Caged Sanctuary (13 page)

Kade blushed, amusing Deacon.
Of all times to blush, that’s what gets to him?
“You. That. Oh, my God, you’re going to kill me,” Kade said, chuckling at the end.

“Uh, no. Can’t be my boyfriend or sub if you’re dead.”

“Boyfriend? Really?”

Deacon nodded. “That’s what you want to be, right? Not just my sub.” Neither was really a question, but he felt he should lay it out there.

“I, yes, of course. Thank you.”

He cocked his head, confused. “Thank you?”

Kade nodded and smiled. “For taking a chance on me. I know working around things isn’t easy for yo— Oh,” he groaned when Deacon finally pulled out and rolled onto his side.

He tended to the condom, then tugged Kade until he settled against Deacon’s chest again. That was fast becoming his favorite way to hold Kade. “You act like I’m doing you a favor, but I’m not. I’ve wanted you since that first night at your friend’s house. The longer I’m around you, the more I want.”

“But as your sub too, right? I want to serve you too. This was wonderful,” Kade quickly added, his cheeks again pinking. “But last night….”

“Of course you’re still my sub. I have no interest in a vanilla relationship. But I want us to be able to do things outside the playroom too. I want to be your lover, not just your Dom.”

“I want that too, Deacon. Sir.”

“Let me clean you up, then we can rest a little before we really start our day.”

It didn’t take long for Deacon to gather the items needed and have both Kade and himself clean, dry, and back in their lounge pants.

Later, once they both were awake again, he spent time talking with Kade, getting to know him more and letting Kade know him in return. When Kade brought up the pictures again, Deacon chuckled at how eager his boy was to see himself all trussed up. Smiling, he excused himself and returned shortly with his laptop. He had downloaded the images from his digital camera and had the shots ready for Kade in the photo viewer.

“I took three. One before we began but after you were decorated and bound with the ropes, the other two are later.”

“Why two later?” Kade stared at the computer, not taking his eyes off it, though Deacon hadn’t turned it so he could see the images.

“Let me show you. I think it will be obvious why when you see them.” Deacon settled on the bed next to Kade and turned the screen so Kade could see. The first was, as he’d stated, of Kade tied to the bamboo pole, taken at an angle to see how open Kade was in that position, the intricate latticework of the silk ropes, and how he was blindfolded with his arms bound above him.

The next drew a gasp from Kade. He was in the same position, but the hand prints from the initial spanking and the flogging of his back were clear in the shot, as was how he strained his arms and back up as if seeking another strike. “That’s….”

“Gorgeous? Sexy as hell?”

Kade nodded as he reached out to trace one finger down the spine and along the legs of his image. “I don’t look broken like this.”

Deacon knew he was frowning, but didn’t care. “You’re not broken, Kaden. I would happily throttle the asshats that convinced you otherwise.”

“And the last one?” Kade asked, showing no sign of having heard Deacon.

“The last one is my favorite of the lot.” Deacon tapped the pad on the laptop again and the image changed.

Again, Kade hadn’t really moved much, but now the cane striping was clear. His back was also streaked with Deacon’s spend. He had promised himself he wouldn’t enter Kade that way the first time in scene, but he’d been so hard he hurt and couldn’t resist adding his come to the beautiful marks on his boy. In Deacon’s personal opinion, Kade was the most beautiful sub he’d had or seen.

“Oh, my…. You can see that I’m flying, my tears,” Kade whispered, voice reverent.

The odd watery tone made Deacon look at Kade again. When he did, he realized tears streaked Kade’s cheeks. “Oh, my sweet boy, why are you crying?”

“Never thought I’d fly again, much less be able to serve like this.” Kade quickly wiped at his eyes, turning away from Deacon. “Sorry.”

Deacon took a firm hold of Kade’s chin, pulling gently until Kade faced him. “Do not ever, and I do mean ever, apologize for being you. For serving me so perfectly. For feeling joy. Tears are not a sign of weakness,” he added when Kade seemed confused. “Your joy, your pain, your pleasure, all belong to me whether I’m right there with you or not. You’re my boy now.” Deacon dipped his head to take Kade’s lips in a soft kiss, hoping to show his boy how much he was wanted and how much he pleased Deacon both in and out of scene.

When they came up for air, Kade was breathing hard and flushed. “Can I—” He gulped for air and held it, forcing his breath to slow. “Can I have copies?”

Interesting.
“Of course you may.” The way Kade’s face lit up pleased Deacon more than he expected. “Would you like me to have them printed for you? I want the last one blown up and framed.”

“What!”

“For our personal viewing only, of course.” Not laughing at how deeply Kade flushed or how his mouth hung open was difficult, but somehow he managed. “But for now, why don’t we get up and actually do something with our day?”

T
HE
RINGING
pulled Kade’s attention from the computer on his desk. He blinked, refocusing his gaze before scooping up his cell. “Hello?”

“Hey, Kade.” Jake’s voice come through the phone, bright and cheerful. “You busy?”

Kade took another look at the computer screen, considering, but he was almost done with the last bit of typing. “Not really, and besides, my eyes could use a break. What’s up?”

Jake didn’t answer right away, the silence making Kade tense. When he did, Jake’s voice was softer, almost shy. “I wanted to know if you’d like to, uh, meet me for dinner. We could hang out, visit, and catch up more?” The sound of something shifting echoed through the line. “You don’t have to if you don’t want, but I thought it might be fun.”

“I think—” Kade paused as he thought it through, but he had missed his friend and couldn’t think of a reason not to go. Well, depending on where. “I’d like that. Not at the club, though. Someplace else.”

A loud exhale was all he heard from Jake for a moment, then he started talking faster, more like himself. “No, no, that’s cool. I was thinking Mela’s downtown. I’ll split an order of calamari porichachu with you,” he singsonged.

Indian food was one of Kade’s favorites, and damn Jake for remembering. “Mmm…. Deal.” Kade checked the time, then continued. “I’ll meet you there about six thirty?”

“I’ll be there. And Kade?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for saying yes.”

Before Kade could respond, Jake cut the connection. Chuckling at Jake’s behavior, Kade shook his head and turned back to his work, hoping to finish early.

Over the last two weeks, Jake and he had spoken a few times, but never without Deacon or Sam—or both a few times—around, even if it was in the background while they chatted on the phone.

A little later, as he glided toward his car in the parking lot, his mind turned to years before, before the attack, when he and Jake had subbed together occasionally. He’d felt physical attraction, to a point, but only friendship for Jake. Now was no different, except he knew they would never be able to play like that again. Kade was still in shock that Deacon continued to want him, though Deacon refused to do anything but light control and denial during the week. He understood his Dom’s logic, even if he felt frustrated at times. Them not being able to be together during the week in the mornings and during the day meant Deacon also couldn’t be there to help Kade if he was overly sore or emotional, as deep scenes could sometimes make him. And while Kade knew all that, he still wanted more. Not that he would ever ask or push, but he wanted nonetheless.

By the time he arrived at Mela’s, Kade was more than ready to eat. He drove along Lexington Avenue, admiring the nostalgic small-town feel of the many shops and outdoor dining areas along the way. He nearly vibrated with excitement as he pulled into the roadside parking spot across from the painted brick building of Mela’s. Jake waited outside, his eyes bright and his face open as their gazes met. Kade parked and transferred to his chair. After waiting for a couple of cars to pass, he headed across the street to his friend as he shifted from foot to foot, standing under the tree near the front doors. It was only a minute or two after six thirty, but Kade valued punctuality, plus he simply hated to make Jake wait. “Hey. Hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Nope. I did get us on the hostess list, though, so I think they’re ready to seat us.” Jake stepped forward, arms lifting, but then stopped. “May I?”

Kade grinned. “Of course.”

Jake leaned down and wrapped his arms around Kade, holding him tight. As he pulled back, he gave Kade a soft, light kiss on his lips, then stood and motioned Kade to the door. “I’ve missed you so much, hon.”

“I…. We can talk inside. I’m starved. Okay?”

Jake held the door wide. Once inside, Kade looked around, taking in the fine linen, elegant atmosphere, and mouthwatering smells. The hostess led them to a small table, one of the chairs already missing, allowing Kade to easily slide into place. “It’s been ages since I’ve been here. Thank you for inviting me.”

Jake laughed softly. “If I remember correctly, you loved Indian more than any other type of cuisine, and well, this is my favorite place in town.” A waitress interrupted long enough to pour them each a glass of ice water and take their drink and appetizer order. When alone again, Jake reached over, taking Kade’s hand in his. “Wanna tell me what you started to say? I don’t want you to feel pressured to hang out with me.”

“I don’t. I just, well, I have missed you and hated myself for sending you away from pretty much the moment you walked out the door. But—” Kade bit his bottom lip, unsure how to explain things. “As much as I wanted my friend, I couldn’t stand the thought of watching you be what I never could be again.”

“Kade, you know—”

“No, let me finish,” Kade interrupted. If he didn’t get it out all at once, he was afraid he never would. “After the rehab hospital, I did try a couple of times going to Fierce and one of the other clubs, but I was either ignored completely or at the other one, a couple of the subs I had hung out with before laughed and made… comments… about my ability to ever get a Dom to look at me, much less want to be bothered with a cripple.”

“Kade!” Jake broke in, his voice hard but not loud. “We all know some people get jealous and like to lash out. You were always very popular with the Doms.”

“Doesn’t matter. They were right, at least to a point. The Doms did ignore me, and I can’t do a lot of things. But that’s not what I’m trying to explain. The point is that I went from resentment to not wanting pity. I’m sorry and I’m really glad you’re back.”

Jake squeezed Kade’s hand lightly, not letting go. “Oh, hon, I wish I’d known, but the past is in the past. I want to rebuild and move forward. And hey, we both have Doms, good friends, and successful jobs, so let’s not worry about your little vacay from me.”

Laughing, Kade agreed. They separated when the calamari arrived. Each man ordered and happily dug in to their starter as they continued catching up. When the main dishes arrived, Kade was in heaven. He’d ordered the Malai Kofta and Jake the Shrimp Vindaloo. Instead of each eating their own meal, they’d decided to share, setting the dishes between them.

“So,” Jake started, pausing long enough to take a sip of his iced tea. “You haven’t told me where you are with Deacon. I know he started scening with you the night we came over, but, come on….” Jake looked up at Kade through his lashes, his grin naughty. “You gotta give me something.”

“Always such a naughty boy.” Kade thought about it, not sure what to share, but wanting to desperately. No one else in his life knew about the type of relationship he had with Deacon or his love of erotic pain. He dropped his voice to a whisper and felt his cheeks heat. “He has me in my cage all day during the week. I’m not to sleep in it, though. Well, not unless he’s with me.”

“Oh! That’s wonderful.” Jake grinned wide. “I wear one twenty-four-seven now. It took a while to get used to it, but….”

Kade nodded. “I hope Deacon will do that with me eventually. I have the second key.” At Jake’s curious look, Kade hurried to explain. “He said he didn’t want me to need it off and not be able to get hold of him, especially with the fact I do surgery and well, with my legs and all not working. For safety.” That had been a frustrating, yet wonderful conversation. Deacon had insisted he wanted the cage to be on while Kade was awake, but that he was never to endanger his health in any way. Of course, thinking about the cage, much less talking about it, made his constant state of mild frustration more noticeable.

“Makes you want to be hard when you think about it, doesn’t it?” Jake asked and winked.

“Always,” Kade agreed, loving the way his body reacted to the denial of even something as simple as an erection. The pleasure-pain of the cage forcing him to stay in the bent, limp position was one that he loved, even as he shifted to try to be comfortable—not that it helped any.