Chapter 1
Bryce
He knew he should stay away, but he couldn’t. Something about the couple had called to him from the first moment he’d seen them. He’d tried to leave them alone and find someone else that attracted him, but it wasn’t possible.
Watching as Troy carefully wrapped a still-shaking Oliver in a soft blanket, he told his feet they needed to walk away from the intimate moment in front of him, but the traitors kept taking him closer. Inch by inch he worked his way toward the darkness.
The sounding scene had been for the audience at Bound & Controlled as well as the men, but now that it was over, the aftercare was only for the two of them. It was intimate, private. Every rule and piece of etiquette he’d ever learned screamed at him that he needed to leave them alone and give them their space, but something kept him orbiting their private world.
Bound & Controlled was a gay BDSM club that was open and accepting, but there were rules and boundaries. Bryce knew he should find someplace else to be, but it was impossible. It didn’t matter that he was supposed to let them have their space after a scene. Bryce couldn’t leave them. He’d managed to walk away in the past, but it was quickly becoming impossible.
He had to seem like an idiot, or worse, some kind of weird stalker. They were just so perfect together. The passion and the emotion, it was incredible. He loved watching them, but standing outside looking in wasn’t satisfying him any longer.
Troy’s firm voice echoed from the dark corner where the two men sat at the L-shaped sofa, startling Bryce. Even in the low light, he could picture the tall, blond Dom, built more like a Norse god than a mere mortal. “Come sit next to him. He’s still flying, but he’ll want to see you when he comes down.”
His heart stopped.
He felt like he was standing right on the edge of an entirely different universe, and he didn’t know if he could do it. The two warring sides inside of him were finally both on the same page. They didn’t care if they got to dominate Oliver or submit to Troy, they simply wanted to curl up on the couch and hold them both. His brain, on the other hand, kept shouting to walk away.
It was confusing.
A relationship where he was the Domandsub couldn’t work.
They wouldn’t want him for more than a scene or two, anyway.
His brain was adamant; luckily, his feet listened to lower parts of his body. He took the first step closer and didn’t even realize he was going to say something until the words were already out. “He will?”
It wasn’t much, but Troy didn’t seem to mind. His stern voice warmed a few degrees, sending pleasure through Bryce. “You know he will. Come sit down.” His voice dropped low and heat threaded through it. “Don’t make me tell you again.”
His inner sub rolled over and squirmed for attention. Bryce felt his skin flush and his heart rate increase. It’d been so long since someone really understood what he needed. Would they be able to see who he was and grasp that he was both a Dom and a sub at heart?
Was he willing to take the chance?
Yes.
One last step and he was standing by the couch. The lighted stages around the room gave off a low glow, but the way the room had been designed left the quiet corner in near-darkness. Even sitting, Troy’s massive frame made Bryce feel small. It made the sub inside him whine and plead for more.
Troy held Oliver in his arms, the sub’s lean, muscular body cradled in his lap. Bryce wasn’t sure where to sit. Troy, thankfully, took the decision out of his hands. “Sit by his feet. That way he’ll see you when he wakes up.”
Bryce curled up next to Troy, close but not touching, and observed Oliver. He’d been so beautiful up on the stage. Needy and desperate but wanting to be perfect for his Dom, giving everything over to the pleasure. At some points while he watched, he’d wanted to be Oliver, strapped down and helpless. Other times, he’d imagined he was Troy, standing over Oliver, teasing and pleasuring him.
His family didn’t really understand, but it felt like there were two different people inside of him struggling for dominance. What he really wanted most was someone who could understand that and help him find a balance.
“You’re thinking too hard. Scoot closer, I won’t bite—unless we go over limits first.” Subtle hints of laughter flowed through his words, making Bryce want to squirm. He inched closer until he was pressed tight against the Dom. “That’s better. Hold his legs and let your hands rest on him. He likes to be held lightly right now, but tighter once he wakes up.”
Something squeezed inside of him as Troy shifted to let Oliver’s legs rest in his lap. Softly wrapping his hands around the slim, strong limbs, Bryce let his head fall to Troy’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
He wasn’t sure for what, but the words were important.
Troy hummed a low tone that sounded pleased, but Bryce wasn’t sure what it meant. “He knew you were there. He wanted to be perfect for you.”
“I…I…” His mind was blank.
Oliver’s eyes started to flutter, and he shifted in their arms, turning to get closer to the radiating warmth of Troy’s body. A little frown created creases between his eyes, and he shifted, trying to get comfortable.
“Is he okay?” He’d seemed fine on stage, but Bryce wasn’t sure.
“He’s going to be a little sore from straining against the straps, but he’s fine.” There was a warmth in Troy’s voice as he talked about his boy. “He’s just whiny when he’s sleepy. He won’t even notice it once he’s awake.”
