That sounded ominous enough for Andrew to take his hand back as quickly as possible while pretending he didn’t see the small smirk at the corner of those thin lips.
“Hi, Andrew. Nice to meet you.” The silent threat in those words was obvious. Curtis came to his rescue.
“It’s fine, Leeland. As Collin said, he apologized and we’re giving it another try. Please don’t ruin it for me by scaring him off.”
“I would never do that, Curtis.” Leeland sounded offended. “I’m just looking out for you.” He stared at Andrew. “If you hurt him again, you’ll never know what hit you.”
Andrew nodded. “Fair enough.” He didn’t feel offended. On the contrary, he was glad Curtis had such a strong support system. Those were important in everybody’s lives and especially in a sub’s. “Can I order now?”
“Ha, you got guts, I like that.” Richard’s hand came crashing down on Andrew’s shoulder. “I’ll take the virgin caipirinha. And a water for Dean.”
“Of course, Master Richard.” Leeland sounded perfectly smooth and didn’t appear ruffled.
“Leeland here is not only an excellent bartender, but also our go-between for sub-Dom relationships. If you become a regular here and you fuck up, he’s the one you have to face first. And believe me, afterward, Martin and I seem like thegoodguys.”
Andrew felt his eyes going wide. He’d never heard of a sub middleman before. “If I hadn’t loved your club before, this would have sealed the deal. I take sub safety very seriously, and I’ve never heard of a club where a sub is responsible for sub safety.”
“It’s something we came up with a couple of years ago. The system works perfectly.” Richard sounded very smug and rightfully so in Andrew’s opinion. “Of course Leeland is the main reason for it. He’s approachable for the subs and firm with the Doms. Nobody dares to mess with him.”
“Leeland is a UFC champion. When he threatens to kick your kidneys out through your ears, he has the means to actually do so.” Dean grinned at Andrew, his glass of water in hand. “He’s nice, though.”
“I heard that, Dean.”
Andrew listened to the playful bickering between the subs while he waited for Leeland to finish their order. Even though they wouldn’t be playing tonight, both Andrew and Curtis stuck to sodas. Andrew felt he needed to keep his wits about him in the company he was keeping. When they all had ordered, they went to a booth a little in the back that provided a perfect view of the entire main area, where the demonstration had obviously come to an end. The good-looking Dom/sub couple was nowhere to be seen. Dean went to kneel at Richard’s feet, and Collin followed suit, although he was by far less graceful than Dean. Martin put a hand on the nape of his sub to pull him closer to his body, a gesture that was strangely tender for such an intimidating mountain of a man. Andrew sat down and looked at Curtis, who seemed a bit torn as to what he should do. They weren’t here to play—they weren’t even official yet—but Andrew had to admit he would have liked it if Curtis had kneeled for him. Still, until they had a contract—and even then—it was his decision.
“Whatever you feel comfortable with, boy.” He gave Curtis an encouraging smile. His boy—because Andrew had every intention to make Curtis his—sighed in relief and then knelt down next to him even more gracefully than Dean, at least in Andrew’s opinion. It felt good, having him there, and without thinking about it, Andrew weaved his fingers in Curtis’s hair and started petting him just to feel the silky texture of those salt-and-pepper strands as well as the happy shudders that went through Curtis’s body. Andrew had always been a very tactile person, and he loved nothing more than a constant connection with his sub.
“So, Andrew, you’re new in town?” Richard’s tone sounded nonchalant, as if he were just making polite conversation. A barely audible “Very smooth” from Dean’s direction made it perfectly clear, though, that this was more an interrogation. Andrew didn’t mind. If he was to spend more time here, a prospect that seemed more alluring by the minute, Richard and Martin would want to know what kind of Dom they let in.
“Yes, I moved here almost five months ago. I’m from Colorado, and I wanted some sun for a change. I have a bakery close to the botanical garden, which I opened about twelve weeks ago. I’m forty, and I’ve been a Dom for about ten years. Two weeks ago I started looking for a club and decided it was a good idea to try Club Submission first.”
“Ouch. That must have been a shock, unless you’re hardcore, which would surprise me.” Martin took a sip from his sparkling water.
“It was a shock. Though I did meet another Dom there who also just moved to Miami. We decided to try Club Eros next, but then I blew up my first date with Curtis and we went drinking instead.”
“And now you’re in Club Whisper.” Richard grinned.
“Yes, now I’m in Club Whisper, and I have to admit it’s everything I could want from a club—except for the fees.” Andrew hadn’t meant to add the latest comment, not wanting to spoil the mood, but it had somehow slipped from his mouth and now it was too late to take it back. A quick glance at Curtis and back to Richard and Martin told him they weren’t offended. Richard shrugged.
“We know the fees are high, and we have good reason to keep it that way, though I want to assure you it’s not to keep people with less money out. When we planned Whisper, Martin and I had to make a decision as to how we wanted the club to be. Since we both like our luxuries, it was only logical to go the route of exclusivity. In order to open the club for people with less financial prowess, we have the rule that partners of members are free.”
Andrew nodded. He could see where Martin and Richard were coming from, and when he thought about it, it wasn’t much different from Club Submission. Theoretically, everybody was welcome, but in reality, the clubs catered to a special clientele that automatically excluded another kind of customer. That, in the case of Whisper, he was the other kind of customer sucked, because the club was more than fine, but if things with Curtis worked out, he might be seeing more of it in the future.
“I understand, Richard. There is no customer-oriented business that doesn’t exclude somebody. Even my bakery is off-limits for some groups, like people with diabetes or allergies. And so far you haven’t given me the impression of seeing me as lesser because I don’t earn as much money as you do, which, to be frank, is an unexpected but nice surprise.”
Richard laughed and toasted him with his cocktail. “I really like how straightforward you are. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you in the future.”
Andrew raised his glass as well. While he drank, he felt Curtis relaxing against his leg. Knowing he had done everything right this time, Andrew kept making small talk with Richard and Martin while constantly stroking Curtis’s head, which he seemed to enjoy immensely. When their drinks were empty, Richard took Dean to one of the private playrooms. Collin went off to talk to Leeland while Martin excused himself. He still had some paperwork to do. Andrew and Curtis stayed in the booth a little longer, simply content with their positions. At around eleven, they gathered their stuff and left the club. Curtis asked the sub at the reception area to call a cab for him. Andrew tried to protest, but Curtis simply shook his head.
“No, Andrew, it’s fine. I’m in the opposite direction from you, and we both have to get up early tomorrow. There’s no need for us being more tired than we absolutely have to be. Now let’s get outside and kiss some more before my cab arrives.”
Andrew lifted a brow, ready to remind Curtis who the Dom was, but the prospect of more kissing let him do a salute instead. “Yes, Sir.”
Curtis laughed happily about his antics, a sound Andrew thought he would never get tired of hearing. The ten minutes until the cab arrived were spent in lustful bliss neither of them wanted to break. It was the impatient honking of the cab driver that finally pried them off each other.
“Good night, boy.” Andrew stared directly in Curtis’s beautiful eyes.
“Good night, Sir. Thank you for tonight.”
