Percolation Play (Leather and Lattes #3)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

T hirty was the new age for a midlife crisis.

Divorced from high school sweetheart? Check.

Moved across the country? Check.

Confusing thoughts on sexuality? Check.

Kai ran a hand through his hair for the thousandth time since he set out from his apartment. He’d signed up for this class at the prompting of the overly friendly people he’d met at the munch at Whipped, which was a surefire way to test the waters with kink. However, this scene and this city were so fucking new.

After spending his whole life in Collier’s Creek, where everyone knew everything about everybody, the move to San Francisco had flipped him upside down. It was the equivalent of smoking a ton of pot, gorging on cotton candy, and riding the Tilt-o-Whirl for an hour. Kai knew the results of that intimately.

He tugged on the hem of his Henley, regretting his choice of attire. The people there would probably be wearing leather harnesses or body latex, but he was woefully lacking in fetish wear. Granted, even if he did have leather pants or a fishnet shirt, no outfit would make him feel like any less of an amateur.

A car honked as it zipped by, but whether the blare was at him for his slow walking or for kicks, who the fuck knew? The San Francisco streets were chaotic and colorful, and the breezes that ripped through the city had inspired his long sleeves. Their chill was hell on his joints, but thankfully not as hellish as the weather shifts back in Collier’s Creek. Joys of the new situation. He was lucky it wasn’t a flare day.

Bitterness flooded his veins, which wasn’t the best headspace to try domming for the first time. However, the class would be supervised, and if he needed to, he could always sit back and watch. At the end of the block, the familiar sign of Whipped, with its sharp black lettering, came into view. Rainbow flags rippled out front, which fit, since everyone who worked there was queer. His heart thumped a little harder.

The slap of his shoes against the pavement reverberated up his legs, a reminder that his knees were crankier than normal. The default plan today would be to find a pretty female sub and pair up with her. However, the curious part of him that had burned for months now had him leaning toward…others. Nonbinary folks? Guys? Everyone seemed to catch his eyes lately, and after years of living the whole small-town high school sweetheart lifestyle, he craved something different.

Whether he’d work up the nerve to try today was a whole other thing .

He slowed his tread as he approached Whipped. He’d come to three munches so far, but the people who worked here were so outgoing they’d dragged him into conversations at once. Last month, Fin had shoved this flyer under his nose and demanded he come. Sensory play felt like the perfect introduction to kink, since he didn’t even know what kind he’d end up enjoying.

Nerves prickled up his arms as he reached for the door. The moment he pulled it open, the scents of coffee and vanilla wafted his way, mixed with whatever citrus cleaner they used. Only two customers were still there, not surprising, since it was close to closing time for the coffee shop. The class would be held in the basement dungeon after hours.

Dungeon. God, what the hell was he getting himself into?

If his best friend, Coop, could see him now, he’d be smirking his ass off. Not a full-out cackle because Coop was too serious, but goddamn. Times like this, he missed all the familiar he’d left behind.

“Shit, you made it.” Fin waved at him. “Need a drink beforehand?” A beanie half covered their shock of purple hair today, and they wore blue-and-yellow flannel with black jeans.

“Don’t sound so shocked,” Kai said, attempting calm and cool. “I might be a newbie, but I’ve got a little mettle.”

“Aww, with that sweetheart face?” Fin teased. “You’re going to be like catnip down there. Did you decide if you want to top or bottom for the workshop?”

“Top.” Shit, he’d spoken too fast. The idea of bottoming pricked his curiosity, like so much else when it came to kink, but there was no way he could place his ragged, broken body in the hands of a stranger. Not when he was still learning how the fuck it reacted to the curveballs of this new lifelong “problem” he got diagnosed with. That was a whole different situation he struggled to parse out .

Fin eyed him, their hazel gaze scrutinizing. “Don’t shove yourself into a box too quickly, Mr. Manly Man. You’d make one hot-as-fuck sub.”

His cheeks warmed at their comment and perusal. Fin was scorching levels of hot, but they also terrified him a little. Though word around the street was that was par for the course with the mouthy Dom. “Thanks, I think.” He scratched his nape. “Guess I won’t see you after?”

“Nah, once I’m closing up, I’m heading home to change. I’ve got a date I’m meeting at Tabletop Tavern, though I’m more hoping to play the new copy of Titan’s Curse than hook up. He seems like the stars-in-his-eyes romantic type.”

“Not your thing?” Kai asked. Yeah, he wanted to stall as long as he could from heading downstairs.

Fin gave him a sharp look. “Get your ass down there. But to answer your question, hell no. Relationships are for suckers.”

“Wow, tell me how you really feel.” Kai’s lips curved up in a smile.

Fin pointed toward the basement steps. A neon arrow pointed in that direction as well. Right, no more dragging his heels. He pulled himself away from the counter and threw a hand up in a wave as he headed for the stairs.

“They grow up so fast,” Fin called after him, and he shook his head.

Kai’s footsteps echoed as he descended, his nerves on full boil. Voices drifted up from downstairs, which meant folks had already arrived. Maybe he should’ve come earlier than five minutes prior, but he’d wasted far too long trying to decide what to wear, like he was going to a high school dance all over again. In Collier’s Creek, those were sacred, along with the five million small-town festivals they held.

He turned the corner and stopped midstride .

It looked like the whole group had assembled. Over ten people stood at the massage tables stationed around the room in pairs. Well, shit. Maybe he could sneak back up the steps before anyone noticed him.

“Kai, you’re here.” Meg’s voice snapped him to attention.

Well, shit.

Meg stood at the closest massage table, where another woman was seated on the edge. The owner of Whipped was long and lean with a whiplash smile and an intimidating air. Her short black hair was slicked back today, which placed her dark eyes on clear display. Kai felt off-kilter around her, even though he simultaneously felt safe. She wore a white tank top and black yoga pants, which made him relax. Thank fuck he hadn’t underdressed.

“Am I too late?” he asked, his legs still tensed in flight mode.

Meg shook her head. “Nah, we’ll figure this out. We had a dropout, so we’re a bit uneven, but if you don’t mind pairing up with two people, we’ll be fine. Are you topping or bottoming today? Your online form didn’t say.”

Kai squeezed his neck again. Bottoming would lead to far too many uncomfortable discussions. “Topping.”

“Right, then you can head over to help Ezra handle Sloan. I’m sure Sloan would be thrilled to have two guys on him,” she teased.

Kai followed her gaze to the back of the room, where a short guy with a dark mop of hair in an undercut stood next to Sloan, who he recognized from the munches. Sloan had those All-American-sweetheart looks: a casual sweep of blond hair, summer sky-blue eyes, and tanned skin, and Kai could admit he’d looked a time or ten. That would make the other guy Ezra. With his arms crossed and naturally brooding bad boy air, Ezra emanated Dom far more than Kai did. More amateur hour on his end .

“Be still, my parts.” Sloan fanned himself as he glanced between Ezra and Kai. Heat prickled up Kai’s neck at the blatant flirting, even though he should be used to it by now around these folks.

Meg cast Sloan a look. “Just no.” She turned her attention to Kai. “Grab the negotiation form and fill it out before you join Ezra and Sloan. We haven’t gotten started yet, so you’ve got time.”

Kai made a beeline for the table with forms and pens and hastily filled out the form he’d skimmed over in the class email. Gazes pressed in on him, probably since he was the last to arrive. That was the worst position to be in as a newbie. Yet when he looked up, folks were engaged with their partners, not bothering to glance his way. Except for Ezra and Sloan, who still stared at him.

His skin prickled, and he didn’t know if he liked their attention or if it made his nerves simmer all the more.

Either way, he was about to get far more comfortable with the pair over the next hour. Kai’s throat dried a little. He’d wanted to have more time with guys to see if his curiosity was real, and these guys were…well, both grabbed his attention in entirely different ways.

He finished the negotiation paper and went to Sloan and Ezra’s table. Jealousy flashed through him as he passed couples who had familiarity, easy smiles, and calm demeanors. Not only was he plunging into the dating pool for the first time since high school, but he was also brand new to doing anything kinky, let alone anything with guys.

“Hey, cutie,” Ezra drawled as he stopped in front of them. The guy might be a couple of inches shorter than him, but he emanated a competence and power Kai could only dream of. Ezra’s tight black tee emphasized his olive skin, and green cargos clung to his muscular thighs. The man was gorgeous as fuck, but Kai had zero game after being out of the dating scene for so long.

“How am I lucky enough to get two hotties?” Sloan leaned back with his elbows pressed into the cushion of the massage table. His blond finger-length hair was tousled as if he’d been freshly fucked, and those plump lips and sparkling blue eyes were pure fantasy fodder. Kai wasn’t immune.

“Sorry for crashing in,” Kai said. Hopefully, his palms would stop sweating by the time Meg gave the instructions. He sure as fuck wasn’t feeling dominant, but this class was about learning, so maybe the confidence would come with time.

“Do I look sad?” Sloan climbed onto the table. “Now, let’s talk limits. I’m good for a lot, but impact more intense than a spanking is a hard limit. Degradation’s also a hard limit, but humiliation is a go. No blood, scat, piss, etc. Those are my main ones.” Despite being the bottom, he had this easy air that conveyed a lot more confidence than Kai, with his complete lack of knowledge.

“I don’t like to top for degradation either, and I also don’t like play with blood, scat, or piss, so we’re all clear there,” Ezra said, his voice a melodic hum. Both of them stared at Kai, waiting for his response.

Fuck, he was so new to the scene he’d barely known what to check off. Certain things were a complete no, but others he had no point of reference to even say.

“Uh, my hard limits are blood, scat, and piss too.” He sucked in a breath, summoning his nerve. “I’m not experienced enough regarding the rest and don’t have any immediate red flags from them, so I guess we’ll mark them as soft limits until I figure out if they’re for me or not?”

“Mmm, are you telling me I get to break in the newbie top?” Sloan’s blue eyes sparkled in delight.

“Why does that sound a little terrifying.” Heat rose to Kai’s cheeks. To be honest, though, he could do a lot worse than being guided by an experienced sub. Someone like Sloan wouldn’t hesitate to safe out if needed or tell him if he was doing something wrong.

Ezra cast him a look. “You’ve got this.” The guy seemed serious by default, and the rich tone of his voice buzzed beneath Kai’s veins, bolstering him the rest of the way.

“All right, class,” Meg announced, her ability to project her voice unparalleled. “This is a beginner’s sensory play class, so we’re not diving into wax play or anything off the bat. For some of you, this might be a launching point into a whole different world of kinks, and for some of you, this might be the extent of what you enjoy. There is no wrong way to experience kink, as long as all participants are consenting and respecting each other’s boundaries.”

Kai soaked in the words. They hit home a little harder for him today.

How the hell could Kai communicate boundaries with a partner if he didn’t even know the parameters of his body on any given day? Sometimes, he felt a bit like his old self, and others, his joints ached so fiercely that getting out of bed was a challenge. His heart squeezed tight. This might be a short-lived exploration into BDSM.

“First, let’s start by having the subs undress to their comfort. We’re going to begin with skin-to-skin touch,” Meg said.

Sloan flashed Kai one blinder of a grin. Lust pumped hot and fierce through Kai’s veins. How he’d believed he was straight for so many years mystified him. Maybe because he’d leaped into the relationship with Shelby in high school, who was the first person he’d dated.

“Eyes on me, newbie. You too, gorgeous,” Sloan said to Kai first and then Ezra. “I’ll need a lot of attention.”

Mmph, this man was nuclear-level hot.

The heat in the room amplified when Sloan unbuttoned his blue button-down, stripped it off, and folded the fabric in neat movements. His tank top was next, followed by his charcoal slacks. In mere minutes, he’d dropped to nothing but his royal blue jock.

All his muscles were mouthwatering, just tanned, toned abs, trim, muscular thighs, and lean, cut biceps. His ass was a work of art, the sort of lush perfection that made Kai itch to sink his teeth in. The visceral reaction thumping through him pretty much confirmed everything he’d been thinking for a bit now. He was so damn bi.

“Such a pretty sub, isn’t he?” Ezra asked Kai.

Kai blinked. Shit, he stood there staring slack-jawed. Once upon a time, he’d been sharp and witty, but that was before his life got upended. “Yeah, he is,” Kai said, his voice hoarse. Ezra’s eyes glittered with amusement, but the look didn’t come across as malicious. In fact, something about both of them already had set him at ease, even though he was pushing far past his comfort zone.

Sloan lay on the massage table on his stomach, which kept his ass bared to them, framed by the royal blue straps. He glanced back, his gaze sizzling with sensuality. “Okay, boys. Touch away.”

Fuuuuck.

Kai approached the edge of the table.

No backing out now. He was doing this.