Chapter 17
I’m still livid when I storm into Saint’s tattoo studio.
Noah looks up at me from his booth, his gun silent as he raises an eyebrow. The quiet kid who turned up and demanded a job from Saint has grown into a strong submissive. He needs to be to handle my brother’s hard demands as his Dom.
Whatever he sees on my face, he knows why I’m here. “He’s in the office.” He gestures with his head towards the door behind the booths.
“Thanks, Noah. Sorry to have interrupted you.” I take the route to the office, passing by him, glancing down at the tattoo he’s working on. The kid has talent by the bucket.
I tap on the door frame, making Saint look up from the computer screen he’s staring at. “You got a minute, bro?”
A lazy smile tips his lips up at the corners of his mouth. “What’ve you done to upset that gorgeous little boy? ‘Cause there’s no way you’d be here if you’d had a good night.”
“The little fucker just got out of my bed and left,” I snap, full of anger and confusion, making Saint laugh hard.
“I’m going to need more than that, mate.” The humour in his tone is annoying me, especially after all the fuck ups he made when he first got together with Noah.
I give him a condensed version of the conversation, trying not to play down my part in it, but Saint knows me too well, and he can see through me.
“So, basically, you got up early for a shower, leaving the boy of your dreams in your bed so you could go and rub one off. Just to stop you from jumping his bones. Jesus, Royal, you’re a dickhead.
You could’ve stayed in bed, then either engaged in a mutually pleasing frottage or taken him into your shower and done it there instead.
Because a closed bathroom door is most definitely a let yourself out message. ”
“He said I had to learn how to be in a relationship. Isn’t that what Noah said to you. So how did you do it?”
Saint leans back in his chair, hands behind his head, his lips a thin line. “I listened to my boy. He told me that anything to do with kink was to be done at the club. He could differentiate between boyfriend Saint and Master Saint that way. It worked.”
“It can’t be as simple as that. And no kink? Nothing? That doesn’t sound fun.” I grimace at the thought of vanilla sex.
There’s laughter behind me, when I turn my head, Noah is in the doorway with a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat.
“There’s still plenty of kink, and it’s not going to be the same with you and Memphis.
He’s lived this lifestyle, so he can tell a scene from normal affection and sex.
I had to learn all of that, so when Saint wanted to teach me or just have a night in the club with me as his sub, I understood that he was my master, and if he wanted me to bend over for him, I knew I would.
If he said it to me when we were unpacking groceries, I could tell him politely to fuck right off. ”
I don’t hold back my snort of laughter. “It’s different with littles and boys. A lot of the lifestyle is done in the home, and the clubs are for playing with others and maybe a scene. He knows that since he’s done this before. He had a live-in relationship with his ex-Daddy.”
Noah’s huff of laughter sounds disappointed.
“You Foster brothers may have had a wonderful change of living in your formative teenage years, but going straight to the BDSM clubs and scene has done you so much damage in your day-to-day life.” He looks at Saint, giving him a wink.
“Not you, babe, I’ve sorted you out. It’s not Kip or Robin’s fault—it’s your perception of life as a Daddy or a Dom; you only wanted the fun stuff, the things that got you off.
You walk away from each little at the end of the night and don’t think about them again or not until you’re horny and want some cute twink to bounce on your dick.
If you want Memphis, then you need to know him outside of him being a little and you being a daddy.
Date, go for dinner, go to the cinema, normal stuff. ”
I must have a look of horror on my face because Saint laughs and punches my shoulder. “Get over yourself, bro. Dating is fun.”
I grimace again, pointing my finger at Noah. “Where’s my brother, what have you done to him?”
He shrugs. “Made him happy. Look, the way I see it is, you can go back and apologise and offer to make it up to him by going out for dinner. Or you can take him to Bound and fuck him. There’s only one correct answer though.”
With that, Noah shimmies past me and sits down on Saint’s knee and leans into him. “I’ve got an hour to spare, Sir.”
Saint’s eyes darken, and he glances at me. “Fuck off, Royal. Go apologise to your boy.”
I’d already got the hint and was on my way out of the small office. “I’ll lock the door behind me.” I can hear the slap of a hand on bare skin, jealousy coursing through me as I drop the latch on the main door.
Still with no clue what to do, I go for my default and get back in my car and go to the gym.
It’s busy when I walk in, the sound of rock music and metal clanging familiar and welcoming.
The door to Knox’s office is closed, so he must be out here somewhere.
As I gaze around the room, I find my brother by the Stairmaster, but instead of feeling good, my heart plummets.
He’s talking to Memphis. This is so what I don’t need right now, but Knox sees me before I can make my escape.
I watch Memphis go rigid, his back and shoulders stiffening as he’s informed of my arrival.
There’s nothing left to do but approach them.
When I reach them, Knox pats his arm and gives me a pointed look that says Fix This. “Can I use your office for a moment?” I ask, knowing he’ll say yes. He nods, handing me the keys. “Memphis, can we talk, please? I’d like to apologise.”
The look he gives me is hard, his lips tightened into a thin line. “You want me to mess up my work out for you? Haven’t you ruined my day enough?”
“Stop being such a brat and come with me.” I’ve had enough of his attitude today.
I’m all for some sass, but I’m not going to put up with being spoken to this way.
I stay just long enough to watch his cheeks colour a very pretty pink.
Whether in embarrassment or arousal I’ll be sure to find out in a moment.
The machine comes to a stop, and Memphis steps down and follows me across the gym floor. I’m aware of more than a few pairs of eyes watching us, some from men I’ve fucked. Any scene we make out on the floor will be around Bound before either of us take a step back in the building.
After unlocking the door and opening it, I step aside for Memphis to walk in first, then follow, closing the door and leaning my back against it. He turns looking at me suspiciously.
“Well?” he asks, expectantly, his hands on his hips. “Apologise so I can get back to my workout.”
“Stop it,” I snap. His eyes go wide, his jaw slack.
“I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you to wake up.
I wanted to make you breakfast, to spoil you.
You heard the shower, and instead of waiting or, hell, asking to join me, you bolted.
” I hold up my hand. “I’m not gaslighting you or blaming you.
I’m stating facts. In my eyes, we both fucked up. But I’m sorry.”
Memphis looks like he’s about to blow a gasket.
“Please think about what you are about to say. I don’t give second chances easily.
” I push away from the door and step up into his space.
“I want you, Memphis, but as much as I like playing games, and a bratty boy, I don’t like having to chase you.
I don’t know if this is how your relationship with your last Daddy went.
But it’s not how I want my boy to behave. ”
He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t tell me to fuck off and walk back out. I want him. I still want to try this, so taking a chance, I cup his face and press a chaste kiss to his lips.