Vulnerable Read online

  “It’s pretty cool news about your job, though,” Noel said.

  “Yeah, I was really floored when my boss told me. It’s a big step up. Going to be a lot of work, but it’ll pay off.” At least in this way he didn’t have to feel less-than. He had a career, and it was more than being a glorified gardener.

  “Dinner is served,” Keith announced from the doorway. Scott had been helping him in the kitchen, apparently.

  Leo stood and offered Noel a helping hand up off the couch. “Thanks,” she said. “That’s getting a little more difficult every day.”

  “Eva got to the point by her sixth month where she sort of had to roll over onto her side to get up off the couch or out of bed by herself,” Leo said.

  “Yeah, everyone keeps warning me of that.” She looked at Jesse. “Remember how big Leigh got toward the end? She said she was sure she had twins in there, but nope. Just one.”

  “She was enormous,” Jesse said, then realized Leo had no idea who she was. “Sorry. One of our friends from the club.”

  “Club?” Leo asked.

  They’d made it into the dining room, but Scott and Keith had caught Jesse’s last comment. The three of them froze, and Jesse realized he’d committed one of the massive faux pas of BDSM.

  The first rule of BDSM is we don’t discuss BDSM in front of vanillas.

  “I–I’m sorry,” Jesse stammered, mentally kicking himself in the ass.

  “No, it’s okay,” Keith said, indicating everyone should sit. “It would have come out eventually tonight.”

  “What would?” Leo asked, taking a seat across from Jesse.

  Keith smiled. “Leo, there’s a small thing about us that you aren’t aware of, beyond our poly triad household. Noel and Scott aren’t just my partners. They’re my collared slaves. I’m their Master. We’re all into BDSM.”

  Chapter Five

  Leo’s mind spun. “BDSM? Like that Fifty Shades stuff?”

  The other four burst out laughing. “Yes and no,” Keith said. He pointed toward Jesse. “Jesse is a submissive. Not my submissive, and we don’t play together, but he’s single and, like I said, he’s looking to make new friends the way you are.”

  “I…I honestly don’t know what to say.”

  Keith’s smile faded. “I hope you don’t think any less of us for this.”

  “No. I mean…” Leo swallowed hard. “You do this in real life?”

  Yes, on his two visits to the resort in St. Pete he’d seen leathermen, but considering he hadn’t been part of the gay leather scene, he knew nearly as much about it as he did brain surgery.

  Meaning absolutely nothing.

  “Yes, we do,” Keith said. “Obviously, Noel’s not getting to play nearly as much as she’d like with her pregnancy and morning sickness issues, but she still serves me in other ways that I feel won’t harm her or our baby.”

  This felt…weird. Like he’d been dropped into an X-rated after-school special. “People really…” He didn’t know where to go from there or what to say.

  Jesse smiled from across the table. “I’m a bottom. A submissive to the right person. I like being controlled, strict bondage and domination. Impact play. And in bed, I don’t want to be in charge.”

  Leo’s cock thickened again. He was grateful to be seated so it wasn’t visible. He’d managed to corral his unruly member somewhat during their pre-dinner talk, but now that they’d ended up on this topic, his cock wanted to hear more.

  A lot more.

  Keith cocked his head. “Well?” he asked Leo. “Or did my instincts totally deceive me?”

  Leo slowly shook his head. “I…I guess I didn’t realize it was a thing.” He felt his face heat. “If I say something, can you all promise it never leaves this room?”

  Keith’s expression turned serious. “Absolutely.”

  Leo took a deep breath. “Toward the end of my marriage, when I knew I had to divorce Eva, the only way I could even think about performing was by being totally in charge in bed. Which was okay, because she’d liked that. But I had to fantasize about guys the whole time. About…doing things.”

  Jesse looked hopeful. “Spankings?”

  Leo nodded.

  “Tying them up and doing whatever you wanted to them?” Noel helpfully suggested.

  Leo nodded.

  Scott wore an evil grin. “Putting him on his knees with his hands clipped behind him and forcing him to suck your cock before you fuck his ass?”

  Leo knew his face had to be red, but he nodded.

  Keith chuckled and reached over to touch Scott’s shoulder. “I told you I’d do that to you later, boy,” he gently said before ruffling Scott’s hair.

  “Exactly what kind of club are we talking about?” Leo asked.

  “Venture,” Keith said. “It’s a BDSM club in town.” He nodded toward Jesse. “And that’s how we know Jesse.”

  Maybe Leo would have to rethink how fast he wanted to move with this man. Now that it was sinking in the man seated across the table from him enjoyed receiving the kinds of fantasies that he’d resorted to for keeping his own cock hard while with Eva, he was starting to realize the potential.

  “You like…that?” Leo asked Jesse.

  Jesse grinned. “Nothing I love better than going to sleep with a well-beaten ass. Other than going to sleep with a well-beaten and well-fucked ass.”

  Fuck…me…

  Keith grinned. “So, Leo. It would seem you might be more interested in making a new friend than you previously thought you were before, am I right?”

  Leo nodded, now unable to take his eyes off the younger man before him. Jesse was twenty-eight, but Leo would have guessed he was older from the way he comported himself. The guy had a stable job, plans for his future, was a hard worker.

  He was also hot as fuck.

  “After dinner,” Keith said, “I’ll show you our playroom.”

  “Playroom?” Leo didn’t pull his gaze from Jesse’s gorgeous brown eyes. The harder Leo looked, now he spotted little flecks of amber in them.

  “Home dungeon. Nothing fancy, and we can’t keep it set up all the time, but I can show you a few things once we finish eating.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Jesse’s smile widened. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t mind breaking in a new Top. Especially a guy as hot as you.”

  Leo’s gut clenched in the good way. In a way it…well, never had before.

  Ever.

  Leo wanted to drag this guy to a bedroom right now, put him on his knees, dig a fist into his hair, and fuck his mouth hard and fast until Jesse’s lips were swollen and he had sucked Leo’s balls dry.

  Aaannnd now his cock was really hard. Throbbing. Aching.

  “I think you rendered him speechless, Sir,” Noel playfully said as she picked up her glass of ginger ale and took a sip.

  Leo nodded.

  * * * *

  Holy crap.

  Jesse wasn’t one to top from the bottom. He hated that. He preferred to get his hard limits stated and out of the way and trust his Top not to violate them.

  But this guy…this guy had never been into BDSM before. This man had the potential to be the Dom of Jesse’s dreams. He could enlist his friends to help the man learn safe, fun ways of playing.

  They could explore things together. It wasn’t often Jesse got to teach a Dominant new tricks.

  As dinner wore on, Jesse found himself quickly and dangerously tipping into a very strong attraction for the man. Leo asked a lot of questions, good questions, the kind a reasonable person should ask.

  Every question led to another, and another, taking them down the rabbit hole and into the depths of BDSM until Leo finally sat back and laughed.

  “Honestly? I thought the conversation I had with Laurel last weekend was the weirdest of my life and would never be topped. And now…this.”

  “What conversation was that?” Noel asked.

  Leo recounted a story about his daughter asking if her mom was also going to start da
ting women. “So here I am, standing there, shocked. What was I supposed to say? ‘No, Mommy and Daddy both like the peen?’ I don’t think so.”

  Leo pointed at Noel, who unsuccessfully tried to hide her snickers behind her hand. “Just wait. This is the kind of stuff you three have to look forward to in a few years. Maybe not that, but enjoy.”

  She dropped her hand but she still wore a playful smile. “Sorry. I can just imagine that conversation, though, and how you must have looked.”

  “I am sooo not prepared for all of this,” Leo said. “Hell, I’m still learning to figure myself out as a gay man, and now you guys tell me that not only am I not alone in the things I thought were wrong for all of these years, but I’m actually normal and on the mild end of the scale.”

  “That pretty much sums it up,” Noel said. “I can’t speak authoritatively about the gay man stuff,” she said, “But you’re embarking on the wackiest and most fulfilling journey of your life at this point. Finding the real you and what’s going to make you truly happy.”

  “What are you doing tomorrow night?” Keith asked. “We can meet you over at the club. Fridays are usually a little less crowded.”

  “Date night with Laurel,” he said, “but this is her mom’s weekend to have her. I’ll be free Saturday night.”

  “Scott has to work Saturday night,” Keith said, “but I can meet you and Jesse over there.”

  “And me,” Noel added, with an adorable pout shot Keith’s way.

  “Maybe,” Keith said. “If you feel up to it.”

  “Oh. True. I’m a definite maybe,” she said.

  Then Leo’s cell rang. After glancing at it, he rose. “Sorry. I’ll be right back.” He was answering it as he walked out of the dining room and toward the living room.

  Noel leaned in. “Well?” she whispered.

  Jesse tried to stay noncommittal. “I just met him. Yeah, he seems like a nice guy. I’m definitely attracted to him.”

  “He’s a recently out and virgin Dom,” Keith softly joked. “You don’t get them much rarer than that.”

  After a couple of minutes, Leo returned, a smile on his face. “Sorry. Nightly call with Laurel.”

  “That’s great that you can talk to her every day,” Jesse said.

  “Yeah. There’s been some tension between her mom and me, understandably. Eva isn’t happy this is happening and is trying to stall the divorce.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket and retook his seat.

  Jesse felt a little guilty about what might be perceived as pressuring the guy earlier. “You know, we don’t have to go to the club Saturday night if you don’t want to. We could grab dinner or a movie or something.”

  Leo snorted. “It’d be nice to see something that wasn’t put out by Pixar or Disney for a change,” he said. “Not that I mind those movies, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Finding Nemo and Cars. Too many times to count.”

  “Just keep swimming,” Jesse teased. “I actually love those kinds of movies. The animation fascinates me.”

  “Yeah.” Leo looked up, locking gazes with Jesse. Those gorgeous blue eyes of Leo’s hardened Jesse’s cock.

  He wanted to drop to his knees right there and—

  Whoa. Wait. Slow, remember? Go slow.

  “So what does it take to get into this club?” Leo asked. “Do I need to know a secret handshake or something?”

  Jesse smiled. “Nope. Just money and a photo ID.”

  “Jeans and a button-up shirt are fine,” Keith said, anticipating the next most commonly asked question by a newbie.

  * * * *

  Leo couldn’t believe he was actually thinking about doing this.

  More, he couldn’t believe the visceral attraction he already felt toward Jesse. Whether it was loneliness or hormones or the revelation that there really were people out there like him who wanted the same things he wanted, he didn’t know.

  Part of him didn’t care.

  Part of him wanted to sling caution to the wind and say fuck it and go for it.

  The other side of him, the father, struggled to rein in horny, hormonal Leo and keep him on a painfully short leash.

  “What time?” Leo asked.

  “Well, we frequently go out to dinner with several friends in the lifestyle first,” Keith said. “Sigalo’s. Know where that is?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been there before. You mean friends who are kinky, too?”

  “Yes. Might be a good way to ease your toe into the BDSM pool before we get to the club. That way, you’ll already know several people before we even get there.” Keith shrugged. “Or you might decide by the time dinner’s over that it’s not your thing and part company with us for the night. That’s cool, too.”

  “No, I think I’d like to go. Do they allow sex?”

  Jesse grinned. “No, just some sexy kinds of play. It’s not a sex club.”

  “Now I’m confused.”

  “You’ll have to see it to understand,” Keith said. “Lots of sexy kinds of play can be done without it actually being sex.”

  By the time they finished dinner, showed Leo a few things in their home dungeon, and sat around and talked for another couple of hours, it was after ten and Jesse needed to go home. He had to get up early in the morning for work.

  Leo waited until Jesse had left to turn to Keith. “So you’re not just fixing me up with a gay guy, but a kinky gay guy?”

  Keith wore a knowing smirk. “I’ve been doing this long enough, I’m pretty good at reading people.” His smirk faded. “Jesse’s a good guy. He went through a rough patch with a creep and is rebuilding his life. I know you have your priorities straight—no pun intended. I think the two of you might be a good match. As friends if nothing else.”

  “Maybe.”

  “It looked like to me there were sparks flying between you two.”

  “What time Saturday at Sigalo’s?”

  “Seven.” He clapped Leo on the shoulder. “You won’t even have to pass the Tilly test, but June will be there, I believe, and so will Eliza. They’re just as good.”

  “The what?”

  Noel giggled. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  “Is this something kinky?”

  “Nope, just a very tightly knit group of friends who are like family to us.” He draped one arm around Noel’s shoulders, and one around Scott’s. “Closer than family.”

  After saying his good-nights, Leo headed out, deep in thought as he returned to his apartment.

  What the hell am I thinking?

  Was he really going to do this?

  Instead of going to bed, like he’d planned, he fired up his laptop and researched the club. Yes, Venture had a website, a calendar, and a list of classes. The annual membership wasn’t very expensive at all, and neither were the door fees.

  They had educational articles on their site, too. By the time he realized he was yawning and barely able to keep his eyes open, he was startled to find it was after midnight.

  Shit.

  He needed to be in the shop at seven in the morning to get an early scheduled job knocked out.

  But as he laid there in bed—alone—he realized his cock had other plans. Closing his eyes, he started stroking himself, now able to conjure Jesse’s face in his mind instead of a random hot celebrity or some guy he’d happened to notice in a store.

  The sound of Jesse’s voice.

  Imagining bending him over the bed and reddening his ass before he fucked it, hard, fast, viciously—

  The force of his orgasm, as well as its sudden arrival, startled him. As he lay there with his softening cock in his hand and cum drying on his abs, he realized something.

  He absolutely did want to see Jesse again.

  Chapter Six

  Laurel wanted sushi again on Friday night.

  Leo didn’t mind. As he started to take Laurel out to his car, Eva stopped him.

  “We don’t really have anything planned for tomorrow night. You…could come over for dinner, if you
want.”

  Shit.

  He’d actually spent all day excited about tomorrow night, getting to see Jesse again.

  On the other hand, he absolutely did not want to ditch his daughter. Especially when Eva was clearly making an effort to be civil.

  If he had a third hand, however, he’d be stupid not to take Eva’s motivations into account. The last time he’d let her talk him into dinner at the last minute like this, she’d managed to get four glasses of wine into him before he realized it and he’d ended up spending the night in the guest room because he couldn’t drive.

  And Eva had been particularly bitchy to him for the next couple of weeks, after failing to talk him into sleeping in the bedroom with her.

  In what had been their bed.

  With her.

  He wasn’t an idiot.

  “Um, I can come over, but I already made plans yesterday with some friends from one of the marinas I do a lot of work for. I’m meeting them for dinner at seven. I can come over about four. Would that be okay?”

  He could still spend time with Laurel, and it would give Eva a strong hint that he was starting to move on in some ways.

  Eva did a good job trying to hide her disappointment, he’d give her credit for that. “Oh. I thought you were coming over to mow tomorrow.”

  “I am. In the morning. I was going to go home after, though.”

  She looked down at the ground. “You could bring your clothes and shower here. Just stay here all day. We’ll grill hotdogs for lunch.”

  Shit.

  “We could go swimming, Daddy!” Laurel piped up.

  Great. Way to help out Daddy, sweetheart.

  He couldn’t say no without hurting their feelings. “Okay, but then I need to leave earlier. I have to do laundry.” He’d actually found a clean but ratty pair of briefs in the back of his drawer, and had once again procrastinated laundry.

  Eva brightened a little. “Bring it with you. I’ll do it for you.”