“I’m sure they’re not as good as what you bake, but I have to admit, I’ve already eaten all your macarons.”
Andrew stepped toward Curtis to press a light kiss on his cheek. “That’s so sweet, boy. You should have told me. I can always bring more.”
A mischievous twinkle appeared in Curtis’s eyes, made him look like the proverbial cat who got the canary. “That’s a dangerous promise, Master. I might take you up on it.”
Andrew kissed Curtis again before he looked at him with a serious expression. “I will always keep my promises to you, boy. Always.”
Curtis opened his mouth to answer when the timer he had set for the tea started to beep. He broke free from Andrew’s arm to take the strainers out.
“Do you want sugar or honey with your tea?”
“No, thank you. At this time of night, I don’t want anything sweet. That tends to keep me up longer than is good for me.”
“We really seem to be a match made in heaven.” Curtis beamed.
“If my preference for unsweetened tea at night is all it takes to make you mine, I won’t complain.” Andrew winked.
They took their mugs and the plate with the cookies into the living room, snatching the contracts on the way. Curtis got a ballpoint pen from a secretaire that stood on the left wall of the living room. He sat down next to Andrew instead of opposite to him, which told Andrew how relaxed Curtis already was in his presence. It was a good sign. He put his arm on Curtis’s lower back, petting him gently.
“Since both contracts are the same, we can put one of them aside and work on the other. We’ve already established that our sexual preferences are quite similar, but let’s go over the list real quick.”
Curtis nodded. They read through the list, crossing out everything neither of them wanted to try. The things both of them enjoyed were also pretty consistent, with only mummification on Curtis’s list of soft limits while this was a hard limit for Andrew, and CBT on Andrew’s soft limits. It wasn’t that he didn’t find the idea of cock and ball torture appealing. He was simply intimidated by the possibility of seriously hurting his partner, especially when said partner was Curtis. Andrew glanced at their list.
“We agree on plugs, dildos, floggers, paddles, and the riding crop. Caning or whipping with single or bull tails are off the table. No public scenes, no heavy bondage, but some shibari. Blindfolding and chastity devices are welcome as well, as are wax play and sounding, though we’re going to wait with that for a bit until I have time to polish my skills. Sound good?”
Curtis smiled broadly. “Sounds perfect.”
“We already established your safewords. Now let’s talk about daily life.”
Andrew saw Curtis wincing. “As you may have guessed, I don’t do 24/7. With my work, it’s fairly impossible, and it’s also not what I want or need. Is that okay with you?”
Andrew put his hand on Curtis’s forearm to soothe him. “That works for me, Curtis. To be honest, I don’t think I’d have the determination to enter into a 24/7 relationship. We both have demanding jobs, and I like to spend time with you without the restrictions a Dom/sub relationship can bring. Besides, I think the contradiction between who you are in day-to-day life and what you would have to be for me in a 24/7 arrangement would be too strenuous for both of us. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t say no to some intense fun over the weekend, when we can both relax and really sink into our respective roles, but not when there could be a call from work at any minute for you. I’d rather explore our kinky side in the bedroom or the club.”
Andrew looked for the paragraph in the contract and made some adjustments with the wording. “Next is living arrangements.” He looked up. Curtis had seemed uncomfortable saying no to a 24/7 relationship, but now he was squirming in his seat as if somebody had set his pants on fire.
“Curtis, relax.” Andrew reached for Curtis’s tea and held the mug out to him. His boy accepted it with slightly trembling hands and took a huge gulp before putting it back on the coffee table.
“I’m sorry, Andrew. It’s just… I know how hard it is to accommodate me. And I’m aware I’m not an easy sub to deal with. I think I still wait for you to get fed up and leave.”
The way Curtis looked at him, his beautiful eyes all big and vulnerable, Andrew knew that now was not the time to make a joke to ease the tension. He took both of Curtis’s hands in his and made sure to establish steady eye contact before he started to speak. “Curtis, the whole point in talking about a contract is to find common ground. I knew what I was getting into when I printed those contracts. You’re not a young man in your twenties anymore. Neither am I. We’re both mature men, with full, demanding lives. We’re both here because we are attracted to each other and because we want our relationship to work. Which is why we’re talking instead of assuming. Now tell me what’s on your mind regarding living conditions, and don’t assume I’ll get mad and leave.”
Curtis shook his head with a smile. “I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away by my own fears.”
“It’s fine, boy. Now tell me what you want.”
Curtis took a deep breath. “Ideally, I’d want for you to live here with me. I know that’s not practical, because you have to get up early for work. And to be honest, I don’t want to move into your apartment in the city. The area is nice enough, and I have nothing against the occasional—or regular—sleepover, but this house is my sanctuary. I bought it after Jasper broke up with me, and I’ve spent a lot of time and energy to make it perfect for me. That said, I’m up for any flexible solution we can come up with.”
Andrew nodded. He had expected as much. Since they weren’t going for a 24/7 relationship, moving in together wasn’t a requirement, and Curtis was right about everything he’d said.
“I like your house, Curtis. Or at least everything I’ve seen to far. But you’re right. I can’t live here during the week. I have to be at the shop quite early and the commute is not something I’d like to take on when I can easily avoid it. But I would like for us to spend as many nights together as possible. Perhaps we can agree on me coming over to your house for the weekends and you spending the nights at my apartment whenever it doesn’t conflict with your work? It’ll be trial and error in the beginning, but if we keep talking to each other, we should be able to find a rhythm that suits us both. What do you think?”
Curtis looked at him with so much hope in his eyes, Andrew couldn’t help himself. He leaned in to kiss those gorgeous lips. The way Curtis responded by letting him in eagerly and moaning hungrily, Andrew knew the discussion about the contract was done for the time being. It was fine. They had talked about the most pressing things. Everything else was details they could always revisit at another time. Now he had to kiss his boy senseless, because that was what they both needed.
Chapter 14
THE NEXTmorning, Curtis was late coming to work. He was never late. But after the glorious evening with Andrew, he felt justified sleeping in. They had made out for what had felt like an eternity before Andrew reluctantly announced he had to get home. He suggested the following day for a follow-up date, but Curtis had to decline.
“I’m sorry, Andrew. I’m already meeting my friends tomorrow.” Curtis had drawn a deep breath when he had seen the disappointment in Andrew’s eyes. The atmosphere between him and Andrew was so open, he had decided to take the risk and be brutally honest. “As harsh as it may sound, these men are my best friends. They were here before I met you, and if things don’t work out between us, they’re going to be the ones to gather all the pieces of my heart and glue it back together.” Curtis hadn’t been sure if it was wise to be so blatant, but he had done enough tiptoeing around certain topics with Jasper to know it never amounted to anything good in the long run. And he wanted to have something good with Andrew. And Andrew proved to be every bit the man Curtis could wish for.
