Secrets Of A Power Bottom - Ch. 2 (FSALA Side Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

Chapter One 

Chapter Two – Half A Truth, Half A Lie

Christian followed Brown through a large hallway and then into a room. Was he supposed to act like Little Red Riding Hood when approached by the wolf? He had the innocent and sweet act perfected down to a tee, but he didn’t want to overdo it. Plus, it would be no fun if he didn’t shake things up a little.

He had expected as much. He walked slowly around the elevated bed covered in leather and touched the manacles in passing. He eyed the sling hanging from the ceiling and gave it a little push.

“What do you think?” Brown asked, following him closely.

It was a bit unnerving to have him right behind, breathing on the back of his neck. Brown was taller, stronger, and Christian felt the rush of something unknown for a short moment. Was he afraid now? No. The guy was a scumbag, but he wouldn’t force himself on someone, maybe not because of it being a horrendous act, but because it would be talked about as a sign of bad taste.

He had stepped into the den of the Big Bad Wolf, and now he had second thoughts. That was not what he had had in mind when deciding on a whim to undertake this quest. All he had to do was shake off such doubts.

“What’s this for?” He picked a leather paddle from the wall and smacked his palm with it. He winced and turned to look at Brown.

“That’s for your behind, naughty boy,” Brown replied and leaned toward him with a broad grin plastered on his face.

Christian stared at the object in his hand and then burst into laughter. His reaction took Brown by surprise because he moved away an inch. It was much better not to have him towering over him like that. Christian could feel the tip of his ears burning hot, and he hadn’t even had more than a sip of vodka.

“What’s so funny?” Brown questioned him.

“This idea of you smacking my ass with this. It would look so silly,” Christian offered. “Hmm, I don’t think I’m attracted to it.”

His host appeared to lose his composure for a second. “I thought my reputation preceded me. I hope you didn’t believe I would bring you here to play video games together.”

Christian escaped from Brown’s towering presence by sliding past him and heading for the door. “As a fantasy, it sounded good. But looking at all these things, frankly, I think I’d better be off and out of your hair.”

He didn’t expect the next thing to happen. He was grabbed hard from behind, pushed into a wall, and his mouth was crushed by unforgiving lips. His instant reaction was to push the other away, and he struggled for a while. However, Brown was stronger than him. Instant fear flooded him, and Christian stopped. Once he did that, the kiss stopped, as well.

Brown was breathing hard, and his lips were only half an inch away from his. Christian could smell the scotch on his breath, and while not a fan of the alcoholic beverage, he found it strangely alluring, mixed with the panic from earlier. He licked his lips and a small fire ignited in his belly. Oh, no. Was he getting off on being forced? It couldn’t be.

Brown stood back and averted his eyes. “Yeah. I think it would be better if you left. Let’s see you to the door.”

Something had gone wrong, Christian pondered as he walked past Brown, making sure not to look at him. Now the innocent act was no longer an act. He had been shocked by that kiss, the sheer power of it. He had never been kissed that way.

To steady a small tremble in his fingers, he got them busy buttoning back his suit jacket.

“Do you need a lift?” Brown asked roughly once they were at the door. “I could call you --”

“I’m fine,” Christian said brusquely.

“Christian,” Brown breathed out. “I’m --”

“No, please don’t say you’re sorry.” He walked out of the penthouse, stiff and unyielding. At least he didn’t have to pretend now. It was exactly how he felt.

Brown’s remorse seemed genuine. So, was that a win?

It didn’t taste like winning. It tasted of scotch and something else. Repressed desire? Christian needed to think long and hard about this one because he had never experienced anything like it.

***

Rhett wanted to bash his own head in over his reaction from earlier. He had meant to shake Christian a little, do something to make him stop laughing, but he had ended up kissing him. That had been a mistake. He rarely kissed his partners, felt like kissing was a waste of time and way too vanilla for his lifestyle, and yet a few times tonight, he had thought of kissing the boy, something he had gone and done without considering what it meant for one second.

That wasn’t all, of course. He wouldn’t use force unless it were something he already suspected that his partner wanted to be pushed into. Eddy’s husband had thrown a tantrum back then, at The Awakening, when Rhett had humiliated his sub on stage, but, unknown to him, that entire night, that young man had been in heaven while Rhett had taken him in the privacy of their quarters over and over again. As humiliating and appalling as what he had done might have seemed to Eddy and his husband, he knew better what his subs truly wanted. Sometimes, the lengths they would go took even him by surprise.

It was all a matter of perspective, and he didn’t like it one bit where that stood with Christian. The young man had been startled, frightened even, and Rhett didn’t get off on genuine fear. It was for the better to let it all go.

The most unnerving bit was that Christian hadn’t even allowed him to apologize for his behavior. His lips had tasted as good as Rhett had imagined, but now the boy was the proverbial forbidden fruit. He would have to find another way to settle the score with Edward Hastings and his arrogant husband.

In the meantime, he needed to take the taste of cherry lips and innocence out of his head. He grabbed his phone and checked the missed call log. Nothing worked better than experiencing the familiar to regain his footing.

That had been a slip. Nothing more.

***

Christian lay in bed, his eyes on the ceiling. He couldn’t go to sleep. First, he had felt cold and pulled the blanket up to his chin; then, he had felt too hot, and the blanket had landed on the floor. The unfamiliar frisson coursing through his body was already annoying.

It had been just a kiss. Christian had kissed boys before, and he had been kissed back. But what he could remember of them was nothing like he had experienced earlier. Maybe the difference was that a man had kissed him, not a boy.

Now, Christian saw his previous experiences as nothing but lame attempts of playing at romance and seduction. The way Brown had grabbed him –

“Ah, damn it,” he voiced his frustration. If he focused hard enough, he could still feel the weight of Brown’s hands on his shoulders, pinning him against the wall, his hard lips tasting of scotch pressing against his mouth, bent on devouring it.

The sensation had overpowered him in an instant. Wasn’t he supposed to be in control? No, no, no, going at it like this couldn’t work. At no moment could he lose his head. As much as he enjoyed walking the wild side now and then, he had no intention to be the protagonist of a scandal and break his parents’ hearts.

But he couldn’t just give up on his little quest involving Brown. Christian closed his eyes, squeezed them shut, and imagined the man, his square jaw, his dark eyes, the ever-disdainful glint in them.

He was handsome. He was an asshole. Christian wanted so much to kiss him.

“Am I out of my mind here?” It wasn’t unusual for him to talk to himself out loud. It helped him figure out ways out of difficult conundrums. “Or am I out of my league?”

No, no, that couldn’t be the case. Who was Rhett Brown, after all? Just a guy about twenty years older than him, who liked to play dom with guys who were probably bored out of their wits and wanted to try something different. They undoubtedly spent their time in Brown’s toy room prancing around like ponies and pretending to enjoy it.

Just imagining that room coming to life as a menagerie brought a smile to his lips. That was right. There was nothing unfathomable about Rhett Brown. Christian had watched plenty of BDSM videos, and, after the initial excitement, he had found them too dull to deserve a second chance.

He linked his fingers behind his head. He didn’t fear Brown. He didn’t fear his toys or his hard kisses. Christian pursed his lips, wondering what could have been so different this time for him to experience such a reaction. Nothing, absolutely nothing. It had all been in his head and nothing else.

Next time Brown kissed him, he would be prepared.

***

His sub came with a strangled cry for the third time. Rhett released him from his restraints and placed a small kiss on his forehead. The guy rubbed his wrists and stared at him. “Are you all right?”

The session was over, so there was no need for his sub to call him ‘master’. However, Rhett felt annoyed at the intrusive question. “Why do you ask?”

“You didn’t fuck me.” The reproach was evident.

Rhett moved his fingers slowly over the guy’s abdomen. “Are you still dissatisfied?”

“Far from it. But you were different tonight.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know. You were almost … kind. And what was with that kiss at the end?”

“I do whatever the fuck I want. If this is all, see yourself out.”

Rhett walked out the door and headed toward the shower. He had expected at least a modicum of desire from playing with his usual toys; the sub tonight had been perfect, and his body a work of art.

And yet, he had felt absolutely nothing. Rhett rested his forehead against the tiles as the hot water pelted his back. If only he hadn’t been so rash; he could have enjoyed Christian tonight, his soft sweet lips, his innocent body wrapped around him.

He cursed as he looked at his cock, jutting up like it had no worries in the whole fucking world. So now it wanted to come out and play.

Frustration wasn’t a familiar guest. He had thought playing around with a sub who wanted him would be enough to wash away the disappointment from earlier. Instead, his mind was inhabited by nothing but the image of a beautiful young man who could set his blood on fire with just a flutter of his curly eyelashes.

He had considered the possibility that Christian was a flirt. After all, he was brilliant, and young people these days had the Internet, so their innocence was relative, even for someone who came from a family that watched over him like he was a national treasure.

But that had been destroyed by Christian’s reaction to the kiss. A flirty guy would have eventually returned it, teased him over it, do anything else but turn rigid and scared.

Something else annoyed Rhett. Because of that reaction, he now wanted more. He wanted to show the boy that there was nothing for him to be afraid of, that he could let go and allow himself to be kissed.

The simple thought of caressing that beautiful face and kissing Christian again made his cock twitch with renewed vigor. It looked like it was between him and his hand tonight, and while he jacked off as much as the next guy, giving in to the suggestion had the shape and taste of failure.

He brushed against his cock with his fist and then began washing vigorously. Not tonight. It was no fun breaking an innocent, he tried to convince himself. So, he just had to take Christian Marshall out of his head for good.

***

“Are you guys going on a second honeymoon?” Christian dug his teaspoon into the large ice cream in front of him. He had a feeling he was in for a scolding, and he knew why. Obviously, he hadn’t been cautious enough. Maybe if he kept talking, Ed would forget about what he wanted to say.

Fat chance. Ed stared at him with stern eyes. “Christian, who did you leave with last night?”

Christian stole a glance at Adrian, but Ed’s husband looked like he wanted to give him an earful, too. Ed could fool anyone with his unreadable face – not him though -, but Adrian was like an open book. Yeah, he was in for a scolding. “Why are you asking?” He pretended to be focused on his ice cream.

“Was it Brown? Please don’t lie, and don’t make puppy eyes because they never work on me.”

“Unfortunately,” Christian mumbled with a bit of spite.

Ed sighed and placed both hands on the table. “I understand that you want to be considered a grownup, but that means acting responsibly. Whatever that man told you --”

“Nothing happened,” Christian blurted out. “He just gave me a lift. He took me home and that was it.”

There was a small exchange between Ed and his husband. Great, now he had a second set of parents. “You know, it was because of me that you two got together,” he said.

Adrian laughed. Good, good, so he could work with that.

“You are such a sneaky brat,” Adrian chided him with affection. “You know me by now, right?”

Christian nodded. Ed leaned back, and Adrian leaned in. Oh, so that was how they wanted to play that game.

“I’m all for having fun. But this guy is just bad news,” Adrian added.

“Nothing happened,” Christian repeated.

“It’s Brown we’re talking about,” Ed intervened. “You know I would be the last person to believe something like that about you, but that man cannot be trusted.”

“I’m not lying,” Christian said.

Great, he could hear the defensiveness in his voice loud and clear. That meant he had something to hide, which was true. But could Ed tell it, too?

“What are you hiding, Christian?” Ed asked smoothly and pretended to look over the menu.

“Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing if you get so defensive while we only try to help.”

He had to know that manipulating Ed wouldn’t be that easy. “Are you going to tell on me?”

“Tell on you?” The green eyes set on him, cutting with laser precision. “What is to tell?”

Christian wanted to bite his tongue. “Nothing.”

“Then why do you act so guiltily?”

“I don’t,” Christian said quietly. Was his plan going down the drain before he could even put it into motion?

“I suppose it is true that nothing happened,” Ed said, “since that horrible man didn’t hurry to brag about doing something to you. Rest assured, Christian, whatever happened last night and you refuse to talk about, it was a close call. For some reason, you escaped Brown’s clutches and his disgusting plans. Next time, you might not be as lucky.”

Christian felt an urge to rebel at those words. Did everyone in his family believe him to be helpless? “I’m not a weakling. Do you really think I don’t know how to take care of myself?”

Ed’s expression softened. “You know well I think highly of you.”

Now, Christian felt that it was his right to show that he was upset about being treated unfairly. “Is it because I’m too young?”

“No. It is because you’re inexperienced, and you think --”

“And how am I supposed to gain experience if no one lets me do anything, ever?”

Ed sighed. Adrian intervened. “It’s okay to experience. But it’s like with food. Do you really need to eat snails to know that they taste like crap?”

“Actually, escargot --” Ed tried to launch into an explanation.

“Guys,” Christian raised his hands, pleased with this small victory, “you have nothing to worry about. I got it that you worried about me, but nothing happened and never will. Have some trust in me, okay?”

Ed was sold by the look in his eyes. Adrian, however, seemed unsure.

“Hey, how many guys you two had gone through until you found each other?”

Adrian grinned. “Good point, brat. Experience all you like, but not with Brown. He might sell himself as escargot or whatever, but you’re too smart to fall for that, right?” He winked as he said that.

Christian smiled. It looked like he was off the hook. It had been a risky move to leave the reception in Brown’s car, so he needed to be a lot more careful from now on to ensure the success of his plans. Ed and Adrian could never know what went through his head. He smiled sweetly and pointed at his empty cup. “Can I have another one?”

Since everyone wanted to treat him like he was still a kid, he would behave like one. It looked like such a strategy would help him for a while. Things worked best when he served half a lie with half a truth. It just made things a lot more believable.

***

It had been a rather unpleasant week. He couldn’t find the usual satisfaction from doing the things he typically did. Suddenly, it appeared that he had become ascetic, as well. Since he refused to jerk off to imagined fantasies of that boy, nothing else worked. He was too young to consider Viagra so that he could get it up when he was with his regular subs; it wasn’t that he couldn’t; he didn’t want to. The world was full of broken china, and he only wanted to drink from a particular crystal glass. Unfortunately for him, that was out of the question. He had taken a decision, and he was set on it. Who knew he actually had a conscience? People better not learn about it, or they might start thinking he was developing some kind of moral fiber.

He was dining alone because he preferred the lack of company so that he could be alone with his thoughts. As the CEO of the company his parents had put him in charge of since he had been practically in diapers so that they could retire early, he was surrounded by people and dragged through meetings day in and day out. Moments when he could truly be alone, were precious.

“Good evening, Brown. May I steal a minute of your time?”

Rhett raised his head quickly, startled by the interruption of his train of thought. “Eddy, what a pleasant surprise.” He offered a plastic smile. “Please, have a seat.”

Eddy looked good. It seemed that marriage agreed with him. That handsome bastard of a husband of his must keep him plenty busy.

“All by yourself?” he asked.

Eddy pulled a chair and sat with unmistakable grace while murmuring a polite ‘thank you’. The boy had been wrong in his romantic assumptions. Rhett hadn’t been in love with Eddy, but he had undoubtedly always felt like he was the one who had gotten away.

And now he was married and very much in love. Eh, water under the bridge.

“Adrian is working late tonight. I won’t keep you long since we plan a late dinner.”

“But I hope you don’t mind having a drink with me, right?” Rhett made a discreet gesture for the waiter.

“This is not exactly a social call.”

Rhett remained silent. Had the boy complained about him? Christian had seemed scared, but to go crying to his cousin over something like that seemed excessive, even for someone as sheltered as him. At this point, it was better to let his companion do the talking.

“Please, leave Christian alone,” Eddy said.

Rhett smiled. “Christian who?”

The green eyes examined him for a few long seconds. “My cousin.”

“Ah. I don’t see how --”

“At our wedding reception, he left in your car. Please don’t insult me by denying. You drive the type of vehicle that is bound to get attention.”

There was something about all the Hastings and their relatives that was getting on his nerves. His parents weren’t as blue-blooded, but their wealth allowed them to mix in with that crowd. Still, Eddy and anyone in his family walked around with a chip on their shoulder. Rhett wanted nothing else but to tear that down, bring such people to his level, and show them what they were made of. He had a suspicion that they were all flesh and blood, like anyone else.

“I gave the boy a lift. He was bored out of his mind. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Nothing happened.”

The sharp stare didn’t impress him. He should have played his cards right when he had noticed Eddy’s interest in him the first time. But he had been too rash, he had come in too strong, and the handsome man in front of him had slipped through his fingers.

“Nothing happened,” Eddy echoed his words.

So Christian had been caught red-handed, and he had denied everything. Rhett decided to risk a guess at what he might have said. “I took him home, and that was all.”

“Your home?” Eddy quirked an eyebrow.

Flawless people. Rhett wanted to have them, as much as he hated them. That was the problem with Edward Hastings. He was perfect.

“Nice try, Eddy, but it’s beneath you to try to trap me. His parents’ home, of course.”

“Hmm. I suppose the maid must have missed your car when she noticed Christian coming home at that hour.”

“Do the personnel at the Marshall estate never sleep? And I didn’t exactly leave him on his parents’ doorsteps.”

“Ah, that must explain it. Anyway, please consider my plea. Christian is very young. You can have your pick from men who are into the same lifestyle as you. Don’t tempt him.”

Rhett felt like laughing. Here he was, trying to do the right thing, going against his own body and desires, which he never did, and he was still being judged. “I have no interest in someone as uninteresting as your cousin. Boys barely out of their teens are not my cup of tea. So, put your pretty head to rest.”

“Christian is twenty-one and an adult.”

“I haven’t noticed,” Brown said airily. “I took him in my car because he was as excited as a little kid. Nothing puts me off as much as immaturity.”

“All right. Thank you for your time, then. Enjoy your evening.” Eddy stood and threw him a loaded look.

“Are you sure you can’t stay?” It was more because of a force of habit than anything else. Rhett didn’t deny that there was still lingering attraction there. If Eddy ever wanted to cheat on his husband, he wouldn’t say ‘no’.

There was no chance for that to happen.

Eddy offered him a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I really cannot. I must meet my husband shortly.”

Something crossed Rhett’s mind. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

Eddy cocked his head. “You always have dinner here on Fridays. Like clockwork.”

“Ah, so you’ve paid attention to me and my habits?”

The green eyes lit up with amusement. “No. It was just something someone mentioned. I couldn’t know I would find you here for sure. But I’m glad I had the chance to talk to you. I believe in your word that you will leave Christian alone.”

My word? Rhett smirked. “Sure. I’m not interested in kids.”

“That’s a relief, then. I hope you’ll have a lovely evening.”

Rhett’s smile turned crooked. “I’m sure that it won’t be as pleasant as yours. Say ‘hi’ to Adrian from me.”

“Of course.”

An admirable man. Rhett had heard that phrase in regards to Edward Hastings over and over. Grudgingly, he had to agree. How long had he hoped he would get such a man, do unthinkable things to him, pin him under his weight, and have his way with him?

As beautiful as his subs were, they could never compete with someone like that. Very few people could make his heart beat faster, just seeing their faces. In a long time, nothing of the kind had happened.

That if he didn’t count the brief kiss he had forced on Christian. No, the boy was off-limits. Not because Eddy said so, but because of how strong he felt about stealing the young man’s innocence away from him. His wealthy family could blabber on how, at twenty-one, Christian was a man; because of them and their overbearing parenting, he was much more vulnerable than someone at that age.

Still, the thought irked him. Eddy had suspected him of wrongdoings, and he had basically let his prey escape just because of his goodwill. Since when was he listening to anything other people say?

Since it may be too dangerous to get close to someone like Christian Marshall. A kiss and he had been ready to lose control. No, giving up on his pursuit of that young man had nothing to do with Eddy’s request. It was just his own self-preservation instinct taking over.

***

Why did he have to be stuck indoors on Friday night? Christian suspected that Ed and Adrian had a hand in organizing that family dinner. But, for a while, he needed to behave, which meant that he couldn’t sneak out.

At least, it was over. Ed and Adrian were on the balcony, talking, and Christian observed them through the glass doors. They looked great together. Now would be a good moment to tell them ‘goodnight’ and then take advantage of the few hours left to play on the computer.

He opened the doors without making a sound, so they didn’t hear him. He was about to make his presence known when Ed started talking.

“I saw Brown.”

“You went to talk to him? About the brat?”

Ah, so that was his label now. Adrian said it in an affectionate voice, but still. Christian slid along the wall and chose a dark corner so that he could eavesdrop properly.

“As much as I dislike the individual, I tend to think that there’s nothing for us to worry about.”

“What did he say?”

“He told me he took Christian home, so that corroborates with what Christian told us.”

Were they suspecting him of lying now? Well, he had lied, but that didn’t mean they should be quick to judge him.

“Also,” Ed continued, “he’s not interested in kids, he says, and immaturity appears to be a turn off for him.”

Oh, really? Christian puffed his cheeks, but then he kept them that way because he couldn’t give away his position by exhaling too loudly.

“Should we believe him?” Adrian asked.

“I think he said the truth. And Brown never goes after people as young as Christian. Also, fortunately for us, my cousin is not his type. He called him uninteresting.”

Christian bit his bottom lip in annoyance. Uninteresting? Not his type? Oh, he had been plenty of his type when Brown had kissed him. Clearly, the guy couldn’t keep his hands off of him.

“What’s his type?” Adrian asked the question Christian was dying to be able to ask himself.

“You know. Muscular, handsome, a bit dull.”

“Pretty but stupid?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes, I think you can say that.”

Adrian laughed. “Then it’s a good thing that our brat is so smart. I think his intelligence acted as a repellant to that brute.”

You are both so wrong, Christian wanted to yell at them but kept his mouth shut.

“What do you think happened between them that night?” Adrian added.

Ed shrugged. “Whatever it was couldn’t have been important. Christian appeared chastised, and Brown indifferent. Trust me, he would have rubbed it in my face if he had managed to do something to my cousin.”

Indifferent? He almost apologized! It was true that Christian hadn’t let him, but nonetheless, both of them had been very much affected by that kiss.

Christian curled his hands into fists in sudden resolution. He would see how indifferent Brown had been left by that kiss. He was on his summer break, so he could dedicate his free time to pursuing this quest. Besides dipping his toes by working at a law firm over the summer, he had nothing exciting to do, anyway.

Indifferent? He would see about that.

TBC

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