"So full. Master…"

Jason tugged at the restraints, causing the heavy links of the chains to thump and slide over the polished wood. The St. Andrew's cross had been somewhat of a gift, presented to Jason just two months ago on his thirtieth birthday. Though Dominic had bought it for all of them, he was the only one to utilize it. He couldn't blame Grif, his lover, in the least for avoiding it. Hell, he would have, too, if he'd been in Grif's place. After Grif's blood brother, Tristan, had whipped him beyond endurance, it'd taken several months before Grif would even venture into the dungeon.

Turning back to his beautiful captive, Dominic just smiled. The rather large plug had been another gift, this one from Tage. It shot to the top of Jason's toy list the first time he'd taken the entire thing for longer than five minutes. It was the most he'd ever had. Dominic looked at the intercom, with its digital clock that Grif had installed the first time he'd been back down to the dungeon. Ten more minutes.

"You're doing excellent, Jason," he purred in Jason's ear.

He slid his fingers down Jason's spine, and when he reached the flared base of the plug, he gripped it tightly and gave it a good jiggle.

Jason gasped and cried out, that sweet body surging, muscles going taut beneath sweat-slick skin.

Dominic saw Grif smile from where he stood in the doorway. Lately, except for when Tage begged him for a play session, it wasn't often that Grif ventured into the dungeon. Though it had been several months, he still avoided the small area where Tristan had chained him. Although Dominic knew the memories were distant enough not to readily feel, the scars lingered.

Grif smiled back at him, though it seemed to require some effort to appear so casual. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Grif leaned against the doorframe, wearing nothing but his usual loose white cotton pants.

Dominic could tell just by Grif's eyes that he still wasn't thoroughly comfortable being in the dungeon. It had given Dominic a great deal of satisfaction in killing Tristan, but it hadn't fully rid Grif of his fears.

"So sweet," Dominic murmured, returning his attention to Jason. He licked at the salty, smooth skin of his sub's neck as he pulled Jason's hair to the side.

Peppering Jason's neck with soft kisses and nips, he reached for the flogger on the table beside the cross. Then he stepped back and slid his fingers through the leather tails. It was a game they had been working on for several weeks, and as the first snap of the leather across bare flesh rang sharply in the room, Dominic knew—just knew—that this time would be different.

Jason's fingers curled around the leather cuffs holding his arms apart and his breath hitched, small shudders sliding through his body. Dominic changed his angle and snapped the flogger again. A trail of angry red lines crossed Jason's buttocks, just above the base of the plug.

Setting the flogger to the side, Dominic stepped up to Jason and whispered: "Come."

Jason jerked immediately, hips thrusting forward as he shot. Dominic smiled and gave Grif a quick wink before turning Jason's head toward him.

"Very good."

Jason opened to him, whimpering and humming into Dominic's mouth. Deepening the kiss, Dominic reached down and eased the plug out, dragging a throaty cry from Jason. After giving him a moment to come back down, Dominic unfastened the restraints. Jason turned into him, planting soft kisses over Dominic's chest.

Placing a soft kiss to Jason's hair, Dominic said, "Off with you."

"Thank you, Master." Standing on his toes, Jason lifted his head for another kiss before leaving the dungeon, smiling and nodding at Grif as he walked out.

Once Jason was gone, Dominic walked over to Grif and slid his hands up his lover's arms. "You okay, love?"

"I'm fine." While Grif happened to be an excellent liar, he always failed in that category with Dominic. His arms encircled Dominic's neck as he leaned in closer. "I thought you might want to go out tonight. Just the two of us. Dinner…dancing."

"Liar," Dominic whispered on Grif's lips. The kiss was soft and slow, a stark contrast to moments before. As Dominic pulled back, he kissed Grif's forehead and chuckled. "Dinner? Anyone in particular? Or just to get the edge off?"

It was no secret Grif had been avoiding any discussion of his mental state, and he'd been more than happy to take advantage of the kiss so he wouldn't have to answer at all. "I thought we could check out the new crop at Petrie's. Then after publicly arousing you, we can come back here."

And then…?" Dominic licked at Grif's lips, working his way slowly over Grif's jaw and down to his neck. "What would you do after publicly arousing me?"

"Obviously, we'll stay at the club until you just can't stand it anymore." Losing track of his thoughts, Grif tilted his head, arching his throat toward Dominic. His fingers kneaded against the nape of Dominic's neck.

Dominic purred, the nick of his fangs grazing Grif's skin. He whispered, "I love you," just before sinking his fangs in deep, arms sliding protectively around Grif.

In answer, Grif's emotions welled up, seeking the connection between them. He shuddered with the flicker of pain and slid his hands to Dominic's hair, holding Dominic in place. He hadn't the words to respond, so he let his heart speak for itself.

Licking the wounds, Dominic pulled away and smiled. "Come on, love. Let's go change and get out of here. Should we leave the boys to their own devices tonight?"

Grif grinned. "Some night we really are going to have to deprive those two of their excuses to play with each other."

Dominic lifted an eyebrow. "Has Tage actually admitted to how he feels about Jason then? Or is he still trying to deny it?"

"He's in worse denial than I've ever been." Laughing, Grif snaked his arm around Dominic's waist as they headed out and toward the stairs.

"I take it Jason finally decided to open up to you."

"After I finally sat him down and wouldn't let him up until he came out with it." Dominic shook his head and laughed. "Never thought anyone could be more stubborn than you, love."

"I think I'll have to do that to Tage. I have no problem with emotions developing between them. It's rather easy to see that they have." Grif let go of Dominic to walk up the steps and led the way to their bedroom.

"Shall I change with you or go as is?"

"I assured Jason that it would not affect things, unless he wanted out of the contract. If he does eventually want out, I will grant that," Dominic said. "And Hell, it doesn't matter how you dress—I'm still going to want to fuck you through the dance floor."

Giving Dominic a look over his shoulder, Grif smirked. Then he stopped abruptly in their bedroom doorway and stepped back against Dominic, grinding slowly against him. "There. Now you can think about it all the way there, too." Nonchalantly, he moved away, walking to the dresser and opening one of the drawers. "I still haven't decided if I want to change or not."

Dominic was suddenly behind him, one arm going around Grif's waist, pulling him back hard as Dominic ground his hips forward. "Keep it up," Dominic growled, "and I'll bend you over the dresser." "Not allowed," Grif laughed as he leaned back. Turning his head, he begged silently for a kiss.

Dominic turned him around and lifted Grif up, sitting him on the dresser. "Just a taste?"

Dominic leaned in for a kiss, tongue sliding into Grif's mouth as a hand slipped down the front of Grif's pants. Grif moaned softly as his lover's fingers glided over the tip of his cock. He tightened his hold around Dominic's neck as he opened to the demanding kiss. A small shift of his hips almost had him falling off the dresser as he tried to press harder into Dominic's hand.

"Fuck, Dominic, fuck." They were the only words Grif could get out before his lips tightened against his lover's. Dominic had the power to scatter all reason simply with the touch of his hand.

Dominic curled his fingers tight around the shaft and started fucking Grif's mouth with his tongue. With every pull up, his thumb grazed the head, pressing into the slit. His other hand worked Grif's pants down just a bit more and then Dominic pulled away from the kiss, dropping to his knees to swallow Grif to the root.

Grif couldn't even think about anything else as he felt the hot mouth closing over him. He lifted his hands to Dominic's head, fingers catching in his hair tightly. It would take very little to send him over the edge. An upward thrust of his hips kept him buried inside Dominic's mouth as he began to shake.

Eyes rolling up to stare into Grif's, Dominic started a continuous suck-and-slide motion, hands wrapping around Grif's hips to encourage the movement.

Come for me, love.

A sharp cry rose in Grif's throat and broke free as Dominic's words took over his mind. "Dominic!" He came hard, shudders rolling through him.

Dominic swallowed and licked him clean before standing back up, giving him a wink. "Now we can go out."

"Bastard." Grif's lips quirked into a smile as he slid off the dresser and tried to pull his pants back up. He always enjoyed the little displays of Dominic's power over him, which was why he egged his lover on.

Dominic chuckled and landed a slap on Grif's ass. "Yeah, but I'm your bastard."

"You got that right." Laughing, Grif reopened a drawer and pulled out one of his black shirts. He slipped it over his head and tucked it into his pants before retying them.

Leading the way out, Dominic stopped at Jason's bedroom door. Just as he raised his hand to knock, he stopped and glanced over at Grif. He grinned slowly as the soft moans grew more intense, needy. "They really are beautiful together," he whispered.

"Now if only they can get themselves to see that," Grif said thoughtfully.

Dominic looked back at the door and nodded. Smiling, he took Grif's hand and continued downstairs. "Come on, love. We have a date."

Stopping at the front door, Grif slipped on his tennis shoes. He kept a covert gaze fixed on Dominic. How he could resist staring at the man? His lover looked damn hot in the tight leather and loose silk—a combination Grif had come to love. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he led the way out of the door. Since the club wasn't that far away, he always preferred to walk the short distance.

As they walked, Dominic held him close, arm tight around Grif's shoulders. It was an automatic reaction these days, for Dominic to become overprotective when they left the house. Grif knew his lover no longer trusted anyone. If any looked overly long at Grif, the unfortunate soul—vampire or mortal—would find himself in a dire situation. Since Grif had grown antsy about his own personal space in the last several months, he was beyond thankful. Relaxing against Dominic's side, Grif's arm casually hugged around Dominic's waist. However, his mood could shift far too rapidly whenever someone other than Dominic, Tage, or Jason got too close to him.

"I keep wondering if we should nudge those two a little or just leave it be." Casting a questioning side glance at Dominic, Grif asked, "What do you think?"

"Tough call. It's obvious there's something strong developing there, but both of them—Tage especially—are too stubborn to admit it. What did you have in mind?" As they passed by a group of men hanging around the doorway to one of the other clubs, Dominic tightened his grip on Grif's shoulders.

"Nothing in particular…" Grif fell silent as he realized several of the others were watching him. Attention wasn't something he handled very well anymore. A faint sneer curled his lip as he looked away and up to Dominic. For some reason, certain types had an annoying habit of wanting to thrust their attention on Grif. Dominic had his own fair share, but the ones who were attracted to him generally left him alone after Dominic brushed them off. In Grif, others seemed to sense something, and often as not, they wanted to close in for the attack, so to speak.

Just as Dominic opened his mouth to respond, anger flashed into his expression. Grif didn't have to look to know they were being followed. Before Grif could form any sort of thought, Dominic had one of the men pinned to the wall of a building in the nearby alley, fingers digging into the man's throat. His other hand was wrapped around Grif's wrist, deathly tight.

"Do not even think about looking at him," Dominic snarled. "Do I make myself fucking clear?"

The man clawed at Dominic's hand, his eyes wide and pale. Fangs were just barely visible as the man struggled against the iron hold on his neck. With a quick movement of his wrist, Dominic threw the vampire to the ground. The vampire took off, bolting out into the street and disappearing into the night.

Grif stood immobile against Dominic, his gaze following the quickly retreating vampire. "What the hell is it about me? Do I have a sign on my fucking forehead?" His normal confidence in dealing with inopportune people had yet to return. It kept him inside their house, like a prisoner, unless Dominic went out with him.

"Because they want what they can't have." The words were snarled as Dominic continued down the sidewalk, body still tense as he glared at anyone unfortunate enough to simply look their way.

Shaking his head, Grif decided to forget about it. "Never mind, Dominic. Not important." His arm tightened to Dominic's waist, feeling the tension practically pouring off of his lover. Reaching for the club door, he opened it and drew Dominic inside with him.

Catching him just as the door closed, Dominic turned Grif to face him. A hint of the warrior beneath was clear in the dark blue eyes. "It is very important. You are the world to me."

"I know how you get with me, Dominic," Grif spoke quietly as he leaned against Dominic. Staring into his eyes, Grif had no problem reading the message within them. "You just can't fight the whole world, love.""

That doesn't mean I won't try." Lowering his head, Dominic kissed Grif softly, the edginess in his mood slowly fading. "Want to dance with you," Dominic whispered. "Want to feel you everywhere."

For a brief moment, Grif's lips molded to Dominic's. "Then we'll dance."

He took hold of Dominic's hand and drew him farther into the club. Somehow weaving through the throng of bodies, they made it to the dance floor. Turning to face Dominic, Grif's arms encircled his neck. They both began to move in time to the thrum of the music as Grif smiled up at Dominic.

For Dominic, no one existed but the man in his arms. Arms around Grif's waist, Dominic moved to the music, hunger building with every grind of their bodies together. Only then, when the throb of the music seeped deeper inside him, did he begin to catch the racing of sweet blood in veins. Closing his eyes, he could taste the need and desire in the air, mingling with the lingering taste of Grif on his tongue. As the hunger grew, Dominic's movements became harder, more urgent. He opened his eyes and fixed them on Grif.

Dominic watched his lover's face as his mood drenched over them both, drawing a soft growl from Grif. Dominic felt the struggle within Grif, felt it surge through Grif's being, pulling hard at his lover's instincts.

"You're hungry, love," Grif said. "Maybe we should feed before you take things out on me." The slow smile on Grif's lips widened as his body shifted with each hard press against it.

Dominic took a slow, deep breath, eyes closing. "Blame it on my mood earlier." He opened his eyes once more and smiled at Grif. "I can wait." Grinding hard, his voice lowered to a whisper. "Don't stop dancing."

Giving him a knowing look, Grif just shook his head. Then he rested his head on Dominic's shoulder. Before long, Grif's body pressed tightly to Dominic's, and Grif whispered, "God, you feel so good to me."

The flow of music and voices around them washed over Grif, the scent of mortal bodies kept the beast inside him aware and alert on its own level. "Have you looked around yet and decided on your pick for the evening's hunt?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

Nodding toward the bar, Dominic just grinned. "Redhead, far end of the bar. You?"

Grif looked over at the mortal in question and nodded. "Yeah, the blond near him. The one in the blue shirt. I think you have a thing for redheads, Dominic."

Lifting an eyebrow, Dominic said, "And you're telling me you don't have a thing for blonds?"

Grinning, Grif ducked his head slightly as he murmured, "I think I have a bigger thing for dark hair. Same exact shade as yours as a matter of fact." Not so oddly, his preference always came back to Dominic. Grif even preferred the taste of his lover's blood, especially when Dominic had been drinking.

Dominic's laugh was low and sultry, and he tilted Grif's head up for a light, teasing kiss. "Dinner time." With that, Dominic stepped off of the dance floor, tugging Grif behind him until they reached the bar. From there, he let go, giving Grif a wink before making his move on the redhead.

Grif remained right where Dominic left him, his eyes traveling slowly over the other vampire's body. He paid no attention to the blond he'd mentioned to Dominic. His eyes were on Dominic instead, watching him approach the redhead. Grif wanted to watch him feed. Taking a side step toward the bar, he rested his elbow on the counter.

As Dominic drew closer, the redhead looked up, his smile hopeful. Dominic slid behind the young man, cupping the man's jaw and tilting his head back. The redhead's eyes closed slowly and his breathing grew shallow, his chest rising and falling quickly. Dominic whispered something in his ear, lips moving slowly down to the curve of the man's throat. When he struck, it was swift and discreet, appearing to be nothing more than an extended kiss on the neck. The man's eyes rolled back as he shook in Dominic's arms. Eyes fastened on Grif, Dominic licked the bite wounds to close them a moment later. The redhead smiled and laughed. Dominic moved away then, licking his lips.

Grif barely stifled his growl, and he'd lost interest completely in the blond for a moment. Finally he stirred from his position when Dominic came toward him. Before he could say anything, the young blond insinuated himself next to Grif at the bar counter. Turning his attention to him, Grif smiled faintly as the man made an obvious play for him.

Keeping his distance, Dominic sidled up to the bar not too far away and leaned against it casually.

It did make it so much easier when the donor was more than eager to get up close and personal. Grif held Dominic's steady gaze for a moment before he leaned in toward his overeager victim. A gentle brush of Grif's hand pulled back the long strands of hair as his head descended toward the man as if to whisper to him. Clouding the man's mind, Grif struck quickly, drawing the nourishing, hot blood from him. When Grif finished, he healed the marks. It took no more than a simple mental nudge and the blond chuckled and looked over at the redhead that had so interested Dominic. Without a word, he moved further down the bar to stand beside the other man.

"Playing matchmaker again?" Dominic teased as he walked up, sliding an arm around Grif's waist.

"It's an interesting occupation, Dominic," Grif answered with a grin. Turning his back to the bar, he sidled up onto a stool. His legs caught at Dominic, drawing him close. "What do you think? There is a certain something about them together. It'd be a kick to watch them."

"Mm," Dominic hummed against Grif's neck. "It would be, wouldn't it?" Moving lower, he exhaled on Grif's shirt, just over his nipple. "Or we can go home and you can ride me."

Resting a hand against Dominic's ass, Grif's fingers kneaded into the tight leather. "Believe me, I wasn't talking about watching them now." He tilted Dominic's head up and pressed a soft kiss to his lover's lips.

"Good. Take me home and I'll fuck you through the mattress."

Dominic stepped back and helped Grif back down, taking hold of his hand to lead the way out of the club.

Positively grinning like the cat that got all the cream, Grif let Dominic lead him. As he looked toward the door, he saw a face that sent a chill rushing through him, and his mind blanked. He stopped, his hand slipping free of Dominic's. When he blinked, nobody was there. He couldn't have seen what he thought he did. Blinking rapidly in confusion, he swiftly scanned the bar before hurrying to catch up with Dominic.

"Griffith? Are you all right?"

Nothing and nobody seemed out of place in the bar. There was no way in hell he could have seen his former master. Looking back at Dominic, he nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine." Tugging at Dominic's hand, Grif pulled his lover quickly out of the bar.

Just the momentary belief of thinking he'd seen his old master, Quinn, brought back all the memories of what had been done to him.

Echoes of the agonizing pain of skin shredded to ribbons from a bullwhip wielded by Tristan flit over Grif's nerves. His body had long healed from that fateful night in the dungeon, but his mind was far too easily pushed off balance. And even deeper from the past came the memories of the rape and torture he'd suffered at Quinn's hand. The man who had created him had also damaged him nearly beyond repair.

Still Grif tried to hide behind a bland façade of being perfectly all right.