Page 2 of Collin: Episodes 7-9
Damian laughed ruefully. “And you’re going to see how much I enjoy watching you. That’s not going to piss you off?”
Collin flushed and sat up, pulling his knees up to his chest but still pressing against Mr. Reevesworth’s side. “I mean, you’re wired like that, right? I’m not, at least, I don’t think I’m going to get off seeing you punished. And…I…” Collin swallowed and pressed both hands to his face. “You’re not my dom, we’re kink brothers, but I still… I mean, we’re friends. And even if I am embarrassed, I do like making you happy. Like, if you’re enjoying yourself. I don’t want to kiss you again, but I wouldn’t mind making you come.”
That was all Collin could manage, and he couldn’t believe he’d actually said that much. He turned and pressed his face against the couch, cheeks tingling.
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled softly and pried Collin free of the cushions and into his lap. He kissed the top of Collin’s head. “Good boy. That was hard, and you did it.”
Hugs were the best. Hugs were absolutely everything. How had he ever survived all those months and months in college without hugs like this?
Damian cleared his throat. “Can I touch you, Collin?”
Collin opened his eyes from inside the safety of Mr. Reevesworth’s lap. Damian was watching him with open and frank affection and vulnerability.
“If our dom says so.”
“You can hug the kitten.” Mr. Reevesworth laughed. “Then Collin has to drink the rest of his tea. He has a lot more drinking to make up for.”
Collin drank the rest of his tea and drowsed with his head on Mr. Reevesworth’s thigh. On the other side of the couch, Damian was doing the same. Thoughts other than the immediate moments were starting to come back. Collin put his hand on Mr. Reevesworth’s knee. “Where’s Artemis, and how is she?”
“She’s sleeping in the master bedroom. The vet put a splint on her tail and gave her some meds to help her be calm for a few days. Émeric is looking after her.”
“I thought it was odd he didn’t come out,” Damian murmured.
“We made enough noise he probably stayed to keep her calm,” Mr. Reevesworth said. “When I left, she was sleeping on his chest.”
Collin smiled at that, quickly followed by a wave of sadness in his chest. Whatever was going on between him and Mr. Moreau needed to be cleared up.
Collin drank more tea and had to ask Mr. Reevesworth to help him in the bathroom twice. Mr. Reevesworth sent Damian off to shower and told him to meet him in the playroom afterward. Once Damian was gone, Mr. Reevesworth pulled Collin into his lap and kissed him on the lips. “Can I leave dinner with you, pet? Damian and I will be happy with whatever you and Émeric decide. It’ll be about two hours.
“I don’t want to knock and wake Artemis.”
“I’ll go in and ask if you can go in and talk to them. I have to change anyway.”
Mr. Reevesworth pushed Collin out of his lap, kissed the top of his head one more time, and walked down the hall. The door to the master bedroom clicked open and shut.
Collin flopped back on the couch. He should check on Ash. It had been hours. And he’d promised… Collin pressed his lips together and shook his head. There were no emergencies Ellisandre couldn’t handle. But he would still check on Ash.
His pants had been folded and set on a side table and his phone laid right beside it. He checked the screen. No calls. Weird. It had been several hours. He went to his contacts and dialed Ash.
It rang four times before someone picked up. A giggle lit up the line, and then Ash’s voice came through. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. I’m checking on you. Have you walked back to the office?”
“We’re going to get dinner. No, we’re making dinner.”
“At Ellisandre’s?”
“Yep.”
“So, you’re okay?” Collin rubbed the palm of his hand against his face. Maybe he’d been worrying about nothing.
Ash started to snigger again. “Ms. Linda is here. We’re making ghost cookies.” The teenager sounded like he was ten. “No! Ghosts can’t bleed, you crazy…person. Ah!”
Collin’s legs almost dropped out from under him. He reached for the couch to steady himself. In the background, Ellisandre was explaining something through snorts of laughter. He’d never heard them laugh, not like that.
“What are you all doing?” Collin found himself asking.
Ash’s voice got closer to the phone. “Collin, dude, I got to go. They’re going to ruin the cookies.”
