Jake's Thief (13 page)

Reed called for quiet. “Beau and his sub, Jose, come together tonight to bind themselves in a permanent contract with optional revisions yearly. As many of you know they were married last week at the Hamilton City Hall by our own Judge Stotlemeyer, with his sub, Andy, serving as a witness. Tonight is the collaring, the real marriage for those of us in the leather community. Show your collar to our audience, Beau. The collar for Jose is eighteen carat gold with a small padlock to which Beau will retain the key.”

A box was held up and in it was a gold necklace with links so large they would have been suitable for a St. Bernard. It was of a length that looked like it would land a quarter of the way down the sub’s chest. On the end of the chain was a gold lock. “First Beau will give Jose four strikes with the cane. Can you take the pain for your Master, boy?”

Beau gave an imperceptible nod to his sub. Jose answered, “Yes, Sir.”

Beau arranged Jose on the St. Andrew’s cross then kissed his sub’s shoulders. He then walked back to a position where he could wield the cane. “I’m giving you four strikes of the cane, boy. Take it for me.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The four strikes were lightning fast and left four crisscrossed welts that looked something like the diagram for tic-tac-toe. Davey was fascinated. The smaller man, Beau, took Jose off the cross and Jose knelt before him. Beau laid the collar on Jose’s neck, took his hand and brought him up to standing position.

“He’s setting him up for the whip,” Jake told Davey.

As soon as Jose was fastened to the cross to Beau’s satisfaction, Beau cracked the whip. He waited a moment then let it go twice, once on the right side of Jose’s shoulder and the other accurately placed on the other shoulder to match the first. Beau murmured something to Reed.

Reed announced, “Beau is going to take Jose back for aftercare but invites everyone to partake of the buffet.” Reed opened the curtain and the couple disappeared from the stage.

Davey found that his eyes were wet. He was crying, so happy for the couple who just left the room. It was plain to see how very much in love they were.

“How long have they been together?” Davey asked Greg.

“From what I understand, they were seeing each other a week before Beau asked Jose to take his collar. This ceremony is taking place four weeks from the day Beau asked.”

“Isn’t that awfully quick?” Davey said to Greg.

“In a BDSM relationship, things can get intense really quickly.” Jake joined the conversation. “Beau said it felt like a million years. He knew Jose was the one after their first scene together.”

“Oh,” said Davey in a small voice.

§ § §

On the way home, Jake said to Davey, “Tomorrow we’re going to sleep in and then I’m going to show you the university.”

Davey smiled. “Do they have a library, Sir?”

“They have a rather large library. Do you like books? I saw you had quite a few in your apartment. You have rather eclectic taste.”

Davey blushed. “I picked up most of them for ten cents each at street fairs. Sometimes I went to the bargain bin in second hand bookstores. I haven’t had a new book in six months,” he said wistfully. The little frown appeared on Davey’s face. By now Jake knew what to look for.

“What are you thinking, boy?”

“That I may have messed up, I don’t want you to think that you should buy me some books, I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I have a library card in the city. I just like to know I have books of my own that I can re-read at leisure.” The little frown remained.

“You know in this relationship that I can do as I please within reason.” Jake spoke to him sternly.

“Yes, Sir.”

“That means if I decide you should have a book, you’ll get a book.”

Davey seemed embarrassed. “Sir, when I have a book, I tend to get lost in the story and lose track of what’s around me. Once on the subway, I went down three stops from mine because I was reading. I don’t want to so lose track of what I’m doing that I forget what I owe to you.” Davey was blushing again, but this time the ends of his ears turned bright red.

“Let me worry about you getting lost. If I can’t command your attention when I want it, I’m a failure as a Dom.”

Davey gazed at him wide-eyed. “You could never be a failure at anything, Sir.” Davey’s voice held great feeling.

If I wasn’t sure it would chase him away, I’d pull over to the side of the road and kiss him silly.
Jake kept the car on the road and soon they were in the Marriott’s parking lot.

That night Davey didn’t even bother going to his own room, his eyes questioned Jake and Jake took him into his arms and turned down the covers. Davey slept with Jake holding him close all night long.

§ § §

Sunday

The library at Princeton was a stately stone building with a tower and annexes. Davey found that a lot of their collection had been transferred to digital media. He wandered in the stacks picking up books and reading the covers. Sometimes the little frown lines appeared, although most of the time a book brought out that incandescent smile.

I’m going to buy him a Kindle and a gift card for five hundred dollars’ worth of books. That should keep him in reading material for quite a while, even if he does leave me at the end of three months. God, I’ll miss that smile.

Jake made reservations for lunch at a trendy local restaurant, Mistral. He dined on Fluke Sashimi and Davey had Seared Halibut wrapped in Serrano Ham.

§ § §

Davey was in heaven. They walked around Princeton for the rest of the afternoon stopping in various shops where Jake would pick up a paper weight or a pad for his desk, look at them and put them back. Davey was convinced that Jake didn’t like spending money on himself. What he got was the best that he could afford, but aside from the furniture in his apartment, Jake had few mementos. Davey thought that was sad, even he had a few things he’d kept over the years, the baby blanket his mother left him in when she turned him over to the foster care system, his high school and college diplomas, the first book he bought on his own, a fountain pen he bought himself when he graduated college and got his job with Danvers, those were the things that told the story of his life. He kept these things in a box under his bed and to his great shame couldn’t part with them and brought them to Jake’s penthouse.

Davey resolved that with his first paycheck he would buy Jake something to remind him of Davey, so when they parted, Jake could look at it and remember him, hopefully fondly.

Jake had bought a six pack of Coke Zero from the local 7-11 on the way back to the hotel and Davey was very happy. Bandit greeted them as soon as they came in the door, doing a figure eight around their legs. They ordered in from the hotel restaurant while Bandit had his dinner. Davey checked the suite. Bandit had a few of his toys scattered throughout the bedroom, and there was cat hair on the sectional sofa, but everything else was just as they had left it that morning.

They were just finishing dessert when Jake asked him about his list. “Do you mind if I take a look at it?”

“No, I’m just kind of embarrassed at what I put down.”

Jake smiled at him from across the table. “There is no embarrassment between friends.”

Davey took the now creased list from his wallet and gave it to Jake. Not by word or motion did Jake disclose to Davey how he felt about what Davey wrote.

“We’re taking tomorrow off so you can have tea with the boys at ten. I called and told them since we weren’t returning to New York until after Bull’s class tomorrow, that they didn’t have to push the time back for you to be able to attend. We’ll go back to the city tomorrow night and come back after work the other three nights of the class. The fifth class is on Friday and is actually held at the club. It’s then you will get your keycard and be introduced as a sub to the membership. You won’t be behind any of the tables interviewing Doms because as long as you stay with me, you’re mine. I’ll be waiting for you after class and you can have dinner with the sub club while I eat with the Doms.”

Davey stuttered. “I can’t afford a membership, even at the reduced sub rates. I couldn’t even afford my apartment.”

“No worries, I get a membership for any sub I choose along with my own membership. Right now I choose you. Should we part in three months’ time, I’ll have Reed rescind your membership. You are only allowed to be a guest at the club twice. You were my guest twice this weekend. When you go to Danny’s tomorrow, Jim will bring the paperwork that you need to sign to allow them to run a full background check on you. By next Friday night, you will be a member unless there is anything untoward you haven’t told me about.”

“I was raised in foster care, went to college, was fired from Danver’s firm and now I’m with you. I don’t have much of a background to check.” Davey smiled, not his usual megawatt smile, but a sad little smile that gave Jake an idea of how it was for Davey before he came along.

Davey had lived a life pretty devoid of feeling. Sort of like the life Jake himself led. The only time he was content was when he was at the club with his friends. And the only time he could remember being happy since he was a kid was this time he spent with Davey.

He’d had subs before, but no one touched his heart and generally after a month or two both parties agreed to go their separate ways. He’d only known Davey less than a week and if he was honest with himself Davey had more than touched his heart already. He already knew he was in love with him, his brave baby.

Jake took his head out of the clouds and said, “Okay, then that shouldn’t present a problem. I’m tired. Let’s go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow, first the subs and then your class with Bull.” Jake put his arm around Davey’s shoulder.

“Jake, there won’t be other D-d-d—”

“No, Davey, this is a class that is held only for subs. No Doms, except for Bull who’s teaching the class, are allowed.”

§ § §

Monday Morning

Monday morning had Davey up at six lying in Jake’s arms and not moving or making a sound. This was the third night that Davey had spent in Jake’s arms and it was beginning to feel like he belonged there. He was headed for a broken heart, he knew it. He felt he was basically unlovable. His own mother hadn’t been able to find one of her men who liked him enough to let him live with them. His only quasi-friend was Harry and the only people he felt closest to were the subs he had just met.

He moved closer to the edge of the bed but got pulled right back into Jake’s arms. “Where do you think you’re going?” asked Jake in that silky, sexy voice he sometimes adopted, it seemed, just for him.

“I was going to get up. I brought those briefs on the computer. I can link to our law library from here and do some work so I’ll still have them finished for you by Wednesday,” Davey told him.

“Baby, you don’t have to sing for your supper. You are my direct hire. You go where I tell you to go and if I want to take a day off and have you accompany me, I own the damn place and can do as I please. Do you understand?” Jake stared him down.

Davey looked away before Jake saw his heart in his eyes. “Yes, Sir.”

“Now come back over here and cuddle up. I want at least two more hours of sleep before we start the day and remember, outside of the club, my name is Jake.”

“Yes, Jake.” Davey settled in with his back to Jake’s when Jake flipped him over.

“I want to lie on my back. You can lie on my chest and we’ll go back to sleep.”

They got a wake-up call at eight as four paws walked across Jake’s chest. Bandit lay down and demanded his due so Jake and Davey petted and played with him for a half hour before Jake ordered a light breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. “From what I understand, the subs bake and every week a different sub brings muffins or pastries. Before Brian, I remember Bear growling every time Reed woke him early on a weekend, he’d refuse to come over to the club unless there was Kona coffee and Jim made blueberry scones.” Jake shook his head. “Bear before Brian was grumpier than Bull before Jamie.”

“I don’t mean to be judgmental, but Bull is still pretty grumpy, it seems he’s only tolerable when Jamie is with him.”

“He better be. He screwed things up with Jamie so badly that Jamie put himself up for auction on a six month contract. Jamie is very attractive and can take pain which made him very desirable in a BDSM club. Bull had to outbid quite a number of the members. It wound up costing him about thirty thousand dollars and that’s only because the others knew the story and felt sorry for him. All of the money collected that night went to Cisco’s hospital. It warmed the cockles of Cisco’s black heart.” Jake grinned.

“Jamie seems to make Bull happy.” Bandit jumped up on Davey’s lap. Davey put the cat right back down and talked to it sternly. “There will be none of that. You eat your food and we eat ours.”

“Oh, let him have a sniggle of bacon. What harm can it do?” Bandit went over to Jake and purred, walking through his legs.

“He’ll be on the table every time we sit down to eat. If we don’t give him food, he’ll jump up and eat it off of our plates. In one of my foster homes the daughter came home with a kitten and that’s what happened. It will be harder to retrain him once he’s grown than it is to train him the right way now.”

“I bow to your expertise.” Jake raised one eyebrow and warned Bandit away. Bandit went over to his bowl and waited for his kitty treats, having already wolfed down his breakfast.

§ § §

Davey asked, “Brian said there was a tea shop in Princeton. Could we stop there so I can bring some nice tea since I can’t bring baked goods?”

Jake wondered how Davey intended to pay for his tea but said nothing, waiting to see what Davey would do. He parked the car and they went into the shop. Jake knew that all the money Davey had in the world was the twenty in his wallet, at least until payday, but he also had Jake’s credit card. What would he do? Davey calmly opened his wallet and took out the twenty then paid for fifteen dollars and ninety-six cents for Mango Blossom tea. It gave Jake some food for thought. Davey had used his last twenty dollars to buy something nice for Jake’s friends.