Chapter 15
The club was remarkably busy for a weeknight. Toby supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, because how many of these places were there to go to in the city? Probably more than a handful, but it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill neighborhood bar.
He asked the sub who opened the door for him to hold it for Roper too, since the boy was laced into a boot for the first time in weeks and had to be hurting despite all appearances to the contrary.
It wasn’t a lie exactly, so he let Roper have it, but he trusted the boy to be honest when it was truly needed.
He had to, right? He’d asked for trust, so he needed to give Roper a chance to prove he could be truthful.
He offered Roper an arm as they went inside, both to lean on and to have a little arm candy. It was a win for them both.
“Bar or table?” He had to raise his voice a little to be heard. “Can you manage the bar?”
“If there’s a stool I can rest my weight on, totally.”
There. That was honest.
“There is. Do you need to put your foot up? How about we start at the bar and see what’s next?” They were drinking, so whatever was next wasn’t likely to involve playrooms, but a table by the dance floor could be fun.
“Toby!” Clint came striding over with a big smile on his face. “And Roper. So good to see you both here. And together. Wonderful. Welcome home.”
He didn’t know the history exactly, but he’d heard that Clint had been at the club longer than anyone.
“I love that you call it home.” He accepted Clint’s handshake and nodded to Roper.
“Thank you, Sir, I appreciate it.” Roper tipped his hat, offered Clint a smile.
“It is home. It’s where everyone loves you for who you are. It’s home to all of us who need one.” Clint smiled and looked at the bartender. “Their first two are on my tab, Jake.”
“Yes, Sir.” Jake nodded.
“Thank you, Clint.”
“My pleasure. Enjoy your night.” Clint nodded to them and wandered off to another couple. The consummate host.
“What can I get you, Sir?”
“I would like an IPA, whatever you have on tap, please. Roper?”
“I’ll take one too. It’s the fancy beer night, after all.” Roper winked at him.
“Haha. That’s right. Be a snob like me.” He pulled out a stool for Roper. “Need any help?”
“I think I can manage, but thanks.” Roper climbed up on the stool, a line of sweat beading up on his upper lip.
He watched Roper for a second, concerned that the boy might be pushing too hard. “Would you be more comfortable at a table, boy? This is supposed to be a fun night out, not a test of your mettle.”
Roper tilted his head, his lips tightened as he pondered. “I hate being hurt, but I—do you mind sitting, Professor? It’s no fun to play if you feel broke dick.”
Jake sat two beers down on the bar. “Two IPAs, Sir.”
“Thank you. We’ve decided to move to a table, but we’ll be back for another, I’m sure.” He wasn’t sure at all, but he didn’t care. He wanted to enjoy Roper’s company.
He offered Roper a hand. “Come on, boy. Let’s go watch people dance.”
“Soon I’ll dance you around the floor, huh?” Roper winked at him. “Soon. Just not today.”
“No rush.” He tried his favorite trick and leaned in close to Roper’s ear. “I like to watch, kitten.”
Roper’s eyes went wide, and the sweet lips parted, just barely, tongue flicking out to wet them.
The boy couldn’t see his grin, and that was just as he wanted it. “Pick a good table, boy.” Toby offered Roper a steadying arm and gave another sub he recognized a wave. “Could you grab our beer off the bar, please, boy?”
“Oh! Yes, Sir.” Kurt had been fun, but much too sweet for his tastes.
“He’s into you,” Roper whispered to him. “So bad. Did he do it for you?”
He was afraid of that. Poor boy. He rolled his eyes. “No. Playful and very sweet. Much too sweet. But someone else will lure him in soon enough.”
“No, you need someone with bite. I know it. Someone that’ll make you buzz.”
He nodded. “I need someone who matches my energy. Someone with some experience who’s not worried about making mistakes or pushing me.”
Hm. He might have said too much, but Roper was on his level. He wasn’t telling the boy anything he didn’t already know.
“Sit. Please, sit.” He helped Roper to a chair.
“Thank you, Professor.” Roper settled down with a heavy sigh. “Oh. Better.”
He moved another chair into easy reach, in case the boy wanted to put his foot up. Then he sat and held up his beer. “To being out of that awful walking boot.”
“Yes, Sir. To being out of the boot and getting better.” Roper lifted his beer with one hand, touched his inner thigh with the other.
Getting better. Healing as much as Roper was going to be able to. The doctor had a pretty clear idea of what that would be, but doctors tended to err on the conservative side. Would he love to see Roper ride? Sure. But did he want Roper to go back to riding?
What he wanted was for Roper to be happy. If the boy could do that and not ride, that would be…ideal.
“I’m looking forward to relaxing and spending some time together.”
Roper grinned at him, the expression suddenly young, happy, and the tease was right there. “I hear you, Professor.”
“Are you a man who has fantasies, Roper?” He loved men’s club small talk.
Roper tilted his head. “Are there ones that don’t?”
“Sure. There are people who don’t have much imagination. I’m wondering what’s in yours. I’m curious what a man who risks his life for a living could possibly imagine.”
Roper leaned back and smiled at him. “I imagine all sorts of things. I used to play ‘what if’ with Ry all the time.”
“What if…you won the lottery?” He grinned. “That doesn’t count.”
“What if I never saw a bull? What if I could do anything? What if I was stranded on a desert island?” Roper leaned forward. “What if I just push too far?”
The goosebumps caught him by surprise and he liked it. “Mm. What if you can’t?”
“What if I can’t what?” Roper started stroking his inner thigh again.
He spread a little, making room for his happy prick. “Push too far. Don’t worry. I can handle you.”
“Can you? God, I hope so, Professor.” Roper licked his lips. “I want to see how far we can go.”
He did too. So far, Roper hadn’t been anything but sweet. And a little needy in bed. “If you ever want to share any of the what ifs you didn’t share with your brother…” He covered Roper’s hand with his.
Roper hummed deep in his chest, fingers curling, trying to stroke his balls. “Oh, me and Ry didn’t share kinks. No way.”
He loved how bold Roper was, but he pinched the boy’s fingers to stop him. “Let’s not push past rated R in public, kitten.”
“Bummer. Still, rated R gives me a bit of rope…” Naughty kitten.
He chuckled. “Just enough for me to tie you up with?”
“If you can catch me, absolutely.” Roper winked at him, then sipped his beer. “Oh, this is good.”
He felt a little smug that Roper liked the IPA. Further proof he was justified being snooty about his beer. “I hate to tell you this, but your ankle is busted. I may have the advantage here.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I’m tricky and smarter than I look.”
“I have no doubt.” Roper liked people thinking he wasn’t smart; it had obviously been an advantage for him over the years. But Toby knew better than to underestimate the boy. “You’re smarter than you like people to know.”
Roper blushed, but he shrugged. “It doesn’t do any good, seeming too bright, in my line of work.”
“It works for you; it’s a good defense mechanism. I hope you don’t feel like you need to hide anything from me, though. I see it. I understand.”
“I’m…we’re learning where things fit, but yeah. You know about my degree and all.”
Yes, and he knew agronomy wasn’t a bullshit degree—organic chem, advanced biology…
“I do. I’m not sure how one uses that degree in New York City, though. Ever considered teaching?”
“Me? God, no. How would I do that?” Roper seemed totally stunned. “If I went back to school, I know what I’d study.”
Back to school was a great idea. He leaned toward Roper, looking into the boy’s eyes. “You should do it. Why not?”
Roper shrugged, hiding in his beer. “It’s just not a thing, I guess.”
He didn’t understand why not. Was it money? Did Roper think it was too late? “If you want it to be a thing, it can be.”
Roper shrugged, one eyebrow arching. “So what do you fantasize about, Professor?”
That maybe one day you won’t change the subject when we’re talking about something hard.
“Recently? You. Naked.” He could be truthful, even if Roper didn’t want to be.
“Good thing I understand about being bare-assed naked, isn’t it?” Roper winked at him. “In fact, I’m like a master at it.” He leaned in. “I was born that way.”
“Funny boy.” Toby sipped his beer, looking past Roper at the dance floor. “I like the couple in the middle with their shirts off. They look like they’re dancers, don’t they? So smooth.”
“Yeah, I can’t do dancing like that. I’m more a two-step or Mexican three-step type of guy.” Roper grinned and shook his head. “They’re fucking gorgeous, though.”
“I’m more of a sway and rock kind of dancer. I have two left feet. I don’t know how to two-step.” He was hopeless as a dancer, which was frustrating being a Dom. “I can’t lead to save my life.”
“No? Neither can Ry. I do whatever I need to.”
So that was the easiest Roper had mentioned his twin.
“Are you two talking again?”
Roper shook his head. “No. We’ve texted once or twice, but that’s it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe we should plan a trip upstate to see him soon.”
Roper shook his head. “No. He’s having a life that has nothing to do with me.”
He shook his head. “You’re doing the same thing. Why is that a problem? You can be individuals and still be twins and brothers.”
Roper fastened him with a serious, straightforward look. “I know that. I didn’t say it was a problem. I said, he’s having a life. I’m having a life. We’re learning to be people who aren’t in each other’s pockets. When I’m ready, I’ll call him.”