Chapter 13
Houston
What. The. Fuck.
God,he was beautiful. Naked and kneeling, eyes cast down at the floor, he was the picture of submission. He looked calm and at peace with what he wanted—until someone noticed how fast he was breathing or the way his hands shook as they rested on his knees.
The message was clear—so was his half-hard cock.
Taking one slow, deep breath, I let the stress and worry melt away. No matter what those assholes had done, I knew Reece hadn’t been aware of any of it. But he seemed to be afraid that I didn’t really understand that.
Setting my keys and phone down on the entry table, I walked into the living room. His breathing started to calm, as if my silence put him at ease. He couldn’t have been there too long. I hadn’t driven around more than a few minutes before I’d known I wanted to go home. But I wasn’t going to take any chances with him.
Not letting myself second-guess what I wanted, and what he was offering, I sat down in one of the oversized chairs. “Come here, Reece. Up in my lap.”
He rose silently and gracefully. His muscular body shouldn’t have moved that smoothly, but it was like water rising from the floor. Submission and kneeling clearly weren’t new, but men were. I couldn’t deny how arousing it was. It was ridiculous and old-fashioned, but I loved the idea that I was the first man he was sharing himself with.
Reece walked slowly to the chair, finally meeting my eyes as I reached out to take his hand. There was no hesitation in him as he climbed onto my lap. He just curled into me and sighed, his first words coming out quiet and low. “I like this.”
Reece would’ve squished the average woman if he tried to sit on her, even if he was on the shorter side. Not that I was going to bring up his past, not yet at least. “I’m glad. I like holding you like this too.”
He was calmer, and his voice came out with more strength. “I’m sorry they made you uncomfortable, but I’m not sorry to have a chance to clear up some things with you.”
A low laugh escaped, and I wrapped my hands around his smooth body. “I’d have preferred finding another way to handle things.”
Reece nodded. “If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m submissive and bi.”
“Good to know. I was assuming that when I found you beautifully naked and displayed on my floor.” I wasn’t that much of a moron.
He made a low sound almost like a laugh, but I wasn’t sure. “You need softer carpet.”
“We’ll have to see about getting something nicer for you.” I let one hand move down to caress his knees, ignoring his cock until I knew exactly what we were doing.
He nodded and curled in tighter to me, his hands starting to absently caress my chest. “They said you’re a Dom, and that you’re interested in me.”
“Yes.” I wasn’t sure exactly what else to say, but I knew he was looking for more. “I noticed you the first time I saw you. Those big brown eyes looking up at me so intently.”
That time, the sound came out more clearly— definitely laughter. “You were hot. And a little bit frightening—but still hot.”
Smiling, I started caressing lower down his legs, wishing so much of his body wasn’t hidden against me. “I was just a little frustrated. The previous applicants were beyond insane.”
“And you were expecting me to be the same way.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Iknewyou would turn right around and walk away from the crazy man. But you just stood there like it was nothing. I was a bit worried you were in shock or had lost your marbles.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, but his face was still turned down, tucked against my body. “Maybe a little, but it was more of a case of no blood in my brain at that moment. It was all much farther south.”
Chuckling, I kissed the top of his head, no longer able to resist. He sighed, and his left hand reached up to wrap around my neck, holding me, but not pulling me down. “I had a very similar reaction, which only made me more frustrated because you didn’t give any indication if you were gay or straight. And considering you’re bi, that makes more sense.”
Humor was laced through Reece’s voice. “I don’t have that much experience with guys, and even less when it comes to male dominants. I wasn’t even sure how to ask if you were a Dom.” Then he shrugged. “Or if you’d think I was insane.”
I thought it was probably a reasonable fear. “And then there’s the whole roommate part. I’m going to be honest and say that I really don’t want to have to look for a new roommate. You’re hot and sexy and looked incredible kneeling for me, but if you’re going to turn into a psycho if things don’t work out, I’d like to know now so I can start preparing for it.”
I was being honest, but Reece just started to laugh. When he finally caught his breath, his head came up. “So if I understand this right, you’re not saying my being nuts would be a deal breaker, you’d just like some notice?”
“Yes.” Considering how attracted I was to him and how perfectly he curled into me, I wasn’t going to hold my breath thinking we could keep our hands off each other.
His smile widened and he shook his head. “I’m not nuts. I’m not going to plan on things falling apart, whatever it is we finally end up doing, but I’d like to think that I could function as a reasonable grown-up. At least, until I found a new place to live. If it gets bad quick, no matter whose fault it is, there are some corporate apartments I could use until finding something else was possible.”
