An Unlocked Heart(Collars & Cuffs Stories) (24 page)

Nineteen

“I
T
’
S
good to see you, Leo.”

Leo smiled as Thomas gave him an enthusiastic hug. He’d known before they arrived at the club that
someone
had already been talking, and his money was on Pietro. Although not everyone had given him such a warm reception. It saddened him to see the wary expressions on both Doms and subs alike as he walked through the club. Apparently he had quite a few bridges to repair.

Alex was sitting at the table next to him, an empty plate beside him. They’d only had toasted sandwiches, but it had been enough. Alex was watching the interaction between Thomas and himself with wide eyes.

“It’s damned good to be back,” Leo acknowledged quietly into Thomas’s ear as they hugged. He felt Thomas’s chuckle reverberate through him.

They broke apart, and Thomas looked down at Alex with a warm smile. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you here again, Alex.” Alex’s cheeks flushed. Thomas turned to Leo. “Does this mean I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” He grinned cheekily. “I could do with a day off.”

Leo mock-punched his upper arm, emitting a low growl, but Thomas’s grin wouldn’t quit.

Giving up any pretense, Leo laughed. “Yeah, I’ll be here in the morning, so don’t bother coming in. Leave anything I need to see on my desk before you go tonight, and I’ll catch up when I get here.” Thomas nodded, and after clasping Leo’s arm once, he made his way toward the group room. Leo glanced down at Alex, who was gazing at him with an amused expression.

“He’s very fond of you, isn’t he?” Alex observed.

Leo nodded and then gave Alex a speculative glance. “You ready to take a look around with me?”

Alex nodded, his expression growing more serious. Leo was overjoyed to have the boy here. Now to make some tentative first steps….

“Come on, boy.” Leo held out his hand and Alex took it, rising gracefully from his seat. He led the boy from the bar area, indicating the stage with a wave of his hand. “You’ve already seen this bit,” he said quietly.

“Can anyone walk in off the streets and become a member?” Alex asked.

Leo laughed. “Hell, no! Doms have to apply, and then be prepared to have an extensive check run on them, plus an interview. That’s Thomas’s domain, and he’s very thorough. They have to have references, for example, if they’ve been members of other clubs. Plus, the fees paid by Doms are a lot higher than those paid by subs, which is as they should be. Having said that, everyone who wants to become a member is vetted carefully.”

Alex nodded once more, appearing pleased with Leo’s response.

They made their way past the stage to a quiet corner of the club where the slings were set up. Leo wasn’t sure if Alex had ever seen someone in a sling, but he was about to find out. Trevor was there with his sub, Dominic. The sub was suspended, naked, in the sling, a black hood blocking his sight and hearing, his wrists and ankles held securely, his legs wide apart. Trevor was stroking him softly, his hand encased in a large fur mitt, which he dragged slowly over the sub’s chest, thighs, and genitals. Dominic shuddered with each caress, but no sound escaped his lips.

Alex’s eyes were round as he surveyed the scene.

Leo leaned close to whisper in his ear. “Right now, with that hood on, Dominic can only focus on what his master is doing. He’s cut off from the world, totally helpless, and he has to trust Trevor completely. He’s able to concentrate on the sensations in his body, free from distraction. And being suspended like that means sometimes subs find themselves almost in a trance.”

Trevor removed the mitt and, after flipping open a bottle of lube, slicked up his fingers and slowly, ever so slowly, slid a single finger into Dominic’s ass. Alex shivered as Trevor began a slow massage of the sub’s prostate, Dominic’s small cries and whimpers a constant erotic soundtrack. Alex’s eyes were fixed on the sub, and Leo was fairly certain he was remembering their first time doing this. He tugged Alex’s arm gently, indicating they should leave Trevor and Dominic to their scene.

Around another corner, Leo spied Jonathon with his sub, Dillon. He caught his breath, unsure whether or not he should let Alex see what was happening.
Too late
. Alex let out a shaky exhale as he caught sight of the pair, unable to look away. Dillon was on his back, his hands fastened above his head to the bench with leather cuffs, his feet and ankles secured in stirrups, thighs spread wide. Jonathon already had four fingers into his ass. He lubed up his hand and, tucking in his thumb, began to press carefully into Dillon, moving so slowly it was barely perceptible. Leo heard Alex’s sharp intake of breath as Dillon’s body
swallowed
Jonathon’s hand, his hole snapping tight around Jonathon’s wrist.

“Does… does that hurt him?” came Alex’s whisper, his eyes locked on the pair.

Leo shook his head. “Jonathon will have taken his time getting Dillon ready for this.” He pointed to the fat black silicone butt plug that rested on the bench beside Jonathon. “Dillon would have worn the butt plug for a while, stretching his ass.” He turned to observe Alex carefully. “Have you ever seen videos of someone being fisted?”

Alex nodded absently, all his attention claimed by the scene. “But it was nothing like this. This is so much more…. I can’t find the right words….” He shook his head, plainly exasperated by his failure to convey his feelings. He took a deep breath. “The videos made it seem an almost violent act. But look at Dillon’s face. He looks like he could come any minute.” He gazed at Leo, his expression one of wonder. “The connection between the two of them….” His eyes went back to Jonathon and Dillon. Jonathon was gently stroking Dillon’s cock, while his hand moved equally gently inside him. All the while Dillon let out soft whimpers, his eyes fixed on his Master, his adoration there for all to see.

Leo led Alex away, leaving the pair alone.

“You’d think they would want privacy for that,” mused Alex thoughtfully.

Leo smiled. “If they wanted privacy, they could’ve booked one of the private rooms.” Alex’s eyebrows arched, and Leo grinned. “Yes, there are private rooms here… six to be exact. You have to book them, and there are strict rules once you’re in there. There’s a silent panic button and a phone system that’s always manned. Once in the room, you must pick up the phone to test the system, to check there’s someone on the other end.” Alex was nodding approvingly. “Safety is the most important factor, for Dom and sub alike.” He indicated a corridor to his left with a nod. “The rooms are along there. If you’re out on the main floor, it’s assumed others will be able to observe. Generally, you won’t see any subs being fucked out here, although there have been occasions when one or two Doms have gotten carried away in the heat of the moment.”

He chuckled at Alex’s rising blush. His boy’s reaction was delightful. So far, Leo was amazed at Alex’s relatively calm acceptance of what he was seeing and hearing. Try as he might, he couldn’t prevent the feeling growing in him as they walked around the club—a feeling of hope.

A
LEX
tried to drink in all the sights and sounds of the club, but there was so much going on. He couldn’t fail to notice the trust between the Doms and their subs. It was beautiful to watch the interaction between them. His heart ached. Alex wanted that. He wanted to place his complete trust in Leo and know Leo would never let him fall, would always be there for him. He also wanted to experience some of the things he’d seen, though he wasn’t sure he’d ever have the nerve to say as much to Leo.

Leo was guiding him back toward the bar when they passed a room with its door shut. The sounds emanating from that room made Alex shiver. Someone was fucking. He glanced at Leo, openmouthed.

Leo gave him a slight smile. “
That
is the group room, and no, I’m
not
going to show you what’s in there.” He grinned. “Not yet, at any rate.”

Alex raised his brows. “Okay, then tell me about it.” His curiosity was definitely piqued, emboldening him.

Leo sighed. “A lot of Doms go there to hang around and observe, to make sure the subs are okay.” Alex knitted his brows, and Leo explained patiently. “If there’s a sub all tied up doing a scene with a Dom, he’s pretty helpless, and they can watch out for him. Similarly, if there are several Doms in there taking turns with one sub, well, the sub could get seriously hurt if they go too far.”

Alex’s cock hardened at the thought of one sub being fucked by a string of men.

Leo nodded, as though he knew what Alex was thinking. “Yeah, there’s usually a lot of sex going on in there. That’s why there is always a Dungeon Master with them. Right now, it’s Thomas. Sometimes it’s me or Miles. The rule is, anyone is free to observe or join in. And on occasion, it has been booked privately, when a Dom organizes a sex party.”

“Sex party?” Alex couldn’t help it; his mouth dropped open.

Leo laughed. “Yeah, you heard right. Not that it happens often. And we have quite a few Doms and subs that really get off on watching, or being watched.”

Alex was silent. He’d never really thought about it until that moment, but the idea of men standing around, watching him getting fucked, him helpless to stop them, all control surrendered….
Oh God
….

Leo stopped dead. “I think we need to have a talk,” he said, gazing intently at Alex.

Alex nodded.
Oh yeah….

A
LEX
was sitting in one of the corner booths, his eyes fixed on the glass in front of him. Leo would’ve given anything to know what was going on in his mind right now. He sat down opposite him, placing a manila folder on the table. Alex gazed at it, clearly intrigued.

Leo took a deep breath. The next few minutes were going to be crucial, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous.
God, please don’t let me fuck this up.
He tapped the folder with his index finger. “In here is a standard contract, which is usually how negotiations between Dom and sub begin.”

Alex’s eyes were so large. “Negotiations?”

Leo nodded. “Any D/s relationship begins with the negotiation of limits: what the Dom expects, what the sub expects. Regardless of what you may have read, the sub is the one with all the power.”

Alex gave a short laugh. “How can that be right?”

Leo smiled. “Because the sub makes it clear what he will or will not accept. There are some things they might say outright they don’t want any part of. Those are hard limits. There may also be things which they’re not sure about right now, but might be willing to try at some point in the future. Those are soft limits.” He locked eyes with Alex. “Any negotiations would start with the submissive drawing up a list of areas they would like to explore further. And the more honest the submissive is, the better.” Alex swallowed. Leo was pretty sure Alex already had some definite ideas about what he’d like to try. “But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There’s something much more important we need to discuss first.” Leo took a deep breath. “Do you have any questions?”

Alex nodded immediately, pleasing Leo. “What do you expect from a submissive?” Alex’s tone was earnest.

Leo smiled. A very good question, and it showed Alex had been thinking about this. Leo decided to speak plainly. “For me, there are three things I expect of my submissive.” Leo counted off on his fingers. “One, I expect him to obey my orders. If you’re submitting to me, you’re agreeing to obey me. One of the first things I ask a sub is how they feel about obeying orders. If they look forward to being told what to do, that’s a good sign. If they don’t welcome being given orders, then maybe they need to ask themselves why—and if—they want to do this.”

He glanced at Alex to see how this had been received. To his relief, Alex was nodding, his eyes fixed on Leo.
So far, so good.
“Two, I expect him to accept my domination.”

Alex frowned. “Isn’t that the same as obeying your orders?”

Leo shook his head. “Obeying my orders is about accepting what I
say
to you. Accepting my domination is largely about accepting what I
do
to you. Because sometimes, that might involve accepting pain.” He watched Alex keenly. “Once limits have been negotiated, I have the right to touch you in any place and in any way I want. Your job as submissive would be to accept whatever I do as best you can.”

Alex gave a thoughtful nod. Leo hoped to God he wasn’t pushing the boy too far, but he knew from experience not making his expectations clear from the outset led to problems further down the line.

“And the third thing?”

“To please me,” Leo said simply. “To be honest, if you want to know why I might want to tie you up, spank you, torture your cock”—he grinned as Alex’s eyes grew large and round at that— “then you should be ready for me to answer, ‘Because it pleases me to do so.’ Besides,” he added with a grin, “pleasing a Dom can be a lot of fun.” Alex gave a half smile. “Any more questions?” When Alex shook his head, he said, “Well, I have a question for you. What do
you
want, boy?”