An Unlocked Heart(Collars & Cuffs Stories) (35 page)

Pietro got to his feet, put his arms around Alex, and hugged him closely. “It’ll get better, hon, really. You just gotta give him time, yeah?” He spoke quietly into Alex’s ear. “Must be a big step for him too. I mean, you’re the first—”

“Yeah, since Gabe. I know.” Alex took in a deep breath and straightened, breaking away from Pietro. He smiled bravely. “Anyway, back to work before Sev decides to fire me.” He winked, and Pietro finally smiled back at him.

“All right, babe, message received. You go work.” Pietro patted his arm.

Alex gave him a grateful smile before leaving the staff room and making his way down to the kitchen. Actually, work was exactly what he needed right now. Anything to take his mind off his present situation. Alex couldn’t cope with all this angst. It just messed with his head.

“
O
KAY
,
what’s so important it can’t wait ’til our meeting tomorrow?”

Thomas was seated at his desk, seemingly deep in thought. He looked up as Leo entered the room. “Come in and close the door, lad.”

Leo arched his eyebrows but did as instructed. He seated himself in the empty chair facing Thomas and folded his arms. “Okay, what gives? And
lad?
Again?” He smirked.

Thomas regarded him for a moment in silence. “Tell me, how did the move go yesterday?”

Leo stared at him. Suddenly he was getting a bad feeling. “You’re… you’re not just asking this for the sake of being polite, are you?” Thomas shook his head. Leo sighed. “Okay, out with it…. What do you know?”

“Pietro called me. Your boy is not a happy bunny, Leo. Want to tell me
exactly
how you asked him to move in with you?”

Leo racked his brains for a moment. “I asked him if he wanted to move in with me. Told him I had a spare room, lots of space.”

“But you didn’t
really
mention bills, did you?” Thomas stared at him.

Leo stopped for a moment. “I… I may have mentioned that at some point we’d talk about food and bills, yeah,” he replied slowly. “Why?”

“
Why
?” Thomas’s tone was incredulous. “Leo, you just asked your young lover to move in with you. How do you think he felt when you did that? I mean, we’re talking a big commitment here, right? And then you go and mention bills. What are you, his lover or his landlord?”

Leo stared at Thomas, aghast. “I… I didn’t want to put any pressure on him. I thought if I kept it practical, he’d be less inclined to think he owed me or something.”

Thomas shook his head. “For an intelligent man, you can be so
blind
sometimes.” He speared Leo with his gaze. “You’re in love with him.” Leo swallowed. Thomas’s expression softened. “Leo, you’re in love with him. I know it. Hell, anyone who
knows
you, knows it. But you need to let
Alex
know. You can’t expect
him
to say anything. The boy is a natural submissive, for God’s sake! He’d no sooner ask you how you felt than… than walk under a bus. He needs to know he’s under your roof because you’re in love with him and you want to share your life with him.” He paused. “And, for future reference, that’s how you
should’ve
asked him in the first place.”

Leo let out a groan. “I’ve really fucked this up, haven’t I?”

Thomas’s smile was almost paternal. “Yes,” he replied. Leo raised his brows, and Thomas gazed back at him, an innocent expression on his face. “What? You’d expect me to be honest with you, wouldn’t you? But this is still fixable.” He locked eyes with Leo. “So go home and fix it.”

Leo got up. “I think… I think I might take the rest of the evening off, if you don’t mind.”

Thomas grinned. “I don’t want to see you here again for at least two days. Is that understood?”

Leo returned his grin. “Yes, boss.”

Thomas laughed and waved a hand at him to leave. Leo exited the office, already planning how to make this up to his boy, and what exactly he was going to say to him.

“T
HANKS
for the lift, Miles,” Alex said as he clambered out of the back of the little car.

Miles rolled down the window. Beside him, Pietro leaned across to speak. “Now get in there and spend some time with that man of yours,” he said.

Alex tried to return Pietro’s smile, but he was suddenly feeling apprehensive. Miles must have noticed something, because he reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand. Alex tensed, but relaxed when he caught sight of Miles’s expression.

“It’ll be ok, pup.” Miles smiled reassuringly at him. “Besides, Leo is bound to be in a good mood. Thomas has given him two days off work.” He grinned once more. “Have a good time.” Despite the darkness, Alex could see the wicked gleam in Miles’s eyes.

He watched the car as it pulled away, Pietro waving at him through the rear window, before going toward the main door of the apartment block. Once inside the elevator, he leaned back against the mirror, closing his eyes for a second or two. What exactly was he coming home to? He glanced at his watch; it was already 10:00 p.m.

The lift came to a stop, and he got out, searching for his key. Before he could insert the key into the lock, however, the door opened and Leo was standing there, dressed casually in a white shirt, open at the neck, and tight, well-worn jeans. His feet were bare.

“Thought I heard the lift,” Leo said. Alex’s heart almost skipped a beat; the man looked positively
edible
. Leo led him into the apartment… where Alex stopped dead, gazing around him with wide eyes. There were candles everywhere: tea lights in small colored vases; long, slim candles in elegant holders; a bronze glass flower on the coffee table that contained one small fragrant candle, its flame reflected in the metallic surface.

Alex detected the aroma of jasmine. Looking around the room in amazement, he finally brought his gaze back to Leo, who was standing beside him, smiling.

“Welcome home, boy,” he said softly. Silently, he helped Alex out of his jacket and led him to the sofa. “You must be tired. You’ve been on your feet all day. Come and sit down.”

And before he could utter a word in greeting or ask for an explanation for the lounge’s unusual appearance, Alex was insistently pushed down onto the sofa, whereupon Leo knelt before him and proceeded to unfasten and remove his shoes, followed by his socks. He sat on the sofa next to Alex and pulled his legs until Alex was seated at a right angle to him, his feet resting in Leo’s lap. Leo began to massage his feet, rubbing the arches and kneading them with nimble fingers. Oh
hell
, that felt
so
good! Alex’s head lolled back against the seat cushion as Leo began to expertly work away the day’s tension. He couldn’t help the little whimpers that escaped him.

“I take it that feels good?” Leo rubbed his thumbs in slow circles against the balls of his feet, kneading the flesh.

“How come I never knew you could do
this
?” Alex demanded, almost purring at the pleasurable sensations slowly being released throughout his body.

Leo chuckled. “Well, you know
now
,” replied Leo practically. “Keep your eyes closed, boy.”

Alex did as instructed, and caught his breath as he felt Leo’s hot, wet mouth close around his big toe.
Oh fucking hell
…. He let out a loud groan, unable to keep the sound inside, and then groaned even louder as Leo released his toe, moaning.

“Christ, boy, the sounds you make!”

Alex shuddered as that talented mouth returned once more to its task, sucking at his toes, licking between them, the sensation so erotic his cock begin to harden in response. Leo chuckled, his mouth full—that particular reaction obviously hadn’t gone unnoticed. Alex was pushed to lie back on the seat cushions, his leg raised as Leo continued to lick and suck at his toes, and he let out a long, shuddering breath as Leo cupped his crotch, rubbing at the growing bulge. Alex pushed his erection into Leo’s hand, lifting his hips from the sofa as he thrust upward, desperate for more contact.

Suddenly Leo released his toes with a heartfelt groan, and Alex found himself pressed into the sofa with Leo stretched out on top of him, his whole weight pushing him down, his erection rubbing insistently against Alex’s hip. Alex cried out softly as Leo took his mouth, the kiss hot and eager, Alex’s hunger overriding everything as he reached up to clutch at Leo’s back and pull him tight.

Leo groaned into his mouth, breaking the kiss. “Oh,
fuck
, boy…. God, you’re enough to make me lose my mind.” Leo stared into Alex’s eyes, pupils blown, panting. “This wasn’t how I planned it.”

Alex stared up at Leo’s eyes in breathless surprise. “Wait… what did you have planned?” Leo stilled above him so completely that Alex shivered in anticipation. Goose bumps broke out on his arms. Something was coming….

Leo caressed Alex’s face with such tenderness that Alex felt his heart stutter in his chest.

“Alex, I have to tell you….”

Alex’s heart was suddenly hammering.

“I should’ve told you sooner, I know, but….”

Alex’s heart was beating so loudly, he was positive Leo could hear it.

“Alex, I… I love you.”

Alex melted. That was the only way to describe it. Just… melted. He stared up at Leo, lips parted, eyes wide, so fucking
happy
he could scream. “I love you too.”
Oh, the
relief
to finally be able to say the words.

Leo was suddenly alight. Slowly, he lowered his face to Alex, their lips meeting in the sweetest kiss Alex had ever known. There was no urgency, no heated frenzy. Instead, their lips pressed together, warm and soft, again and again, the kisses languid, gentle, as they rediscovered each other with dawning wonder.

At last Leo broke away, his eyes fixed on Alex’s face. “There’s something else I need to say here,” he said softly.

“Not sure if you can top that last statement,” Alex said with a shy smile.

Leo sat up, pulling Alex with him to straddle his lap, his hands coming to rest on Leo’s firm chest. Leo placed his hands on Alex’s hips and looked into his eyes. “I’d like to try something again, if I may.”

Alex gave him a puzzled look but nodded, smiling encouragingly. Leo took a deep breath, and Alex realized his lover was nervous.

“Alex Daniels, I’m in love with you. I want you in my life. In fact, I don’t want to spend another day without you. So I’m asking you to move in with me and share my life.” Leo tilted his head. “Does that sound like something you might want to do?”

Alex grinned. “Oh, I think I could be persuaded.” He shook his head, chuckling. “You’re nuts, do you know that?” He leaned close and kissed Leo. “I’m in love with you too,” he whispered. Leo moved his hands slowly up Alex’s spine, rubbing lovingly, until finally his hands reached Alex’s hair, where he stroked his fingers through the soft strands. Alex closed his eyes, losing himself in the sensuality of the moment. This was really happening. This was really fucking happening.
Leo loves me!

“Alex?”

Alex opened his eyes to find Leo looking at him intently, his lips parted.

“I want to make love to you. Come to bed. Let me make love to you.”

Oh… making love.
Alex liked how that sounded. He whispered his response almost instantaneously. “Oh, fuck, yes.” He locked eyes with Leo, unblinking. Now was not the time to look away. “Please, take me to bed. I… I want you, want you so much.”

Leo groaned, pulling Alex into a hungry kiss, Alex gasping as Leo’s erection made its presence known beneath him. And suddenly Alex didn’t want to wait another second. He groaned, the sound full of heat and want.

“Fuck,
now,
please!”

Twenty-Eight

L
EO
slid his hands under Alex’s ass. “Hold on tight, boy,” he whispered as he lifted Alex easily into his arms and hoisted both of them from the sofa. Alex’s arms went around his neck unhesitatingly, clinging onto him as their mouths met in a long, hungry kiss that had Alex moaning into Leo’s mouth. Those long, long legs wrapped around Leo’s hips and crossed at the ankles at his back, and Leo felt Alex’s cock hard against his belly. Holding his precious cargo, Leo walked them both through the apartment to the bedroom, Alex’s mouth devouring his with increasingly more demanding kisses, his tongue sliding into Leo’s mouth, tasting him.

Fuck, Leo wanted to be inside his boy.

“Too many clothes,” Leo whispered as they finally reached the bed, and he lowered Alex onto the satiny cover. To his surprise, Alex chuckled, and scrambling up onto his knees, he began to undo Leo’s shirt with feverish fingers, little noises of exasperation escaping as he struggled with the buttons.

Leo laughed, helping him with the frustrating task. “Here, let me.” He swiftly removed his shirt, moaning as Alex’s hands slid over his chest. “Yeah, touch me, boy.” Alex leaned closer, and Leo groaned as his mouth fastened itself around a nipple, sucking and licking at the tiny bud, which hardened at the attention. Alex had never been this uninhibited during sex, and Leo became even more aroused at the prospect of making love to him.