A/N: what? no? really? things might be coming to light...soon? (promise)

Landon

I missed Nikki yesterday. Not missed him, missed him; we just didn't play. I watched him dancing with Dae, looking so strong and handsome while Dae showed off for Dex. Dae looked good, very sexy, but I could barely take my eyes off Nikki's gorgeous face.

But something is off, wrong. I feel like he wants to tell me something. Not that he likes me – I'm fairly confident he likes me; perhaps not as much as I like him, not yet, but he's getting there. But there's something he's holding back. I wonder momentarily if there's someone else, though I don't really think so. He doesn't seem to be very experienced and I don't think he's a player.

I want to offer him a contract, but I need to resolve this weird feeling. I only said hello to him yesterday, and he looked sad, and I'm a bad man because I liked that he was affected by me pulling back. I approach him now, as he stands talking to Jax at the bar, and wait for them to finish speaking.

"Master Landon, what can I serve you?" Jax says, making Nikki turn around.

"A water please, Jax," I turn to Nikki. "Hello Nikki, how are you?" It's a repeat of yesterday and I see his face fall a little.

"I'm fine, Sir. How are you?"

"Can we-," I feel Frankie looming at my side and break off.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Landon. Hello Nikolai."

"Hello, Sir."

"Landon, Thomas was supposed to be on the main stage tonight, but Russo has come down with a chest infection. Would you and Nikolai do a simple scene for me?" I gape a little, I wasn't ready for that. But I turn to Nikki and he has a sweet smile on his face, though his eyes stay down.

"Would you be willing, Nikki?"

"I would, Sir." Nikki agrees quickly, but there's still something in his eyes, so I guide him toward my playroom so I can plan the scene.

"Nikki, sweetie, I need you to tell me what's wrong before we can do this."

"It's not- I don't- I'm sorry, Sir. The scene is fine, I promise." I move close to him taking his beautiful face between my palms, tilting him to look up at me. He's unsmiling; his large blue eyes serious. Suddenly, his brow furrows "I'm sorry, Sir. I've been lying to you." I'm surprised. Nikki is so genuine. Or I thought he was. With his responses, and his reactions.

"Will you tell the truth now?"

"I will, Sir. But it might take a while." I chuckle, though he's still solemn.

"How about the short version now, and we can discuss more after the scene?"

"You may not wish to scene with me, Sir."

"Let me be the judge." I'm stern, realizing that he needs a Dominant right now. "Tell me, Nikolai."

"I didn't tell Master François the truth. When I met him. He thinks it was a coincidence, but it wasn't. Not entirely, anyway. I was looking for Ellis."

"Why?"

"He- I don't know if I can tell you. I'm sorry, Sir, but I haven't even spoken to him yet. But I promise it isn't anything bad. Well, I don't know, he might think it's bad-,"

"Listen, Nikki, this might not be quite the right time for this discussion, but I was going to suggest a contract to you. Three months to begin. What do you think?" His severe expression alters to beautifully angelic as a broad smile fills his face. I can't help myself, taking his face in my hands again, bending to cover his full, soft lips with mine, molding them together, fitting so perfectly.

"So," I say when I break away, "what do you think?"

"Sir...I would, but you can't want to."

"Nikki, unlike some Doms, I won't ever assume to know what you're thinking, but I expect the same respect from you. But because of that, I do need honesty. The reason I'm suggesting it now, instead of waiting for a more opportune time, is because if we have a contract, I will feel comfortable in punishing you for dishonesty, and in demanding that you reveal the full truth about this matter that's bothering you. So if we agree a contract, that's what we can look forward to."

"I will, Sir; agree. I would like a contract with you. How will you punish me though? And are we still doing the scene?"

One thing at a time.

"Even if you want to tell Ellis before you tell me, can you assure me it isn't something that will get Ellis into trouble, or hurt him? It's one thing for me to allow you your secrets, but Frankie will never forgive me if I let something through that I could have stopped."

"It isn't a physical thing. And to be honest I don't know how he'll react emotionally; I can only promise it isn't something that I'm intentionally setting out to hurt him with."

I don't want to force this out of Nikki, even if I think he should tell me. He isn't used to the idea of having someone take the responsibility for his difficulties, and he's still so independent. I think he'll even stay that way. But I know he'll tell me in time.

I can try to get a feel for what he's keeping to himself though.

"What do you think an appropriate punishment would be?"

"I don't know, Sir. You're going to be mad I kept this from you. And from Ellis."

"Maybe Ellis should come up with your punishment then, if it affects him."

With that, I'm happy to let the whole situation rest until the scene is complete. I know I'm unusual. Being lied to would make almost every other Dom I know furious, including Gray, who is, in many other ways, very relaxed about behavior. But, even though I don't especially appreciate being lied to, I can see the pleasure in the fact that Nikki is willing to come clean without being cornered – he doesn't need to reveal the truth but he's choosing to. That's enough for me. Plus, Nikki is smart, and mature, and he doesn't do anything without consideration. But there's no doubt we can't have a contract where he thinks it's fine to lie, so there will certainly need to be some kind of discipline. And I can't pretend I'm not intrigued about why he had been looking for Ellis.

But in the meantime, I can focus on the scene. Frankie's only expecting something simple, but I'm still going to have a little fun with Nikki's spectacular body up there. When the crowd is settled and quiet in the public showroom, I bind a naked Nikki to the padded table, bent at the waist, his ankles spread to the two corners, his wrists held high, cuffed to the chains that hang from the grid. His butt reaches the table, barely, and the gorgeously toned muscles of his torso are stretched and exposed.

I push myself onto the broad table so I'm kneeling behind him, and put my hands against his lean jawline, pulling his head back and down so he's looking at me upside down with those large crystal blue eyes, the tendons in his long neck taut. As I keep looking into his eyes I push a red ball into his clenched hand, letting him know he soon won't have his words. He lets a little smile go that only I can see and lets his mouth open wide.

"Gonna fill that pretty mouth up, baby," I whisper into his ear, nuzzling briefly under his lobe before I right myself and feed his tipped-up mouth the head of my cock. In that position I feel myself reach his throat quickly, and feel the shift of hot moist flesh as he adjusts the space to accommodate me. It feels so good as I feed into him inch by inch forcing my cock to point down, until the whole audience can see the bulge in his throat where he's taking all of me. He definitely has a talent for this, and I bob, using extra chains hanging from the grid as leverage, until I know I won't take much more.

I'm not finished exposing him for everyone to see though, and I jump down from the table, unclipping his ankles and refastening them by his wrists so he's folded in half.

"You look incredible, baby," I tell him as I slide two fingers into his welcoming body, listening to him moan. The sound makes a shiver of delight run through my entire body and I replace my fingers, filling him slowly, letting his tightness relax around me. He feels so good, like hot silk wrapping me, and I move slowly but rhythmically inside him, wishing I could reach to kiss him, but making do with massaging his strong thighs as I watch myself disappearing through that stretched ring of muscle. I can feel him tensing, ready for release, and speed up, tipping his hips so I get his prostate, making him whimper as he clenches down hard on me, coming in thick jets of cream across his abdominals, pulling my release into him.

When he's untied and I've guided him into my playroom and settled him on the bed, I climb on next to him, massaging his sore biceps.

"You ready to be honest, baby?"