I'm so proud of Nikki. I knew he was smart, of course, as one of my favorite things of late is to cook him a meal and we sit at the table for hours, drinking a good red and just talking. I could get lost in his clever mind. But he's flying at his new job. I've stayed away during his working days because I don't want him to think I'm pushing in, even if I'm dying to, but Gray went to visit the gallery last week and he said he could barely get in the place to make his planned 'support' purchase, because it was packed while Nikki and his colleague Cassie ran some impromptu art exhibition event, and the owner rang Chris to ask if he'd supply more pieces because they'd almost sold out.
When he gets home tonight, I've made him his favorite alfredo and he comes into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around me from behind, his fingers playing up and down my stomach in a way that sends goosebumps through me.
"This is special, what's the occasion?"
I raise an eyebrow. "I make you dinner every time I can?"
"Yeah but not heart stopping creamy sauces. Is that garlic bread?"
"Yes, but there's salad, too."
He laughs, kissing the back of my neck before heading off to shower.
The truth is, this is something special. I nearly took him out – Frankie offered me a reservation in one of his classiest restaurants – but I wanted to be at home for this.
When he comes out, looking sexy in light blue jeans and no socks, only a white shirt covering his torso, drips from his wet hair making it transparent in places, I have to stop myself from slamming into him, throwing the contents of the carefully laid table to the floor so I can lay him across it instead. No, that's for later, hopefully. If this goes well.
I serve us, but I barely eat anything, too anxious about how this might not go the way I hope.
"Landon, I feel like you want to talk to me about something. Will you do it? You're making me nervous."
"Okay, there's two- no, three things, actually. You're doing well at the gallery."
"Yes. I enjoy it a great deal."
"Chris suggested something. His work is increasingly popular, and he was thinking of opening his own gallery, but he doesn't want to run it. When I told him how well things were going, he suggested you could do it."
"What? But I know nothing. I've only been there a few weeks."
"I thought you might say that, and I mentioned it to Chris, though he said some people simply have a natural affinity. But he also suggested Cassie could help, because he understands you're a good team, and that you could learn more by going to school at the same time."
"No."
"No?"
"I don't want you to pay for school."
"I would, you know. But it's okay you feel that way. Chris told me how many of his pieces you've sold, and he said he would pay you both a commission. You'd be earning more than double what you make now. At least. You could pay for school yourself."
He's looking interested now, so I land the piece de resistance.
"Plus, Chris would want other artists to be included. Carefully selected and curated. By him, yes, but by you as well."
Nikki smiles, sweet and warm, and I have his answer, even if I know he'll want to think about it before he comes to the decision he's already made.
"I want you to move in." I had to get it out, while I'm on good form, even if I can feel my heart pounding. It's not helped when Nikki laughs, and doesn't stop until tears are rolling from the corner of his eyes.
"Landon," I brace for the worst, but his blue eyes look right at me, and he's smiling again, "I may have a few things still at Master François' house, but I have been as good as living here for weeks. Don't tell me you haven't noticed I'm always here?"
"Well, I have, but-,"
"Oh, my sweet man," he launches himself at me, straddling my thighs and bending to kiss me, hard, demanding, taking my breath.
"Hey!" I exclaim when I get a moment to take in air. "That's my job."
"Maybe we switched sides for a moment. I can't believe you were worried I'd say no. I could never say no to you."
I push him back a little, just so he can't attack my mouth.
"That's good."
"It is?"
"I have one more thing I want to talk about."
I lift him and place him back on my chair, going to the side cabinet for something I'd hidden in there, something I'm more nervous about that the other things, because I think there's a real chance he might say no to it, regardless of what he just told me.
I kneel in front of him, holding the book-sized velvet box in both hands as I look up at his beautiful, stern face.
"Landon?"
"This is a little backward, me being down here. It would normally be the other way, but we don't do things exactly the way other people do. But there are some things that mean a lot to me, about the lifestyle. I love you, more than I really knew it was possible to love another person. I've always been complete, but with you I feel extra complete, if that even makes any sense."
Nikki just nods, glistening tears filling his eyes.
"So this," I open the box, revealing the simple gray leather collar, which I take out and hold towards Nikki, "this, it means something. I know it won't be worn all the time, probably not even all the time when we're playing. But I hope...I want to show you how much more you are to me, and this shows that, and it shows everyone around us, because all I want to do is shout from the rooftops how important you are to me."
Nikki reaches to the collar, not taking it, but gently running those limber fingers along its edge.
"It's beautiful...Sir. Thank you. I would be honored to wear your collar."
I jump up, eager, wanting to see it on him, to see it's cool simplicity against his smooth skin and bright ink. He holds his neck long to allow me to fasten it in place. It looks exactly as perfect as I thought it would.
"I can't wait to show you off, my beautiful boy," I purr, pulling him to me so I can devour his hot mouth.
"Sir?" he says when I allow him breath. "Can we- it's just my friends have had a lot of stuff going on. Could we wait a while before we announce it to everyone?"
I like that he seems to understand how significant this is for me, and I easily agree with his request, before dominating his mouth again.
"As long as you'll wear it for me?" I request breathlessly.
"Anytime, Sir," he smiles with a cheeky glint. "I had no idea it would have this kind of impact on you. I'll wear it all the time. Do we do something to commemorate the occasion?"
"Is there something in particular you have in mind?"
"Well, you've marked me with your collar, perhaps you'd like to mark me some other way?"
"Oh dear, you don't know what you're asking," I laugh dangerously, crowding him toward our bedroom.
When I have him bound and blindfolded on our bed I stand just to watch him lightly test his bonds, his tightly muscled body writhing, the collar beautiful against the column of his neck, the new tattoo on his chest seeming to come alive under his movements. I take him at his word, nipping across his pecs, and his stomach, and his twitching sides, putting little red teeth marks everywhere I can get to, some sucked into the skin so they'll leave pretty purple evidence of what he does to me, and they're the ones that have him whimpering, reduced to desperation, begging, dripping and hard.
I crouch between his legs, taking his glistening length down, hard and fast, loving the way he throws his hips up uncontrollably, gabbling his apologies, though I don't need them, relishing him breaching my throat. I only pin his hips then because I know he likes it, matching the way his legs and upper body are already contained and controlled. I keep taking him all the way down, sucking hard to send him to the edge quickly, only teasing him once he's already at his limit, begging to come but prevented by my fingers encircling him, until, finally, when I decide he's taken enough taunting, I allow him his release, collecting it on my tongue and holding it.
I climb up his bound body, sliding my slick tongue into his mouth, letting him taste himself as I take my own aching hardness in hand, stripping the length roughly.
"You want marking some more, my sweet?" I growl into his mouth.
"Please, Sir," he licks his lips, chasing his own taste, "please mark me as yours."
I gasp, shuddering to completion, coating his gleaming cock with it, sliding my fingers through to collect some and feeding them through his pouting lips.