Chapter Eleven

Finley

K age's gaze was pure fire.

Finley would picture it when he stretched his ass on the dildos Kage had sent him. The box full of fun toys, instructions and several books had proven very useful and had kept Finley occupied every evening since he'd received it. He should tell Kage about that in detail. Right now, in public, just to see what he'd do.

If he'd asked Finley to get under the table and blow him, Finley was half-convinced he'd comply. His libido had become insatiable since the first scene he'd witnessed, but with every moment spent with Kage, he craved so much more than watching him dom other people, or even submitting to the man himself.

But what did he want? Everything. He was scared to contemplate what that would entail. Given half a chance, he'd straddle Kage and worship his neck, exposed in front of him right now by the vee of a black dress shirt.

His spiral into naughtiness ended abruptly when Latif slid into the booth next to Kage, bringing a glass of whiskey for Finley and a lime-looking drink for Kage.

"Cheers," Finley and Kage said in unison.

A brush against his ankle brought Finley's gaze up.

"How are you keeping up with meeting so many new people?" Kage asked and took a sip of his drink. What even was it? Finley knew his whiskeys, but he was still learning the complicated drinks the club offered. Thank fuck the club's patrons rarely ordered intricate cocktails.

"For now, I know everyone's name, but I'm sure Latif will tell me their life story soon enough. I'll know who's who then for sure."

"Yes." Latif clapped his hands. "I'll spill all the tea. Besides, we're due for another shopping spree." He drummed his fingers on the table.

"No, we're not." Finley laughed, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "I have all the outfits I need for now."

"Oh, I didn't mean the clothes." Latif elbowed Kage. "Maybe you'd want to come with us, you're the expert on instruments of sexy torture."

Finley being surrounded by sex toys as Kage picked them for him? Damn, he'd be hard throughout the whole thing.

Kage lifted his eyebrows, giving Finley the option to confess to what they'd been up to.

"Actually, I'm good on that front too. Kage already suggested some… stuff." A blush crept up his cheeks at the memory of using them while thinking of the sexy Dom.

Latif whistled low. "I see how it is."

"Oh shut it." Kage laughed. "It's not like that. We're colleagues."

Being referred to as a mere ‘colleague' stung like a motherfucker, but Finley had no idea what they actually were. Friends? Yeah, that would sit better with him.

"Mmmhmm, right. So tell me, Finley, did Kage sweep you off your feet?" Latif accentuated his question with a dramatic hand gesture.

"Stop meddling, Latif. You know I don't date." Kage crossed his arms and sat back, but his expression remained playful.

Finley bristled. Were his hopes of asking Kage out doomed to fail?

"Oh. No, Sir." Latif said in his Lucy voice. "I asked about the scene but I see there's more tea to be had."

Kage shook his head, a smirk forming on his lips. "I should put you over my knee and spank you until my hand stings."

"Don't threaten me with a good time." Latif fanned himself with his hand.

Finley chuckled. The guys were friendly at the club, but their banter today was something special. "How long have you two known each other?"

"We met at work about six years ago. Damn, how the time flies. We've formed a tight community with those who've been with us a while, and Kage is such a good bloke beneath the black leather, my kids call him uncle." Latif propped his chin on his hands and batted his eyelashes at Kage, who rolled his eyes in dramatic fashion.

"Aww, how are Cloe and Matilda?" Finley asked. Whenever the bar was quiet, Latif would talk about his daughters, how they cooked together and went to museums nearby. He shared custody with his ex-wife so he had the girls when he wasn't working at the club in the evenings.

"Fantastic. They did these nails." Latif presented his long fingers adorned with all the colours of the rainbow at the tips.

Finley leaned closer to take a look. "Are these dog-shaped stickers?"

Latif nodded. "Paw Patrol. The girls are great at doing nails, but sometimes I have to compromise. It's their favourite show, so I'm wearing these with pride."

"Speaking of your family—Sadie is here," Kage said, and waved to someone behind Finley.

Latif's ex-wife?

Finley turned around. A gorgeous black woman sashayed towards them, her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders in shiny curls.

Finley had heard the story of how she and Latif met after one of Lucy's shows and ended up getting married soon after. Their daughters were still small when they'd decided to go separate ways. The pictures Lucy had shown Finley of her and the girls putting on makeup on each other were heart-meltingly adorable.

"Hey babe, you invited the best crowd." Sadie kissed Latif's cheek. "Long time, Kage," she said, then eyed Finley. "Is this Finley?"

"Guilty. What did I do now?" He opened his arms and smiled up at her.

"Charmed my ex-husband, that's what. It's ‘Finley this and Finley that' whenever he comes to visit the girls." She tapped the table with her nail, smirking. "Now I see why."

"Right? And you haven't seen his ass in leathers yet." Latif winked at Finley, spurring on a burst of laughter out of him.

"I'm no Master Kage ," Finley said with a flirty smile.

"Oof! Get a room, you two." Sadie waved a hand, then turned to Latif. "I can't stay now, but is it okay if I bring Barb with me to the show? My mum offered to watch the girls."

"Of course. I'm so happy you can make it."

She looked at her phone. "Shit. I need to pick her up. I'll meet you there." She ran off and half-hugged a well-built blond bloke on her way out. Brad Pitt circa 1999 Fight Club had nothing on this guy.

His heavy boots ate the distance towards them until his hand landed on Latif's shoulder with a gentle tap. "Here's the star of the evening."

Latif introduced the man as his childhood bestie. "After years of being inseparable, Jared left me about seven years ago." Latif sighed dramatically. "Travelled the world, ended up in Germany and, apparently, became a Dom." He chuckled, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "So imagine my surprise when he came looking for work at the Handcuffs."

"Yeah, he put in a good word for me with Jagoda." Jared's megawatt smile was blinding, but he had eyes only for Latif.

"Nah, she saw you for you," Latif said with fondness.

Was Finley imagining it, or was there more than rekindled friendship between the two?

Latif stood up and pulled Jared with him. "Since you finally made it, let's go so you can help me get into my dress." He looped his hand into Jared's arm and they left the pub.

"Do you want another shot of Bushmills?" Kage asked, nodding at Finley's nearly empty glass.

"Sure, thanks." Finley reached for his wallet but Kage waved him off as he stood up.

"I owe you a drink at the club tonight."

Finley followed Kage with his gaze. The tight jeans he wore hugged his figure from his delectable ass down to where his calves disappeared into harness boots. The man was hot at all angles, that was certain. But it wasn't his perfect body that drew Finley to him the most; it was the way he made him feel completely at ease while coaxing his deepest desires to the surface.

Fuck, he was staring. He glanced around, but no one was paying him any attention. His ogling habit was fine at the club, but not in public. Besides, he wasn't even out, not really. Then again, did he have to tell people that he was not straight? Did he have to choose how to define himself? A scary thought.

His new group of friends didn't make assumptions, nor did they ask unprompted. Considering the vibe of The Golden Handcuffs, everyone was either queer or an ally, so no one was under scrutiny.

He had lived his life as a straight man, save for the occasional experiment while he was away from the island on business. Amongst his vanilla explorations with other men, no one had ever set his body on fire the way Kage had the first evening he'd seen him. His crush should have faded by now—he'd got a taste of what the man could do and he should move on. But no, thinking of Kage helped him get through the days he wasn't at the club and couldn't direct his entire focus on work.

It was terrifying. Finley had lived without a partner for years, not having that one person to have passionate sex with, talk to, and cuddle at night. Perhaps he was building up Kage in his head as a bandaid for all his ails. Maybe he was exactly that. Either way, Finley wanted more of him. Hopefully, Kage would want the same.

"Here's your drink." Kage's voice rumbled next to Finley's ear and his heart jumped, sending his pulse sky-high as the man took a seat in front of him.

"Thanks." The ice cubes clinked as Finley took a sip of the amber liquid, cherishing the burn as it made its way down his throat.

Kage's come would be thicker and hotter if he swallowed it.

Would he let him do that?

Kage sipped his drink and Finley followed the movement of his Adam's apple, then looked at the face of a man with a fluid sense of duality. Whenever Kage smiled, Finley's lips would always lift in return, and his chest would fill with warmth. At other times, like when Kage brought someone to their knees at the club, his serious, focused expression would send waves of lust through Finley which were so intense he could feel the shadow of them at a mere thought.

"It was nice meeting your brother today," said Finley. "Does he visit the club often?"

"He says that it's not his scene, but he and his wife always have a great time whenever they come. I think he's still holding onto the image of the good boy he wants our parents to see him as."

"I guess they're not into kink?" Finley leaned over the table. "It's never too late." I'd know.

"Oh, God, no." Kage chuckled. "They're straight-laced, but firm allies. They live in Kent, but they come over every couple of weeks. Mum wanted to see what I do once, but she decided against it when she found out the dress code on the website." He shook his head. "I've never hid what my job is from them, but it's also good that they know where to draw the line for their own sanity. Although Mike says she's so stubborn, she'll come someday."

They spent an hour talking about the people around them and discussed the past week's events from the club, from the all-male strip show on Saturday, to the twink who wanted to beat his own record of how many bears can leave a load in him in one evening. The events that included penetration were ticketed separately to the regular entrance fee. This made them even more secure and kept track of people in case something went tits up.

"We better go to get good seats for the show." Finley stood up and shrugged into his bomber jacket. "Care to walk with me to the club? It's a nice evening out." Which in London meant it wasn't raining.

"I'd love to, but I took a bike here. I'd rather park it overnight at the club than leave it here."

"That's cool. I'll meet you there, then." Hopefully, Finley hid his disappointment well, glancing away, then back at the empty glass Kage had been drinking from.

"Oh, that was pineapple juice. I don't drink and drive." Kage patted Finley's shoulder. "Actually," Kage bit his cheek, his gaze searching Finley's face, "would you ride with me?"

"On the bike?" The rush of excitement that filled Finley was partially fuelled by the idea of a bike ride, but mostly by the vision of him plastered to Kage's back, his crotch butted up against the man's ass. "Sure, yeah."

"One sec." Kage approached the bar, and the bartender retrieved a helmet for him.

Right outside the pub, Kage straddled a sleek bike in matte black, giving Finley an excellent view of his pert ass. In his tight jeans and classic leather jacket, he looked like a modern-day Asian Marlon Brando.

Be still my beating heart.

"That's a gorgeous ride, Kage. Looks so old-school, what is it?" Finley took a step back to admire the smooth line of its silhouette from the handlebars down to the tail and fender.

"Harley Davidson Iron 88. I got it from Belfast, but had the pillion seat and rear foot-pegs installed additionally from the dealership." He straightened his back, the sexy curve of his ass matching the beauty of the bike. "It rides solid. Are you a bike guy?"

"I have a licence, but I haven't straddled one for years," Finley said, his pulse spiking at the thought of riding with Kage.

"Come on." He patted the extended seat behind him and held the helmet out to Finley.

"I can't take your helmet."

"It's a short ride and I'd rather you wear it." Kage pushed it at Finley's midsection until he took it off his hands.

"Why did you ride the bike here then?"

"I took her for a spin to visit a friend. Kind of." Kage's expression fell as he looked into the distance. "I always loved riding, but after the car accident, I just couldn't—" He shook his head. "Not important. Hop on and hold me tight. You know how to work your body with me if you've ridden before." The words in Kage's voice sounded dirtier than intended.

Yes, Sir.

Finley put the helmet on, and his senses filled with the scent of Kage's shampoo. The giddy rush went straight to his cock as he remembered the moment Kage had leaned into him during their scene together.

Don't get hard now, he'll know.

He straddled the bike, his groin fitting snugly into Kage's ass, his hands around the man's slim waist. A moan threatened to escape him at the feel of Kage's warm body. It only got better when the sexy purr of the gorgeous machine filled the air as the machine vibrated under them.