(Liam's POV - Fri. 20 December 2013)

"Happy birthday Liam!!!!" As soon as I enter the Subs' room, I am greeted by birthday wishes and warm congratulations on turning twenty-one today, followed by several hugs and even a peck on my lips from Jeremy that has me blush to the deepest red. Dammit! That guy is really crazy! Not even Shan would dare! Though, you never know with Shan... The fact that I am feeling more and more at ease with all these guys doesn't mean that I have gotten used to getting a lot of attention, and it takes me a few minutes to recover from the rush of adrenaline. Thank God, as Jeremy explained me some time ago, the Subs are too numerous here to makes celebrations and offer presents to each and every one. If we did, considering that there are about 250 submissive irregular members at the club, we would spend almost every day celebrating birthdays.

So at least I don't have to thank everyone for presents, which is good since I already had my share of embarrassment a few minutes ago when Joshua and I arrived and met his friends in Aaron's office. Aaron offered me a new pair of leather pants, Mark a beautiful Submissive tee-shirt and Camden embarrassed me with a leather crop that he said I am not allowed to use myself but that I should enjoy when Joshua slaps it on my body. Joshua seemed to be quite surprised by his friends' attentions for my birthday but this is nothing compared to the embarrassment I felt when they hugged me and offered their presents. Of course, I thanked everybody with a red face and after a moment, Joshua allowed me to meet my friends in the Subs' room.

Don't ask me how I feel about turning twenty-one, because I honestly don't know... It doesn't change much all in all. I legally became an adult three years ago and the major difference between yesterday and today on is that I am now allowed to buy alcohol and cigarettes, but since I am not addicted to either drugs, I don't really care. However, getting to enjoy a pre-celebration yesterday evening with my best friend over some good pizzas and just one beer was great, as were the nice early dinner I had with Joshua at the Everest again and the upcoming great night of sex at the club that he promised me. Considering that I am flying out to Los Angeles on Monday evening and that I won't see him again until Friday morning, I prepared myself for a long kinky night indeed.

Jeremy and I quickly strip down to our boxer briefs and head for the showers. Since I already shaved this morning, I directly proceed with my enema. Some of the Subs do all this preparation at home before they go to the club and seeing how shy I am, you would think that I would keep this embarrassing part at home too. And yet, I have gotten used to the uneasiness of this moment - after all, we are all humans and here for the same reasons in this room as Jeremy says - and, never knowing how long we are going to stay at the Diamond watching shows before we go to Joshua's private room, the later the better.

Once we are both ready, Jeremy and I head to the Black Diamond's dance floor since we got the permission from our Dominants to enjoy a bit of fun before we join them at their respective seats. It required a bit of persuasion before Joshua accepted and I promised I would stay on the good side of the dance floor so that he can keep an eye on me and in order not to repeat what happened a month ago with the other Dominants. Last Friday in the Subs' room, Jeremy explained that Joshua should collar me if he doesn't want other Doms to hang around me, which is what most of them do to protect their Subs, but he also remembered that he had never seen any of Joshua's previous Subs being collared by him.

On one side, it reassured me because I am still not very comfortable with the idea of wearing a collar for the moment. I know that the Dominants don't collar their Subs to treat them like dogs - although a few of them attach a leash and walk their Subs like puppies - but the idea still puts me off and I am not too eager to see the moment Joshua will collar me. On the other side, it raised some questions in my head during the rest of that week-end which I spent with Shannon. Although I wouldn't admit it to Joshua, my feelings for him are growing more and more each day. The three weeks I spent full time with him only increased what I feel for the man and I have to confess that it scares me.

I am not afraid to fall in love in itself and on the contrary, I am rather happy to discover these emotions that I had never felt for anyone before. What I am afraid of is that he might not reciprocate. Several times I have been on the verge to say the dreaded three little words, but I always refrained, uncertain about what would happen if I did. Deep inside of me, I know that Joshua is not willing to hear these words from me and thinking about the entire collar thing only proves me right. If Joshua never collared any of his previous Subs and if he doesn't collar me either, it means that he doesn't consider me differently than them and I definitely know his position on our relationship. I know that I seem to be more than his previous Subs, but I am still not enough I guess.

This is what encouraged me on the following Monday to ask him if we could resume our normal rhythm. Of course, the last three weeks have been great... I love spending time at his house, driving to and from the office with him, talking with Liz in the evening while he works in his study... I love the luxury of his home and I love him period. But I also love my independence for now and spending time with Shan too. And more importantly, I can't let myself fall for him too deeply if I am not sure that he won't ever return my feelings. So in the end, returning to our normal schedule will help me to take a little distance from him, and I believe that it will also be easier for me to make our relationship pass as a regular boyfriend one with Shannon because I definitely don't need him to dig too much in what Joshua and I are. Shan is obviously the main reason for this, and knowing that he was going to return, I knew that Joshua and I to resume our usual schedule; I stressed a little about it, but in the end, that conversation we had went pretty well. Hopefully it will help to take some distance with him as far as my emotions are concerned.

Just to contradict my plans, my heart begins to flutter in my chest at the sight of my gorgeous man when Jeremy and I part ways and join our Dominants on their respective couches. Since we don't know when we are going to see each other next, we quickly hug and wish each other a nice Christmas before I go to kneel by my Master's legs. I lean into his touch as his fingers begin to run into my hair, sending shivers down my spine. Master Mark has a Sub for the evening as does Master Camden and for some reason, I tentatively let my hand discreetly snake and possessively wrap around Joshua's ankle. When the lights dim before the first show begins, I feel Joshua move, expecting him to allow me on the couch or on his lap, but he stands up and pulls me up before he leads me toward the exit doors. Well... it seems like we are not going to watch the show tonight... A few seconds later we are in his private room, me kneeling in the center after I have taken off my shoes and socks, and him fumbling in the chest of drawers.

"Come here, Pet," he orders and I join him at the opposite side where some sort of swing is hanging from the ceiling with four chains. He makes me stand in front of it, while he presses himself in my back and pulls on the hem of my tee-shirt and over my head, discarding it on the floor. His hands first grab my wrists and pull my arms up until my fingers are laced at the back of his neck, before they run back down my arms and my sides to my lower abdomen, slowly starting their ascent to my chest until his index fingers start teasing my nipples. They quickly turn into firm little buds that Joshua pinches and rolls between his thumbs and fingers, sending shocks of electricity straight to my groin. I feel myself harden within seconds and I don't even try to suppress the moans of pleasure escaping from my mouth. "Do you like this, Pet?" he asks as his right hand skids down my chest and slips inside my pants to firmly grasp my erection. "I think you do..."

"Please, Master..." I beg. His fingers stroking my member quickly build up the burning sensations in my lower belly.

"Not just yet, Pet. First we are going to test how supple you have become," he says when he pulls his hand out of my pants to undo them. A minute later, I am left standing naked in front of him and he makes me sit on the lowered leather padded hammock while he holds the two chains at the bottom for stability. Once I am comfortably settled, he walks to my head and grabs my right wrist that he cautiously wraps in a restraint attached to the chain on this side of the swing, making my arm stretch to its fullest and upwards. Joshua then proceeds similarly with my left wrist before he walks back in front of me. I can't help admiring how sexy he looks in these leather pants, the big bulge at the front telling me how excited he is about all this. "Pass your feet on the other sides of the chains now," he orders.

This is the first time that we use the swing, but I have already seen a scene with a similar one at the Diamond and I know that I am in for an intense fuck. So, not willing to ruin this moment, I immediately comply and, helping myself by gripping the chains above my head, I pass my right leg first on the other side of the oblique chain and once my foot is back on the floor, I do the same with the left one, spreading my thighs further apart. Joshua seizes my left ankle and straps it in the restraint attached to the outside of the bottom chain, forcing my knee to bend with my foot high up. Of course he does the same with right leg, before he manipulates the chains to lift the swing up to reach the perfect level for him, putting me in an almost lying down and crouched position and making me feel utterly exposed.

"Mmmh I like that..." Joshua says and he takes a step back to appreciate the view. "I like you all tied up and at my entire disposal to pleasure you and fuck you as I want, how I want and for as long as I want..." he trails on. Oh God! Dirty Joshua does things to me that I can't explain. His words make me release some precum on my abdomen and all my muscles tense when I see him bend over and lick the length of my shaft, from the base to the tip before his tongue laps the juices on my belly. His lips soon find their way back to my hard member and wrap around it; my hips move up on their own accord to meet his bobbing head, making him groan and grip my sides to keep me still.

"Please... Master..." I beg, feeling my orgasm about to explode.

"You don't need my permission to cum tonight, Pet," he briefly says before he returns to work on my erection and that throws me to cloud nine right away, releasing in his mouth. While I recover from my high, Joshua sensually rubs his hands all over my body. "You're so beautiful when you come, Pet. I want to see this several times tonight," he says before he moves to a chest of drawers from where he pulls several things that he lays on a table which he rolls to the swing. Oh my God!! I shouldn't have looked at those accessories! One of the plugs there is much bigger than the ones I used to put in my butt in the beginning, though not thicker than Joshua's cock, but still... "Pet, look here!" Joshua orders, causing my eyes to immediately avert to his hand palming his hard-on through the leather of his trousers. Oh God... Could he be any more sexy and arousing? My eyes must filled with lust by now. "Yes, much better." He takes the bottle of lube and pours a large amount of the cold substance over my crotch, letting it run down the crease of my ass. "I love seeing your ass cheeks spread and your tight little hole nicely exposed like this, Pet," he says as he starts rubbing my entrance. Two fingers are quickly stuck inside my hole and the third one doesn't wait too long to join the others, making my cock harden again.

"I believe I'm up for some rough sex tonight, how about you, Pet?"

"Ngh... anything... Master..." I manage through my pants.

"Good. We're gonna prepare this little hole then..." he says, retrieving his fingers from my ass to grab a medium size dildo that he generously coats with more lube. His left hand starts massaging my balls and I feel the ring of muscles at the entrance of my asshole stretch from the insertion of the slick dildo. Joshua thrusts it in and out very slowly, swirling it and shifting it up and down, and just as the thing hits my prostate for the first time, I jolt at the sensation, unable to suppress my moans when Joshua's left hand begins to stroke my smeared shaft. I try to squeeze my knees to slow down the building of my next orgasm but the restraints render me completely helpless in that matter and I powerlessly witness the load of semen spurting from the tip of my throbbing cock, shivering from the ecstasy of my climax.

"I definitely need to see this again, Pet..." I vaguely hear Joshua say as he removes the dildo and moves to grab the larger plug and smear it again with lube. The monster probing my entrance pulls me back to reality, causing the ring of muscles to clench on its own accord. "Shhh Pet, relax..." Joshua encourages me, his left hand returning to my sensitive shaft which didn't even have time to deflate. "Let it in, Pet..." he orders as his fingers stroke and firmly squeeze my cock. I will myself to loosen up and... Holy crap! The sting provoked by the thickness of the toy being forced past my entrance has my member release more juices that Joshua hurries to rub over the tender-skinned head.

"Good boy, just relax and let it settle inside, I swear you won't regret it..." Joshua promises, and true to his words, once the object is comfortably lodged against my sweet spot, making me feel so full, he activates a button and vibrations spread throughout my rectum, sending me over the edge for the third time already.

"Nghhh... Pleaaaaaaaaaase!!!!" I scream from the new volcanic eruption. I thought that he would have stopped the vibrations from there, but instead, he walks to my side and I am barely conscious that he slowly undoes both rows of the buttons that attach the patch of leather at the front of his pants. By the time his own hard-on has been freed, I have recovered part of my mind despite the continuous pulsations against my prostate and I have a feeling that it is my turn to pleasure him. Joshua slightly lowers the adjustable headrest of the swing, allowing my head to fall a little backward and tilt to side, at the perfect height to reach for his dripping member.

"Open your mouth, Pet," Joshua orders. The restraints and my position prevent me from being really free to move my head so I just open my mouth and let him take the full control of his thrusts. The tremor in my ass and this feeling of being at his total mercy, willingly surrendering all my powers to him, is amazing. "Oh yes Baby, you're so good..." he growls. I try my best to relax my throat as he taught me so that I can take him deeper and deeper, lightly grazing my teeth along his shaft and adding more pressure to my lips. When the first shot of cum hits the back of my throat, Joshua emits a deep grunt, evidence of the pleasure I gave him, and that sends me out for another orgasm. He pulls out and wipes the bit semen that dripped from the corner of my mouth, pushing it back inside with his thumb that I greedily suck, amazed by the lustful expression in his eyes.

"You're so good, Pet..." he praises me, gently caressing my cheek. "Let's see how this tight asshole has stretched." He walks back to my front, switches off the vibrator - which makes me sigh in relief as I am completely spent from all this adrenaline - and slowly removes it. "How nice!!!" he awes as I watch him slide the index of each hand inside my hole and pull it stretch open. Despite my exhausted state, I surprise myself craving to feel his big cock inside of me and from how hard he seems to be again, his long and thick perfectly straight pointing at my ass, I can tell that he doesn't expect any less.

"Nghhh... Please Master..." I beg.

"What do you want, Pet?" he asks, smirking at me.

"I want you, Master... please..."

"I want you too, Baby..." he says softly, gently pulling on my hips to adjust my position before he smears more lube over his cock and at the crease of my ass. The tip of his hard member probes my entrance as he firmly grabs the sides of my thighs with his hands. "Look at me, Pet."

For a long minute, we just stare into each other's eyes intensely, feeling the tension building at the connection between the head of his cock and my asshole and causing me to utter a whining and needy sound. Without another word, Joshua thrusts his hips forward and pulls on my thighs at the same time, slamming deep inside of me in one go with a loud grunt. I hiss at the filling sensation, glad that he prepared my hole for that, and tilt my head backwards in an attempt to release the tension in my muscles but watching my man ram into me is just too tempting. Our eyes meet again and I can appreciate the lust in his look with each of his thrust, feeling another orgasm quickly build up from the pounding into my prostate. The room is filled with our moans and groans and the smell of our musk fills my nostrils, adding to the growing pressure in my veins. I try to contain my explosion for as long as I can, but when I am no longer able to withhold it, my hole firmly clenches around Joshua's shaft, sending us both to the realm of bliss, making me almost lose consciousness after this umpteenth climax.

As I slowly resurface from my daze, I find myself lying on my stomach on the bed completely relaxed; I realize that Joshua is hovering over me, dropping soft kiss all over the top of my back and now naked. "Welcome back, Pet... Hope you're enjoying your birthday," he whispers in my ear, grazing his teeth against the sensitive skin of the sweet spot beneath my earlobe. I can already feel my cock swell again and it hardens even more when he grabs my wrists that were resting along my sides and pulls them up above my head to restrain them in one of his hands while the other one slips beneath my hip and reaches for my hard member. "Good... I see you're ready for another round..." he purrs, spreading my legs with his knees and positioning the tip of his cock at my entrance.

"Yes Master... I am ready..." I reply without hesitation because I just need to feel him inside of me again.

* * *

"So you're ready to go? You haven't forgotten anything?" Joshua asks as I walk back into his office, already wearing my coat after I have changed into my jeans, sweater and Doc Martens in his private bathroom.

"I think I'm good," I whisper, peeking at my suitcase and backpack waiting for me. "I have my laptop and my phone... and everything I need..." I mentally check that I have put enough clothes in my suitcase, as well as the gifts for my parents.

"Good..." he reaches for my waist and I lace my fingers at the back of his neck, pulling him down for a long and passionate kiss. A goodbye kiss... "Take care of yourself and stay safe..."

"Same for you..." I reply with a sigh as my hands slowly run from his neck down to his firm chest.

"Call me when you've arrived," he reminds me, as if he hadn't spent enough time repeating his recommendations over the last two days, just in case I would forget that the rules work even when we are not together.

"I will... I'd better go... Tony must be waiting for me downstairs already..." I whisper.

"Enjoy your time off and have a nice Christmas, Baby," he says with a last peck.

I wish him the same just as his telephone rings and head toward the lift. I give him a last look through the open door of his office and before the doors of the elevator slide shut. I feel a painful pang in my heart at the thought that I won't see him until Friday; I'm going to miss him. The ride to Chicago O'Hare goes rather quickly and Tony soon parks at the drop off area. I meet him at the trunk where he pulls out my suitcase on wheels and puts it on the pavement.

"Would you like me to accompany you inside the terminal, Liam?" Tony kindly proposes.

"No thanks... it was nice of you to drive me already..." I reply shyly. One battle that I had lost against Joshua when I said I could take a taxi or the train to the airport.

"My pleasure," he says with a warm smile. "I wish you a nice Christmas and see if you can bring back some LA warmth in your case..." he adds jokingly. The temperatures are freezing here at the moment and this is going to be a shock when I land in Los Angeles.

"I'll try... You and Liz have a nice Christmas too..."

"Thanks. And I'll be there to pick you up on Thursday evening."

"This is not necessary Tony... I'm landing at midnight..." I try to argue, but a scowling Tony is sometimes even more impressive than Joshua himself. "Okay fine... I'll see you on Thursday then..." I give up, swinging my backpack over my shoulders and grabbing the handle of my suitcase. I wave him goodbye and walk toward the terminal.

As I finally get to sit down in my uncomfortable reserved armchair on the plane next to a window, I almost begin to regret that I didn't accept Joshua's offer to upgrade me to business class. I chuckle inwardly at the one battle that I won. First he had proposed me to use his jet to fly to Los Angeles. How ridiculous... Why would I pollute the Earth more than necessary by flying alone in a jet while I could mingle with other travelers? Damn... Am I becoming an ecologist?

Then he wanted to pay for my tickets which I vehemently refused because I am no supported mistress. The day I booked my flights, he asked me to use one of his credit cards to at least upgrade my tickets and once again, I declined his offer which turned into a glaring contest that he won when I eventually cast my eyes down, but I still won the fight because I determinedly refused to upgrade to business. Now I might regret it for the simple reason that a business class seat would have certainly been more comfortable for my poor little ass that Joshua used and abused throughout the whole week-end, probably trying to make sure that I would think of him and his cock each time that I would sit down. Well, that he succeeded...

The plane won't take off before another good fifteen minutes so I pull out my phone and the super IPod that Joshua offered for my birthday, filled with good music from the 1990's that he likes and that I am getting to like too, like the Guns N' Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Metallica. I exchange a few texts with him and Shannon and the plane soon takes off toward the South West. My neighbor, an old man in a business suit, begins to snore only a few minutes later so I slightly turn up the volume of my IPod and close my eyes, hoping to get a little nap over the next four hours.

Now that I am on my way to Los Angeles, I am rather confused as to how I am feeling about seeing my parents in just a few hours. On one side, I am very eager to see them and I know that they are too. We haven't seen each other since last July and even if we speak over the phone quite regularly, it is not exactly the same as being in physical contact. These few days together will allow us to catch up on our lives; they will tell me about their students and their projects for the next year. I will be able to tell them about how I love my job. And my boss. No, not that. Well, maybe yes.

On the other side, I dread their reaction when I come out to them. They never expressed any particular opinion on homosexuals, even when they found out that Shannon was gay, or rather bi. Never have I heard them say anything mean about his homosexuality or forbid me to be his friend, so I don't think that they really care, but you never know. Some people might say that they have nothing against gays but it turns out to be a different story when it is their child coming out. I don't even know how I am going to tell them or when exactly. For the last few weeks, I have been rehearsing speeches and scenarios but I haven't come up with anything good. The only thing I am quite sure of is that I will probably wait until the last day so not to ruin our time together. At least if they reject me, I won't have to change my flight back and hurry out of the house.

Worse than how is what... What am I going to tell them about my CEO of a boyfriend? I could tell them that I just found out that I am gay and that's it, but my mother knows me too well and she will be nosy about the fact that not only I am gay but also that I do have a boyfriend. How are they going to react to the fact that the said boyfriend is my boss? Will they accuse him of harassment? Of course, I can't tell them about our lifestyle, even if I am not ashamed of it, well this is embarrassing enough... Like Joshua explained to me, people who don't share this lifestyle have a hard time understanding it and most of the time, they are completely mistaken on the concept and wrongfully assimilate it to just sex and kink. This is indeed a large part of the lifestyle, but not only and certainly not the most important part of it. Though... whatever...

Over the last two months, I have evolved to a completely different self. I have discovered that I can actually mingle with other people and not feel uncomfortable about it. Of course there is Jeremy, but there are also all the other Subs at the club with whom I can now speak freely and without blushing too much. I have opened up like I never had before except for Shannon. I am also getting more confident, especially with Joshua and at work. After Ally left in September, when Joshua would ask me to work with this or that person of the leadership team, I would coward and almost make myself sick at the thought of having to spend time with any of them on which ever matter, but now I don't really mind. Well, except when I get to work with Derek or people of his team like Dominic and the dark looks they send me. My only hope is that when Ally comes back from her maternity leave, they are not going to send me back to Finance. I would much prefer working with Allan or even Tony who can be as scary as hell.

This morning again he scared the shit out of me when he appeared out of nowhere in the meeting room while I was preparing Joshua's second coffee. Tony is not a mean person. On the contrary, I think he is very kind. But first there is the fact that he knows about Joshua and me, which is still quite embarrassing to me. And then, there is his physical appearance. He used to be in the army and also worked as close protection; and you can easily guess it from how he looks. The guy is tall and bulky; always buttoned up in perfectly fitted and immaculate black suits and white shirts; his now bald head is almost shiny and as perfectly shaved as my privates. More than his physical appearance, his cold expression is what frightens me the most; however, every time that he needs to talk to me, his face slightly lights up and I have gotten to appreciate his fatherly attitudes. Most of the time.

I eventually dose off and when I wake up, the plane has already begun its descent. By the time I get out of the plane and get back my luggage, it is almost 9:00 pm in Los Angeles. As I make my way through the crowd among the other passengers and their relatives waiting for them, looking for my own parents, I am suddenly grabbed in a firm embrace while squeals of joy resounds in my back.

"Oh son... it's so good to see you!!!" my father says in his usual deep voice... the one voice that used to soothe all my pains when I was a kid... the one voice that never missed to make me feel safe when I had nightmares or when I was running back home after I got scared by older children who would make fun of my shyness.

"Dad... it's good to see you too..." I reply, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist and leaning in his chest. I am absolutely nothing like my father... physically speaking... well except for our blue eyes. He is much taller than me, though not as tall as Joshua, and quite broad because he always made workout as one of his priorities and he still runs marathons. His hair is as dark as mine is blond but we do indeed have the same blue eyes. I inherited from my mother's side as far as my size is concerned... although with her 5'2, she is now smaller than I am with my 5'7 and we have the same blond silky hair.

"Oh sweet heart... I'm so glad that you were able to come here for Christmas," my mother squeals, pushing my father so that she can hug me too. "Your boss has to be a real gentleman to have allowed you some days off... I'll have to thank him for that..." she adds, making me choke on my saliva. Well, we'll discuss this point later when you find out that he is not only my boss, Mom...

"Hey mom... I'm happy I could make it too..." I reply. "It feels so good to see you! I missed you..."

My father grabs the handle of my suitcase and we all head out to their car, talking about my flight and about how the weather is agreeable in this season in Los Angeles; it is still over 60° when we get out, whereas it was barely 20° in Chicago when I left this afternoon. Well guess what, I much prefer Chicago's temperatures because I can deal much better with the cold than the heat, although 60 is still acceptable to me. An hour later and more talk about their life in California, we finally arrive to their house in Glendale, north of Los Angeles and immediately set to a late dinner. My parents keep telling me about how they have been missing me and they congratulate me on my success in achieving my studies and finding a job almost immediately. They are so full of praise for me that they manage to make me blush in embarrassment.

"How is Shan doing?" my mother asks as she brings a chocolate cake that she baked earlier this afternoon.

"He's doing great... same as ever..."

"Does he work at the moment?" she then asks.

"Yeah, he just took a week off to recover from the three intense weeks he did at this other farm earlier this month but today he started a new job in a special event management company that organizes parties. He refurbishes some equipment and lightings for the next event they prepare for New Years Eve."

"That's still a short-term job then?" my father asks.

"Yes; I think it runs until the first two weeks of January or so. But well, that's Shannon... I hope one day he'll find a job that he really likes and that he'll keep it..."

"If his parents had been better with him and pushed him a little more, it would have helped..." my mother sighs.

"True... but you know difficult he can be..."

"I'm glad he has you as a friend. I know how you've always pushed him the right way... you two have always made a great pair and he also helped you a lot to get out of your shell..." my father comments with a warm smile.

"Does he still jump from one relationship to another?" my mom enquires, her eyes full of malice.

"Hmm hmm," I just reply, stuffing another piece of cake in my mouth.

"This is so Shannon..." she chuckles, shaking her head. A comfortable silence follows as we finish eating our cakes, until it just happens... out of the blue... without any warning... just like a big burp you can't hold back after drinking something sparkling...

"Mom, Dad... I'm gay..."

What the hell?? Did I really say that aloud? What the fuck happened to the filter between my neurons and my vocal chords? That was never in any of the scenarios I repeated in my head! I never meant to come out so bluntly! And I certainly never intended to do this revelation so early in our reunion!

For a few seconds that seem like eternity to me, I just stare at my plate, waiting for their reaction but nothing happens and I end up peeking up at them. I don't know what I was expecting exactly. I dreaded their rejection, but I was hoping for their approval. However, when my eyes meet my mother's eyes first and then my father's, all I can decipher is relief, tenderness and even pride. My mom's hand reaches my father's but he is the one opening his mouth to speak.

"We always knew, Son..." he says very softly. And once again, that deep voice sweeps away all the stress I worked myself with for nothing.

Published on 18 Oct 2016

Oh dear... I had to spend a huge amount of time on editing this chapter! The sex scene at the club was not written at all and neither were the last few lines...  + the usual editing...

Anyway... There it is and... that's it!!! This is the end of the second part of the book (refer to Preface if necessary)! Joshua and Liam's relationship has clearly been settled and Liam has now lost his innocence, slowly gaining some self-confidence. The next chapter jumps three months later and is the beginning of a more bumpy ride between scheming and plotting, tensions and raw emotions, confidences and arguments, and finally, Liam's first public scene!

Ally is also going to return from her maternity leave, so do you have a guess to which department Liam will be moved?