Page 20 of Counterpoint
“I’ll call it a lovely talent,” Adrian said. His words were soft. “Now, get up.”
Dom rose on shaky legs, not knowing what to expect next. It certainly wasn’t Adrian wrapping him in his arms and taking his mouth in a mind-searing kiss. God, he’d drown in this lust, in this need. The fire Adrian ignited and the warmth he offered.
It was as if he were trying to find every bit of his own taste in Dom, but when he finally broke the kiss, his touch was gentle. “Now, let’s go downstairs. I still have plans for you tonight.”
Dom sighed happily into Adrian. “You’re the boss.”
A brush of his thumb against his cheek. “Dominant,” Adrian said. “But yes, I am.”
Oh.Yeah. That made sense. He looked into those eyes. “Never done this before.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Really? Never sucked a man off?”
“Thousands of times, but not like this.” He felt so light, even when Adrian nudged him toward the stairs.
“Railing,” Adrian muttered.
Dom grasped it automatically. “Yeah, I guess that would harsh my mellow, if I fell down the stairs.”
Behind him, a chuckle. “Did you really just sayharsh my mellow? Because you’re not nearly old enough for that slang.”
“I’m twenty-seven!” He stopped on the stairs, indignation flaring through the happy haze of his body.
A warm hand landed on his shoulder. “To the second floor, please.”
Adrian’s tone brooked no argument, and Dom’s feet were already moving, even as his mind grumbled. But the next words were light. “I remember your age, Dominic. Do you remember mine?”
Dom’s bare feet hit the second floor, and he turned to face Adrian. He was still in his suit, though it was shoved all out of whack and there were dark patches where Dom had come. “Thirty-six.” Which put him nearly ten years older. “You’re not gonna make me call you Daddy, are you?”
This time, Adrian’s laughter was loud. “I don’t think either of us want that kind of relationship. Harsh your mellow, indeed.” But then Adrian’s grip was on his chin again, and those eyes were boring into his. “But you do seem to like submitting to me.”
“And you like telling me what to do.” Dom swallowed. “Is this where you make me talk about limits and safewords and all that weird shit?”
Adrian blinked, and his expression was caught between amusement and something else. Maybe horror. “Weird shit?” He let go and nudged Dom down the hall.
Dom moved—and remembered which room Adrian had pointed to as the master bedroom. That seemed the obvious destination. “You still planning on using your tongue on my tats, right?”
A grunt. “Are you naturally a brat, or are you nervous?”
Not nervous. It hit him what he was, though. “I’m buzzed.” Dom shook his head. “I shouldn’t be buzzed.” Not on a glass of wine an hour ago.
Adrian pressed his body against Dom. Closed him in his arms. “That’s subspace. Some of thatweird shityou don’t want to talk about.”
“Oh,” he breathed. “Sothat’swhat they meant in those books.”
Adrian kissed his neck, then nipped at the skin, hard enough to make Dom gasp and writhe. “Of course,” he muttered, his hot breath gliding over Dom’s shoulder. “Ofcourseyou’ve read about it in books.”
Through the haze of pleasure, he couldn’t tell if Adrian was amused or upset or what. “Is that condemnation?”
“Condemnation?” Adrian huffed a laugh. “Dominic, you are amazing.” Another push. “Bedroom. Now.”
So he moved and entered, and it was all the colors he loved. Soft blue walls, like the color of the ocean. Green accents with pops of gold. Rich brown furniture. The hues were so Adrian, too. Dom made it halfway into the room when he spotted something hanging from the solid wood bedframe. “Are thosemanacleson your bed?”
Adrian gave him a less subtle shove toward said bed. “They’re leather cuffs. And yes, they’re used for exactly what you think they’re there for.”
“Tying guys up.”
“Tying people up.”
