Chapter Fifteen

Izzy

 

Malone had told him that Awake was the room of epic mind fucks where nothing was ever what it seemed, and looking back, Izzy had to agree.

The biggest object was a four-poster bed with a thick frame that Rowes had unknowingly leaned against for almost their entire scene. The bed itself was for anything but sleeping, with a dozen different restraints built into it where someone could be bound and edged for hours.

There were other things, too, like the needles that could be chilled or heated so they felt like they were cutting, and the endless number of hoods and gags. The speakers built in could shake the room, which could be useful in a sleep deprivation scene, and the cage in the corner had probably never seen a dog.

But Izzy didn’t expect his own mind to be just as fucked over as Rowes. He was holding onto himself—barely—his hands shaking with an energy that came from nowhere. He felt like he could fuck five people and still get it up for more, but at the same time, he never wanted his hands to stray from Rowes’ skin.

“You okay?” he asked Rowes for what was probably the fourth or fifth time. He’d taken off the blindfold almost as soon as he had laid Rowes on the bed, and it had been soaked with sweat and tears. Rowes was still crying in slow, lazy drips that curled down the sides of his face before falling.

Rowes only nodded, swallowing as he reached for Izzy’s hand and squeezed tight. Izzy had tried to pull away once to grab them some water, but Rowes had clung to him like a leech, refusing to give way.

“Did I hurt you?”

Rowes shook his head, curling his lips into a smile. His breaths were slow and soft, as if he were on the edge of sleep, and he had yet to open his eyes.

“Why are you crying?” Izzy wiped away another set of tears as they built.

“I feel too good not to cry.” Rowes nuzzled into him, only wincing when he wiggled his ass on the bed. “How long until we have to leave?”

Glancing to the closed door, Izzy let out a contented sigh. Maybe he could convince Rowes to stay here forever. The bed wasn’t as comfortable as his back home, but it was better than the hotel one. They could leave the show and live in the club without contracts or questions between them.

The whole idea of it was so tempting that Izzy almost suggested it. It was really too bad that they both loved their careers.

“I’ll give you two options,” said Izzy, smoothing his hand down Rowes’ chest just because he could. Those abs belonged to him, and so did his nipples. Every little bit was his, even the hole he wasn’t allowed to touch.

“One, we see if Clint has a room here and stay the night. I still have to talk with Malone about a few things, so we need to hang around for a bit.” He touched Rowes’ sides, tracing the bruises that were on their way to healing. “Option two, we head back to the hotel now and we crash in the jacuzzi. I’ll have you play with that plug of yours and see how many times I can get you to come.”

Rowes giggled, kissing Izzy’s pec in a way that was all too natural. A month ago, it would have been just as natural for them to have been this close, but they would have had clothes on, for sure, and they wouldn’t have kissed.

“I don’t think I could come again if I tried,” said Rowes, motioning to his soft cock. It was filthy, with dried cum that must’ve been itchy as hell.

At the knock on the door, Izzy grabbed the closest blanket, tossing it over Rowes. It seemed strange, when Rowes had just been naked in front of two other men, one of them a stranger, but Izzy wasn’t letting anyone see his property without permission.

“Come in,” he yelled. He wasn’t sure if they would hear him or not, because Malone had mentioned that the rooms were mostly soundproofed. The door cracked a moment later regardless, and Malone’s boy stuck his head inside.

His cheeks were flushed, making his boyish looks appear even younger. His eyes seemed old, though, catching everything he saw, including the little cues Izzy and Malone had given him throughout the scene. If Izzy had his guess, he was probably a similar age to Rowes and himself.

“Hey.” He waved from the door, slowly taking a step inside before carefully shutting it behind him. “Daddy said we have to leave soon, but that you needed to talk to him. He didn’t want to interrupt your aftercare.”

Which was thoughtful as hell. Izzy was feeling exceedingly possessive, but Malone’s boy was also one of the most unthreatening people he’d ever met. He almost wanted to hug him.

“How are you feeling, baby?” asked Izzy, looking to Rowes, who had finally opened his eyes. His tears had stopped, but his eyes were still bloodshot and his nose swollen. He also looked relaxed as all hell.

“So good. Less floaty, but super happy.” He grinned, even as he said it.

“There’s a Zen room, if you wanted to chat there instead. I can take care of cleaning this room and the laundry after I show you there,” said the boy, ducking his head when Izzy looked his way again.

“Okay—just…I want to clean Rowes up a bit first.” He pulled away from the bed for the first time, fastening his jeans as he strolled to the nearest sink and grabbed a cloth. Rowes furrowed his forehead but didn’t react otherwise when Izzy wiped the crusted cum from his groin.

After Rowes’ donned a robe, Malone’s boy led them a short way along the hall, to a door that looked almost identical, except for the Zen engraved on it. It was much more clear-cut than Awake, with a lavender scent diffuser, soft music and comfy couches. Malone was the only other person in the room, reclined on one of the couches as he sipped from a bottle of water.

Izzy would have killed for a drink. Nothing was better after good sex than a finger of hard liquor—and that had been some amazing sex.

Malone’s boy slipped back into the hall as they settled on a couch across from Malone, soundlessly closing the door. Izzy grabbed the nearest blanket, wrapping it around Rowe’s shoulders. His sub was wearing a robe that he’d found in the room because he’d winced at the sight of his pants, but the robe was silky and not at all warm.

“You two look happy,” said Malone, giving them a smile that spoke volumes.

“Very,” Izzy replied, just as easily. He’d never been so fucking satisfied in his life. “Your guidance was much appreciated. The next time we’re both free, we’ll have to schedule a repeat.”

Malone nodded, his eyes sparkling. “It would be my pleasure.”

Reaching into his pocket, Malone pulled out his phone and a pair of glasses, perching them on the end of his nose as he looked to the screen. “I read over the contract you sent me. Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear-cut, except for what we talked about before. The only way out is for the contract to expire or for a new one to be proposed and approved. It’s not exactly my area, but things like this usually can be renegotiated…at a cost.”

Rowes perked up in his arms, instantly tensing. Izzy hushed him, squeezing him through the blanket. “Relax, baby.”

“Which part of it is clear-cut?” asked Rowes, moving closer even as he turned to face Malone fully. “Sir,” he added as an afterthought.

Malone smiled. “You don’t have to call me ‘Sir’, Mr. Keppel. ‘Malone’ will do.”

“Oh.” Rowes pursed his lips. “Then call me Rowes.”

“Thank you, I will.” Malone glanced back at his phone. “So, as per the contract, you cannot engage in sexual intercourse with Isthmus or any of the other cast members. That’s the part that’s clear-cut.”

Izzy could see the panic on Rowes’ face as he looked at himself, then back to Izzy, his eyes going wide. “But what we just did…”

“Was intimate, but not intercourse,” said Malone. “Legally, intercourse involves vaginal or anal penetration by anything from a finger, tongue, penis or object. Oral sex is actually deemed a separate act by legal standards, so that wouldn’t count in your contract.”

“But the toy…the plug,” said Rowes, reaching for his ass and gasping as he shifted on the couch.

“I can’t put it in, baby,” said Izzy, grasping Rowes’ hand and bringing it to his lips, “but any other non-cast member can. Like, let’s say, Malone’s boy—or yourself, if I asked you to.”

Rowes gaped, his eyes shimmering with fresh tears before he threw his arms around Izzy’s neck, hugging him tight. “You guys are geniuses.”

His voice was muffled by Izzy’s shirt, but Malone still chuckled.

“We can really be together?”

Izzy had never seen Rowes so hopeful, not even when he’d gotten the part in season one.

“There’s no one on this planet who could stop us, baby. I want to prove that to you.” Izzy reached into his pocket for the thing that had been hidden there all along. Throughout the scene it had been burning him through his pants, reminding him that it was there with every movement.

It was heavy, with interlocking metallic links that mimicked a tight chain inlaid with jewels. The jewels themselves were black, polished and cold to the touch. At the center, the chain met with a small O-ring and a charm shaped like a heart. Hidden within the heart was a small lock that held the entire thing together.

“There’s only one key,” said Izzy, holding the bracelet where Rowes could see it. It sparkled in the light, and his chest went tight. He’d bought it as soon as he’d become Rowes’ Dominant, and the custom piece had just arrived the day before.

“It’s beautiful,” said Rowes, touching the locking charm. His hands were trembling, his eyes wide as he admired it for the first time.

“This means everything to me, Ro, the same as you do. Never take it off.” Fumbling for the key, he unlocked the chain, wrapping it around Rowes’ wrist. “Are you willing to accept it and me?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Rowes blinked rapidly, his eyes going shiny again. “I want to spend the rest of my life by your side, no matter what that means. Even if it meant never kissing you again, I wouldn’t leave. I could never give you up.”

Izzy locked the clasp, letting out a heavy breath as his own eyes burned. He’d never thought of buying a ring for someone, but the makeshift collar seemed more significant somehow. It wasn’t just sharing a home and a life with someone. It was sharing every part of his soul.

“Oh no, I missed it!” Malone’s boy cried from the door as he slipped into the room. He knelt next to their couch, leaning as close as he could to Rowes’ wrist without touching him. “It’s so beautiful. When Daddy told me Mr. Linton was looking for a collar for you, I was so excited. It’s more gorgeous than I imagined.” He touched the collar at his own throat, his eyes brimming.

“Come here, boy,” said Malone. “Give them some space. Jesus.” He held out his hand as he stood. “Keep in touch, Isthmus, and talk to Rowes about what to watch for with the drop. I’ll only be a call away if something comes up.”

Izzy turned back to Rowes as the door shut, cutting off a whisper of noise from the hall. “You look so beautiful, baby.” He touched the charm before bringing it to his lips. “If the director has a problem with you wearing it on set, I’ll chat with her. It’s discreet enough that it should blend in, for the most part.”

Rowes leveled him with a look that brooked no argument. “Problem or not, this is never coming off.”

He closed his eyes, stroking the jewels. When the day ended, they would go back to their lives and the set, but everything was going to be different. There wasn’t a thing in the world that could stop them.