10
Payne hummed as he tackled the bowl of cooked and sliced potatoes with a masher. He could have used his mixer, but he preferred making mashed potatoes this way; he found it more therapeutic. Not that he had any aggression or frustrations to work out at the moment. He and Hunter had gone to the gym at Hercules Security earlier, and Payne was still pleasantly sore from the pounding Hunter had given him the night before.
Things had changed for the better between them since their visit to Club Twist almost a week ago, and while Payne knew any objectivity he might have had about Hunter was long gone, he didn’t want to suggest finding another Dom. Maybe one who hadn’t fallen in love with him.
Instead, he’d dropped hints about another therapy session and let Hunter get away with avoiding it because he’d been enjoying their new dynamic too much. He’d cleared room in his closet and dresser so Hunter could move into the master bedroom with him, and he’d encouraged Hunter to display any personal photos or items around the house to help him feel more at home.
Tonight, Payne was even preparing one of Hunter’s favorite meals — chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and turnip greens — as yet another way of enticing Hunter to stay with him. Usually, he preferred to use his words, but he wasn’t sure how Hunter would react if Payne spelled out how he wanted a future with Hunter, and so he was showing his love through fluffy and lumpless mashed potatoes instead.
Hunter walked into the kitchen, a towel around his shoulders, smelling of soap and shampoo. He’d combed his hair, but it was still damp, the long strands clinging to his neck. When they’d returned from the gym, Hunter had mentioned getting a haircut, but he had dropped the subject when Payne had given him a mournful look.
“Smells good,” Hunter said, moving behind Payne and pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. He reached past Payne, dipping a finger into the bowl to steal a taste of the potatoes. “Mm… tastes good, too. Almost as good as you.”
The kiss sent a little ripple of pleasure along Payne’s spine, and he smiled at the casual show of affection.
“I’m glad it’s only almost as good,” he said, glancing up at Hunter with a flirty look. “I’d hate to compete with my own mashed potatoes and gravy.”
Hunter grinned, then bent his head to kiss Payne with leisurely thoroughness. When he pulled back, there was a glimmer of heat in his eyes. “No competition at all. You’re even better than chocolate.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Payne said, a little breathless from the kiss. As tempted as he was to instigate a vigorous round of sex on or against his kitchen cabinets, he didn’t want the food to burn, so he gave Hunter a little hip bump. “Dinner will be ready in about five minutes. Will you set the table, please?”
“Yes, Master Payne.” Hunter bowed his head submissively, but then spoiled the effect by giving Payne a wicked smile. He moved to the appropriate cabinets, taking out plates and glasses, then retrieving silverware from a drawer. “What do you want to drink? Sweet tea or juice?”
“Sweet tea, please,” Payne said as he poured the gravy into a bowl.
Hunter crossed to the refrigerator, pulling out the pitcher of sweet tea. “You’re spoiling me rotten, you realize,” he said as he carried the tea to the table. “L&G didn’t stint on the food, but they were limited as to what the chow hall could provide, since we had to keep mobile. Lots of times we went weeks on MREs. Having home cooked food is wonderful, especially since you’re a fantastic cook.”
“That’s the idea,” Payne said, giving Hunter an arch look as he carried the potatoes and gravy to the kitchen table. “Why would you want to go back to MREs when you could have this?” He cocked his hip and struck a provocative pose. “And this?”
“I’d rather eat you than MREs any day,” Hunter said. He put the tea pitcher down, giving Payne a hungry look. “Maybe after dinner, I can have you for dessert.”
“For you, I’m always on the menu.” Payne put an extra sway in his hips to put his ass on display as he returned to the stove to get the chicken fried steak and turnip greens.
“How could I resist my own all-you-can-eat buffet?” Hunter asked. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“I need you to sit down and eat well so you’ll be fueled up for the midnight buffet,” Payne said, giving Hunter a heated look of his own as he took his place at the table.
“Yes, sir,” Hunter said as he took his own seat, then began to fill his plate. Hunter had been eating better in the last week or so, and his face was beginning to fill out and lose its gauntness. “This looks so good. Thanks for making my favorites.”
“You’re welcome.” Payne couldn’t resist stroking Hunter’s back briefly before loading up his own plate. He was tactile by nature, and Hunter brought out all his touchy-feely instincts. “It was my pleasure.”
Hunter gave him a closed-lip smile, his mouth already full of food. Once he’d swallowed and taken a drink of tea, he chuckled. “I’m beginning to think there isn’t anything you can’t do. Stealthy ninja Dom who can take down bad guys, cook better than my mama, patch up any wounds, and is insatiable in bed. I might have to…” he stopped, then flushed slightly and looked down at his plate. “I have to find something to do for you in return.”
“I hope you don’t think there are any strings attached to what I’m doing,” Payne said, leaning over to rest his hand on Hunter’s arm. “You don’t owe me anything.” He squeezed Hunter’s arm and offered a sultry smile. “But if you want to pay me back in orgasms, I might be persuaded to accept.”
Hunter gave Payne a crooked smile. “I’m more than happy to do that,” he said. “I know there are no strings attached. You… you’re a good man, Payne. One of the best men I’ve ever known.”
“You’re a good man too, Hunter,” Payne said. “I don’t want you to doubt that. Not now, not ever.”
“Thanks.” Hunter said the right words, but he wouldn’t meet Payne’s eyes. “It means a lot to me.”
Payne wanted to follow up, but before he could, the phone rang, and it was his landline, not his cell, which was a rare occurrence. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
There was a cordless extension in the kitchen, and he picked it up. “Hello?”
“Um... hi...” The speaker on the other end was a young woman, and her tone was hesitant. “Is this Payne Gibson? My name is Jennifer Hansen.”
Hansen? Payne’s eyes widened at the familiar name. “Yes, this is Payne Gibson,” he said, careful not to repeat her name in case hearing it made Hunter bolt from the room. “What can I do for you?”
