Ben sobered up. “My point is that I think you and Danny have both been trying to be so considerate of each other that you’re killing your relationship. Sit down and let me explain.” He waited until Paul plopped onto his chair before continuing. “After Danny came to me, I talked to Oliver. Danny has told him that he thinks you don’t want him anymore.”
“What?” This information shocked him. “Why would he think that?”
“For the same reason, more or less, that you think he doesn’t want you to touch him. He’s convinced you think Fahey ruined him, that you’re disgusted with him.”
“Oh, Christ! How could he believe that? As if I’d ever blame him for what some cokehead asshole did. He’s my boy.” And now tears did clog his throat. “I love him.”
Ben gave him a sad smile. “Yeah, I know you do. It was the same way with Oliver and me. It took some convincing to make him believe me.”
Paul swiped angrily at the moisture in his eyes. He didn’t have the time to feel sorry for himself. “Please don’t end the lease, Ben.”
“I don’t want to.” The man stood up and placed his hand on Paul’s shoulder. “I don’t know you very well, but I do know you’re like me in some ways. You don’t want to be Danny’s master so much as his lover, right?” When Paul nodded, Ben returned the gesture. “Danny’s a slave. He doesn’t expect to be worthy of your love. Why should he if the whole rest of the world tells him he’s not? If you want to salvage this relationship, you have to put aside your egalitarian ideas and take control of him as his master. Make him listen to you.”
Wow, it sounded so sensible, yet it was so not Paul. Being the boss on the worksite was easy. Being the boss of Danny, not so much. “What if I can’t?”
“If you can’t, you’ll lose him. I’m giving you one night to change his mind, otherwise I’m going to have to fulfill my promise to him and end things.”
Paul eyed Ben, wanting to hate him, but realizing the man was offering a second chance. Standing up, he metaphorically girded his loins. “Right. I appreciate the opportunity. Now, where can I find my boy?”
“Come with me.”
Paul followed Ben through the building, outside and across the lot to the low-slung barracks where the slaves were housed. In those few minutes, he decided to take Ben’s advice and alter his tactics when it came to dealing with his slave. He’d been able to pull out the stern master routine a time or two already. Now that everything was on the line, he needed to go bold or go home. Home meant little to him now without Danny. The low-level noise coming from the slaves’ quarters came to an abrupt halt the moment Paul and Ben entered the room. Every slave jumped to his feet, hands behind his back, head down.
Paul had eyes only for his boy and spotted him standing in the back of the room next to his father. With a show of confidence more than he felt, Paul marched up to the boy, bent down and tossed him over his shoulder. He ignored Danny’s squeal of shock, but managed to shoot a wink at Big John before heading to the door. He didn’t want Danny’s father worrying about him, but he wasn’t going to let the boy try to talk Paul out of what he was doing. Wisely, Danny made no more noise. He merely clung to the back of Paul’s shirt all the way to the truck.
Paul set him on his feet and opened the passenger side door. “Get in,” he ordered with a flick of his head. When Danny opened his mouth, Paul shut him down. “Not one word. We’ll talk when we get home.” He pointed to the seat. “Sit.”
“Yes, Master,” Danny said in a docile voice that both grated on Paul’s nerves and oddly gratified him. He could do this master thing, apparently, if he put his mind to it.
To keep the ride home from being yet another long period of awkward silence, Paul cranked up the radio, tapping his fingers to the alternative rock songs and even humming a bit. It was all an act, of course. Danny’s quiet presence held his attention regardless of how much he pretended otherwise. Paul hoped he was doing the right thing. At least Danny didn’t appear to be upset. While his expression told Paul nothing, no tears fell and his shoulders weren’t hunched. Even though Paul knew slaves were good at hiding their feelings, he knew Danny well enough now to break through that kind of façade. At least he hoped he did.
Traffic did its part unbidden, allowing them to arrive in record time. Once he’d parked the truck, Paul went around to Danny’s side. He noticed how the boy didn’t get out on his own, just waited until Paul opened his door and gestured with his thumb. Danny slid out, the picture of an obedient slave, and followed Paul silently into the house. When Paul led him over to the couch and pointed his finger once more, Danny sat. As he had once before to have a serious conversation with his boy, Paul sat on the coffee table so they’d look at each other eye-to-eye.
Paul clapped his hands together once with nervous energy. The loud sound made Danny jump and Paul felt guilty. He really sucked at this master business. The best thing would be to get down to it.
“Danny, I know I’ve been saying all along that I wanted you to be more like my boyfriend than my slave. Right now, though, I want you to remember that you are a slave and that slaves don’t lie to their masters. Do you understand me?” The boy’s head nodded briefly. “Good.” Except nothing was good about having to have this conversation. Needing to ask and dreading the answer, Paul pushed through his own fear.
“Why did you ask Ben to end the lease?” When his question was met with silence, Paul got serious. “Answer me, Danny, with the truth. If you lie to me, I swear I’ll bend you over my knee and spank your ass.”
A slight tremor ran through the slave’s body and his breath hitched. Funny, it looked less like fear and more like excitement. Paul mentally shook his head. He needed to shut down that line of thinking pronto. Maybe if things worked out between them…. Yeah, Paul’s cock kind of liked the idea.
God, not now.
“Danny?”
Slowly, the boy’s head lifted so that his gaze met Paul’s. No fear showed, thankfully. Just sadness, which broke Paul’s heart all over again, as did the answer. “Because you don’t want me anymore.”
“Aw, baby,” Paul sighed. “Why do you think that?”
To his credit, Danny didn’t flinch from the question or hesitate to answer it. “You won’t touch me, at all. Ever since Fahey stole me away and did what he did, you haven’t wanted me.”
“Oh, Danny, that’s not true. I do want you, desperately. The reason I’ve been keeping my distance is because I wanted to give you time to physically and emotionally heal. I didn’t want to upset you.”
Danny’s face screwed up in confusion. “Why would you worry about that?”
“Remember how you reacted our first night together because of what Tanner had done? I thought that would happen again. I’ve been afraid that my touch would remind you of Fahey. I didn’t want to do anything to make it worse for you.”
Danny closed his eyes for a moment. Leaning forward, he looked into Paul’s eyes again. “You could never hurt me in any way. Being with you, being touched by you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I thought….” His voice caught. “I thought you didn’t want Fahey’s leftovers, that you think I’m dirty now because of what he did.”
The simple declaration ripped what was left of Paul’s heart out and stomped on it, although now the path to fix the problem showed brightly. In way of response, Paul shifted over to the couch and scooped Danny up onto his lap. He peppered the boy’s head, then face, then lips with soft kisses.
“I never thought of you that way. You are not dirty or anything of the kind. You’re beautiful and precious. You weren’t to blame for what happened, and I want you as much as I ever did. So long as you want me, too, we’re going to be fine.”
Danny nuzzled Paul’s neck. “I want you so much, Master. I’ve missed being your pleasure slave.”
Paul started to contradict Danny’s words, then thought better of it. They needed to get past their mutual fears and misconceptions first. Time enough later to remind Danny that Paul wanted
more than a slave and more than someone to fuck. Instead, after planting one last kiss on Danny’s forehead, he stood them both up.
“First things first. We’re going to get back to the way life used to be. We had a routine that I, for one, loved.”
Danny shot him a tentative smile. “I’d like that, sir.”
“Good. It starts with this coming off.” He unclipped Danny’s collar and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Next, a shower, which after a long day at work, we both need. Then I’ll pick us up some take-out like I usually do on a Monday night. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” Danny’s smile widened, his kissable lips turning up in an irresistible bow.
Giving into the temptation, Paul cupped Danny’s ass and pulled him up for a kiss. He’d intended to keep it light, a tease of what was to come. It had been too long. He attacked Danny’s mouth and forced his tongue inside. A squeal morphed into a moan as Danny met him half way, teeth scraping Paul’s lips, hands grabbing the small of Paul’s back. They grappled their way down the hall and into the bedroom the way they’d done so many times before. Their clothes seemed to melt off their bodies by the time they reached the bathroom. Somehow Paul managed to get the shower turned on and them under the spray, all the while never breaking the kiss.
Paul’s thoughts scattered in the face of the one truth that mattered—he had his boy back. Now he had to be careful not to do anything to lose him again. He’d show Danny how much he wanted him, and he’d chase the memories of Fahey into the back recesses of both their minds.
Chapter Twenty
Danny hung onto Paul with a kind of desperation. With fear that their reunion would suddenly end coursing through him, he couldn’t make himself let go. Paul had to pry them apart in order to spin Danny around. The hot water cascaded over Danny’s body, forcing him to close his eyes. The heat felt wonderful, but his master’s touch felt way better. Paul’s fingers skimmed over Danny’s shoulders, down his back and across his hips. When one hand clasped his hard cock, Danny bucked into the hold.
Paul chuckled into his ear. “Easy, boy. All in good time.”
Danny grimaced in frustration when Paul let go. Being at another person’s mercy really sucked sometimes. He swayed under the spray before placing his palms against the wall to brace himself. Paul’s exciting fingers returned, pulling Danny back a bit, so that his face was away from the direct line of the water. Danny leaned into Paul without waiting for a clear invitation and he couldn’t help but smile when Paul’s erection pressed against Danny’s back.
“See how much I missed you?” This time, Paul’s touch soothed more than enticed as he lathered up Danny’s hair. Paul’s fingertips pressed into Danny’s scalp and scrubbed away the sweat and grime of the day.
Danny smiled and groaned in bliss. How many people in the world, free or slave, were lucky enough to have someone take such tender care of them? He basked in the pleasure of having his hair washed. Then everything ramped up. With his hair done, Danny’s body came under Paul’s attention next. Instead of using a washcloth, Paul lathered his hands with soap and ran them down Danny’s neck and chest. He took a quick swipe at Danny’s abs before returning to lavish attention on Danny’s nipples. With a moan, Danny arched into the touch, urging Paul to rub and tug at the already hardened points.
Too soon, Paul released the nipples and moved onto the back. Not nearly as satisfying. Danny wanted to stamp his foot in frustration, but held his emotions in check. He had to trust Paul to make the right moves. Not only was he Danny’s master, he was also older and wiser. Danny recognized that his impatience spoke of his inexperience. Damn, though, waiting sucked.
Speaking of which, Danny suddenly found himself spun around and pressed against the wall. Paul knelt down and covered the head of Danny’s dick with a greedy mouth.
“Oh, fuck,” Danny breathed, eyes slamming shut as his pleasure spiked.
His thoughts scattered, chased away by the amazing sensations Paul’s lips, tongue and oh, shit, his teeth caused. Danny’s fingers grasped and slid against the slippery tile behind him. When his legs began to shake, Paul’s strong arms wrapped around them and held him upright. His palms cupped Danny’s ass. Danny silently wished them to delve deeper into his cleft to find his hole. He swiveled his hips in invitation for more. Instead of granting his wish, Paul did the next best thing. He swallowed Danny’s cock down and worked the shaft with eager throat muscles.
Danny shouted as he came, the intensity of his pent-up need blind-siding him. If not for Paul’s hold on him, he would have slid right down to the floor of the shower. Paul relentlessly milked the cum from Danny, only releasing his mouthful when Danny’s dick started to soften. The man stood up with a small groan and pulled Danny into a lingering kiss.
“I missed doing that,” Paul confided once they’d come up for air.
One more dizzying kiss, and Paul released Danny only to finish washing him up in hurried and almost clinical fashion. When Danny tried to reciprocate both the washing and the blowjob, Paul held him back.
“I want to wait. Now, go get dried off before my resolve weakens.” He ushered Danny out with a swat on his ass.
Danny yelped and glared back at his master, although both were for show. Far from resenting such high-handed treatment, he rather enjoyed it. The playful smack held a completely different meaning to him than Fahey’s abusive beating. As he dried himself off, he fantasized about how a little pain might make his sex with Paul edgier. The first stir of arousal pulsed down his dick. He hurried to finish and dress. There would be no play until they ate, so anything he could do to move the evening along would be to his benefit.
By the time Paul hopped out of the shower, Danny had dressed and waited in the steamy bathroom for his master, towel in hand. He tried to do the drying off, but Paul tugged the towel away.
“Uh-uh, I don’t trust you,” his master said with a wink. The man’s cock still jutted out and Danny couldn’t resist reaching for it. Paul slapped his hand away and strode into the bedroom. How he managed to shove that hard rod into his jeans, Danny couldn’t imagine. He winced in sympathy as Paul struggled with the zipper.
“Okay, how about Chinese food?”
Danny grinned. “That sounds great.” He liked the idea of repeating their first dinner together.
Paul practically jogged out of the bedroom. Danny followed him into the kitchen and watched him head out the door. “I’ll call in the order from the truck,” Paul tossed over his shoulder.
Alone in the house, Danny instantly missed Paul’s presence. Over the last couple of weeks, he’d almost wished Paul would leave because their time together had grown so uncomfortable. Now that feeling had fled. He couldn’t wait for his master to return. In the meantime, he needed to set the table. The familiar task helped distract him from the need growing inside him. He hoped the Sox weren’t playing that night. If he had to wait for a baseball game to end before going to bed, he might explode.
He had time to kill once he finished with the table, so he busied himself with cleaning the kitchen. He’d neglected it for too long due to Paul’s orders to rest. It needed a good scouring, a better one than he had time to give it. It helped to pass the time, though. The sound of the truck pulling up surprised him. He quickly stripped off his rubber cleaning gloves and greeted Paul at the door. Paul rewarded his attentiveness with a bone-melting kiss that ended way too soon.
“Food first, then fucking.”
Snatching the big bag from Paul’s hands, Danny raced to put dinner out. Everything smelled wonderful. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he’d been so churned up over his meeting with Master Ben, he’d been unable to eat his lunch.
He stuffed a crab Rangoon in his mouth. “I’m starving,” he confessed through cream cheese stuffing and crispy dough.
Paul chuckled. “Me, too, although I don’t intend to linger over this meal.” His words, coupled with a heated look, wore away at what little control Danny held onto.
They
both dove into their food, eating as fast as they could without choking. They never took their eyes off each other and if there’d been any lingering doubt in Danny’s mind that Paul still wanted him, it fled in the face of such intense focus. He knew his master wanted him with equal fervor. When they’d consumed enough to satisfy their immediate need, they silently and quickly cleared the table. Danny hoped they’d head straight to bed, but his master disappointed him. Instead, he led Danny over to the couch and made him cuddle up next to him.
Danny couldn’t keep the whine of disappointment from coming out.
Reaching for the remote, Paul said, “Aw, now, don’t worry, baby. We’ll get to the good stuff. We just ate a lot and I don’t have a fetish that involves us losing any of that. We’re going to sit here and enjoy each other’s company for an hour or so. The Sox are playing tonight.”
That information made Danny groan, which in turn made his master laugh. Danny tried to be a good and obedient boy. Paul made it really hard, pulling him in close and sliding his hand under Danny’s shirt. Those calloused fingers made lazy circles around Danny’s abs, flicking his nipples every once in a while. Soon, full stomach or not, Danny’s body responded, his dick filling with blood and his balls aching for another release. Any effort he made to draw that hand down to his groin failed. Worse, when he tried to slide his own hand up to cup and tease Paul, the man forced him to stop with a stern command.
Danny fumed in frustrated silence. His master might talk about their being boyfriends, but he sure knew how to be a master when he wanted. He finally settled on a passive campaign to inflict an equal torture on Paul by snuggling into his neck and softly mewing in pleasure in time to Paul’s strokes. He knew he affected the man because Paul’s hard cock pressed against the worn fly of his jeans.
Although he’d been told not to touch, he could still talk. “You’re so big, Master,” he whispered. “I can’t wait for you to fill me.” Paul rewarded his effort by pinching his nipple. Danny hissed.
Slave For Rent Page 25
