Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Cody
“Ilove pup night.” I sipped my tonic water with lime and saluted Master Dante.
The manager of Club Kink saluted me back. “I have to say, it’s one of our more popular nights. When Evan and I first got together, he was strictly a vanilla bottom. Now he’s really come to love puppy play. Quite a surprise to both Kate and me.”
Mistress Kate and Master Dante’s triad relationship with the bratty Evan stimulated plenty of speculation. The two Dominants had some kind of arrangement and, as far as I understood, the three were very happy together.
At the moment, Evan was in a massive puppy pile with about eight other pups—of all genders—and they were tussling and cuddling.
“I think this is delightful.” Demetrius grinned. His pup—and husband—Jai, was in the pile as well.
Which might’ve made things a little awkward for me. During summer camp season, Jai was my boss.
Someone could’ve knocked me over with a feather the first time I’d walked into pup night and seen Jai, and his friend Foster, kneeling at their Daddies’ feet. Foster and Arnav presented as quite a unique pair as well.
“Delightful is the right word.” I offered Demetrius a smile. “You think we’ll see Foster and Arnav back at pup nights any time soon? They used to be regulars, but it seems like they’d been AWOL since they started foster parenting. I guess their kids are younger than your two, though.”
I wished everyone well.
And contemplated my own singlehood status.
Jai nuzzled Evan.
Evan swatted him.
In turn, Jai swiped back. Then, before Evan could react, he scampered over to our table. His puppy ears were askew, his tail needed to be adjusted, and he had to remove his paws to gratefully accept the glass of water Demetrius held for him. His dark-brown eyes shone brightly. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“You had fun, Buttercup?” Buttercup was Jai’s puppy name. He and Demetrius had known each other years ago, but had only reconnected when Demetrius’s son, Keegan, had attended Pride Camp in Mission City.
The camp where Jai was the director and I was the psychologist.
Hence, it was a little awkward the first time we’d run into each other here.
My boss had made me feel instantly at ease. Plus, he was only my boss during the summer months when I worked at the camp. Now, in late November, we pretty much only interacted at the club.
Jai flopped against Demetrius’s leg. “Evan wore me out.” Just a tinge of a whine.
Master Dante chuckled. “My boy is high energy. That often makes him a favorite with the other puppies.” He gazed over. “Are you all right, pup?”
Evan preened. And nodded. Then dove back into the pile.
“Oh, if you’ll excuse me. I need to see to our new arrival.” Master Dante stood, bowed, and headed toward the entrance.
I glanced that way, noted the new arrival, and turned back to watch the puppies.
Wait, do I know that guy? Slowly—discreetly—I angled myself so I could get a better look.
The guy was older. Like, significantly older than my own twenty-six. His lined face appeared weathered. Distinctive. Like a guy who worked hard.
His dark-brown hair had sprinkles of gray—the salt-and-pepper look I loved so much. His mustache and neatly trimmed beard, though, were almost white. Age was always hard to tell, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if he were almost twice my age.
I couldn’t see the color of his eyes. Perhaps bright blue like my own? Or perhaps darker—like Demetrius’s and Jai’s.
His wristband was neon yellow. Hmm, unattached puppy. Cautiously interested.
I’d never seen him here before, but this was only my third pup night. I leaned toward Demetrius. “Do you know the gentleman at the door? With Dante?”
The men were about the same height, which let me know the new pup was slightly shorter than me. He was definitely way more muscular. His biceps strained under his black T-shirt, and his forearm muscles were clear.
I had a harder time making out the shape of his thighs—what with him wearing black jeans and the club being on the darker side.
“He’s…attractive.” Demetrius set his dark sights on the man. “Is he your type?”
“I don’t really have a type.” I met the Black man’s gaze.
“I’m still new to this. I mean, I know I want to be a handler, and I’ve done pickup play a couple of times in the past few months.
Before that, I never felt comfortable exploring this side of myself.
I wanted to finish my PhD first.” Nothing wrong with being kinky—but I wanted the doctor in front of my name before I began exploring this side of myself, even discreetly. “I don’t want to spook him.”
“So catch Master Dante when he’s alone and ask if an introduction might be possible. Unless the guy’s got gear in his car, it doesn’t look like he’s here to play tonight. Maybe he’s new. Just getting a feel for the place.” He furrowed his brow. “I’d swear I’ve seen him before.”
“Here?”
“I’ve come about as often as you—unless you’re coming on nights when puppies aren’t playing.”
I chuckled. “One kink is enough for me. I’m not as much into BDSM or having a boy.”
“No one you’d like to spank?”
“Oh, please spank Evan.” Jai perked up. “He’s being a naughty boy.”
I laughed. “Even with Dante’s permission, I’m not certain I’d spank Evan.”
This time, Demetrius laughed. “Master Dante would totally give you permission, and Evan certainly wouldn’t complain. That boy is a submissive to both his Master and his Mistress and is still willing to bottom. Especially with newer Doms and Dommes.”
All true. Evan’s reputed versatility as both a pup and bottom had earned him a reputation around the club.
Before getting into a ménage relationship with Kate and Dante, he’d been a favorite selection by Tops for pickup play.
That his partners were happy to have him continue in the role—because he clearly enjoyed it—spoke to everyone’s security in the relationship.
Again, subtly, I turned toward Dante and the newcomer.
In that instant, the pup’s gaze caught mine.
My breath caught. His eyes appeared to be dark brown. They held an intensity I didn’t often see. For just a moment, they held a pain that robbed me of breath.
He looked away. First to the pile of puppies, then back to Dante.
I didn’t miss the longing in his gaze at the puppies.
Demetrius cleared his throat.
My gaze shot to him.
He grinned. “Obviously, you’re not playing hard to get.”
“You know me—that’s not my style.”
“No, it’s not.” Jai wiped his forehead with a towel. “I am getting such a workout tonight. I’m going to stink—I’m sweating so much.”
“You can shower here before we go home. Or you can shower when we get home. The kids will be asleep.”
“Keegan and Alaina might still be awake.” Jai mopped his brow again.
With Keegan being thirteen and Alaina being a responsible eleven, the couple felt comfortable leaving them at home. After all, they also had the two rescue dogs, Gus and Gizmo, to bark down the house, should anyone try to get in.
Demetrius snapped his fingers. “That’s Arnav’s client.”
He had my full attention. “Which one?” I leaned toward him so that I might hear over the club music.
“Uh. Well, this was in the Mission City Gazette, so I’m not spilling any secrets.
The guy—” He gazed toward the ceiling. “Lorcan…something. Anyway, he had a construction business with his husband. Then one day the husband disappeared with, apparently, all the money. The police figured Lorcan had to be involved, and so they charged him with embezzlement and fraud. He was found not guilty just last week.”
Jai nodded. “Right. Arnav was celebrating Friday night. A little cocky because he’d been certain they’d win.”
I cocked my head. “So what happened to the money and the husband?”
“No one knows. The guy just dropped off the face of the earth. I caught a rumor that they think Lorcan killed him and that he’s stashed the money somewhere. That he’s going to disappear once the coast is clear.”
“That sounds…pretty far-fetched.”
“Perhaps.” Demetrius shrugged. “On the other hand, with there being almost no rules around cryptocurrency, anything’s possible.”
“Wouldn’t the police have found a trail?” I knew nothing about money laundering, but I didn’t think someone could just walk away with money that wasn’t theirs. That said, I could find thousands of stories of people defrauded—so that kind of theft happened every day.
“I didn’t ask for all the details. Just know that the win was a real coup for Arnav.”
Jai took another sip of water, then handed the glass back to Demetrius. “May I go play, Daddy?”
Demetrius feathered his hair. “Yes, Buttercup. Go and have fun. See if you can steal Evan’s squeaky toy.”
Jai’s eyes lit. He scampered away.
I chuckled. “You know they’re going to have a bark-off.”
“All the better. He’ll sleep on the way home.”
“He’s doing accounting for Arnav’s sister’s non-profit, right?”
“Yep, he's putting in a lot more hours than he expected. Plus, he’s helping Arnav and Foster when he can.”
“And planning for next year’s camp.” I considered. “He’s as busy as I am.”
“You’ve got a full roster at the counseling center, right?” Demetrius took another sip of his drink.
“I do.” I was a full-time psychologist at Healing Horses Ranch in Mission City. My focus was primarily on queer teens and young adults, but I took any client who needed help. My days were full—and I couldn’t have been happier.
“Cody?”
I turned to find Master Dante standing beside me. I stood. “Yes, Master Dante.” I didn’t have to use his title, but I believed the man had more than earned it. Running this place had to be a challenge, and he managed to have a personal life as well.
“There’s a new pup.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not proposing that you hook up tonight—I mean, it would be up to both of you.”
“Yes.”
“That said…he’s a little uncertain. I was hoping you might have a conversation with him. Put him at ease.”
“You would tell him I’m a Daddy?”
“Of course. You have…a calming presence about you. I think you could ease his jittery nerves. No pressure, though. I don’t want to impose.”
“I’ll do it. No worries, I’ll happily meet this new pup.”
Said pup was over at the bar. Hopefully getting something non-alcoholic. Not that I had any right to dictate what he might choose to drink. He appeared to be a beer guy, but that was me making the supposition based on appearance.
You know better than to assume.
Right. Because a guy who looked like a leather Daddy was obviously totally a pup.
Master Dante headed toward the bar.
As I waited for his signal, I cast a glance at the pile of puppies. Many were on the younger side. Even younger than Jai. That said, a particular woman caught my notice. I’d seen her before. Whippet lean, with firm breasts, solid thighs, and grays mixed in with her dark brown hair.
Just like I’d noticed the last time Foster was here, that he was starting to go a little gray at forty-six.
He loved being a puppy so damn much. How are he and Arnav handling that side of their relationship now they’ve got foster kids?
I was curious, but certainly wasn’t going to ask either them or Demetrius and Jai. Truly, none of my business.
You don’t need to think about clients tonight. Rare was the time when I took a break, but tonight was supposed to be one of those nights.
Jai succeeded in taking the squeaky toy away from Evan.
The younger man appeared crestfallen.
Jai appeared about to give it back when Evan winked and headed in the direction of a pup chewing on a thick braid of rope with huge knots on each end.
Evan lunged.
The pup—whose name I didn’t know—was so surprised, she gave up her grasp on the rope. Then, once realizing the culprit was Evan, she snagged one end.
They began a tug of war.
I glanced back toward the bar.
Master Dante gently inclined his head toward Lorcan.
Who offered a tentative smile.
“If you’ll excuse me?” I rose slowly.
“Have fun.” Demetrius had a smile in his voice.
I didn’t see because I was laser-focused. “I will.” I cleared my throat. “We’ll talk soon.”
His words carried me across the room. “I’ll want all the details.”
I didn’t look back.