Hunter rose to his feet, not wanting to let go of Payne’s hand. He was afraid if he did, the spell would somehow be broken, and his demons would rise up to torment him until he couldn’t fight them any longer. But he thought heneededthis just as much as he wanted it. He needed to feel things could go on, and that there was hope he could one day be the man he thought he was.
“Please… don’t let go,” he said to Payne. “Please.”
“I won’t.” Payne squeezed Hunter’s hand as he stood up. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got you.”
“Yes, you do,” Hunter said. Payne didn’t know how many levels of truth there were in his statement.
They left the stage area, and Hunter nodded to James and Tyler as they passed their booth. It took only a few moments to collect their belongings from the locker, then they stepped out of the club into the warmth of the Raleigh evening.
Holding Payne’s hand while Payne drove wasn’t going to work, but Hunter kept one hand on Payne’s leg. He’d never needed contact with anyone the way he did now, but he wasn’t going to question it, since Payne didn’t mind.
“This is going to be the longest drive home ever,” Payne said wryly as he pulled out of the parking lot. “But if you change your mind between now and then, it’s okay.”
“I won’t change my mind,” Hunter said. “Just… talk to me. I don’t want to be in my own head right now.”
Payne clasped Hunter’s hand and brought it to his lips for a swift kiss before replacing it on his leg. “I can do that. Want to hear about the first time I met James?”
“Yes, tell me about it,” Hunter said, tightening his hand on Payne’s thigh. “I like him. Tyler, too, even if he didn’t say a word.”
Payne began to talk, his voice smooth and calming. He kept the story light and amusing at first, but it became more serious as it unfolded, Hunter realized Payne was sharing the aftermath of a mission that had gone south and revealing the fears and guilt he’d wrestled with and how James had helped him cope. The story flowed into another, this one much less somber, and Payne kept the narrative going until they reached home at last.
“Thank you,” Hunter said as Payne switched off the engine. “For sharing that with me. It makes me feel like I can come back.”
Payne unfastened his seatbelt and slid closer to Hunter. “You can,” he said, cupping Hunter’s cheek in his palm. “Youwill.”
Hunter clung to the certainty in Payne’s voice. “Yes, Master Payne,” he said.
“I had no idea hearing you call me that would be such a turn on,” Payne murmured, his gaze flicking to Hunter’s lips. “Before we go inside, there’s something I have to do.” Then he leaned in and captured Hunter’s lips in a warm, gentle kiss.
The press of Payne’s lips to his was as potent as an electric shock, and Hunter moaned softly and rested his hand on the back of Payne’s neck. He kissed Payne back, feeling a sense of rightness he’d never felt from any other kiss in his life. With a hungry little growl, Payne coaxed Hunter’s lips apart with his tongue and deepened the kiss, turning it into a possessive claim.
The growl made Hunter shiver, making him want more. He parted his lips and gave himself over to the kiss, losing himself in it, his world narrowing down to the two of them and the rising heat between them. Only after a leisurely exploration of Hunter’s mouth did Payne draw back, his breathing already ragged.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he said, touching his forehead to Hunter’s.
Hunter was also breathing hard, but he felt more alive than he had in a long time. “I have too. Especially when you licked me.”
Payne laughed softly. “It was a risky impulse, so I’m glad you didn’t mind.”
“Were you afraid I’d slug you, or clutch my pearls and call for James to expel you for not asking permission?” Hunter couldn’t help smiling. “Tyler might have beaten you up, you know.”
“I was afraid I might have read the signals wrong or I might be overstepping or worse, you’d shut down,” Payne said, sliding his hand around to stroke the back of Hunter’s neck.
“Part of me wanted to shut down,” Hunter admitted. He closed his eyes, relaxing at the gentle caress of Payne’s hand. “A part I’ve listened to too much. But the part that wants you was louder.”
“Good, because I want you too,” Payne said, continuing to stroke Hunter’s neck. “Now the question is, do you want to go to the playroom or the bedroom?”
“You said you’d show me the abyss,” Hunter said. “I want to please you, sir. I want to show you how much I trust you.”
Payne drew back enough to study Hunter’s face, and he must have been satisfied by whatever he saw, because a slow smile bloomed on his lips. “Then let’s go inside so you can get started.”
“Yes, sir.” Hunter was more eager than he could remember being in years. He unfastened his seat belt. “Should I go up to the playroom?”
“Yes, and once you’re there, I want you to strip,” Payne said as he scooted back to the driver’s side and opened his door.
Hunter got out of the car, then waited for Payne to unlock the door. Once they were inside the house, he immediately headed up to the playroom. It only took him a couple of minutes to strip naked and fold up his clothing, and then he hesitated, wondering how he should wait.
He remembered the behavior of the subs in the club, and he decided emulating them shouldn’t be too off base. Sinking to his knees in the middle of the room, he rested his hands on his thighs and waited for Payne.
