Page 33 of Complete Me

“Yes?”

I gently squeeze his hand and lower my voice. “Do you want to be good for me?” His not quite silent gasp tells me everything. “Would you want to be rewarded for being good for me?”

He swallows hard, and his voice comes out barely louder than a whisper. “Maybe. What would that look like?”

And just like that, I have a huge piece of the Xander puzzle in my hand. He’s a creature of comfort. He loves attention, and I’d bet large sums of money that he adores being praised. “Whatever you want. It could be a hot bubble bath with soft music and a glass of wine. Candles.” Xander hangs on my every word and I do my best not to smile. “Or maybe a full body massage.” He leans in, nodding his agreement. “Or I could read to you. One of your favorite books, maybe.”

His eyebrows raise, and his lips part in surprise, like the idea is new but not unpleasant. “Oh. You’d do that?”

I lift his hand and hold it between both of mine. “For you? Yes. If you’re good for me.”

His eyes go soft, and his entire body relaxes. “But what would you get out of it? That’s the part I don’t understand.”

I shrug, pulling my hands back, picking up my tea and taking a sip. “I’m a pleasure top. I get satisfaction from giving my partners pleasure. While I can enjoy touch with people I trust, and even experience sexual pleasure and release with a partner I’m emotionally connected with, I’m equally fine as an external participant or even an observer. But indulging my partner, giving them the things they want, is satisfying on a deep level. Many times, it’s more satisfying than sex.” Xander doesn’t seem completely surprised by my answer, and I wonder if he might be the other side of that coin. “I’m just as happy with my own touch as that of a partner.”

“So, you like to watch?” Thankfully, there’s no judgment in his tone.

“I do enjoy more voyeuristic participation. Directing the scene, guiding the participants to the heights of pleasure, sometimes joining in. But most times, I don’t need that.”

He considers, and then his cheeks blush. “So, would you want to watch Bjorn and me together? Tell us to do things to each other?”

I can tell the thought holds great appeal for him. “That excites you.”

He shrugs. “Maybe a little.” He looks me in the eyes. “If it was you doing the watching, yes. But not if it was anyone else. You wouldn’t feel left out?”

“Not at all. In fact, I would very much enjoy that.” Just thinking about it has my cock thickening and a dull ache thrumming through my balls.

“I think I would, too.”

“So, we should talk with Bjorn.”

“About the three of us dating?” Xander nods enthusiastically. “Yes. I really think we should. And soon.”

13

Bjorn

I pull into an empty space, and Xander steps out of the Range Rover, glancing up and down the street. “Are you sure you want to park here? There’s a garage just up the way. It might be safer.”

“Nah.” I exit the Rover and lock it with the key fob. Xander meets me at the front of the vehicle, and I hold out my hand. “We haven’t really talked about things, but is it okay if I hold your hand?”

I don’t even finish my sentence before he’s pressing his palm against mine. My heart flutters happily in my chest. “We definitely should discuss things.” He uses the same emphasis on the word, and although I’m not sure what things he means, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

Over the past three weeks since Kaino, Xander, and I had coffee on campus, I’ve texted a lot with both of them, and we’ve met up. Each time, it’s been in the afternoon, during the week or on weekends, and it’s all been very casual. Physical contact has been limited to hugs between Xander and me, and casual touches to hands, arms, and backs with Kaino.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

I snort and squeeze Xander’s hand. “Does anyone even say that anymore?”

Xander bristles. “Me, obviously. And using old idioms is twenty times better than telling groaner dad jokes, so you have no place throwing stones.”

Laughing, I bring his hand to my lips and kiss the back. “Fair. And sorry. I was just thinking about you and Kaino, and how much I’m enjoying spending time with you both.”

Xander side-eyes me, like he’s not sure I’m telling the truth but he’s willing to play along. “At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of them. They’re a bit prickly and stand-offish. I get the impression they don’t have a lot of friends.”

“They don’t. It’s a combination of upbringing, some situations that happened when they were younger, and probably other things I don’t know about. But none of that’s my story to tell.”

He squeezes my hand. “I wouldn’t ask you to. Slowly but surely, Kaino and I have become friends, and they’ve actually shared quite a bit about their issues with casual touching.” Xander’s cheeks blush, and god, I just want to hug him. “I was incredibly touched when they did. Lord knows I’m not over here wanting to share my history. No one wants to attend that pity party. Boo hoo, poor little rich gay boy with too many smarts, not enough emotional intelligence, no friends, and way too many bullies to go around.” He rolls his eyes dramatically. “No, thank you.”

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