Until Forever [Merricks, Montana 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read online

  Now he was trying to muster up the courage to go after him. He wasn’t sure what Cody would say if he did. Hell, he wasn’t really sure what he was going to say to Cody in the first place. All he knew was that he had made a mistake and Cody had gone, taking a piece of Troy with him.

  He was a coward, but he did love Cody, and his absence was proving it more and more every day. He wanted his friend back, and he wanted his lover back. He also wanted his submissive back, but most of all, he wanted that piece of his heart back. Cody coming home was the only way to get it.

  But still he hesitated. Going after Cody when he had already shoved him to the curb and asking him to give up his dream job would be selfish, and Troy didn’t know if he could do it to him. He loved him and wanted him back, but he also loved him enough to not take his dreams away and ask him to give up one of the best things that had happened to him.

  “Cody is gone,” Adam said. “And that is your fault. He was willing to give up everything for you, and you dumped him quicker than you can blink.”

  “I know what I did, Adam,” he replied. “I was there.”

  “He is better off without you anyway,” Adam told him, and it was probably true, but it still made Troy angry. “He’s better than that. You are just some dumb, kinky bastard that likes to tie people up and beat them to get off.”

  “Shut up, Adam,” Troy snapped. “You have no idea what you are talking about.”

  Adam was obviously one of those people who had no idea about BDSM and thought it was just another form of abuse. They were all idiots and needed to do a little research and open their minds before they condemned people.

  “I know all the disgusting shit Cody let you do to him,” Adam snapped back. “I’m glad he left you. You are a filthy pervert. He will be able to find a nice man in Seattle. Someone who will treat him right.”

  People were starting to look as Adam’s voice got louder and louder. Troy was also getting angry, but he was able to keep his cool, something being a “filthy pervert” had taught him. Not that Adam would ever understand the discipline being a Dom required.

  “I suppose that someone should be you?” Troy asked sarcastically. It was easy to see that Adam was jealous of their relationship. It didn’t take a genius to figure that one out.

  “When the timing is right,” Adam replied. “We have a connection you and he will never have. We have been friends for years, and you were just a passing hiccup in Cody’s life.”

  “You put too much stock in your friendship,” Troy told him. “Cody isn’t interested in you.”

  “Really?” Adam said. “Then why is it me he rang to tell me his car had broken down and not you?”

  What? Cody’s car had broken down? He knew that thing was a piece of junk, but he had it working almost like new. What had happened?

  “Didn’t give you his location though, did he?” Troy asked. “Didn’t want you coming after him either, I guess.”

  Troy held his breath and hoped that Adam was stupid enough to take the bait.

  “Bullshit,” Adam said. “He is in some small town in Montana. Some woman helped him out. Merricks or some shit. You have no concept of just how close we are. See, you’re pathetic, and Cody—”

  “Yep,” Troy said, cutting him off. “That’s me. You’re right. I am pathetic, and I’m going to go and sort that out right now. Goodbye, Adam.”

  Troy turned on his heel and started to make his way from the shop. Adam was right about one thing. He was pathetic. He was going to change that right now. He was going after Cody, and he was going to beg the man to forgive him.

  “What?” Adam called after him. “Huh? Wait? What?”

  Troy didn’t bother with Adam and his blabbering. He was on a mission, and nothing was going to stand in his way. He headed back to his bike and threw on his helmet.

  The Harley roared to life, and he wasted no time backing it onto the street and taking off toward home. He needed to pack and look up this town where Cody was stranded.

  Once he made it to the town and found Cody, it wasn’t going to be an easy job to get the man to forgive him. At least he had the long ride ahead of him to work out exactly what he was going to say.

  One thing was for sure. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. They could work out the details later. Cody wouldn’t need to give up his dream job for them to be together. Troy could be a mechanic in any city.

  He wouldn’t have the rep that he had built up over the years, but he had started from scratch once, and he could do it again. Cody was worth the effort. It had just taken him a little too long to figure it out.

  But he was determined that it wasn’t too late and what he and Cody had together was still salvageable. He was determined now to win the man back any way he could.

  Troy pulled the Harley into his driveway and shut off the engine. He would look up this Merricks town and check the best route. Then he would pack, make it an early night, and head out first thing tomorrow.

  He climbed from his bike and entered his house, his long strides eating up the distance to his computer. He went and grabbed a beer from the fridge as he waited for it to boot up and then typed in Merricks, Montana, into Google.

  Once he had the most direct route plotted, he left the computer on and went to his room to pack a small bag. It would be quicker and easier for him to ride his Harley, which meant that he could only pack a little amount into his bike’s saddlebags.

  He made sure he took a heavy jacket. It looked cold in Merricks, and he would need it. Then he threw in some of his favorite ropes and Cody’s favorite black leather-covered paddle. He knew he was being hopeful, but he didn’t plan on failing. He was a stubborn bastard when he set his mind on something, which is why he had let Cody leave in the first place.

  When he was packed and ready, he went back to the computer to research the town more. He was surprised and pleased to see they had their own BDSM club, Silk Ties, and hoped it was a good one. Some of them could be seedy and let any ol’ kinkster through the door. It made for a bad crowd and the motto of Safe, Sane, and Consensual went flying out the door.

  The town also had some very interesting old buildings and Stephie’s Bar and Grill looked like a nice place to take Cody to eat. He was getting excited just thinking about going to the town.

  Troy hadn’t taken a holiday in years, and maybe, once he talked Cody into taking him back, they could spend some time in the town and relax and see the sights.

  Troy was prepared to woo his man. Cody was his. Troy had just needed a kick in the head to realize it. Adam didn’t stand a chance at winning Cody’s affections. Not now that Troy had declared Cody his. He was starting to feel possessive, and the thought of Adam and Cody together made his gut churn.

  Troy powered down his computer and moved into the kitchen to call his friend. He had an old mechanic buddy that he was hoping would be able to cover for him at the garage.

  He didn’t have that many jobs at the moment anyway. Nothing that couldn’t wait. It would be different if he was letting down customers, but luckily he wasn’t.

  Once he got off the phone, he would have a small dinner and relax before bed. He had a long couple of days ahead and needed his energy. Cody was worth the effort. He knew that now and would do anything to rectify his mistake.

  Cody could put up as much of a fight as he wanted. Tory was determined to win in the end and prove to Cody he was worth the second chance.

  * * * *

  Sam smiled as Cody walked into her boutique.

  “Hi. What are you doing here?” she asked. Not that she minded his visit of course. It was a nice surprise. Sam was meeting him after she closed for the day, and they were going to have dinner together, so she hadn’t expected to see him until then.

  “I was just walking around town when I saw your shop,” he told her. “I thought I would come over and have a look. You talked about it yesterday with such passion, and I wanted to see it for myself.”

  Sam was honored that he cared en
ough to come and check out her store. It was a girly store, so most men wouldn’t have wanted to walk through the door. It didn’t seem to bother Cody as he walked around and checked out her stock.

  “I’m really glad you came,” she told him. “Have you had lunch?”

  She had bought her lunch with her today, but they could still spend the hour she closed to eat together.

  “I already ate,” he replied. “I grabbed something from the bakery, but I can sit with you if you like.”

  “Sure,” she said. “I’d like that.”

  Sam waited until the last customer had left the store and flipped the sign to Closed. She always shut for an hour for lunch, and then she could take her time and eat out if she wanted. It hadn’t affected her sales, as she chose a quiet time in the day.

  “Come through the back,” Sam told Cody. “I have a couch and little kitchenette back here. You can make yourself a coffee, but it’s only percolated.”

  “That’s fine,” he replied. “I’m not that much of a coffee snob that I can’t drink percolated coffee every once in a while.”

  Sam almost snorted. After the lecture Cody had given her in the pickup yesterday she begged to differ.

  “Oh, I think you are,” she said. “But you are also too polite to complain and will suffer just to be polite.”

  “You know me so well already,” he said, chuckling.

  Sam pulled her lunch from the little bar fridge and took it over to the couch. She unwrapped her sandwich as Cody poured them each a coffee. When he was settled on the couch with her, she bit into her turkey with lettuce and tomato on rye.

  “Where are you taking me on our date tonight?” Cody asked.

  Sam almost choked on her sandwich and coughed as she swallowed.

  “Date?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” Cody answered. “You asked me out to dinner, so I thought…”

  Cody was correct. She had asked him out to dinner. Had she meant it to be a date? And even if she hadn’t, was it a bad thing that he thought so?

  They had had a great time yesterday. After they had finished their lunch, they had headed over to the motel and booked Cody into a room. It wasn’t the nicest accommodation in town, but it was clean and cheap.

  Then Sam had shown Cody where the mechanic was so he would know where his car was getting towed. After that, Sam could see that Cody was exhausted. She had taken him back to the motel, where they had sat around and talked while watching an afternoon movie on the television.

  When dinnertime had arrived, Sam was going to head home, but Cody had convinced her to stay for pizza, and she had agreed. She didn’t end up getting home until well into the evening.

  Cody hadn’t made a move toward her sexually, and neither had she. They were just hanging out and getting to know one another, but Sam could feel the sexual tension between them and knew it was only a matter of time before one of them made a move.

  “Okay,” she replied. “I’d like that. We are going to Stephie’s Bar and Grill. They have a band play on Thursday nights and serve really good food.”

  “So we’re not going to that fancy place on New Street then?” Cody asked.

  “I haven’t eaten there yet,” Sam told him and took another bite of her food.

  “Next time I will have to take you there then,” Cody said.

  Sam smiled around her mouthful. She was glad he thought there would be a next time. She still wasn’t sure how long he would stay.

  “Heard anything about your car yet?” she asked.

  “The mechanic called this morning,” he replied. “Said something about having to pull the engine apart and needing to have the parts ordered in from Helena.”

  “Ouch,” she said. “That sounds expensive.”

  She felt bad that Cody’s car was going to cost a lot to fix but, at the same time, was happy that it meant he would be sticking around town.

  “It means that I will have to stick around town until he can get the parts and fix it.”

  “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just buy another car?” she asked.

  That Honda Civic had been old and dumpy. It was probably unsafe to drive anyway. She wouldn’t voice her opinion though. Some people could get touchy when talking money, and upsetting Cody was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “Trying to get rid of me?” he asked, chuckling.

  “Of course not,” she replied. “I’d make you stay forever if I had my way.”

  Sam wasn’t sure what to make of the strange look that came over Cody’s face. He looked pained. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. She was joking anyway. Well half joking.

  Sam stood and walked to the kitchenette. She threw her sandwich wrapper in the trash can and rinsed out her coffee mug. She was just placing it in the drainer when she felt Cody’s tall form move in behind her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice shaky.

  Cody put his hands on her hips and pulled her back against his body. She felt his warm breath against the side of her neck and tilted her head slightly, giving him permission to touch her.

  “I have never met anyone like you,” he told her. “You have shown me more kindness and caring than anyone I have ever met. You didn’t have to help me, but you did.”

  “I would have helped anyone,” she replied, and she would have. People had died from being stranded on roads in the cold weather. They didn’t usually last the night. What kind of person would she be if she didn’t attempt to help them?

  “I know you would have,” he said. “That makes you all the more special.”

  Cody used his hold on her hips to turn her to face him. She looked up into his gorgeous eyes to notice they had darkened to almost a navy blue.

  “Sam,” he started, “we have a connection. I know you feel it too. I have wanted you from the first moment I opened my eyes yesterday. I want you, and I know that you want me too.”

  “I do,” she told him. “But you have just ended a relationship and—”

  “Sort of relationship,” he cut in.

  “Okay. Sort of relationship. My point is I don’t want you to rush into something you aren’t ready for. I don’t want you getting hurt when it is time to move on. You have a job in Seattle waiting, and to tell you the truth, I don’t want to be the one left behind either.”

  “I don’t want to get hurt again,” he said. “That is true, but I’m not on the rebound. I would never hurt you either. Let’s just go slow and see where it takes us.”

  Sam wanted to be with Cody badly, and she was willing to give it a try, but she still had doubts. Ones she needed to voice before they could move forward.

  “What about your job?” she asked.

  “Ever heard of long-distance relationships?”

  “You need to know then that I like to take the lead in a relationship. At least in the bedroom anyway.” Sam suspected that he had already worked out that she was a Domme, but she needed to make sure that he knew the score from the start. That way there wouldn’t be any confusion later down the track.

  “I know you are into BDSM,” he said. “I just wasn’t sure to what extent. Will you take me to the club one night?”

  She would love to take him to the club and show him off to all her friends, but they hadn’t even been intimate yet. It was way too early to be thinking about going to Silk Ties.

  “Let’s just see if we are compatible first,” she answered.

  Sam moved closer to Cody and lifted up onto her tippytoes. Her lips gently pressed against his before she moved closer and took his mouth in a toe-curling kiss.

  Sam moved her hand up into his shaggy hair and gripped it in her fist. She plastered their mouths together and thrust her tongue against his. Sam heard him moan low in his throat as she dominated the kiss, taking control and setting the pace.

  He tasted like coffee and mint, a combination that Sam decided was her new favorite. She wasn’t sure how long she stood in her kitchenette kissing Cody, but she lost track of time, the world melting away
as she molded her mouth to his.

  She ground her lower body against his and felt his hard length pressing into her stomach. She lowered her hand from his shoulder and cupped his cock through his pants. At the same time she tugged on the handful of Cody’s hair.

  She broke the kiss as she ran her palm along his length, drawing a loud groan from him.

  “I think we do all right in the compatibility department,” Cody told her. “That feels so good.”

  “Like that, do you?” she asked, reaching up to kiss him once more. “If we were in a scene, I would wait until just before you were ready to come and then pause before starting all over again, drawing it out and making you wait. Would you still like me then?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “God yes. I’m so close.”

  Sam was surprised by how quickly Cody was ready to explode. Not that she minded. It meant that she had turned him on just by kissing him and rubbing her palm against his cock.

  “Good boy,” she told him. “You may come.”

  She didn’t need to wait long before Cody was crying out and arching his back toward her. Sam couldn’t help but feel satisfaction at bringing pleasure to Cody. It was the same feeling she always felt when she dominated her partner, but this time it had felt so much more special.

  She didn’t want to analyze the whys now and ruin the moment, but she did need to get her shop back open. She used her most dominant voice when she stepped back and addressed Cody.

  “Go and get cleaned up, sweetness,” she told him. “There is a small bathroom in the back. I will see you tonight for dinner. I will pick you up at seven.”

  Cody looked at her with passion-filled eyes, but she could still see the confusion in their depths.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Don’t you… err?”

  She smiled at his shyness and was grateful that he was thinking of her needs too.

  “I’m fine, sweetness,” she replied. She walked over and kissed his lips softly. “We have more than enough time later to explore each other. For now I’m just glad I was able to give you something.”