Caged Sanctuary (20 page)

“The metal is titanium.” He knew that, the sign clearly stated what it was. Before he could say anything, she continued. “The stone inlay is pietersite. There are various colors and shades of this stone, depending on where it’s from and how it’s cut. It also has a magnetic clasp so it’s easy to get on and off but still very secure when worn.”

“I would like to see this one,” Deacon said after a moment, choosing one with a few light blue threads in the darker stone, the same one that had originally caught his attention. When she pulled it out and set it on the soft cloth, he picked it up, checking it over carefully. He knew Kade couldn’t wear a cuff at work—well, anything that was too notable for their lifestyle really—but this was close enough and would be a good start. Deacon wanted something on Kade that showed he was Deacon’s, but since they had no contract….

Deacon looked over to where Kade browsed, and smiled. He loved watching Kade, whether he was reading, sleeping, or well, doing anything, really. “Kade?”

Kade looked up for the first time and flashed a shy smile at Deacon. When he motioned to Kade, he immediately came over, stopping next to Deacon. “Sir? What do you think?”

He handed over a short, delicate silver necklace with a free-floating flat disk with “open wide & and say ahh…” engraved around the circle. There was also a tiny tooth charm hooked through the edge of the disk. “I don’t know her well, but I think it would look lovely on her,” Deacon commented softly.

“Thanks.” Kade took the piece back, grinning. “Oh, I’m sorry. What was it you wanted to show me?”

“I need your wrist, and then for you to help me pick something out.” Not waiting for Kade to react, Deacon reached down and took Kade’s left hand. Deacon quickly placed the bracelet around Kade’s wrist and affixed the clasp, noting how easy it was. When he tugged on it, though, it held securely, pleasing Deacon greatly.

Kade stared down at the bracelet, as did Deacon. “I, uh, what’s this for?” he finally asked.

Deacon didn’t move his gaze from Kade’s wrist; something inside him reared up, then settled. He felt… happy, looking at the symbol on his boy. He cleared his throat, then replied, “I wish you to wear something for me. Will you?”

Grace stepped away, but Deacon barely noticed, his entire being riveted on Kade as he waited to hear his answer.

Kade’s attention and focus seemed to bounce back and forth between the bracelet and Deacon for a minute or two before he finally met Deacon’s eyes. “I. You. Why?”

“You please me so much, boy,” Deacon murmured as he squatted next to Kade. “I wish to have you wear something that others in the life will see and understand. Something that marks you as my boy. A way to show you’re with someone and to show how proud of you I am, but where it’s also something that won’t upset your more… conservative patients and friends.”

“R-really?” Kade asked, eyes wide as he stared at Deacon. “You want others to know about me like that?”

“Of course I do, Kade. If you don’t like the stone,” Deacon added, wanting to move Kade past his questions and into acceptance, “you can chose another one. They have other colors.”

Kade swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded slightly. When he opened those jade orbs again, Kade smiled, his eyes dancing. “I would be honored to wear it for you, Sir. Th-thank you.”

Thank you!
God, Deacon thought, he’d felt ill waiting for Kade to answer. He’d been thinking of giving his boy something to show they were together, and after the progress and joy from the night prior, Deacon knew it was the right time. “Thank you, boy. You’ve made me very happy.” Deacon stood, then took Kade’s hand in his, twining their fingers together. Grace hovered nearby. “I believe we’ll take the bracelet and the necklace he’s holding.”

“Wonderful, sirs.”

Kade handed over the necklace but insisted it be rung up separately as it was a birthday-slash-anniversary gift for Katie, and not something Deacon should pay for.

When Grace offered to wrap the bracelet, Kade frowned. “It’s fine where it is, thanks. If it has a box or something, you can bag that for me, though.”

Deacon fought hard not to chuckle at Kade’s attitude. The way Kade’s eyes kept returning to the bracelet warmed something inside Deacon, even as his worries calmed. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said as he signed the charge slip.

A few minutes later, they exited the store, the case for Kade’s bracelet and the satin box with the necklace for Katie carefully stored in Kade’s bag. Kade stopped and looked up, not quite meeting Deacon’s gaze. “Thank you, Sir, for everything you do for me.”

“You’re welcome. Why don’t we head back to the house? I think sitting out on the back porch and watching the fireflies come out would be a nice ending to our day.” He knew it was kind of corny, but he’d always loved watching fireflies. Being nearly forty did not change that, and after the night before and now the gift, Deacon thought Kade could use some quiet time before he returned to his own home and life.

“K
ADE
?” K
ATIE
asked Thursday afternoon. He was returning from lunch but had been expecting this all day. “We going out tonight?”

Fighting the grin threatening, Kade turned to face his friend and asked as innocently as possible, “Why? What’s tonight?”

The huff that came out of her was loud and annoyed. “We have to go out. You always take me out on my day.” She pouted and grumbled, “You forgot, didn’t you?”

“Sorry, hon. I’ve been a little distracted. Is that today?”

Katie growled at him, the sound enough to push him over the edge into a fit of laughter. She crossed her arms and glowered. When he finally managed to calm some, he gave her a wide smile.

“Oh, Katie girl, you know I’d never forget your birthday! I have reservations for us, Dane, Deacon, your sister, and even Dane’s brat, er, I mean sister.”

She squealed and launched herself into his arms, mostly ending up in his lap. If they hadn’t been in the office hallway, with patients coming in and out, her show of excitement wouldn’t have bothered him. However, he didn’t think it overly appropriate considering where and when they were. “You wanna get up and get back to work, hon? I promise to take you out like I always do. I’ll even let you have your present before we eat tonight, but you have to behave and not give the kids ideas,” Kade said, tipping his head to where a young girl and her mom stood just inside the door that led to the waiting room.

Hopping up, Katie blushed, muttering “sorrys” to both Kade and the mom, then scurrying down the hall. Kade smiled at the young girl and mom. “Sorry, birthday parties get even big girls all excited.”

The mom nodded and looked down at the little girl. “Yeah, we never outgrow that completely.”

“Nope. Were you on your way out or did we interrupt you following one of the hygienists in?”

“This is my daughter, Mandy, and I’m Reba,” she explained. “She’s here to see Dr. Thorn. The nice man we were following seems to have disappeared. Do you know which room?”

“Wonderful.” Kade held out his hand to Reba and then to Mandy. “I’m Dr. Thorn. Why don’t we head down the hall here and find your guide.” He led them toward his rooms, leaving them a short time later to get ready for their appointment.

B
Y
THE
end of the day, Kade was tired but happy. All his appointments had gone well, Katie was bouncing off the walls, and he had received multiple compliments on his new bracelet. He set down his pen and lightly ran his fingers over the smooth surface. Kade loved the weight, the look, and especially the words that had come with the adornment. Every time it shifted on his wrist, it made him think of how Deacon had looked when he’d first put it on Kade. And while he knew Deacon had money, something about seeing how much the thing cost made the words even more real to him. His Sir was happy with him and proud. Deacon had said proud and pleased more than once Monday, after the shopping was done. He knew he was already addicted to the man, but the way Deacon made him feel, safe and wanted, made him happier than he’d ever hoped.

He hurried home, showered, changed, and gathered Katie’s presents—the necklace was for her work anniversary. He also had tickets to one of the theater shows in town she’d been talking about wanting to see. Kade had even talked Dane into promising to go with her, no matter if he wanted to see it or not.

He went to open his front door just as the doorbell chimed. When he opened it, Deacon stood there, looking dashing in a charcoal gray suit with a purple dress shirt and a purple and gray necktie. “Hi, Kade,” Deacon said, eyes twinkling as he looked at Kade. “I thought we could ride to dinner together.”

Kade nodded before he even thought about it. “I’d like that. Would you—” he started but then swallowed around the sudden nerves assaulting him. When they had gone out before, Deacon had driven, not minding the extra effort of having Kade’s chair in his car, but he wanted to drive Deacon this time. Deacon had seen Kade’s car, of course, but he hadn’t been permitted to drive Deacon anywhere. If they were going to be a long-term couple, Kade really wanted to be able to show Deacon he could take care of things himself and that his chair wasn’t a hindrance to them doing things together outside the bed and playrooms. “Would you like to ride with me?”

Deacon stared down at him a moment, then bowed, a small smile touching his lips. “I would. Thank you.” He punctuated his words with a brief kiss. Once they were in the car, Kade gave Deacon a few minutes to look around. He seemed fascinated with the hand controls, Bluetooth setup, and the built-in backup assistance system that allowed Kade to drive. Once he’d gotten over his hatred of the need for the gadgets, he’d decided all the things done to help him be independent were actually pretty cool. Now, he was thankful all over again. He didn’t want to be dependent on others for things. Well, being dependent on Sir for certain things made him happy, but not for getting around and general life.

Before he started the car, Deacon gave him another of those soft kisses, and then a sly look. “One more thing before we go. You’ve been wearing the cage during the day for over a month, but only overnight when with me.” Even though it sounded like a question, Kade knew it wasn’t one. “From now on, you will wear it all the time unless it interferes with your work or your health.”

Sucking in a startled breath, Kade dropped his gaze to his groin. He was in the cage still, as he
did
wear it all day, but all the time? “Really, Sir?”

“Mmhmm. Your body is mine, boy, is it not?”

“It is.” Kade’s heart raced, and his head swam. Did that mean Deacon was going to move them forward even more? “Does that mean more Sir and boy time too?”

One side of Deacon’s full lips curled into an almost smile. “It does, boy. That,” he added, touching the bracelet on Kade’s wrist again, “isn’t just for show. Now, start the car and let’s go. We have a dinner to attend, and I have some torment to dole out before the night is over.”

Kade fumbled with his keys, but managed to regain his composure and get the key in the ignition after a moment. He then started the car and drove them to the dinner with Katie. A large part of his brain ran through all sorts of things he hoped Deacon meant with his questions and demands as he drove. More time with his boyfriend was great. More time with his Dom…. Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

“K
ADE
,” J
AKE
grumbled, tugging on his shoulder again.

Kade was still sore from the previous night, but it was a good kind of sore. He just wished Jake would stop aggravating the mostly healed welts. Sir had given him five strikes of the cane before taking him fast and hard, and then held him all night as he slept. He’d sucked and licked Sir until he came that morning before breakfast.

Jake snapped, “Seriously, Kade.” Pulling himself out of the happy memories, he paid attention better as Jake continued to speak. “I said I’d help you get ready for this gala thing you’re going to, but I can’t if you won’t be still.”

Kade apologized. “Sorry, I… I’m just really nervous.” He looked down at his stupid sleeve again, irritated he couldn’t get the cuff link in right—of course, it might help if he’d been more mindful of what he was doing.

“Stop that.” Jake swatted Kade’s hand away and fixed it for him. “There, that looks better.” He paused, looking around Kade’s bedroom before picking up Kade’s jacket and holding it out for Kade to slip on. “Now we just need to get this on you, and you’ll be all set.”

“Thank you. This shouldn’t be so nerve-wracking. I mean, I was going already, it’s just that Deacon’s taking me instead and….”

“And you want to look good and make him happy, but you’re scared.” Jake leaned down and hugged Kade, careful not to mess up the tuxedo. “What I don’t get is why you think he won’t be happy. You said you had a great time when he took you shopping a couple of weeks ago. You know, when he got you that trinket on your wrist.” Jake pulled Kade’s sleeve up to look at the bracelet again. “Seriously, that’s a cool way to put a cuff on you but have it not stand out to your patients and friends not in the life.”