He placed his hands on the pole and pressed his shoulder against it, flicking his legs up and over so he was inverted. Then he hooked his thigh and knee around it and leant back, the tips of his hair just grazing the floor. He caught hold of the pole with his hand and twisted into one of his favourite poses, theSuperman, with the pole trapped between his legs, body horizontal to the floor, one arm outstretched as though he were flying, the other gripping the pole. As he transitioned out of the pose, he remembered doing the same move when he’d auditioned for Michael.
Each stunt elicited gasps and more than a few turned-on moans from the punters. There was a good crowd that night, which meant they were feeding off each other as much as him.
He kept them spellbound throughout his routine, mixing up raunchy moves with difficult spins, poses, and inverts. All crowd-pleasing actions that stretched and arched his body in erotic ways. He ended with an angel spin, turning around the rod as he mounted it and clasped it with his crossed ankles and thighs. His hands started above his head, grasping the cool metal, but as he continued to revolve, he let go with his right hand, bringing his arm and shoulder in front of the pole before letting go with the other hand. He thrust both arms behind him, like angel wings, spinning slowly several times. As he did so, the spotlight transitioned from white to a deep, sultry red.
“Not so angelic after all,” the DJ said, his voice low and husky.
Jag took hold of the pole and twisted down to the floor. He ended in his signature stance, back arched away from it, one arm over his stretched neck, the other held down and away from his body, fingers splayed. He let wolf whistles and applause wash over him, breathing hard from the exertion of the dance as he stared at Michael.
The rest of the night passed quickly in a blur of flirting, private dances, and a couple more stints on the stage. By the time he was done, he was tired, and his muscles were sore. He hung around in the changing rooms for a while, chatting with the other dancers, most of whom had become friends over the last few months. Letting them in rather than joining in with conversations on a superficial level had been hard at first. Another adjustment that he had to make. However, the more he’d talked, the easier it had been to let down all his walls. He hoped they were down for good.
He was no longer missing. Michael had accompanied him to the police station, which he’d been ridiculously nervous about. It hadn’t been as bad as he’d thought. As he was over eighteen, the police couldn’t tell his parents where he was, only notify them that he’d been ‘found’ and that the missing person’s case was closed. That had a been a huge relief, but it had still been a stressful thing to go through, even if most of the worry had come from inside his own head.
After that, he’d been able to start reclaiming his life by getting a replacement birth certificate and opening a bank account. He’d chosen and applied for an access course in law. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a solicitor or barrister, but he did want to be able to do something to help those who had had similar experiences to him. He was due to start in a couple of weeks, which was both exciting and scary. He’d been doing as much pre-reading for the course as he could during the afternoons while Michael taught the fitness classes.
All that felt a million miles away as he wandered up to Michael’s flat. Their flat. He was still getting used to that change. It had taken him a while before he felt comfortable enough with the thought of moving in with Michael, to actually go ahead and do it. He missed the view from the bedsit, but trading it in for falling asleep and waking up next to Michael was more than worth it. Since moving in, he’d given up showering in the club.
It wasn’t long before he was standing beneath the stream of steaming hot water. Seconds later, Michael stepped in behind him. He wrapped a strong arm around Jag’s waist whilst he picked up a sponge with the other and gently cleaned the silver body paint from his shoulder. Michael then pressed tender kisses to the clean, pink skin. Jag closed his eyes and bowed his head into the jet of water, enjoying the touch of his soft lips and the light scrub of the sponge over his skin.
“You’re horny tonight.” He chuckled as he felt Michael’s erection pressing against his thigh.
Michael kissed his neck as he ran a hand down Jag’s abdomen and then up the length of his dick. “So are you.”
If Jag hadn’t already been hard, Michael’s firm touch would have made him so instantly.
Michael nuzzled at his neck and ear. “Are you too tired?”
“No.” Jag smiled, loving that Michael always asked. He knew his lover would have dialled down his affection if he had been.
As he’d given his consent, Michael ramped things up instead. He turned Jag around and pushed him up against the wall. He pressed his body to Jag’s, kissing him fiercely, first on the lips and then on the neck. He flicked his tongue over Jag’s neck before sucking, nipping, and kissing the taut skin. He rubbed himself against Jag, their cocks brushing against one another. Not long ago, Jag would never have let himself be put in such a submissive position, but now, it no longer scared him. He still felt in control. A word or a touch would stop Michael, and that was all he needed to know.
“I want you,” Michael breathed against his neck. He stepped back, eyes full of desire as he stared at Jag hungrily.
Jag licked his lips, making a fast decision. Then he turned and braced himself against the wall. Michael’s lusty chuckle made a shiver run down his spine. He waited, not so patiently, for Michael to grab a condom from the stash they kept in the cabinet above the sink, and prepare himself. As he heard Michael’s feet splash in the shower tray, Jag thrust his hips back in needy anticipation. He felt Michael’s slick fingers first and sucked in a breath. He groaned, resting his head against the tiles. The water thundered onto his head, breaking over his shoulders and back. He thrust his hips in time to Michael’s fingers, whimpering and murmuring in delight.
“More,” he whispered.
Michael gave it to him, pushing his cock inside slowly. Jag moaned. Michael’s arm snaked around his waist and pulled him upright so his back was pressed to Michael’s chest. Their lovemaking was slow, Michael burying his cock deep inside Jag with every mind-shattering thrust. He dropped his head back against Michael’s shoulder, lost in ecstasy.
Jag didn’t know if he could experience sex like this with anyone else, but it didn’t matter. He was with Michael. He trusted Michael more than he’d thought he could ever trust anyone. He had given every part of himself to this man, torn down every barrier, and broken almost every one of his rules. He was still broken, but slowly, the shattered pieces of his psyche were slotting back into place. He wasn’t the boy he had been. He was becoming someone new; someone whole and brave. Finally, he was capable of facing each day without being afraid. Most importantly of all, he could see he was worthy of the love Michael felt for him.
“I love you,” Michael grunted as his body shook with his orgasm.
Jag followed him over the edge, gasping as his knees gave way. Michael steadied him, saving him from falling. He turned into his partner’s embrace, resting his head against his chest. He knew, beyond any doubt, that he had found his home.
* * *
