Half-naked. Half-naked already, skin prickling at the empty cold after a day spent beneath a warm, safe and familiar work shirt. Everything about this situation was new, uncertain – his shameless inspection by the woman at the entrance, the tight clothes and the knowing smiles of the people he'd passed on his way in, the smell of latex and leather from hot bodies locked in pleasure somewhere behind closed doors.
He'd wanted it to be this way. He'd asked for no nonsense, in and out without fuss. He'd made an appointment, he'd kept it (much to his own surprise), and now he needed to get what he came for and leave. That was how the world worked. How his world worked. He couldn't remember what had possessed him to come to a fetish club in the first place, but he was here and half-naked now so there would be no going back. They had something he thought he might need so he would try and take it, and that was that.
The man they'd given him was called John. He wondered if that was his real name. Not that it mattered or was remotely relevant to the situation at hand. He had a bad habit of getting distracted – his mind was wandering away already, sneaking back to well-trodden self-deprecating territory.
“Stephen,” John said, rich, deep voice washing off the hard concrete walls and making them seem just a little softer.
“Yes,” he replied, hating the waver in his voice, hating the fear in it. His own body was betraying him piece by piece – the chill on his skin, the increased pace of his breathing, the tremor in his hands that just wouldn't stop no matter how hard he clenched his fists. John was gazing at him, studying him with clever eyes and Stephen knew he was being figured out. He was fresh meat, blood in the water, out of his depth and desperate for something to cling to and John could see all this, Stephen was certain.
But this was what he wanted. What he'd asked for specifically. No nonsense. No fuss. John wouldn't be the type of guy to fuck around. John stepped towards him and Stephen fought bitterly with the urge to step away. He'd come for this, he was damn well going to go through with it.
“They told me you were new, but even if they hadn't it's easy to see.” A faint, lop-sided smile, caught half-way between sympathy and mockery.
Stephen lit up inside with a familiar flame, feeling himself straighten and broaden in response to the quip. “What's your point?” he asked, glaring over at John.
John's smile broadened. It was a smile of victory now, though Stephen couldn't see where the victory was. “No point,” John said, “just an observation.”
John was standing in front of him now. Stephen wasn't sure when he'd gotten so close.
“Here, I'll make another one,” John said, leaning in. “You're damn good looking.” He'd whispered it, but not in a lurid way. It was merely the best wrapping for the complement.
Stephen felt himself blush for the first time in a long time, but kept John's gaze. He needed to be strong here. He wasn't a weakling and he wasn't going to let himself be taken easily. At least this situation was simple – both he and John knew where they stood, and he had a better chance of getting something worthwhile out of this encounter than meeting some guy at a club and taking him home.
John punctured Stephen's ruminations by shoving him suddenly up against the wall. Rough, cold concrete scraped against his tingling skin. But it wasn't the concrete he was thinking about; it was John's hot palm, pressed to his chest.
“Normally it takes me a while to get a guy's heart racing this fast.” A knowing smile. They all wore that same smile like it was a fucking uniform.
“I'm fine,” Stephen insisted, eyes locked to John's. Pretty, deep-hazel eyes set in strong features. Stephen found himself distracted again.
John wasn't distracted. John had a goal and was working swiftly towards it. Stephen was a target he needed to meet, the more efficiently the better. Didn't matter what the workplace was, work was always the same. Endless deadlines and needs to be met; all other people's needs. And other people's needs were always the most important.
John's hand slipped up Stephen's chest, gentler than he would have expected. By the time it reached his throat it was almost a caress. Then John's palm was over Stephen's chin, fingers splayed possessively around his jaw as he tilted Stephen's head back against the wall. Stephen let him, reluctantly.
“For a man who came here to be dominated you're remarkably resistant,” John told him matter-of-factly.
Stephen started a little at the comment, but John was calm, unmoving. A thumb slid over Stephen's lips, rolling his bottom lip down a little. Stephen refused to open his mouth. John leaned in, lips brushing Stephen's neck, his body warm and close. Stephen shuddered despite himself.
“Relax,” he was told, in that reassuring silk-smooth whisper. “I already know what you want without you even having to tell me.”
Stephen glanced at John uncertainly. They'd known each other ten minutes. He'd spent half his life packaging himself into nice sealed boxes, there was no way someone could figure him out in that amount of time.
But John persisted. “You want to give in willingly rather than have me take something from you. You want me to know what you need without you having to ask, and you want me to give it to you as though it's what I want so you're absolved of the responsibility for your own pleasure.”
Stephen just stared at him, feeling his own cock firming swiftly. That was everything he needed. Everything he needed so badly. Was he really that transparent? He wasn't sure he cared any more even if he was.
“But first,” John continued, smearing his thumb gently across Stephen's lips, “you want to know if I'm worthy of your submission.”
Stephen opened his mouth, and John's thumb slid inside. No nonsense. No fuss. Simple and straight to the point, just like he'd wanted.
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Oh my! Thank you Juniper, for sharing this with us! Juniper Gray's first novel will be coming out July 13 from Torquere, and I can tell already that I like her style. We'll keep an eye out for this mid-summer treat! Keep up with Juniper's news at her site, http://junipergray.blogspot.com/
Therse Bodan is a Navy Lieutenant of exceptional caliber, approached with an offer to join the upper echelons of Navy Command -- his dream position. He is on a transport cruise ship, returning from a far-flung region of space back to civilization with only his best friend and chronic under-achiever Genham Drisjic for company, trying to come to terms with the fact that if he accepts the offer, it's unlikely they'll ever see one another again. Therse is conflicted, wanting to confess his long-held feelings for Genham but afraid he might push him away.
The arrival of Meitou -- a member of the military's secretive elite -- aboard their quiet ship throws them both into turmoil, forcing Therse to confront events in his past, and making Genham face up to feelings of his own.
The ship itself is no stranger to dark secrets..."
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