by Xenia Melzer
The mechanics greeted them with grunts and halfhearted waves, too engrossed in their work to acknowledge their lazy boss and his boyfriend. Leeland loved the rough openness Jonathan fostered among his employees. It made for a great working atmosphere one could feel when entering the shop.
They passed through to the side, where another garage housed Jonathan’s two cars and his precious collection of motorbikes. Even though he was blessedly clueless about motorcycle brands and the pros and cons of different kinds of bikes, Leeland did have a favorite, a huge black beast of a Harley whose vibrations practically forced him into Jonathan’s broad back during each ride. It was this bike Jonathan rolled out of the garage. He straddled the leather seat—black, of course—and patted the pillion seat.
“Hop on up, boy.”
Grinning happily, Leeland complied. Jonathan reached back to hand him one of the two helmets that had been dangling from the handlebars before putting on his own. Leeland did the same. Then he slung his arms around Jonathan’s waist, snuggling as close to the broad, muscular back as possible. The leather added a nice, arousing tone to the whole situation, and Leeland knew he would be hard as nails by the time they came across the first traffic light. Jonathan turned the ignition and the Harley roared to life. Leeland caught their reflection in the window of one of the shops they were passing.
“Man, we look like impending doom,” he stated through the intercom in his helmet. Jonathan turned his head to see what Leeland was referring to, then started chuckling as well.
“Yeah, we do. Or as if we have to compensate for something….”
“Hey, black is a perfectly acceptable color. Goes with everything. We never have to worry about our outfits not matching. And leather… well, leather is perfect for riding a bike.”
“I agree with you one hundred percent, honey. You were the one who said something about ‘doom.’”
Leeland made a kissing sound that had Jonathan rumbling with approval.
“Now that we’re out on the street, can you tell me where we’re going?”
“You really are impatient, boy. Perhaps I should teach you some manners… tie you up and leave you hanging, not letting you come, put a blindfold on you… ohhh yeah, sounds delicious.”
Leeland’s grip around Jonathan’s waist became like a vise. He felt his muscles going tense with the strain. “You tease! You know what it does to me when you talk like that!”
“Yes, boy, I do know. I’m just kindling the fire for the day after tomorrow, when we go to Whisper. I’ll give it to you so good then. Mmm-hmm.”
“If you keep doing this, there won’t be a fire because I’ll jump you the moment we get off the bike.”
Leeland felt Jonathan’s back go rigid. He was apparently very much on board with that idea.
“Stop tempting me, boy.”
“You started it!”
Before their argument could turn into a toddlers’ shouting match along the lines of “You!”, “No, you!”, Jonathan set the blinker, turned left on Collins Avenue, drove on for a few more minutes, and finally pulled up in front of the Miami Beach hotel. Leeland hopped off the bike, opened the visor of his helmet, and looked at Jonathan for an explanation. He had nothing against a day at the beach, but why would Jonathan park at a hotel?
With a grin, Jonathan got off the bike as well. He took Leeland’s hand and marched him into the lobby. If the receptionist was surprised to see two leather-clad bikers walking in, she didn’t show it.
“Hello, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”
Jonathan flashed her a smile. “I have reservations for a spa day. The name’s Jonathan White.”
“One moment, Mr. White. Ah, here you are. Yes, the Luxury Package. I assume this is Mr. Leeland Drake?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Welcome to the Spa at the Miami Beach. Here are the cards for your lockers. You can leave everything in the changing room. In your lockers you’ll find bathrobes, the swim shorts you requested, and flip-flops. Tina at the spa reception desk will show you around. We have a juice bar, water is available from drinking fountains, and you can use the sauna and pools the entire day. Tina will inform you when and where your massages and other treatments take place. Have a lovely day at the Spa, gentlemen.”
Stunned, Leeland accepted one of the locker cards from her perfectly manicured hands. They started walking in the direction of the spa, indicated by a huge sign.
“That’s the surprise?”
Jonathan glanced at Leeland. “Yes, the first part. Do you like it?”
“Do I like it? Jonathan, this is great!” Leeland hesitated. “You know you don’t have to spend that much money on me?”
Jonathan slung an arm around Leeland’s shoulders and pulled him close, which made walking a little awkward.
“I know, honey. But I wanted to do it. You’re under a lot of pressure at the moment, and I want you to relax and to reassure you that we’re good. That our relationship stands strong, even when we aren’t doing much regarding kink.”
Leeland had to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill. Instead he stopped and went up on tiptoe to kiss Jonathan on the mouth.
“You know me so well. Thank you, Jonathan.” Leeland rubbed his cheek on Jonathan’s. “And if you ever wonder if you’re doing this relationship thing right, let me tell you, you’re more than good at it. Perfect, I’d say. I know how hard this is for you, and I can’t express with words how much it means to me that you’re there for me. I love you, Jonathan.”
“And I love you, honey. We’re in this together.” Leeland felt Jonathan’s lips graze his forehead. “Now let’s go. On Dean’s recommendation, I booked us two different massages, a facial treatment, and a pedicure.”
Leeland lifted his brows. “A pedicure?”
Jonathan shrugged. “I always wanted to know how those feel.”
Giggling, Leeland followed Jonathan into the spa.
AT THE end of their spa day, Leeland was so happily relaxed, he thought he would fall off the bike during their ride home. The massages had been great, especially the belly massage, but the best had been the pedicure. Leeland didn’t know what magic the nice man possessed, or how he knew just where to press to release all the tension Leeland hadn’t even been aware of, but this was definitely not his last appointment with Jules. Leeland thought he was levitating, it felt so good. It almost seemed as if the stairs leading up to their apartment didn’t exist.
Jonathan sent him to change while he made a phone call before joining Leeland in the bedroom.
“How do you feel, honey?”
“Relaxed, boneless, happy. Thank you, Jonathan. This was a great idea.”
“I’m glad you approve. Originally I wanted to take you out to a fancy dinner afterward, but I think we’re both too tired. I just ordered from Mamma’s. We can eat on the couch, watch a movie, and cuddle to our hearts’ content. How does that sound?”
Leeland pressed his pajama-clad body against Jonathan’s leather outfit.
“Like the perfect end to a perfect day.”
Jonathan leaned in to kiss Leeland. It was sweet and slow and so full of love, Leeland felt tears of joy streaming down his cheeks. He was home and happy.
Chapter 15
SMILING, JONATHAN watched as Leeland was snatched by the subs at Whisper the moment they came through the door. It had taken them the entire previous day to get over the deep relaxation their trip to the spa had brought them. Jonathan probably wouldn’t admit it out loud, especially not to Richard, who was quite vocal about his dislike of spas, but he could definitely see the allure in being pampered senseless. And his skin was baby soft from the scrub that had been part of one of the massages. Leeland had already commented on the new feel often enough for Jonathan to know he would be booking another treatment soon.
They had come to Whisper early to give Leeland a chance to reconnect with the other subs and listen to their problems before they would retreat to one of the private rooms for a scen
e. Tomorrow was Leeland’s last day as a free man before he had to start training again. Jonathan wanted him to use that day to laze around and them both to simply enjoy each other’s company.
“Your boy’s in high demand.” Martin’s voice sounded amused while they both watched as Collin flung himself at Leeland like an overexcited puppy.
“They don’t get to see him as often as they used to. I can relate.”
Martin placed his left hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “I know this must be difficult, Jonathan. I don’t think I can imagine how big a change that must be for you.”
Jonathan pried his gaze from Leeland to look Martin in the eye. “Not harder than living with a genius, I guess.”
Martin chuckled. “You got me there.” He turned serious. “How are you two holding up?”
Jonathan sighed. “To be honest, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be, though not as good as I wish. Leeland is under a lot of pressure, from himself, his uncle, Smash!, and even me. He’s too much of a perfectionist to not give this thing his all, even though he’s supposed to be just an emergency replacement. Sometimes I suspect Misaki was counting on Leeland’s competitive streak. And as soon as the people from Smash! realized he can win, they started increasing the pressure. They’re still pretending to be all nice about it, but even I can feel their expectations.”
“What about you? As far as I can tell, you’re his pillar of support. How are you pressuring him?” Martin asked quizzically.
“That’s the thing, I don’t. It’s in his head. Because this whole thing is so hard on Leeland, he thinks the same goes for me. Which, of course, is true to some extent and adds to the pressure he already has. He somehow thinks our relationship is in danger.”
“And is it?”
“Strangely enough, no. When he started training and I finally realized how strenuous it was going to be, I thought I would panic. You know me, Martin. Leeland is my first steady relationship in ever. By any rights, I should have freaked out. But I didn’t. Perhaps it’s because I know this is temporary. There’s a definite end to Leeland’s stint in the UFC, which makes it easier to deal with the whole circus.”
Jonathan glanced at Leeland, who was standing amid his friends close to the bar, laughing and accepting hugs from them. “And even if it weren’t temporary, I’d still support him fully. It’s the one thing I’ve learned in the last few months—Leeland is it for me. I can’t imagine being with anybody else, even if that suited my lifestyle better. I want to be there for him, help him, love him, face it all with him, the good and the bad. Because without him, even the good feels kind of bad.”
After that emotional statement, Jonathan avoided Martin’s gaze. It wasn’t normally his style to open up to somebody else like that. Being with Leeland had changed him a lot. Next to him, Martin turned and offered him his hand. Jonathan stared at it, puzzled, before he finally looked into Martin’s dark eyes. The man grinned like a madman.
“Welcome to the club, Jonathan. You’re now officially as whipped as Richard and me. If I remember correctly, Garrett calls us the ‘sap club.’ It’s nice to have a new member.”
Jonathan tried—and failed—to keep his laughter in. He took the offered hand to shake it in the manliest way possible. He knew Martin was right, but he could still try to preserve some of his dignity.
“Why do you let Garrett get away with it?”
Martin shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Richard and I, we see the signs. If I’m not completely mistaken, the strict Master Garrett is on his way to succumbing to the lure of a certain sub with hazel eyes and dark brown hair. It’s only a matter of time, and I’m a patient man.”
Both Jonathan and Martin looked at the sub in question, Emilio, who was laughing about something Leeland had said. The boy looked different from the first time Jonathan had met him. He knew Emilio was training with Garrett, and it was starting to show impressively. Emilio’s chest was broader, his arms more heavily muscled than only a few months before. The new look suited him, at least in Jonathan’s opinion.
“How did Leeland deal with the end of the last fight?” Martin sounded concerned now. It reminded Jonathan how much the burly co-owner of Whisper cared about Leeland and how invested he had become in his career.
“The bruises are healed, though it took longer than after the other fights. What truly got to him was the nastiness that is Noah Adams. Leeland isn’t used to that kind of toxic masculinity and has a hard time dealing with it. Unfortunately, that’s one of the things I can’t completely shield him from.” Jonathan squared his shoulders. “But I have every intent of showing him tonight what real masculinity is all about.”
“What have you planned, if I may ask?”
“A shibari scene. I need to remind Leeland that he’s safe with me. That he can trust in our relationship and let himself fall, because I’m there to catch him.”
Martin clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a good Dom, Jonathan. A good man. I’m glad to call you friend.”
“You just want me to pimp your new car, admit it!”
They both grinned, somewhat relieved to leave their emotional exchange behind.
“Did it work? I’m hoping for a substantial discount here.”
Jonathan just huffed and flipped Martin the bird before he started walking toward his boy.
IT TOOK some effort to get Leeland away from the other subs, but Jonathan finally managed by putting on his best “scary Dom” face. If some of the bolder subs tried unsuccessfully to hide their snickers, he pretended not to notice. Jonathan led his boy to the private room he had booked, happy anticipation coiling in his belly. When he opened the door, he felt Leeland stiffen.
“Master,” he whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
Jonathan smiled happily. That was exactly the reaction he had been going for, and whoever of the Whisper staff had prepared the room for them was in for a hefty tip. Thick white candles burned on almost every flat surface, illuminating the room with a soft, intimate glow. The padded bench he had requested stood in the center, the black leather gleaming invitingly. To the right, on a small table, were the deep red, silken shibari ropes promising sensual pleasure for both of them. Jonathan pulled Leeland close to kiss him on his temple. That was not exactly high protocol, but tonight wasn’t about doing things by the book. It was about doing things right.
Jonathan started unbuttoning Leeland’s simple black shirt, taking his time, enjoying how his boy’s breathing synchronized with his own, how they both started panting the closer he got to the last button. Then the shirt gaped open, revealing Leeland’s smooth skin. Jonathan trailed his fingers along the cloth, noticed with satisfaction how goose bumps appeared on his boy’s skin, followed the path upward where he slid his hands under the shirt to push it over Leeland’s shoulders.
“So perfect, boy.”
Leeland whimpered softly, leaning into Jonathan’s touch, just as it was meant to be. For what felt like an eternity, Jonathan stroked Leeland’s naked upper body, reveled in the connection the simple act of touching brought him, before he traveled back down to the fly of Leeland’s leather pants. The first button popped open, and Leeland’s hips jerked forward into the touch. Jonathan smiled, satisfied by the reaction. This was what he wanted, Leeland giving him everything without thinking about what was appropriate.
“My beautiful boy, my honey. So good.”
“Master.”
Leeland grabbed Jonathan’s upper arms. The contact sent a shiver through Jonathan, right down to his cock. He hastened to open the remaining buttons and to get the leather pants off Leeland, suddenly eager to start their game. As soon as Leeland was naked, Jonathan guided him to the padded bench.
“Lie down, boy.”
Leeland obeyed with half-lidded eyes, already emitting that erotic aura Jonathan could never resist.
“Close your eyes, boy.”
When Leeland obeyed, Jonathan took the first coil of rope from the table and let the soft fabric graze Leeland�
�s skin. His boy shivered in anticipation. Jonathan took Leeland’s left wrist and started wrapping the rope around it.
“Just let go. All you have to do tonight is feel. The ropes, my hands, your pleasure. This is about us, about who we are. You can always trust me to have you, to hold you, to love you no matter what. I’m here for you, Leeland.”
Jonathan watched a single tear slide from his boy’s eye, trailing down his cheek as Leeland obviously struggled with the deeper meaning behind those words. His beautiful lips parted, no doubt to argue with Jonathan.
“Shh, boy. This is a no-brainer. You’re mine as much as I’m yours. Trust me like you always do. We’ve got this. I’ve got this.”
“Jonathan!” A shudder ran through Leeland’s slim, yet perfectly toned frame. Then he relaxed visibly, melting into the padding on the bench, silently—finally—accepting what Jonathan had to offer.
“Oh, honey, you’re so perfect.” Jonathan slung the remaining length of the rope around Leeland’s left ankle, before he went around the bench to do the same with his boy’s right side. Now Leeland’s legs were spread, displaying his slim, elegant cock and balls to Jonathan’s hungry gaze. Jonathan took another, shorter piece of rope and slung it around Leeland’s cock and balls, effectively trapping his boy’s erection in a makeshift cock ring. Leeland moaned deep in his throat.
Jonathan stepped between Leeland’s spread legs. His hands skimmed over the inside of Leeland’s thighs, making his boy quiver in anticipation. Then Jonathan leaned in to breathe the heady scent of Leeland’s arousal. A glistening drop of precum had already formed at the tip of his boy’s cock, glittering in the light of the candles. Jonathan breathed on it, which sent a shiver through Leeland’s body.
“Master.” It sounded like a cross between an order and a plea.
Jonathan smiled.
“Open your eyes. Look at me.”
