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  On our ride to my old apartment, I explained that everything had happened so suddenly, I didn’t have a chance to think, and things were moving too fast for me. To his credit, Lou advised me to take all the time I wanted.

  I begged Lou not to get out of his SUV and to leave me at the door of the apartment when we arrived. Once inside the building, I had no problem with the drugged out manager, because on passing his door I heard him, arguing with someone in his apartment.

  I overheard the mention of money and doors being slammed, so I called up a moving company to arrange for them to move me immediately without me being on the premises. I took the clothing I needed, that weren’t packed in boxes, and moved into the house with the older couple.

  Then I got a call. I rushed to pick up the phone because I hadn’t heard from Lou in a week. However, the call wasn’t from him.

  “Mr. Rae? I know this is short notice, but can you be ready to start work on Monday. We’ve taking care of everything concerning the salary and I think you will be happy with the package and health care we’re offering. We can send over the papers now so you can look over them and if you have any problems contact me.”

  The moment I hung up with the office manager, my email dinged and I received the papers. I had to come to terms that at this moment I would be working for someone else and it was better that I contact Lou before he found out that I’d jumped ship.

  “I’d like to speak to Mr. Luca Summer please.”

  “I’m sorry but Mr. Summer isn’t in and he’s going to be out for the rest of the week on a personal matter.”

  “This is Mr. Rae. Did he leave a message for me?”

  “No, sir, but we received your resignation letter.” I hit the red button after telling her goodbye. What was going on with Lou? I paced around the room. Why would he leave for a week and not tell me. Fuck why not? That was just what I was telling him about. We didn’t know anything about each other. He didn’t even know that I was an only child.

  Maybe he had friends and relatives I knew nothing about. Yeah of course. That’s it. He had someone else and I was the convenient fuck on the side. But nothing added up. That didn’t make sense. There I was getting jealous when all I had to do was to give in just a little to a man like Lou, sexy, honest, loving, and I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.

  But fuck me. I’d always taken the road less traveled.

  I’d have to wait and then talk to him. That gave me a week to acclimate to my job at the other firm. I could have had it easy working with Lou, but there I went again making my life difficult.

  Before, I controlled everything around me, the men I’d lived with and some I just slept with on occasions even though I was a bottom and considered a submissive. It was no wonder the last man I’d been intimate with told me to ‘get my controlling ass out,’ and ‘no sane man will want you anyway.’

  One man even said when I broke the news that I was moving, ‘It doesn’t matter how far you try to run. Go on to San Francisco, you’re bringing the same baggage with you.’ He had hit the nail on the head.

  I must say that did hurt my feelings, but I never let that kind of talk affect me for long. I found Lou, but now I was losing him. Maybe I did carry my same shitty baggage with me. Now I’d realized that I’d lost control of the only man I’d ever loved, and who appeared to love me. Even as I became difficult and flighty, Lou never changed or said anything hurtful to or about me.

  As I cleaned up and picked up my clothing, I discovered that I hadn’t laundered anything for days and I was running out of briefs. To keep my mind off of my new job, Lou leaving, and not telling me anything, I gathered my underwear and headed to the basement where there stood two antique appliances side by side.

  The washer was simple to use, but how long would it be before it broke down? I questioned. With the money I saved with this apartment, I’d give them a washer as a present for Christmas. I hoped they would accept one.

  Giving always made me feel better, but the way I felt now, I’d have to give away everything I owned.

  After loading the washer, I glanced up to see a young man, maybe in his early twenties, lumbering down the stairs carrying a basket loaded with colored clothing. I felt relieved that I’d gotten mine done before he brought his things down to wash.

  He stopped just at the last stairs. I thought I’d alarmed him. “Oh, hi,” he said. “I didn’t know anyone was down here. I work at night. A musician, and I didn’t think anyone would be here but the old couple, and they wash on certain days. My day is today.”

  Holding out my hand I said, “I’m Ethan.”

  “My name is Hayden. What do you do? I mean what do you do to make money?”

  “I’m a lawyer.”

  “I guess if I ever need a lawyer—”

  I cut him off. “I’m the kind of lawyer where if a large company gets sued or they sue someone, I represent the company.”

  “Oh yeah? Do you like that kind of job?”

  “Not really, but it pays well.” I aimed a small smile in his direction.

  He sat on a bench to wait for me to finish with the wash and I caught his glance and furrowed brow as if he wanted to know why I was living in the same house with a musician. Shouldn’t I be in a fancy home or apartment? I’d asked myself the same thing too. I could be living with Lou and not worrying about a thing, but here I was doing my own laundry and wondering what the fuck happened to Lou.

  “What floor are you on? I’m in the converted attic.”

  “The second floor.”

  “Wow. I wished I could have afforded to live on that floor. The couple offered it to me, but I declined because I knew they needed the money and I didn’t want to prevent someone who could pay more from getting it, and that old couple need the money.”

  “If you want, after you finish washing and drying your things you can come up and have a beer with me, and take a look at that terrific San Francisco scenery.”

  “That sounds great. Then I have to get in some sleep. I have a session tonight.”

  “What instrument do you play?”

  “A guitar, and I do a little singing. Why don’t you come one night and hear me. We have a large crowd every night. However, I need to warn you, it’s a gay night spot.”

  “Are you gay? Because I am,” I mentioned.

  “Yes.” I saw his face flush, and then smooth as if he’d been relieved to tell me and to find out that I was also.

  “Do you have a partner?” I narrowed my glance. “No, I wasn’t trying to hit on you. You don’t appear to be a Daddy, like in Daddy/boy. You do know about that.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  But of course not. I didn’t come close to that lifestyle until I met Lou, I thought.

  “That’s the kind of relationship I have with my Daddy,” I announced proudly.

  That wasn’t exactly the truth. I’d been a complete dick. I didn’t want to play with him at Leather Bound and obviously that was the reason I agreed to go there in the first place. It was for Lou to teach me what is expected in a Daddy/boy relationship.

  “You’re lucky. I’ve been looking for a Daddy since I came to Frisco and I can’t find anyone who isn’t already taken, or has two boys. I don’t want that kind of relationship where I have to share my Daddy with someone. I need all of my Daddy’s attention and discipline. I’m an undisciplined person, you know,” Hayden whispered as if someone would hear, or care since it was just the two of us in the basement, with the washer on spin, and making an awful noise.

  “Look at all the laundry I let go undone,” he waved his hand as if he’d surrendered.

  Then Hayden pulled out mounds of clothes to prove his point, raised an eyebrow, and sighed. It appeared he didn’t have anything but the clothes on his back which were clean, and I questioned those black jeans and that tee he wore showing off his colorful ink that extended from somewhere on his body to his fingers.

  “That must have hurt.” I pointed to the tattoo of a skull on his arm surr
ounded by colorful flowers as if coming out of the skull’s eyes.

  “No. Not really. If you like I can take you to my tattoo artist.”

  “I’m not into that yet. Maybe later,” I promised.

  “You should see the Prince Albert on my cock’s head. Now that hurt.” He reached to unzip his pants, and I grabbed his hand to stop him before he embarrassed the both of us.

  I liked the guy and didn’t want personal issues to come between me and my new friend. Since we were staying in the same house, I needed to keep a distance, because familiarity bred contempt. I’d heard that expression somewhere, or read it.

  And if he’d shown me his dick, that would have been too familiar for my taste.

  Chapter 5

  Luca

  I’d meant it when I said to Ethan, “Take all the time you need.” After a brief discussion, and plenty of sex, Ethan admitted that he had sought a position at another law firm.

  I’d come clean with him about Daniel, and said that he would be working with him on an important case that would require late hours. I didn’t want Ethan to leave my firm, but I’d acknowledged that it was the right thing to do since he felt that it had become impossible to work with Daniel after the scene at Leather Bound.

  Daniel was the team leader for obvious reasons, and he’d been working on this case before I’d met Ethan. The way Ethan responded to Daniel and made his objections about him clear, it was in my best interest and the only way to save my relationship with Ethan would be to release him from his contract with Summer and Healy.

  I’d have to take up the slack and I was sure Healy would object to Daniel working the case alone, or even with me. Daniel had a vacation coming up and that was why I brought Ethan aboard, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with Ethan, and I didn’t expect Daniel would be attracted to Ethan either.

  The men I chose had never been Daniel’s type.

  I’d known Daniel Moser since college and we struck up a friendship that would last, hopefully, past this. I didn’t know where Daniel found the time to open and run Leather Bound. As long as it didn’t interfere with the company business of Summer and Healy, I didn’t give a fuck what he did on his off time, and he’d done me a favor by opening Leather Bound in the first place.

  Daniel had money, an eccentric billionaire, a rare bird, who loved to work, and he enjoyed what he did. Ever since I’d known him, he had energy that would put me to shame. He could drink and fuck for days and look as if he’d been on vacation for a month.

  When Daniel opened Leather Bound, it had been a godsend for some rich executives who needed a place to relax on the weekends. The politicians had closed down most of the leather bars where they would pick up a twink or two and have at it all weekend working the stress out of their systems in whatever ways they enjoyed.

  Daniel brought some of our clients to the club, gay and straight, and they were more than impressed because of the private nature of what occurred behind closed doors.

  My clients came back raving about Leather Bound and Daniel. He was an asset and a friend and he knew how to make someone feel at ease around him, but now my friend Daniel had his eyes on Ethan and I didn’t think it had anything to do with business.

  Ethan, however, detested Daniel.

  The minute I met, had sex with Ethan, and fallen in love with him for more reasons than I could count, I’d been stress free—until now.

  “Did you want to see me?” Daniel asked, poking his head into my office. I gestured for him to come in and he strutted in wearing his expensive black Tom Ford suit that fit him as if he’d been poured into it, and plopped down in the leather chair in front of my desk.

  “You look tense, Luca. That cute boy you had with you, is he giving you trouble? I did say if you are having problems with him, to send him to me for a session, and I guarantee you won’t have to worry about him obeying you again. The offer is still on the table.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of, sending him to you,” I mumbled, and looked past Daniel, thinking about Ethan and my immediate concerns.

  “I’m your friend, Luca, and I work for you. I’d never cross that line. Although he wasn’t wearing a collar,” Daniel joked, at least I took it as a joke, but I couldn’t be sure with Daniel. He had what some would call a poker face. You never knew what he was thinking because his face never showed any expression of anger or happiness or anything in between.

  Though, Daniel did smile, sometimes—like now.

  “Let’s not talk about that today. I need you to take over while I’m away. Healy is on his vacation and he won’t be back until the end of the month.” Hopefully, he’ll return from his fucking vacation, then maybe I can get one too, I thought.

  “This must be serious. I’ve never known you to take off except for a few days and that’s when you wanted to see the Grand Canyon. Office gossip is that you fucked a guy and hired him on the spot, and then he left to be with another law firm.”

  “You will be happy to know that the guy I hired was supposed to work with you and that guy was Ethan, my boy.” Daniel raised his eyebrows and sat back in his chair. “I didn’t know you trafficked in office gossip, Daniel. I thought you were the one who created it.”

  “You give me too much credit.”

  “It’s not any of that. You know my mother has been sick for a long time. I have to fly out to Portland. I won’t be gone long. When I get back, I don’t want the casual Fridays turned into leather Fridays. Just promise me that. I know you can take care of everything that comes your way. That’s why I’m leaving you in charge.

  “I promise you that I won’t fuck in your office, or tie up and whip any of the employees, because I know how Healy feels about that sort of thing. I don’t know how you can stand his stiff straight ass anyway. How do you two do it? I mean he’s straight and you’re gay. What the fuck do you two have in common?”

  “We don’t look at the world that way. We have a business to run that brings in a good living for the both of us. Some of us have to work for a living and are not working as lawyers as a hobby. I know what your real job is and it’s at Leather Bound.”

  Daniel chuckled, because he knew the truth when he heard it.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I bring some of the staff on a tour of Leather Bound. We’re making some changes and I need to sign up more club members.”

  “I hope you’re discreet about it. If Healy found out he’d have my ass.” Daniel’s smile curled up on one side of his mouth into a smirk, and then he chuckled. “You know what I mean,” I added, “...now, get the fuck out of my office, I have a flight to catch tonight.”

  Daniel rose, slanted his head, and crossed his arms. “When are you and your boy coming back to the club? I know you, Luca.” He pointed his manicured finger at me. “You like that boy, and you want everyone to know how much. Remember what I suggested. I’d get him in shape for you.”

  “Don’t remind me and the answer is still no.”

  “Very well, but the next time I see you and your boy at the club, I want to see a collar on him.”

  “His name is Ethan. And that’s what I’m afraid of, you would get him in shape, but not for me.”

  “You shouldn’t have such low regard for me, Luca. Anyway, I want to see a collar and a lock on Ethan. If not, I’ll consider him fair game.” And he strutted out of my office. I knew Daniel wasn’t kidding. He’d go after Ethan and he would be relentless all because I didn’t have Ethan under my control.

  With Daniel it was just a game he played with himself. He didn’t see a cute hard ass that he didn’t want to tie up, whip, and then fuck. That’s why he’d never found a boy of his own. He was a predator who enjoyed taking another predator’s kill.

  I didn’t have time to call Ethan because of the work I had to complete, emailing and calling clients, informing them that I couldn’t meet them for a duck hunt in Sacramento this Saturday. Nevertheless, with some of my clients, they appreciated that I tried to be one of the boys and go out and shoot som
ething.

  I rationalized my actions by thinking, at least I could eat this, which didn’t bring me any consolation, and I’d end up giving the ducks away, or giving them to my driver who appreciated the gesture.

  I didn’t look forward to hiring someone to take Ethan’s position once he’d decided to find employment somewhere else, but I had to, and it galled me that Ethan would go with one of my competitors.

  Not looking forward to hiring before I left this evening to catch my flight, this would be an all-day interview, and at the end of it, I would have to shower in my office bathroom, change into casual clothing, and rush into the limo which would take me to the airport, and who knew how many hours I’d have to wait there.

  I made enough money to buy or rent a jet and Daniel had suggested that I think about it. I’d always been resistant to his suggestions, but now I had a good reason to consider that. I could think about purchasing a small jet when I got in that cattle car going to Portland tonight.

  The jet could make it easier to see my mother. I knew she would appreciate seeing me more than once a year.

  Chapter 6

  Ethan

  After not hearing from Lou for over a week, I decided to take Hayden up on his offer to go drinking and dancing at Diamonds in the Rough. A leather bar where Hayden played his guitar in a band, and as he explained, he sang a little.

  I’d been a bit lonely since I hadn’t heard from the love of my life. Yes, he was. I finally came to terms with that idea since I had time to think, and the freedom from Lou overwhelming me with his presence, love, and sex.

  Yeah, it took Lou’s absence and missing him to bring me to my senses.

  The feeling of loss grabbed me when he no longer called, and I was faced with the reality that I might just have lost the best man I’d ever met in my entire life. And it didn’t help that I knew only two people in Frisco, Hayden and Lou.