Then

Cheering sounded all around them, though Phoenix barely noticed it. He just stared at Jace with possessive pride, not even sure how to proceed from there.

What did a man do when his dreams came true?

He thought about it for a moment, with Jace's expectant face right in front of him. The necklace around his neck constantly reminded him of how he had given the phoenix in him to Jace a second before. There were so many things he could do, so many options that his mind blanked out. There was only one option that surfaced over and over. Like a rock skipping on a pond, except in reverse. It came from a distance and broke the surface, was small, and made small ripples around it as it came closer and became larger and larger. The ripples spread until the rock hit him smack in the face with the only thing he could do.

Seize the moment, make the best of the gift he had just received, and fucking enjoy it!

"Come on, Baby boy. I think we need some privacy." Phoenix opened his arms and got ready, and Jace did not disappoint. He basically climbed up his body and clamped his arms and legs around him as he had done during aftercare, and Phoenix gladly held his ass to support him. The soft suede patch on Jace's arm pressed against the back of his neck. The familiar coconut smell, the feel of the weight in his hands, and the tightness around his waist from Jace's muscular legs gave him chills of excitement. When Jace finally nestled his head into the crook of Phoenix's neck and sighed as he relaxed, Phoenix could have burst with joy.

That was heaven.

Then it hit him; Jace had planned it. Jace never wore harnesses like that one; he wore stylish button-ups to appear casual and still look good. But the harness was attention-seeking and fucking sexy on him. He had come there that night with the sole purpose of presenting, and Packard had been in on it. He had to have been. Packard never ordered him around. He usually gave out notices about meetings in advance, and Phoenix planned accordingly. Nothing in the meeting had been urgent enough to not get taken up in a pre-scheduled meeting another day. Phoenix turned to Packard and gave him a stern but questioning glare.

Packard threw his hands in the air and pointed at Chess at the bar. "Sorry, man. He promised me a date. And from the looks of it, you don't seem to mind too much that it was a setup."

Phoenix gave Packard a nod and carried Jace away through the massive crowd that finally began to disperse. He went straight for the bar where Chess stood next to some tiny twink Phoenix had seen hanging around Brannon a few times. Both had self-pleased smiles on their faces that Phoenix could not help but notice. Jace had good friends, it would seem.

"Chess, I don't like being manipulated. But in this instance, I'll forgive you. And you'd better keep your word to Master Packard."

Chess inclined his head and then smiled with confidence. "I won't let him down, Sir."

"Good boy. And thank you for helping my little koala here." Phoenix gave Jace a squeeze and got rewarded with the tiniest moan. That precious sound only made him want to squeeze Jace more. He turned to walk to his playroom when Chess called after him.

"Oh, by the way. I told the bar to switch all your drinks tonight to alcohol-free. Only the ones you had before Jace and I got here were regular. Just FYI, Sir."

That made Phoenix chuckle into Jace's soft hair. He momentarily let go of Jace with one hand and lifted a thumbs up to Chess without turning around. The conniving, little matchmaker. It made sense why he had not felt any buzz from the drinks, though he had consumed a few before he had noticed Chess and Jace arrive. He was not 100% sober, but he was not plastered either.

At his playroom door, Phoenix stopped with his hand hovering over the lock pad where he was supposed to click in his code to open the door.

"Are you absolutely sure, Jace? Because if I take you with me in there, there's no turning back."

Jace just clung tighter around Phoenix and pressed himself closer, if that was possible. "Don't let me go."

That was all the confirmation Phoenix needed. He clicked the code and carried Jace inside. The lights he easily turned on, and then he turned the knob to a sensually dimmed glow, and though he had no desire to let Jace go, they needed to separate for a moment if they were to join later.

As gently as possible, Phoenix untangled himself from Jace's vice-like grip and put him on the floor at the end of the bed, where Jace reluctantly let go and stared at him for a moment before he gracefully sank down on his knees and assumed a 'ready to serve' position.

"No, please, Jace. Stand up. We need to talk first."

It was still graceful as Jace got up, but Phoenix noticed how the sudden nerves became visible in the flexing of muscles and tiny creasing of the brow as uncertainty set in.

"Would you like to sit while we talk?" With a hand gesture at the bed, Phoenix offered Jace to rest his legs.

"I prefer to stand."

"Ok, then please relax a bit. You don't have to stand at attention like a stiff board while we talk." Phoenix placed himself in front of Jace, but far enough away for his eager hands to not be able to reach him. He honestly did not trust himself to finish the talk they needed if he was too close.

"You said you'd take anything I'm willing to offer?"

Jace nodded and waited for Phoenix to tell him where he was going with his opening of their conversation. He felt a bit of uncertainty inside. Maybe it would only be for a night, but he would take it and run with it. Maybe if he was good enough, it could turn into more. But mostly, he felt how his mouth watered at the sight of Phoenix in his tight jeans and the nearly fully opened shirt. He wanted to run his tongue over that smooth skin on the chest he could see, wanted to show Phoenix how good he could be, and that he was worth investing time in.

"You know I'm not like other Doms. I do everything responsibly, but I don't necessarily play by the same rules. I have my own interpretation of how things should be." Phoenix paced back and forth while he spoke. "I don't do contracts, I can't do them. A sub to me should not be obligated to submit to me because a piece of paper says so, and when the date on that paper exceeds, then all that was shared holds no meaning. Do you understand what I mean?"

He stopped and looked at Jace's confused expression. The lack of an answer surely meant he had to go deeper into an explanation. He went back to pacing, staring at the floor to not get distracted by the delectable piece of male wonder in his playroom.

"I just claimed you. That to everybody means that you're mine. Whenever in this club, I'll be able to approach you, and you'll know I have the right, because you accepted me. But that's how a normal claim would work."

"And I'm not getting the normal deal?" Jace dared to ask. His heart sank as a lump formed in his throat. He really did not like what Phoenix said. He thought he had won by Phoenix claiming him, a long conversation he had not expected.

"No. I gave you the necklace to state my claim. I don't do collars as others do them. Not for beautification or to state a claim, I like things subtle where mutual understanding and commitment speak for themselves. I might use them during play, but then they serve a purpose for that specific scene." Phoenix looked at Jace for a moment while he kept his pacing. "Do you understand?"

"I think so...?"

Nodding to himself, Phoenix felt Jace needed a bit more. The way his answer sounded like a question was not how he wanted Jace to respond. If Jace had understood fully, he would not have said it like that.

"I don't like to see a sub wear a collar like some pet. That puts them beneath me, and no sub will ever be, unless physically in bed. You're not a dog, and I refuse to treat you like one. And never call me 'Master'."

Jace nodded his head with understanding. That was exactly who he believed Phoenix to be. Somebody who might be the Dom and might hold the power, technically. But not somebody who would look at the gift of submission as something that made the other person less than him.

"Whenever you come to the club and you wear the necklace, that's a signal to me that you're still willing to be mine that day, if I should choose to accept it," Phoenix continued in the longest tirade of words he had spoken to anybody for a long time outside work meetings. "If you one day happen to not be in the mood, all you have to do is not wear it. That'll show me you need your space, and I'll respect that. I might invite you for a drink or ask you to sit with me, and you have every right to decline me, but know I'll not initiate any sexual play when you've shown me not to by not wearing it."

Jace felt how his insides turned to a soft puddy at Phoenix's words. The man offered him a simple but powerful way of showing if he was ready or not. That was something truly amazing, because as he knew most Doms expected, and definitely in the club he had been at in London, a sub should always wear a collar when claimed, and accept their Dom even when not in the mood. Sure, communication about having an off day was possible, but Phoenix gave him the right to choose for himself without it having to be a discussion.

"If you one day decide that you want somebody else, or simply wish to be free to roam the club and look at your possibilities, just hand me the necklace back. I won't need any explanations or excuses. It'll always be your decision who you choose to give yourself to, and submitting is deeply personal, therefore your reasons for wanting or not wanting are not ever going to be a debate with me."

Phoenix swallowed hard because he could not bear to think that a day like that would come, but it would at some point because Jace was too vibrant, too much of a free spirit to be held down, and one day he would want more than Phoenix could offer.

Even if he offered him everything.

"Please know that with or without the necklace on, if at the club, you're my responsibility. I'll protect you and take care of you. Your welfare will always be a priority to me until you decide to stop our verbal contract."

Phoenix stopped his pacing and turned to face Jace. "Is that acceptable to you?" He studied Jace's face and could not read the expression. To Phoenix, it was a weird combination of awestruck and wonder, not exactly what he had expected. He had looked for understanding and acceptance. Though what he saw did not reflect as negative, it was not what he had been going for. "I mean, it's sort of like an indefinite contract for the club, just without the paperwork, based on respect and agreement on a commitment. Whatever you do outside the club is no concern of mine. Our agreement stops at the door, but inside it, there's only you and I until the day we terminate the agreement."

Everything in him screamed at him to answer Phoenix, but Jace just stood there in complete awe of what Phoenix offered him. How he in his own way had just given him forever, and all of it on terms that were favorable to Jace and not Phoenix. It was basically everything Jace needed in a Dom/sub relationship. A permanent Dom who not only was skilled and respected but also attentive and understanding. And still with the freedom to choose when he was ok with submitting and the bonus of not having to stand trial for everything he did outside the club.

With Levi, he had suffered innumerable times for things that were just natural to him. Like smiling at a pretty waitress who flirted with him. Or being busy when Levi wanted to meet up. It had become too much in the end, but it had taken far too long for Jace to find his way out of it.

That was not a fear he had with Phoenix. If he had to be honest with himself, he saw no reason to stop seeing Phoenix, unless he met somebody and fell in love.

Or Phoenix did.

"And that's enough for you as a Dom? You don't need me to sign something for you to know I'll behave and such?"

"I don't need it. I know you will. That's the kind of sub that you are. And I believe you'll keep your word if you give it, because that's the kind of man that you are. Simple as that."

Phoenix calmed at Jace's question. He had been afraid that he had scared Jace off with his unconventional ways, which had not been the purpose, he wanted Jace to feel comfortable with their arrangement on terms that were acceptable to them both, even if it was Phoenix's idea on how to do it. It was also an attempt to provide some freedom for Jace. Because Phoenix felt certain about Jace's past abuse, maybe a contract, listing rules and expectations, would hurl Jace into insecurities and fears about being trapped in something he had no way out of until the contract expired.

A verbal agreement and the power to just hand over a necklace to say goodbye was Phoenix's fix to the problem at hand. If later on, they wished to change the terms, they could talk about it again.

But he knew that most subs believed in the paper contracts and collars, because they represented the aspects of the agreement in a physical and visible way. Jace might be the same, and have the need for the confirmation those things were. A verbal agreement might not be enough for him, though it would weigh as much and hold equal commitment. The security of having signed a contract, Phoenix understood too, and if Jace truly needed it to feel secure, he would do it, though his signature on a piece of paper would never outweigh the power of his word.

But there was something beautiful in verbally agreeing to something and having the integrity to stand by that. It showed a connection between the parties that went deeper than the obligation to clauses that were unemotionally stated on a piece of paper. That was why he wanted it that way, because if Jace would agree to it and live with basing their relationship on faith alone, it would show that he trusted Phoenix to never fail him, just as Phoenix trusted Jace to be his.

Everything with an abuse victim was a gamble. And everything was about Jace. His desires, his limits, his safety. Whatever security net Phoenix could provide for Jace to free his mind, that would be his gift to him in return for the gift Jace would give in his submission.

"I accept."

That stirring inside like a whirlpool, churning at his every emotion, stopped. Phoenix felt how his muscles gave in and returned to their normal state. He had not even noticed how tense he had been. It registered with him that his body had reacted like that every time he had thought of Jace in the past, knowing he could not get him, and again when he thought he might lose what he had just been offered on a silver platter.

He never wanted to feel that again.

"I'm going to ask your consent this once. If you give it, I'll take it for granted in the future, and you can at any time revoke those privileges or suspend them for however long you need. Do you recognize me as your Dom, and do you allow me to go further than what I did during training?" Phoenix paused to make sure Jace understood him. "Rest assured that I'll always ask your consent when it comes to play that's on your 'maybe' list, and I'll do my utmost to be vigilant and observe your signals to never overload you or push you past your limits. I'm just asking if you give me the right to physically touch you as a Dom would his sub."

Jace let out a chuckle at the absurdity of it all. At how Phoenix dotted I's and crossed T's. It was endearing and annoying at the same time. He had accepted him, had given himself fully to him, and even then, Phoenix felt the need to show that he took it responsibly.

"God, Phoenix, I love that you ask, but there's no need. I consent, I need you to lock away that professionally distant teacher and become the Dom I know you are." Jace smiled, maybe with a bit of cheek. "My Dom."

The way Phoenix snapped for air was so human, so genuine, that Jace kept the smile on his lips.

"Then I need you to tell me your safe words, please."

Jace's smile widened. Just that Phoenix asked like that cemented that he had done the right thing in accepting the man as his Dominant.

"'Nebula' for slow down and 'Pulsar' to stop."

Phoenix tapped his temple to store the words in his mind as he thought them over. Unusual words, but somehow very Jace. Phoenix knew enough to understand that those were astronomy terms, and since Jace was interested in that, it made sense to him. They were also words he suspected Jace would be able to recall in his mind, even in a tough situation, as space was his escape from reality.

"May I ask why you chose those?"

Jace shrugged lightly. "A nebula is a sort of cloudy area of dust and gas in space. It fits well with 'slow down' as visibility in a nebula is low, and you don't know what's ahead, so you have to proceed with caution. And a pulsar is accelerated particles that show as bright light, a light you can't help but notice. Like I'd want a Dom, you, to see my bright light if I need to stop."

That was extremely beautiful and so Jace to think like that. And the metaphorical meanings of the words were perfect with what those safe words should mean in a situation where Jace would need to use them. Phoenix loved those words already, though he never wished to hear them from Jace, because that meant that Phoenix had not done his job right in protecting Jace during a scene.

"Thank you for telling me that. I'll remember them and always adhere to their meaning." Phoenix paused. "I'll need you to think of a third safe word, if you wouldn't mind."

Jace scrunched up his nose and frowned with confusion. Two safe words should be more than enough, and with Phoenix, he did not feel he would ever get to need them unless the purpose of the scene was to bring him to his limits. "A third?"

"Yes. As we've just established, my authority as your Dom extends to the door of this club. Outside of it, I can only step in as your friend or your colleague. I don't have the right to act on your behalf, and I can't make decisions for you, even if I believe it's the right thing to do. Out there, you're not under my care. But I need you to give me a safe word to use in the real world. If you ever need my help, ever need me to step in and protect you or take care of you, all you have to do is say that word. If you do, I'll be there with all the rights as your Dom, and you can relinquish any and all responsibilities and concerns to me until you're ready to release me from that obligation."

"Supernova," Jace whispered. "A Supernova is a massive explosion as a result of the last evolutionary stage of a star. It's blindingly bright and afterward, the star is either destroyed into nothing, turned into a black hole, or a neutron star, that destroys everything it touches, but the original form is never more. If I need to be rescued from that fate, 'Supernova' will be my safe word."

"Supernova it is."

Those words would forever stay imprinted in Phoenix's mind. They were where Jace would find his safety when he was in over his head. It would be his duty to always make sure Jace felt heard if he needed to pull a lifeline. From what little he knew about Jace's past, that lifeline had been severed, and it was Phoenix's job to secure the loose end. The one from Jace where he was adrift to the end by himself as the rock in the stormy sea, and then later throw that lifeline to land where he could pull Jace into a safe harbor.

"Do you have any questions for me, Jace? Anything you'd like to add or negotiate? I know your list of limits by heart. What I can and cannot do, so if those are still the same, it's all good. But you can tell me about any changes. I'm all ears and willing to accommodate your needs to the best of my abilities."

Jace straightened his back and stood at attention again. The talk was over, and it was time for action. He was ready. "No, Sir."

"You can always talk with me. If you have questions, want to change our arrangement, or if you simply need somebody to listen to you, just tell me. And we don't have to be inside the club for you to exercise that right."

With appreciation and pride of having a man like Phoenix offer himself like that to him, Jace smiled. "Thank you."

It was like the mood shifted in the room.

Like a predator, cornering its prey, Phoenix slowly moved closer to Jace and stood right in front of him. They were so close they breathed each other's air, and it made Jace dizzy from expectations of what was to come.

They stood there, staring at each other with an intensity that was new and exciting. The realization of what they had agreed on settled in their minds. The possibilities of that agreement bombarded them with expectations and wants. Images so vivid, they should have 'now in Technicolor' stamped all over them. And definitely a 'Rated- R' in flashing red in the corner.

Jace's breath hitched at that smoldering ember effect in Phoenix's eyes. Whatever brewed in that brilliant mind of his, Jace was ready for.

Bring it on.

There was no warning, nothing in Phoenix's eyes, facial expression, or movement of his body that could have prepared Jace for what happened next.

Swiftly, Phoenix lifted one hand to grab tightly around the naked skin of Jace's upper arm, and the other found the back of his head, his fingers sliding into Jace's hair, where he grabbed on tight and pulled Jace's head back, forcing a strangled sound from him.

A second later, Phoenix's lips crashed against Jace's with seemingly uncontrolled need.

Instinctively, Jace responded. He relaxed into Phoenix with a blissful sigh and accepted the onslaught to his lips. Phoenix's mouth formed with Jace's. His lips were firm and skilled as they moved to make Jace follow his movements. They parted Jace's lips, and Phoenix's tongue licked the underside of Jace's upper lip and followed his teeth down to gain access.

He did not beg for permission, did not even ask for access, he demanded.

And Jace complied.

Their tongues met in a passionate duel. Swirling in unison, dancing to the music of the moans they gave to each other, until Phoenix could deepen the kiss.

Though his drinks had been alcohol-free, the taste on Jace's tongue was like the mock gin from the drinks Phoenix had drunk earlier. Sweet in a way, but like pine and sort of florally. An odd taste but arousing beyond belief.

Jace liked gin, and he liked Phoenix. The combination only resulted in something that felt magical to him. It confirmed how right it had been to gather himself and take Phoenix up on his words, to walk the gauntlet of exposure and possible humiliation and rejection.

Everything felt right, and Jace let his mind go to be in the moment with Phoenix.

His Phoenix.

The change in Jace resonated in Phoenix. It was like a switch turned off, and Jace just embraced the darkness of the unknown ahead. It made the grip on Jace's hair become firmer, and Phoenix's fingers dug into the skin of the arm, drawing Jace closer to him. Their naked chests met through the open shirt, sending chills through Phoenix.

That was it.

He had Jace in his arms, and felt his skin against his in a way he had only fantasized about. And fuck it, the fantasies had been lame compared to the real deal. The exquisite feel of smooth skin and warmth, the scent he always associated with Jace, that strange but soothing coconut smell wafted all around him and almost burned his nostrils with its intensity. And those lips were exactly as soft and compliant as he had imagined.

If he never got more, that would still be enough for him.

Smiling into the kiss, he flicked his tongue against Jace's lip and caught it with his teeth to suck on it. He would get more, so much more. The delirium of that fact nearly fried his brain and reduced him to a caveman when he let go of Jace's lip to once again kiss his conquest.

The kiss felt as if they drank energy from each other. Both died a little when they needed to suck in air and part for a second, to then suck the life they had lost back from the other.

"I want to play with you so badly," Phoenix murmured close to Jace's face when he found it in himself to break the kiss. "I want to touch you, feel you. And I want to make you moan and whimper for hours and hours. I want to earn your surrender and show you a fraction of what it'll be like to be mine."

Jace just made a needy sound at the back of his throat.

Phoenix sighed and closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against Jace's. "I want to hear you enjoy and listen to you climax. Cum for me, with my name leaving your lips, because that is what I've dreamed of every time I was with you when we trained."

Abruptly, he stepped back, taking in the blissful serenity on Jace's face. How Jace seemed to swim away in the words, basking in the promises made to him, and it was obvious in the erratic breathing and the perspiration that gave the tan skin a titillating sheen.

"But I've been drinking tonight. Jace, I'm so sorry for that. You don't know how much I regret those drinks. And though I'm not intoxicated per se, I simply can't allow myself to scene with you in my condition. It would be irresponsible."

"But?"

"But I'd like to ask your permission to touch you. Please, Jace. Let me feel you under my fingers. No restraints or implements. Just us. Me exploring your body and getting to know you." Phoenix cupped his hands around Jace's face and locked his eyes with him. His desperation came off him in waves that hit Jace and flooded him with the needs he felt in Phoenix. "Please, I'm begging you. I'll go crazy if I can't touch you tonight."

"I'll go crazy when you touch me, but I'll lose all sanity if you don't. Please, Phoenix, I consent. I want you."

Phoenix's hands reached for Jace's belt buckle, but stopped an inch away and hovered there. He was afraid that if he tried to do what he longed for, the bubble would burst, and he would wake from the most perfect dream he had ever had. "May I undress you?"

At that moment, Jace understood Phoenix's hesitation. Jace was afraid that if they got to the part he had fantasized about for months, then he would realize it was still just a fantasy, and he was actually sitting at the table with Eoin, still fumbling to find the balls to approach Phoenix. What he wanted was to scream at Phoenix to rip their clothes off.

What he did was reach out and guide Phoenix's hands to his belt buckle.

Their ragged breaths were all that sounded, with the low clank of the buckle when it hit the floor. Phoenix took a knee in front of Jace and untied his shoes and helped him out of them and his socks. Slowly, his head turned upward to look at Jace's downcast face. Their eyes met and electricity flowed between them when Phoenix unbuttoned the jeans.

Only the rustling of clothes sounded then. None of them dared to breathe when Phoenix reached to remove the black boxer-briefs that tented very obviously with Jace's raging erection. As the fabric slid down, the impatiently waiting cock sprang free, almost directly in Phoenix's face.

"So beautiful," Phoenix mumbled and pecked the lightest of kisses on the tip before he stood up with Jace's clothes in his hands.

Jace stood, shuddering from the kiss, trying his hardest to keep his position, when Phoenix disappeared behind him with the clothes. In silence, he listened to how the clothes got meticulously folded, as only Phoenix would have the patience to do in a situation like that. He heard Phoenix untie his boots and place them somewhere, but no sounds of clothes being taken off.

A teasing finger ran over the rim of the leather pieces on Jace's back. It followed the pattern in slow, exploring movements until every strip was explored, and Jace had goosebumps all over from the sensation.

"Do you even know how inviting you look?"

The whisper came close to his ear, and Phoenix's body pressed against his back, covering the tingling skin with its warmth.

"The harness makes you look positively sexy, your tattoos seem to shine, and the way your muscles show under that smooth skin is a vision. I wish I was better with words because you're tempting me in ways I can't even describe to you."

Jace whimpered at the passionate statement from Phoenix because that perception of him was so far above Jace's own self-image. Yes, he knew he was good-looking, and he worked for that, but it was as if Phoenix saw not only the outer him but all the way to his soul, and he only saw beauty and worth. Saw something good enough to want with desperation and passion.

"Please touch me," he begged.

The warmth of Phoenix's body disappeared to be replaced by a palm on his shoulder, sliding down his arm, leaving a burning trail of electrified nerve endings. The hand went over the small of his back and rested on the spine for a moment, a long, lingering moment, before it fluently continued down to finally settle around one of his ass cheeks. It cupped it gently but did not move.

"So smooth..."

"I had all hair permanently removed." Jace frowned at his stupid comment. Like Phoenix would give a shit about what he had done.

"Really?" Phoenix asked in surprise. "On your ass? That's why it's so smooth?"

"Everywhere except my head, underarms, lower legs, and the front of my thighs." It was oddly intimate to share that with Phoenix. It was like he gave a piece of himself away.

"Everywhere?"

Provocatively, Phoenix's hand moved from the cheek to the crevice. His long fingers sensually slid between the cheeks and downward until they reached Jace's center, a place Phoenix had never touched intentionally before because of the professional distance and no sex rule. The tips brushed over the puckered entrance, lightly at first and then with just enough pressure to feel Jace's muscle contract and relax over and over, without penetrating him at all.

Phoenix stood to the side of Jace and pressed himself against his arm at an angle where his hand could touch him without straining. "You know I'll go in there, right?" he whispered with a sexy huskiness. "I'll make you orgasm so many times, unlike any climax I've given you before. They'll make you fly out to those stars you love so much, and when you descend from your high, I'll be right here to catch you from your fall, and I'll be ready to tend to your every aftercare desire."

Gently, Phoenix nibbled at Jace's earlobe while his fingers kept up the non-penetrative massaging circles.

"Would you like that, Baby boy?"

"Oh, God, yes!" The shiver that went through Jace nearly made him lose his balance, and he had to break his position to reach for the free hand Phoenix instinctively offered him.

"Why don't you lie down and let me see you? Let me worship my sub as the wonderful being he is."

Stumbling back at the loss of Phoenix's touch, Jace fell onto the bed and scooted back to get comfortable, well, as comfortable as he could be, with his aching cock pulsating in its erect position up his stomach.

Phoenix just stood there. Pride and admiration slowly crept onto his face. His body tensed up under the shirt, making it stretch to show the contours of his strong arms. His chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths that only became heavier when he let his eyes travel all over Jace's body. He took in everything on display for him and relished in knowing that it was all for him.

The sight took his breath away.

It was not just that Jace had an erection that looked to be ready to explode, and that Phoenix wanted to feel that velvety skin and see the head turn purple-ish as more blood filled it.

It was truly everything.

The harness looked even sexier when he was naked. The leather underlined Jace's chest. His nakedness showed not only creative tattoos, but how immaculate his body was. It presented the result of a vigorous training regime to stay fit, and Phoenix took it all in. From his feet up to his face. And that was a masterpiece in itself. No training had helped there. That was purely a genetic lottery win. The masculine jaw formed to frame his face and give power to those lips that had an inviting smile on them. His regular teeth were slightly visible. The nose was straight, and his cheekbones showed without them being too prominent. His forehead was well proportioned to the rest of his face and was the perfect background to the locks that fell like honey from his head, leading to what Phoenix found most magnificent about Jace's appearance. His eyes. Those baby-blues had haunted him, come to him in his sleep, teased him at work, and now they focused on him, showing trust and want.

A shiver from desire ran through him with such power that he needed to do something to regain his focus, because out of the two heads nature had equipped him with, it was not the largest that did the thinking.

If he had found Phoenix intense before, it was nothing compared to Phoenix at that moment. It was not even butterflies in his stomach or that knot in his groin that had him shaking. It was literally every atom he was made of that vibrated as a response to the promises he saw in Phoenix's gaze.

Jace felt like a pot of water being brought to the boil. Phoenix's stare was as the fire lit under it. That fire made the heat slowly seep through the pot and into the water to warm it. When it was warm enough, tiny bubbles formed at the bottom of the pot, spreading out to cover the entire surface of it under the water, the same way his blood heated and sort of began to bubble under the skin. Then the bubbles got bigger and turned into the real boil where each bubble that searched to the surface burst when they escaped from being trapped under the water, igniting the nerve endings in his skin into an unbearable earthquake from the rumbling of bubbles under it.

The boil was real.

He lay there, observing Phoenix who moved around with the grace and power of a panther as he just casually walked the room to gather some towels, an extra pillow, massage oil, and some water and snacks from the fridge.

With each item, it was like Phoenix shed a layer of of his almighty restraint on himself, and with each layer, he rid himself of uncertainty, nerves, and whatever baggage he had in his mind and gained in dominant power and assertiveness.

The man who came to sit on the bed next to Jace was not the one who had left him on the floor.

After having adjusted the extra pillow under Jace's head, Phoenix looked down Jace's body with admiration. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, Sir." Jace sighed at the softness of the bed and that aura from Phoenix that finally wrapped him entirely in its embrace. "You promise you'll dominate me another day?"

The words Jace had not spoken weighed heavily between them. The 'do you promise it's not just a one-night thing' hung in the air.

"Do you really think I need to restrain you to control you? That I need to inflict pain to show my dominance?" Phoenix asked in a casual voice, and then he lowered it and spoke with absolute conviction, "I can trap you inside your body with just my words. I can make you feel completely dominated by sensations you've never imagined running through you without inflicting any pain."

He raised an eyebrow at the moan Jace let out.

"But I promise you, Boy. I'll dominate you every chance I get. I'll do it tomorrow if you want, and I'll be stone-cold sober to make sure you get your fill."

"Fuck yes!"

"Eight o'clock, Baby boy. And you'd better be here, or I'll start with ten spanks for each minute you're late."

"Understood, Sir."

"Good boy. Now let me get to know what's mine. Relax and enjoy."

Laying on his side next to Jace with a strawberry between his teeth, Phoenix leaned in and made Jace bite off half as their lips met. The juices that overflowed between them, Phoenix lapped up like nectar and came back for another kiss. His hand rubbed over Jace's tense abs, just far enough away to not touch the twitching cock that begged for attention.

"I think you should be a good boy and lie still for me." Phoenix kissed his way down Jace's jaw and continued down his neck. His tongue shot out to lick the hollow of Jace's throat and went on in sensual circles down his chest.

At the first piece of leather, Phoenix kissed all the way to the side under Jace's arm and back, and then did the same move to the other side. Not one spot he missed along the leather strap, and Phoenix just repeated on the underside of it too. The tongue circled, swirled, and flat licked over the pecs like he tasted the skin and polished the tattoos there.

Jace had never felt anything like it. Each tiny touch of Phoenix's lips or tongue drove him closer to the outer rims of sanity. That was, of course, until a set of teeth locked around his nipple and pulled ever so slightly. The sensation explosion in him made him groan. Though there was no actual pain, it was just different, and his nipples were sensitive.

Every inch of his skin was hypersensitive and thrummed with a life of its own.

His hand moved on its own accord, and there were no cares about Phoenix having asked him to lie still. It found Phoenix's shirt collar, and he let his finger slide inside and as far down Phoenix's back as his position and that annoying piece of fabric allowed. He rubbed the skin and massaged Phoenix in his own way, all the way up his neck to his hair, where his fingers fiddled with the elastic band that held those dark locks.

Luckily, Phoenix did not seem to mind at all. He sighed a few times at Jace's touches and kept to what he was doing. The empowerment of not being reprimanded, because they were both learning about each other anew, sent shivers through Jace. But the shivers were nothing compared to the ones he got when Phoenix's hair tumbled from the restricting band in a cascade of obsidian beauty down the side of his head and into Jace's waiting hand.

Jace moaned with contentment. "I've dreamed of doing this for so long."

"All yours, Baby boy. Play with it as much as you like." Phoenix chuckled when he moved to the next strap to repeat his ritual, while Jace ran his fingers through the hair with a dazed look on his face.

"You seem to have a pressing issue down here," Phoenix said with a small laugh, his lips and tongue working all over Jace's lower abdomen, kissing the V-shape, without making any contact with the cock that lay twitching on the stomach. Surprisingly enough, Jace had not once moved his hips to force anything. He had takenÅ every teasing kiss and lick with perfect behavior.

"Please..."

"But I'm nowhere near done with you yet. And I get what I want first, right?"

A small whine of frustration followed by a nod was Phoenix's answer.

With a last kiss to Jace's stomach, Phoenix carefully got his hair untangled from Jace's grip and sat up. He grabbed the massage oil and moved down between Jace's legs that parted for him with no command to do so.

"I'm sorry I left you waiting on the floor earlier. Let me make it up to you." Ample amounts of massage oil got slathered over Jace's legs, and those magical hands went to work.

Every movement of Phoenix's hands was as Jace remembered. His body melted into the touches in stride with his muscles relaxing. That was until Phoenix's mouth joined the hands, and the muscles were back at breaking-point tense.

"Isn't the massage good? You're so tense..." Phoenix snickered and kissed farther up Jace's inner thigh, with his fingers still digging into the skin in massaging motions that frustrated more than they pleased.

"Phoenix... Sir!"

"What is it, Boy?"

"Please, just please?"

"Oh, I see. Somebody is becoming antsy. Is it because of that proud cock, laying there all hard and beautiful?"

"Mhmm." Jace whimpered when those slick fingers and the wet mouth moved closer to where he desperately needed to be touched.

"Remember what I told you?"

"No?"

Phoenix's fingers moved up Jace's thigh, closer to the crotch, and made their way to that spot where he had massaged earlier. His fingers slid around the entrance easily and made enough contact to get a reaction from Jace. First, he nearly jumped off the bed, and then he relaxed and pushed down a bit to feel more.

"No, I can see that your hearing is quite bad, or maybe your memory in this instance. But I think that's the cock's neediness that's distracting you from utilizing that brilliant brain I know you have, because I distinctly recall telling you to lie still."

It was not even a question; it was a statement, and all Jace could do was heave for air and nod.

"Words, Boy!"

"Sorry, Sir. Yes, I remember. Lie still, and you'd enter me to give me orgasms?"

"Well, I said I'd enter you. I didn't specify when. Would you like that? Now I mean. What do you say? Two fingers, and I'll give that nice cock some attention."

"God, yes. Please."

Phoenix was about to playfully continue, when he noticed how Jace tensed and seemed to hold his breath. aS IF he expected those two fingers to be pushed in without preparation or care. He carefully continued his gentle massaging of the rim to relax the muscle as he observed Jace's reactions like a hawk. He kept his tense stance and gasped for breath a few times, but continued to hold his breath afterward.

That would not do.

Change of tactics.

Kissing his way up the last piece of skin on Jace's thigh, while still gently massaging the rim and pressing on it from time to time, to test the resistance, Phoenix let Jace know where he was going with his mouth. Careful to not shock him, Phoenix let his tongue go from the thigh to Jace's balls, which were tightly pulled up because he had been aroused for so long and needed to orgasm.

With a flat tongue, he licked the ever-so-soft skin of the balls. The sensation was remarkable, but also new to him. There was not the faintest hint of stubble, all that met his tongue was baby-soft skin, and a slight saltiness from sweating, though Jace smelled deliciously fresh and clean.

It was like his brain exploded. That warm, wet tongue on his balls elicited fireworks in his brain. With each lick, Jace felt exceedingly desperate for more, but he also relaxed involuntarily. It just felt too good to fight it and stay tense. If the pain came, then he would accept it.

But the pain never came.

Phoenix kept licking and lightly nibbling at the skin. Changing between licks and blowing on the balls to make the saliva cool from the air. The sensation was an excruciatingly sweet kind of torture, and there was no pain at all. The fingers at his entrance kept to their massaging. There was no sudden penetration or impatient moves. They just kept going at the same pace until he was relaxed enough to let the tip of one finger inside.

Jace let out a moan and then tensed up again.

Maybe the pain would come then...

Again, Phoenix did not do anything painful or violent. He kept the tip exactly where it was and let the outside fingers massage around the rim again. His tongue never stopped and sent signals of bliss through Jace in a way that made him delirious. He did not even notice how the oil-slick finger slid into the knuckle and just rested there.

"Such a good boy," Phoenix murmured and kissed the base of Jace's cock, just above the balls. "Do you have any idea how good you feel? So tight around my finger, but still so sweetly accommodating."

The feeling was amazing. Phoenix had very long but slender fingers. The intrusion was not painful at all; it just reached deep inside him. Jace tried to stay still, though his hips had to test the feeling without his consent and pressed down on Phoenix's hand in a small thrust.

"It's ok, Baby boy. You may move. All you want."

Moaning softly, Jace did as his body craved. He moved his hips and basically fucked himself on Phoenix's finger, just slow and trying, still expecting pain when Phoenix decided to add the second finger. Again, it did not happen, and the realization sank into Jace. He had compared Phoenix to Levi, had subconsciously expected Phoenix to do the same when in Dom mode, and he hated himself for thinking like that.

Phoenix would never, ever, be like Levi. Not even in Dom mode or angry.

"Please, I'm ready."

"Are you sure? I can wait until you're relaxed enough with me doing this. I'm having a marvelous time as it is." To prove his point, Phoenix kissed Jace's balls again and nibbled at the skin with a sigh of unmasked pleasure. He was not lying to ease Jace. He could stay there, nuzzling Jace's balls with one finger in him, until they dragged him out of there because Gareth had sent a search party for him.

"Yes, Sir. I am."

Phoenix very reluctantly let go of his comfortable spot and got up on his knees. He grabbed the oil and poured some down the inside of the hand with his finger still firmly inside Jace. He wriggled the rest of the fingers and helped with the other hand to lubricate his fingers even more.

"It's body safe, Jace. Not only for external use," Phoenix reassured and slowly pulled out his finger, leaving only the tip inside. "Relax for me again."

That time, Jace smiled at Phoenix with nothing but trust in his hooded eyes. Phoenix saw no fear and felt no tension in Jace, so he proceeded to nudge another finger at the rim next to the one with the tip inside. He kept nudging without penetrating for a long time while he rubbed the perineum with his thumb and drew lazy circles on the inside of Jace's thigh with his other hand.

Jace did not know what Phoenix was waiting for, but at some point, he withdrew the tip and nudged with both fingers, then withdrew. Over and fucking over until the muscle let both tips in by itself.

"Yes!" Jace croaked out and shook with pleasurable relief at being stretched enough to feel something inside at long last. He had missed that feeling. Lady Gloria had only played with him a bit without penetration because he had excused it with a trauma from his past. Which had been true. It had not been the actual reason, though. His mind had only wanted Phoenix and had reeled at the thought of Lady Gloria using him like that, despite her being an attentive and gentle woman when he had needed it from her.

"You feel so good. And you're doing incredibly well." The words of praise came in a steady flow as Phoenix leaned forward over Jace to kiss his stomach between his words. The fingers slid in faster than he had done with the first finger, but Jace only gave out sounds of utter enjoyment. "Do you remember what I promised you if you took two fingers all the way inside?"

"Please..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Jace had not noticed that Phoenix had his knuckles securely nestled between his buttocks, and the two fingers were all the way inside, resting there without moving. The knot, which had been a constant inside his lower abdomen for what felt like hours, tightened even more the second soft fingers wrapped around his aching cock. He could not for the life of him hold back the groan of satisfaction with being touched.

"You need to cum, don't you?"

"Yes!"

"Give it a moment, and I'll make you feel good."

Phoenix pumped Jace slowly, lifting the hard cock from the pool of pre-cum on his stomach to rub a thumb over the head. A surge of agony from the sensitivity, mixed with the ultimate pleasure it was to feel the friction, blinded Jace into a daze. His eyes were wide open, but he saw nothing but white. The fingers inside him moved out a bit and curled to find that bundle of nerves that would make his world spin.

The moment it happened was also the moment Phoenix replaced his thumb with the warm cavity of his mouth. His lips clamped tightly around the shaft just under the head, and his tongue swirled sadistically to hit every nerve ending possible. Curled-up fingers rubbed the knob inside Jace, the lips slid down halfway and then up again. The free hand was everything but free. It held around the base and pumped lightly.

It was sensation overload.

Jace called out incoherently, begged, and pleaded for more. For it to stop. For a tighter grip, faster pumps, more friction.

Anything to drive him over the edge and still hold on to that incredible feeling. A feeling that only intensified when Phoenix showed some mad skills and took him all the way inside his mouth. He held Jace's cock deep in his throat and let the muscles massage him as he hummed with his lips at the base and his nose pressed into Jace's stomach. The free hand cupped the balls and rolled them, the fingers inside switched from a constant pressure of rubbing to a harder and more focused flicking between rubs.

"More!" Jace cried out. He wanted to ask properly, but it was hard to form sentences when his brain was currently deep inside Phoenix's mouth. His body was tight as a spring, every nerve in him was on high alert. Like the prongs on a stun gun, flashing with electricity.

Phoenix moved slightly, his fingers inside furiously rubbing on that spot that would send Jace to the stars. His boy had earned his release ten times over through his patience and submission. He pumped his head up and down, hollowing his cheeks to create a vacuum to increase the suctioning as he let go of the base of Jace's cock, releasing the last barrier between Jace and his orgasm.

With a cry, Jace called for Phoenix and fell over the edge. He released spurt after spurt into Phoenix's waiting mouth. The tongue that rubbed on the underside of his cock where it was most sensitive every time Phoenix swallowed only heightened his spasmed jerks and uncontrollable twitching. His back arched off the bed in a last attempt at enduring the continuous stimulation until he slumped down, floating in a sea of darkness.

And there were stars.

A multitude of those shining, little diamonds twinkled at him in welcome, just like Phoenix had promised.

Phoenix did not move. He stayed in position and licked Jace clean without taking his eyes off the mesmerizing look on Jace's face.

That had been worth every moment. The heartache, the frustration, the wait. All that longing for something he had thought he could never have. It had been worth it for that single moment with Jace.

All he could do was wait. He did not dare to disturb Jace's high by removing his fingers or shifting around. So, he sat there awkwardly bent over and sprayed tiny kisses where he could reach next to the cock he knew could not handle any more touches. He cooed sweet nothings at Jace between kisses.

The first reaction from Jace was a groan, followed by a cat-like purr.

There he was. His beautiful boy.

Phoenix lifted his head and shifted a bit to see better. Words of praise and pride were just at the tip of his tongue, where the salty taste of Jace's cum still lingered. He managed to catch a few seconds of the rapture on Jace's handsome face before it distorted into horror. His eyes shot open and found Phoenix. Absolute terror flashed in his eyes.

What happened after that, Phoenix had difficulty remembering, though it happened in slow motion to him.

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading.

So, we've got progress, right? They committed, talked, and got it on! Did Phoenix handle the talk well? Do you think he went about it the right way to create something they would both enjoy and be able to build on? And Jace, he has no clue about Phoenix's feelings, but he does feel the attraction too, maybe not romantically, but definitely physically and emotionally with the Dom in Phoenix.

What do you think happened with Jace at the end?

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: October 14th, 2021. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen