The worried tone pried Andrew from the lustful haze the movement of Curtis’s perfect lips had put him into. Still a bit worried about how easily Curtis talked about purchasing a car that looked as if its price was somewhere in the six digits, he smiled at Curtis and prayed to any god who might be listening that it looked more convincing than it felt.
“Not at all. It’s a beautiful car, and these days, choosing the right model has become even more important, especially regarding the environment.”
Curtis looked relieved, which Andrew counted as a clear win. He offered Curtis his arm. “Why don’t we walk over to OLA and start our evening? I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.” He raised one eyebrow suggestively. Curtis laughed out loud and took the offered arm.
“I’d say you already know all there is to find out, thanks to Collin. Who says hi, by the way, and wants to know if you have a delivery service. He kind of got addicted to your macarons and was not pleased when he had to share them with Martin and some other people.” He grinned mischievously. “One of them being me.”
“Tell him I do deliver, though only when the order is more than fifty dollars. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be profitable.”
“Don’t worry, fifty dollars is no problem at all. We were thinking of pooling our order, which will be a lot higher than your minimum. The boys all love your macarons.”
Andrew felt as if he’d grown ten feet under the praise. Being looked at like that by a man he badly wanted to impress was what being bathed in liquid testosterone had to feel like. “I’d be delighted to provide you and your friends with all the macarons you can eat.”
“Then you better start baking right now.”
Laughing, Andrew led Curtis along the sidewalk toward OLA.
CURTIS WASN’Tsure what to think. When Andrew had asked him on this date, he’d been thrilled, because the handsome man with the deep black hair that showed the first gray strands, the hazel eyes, and smooth bronze skin covering a fit yet not overly muscular body was exactly his type. That Andrew hadn’t even flinched when Collin mentioned having a master and hinting at Curtis being a sub had woken Curtis’s hope to have finally met a decent Dom outside of Whisper. He had taken great care to make himself presentable for this date, excited about this chance to meet somebody new.
On his drive to Sweet Break, Curtis had thought about possible topics he could discuss with Andrew and how to best breach the BDSM elephant. He knew most subs would leave that problem to the Dom, but Curtis wasn’t at his current position in life because he let others take the reins when he was perfectly capable of steering himself. All these thoughts evaporated, though, when he saw the strained expression on Andrew’s face the moment the man realized it was Curtis in the ridiculously expensive BMW. He still wasn’t entirely sure if the car had been a good purchase. Jonathan had found and customized the car for him, and Curtis had to admit it was a great ride. Plus, ever since he’d bought it, he hadn’t had to visit a gas station. The solar power system at his house was more than enough to keep the sleek sports car running and the lack of loud engine noises while driving was a balm to his nerves. He had tried to downplay the whole thing in front of Andrew, who had finally gotten a grip on himself, but now that they were at OLA, he looked strained again. Curtis had met enough Doms to know the signs. Andrew was intimidated by him, by the fact that he had the money to buy an expensive car, by the fact that the staff at OLA greeted him first, because he was a regular there, by the fact that their waiter looked at him for their choice of wine, even though the table was in Andrew’s name. Curtis knew how the dating game was played, how the interactions between Doms and subs worked, and he also knew how to play along. The only question was if he wanted to do this tonight and if he did, if Andrew was worth the trouble. Curtis had to give it to him. The man was trying hard, so he decided to give him a chance. Their wine had just arrived, accompanied by an amuse-gueule from the kitchen, a delicious crème of spinach soup served in an espresso cup. After his first taste, Curtis put the cup down, smiling openly at Andrew. He couldn’t deny the electric buzz he felt when close to him, something he had been missing for some time.Ever since Jasper. And he wasn’t sure if there had been any buzz at all back then or if it had just been wishful thinking on his part.
“So, what else are you up to when you’re not creating those sweet masterpieces you sell in your bakery?”
Andrew visibly relaxed, probably glad to have an opportunity to take over the reins of their conversation. “Oh, I’m up to quite a lot of things.” He winked, the gesture making him look playfully flirtatious and almost irresistible to Curtis. “At the moment I’m still trying to make my apartment inhabitable. Most of the boxes are unpacked now, and my DVD collection is already in alphabetical order. First things first.” He grinned broadly, making the joke obvious. Curtis was relieved. He liked men with a sense of humor.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who has an extra drawer for their socks and who always aligns their cutlery like it was participating in a military parade?”
Andrew put his right hand above his heart in a gesture of mock indignation. “Don’t tell me there’s people who don’t?”
Now Curtis laughed out loud. “As much as it pains me to tell you this, but yes, there’s lots of people who don’t. Me being one of them.”
“Okay, that’s it. How could I have ever asked you out? Why don’t men like you come with a warning? Looks gorgeous but can’t keep his home neat and tidy.”
“Perhaps you should make a questionnaire? Next time you want to ask somebody out, you hand them the sheet and give them ten minutes to answer it. That way, there won’t be any nasty surprises.”
Andrew pretended to think about it, his eyes gleaming merrily. “Good idea. Well, I guess it’s too late for the written sheet, but how about a little oral exam?”
Curtis lifted a brow. “Was that supposed to be an innuendo? Because if yes, it was rather terrible. And I’m very good at oral exams.”
“Who’s being suggestive now? And no, I didn’t mean it as an innuendo, but I can see how somebody with a dirty mind could interpret it that way. Also, I’m curious how good you are—at oral exams, that is.”
The waiter bringing their salads and main course put a temporary stop to their friendly bantering, for which Curtis was grateful. It gave him the chance to gather himself again because he was close to becoming a puddle of goo under the assault of pure charm Andrew was raining on him. He couldn’t remember when he had last flirted so easily. As soon as the waiter left again, Curtis couldn’t help but poke the beast some more.
“So, what are your questions?”
Andrew put a piece of salad in his mouth, showing off his well-defined jaw muscles while he pretended to think hard. He swallowed. “Well, the first was already answered by Collin. Are you in the lifestyle? I dare say it’s the most crucial one, and also the hardest.”
Curtis nodded. Finding the right partner was hard enough. Finding one who also shared your kink or was willing to try it was almost impossible. It just wasn’t something that usually came up during a polite conversation.Oh, I really like the way your eyes light up when you smile, and by the way, I would love nothing more than to kneel at your feet, worshipping your cock after you flogged the shit out of me. No, that didn’t go over well, not even after a few dates.
“Since this particular hurdle is cleared, what would be your next question?”
A predatory gleam entered Andrew’s eyes and Curtis felt a tingle going down his spine, knowing he was the reason for it. “I’d be asking about your preferences. I would describe myself as a rather conservative dominant who puts great value in safe, sane, and consensual. I’m not into hardcore play, but I don’t just do sensual play either. I also like rules and I’m strict about them.”
Curtis gulped. This sounded almost too perfect to be true. Like Andrew had taken a look into his head and was now telling him what he wanted to hear. “I like the act of submission itself. I’m not into hardcore play either, but I appreciate a strict Dom who knows what he wants and, more importantly, what he doesn’t want. I don’t like playing games, like acting bratty on purpose to earn a punishment, and I don’t like being set up for failure. I know my submission is a gift, and a Dom who can’t appreciate and respect that—and me as a person—is not for me.”
Why he’d said that last sentence, Curtis didn’t know. It was a bit more aggressive than he would usually be. He had a suspicion it was to test Andrew after he so obviously failed to hide his discomfort about the car and the way Curtis was treated by the staff of OLA. There was no reason to lead Andrew on with a pretend version of himself when they’d inevitably reveal their true selves sooner rather than later. And if the attractive man was just another mismatch, Curtis wanted to know before he gave in to his charms.
Andrew seemed to realize how serious Curtis was, because the playful smile vanished from his lips, exchanged for an expression of absolute sincerity. “I won’t try and pretend I’m perfect. We both know nobody is. But I promise you, should you honor me with your trust, I’ll do my very best not to betray it.”
