for the peace and quiet to soothe his aching head. Beyond the changing room, he could hear the distant noises of the club, but he forced them into the background, letting his mind be still.
He knew what he needed—a change of environment. One where he didn’t have to see daily reminders of his failures.
Something stirred in his brain, a memory from the end of the previous year, something he’d seen and filed away in his head. Except now that memory was as bright as a flashlight, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he grew. It wouldn’t fix everything, but it might prove exactly what he needed, or at least push him in the right direction.
And it would take him away from Collars & Cuffs, away from the memories that assaulted him every time he’d stepped through its doors during the last few months.
The sound of the door opening brought him back. Pietro entered, beaming, his belly still bearing traces of his come.
“Hi!” he greeted Dorian with a smile. “What are you doing, sitting in here on your own?” Without waiting for a reply, he walked over to one of the showers and flipped it on, sighing as the hot water cascaded over his body.
Dorian watched him, his heart aching at the sight of Pietro standing under the jets, eyes closed, his fingers resting on the collar that lay snug around his neck. His friend was the perfect picture of contentment, a peaceful smile stretched wide across his face. Dorian closed his eyes and let the sound of the water flow over him. In his head, everything was suddenly much clearer.
“Dorian?”
He opened his eyes to see Pietro standing in front of him, a towel fastened around his hips, his eyes bright with amusement. “Were you asleep?”
“I was thinking.”
Pietro smirked. “I wondered what the noise was. It was obviously the cogs in your head.” He chuckled but then fell silent when Dorian didn’t respond. Pietro sat beside him. “Are you okay?”
It was on the tip of Dorian’s tongue to tell him that everything was fine, but he stopped short of saying it. Pietro was probably the only one in the club who might understand.
Dorian gazed at him thoughtfully. “Remember what I said about wanting to push my boundaries?”
Pietro stared at him, eyes wide. “You’ve thought of something, haven’t you?”
Dorian regarded him for a moment and then nodded. “You remember I went to London in October? Well, I was there for a reason—Fetish Week.”
Pietro smirked. “Well, that’s appropriate, I suppose. I’ve never been. Was it any good?”
He shrugged. “It was all right. Okay, so there were some events that were more extreme than we have here, but mostly I saw the same kind of kink. And then I found something.” He gave Pietro a speculative glance. “What do you know about the BDSM clubs in Berlin?”
Pietro frowned. “Absolutely nothing. Why?”
Dorian leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor, recalling what he’d read. “It seems they’re more hard-core than over here.” He snorted. “Than anywhere, if it comes to that. Anyway, I saw a poster advertising one of the clubs, Lab.Oratory, or the Lab for short, and I was thinking of going there.” When Pietro said nothing, Dorian looked up. His fellow submissive was staring at him. “What?”
“Why would you want to do that?” Pietro asked in a low voice.
He swallowed. How the hell do I explain this? And in that moment he realized this was a bad idea. He couldn’t explain it, nor did he want to. Pietro wouldn’t understand. Why would he? He had a master who adored him. Dorian had only to look at them together to see that. In their scenes, they were a good fit—no, they were an amazing fit. Pietro wouldn’t have a clue what Dorian was going through. No one did. Not even Thomas, though it had shocked Dorian to know that his lack of scenes had been noticed. He’d been grateful that Thomas hadn’t asked about his scenes with Andrew Barrett, because that was one place