“You’ve done an amazing job. I’m going to take some pictures, but I think you should be getting upstairs to change, don’t you? You only have about twenty minutes before the guests start arriving.”
“I just have to put Aloysius in his place.” Luke grabbed a large teddy bear from a nearby windowsill and put him in the chair at the head of the table. “There. That’s everything.” He gave Luke a shy smile before heading to his room, cursing the plug with every step.
In the safety of his bathroom, Skye set the shower running to heat the water then stripped off his clothes. He undid the leather belt around his waist, eased the plug from his arse then slid the ring over his cock. He dropped the entire contraption on the floor, climbed into the shower, gave his erection two hard tugs and came all over the tile with a sigh of relief.
“Oh, thank God.” He pressed his forehead against the cold wall, taking a few long, slow breaths. “And now I have another confession to make.” There was no time for recovery or to contemplate what his punishment might be for coming without Luke’s permission. He shampooed his hair and washed with more haste than he would have liked. With a towel wrapped around his hips, he used the hairdryer to tame his unruly hair. He hadn’t had a chance to check the costume that had been left in his wardrobe and at first glance he wondered if some of it was missing. Bemused, he held up the single garment and couldn’t help but laugh. His ‘costume’ was a pair of black patent leather boxer briefs. The white front pouch had a design of three buttons and a miniature bow tie, making it look like a dress-shirt front. He didn’t have time to think about it. He wriggled into the shorts, which clung to every bump and curve of his body. “Think about the positives, Skye, at least they cover everything important.” There was no sign of any shoes, or instructions about wearing any, so Skye stayed barefoot and ran back downstairs. Fergus and Henry were already in the hall, wearing identical clothing to him.
“Hey, Skye, what do you think?” Fergus did a twirl. “Aren’t they fabulous?”
“I, uh…if you say so.”
“You’re going to be the sexiest server ever. We’re going to be helping Goran with the drinks. He has a whole new cocktail menu and there are going to be twizzle sticks. I don’t exactly know what they are, but they sound fun.”
“I wouldn’t mind if Goran wanted to twizzle my stick,” Henry said, grinning. “Did you see him in that harness last night? Holy hard- on, Batman!”
“Don’t you two have somewhere to be?” Luke emerged from his office, a collar in his hand. “Scram.” They disappeared quickly enough to be part of a magician’s act. “I have a collar for you.”
Skye examined the strip of leather. “It’s different, Sir.” He knelt at Luke’s feet.
“It’s a training collar. It belongs to me and you’ll only take it off with my permission.” Luke fastened it around Skye’s neck, checking that nothing pinched. “It’s a snug fit. I want you to know you’re wearing it.”
Skye had no doubt he would. He touched his neck, gliding his fingers along the smooth leather. Luke had positioned the buckle at the back of Skye’s neck, making it less accessible, not that Skye had any intention of removing it.
“Thank you, Sir.” Skye thought there was a strong chance he might cry if Luke said anything kind. “I…I mean…when I took the harness off, I…”
“Time to go to work. I’ll see you last thing tonight as usual. We’ll discuss your misdemeanors then.” Luke brushed Skye’s shoulder. It was the lightest of touches but enough to let Skye know he could stand. He took one step in the same direction Luke took before he remembered that he had an elaborate dinner party to serve. With a rueful shake of his head, he made his way to the banqueting hall, then on through to the kitchen, expecting it to be in a state of chaos. To his astonishment, a strange calm had descended and Tor, Benjy and Frank were sitting around the staffroom table, drinking tea.
“Holy cow! Look at you.” Frank gaped. “That outfit is…I mean it’s…practically non-existent.”
“That’s so fucking hot,” Benjy exclaimed, eyes wide.
“I…” Skye didn’t know where to put himself.
“You two. Kitchen. Now.” Tor glared at his trainees. “You’re embarrassing Skye.”
“Sorry, Skye!”
“Yeah, sorry.” The two disappeared into the kitchen.
“I apologize for their behavior,” Tor said. “There’s not nearly enough discipline in their lives.” He gave a pained sigh. “Would you like a cup of tea before bedlam ensues?”
“No, thank you, Sir. They aren’t in trouble, are they? I mean…they aren’t being nasty and I am only wearing a strip of plastic.” He gave his shorts a rueful glance.
Tor chuckled. “You’re too sweet for your own good, Skye. No, they aren’t in trouble. It’s a good job you’ve got Luke to take care of you.”
“How did you…?”
“It’s obvious in every look between you and that isn’t a house collar you’re wearing. For what it’s worth, you couldn’t have found a better Dom.”
Skye ducked his head, not sure what to say. Tor gave him a kind smile. “Are you ready for tonight? It’s going to get frantic.”
“It’s about the only thing I’m sure I can do, Sir. Even if I would prefer to be fully dressed while doing it.”
“Don’t worry. Once they get a taste of my food, they won’t be taking any notice of you.”
“I’m sure that’s true, Chef.” Skye grinned. “I hear them coming.” The sound of chatter and laughter reached them.
“The eggs should be ready. Why don’t you come in and get them?”
From that moment on Skye didn’t get a second’s rest. He lost count of the number of trips he made between the kitchen and the banqueting hall, pushing trolley-loads of dishes. He was very glad he wasn’t the one who had to deal with the washing up—industrial dishwashers had a lot going for them. On two occasions Roy and Saul sent him to fetch Tor so that everyone could congratulate him on the wonderful food. Tor was gracious and took the time to chat to everyone in a way Skye would never have had the courage to do. He served and cleared in a quiet, unobtrusive manner and managed to ensure that his presence was hardly noticed. The guests were happy to chat and relax between courses, so he had enough time to handle all ten of them by himself even if he did work up a sweat doing it. When he returned to the kitchen with the dessert dishes, Fergus and Henry were taking a break.
“We’ve got leftovers, Skye,” Fergus said around a mouthful of beef. “This meat is amazing. So tender it melts in your mouth.”
Skye slumped into a chair. Despite his skimpy clothing, he was baking hot.
“Are you okay?” asked Henry. “You’re very flushed.”
“Just hot and tired,” Skye said. “This evening has been hard work, but worth it.”
He poured himself a glass of water from a jug in the middle of the table. He gulped the cool liquid down, realizing that his throat was sore.
Fergus and Henry exchanged looks. “We’ll serve the coffee and Cointreau for you, Skye. You stay here and have a rest.”
Skye didn’t have the energy to argue. His face was burning, but when he laid the back of his hand against his forehead, it was dry. He folded his arms and rested his head on them, resolving to close his eyes just for a few seconds. The darkness was bliss. In the quiet, he became aware of the ache behind his eyes. Then the shivering started.
“Skye?”
Skye lifted his head. His vision blurred, but he could make out Tor’s shape in the doorway.
“You don’t look well at all. Have you eaten anything?”
The thought of food made Skye’s stomach heave. “I’m just tired. I think I was more worried about this evening than I realized.”
“I suspect it’s a bit more than that, Skye. Stay put. I’m going to fetch Luke.” Before he left, Tor pulled a soft pullover over Skye’s head. It smelled of nutmeg and cinnamon. It was far too big, but Skye was glad of its comfort and warmth. He put his head back onto th
e table and closed his eyes.
* * * *
“He’s burning up. This isn’t just tiredness,” Luke said. “You were right to come and get me. You think between the two of us we can get him upstairs? He needs to be in bed, but I don’t think I can carry him that far on my own. We’ll have to take him via the back stairs rather than past the guests.”
“He can’t weigh more than a sack of flour,” Tor said. “We’ll have him tucked up in bed quick as you like. Just let me tell the boys what’s going on. Fergus and Henry can look after the guests. Benjy and Frank just have clean-up duty. I can’t imagine, after five courses, that anyone is going to be needing room service tonight, but I’ll route the line through to my room just in case.”
Skye didn’t stir as Tor and Luke carted him down corridors and up the stairs to the staff accommodation. The only sounds he made were an occasional whimper or a rasping cough.
“I’m going to put him in my room,” Luke said. “It’ll be much easier for me to keep an eye on him in there.”
“What if he’s got something infectious?” Tor asked. “We’ll be in trouble if the rest of the staff go down with whatever this as well.”
“I did some medical training in the forces—just basic stuff, I’m not a doctor or anything—but I’ll take his temperature and, once he’s alert enough, give him paracetamol. If the fever hasn’t gone down by morning, I’ll call the local GP and ask her to make a house call.”
“They still do that?” Tor asked.
“Yes, Tor. They do. And besides, I know Dr. Sharma well. She’s a good friend.”
“Okay. Well, you know where I am. If you want me to come and take a shift sitting with him while you get some rest, just give me a call. I need to let Goran know what’s going on too, though I’m sure Fergus and Henry will be gossiping away down there. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the county knows that Skye’s ill by now.”
“If any of the guests ask, just tell them he’s not feeling well and leave it at that. As far as I know, nobody else is showing any signs of illness and if they do, we’ll hear about it by morning.”
“Is there anything else I can do, anything I can fetch for you?” Tor stood with his hands braced on his hips.
“Just take charge downstairs. Then I know I don’t have to worry about anything. Do you think you can manage breakfast if Fergus and Henry help with table service?”
“Of course. I’ll wait on the guests myself if I have to. Don’t worry about a thing except Skye. He has to be your priority now.”
Luke nodded, his attention already on the pale young man lying on his bed. “He will be. He is.”
He didn’t realize Tor had left until the door closed with a soft click. Luke took off his glasses and put them on the dresser, pausing briefly to finger the frames, thinking of how Skye’s eyes sparkled every time he saw Luke wearing them. Luke had never expected his less than perfect eyesight to be a turn on for a submissive, but he was quite happy that his spectacles had that effect on Skye.
He rolled up his sleeves and set to work. His first job was to remove the ridiculous shorts Skye had on. Not that he didn’t look sexy wearing them, but Luke’s taste ran more toward plain black leather. He rolled the PVC down Skye’s thighs and off over his feet, leaving him naked apart from his collar, and Luke removed that too, cursing the position of the buckle behind Skye’s neck. Next, he pulled the duvet underneath Skye’s body down in slow increments so that he could lay it over him. Skye didn’t stir or show any sign of waking, so Luke went to his bathroom to fetch a wet flannel. He didn’t have a bowl, or anything he could put water in, so it took a few trips going to and from the bathroom sink to rinse the flannel before he was happy he’d cleaned all the dried sweat from Skye’s body and the dust from his feet where he’d been barefoot.
At regular intervals, he felt Skye’s forehead. His temperature spiked and descended in an irregular pattern. Sometimes his skin felt chilled and at other times burning. Luke checked for any sign of a rash, or swelling but could find no indications of a serious illness. If he had to guess, he’d say Skye was suffering from dehydration rather than any kind of infection.
There was a soft tap at the door. Luke went to open it, pressing a finger to his lips to indicate to Fergus that he should stay quiet. Fergus, his arms full of bedlinen, nodded.
“I thought you might need fresh sheets and pillow cases, Mr. Redding,” he whispered. “I also have a clean duvet cover, a hot water bottle and some paracetamol in case you didn’t have any up here, and a bucket full of ice. How’s Skye?”
“That’s very thoughtful, Fergus. Skye is sleeping. I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”
“Well, everybody said the same. If you need any help at all, you’re to call. They all asked if there was anything more they could do and the guests send their love too. Skye has made quite an impression in the few days he’s been here.”
Luke swallowed, his throat dry. “I’m going to let him sleep for now, because I think he needs the rest.” He stepped out into the hall, pulling the door to behind him so that he could talk to Fergus without whispering. “Have you noticed how much Skye has been eating and drinking? Do you think you could ask the others? I suspect he’s dehydrated. I imagine he’s been so busy he hasn’t thought about needing to drink regularly.”
“He’s always eaten at the meals I’ve shared with him, though he doesn’t take very big portions,” Fergus said. “But I’m not sure about the evenings. Most of us have time to take a break and grab something from the kitchen, but he’s so busy at that time of day he may not have. Henry and I keep bottles of water with us, and I know Tor makes Benjy and Frank drink all the time in the heat of the kitchen, but I haven’t noticed Skye drinking very much, so you could be right. I’ll ask the others, though.”
“Thanks. Could you ask Tor if he could spare a bowl of some kind that I can fill with water? It’s a pain to have to keep running backward and forward to the bathroom. Oh, and perhaps he or one of the boys could make some soup in the morning. I doubt Skye will feel like eating very much, but he’ll need nutrition.”
“Of course, Mr. Redding.” Fergus handed over the supplies then scampered down the corridor to carry out his mission.
Luke went back into his bedroom, putting everything onto a chair. Skye had changed position on the bed, curling into a ball beneath the duvet. He made quiet, whimpering noises as if he were having a bad dream.
Luke sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Skye’s silver hair away from his forehead. “Hush, sweetheart. I’m right here and you’re going to be fine. I think you’d be surprised to know how many people here at The Retreat want to take care of you. You’re an easy man to love.”
Skye’s lashes fluttered and he opened his eyes. “Luke? What happened?”
“Welcome back,” Luke said, helping Skye to sit up against his pillows. “You’re sick. Tor and I carried you up here. You’re in my bed.”
“I don’t remember… Oh, my head hurts. And I’m thirsty, my throat is a bit sore. Do I have the flu or something?”
“I’m not sure yet, but don’t worry, you’ll feel better soon.”
“What about the guests?” A panicked expression fixed itself on Skye’s face and he made to get out of bed. “I need to get downstairs… Oh, I’m naked.”
Luke maneuvered Skye’s legs back beneath the covers. “If you try to get out of this bed again without my permission, I will spank you so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week. The guests are fine. Everything is under control. You have one thing to do, one thing to think about, and that’s getting better.”
Luke wasn’t sure if the pink flush on Skye’s cheek bones was due to his fever, or the mention of a spanking. He hid a smile. “Do you feel up to taking a shower? I gave you a wipe down with a flannel, but standing in cool water will help to bring your temperature down. You need to take some paracetamol too.”
“A shower sounds really good.”
“Okay. You stay there while I get everything r
eady.” Luke grabbed the internal phone and called Tor. “He’s awake, Tor. Can you let everyone know? And it would be great if one of the boys could come and change the bed while he has a shower. Fergus brought me clean sheets earlier. They’re in my bedroom.” He listened for a few seconds then clicked the phone off. It didn’t take him long to set the shower running and to make sure there were towels on the heated rail. He helped Skye out of bed and kept an arm around his waist as he walked on wobbly legs into the bathroom.
“Did you undress me, Sir?” Skye’s fingers strayed to his neck as if searching for the collar.”
“I did. It didn’t take long—there wasn’t much to take off. Your collar is on the dresser and it will be back around your neck just as soon as you’re well. Collars and sore throats aren’t a sensible combination.” Luke looked at his double-width shower. “Are you going to be able to manage in there on your own?”
Skye gave him a weak smile. “I think so, Sir.” He got beneath the spray, leaning on the wall for balance.
“I’m not so sure.” Luke stripped off his clothes then stepped into the shower behind Skye. “All you have to do is stand there. Rest your hands on the tiles if it helps you balance. If you feel faint, or unwell, tell me straight away.”
Skye’s eyes were glassy, his face even more flushed than before. He stood, passive, as Luke smoothed shower gel over his body and lathered the shampoo into his hair.
“It feels good, Sir. Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Luke tried to remain detached, but running his hands all over Skye’s slender body had an inevitable effect, plumping his cock into hardness. He ignored it and concentrated on rinsing shampoo from Skye’s hair. Skye’s eyes were drifting shut, and he wobbled.
“I think that’s enough. We’re done. Let’s get out of here before you fall over.” Luke wrapped a towel around his hips then positioned Skye so that his feet were on the warm mat rather than cold tile. Docile and dreamy, Skye stood still while Luke wrapped him in a bath towel. He used a second, smaller towel to rub most of the water from Skye’s hair before patting his body dry.
Trusting Him Page 9
