“Free enough to go snuggle up in bed? I do have to get up tomorrow morning.”
“We can do more than snuggle. Just don’t expect me to get up with you. Once was enough.”
Andrew laughed. “I felt bad the entire drive here. You looked like death warmed over when you served me that tea.”
“Yeah, yeah, go make fun of the poor old man who went all out of his way to accommodate his hot Dom.”
They both laughed, and Andrew kissed Curtis. “I don’t know about old—or poor, come to think of it—but I do know a very distinguished sub who’s going to get a little spanking sometime soon.” He drew back a little to look at Curtis’s flushed cheeks and glazed eyes. It would have been tempting, hadn’t he seen the dark circles under his eyes and the tired set of his mouth as well. This meeting with Jasper had shaken his boy more than he wanted to admit. “Not tonight, though. Tonight I’m going to undress you, put you in my bed, and snuggle the hell out of you. No back talk!” Andrew held up his hand when Curtis opened his mouth. “It’s part of my job as your Dom to make sure you’re well taken care of. You need rest, boy. Rest and love and caresses. I’m going to give you all.”
For a moment Andrew thought Curtis would protest. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Then he simply collapsed into Andrew’s arms with a deep sigh.
“Thank you. Just thank you. You’re the best.”
With a relieved smile, Andrew guided his boy into his bedroom, where he helped him undress. The last time Curtis had been naked for him, it had been a highly sexual experience, and even though Andrew did feel an expectant twitching in his groin, taking care of his lover, his partner, took precedence over his need to have him. It was a strange, heady feeling, knowing that with Curtis, there were things more important than the fulfillment of sexual desires. He didn’t just want to dominate Curtis, to hurt him to their mutual pleasure; he wanted to give him everything else as well. He wanted a life with him. Andrew knew this was big, too big to wrap his head around immediately. He would need time to think about this, to think about all the implications that came with this epiphany. Not now, though. Now he had a boy to pamper.
“Do you want to brush your teeth? Or go to the toilet before we go to sleep?”
Curtis chuckled in his arms. “Both. Do you have a spare toothbrush? I forgot to bring mine. Don’t know why.”
“Do not worry, sweet boy. As your Dom I am perfectly prepared. When I was at your house, I noticed you use an electric toothbrush, and I bought one that comes close to the performance you’re used to without being actually, you know, electric.”
“How on earth do I deserve you?”
“You must have done something incredibly kind in a previous life.”
Again they laughed, shaking the last bits of tension they both still carried from this evening. Andrew handed Curtis his toothbrush as well as a towel and started to leave the bathroom, when Curtis stopped him.
“Master. Please, stay. We can get ready for bed together.”
Andrew smiled. He already knew Curtis well enough to understand what he was offering. Strangely enough, for many people sharing the bathroom was more intimate than having sex or doing a scene. Curtis inviting him to stay was Curtis telling him he was willing to fully embrace the relationship they were building.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Preparing for bed together, Andrew learned his sub liked to be thorough when it came to cleaning his teeth and that he preferred warm water to wash his face. He himself was too exhausted most nights to care about water temperature, and he wasn’t sensitive to it either. It was good to find out such small things about his partner. This way he felt even more deeply connected to him than after their scene.
When they were both done, Andrew brought his boy back to his bedroom.
“Sorry, my bed isn’t as big as yours, I’m afraid.”
“As long as it has you in it, you won’t see me complaining anytime soon.”
Andrew kissed Curtis deeply after that, before he threw the covers back. “Come in.”
Curtis did just that. With a deep, content sigh, he snuggled up to Andrew while he pulled the covers back over them.
“This is just what I needed. Thank you, Master.”
“You’re welcome, boy. Now sleep. I’m here.”
Chapter 20
ANDREW WASwhistling a crooked tune while artfully stacking the blue macarons. His week had been splendid so far. After his draining meeting with Jasper, Curtis and he had spent the night cuddled close, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Since then, Curtis had slept at his place every night. Now it was Friday, and they would head to Whisper in the evening, and after that he would sleep at Curtis’s place. Tomorrow, Debbie and Mark would take care of Sweet Break, and if it worked out, which he had little doubt about, he would consider making it a fixture. It was nice having more than one day off every week. Debbie was a more than decent cook, and with the doughs prepared in advance, she shouldn’t have any problems getting everything done. She also told him she was glad about the extra money, since she was planning something special for her and her husband’s anniversary.
Yes, life was sweet at the moment and he couldn’t wait to see his boy tonight. The door bell chimed and a customer walked in, making the hair on Andrew’s nape stand up. This man was trouble, plain and simple. Because he was running a bakery/café, Andrew didn’t meet as many troublesome customers as if he had a bar, but he had had his fair share of difficult patrons and recognized them immediately. The man moved with the air of somebody who owned the world, or at least thought he should. He was shorter than Andrew but a little broader; his red hair was thinning at the top, though still full at the sides. His sharp eyes scanned the room with obvious disdain before they settled on Andrew with open hatred.
“So you’re Curtis’s new toy.” Jasper. Since they hadn’t heard from him in the days after the dinner, Andrew had hoped he was gone for good. Such was his luck that the man had obviously decided to confront him instead of going back to Great Britain.
Andrew sighed. This looked as if it was going to be ugly, and he was just glad no customers were here.
