Chapter 20
WHY HE’D agreed to a dawn photo shoot, Vincent wasn’t sure.
The only thing worse than being up at sunrise from an inability to sleep through the night was his alarm going off while it was still dark outside.
He smacked said phone with a grumbled curse until it finally shut up and promptly shoved his face into his pillow.
Jasper stirred behind him and rolled closer to plaster himself against Vincent with a sleepy mumble.
“Need to get up,” Vincent murmured, smiling faintly at the long whine of protest that earned. He blew out a breath and pulled the pillow off his face to smack Jasper with. “Up,” he ordered and desperately wished he could ignore the order himself.
Jasper bit his shoulder with a growl before rolling away as it devolved into another whine. “Why did I agree to this?”
Vincent didn’t bother answering. He was tired enough he’d likely say something foolish like Because you love me.
It was too early to think they were feeling anything but lust for each other despite their chemistry both in and out of bed.
Another month or two and maybe he could believe it was something more.
When he heard the shower turn on, he finally stopped stalling and tossed the covers off. He used the bathroom, then headed down to rummage through the playroom. He already had an idea of how he wanted Jasper for the photos, but he picked through the toys and accessories to see what he could add.
Silver nipple clamps with a short, thin chain and rods of Asclepius dangling on the ends caught his eye.
Leave it to Zach to have pieces to fit all the themes in the room.
He picked them up and continued on, though nothing else called out to him before he reached the bundles of Shibari rope.
This time he picked only the black, since most of the photos he wanted were going to be black and white anyway.
He paused by the stash of collars on his way out and hooked his fingers around a simple black leather one.
He’d yet to put one on Jasper and knew the moment he did that he’d want to keep it there, but that was a risk worth taking.
What was the point of having professional photos taken if his sub didn’t look the part as much as possible?
He snatched the collar, headed back upstairs to dump his haul on the bed, then took a quick shower while Jasper was making a light breakfast. Once he was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt he joined Jasper at the table and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
It was still too early for him to be hungry, but he managed to eat most of a piece of toast before his stomach threatened to revolt.
Jasper only ate a few bites before giving up, and Vincent wondered if maybe he should have fought Ash a bit harder on the scheduling, but they were already up. They could sleep after.
He ushered Jasper up to the loft and found a pair of tight black boxers for him.
“Is this all I’m going to wear?”
“Technically, no,” Vincent answered, unwinding the black rope.
Jasper grumbled something under his breath that sounded like “Such a dick.”
“I could leave you naked, if you like,” he said and pretended not to see the narrow-eyed glare Jasper shot him. “Or maybe you’d prefer nothing but a cock ring.”
“You made your point, Sir,” Jasper groused.
“Have I?” he asked, looping the rope around Jasper’s back like a lasso and pulling him closer. “I have other suggestions.” He snickered when Jasper rolled his eyes, adjusting the rope so the center was resting against the back of Jasper’s neck. Then he set to work on an elaborate harness.
The familiar motions and texture as the rope slid between his fingers were soothing, more so when he got them right the first time and didn’t feel the need to undo and rework his knots to keep them tight and neat.
Jasper’s breathing slowed and deepened as Vincent worked, and he glanced up to find Jasper’s eyes half lidded. “Don’t fall asleep.”
He heaved a sigh and audibly forced back a whine even as he swayed on his feet. “So tired.”
“Maybe you should stop staying up so late,” Vincent taunted, smirking in the face of Jasper’s accusing glare and baleful grumble. “Should I add letting you get your beauty sleep to the contract?”
“Yes. Otherwise I might bite you even more.”
Vincent hummed in amusement and tied off the rope as he reached the end of it, then stepped back to check over his work.
Rather than the typical diamonds, he’d covered Jasper’s torso with a line down the center that had acute angles coming off to wrap around his sides and back.
They overlapped in different directions for an abstract pattern that drew the attention in and down.
He debated a moment on continuing the pattern down Jasper’s legs, but a knock at the patio door let him know they were out of time.
He motioned Jasper to get the robe hanging on the bathroom door as he pocketed the clamps and collar, then picked up the other bundles of black rope in case he found a nice tree to tie Jasper to.
The white blindfold from the other night was on the nightstand, and he grabbed that too before heading downstairs.
Ash was leaning back against the patio railing, camera bag slung across his chest, a small battery-powered lantern in one hand and a travel mug in the other, which he lifted in response to Vincent’s quiet “Morning.” He glanced to Jasper with a nod, then turned to lead the way onto one of the paths.
Vincent reached for Jasper’s hand and followed.
They headed towards the hot springs but turned off before reaching them.
It was still dark enough to need the lantern, but the sky was starting to gray, and the warm summer night air promised a hotter day to follow.
After a few more minutes of walking on a path Vincent could barely recognize as a path, they reached a small clearing.
Ash stopped a few steps in and turned. “Will this work?”
Vincent couldn’t see much other than a tree near the center, but he trusted Ash to know the best spots for photos, especially around his own home. “Yes.”
Ash set the lantern on the ground, followed by his mug and bag. “We’ll only have an hour or so,” he said quietly.
Vincent only knew about the golden hour from listening to Ash in college.
He didn’t speak much, but photography was his passion, and Zach could always wheedle more than a few sentences out of him by asking about his cameras or photography.
Vincent supposed being raised in a cult, as Ash had been, would leave its mark on anyone.
He left Ash to get set up and turned to Jasper. “Ready?”
“Not really,” Jasper murmured, his arms wrapped tight around himself.
Vincent considered him for a moment, then grasped his chin to tip his head up. “You can still say no, pet.”
Jasper’s shoulders relaxed, and his lips twitched in a faint smile. “I know, but I didn’t know I was going to be naked outside.”
“You’re not naked,” he replied, resisting the powerful urge to roll his eyes. He could have suggested Jasper be naked—Ash did full-nudity photos—but he didn’t need something that explicit. At least not for Jasper’s first time.
He tugged on the robe, and Jasper heaved a put-upon sigh before letting it slip open and off. Vincent pulled the clamps out and dangled them in front of Jasper as he circled the thumb of his other hand around an exposed nipple.
Jasper shivered as it hardened and let out a soft, sweet moan when the metal bit into it.
Once the other was in place Vincent gave them a flick, then turned to take in the clearing.
As the sun finally peeked over the horizon, golden streaks of light filtered through the trees to highlight a weeping willow tree standing off-center, its long tendrils hanging in a picturesque canopy.
One section had been pruned back to create an opening near one of the sturdy low-hanging branches, leaving a cascading curtain around the space.
He unspooled the extra rope as he moved towards the branch, sure Ash and Zach had set this area up specifically for a kinky photo shoot option for their guests.
He tossed the rope over the branch in a simple slipknot, then turned to motion Jasper over.
With the other bundle, he created two loops around Jasper’s right leg and ran the excess rope up his back, where he left enough length to secure Jasper’s right wrist against his lower back.
He worked as quickly as he could, aware of Ash lingering near his bag and trying to appear busy, but he only ever needed a minute or two to get ready.
When Vincent finally finished, Jasper’s right leg and left arm were attached to the branch above their heads, and his right wrist was restrained behind him.
It left him balanced on one foot, his body stretched up and on helpless display.
With the soft sunlight filtering into the clearing, he looked… “Stunning,” Vincent murmured. He stepped behind Jasper and ducked his head to press a kiss to his neck as he pulled out the collar and fastened it into place.
Jasper tipped his head back with an audible gasp that nearly masked the sound of the camera shutter.
Vincent stood with one hand on Jasper’s stomach, the other settling possessively against his throat and the simple leather collar.
“Good?” he murmured, dragging his nose up the side of Jasper’s throat.
He smelled good. Not that he ever smelled bad.
Maybe it was the summer breeze or the thick scent of green growing things around them that enhanced his scent, but Vincent found it addicting at the moment.
More likely it was the fact Jasper was tied up and allowing Ash to take photos simply because Vincent asked.
No begging or negotiating or compromise.
No promising something of greater value in return.
He could have offered Adam a weeklong vacation to Paris and still not gotten an agreement for something like this.
“Thank you, pet,” he murmured, lightly dragging his teeth against Jasper’s earlobe. He pressed closer when Jasper shivered, his weight slumping into Vincent as if his leg threatened to give out.
Jasper turned his head to bump his nose against Vincent’s chin. “For what?”
For what, indeed. For being a reasonable person who didn’t view a relationship as a give and take where each person only played one role? For being willing to try new things? For being honest?
“For being you.”
Jasper blinked, a soft smile touching his lips. “You make it easy.”
Vincent didn’t recognize the quiet noise he made, or the sudden tight warmth in his chest, but he knew it wasn’t bad. That it might have even been close to what he’d been searching for all these years, even if he wouldn’t jinx it by giving it a name.
He became hyperaware of Ash and his camera and the steady click of the shutter.
He was almost afraid to see the photos tomorrow and find that unnameable thing staring back at him.
He lifted his head and slid his hand from Jasper’s throat, letting his fingers trail down and across Jasper’s chest instead. “Ready?”
Jasper raised an eyebrow. “I thought we already started.”
Vincent smirked and pulled the blindfold from his pocket, and Jasper tipped his head back with a dramatic groan. “Fiiine.”