Page 40 of Counterpoint
Second time he’d made anyone cry like that. It was humbling and heartening and made Adrian’s heart tumble over and over. He’d seen it at BDSM parties a few times, but that had been with pain play, flogging, that kind of thing. Not from fucking. Not from merely tying someone up.
A voice murmured in the back of his head, one that sounded very much like Janelle, the woman who’d taught him most of what he knew about bondage.There’s nothingmerelyabout tying anyone up, Adrian.
That was true.
The coffeemaker’s gurgling marked the end of the brewing and the beginning of Adrian clearing out the fuzziness of his head. He pulled the little carton of heavy whipping cream out of the fridge, gave it a hearty shake, and poured a smidge in.
Yeah, it was decadent as hell, and Jackson would have rolled his eyes at the fat content, but he only ever took his coffee like this at home on the weekend. Besides, the body still needed a little fat. Might as well grace his coffee with luxury.
Adrian sipped and savored, then sipped again. This part of Brooklyn might have been rapidly becoming hipster central, but at least he could get small-batch beans that made his eyes roll back into his head.
God. Brooklyn. Here. Home. He’d tied Dominic up. Fucked him. Topped him, even. No negotiation, not formally. Even though Dominic had consented, they were a bit in the woods when it came to this strange Dominant/submissive bondage arrangement they seemed to be developing. Adrian wasn’t sure that really bothered him, though. After a second sip, he decided it didn’t. Yes, he would always probe for consent, but something else Janelle had said was that lovers were like jewels. All were unique. All had their flaws. All required different settings.
And that the wrong kind of pressure only cracked the stone.
He didn’t want to crack Dominic. Shatter his world in bed, sure. But nothurthim. He wanted Dominic safe and secure in...whatever this was they were developing.
He let out a sigh, poured himself a little more coffee, then headed upstairs. It had been a while since he’d been at a party, but the contacts were all still there. He and Janelle still saw each other on occasion. Coffee. Lunch. He’d made a point to rekindle the few friendships he’d had when he’d returned to New York.
And this was not a topic he could share with Jackson, even if he were far closer to him. Jackson had tagged along to one party—“To see what it was all about,” he’d said. Afterward, he’d looked at Adrian with that shrewd gaze and shrugged. “Not my scene. Interesting, but not my scene.”
No scorn, just facts. Nothing between them changed, other than Adrian rarely bringing his kink up to Jackson after that.
Once Adrian dropped into the desk chair in his office, he sent a short note to Janelle. A friendly greeting. A suggestion to meet for lunch. He needed advice—assurances, really—that how he was handling kink with Dominic was fine, especially since he wasn’t following any path he’d taken before.
Yeah, yeah, he knew in all the fiction about BDSM, the Dominant was supposed to be this godlike know-it-all. Even on the internet, in blogs and shit, they were these over-the-top personalities. Adrian wasn’t—not all the time. So yes, he worried that he’d fuck up. Especially since Dominic—
He let out a breath and closed his eyes. Especially since he could fall very, very hard for Dominic if he let himself. He’d wanted more than a one-night stand, more than the occasional quick fuck at a club. Maybe he wasn’t looking for the husband and kids Jackson was after, but he wanted a partner. Someone to share his passions with. Learn about other passions from.
Something other than the job that was slowly taking over his life.
Adrian peeled his eyes open again and blinked at his inbox. Janelle had answered already.
Of course we can do lunch, Adrian. Name the time and place.
Simple, easy. He suggested midweek at a cafe close to his work. Moments later, she answered with an affirmative.
So, that was done.
He let his gaze roam around the office to all the mundane tasks he needed to do this weekend. Bills to pay. Shit to shred and recycle. Some magazines he wanted to read.
Well, with lovely Dominic out like a light, he might as well clear his plate of some of those tasks. Extra time to focus on learning more about the beautiful man in his bed, once he woke up. He reached for the piles of bills and logged onto his bank’s website.
* * *
Dom woke to an empty bed, the faint scent of coffee in the air, and an aching body. The pain, though, felt good, and every move as he burrowed deeper into the sheets on Adrian’s bed reminded him just how well fucked he’d been the night before. Commanded. Used. Tied up.Holy shit.
Throughout it all, Adrian had been kind and respectful. Forceful, too. Full of dirty talk and searing kisses. But also tender. And Dom had soared and floated and been so blissed out he’d cried and screamed.
Was this what it was like to date? He didn’t think so. It had beenyearssince he’d had any sexual relationship that had lasted more than a couple hours and hadn’t ended with Dom deleting the guy’s number. But he remembered the laughter and the joy of discovery and the unfolding of likes and dislikes.
But not the passionate, heated,incrediblesex. He didn’t just ache from the poundings he’d endured last night—he ached for more than that. To crawl not just into Adrian’s bed, but into his life, too. What else besides sex and books did the man like? What music, what art? Which movies were in his collection? How long had he lived here?
There were traces of an authentic New York accent there, but also bits of a smooth all-American one going on, the voice broadcasters had. Or interviewers.
Dom shivered. And there it was, the fear, the anxiety gnawing its way up his spine. Because for all he wanted Adrian to share his life—there were parts of Dom’s he couldn’t share. Not right now, anyway. What if Adrian rejected Domino? Worse, what if hetoldsomeone?
It was that apprehension that had him crawling out of bed and grabbing his glasses. After he found his underwear and jeans, he used the bathroom and splashed water on his face.
