New Leather by Deb Varva

tray with dirty dishes and hustled the other subs into the kitchen. Sheer willpower kept his mouth shut until the dishwasher was loaded and the leftovers put away.
    “Seve... ” He stopped at the look on the kid's face. “Okay, thanks guys. We're done in here if you want to go back outside.” He couldn't get the other two out fast enough. As soon as the door swung shut behind them, he turned to Seve. “Tell me you didn't.”
    “Okay, I didn't.”
    “You did!” Carl grinned. “It's always the quiet ones.”
    Seve smiled at Carl's reaction. “It's exciting to have Mike jerk me off in public. We have done this a few times and you are the first person to notice.”
    “That you know of.”
    “True. I have learned not to look around when Mike wants my submission. Only he matters anyway.”
    Carl frowned. “What if it's not what you want?”
    “But it always is, Carl. I want whatever pleases him.”
    “I guess I don't get that part yet. I try to do what James wants, but it feels... forced.”
    “He forces you?” Seve was shocked.
    “No, of course not. I have to talk myself into permitting him free reign, though.” Carl sat down, careful not to jostle the plug too much. If Seve had a smirk on his face, Carl ignored it. “How did you know you were a submissive?”
    “I didn't. Not consciously. A co-worker sent me to The Leatherman as a joke and I met Mike there. He knew.”
    “How?”
    “My response to him, I suppose. I get turned on when he is pushy.” The shy smile had Carl smiling back.
    “That part I understand.”
    James was not surprised when Billy and Gary came out of the house without Carl and Severo. He could just imagine the conversation about Mike's little power game under the table.
    Mike refilled his glass with scotch before idling over to James. “What is keeping them?”
    “They are probably swapping stories. It is why Carl is here, after all.”
    “So long as they are not swapping spit.”
    “I have not forgotten how to spank you, Mike.” James chided him. “They have no interest in each other, but they are both new to BDSM and feel a natural kinship.”
    “I know, but I'm new to having a real lover instead of a rent-boy.” He gestured to Gary. “I'll calm down eventually.” He walked away to talk to Andy. “Maybe in ten years or so.”
    James could not help himself and called out to Mike. “Thank you for sterilizing the glass.”
    Mike gave a bark of laughter and raised his scotch in salute.
    Fifteen minutes went by before the two subs rejoined the group. James hoped Carl gained some insight on submission. As a Dom, James didn't have the tools to explain the submissive mind-set properly to him. Severo might be a beginner, but his devotion to Mike was unquestionable in spite of his inexperience. He might get through to Carl where James could not.
    It worried him that Carl was so adamant about the whip. He may never be able to take a hard whipping. Not many people have the stamina needed to break through to the endorphin high, including most subs. It was beautiful when it happened, but rare.
    The endorphin rush, flying, took a submissive out of reality, much like a trance. James had seen it several times and even caused it a time or two, but he never felt it. He suspected part of Carl's irritation stemmed from getting a taste of that rush before the pain overtook him and he panicked.
    If Severo managed to show Carl that giving his trust to James was all he had to do, James could lead him to the fulfillment he sought.
    The party wound down as the sun rested on the tops of the trees beyond the pond. Karen wanted to get her money's worth out of Gary and the four men needed to be up early Monday morning. Carl and the other subs took care of the last of the clean up. James was amused to note that Mike threw a warning look at Carl, who made sure there was not another tete-a-tete.
    “Your boy surprised me.” Andy had an arm over Billy's shoulders in casual affection. They had been together