Chapter 19
“You’re going to hurt your joints.”
Dominic looked up. He must have been more tired than he thought. Levi was back in the hospital room, perched on the plastic chair beside him.
“Your posture,” Levi explained, rifling through a tiny bag of kale chips. “You’re old, right? If you sit like that, you’ll get a crick in your neck or something.”
Dominic sat up straight, ignoring the protesting in his joints. “I’m only thirty-six. Aren’t you almost thirty?”
“I’m twenty-five,” Levi said with an icy smile.
Dominic didn’t push it. He knew how models could get about these things. Besides, Levi was probably just as tired as he was. He’d flown in from New York and hadn’t left his brother’s side since he got to the hospital twelve hours ago, when Austin was still in surgery.
Dominic took Austin’s hand, careful of the IV in his wrist. He couldn’t get Austin’s pale face out of his head, staring up at him from the grass. Those two little words he’d mumbled before he passed out.
Love you. For those heart-wrenching hours Austin was in the ambulance, and then in surgery, Dominic thought he’d never get the chance to say it back.
Levi crunched noisily on a kale chip. “Anybody else try to snap a pic while I was gone?”
“A couple of nurses,” Dominic said. “They stopped when I brought up lawsuits.”
Levi snorted, and for a moment, Dominic could see the brotherly resemblance. They both had this cheeky air about them. Austin covered it up, but Levi wore it on his sleeve. Dominic wondered if it was hiding things, just like Austin’s badass act.
“You’re very devoted,” Levi said. “For someone who was going to quit.”
“Quit,” Dominic repeated. “I was never going to break up with him.”
Levi snapped his fingers. “I did tell him that! In his defense, it really sounded like you were. Like, your tone and all.”
Dominic’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached for it with his spare hand, rubbing Austin’s knuckles with the other.
It was Ben. Another text: is he out of the woods yet?
Dominic blinked. He’d forgotten to send Ben an update. He texted back a thumbs up, too tired to say anything useful. He’d call Ben later.
“He’s cute,” Levi said.
Dominic looked up to find him peering over Dominic’s shoulder at Ben’s contact photo. “He’s forty-five. If you think thirty is old, he’s ancient.”
“Ancient and hot,” Levi said. He sat back in his seat, munching on what had to be the last of the kale chips. They fit maybe twelve of them in that tiny bag. “So, he’s not your boyfriend? Everyone was saying you had somebody else.”
“What? Why?”
Levi shrugged. “Who better to talk about an impending breakup than the guy you have on the side? Besides, it makes for a good story.”
“He’s a friend. And you should know not to believe anything you read on those sites.” Dominic pocketed his phone and went back to concentrating on Austin—his warm knuckles, his sleeping face, his chest moving gently up and down.
For a minute, the only noise was Austin’s heart monitor. Levi balled up the empty bag of kale chips and tossed it into the trash can near the door. It went in easily.
“Nothing but net,” Levi said triumphantly, and sighed. “Is he going to wake up anytime in the next hour? Because I need to find a hotel and wash the plane smell off me.”
“The doctors said it could be anytime tonight,” Dominic said. “You can go. I’ll be here.”
Levi squirmed. Then he settled back in his seat.
“Nah,” he said dismissively. “I’ll stick around a while longer.”
Dominic nodded. Levi might be twenty-five and spoiled, but he was a good brother.
“Thanks, Levi,” Dominic said quietly. “I know he’ll appreciate it.”
Levi looked up, surprised. “What?”
“I said he’ll appreciate it.”
“No, I know. But you called me Levi.”
It took Dominic’s sleep-deprived mind a few seconds to figure out what he meant. Ever since he got into modeling, Levi was known publicly as Lev. It looked better on billboards, apparently.
“Austin says you hate being called that,” Dominic said.
Levi blinked. His mouth curled up in the first real smile Dominic had seen from him since he walked into the hospital.
“Right, no, cool,” Levi said. “I do. Just nice to not have to correct you.”
They lapsed into a weary silence. The heart monitor beeped steadily.
Levi leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. “What’s with the case?”
“What? Oh.” Dominic looked down at the velvet case resting by his feet. “It’s just something I got him.”
“Too big to be an engagement ring,” Levi said dryly. “What, you get him a necklace?”
“Something like that.”
Levi shot him a one-eyed look. Then he closed his eye again, head tipped up to the ceiling.
Dominic rubbed a thumb over Austin’s knuckles distractedly.
He didn’t want to spring the collar on Austin if he didn’t want it.
But he wanted to explain himself, to let Austin know he was in this.
The rose petals were wilting in the passenger seat of his car, which was still back at Austin’s place. But he could at least bring the collar.
Dominic’s eyelids drooped. He couldn’t fall asleep. If Levi was going to nap, someone had to be awake just in case.
Austin groaned softly.
Levi sat up, immediately alert. “Was that a noise? Is he awake? Austin! Oi!”
Dominic shushed him and leaned closer, watching Austin’s eyes. They shifted under their lids, then cracked open.
“Hey,” Dominic whispered.
“Hey,” Austin croaked, barely audible. He coughed, and Dominic grabbed for the plastic cup of water that had gone lukewarm while he waited. He placed it against Austin’s lips and poured a thin stream of water between them.
Austin drank half the glass and pulled back, frowning. “What happened?”
“You got shot by your crazy stalker,” Levi said.
Dominic gave him a warning look and turned back to Austin. “What do you remember?”
Austin’s frown deepened. “I remember… Gail pointing a gun at you.”
“I’m okay,” Dominic assured him. “You’re okay, too. Or you will be. There’s no permanent damage.”
“Except a scar,” Levi added. “But everyone will loooove that.”
Austin touched his stomach over the hospital sheets. “...a cool scar?”
“So cool,” Levi said, relieved. He smacked Austin lightly in the arm, and Dominic had to fight the urge to push him away.
“This will be great for your career, dude. They kicked you off that movie you’re supposed to shoot next month, but your phone’s been blowing up with offers for when you recover! ”
“Awesome,” Austin mumbled, his tongue thick. He squinted up at Dominic. “Fucking… Larry?”
“He’s fine too,” Dominic said. “Gail’s in a holding cell. No bail this time. Her lawyer won’t be able to keep her out of jail, no matter how much her aunt pays.”
“Do you want to sue Larry?” Levi asked. “You totally can. Or you could get your bodyguard boyfriend to rough him up. He totally would.”
“I’ll think about it,” Austin said. Then he blinked hard, looking down at their joined hands like he’d only just noticed them. “Bodyguard… boyfriend?”
Levi smacked his lips. “And that’s my cue to leave. Have fun, you two. But not too much fun. They’ll come running if that heart monitor goes too wild.”
“He’s recovering from major surgery,” Dominic pointed out.
Levi winked at them and swanned out, only pausing at the door to point at Austin. “Dad’s at this woo-woo retreat with no cell service. He’ll be on a plane as soon as the guy I paid finds him. I’ll be back after I’ve had a shower and a nap. Do not die.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Austin muttered. He waited until Levi had vanished into the hall, then turned back to Dominic. “You wanna tell me what actually happened with that phone call I watched? Or should it wait until I can storm off?”
Dominic lifted his hand and kissed it. It cleared some of the worry from Austin’s expression, but not all of it.
“I should’ve talked to you earlier,” he said. “I couldn’t see a future for us where I’m working for you. I was going to quit, but only because I want this to be serious. But if you need time—”
“Fuck time,” Austin rasped. He turned his hand and linked their fingers together.
“I meant for the drugs to wear off,” Dominic tried.
“Fuck drugs,” Austin said with a smile that was only slightly high. “I feel normal. Mostly normal. Whatever, I’m sober enough to know I want this.”
He tugged on Dominic’s hand, as if he was going to return the gesture and kiss it. The IV stopped him, and he lifted his arm to frown at it.
“We can talk about it later,” Dominic said. “But just know, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yeah, looks like it,” Austin said quietly. Then he paused, pointing at the spot of blood on the bottom of Dominic’s shirt. “Is that mine?”
“I haven’t been home to change,” Dominic said.
“Sap,” Austin mumbled. He stared at Dominic’s rumpled, blood-spotted clothes. “How long was I out?”
“Only a day.”
“Huh.” Austin dropped their joined hands back against the sheets, squeezing gently. “So, what sexy surprise did I ruin by blowing up in your face and firing you?”
Dominic bumped his foot against the velvet box resting on the linoleum. Which was apparently the wrong move, since Austin immediately followed his gaze and grinned.
“Oh, we’re doing gifts now? Is that how you were going to tell me you wanted to be serious?”
Dominic hesitated. He could make Austin wait until he got out of the hospital. It wasn’t like he could wear the collar here. But he was tired of waiting.
He reached down and took the velvet case, then propped it open on Austin’s hospital bed. “I was going to give you this.”
Austin’s eyes widened. His free hand came up to drag over the case. “Shit. This is… pretty serious. Right?”
“That’s what I want,” Dominic promised. “I— Austin. Before you passed out, you said something.”
Austin looked confused. Then his expression cleared, his head thumping back into the pillow.
“Fuck,” he said. “Any chance you can forget about that? I thought I was going to die.”
“Not a chance,” Dominic replied. “I love you, Austin.”
Austin’s lips parted in shock. His gaze flickered from the collar to Dominic’s face, which was finally showing all the devotion Dominic had been hiding.
“Yeah?” Austin whispered. He touched the O-ring on the collar reverently, then hooked his pinkie through it and tugged. His smile was shy now, soft and small in ways that so few people were allowed to see.
“Shit, Dominic,” Austin said. “I love you, too.”
“No threat of death required?”
Austin laughed and leaned up to kiss him. Dominic kissed back gladly, only stopping when Austin hissed against his lips.
“Okay, ow,” Austin said, lowering himself carefully back against the pillows with a hand over his sheet-covered stomach. “God, that feels weird.”
“Are you okay? Do I need to call someone?”
“Maybe in a minute.” Austin twisted to check the closed door, then tugged the O-ring again. “Quick. Put the collar on me.”
“Here?”
“We won’t leave it on,” Austin said. “Come on. Just for a minute. I wanna know how it feels to be yours.”
He bared his neck. Dominic wanted to tell him that they had all the time in the world for Austin to know that, but he couldn’t say no to Austin when he was gazing up at Dominic with all that eager trust.
Dominic pulled the collar straps from the velvet box. Supple leather padded for comfort. Only the best for Dominic’s boy.
“Head up a little more,” Dominic said.
Austin obeyed. Of course he did. He’d been waiting all this time to find someone who wanted to order him around. It just took him a long time to find them.
“Good puppy,” Dominic said softly. He placed the collar around Austin’s neck and looped it through the buckle, pulling it securely closed. Then he sat back to admire the view. Even in a hospital gown, Austin was a vision in his collar.
Dominic tucked a finger under the collar, testing the tightness. “How does it feel?”
“Feels good, sir,” Austin said in a rush, like a confession. “Feels like yours.”
“Good,” Dominic said. “Because you are.”
Austin grinned.
They would have to take it off before someone came in. But for now, Dominic curled a finger around the O-ring and tugged Austin up to kiss him.