Falling in a Fortnight

Chapter 6

I was crouched down, edging the paint along the bottom of the wall, when I heard Leith make his way up the stairs. Dammit. I should have made that a rule. That he wasn’t allowed to do stairs unless it was absolutely necessary. He was doing better every day, a little more healed, and I needed to remember that. But hell, I wanted him off his feet.

“Jay? Sir?” He called tentatively, and the use of the honorific clued me into what kind of mood he was in. I turned to see him in the doorway, staying in the crouch, holding the paintbrush at an angle so it didn’t drip. Leith sucked in a breath and muttered, “Damn, why is that sexy?”

It wasn’t meant for me to hear, but I grinned anyway, loving that he wasn’t shy about expressing his attraction. Then again, his yoga pants did very little to hide the reaction he was having, which only made my grin turn wicked.

“What can I do for you, boy?” If I purposefully added a little extra gravel to my voice, well, I couldn’t be blamed. Leith’s whole-body shiver was worth it.

“The rule is I text you when I…” His pupils dilated as I set the brush down and slowly rose from my crouch. I stalked toward him with a rolling gait, each step measured, and he swallowed hard. When I raised my brow in question, he sucked in a breath. “But you’re here so it seemed prudent to come tell you instead.”

“Good boy,” I murmured, crowding into his space. I made sure I got my hands on his waist quickly, backing him into the door jamb so that he had support. But considering I’d left him on the couch with his laptop supposedly browsing the Scholastic site, planning what he was going to order for the library, I had to wonder. “Exactly what kind of books were you looking at?”

His chuckle was a little high. “My mind wandered, thinking of you and I—” his words morphed into a moan when I pressed my thigh against his hard on. His hands shot up, gripping my biceps, squeezing hard.

“That’s a good fucking answer.” I wound my right hand into his hair, getting a good grip and tilting his head back. He moaned, and I hid my smile against the skin of his neck. “Stoplight colors?”

He tried to nod but couldn’t and the pull of his hair made him whimper. It took him a second or two before he could answer. “Yes, Sir. Green.”

I tightened my fingers, increasing the tension on his hair, just to hear the noises he made. Leith didn’t disappoint. I was always fond of my lovers being vocal, and it seemed I wouldn’t have that problem with Leith. In fact, it might be fun to put him on restriction, tell him he couldn’t make a noise, and watch him struggle to obey. But that was for another time.

I tasted his skin, little licks and nips, and listened to him whimper and moan. I didn’t leave marks. Not yet. It wasn’t something we’d discussed, but he still had about a week left of the school year, and I was sure he didn’t want love bites on display to the elementary kids. That would just invite questions he couldn’t answer.

When Leith tried to grind his cock against me, I stilled him, pressing his hips back into the wall. Well really, the corner of the door jamb, which had to hurt. Leith went still, but his breathing picked up. I could feel the tension coursing through him and really wanted to exploit that.

Lightning fast, I grabbed his hands and pulled them above his head, stretching them out. I shoved my thigh between his, partially to give him support but also so I could press on his taint. The whine that snuck past his teeth only spurred me on.

“Keep them there.”

“Yeah. Yes, Sir.”

I pulled back just enough to take him in, the stretch of his body, the blown pupils and heaving chest as he tried to move air in and out of his lungs. He was flushed and gorgeous and I just wanted to devour him. Framing his face, I stroked my thumbs along his cheek bones and moved ever so slowly. He swiped his tongue along his bottom lips, gaze never leaving mine. He knew what he was doing.

I kissed him. Slowly and softly at first, and every time he tried to deepen the contact, I pulled back until our lips were barely touching. Again and again. He let out a frustrated little whine and I put a scant inch of space between our mouths. From one instant to the next, he gave in. His body relaxed, head thunking back against the jamb, and he parted his lips, simply waiting.

“Good boy,” I murmured and without giving him a chance to react, I dove in.

The kiss was hard, bruising. Teeth clacked together and our noses bumped awkwardly until I found the right angle, and then it was nothing but lips and tongue. I took, I demanded, I guided and pushed, and Leith followed every move, never trying to get the upper hand, allowing me the complete control I craved.

Suddenly he ripped his mouth from mine, maybe to breathe, but I didn’t want that, so I tugged his hair, pulling him back in, until he whispered, “Yellow. My leg.”

Instantly I stepped back, giving him space, while making sure he was steady so he could find a more comfortable position. He had to ease his weight over to his good leg and it took him a minute to maneuver his braced knee and ease his discomfort.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, petting my chest with one hand.

My gaze shot to his. “Never apologize for safewording.”

“No, I didn’t mean that.” His smile was a little lopsided, and I found that ridiculously adorable. “I didn’t want to slow things down, I wanted to keep going. It’s just…ouch.”

My laugh was more of a snort. “Come on.”

Leith’s eep as I swooped down and tossed him over my shoulder, made me laugh with my whole chest. He grabbed on, and he was smart enough not to try to fight or protest. I wasn’t going to put him down until we got to our destination, and he knew that. It was easier just to hang on for the ride. I liked the way he gave in.

I dropped Leith on the couch, and he bounced once and winced. I would have apologized, but I could tell he wasn’t really hurting anymore. He adjusted so that his leg was stretched out on the cushions, and I grabbed a throw pillow to tuck under his knee. The sigh of relief and the bright smile had me kissing him again, but I kept it easy, not wanting to rile him up. At least not too much. But I couldn’t help teasing him just a bit more and patted his cock.

Leith gasped. I winked.

“Be a good boy and keep that safe for me until Saturday. Don’t get off this couch unless you have to.”

Leith inhaled slowly, then blew out the breath. He did it two more times before he was able to look at me with a serene smile. “Dinner in an hour?”

“I’ll just order a couple of pizzas—”

“No!” Leith cleared his throat, but his gaze didn’t waver when I tried to stare him down. After a second, his voice was much more polite when he said, “Me feeding you is part of the deal. And I truly enjoy it. Please don’t take that away from me.”

I studied him for a long moment, really trying to gauge his emotions. But I didn’t have to look too hard. Leith wore them on display, and I could see his sincerity. The part of me that was wired to take care of my partners really wanted him off his leg and resting. But I recognized that he was a service sub who wanted to, well, serve. More than that, we had made a deal. And if it made him feel better to feed me in exchange for the work I was doing, I’d be an ass to take that away from him.

I grabbed his chin. “All right. As long as you promise it won’t put any undue stress on your knee.”

“I promise.” He said solemnly, and held up a hand, pinky extended. I stared at it for a second before realization dawned, and though I kept my expression neutral, I was internally laughing. This man who used outdated words and spoke primly was offering me a pinky promise. I hooked my pinky with his and we shook.

“That shit’s binding, you know.”

He laughed, his eyes alight. “I know.”

I kissed him again, a lingering kiss that I really wanted to turn into something more. But I needed to get the painting done upstairs. More than that, I needed to keep to the schedule I’d set. Making him wait played into his want for the anticipation to build, and it would keep him on edge for days. He’d be suffering, which made us both happy.

* * * *

Later that night, I was lounging on my couch, planning for Saturday and picking at the speck of light green paint that I’d missed washing off, when my phone chimed with a FaceTime call. I wasn’t surprised to see Kyle’s name. I rolled my eyes but answered.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he purred, batting his lashes.

I snorted. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

Without a word, Kyle tilted the phone until I could see Xavier sprawled out across his chest. Xavier opened one eye and lifted a hand in a wave. “Hey, Jay.”

“Hey man. You good?” I squinted at Xavier’s face. He looked tired, but the smile playing on his lips boded well.

“Yeah. Just a bit tired. It’s been a hell of a couple of weeks. But I’m here now, and I’ve got my baby, so I’m good.”

“Aw, I love you,” Kyle said and kissed Xavier’s hair. He lifted the phone again so Xavier was once again out of view. “I’m calling to check in. We haven’t talked in a couple of days. How’s the Leith thing?”

Because I couldn’t resist messing with him, I said, “What thing?”

“Jaymithy!” Kyle’s outrage was at least half for show. “Rude. I want to know how the house fixing is going.”

“Good.”

Kyle growled, and I heard Xavier chuckle. Kyle side eyed his boyfriend, and then turned a truly impressive glare on me. I had to laugh, which only made Kyle scowl harder. But eventually his expression softened, and he joined in.

“Okay, fine. You’ve had your laugh. Now.” Kyle cleared his throat and put on his best innocent expression. That no one who knew him would fall for. “Please tell me how it’s going.”

I put him out of his misery and gave him a recap of what all I’d managed to accomplish in just a few short days. “It really wasn’t in that bad a state, and if I only fixed Leith’s short list of projects, I’d be basically done after Saturday, but I managed to talk him into letting me fix the porch and the backsteps. So it’ll take a bit longer. I want to get that repaired before it becomes truly dangerous.”

Kyle was nodding along, but there was something in his gaze I didn’t trust. Before I could figure it out, Kyle was smiling sweetly. “Leith’s adorable, huh? An absolute angel baby. If I didn’t have the love of my life already, I’d snap him up in a heartbeat.”

“You couldn’t give him what he needed,” I blurted without thought. And then I groaned, because Kyle absolutely latched on to that, his entire expression lighting up.

“Oh really? Do tell.”

“For fuck’s sake, Kyle. Why you always gotta push?”

Kyle batted his eyelashes and blew me a kiss. “Because that’s my job. Now spill.”

“I can distract him if you want,” Xavier’s voice floated through the phone.

“Hush, you,” Kyle chastised. “If you want a fun naked shower later, you’ll keep your mouth shut. I know it’s a double site change today.”

There was a beat of silence, then Xavier said, “Sorry, Jay.”

I adored the crap out of both of them, so all I could do was chuckle. “Thanks for trying, man.”

“I should have never introduced you two,” Kyle grumbled. “All you do is gang up on innocent little ole me.”

Both Xavier and I burst out laughing, and Kyle kept up his pouting for at least another minute. But then we all calmed down and I decided to throw Kyle a bone.

“Let’s just say our interests align.”

Kyle whooped out a gleeful sound. “I knew he was a sweet subbie boy. Oh, Jay! I’m so happy for you! You’ve been waiting a long time, and I can’t remember the last time you even played with anyone, let alone showed a real interest.”

Kyle and I kept each other safe when we went out on dates, informing the other one about who we were with and giving details. We had a whole system of emojis and code words to convey the correct message. So he knew how long it had been since I’d even tried to date, because whenever I met up with someone, he got the details. The last person I’d gotten info about was Xavier, and after a deep dive on the internet, I’d deemed him worthy of dating my best friend.

“Slow your roll, hot shot,” I cautioned. “We’re gonna see, is all.”

“I know what I know. Oh! I should introduce you to Garrett and Mason next time they’re in town. They usually come for the 4th.”

My brows scrunched together. “Who?”

“Garrett’s a Corrigan,” he said dismissively, as if that would answer all my questions. Funnily enough, it did. The Corrigans were a prominent family in town, Rose and Gerald owned Time and Again, and most of their children had made a name for themselves in one way or another. The children were more than a decade older than me though, so I’d never really interacted with them. “Let’s just say you and Mason have a lot in common.”

I blinked, confused. “Is he in construction, too?”

“He’s an arborist actually. But what I meant was your, uh, extracurricular activities. Garrett and Leith would probably get along great as well.”

It took a painfully long second for me to put the pieces together, which irritated me because we’d just been talking about it and I should be used to Kyle’s seemingly random subject changes that weren’t random at all. I shook my head.

“Oh, they’re in a dynamic. Gotcha.”

Xavier’s chuckle sounded through the line, slightly muffled. I heard him loud and clear when he said, “It never fails to absolutely astound me how many people you know and the sheer level of detail of their lives you manage to get out of them.”

“What can I say? It’s a gift.” Kyle winked, then nudged Xavier. “Baby, why don’t you go do what you gotta do, and I’ll join you in a few.”

I ignored their kissing and soft murmuring, letting my mind wander. I wouldn’t exactly say no to an introduction to the pair, and it might be fun to have dinner together or something. I’d been to several play parties where dynamics were flaunted openly, but those had been few and far between. It might be nice just to sit and talk to people who were in the lifestyle. There wasn’t much of a scene in town, though I was sure there had to be at least some people who engaged in play, and it was one of the things I was missing. Online communities helped but it wasn’t the same.

“Now, I only have a few minutes, so quick, give me all the details.”

I turned my attention back to the phone. Kyle was sitting up now, and his expression was eager. I snorted. “No.”

“I didn’t mean those details, you ass.” Kyle laughed, and then his eyes went soft. “Tell me where your head is at.”

I sighed and took a moment to gather my thoughts. “I’m not getting my hopes up. The spark is there, and kinks match up, but…until we play, I’m not thinking too far ahead. Hell, maybe not even then. There’s so much we haven’t discussed. He works at the elementary school for Christ’s sake. There are a lot of things to consider in that position.”

Kyle nodded sympathetically, but his smirk was impish. “You know what I’m going to say.”

“Yeah,” I grumbled.

“It’s the same advice you gave me when I was spiraling over Xavier.”

“Yeah,” I repeated, a little more forcefully.

“You have to communicate like actual adults. Talk to him. And enjoy what you have.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I sighed. “I know. And I will. But still. I’m keeping the hopes low.”

“Nothing wrong with protecting yourself. A little.” Kyle’s tone was sympathetic. “But don’t get in your own way, right?”

“Sure.”

“Ass.” Kyle chuckled. “Okay, I’ll let you go for now. I have a man to ravish and you have thinking to do. Talk soon, hon!”

“Bye.” I hung up and tossed the phone next to me, before scrubbing both hands over my face. The strange thing about Kyle was that he always got to the truth, even if you didn’t know what your truth was. He called it a gift, and maybe it was. But until I said it out loud, I didn’t even know I had those worries.

Leith and I would talk. Neither one of us was against communication. It was the foundation of BDSM, and if we wanted to engage in that, we had to be honest with one another. But I was also determined to see how Saturday went before I broached the subject. I was fairly certain Leith wouldn’t bring it up first. He was wired to follow my lead, and though I was certain he could and would advocate for himself—the use of his safeword earlier had proven that—I didn’t think he would push. So it would be up to me to open the discussion about the future.

But that was for a later date. After we played. Maybe even after I finished repairs to the house. Once we were both a little more solid, and equal, at least outside of the dynamic. When we knew each other better.

I grabbed my phone, stood, and stretched. Tonight would be about planning our scene. I could worry about what came next after that.