Learning to Love & Submit Read online

  Growling, Thomas turned the engine off, got out of the car. Driven by a feral need, he marched back to the front doors. He was surprised to see Gerard still standing there, his eyes following Thomas’s every move. The guard unlocked the door, opened it, and let Thomas back in. Once Thomas was inches in front of the man, he reached out, grasped Gerard by the nape and front of his shirt, and pulled him towards him.

  Currents of electricity sparked as their lips met. Heat rose within Thomas as his cock fought for freedom. His chest ached with lust, love, as he opened his mouth against Gerard’s. After a moment’s hesitation, Gerard opened to him and thrust his tongue at Thomas’s. Their tongue’s danced as they drank of each other’s passion, until a noise brought Thomas back to his senses.

  Pulling out of the kiss, Thomas pressed his forehead against Gerard’s briefly before releasing the man and stepping back. Opening his eyes, he looked at Gerard who was staring at him in surprise and wonder. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say, especially since he was leaving the next morning for a week. Finally, he whispered, “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  The noise he had heard was the inner doors to the club itself opening and closing. When Thomas looked in that direction, he saw Alex and Emma come through the outer doors. Not wanting to give Gerard the wrong impression because Thomas’s first reaction was to step away from the man, Thomas remained where he was, his hand touching the red-haired man’s.

  “Thought you’d be gone by now,” Alex teased as he got closer. The big man glanced down at Thomas and Gerard’s hands, smirked, and then nodded. Without a word, Alex stepped to the front door and waited. Emma looked at Thomas and smiled as she joined her husband, then the two exited the building.

  Releasing a sigh, Thomas dug in his coat pocket and pulled out a business card with his personal cell number on it and handed it to Gerard. “Call me in the morning and we’ll begin your training.”

  Before Gerard could respond, Thomas turned and left, the walk to his car, difficult with his swollen cock throbbing in his leathers. It was a long painful ride home.

  * * * *

  It had been another hour before Gerard was able to leave. Chad, the other guard, kept glancing over at him but not saying anything. Gerard wasn’t sure what to say or do about what had happened.

  He had been pining for the man for months and had convinced himself it was never going to happen. Thomas was out of his league as he was an employee of the club whereas Gerard was contracted, and he was a security guard. Guards were looked down upon as uneducated and unable to have a real job.

  Gerard knew that wasn’t true about the employees of Shane Owens. Many of them were off-duty police officers, retired law enforcement, and former military personnel. They were educated and paid well, providing safety and peace of mind for the people they protected. He knew he provided a service that was needed, and he was proud of himself.

  It ached every night that he had to stand and let Thomas out. His slacks weren’t too tight, but his dick would be hard and constricted in his briefs. He would pray Thomas and Chad wouldn’t see him with a hard-on as he moved around the lobby.

  Tonight, he didn’t know what had possessed him to speak to Thomas. He spoke with other patrons and employees, but he had always been too nervous around Thomas, not being able to bring himself to talk to him. However, something seemed right this time. He hadn’t expected everything after that to occur.

  When Thomas had called him babe, Gerard’s heart had beat wildly. The circuits in his brain seemed to short out. He was speechless as he watched the man walk out to his car. Plus he was frozen in place. It was a surprise when Thomas came back to the door, walked in, and grabbed Gerard, and kissed him.

  His toes curled in his shoes as a heavenly choir seemed to sound in his brain. He couldn’t believe this was happening, and for a brief moment, he wondered if he was dreaming. When the kiss ended and Thomas handed him his phone number, Gerard wanted to fist pump the air and shout out to the world but knew that would be inappropriate and Thomas might think he was immature.

  It was hard to watch Thomas drive off, but his last words gave Gerard hope for the future. Now, as he pulled into his parking spot at his apartment building, he couldn’t wait until he could get upstairs and take care of the arousal that wouldn’t go away.

  He knew he would dream of Thomas tonight, and most likely all the nights the man would be gone. Gerard was hooked, and there was no going back, but then, a part of him wanted more, and after watching the ménages in the club, was it possible to have the same thing?

  Chapter Two

  “You have got to be shitting me!” Greg exclaimed as he set his bottle of beer down on the table that separated him and Thomas. They were sitting in a bar in the hotel they were staying at in Las Vegas. They had just come back from seeing Hoover Dam, something neither of them thought they’d ever see. Growing up in foster care in the South had the odds of them making it out quite low.

  The day before they had taken a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, and the previous day had them sightseeing in Zion National Park in southern Utah. The day they had arrived in Sin City, they had spent hours sitting out by the pool trading war stories and catching up.

  Now, the two of them sat in a corner of the bar listening to karaoke. Greg had asked Thomas about his job, and Thomas decided to finally reveal what he did for a living. For years, Thomas had been sidestepping the question because he wasn’t sure what his brother would think about him. However, Greg revealed he was going to retire in a year from the Army, and he was moving to Denver. It was time to come clean so Thomas wasn’t always avoiding the questions of when they could hang out.

  Thomas nodded as he took a swig of beer. He cleared his throat, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. “I…ah…I’m also bisexual.”

  The smile from Greg’s face disappeared quickly as he leaned closer to Thomas. “It’s okay, bro. So am I,” Greg whispered seriously. Then, the smile had returned, and Greg sat back.

  “Well, I guess we’re more brothers than we thought”,” Greg said calmly.

  Now it was Thomas’s turn to be shocked. He knew it was rough in the service to hide that part of you, and he had to wonder how Greg had done it for so long, especially out in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.

  “Do you have anyone special?” Thomas inquired before taking another draw of his beer.

  The waitress appeared with their plate of loaded nachos they had ordered and then set them down. “Anything else for you guys?” she asked breathily. “I get off at ten.”

  Thomas shared a glance with his little brother before looking back at the young woman dressed in a black mini skirt and white T-shirt that showed off her fake boobs and flat stomach since it was tied in a knot under said breasts. A gold belly ring with a dangling star flashed in the lights.

  At one time this woman would have him giving her his room number, but he was older, wiser, and was so over one-night stands and cheap women. Thomas wanted stability, and he hoped he had found part of that in Gerard. After that, they’d look for a woman to round out a threesome.

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” Greg said. “We’re not looking for a hookup story. We don’t have a lot of time together, and we’re trying to catch up.”

  Her smile dropped as she twisted at her waist back and forth as if she was trying to be sexy. “Are you sure? I could rock your guys’ world.”

  Thomas cleared his throat as he looked at her name badge. “We said we’re not interested, Bridgett. It would be in your best interest to learn to listen to what people are saying. It’ll help you get along in life.” Thomas leaned forward. “Now, if you value your tip, you’ll walk away and not embarrass yourself.”

  He could see the woman swallow nervously. “I-I’m sor…” She glanced around, looked back at Thomas and Greg, and then turned and rushed away. If he wasn’t mistaken, Thomas saw tears shimmering in her eyes.

  Looking back at Greg, Thomas shrugged with his brows knit. “Well, t
hat was odd.”

  Greg chuckled slightly. “I’ll say.” He picked up a cheese-covered chip, ate it, and then asked, repeating the question Thomas had asked before they were interrupted. “So, do you have someone special back home?”

  Thomas smiled, then at a chip also. “There was someone I was hoping to get to know but never could bring myself to approach him, which was really weird. Then the night before I came here, all that changed. We’ll have to see where it leads.”

  Raising his bottle of beer, Greg toasted, “I hope everything works out for you, bro.”

  Thomas followed suit. “And to you too, Greg. I can’t wait to have you around more. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  Not having his brother around after they had reached adulthood had been a letdown to Thomas as he had promised to be there for Greg after he got out of foster care. Greg said he understood, but then he went into the military also, which sent them off to different parts of the world. Once Greg moved to Denver, they could be there for each other, something Thomas wasn’t able to do when Greg lived with his adoptive family.

  * * * *

  Carrie looked in the mirror one last time. The maroon-colored dress hugged her body and fell a few inches above her knees. A pair of black knee-high boots heightened her by three inches. Standing at five-seven, she hated to be taller than men even in her everyday life.

  She didn’t date. Hadn’t been on one since her freshman year of college. They had gone out twice and the boy got too handsy, so she bolted. It had been a momentary loss of judgment, of disappointing herself since she had interrupted her studies for the jerk.

  There were goals she was trying to achieve, so she threw herself back into her schoolwork. Boys were not a part of that agenda. Once she graduated, work became her new best friend so she could pay off the loans and then she could enjoy her life.

  “Oh, girl, you look fantastic!” Carrie’s roommate, Evie, said from the door to Carrie’s room. “Where are you going?”

  “I was invited to this class a few weeks ago.” Carrie knew she couldn’t say too much about the club, so it was best to speak in general terms.

  “Well, it must be some class,” Evie said as she slipped through the half-open door and sat in the foot of the bed. “I’ve never seen you get dressed up.”

  The two women weren’t close. In fact, Carrie had never met Evie until she had answered the ad online regarding a room for rent a little over a year ago. Evie was right. Carrie worked. That was it.

  “It took a while for me to take the woman up on the offer, so please don’t distract me. Otherwise, I might back out.” There were already dive bombers in her stomach. Nausea was on the outer edge and she was fighting. She hoped she could get through this class without making a fool of herself.

  “Okay. Just be careful out there. It’s supposed to start snowing in a few hours.” Evie smiled at Carrie.

  Grabbing her coat, Carrie slipped it on and then picked up her purse. “I will. Thanks.”

  Since this was a night of newness, Carrie leaned down and hugged Evie quickly and then headed out. It was freezing outside, the wind chill dropping the temps down even further. Glancing up, she could see that there were no stars above her, letting her know there were clouds in the sky. As she started the car, she prayed she wasn’t making a mistake.

  There had been numerous battles within Carrie’s mind since the night Mistress Eliza had handed Carrie her card. To say that Carrie’s interested wasn’t piqued, was a lie. She had read many romances about the subject and it had always intrigued her on how people could be so sure of their sexuality and mental health to say they identified as dominant or submissive. She knew she was the latter but she also knew she was a strong person, so how could she say she was truly submissive? Even though she specialized in children’s mental health, perhaps this could be a case study on people and how they dealt with something out of the norm of society. Keeping an open mind was key, but Mistress Eliza just didn’t have to know that Carrie had an ulterior motive also.

  * * * *

  Gerard checked club members in as they arrived. He was looking for one in particular who hadn’t arrived, his anxiety level high.

  As requested, Gerard had texted Thomas the next morning after the smoldering kiss, and he had received a text back. He was to contact the Dom every morning and evening, even though he may not get a response back due to Thomas’s activities. Thomas got back to him each time.

  Tonight, Thomas hadn’t arrived at four like he usually did. In fact, Alex had come through the lobby about thirty minutes ago and checked the club phone in Emma’s office. By the looks of the big man, no messages waited for him.

  Mistress Eliza stepped up to the desk. She was sans any subs which meant she was going to be teaching a class. Her typical long coat, this one in a sable-colored fur, covered her body to below her knees. In all the time he had worked here, he had never seen what she wore under any of her outerwear.

  “Good evening, Mistress. Are you personally expecting anyone tonight?” he asked, something they were required to do if the members stopped at the desk.

  The tall platinum blonde woman handed him a card which he set in a black mesh rack under the countertop that extended over the edge along with several other cards. Whoever asked about the woman and revealed they were her guest would be sat in the lobby until Mistress came to receive them. If it was for the classes Mistress taught, they would be taken to the third floor where the classroom was.

  “Her name is Carrie. She is to inform you that she was my ride-share driver the other night. I instructed her to bring the business card I gave her so you can have something besides her license to identify her. She’ll be attending my class.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Gerard was to call her Ma’am, but occasionally he forgot and called her Mistress. The woman never chastised him for the error.

  “Do you know how many students I’m going to have tonight, Gerard?” Mistress Eliza asked.

  “We have eight cards, Ma’am.”

  She had a dazzling smile when she chose to use it, and she did so now. Gerard had never had the opportunity to serve a woman before, but he knew it wouldn’t be this lady, as she scared him. He had heard people talking about her and her techniques, and Gerard didn’t care for cock and ball torture which he understood she liked to use on her slaves and subs. He hated to think of what she did to the women.

  “Great. I look forward to starting this new class.” She turned towards the doors that led to the elevator. “Thank you, Gerard.”

  Mistress Eliza had been the member that had come into the lobby when that nasty man tried to sneak his way in six months ago that could have cost Gerard his job. He was thankful he had recognized the intrusion before he had revealed Mistress’s name. Of course, after that, he was trying to run the man down.

  Shaking his head mentally, he replied, “You’re welcome, Ma’am. I’ll call up when they have all arrived.”

  She disappeared behind the doors, leaving Gerard and Chad as the only ones in the lobby again. Gerard sat down.

  “I’m sure he got caught up at the airport or something,” Chad said as he moved his chair around to look at Gerard. “I saw how he looked at you. Besides, he works here. Even Alex is worried.”

  Gerard sighed heavily. “I know. Can’t I be worried about him?”

  “Of course. Just don’t jump in with both feet. Take it slow. If it was meant to be more than just a fling, then he’ll go slow also.”

  The buzzer on the front door went off, drawing the two men’s attention in that direction. A warmth filled Gerard at the sight before him as his cock swelled in his slacks.

  Thomas was holding the door open for a beautiful woman. She had dark blonde hair that hung loose, cascading over her shoulders and covering what looked like an ample set of breasts. Her dark purple dress was a bit tight on her curves, but what he could see of them enticed Gerard.

  As she sauntered up to the desk, he couldn’t seem
to take his eyes off her. At least until Chad cleared his throat, drawing Gerard out of the little trance she had drawn him into.

  The buzzer went off again. Looking over, Gerard saw Thomas stepping through the door, watching him. Guilt swept over him when he realized Thomas was smirking at him.

  Standing carefully, Gerard cleared his throat as he looked at the woman. “Good evening, miss. How can I help you?”

  She lowered her head as if she was embarrassed. Red tinged her cheeks. “I-I’m here to meet…” She pulled a business card from her coat pocket and looked at it. When she spoke again, her voice was even lower. “I’m here to meet Mistress Eliza. My name is Carrie. She’s expecting me. I was her ride-share driver.”

  Carrie handed the card to Gerard who took it. He smiled at her. “Hello, Carrie. Mistress Eliza has informed us of your visit. May I see your ID, please?”

  He was well aware of Thomas who had moved to stand next to Carrie. Having both before him, his senses were on overload. The scent of Thomas’s leather and woodsy aftershave along with the aroma of peaches spiked his libido. His cock was throbbing wildly while his balls tightened, causing him to become very uncomfortable.

  Thomas was still smirking at him as if he could read what was happening to Gerard. In fact, looking at the man, Gerard could see the blush on Thomas’s cheeks. Did he look like that because he wanted the woman rather than Gerard? Worry and doubt seeped into Gerard’s psyche that he had just lost Thomas, and there was only one thing to do.

  “Chad, please check in this nice lady.” Gerard chanced another glance at Thomas and found the smirk had been replaced by confusion. Gerard wasn’t going to stand here and take this. “I suddenly feel quite ill. I’ll call Shane from the car.”

  Dragging his gaze from Thomas, his heart aching, Gerard reached down, grabbed his phone from the top desk drawer, and rushed out through the front door. He bypassed the security car that he drove and began walking through the business park towards town. Once he cooled down, he would call for a taxi to get home. This time, he was quite certain he would be fired.