Before He Cheats
Rupert's society friends can call it an open relationship if they want. Leon still calls it cheating—and he's going to make sure it never happens again.
Leon knows he and Rupert come from completely different worlds, but it never occurred to him that Rupert would consider their relationship to be open unless otherwise stated.
He might not have the money, the experience or the social standing of Rupert's usual lovers, but Leon's still determined to fight for what he wants. And what he wants is to make sure he's exclusive with Rupert before his lover's "old friend" comes to visit next weekend.
Can he convince a man like Rupert to give up everyone else in favour of one inexperienced graduate student? Can he convince Rupert to make a commitment to him before he cheats? Leon doesn't know—but he sure as hell is going to try!
Reader Advisory: Please note that all these stories are connected solely by theme. They can all be read as stand-alone titles and in any order.
While Under the Influence
A natural follower meets a natural leader. The only question now is who will have the biggest influence over the other?
Elijah is a natural follower, but he's never thought too much about the way he lets his cousin talk him into all kinds of crazy schemes. What he has thought about, a lot, is the fact that he's pretty sure he's not entirely straight. When a drunken game of truth and dare sees Elijah's cousin, Louisa, find out he might be gay, her influence leads him straight into his favourite sexual fantasy.
Aaron has always believed that he's a much harder man to manipulate, but that doesn't mean he's never been hurt, or that past pain doesn't influence his actions in the present. Aaron might be dominant to the core, but that doesn't mean it's all easy for him.
As meddling family members, former submissives and large amounts of alcohol all come to bear on them, Elijah and Aaron are about to find out just what sort of influence they are destined to have on each other.
Reader Advisory: The stories in this collection are linked solely by theme. Each story can be read on its own and the stories can be read in any order.
General Release Date: 27th February 2012
Before He Cheats
Monday
“My, my! Does Rupert have you house-trained already? He doesn’t usually trust his toys with a key until their spirit’s been completely broken.”
Leon Powell frowned as he glanced over his shoulder. “What did you—?” He quickly cut himself off when he saw who stood at the bottom of the steps leading to Rupert’s front door.
Somehow James Campbell was still able to look down his nose at Leon, even while standing a good three feet below him.
Leon opened his mouth, but hurriedly closed it again, before he ended up something he shouldn’t. Heaving his heavy backpack into a more comfortable position on his shoulder, he took a deep breath.
Be polite, he reminded himself. Rupert does business with the guy. It would probably be a really bad idea to call him an arrogant pillock and slam the door in his face.
“I’m sorry,” Leon said in his best ‘I’m dealing with a professor I need a good grade from’ voice. “I don’t think Rupert’s home right now, but when he gets back I’ll make sure he knows you called.”
Turning his back on James, Leon once more offered his key up to the lock on Rupert’s front door.
Toy... Broken... Trained? James’ words niggled at the back of his mind, but Leon did his best to push them away as he opened the door and stepped inside. He had plenty to think about after a day full of lectures and workshops. He didn’t need anything else messing with his brain.
Crouching down to pick up the day’s post, Leon only just stopped his backpack sliding off his shoulder and scattering a dozen thick text books across the elaborately tiled entrance hall.
Suddenly, the front door jerked towards him, almost knocking him off his feet. Leon looked up just in time to see James stride past him in a blur of expensive tailoring, as if he were no more important than the damn doormat.
“Rupert’s—” Leon begun again.
“I’ll wait.”
Before Leon could say another word, James had marched straight into Rupert’s study, as if he was the only one who actually had a right to be there. Leon’s fist tightened around his keys as he pushed the jagged bits of metal into his jeans pocket. He was the one with the keys. He was the one who Rupert actually wanted to find waiting for him when he came home.
Quickly slamming the front door, Leon tossed the mail on the hall table and rushed after James.
Backpack hurriedly tossed into its habitual resting place beside the big leather sofa, Leon shoved his hands into his pockets. A moment later, he pulled them back out and made a conscious effort not to look like a nervous little school boy as he watched James run a critical eye over the various books and ornaments on Rupert’s shelves.
Leon barely held back a sigh when he realised there really wasn’t any polite way to get rid of the man. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Doesn’t Rupert prefer his boys to kneel when asking their betters if they can be of service?” James asked, as he draped himself languidly into one of the high backed chairs flanking the fireplace.
“Boys?” Leon repeated, blankly. As in boys plural?
James’ laughter was like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Don’t tell me Rupert has you thinking you’re the only submissive in his stable.”
Submissives and stables and everything else be dammed. The only fact that really registered in Leon’s mind was the possibility of his boyfriend screwing other guys. A strong hand clamped around his heart and squeezed several beats out of it.
For just one brief moment, Leon was too shocked to try to school his features into displaying anything other than his honest reaction. Sod’s law that he had to meet James’ eyes during those same few seconds.
“Child, Rupert’s one of the most highly respected dominants in the city,” James said. “You didn’t really think you’d have him all to yourself?”
Leon just stared at him unable to bring a single word to his lips as he slowly lowered himself onto the sofa. It was either that or collapse to the floor as his knees buckled beneath him.
While Under the Influence
"Truth or dare?"
Elijah March knocked back another shot of vodka, then squinted as he did his best to focus in on his cousin.
Louisa tossed her drink back with a great deal more co-ordination than Elijah had been able to manage for at least an hour and a half. There was a good reason why he’d sworn off playing drinking games with his cousin. Unfortunately, at that particular moment, Elijah was far too drunk to remember what that reason was.
Blinking uncertainly at the girl who’d been his best friend ever since they’d started school, and who’d been getting him into trouble for just as long, Elijah pulled himself into a more upright position on the sofa and brushed his hair back from his face.
The wavy chestnut strands were too long. They kept falling in his eyes. Maybe that was why Louisa looked blurry! Elijah smiled, pleased he had solved that particular mystery.
"Truth or dare?" Louisa repeated, flicking her own blonde mane over her shoulder as she reached for the vodka bottle again. She must have spilt quite a bit of it at some point, Elijah decided, because there was a lot less in the bottle than there should have been.
Opening his eyes very wide as he tried to resolve Louisa’s image into one person rather than two, Elijah considered his options. Louisa had one hell of a strange sense of humour when it came to dares.
From what Elijah remembered of their last night out together, he’d ended up stark naked on a building site. It had been damn cold there too. At least they were tucked away safely in their shared flat this time. There was a greatly reduced chance of getting a chill. But still...
"Truth," Elijah finally said, with all the confidence of a man who had more alcohol than blood flowing through his veins.
Louisa smiled.
Elijah bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. He knew that smile.
He was pretty sure this was how the pretty blonde heroine in the horror films felt when she decided to wander into the dark, scary forest in search of her pet kitten, or whatever. Elijah knew he was going to get slaughtered, but there really wasn’t any way to change the role he was destined to play in the scenario.
"Favourite sex fantasy," Louisa purred, obviously relishing each word. "In detail."
Elijah kept his face hidden.
"Is it too late to say dare?"
“Drink your shot, Eli. Get some courage in you,” she ordered.
Elijah peeked between his fingers just in time to see Louisa toss back yet another shot.
“Snap,” he blurted out. “I will if you will.”
Louisa laughed, kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet underneath her, making herself completely comfortable on the opposite sofa. “My favourite fantasy...” she mused. “The company football team.”
Elijah straightened up, a frown gathering on his brow. If he was going to confess his own worst sins, he’d be damned if he didn’t get some good mileage from Louisa in return. “You said we had to give details. Who from the football team?”
The image of the Clarkson Financial Services company football team sprung up inside Elijah’s head. He had to admit there were some really fit guys on there and—
“All of them, of course!” Louisa giggled with glee at the idea. “I’d take them all, one after another. Form an orderly queue, boys, there’s plenty for everyone!”
Elijah shook his head, not sure he wanted to hear any more, but it made no difference. Louisa was already well into her stride.
“We’d all be in the changing room after they’ve won a big game. I’d give the man of the match the first turn with me, then just work my way down the line.” Louisa walked her fingers daintily along the arm of the sofa as she spoke. “I’d start with my back pressed against the lockers, my legs wrapped around the team captain and his cock buried as deep inside me as he can get it. Once I’ve come a few times, I’d move over to the wooden bench running down the middle of the room so a couple of different guys could get their hands on me at the same time. We could all finish off in the showers, and I’d be trapped between as many slippery soapy bodies as I can squeeze in under the spray.”
Louisa closed her eyes. Her head dropped back to rest on the high back of the sofa. “All those naked fit men, all of them pumped up from their big win. So much adrenaline, so much testosterone, and so many possibilities... Sometimes, I imagine the guys getting so worked up they can’t control themselves and start to mess about with each other while they wait their turn for me.” She let out a satisfied little sigh as she opened her eyes and turned her attention back to Elijah.
Finally regaining control of his slack jaw, Elijah closed his mouth. “And to think, you used to be such a nice girl...”
Louisa laughed out loud. “No, sweetheart. You are a nice boy. I am, and always have been, a complete slut.”
Elijah helplessly pictured his Aunt Susan’s face. “Your mother would turn in her grave, and she’s not even dead yet.”
“A slut, Elijah,” Louisa announced, in the tone she always used when she was attempting to educate Elijah about the big bad world, “is merely a woman with the morals of a man.”
Elijah couldn’t help but smile.
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