“So, uh, what part of me are you working on now?”
“Your feet.”
“Oh, shit. Be careful. I’m ticklish there.”
“Mmhmm.”
Was Max smiling? It sounded like he was smiling.
“You’ve got great toes.”
Sean blinked. “I do?”
“Yeah. I’m carving them out now.”
Sean tilted his head. “What exactly makes them great?”
Max made a soft sound. “They’re not too long. And they’ve got this cool little downward curl.”
“Ah... Okay… I’ve got short, curly toes.”
“Yeah. I like ‘em. They’re nice.”
And Sean liked that he liked ‘em. Liked it a lot. Without thinking, he gave the things a wiggle. “You can borrow them anytime you want.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Max murmured.
Sean thrummed from the sound. “Why not? They’re just toes.”
“Mmm. And I’d suck on every one of them.”
Whoa! Sean froze. Holy shit. That was… kinky. And apparently something Sean liked the sound of. Why else would his dick be suddenly filling up so fast?
He shifted on his heels. Nudged his knees a bit closer. Hopefully Max wouldn’t notice.
A low, sultry chuckle rose up from behind. “Don’t worry, Sean. Your toes are safe. I promise not to suck on ‘em.”
Oh, God. Max just laughed again. A shiver raced up Sean’s spine. His eyes slid closed like a blissed out junkie. He needed another hit. Needed more.
But wait. Back up. What did Max just promise? Not to suck on Sean’s toes? No! Fuck that! What a horrible thing to vow.
Sean scoffed dramatically. “Worried? Who’s worried? I was actually thinking a toe suck sounded nice.”
Max coughed out a laugh. “Oh, were you now.”
Sean laughed, too. “Yeah. I was.”
God, he loved that sound. And that was three times now. Three fucking times Max had laughed. The two of them were on a roll, and the momentum felt great.
Unfortunately, after that, Max kind of stopped talking. Why, though? Did he need to concentrate? Was he thinking about Sean’s toes? About sucking on them with his warm, wet mouth and tongue? Sean’s cock swelled harder. Oh, fuck. He needed a distraction. If his head kept on thinking, he’d be screwed.
Clearing his throat, he restarted conversation. There was something he’d been dying to ask anyway. “So how come, when I come over, your hair’s always wet?” Did it have something to do with Max’s secret job? Sean had been thinking about that a lot, his curiosity driving him crazy, and he couldn’t help wondering if they were connected. Especially when those other guys had left Max’s house in exactly the same wet-head state.
“I shower before you get here.”
“After working out or something?”
“Yeah. After working out or something.”
Sean pursed his lips. Why so evasive?
“Our very first appointment, when I got here early, I saw two guys leaving your house. Their hair was wet, too. Are they connected to your second job?”
All sounds of movement ceased. Max didn’t respond.
Fuck. Sean frowned. That’d been totally inappropriate. It was none of his business. He knew that. But, shit, it’d been bugging him since Max dodged it the first time. Still, that didn’t make it okay to pry. But right as he opened his mouth to apologize, Max chose to finally reply.
“Let it go, Sean. I mean it. You don’t want to know.”
All thoughts of remorse flew straight out the window.
“Why do you say that? How do you know what I want? Is this job of yours private? Not open to the public?”
“No, it is. It’s just… you’re young.”
Sean bristled. He couldn’t help it. Max’s words really chafed.
“You think I’m a kid. I’m not. I’m a man.”
And it was really fucking important to him that Max got that.
“I know,” Max muttered. “That’s not what I meant.”
Sean exhaled. “Whatever. I know I’m being nosey. I guess I just don’t get why you won’t tell me.”
Not a lie. Max had plenty of opportunities to tell Sean to mind his own business. But he hadn’t. Which gave Sean the impression that he didn’t really want to. Like a part of him wanted Sean to know. So then why was he being so damn hush-hush? Why—
“I’m a Dom, Sean. I have subs. I use whips. I cause pain.”
Sean froze like ice.
Oh. That’s why.
His heart thudded warily. He’d seen pictures of Doms in the past, and they’d always looked kind of scary. His stomach churned sluggishly. His hands turned clammy. But Max wasn’t scary. Didn’t feel that way at all. Although, come to think of it, he did seem kind of dark. And broody. With a penchant for kink.
Oh, God. Sean was one stitch away from being naked in the same room as a guy who fucking whipped people. Probably wore black leather and combat boots. Which in and of itself was actually pretty hot. It was the sadism stuff that made Sean nervous.
Max exhaled behind him. Didn’t say another word.
Shit. Sean frowned. His reaction—or total lack thereof—had made Max regret telling him. Sean’s heart sped up anxiously. He hadn’t meant to make Max feel bad. He’d just been so freaking surprised.