Chapter Fifteen

Finley

O ver the next week, Finley couldn't stop thinking about his night with Kage and what had happened. Kage had never been cruel, not to him nor anyone else but the things he'd said that night had been meant to kick Finley in the gut. There had to be a reason for Kage's reaction. Blaming himself, Finley had dived into research as to what he'd done wrong when it came to the rules of the BDSM world. His biggest mistake had been pushing Kage for more than a D/S relationship. He'd read how some people prefer to keep their kink life and personal life separate, which was a boundary Finley hadn't respected when approaching his sex with Kage as if it was a path to a relationship. Clearly, he'd been sorely mistaken. But that was not his only fuckup.

His heart sank when he ventured into the Dom-centred articles on Kage's website and read about a Dom-drop. His reluctance to fuck Finley, the change of the mood, and Kage's reaction after, led to one conclusion. Despite the fantastic sex, Finley had expressed his disappointment, then lashed out, fueling Kage's spiral into a drop. That had to be it.

Finley should have noticed the issue, stayed calm, and offered comfort in any form Kage would accept. Cuddles, tea, or talking. Anything to get him out of a negative frame of mind.

Instead, Finley had lashed out. A selfish and stupid bastard. Kage had gone home alone that night without the aftercare he'd clearly needed. And all that after he'd made sure Finley received proper care after every scene they'd done.

Fuck.

They communicated when it came to their hard and soft limits, but Finley had no idea if there was any deeper reasoning behind Kage's reaction. Frankly, he knew very little about Kage's life story, and that should tell him that Kage had been keeping him at an arm's length when it came to his emotional wellbeing.

Now, Finley had to apologise and try to patch things up with Kage. After years of keeping to himself, Finley had found an incredible friend who'd thrust colour into the darkness of his life. And he had to fuck it up by asking for more than Kage wanted to give.

During the week since that evening, Finley noticed he always seemed to be working different shifts than Kage. It was happening way too often to be a coincidence. Finley bristled as his suspicions grew, but he was not going to give in and text him. He was determined to tackle it in person, but Kage was being slippery as hell. Did he really think he could avoid him forever?

The only information he'd received had been through the club's app informing him that Kage wouldn't need his assistance tonight.

Finley often arrived for his shift early to either help prepare the bar, or the set-up for scenes. But today, he was like a stray seed of barley on the distillery floor, sort of belonging but not really there and not knowing what was awaiting him. He couldn't stand still, so he double-checked the security points in the club, then settled on a stool.

He startled when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Finley? You okay?" Lucy asked, her tone worried. "I've been trying to get your attention. We can go outside and get some air if you'd like. Bobby is managing the bar today and I'm on my break." She tossed her black hair over her shoulder and sat next to him. Her knee-length neon pink dress hugged her figure and matched her sky-high heels. Finley had stopped wondering a long time ago how she walked in all that gear so flawlessly. Must be drag queen magic.

"No, I'm fine. I just—" Finley turned towards the excited murmurs of the patrons. Kage was here.

"What's with you and him?" Lucy wiggled a silver-tipped finger.

Finley lifted his shoulders and let them fall in a resigned shrug. "I think I fucked up."

Lucy gave him a narrowed-eyed look and shook her head. " I doubt that. We all adore him, I get it. And I've seen the way you two giggle and talk like you've known each other forever when you set up the stage. But Finley," Lucy squeezed his forearm. "Don't get too hung up on him. It's not like he was your first time."

Finley busied himself with twisting the purple bracelet adorning his wrist.

"Finley? You've had sex with a guy before, right?" Lucy lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him.

Finley fidgeted, feeling like a child admitting to breaking a vase. "A blowjob in a bathroom stall at a club doesn't count, does it?"

Lucy smacked her lips. "Fucking hell, mate." She shook her head, whistling low. "Well, actually, you couldn't have chosen a better lover to prove to yourself that you liked cock." She patted Finley on the shoulder as if he'd done a good job.

"Right?" Finley's chuckle was forced. And the crease of Lucy's brow suggested she knew Finley had bitten off more than he could chew. He wasn't ready to give up on Kage, though. No one's mere presence had ever had that intense an effect on him. Like he wanted to wake up next to him, do random everyday shit, curl up together and talk about everything and nothing.

"I told you not to fall in love." Lucy shook her head. "But it's too late now, isn't it?"

"I'm not sure. But we argued, and now I don't know what to do. I want to scream and at the same time I want to fix what's between us." He released a dry chuckle. "Is this a midlife crisis?"

"Nah. It's life." She nodded to a group of patrons passing them.

"Listen." She waved a manicured hand at him. "You two are my friends, so you better get your collective shit together. What the fuck happened?"

"He's so hot and cold. One moment I think he's into me, the next all I see is a closed-off Dom. It's probably because I keep poking the subject of his scar."

"Wait. You've seen his scar?" Lucy swiped her fringe to the side and cocked her head. "So he was naked in front of you?"

"Well, yeah, after the scene. We went to the room and when I got out of the clawfoot tub, he helped me and—"

"The what tub now?" Lucy's voice reached an opera singer-worthy octave.

"An old school one that stood in the middle of the bathroom."

"That's not Room 15."

"No, we went to Room 8."

Lucy pursed her lips.

"What does that look mean? Your eyes say mischief." Finley crossed his arms. "Say it."

"He took you to his personal room. Only the cleaners see it." She looked around as if they were discussing drug trafficking. "And then what happened?"

Hope bloomed in Finley's chest, but he tamped it down. He had to gather more facts first. "We talked and went to sleep."

"You slept in his bed? And you didn't tell me before?!" Lucy put a hand over her heart as if she was about to faint. "I thought we were friends, Finley." She tsked, but her smile was clear. "Where was he all night?" She whispered, leaning closer.

"With me."

"Ooooh, mate!" Lucy squealed. "I knew he liked you, but damn…" She pointed a nail at him. "He already did back then. So whatever happened between you two can't be the end, trust me. Now, go fucking fix it."

Finley bit back a grin at Lucy's enthusiasm. He was still in deep shit with Kage. "I don't know how."

"Well, a good old chat never hurt anybody. Put on a kettle, get some fancy biscuits and fucking talk. Well, not now as he's in the theatre, getting ready for the ceremony, then he's got a scene with that gorgeous hairy boy."

Oh? Two events? No wonder Kage had taken a few days off. Finley had been scheduled for Kage's scene but not the event preceding it.

Which was a collaring ceremony.

Led by Kage.

"He didn't ask me to set anything up today, and it was all already there before I arrived. So that must be a bad sign."

"It's a sign you're both bellends. Nothing more."

The urge to stick his tongue out at Lucy like a toddler took over, and he blew a raspberry instead, sending his friend into a fit of giggles.

"Alright, alright. I'll go check out the ceremony. I've never seen one before."

"I took my break to join you." Lucy bumped her shoulder into Finley's. "I love how every collaring is so special."

They headed to the Theatre, where a leather and lace-clad crowd was already oohing and awing at the couple. The stage's main piece was a St Andrew's cross decorated in white and black lace in the style of a wedding arch.

"I feel like I crashed a private event." Finley took in the woman dressed head-to-toe in black latex, holding hands with a petite lady in a white corset and white veil.

The couple faced Kage, whose leather waistcoat accentuated his slim waist, while the trousers and knee-high boots completed his elegant Dom look.

"Since Master E and Brian's collaring ceremony resembled a wedding, several couples have asked Kage to do the same for them too." Lucy nodded at the stage.

The bullwhip in Kage's hand was not his most used instrument for impact play, but added flair to the moment as he split the air with it. It cracked above his head, silencing the crowd and drawing the attention of everyone in the club.

"We are gathered here to celebrate the union between Mabel and Mistress Beatrice." He nodded at the couple. "Repeat after me…" His serious tone and the emotional excitement in the room showed how real the commitment was. The Mistress promised to cherish and protect her beloved Sub, while Mabel swore her submission and devotion.

Mabel knelt and pushed the veil aside to expose her neck for her Mistress, who locked a gorgeous silver collar of carved plates around her neck. They kissed, but Finley turned away when tears started flowing, reminding him too much of his own marriage and how it ended.

"I read that it's like a wedding but between a dom and a sub. It certainly had the emotional part."

"Yes, pretty much." Lucy dabbed a pristine handkerchief under her eye.

"I've seen some beautiful thick leather collars and delicate day collars in Mistress Renata's shop and when I read about the meanings of the designs, I got confused." Finley frowned as a question that had been bouncing in his head popped to the surface. "A padlock charm on a necklace can symbolise a sub's collar. But Kage wears one like that. You've known him for years, do you know anything about it?"

Lucy shook her head. "It's not my story to tell." She cleared her throat. "What I can tell you is that we need an officiant in this club. It's becoming more and more popular to get married during a collaring ceremony. People have been asking, you know…" The hint hint in her tone was comical. She pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "Waitaminute. Didn't you officiate Mat's wedding?

Finley snorted a laugh at the theatrics. "Yeah, I did. You really think I could do it here too? That would be fantastic."

"You could team up with Kage."

"If he'd want to." Imagining himself and Kage organising a collaring wedding together was easy. They'd make sure everything went smoothly, and the setup was perfect…

"Won't hurt talking to him and Jagoda about it." Lucy nudged him with an elbow. "Just saying."

While the couple and friends were dancing and celebrating, Kage left the stage, possibly to prepare for the scene he'd have next.

"Yeah, small steps. I'd better go check if he doesn't need help with the setup, despite what he said."

"Go get him! I'll be watching from the bar."

Once Finley returned to the main room, he spotted Kage bustling about the stage, double checking ropes, the stability of the bench, and the implements on the table.

"Can I help?" Finley asked, rocking on his heels.

"Don't apply again. I will deny it every time," Kage said without looking at Finley.

"Why? It's just a session to you anyway." Finley crossed his arms over his chest. Wrong thing to say! "I'm sorry abo—"

Kage shook his head, his expression pained. "You're too much."

Finley swallowed as the words hit him in the chest, reminding him of Maggie. She'd told him he was too clingy when she was pregnant, too happy when Alice was born. He'd been too much.

Maybe if he stepped back from Kage, they could still patch things up. No. He wouldn't let Kage go. Not until Kage told him why he was pushing him away. Their chemistry was off the charts, and yet Kage was still not letting him in.

"I see." Finley nodded, gritting his teeth. "I won't waste much of your time from now on, but I don't want to fight. I'm off in two hours, then we can talk alone. Just to clear the air."

"You don't give up easily." Kage's amused tone suggested he didn't see it as a bad trait.

Finley gave him a sad smile. "Not on this, I won't."

"We can talk in my room." Kage lifted a hand in pause. "No, that's a bad idea." He raked his gaze over Finley, sending tendrils of heat through him.

He's afraid we'd fuck again.

"How about tea at the bookstore?" Finley suggested. Maybe Lucy was right and Kage liked Finley more than he let on. Was he as scared as Finley? Impossible.

"Meet me tomorrow evening at eight in the big one on Piccadilly."

Finley nodded. "See you then." It closed at nine, so Kage planned to be rid of him within an hour. Fair enough.

"Are you sure you're up to guarding the scene tonight?" Kage asked.

"Yes. Why? You don't trust me anymore?" Finley crossed his arms and stepped down, not wanting to hear the answer. He was too old to play games, and too broken to let Kage walk all over his heart.

He took his spot in front of the stage, nodding to Tom on the other side. On busy days like today, Jagoda deemed it safer for the two of them to supervise the crowd and the partner of the Sub watching.

Today, the partner chair was occupied by a petite man in a latex dress. He tilted his head in concentration as he watched Kage bind his naked husband face-first to a bench. The sub was a big furry man, with short brown hair and a neat beard. As always, Kage was focused on the meticulous work, weaving the rope to trap the sub like a spider would a fly.

The scene was mesmerising, but Finley's mind drifted to his situation with Kage. Lucy had spun the facts Finley had presented to her into an optimistic version, but had she been right? Had Kage taking Finley to his room that first night meant anything to him? Kage sure as fuck had acted like it didn't.

Kneeling in front of Kage during a scene, or spreading himself open in bed, Finley would be willing to beg for his cock, call him Sir, and whimper every time Kage called him his Toy. But outside of a sexual scenario, he wouldn't. He'd learned about the master/slave dynamic and 24/7 arrangements, but he was not made for that, and he was sure Kage wasn't either. Or he would have a slave by now, as confirmed by the excited people around Kage's stage during his scenes.

Finley had never felt that zing, that connection with anyone but Kage, and he refused to give up. He'd respect Kage'd boundaries, challenging the man only enough for them to stay friends.

A loud smack split the air and the lady next to Finley flinched and held onto her companion, bringing Finley out of his thoughts. When Kage's gloved hand landed hard on the sub's hairy ass-cheek again, he yelped into the gag, his body tensing then relaxing. Kage stretched his exposed rim open with his thumbs, reached for the large bottle of lube and generously squirted it over the man's crack, then his hand. It elongated like see-through slime and Kage wrapped it around his hand, then teased four fingers into the man in a "chef's kiss" gesture. The Sub let out a delighted squeal and wiggled as if to impale himself, but the ropes around his torso held him to the bench. The ball in his fist remained in his hard grip, sending a clear message as to where his head was at. He was more than enjoying himself.

"That's a good boy," Kage cooed, his left hand splayed on the small of the man's back as his right twisted in small circles before his entire fist disappeared into the man.

The awed gasp of the gathered crowd synched with the sub's moans, and Finley widened his stance to accommodate his growing hard-on.

"Your husband is watching as your hungry hole is swallowing my hand. He must be so proud." Kage pulled out enough for the widest part of his hand to stretch the rim and held still. "Come here, Simon," he said to the husband, who approached clicking his stilettos on the planks of the stage. Kage slid out and slapped the gaping hole with a wet squelch, making the Sub whimper.

"You need to watch your fingers when going in." Kage squirted more lube and dived back in.

Simon nodded. "Yes. I remember it from your notes." He knelt by his husband's head and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "Master Kage trained you so well for me. You're such a good slut."

The Sub slobbered into his gag, muttering a barely distinguishable "thank you, Sir" as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Several people applauded, some whistled and whooped. In the meantime, Simon returned to his chair where he adjusted his erection, showing his husband how aroused he was from watching him.

Something squeezed in Finley's chest. He wanted to kiss Kage senseless. Was this jealousy? Analysing his reaction, he looked at every person on the stage. He didn't want Kage to stop, nor did he want to switch places with the Sub or with the husband. He stood in the perfect spot. If only Kage was his…

A wave of excitement rushed through Finley as he realised that he knew what he wanted to ask Kage about.

In the meantime, Kage sped the movements of his hand, creating a series of rhythmic, lascivious squelching noises that shot to Finley's groin like little pinpricks of heat, and sent the audience into a moaning frenzy.

Moving his gloved hand out, Kage slid the other in a smooth exchange. By the animalistic sounds the Sub made, he loved it. It was something Finley wouldn't indulge in, but watching as Kage did it to someone else was an experience he'd be eager to repeat.

The steel cock-cage on the Sub prevented Kage from stroking his cock, but he cupped his balls. He stopped long enough to caress the man's puffed hole with gentle fingertips, then slid his fist back in. Finally, come leaked through the sub's cock cage, and the noise he released was so wild, everyone in the club knew he saw stars before his taut body relaxed on the bench, spent and sated.

Kage unstrapped him and escorted him out with Simon on his heels, whispering praise to his husband.

Finley was ready to apologise and ask for one more chance to submit to Kage. Hopefully, Kage would understand.