Page 6 of Shrouded Desires
Storm’s arms dropped to his sides, his eyes narrowing. “You have nine minutes and thirty seconds,Raine.” Then he turned to leave.
“Or what?” Raine swung his legs over the edge of the bed, intent on retrieving the blankets heaped on the floor next to it.
“Or your ass will bear the mark of my hand.” He looked pointedly at the blankets. “So, I wouldn’t if I were you.” A small grin flirted with the edges of his mouth. “I’ve been told I have a hard hand.”
Lust mixed with the anger already coursing through Raine’s system as he watched Storm disappear through the wide doorway.
His shoulders actually brushed the frame,was all Raine could think.And here, he’d figured that Storm’s huge physique on the field had been nothing more than pads. He slowly shook his head, before cradling it between his palms. The dull throb that normally accompanied a flare-up of his social anxiety was mysteriously absent, even though every other part of his body ached from lack of sleep. He glanced down at the blankets once more.
It was beyond tempting to say fuck it, pull the blankets back up and slip back into slumber’s welcoming embrace. But he knew without a doubt, mostly from Master’s warnings, that if Storm said something, he always - ALWAYS - followed through. But after Raine’s aborted journey to sub-space the night before, he’d end up begging for more until he flew and/or came all over himself. He sighed, then shoved off the bed.
“Definitely something I don’t want.” He ran his hand through his blond hair, and slowly made his way to the shower. He didn’t care who the hell Storm thought he was. He wasn’t putting on clean clothes over a dirty body. The man could wait.
* * * *
Fifteen minutes later, Raine made his way into the kitchen. Sitting at the table in the breakfast nook with his legs sprawled out in front of him, Storm cradled a mug of coffee between his hands. The logo on the side of it once again touted Storm’s team.Did the man bring his own mug with him?The shower had evidently convinced his over-active brain it was time to come back online, if he was noticing such minor things before his own coffee.
“Nice mug.” Raine made his way to the high-tech Keurig coffee machine, selecting to use the single serving side, while ignoring the half a pot already brewed. Even if he was desperate for coffee, Lord only knew when Lizzie had brewed the half-full pot. Slipping a pod into the machine and a cup onto the dispensing tray, he leaned against the granite countertop to wait.
“I gave Max a complete gift set of them last Christmas.” Storm set down his mug then looked pointedly at the black cat clock that hung above the fridge, its tail swinging back and forth. “I do believe I asked that you be here six minutes ago.”
Raine resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the other man. “And I needed a shower to clear out the cobwebs, since you demanded we have a serious discussion.” He reached over for the now full cup of steaming coffee. Lifting it to his lips Raine took in a deep breath. The heady aroma of fresh brewed goodness filled his nose, just seconds before the bright, bitter flavor washed over his taste buds. Nothing was better than that first sip in the morning - not even sex. Out of the corner of his eye, Raine caught Storm studying him.That’s never good.
He continued to stare for a few seconds, before picking his own coffee back up. “Rather sassy for a submissive.”
Raine let the comment slide off his back. It wasn’t the first time he’d been accused of it - and worse by a dominant that wasn’t sure how to handle him. “Look, I’m not sure what you exactly want from me. I can tell you he was found unresponsive in his office at the club, and what they did to resuscitate him on the way to the hospital, but if you’re wanting information about what’s going to happen with Master, the person you need to speak to is Lizzie.”
Storm sighed. “Convenient, considering she’s not here.” Pushing back from the table, he slowly rose to his full height. “And I find it rather odd that I found you asleep in his bed. Does Max realize that you’re sleeping with his wife?”
Raine almost choked on his coffee. Him having sex with Lizzie?Like ‘ew’ to the tenth degree.But he wasn’t about to burst Storm’s little head of steam. “I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise him. Master approves of my relationship with Lizzie.”
Storm scowled. “Then that’s changed. Max’s always been a possessive son of a bitch.” He made his way across the kitchen toward where Raine was standing.
Unease filled Raine as Storm came closer. Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, he tried to play it off. “Yes, Master is protective of Lizzie as he should be. However, my relationship with his wife has never been an issue. He understands it.”
“Really?” Storm invaded his personal space, reaching around Raine to grab the half full carafe off the traditional side of the machine. He’d obviously had no issue with drinking how many hours old coffee, while Raine never made more than a singlefreshcup for himself when he visited Master at home.
“Yes, really.” He tried to keep his breathing even, but it was hard with the tantalizing aroma of Tommy Hilfiger cologne and Storm’s natural scent filling his nose. It’d definitely been too long since he’d been topped with such ease.
“You better hope that’s the case, subbie.” He leaned in a bit closer - close enough that Raine could easily count the other man’s eye lashes. “Because if I find out you and Lizzie have been fucking Max over, things won’t end...nice.”
Whatever chemistry had been building between them was crushed under the weight of Storm’s threat. The most even tempered of men, Raine had a really long fuse, but on his sleep deprived, caffeine-shorted brain, it shrank to mere inches, then exploded. Red filled his vision and it was all he could do to keep from swinging at the asshole. “Back. The. Fuck. Off.Sir.” He met Storm’s surprised gaze with a very direct one of his own. “You may not approve of my relationship with Master, but until you know the particulars, don’t assume jack shit.”
“What particulars?” Storm snorted. “Max is bi, so he has both you and his wife to take care of his needs. Pretty simple if you ask me.” Storm stepped back, giving Raine a bit of room to breathe.
Raine clenched his fists, fighting the urge to deck the smug bastard. If Master was bi-sexual it was news to him. As long as he’d been a part of Lizzie’s relationship with their dominant, he’d never once gotten an even bi-curious vibe off the man - nor had he ever seen or heard of Master picking another male to go home with. But he wasn’t about to disabuse Storm of his preconceived perceptions.Let the man hang himself. It’ll be fun to watch him dangle.
“I’m not about to debate his sexuality with you, considering I have to be at the club in less than ninety minutes.” He guzzled down the remaining coffee in his mug, before turning to set it in the sink. “Which is why, if you had taken the time to ask, that Lizzie went to the hospital without me this morning. I don’t shirk my duties. Redemption is Master’s baby, and I’ll be damned if I let it fall apart while he’s out.”
* * *
Antiseptic was the first thing that hit Storm as he walked into the hospital. Under his polo and chinos his skin began to crawl. If there was anything he hated more than the idea of being ‘outed’, it was going to the hospital. In fact, he avoided the places like the plague unless he was injured. However, this was Max, his best friend. The man who hadn’t judged his need to dominate, or the sex of his partners. After meeting Raine, he now knew why. Max liked both girlsandboys. So, it made sense now why his friend had been so supportive.
“Can I help you?” A perky candy-striper, or volunteer – or whatever they wanted to call them these days popped up from behind the desk she’d been sitting at.
He gave her a forced smile, one that masked his unease. “Hi. A friend of mine came in last night via ambulance. He had a heart attack and had to have surgery. If you could direct me to the CICU? I know I probably won’t be able to see him, but I was told his wife was here.”
“Of course.” She gushed. “You’re Storm Parkers, right?”
