“Are you sure I’m joking, Sir?”
He purses his lips, his eyes sparkling as he stares into mine. “No, I’m not. Turn around.”
“Yes, Sir.” I turn my back to him.
“Bare your arse.”
I undo my jeans and shove them and my boxer shorts down to my ankles.
“Bend over and wait.”
I obey, gripping my ankles. Through my legs, I watch Hamish go to the drawer he keeps his whips and floggers in. Being spanked is a rare thing, an activity reserved for punishing my naughtiness. I smile as he chooses one with a red-and-black pattern on the handle and several long leather tails that I know will feel fantastic as they whip against my skin. As Hamish approaches, I close my eyes and wait for the delicious sting of pain he’s about to subject me to. My heart overflows with love for him, and I can’t wait for the day he places a collar around my neck and makes me his forever.
26
Hamish
I don't know why I'm nervous. There's nothing I want more in the world than to make the way I feel for Archie official in front of our friends. They're family, Blake and Corey in the literal sense, but Gabe, Calvin, and Spencer are as close as brothers to me.
It’s an hour before the rest of the party guests will arrive. The ceremony will be small, just the seven of us. Afterwards, we’ll stay for a while before I take Archie downstairs for a special scene I’ve got prepared for him. I want him to myself tonight; we’ll have plenty more parties where I can show him off to everyone I know.
I've never been so fully dressed in my playrooms before. I'm wearing a black tuxedo, with a black shirt, and my black leather kilt, with a traditional dress sporran, hose, and a pair of brogues.
The theme for everyone else is leather or lace. Calvin looks amazing in a pair of black biker trousers, a fitted leather suit jacket, and an electric blue shirt with a Paisley design on it. Gabe is wearing plain black trousers, a grey roll-neck top, and a simply cut black leather jacket. Like Gabe, Spencer has opted for a plain pair of tailored black trousers, matched with a white shirt and a black tie, teamed up with a wet-look leather jacket.
Corey has also opted for leather in the form of a harness, which he's combined with jet-black jeans and bare feet. His brother, Blake, is wearing a lace, backless bodysuit. It's two strips of lace that tie together with a thin ribbon at his nape. The lace disappears beneath the waistband of a pair of skin-tight black trousers. Like Corey, he's barefooted.
They all look amazing, but it’s Archie I most want to see, and he’s the only one who isn’t here. Yet.
We're standing in the middle playroom. A small table, covered in a black tablecloth, has been temporarily placed in the centre of the room. The box containing the collar I've had made for Archie sits on the table, along with a small crystal bell. I'm standing beside the table, with our intimate group of guests on either side of me. Archie's brothers both have their chins dipped and their eyes on the floor, as beautifully submissive as he is. I will never get over how alike they all look, especially Archie and Corey. Not that I could ever confuse Corey and Blake for Archie. My heart would always be able to pick him out, even if they dressed identically.
I take a breath and pick up the bell, ringing it to summon my submissive. It lets out a soft, clear sound. There’s a moment’s pause, and then the door opens, and Archie walks in. Fuck, he’s beautiful. He’s wearing a pair of white trousers and a white leather harness. There’s already a thin white leash clipped to the ring over his breast bone. He drops to his knees, head bowed, holding the end of the leash out to me. We planned this moment together, but I hadn’t realised that the sight of him would steal my breath and make my heart beat a thousand times a second.
Head raised high, I stride over to him, take the end of the leash from him, and use it to tug him to his feet. I turn and, holding the leash over my shoulder, lead him to the table. I turn to face him again. It takes all my restraint not to pull him into my arms and kiss him right away. We’ll get to that soon, just not quite yet.
“Archie, I want to give you my collar, which will be a symbol of your submission to me.” Surprisingly, my voice is steady and strong. I put my fingers under his chin, pushing upwards with gentle firmness until his unwavering stare meets mine. “Will you accept it?”
I know his answer, but my stomach still flutters as I wait for him to respond.
He smiles, and his eyes light up. “It would be my honour, Sir.” He speaks softly, meekly almost.
When I move my fingers away from his skin, he lowers his stare, but not his chin. I open the box on the table, revealing the collar. Archie gasps and bites his lip, his eyes growing wide as he stares at the piece of jewellery I had made especially for him.
It’s a subtle collar, one he can wear wherever he is. There’s a delicate silver chain to go around his neck, held closed by a tiny padlock. The padlock is ever so slightly red—the colour of the cover ofDougie Clarke and the Masked Bandit, the signed book of mine that Archie has treasured for years. Hopefully, he'll treasure me as his Dom and partner for even longer. I've also had our initials engraved on it, his on one side, mine on the other. Beside it, there's a dog tag-shaped pendant with a key slotted inside. It's not the key to the padlock, which is too tiny to truly be locked, but it's a symbol of my dominance of Archie nonetheless.
I push down the padlock to open it and slide it off one end of the chain. I place it around his neck but don't fasten the padlock.
"Archie, placing this collar around your neck and your acceptance of it is a symbol of our devotion to one another. I fell for you the moment I saw you. You came to me for a job and instantly stole a piece of my heart. There is nothing I don't adore about you from the way you managed to organise this cranky author to your devotion to your family and your never-ending knowledge of dinosaurs to the love and submission you show me every day."
I pause as Archie’s smile quivers. A tear slides down his cheek. I coax him to look up again, marvelling at how the tears in his eyes are making them shine even brighter than before. Love radiates from him, and for a moment, my voice lodges in my throat, and I can’t go on. Then he lifts his eyebrows a fraction, silently urging me to continue.
“I promise I will always keep you safe. I will treasure the trust you have placed in me, and I vow to never violate that trust. I acknowledge with every fibre of my being the gift of submission that you have given to me. I will support you in all things. I will give you wings to help you soar. I will comfort you whenever you need me to. I will hold and care for you with every breath I take.”
My voice shakes as tears of joy threaten to spill down my cheeks, mirroring those cascading down Archie’s. I hold them back. I want to hear his words before I succumb to this overwhelming sensation of happiness and completeness.
“This collar symbolises that you are mine, now and forever. Do you accept it?”
“Yes, Sir,” Archie says, his voice stronger than I was anticipating. “Of my own free will and with a clear mind, I accept your collar and submit to your will in all things, now and forever. I will trust your authority and guidance. I will honour you with every breath I take and with every beat of my heart, which is devoted to you.” His smile deepens. “I’d already fallen in love with your words, so it wasn’t a surprise that you claimed my heart the moment I met you. Sir…you make me feel safer and more loved than I ever imagined any man could. I love you more than I have the words to describe. I am yours.”
