Page 12 of In the Middle of No(ah)where (Rockport Ridge #2)

Marcus

K neeling in front of me, head bowed, and miles of smooth tan skin glistening from the sheen of sweat covering his skin, is an unnamed boy who came out tonight to play.

I've seen him here at Club Pierre before, and he's always been with a different dom.

Usually, he's just submitting quietly. Never playing.

Tonight, my handiwork is on display on his back.

Red marks from the Tigress whip I love are strategically displayed across his back.

After our scene, the one I cut short because I lost my focus and had to pull back, he remains in subspace and continues to be obedient. I offered to take him to a private room to provide aftercare, but he declined and followed me over to the seating area, where I rejoined some friends.

"Marcus, that's got to be one of the hottest scenes you've done. I love watching you with that thing," Jake motions at the whip sitting on the bench next to me with his chin. "It's like performance art."

"Thanks, man." I rub my hand gently over the top of the boy's head. "This creature made it easy. So willing to please," I praise.

When the boy looks up at me, his blue eyes shine with unshed tears.

Poor kid must be going through something.

I barely gave him a compliment, and he's melting at my touch.

If I wasn't so hung up on a different pair of blue eyes from a couple of years ago, I would try and get to know this boy better.

Jake leans in closer to whisper. "I saw the moment you lost focus. What happened?"

"You saw that, huh?" He just nods. "I just got caught up in the moment, and my mind shifted.

When I flipped the whip, I noticed it wasn't going to land on the intended mark, and it would have hurt him in the wrong way.

I had to pull back before the whip contacted with his skin.

" I pride myself on being a Dom that takes extra care when playing.

If it's not enjoyable to my sub, what's the point?

"You're a good Padawan," he teases.

"You're a good master. I've learned a lot from you over the years.

" I tell him. And I mean it. Jake took me under his wing when I showed interest in the D/S community.

He also opened up my eyes to being a daddy years ago.

The way I always take care of my sub before and after a session.

It's what led me to realize I love the daddy side of things as much as I love the control.

"When do you head out?" Jake asks.

"I'm only here for tonight and leave early in the morning to head back home tomorrow," I tell him.

It's bittersweet, really. I love my new job and the little house I found to rent.

Life is going great, except everywhere I go, I keep looking for Noah.

He may not even be around anymore. He was talking about college back then after his gap year of trying to figure out his life.

I hope whatever he's doing makes him happy.

The boy in front of me looks up again; this time, an unshed tear falls from his eye. "Excuse me, sir."

"What is it?"

"I've enjoyed my time with you. But…I…I need to go." He stutters while looking down at the floor. I know he's fighting the tears more by the ways his voice cracked. He takes a glance up to meet my eyes, and I can tell he has come out of subspace.

"Have a good evening. Thank you for tonight." I tell him, and he offers a slight nod, gets up, and walks away.

Turning to Jake. "What was that about?"

"You are oblivious sometimes."

"What do you mean?" I narrow my eyes.

"First off, do you even know that boy's name?

" When I'm silent for too long, Jake lets out a sad laugh.

"Thought so. His name is Josh. He's been coming here for the past year and just watches.

He has never allowed himself to play with anyone because he's always been searching for you.

Tonight is the first time I've ever seen him do a scene with someone.

Sure, he has been submissive to other Doms, but more out of service. "

Damn. Was tonight his first experience? Why wouldn't he allow me to provide him aftercare then?

"When you mentioned leaving tomorrow, that's when that little tear dripped down his smooth cheek." Jake looks toward the way Josh went. "That sub was ready to serve you forever and have you claim him as your own."

Well, that wasn't going to happen. Josh is cute and submissive, but I don't live here, and I'm not ready to give up on another blue-eyed boy. I just need a little more time.

I shake my head and stand.

"I'll see you around, Jake. I'm going to go change out of these leathers and into my more casual clothes. I'm done playing for the night."

Something about that whole exchange isn't sitting well with me.

I've never been someone's first. I've also been a firm believer in taking care of my subs after a scene to ensure they are well taken care of, with lots of praise, cuddles, and ointment to help alleviate the sting from the welts.

Although I had fun with Josh, I'm not sure when I'll return to Club Pierre.

It's not exactly next door, and doing scenes is becoming increasingly unfulfilling.

I wish I could find the perfect boy to send flying into subspace who will also let me take care of him when we're done. Someone to cuddle and call mine.

Someone like Noah , my brain supplies.

???

After a fun weekend at Club Pierre, I'm ready to start my work week and see the elephants. Kavi has been acting strange all week, and I know her pending birth is making her a little more agitated with the other elephants in the habitat.

Stepping out of the barn into the open arena to take care of the morning feeding, I notice Kavi moving around and then freezing in place.

When I approach, she lets out a series of honks and wheezes from her trunk, and I know that her birth is mere days away, not months like we had initially planned.

I reach into my pocket to call my coworker and friend, Barrett. He's in charge of the operation and will want to know what's going on. Looking at my watch, I'm surprised he isn't here yet.

"Marcus, what's up? Barrett asks when he answers the phone.

"Kavi is ready. I know we were hoping for a later delivery. Still, I think it's going to happen sooner rather than later." I hate how my voice raises an octave when I get excited.

"And what makes you think she's about to deliver? She still has a couple of months." How can Barrett be so calm when my heart is ready to beat out of my chest? I'm not sure if it's out of excitement or something else.

"Technically, she's carried the calf for nineteen months.

She's considered full-term. She's agitated more, walks around the habitat, and then stops motionless like a large Asian elephant statue––very restless, like she can't get comfortable.

" I tell him, and I know he's rolling his eyes at me like I just quoted from my zoology 101 textbook.

"You try being pregnant for almost two years and tell me how it feels," he quips.

"Ha! Could you only imagine? I'd be on bed rest after the first few months––I'm the worst patient when I'm feeling bad.

" I let out a short, forced laugh. "When will you be here?

I already called the vet, and she'll be here in about an hour for an examination.

" I tell him while checking the time on my smartwatch.

"Um, I had some personal things to take care of this morning, but I'll be there within the hour."

"Finally got tired of the leech?"

Barrett has been dating this guy for the past week or so, who has been driving him crazy. Making a mess and claiming to be into age play while looking for a daddy, but in reality, he's just lazy. He wants someone to provide for him while he watches reality television, takes naps, and eats snacks.

"That's an understatement. Tell you about it over lunch."

"Sounds good. See ya when you get here."

After hiding the food around the habitat, I head back into the barn to put my bucket away and fill out the daily food logs. Just then, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Barrett: I need coffee. Stopping at Steamed.

Barrett: Want anything?

Me: Seriously?

Barrett never goes to Steamed because his ex-boyfriend used to work there, and it was nothing but drama. Another guy who thought real life was a reality TV show and took everything to an extreme.

Me: You must really need your coffee fix.

Barrett: Yep. IV drip. I'll just surprise you.

Me: Thanks.

The rest of the morning is uneventful. Barrett has been humming to himself all morning, even though I can tell he's stressed about the birth of the new calf.

His office phone has been ringing off the hook, and he's been glued to his computer screen, banging away on his keyboard.

That's why he gets paid the big bucks. I laugh because he doesn't get paid much more than I do, but he does more of the office work and less of the hands-on, day-to-day activities with the elephants.

Poking my head into his office, "You ready for me to kidnap you to lunch."

"God, yes. I won't even resist." He tells me while closing out multiple tabs on his computer.

"It can't be all that bad. You've been smiling like a fool all morning." I tease.

"I don't know, Marcus," he says while motioning me to shut the door. "He was just so perfect. Everything I would want in a little."

"The barista?" I ask to clarify.

"Yes. Caleb was so tiny and sweet. It's not common to see brown eyes paired with copper-red hair. They were just so soulful," he says with a dreamy facial expression.

"Dude. Take a step back. You barely know the guy. For starters, he may not be into age play or looking for a daddy." I pause when I see his facial expression drop. "I don't want to rain on your parade here, but I want you to keep perspective. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, man."

"Hey. Let's go to the pavilion and grab lunch. I need to be back on time because I'm helping erect the fence in the habitat so Kavi can have a bit of privacy for this birth away from the public eye." I tell him.

Elephant births look brutal because of the way they stomp around and throw dirt on the babies. It's natural, but to someone unfamiliar, it appears as though the herd is trying to harm the baby.

"That was a good call," he compliments me. It will be good for the public to witness this, but having that small bit of privacy will also not scar the children for life. He laughs.

"Thanks, man. Come on, let's go say hi to our calf."