Balance

Owens
    8

    able to pull away.” Nando let his eyes wander down—not to avert his eyes but to check out Cooper’s groin. Cooper’s jeans were tight so there was no mistaking his arousal. “So why don’t you give me your safeword on the way to the room?”
    Cooper got up right after Nando did and followed him down the dimly lit corridor. “I have some questions.” Nando turned around briefly but kept on walking. “Fire away, but I can tell you this. Our session will have a clear start and finish. Anything we agree upon will happen or not happen during the session. Outside of it, we just act normally. Afterward, we’ll review what you liked and disliked, and we’ll talk about what happened. This is for both our benefits. And all intimate contact will be safe. Even for the blow job, I’ll be wearing a condom.”
    “That won’t be necessary,” Cooper was quick to say.
    “Yes, it will,” Nando replied when he opened the door.
    He switched the door sign to “occupied” before going in.
    “What kind of health and safety officer are you?” He tried hard to make it sound like he as mocking rather than reprimanding Cooper. “We’re both gay, which means we’ve probably had a cock down our throat before, which also means we might carry a few unfriendly germs. I have a clean bill of health—you can check my records here if you like—
    but I take no risks with my clients. Why would I take one with you? For a Dom, the safety and well-being of his sub comes first.”
    Cooper nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Crimson. My safeword.”

    Balance | Zahra Owens
    9

    “Crimson it is,” Nando replied happily. “Now take off your clothes and kneel on the rug there.” Nando walked to the small connected room. He knew it always worked best if he left the new guy to check out the room on his own, give him some time. Some guys hated the waiting and became more nervous. More than once, he’d returned to an empty room. When the potential sub was determined, though, Nando would return to the room and find the guy just as he’d requested: naked and willing. As he took off his shirt and briefly looked at his reflection in the mirror, he felt himself hardening. For a moment, Nando closed his eyes and inhaled. He had to stay in control, no matter how much the prospect of what was going to happen turned him on. Cooper came first tonight, in any way possible. Nando was going to have to make it good for him, turn his interest, his craving, into the idea that putting himself in the hands of an experienced Dom and completely letting go was the most amazing feeling in the world, and then Nando would find him that experienced Dom and turn him over. Assuming everything played out the way he imagined, he already had the right man in mind.
    Nando took one more look in the mirror at his lean, well-balanced physique and elaborate body art and gave his tight leather pants with the zip-away crotch a short tug before rounding the corner to the room. Cooper was there, on his knees, naked and half aroused, his hands behind his back and his eyes downcast. Nando’s attention was momentarily drawn to Cooper’s left shoulder, which sported a rather large but sadly faded tattoo. It was an occupational hazard to see it wasn’t very skillfully applied, and even Balance | Zahra Owens
    10

    though it could easily be twenty years old, it hadn’t weathered the years well.
    Nando shook his head to bring himself back to the business at hand. “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” He strutted over to where Cooper was kneeling. He could see Cooper looking at him but at the same time trying to keep his head down.
    “I haven’t, but I’ve done some… research.”
    “Good,” Nando answered, lowering his voice a little.
    “Then you’ll know that as soon as we start, you will only speak when I specifically give you permission to do so. If I ask you anything, you will either nod as a ‘yes’ or shake your head as a ‘no’. Of course, you can always use your safeword, and then I’ll stop what I’m doing immediately, and the session will be over. If I cross any of your boundaries, don’t hesitate. I won’t think any less of you if you use it, no matter what happens. Do you understand?”
    “Yes,” Cooper answered; then he nodded to show he did.
    “Now, before we start: do you have any more questions?” Cooper shook his head.
    “Then let’s begin.”

    COOPER felt cold, although it wasn’t cold in the room. He was shaking