Initiative (Suncoast Society #31)(7)

A music degree didn’t do him much good when he could barely make a living wage from it.

Had he known moving in with his old friend would lead to far more than being just friends…he would have found some other way to make a living before now. The stress alone of hiding just this part of himself from his job, much less their BDSM roles, took a huge toll on him, having to weigh everything he said.

At least the people at work knew he and Grant had been friends ever since high school, so being roommates now didn’t appear odd.

But he hated having to pretend Grant wasn’t the love of his life, and his Master.

It bit into his soul, ate away at him. Unfortunately, unless he moved to another job elsewhere, there wasn’t a better option at this time. Maybe once Kyle turned eighteen and he no longer had to pay child support to Chelsey, then he could think about something else, or go back to teaching privately. For now, most of his pay went toward child support, and to his health and car insurance premiums. If it wasn’t for Grant, he wouldn’t have a place to live that he could afford with the little left over every month.

Chelsey worked for a medical equipment company, handling sales in-office. She made far better money than Darryl did, and she’d gotten the house in the divorce, as well as primary custody. The only reason he could afford an attorney in the first place was because Ed was a friend of Grant’s. Chelsey would have completely walked all over Darryl in the divorce if it hadn’t been for Ed.

Now she had her boyfriend living with her, but wasn’t going to marry him. If she got married, the alimony Darryl still had to pay her for another year dried up totally and the child support would be cut in half.

Darryl bitterly thought about the two years before she’d filed for divorce that she’d been cheating on him. He hadn’t wanted to believe it, but it hadn’t been a shocker when she admitted it when she filed for the divorce and ordered him out of the house.

“You’re doing it again,” Grant gently said.

“Huh?” He looked over at him.

“Get out of your brain.”

Darryl laid his head back against the seat. “How do you do that?”

“I love you. Not to mention, I can read you like an open book, buddy. When are you going to accept at face value that I love you and my job is to take care of you? I don’t give a shit what you earn. It’s not like you’re mooching off me or anything.”

“I feel like it.”

“Stop.” Grant had pulled Dom tone, as Darryl thought of it. “Do you honestly think I’d be putting up with a moocher? No, I wouldn’t.”

Grant turned into their subdivision. They lived in an older area, north of Clark Road in southern Sarasota, the houses all more than twenty-five years old. They also had gorgeous trees that provided a lot of shade. It was a beautiful place. Nothing ritzy, just average middle-class homes. They even had a pool, which Kyle loved playing in when he came to visit.

But it wasn’t “his” home, no matter what Grant said. There would always be an invisible wall, at least in his own mind. Hell, he couldn’t even marry Grant now that the gay marriage ban had fallen in Florida and elsewhere because if he did, he knew it would mean risking his job, as well as risking a nasty renewed custody battle with Chelsey.

At least he felt some peace with Grant. It might not be “his” home, but he did feel “at” home there. Alone behind their securely locked door, he could be the real him. He could shut off his brain and let Grant take full control and just be.

I should be thankful for what I have instead of pissing and moaning about what I don’t have.

When they arrived and walked inside, Darryl set his stuff down and immediately dropped to his knees in front of Grant. They hadn’t had time for their usual greeting ritual when Grant arrived home earlier because he’d been running late. They’d had to immediately turn around and head out to gaming.

Grant stroked Darryl’s hair. “Such a good boy,” Grant softly said. “My good boy. I wish I could order you to believe it when I say that I’m happy with you. The only thing that would make me happier would be marrying you, but I know you won’t let me do that yet.”

Not for lack of asking on Grant’s part. Yes, Darryl wanted to marry him. But not until Kyle was eighteen and Chelsey no longer held any sway over him.

Darryl nuzzled his head against Grant’s legs. “Sorry, Sir.”

“That wasn’t meant to incite an apology. I get it.” He tapped Darryl on the head, indicating for him to stand. He pulled Darryl in for a hug. “I’m a very patient man. You already know that about me.”

Darryl rested his head against Grant’s chest. Even though at six feet Darryl was an inch taller than Grant, it still felt right, like this was the only place in the world he belonged.

“Yes, Sir. Thank You, Sir.”

It was the only place in the world he wanted to be.

Later, once they were snuggled in bed together, with Grant’s arm slung over Darryl’s waist, Grant said, “I want you to promise me you’ll try to have fun this weekend.”

“I’ll try.” He thought for a moment. “Do you think Susie will be there?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her on the reunion site.”

“I really miss her. She was so much fun to hang out with back then. Remember the fun we used to have together, the three of us?”