Tymber Dalton - The Reluctant Dom

Another comfortable silence. “I told you it’s not always whips and stuff.”

When he processed what she’d said he laughed and rolled over on top of her. “Yeah, you were right. Is this the point where I start yes-dearing you all the time?” He kissed her.

She brushed the hair away from his forehead and smiled. “No.”

“Do you…need anything?”

She shook her head. “I’m okay for now.”

He didn’t feel a dulling down from her, just a quiet melancholy that echoed his own mood. Her eyes still looked sad, without the humor and joy that used to light them from within.

“Do you want anything?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“What?”

She wiggled her hips under him, pinning his cock between her legs in an erotically wonderful way. “This.”

Another limo picked them up at the airport in Tampa and drove them home. Ed had brought in their newspapers and mail while they were gone.

Seth somewhat dreaded this even though he longed to be home. He knew a pile of condolence cards would await them. He didn’t want to be away from Kaden’s memory but worried Leah’s mood might slip upon their return.

The driver unloaded their bags from the trunk for them. At the front door, Leah unlocked it and started to step inside when Seth had a thought and grabbed her arm.

“Wait.”

“What?”

He scooped her into his arms. “Humor me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as a faint smile caressed her lips. “Okay, handsome.”

His heart twisted in a hot and pleasant way as he kissed her and carried her over the threshold.

Was it only a month since they lost him? Seth watched Leah sleeping one morning. He knew she struggled with depression despite the good days of mental and emotional decompression they’d had in the Bahamas. Perhaps it was time to take her to the doctor. Every morning she sluggishly awoke and started her day, more a rote routine than with genuine enthusiasm.

They spent their days talking, quietly watching TV, and he played his guitar for her, soothing her to sleep.

The worst of her tears hadn’t returned, although it wasn’t uncommon for him to find her crying in the middle of the day sometimes.

She hadn’t mentioned killing herself anymore either.

Thank God.

He hesitated to drug her, afraid she might come to rely on it instead of dealing with things.

She rolled over and cuddled up to him. How long until he saw the light in her eyes again?

Would he ever see it?

It didn’t matter what she claimed. Would she ever truly come to love him as much as she loved Kaden? Easy enough for her to swear before they lost him, but with the truth in front of her, perhaps she couldn’t.

She opened her eyes. “Good morning,” he said.

Leah offered up a sad smile. “Good morning, Master.”

Crap. It would be a bad day for her. She was going formal right off the bat. He stroked her cheek. “Do you feel like making coffee this morning?”

She nodded, then slowly climbed out of bed to do it. He watched her walk, naked, through the bedroom door.

Their bedroom.

He could almost feel Kaden’s presence with them, an empty longing for his friend. And yet he couldn’t bear to change a single thing in the house. Leah had told him if he wanted to, she was okay with it.

He didn’t want to.

Maybe that wasn’t healthy, but he didn’t care. It was a connection, a tangible link to his friend.

He suspected never again in his life would he ever have a friend like Kaden.

Ed stopped by a little after lunch. Leah was taking a nap. Seth walked outside to greet him when he heard his car pull up.

“I have something to give you,” Ed said, walking around to his trunk.

Inside was filled with boxes. He reached in and handed one to Seth, grabbed another.

“What’s this?”

“They’re all for you. They’re Kaden’s old journals.”

Seth stopped short and nearly dropped the box. “What?”

Ed nodded. “You’ll want them in the study. Lock them in the closet until you’ve read them all. I’ll give you the card here in a minute. All of these boxes are yours. He printed out the newer ones on the computer, saved them on CD for backup, too.”

Numb, Seth helped him unload them all. Then he noticed the boxes were neatly labeled in Kaden’s handwriting, from one to seven. He looked inside one box and saw every journal was labeled with a number.

Ed handed him the index card. Seth sat to read it. It had been over two weeks since the last card. He’d both missed and dreaded them.

139 – Me Again

Hey. Yeah, I know. Surprise! Heh, heh, heh. Listen, I didn’t tell you about these before because I didn’t want you trying to read them all and learn stuff at the same time. And some of the stuff… Well, you’ll see. I wanted Ed to wait to give them to you to give you time to process everything. Please start at the first one and read through them in order. They’re numbered for you. Don’t cheat and skip to the last one. I mean, you know how the story ends. Ha-ha. Sorry. Anyway, enjoy, buddy. If Leah wants to read them, don’t let her do it until after you’ve read them all first, and only if you think she’s strong enough. There’s some stuff in there for her, but I never let her read them when I was alive. I love you, man. Love and kisses to our girl for me.

Seth sat back and fought his tears. Just when he thought he had a handle on his grief, Kaden popped out of the woodwork again and it poured out of him anew.

“You okay?” Ed asked.

Seth nodded. It took him a few minutes to speak without choking up. “Yeah. How much other stuff is there?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you. Nothing like this. This was the biggest bombshell. Mostly cards and a few more DVDs.”

Seth nodded. “Okay. I’m guessing there’s one for the anniversary?” Just so he’d know what to expect.

Ed nodded. “I can tell you that much.” He scratched his chin. “I’m not supposed to tell you there are ones for his birthday, yours, hers, their wedding anniversary, your first anniversary with her, Thanksgiving, Christmas, things like that.”

“Okay.” Seth took a deep breath.

He started reading that evening after Leah went to sleep. The first journal started when they were in junior high. He didn’t write every day. Usually a couple of times a week on average. Seth was startled to read Kaden’s entries.

Seth and I went out fishing today. Man that was a blast! If it hadn’t been for him, I would have lost the first one I landed…

Seth came over today for help with his math. If I could just get stupid Denise to leave us alone. I wanted to brain my bratty sister. He helped me fix my bike…

That stupid asshole in our sixth period English class, David, he got pissed because I wouldn’t let him cheat off me. He said he was going to pound me. Thank God Seth walked up when he did. I think Seth’s going to be taller than me…

He sat back, stunned. No, not every entry was about him. But shit he didn’t even remember happening, here it was in black and white.

And he’d played a starring role in much of it.

He never dreamed… He always saw Kaden as his strong and steady rock. He never imagined he was the same for Kade.

Three days later he’d worked up to Kaden’s college days and his friend’s take on the threesome.

Man, that was fucking INTENSE! I will never, till my dying day, forget that. I never could or would have done that with anyone but Seth, but MAN…