Naughty & Nice (Merry Elf-Mas 2)

Chapter 1

Rolly

I looked around the club and gave a disheartened sigh. There was every kind of submissive a Dom could ever hope for except for what I wanted. While I’d seen a few pups and kittens, they all had Masters. A bunny boy had caught my eye, but he’d been scooped up before I could get to him. So here I was nursing a whiskey sour and considering calling it a night.

“Cheer up, Rolly. No one is going to want to play with a grumpy Santa.” My gaze drifted to my friend and neighbor, Chris, sitting at my side. The sight of his arm slung over his husband Doug’s shoulder only soured my mood. Lucky bastard.

Chris and I were both fifty-two, but he’d been fortunate enough to find someone to spend his life with. I, on the other hand, was single as fuck. I threw back the rest of my drink and slammed the cup on the table harder than was necessary. “I’m not feeling all that jolly, and why the hell did I let you talk me into wearing this costume?”

I tugged on the bright red harness and half glared at Chris. It hadn’t been my intention to go out to Epic’s kinky Halloween party and drag show, but I’d been coerced by my friend after an extreme amount of badgering. My last-minute costume had been Chris’s brainchild as well.

The man had a serious obsession with Father Christmas. Having been a mall Santa for years, he’d had to quit last year because of Doug needing surgery. More than once, he’d tried to talk me into joining him. He’d failed miserably, but our other buddy, Noel, hadn’t been as lucky.

“Hey, guys. Mind if I join you?” Speak of the devil. Noel slid into the chair across from me, looking much too pleased with himself.

“Ugh, that’s it. I’m going home. All you happily coupled up fuckers flaunting your love is making me sick.” I went to stand but came up short when a manicured hand landed on my shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” A glance over my shoulder brought me under the unhappy glare of Billy, Noel’s much younger boyfriend, dressed to the nines. “My show is about to start, Rolly Poly. You wouldn’t break a girl’s heart by leaving, would you?”

I chuckled and patted his hand. “Never, gorgeous.” I liked Billy. He’d been good for Noel and was an absolute riot. He had sass in spades, which led to the most entertaining spats when someone crossed him. If he’d been a kitten, I’d have snatched him up for myself. He wasn’t and was head over heels for my friend. Noel was a lucky fucker.

“Good.” He patted my shoulder with a wink. “You make one sexy Santa, by the way.”

“Excuse me. I’m the only sexy Santa you need to be having those wandering eyes on.” Noel was glaring at us, but there was a playfulness to his gaze.

Envy and guilt were consuming me whole. These were my friends, and I shouldn’t be feeling all these ugly emotions toward them. After Billy’s performance, I’d head home so that I wouldn’t ruin their evening with my downer attitude. Until then, I’d need a drink. “Excuse me, guys. I’m going to get a drink.”

I rose from my seat and made for the bar. Though it was a little slow going, as my limp was more pronounced because of my hip injury from my time in the service acting up. I’d made it about halfway there when movement at the club entrance caught my attention. When I turned my gaze and saw who had entered, I forgot how to breathe.

Standing side by side were two men. One was wearing a floppy-eared puppy hood, and the other had on a kitten hood. I’d seen plenty of pup hoods, but this was my first time seeing a kitten one. I was transfixed by the pair. My feet had taken on a life of their own, and my course shifted to intercept the duo. I had to get to them before anyone else could take them from me.

The kitten was the first one to notice me. A pair of dazzling gray eyes stared at me from behind the hood, and my heart rate quickened. He was tiny. An atypical twink, but I could see the backbone of steel he had in his posture. I had to play with him. “Hey, pretty kitty.”

I reached out to stroke his head, but he dodged my touch and hissed at me. Oh, I loved a naughty kitten.

“Arf.” The pup bounded in front of me and moved down into my hand. The position must have been awkward, as he was a few inches taller than me, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Hi, sweet boy. What’s your name?” What a nice puppy. Was I dreaming? It’s like someone snuck into my fantasies and plucked out my perfect pair of pets.

The kitten took hold of the pup’s harness and pulled him away from me. “Sunny, what have I told you about strangers?” The glare he sent me was full of suspicion.

“But Pineapple, he looks so nice. He gave me pets.” Sunny gave his friend a sad puppy look, and I was drawn into those big brown eyes. They were so gorgeous and had me craving a giant milk chocolate bar.

Pineapple crossed his arms over his chest with an exasperated huff. I knew he was trying to look tough, but it only made him look cuter. “Pets don’t equal safe.” His eyes turned back to me. “Let’s talk.”

Without another word, he walked off toward a table. Sunny gave me a sad look before following behind the much smaller man.

This kitten is going to need some serious discipline. A jolt of desire went straight to my balls. I’d always enjoyed a challenge when it came to subs. Other Doms might like well-behaved boys, but I liked ones who had a little fight in them.

I took my time as I followed the two men. It was important that I set the tone, that I was the one in charge there. They’d already taken a seat by the time I’d sauntered up to join them. As I took a seat, I caught Pineapple’s gaze.

He stared back at me with defiance in his eyes. I could feel my lips lift into a smirk. If this boy thought he was going to win a staring contest against me, he had another thing coming. We stayed locked in a battle of wills for several minutes. I could admire Pineapple’s tenacity, but I needed to assert my dominance.

I sat up to my full height and crossed my arms over my chest. My lips dipped down into my most disapproving frown and narrowed my eyes. I’d perfected this look over three decades. I’d yet to meet a sub who could withstand it. A beat or two later, and his eyes dropped to look at the table. Still undefeated.

With the posturing now out of the way, we could get down to business. Uncrossing my arms, I propped my chin in my hand as I eyed the men in front of me. “So you wanted to talk?”

“We want to play.” Sunny bounced in his seat, and I couldn’t hold back a chuckle at his eagerness.

“I thought as much, pup.” I reached over and patted his head.

“Hey.” I pulled my hand back just in time to avoid being clawed by Pineapple. “No pets until we set some ground rules.”

Okay, I was done with this bossy bottom. If he wanted rules, I’d be happy to give them to him. “Fine.” I held a single finger up centimeters from his hooded nose. “Number one, I’m in charge. Which means…” Before he could react, I’d taken hold of his chin and locked our gazes. “All snotty kittens need to shut up and listen.”

Those eyes hiding behind the hood widened in fear and arousal. It was a heady mix to see and had my cock taking a vested interest. I released my grip roughly and sat back in my seat. Now that I’d asserted myself a second time, I was daring him to step out of line a third.

As I watched him, I could see him slipping into his sub headspace. While Sunny seemed to go there with ease, it looked like Pineapple had to be pushed there. That was good to know and explained why he wanted to challenge me so much. “Now that we’ve established who’s in charge here, what are you wanting to do if we play tonight? Are there any medical conditions I need to know about? What are your safe words?”

“I want belly rubs and to play fetch and pets. I love pets. Pets are the best. Can I have pets now?” Sunny had half crawled on the table in his eagerness.

This pup was going to need some etiquette training. Good thing I excelled at training unruly pets. I hid my smirk behind my hand when Pineapple grabbed Sunny’s harness and hauled him back into his seat. He might have been tiny, but he was strong. “Down boy. The adults are talking.” Those sharp eyes met mine for a moment before lowering in deference. “He doesn’t have any medical issues. I have a nut allergy, and I keep my EpiPen and emergency info in my bag.” He patted the crossbody bag on his chest. “Our safety system is we’ll tap a Master’s thigh to indicate how we’re feeling. Once for all good, twice for slow down, three times for stop.”

I was impressed with their communication system. It allowed them to stay in their pet headspace but still kept them in control. “Good to know. I use the stoplight system myself.”

Pineapple gave a nod and took Sunny’s hand in his. “As for play. We’re just looking to be in our pet spaces for a while. We want a Master to give us treats, play with toys, and give pets.” With the hood on, I couldn’t see his facial expressions, but the way his eyes narrowed, I knew his next words would be important. “We aren’t looking for sex. That is a hard stop for us.”

“Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t care to fuck on the first date, so that suits me.” I winked and loved how it flustered Pineapple. There’d be plenty of time for fucking later. If things worked out tonight, I’d have a pair of boys to play with and care for to my heart’s content.

I waited as the two subs shared a look. Their silent communication spoke of a long history together. They were together, that was obvious. It had to be hard for subs to be in a relationship without a Dom. There’d always be something missing. Unless one of them was a switch. That only solved things temporarily. These two needed a full time Dom, and I was all too glad to volunteer as tribute.

Having finished their silent communication, the pets’ attention returned to me. “Okay, we’ve decided we’d like to play.” The kitten pointed at his chest. “I’m Pineapple and the goofy mutt is Sunny.”

“I’m not a mutt. I’m a pure-blooded hound dog.” Sunny threw his head back and howled.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter as I reached over and patted his head. “Okay, boy. We get it. Keep your voice down though, since we’re inside.”

Sunny ducked his head, and I wished he wasn’t wearing a hood. I’d love to see his cheeks all pink with embarrassment. “Sorry, Master…” It was adorable how his words trailed off, as I hadn’t introduced myself.

“Rolly. I’m Master Rolly. I’m so happy to meet you both.” My face was going to split in two from how much I’d been grinning.

Sunny’s eyes lit up and his bouncing became more energetic. “Can we play now? I like to fetch. Can we play fetch?”

Could he get any fucking cuter? I couldn’t resist petting his head. “Sure thing, boy. Let’s move to the pets’ area.”

The three of us made our way to the special astroturf play area that had been erected for the evening. Several pups were already in there, bounding about. The bunny boy I’d spied earlier was munching on a carrot as he sat in the lap of the Master, who’d picked him up. I felt smug when the other Master noticed me with two pets.

I settled in on the couch outside the pen and my boys sat at my knees. Sunny had slipped into his pup space and gave me a happy yip. I stroked his head as Pineapple rummaged in the pack on his chest. He pulled out a plush bone and laser pointer shaped like a mouse, then handed them to me. “These are our favorite toys. Please take care of them.”

It was touching and sweet how Pineapple cared about their things and was trusting me with them. I caressed his head and was happy when he didn’t swipe at me. “I promise I will. You just relax and let Master look after you.”

The contented mewl I got in response made my heart sing. There was no greater high than having the trust of a boy. Shooing them into the pen, I alternated between playing with Sunny and Pineapple. It was a lot of work dealing with two pets, but I’d never been more fulfilled.

When I noticed their energy flagging, I pocketed the toys and called them back to the couch. “You look tired, babies. Take a rest, and Master will get you something to drink.”

They flopped onto the cushions I’d dragged over in response. I chuckled and shook my head. These two were too precious. At the bar, I asked for two pet dishes and bottles of water. Keeping my boys hydrated was a priority. We’d take a break for treats and cuddles before some more play time.

With my items obtained, I made my way back to the couch. As I drew closer, I noticed something was amiss. I didn’t see my boys where I’d left them. I scanned the room for them but came up empty-handed. Had they gone to the bathroom, maybe?

“Are you looking for the kitten and pup?” I turned to find the guy with the bunny boy approaching. Shit, this guy was huge. Somebody had been eating his Wheaties.

I gave myself a mental shake. This was no time to think about the brick wall talking to me. Finding my boys was the goal here. “Yeah, did you see where they went?”

He gave the back of his neck an awkward rub and he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Well, I didn’t see everything, but it looked like the kitten got a call. He yanked his hood off, looking super panicked.”

My heart rate sped up, and I was ready to bolt after them myself. “What happened? Did they say anything?”

“No, man. He just grabbed the pup and ran for the door. Whatever that call was about must have been pretty bad.” There was pity in his eyes, and I tried my best not to let that irk me.

He must have thought I got dumped. I sort of had been, but I refused to believe it was on purpose. “Thanks for letting me know.”

I walked off and returned the pet dishes before leaving the club. I’d apologize to my friends later. I planned to throw myself a little pity party and dream of what might have been. Why hadn’t I gotten their real names and numbers? We’d been having such a good time.

As I climbed into my car, I felt a weight in my pocket. Reaching in, I came up with the laser pointer and bone. Seeming those beloved items lit a beacon of hope in my heart. These were their favorite toys. That meant they may come looking for them. In all my years, I’d learned that fate worked in mysterious ways. I had to believe I still had a chance.