Vulnerable [Suncoast Society] (Suncoast Society #29)(7)

“No worries, kiddo. You make that mistake again, though, and you’re liable to get the bad kind of spanking from me.”





It wasn’t too much later before Tilly called Jesse up to play. It was strictly impact and sensation play, no sensual aspect to it at all. Later, he would go home and rub one out in the shower while thinking about his sore ass and wishing it was a guy who’d given it to him.

Landry had offered to top him, or volunteered Cris to do it, but Jesse preferred to play with Tilly. There was no chance of him accidentally slipping into the wrong emotional territory with her.

He wasn’t so blind to his own shortcomings that he couldn’t see where he’d made a wrong turn with Mario. He’d started out as playpartners with the guy. Then he’d allowed Mario to do more sensual play with him, including in private, which quickly turned into full-on sexual play and sex.

It had soon become difficult for Jesse to separate the play from his emotions. He’d found himself quickly manipulated into wearing a collar and moving in with Mario when he should have been protecting himself emotionally and mentally from the man.

He wanted a partner, a Master. He wanted to be a slave. He wanted to hand over his heart and his trust to someone. He wanted someone he could trust enough to strip his soul bare to them and expose his vulnerability.

He also didn’t want to lose himself in his vulnerability. Not again. The next man who captured his heart would have to be pretty damned special.

Until then, he’d settle for a sore ass and some friend-zone aftercare cuddling with Tilly. He trusted her and knew she would never do anything to violate that trust.

He also knew he could count on her for a figurative bonk on the head if he strayed off-course.

By the time he left the club a little after midnight to walk around the building to the unit where the apartment was, he physically felt better, lighter. A good hard scene with Tilly always did that to him.

It didn’t help his emotional outlook, but that was all on him, not her.

After going upstairs and rubbing one out in the shower, he lay down in bed and closed his eyes, the faint bassline thump from the music in the club still filtering through the wall.

Even through his loneliness, at least he now felt a peace he hadn’t since leaving home at eighteen. Making his own way had been his only option once his family disowned him. He’d spent a few months living with a friend and her parents before saving up enough for a tiny efficiency apartment in a decent complex.

That was where he’d lived, alone, up until Mario walked into his life and all over his heart and trust.

Never again.

Kel had been willing to let him sign a one-year lease for this apartment, but Jesse asked for six months with the option to renew. He wanted to get back out to someplace else, someplace that was his.

All he had to do was stay the course and hope to hell he didn’t screw up again.





Chapter Three


Leo and Laurel were standing in front of Mote Marine’s manatee tank Saturday afternoon when he felt his work cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He wasn’t at all shocked to see it was Keith Knepp.

“Hope you’re not calling about that trailer,” Leo joked upon answering.

Keith laughed. “Nope. As far as I know, he got over there safely. Listen, this isn’t a work thing. We’re having a friend over to the house for dinner next week and wanted to know if you could join us.”

He glanced down at Laurel, whose attention was intently focused on Hugh and Buffett and how they were chowing down on romaine lettuce. She was taking pictures of them with her iPad. “Depends on what day. I’m only available on Thursday.”

“Perfect! That’s when we were planning on it. Seven okay?”

“Um, sure, but—”

“Great, I’ll text you our address. Thanks!” Keith ended the call before Leo could reply.

That left Leo staring at his phone.

Well, shit.

He was no dummy. He knew Keith was trying to set him up with someone. While Leo appreciated the gesture, he wasn’t exactly in a dating mood.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Hell, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have dinner with them.

If nothing else, it would get him out of the house.

Despite knowing he was slipping into a dangerously dull routine, he’d been reluctant to get out and try to meet anyone romantically. Not when Laurel was the center of his world. Yes, he was more than just a dad. He needed to be a happy, well-rounded person to be the best dad he could be to Laurel.

Right now, he felt more like he was existing than living.

Eva had Thursday off and was planning on taking Laurel to see Eva’s grandmother at the nursing home in St. Petersburg where the woman lived. There was little chance of Eva changing those plans at the last minute, and he didn’t want her to. Eva had always been close to her grandmother, and any chance Laurel got to spend with the woman would be good for all three of them.

The problem was, when Leo finally did manage to meet someone he was interested in dating, he hoped they’d be able to accept him for who he was.

Not just in the bedroom, either, but that he was, first and foremost, a father.

No matter how much he loved someone, his little girl would always come first in his life.





Jesse rolled over when his phone rang. Sleeping late on Saturdays and Sundays was his current favorite hobby. He was a little surprised to see it was Keith Knepp calling him.