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  Dustin loved it. Loved submitting to Bryce, loved that he wasn’t afraid to take him.

  To take what was his.

  At this rate, open houses were going to keep Dustin perpetually horny.

  Sure, he knew he could ask Bryce not to do it, or even safeword for it, but…why?

  It was fun, and now that he knew Bryce was taking precautions and not trying to get him into trouble, he didn’t have the heart to ask him not to do it.

  Especially when he could tell how much fun Bryce was having doing it.

  “Don’t swallow,” Bryce gasped just before he came, his fingers digging into Dustin’s scalp. “Hold it.”

  Dustin did, struggling against his trained reflex to swallow like a good boy.

  Bryce pulled him up. “Okay, swallow.” Then he kissed him, hard and grinding like he’d fucked him last night, reminding him who he belonged to.

  “You having fun, Sir?” Dustin asked. His own cock was hard, and he’d have to adjust himself as soon as Bryce let go of him. Otherwise, he’d look like he had a damn tent in his slacks.

  “You look fucking hot in a suit. What can I say?”

  “Well, so do you.”

  “Oooh. Matching suit fetishes. Me likey. You don’t have to take that off as soon as you walk in the door. I love you in a suit.” He kissed Dustin and prompted him to move so he could stand. Then he ruffled his hands through Dustin’s hair to straighten it. “I think I heard a car outside.” He tugged him down with Dustin’s tie. “Love you,” he whispered, one more kiss to seal it.

  “Love you, too, Sir.” Dustin heard Bryce lock the master bathroom door after him when he hurried back to the kitchen.

  Sure enough, an older couple was coming up the walk. Bryce made it out of the master bedroom before they reached the front door.

  Plenty of time.

  And Dustin didn’t even have to fake his smile as he talked to them.

  By the time the open house ended and he made it back to Bryce’s, he was ready to snuggle…or whatever Bryce had in store for him.

  He wasn’t expecting to walk in and smell something that nearly hardened his cock—freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and the underlying aroma of something else cooking.

  He found Bryce in the kitchen, standing at the kitchen sink and washing a pot. He wrapped his arms around him from behind. “You already have me under your spell and now you’re cooking for me, too?”

  Bryce wore only a pair of shorts and no doubt could feel Dustin’s erection pressed against his ass. “I’ve cooked for you before.”

  “Yeah, but whatever the hell you’ve got in the oven smells amazing!”

  “Pot roast. How’d the rest of your day go?”

  Dustin flexed his hips, rubbing his stiff cock against Bryce’s ass through their clothes. “Hornier than hell, Sir.”

  “Good. Want to make sure you don’t forget about me.”

  “Never, Sir.”

  Bryce tipped his head back onto Dustin’s shoulder and looked up at him. “Doesn’t bother you I’m shorter than you?” He batted his eyes at Dustin, making him smirk.

  “No, Sir. Nothing about what we have bothers me. Not a damn thing. That’s why I’m scared to fuck this up, because it feels so perfect.”

  Bryce dried his hands and turned in Dustin’s arms, draping his arms around Dustin’s neck. “I know that fear. Quit spying on my brain from inside it.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes for a long, quiet moment. The only sound in the apartment was Jack Johnson on the stereo.

  “You really think we’ll make it a month to have that talk, Bryce?”

  That was an agreed-upon signal, a heart-to-heart talk, or at least person-to-person, vanilla, real-life. Not Sir and boy.

  Them.

  The real them.

  Bryce sighed. “If I could get away with it, and had a big enough vehicle, I’d be driving over to your place tonight, loading as much of your shit in it as possible, and bringing it back here.”

  “Responsible adults wait. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.”

  “Yeah. Me, too.” Bryce rested his head against Dustin’s chest, something he loved. Didn’t make Bryce seem less Domly to Dustin. It felt comfortable, that his Sir trusted him enough to be real and honest with him.

  To be vulnerable around him.

  No acts, no airs.

  The real man.

  Maybe that’s why this felt so right so soon, because he knew this was who Bryce was. Their friends knew Bryce, and he wasn’t one person in public and someone else in private.

  What you saw was what you got—honesty.

  Dustin nuzzled his face in Bryce’s hair. “What do you think Kimbra would say if you asked her opinion?”

  He snorted. “She’d be asking when we’re getting a marriage license, and why the hell I haven’t moved you in yet. I know she would.”

  “I didn’t think she was a Domme?”

  “She’s not. She’s vanilla with sprinkles and feisty as hell, but she’s also damned honest. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay her for introducing me to you.”

  * * * *

  Bryce hated that Monday rolled around again, meaning back to work. When it came to awaiting Kira’s arrival, Bryce felt like time had slowed to an impossible crawl. But time with Dustin seemed to flash before his eyes, slipping away too quickly. Barely a week and a half into this, and Bryce was having a damned hard time remembering what life was like before Dustin walked into his. It felt like Dustin had always been there, like he’d always be there.

  He was a whole person outside of Dustin, but it was like his own ragged orbit had stabilized with Dustin’s sweet, calm presence to soothe him and even out his rough edges.

  Life felt…sweet.

  Like one of those crazy-sappy eighties love songs that no one wanted to admit made them smile and think about someone. Like Air Supply and REO Speedwagon got drunk on cheap-ass wine, fucked all night, had a bastard love ballad, and soaked it in unicorn cum and candy sprinkles.

  They’d spent every night together since that first Sunday night, alternating back and forth. They’d already brought shower stuff to the other’s house, quickly starting to infiltrate each other’s spaces, mingling, merging.

  Dustin had admitted if Bryce “joked” too many more times about him moving in, he was liable to take him up on it. Dustin also admitted he found it more difficult to logic his way out of the argument with every hour he spent with Bryce.

  Bryce was happy with that admission and doing his damnedest to wear Dustin down. Despite having agreed on waiting a month to have the discussion, it was like they were both looking for permission from the other to ignore that self-imposed deadline and just…do it.

  And each other.

  That Wednesday night, they were camped out at Dustin’s place. Dustin had cooked them dinner since he’d had the day off, and Bryce had headed there after running home first to check on Archer, grab his mail, and get clothes to spend the night at Dustin’s. Dustin had finished cleaning the kitchen and lay sprawled on the couch, naked, watching TV with his head resting against Bryce’s thigh while Bryce read a Florida Supreme Court decision on his tablet.

  Naked was now Dustin’s default mode when they were alone at either man’s home.

  They both preferred it that way.

  Bryce’s free hand rested on Dustin’s head, petting him, playing with his hair, addicted to that damn shit like a drug or something. Both of them were—Bryce loved the peaceful look that took over Dustin’s features when he did it, and something about how soft his hair felt soothed Bryce better than any fricking Xanax when he sat and stroked his hair, played with it, ran his fingers through it.

  Bryce’s phone vibrated on the arm of the couch with a text alert that turned out to be from Kira. When he read it, he nearly knocked his tablet onto the floor in his excitement.

  “Fuck yeah!” He texted her back, not even caring if he sent typos.

  She’d understand.
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  She was his bestie.

  “What?”

  “Kira texted me her flight info. Next Tuesday afternoon. Even better, she’s flying into Sarasota. I don’t have to drive all the way up to Tampa.”

  Less than a week!

  “That’s great!” The previous Sunday evening, after their pot roast dinner, Dustin had helped Bryce rearrange the third bedroom and move his desk in there, before Bryce fucked two orgasms out of Dustin as a reward for a job well done, and for making him wait for so long after the earlier blow job at the open house.

  Positive reinforcement, yo.

  Sadist, not asshole.

  “I cannot wait for you to meet her.” Bryce smiled down at him. “Are you off next Tuesday?”

  “Mostly. I know I have a closing that afternoon, but I don’t remember what time. Will probably take a couple of hours, start to finish. I’m taking Thursday morning off to make up for working Tuesday afternoon.”

  “So you’re off Wednesday?”

  “No, Sir. Monday.”

  “Darn. I already warned Kimbra I was going to take a day or two off after Kira gets in. I don’t have any court dates on my calendar next week.”

  “I can probably leave early on Wednesday, depending what’s waiting for me when I get there,” Dustin said. “Next weekend’s really busy, though. I have open houses both days.”

  * * * *

  Dustin had still been at the open house last Sunday when Bryce had his weekly FaceTime call with Kira. Whatever slight misgivings Dustin might have felt when he’d first seen Kira on the previous call, he knew he’d have to ignore them. Finally getting an arrival date from Kira had invigorated Bryce, especially as he’d been discussing his plans with Dustin, how Bryce couldn’t wait to have her “home” so they could keep an eye on her and help her find a good guy.

  They.

  Something else he’d noticed—that Bryce no longer talked in hypotheticals when referencing their future. Whether or not he realized he was doing it, Dustin didn’t know.

  But it told Dustin the man was there, for life, already emotionally invested in them.

  Another first for him, at least in recent years.

  It scared him in all the good ways.

  Bryce wanted him.

  Really and truly wanted him.

  Dustin’s open houses that weekend were closer to his apartment, so they spent Friday and Saturday nights there, Bryce going home during the day to do chores and take care of Archer.

  It also meant sexy repeats of the previous weekend. Bryce dropped in, and because these open houses were busier, both Saturday’s and Sunday’s visits were quick blowjobs.

  Plus, on Saturday night, they went to Sigalo’s again for dinner with everyone. The more people Dustin met, the more he realized he’d finally found his tribe. He’d talked with Lara and Victor during the week and they’d both assured him that’s how this group of people rolled.

  Honesty, compassion, and with a community spirit of looking out for each other and newbies. Asshats didn’t last long amongst them, usually self-removed from the group when they figured out drama wasn’t tolerated.

  Dustin had also admitted his slight misgivings about Kira to Lara, hoping for insight. They had talked in the office that Friday afternoon, ahead of the weekend.

  She’d frowned, seemingly weighing her answer. “Do you think it’s something on her end, or something inside you?”

  “If I knew that I wouldn’t be bouncing this off you.”

  “It’s natural to feel a little off-balance. They’ve known each other all their lives, it sounds like. You’re worried if he’ll still want you after she arrives. Or that she’ll step between you. That he’ll choose her over you.”

  He ran his thumb over the crease in his slacks. “I don’t know why I feel like that, either.”

  “Uh, because you’re human?” He looked up and spotted her smile. “Dude, this is new and scary and happened so fast. Ridiculously fast. But you know what? The more people I’ve talked to about Bryce, the picture is emerging he is who he says he is. A nice guy. Worst thing anyone will say about him is he’s a workaholic and pretty intensely focused when he’s trying a case. And it sounds like you already know that. Don’t sink yourself just because of your fears. Those guys in your past were idiots. Let this happen however it plays out, and don’t assume you’re going to be tossed out in favor of a platonic friend.”

  “My brain and my heart are still at war over that.”

  “Trust me if you can’t trust yourself. If I thought you were making a mistake, I wouldn’t have let you make it without warning you first. Walt swears up and down Kimbra is wicked good at reading people and she wouldn’t have vouched for Bryce if he wasn’t a good guy. Now, I’m not saying I know Bryce a fraction as well as everyone else I’ve talked to does, but I can’t imagine he’d toss you over for his friend without a good reason, like you kicked his cat or something.”

  Dustin had already lost two charger cords to Archer, but couldn’t find it in his heart to feel anything other than slightly aggravated at the handsome, playful cat.

  “I hate the unknown.”

  She smirked. “Again, dude, join the club called the rest of humanity.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Bryce awoke Tuesday morning feeling…eager.

  Happy.

  Even discovering Archer had chewed through yet another charger cable—time to find a new place to plug it in—wouldn’t dampen his mood.

  He could barely wait for Kira to get there. It’d been over a year since he’d last put real-life eyes on her sweet face, and damn had he missed her.

  Fucker.

  At least she was permanently free of that asshole now.

  Part of him was tempted to drive to the airport early and sit there and wait so nothing would delay him getting to her. Except he needed to accomplish some work that morning, since he’d be taking the afternoon and all of tomorrow off. Maybe even Thursday, depending on Kira’s mindset. He’d left that up in the air and warned Kimbra he was iffy.

  He’d damn sure do his best to talk Kira into living with him long-term. Remind her how much fun they’d had living together in college.

  At least he knew he wouldn’t feel so damn lonely anymore.

  Well, except now he had Dustin, which had made that a non-issue.

  Bryce couldn’t deny Dustin had managed to hook himself deep in Bryce’s feels somehow, getting all tangled up there. That Dustin admitted he felt the same helped put Bryce’s mind at ease.

  It wasn’t a guaranteed forever, though, no matter how hard they’d fallen for each other. Right now, they were still in the shakedown cruise portion of their relationship, and he’d be a terminal idiot to think anything else. Sure, the sex was great, and playing in the dungeon felt awesome.

  Yes, he was in love with the guy.

  It was the long-term vanilla stuff they needed to make sure worked. Only then would Bryce start to relax and get his hopes up in a big and mighty way. When they had their talk in a couple of weeks, Bryce was hoping he could talk Dustin into moving in with him.

  Them. Him and Kira.

  At least Dustin wasn’t an asshole about Kira moving in with him.

  I can’t wait for them to meet.

  That was another thing. How Dustin reacted to and related with Kira would play a big role in deciding the direction of their relationship. If Dustin and Kira didn’t get along, that was a non-starter for Bryce. He was getting her back into his life now after several years of her being stuck in Dallas with the asshole.

  Nothing was going to stand between him and his bestie anymore.

  He wouldn’t let it.

  Not even Dustin.

  Please let them like each other!

  It’d break his heart in more than one way if they didn’t.

  In his best-case fantasies, Kira moved in with him, and then he talked Dustin into moving in, and then he and Dustin could screen Kira’s boyfriends for her. Maybe the Frightful Five could fix her u
p with a good guy.

  Someone not an asshole like Shawn. Only then, once Bryce was certain Kira had found a keeper, would he encourage her to make it permanent with the guy, if she wanted to.

  Until then, they could make up for lost time together.

  He was at work that morning when she texted him that she was on the plane and it was preparing to take off. He squealed with excitement when he received the text, which prompted Kimbra to stick her head in his office door a moment later.

  “Context for the squee, boo?”

  He held up his phone. “Kira’s in the air!”

  She gave him a thumbs-up. “Excellent. Wasn’t sure if that was a work-related squee or a personal one.”

  “No, if it was work-related, that would have been a whoop, not a squee. Squees are reserved for personal situations only.”

  “Gotcha.” She left him alone, and he pulled up the flight tracker app so he could actually see her plane’s flight path and progress. It was a direct flight, and from that point on it would be nearly impossible for him to get any decent work done with her winging her way to Sarasota.

  He texted Dustin.

  She’s in the air!

  He replied a few minutes later.

  Excellent! Looking forward to meeting her tonight. Heading into my closing soon. I’ll see you tonight, Sir.

  Bryce set his phone aside and stared at the motion on the screen in front of him on the flight app. He really needed to get his brain focused on this. Except…

  Kimbra hadn’t been wrong about what a workaholic he was. Before Dustin entered his life, he usually ended up working every evening and most weekends. From home, but still—work.

  Always work.

  He could always justify it.

  What he usually couldn’t justify was taking time off, time for himself, especially during the week. It made him feel like a slacker, even if he knew that was illogical and untrue. His billable hours were right up there with everyone else’s, frequently above everyone else’s, in addition to the pro bono cases he handled.