* * * * *

I don't see Gabriel the following day, even though I stay in my office for two hours after my last patient.

I'm tired when I get home, drained and distressed.

Amir is sitting comfortably in one of the large armchairs by the fireplace, sipping on a bourbon, one long leg hooked over his other knee as he talks on his cell. He looks happy for a moment, and I realize he's talking to his mother, who is a warm affectionate woman – where Amir got his hugging habit from, I suspect.

Owen is knelt by his side, and keeps his eyes down when I come in, although I see them flicker as he stops himself from looking up at me. I feel a pang. I miss those clear green eyes that always looked at me with such honesty.

"Maman, Gray is here, I must go...Yes maman I will...Love you too," he disconnects the call and looks up to me. "My mother sends her love Gray."

"I hope she's well?"

"Better than ever, my youngest brother has finally asked his girlfriend of eight years to marry him. She couldn't be happier."

"That's wonderful news. I know your mother loves weddings. I'm surprised she never insisted on you proposing to Gavin?"

"Oh, she did. We didn't want to though. We always said we'd do it when it was legal everywhere, but of course, we knew that would never happen."

"You were happy as you were..."

"Immensely," Amir's smile is warm as he remembers his love.

I'm pleased that he can speak about Gavin without getting upset, especially now, for Owen's sake.

* * * * *

We go to the club on Friday. After checking with Landon, I offer Amir the playroom, which he accepts with alacrity.

"So, you happy you found Owen a suitable Dom?" Landon grins at me.

"Of course."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe. Anyway, where's Nikolai tonight?"

"He'll be here. He's been spending a lot of time with Ellis lately. I think they're bringing some friends of Ellis' from his school."

"Subs?"

"You hope. But no, I think they're just regular guys. That shouldn't bother you though. You always hate it when submissives are too submissive. Maybe you should just hook up with a vanilla."

"I don't think that would suit, somehow. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with being picky."

"Sure, as long as you're not using it to push perfectly reasonable guys away because you're still burning over Liam."

"Fuck you," but there's little rancor in it.

He might not be completely wrong.

Just then Frankie strides in with Ellis just behind him, and a bunch of very nervous looking guys following behind. Nikolai is the exception, sauntering over to Landon before adopting a submissive pose, hands behind his back, eyes to the floor.

"Master Landon," he murmurs.

"Nikolai, my sweet, how are you?"

Aw that's cute. I have definitely never heard Landon talking to a sub like that, or, recently, spending more than a couple of nights with one.

"I missed you this week, Sir."

I have to hide my snort of amusement as a cough, in response to Landon's shocked but pleased face.

I lean over, "It strikes me, Sir, that you might have been projecting your desire for a relationship onto me."

It's his turn, "Fuck you," but he turns back to Nikolai, "Nikolai, lift your eyes, look at me."

Nikolai does, and Landon pounces on his lips, tenderly moving against his soft acquiescence, sucking his fat bottom lip in, until I can hear the heavy breathing of both of them. Eurgh, it won't help me to get turned on now. I turn to greet Frankie and Ellis with my customary hugs.

"So, Ellis, you've brought some friends?"

"Yes, Master decided he wouldn't be jealous if he knew they understood what our relationship entailed."

"Okay, seems fair," I give Frankie side-eye – I suspect he just wanted to freak out the vanillas.

Although two of the four don't even look that freaked. Could be fun.

They all stand outside the red velvet rope of the VIP area. They aren't getting in unless they're invited by a VIP Dom.

"Hey, Ellis, you want me to invite your friends in, so they can have a drink?"

"Gray, they don't know how to be submissive."

"I could give them a crash course."

"I'm sure you could, but I don't think they're ready for that. But, hey, I won't stop you asking them."

He turns to his friends, "Guys, I'm just going to spend some time with my Master. I'll come dance later – you can go to the bar, use Master François' account but don't get drunk, and what do you say if a Dom approaches you?"

"I'm not a submissive and I'm not available," the four of them chant, like a hot little cult.

"What happens if you are available?" one of them, a cocky-looking hot jock-type blond, asks.

"I told you, Mateo, you are not prepared for what would be expected. You don't head into something like that blind."

"Unless you're blindfolded," I purr, and he blushes, to my delight.

The other guy who didn't look scared is looking over my shoulder with a lustful gaze, and I glance to see what's got his attention. Landon is seated on a leather couch, Nikolai straddling him, grinding in a very non-PG13 way whilst they continue to try and climb inside each other via their mouths.

"You like? You can come in if you want?"

His eyes are wide, a combination of desire and fear now. They're fucking stunning, the palest green, framed by lashes so thick and dark it looks like he's wearing eyeliner, or maybe he is.

Then the fear goes and he looks right at me, evaluating. Ellis leans in, whispers, and his eyes drop obediently to the ground. Nice. Maybe he's a natural sub. I don't think the other one, Mateo, is. He's just a horny student ready to try anything. I could have fun with that, though. Am I in the mood to have fun with that?

The other two head off to the bar, definitely not ready to get involved in the specifics. I see Ellis whispering at Mateo and he finally drops his wandering gaze too.

"Master Gray," Ellis says, "I'd like you to meet my friends, Mateo and River."

They're both still staring at the floor, no idea what to do.

"You may look at me. Hello River, hello Mateo, it's nice to meet two such beautiful boys."

I use my Dom voice, to gauge their reactions. River's high cheekbones flush prettily, the boy could be a model. Mateo looks a little embarrassed – I doubt he gets called beautiful very often. He is, but I suspect hot and sexy are more what he's used to.

Ellis whispers again, "Hello Master Gray," they say, in unison.

Maybe it's the musical skill in them that allows them to do that.

"Why don't you come in?"

They shuffle past the velvet rope and stand awkwardly while Ellis pushes Frankie onto the long couch and climbs into his lap, sitting sideways. There's plenty of room for me to sit between Landon and Frankie, but I don't want to make the boys feel too uncomfortable. I glance at Ellis for guidance, he knows them well, he'll know what they'll be willing to do.

Ellis whispers to Frankie.

"Ellis, why don't you show your friends the appropriate way to behave around a Dom," Frankie suggests.

I sit and Ellis grins and jumps up, before gracefully dropping to his knees by Frankie's side, resting on his heels and placing his hands behind his back with his head lowered. The two watch him intently before Mateo lets out a big grin, dropping, slightly less gracefully, next to Ellis, though he assumes the remainder of the position well enough.

I look up at River, who's gone back to watching the floor, as if thinking to himself. Finally, he seems to make a decision, smoothly lowering himself to position on my other side.

Landon and Nikolai haven't stopped grinding this whole time, and I can see Mateo stealing glances at their hot little display, his interest clearly apparent in his tight blue jeans. As I know the playroom is taken, I wouldn't be that surprised if the two of them take it further out here – it wouldn't be an uncommon sight.

Though Landon whispers to Nikolai, who settles himself in Landon's lap, his long legs curled up and his head resting in the crook of Landon's neck.

"You know Chase is doing a scene soon?" Landon asks me.

"Who with?" Chase doesn't have his own sub, though he plays with a few of the regulars.

"Dae."

Dae was the other submissive who trained with Nikolai, and he's a hot little brat with a major attitude.

"Interesting. Brat with brat, wonder how that goes down."

"You wanna let Chase hear you calling him a brat?" Landon laughs.

"Maybe not, but he's definitely not a brat tamer. I bet he has to punish Dae a lot."

"I think so, but only because he likes it. Apparently he's insatiable, and a size whore. You should play with him – I bet you'd be able to calm him down, you have that way about you."

"Nah, I'm no brat tamer either. We should get him with Dexter – you know that man loves a challenge."

The light above the door to the private playroom flashes, indicating a show will be beginning in ten minutes. I take Mateo and River's jaws in each hand, gently pulling them up so my eyes can flick between them.

"There's a scene about to begin in the private club room, would you like to watch? I have to warn you it can get fairly intense in there."

Mateo is instantly eager, but River looks more uncertain.

"You don't have to. You can just go to the bar with your other friends."

Ellis leans over.

"River, you can leave any time you want if it's too much."

He looks almost hopeful, and there's a glance shared between the two. Finally, River nods, and Ellis stands, indicating that the other two should follow suit. Frankie and I lead them into the room and to the VIP area in there, to sit on the comfortable couch. Landon follows, and Nikolai immediately resumes his position on Landon's lap, snuggling into his shoulder.

I raise my eyebrows at Landon, and, this time, he just shrugs, with a sheepish but pleased look. Finally admitting it then, good for him.