Page 5 of Imperfect Skin

“What the fuck! I thought you were done with his skanky arse?” Rhys took a long drink of his punch while glaring at me.

“It’s not like that. He’s hanging out at The Pit and saw me there. He wants to play.”

“Mouse, what the fuck? No! I can’t believe you’re even considering it, or going back to that fucking place.” Rhys’s voice rose enough that Simon looked over and frowned.

“Keep it down. The last thing I need is for Simon or Cal to hear.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to do this. Why? I saw what they did to you last time, remember. And now you’re saying you’re going to trust Ziggy to do those things? Dude, what the fuck?”

I grabbed Rhys’s arm and led him over to a couple of seats. I snagged a glass of punch on my way, gulping down the sickly sweet mix. “I’m fucking lonely, Rhys. Before you say it, yeah, I know I’ve got you, but this is different. I need my trips to The Pit. The scenes help, and I know how much you hated me going there alone before, but with Ziggy at least it’s someone who knows me, right? He says he’s changed, and he seems to be trying.”

I’d been shocked to see Ziggy at The Pit. Honestly, I’d been ready to stop visiting the club after seeing that the place was more dangerous than I’d let myself believe. I’d started going as a way of scratching an itch. I’d always been on the extreme side of masochism, enjoying it when a Dom let loose both physically and mentally. I didn’t need a therapist to tell me I was using it as some form of penance, but then, I’d always been a pain slut. I enjoyed pain and domination, but the Doms at Club Crimson had started to treat me with kid gloves. I didn’t know if it was because I was Simon’s brother or if they felt sorry for what I’d gone through—they all knew, even all these years later. All I knew was it pissed me off.

At The Pit, I didn’t have to be a meek little sub wanting his Dom’s approval. They had to deal with me, prickles and all—and if they couldn’t, then they weren’t worth my time. If I rolled my shoulders, I could still feel the echoes of the last beating I got. It had been weeks since I’d last visited the club, and the scene had been intense and painful and left me with enough bruises that I’d felt them for days. It had helped quiet the darker voices in my head.

Rhys narrowed his eyes, taking a sip of his own drink. Too many people underestimated him. They saw a sweet-natured guy, and didn’t see the smart, hard-nosed man underneath. I’d watched him go toe-to-toe with my brother when they didn’t agree on something, and Rhys was no pushover. He’d been almost feral when he’d caught sight of the bruising on my back when we were getting changed at swim school. It had taken me twenty minutes and a lot of promises to get him not to run and tell Simon.

“Okay, I get that you’re lonely. But it doesn’t mean I approve or get why you’re doing this. I’ll keep my gob shut and not blab to Sy or Cal, but you’re going to have to do something for me.”

I let out a relieved breath. I was sure Rhys wouldn’t ask anything outlandish of me, so I readily agreed. “You have a deal.”

Rhys smiled slyly, his blue eyes glinting with mischief. “Don’t you want to know what I want first?”

“Well, if it involves me doing a naked streak down the main street, you know I’m up for a little public exhibitionism. It’s good for the soul. But if it’s cleaning out the manky cellar at Tulip Cottage, count me out. There are spiders in there bigger than Simon’s head.” I shuddered, and Rhys did the same.

“Nope, not that. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since Christmas.”

“You want to get munted on glögg again and search for trolls?”

Rhys threw his head back and howled with laughter. “Oh gods no, I don’t think I’ve recovered from the last time. No. This will be fun. I want another play date, like we had at Christmas.”

I looked down at my hands and tried to think of a reason to say no. That morning, I’d played with Rhys while he’d been in his Little space, and it had been amazing… and confusing. I’d felt something different to anything I’d experienced before. And I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to face that about myself. It was something so fragile and innocent. I saw the joy Little space brought Rhys, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to acknowledge that part of myself.

“Um, I don’t know.” I could see the disappointment in Rhys’s eyes as soon as I started to answer, and it made me reconsider. What would it hurt to spend the afternoon having a play date with Rhys? That’s what friends did.

“It’s okay, I understand. Look, I promise I won’t say anything to Simon or Cal. Just be careful, yeah? Come up to the cottage for lunch tomorrow.”

I moved forwards in my chair, close enough that my knees knocked against Rhys’s. “Make sure you have the Lego blocks out, and the colouring books.”

Rhys’s face lit up as he registered what I’d said. “I’ll even get Daddy to go out for the afternoon so it’s just us. I don’t want it to feel weird for you, but you really seemed to enjoy playing at Christmas,” he whispered. The smile on his face made it worth it.

“I don’t mind if Sy’s there. It’s his house too. As long as he doesn’t try to Daddy me, it should be cool,” I answered. I didn’t really mind Simon being there. He’d seen me playing with Rhys at Christmas and hadn’t made a fuss or tried bringing it up with me since.

“Did you want to watch the first Hobbit film too?” Rhys seemed to be getting swept up in making plans and I had to admit, now the idea had taken root it seemed like the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. “Callum and Alice could come up later and we could have a family dinner.”

I nodded before I took another sip of the sticky drink. Whoever had made the punch hadn’t been stingy with the rum. I’d have to stick to soft drinks after this. I may have liked pushing the limits with my kink, but scening drunk was an idiot move.

I looked over at where Cal was talking to Simon. “So, I reminded Cal that he promised to sing for you tonight.”

Rhys snorted a laugh, glancing over at Cal. “I can’t believe he agreed to do it.”

“I just reminded him that he’d disappoint you if he didn’t.”

Rhys shook his head, grinning. “That’s evil, but also, he did promise me—even if it was under the effects of Grandad’s scrumpy. Jesus, that stuff should be illegal.”

“It should be. But at least now I get to hear Cal sing.”

“Yeah, alright, so I promise I’ll keep quiet about your thing tonight, but I want full details tomorrow and promise me you’ll be careful.”

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