Jay flinched, hurt darkening his face. Still raw from earlier, that flinch was more than Aaron could handle.
“Hey, man.” Aaron stepped in front of Jay, shielding him. “Jay doesn’t owe you an explanation. I’ve read the club policy, and there’snothingabout having to participate. He can come here and do nothing but stare at dicks every day until he’s ninety if that’s what he wants. So why don’t you fuck right off and remember that this is supposed to be a judgment-free zone. Keep your shitty opinions to yourself.”
Aaron’s words hung in the air. Gordon stood frozen, his lips parted in surprise.
“Well-said.” A tall man appeared from behind, clapping Aaron on the back. “Gordy, you better watch yourself. I’ve told you, it’s not a good idea to drink before showing up. You’re gonna get banned for being an asshole.”
“Uhh, shit.” Gordon scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, Jay, I didn’t mean to be a dick. It’s just that we all keep expectingyou to join the party, and we keep wondering who you’re gonna pick…”
“It’s fine. No hard feelings.” Jay offered him a strained smile before grabbing Aaron by the elbow and tugging him away until they were on the other side of the club.
“That was awesome,” he said when they stopped and faced each other. “You defended my honor.”
“I guess I’m still a little on edge. Should I feel bad for laying into him like that?”
Aaron didn’t think he could bring himself to apologize to the horrible man who’d upset Jay.
“Don’t worry about it. Gordon gets like this sometimes. He’s a bratty sub, and he doesn’t always turn it off.”
“Was that tall guy his Dom?”
“They play together sometimes, but Gordon is a solo sub. He fucks whoever catches his eye on any given night.”
Aaron tipped his head back with a quiet scoff. Things were starting to make sense. “I’m going to take a wild guess that you’ve caught his eye many times.”
“Unfortunately for him, he’s not my type.”
“Not into bratty types who speak their mind?” Aaron asked with a teasing smile. This was the closest they’d gotten to discussing Jay’s preferences, and he was desperate to learn as much as he could.
“I love the types who speak their mind.” Jay paused and gave Aaron a meaningful look. “But not the whole brat dynamic. I don’t want to act like someone’s keeper.”
“Same here. No masters or sirs for me.” Aaron watched Jay’s face for a reaction. As far as he knew, honorifics were a huge part of the lifestyle. Refusing to use them would be a dealbreaker for many Doms.
Jay didn’t seem to find his words shocking. “Yeah. It’s not for everyone. I’ve never had any interest in anything like that.”
A quiet sense of satisfaction settled in Aaron’s chest. Every new thing he learned about Jay made him even more perfect than before. He wished they could keep talking, but the crowded chaos wasn’t conducive to a heart-to-heart.
He would just have to make sure they got an opportunity for a cozy private chat soon.
“Come on.” He pointed to a woman seductively licking a lollipop for the camera. “Let’s go watch for a while longer, and then this old boring man has to go home for his beauty sleep.”
Jay chuckled and placed his arm on Aaron’s lower back, steering him through the crowd. “Anything for the man who gave me permission to stare at dicks every day for the rest of my life.”
Chapter 13
JAY
Jay woke up with an idea.
It was either a stroke of brilliance or a disaster waiting to happen, but there was a real chance it would bring a smile to Aaron’s face.
JAY: I have an idea.
AARON: Should I guess? Are we starting a band? I think I have maracas somewhere.
JAY: It’s a surprise. Can you take a long lunch or take off a little early today?
AARON: Ooh, intriguing. Do we need the extra time to plot world domination?
