Page 25 of Sin Deep
Not literally.
In a purely mental, wrap up in Winter’s soul sort of way.
There, less serial killer, more obsessive interest. Go him.
Winter gave him no argument about the dishes, just carried things in and set them on the counter. “Well, the club is a safe space for anyone who identifies as male and queer. I think that’s the most important thing to know. It’s welcoming. It’s not elite. Membership is required, though everyone is entitled to bring guests as they please. The membership is diverse in every way imaginable, and there are a variety of interests, kinks, fetishes.”
“Yeah? Wow. I went to one deal in Austin once. That was fetishy. A rubber ball? We were sixteen and terrified.” He’d been scared and overwhelmed and embarrassed. Totally.
“Oh my. That sounds like a trial by fire. Did you enjoy it?” Winter poured himself more coffee.
“Hmm…is it weird to say I don’t know? I was so friggin’ scared, not to mention I’d never imagined that sort of thing outside of movies.” Hell, he’d been ninety percent sure some of those folks were literally vampires. “I was grateful I didn’t pee myself, cream my jeans, or pass out.”
Winter chuckled. “I’m sure you were. Well, I don’t recall ever attending a rubber ball at the club, but there might have been one I decided to pass on. I go to many others though. I’m fond of the holiday parties, the leather nights, ropes and bondage, uniforms, corsets…other things I attend largely depend on my mood.”
“Uniforms? Is that like when the soldiers go and dance?”
“No.” Winter shook his head. “That’s men in uniforms doing naughty things to each other. Or you.”
“Oh!” Okay, he was a dork. “At least I know the tube tops are corsets and they’re not only made for girls. Ollie was super clear.”
“Oh, Oliver knows how to wear a corset, doesn’t he?” Winter got a faraway look for a second. “Mm. Stunning. I could watch him all night. I’m very fond of corsets.”
“They’re real sparkly.” He didn’t know how he’d be able to have his nipples all whoa out there, because they were sort of stupid sensitive, and really, he wasn’t sparkly, but he guessed Winter would be pretty in one.
“Sparkly?” Winter looked confused.
“Like the glitter and sequins and all? You know?” He waggled his fingers. “Sparkly!”
“Oh! You’re talking about what Oliver was wearing at the Mardi Gras party. Yes, that one was quite…lustrous. But they’re not all like that, petit. In fact, I’d venture to say most are not.”
“Lustrous is a fab word.” And totally described Ollie. That man was lustrous all over the damn place. “That was the first one I’d seen.”
“It’s exactly how I think of Oliver. And, lustrous is one of my favorite words. Dolorous is another. Mellifluous. Lugubrious. I love adjectives that end in o-u-s. I’m sure you can appreciate words, having grown up in a library. You remember Jesse? I think of him as voracious.”
“And loquacious.” But damn fun to dance with.
“Indeed. Quite.” Winter kissed his cheek. “Harley, I think you might be a figment of my imagination. You’re much too…right to be real.”
“You never know. I have terrible taste in movies, and I can’t swim.” Harley winked at him. Also, he wasn’t incredibly good at going to school and shit.
“I don’t have much interest in swimming myself. Movies, on the other hand… I don’t know. I’ll have to think that over.” Winter handed him a towel as he finished up the dishes.
“Yep. I am a huge fan of weird B movies. Huge. The weirder the better.”
“We’ll have to watch one together sometime for me to truly evaluate how terrible your taste is.”
“You name the time, I’ll be here withAttack of the Killer DonutsandElectric Boogaloo.” He thought he’d start easy.
“Oh my. I think perhaps I can verify the poor taste just from the titles.” Winter shook his head. “Shall we get dressed and go out?”
“Let’s do this, gorgeous.” He intended to have a great fucking day.
8
Harley headed upstairs to get dressed to meet Winter at ‘the Club’ where he hoped Ollie could help him get. It had been a great day, but he needed a shower and a shave and to pray he had one more clean shirt.
He arrived home to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Oliver had all the cushions off the couch, and was bent over, cleaning in the corners of the upholstery with a pointy tool.
