Did he even want Brent to be thinking of it?
Calen might be obsessing over what happened and how things changed in his mind but he couldn’t decide if he was ready to deal with the consequences. Was he ready to open himself up? Those were a damned good questions that he didn’t have any kind of answer for. Calen got up from his chair and started pacing around the living room, trying to sort through his emotions logically.
Too much caffeine and not enough exercise, probably. Nothing to do with his nerves.
His living room was mostly empty so there wasn’t much furniture to dodge as he went back and forth across it. Moving around was better than sitting. He always thought clearer when he was active. A run would be the perfect solution.
Instead of turning around when he hit the end of the living room, he veered off towards his bedroom. When he’d first bought his condo, he thought it would be short term, so he’d gotten something small that would have good resale potential. But now that he’d been living there for several years, it didn’t seem so temporary anymore.
Digging through his dresser to find his workout pants, he once again kicked himself for not buying something that had enough room for a home gym. A run would do but a good workout sounded even better. He just didn’t have the patience right now to drive over to the gym. All his thoughts were on the magnetic sub that was pulling at him.
Brent wasn’t a sub who wanted a temporary Dom for the weekend. He’d always been honest that he wanted more than that. He’d mentioned boyfriends and Dom’s in the past but it was never casual. He was always incredibly clear that he was getting to know them so see if they would work long-term.
Calen was possessive enough that long-term didn’t scare him.
Sure, he’d had mostly short-term relationships and contracts but that was because he hadn’t found the right sub yet. Yeah, it sounded like total bullshit and with most guys he’d think they were giving them a line of crap, but it was true. Most subs he’d met had very clear ideas of what a Dom should be like. He fit their image as long as they didn’t look too deep.
Not that he was encouraging them.
Tossing his workout clothes on the bed, he started stripping down. Catching his reflection in the mirror he had to admit he looked the part of a Dom. Even with a desk job, he’d kept in shape. He might not be twenty-one any longer but he still looked good. His short dark hair, cut tight to his head, wasn’t showing any grays, and neither were the finer ones that sprinkled his chest. At just over six foot, with a broad frame, subs never complained about his appearance. But he wasn’t sure they would accept what he wanted in the bedroom.
As soon as they would start discussing limits and preferences it was clear with most guys they wouldn't be a long-term match. So he was careful not to promise them anything. Maybe it was a little underhanded, but putting himself out there to be judged when he and the sub weren’t looking for the same things didn’t make sense.
It had given him a bit of a reputation as a player but he wasn’t concerned. Subs understood they could trust him to stay in their limits and to make sure everyone had a good time. They knew he wasn’t one of those Doms who left right after a scene or was only there for the hookup. He also never promised anything he wasn’t going to deliver.
If they never realized he didn’t share much about his own preferences, he didn’t point it out. He discussed their limits carefully and asked clear questions, but he didn’t overshare. Once a sub made it clear that they expected there to be clear cut roles in the bedroom, Calen knew sharing wasn’t a good idea.
Who wanted a Dom that didn’t prefer to top?
Nobody.
CHAPTER 2
Brent
“You ready to talk about what’s going on? Or are we pretending you’re hanging out here because you love my decorating skills?” Bryce’s questions dragged Brent’s mind away from his daydream.
“What?”
“Why are you here? I know you’re supposed to have the week off. Garrett sent that email out first thing this morning. So why aren’t you out having fun?” Brent was hoping that if he feigned ignorance Bryce would’ve left it alone but evidently it wasn’t his lucky day.
Some days he loved sharing the building with Bryce but this wasn’t one of them. At least, that’s what he was going to tell himself. Brent ignored the fact that he’d wandered into Bryce’s office instead of going home.
“I had a few things that I needed to give Hudson before I could go on vacation.” Hudson was Brent’s assistant. But he did far more than answer the phone. He helped Brent manage the claims and inspections that needed to be done for any of the offices.
They didn’t have enough claims to keep him doing that exclusively, so he also handled any inspections on properties or for business policies. It kept him from the sales aspect of the business, because he was terrible at that, and allowed him to work on the parts he excelled at.
It also kept his brothers from having to do any of them. They hated the paperwork and how time-consuming it was. So it worked out well for everyone. Things were actually slow enough that unless something unexpected weather related happened, Hudson could keep up with things without putting them too far behind.
Not that he wanted a vacation.
Who wanted extra time to play guessing games? A vacation would only give his brain more time to race. Did Calen like him? Was it just his imagination? Was Calen waiting for him to say something? Was he an idiot who needed to get his mind off the Dom who didn’t seem to want him?
Yes. That one was easy to answer.
“You could have called him and we both know it. There’s something on your mind lately. Garrett was hoping time off would help you figure shit out but I think you need to talk more. You’ve been working longer hours lately and you’re not happy. What gives?” Bryce leaned back in his chair and looked at Brent.
Bryce had too much patience for Brent to wait him out, so it was either talk or make an excuse and head home. They were both terrible options.
