Shaking his head to clear that line of thought, he makes his way out of the Gold Room and toward the changing room, the thumping bass from the bar fading away as he retreats farther down the hallway.

In the changing room, there are a few people in varying states of undress going about their business, though Mal isn’t among them. Rowan wonders at that while he finds an empty shower stall, grabs a neatly-rolled towel and a travel-sized bar of soap from the basket outside and stashes them on the cedar bench inside the stall before closing the heavy curtain.

The stall looks pristine, white subway tiles lining the interior of the shower, gleaming golden fixtures. It’s a bit much for Rowan’s taste, but he can’t deny that it looks good. Expensive, as he’d expected.

He peels off his tank and briefs before turning on the water and setting the temperature to something shy of molten. And when he steps under the spray, it feels heavenly, the water pressure a perfect downpour against his neck and chest. It feels so much like a massage that he bows his head and lets the water rain over him and cascade down his back, soaking him instantly and washing away the last remaining evidence of his and Mal’s time together.

The idle chatter of the other men fades away until there’s only the pleasant sound of rushing water and the memory of Mal’s moans in his ears. He lets himself relax fully, feels his tense muscles ease with the heat and the pounding water as he replays everything that just happened in his mind.

Mal is so fucking perfect in a way that Rowan’s never encountered before. Sure, he’s had some great sex in the past and been with partners who knew what they liked and had a good time, but Mal is… different. He’s confident and completely unashamed of what he likes, and from the start it drove Rowan crazy in the best way. And Mal knows exactly how to push to get what he wants, but in a way that never makes it feel like he’s the one calling the shots. Well, no more than a sub normally is in a Dom/sub scene.

He can’t help but wonder exactly how much Mal’s done this. How many people he’s been with. When he started experimenting with things beyond vanilla. How long it took him to figure himself out and learn what he likes. How to get it. Because despite Rowan’s own confidence when it comes to sex, it’s obvious that Mal’s light-years ahead of him in the BDSM scene.

But Mal seems fine with Rowan being somewhat lacking in experience. If anything he seems almost eager to show him the ropes, and Rowan can only hope that the trend continues the more they do this. Hopes he doesn’t reach a plateau and make Mal lose interest.