Beg (His Command Book 2)

by Piper Scott

  Marcus furrowed his brow. “No. What do they say?”

  “I was hoping you knew.” Lucian scratched the back of his head. His hair was mussed from sleep. “I’ve never been to a wedding before.”

  Marcus covered his eyes and shook his head as Lucian laughed.

  “I’m going to go start the coffee now, for real this time.” Lucian paused in the door. When Marcus uncovered his eyes, he found Lucian studying him. A spark passed between them, gentler than it had been during their first few months together, but no less satisfying. “If you don’t make it to the shower, there will be consequences.”

  “Oh, really?” Marcus propped himself up on his elbows, arching a single brow. “You’re the one handing out the consequences now?”

  Lucian bit down on his lip, but the corners of his lips curled regardless. “I’m not above putting you in your place, you know. This is my very first wedding and I don’t want to miss it. Who did you say was getting married?”

  “My friend Crawford and his fiancé, Owen,” Marcus replied. He stretched, then climbed out of bed. “Now get going. At this rate, I’m going to beat you to the shower.”

  “Not by a long shot.” Lucian darted down the hallway, and Marcus heard his footfalls as he sprinted for the kitchen. “Get it warmed up for me. You know how I like it.”

  Marcus did. They’d been living together for the last six months, and domestic life proved just as exciting and fulfilling as their forbidden, heated nights in the alley behind the club. Only now they didn’t have to worry so much about being torn apart.

  Nothing could part them anymore. Marcus had staked his claim, but Lucian had also established his own. As much as Lucian belonged to him, he belonged to Lucian, and today at the wedding, Marcus would let it be known.

  Their relationship wasn’t the full-time Dom/sub dynamic that Marcus once envisioned for his future, but it was satisfying in ways he never could have predicted. The middle ground between kink and vanilla suited him better than he cared to admit, and it seemed to suit Lucian just as well. Marcus understood what Crawford had been talking about.

  He’d found the omega who’d changed him, but change was welcome. Monotony hadn’t been doing him any favors, anyway.

  Marcus made his way to the bathroom only to discover that Lucian was already there, heating the water. Lucian winked.

  “Guess you were wrong. I got here first.”

  “What’s my punishment?” Marcus asked, grinning.

  “Mm.” Lucian pushed his lips to the side in thought. “How about we discuss that later tonight, after the wedding. A big part of punishment is anticipation, right? So I shouldn’t let you know until you’re almost out of your mind wondering about what it is.”

  Marcus laughed. “You’re learning.”

  “Piece by piece.” Lucian tested the water temperature. “You want me to go check to see how the coffee’s doing, or should we just take a quickie shower and caffeinate ourselves after?”

  “I’m down for a quickie.” Marcus waggled an eyebrow, if only to see Lucian roll his eyes.

  Lucian did. He crossed his arms, unimpressed. “No sex. I swear to god, that will be your punishment if you keep it up.”

  Marcus laughed. “Get in the shower. I’ll behave.”

  Every day with Lucian was a new adventure, and even when they had their disagreements, Marcus never wanted to give it up. For as long as their paths ran parallel, Marcus wouldn’t stray.

  And even though he sometimes teased Lucian to the point of frustration, he had a feeling that Lucian wouldn’t stray, either.

  34

  Lucian

  Renata Hills Country Club was exactly the kind of place Lucian thought it would be from the website. Rolling, green hills led to a distant golf course. Three Olympic-sized pools were available to members, two located in the bowels of the club, the third located outdoors. Two tennis courts flattened hilltops, their fenced enclosures preventing wayward balls from sullying the countryside. But it wasn’t the grounds alone that were worthy of admiration—as Marcus handed the keys to his Mercedes to the valet, Lucian took time to appreciate the building itself. Towering at three stories tall, it wasn’t to be missed. Grecian columns supported an overhanging, wrap-around porch. Crisp white decorative shutters framed each window. Not a shingle was out of place. The front doors were masterfully engraved, and the steps leading to them glistened when exposed to sunlight. Ivy crept up one side of the building, lending it Old World mystique. It was the kind of place Lucian had always dreamed he might visit, but it had seemed such a far stretch that he’d never expected to actually be there.

  And now here he was.

  “How many people are there going to be?” Lucian asked in a soft voice as Marcus led the way up the stairs. “This place is huge.”

  “Not many. Crawford has reserved a small, outdoor seating area in the back, somewhere in the gardens.”

  “There are gardens?” Lucian asked. He’d looked through the website online, but there had been so much to take in he wasn’t surprised he’d overlooked some details.

  Marcus nodded. “Around back. Renata Hills flies in award-winning garden designers every year to plan and lay it.”

  “There is such a thing as a ‘garden designer?’” Lucian screwed up his face. “Seriously? And they can win awards?”

  “Yes?” Marcus blinked. They came to a stop in front of the doors. “Is that so surprising?”

  Lucian shook his head. The whole wealth thing was still new territory, and he felt like he was learning more every day. Marcus wasn’t the kind of man who was overtly rich, but he took certain things for granted that Lucian had a hard time letting go of.

  Things like award-winning garden designers.

  “I’m going to pretend it’s not surprising at all, and that I just didn’t hear you right the first time.” Lucian tugged at the sleeves of his suit. He wasn’t used to such finery, either. “Now, on to more important matters—do I look okay? I don’t want to disappoint your friends.”

  Lucian meant it as a joke, but Marcus’ face tightened with concern. He set a hand on Lucian’s shoulder, then lifted Lucian’s chin with a curled finger until they looked each other eye to eye. “You could never disappoint my friends. It isn’t about how you look or what you wear, it’s about who you are. Crawford and Owen will love you because you make me happy.”

  No one else made Lucian feel half as good as Marcus did. He beamed, taking a step forward to close some of the distance between them. When they were close, Lucian took hold of either side of Marcus’ jacket, latching on to him. “You make me happy, too.”

  Marcus bowed his head, and Lucian was a second away from claiming his lips in a kiss when the door opened. Both of them stepped back out of courtesy, and Lucian was about to pick up where they’d left off when a voice he thought he’d never hear again shattered the intimacy.

  “Lucian?” Counselor Ellis gasped.

  “Counselor Ellis.” Lucian spun on his heels, facing the man who’d directed his recovery at Stonecrest Omega Rehabilitation Center. He wore a suit. The last year hadn’t changed Counselor Ellis any, except for one very noticeable difference—he was no longer pregnant. “Congratulations on the birth of your babies. How long has it been?”

  “A little more than six months.” Counselor Ellis looked Lucian over, discomfort shaping his features. “What are you doing here today? Renata Hills is quite a drive from Aurora.”

  “I’m here to attend a wedding.” The longer the conversation lasted, the more Lucian felt like there was a piece of the puzzle missing. He looked to Marcus for guidance, only to find that Marcus had covered his face with his hand. Not finding the support he needed, he looked back to Counselor Ellis. “What are you doing here?”

  Counselor Ellis’ face had gone white. He looked between Lucian and Marcus, eyes wide. “… Getting married.”

  Lucian’s stomach flipped and botched the landing. Shocked, he met Counselor Ellis’ eyes. “Y-You’re getting married?”
>
  “Lucian,” Marcus said heavily from behind his hand. “This is Owen Ellis, Crawford’s fiancé.”

  “Your name is Owen?” Lucian squeaked, throat closing up. He stared at Owen, mouth dry, before he spun to face Marcus. “You didn’t tell me that Crawford was Mr. Daniels!”

  “I didn’t know I had to specify.” Marcus raked his hand over his face, then shook his head. “So I guess all of us are already acquainted, then. Wonderful. Owen, I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Lucian.”

  Owen said nothing. He remained pale, eyes set on Lucian. Lucian couldn’t help but think that he’d inadvertently hurt the man who’d gone out of his way to reintroduce Lucian to society as a healthy, productive individual. Back in therapy with Counselor Ellis, they’d talked about empowerment and independence, not being chained to a metal frame and fucked while others watched in a private kink club.

  But if Owen was marrying Crawford, and Crawford was a friend of Marcus’ from The Shepherd…

  “Christ,” Lucian breathed. “The whole time you were coaching me through my hang-ups, you were going to The Shepherd and—”

  Owen held up a finger, effectively silencing Lucian. “What happens outside of Stonecrest stays outside of Stonecrest.” Owen turned his gaze on Marcus, and Lucian watched his eyes sharpen in a predatory way. “And while that might be true, I swear to God, if you do anything to hurt this young man, I will rend you limb from limb, Marcus. After everything he’s been through? If I find out you are abusing that at all, if I find out that he’s been twisted or brainwashed or unhappy…”

  “I don’t think you need to worry, pet.” Crawford Daniels stepped out from inside the country club, joining them. He stood by Owen and slid a hand along Owen’s lower back. The darks of his eyes bored into Lucian just as they once had in Stonecrest, but this time, Lucian felt no surge of lust. He tucked himself a little closer to Marcus and smiled when Marcus loosely draped an arm around his shoulders. “Marcus is gentle. If there is any man emotionally aware enough to take care of one of your boys, it’s him.”

  “Crawford,” Marcus said with a polite nod.

  “Marcus.” Crawford nodded back. “It looks like our pets have some ruffled feathers. Why don’t we go back inside and continue with setup? A mind at work is a mind not able to dwell on negativity.”

  “I’m not being negative,” Owen mumbled. “He’s one of my patients, Crawford.”

  “And you are a fine counselor.” Crawford took Owen’s hand. His tone was smooth, but it let it be known that he was uninterested in pursuing the conversation further. “He’s been released and he’s on his own now. The fact that he’s able to commit himself to a BDSM relationship is a testament to your prowess. Now, let’s go back inside and prepare for the wedding, shall we? I doubt Brad has the energy to continue to look after the boys alone.”

  “You’re right. We need to get back to them.” Owen looked Lucian over one last time, and Lucian shot him one of the same impish smiles he’d been so famous for at Stonecrest. “Let’s go. We’ve got a few more checks to run before the ceremony, and the guests should be arriving soon.”

  Marcus set a hand on the small of Lucian’s back. Lucian looked up at him, impishness turning into fuzzy affection. Their eyes met, and when they did, all of Lucian’s concerns shrunk in importance. It didn’t matter if Counselor Ellis knew the kinds of things that went on in his bedroom, nor did it matter what Counselor Ellis thought of him for it. The truth was, even though he’d traded in some of his freedom for a place by Marcus’ side, he was still independent, capable of anything he set his mind to. Marcus had given him a job in his law firm as an assistant to his legal team, going coffee runs and making photocopies, and Lucian had plans to go to college next fall in order to advance his education. When night fell and Lucian stepped into the role of fledgling, it didn’t make him any less of a man. He was still in control of his future, and he was proud of who he was becoming.

  The sweetest freedom was having the strength to let it all go.

  “Shall we follow, fledgling?” Marcus asked softly.

  Lucian smiled. “Yes. Let’s go.”

  They followed Owen and Crawford together.

  Lucian didn’t think he’d need to be afraid of being alone again.

  Epilogue

  Marcus

  The wedding was held beneath a canopy in the gardens out back, with barely more than a dozen people in attendance. The sun shone brightly, turning the blond of Owen’s hair gold and glimmering in Crawford’s dark mane. All the while, Marcus stood by Crawford’s side, offering him silent support while Crawford exchanged vows and traded rings with his beloved. But rings, it seemed, were simply a traditional formality—partially concealed by his shirt, Owen wore Crawford’s collar.

  As the ordained minister drew the ceremony to a close, Marcus glanced in Lucian’s direction. Lucian sat in the front row beside Crawford’s friend, Brad. One of Crawford’s children was cradled in his arms, the other attended to by Brad.

  He looked damned good with a baby. Damned good.

  When the ceremony ended, Marcus stayed behind to sign the wedding certificate as a witness. Lucian joined him, rocking the child in his arms in a slow, instinctive way that stirred an impulse inside of Marcus that he couldn’t suppress. In the last six months, Marcus had celebrated his thirty-ninth birthday. He wasn’t getting any younger.

  Maybe it was time to think about settling down.

  “Marcus?” Crawford asked.

  Marcus looked away from Lucian to meet his friend’s gaze. “Yes?”

  “We reserved a place on the terrace for the reception. Are you and Lucian going to join us?”

  “Yes.” Marcus blinked away the last of his stupor, stepping back to set a hand possessively on the small of Lucian’s back. “Of course.”

  “Then let’s go.” Crawford gestured toward the terrace. “I’ve reserved the spot until five, and I’d rather arrive before we are asked to leave.”

  Marcus chuckled. With a gentle push, he guided Lucian forward. Lucian didn’t need much guidance—Owen had come to stand by him, and the two of them led the way together while Marcus fell behind with Crawford, watching.

  “He’s beautiful,” Crawford remarked when Lucian and Owen were out of earshot. “You’re a lucky man, Marcus.”

  “I like to think so.” Marcus watched as Lucian grinned wide for his old counselor. It looked like they were catching up. “I didn’t think it would turn out this way. If you’d have asked me last year where I saw myself on this very day, at a wedding with a lover I can’t ever see myself without isn’t what I’d tell you.”

  “I know,” Crawford said. “I asked you a variation of that question eight months ago and the answer was about the same.”

  “You were right.” Marcus glanced at Crawford without turning his head. Lucian and Owen reached the terrace and took to climbing the steps that separated it from the gardens. “I didn’t believe you when you told me that someone would come along who would change me, but he did. The things I’ve done for this man are things I never imagined I’d do.”

  “Love isn’t anything like you’d imagined it would be, is it?” Crawford smiled, his eyes set on Owen. “It’s something that takes you by surprise, something that gives you strength to do what you’d never been able to do before—and makes you weak in ways you never imagined possible.”

  The message Crawford delivered tugged at Marcus’ heartstrings. He knew it was true. “I turned in my membership card to The Shepherd for him.”

  “I heard.”

  “He quit his job for me.”

  “Are you going to marry him?”

  Marcus didn’t need to think long on it. “Yes.”

  Crawford patted his back. “Then I’d advise you to do it before you knock him up. Planning a wedding—even one this small—with newborns was a nightmare I am not looking to repeat.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be for a while,” Marcus admitted. “He’s young. He’s only twenty
-one. I want to see him through college before we consider settling down together. He’s got such a bright future, and I don’t want to take that away from him just because seeing him hold a baby makes me want to give him one of his own.”

  “Have you thought about it before?”

  “… Yes.” Marcus twisted his lips to the side, processing the thought. They arrived at the bottom of the stairs to the terrace and climbed them at a leisurely pace. “But I know he’s not ready yet. I can dream about it as much as I want, but even if I am his Dom and the man he turns to for support and guidance, I’m not going to force it onto him. It’s a decision we need to make together. I’ve waited this long, what’s another four years?”

  “And Owen was afraid you’d be a detriment to his mental health.” Crawford snorted. “I’m glad to see that’s not the case. You’re doing a fantastic job, Marcus. For what it’s worth, when the time comes, I think you’ll make a terrific husband and father.”

  “Thank you.” They arrived at the terrace. Lucian and Owen were seated at a large table with the other guests. Lucian was turned at the hip to face the stairs, and when he saw Marcus, he lifted his hand and waved, grinning. “I really hope I will be.”

  “You will.” Crawford winked and took the lead, turning his head over his shoulder just enough so Marcus could see the flash in his eye. “Love won’t let you fail. There will be times when it might feel like it’s leaving you short, but if what you feel is true, everything will work out in the end. Love won’t make you beg.”

  Crawford ended the conversation, leaving Marcus’ side to settle next to his new groom. Their love for each other shone in their eyes and lived in their lips, and it gave Marcus the courage he needed to take his place at Lucian’s side and plant a kiss firmly against his temple. Lucian laughed, the sound clear and beautiful, and leaned against him. With the baby in Lucian’s arms, Marcus was able to imagine what it would feel like to be a husband, and what it would feel like to be a father.