Chapter 12
Jonah
I’m much less nervous standing outside Kink Closet with Lars at my side, but the flutter in the pit of my stomach isn’t completely gone.
“Come on, JJ, there’s nothing to be worried about,” he encourages, gripping my hand and tugging me forward.
“What if you see all this stuff and change your mind? What if it weirds you out?”
Lars sighs, turning to face me with a stern expression. “Nothing in the world could change my mind about you. Honestly, I still need to wrap my head around the puppy aspect, but I will. Don’t box me out of this; I want to be part of it.”
I take a deep breath and give his hand a squeeze before nodding my head resolutely. “Let’s do this.”
I’m somewhat relieved to see Adrian behind the counter again today. I’m not sure if my nerves would’ve held with a completely new employee to contend with. His eyes light up when he realizes it’s me, and when they dart to Lars, he looks even happier.
“Oh, thank god. I thought for sure I completely ruined your relationship.”
Lars chuckles, bumping his shoulder against me. “I’ll admit, you gave me a minor heart attack, but it would take a hell of a lot more than a pretty twink to break us apart.”
Adrian flutters his eyelashes. “You think I’m pretty?”
“Oh my god, how perfect would he be for Seb?” I say, and Lars nods in agreement. “He so would.”
“Sorry fellas, but I already have a handler. Thanks for the thought though.” An oddly haunted look passes over Adrian’s face before he fixes his features back into a megawatt smile. “Now, I’m assuming you’re not here to see little ol’ me, so what can I help you with?”
“I think we’re going to browse the…um…puppy stuff?” Lars says, looking to me for guidance and making me anxious with his uncertainty.
Adrian tilts his head and looks between us before grabbing a sticky note and a pen to jot something down.
“Look this guy up; he’s exactly what you need.” He hands me the slip, and I see Vale Garrett, Puppy Trainer written down along with a web address.
“Puppy trainer? I thought that was what a handler did?” I ask.
“This guy trains puppies and their handlers. I’m not off base in assuming this is completely new to both of you, right?” he asks, and we both nod in agreement. “This guy will help you figure it all out. He can show Lars how to be a good master, and you how to relax and explore your puppy persona.”
“Great, thank you.” I put the paper into my pocket and turn my head to spy on the puppy gear at the back of the shop.
“Don’t let me hold you up; go take a look together.” He makes a shooing motion, and I turn, giving Lars’ arm a tug so he’ll follow.
My heart beats faster the closer we get to the back, my mind racing, wondering what Lars is thinking as we near the puppy stuff. My eyes go wide, taking in the vastness of the display. Last time, I was so focused on the hoods, I didn’t pay attention to all the other items for sale— collars, leashes, harnesses, toys, knee and hand pads…there’s even an array of jock straps with bones, fire hydrants, and phrases like “give a dog a bone” on the front. Not to mention the tails. I’m still not crazy about the plain black, hard plastic tails they have as options here.
“You don’t like these?” Lars asks, no doubt noticing my grimace when I look at the tails.
I can feel a blush rising in my cheeks, but I know it’s time I move past my nerves and talk with Lars about this stuff openly. It’s the only way we’re going to be able to figure out if this is for us.
“Not really,” I admit. “I like the idea of a tail, I mean…come on,” I laugh, running my finger along the rounded end of the plug. “But I kind of want a prettier one? I’m not sure if that makes sense, but I’d love a fluffy tail.”
Lars eyes the tails, tilting his head slightly before looking at me again. “Yeah, a fluffy tail would fit you better than these. I wonder if they make fluffy tails that curl up like this though? I kind of like the idea of the tail being high and visible while you run around.” His voice gets a little husky as he’s talking, and my nerves are put to rest. He’s turned on by this, at least to some extent.
I pull him a little closer, dipping my head to brush my nose against his cheek.
“I like that idea too,” I agree. “How do you think I’ll look in one of those jocks, with my fluffy tail wagging and my cock hard?”
Lars lets out a quiet gasp, following my gaze to the underwear. He nods his head rapidly, reaching out and grabbing several of them in one hand. “Let’s get these and a black tail for now while we look online for the kind you want.”
“Okay,” I agree with a smile.
“You need these pads,” he concludes, grabbing those off the wall as well. “What about a leash and collar? Do you like any of these? Or would you rather have a harness?”
My smile gets even wider as I grab a brown leather collar and matching leash.
“What about a toy?” I ask shyly, my eyes lingering on a soft, stuffed bone.
“Get it.”
With our arms loaded up with stuff, we return to the front to check out.
“Find everything you needed?” Adrian checks.
“Do you have a recommendation for somewhere to find fluffy tails?” Lars asks.
“Oh, yes.” He grabs another sticky note and writes down a website. “This is where I got mine. It’s pink and fluffy with a little bit of sparkle in the fur. It’s fabulous. I’ve tried to get the owner to stock more options here, but the puppy stuff isn’t the biggest seller, unfortunately.”
I chuckle and take the note.
“Is it weird that I’m really curious to see your puppy persona?”
“Not at all, everyone who sees Diva loves him,” Adrian preens. “I’m not sure if you’d be up for it, but at the end of next month, there’s a puppy romp at Collared, the kink club downtown. I’ll be there, and so will tons of other pups with their handlers.”
I glance at Lars to gauge his reaction and find him looking curious.
“Maybe,” I agree. “Thanks for all your help.” I reach for the bags, but Lars beats me to it, grabbing them all in one hand.
“My pleasure. Feel free to swing by any time if you have questions or just need someone to talk to. And make sure to call Vale; he can help.”
Lars
When we get home from Kinky Closet, Jonah takes all his purchases and puts them in the guest bedroom closet with the excuse of wanting to keep everything together. I’m not buying it for a second, especially not with the hint of anxiety and uncertainty still in his eyes. But I also don’t want to push. We can explore this at whatever pace he’s comfortable with, and if he’s not ready to put on the hood and everything for me, then we can wait until he is ready. Even if I am dying to see what he looks like as a puppy.
“You know what we should do?” he says when he returns from putting his things away.
“What should we do?”
“Make up for our last failed date with a better one tonight.”
“I like the sound of that,” I agree. “What do you think? Dinner and a movie? Something more exotic than that?”
“I’m up for dinner and a movie,” he says with a slow smile. “Will you pick?” His shy, hopeful tone lets me know there’s more to the request than simply not wanting to choose where we go to eat.
I study him for a few seconds, trying to work out the hidden meaning, and when a light pink colors his cheeks, I finally understand. He’s asking to test out these possible new relationship dynamics. Not new exactly, but more than what we had before.
“I’ll choose, puppy,” I assure him, putting a bit of the authoritative rumble behind my words and watch the way his blush deepens. I swear his body hums for me.
“Thank you.” His words come out barely above a whisper, his eyes downcast as he works through the nerves no doubt barraging him right now. It’s how he’s always been, almost more anxious after he’s asked for something or done something that makes him nervous. It’s like he’s able to hold back the floodgates just long enough to get through it, then it all comes crashing down on him after.
Stepping into his personal space, I tap the bottom of his chin to get him to look up and meet my eyes.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know what you needed sooner, but I am going to learn how to be the best Master there ever was, I promise you that.”
A smile tilts the corner of his lips and he gives me a shaky nod.
“What should I wear?”
I consider for a few seconds, trying to decide where I’m taking him and what the best outfit would be.
“Put on your green polo; I love the way it brings out your eyes. And those dark jeans of yours that drive me wild,” I instruct.
“And underneath?” he asks wickedly, his nerves clearly ebbing.
“Put on only what I told you,” I answer before tugging him into a deep, drugging kiss, our tongues sliding together in a motion so familiar I swear I dream of it most nights. Even after all these years, kissing Jonah sets off a herd of butterflies in my stomach and makes my cock hard almost instantly. When I manage to pull back, I place one quick peck against his lips and then put a hand in the middle of his chest to push him away before I give in to temptation before our date. “Go, get dressed.”
“Yes, Master,” he murmurs, the word even better on his kiss swollen lips than I’d been imagining this morning.
Once he’s gone, I glance down at myself and realize I should get changed for our date as well. But I decide to wait until he’s finished so I don’t end up jumping him while we’re both in the bedroom changing.
While I wait, I sit down at the kitchen table and pull out my phone. I bring up some of the websites he showed me last night to do a little more reading. I have every intention of keeping my promise to him and learning how to be exactly what he needs. It may take some time to get it exactly right, but that’s okay. Because if there’s one thing Jonah and I have, it’s all the time in the world together.