a good Dom—they ordered you to do something, and you
just did it. Sterling took off his shoes and lined them up neatly with the other
pairs that were there, not seeing the running sneakers Sawyer had been
wearing at the track. He wondered where they were as he slipped out of his
jacket and hung it up on one of the empty hangers, then stepped back into the
entry hall and closed the closet door.
“Okay, here I am,” he said, spreading his arms slightly. “All yours.”
“I'm sure you are,” Sawyer said with more than a hint of the sarcasm that
had driven Sterling nuts in class, “but might I suggest toning down the attitude
until I've decided that I want you?”
That was a little too much like a slap in the face for Sterling's liking, and
as usual, that kind of vitriol directed at him made him defensive. Okay, more
defensive. “I don't know why you wouldn't,” he said. “I'm great in bed—I know, I
know, you're going to wait until my birthday to find out, but that's your
decision, not mine—and I know I'm good-looking. I'm smart. I have a great
sense of humor. And I follow orders: here at eight, no drinking, had dinner at
the dining hall, and I haven't touched my cock all day.” That last was a slight
exaggeration, since it was next to impossible to take a piss without touching
his dick, but he'd followed the spirit of the rule.
“In other words, you did as you were told,” Sawyer said. “I expect that; it
doesn't get you any brownie points. And as for your self-proclaimed success
between the sheets…” Surprisingly, instead of an eye roll, Sterling was treated
to a grin, flashing so quickly across Sawyer's face that he wasn't sure he'd seen
it. “I'll allow you that illusion for a while.” Sawyer led them into a large room
that was a mix of formal and casual, as if two people had decorated it. Or
maybe it was all Sawyer and the guy had a split personality.
30
Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow
“Sit there,” Sawyer said and pointed at one of two armchairs beside a lit
fireplace, crackling away and throwing out a moderate amount of heat and a
little smoke. “You may have some water if you're thirsty.”
Sterling sat. “I'm fine, thank you.” It was easy to speak politely when
dealing with everyday niceties—his parents had drilled that much into him.
Then he waited, trying to stay relaxed because being tense wasn't going to do
either of them any favors.
“You seem a lot happier about the idea of no sex than you were this
morning,” Sawyer said, which was jumping in at the deep end as far as Sterling
was concerned. “Of course, it's not strictly true that it's out of the equation
altogether; that's impossible. There's a sexual element to something as trivial
as me telling you that you're allowed to have water to drink instead of asking
you what you'd like.” Sawyer's lips lifted at the corners in a faint smile.
“Because I do have more than water in the house.” He raised his eyebrows. “So
what changed? Is it a price you're willing to pay? Or do you think that I didn't
mean it and you'll get me to change my mind?” The timbre of his voice changed
from conversational to something with a bite to it. “And no, turning to a friend
for a quick fuck to bleed off your frustration wouldn't be allowed, and yes, I'd
know.”
“I agreed to today,” Sterling pointed out, not letting himself be baited. “I'm
a man of my word—if I say I'm going to do something, I do it. If you want me to
go longer, you'll have to convince me it'll be worth it.” Okay, so maybe he was
getting riled up. He knew what this felt like, struggling for control, desperate to
come out on top.
Wait, he thought, remembering.
“Wait.” He said it fast, before Sawyer could come back at him, which,
again, wasn't the point of this whole thing, but he needed a minute to work this
out. The fire popped loudly. “Sorry. I—this is harder than I thought. I've spent
my whole life doing
just did it. Sterling took off his shoes and lined them up neatly with the other
pairs that were there, not seeing the running sneakers Sawyer had been
wearing at the track. He wondered where they were as he slipped out of his
jacket and hung it up on one of the empty hangers, then stepped back into the
entry hall and closed the closet door.
“Okay, here I am,” he said, spreading his arms slightly. “All yours.”
“I'm sure you are,” Sawyer said with more than a hint of the sarcasm that
had driven Sterling nuts in class, “but might I suggest toning down the attitude
until I've decided that I want you?”
That was a little too much like a slap in the face for Sterling's liking, and
as usual, that kind of vitriol directed at him made him defensive. Okay, more
defensive. “I don't know why you wouldn't,” he said. “I'm great in bed—I know, I
know, you're going to wait until my birthday to find out, but that's your
decision, not mine—and I know I'm good-looking. I'm smart. I have a great
sense of humor. And I follow orders: here at eight, no drinking, had dinner at
the dining hall, and I haven't touched my cock all day.” That last was a slight
exaggeration, since it was next to impossible to take a piss without touching
his dick, but he'd followed the spirit of the rule.
“In other words, you did as you were told,” Sawyer said. “I expect that; it
doesn't get you any brownie points. And as for your self-proclaimed success
between the sheets…” Surprisingly, instead of an eye roll, Sterling was treated
to a grin, flashing so quickly across Sawyer's face that he wasn't sure he'd seen
it. “I'll allow you that illusion for a while.” Sawyer led them into a large room
that was a mix of formal and casual, as if two people had decorated it. Or
maybe it was all Sawyer and the guy had a split personality.
30
Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow
“Sit there,” Sawyer said and pointed at one of two armchairs beside a lit
fireplace, crackling away and throwing out a moderate amount of heat and a
little smoke. “You may have some water if you're thirsty.”
Sterling sat. “I'm fine, thank you.” It was easy to speak politely when
dealing with everyday niceties—his parents had drilled that much into him.
Then he waited, trying to stay relaxed because being tense wasn't going to do
either of them any favors.
“You seem a lot happier about the idea of no sex than you were this
morning,” Sawyer said, which was jumping in at the deep end as far as Sterling
was concerned. “Of course, it's not strictly true that it's out of the equation
altogether; that's impossible. There's a sexual element to something as trivial
as me telling you that you're allowed to have water to drink instead of asking
you what you'd like.” Sawyer's lips lifted at the corners in a faint smile.
“Because I do have more than water in the house.” He raised his eyebrows. “So
what changed? Is it a price you're willing to pay? Or do you think that I didn't
mean it and you'll get me to change my mind?” The timbre of his voice changed
from conversational to something with a bite to it. “And no, turning to a friend
for a quick fuck to bleed off your frustration wouldn't be allowed, and yes, I'd
know.”
“I agreed to today,” Sterling pointed out, not letting himself be baited. “I'm
a man of my word—if I say I'm going to do something, I do it. If you want me to
go longer, you'll have to convince me it'll be worth it.” Okay, so maybe he was
getting riled up. He knew what this felt like, struggling for control, desperate to
come out on top.
Wait, he thought, remembering.
“Wait.” He said it fast, before Sawyer could come back at him, which,
again, wasn't the point of this whole thing, but he needed a minute to work this
out. The fire popped loudly. “Sorry. I—this is harder than I thought. I've spent
my whole life doing
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