Page 14 of Doubling Down

Remi shook his head. “Not how you’re thinking. Although I can recognize why someone searches out a Dom. I’m more interested in seeing how I would do as a Dom.”

This was more than Eric had expected. It made sense though. When Remi got an idea in his head, he threw himself all-in. He researched and dug deep until he was satisfied.

“Are you being trained?” Dane asked.

Trained? Eric looked from one man to another.

“I am. I’ve only had two sessions so far, but I believe I’ve found my place.”

“What are you talking about?” Eric demanded.

Remi rose and walked over to him. He sat on the table in front of Eric. “I was going to bring this up once I was sure I would continue this path. We’ve both been extremely busy, and I didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone.”

There was a sense of betrayal, but Eric couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.

“I’ve been exploring my dominant side. I have a mentor that I met online, and we have a contract where he agreed to show me the ropes of the lifestyle. He has his own sub who’s volunteered to fill in until I find…a partner of my own,” Remi explained.

Eric stared into Remi’s eyes as he let the words sink in.

Dane moved closer to him until their thighs touched. They were supporting him. Ready for him to freak out. He’d done it before. Eric did not have the desire or the energy to fight what he was feeling.

“There’s a guy that I see almost every night. I…I want to make him my boy,” he confessed quietly.

Remi gripped his knee as Dam threw an arm around Eric’s shoulder.

“You want more than a hookup?” Remi pressed.

“I want to dress him up in Brandon’s play clothes and make sure he has everything he ever needs. I want to baby him and make him laugh and giggle. I also want to sit and talk to him for hours. I don’t only want to care for him. I want something real with him. I want a relationship. A true partnership. I know subs are really the strong ones in the relationship. I can tell he’s been through some shit times, but he’s strong. I can see it in his eyes. I want to know everything about him.”

Remi smiled. “Sounds like you found yourself a boy.”

Eric shook his head. “At first, I thought I was looking for something that wasn’t there. Brandon doesn’t need me as much as he used to. But this guy…his name is Ezra. He calls to something inside of me.”

“Do you have any idea if he’s interested?”

“I think so.” Eric found himself smiling. “There have been some issues at work with my suspect. I intervened and gave him my number. I was hoping he’d call.”

“You need to romance him,” Dane said.

Eric turned his head to stare at the other man. “Seriously? Romance.”

Dane shrugged. “It’s not like you can confess to wanting to be his Daddy if you haven’t even shown him that you're interested.”

Dane wasn’t wrong.

“I can speak to my mentor. If you’d be interested in talking to him?” Remi offered.

Eric shook his head. “No, I have an idea on that. Jesse Lambert has a private club attached to the casino. We meet there to discuss the case.”

“What kind of club?” Dane asked.

“It’s called the Teddy Bear club,” Eric replied. “It’s a kink club that focuses more on littles, pups, and the softer side of the lifestyle. There are some more hardcore nights, but I haven’t been there during all of those.”

“My mentor, Damon, is a member. I haven’t been there yet. I haven’t done any scene other than in private, but Damon has his own dungeon that I train in.”

“What kind of training are you talking about?” Dane asked.

Good question.

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