Winning Big

Chapter Two

Remi

Blowing out a breath, Remi straightened, stretching out his back, muscles straining from being in the same position for so long. In front of him the smooth soft golden back of the subshone beneath the lights of the dungeon. It wasn’t the naked flesh that held Remi’s gaze. It was the bright blue rope wrapped around him, securing the boy to the St Andrew’s cross.

“How are you doing?” Remi asked Sebastian softly.

Sebastian moaned as he turned his face to the side as much as the ropes allowed. “Good.”

Pride filled him. Remi had put that floaty expression on the sub’s face.

Running his fingers under different parts of the rope, Remi checked to make certain that nothing was too tight and all the points he’d learned were perfect. Stepping back, he turned his head to his mentor waiting in the corner of the room.

Damon pushed off the wall before strolling forward.

The confidence his mentor had shown him, the trust from Damon’s sub—Remi couldn’t have asked for a better couple to work with. He hoped one day he’d be able to introduce Dom to Damon and Sebastian. While Sebastian wasn’t a little like his boy, the sub was unique in the absolute power exchange he engaged in with his master. It might be nice for Dom to meet other people in the community. Dom kept his circle small and while Remi could understand why the boy needed more people in his corner. To know that he had friends that would rally around him when needed.

Damon nodded at him before he checked the ropes for himself. Not that Remi had any doubt that had he done anything wrong, Damon would have stepped in. Damon was as protective over Sebastian as Remi had seen in any relationship.

Instead of Seb being tied up in front of him, Remi allowed his imagination to replace the boy with his own. Dom would look gorgeous trussed up for Remi. Remi already had ideas on how to include the ropes with Dom’s little side.

He’d noticed that Dom always took control of playtime with the other boys. He was the leader. Except, Remi was really good at reading people and he could see the jealousy and need when Dom watched Ezra or Brandon being cared for by their daddies. Dom also would slip sometimes and act younger than the regression he said he connected with.

Remi could allow Dom the freedom to go as little as he wanted. Needed. He could take all Dom’s responsibilities away for a few hours at a time.

Being tied up would force Dom to rely on Remi.

Remi really wanted that.

“Do you want to start warming him up?” Damon questioned quietly.

Neither of them wanted to pull Sebastian away from the sub space he was in.

This was where Remi struggled. He wanted to tie his boy up but not for the reason of using any instruments on him. The soft paddle Remi didn’t mind but the other objects? He just didn’t connect with those. Still Remi didn’t want any of his training to go to waste.

“Sure.” He shook Dom from his thoughts. Remi took the responsibility in scenes seriously and focused hard. Walking over to the wall, he chose the paddle that would be perfect for warming Sebastian’s skin and preparing him for a more intense scene. One that Damon would take over for.

The lightweight paddle in his hand fit even if Remi couldn’t see himself ever using one on Dom. The boy might push Remi’s buttons, but he wasn’t doing it for punishment. He was testing boundaries.

Planting his feet, Remi made sure that he was calm and paying attention before he swung. The first strike to Sebastian’s left ass cheek didn’t even have the boy jolting. He did moan long and loud.

The reaction helped settle Remi fully.

Using the techniques that he’d been taught, Remi ran blows down Sebastian’s shoulder, back to his ass, and down his legs. Sebastian’s golden skin turned pink.

“Good,” Damon said softly.

Stepping back, Remi had to catch his breath.

Damon took the paddle from Remi before sauntering toward the wall to hang it back up and pick the next instrument. Remi faded into the background. This was now Damon and Sebastian’s time. He became an observer. A student. As Damon began to taunt and tease his boy.

Once again, he pictured all the pleasure that he had to offer to Dom.

Would the boy even be willing to give him a chance?

Dom’s life was in upheaval at the moment. Wouldn’t he like to be able to just let go? Trust that he was safe and being cared for?

* * * * *

Dom

The minute that Remo arrived on the dialysis floor of the hospital was evident from the increased flurry of excitement among the nurses. Remi was a big hit with the nurses and more than a few had asked Dom about their relationship status. The interest didn’t bother Dom because it was him that Remi was devoted to.

His technician, a small Asian woman, laughed and shook her head. “Your man has arrived.”

“Not my man,” Dom replied. He couldn’t help but look toward the waiting room.

Anna winked. “You have that man wrapped around your finger and you know it.”

He quickly looked away as Anna pulled the needle from his port. She pressed gauze against the wound before wrapping his arm.

“All done?” Remi questioned as he walked up to the chair Dom was settled in.

“Just finished,” Anna told him brightly.

“Great!” Remi beamed at her before turning his attention to Dom.

Yeah, the nurses might flirt and try to catch Remi’s eye, but Remi gave Dom all his attention. All the time. He might have smirked a little as Remi folded the blanket on Dom’s lap before putting it away in his bag. Dom grabbed his pillow after Remi helped him stand.

He didn’t get sick in dialysis like the patients on chemo, but the five-hour session did make his entire body feel weak and exhausted him. Dom wished he were able to sleep during his time like some of the other patients, but he’d never been able to relax enough.

“Come on,” Remi said quietly. He gently wrapped his arm around Dom’s waist. “Let’s get you home.”

Dom suppressed a yawn. “What’s the plan for the night?”

“Brandon mentioned streaming all of the Final Destinations this weekend,” Remi told him. “I’m not sure when they want to do that, but I suspect that it’ll be tomorrow after Eric goes into work. Was there something you want to do?”

Dom wanted something. He should be happy with a weekend of vegging on the couch watching his favorite horror movies, but he ached for more. Even though he’d had hours to think, he was still nervous thinking about offering Remi a deal.

He remained quiet as they made their way out of the dialysis center and through the parking lot. Remi led him to the big truck that Dom enjoyed riding in. Remi even opened the passenger door for him.

Dom climbed up into the seat, relaxing back. There was a bag on the floorboard that caught his attention. Remi closed the door before walking around the vehicle. He stopped in front of the truck, pulling his phone from his pocket. The shrill ring reaching Dom.

“Hello?” Remi glanced up to smile at Dom through the windshield. “We’re on our way home,” Remi said into the phone.

Must be one of the guys. And hearing Remi call the big house home had Dom smiling. Neither of them even lived there. Remi still went to his own house to sleep. But Dom did feel that they belonged. Maybe…maybe one day he would have a house close to his friends. Well, really his family. He wanted to live closer to them. Just maybe not in the same house. It was crowded and they had a little girl to think about.

He snorted. Dom really was accepting his lot in life if he was thinking about his living situation. It was nice thinking about the future again. He was quite aware that his change in attitude was because of Remi and his friends. They refused to allow Dom to give up. They were forcing him to live. Not just survive.

“Hot fudge sundaes?” Remi repeated.

Dom perked up. That sounded so good! He could really do with a nice sweet treat. And he was hungry.

Remi’s gaze met his. “Yeah, he can have one if you’ll wait. We’ll be there in a couple minutes.”

Yes! He was getting a hot fudge sundae! Dom danced in his seat. His foot hit the bag again. Bending down, he grabbed the straps to set the bag in the back seat. The zipper hadn’t been closed. Setting the bag on his lap, he peered down at the contents.

Holy shit!

The gorgeous blue rope was too much for Dom not to put his hands on. Dom glanced up to see Remi still on the phone before he looked back down at the bag on his lap. He shoved one shaking hand into the bag to run his fingers over the soft rope.

This wasn’t run-of-the-mill rope. Dom knew exactly what Remi had been doing. But Remi had also told him that he hadn’t been going on a date. That he was single. If Remi didn’t have a partner, then why did he have the rope?

His mind whirled with possibilities.

Dom’s cock started to harden as he stroked his fingers over the rope.

In all his plans, Dom hadn’t considered that Remi would have kinks of his own. Dom hadn’t ever been tied up but had seen a lot in clubs. Had even attended an event where shibari was featured.

What did it feel like to trust someone enough to be tied up? Vulnerable? Reliant on one person. He shuddered hard. Ached. Dom wanted that.

Remi gave a sharp laugh before hanging up the phone.

Dom quickly shoved the bag back to the floorboard so he wasn’t caught snooping. Not that it was his fault. Remi should be more careful with his things if he wanted to keep his kink a secret.

There was a brief question that maybe the bag didn’t belong to Remi, but Dom quickly dismissed that thought. He’d seen the same bag in Remi’s hands plenty of times.

Remi opened the back door, placing Dom’s own bag on the backseat before closing it and heading to the driver’s side. He climbed behind the wheel.

“Ice cream?” Dom asked. His mind still wanted to obsess on Remi’s bag, but he had to push that away for now.

“Heard that, did you?”

“You said yes,” Dom pointed out. Not that Remi was the boss of him. Dom could have ice cream if he wanted. He was an adult. Except he liked Remi being in charge of his diet. Not having to worry about getting his own food. Or skipping meals due to being so tired.

“I did say yes,” Remi responded with a grin. “And I plan to make you eat extra veggies this weekend for it.”

Dom huffed. Remi was such a Daddy! But did he want to be Dom’s Daddy?

The thought wouldn’t leave him this time. He remained quiet for the entire short drive from the hospital to the house, using the time to think about his proposal for Remi. Dom was running out of time. He wanted to take advantage of them both having the weekend off.

Catching his reflection in the window as another car passed by with lights shining, Dom winced. It had been too long since he’d dyed his hair. The black was fading with his brown roots coming through. He’d bought more dye but hadn’t had the energy yet. Maybe after his hot fudge sundae Dom would take the time to pamper himself. A nice bath after fixing his hair. Hell, maybe he’d go all out and paint his fingernails as well. The black polish was chipped from the last play date with the other boys.

They pulled into the driveway of the house as Dom solidified his plans for the night. If he were more relaxed, maybe he would also finally have the nerve to approach Remi.

Remi turned off the engine. “You ready for your treat?”

“Yes!” Dom danced in his seat. It had been forever since Eric and Ezra had gone grocery shopping to get things for them to have an ice-cream party. It was finally happening.

“Go ahead inside. I’ll grab your bag.”

“Okay!” With a shrug, Dom removed his seatbelt then reached for the door. It wasn’t time to argue that he could get his own bag when there was ice cream waiting for him. Dom climbed out but when he was closing the door, Remi was reaching into the floorboard for his bag.

The duffel.

That held the rope.

Dom shuddered again.

There was no way that Dom was going to be able to forget what he saw. Not when the bag held so much possibility. Teased at something that Dom had only dreamed about.

He closed the door and spun toward the house. The front door opened with Ezra and Brandon stepping out onto the front porch.

“Dom!” Brandon shouted. “Come on!”

Laughing, Dom rushed forward. His crazy friends tugged him into a three-way hug before shuffling inside with him trapped between them.

“It took forever for you to get here!” Ezra said. His higher-pitched voice and fun pajama bottoms informing Dom that he was in little mode. He pulled Dom toward the kitchen.

“Dude, it was less than ten minutes,” Brandon teased.

“Forever!” Ezra wailed.

Dom could already feel himself slipping into his little mindset. With Ezra and Brandon obviously already in little mode,it wouldn’t be long until Dom followed. Eric was already standing in the kitchen, setting out a variety of toppings onto the counter.

“Where’s Dane?” Dom asked Brandon.

“Work,” Brandon replied. “He doesn’t mind missing the sundae party. He said with that much sugar, Eric and Remi could handle us.”

Yeah. This was going to be fun for the boys but maybe not so much for the daddies.

“Lake couldn’t come again!” Ezra said, stomping his foot. “He had to go to dinner with his family.”

Pressing his lips together, Dom appreciated the information. Lake’s relationship with his family was complicated. Dom wasn’t sure Ezra or any of the others even knew. He’d make sure to text Lake later just to check on him.

“Alright, boys. Line up so we can get this party started,” Eric told them.

Ezra slid across the tile in his socked feet.

Brandon snorted, following slower.

They were both dressed in comfy jammies. Dom considered changing but when Ezra started to point to all the different toppings, Dom didn’t want to miss a minute of this. It was going to be hilarious.

Remi joined them, strolling into the kitchen and stopping beside Dom. “Do you want to change clothes?”

“Nah, I’ll do it later.” Since dialysis took hours and he was stuck in a chair in a cold room, Dom nearly always dressed in sweatpants. He had one of his most comfortable sets on anyway.

“Okay, let me know if you change your mind,” Remi said, patting his back.

Such a Daddy! Dom needed to gather up his nerves and just ask Remi to be his Daddy for the weekend. Maybe longer. As long as Remi agreed to Dom’s terms. The worst thing that could happen was Remi telling him no. And the rope. That gave Dom much more hope.

Volunteering to be tied up for Remi would not only give Dom a chance to try something he’d been interested in and hidden, but could be the way of getting Remi to agree to his proposal.

Ezra and Brandon got their sundaes and headed for the table to the little nook and it was finally his turn.

Dom stared down at the offerings.

So much sugar.

Doubt began to snake in. Dom really shouldn’t eat all this. He sighed, about to set his empty bowl down.

“It’s okay,” Remi said, coming up behind him.

“I really shouldn’t,” Dom told him.

Remi motioned for Eric to give him the scoop. Eric smiled kindly at Dom before he joined the boys at the table.

“A little bit isn’t going to hurt. I promise. I wouldn’t let you do anything that would harm you.”

“Why not?” The question was out before Dom could stop it.

“Because I like seeing the fire in your eyes,” Remi told him quietly. He’d dropped his voice, probably so the others in the room didn’t hear, but Ezra and Brandon were being loud anyway.

Dom shuffled forward.

“I also enjoy watching you go from the strong and stubborn young man to the sweet and sassy little. I like spending time with you, and I can’t do that if you're sick.”

All that sounded good to Dom. But that meant that feelings were already involved. That wasn’t fair to Remi. “I…”

“Don’t need to worry about anything tonight,” Remi told him. “You get to be little or big. Whatever you want. You also get some ice cream and a little bit of toppings.”

Dom snorted. “I don’t get a mountain of toppings?” he teased.

Remi widened his eyes. “Was there even any ice cream in Ezra’s bowl?”

He giggled. Loudly. Dom slapped a hand over his mouth, surprised by his own reaction.

“Not that it will be our problem,” Remi whispered with a wink. “That’s all on his Daddy.”

Dom found himself nodding along. “He’ll be bouncing off the walls.”

Shaking his head, Remi pulled the carton of ice cream closer. “You can have two scoops and that’s all.”

He was fine with that. Dom held his bowl up. Remi dropped two small scoops into his bowl.

“What toppings do you want?” Remi asked.

“Hot fudge!” Duh!

He received hot fudge on top of the cold ice cream.

“Next?”

Dom took in all the dishes that held more toppings. Sprinkles, nuts, three different types of candy, whip cream, cherries. So much.

“Nuts, please.”

Remi sprinkled some chopped nuts on top.

“Whip cream?” Remi questioned.

“If I don’t get whip cream, can I have two cherries?”

Remi pressed his lips together before he smiled. “Deal.”

Best night ever!