knee found his balls, in his frantic effort to get away. He tried but fail
ed to suck in a breath as severe pain hit him low and hard. His erection went limp as he rolled free of Bryan, drawing his knees up to his chest to keep from vomiting.

“Shit. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to land on you. Are you okay?” Concern seemed to lace his words.

“In a second...” he gasped, waiting for the waves of pain to recede.

“Hark...” The sudden touch of hands against his back had Hark jerking back.

“Don't.” He gritted out.

“I...okay.” Judging by his voice, Bryan was on his right and sounded hurt.

He wanted to assure the man it was just as much his fault as it was Bryan's, but the agony in his nuts hadn't relented yet. Finally the feeling eased and Hark was able to draw in a breath without puking. He slowly sat up.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just you got a killer knee there, young man. I can't remember the last time someone nailed me that hard. Maybe Alex.”

“Alex?” He could hear the confusion in Bryan's voice.

“My second-son. Those little white kids shoes are killer on the gonads.”

A hesitant laugh came from Hark's left this time. “Hey, don't be moving around. I dropped the light bulb when we fell. It could be broken.” His warning was too late as Bryan cried out in pain. “Bryan?”

“I found the light bulb.” Bryan’s tone was pain-laced.

“Shit. We’re a real pair.” Rising to his feet, he growled. “Don’t move. I mean it. You’re barefoot. Stay put. I’m going to go get another bulb.”

“Yeah…okay.”

* * * *

Several minutes later, Hark examined the wound on Bryan's knee. Sitting on the guest bed with the lights on, Bryan winced when he used the tweezers to pull out a rather vicious looking piece of glass. “When's the last time you had a tetanus shot?”

“Ah...about a year ago? I sliced my hand open on a can. Master made me get one.”

Hark nodded. “Good.” Setting the tweezers down next to the open first aid kit, he pulled out a small brown bottle. Bryan sucked in a deep breath and tried to scoot away when he opened it. “Where are you going?”

“Ah...nowhere, but I'll give you twenty bucks if you don't put that on me.”

He glanced down at the bottle. “You've got to be kidding me. You're scared of a little peroxide?”