The billiards room, then.
Cal headed downstairs. The billiards room was silent, but just as he’d known the ground floor was empty, he instantly knew they were down here, and when he stepped around the corner at the bottom of the stairs and into the room, it was only Nick’s voice in the back of his head—never show that you’ve lost even a little bit of control—that kept him from stopping and gasping.
Nick was standing beside the pool table, cue in hand. His grin looked more devilish—closer to downright evil—than it had ever been when Cal had watched him with Spencer.
And beside him, bent over the billiards table with his arms stretched out to the sides, looking equal parts puzzled and aroused, was James.
While neither man was looking at him, Cal granted himself a startled gulp, but nothing more. Then he schooled his expression and his posture, determined to be as calm and controlled as Nick.
“Allow me to make a slight correction,” Nick said to James. “I’m in charge, but you’ll be taking your orders from him.” He gestured at Cal with the cue.
James’s eyebrows rose. He slowly looked Cal up and down, his lips parting slightly.
Cal reached up with a gloved hand and tugged at his sunglasses. James shivered. Oh yes, this was going to be fun. The sunglasses were a clever addition; they’d help mask any insecurity. Same with the gloves. He might sweat inside them, but James wouldn’t be able to tell. Until Cal had gained the same level of badassness as Nick—unlikely as that was—he had to pretend he was already there.
Nick being in the room was weird: part reassurance that he’d step in if things went wrong, part judge of Cal’s performance. Cal wanted to impress Nick, wanted to do right by James, which made everything even more deliberate than it was already.
One of you has to be in control.
“Tell him what we discussed while he was out of the room,” Nick said.
James closed his eyes. “S-safewords.”
“Repeat them. Now.”
“Red to stop.” James glanced at Cal. “Yellow to back off.”
“Good.” Nick gave Cal a small nod and took half a step back, as if to say, Your sub.
First things first. He glanced to the side and saw bottles of water, lube, condoms, with Nick’s open bag resting next to them. Nick had walked him through using the equipment in the bag, demonstrating some of it on Spencer.
Unlimited possibilities.
Space and perception of space is one of the most powerful tools.
Cal stepped closer to James, whose shoulder visibly tensed. He’d taken off his jacket, but otherwise he was completely dressed. That fine white shirt, tie done up with its bright red tail serpentining across the green felt, trousers stretched tightly around his fine, strong arse in that position.
Cal stepped between his legs, close enough to brush him, to feel him through the fabric, an insinuation of a more intimate touch, and Cal’s pulse jumped. The simple act of pushing up against James in this position turned him on, and he knew it did the same to James. Just from the way the man closed his eyes, concentrating completely on that touch, that promise. I’ll bend you over and fuck you like this.
You can touch him anywhere you like.
Cal nudged James’s legs apart, pressing harder against James’s arse as he did, and James opened his legs wider, his hands gripping the frame of the billiards table more tightly. Cal swallowed, then ran his gloved right hand up from the small of James’s back towards his shoulders.
He didn’t feel much through the leather, none of the heat and texture, but the contact of fine cotton and smooth black leather seemed to work quite nicely for James. He trailed higher, purposefully—all of this was his territory and he was just taking measurements, exploring it. He reached James’s neck and tightened his fingers around it, making the man shudder, so he leaned in closer, letting him feel that he was getting hard, and slid his hand around the front of James’s neck to touch his throat. It wasn’t a strong grip, just another promise, enough to allow James to feel the possibility.
He leaned in a little closer. “Nick and I have talked about you, sir.”
Emphasizing that last word sent an odd thrill through him. As if he’d yanked away James’s last remaining vestige of power. Turned the title into a subservient epithet.
He glanced at Nick, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Nick offered the faintest grin and a subtle nod, which only added to that thrill. Nicely done.
Cal focused on James again. “Do you want to know what we’ve been talking about, sir?”
James shivered, and then nodded.
Cal glanced at Nick, who arched an eyebrow. To James, Cal growled, “I asked you a question. Answer it.”
James pulled in a sharp breath. “Yes. Yes, I want to know what you’ve been talking about.”