Then

Now we begin...

The words echoed in Jace's mind, and images of Phoenix on that stage with Rosemary played over and over like a live-action movie. Only, Rosemary was not there, Jace was, and that intensity in Phoenix formed a lump in his throat.

Would he get to see Phoenix like that?

Would he want to?

As if he read Jace like an open book, Phoenix felt the excitement and insecurity in Jace. "Calm down, please, take deep breaths. Close your eyes and empty your mind. Yellow out at any point if you need me to back off."

Phoenix's voice sounded like it had dropped an octave and become huskier. The vibrato in the words sent shivers down Jace's spine and made his mind explode with lustful anticipation. The mere sound of his voice made Jace want to obey him. There was something deep and sensual about it, notes of danger and promises of immense pleasure.

They had not even done anything, and Jace already felt how his blood rushed south. Was it the situation or Phoenix that made the heat in him feel unbearable? Jace tried to convince himself that it was the situation, what was to come, and not that it was Phoenix who influenced him.

Like tiny pinpricks all his nerve endings electrified and signaled his brain, demanding that he felt something soon. Exacting that he accepted Phoenix and would let him do what Jace dearly needed.

Slowly, Jace let out a long, shaking breath and relaxed his tense body.

He was ready.

Phoenix moved closer when Jace, without hesitation, closed his eyes and took deep breaths. "Am I allowed to touch you?" he mumbled and kept his hands locked in fists at his side to not do what his mind screamed at him. It was not just his usual training procedure or even the Dominant in him making those demands; there was something else guiding his actions.

Something he needed to fight to not break Jace's limits or embarrass himself.

"I'll keep it at a required minimum, same with the speaking, to allow you to stay in the fantasy of you being with a woman. Am I...?"

"Yes," Jace said with a heave. He could not think about any woman if those long fingers touched him. Nor did he want to.

"May I blindfold you? It'll help you stay in focus, and maybe bring you out of your head if you can't see me and just feel as we move along."

"Ok."

A soft blindfold was gently placed over Jace's eyes a moment later. Phoenix tied it behind his head, and it stopped any light from getting through. The blindfold plunged Jace into darkness, and it was as if his other senses heightened. He smelled Phoenix's cologne better, the taste of salt from the sweat he licked from his upper lip stayed on his tongue. His skin heated and felt sensitive to the air in the room. Each time Phoenix moved, and the air shifted, small chills went through Jace. And his hearing was that of an alert animal. He heard ruffles of clothes with Phoenix's movements. Their breathing sounded like a symphony of lustful notes, and they had barely begun.

All his senses combined made him aware of his situation and flooded him with arousal and anticipation of what was to come.

Long fingers pushed his hair free from the bindings with consideration before a hand smoothed over the hair for a second so light and briefly that Jace was not sure it had happened.

Had Phoenix?

Did Jace want him to?

Those questions rummaged in Jace's mind. One answer came to him instantly. Yes, he wanted Phoenix to do it. Do it in a way that he could feel it. The way his hair would slide between Phoenix's fingers and fall back into place, the light scraping against his scalp during it would be bliss.

He found himself wishing Phoenix had done it so he could have felt it.

"Please show me your most used positions. One at a time, hold them for about thirty seconds and move on to the next. When done, come back to stand."

Phoenix stepped back and watched Jace slide onto his knees and assume the 'apology' position or 'humble' as some called it.

It was perfect.

There was nothing Phoenix could fault in the way Jace positioned himself on the floor. On his knees, legs spread. Thighs and calves at a ninety-degree angle, his ass in the air. Straight back, face to the floor, and his arms stretched out in front of him.

After about thirty seconds, Jace slowly folded his arms to rest under his forehead, gathered his knees a bit, and lifted his feet in the air into the 'punishment' position.

That too, he held perfectly.

Conflict raged inside Phoenix. Why would a sub believe that apology and punishment positions were more important than presenting, waiting, and service? Jace was exemplary, and it seemed too farfetched that Jace was an unruly sub that needed continuous punishments or needed to apologize enough for it to be ingrained in him like that.

It did, however, coincide well with Jace's hate for degradation and name-calling.

Had someone abused him?

Please no!

Without knowing what crashed through Phoenix's mind, Jace continued to do as he had been told. Slowly, curling up on his knees, his ass touching his heels, and his underarms at a ninety-degree angle to the floor, while facing the floor in the 'stool' position.

To Phoenix's horror, Jace kept going.

Moving into the 'table position', then onto 'service', meaning ready to please. Afterward, 'kneeling presentation' and a basic kneeling before standing at attention followed by 'presenting for inspection', as he had earlier. He finished with a standard waiting position and let his arms fall to his side when the thirty seconds were up, waiting for Phoenix's response.

Phoenix's silence afterward made Jace's nerves flare up. He went over each position in his head, trying to figure out if he had done them right or had forgotten something in the years he had not been in the lifestyle. He felt he had done everything right, though he accepted that any wrong positions would entitle Phoenix to correct him either physically or verbally.

That was even more confusing for him. He wanted to be perfect, to please Phoenix and make him proud through good behavior, just like outside the club. And then there was that insane voice telling him he wanted to be punished by Phoenix. To feel that intense and powerful Dominant he had witnessed that night on stage, feel the hits, the heat, and the pleasure of being under such a force.

If it was Phoenix or the concept of what he was and stood for in Jace's sexual desires, Jace had not identified. The only thing he knew was that he had jerked off to that fantasy more times than he cared to admit.

"That was impressive, Jace. You nearly master all of them," Phoenix choked out, trying to sort his thoughts when he noticed Jace shook somewhat and bit his lip nervously. He was almost one hundred percent sure that someone, who should clearly not be a Dominant, had abused or trained Jace at some point. "I'll call out a position now, and you'll assume it and hold it while I correct it. Stay in it until I tell you otherwise, please."

"Understood."

"Kneel."

It was poetry in motion, watching Jace gracefully slide onto his knees. The fluidity in his movements was that of a dancer's. He did it with poise and confidence in a way that was textbook perfection. There was no flailing of arms to keep his balance, no hesitation, no nervous trembles in his movements at all. His strong legs held his body weight centered and made it look easy to change from standing to kneeling without using his hands or arms to help him.

Jace's expressive elegance was a privilege to behold.

That was the Jace, Phoenix thought him to be. The one with confidence in his actions and a subtle pride in doing it right. A man powerful within his core and accepting of himself, what he wanted, and his abilities to make that come true.

By God, he wished he could tell Jace how wrong he was about himself, in ways that thick-skulled, self-deprecating moron could understand.

Each position Jace held while Phoenix with gentle taps with the flap of the crop did minor adjustments, that he, in all honesty, barely needed. After about twenty minutes of Jace gliding into the positions, Phoenix had asked of him and standing up again, Phoenix stopped.

There was no need to train that anymore.

One should not mess with perfection.

They spent the next hour going through basic rules for submissives in general and compared Jace's knowledge with those. Most rules came with actions that they went through in role-play scenarios for Jace to show that he understood Phoenix's teachings. Jace listened and obeyed without holding back. He openly answered Phoenix's questions, and as time flew, the mood in the room changed.

They moved on to testing Jace's reactions to some toys and implements. During the roleplaying, Phoenix had removed the blindfold, as a lot of it was in how Jace positioned his eyes and held his head. That Phoenix could not judge if blinded. With the toys and implements, Phoenix had insisted the blindfold went back on to help Jace keep his fantasy Dominant in his mind, a female Phoenix did not wish to compete with or ruin for Jace.

The different things Phoenix made him try had his skin flushed, and his thoughts circling around the needs he had not fulfilled for a very long time.

It clouded the room. The electricity between them, and the pheromones that Jace sent out burned their senses. It was potent with lust and hung like a heavy fog that enveloped them, and with each breath, they added to the tension.

That fever in Jace, his smell and breathing, called to the Dominant in Phoenix. If Jace had been a certified member, who had given himself to him, Phoenix would have taken him on the ride of his life, giving him that exquisite combination of pain and pleasure wrapped in careful attentiveness, that would ignite the endorphins rushing through them, pacing them toward a blissful high.

He heard Jace's unvoiced needs and battled himself on whether or not he should heed the call.

Jace panted lightly, and his chest rose and fell nervously. He needed more. It was not enough to talk and try a few clamps and a hit or two with different implements outside his clothes to test if he knew them and liked them. His brain demanded action.

Something real.

He craved something that would not end after a few minutes. Anything to bring him into the zone and give him some release.

"What do you need, Jace?" Phoenix whispered in a sensual tone near Jace's ear. His hand slid down Jace's sweaty back to the edge of his jeans, where his fingers lingered and caressed back and forth, touching the skin. He enjoyed the smooth, wet skin under his fingers and how it made goosebumps erupt on Jace.

That was as far as he could allow himself to go. If he went too far with the touching and caresses, Jace could get overloaded and close off, because intimacy was not part of the deal, and Phoenix knew that.

"Please..." Jace panted and leaned into Phoenix's touch to feel more. The man did not disappoint. His hand flattened and rested it fully against the small of Jace's back, burning like the harsh hit of a whip.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to get physical with you already? We can wait until next time before we move into the intense scenes and use any implements other than as a showcase." Phoenix himself noticed how his breathing was erratic, like Jace's, at the thought of them doing an actual scene that lasted longer and was more fervent. One that connected them as Dominant and submissive.

If only for one scene.

"No!"

"No, you're not sure? Or no, you don't want to wait?"

"Don't wait."

"What's your favorite impact implement?"

Jace gasped when Phoenix's hand slid down and cupped one of his ass cheeks. It was not rough, and Phoenix did not grab him. His hand just formed with the contour of Jace's ass, promising everything Jace needed at that moment.

There was no way around it. Jace needed more, and he was not above begging. If Phoenix could give him what he craved, he was on board. "Multi-tailed whips. Please, Phoenix..."

"If you're certain and give your consent, then undress. Just leave the clothes on the floor." With held-back breath, Phoenix pulled his hand away from the wonderful feeling of Jace's ass and waited for Jace to decide.

Without shame, Jace did what he felt was right. He loosened his belt, unbuttoned his pants, and pulled them down, stepping out of them and throwing them on the floor a bit away from himself, not sure where they landed. His boxers followed, leaving him completely naked, showing his already semi-hard cock. He drew in ragged breaths and waited.

At that moment, Phoenix thanked his lucky stars that he had blindfolded Jace again for their latest tutorial in toys, because Jace did not need to see how Phoenix stood there, ogling Jace's magnificent body. The man was beautiful. It had nothing to do with his cock which looked to be a good seven and a half to eight inches with a fitting girth.

It was everything.

The sheen of sweat covering Jace's skin, which shone in the lights of the room. How Jace continuously licked his lips to remove those telltale beads of sweat on his upper lip. His breathing and the way his chest moved, drawing attention to the hard nipples, made his abs tighten to look delectably defined. Perfect smooth skin, pulled over muscles galore, lightly sprinkled blond hairs on his underarms and legs, matching the hairs on his head.

Everything, beautifully sculpted, made Jace a masterpiece on display.

"May I restrain you?" The words came out raspy, though Phoenix wondered how he could talk at all, because his mouth had dried up like he had eaten sawdust.

"Anything, just, please... I need it."

"Ok, relax. Take a deep breath and tell me how much you can take."

After a few calming breaths and some shivers of anticipation, Jace answered, "I'm tough. I can handle a lot."

"Ok."

Soft-lined leather cuffs got locked around Jace's ankles and then his wrists. Phoenix's hands moved with experience and made sure they were tight, but not obstructing the blood flow in any way. He led Jace to the side of the bed and hooked the ankle cuffs to rings on the floor and the wrist cuffs to chains from the ceiling. He adjusted the chains until Jace stood taut in an X, fully accessible, with his back to Phoenix.

"I'll warm you up a bit first." To calm Jace, Phoenix put his hand on Jace's trembling shoulder. "Color, please?"

"Green."

"Ok, let your mind flow. Imagine you're with the Dominant you'll find inside the club when you're a member. Pretend I'm her."

It felt like an eternity of Phoenix moving silently about the room before Jace heard the swoosh of a whip breaking through the air. The impact was not hard, and the falls of the whip were a soft kind of leather. It still came as a surprise. After that, the hits came at an even pace, warming his skin in the most delightful way. From his shoulders and upper back, skipping his lower back and the sensitive area near his vital organs, down to his ass and upper thighs.

The whip's kisses were not harsh; they stimulated in the most titillating way. First, the sound of it racing through the air made Jace hold his breath, then the impact landed, always expected but at times in unexpected places, making him let out the breath he had held. The force drove him forward in his restraints, and the sting activated his nerve endings, but did not make his muscles react much. The flogger was meant as a skin preparation, not a muscle softener. Each hit made him more sensitive to the next. Though he could not see it, he knew the redness showed and hopefully egged Phoenix on to keep going.

That was what Jace desperately yearned for.

It took a while of soft moaning and impatient waiting before he heard Phoenix switch the warmup flogger with what would hopefully be a more serious whip. One that would bring Jace his high.

"Still, green?"

"Oh, yes."

A harsh hit to Jace's upper back was confirmation that Phoenix had heard him.

Jace moaned without thinking or caring.

Finally!

He already felt his body become light with just one hit. That feeling was everything. It sent endorphins rushing through his body. A calm, he had missed but had no way of connecting with, flooded him. Jace knew he was doing the right thing for himself.

His body showed Phoenix what he wanted, and Phoenix responded with exactly what Jace asked of him.

"If the next hit is a five on a scale from one to ten, can you take more, or is that good for you?"

The impact landed straight across the full curve of Jace's ass.

"More..."

Phoenix let the hits hail down on Jace's body. Sweat broke out all over, making his clothes cling to his body with the exertion he put into delivering what he was good at. Usually, an uncomfortable feeling, which would have made him remove his shirt at least, but at the moment, all he could focus on was Jace.

Phoenix was completely enthralled with the sight of the skin reddening and the slim welts that rose, especially on Jace's ass and thighs. What made Phoenix halt was the fact that Jace's moaning had stopped when the whips got switched. He seemed to tense up and hold in his sounds, and Phoenix could not figure out if it was too much or if something else was wrong.

Jace did not display any discomfort or resistance, it was just an odd off kind of feeling Phoenix got with the lack of responsiveness all of a sudden.

"Color, Jace!"

"Green."

Phoenix sighed at still having Jace with him and calling 'green'. "Something's not right. Why are you holding back? Let go, this is for you."

The next hit Jace received in silence too.

All he did was tense his muscles and take it.

"Jace, this is not a competition or a demonstration of how much you can take. It's supposed to be a pleasant experience. If you don't feel enough pleasure to react to it, I need to know why, so I can stop or adjust what's not working for you." He sighed. "That's my fucking responsibility here, and it's yours to let me know if I'm not meeting your expectations."

"It's not that..." Jace gasped for breath. "Is it ok that I... Enjoy it? Now I mean."

"For fuck's sake, Jace. Everything I do here is for you to enjoy. Stay within the fantasy in your head with your choiced Dominant. Let me hear it so I know you're getting your fill."

Again, Phoenix felt the fire in him burn with hate for the person who had brainwashed Jace into thinking he was not allowed to enjoy himself, or that he should take whatever came at him and wait for his own enjoyment. It was still unclear which it was that had Jace holding back.

And even worse, it was unclear if Jace actually enjoyed it, or if he just endured to get the prize at the end.

"I think we should stop here." He let his hand with the whip drop and relaxed his pose from the position he used when whipping a sub. Phoenix did not want to stop, but he had to be responsible, and since he did not know Jace's history, it would be reckless to continue without some sort of indication that Jace would be alright after.

"No! I need... Please?" Jace panted in frustration, rattling the chains as he struggled with the restraints to turn to Phoenix, though he could not see him for the blindfold. "It's... More?"

When Phoenix did not resume the whipping, Jace got even more frustrated. "Green, Phoenix, keep going!"

"Ok. But I'm stopping if you don't show me something."

The first five hits or so had no reactions from Jace like before, but then it came, a long sigh and then moans. The force of the hits created a pleasurable sting on his skin that traveled through him and settled in his muscles as a volcanic heat. It boiled his blood and burned him from the inside, sending blissful signals to his brain.

With the continuous hits, Phoenix found that Jace finally let go and reacted more. His muscles tensed like a wound spring when Phoenix heard him speak.

"Please... Phoenix, I need to... Yellow?"

Instantly, Phoenix threw the whip on the floor and rushed to Jace to see if he needed help or to soothe him. It was hard for him to decipher Jace's pleas when they came out in broken sentences, almost like he was afraid to voice his needs or fears. If Jace needed to be released, all he had to do was say so. His 'yellowing' as a question was cause for concern.

"May I...? I need to... Cum."

Oh!

Jace was not in trouble.

Phoenix blew out a sigh of relief.

"Of course. Here, let me..." Phoenix lifted his hands to the chain to release Jace's cuff around his hand for him to finish himself while he was still on his high.

"No, help me...?"

Stunned, Phoenix let the words sink in.

Had Jace just asked him to?

"I need consent to touch you like that, Jace."

"I give it. Green, green, do it," Jace rambled, crazed with the need to cum. To feel the warm grip of Phoenix around his throbbing cock. Those strong fingers he had felt a few times on his face and his body in brief touches, too brief, but with a lasting impression. His mind could not focus on anything else. In his head, there were only him and Phoenix, their connection at that moment, and definitely, the power Phoenix held to push Jace over the edge.

His release was up to Phoenix.

"Ok, keep the fantasy. She's with you in your head." It nearly killed Phoenix to say it. He knew Jace was not asking him; Jace asked the one who was there to fulfill his fantasy.

Phoenix leaned in and spooned Jace's back, feeling the heat from the freshly whipped skin through his clothes, putting his head at the crook of Jace's neck as his hands slid sensually down Jace's sides and forward to his stomach that tightened at the touch. One hand slowly made its way down and the other found a hard, sensitive nipple. While pinching the nipple gently, Phoenix's other hand felt its way down to the base of Jace's rock-hard cock that proudly stood protruding from his body, twitching for attention.

He closed his fingers around it and held in a moan at the feeling of the silky soft skin over the fantastic hardness. Jace fit perfectly in his hand. There was no need to do anything. Jace instinctively moved his hips to get friction, and Phoenix granted him that.

Slowly at first, he stroked Jace in long, torturous strides up and down, relishing in Jace's arousal and frustration. His fingers brushed over the head and slit, and Jace let out a soft, relieved moan. Soon, he moved faster. The breathing and involuntary jerks of his hips told him that Jace was close, and he certainly had earned his orgasm. Phoenix applied more pressure and sped up his pace.

"May I?"

The begging voice was beautiful. Like music to Phoenix's ears.

That was what he loved.

Having a sub go so far into their desires that they were bursting to cum, holding it back to please him before getting their release. Allowing him full control over their body, mind, and definitely their orgasms. It was incredible to hold that one moment in the palm of his hand, literally.

It made his own cock harden with the knowledge.

"I can't hold it," Jace whimpered. "I'll do anything, just let me..."

"Yes, do it. Come for me, Baby Blue." The moment the words left his mouth, Phoenix regretted them. It was not an orgasm he granted his sub in a scene where the reward was of equal pleasure. He was supposed to feed Jace's fantasy and make sure that Jace kept his imaginary female in his mind as he came. He was just there as a trainer, a vessel to bring Jace closer to becoming a member.

Not his Dominant.

If he had ruined it for Jace, he would kick himself for it.

Jace completely froze for a second, and Phoenix feared the worst.

Then Jace let out a low groan. His head fell back on Phoenix's shoulder, and his tense muscles spasmed. His whole body shook, and his hips jerked uncontrollably.

Then, he fell over the edge.

Loud moans mixed with heavy breathing filled the room, as shot after shot got milked from him by Phoenix's continuous motions on his hard cock. Phoenix's hand pumped until he was sure that Jace was done, and he twitched from the continuous movements on his most sensitive flesh. If the lack of cum was not enough of an indicator, then Jace collapsing and hanging completely spent in his restraints would have told him.

"I've got you, Jace." Phoenix Grabbed Jace to relieve the pull on his wrists.

As fast as humanly possible, while holding Jace's weight with one arm around his lower body, the cuffs got released from the hooks on the floor. It was awkward holding him while releasing his wrists, but it got done, and Jace slumped into Phoenix's arms with a content sigh. Everything happened at the speed of light. Phoenix lifted Jace bridal style and rushed him to the bed to place him carefully. He looked at Jace's dazed eyes behind the hooded eyelids and concluded Jace was not losing consciousness or in trouble from sensory overload. Carefully, to not incite a reaction in Jace and provoke hypersensitivity, Phoenix unbuckled the cuffs and threw them at the end of the bed. He spread the duvet out and placed it over Jace to keep him warm while his body relaxed and came back down.

Phoenix wasted no time; he retrieved a bottle of water, a can of soda, a plate of chocolates and assorted, cut fruit bites from the fridge, and placed them on the table next to the bed. He rushed to find a few washcloths and a salve for Jace's back in the bathroom and came back to the bed, where he carefully laid down next to Jace and wiped his sweaty face with the cloth and then carefully washed his body as best he could when Jace laid there on his stomach like a lifeless doll.

"Take all the time you need, Jace," Phoenix whispered softly and caressed Jace's neck and smoothed over his hair again and again. "You're completely safe. Relax and come back when you're ready."

It took a while for Jace to return from wherever he had gone in his euphoria. All he knew was, he had floated in a sea of bright darkness. It was contradictory and confusing to think about; it had been pitch-black, and yet he had seen everything of the nothing there. In there, it was like he could see the senses and not only feel them. There had been pleasure, blissful contentment, and that smell; the arousing smell of Phoenix's cologne and skin. His touches melted together with Jace's senses; he felt the man all over him. How deeply respectful and caring those touches were; the slow continuous movements in his hair, applying minimal pressure to his scalp, and then a soothing rubbing sensation at the base of his neck.

Jace registered Phoenix there, not a fantasy or something abstract.

Phoenix.

It felt amazing. Safe, comforting, and though his body slowly landed in reality again, one thing was perfectly clear in Jace's mind. It was Phoenix who had given him everything he needed.

And he wanted more.

His eyelashes fluttered and his eyes sprung open, fear evident in the dazed blues. "I'm sorry, I'll clean up now..." He pushed against the bed to get up. Though his muscles felt like jelly, and he wanted nothing more than to stay in that cloudlike darkness, he knew the consequences of slacking off.

"Stay," Phoenix barked gruffly and put his hand on Jace's head to calm him.

Jace refused to listen and tried to get up again.

"I said stay!" With force, Phoenix held Jace down with a tight grip at the back of his neck with his arm weighing between Jace's shoulder blades until he stopped struggling to get free. "Lie still and let me take care of you. You're in no condition to move."

"But?"

"Be quiet and do as you're told. I'm still in charge, and in here my word is law." It was not like Phoenix normally resorted to statements like that. Both as an individual and a sub, Phoenix held no power over Jace, and he had no right to say something like that. Only, Jace had put his care in Phoenix's hands, which meant Phoenix was the authority. Besides, most subs would happily lie still and get pampered, but Jace was not like most subs.

As Jace finally kept still, Phoenix took his time to wipe down his sweaty body. He carefully helped Jace turn and washed his front too with a new cloth he got from the bathroom. When done, he got Jace to lie on his stomach again, and he fed him pieces of fruit and gave him water.

"What are you doing?" Jace asked in wonder, chewing tentatively on a piece of melon.

Phoenix frowned and looked quizzically at Jace and his confused expression. "Making sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, I should clean the room."

"You'll do no such thing," Phoenix said with finality. He knew Jace to be slightly stubborn, but his reactions ran deeper than that. His reactions were that of somebody who was not treated right. "You'll stay right there and eat more fruit and chocolate while I tend to your back, and then I'll clean up. That's never your job."

While Jace stayed in place, nibbling at the fruit and sipping soda, Phoenix got up on his knees and applied the salve to the red welts on Jace's back, ass, and thighs. He carefully rubbed the salve into the skin and apologized profusely when Jace made tiny hissing sounds from the sting. When done, he went on to massage Jace's legs, lower back, shoulders, and arms.

The fruit and chocolate were long forgotten as Jace succumbed to the feeling of warm and firm fingers, smooth hands, and at times powerful underarms rubbing over his skin. They kneaded, rubbed, glided, and rippled up and down his legs first. Finding every knot and tense muscle, giving it attention until completely relaxed. Phoenix's weight was strangely arousing when he sat with one knee on each side of Jace's legs, and the coarseness of the pant fabric touched the sensitive skin on his thighs.

Phoenix acted as if he had all the time in the world, and that Jace was the center of his universe. Jace lied there, accepting what Phoenix did, though he still did not fully understand what happened. All he knew was that Phoenix was utterly professional. Yes, the massage felt intimate and very in-depth, but Phoenix's hands did not once go out of place to make Jace uncomfortable. He massaged from the middle of Jace's back to the top of his buttock without it feeling sexual at all. Phoenix did not try to touch his ass; he simply focused until he could move on to the upper part of Jace's body.

Afterward, lying beside Jace, still absentmindedly rubbing his neck and shoulders, Phoenix finally allowed himself to relax, knowing Jace seemed alright. "You did so well, Jace. It was a privilege to witness. Thank you for trusting me," Phoenix mumbled. His fingers felt how Jace tensed for a second and then relaxed at his words. "You make it look so easy, do you know that?"

Jace did not answer, and that was quite ok. It was Phoenix's time to praise and thank Jace for what he had allowed. All Jace needed to do was listen.

"I don't know how to explain how beautiful you sound when you give yourself in pleasure. I'm honored that you've trusted me with your care today. Take the time you need to process everything and let me know if you wish to continue with me."

Phoenix decided to shut up before his overeager mouth chose to say something stupid. He just massaged and listened to Jace's breathing.

"Why are you doing all that?" Jace asked dreamily from the sensation of being massaged. The way his muscles melted under Phoenix's ministrations made his body heavy and his head tired. It was a wonderful feeling. In his first relationships, they had cuddled after and that had been nice, but nothing like what Phoenix did.

And his last relationship...

"Aftercare, Jace. It's normal, don't you know?"

Jace shook his head and dropped it tiredly on the bed.

Phoenix wanted to know. It burned in him how much he wanted to ask about Jace's experiences. But it was not the time. They would have a sound discussion about it the next time. That was if Jace allowed him to continue with the training and there would be a next time. It was not fair to attack Jace's exes when Jace was not fully coherent. And if they were not to continue, it was none of his business anyway.

Phoenix would wait.

One thing was for sure, if they were to enter a training program, he would find out.

And if possible, he would get that woman banned from every club he had any kind of leverage in. He would ruin her if he could. Jace was a wonderfully responsive sub. His needs ran deep, and his surrender was a gift. It was unfair that he had been screwed over massively by wrong BDSM behavior.

"You sound like you could use a nap."

"Mhmm..."

"I have a club to run, and I need a shower first. Will you be alright alone, or should I get somebody to sit with you?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for caring," Jace mumbled, half asleep. "Can I eat the chocolates when I wake up?"

"They're all yours, and there are more in the fridge. Call me if you need anything. I'll be in the bathroom."

"Yup," Jace mumbled.

"You can stay here as long as you want, sleep, take a bath, relax, or come join me inside the club. You can leave when you're up for it, but I'll check at closing time to see if you're still here, if I haven't seen you before that." In the bed table drawer, Phoenix grabbed a small electronic device that looked like a key fob and placed it on the bed near Jace. "That's a panic button. If you press it, it'll sound the alarm in the security room, and help will be here in a matter of minutes. If you panic, are in pain, or need help for any reason after I've gone into the club, you press it, ok?"

"Yes, Sir." Jace nodded like a compliant child. A smile graced his face at the stern voice with the underlying concern as he drifted off.

Struck by the words, Phoenix froze for a second. He sighed to himself and let his fingers slide through Jace's hair and rubbed his scalp for a few minutes until Jace's even breaths and relaxed features showed he had fallen asleep. He made sure the duvet covered Jace before he swiftly cleaned the room and put the things they had used back in place after he had disinfected them.

Since he was supposed to play Head Dom for the night, Phoenix found a pair of leather pants in the dresser and entered the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

Gold-speckled black marble covered the walls of the extremely large bathroom that Phoenix had paid extra for Packard to customize for him. He was a large man and liked for his shower stall to be huge, and the raised jacuzzi with a few steps up was made for four people. There was a large mirror on the wall above the double sinks next to the toilet and cabinets filled with everything he needed. First aid kit, washcloths, towels, and different toiletries for both men and women, though he had his personal items locked in one cabinet. It was a pet peeve; he did not like to share toiletries.

He turned on the water in the shower and placed his leather pants on a rack before he found a towel for himself and a set for Jace with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and a selection of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. He put out a new razor, just in case Jace wished to shave.

Phoenix sighed and pulled his shirt up from his pants and unbuttoned it. He threw it in the hamper and unbuttoned his pants, groaning with relief when he could pull the pants down and free his raging hard cock that had pressed painfully against the fabric on/off for the last few hours.

It was always the same.

When he had finished a scene and made sure the sub had gotten aftercare, Phoenix took care of himself in the shower. He never let the subs touch him or pleasure him, and he never fucked them. That was not part of any scene he had done at the club. Phoenix had his reasons, and they had nothing to do with him not enjoying the time he spent with the subs, or what they had shared. Sometimes it had been hard to hold back and not give in.

Lately, it had not been a problem, though. There had been no fire in him to even consider it. Something had felt off, and he had resolved to do what he always did. A quick wank and be done with it.

His hand already sought its way down, the need at that moment overtook him. He ached for his release and looked forward to having that issue taken care of. Carefully, he closed the glass door to the shower stall and stepped under the cold rays of the shower. A warm shower would have been much more comfortable. He welcomed the freezing rays, though. Phoenix needed to cool down his body. He needed to shock himself into reality again and get his head on straight to manage the club.

Leaning his head against the tiles, letting the cold water hail down on his neck and back, his hand slid down and found his already hard cock. Not even the cold water made his hard-on go away. The emotions in him confused him and overpowered everything. All he could think of was his release.

A release he with hard pumps got closer to.

Panting low, Phoenix closed his eyes and tried to go blank, like he always did when jerking off. No matter what he did, he could not stop himself from recalling Jace's moans, his smell, and the sight of him restrained and surrendering completely. The feel of his soft skin under his fingers, and a cock he wished he could feel twitch again as Jace came once more.

For him, not for some fantasy woman.

His thoughts circled around Jace. His voice, the smiles, and the dumb jokes. The pranks and that cocky attitude. The heartbreaking vulnerability and insecurity. His body, that magnificently sculpted piece of wonder that felt like silk-covered marble.

The reality he wanted to shock himself back to crashed down on him the moment he reached his climax with a muffled moan, shooting his cum on the tiles in front of him.

He was fucking attracted to Jace!

And it was more than just a physical appreciation.

It all made sense.

The need to protect him, his burning desire to help Jace reach his potential and become more than a man who felt no worth in his own existence. There was a craving inside him that needed to watch Jace succeed in everything. Phoenix wanted to see Jace happy, observe him grow, and become more than he thought possible for himself.

He wanted to have Jace submit to him. Watch those blue eyes glaze over with lust, and have his body obey every command, have his mind focused only on being open to him and their desires.

And it was not just a Dom thing, the primal urge to control and dominate, it was everything. It was what was in Jace that made him want all of that. All of what Jace offered.

That cheeky shit had wormed his way under his skin.

Phoenix desperately turned on the hot water to chase away the arctic cold that gripped his heart and sneaked into his thoughts.

The water came down like a waterfall of lava on his already heated body. Though burning his skin, it could not divert his thoughts from what he had discovered about himself.

While in the bubble with Jace during the training, Phoenix had acted on instinct. Years and years of experience had directed his actions, and he had not questioned what he did or why. He had given Jace what he had asked for and kept it professional until that one slip of the tongue.

A slip that suddenly made a lot of sense.

Alone in the shower, reality caught up with him.

A horrifying reality, Phoenix had to accept.

He wanted Jace in ways that were deeply inappropriate between friends and colleagues.

And even worse, Jace was straight.

It was one thing for Jace to accept Phoenix as a trainer and allow a minimum of touching that should not be sexually gratifying for Phoenix, but what Phoenix wanted went far beyond those limitations.

How would he keep it professional if Jace decided to train with him? How would he manage to live his life with Jace always there in his peripheral? At work, with the guys, at the club...

His mouth had already proved it could not be trusted, his hands itched to touch the man any chance he got, and he had already felt jealousy with that girlfriend of his.

Fuck!

On top of everything, he was the jealous type too?

He had to snap out of it.

It would be a battle, and he dearly wished for that malfunction in his head to kick in at full force and help him keep detached.

Maybe if he kept his distance, he would grow out of his crush?

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading.

And things suddenly got a bit intimate and maybe hot? What do you say?

Phoenix sure as hell got something to think about, and Jace is not entirely disinterested in what Phoenix can offer.

How do you think they'll do when not at the club and out in the real world again? How will Phoenix handle his discovery and will Jace accept to stay with Phoenix for training? Much more to come.

If you like it, then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: September 13th, 2021. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen