Made to Order by Brigham Vaughn

SEVEN

Donovan frowned down at Tyler’s ass and thighs. They were red. Welted in a few places from the dragon’s tail with speckled red splotches from the spoon. He patted Tyler’s muscular back. “Let me get some cream for that. Arnica should help it heal and prevent bruising.”

“Nah, I’m fine.” Tyler moved like he was going to sit up, but Donovan held him in place.

“I know you’re a big tough guy, but this was a lot. Let me do this.”

Tyler let out a little grumble, but he subsided. “Fine.”

Donovan reached for the water bottle he’d set out earlier. “Drink some of this while I grab it. You’ll need it.”

“Okay.”

Donovan stood, grimacing at the remnants of lube on his body. He’d done a rudimentary cleanup, but he needed to scrub it all off. “Actually, let’s hop in the shower first. We’ll wash off, then I’ll apply the cream. No point in washing it away, right?”

“Yeah, okay.” Tyler stood with a groan. He wobbled a little and Donovan reached out to grab his arm.

“You lightheaded? That’s common. You burned through a shitload of energy.”

“I just lay there and took it,” Tyler said with a grimace. “I work out all the time. This was less energy than that.”

“It’s different,” Donovan explained. “Impact play totally fucks with your body’s hormone levels. It’s what makes you feel great during and after, but your body doesn’t know the difference between impact play and a workout at the gym.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

“C’mon, let’s go shower.”

The water heated quickly enough, but when Donovan stepped inside the shower, Tyler lingered in the bathroom.

“You coming in?” Donovan prompted.

“Ahh, yeah.” Tyler stepped in and pulled the curtain shut.

It was a good-sized shower/tub combo but the space suddenly seemed small with a guy as big as Tyler in with him.

“You doing okay?” Donovan asked. “Still light-headed?”

“No, I think I’m fine.”

“Good. Let me take a look at your marks.”

Tyler turned away and Donovan took a moment to enjoy the sight of Tyler’s broad back, heavily inked and covered in water. Donovan ran his hands over the expanse before sliding down to Tyler’s ass.

“How’s it feel?”

“Hurts like a bitch.”

Donovan laughed softly. “Here?” He smoothed his hand across the firm globe of Tyler’s ass. “Or here?” He slid a finger between Tyler’s cheeks and gently probed his hole.

Tyler jerked like he’d been electrocuted. “Outside. Your dick isn’t that damn big, you asshole.”

Donovan smiled. “Bet it felt big enough when it was buried inside you.” He stepped closer, letting the front of his body graze against Tyler’s back.

Tyler drew in a little shaky breath. “Yeah, it did.”

Donovan turned Tyler to face him. Tyler looked up at him with a quizzical glance. Donovan had only meant to look him in the eye but the sight of Tyler’s lips—fuller than Donovan had remembered—made him lean in.

Tyler shied away. “Don’t.” He pressed a hand to Donovan’s chest, shaking his head.

Donovan frowned at him. “You kissed me earlier.”

Tyler looked away, staring at something over his shoulder. “Yeah. I was still pretty out of it. I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”

“You never mentioned it as a hard limit,” Donovan said, worry and disappointment churning in his stomach. He backed up, putting a little space between their bodies.

“Well, I didn’t even think about it.”

“Fair enough.” Donovan studied his face. “Can you tell me why you don’t want to? You don’t owe me an explanation. I’m just curious.”

Tyler shrugged, shoulders tense again. “I dunno. I’m just not sure I’m feeling the kissing thing.”

Donovan considered the idea. “Is it that because now that you’re coming down from the high of the scene, you’re thinking about the fact it’s with a man?”

Tyler grimaced. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Donovan tried to soften his voice. “Look, I get it. This is new to you. A lot of new things happened tonight. I’m not going to push you about something like this. If kissing is crossing a line, you have every right to draw that line and hold firm on it. I’ll respect that. And just because something was okay once doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to change your mind. I want you to give it some thought. I don’t want to see you get so up in your head about being with a man that it keeps you from doing things you actually do want to do. Think about why before you decide anything.”

“Okay.”

Donovan reached for a bottle of shampoo. “Can we talk about the scene in general? Did you enjoy it?”

Tyler snorted. “I mean, I fucking came until I almost passed out. Yeah, I enjoyed it.”

“That’s … physiology. You’ve got masochistic tendencies and a prostate. I hit all the buttons for both. Did you enjoy it”—he tapped the side of Tyler’s head—“here?”

He shrugged. “The pain kinda pissed me off. But it felt good.”

“That’s not abnormal. You like the results more than the experience of it. A lot of people are like that.”

“I don’t know that I disliked it, exactly? It just made me mad. Like why the fuck do I like this shit?” For the first time in a long while, the corners of Tyler’s mouth lifted in a little smirk.

Donovan grinned back at him. “Fair enough. You liked inflicting it on others, right?”

“I mean, I didn’t do half of what we just did to anyone else but yeah. It was okay.”

“Did you like this more than inflicting it?” Donovan had been wondering if Tyler was a switch.

“Yeah. But you also clearly have a way better idea of what you’re doing than I ever did.”

“Do you want to learn?”

Tyler’s smirk widened. “Why? You offering your ass up for me to practice on?”

“Uh, no,” Donovan said. “Like I said the other day, I don’t bottom for impact play. I’m not a switch.” He’d tried. God, for Jude, he’d tried. And it had been miserable for both of them. “I was just curious.”

Tyler hesitated. “I guess before, I was just drawn to it in general and I assumed I would be the one in charge? Cause that’s how it goes most of the time.”

“There are a lot of female Dommes who might disagree with that, but yeah, you were raised to expect men to be in charge. And you were with women, so …”

“I wasn’t afraid to let a woman tie me up,” Tyler said, sounding a little defensive.

“No, and that’s great.” Donovan softened his tone. “You were open-minded. So you think maybe you were drawn to it because you wanted to be on this side of it? And just didn’t realize it?”

Tyler shrugged. “Maybe. I just know this was better than anything I did before.”

“What about it did you like?” Donovan knew he was pushing Tyler, but he wanted to know where his head was at. He’d gone whole hog on trying things but that made it all the more likely he’d spook.

“I guess I could just stop … thinking so much. You know I didn’t have to be worrying about my buddy or work or anything else. I could just …”

“Let go.”

“Yeah. Like I said, it pissed me off to be helpless and being whaled on but it was nice too. Cause I didn’t have to worry about anything. All I had to do was take it.”

And that was a very submissive mindset. But Donovan wasn’t so sure Tyler wanted to hear that. Especially when he was naked and vulnerable with another guy.

“So, did it satisfy your curiosity?” Donovan settled his hands on Tyler’s firm pec, sliding his hands across the snarling beasts inked there.

Tyler hesitated but he didn’t pull away or shrug off Donovan’s touch. “Sort of?”

“Think you might want to try it again? Just to be sure?” Donovan slid his hand down Tyler’s body, wrapped it around his dick, and stroked. Tyler wasn’t hard, but the slide of Donovan’s wet hand would probably still feel good.

“Mmm. I might.”

“Then let’s do that.” Donovan smiled at him. “We’re going to see each other at work anyway.”

Tyler’s expression turned uneasy, and he stepped back under the water, dislodging Donovan’s grip. “No one there will know, right?”

“No. If you’re in the mood for something, just say, ‘hey, do you want to hang out tonight?’ and I’ll know what you mean.” He smirked at Tyler. “What we do can be your dirty little secret.”

Tyler winced. “You don’t mind?”

“I don’t share much about my personal life at work anyway.”

“True. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure you were gay. I thought maybe, only because I never saw you checking out Jenna. And every guy checks out Jenna.”

Jenna Wagner was a former bartender who now had her degree in massage therapy. She worked for a wellness center in town and did some freelance stuff on the side. She was also a tall blonde bombshell who turned heads left and right.

“I can appreciate that she’s attractive. It does nothing for me,” Donovan said with a shrug.

“No wiggle room?”

“Guess not.” Over the years, Donovan had considered if he was into women but none had ever sparked more than a mental or aesthetic appreciation. He’d never gotten hard for one. Tyler apparently had a hell of a lot more sexual flexibility to him than Donovan had expected. Frankly, Donovan was impressed by Tyler’s willingness to explore being with a guy, even if he’d been touchy about the whole thing.

Donovan pointed to the water. “Can I get under there and rinse off?”

“Oh, sure.” They switched spots.

“I’m not going to be upset if you aren’t ready to announce to the tavern’s staff that you’re reconsidering how straight you are and like to get beat by men,” Donovan said, tilting his head back to thoroughly wet it.

“I’m not reconsidering how straight I am. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to date guys. I’m just a little flexible in the bedroom, maybe.” Tyler’s tone was stiff.

“Right. Well, either way. I keep my dating life and my sex life fairly quiet. If someone flat out asks if I’m into kink, I won’t deny it, but I won’t go announcing it. And I certainly won’t tell anyone you’re involved. Your privacy will be respected.”

“Thanks.” Tyler’s shoulders dropped a little. “Cause as weird as it is to be in the shower with a guy who just”—he swallowed hard—“fucked me, I have to admit it’s less weird than I thought it would be. And I’d like to do it again.”

“Then we’re in agreement.”

“Might be a first for us.”

Donovan laughed. Much as Tyler had driven him crazy lately, he did feel a whole lot more mellow now. “Must be the good sex.”

“You enjoyed it then?” Tyler didn’t quite meet his gaze.

Donovan stepped forward, letting their wet bodies slide together. “I did. The trust you put in me tonight was sexy as hell, Tyler. There is nothing hotter to me than a strong man letting me do what I choose to him. I know that may not feel very strong to you, being a bottom for impact play or sex, but it is. It takes a lot of courage to try something that scares you. And getting to be the first person you offered that to was incredible.”

“It was a lot better than I expected.”

“Good.” Donovan resisted the urge to lean in for a kiss. “You all done in here?”

“Yeah.” Tyler reached out and turned off the water. “I should get home. I’m going to sleep like a brick.”

“You gonna be okay to drive? You feeling shaky or anything? You might want something to eat. Something to get your electrolytes up.”

“I have some bottles of Gatorade and protein bars in my gym bag. I think it’s still in the truck.” Tyler yanked open the shower curtain.

“Should I be offended you’re turning down my food in favor of cheap sports drinks and mass-produced protein replacements?”

Tyler scrubbed the towel across his hair. “Only if you want to.”

“Much as I enjoy our arguments, I’m getting pretty tired too.” A yawn crept up on Donovan and he covered it with the back of his hand.

“I’m glad we have tomorrow off. I’m looking forward to sleeping in.”

“Yeah, me too. It was worth it though,” Donovan said, reaching for a towel. “Or at least it was for me. I always have a lot of energy after work.”

Tyler glanced at him, surprise written all over his face. “Yeah?”

Donovan nodded. “Yeah, it’s this buzz I can’t shake off.”

“I know what you’re talking about,” Tyler said slowly. “Sometimes I go for a run around my neighborhood when I can’t figure out how to burn it off otherwise.”

“This was always my method,” Donovan said, wrapping a towel around his waist.

“Sex?”

“Kink and sex, yeah.”

“Was?” Tyler reached for the clothes he’d apparently left in the bathroom after his first shower of the night. “Past tense?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while. Not as many kinky men in Pendleton as there were Fort Benton. And the hours we work don’t help.”

“I hear that,” Tyler said. He zipped up his pants.

“I think this’ll be good,” Donovan said. “This little arrangement.” Assuming Tyler didn’t get freaked out and bolt. Or slug him in the nose the next time they worked together.

“Yeah, me too.” Tyler shrugged on his shirt and buttoned it. “But I think I’m out of here for tonight.”

“Text me when you get home?”

Tyler raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

“Look, I’m a Dom,” Donovan explained as they walked down the hall. “That means I’m looking out for your safety during and after a scene. It hits different people in different ways. Some crash really hard and sometimes it’s a while before that happens. I just want to be sure you’re all right.”

“Yeah, okay. Fair enough.”

They paused beside the front door and Tyler slipped on his shoes.

When he straightened again, Donovan caught his elbow. “You’ll text me when you get home?”

“Yeah, I’ll text.” Tyler let out a sigh.

“And if you start to feel weird about things, about what we did or you just feel strange or off in any way, will you message me?”

Tyler nodded once, clearly reluctant.

“I know we started off pretty antagonistic,” Donovan said, trying to soften his tone. “And this week, I’m going to have to do my best to let you lead at work. But can you let me lead when it comes to this? I have years of experience and I’ve seen it go wrong too many times. Big, tough subs get laid out because they ignore what’s going on in their head. It’s not weak to admit you need some help. This is …” He sighed. “This is kind of a mindfuck at first under the best of circumstances and you’re not someone who ever expected to either hook up with a guy or be on the bottom side of BDSM. Just don’t shut me out if you get weirded out in the next few days, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Tyler reached for the door and Donovan let him go. He left with a small lift of his hand in goodbye. It felt strange to part ways without a hug or a kiss but Donovan wanted to respect where Tyler was right now.

Hopefully, if Tyler didn’t let his head get in the way of things, they could do this again in the future and it would get easier for him.

Donovan locked the door behind him, then turned out lights as he went through the apartment, eyelids drooping.

The sight of the messy bedroom made him groan. As tempted as he was to just crawl under the covers and worry about it in the morning, he knew himself too well. He’d lie awake, tossing and turning, thinking about it until he finally got up to deal with it. Better to do it now and save himself the hassle.

Donovan cleaned and sanitized the toys, leaving them neatly laid out on the bathroom dresser to dry. When the bench was back in place, wiped down, and the bedroom was tidy, he let out a sigh of relief. He turned out the lights, crawled under the covers, and had just reached for his phone when it buzzed with a text.

Made it home. I’m about ready to crash. Thanks for tonight.

Donovan smiled, relieved. Tyler had done as he’d asked. Thank you. I appreciate the trust you put in me tonight.

G’night.

Night.

Donovan plugged in his phone and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.

* * *

It was late morning by the time Donovan awoke. He had a quick breakfast and drove west about ten miles to the Wholesome Root Farm. It was a bright summer day and as he got out of his car, he squinted behind his sunglasses. The sun heated his skin and the wind teased at the hem of his white shirt as he approached the little red building with the sign Wholesome Root Fresh Market.

Donovan stepped inside, inhaling the scents of fresh produce and baked goods.

He waved at Colleen Patton, who was behind the counter helping a customer, and she waved back, her smile broadening. “Be with you shortly, Donovan.”

“No rush.”

The market was small with just a few aisles of goods but they were all grown and made on the farm. He inspected jars of jams, jellies, pickled vegetables, and honey. There were a few freezer and refrigerator cases of organic grass-fed beef and lamb. He’d bought some for his own use, though they didn’t have enough volume to supply the restaurant. He snagged a package of fresh ground lamb for himself now, thinking about the Greek-style meatball pitas he’d make. He found some sheep’s milk feta-style cheese in the refrigerator case to go with it, then picked up a bunch of mint and another of oregano.

He browsed the pies—mostly rhubarb and strawberry this time of year and there would be peach, cherry, and blueberry shortly.

Because of the farmers market schedule conflicting with his work, he rarely made it there, but he liked that Colleen and Arthur had this small farm store as well. It was open most days of the week and they held all kinds of events and education opportunities on the property, which helped lure tourists in.

From what Donovan knew, their farm had been around for a few decades and the Pattons had a son in town who owned an accounting business. Forrest was around Donovan’s age, and he did the books for the tavern. Donovan had seen him and the local mechanic at the recent Memorial Day parade. They’d looked cozy, watching the floats go by with their arms wrapped around each other, but Donovan was pretty damn sure they were up to something kinky, given the glazed look in Forrest’s eyes and the fact that Donovan had seen the mechanic at some munches in Fort Benton a while back.

Shame he’d never spotted either of them on the kinky dating app, though he wasn’t sure if nerdy accountants were really his thing. Tyler on the other hand … oh yes, last night had been good.

The other customer disappeared out the door with a goodbye to Colleen, and she smiled brightly at Donovan. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” he said, meaning it. The kink last night had put a spring in his step, and he’d slept hard after. “How are you?”

“Oh, we’re good.” She pushed her shoulder-length silver hair behind her shoulder. “It’s busy, of course, but it always is this time of year.”

He placed his basket on the counter. “Have anything special for me this week?”

Colleen liked to set aside things for him, and since he showed up most Mondays, it was easy to predict when he’d be by.

“Oh, yes! Thank you for reminding me. I was out foraging yesterday and you’re not going to believe what I found.”

She triumphantly held up a small basket of nettle greens. It was the end of the season for them, so he was surprised she’d found any. “Oh, nice. These are probably the last of them, aren’t they?”

“I think so. I have some dandelion greens too. They’re starting to get a little big so this might be last of the really good tender ones. Oh, and I have purslane and wood sorrel too.”

“Oh yes, I’d love all of those, please. Wood sorrel is one of my favorites. I’ll make a salad with them.”

“Don’t you just love how fresh and lemony it tastes?”

“I do.” His mind flashed back to Tyler’s cologne. “I’ve been thinking about doing cedar-planked salmon with a nice spicy glaze. It’ll be perfect for a salad alongside that. Not too much though, because I know it’s high in oxalic acid.” Not that he had kidney issues, but it could be difficult for people who were prone to kidney stones. Just to be on the safe side, Donovan used it as a garnish more than a salad base. He liked it on tacos with a squeeze of lime. It added a bright acidity like cilantro.

“Feel free to invite us to the tavern when you make the salmon.” Colleen grinned at him.

“Actually, we’re going to be opening the patio at the tavern later this summer. Rachael and I were talking about doing a private vendors’ dinner to celebrate. Before the big opening. Maybe I’ll make the salmon for that.”

“Ooh. Let me know and I’ll see what I can do about finding you some more wood sorrel. I’m trying to cultivate more greens like that anyway.”

“Perfect.” He glanced over what else she had available. “Oh, these mulberries look good too.”

“It’s a great year for them.”

A dark glossy red-purple fruit that grew on trees and resembled a stretched-out blackberry, they had a tart-sweet taste and Donovan liked to eat them on their own or cooked down into jams or sauces. They were plentiful this time of year, but a lot of people had no idea they were edible or what to do with them.

“It would be fun to do a foraging class,” he mused.

Colleen perked up. “That does sound fun.”

“Maybe we could figure out a joint thing with the restaurant. I’d have to clear it with Rachael, of course, but you could teach the foraging part, and I could show people how to cook what they find …”

“Perfect. Yeah, let’s discuss that. Arthur and I have also talked about some farm-to-table dinners.”

“Oh God, that would be amazing. That’s a huge undertaking …”

“I know. I haven’t gotten to the ‘how to make this work’ stage yet. Still daydreaming.”

Donovan smiled. He understood that. He’d been like that about opening his own restaurant for years. Of course, he still hadn’t. But that was because reality had smacked him in the face about how fucking expensive it was. Sliding into the tavern’s business, when they already had the clientele and the location, had been much more manageable.

Maybe someday he could have a place of his own, but for now, the Hawk Point Tavern was a godsend.

“Well, keep me updated,” he said.

“Can I get you anything else?” Colleen asked as she began ringing up his purchases.

“No, I think that’s good.” Donovan did like to cook at home, but he often ran out of time and energy to do it when he’d just spent a day in the restaurant kitchen.

After Donovan paid for his purchases, he thanked Colleen and walked back out to his car.

As he drove away from the farm, he wondered what Tyler was up to today, then winced when he remembered he was probably going to be working at least part of the day because he’d need to handle ordering and delivery. So much for a day off.

Much as Donovan chafed at Tyler being given the responsibility, maybe it wasn’t so bad. At least he’d gotten some time off. Tyler wouldn’t have any.

Donovan didn’t get out much these days. With the hours at the restaurant and most of his friends being back in Fort Benton, it was hard to meet up. A couple of his friends had kids too, which made it tougher.

And, truth be told, he was hesitant to spend a lot of time in Fort Benton. Things had gone so spectacularly badly with Jude, and he’d definitely burned some bridges in the restaurant industry and the kink community there.

The final weeks of their relationship had been painfully awkward. They’d worked together, lived together, and barely tolerated being in the same room together.

Donovan groaned. God, had he made the same damn error all over again with Tyler? Getting involved with someone he worked with was bound to be a mistake.

But no, Tyler didn’t want a relationship. He wasn’t coming out of the closet, at least not any time soon. And he might always be the kind of guy who was good with a discreet hookup but not with admitting to the world that he was into dating men.

It was a good thing Donovan was realistic about what Tyler could offer him because there was no chance Tyler was going to want to get romantically involved.

And frankly, who the hell had time for a relationship anyway? The mess with Jude had taken all the shine off thoughts of romance for Donovan. A kink outlet, some great sex … yeah, that was exactly what he needed.

After Donovan returned to his apartment, he carefully lifted the canvas tote of produce. His right arm and shoulder were a little achy. He smirked at the memories of the night before, Tyler all pissed off but loving every second of getting hit with the wooden spoon and dragon’s tail.

It opened up some intriguing possibilities for future scenes, and as Donovan carried his produce up to his apartment, he sent a quick text, hoping that Tyler had enjoyed himself last night as much as he had.

Hope you’re not having too much trouble sitting today …