Hearts Under Fire

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A spring breeze whirled old leaves in the office park courtyards facing the street. The moon waxed gibbous in the night sky. Tired businessmen made their way home, and couples and tourists wandered the city for a quiet evening. Daniel Germain strode the few blocks to the subway station, down the tunnels, through the tolls, and onto an empty platform. Minutes later, he caught the train out to the university.

Daniel slid into the well-lit car and found a seat. He piled his bags next to him and slumped, putting his aching head in his hands.

Thoughts of solid muscle under tight blue cotton, mismatched eyes, and quicksilver humor filled his head more than he liked. He ran through the conversation and couldn’t forget Clark’s last look of shock and disappointment. Still, given what Daniel knew about Clark, the entire encounter must have been nothing more than a come-on to warm a lonely night.

Daniel didn’t need a one-night stand. His family and friends thought that the “computer job” explained his finances. He’d never corrected them or told them about his professional domination services, but he wasn’t able to hide it, either. Back in his post-doc days, he’d needed to advertise, and word of mouth worked for finding people he could trust. He avoided public venues and built his own dungeon, since most of his clientele wanted their privacy, but a few went on to Club Break. They were the ones who’d told Daniel about Maxwell Clark, one of the four owners.

Clark was someone everyone liked. He dabbled in the toys, rooms, and delights of the Scene; however, “dabbled” was the key word. Now Daniel understood why Clark was so well liked. He was intensely personable, funny, and got under people’s defenses. Daniel could imagine that playful force of will crumbling most resistances. But something Daniel’s sources had added now made sense: Clark always kept his distance, and he never, ever played the sub.

Daniel knew himself well enough to know that he couldn’t submit. He’d tried it, in order to learn how it felt, how it worked, what was needed to overwhelm another human being. As a traditional method for learning how to master others, it worked.

However, his master, at the end of their summer contract, shook his head and said, “You’re always thinking. You’re not deliberately scheming on how to get out of it; you’re just two feet behind glass, watching, weighing everything. You can’t let go, can you?”

Daniel shook his head, feeling like he’d failed.

“When you were racked, clamped, filled, gagged, and hooded, what were you thinking about?”

Looking into his master’s eyes, Daniel had said honestly, “How I could do it better.”

His master’s laughter had made Daniel blush, but the next words stuck in his memory. “That’s what I used to think about, boy. You’ll do fine.”

Playing on his strengths, Daniel did well. His schedule was full, and he managed to pay off his graduate school loans. He could now send three of his adopted siblings’ kids through college. He enjoyed shopping at James, his little blue Tesla, and dressing the part when he entertained his clients.

Lights flickered by as the train sped through the city, and Daniel watched them as he worked over what he knew. There were reasons he’d walked away from Clark’s advances. He had no desire for someone who couldn’t meet his long-term needs. He’d scheduled a client for Sunday night who would meet his immediate needs without the uncomfortable feeling of being treated like a beautiful woman seduced by a big strong man.

Grinning sardonically to himself, Daniel shook his head. That direct invitation at the end felt so typical of the love-them-and-leave-them type, so why did it still nag at him? He should write it all off as Clark just wanting to get laid, but something bothered him. That look after Daniel explained his discomfort with the wedding stuck in his head, when Clark’s tone rang true. What did he say?

“I hate thinking about a world where someone like you isn’t accepted for who you are.”

Daniel bit his lower lip. That was no line, or else it wouldn’t have been said so lightly. No play, as it would have bought Clark nothing.

For someone who saw into the depths of others so readily, it felt odd to be seen.

Daniel sighed and heard the call for his station. Forgetting Clark was going to be harder than he’d hoped. As the train pulled in, he resolved to finish the last of the paperwork for the grant application. The facts and figures would crowd everything else out, and a sea of data might rock him to sleep.

* * * *

The room smelled of leather, steel, and sweat. The naked man strapped to the bondage table groaned in accompaniment to the creak of leather cuffs on ankles and wrists as he pulled with all his might against the steel anchors at the corners.

It all held, and when Peter stopped fighting, Daniel could see muscles trembling. For an instant, he saw Clark’s broad shoulders gleaming with sweat and shivering for him. Daniel shuddered and forced his mind to focus on his paying client.

Peter’s hard on leaked enough pre-come to leave a puddle on his stomach, and it bobbed, swollen, over the c**k ring wrapped about balls and c**k. Daniel had put the ring on during the second dildo f**k, and he didn’t want to keep it on Peter much longer. Fitted or not, Daniel worried about blood flow.

Peter was close to where he needed to be.

Daniel chuckled and saw the hooded head turn toward his voice. He reached out, spread his palm, and stroked along Peter’s jaw to tug at the thick collar around Peter’s neck. His long-time friend and client sighed and leaned into the touch. When Daniel flicked at the n****e weights, Peter flinched and cried out through the open gag, gripping a ball in a white-knuckled fist.

Moving to the end of the table, Daniel slid one hand under Peter’s head, supporting it as he dropped the neck rest. Then he slowly let Peter’s head down to dangle. He couldn’t do this long without risking injury, but he would be quick.

Most professional dominants did not do s*x, something Daniel had found out years into his “practice.” He’d needed money when he started, and knew that he could get better prices if he offered s****l release along with bondage and dominance. Daniel found it easier to continue meeting his clients’ expectations, but recently, he only wanted to fulfill that portion of his work with certain clients. Peter made it easy.

Daniel freed his own stiffening c**k from his leather pants, covered himself in a plain, dry condom, and fed the tip through the open gag. Peter’s tongue stroked Daniel, and he whispered, “Good boy, take it…” nudging and pushing at Peter’s tongue until it moved out of the way. That was when Daniel flipped the on switch of the vibrator in the butt plug stuffed up Peter’s ass.

Peter bucked, and Daniel shoved his c**k down Peter’s throat. Daniel felt him gag once and then twice, so Daniel pulled out, to a whine and a babble of unintelligible noises.

“You want it again, Peter?” Daniel asked, eyeing the ball still in Peter’s grasp. The dangling head nodded, even as Peter’s hips rolled. Daniel fed his c**k back into Peter’s forced-open mouth. Daniel sighed at the wet warmth and stroked slowly and shallowly. When Peter’s throat opened, he was able to push all the way in, and he held himself within Peter’s throat.

Daniel’s legs shuddered as Peter writhed around the invasion that stopped his breathing, and Daniel undid the c**k ring. Peter’s tongue lashed against Daniel’s c**k, and his balls drew up. He silently counted to ten as the sounds Peter was making and the bobbing of Peter’s head brought him closer and closer to his own climax. On ten, he withdrew to a whooping gasp from Peter.

When Daniel forced his stiff c**k back into Peter’s mouth, Peter came, bucking against tight restraints. The combination of breath control and vibrating butt plug against prostate never failed.

Tufts of Peter’s blond hair escaping from the hood looked gray for an instant, the same paleness as a disk of plain silver. The fantasy image made Daniel lose control, and he came before he collapsed, shuddering against the bound body. Peter suckled at Daniel while he panted, cheek pressed against Peter’s chest.

Turning off the vibrator even before he could stand up again, Daniel chuckled when Peter’s ball bounced on the floor. He stood on shaky legs so that he could lift Peter’s head and replace the support. Unbuckling the gag and hood, Daniel tossed them into the To Be Cleaned box. The condom went into the incinerator trash.

Peter’s powder-blue eyes blinked at him, and he smiled up at Daniel. Daniel leaned to kiss Peter’s chapped lip. His mouth was dry, but he moaned softly into the kiss. “Good?”

Peter nodded, eyes still hazy. “Very good, Sir.”

“Then we’re done for now, boy. I’m off duty,” Daniel said, and saw Peter sigh. The words marked the end of their play and the end of their relationship as dom and sub for the night.

Daniel zipped up and went through the rest of the work, unbuckling and unlocking Peter’s bonds. The butt plug drew a wince from Peter when he pulled it out and threw it into the cleanup box. Daniel got warm, wet cloths and washed them both down.

Peter whimpered when he sat up on the table. “I’m gonna be sore for a week.”

“So it’s going to last you until our next session?” Daniel asked with a grin as he grabbed a bottle of water, twisting off the cap.

Peter hit him on the shoulder. “Right. That’s it. Well, actually, I have a date next weekend at Break, so it should last just fine.”

“You like those public stages, hm?” Daniel asked, curious, as he handed the bottle over. Peter took a drink with a grateful sigh, and Daniel considered him. Peter was an engineer, so the b**m lifestyle didn’t inhibit his career. If anything, technical companies paid more for people who lived outside the box.

Peter nodded and then shivered. So Daniel climbed onto the table to pull Peter into his lap and felt Peter melt against him. Daniel gathered him close, and Peter nuzzled against Daniel’s throat. This was part of Peter’s coming down, and Daniel didn’t begrudge him the contact or the time.

When Peter’s fingertips started tracing the koi tattooed along Daniel’s left side, Daniel kissed blond hair, squeezed, and gently started to free himself. Peter sighed, but he let go so Daniel could dress him. He stood up slowly while Daniel hovered to make sure he wouldn’t fall.

“I’m…I’m good, Daniel. Here’s your check.” Peter pulled a folded piece of paper from his wallet and finished the last of his water.

“Thanks, Peter.” Daniel took it and didn’t even look at it before tucking it away. “I appreciate the business.”

“I appreciate your skills,” Peter said with a sigh and a groan as he shrugged on his jacket. “Same time next month?”

“Sure. After next month I’m out for summer break, just so you remember.”

“You lucky dog,” Peter said without rancor. “Three months off every year.”

“Three months without a paycheck every year,” Daniel said wryly. “But I do like the time off.”

“Who wouldn’t? So you’re traveling this year?”

Daniel shook his head. “I haven’t got any plans, yet. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

“Well, if you’re around, tell me. I can line up people for you. There’s a new couple that wants to learn a few basics.”

“Sure. If things open up for the summer, I’ll see what I can do.”

Peter grinned. “Always busy, aren’t you?”

Stepping in close to Daniel, Peter hugged him. Daniel caressed Peter’s chin, tipped it, and kissed Peter languorously. When he felt Peter sigh, Daniel smiled in delight.

Peter chuckled. “Someday you’re going to fall in love, and then what will we do? He’d have to share you with everyone.”

“That won’t be soon, and I’m already a little in love with all of you,” Daniel said with a shake of his head, trying to dislodge the sudden image of Clark’s smile. “Nothing to worry about.”

Peter hugged Daniel again and got out his keys. “Okay, I’ll stop worrying, then.”

Daniel saw Peter off, picked up, and locked down his dungeon. He hefted the box of equipment that needed cleaning and left, content in a job well done.