Naughty November

Chapter 4

FOUR

REID MCKINLEY

First sign of Max’s hangover? He upgraded us to business and did everything to avoid people. Well, actually, the first sign was probably that he looked like shit.

Third sign, he declined a perfectly good Five Guys burger and looked like he was one whiff of cheese away from vomiting.

I felt my forehead crease, and I bit into my burger. “How much did you drink last night?”

Should I be worried? I’d expected some level of awkwardness from yesterday, but if he’d ended up inhaling a bottle of gin or vodka—his usual poison—maybe he didn’t remember yet.

“Not that much.” He frowned. “Four or five drinks.”

“So you’re a lightweight now. Good to know.” I nodded at a bench closer to our gate.

He was so done that he didn’t even flip me off.

To me, this could go either way. Last night could mean as much or as little as he wanted. As long as we were good. I’d gone fifteen years fairly certain he was my missing piece—some periods rougher than others. Having him in my life was the most important thing. I guessed…when you got older, you lowered your demands some, and I could survive without that relationship. We still had a bond nobody had been able to sever. Even when we’d been partnered up, we’d sought each other out.

But my fucking Christ, I hoped last night had shifted something in his mind.

I could feel one of those rougher periods sneaking up on me. In which case, I was going to need a week on my own in the woods, completely off the grid, followed by an intense month or two where I worked out a lot and went to the shooting range after work.

We sat down with one seat in between us, and I ate my burger and drank my coffee in silence. Twenty minutes till boarding. After that, I prayed I passed out.

I reckoned it was a combination of things that stirred the emotions every now and then. Birthdays and holidays, vacation plans, closing our community… And maybe the fact that he’d been single for a long time now. It was much easier to stay back when he was surrounded by Littles and subs and…whatever.

He’d never once dated a Top. Not even a switch. Always submissives and kinky bottoms.

I side-eyed him as he rubbed his temples.

I crammed the last of my burger into my mouth.

At least we got some extra sleep on the plane, and Max looked more alive when we landed in Miami.

I bet the three cups of coffee and two bottles of water had helped too.

It sure as fuck lit a fire under his ass when he needed to find a bathroom, in any case.

I headed outside in the meantime, with his carry-on, and I shrugged out of my jacket on the way. I saw a couple familiar faces too. Sam and Carl had just picked up our rental.

“Good to see you again, man.” Carl slapped his hand to mine, and I shook it firmly. “Where’s your other half? ”

Ha! If only.

“In the can,” I replied. “Where’s yours?”

It was damn nice out. Hot enough for a summer vacation, but without the humid Florida heat the state was known for.

“Back at the hotel,” he said. “We’ll pick him up on the way. We flew in last night, and I don’t want him cranky in the car.”

“Nobody does,” Sam laughed.

I grinned and tossed our bags in the back.

We got some chatter out of the way before Max emerged, and he immediately pulled out his shades and put them on. Good opportunity for me to mention to Sam and Carl that Max was hungover after a couple of wine coolers.

Call it a sweet fuck-you to Max for looking good even when he looked like shit. The morning scruff did it for me. He hadn’t shaved in a couple days. Plus, it’d started glinting silver in places, like his hair.

“Look at you, sunshine!” Sam smirked. “I heard you had one too many wine coolers last night. Want me to get you a banana bag?”

“Wine cool—fuck you, Reid,” Max grumbled.

I laughed and threw an arm around his shoulders.

It felt incredible to be here—which reminded me of a joke I’d read online. “Hey, in what state in the continental US do you gotta head north to reach the South?”

He furrowed his brow. His brain wasn’t there yet.

“I know that one—Florida!” Sam slapped the top of the SUV before getting in behind the wheel.

“That makes zero sense,” Max huffed.

“Give it another coffee, and you’ll figure it out,” I assured.

From here on out, Rome, Trey, and Cas should be in charge of our annual house rental. Fucking hell, they’d picked a good one. It looked like a nice beach house, although we were nowhere near the water, and it had eight bedrooms, six baths, a large living room, a grand kitchen that opened up to a big deck outside, with a barbecue area and a nice pool. The entire back was elevated several feet, something I presumed kept gators away. The garage was situated underneath the house.

Max automatically followed me into one of the bedrooms, so I didn’t have to wonder if we were gonna share. We usually did, but because we had to. This house was bigger, and he could have his own room if he wanted.

Given it was a brief vacation, I changed into trunks right away before I headed outside with a towel and a beer. We’d bought plenty with us.

A couple of the subs were in charge of the food, and it looked like they were here to please us all. Steaks, potatoes, spicy sausages, burger patties, and only the necessary vegetables. A lot of snacks too, including cheese, chips, dip, fruit, nuts, and charcuterie.

Three of the guys had already jumped into the pool by the time I collapsed in a lounger, and I planned on staying here until I needed to cool off.

This was fucking perfect. No neighbors on this side of the property. The backdrop was all Everglades.

“Aren’t you coming in, Sir?” Garrick pleaded with me.

“Not yet, champ. I’m still defrostin’.” I took a swig of my beer and caught movement in the corner of my eye.

Max had stepped out, dressed similarly to me, and he was busy warding off little Jason and Cas. Not that it would work with that charming smile. Hmpf. I got the sleepy scowls and the grumpy muttering, and the boys got smiles and head pats.

Life wasn’t fair to Sadists.

Eventually, though, he challenged the boys to dive into the pool with their clothes on, and I smirked in approval. Get them into trouble with their Owners. Always a good strategy.

Once the boys were in the water, Max left the scene, satisfied with his work.

He tossed his towel on the next lounger over, then pushed it right up against mine.

Interesting.

“How’s the hangover?” I asked.

“Down with the mother of headaches.” He slumped in the chair and let out a long breath. “I’m not sure it’s just a hangover. I really didn’t drink that much.”

“Mister Jensen!” Cas hollered from the pool.

“Not now, boy,” I said firmly. “He’s got a headache.”

“Oops! Okay! I hope you feel better, Sir!”

That did it. They were good boys.

If Max wasn’t feeling well, the sun wasn’t going to help, so when he threw the towel over his head, I walked back to the barbecue area and grabbed one of the large umbrellas. Then I wheeled it back to our corner.

As soon as our loungers were in the shade, he lowered the towel a bit and squinted up at me.

“I’ll be right back,” I said. Something wasn’t right, and I was starting to worry it had to do with last night.

Back in the kitchen, Carl, Sam, and Rome were standing around the island discussing tomorrow—and I’d join if it weren’t for my bag of misery of a friend outside. The ideas were raining while I put together some snacks. Takedown, hide-and-seek, orienteering, and good ole tag were on the table.

“What do you think, Reid?” Sam asked.

“I’m with Rome,” I said. “Start simple with a takedown. Then we can rest for a day and jump into somethin’ that requires more plannin’.”

I filled a plate with bread, cheese, grapes, and a banana, then went to slice the watermelon.

My grocery list for the trip was short and had been taken care of by Shawn, who was a sweet slave by day and a wicked primal brat by night.

I tossed a couple of cheese cubes into my mouth and filled a pitcher with ice and water before I left the guys and headed back out.

“Look at’chu, acting like a Daddy,” Brad joked. “Is Max okay?”

He was firing up the grill for a late lunch.

“He can’t handle the wine coolers anymore,” I replied.

He laughed.

When I reached Max, he’d turned on his side, and he was using his towel as a pillow. He followed my movements through his pity-me expression as I sat down and placed the plate between us. The pitcher ended up on the floorboards, and I resisted the urge to throw water on him.

“You gotta eat, buddy,” I said.

He pushed himself up on his elbow and scrubbed a hand over his face.

He was damn gorgeous. We spent a lot of time outdoors in the summer, so we hadn’t lost much of the color we got every year. It was extra visible with his trunks riding low over his hip.

“Can you take care of me like this all week?”

I chuckled. “You’re lucky we’re down here. I usually only do this for men who bend over for me.”

A bit of bullshit there. Max and I had always been good at supporting each other through colds, flus, and other shitty days.

That said, we did tend to behave a little differently down here. I didn’t know what it was, or why; we just stayed closer when we traveled. No wonder it was a favorite of mine.

Max hummed and went for a handful of grapes. “Maybe it’s worth it? What other perks are there?”

“For bending over for me?” I smirked. If he was in a joking mood, I was happy to play along. “For that, I’ll call you sweetheart, dote on you, and, of course, expect to be worshipped.”

He huffed and smiled ruefully. “You’ve never wanted to be worshipped.”

That wasn’t entirely correct. I wasn’t into the regular Dom/sub dynamics on a domestic level, and that was usually where the day-to-day worship snuck in. But it wasn’t like I’d turn Max down if he wanted to shower me with devotion.

“I’d make an exception for you.” I leaned back and got comfortable, ankles crossed, one arm folded behind my head. “I’m thinkin’ daily back rubs and blow jobs.”

He chuckled around a mouthful of food and broke off a piece of bread.

Lying here like this with him, in our own bubble where the banter of the brats in the pool couldn’t touch us, it was difficult not to picture what our lives could look like .

I’d probably move him and Alex into my house faster than they could blink.

Then I’d spend the rest of my life hearing him bitch at me if I forgot to floss.

I pinched a chunk of watermelon and threw it into my mouth.

“Do you ever wonder how Colt and Lucas did it?” he asked.

He actually went there? This was… This meant something. Colt and Lucas were friends from another community, and they were both Daddy Doms. They’d eventually found a Little to complete their dynamic, but not before spending several years as a couple. And no. I didn’t wonder.

My best course of action was to close my eyes and be as casual as I could be when I laid into him.

“Not really,” I replied. “But the difference between you and me, Max, is that you worry about how the puzzle pieces will fit.”

“And you don’t?”

I shook my head. “Most of those puzzle pieces are in your head. You build up a bunch of fears and assume life’s gonna be a maze of obstacles.” I cracked one eye open and watched him. “Colt and Lucas made it because they only saw two puzzle pieces, and they fit perfectly. The rest is secondary shit that you work out together.”

If Max and I got our shot, I’d be just like that. Besides, I knew Max’s limits. I could easily see us attending kink events together and finding a masochist to beat and have some kind of fun with. But at the end of the day, we’d go home together, and the intimacy between us was only ours. We could explore together in kink settings, just like Colt and Lucas had done, by talking a fuck-ton and testing the boundaries. People did it every day.

The only puzzle piece I was struggling with was Max Jensen. He saw things differently. He evidently needed everything figured out.

“Your turn,” I said, walking out of our bathroom. “And before you ask—yeah, I flossed. ”

He grinned sleepily and returned his book to his nightstand. “Good boy.”

Damn right.

He unpacked his toiletry kit and headed into the bathroom.

On the way to my side of the bed, I cranked up the AC and grabbed the remote for the flat-screen on the wall. Our room faced the back of the house, so the pool lights one story below painted waves on our ceiling.

Some of the others were still down there. Max and I had left when Sam had brought out handcuffs and butt plugs.

At least Max and I were on the same page there. We’d never been much for toys. I reckoned between the two of us, we owned three bundles of rope and a handful of paddles and floggers.

Scratch that; I’d spotted a prostate massager at his place once, though I wasn’t sure if that was something an ex had forgotten or if…it was simply something I shouldn’t think about too hard.

He had an ass made for fucking, though.

I got comfortable in bed after stripping down to boxer briefs, and I turned on the TV.

Everything in our room was white or pale blue, earning its name the Blue Room. It’d been my second stop in the house, after abruptly walking in and walking out of the Orange Room.

Orange just wasn’t my color.

I settled on ESPN and kicked off the duvet while I waited for the AC to go from seventy-six to sixty-eight. In the bathroom, it sounded like Max was talking to someone. He must’ve brought his phone. It reminded me to shoot my boy a message, so I texted him.

Did you hand in your essay? Have a good week, son. Call if you need anything. Or text. We might be out, so I’ll respond as soon as I can.

I returned my phone to my nightstand and took a swig of water.

Tomorrow morning, we were gonna scout for a good takedown area, and we might have to drive for a while. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind heading down to the Keys. We weren’t that far away, and it’d make a nice day trip. This area we were in was a little too wild. Jungle and swamplands with plenty of wildlife posed one too many risks .

“Yeah, no kidding,” I heard Max chuckle. Whoever he was talking to must be a close friend, considering he was brushing his teeth at the same time.

My phone buzzed, presumably with Dylan’s reply—except it wasn’t. I was surprised to see a text from Reese, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. Kinky gossip traveled fast within the DC communities.

It’s been a week since y’all closed OT, and I’ve yet to see membership requests from you and Max. What the fuck, man? Is there someone else?

I grinned and replied.

I guess I wanted to know if you cared enough to reach out. Thanks for making me feel special, kitten. Chances are you’ll get our requests soon.

It wasn’t the first time Reese Tenley had been blunt about our joining Mclean House. The past few years, at least four or five of our members had left to join them instead, and Max and I knew the reputation Old Town had garnered toward the end. Just…filled with drama. Usually accompanied by, “But Max and Reid are so nice, and they should jump that sinking ship like fucking yesterday.”

Well, we had jumped now.

Reese replied once more as Max came out of the bathroom.

Looking forward to it, princess. You’ve always been special to us.

I chuckled.

“What’s funny?” Max asked.

“Reese Tenley,” I answered. “He asked why we haven’t joined Mclean House yet.”

Max snorted softly and got into bed. “Soon enough, I assume. I’m not gonna rush this vanilla break.”

Amen. Except…

“You ain’t vanilla, Max.”

He avoided a direct answer. “Speaking of not vanilla—and Mclean House—I met up with Sloan for coffee last week. He extended an invite too.”

I liked Sloan. He used to work with Max’s brother. These days, he was part of a poly family outside Winchester. Two Doms, two subs.

Max had dated one of those subs. Li’l Corey .

He might be the only one I’d felt real jealousy toward, because Max had really tried to make that relationship work. But neither of them had felt the right chemistry, and they’d ended up laughing it off and returning to being friends. Much to my relief.

“We have some good friends over in that community, don’t we?” I tilted my head toward Max and folded an arm behind my head. “It’d be nice to see Lane and Nora more often.” They had also left us for Mclean.

I missed Lane sometimes. We’d never dated, but we’d had a good arrangement once upon a time. Wild masochist. Happily married these days.

Max hummed and repositioned one of his pillows closer to me, and he landed his elbow on it. “Would you start another dynamic with Lane?”

I felt my forehead wrinkle. “Why would I do that? He and Ty are married and fairly exclusive.” They had a thing with two others.

Wait—shit, fuck. That gave me an idea. They had a house down here. If I reached out to Lane, chances were he’d know a place we could host a takedown.

“True—I forgot about that.” Max kept his stare fixed on the Dolphins game I’d muted. “Mclean’s got a fuck-ton of primal masochists, so I guess you won’t be in short supply.”

Was he… Was he getting a bit territorial of me? Because I could live with that. I could also jump in and reassure him if that was what he needed.

I couldn’t lie; it felt fucking good. If he was, in fact, a touch worried I might get distracted by a bunch of masochists.

“I don’t know that I’d go lookin’ at all,” I said. “You already agreed to bend over for me and be my sweetheart. I have my masochist.” I wriggled my toes for good measure. “I can trade the back rub for a foot rub right now.”

He chuckled dryly. “Hilarious.”

Darlin’, I ain’t jokin’.

Fuck it. I wasn’t gonna budge on this one. If shit went south, we could play this off as another Florida trip gone wild. We’d already acknowledged that we behaved differently on vacation. Our friendship would survive.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny.” I drew a quick breath and threw caution to the wind. I nudged him back, then crawled on top of him, and his eyes widened in shock for just a fraction of a second. His composure returned quickly, and he undoubtedly fell back on the knowledge that I was known to raise hell from time to time. I liked to push buttons, like most Sadists did.

“You’re not gonna get a rise outta me, Reid.”

I grinned and peered down between us, making sure my cock pressed against his. “You sure about that?”

Downside to fucking with someone you loved?

It affected you too.

Fuck , he felt good underneath me.

The humor drained out of me as a wildfire of lust incinerated my bloodstream, and I locked eyes with him again. He swallowed, and I could tell he was struggling to maintain his indifference.

“Would it be so bad to explore what we got off to last night?” I asked quietly.

He clenched his jaw. I’d brought it up. I hadn’t been vague or used words like… what we talked about or… what we fantasized about . We’d both gotten hard. We’d stroked ourselves off. I’d heard him moan and hiss and curse.

“Are you serious right now? You know I’m not a sub.”

I flicked my gaze to his mouth for a hot second. “I know you’re not a delivery guy or a collector of porcelain figurines either, which is about as relevant to the conversation.” I lifted a brow. “I’m not lookin’ for a sub, Max. I wanna have fun with someone who will fight me.” I couldn’t help myself. I pushed myself against him, applying more pressure to his cock, and fuck if I wasn’t getting hard too. “Someone who loves pain.”

I had a feeling I knew why he’d marked rough and primal play on that fucking kink list.

It all added up. His hottest fantasies over the years—they were all about him getting a taste of his own medicine. When he took a stray hit, when someone fought back, when he woke up the next day with marks and bruises…

I grabbed Max’s jaw and dipped down, close enough so our noses almost touched, and he sucked in a quick breath.

“The only one I wanna chase down tomorrow is you,” I murmured.

He swallowed hard and tentatively placed his hands on my hips. “You talk like the primal masos you usually play with can’t fight back.”

Of course they could. But they weren’t him.

“It’s personal between you and me.” I smirked faintly. “They won’t retaliate as roughly as you will. They won’t get as angry.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Dick.”

My smirk widened, and I slid my nose along his. Almost so I could kiss him. Almost.

“Is that a yes?”

I felt his chest heave, and he raked his teeth across his bottom lip. Fuck, he was sexy. Always had been. And I’d never been this close to him before. Now that I was here, I wasn’t sure I could limit myself to vacation fun. I had to watch every word I said.

“I…” He reached up an inch, no more, in an attempt to close the distance, but I moved away quicker. I wanted my answer first. “Yes,” he whispered. “Okay? Goddammit. Yes.”

Yes.

I smiled, heat rushing through me, and I kissed him. At long last. I kissed him hard and cupped his cheek in my hand, feeling his scruff underneath my fingertips and how his jaw moved… Christ, my whole body was suddenly on fire, and I had to pace myself. We deepened the kiss at the same time, and it seemed to ignite him too. He started moving against me, all fucking sensual-like, and it split my focus.

You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this.

If all I got was this week, that he’d laugh about at some point, saying how fucked up we were, then I wanted to make the most of it. I kissed him hungrily and let my hands roam freely—and I teased him. He was getting a taste tonight, nothing more. Then I could go all out tomorrow night. I’d show him what our future could look like.

I swept my tongue against his and rubbed my hand up his chest, and he tried to pull me down harder on him. His feet slid up my calves, his hands went to my ass, and?—

“Quit teasin’ me,” he snapped under his breath.

I grinned and did it again to be a dick. The tips of our tongues touched, lips ghosting against each other, and I eased off him some more.

“You’ll get all of me tomorrow, whether you like it or not.”

That earned me a weak glare. “When you say all…”

I pushed my cock against his. “I mean all. You might wanna lube up before the hunt.”

He could’ve turned to anger and called me a rat bastard, but he wasn’t able to lie, was he? Not right now. All I saw was heat and desire in his gorgeous eyes.

I dipped down and kissed him one more time. “Get some sleep, Jensen. You’re gonna need it.”