Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

man in the world.
    "Preoccupied with coming on demand." He couldn't help the throaty sound of his voice any more than he could stop smiling at the gorgeous man who was grinning even as he squirmed in embarrassment.
    Jordan maneuvered around him and retrieved Cal's jeans from the floor. As loath as he was to cover such a sight—
    Scratching at the screen door alerted him that the dogs had had enough of being outside.
    "I've never done that before." Cal admitted, standing to pull on his jeans. Jordan reached the door and turned just in time to watch him tuck.
    Jordan held the door for the dogs, rolling his eyes at the way they bounded through like they hadn't had human contact in days.
    He returned his attention to his half-dressed lover. "Done what before? Come on command? I'm impressed, actually. Some subs can take years to master the ability to do that."
    Thinking back, Jordan had to admit he probably wouldn't have been smart enough to rethink the statement even if he hadn't just gone stupid from the mind-numbing orgasm. As it was, he knew he'd made a mistake about a second after the words left his mouth.
    Cal went absolutely rigid. His face froze and his jaw clenched. "I'm no sub ."
    "Uh." Jordan blinked, completely blindsided. "It wasn't an insult, sweetheart."
    Cal glared. "If you think because I let you semi-restrain me that I'm somehow into abuse and slavery and beatings, you are way off base."
    Jordan went from stupid to furious in the space it took him to comprehend what Cal had said. "Do I strike you, then, as someone who's abusive?" His tone was low and controlled, but barely.
    "You won't strike me at all." Cal turned on his heel to stalk away. He stopped and scanned the floor with what bordered on frenzy until he scooped up B, tucking him possessively to his chest. "You think I'm going to be some kind of whipping boy you can use at your convenience and throw away?"
    "Oh, no you don't." Jordan grabbed his arm and spun him. His fury was just as quickly replaced again by confusion. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I am not that kind of person, and I'm sure as shit not some kind of whack job that gets off on raping and abusing my partner."
    Cal snorted, sneering over his shoulder as he ripped his arm from Jordan's grasp. "Partner. Right."
    He was bolting for the door and Jordan rushed to cut him off. "Cal! What the hell? I would never hurt you!" He held him by the shoulders and bent to try forcing eye contact. What he saw when he got it was chilling. "I don't know what's made you think these things, but you were... God, Cal! You loved being taken! You loved the submission; I could see you craving more. It's in you."
    In the recesses of his mind, Jordan was screaming at himself to shut up, shut up, shut up. "It doesn't mean you want to be beaten or harmed. Just... taken. By the person who knows just how to take care of you." He was digging himself deeper and deeper, but he couldn't seem to stop.
    Cal shook his head furiously. "No."
    " Yes ." Jordan held him when he would have bolted, stunned by the barely restrained fury vibrating under his hands. "It's as natural to you as breathing." He tried soothing them both with his voice, but it wasn't working—for either of them. "I can see you. I'm your—" He didn't say it. "I can feel you. What you need. I can give it to you. Would love nothing more than a chance to take care of you."
    "You mean dominate me, don't you? Own me." Cal spat, and Jordan was horrified to see tears shining in the deep brown eyes before they went cold. "Now move, because I can, and I will, kick your ass if you don't let me out of this house right now."
    Jordan was speechless. His head was spinning. He stared for another minute, struggling for some argument, some way to penetrate the obviously skewed impressions in Cal's head. Clearly something—someone—had done some serious damage. They could work on that, if only Jordan could reach him.
    "Cal," he tried, but Cal only shook his head and shouldered past him. He didn't even stop long enough to put on his shoes. Just snatched them from the rug by the door and was gone. Jordan was still blinking stupidly in the empty hall when he heard Cal's truck roar out of the driveway.
    ****
    It had been nearly twelve hours since Cal had stormed out of the house. It felt like days. Jordan's calls went straight to voice mail. His texts went unanswered. He'd considered driving out to confront him in person, but Jordan honestly didn't