An Unlocked Heart(Collars & Cuffs Stories) (6 page)

Leo gave a wry smile. “Is that how it looks?” he asked. He shook his head. “To be honest, the biggest hurdle was getting up the nerve to ask him out. And after all, it
has
been eight years since I’ve asked another man out on a first date.” He chuckled. “I’m definitely out of practice.”

Thomas smiled. “I’m really glad you asked him, though. Where are you taking him, if you don’t mind me asking? I take it you’re not eating at Severino’s.”

“I’ve booked us a table at The White Hart.”

Thomas’s face registered his shock. “You’re taking him to… a pub?”

Leo grinned. “It’s quiet, it’s off the beaten track, and the food is great. I want to put him at his ease.” Leo was still amazed Alex had acquiesced. In his short conversations with Alex, Leo was always left with the impression of a skittish colt, one who would bolt at any moment. But the obvious relief when Leo had taken the decision out of his hands…. There was definitely something there that called out to Leo.

He glanced at the clock above the bar and cursed. “I’m going to be late!” He climbed off the stool and gave Thomas a quick hug. There’d been a shift in their relationship in these last few weeks. It felt like the old days, when they’d first started the club. The two men had always been close, but Leo had come to realize his grief had put up a barrier between them, almost imperceptible, but there nevertheless. It felt good to get their connection back.

As he passed through the club, Leo was aware of the gazes leveled in his direction, heard himself become the topic of whispered conversations as he walked by. He passed a table where Matt, a Dom, sat discussing matters with another Dom. Matt’s sub, Elliot, knelt beside him, his chest bare, eyes down, hands clasped loosely in front of him. Matt had him on a leash, and Elliot’s posture was perfect.

Thomas’s words came back to him. Leo reached down and caressed Elliot’s silky blond hair. Elliot didn’t react, bless him. Leo leaned down to whisper in his ear. “You do your Master proud, boy.”

Elliot’s only reaction was a rising blush.

Matt watched the scene with a fond glance. “You may speak, boy,” he told the sub.

Elliot’s eyes were still fixed on the floor at Leo’s feet. “Thank you, Master Leo. I want to make my Master proud of me.”

Leo gave Matt an approving glance as he continued on his way.

Thomas caught up with him at the main door, a huge grin across his face. “Christ, Leo, if Elliot had a tail, he’d have wagged it off by now!” His eyes met Leo’s. “Thanks for that… Master Leo.”

Leo grinned as he left the club. He was in
such
a good mood.

A
LEX
paced nervously outside the restaurant. There were still a few minutes until 7:00 p.m., but there was no sign of Leo yet. Alex’s insecurity was trying to kill him, firing messages that sent him into a blind panic.
He’s not coming! He’s changed his mind!
Alex tried to calm down. Logically, he knew Leo wouldn’t do that, but he was having a hard time fighting the increasing anxiety. That he kept glimpsing Vittorio and Dominic inside the restaurant, giving him inane grins and the occasional thumbs-up, didn’t help matters. It seemed
everyone
knew about his date.

He’d spent most of the afternoon trying to decide what to wear. Leo had said casual, but…. He’d finally whittled it down to two selections, and that had meant making a final decision. In the end, he’d tossed a coin. He hated being so indecisive. He glanced down, checking that he looked presentable: tight jeans, fashionably worn in places; a dark blue T-shirt worn under an open black shirt; trainers. As far as his parents were concerned, he was out with friends. And it would stay that way.

“You look great.”

Leo was standing a few feet away, a faint smile on his lips as he gazed at Alex. Alex sucked in his breath as he took in the image of Leo in tight black jeans and a black silk shirt, open at the collar. Fuck… the man was sex on legs. “You… you look good too.” Alex’s mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert, not to mention that fluttery feeling in his stomach wouldn’t quit. He struggled to control the panic threatening to overwhelm him at any moment. Leo didn’t seem nervous at all. In fact, Leo was positively glowing.

“My car’s parked around the corner,” Leo said, indicating behind him with a flick of his head. “Shall we go?”

Alex nodded, not trusting his reply to come out without betraying the state of his nerves. They walked slowly toward Leo’s car. The sun had set not long ago, and the heat of the July day was starting to wane. The sky was tinged with pink; it was going to be a lovely evening.

“It’s not far, about twenty minutes from here,” Leo informed him. “I can drop you home when we’re done, if you like.”

“No!” Alex’s hasty reply came out as a squeak, and he could’ve kicked himself.
Come on, Daniels, get it together!
“Could you bring me back here? Would that be all right?”

Leo nodded. “No problem.” They reached Leo’s car, a little bronze Mazda MX-5. Alex couldn’t hold back his smile—how the hell did Leo manage to fold himself into that thing?

Leo grinned. “Yeah, we’ll both fit, trust me.” He unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for Alex, surprising him. They climbed in, and Alex was relieved to find the seats pushed as far back as possible, leaving plenty of room for his long legs. “Strap yourself in.”

As Alex clicked the seat belt into place, he shivered.

Leo turned his head toward him. Alex felt the weight of that stare. “Relax, Alex. Remember, it’s just dinner.” He gave Alex a reassuring smile.

Alex nodded, facing forward, fixed on the road ahead. Wherever it was leading.

D
INNER
had been delicious. The pub was reasonably busy for a Friday night in late summer. And Alex? Leo tried not to smile. Alex was well on the way to getting
very
tipsy.

Leo had suggested they have a drink, and Alex asked for a pint of beer. As they waited for the meal to arrive, it had been clear to Leo his date was very nervous. Which might have accounted for the speed with which he’d downed his pint. And then Leo made another discovery: his date was obviously not used to alcohol. At one point, Leo had had to tell him to slow down. Alex complied immediately, which made Leo smile.

The alcohol had one positive effect—it loosened Alex up a little. They’d conversed about safe topics: the weather—typically British—the restaurant, Manchester. The conversations had been brief, but Leo was heartened that Alex had seemed more at ease. Leo genuinely enjoyed his company. Those clear blue eyes rarely, if ever, made the journey up to catch his, but Leo was used to that. And Leo had already come to the conclusion a couple of weeks ago: Alex was naturally submissive. The clues were all there.

Leo gave himself a mental shake. He wasn’t here as a Dom, for God’s sake. He was a man on a date with a gorgeous younger man, and the signs were promising. It might take a while, but Leo was determined to bring Alex out of his shell. Leo felt like a prospector panning for gold in a river that promised a rich yield. And Leo had time. Lots of time. As long as it took.

A
LEX
sipped the fragrant coffee. The evening so far had been pleasant, except he might’ve embarrassed himself. It didn’t take much alcohol to get him to do that, unfortunately. Leo had been a delightful meal companion, considerate and amusing, and Alex had found his confidence increasing. He knew Leo had said it was just dinner, but a tiny part of him was worried this might turn out not to be the case. Alex wanted to trust Leo, but trust was something he’d always found difficult.

“What are you thinking about, Alex?”

Leo’s question broke through his thoughts. Alex pondered on just how much of his thought processes he should share. “I was just thinking it’s been a lovely evening,” he said. That at least was true.

Leo nodded, picking up his cup to drink the last mouthful of coffee. “Which leads me nicely to my next question.”

Alex tensed instantly, unsure of what was coming.

“Want to do this again?”

The tension seeped from him, and his answer came more readily this time. “I’d like that.” He caught Leo’s wide smile of approval. Christ, the man was beautiful when he smiled. It lit up his whole face. More than anything, Alex liked that
he’d
put that smile there.

“Want to let me decide where we go?” Leo asked.

Alex nodded fervently.
God, yes.

“Okay then, I’ll book us a table for your day off next week, that all right?”

More fervent nods. Alex might just as well have worn a sign saying “
Make decisions for me and I’ll agree to anything you say
.” Leo’s grin increased, as if he knew
exactly
what Alex was thinking. Alex sighed. Knowing Leo, even after this relatively short time, he could almost believe that.

Leo glanced at his watch. “Shall we go? I’ll take you back into Manchester.”

Surprised, Alex found himself nodding automatically.
Well, fuck me
…. It really had been just dinner.

Leo went to pay the bill, and Alex walked to the Mazda in the car park. The sky had darkened, but there was still enough light to see. He heard Leo’s footsteps behind him and smiled as Leo eased his way in front of Alex to open the passenger door for him.
I could get used to this
….

The twenty minutes or so of drive time were passed in a comfortable silence, but Alex’s thoughts had taken a new direction. Dinner dates were all well and good, but at some point, Leo would want more. Apprehension gripped Alex as several questions flitted through his brain, all at the same time. How soon would that time come? If he were totally honest, the thought of having sex with Leo was always there at the back of his mind. Would Alex like it? All he had to go on were the videos he’d watched on the Internet.
What if I suck at it? I might be really bad in bed.

Another thought occurred to him. Why hadn’t Leo made a move on him? He thought back on the evening. Had there been any sign Leo was interested in him that way? Maybe he had problems…
functioning
. Anything was possible. Round and round went his thoughts, like a hamster on a wheel. Was Leo playing with him? Toying with him? Maybe Leo wouldn’t want sex at all. Maybe….

Alex fought to quell the rising tide of questions and insecurities pushing him along, dragging him relentlessly toward the rocks. This much he knew for certain: he wanted another date with the man.

With a shock, Alex realized the car had stopped. He looked around. They were parked in the quiet little street behind the restaurant. He could hear a faint chatter of voices from the kitchen. It was a hot night, and the back door was open.

Leo turned off the engine. “Here we are, then.” The words floated out on the still evening air.

“Thank you, Leo,” Alex murmured. “I’ve had a lovely evening.”

It was dark in the car, but he didn’t need light to see Leo’s smile. He heard it in his voice. “It was my pleasure, Alex.” There was a pause. “I want… I want to kiss you good night.”

It wasn’t a question. Fuck, the man learned fast. Alex’s heart beat faster. Why the fuck was he so scared of a kiss? Because he
was
scared, no doubt about it. But he couldn’t bring himself to say no. Instead, he gave the tiniest of nods.

He heard the click as Leo freed his seat belt, and abruptly Leo was cupping his cheek with one hand. The kiss was chaste, nothing more than a soft brushing of lips, but Alex trembled.
Oh
….

Leo leaned back, a brief sigh escaping his parted lips.
He’d liked it
. The thought made Alex warm inside.

“Good night, Alex. I’ll see you again soon,” Leo promised.

Alex opened the car door and unfolded himself from the seat. Closing the door, he stepped back as Leo turned over the engine. With a wave of his hand, Leo pulled out and moved off, Alex watching his departure, his heartbeat returning to normal. He reached up to touch his lips, the kiss imprinted in his memory.
His first kiss….

E
MMY
B
ABE
: How did the date go?

MaybeGay: Good. Yeah, it was good.

EmmyBabe: Did he cop a feel at the end?

MaybeGay: Em!

EmmyBabe: Only asking!

MaybeGay: As a matter of fact, he didn’t.

EmmyBabe: Oh…. You sure he’s gay?

MaybeGay: *chuckles* Trust me, he’s gay.

EmmyBabe: Oooo! Tell! Tell!

MaybeGay: He kissed me—just a little one.

EmmyBabe: *punches the air* Yay! *sings* Al-ex had his first kiss!

Alex laughed quietly.

EmmyBabe: Important question: is there going to be a second date?

MaybeGay: Yes.

EmmyBabe: *punches air again* Score 2!

Alex thought about that fleeting kiss for a moment. Something occurred to him.

MaybeGay: Em, why d’you think he’s taking it so slow with me?

EmmyBabe: What, did u want him to fuck on the first date?????

MaybeGay: Shit, no! Hell, no! And just… no!

EmmyBabe: Well then, what’s the problem? Maybe he just wants to take his time?

MaybeGay: Yeah, possibly, or maybe he’s changed his mind, now he’s seen me on a date. I mean… why does he want to be with *me*?

He waited for a second or two before the reply came through.

EmmyBabe: Sweetie, why would anyone *not* want to be with you? You’re gorgeous! Sexy! Fit!

MaybeGay: And you’re biased!

EmmyBabe: Nah, I just love you. And he’s *damned* lucky to be dating you!