“No!” Scott grabbed hold of Joe’s arm.
Joe raised an eyebrow at him. “No?”
“I have to g-give it to you now, sir.” Desperation filled every syllable. “But, I’d really r-rather you didn’t read it s-s-straight away.”
Joe held out his hand once more. Scott stared at his empty palm for several seconds before he finally placed the envelope there. The hairs on the back of Joe’s neck prickled with unease. He quickly tore open the letter.
Scott’s eyes opened very wide, but he made no complaint. He just sat on his stool with a look of pure horror on his face.
Unicorn.
That was it. Just that one word—Scott’s safe word. Joe broke it down into syllables, then into single letters, but there was no way to avoid what the word was, to avoid what it meant.
Very slowly, Joe tore his gaze away from the mangled piece of paper. Scott had gone from one extreme to another. He now had his eyes closed so tightly deep creases appeared at the sides of his face.
“Scott?” Joe thought he sounded very calm, all things considered.
Scott opened his eyes and moved to the edge of his seat. “I’ll…B-before I go, can I just s-s-say how much I’ve enj-j-joyed…how g-g-grateful I am for everything you’ve—”
“Wait.” Joe held up a hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Scott blinked. “H-home, I—”
“The only place you’re going is back to my place with me,” Joe cut in.
Scott frowned. “But—”
“But nothing. I’ll respect your safe word, Scott. But I’ll be damned if I’ll let you walk away without a hell of a sight more than this as explanation!” Joe pushed the envelope into his pocket. “Come on.”
He took hold of Scott’s hand and led him out of the club. Scott made no protest. He didn’t even try to hang back. He left his hand in Joe’s and meekly followed him through the crowd. He’d never projected a more submissive persona in all the time Joe had known him.
Joe’s steps sped up as he noticed other men run their eyes over Scott as he walked passed them. Did one of them havesomething to do with this? If Scott thought he could wander off just because another dom had propositioned him, just because he thought someone bastard had made some sort of “better offer”, then he was going to find out he was very wrong.
Joe didn’t give up what was his without a fight. And Scott was his. Joe increased his grip on Scott’s hand and frantically tried to quell the army of screaming banshees that raced through his head telling him that his relationship with Scott was under threat, that he could lose him.
Joe shook his head.
No. That wasn’t going to happen.
Scott was his, and Scott was going to stay his.
* * * * *
As Joe slammed the door to his flat behind them, Scott pushed his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet. He had no idea what to do next, no idea what Joe expected from him. He didn’t even have an order to follow.
The silence was unbearable. “I’m s-sor—”
“No.”
Scott met Joe’s eyes for a moment, then looked quickly away, hating the anger he saw there, hating himself for being the focus of it.
“Don’t apologise for using your safe word,” Joe corrected. “It’s not something a subeverneeds to apologise for. That’s not the way things work.” Joe pushed his hand through his hair. He paced along the corridor before retracing his steps back to Scott’s side.
Joe nodded then, as if he’d made a decision. He took hold of Scott’s hand and led him into the bedroom without saying a word.
When nudged to do so, Scott sat on the edge of the bed. Joe pulled a chair across the room and sat down facing him.Barely a foot of empty air lingered between their knees, but Scott had never felt further away from Joe.
“We’re going to talk. That’s all we’re going to do,” Joe said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
