Healing Hark (Doms of Chicago) (13 page)

“Clover.” The safeword came out on a whimpered, gust of air, but he knew Diachi heard it nonetheless.

Diachi stilled, his eyes drifting shut, before slowing opening as he took a step back. “Are you really sure you want to use that word with me?”

Hark bit his lower lip and gave an abrupt nod. Diachi had pushed too hard and gotten too close. If the safeword made Diachi back off, then he’d say it a million times. “I can’t do this again. I can’t be submissive to you.”

Diachi sighed and moved further back giving Hark the breathing room he needed. Too bad the words spilling out of his former lover’s mouth destroyed any relief he’d expected.

“But that’s just it, Harkahome. You already are, and your own words just confirmed it.” Diachi shoved his hands in his pockets. “Think about it and I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion.”

Hark wildly shook his head as he realized Diachi was right. When push had come to shove, he’d reverted back to his previous relationship with his former master. He was
sooo
screwed. “I won’t. I can’t.”

A sad smile crossed Diachi’s face. “Of course you can. All you have to do is give yourself permission.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot before shoving his hands in his pockets. “And we’ll be waiting when you do. Dom, switch, and sub – we’re three parts of the same whole and stronger together than apart. You don’t have to be alone anymore. All you have to do is take what we offer.”

Sitting down at the breakfast nook, Bryan stared at the two silent men on either side of him. The tension was thick. He'd had vague memories of Hark bringing him home last night and passing him off to
his master. But what had happened after Diachi had tucked him into bed? The men looked as if the slightest thing — either word or deed — would set them off.

“
Okay. Out with it. What the hell has you two looking like your favorite cat died?” Bryan threw his napkin down next to his plate.

Diachi arched a brow at him, while Hark did nothing
more than grunt.

“
Come on guys, out with it. You're seriously messing up my karma this morning.” He leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. It was hard look imposing when he was wearing nothing but a short silk robe, but dammit if this crazy plan Diachi had hatched up was going to work, the other two men needed to get on board.

Hark took another sip of his coffee and continued to stare at him. It should've been unnerving
, but after yesterday’s events he'd kind of gotten used to it. On his other side, Diachi just sighed softly. “Sorry,
hana
. It’s something Hark and I are going to have to work out. Nothing to do with you at all.” He wiped his mouth on his napkin before rising with his plate. After setting it in the sink, he paused next to the table to brush a kiss over Bryan's curls. “I have an online meeting with the people in Tokyo in less than half an hour, so I'll be downstairs. But even if I’m on the call, when you’re ready to leave, let me know. I can’t go all day without my good-bye kiss.” He paused and glanced at Hark. “Think about it.” It seemed as if his master wanted to say more, but Diachi merely sighed, and then silently disappeared downstairs.

As the silence continued, Bryan finally fidgeted. He wasn’t used to such tension at home. “
Since you're not going to tell me what happened last night, are you going to accompany me to work today?”

Hark took another slug of coffee, before sighing.
“Do you have any meetings this morning that can't be rescheduled?”

Shock rolled through him. The last thing he expected was Hark to inquire about his work
schedule. “Wednesdays?” He pursed his lips and mentally ran through his schedule. “No. Nothing until a production meeting this afternoon. Why?”

“
Good. Then you can come with me.” Hark rose then carried his plate and cup over to the sink.

Bryan couldn't help but stare in fascination as he rinsed his dishes. Dressed in nothing more than a pair of drawstring sleep pants, Hark was a feast to the eyes.
Particularly with his hair unbound as it was. He'd never seen a man with hair so long. True, Diachi's fell half way down his back, but Hark's? It brushed the top curves of the man's ass. But it wasn't just the hair that held his attention at the moment. It was the movement of muscles as Hark shut off the water and twisted to place his plate and cup in the dishwasher. The man had lats that just didn't quit. Had they flexed when he'd spanked Bryan yesterday?

Lust simmered in his blood,
tempting him to break Diachi's rule about rubbing one off. Even though his master had given him release in the shower this morning, eating breakfast across the table from a shirtless Hark could've been considered cruel and unusual punishment. Not that Diachi had seemed to notice the impressive muscles displayed at the breakfast table. Perhaps his master had become jaded to the sight after all his time with Hark, but even as much as Bryan adored his master’s slim, but muscled body, he couldn’t help but remember how it’d felt to pressed against Hark’s wide chest yesterday. It hadn’t been any better than Diachi’s embrace, just different.

“
If you're done staring, go get dressed. I promised Gabriel I'd be over at his new place by nine.”

Bryan jerked and
actually flushed. When was the last time he'd been caught ogling a man other than his master? Years. “I guess I should apologize, but dammit, I'm only human. You, without a shirt, are damned sexy.”

Standing, he
went to grab his dishes, but Hark stopped him.

“
I'll get these. Go get dressed. Something you don't mind getting dirty. We're going to a construction site.”

“
But...” Even as he opened his mouth to protest, Hark crossed his arms over his chest — almost daring Bryan to say a word. “Fine. I'll just grab a change of clothing for the office.”

“
Wise idea.” Hark grabbed the dishes. “You have twenty minutes before we leave. Make the best of it.”

* * * *

Keeping an eye on the light traffic rushing by him on the Edens, Hark listened with one ear as Bryan called in and spoke with someone on his cell.

“
No, I'll be in later today, Easton. After lunch. But you'll still be able to get in touch with me. I'll have my phone on.” Bryan squeezed his nose. “Yes, Diachi knows where I am. Keep it up and I'm going to ask him to paddle your ass.”

Hark's eyes narrowed.
It was obvious the other man was still struggling with the idea Bryan was with him and not Diachi. Only one of numerous reasons why Hark thought this cockamamie scheme Diachi and Bryan had cocked up was wrong. If their close friends had an issue with Bryan being with him, what made them think this could possibly work?

Bryan's laugh drew him
from his morbid thoughts. “Don't tempt me. I'll talk to you later.” Then he snapped his phone shut, before relaxing back against the leather upholstery of Hark's car.

“
So what exactly are we doing this morning, since we’re not going to the office?”

Hark checked his mirrors before changing lanes.
“Fulfilling a promise I made.”

Bryan turned his body enough to watch him.
“You know you could've dropped me at work and gone without me. Our deal was for only three days a week.”

“Key word there being ‘was.’ U
ntil they catch who ever attacked your assistant, I'm not leaving you alone at work.” Hark stated as he pulled off the Expressway. “Your master is trusting me to keep you safe.”

“As do I.
But honestly how much danger do you think I'll be in surrounded by people at work?”

“
I don't know.” Hark glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “How much trouble was Sharonda expecting?”

Bryan sighed.
“I suppose you have me there. I’d like to think because I'm nearly twice her size, a person would have second thoughts about attacking me.” Bryan rolled his shoulders.

“
Size doesn't matter to a bullet, little one.” Turning into a neighborhood not far from Caelan's home, Hark stayed on the road for several minutes as the crowded suburb of Evanston’s traffic thinned out. Just after they crossed over into Wilmette, he turned into a newer subdivision. Several homes were under various stages of construction.

“Wow! I
s that Gabriel's new place? Is he expecting to have a dozen kids?” Bryan whispered in awe at the size of the home.

“
Yeah, I suspect he and Zhenya will have several rug rats if he has his way.” He put the car in park before popping the trunk. “Come on. Let’s get this over. Daylight's a wasting.”

As he gathered up his brush kit, Hark could feel Bryan hovering. It was going to
be a long day if the man didn't quit staring at him. Now he knew exactly how his clients felt when he was guarding him. It was frustrating — in more than one sense.

As he shut the trunk
, a familiar SUV pulled up beside them. While Gabriel exited his vehicle, Hark gave a sigh of relief. Perhaps having him around would put a buffer between him and Bryan. He just knew eventually he was going to demand to know what was going on between him and Diachi.

Nothing will be, as long as I can help it
.

But even as he thought it, he knew it would be all too easy to slip back into his former relationship with Diachi.
And while it might be fantastic on certain levels, on others, there would still be the same divisive issues as they had before.

“
Ready?” Gabriel stepped up next to him, the keys dangling in between his fingers.

“
Sure. A promise is a promise.” Hark followed him up the walk. “But it does have me curious. How were you able to slip away without Zhenya wondering where you were off to? Aren't Wednesdays one of your days off?”

After unlocking the door, Gabriel gave him a mysterious smile.
“You'll find submissives don’t necessarily ask too many questions about where you’re going – especially when they happen to think you're visiting their favorite sex toy store.” Gabriel chuckled. “Besides, the new house happens to be right on the way. So I'm just gonna let you in and then make my run. The shop called earlier this morning and told me the new pinwheel I ordered is in. I've been dying to try it out since we broke the last one.”

Hark shook his head as he followed the man in.
“I don't even want to know how you managed to break it.”

“
She accidently kicked it out of my hand when I was....”

Bryan started sing-songing
“La, la, la, la...” while shoving his fingers inside his ears.

Hark stared at him in horror
. What the hell was he doing? Beside him Gabriel sighed.

“
He does that every time I talk about what he considers to be girly parts. He's being a smart-ass.”

“
Oh he is?” Hark eyed him speculatively. “Perhaps a certain sub needs a spanking to remind him how rude it is to act like a naughty child.”

Bryan's eyes widened comically
as he dropped his fingers. “Aw, come on. I'm gay. Zhenya's a sweet lady, but I don't want to hear about her girly-bits, thank you very much. Speaking of bits. I need to borrow your restroom. Please tell me you have running water.”

“
See...told you. Bathroom is over there on the right. When you're done, Hark will be upstairs in the last bedroom on the left.” Gabriel pointed to a closed door before leading Hark up the steps. “I'll be so glad when the house is done. I love Sophia to death, but having her sleep in the same room as her mom and me...it's becoming a bit cumbersome. I swear I need to gag Zhenya every time we make love just so we don't wake her up.”

Hark chuckled as he remembered the days
when Alex had always seemed to interrupt every time his parents wanted to be intimate. Lucky for George and Teresina, he hadn't minded keeping the boy busy while his parents tore up the sheets. “I've been there.”

As they came to a stop in front of the far door, Hark waited for Gabriel to unlock it.
With the surprise Gabriel had planned for his wife, the nursery door had been kept under lock and key — just in case Zheyna decided to stop by the house to see the progress.

Following Gabriel in, Hark was putting his brushes down on dresser when the other man let out a low whistle. Hark glanced up to see Gabriel standing in front of the half-finished mural on the wall.
“Damn, you've got more done than I expected. You're a true genius, Hark.”

The sudden inhalation behind Hark had him turning.
Standing in the open doorway, Bryan stared in awe at the mural.

“
You did this?” His voice seemed to come out as a strangled whisper.

Hark's cheeks heated.
“It's nothing. Gabriel wanted to surprise Zhenya with something special for the nursery. I'm thinking it's to ease the blow of having Sophia down the hall, instead of in the master suite with them.”

Gabriel scoffed as he rejoined Hark.
“And it has nothing to do with the incredible mesa mural she saw in Alex's nursery?”

Hark shook his head. “Nope, nothing to do with it all.”

* * * *

Bryan couldn't help but stare at the half
-finished painting on the soft white wall. Burnt oranges and yellows stood out against vivid blue hues, as the half completed coast of what Bryan could only assume was Italy, jumped off the wall. The bold strokes and textures of the painting almost made him think he was on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Damned if the man wasn’t a supremely talented artist. He'd never expected to see anything of this magnitude on a child's nursery wall.

“
It's absolutely phenomenal.” The sheer beauty of the mural only increased the closer to the mural he got.

Behind him, Hark only shrugged.
“I just copied it off of a photo of Zhenya's hometown in Italy.”

Gabriel scoffed.
“Don't let him fool you, Bryan. He did his research and was meticulous in his color selection. Not only is Zhenya going to adore this, Sophia will have a piece of her homeland in her room every night when she goes to bed.”

Bryan spun around and place
d his hands on his hips. “This is the kind of mural you were talking about the other day?”

Busy stirring up
his paints, Hark barely shrugged. “Something similar. Not Italy of course, but perhaps something from Diachi's Japanese roots. I once visited a Buddhist temple in southern Japan. It would’ve made an excellent addition to your playroom, considering all the oriental touches already present. But it doesn’t matter now.”