by Amber Kell
“Like you didn’t look down on him for the same reason,” Jessiah replied.
“No, I didn’t,” Ryder said. “I was just jealous.”
“Jealous?” AJ asked.
Ryder blushed. “When we were in the elevator, going up to the party, I liked you. I was going to try and hook up with you that night. Then you put on that damn collar and the next thing I know you belong to Blake. I was pissed because I missed my chance, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry for that, and I’m sorry for setting a bad example to Jessiah and the others. I’m apologising for my part in this and I hope Jessiah will do the same.”
“I’m sorry, okay,” Jessiah said. “But you know I’m right about Blake. However you want to dress it up, AJ is his property until the end of the week, and if he knows you have a thing for each other he’ll put a stop to it.”
“It’s not like there’s anything going on between us,” Ryder said.
“Of course not,” Corrine interrupted. “You’re sitting there holding his hand because your fingers are cold.”
Ryder looked down at their joined hands as though he hadn’t realised they were there. AJ eased his fingers out of the grip and wiped his suddenly sweaty palm on his trousers. At least the question of whether Ryder was into men—into him— had been answered.
* * * *
Ryder was in a quiet mood as he and AJ worked side by side throughout the morning.
“Does it bother you?” Ryder finally asked as he finished up the weekly accounts. AJ had been helping by totting up the figures, something they discovered he was quite adept at.
“Does what bother me?” AJ replied, not sure where Ryder’s thoughts had drifted.
“That I’m attracted to you.”
“No,” AJ answered. “Why should it?”
Ryder went silent again for several minutes. “I don’t want you to feel as though I see you as only a whore. I meant it when I said liked you before you put your wretched collar on.”
“I liked you too,” AJ admitted.
“Does that mean you don’t like me now? Did I ruin any chance I had with you completely by the way I treated you after the auction?”
AJ smiled and shook his head. “I still like you, far more than I should.”
Ryder looked at him coyly from under long lashes. “And why’s that?”
“Because this week I belong to Blake. Jessiah made a good point, tactless though his comment was, Blake wouldn’t approve of anything happening between us.”
Ryder leant closer and brushed his lips across AJ’s in a kiss as soft as a whisper. “Later,” he murmured. “You won’t be Blake’s forever.”
AJ shifted in his seat. His cock, which never seemed to rise to the occasion when Blake fucked him, decided now would be a good time to make its presence known. He needed a distraction before they got carried away. He grabbed a book off the shelf and opened it to a random page. “Perhaps we should carry on with the lessons,” he suggested.
Ryder nodded shakily and took the book from him. He read slowly, moving his finger across the page to show AJ the words he spoke. The book was one of Blake’s ancestor’s journals—AJ gathered that much. Everything else went right over his head as he listened to Ryder read. He wasn’t conscious of anything other than the heat of the man sitting next to him and the way his own treacherous body reacted. He tried—with little success—to hide his erection. Only when Ryder stopped reading did AJ realise something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“This can’t be right,” Ryder replied as he flicked back through the pages.
“What do you mean?” AJ hoped his inattention wasn’t too obvious. He would hate for Ryder to consider him a poor student.
Ryder ignored him as he skimmed back and forth through the journal. AJ, worried and a little curious as to what Ryder meant by his comment, fidgeted at his side.
“According to this journal, Blake’s great-grandfather succeeded in his experiment with time travel,” Ryder explained. “But that’s impossible, or everyone would have heard about it.”
“Is time travel possible?” AJ asked.
“It’s not supposed to be,” Ryder replied as he continued to leaf through the pages. “But according to this book, Blake’s great-grandfather managed the feat several times.”
“I wish I could go back to another time,” AJ said with a small sigh of wistfulness. “To see the sky as it used to be, without the clouds of gases polluting the air. To lay on the grass and smell the fresh flowers must have been wonderful. I bet half the people back then didn’t appreciate what they had when they had it.”
Ryder smiled as he closed the book. “I suspect you’re right.”
“Do you think Blake’s ancestor really managed to go back in time?”
“I don’t know,” Ryder admitted. “If he did, it’s got to be one of the biggest secrets ever kept.”
AJ looked out of the window at the red sky. Long ago, before the Last War, it had been blue. Some people believed it might one day be so again. AJ was aware it wouldn’t be in his lifetime. There had been far too much damage caused to the planet during the war. The Earth needed the time to recover and all the remaining humans could do was wait things out underground in the various isolated communities across the world.
“What are you thinking?” Ryder asked.
“Nothing important,” AJ replied as he turned to face Ryder.
They sat close enough to kiss—properly this time—but AJ knew it would be a bad idea to make such a move.
“What the hell’s going on here?” Blake thundered as he took in the scene before him.
AJ and Ryder both jumped at Blake’s unexpected return.
“Nothing,” Ryder answered as he pulled back from AJ and turned to face their employer. “I’m just giving AJ some reading lessons.”
“Whores don’t need to know how to read,” Blake shouted. “And even if they did, they don’t need to be sitting on your lap to learn.”
“I’m not sitting on anyone’s lap,” AJ interrupted.
“Don’t answer back,” Blake snapped. “You’re my whore and no other man will touch you while you’re under contract to me. Do you understand me, whore?”
AJ nodded as he shrank back in his seat.
“I don’t think you do,” Blake replied. “You’ll both report to my room after supper.”
With his orders clear, Blake swept from the room and AJ let out a long breath.
“He’s angry,” Ryder commented unnecessarily.
“Why do you think he wants you to report to him?” AJ asked.
“I don’t know,” Ryder admitted. “I don’t like it either.”
AJ silently agreed. He guessed they would find out soon enough what Blake had in mind.
* * * *
Neither AJ nor Ryder said anything as they left the supper table and headed into the main living area. The other staff members remained silent as they departed.
When they arrived in Blake’s bedroom AJ saw Blake had rearranged the furniture and placed an armchair facing the foot of the bed. Blake pointed Ryder to the chair.
“Take a seat,” he said.
Ryder did as he was told and Blake nodded his approval. Turning to AJ, he gestured towards the bed. “Strip and get on the mattress,” he ordered.
AJ looked over at Ryder who gave a small shrug. He apparently didn’t know what Blake had in mind either.
“Are you suffering from a sudden case of deafness?” Blake asked. “Strip and get on the bed now.”
AJ quickly undressed and climbed onto the mattress.
Blake walked over to stand behind Ryder’s chair so they both faced AJ on the bed from the same angle.
“Face us,” Blake demanded, and AJ turned to kneel facing the armchair. Ryder looked at him with open admiration and AJ was rather glad Blake could not see the expression on his servant’s face. Ryder’s feelings of desire were written there for anyone to see. With Ryder watching him, despite the awkwardness of th
e situation, AJ’s dick began to harden in response to the heated gaze.
“What do you see, Ryder?” Blake asked.
Ryder frowned at the question. “I see AJ.”
“What else? Describe him for me.”
“He’s pale, with shoulder-length dark hair, blue eyes, and a slim build.”
AJ saw Ryder mouth one more word, soundlessly, so Blake could not hear him. “Beautiful.” AJ’s whole body seemed to flush in response to the silent compliment.
“And?” Blake demanded.
“He’s naked?” Ryder guessed.
“You’re seeing a man when you look at him,” Blake said. The impatience in his voice was obvious. “What else do you see?”
“I don’t know what you’re asking,” Ryder replied with barely concealed annoyance.
“My whore,” Blake snapped. “When you look at him you should see my whore.”
AJ could no longer meet Ryder’s eyes. His flush of pleasure became one of exposure and embarrassment. His partial erection became non-existent as his penis wilted.
“Tell me what you see,” Blake demanded.
“I see a whore,” Ryder whispered.
“My whore,” Blake corrected. “What do you see?”
AJ had to strain to hear Ryder’s mumbled response. “I see your whore.”
Closing his eyes, AJ tried to imagine himself anywhere else except here. He had hoped to become real friends with Ryder, maybe even more than friends. Blake clearly had other ideas.
“Get on your hands and knees,” Blake suddenly said and AJ opened his eyes to find him staring at him expectantly. AJ did as Blake ordered, even as he wondered when Ryder would be dismissed from the room.
Blake walked over to a chest on the other side of the room. When he turned round he held a large fake phallus in his hand. It was far longer than Blake’s own penis and at least twice as wide in girth. AJ’s supper turned leaden in his stomach as Blake came back over to him.
“I take it you know what this is?” Blake asked.
AJ nodded nervously.
“Spread your legs, whore.”
AJ couldn’t bring himself to move. No way did he want that thing pushed up his arse. He had enough trouble taking Blake himself.
Blake didn’t ask him a second time, he merely climbed onto the bed and manoeuvred AJ into position himself. “If you want to end this, all you have to do is say and you can leave right now.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Ryder interrupted.
“You know I don’t have a choice if I want to get paid,” AJ reminded him. “If I don’t stay the week I get nothing.”
“It’s not worth it. Just walk away.”
“It’s your choice,” Blake added. “It’s always your choice.”
AJ looked at the phallus again. “Will you use lube?” he asked.
Blake nodded his agreement and went to fetch the bottle.
“Can Ryder leave now?”
Blake laughed. “Oh no. Ryder needs to see what you are for himself, in case he forgets again.”
“I hadn’t forgotten,” Ryder said. “I don’t need to see this.”
He pushed up from the chair, but he hadn’t got completely out of his seat when Blake pointed at him to stay put. “Remain right where you are until I say you can leave or find yourself a new job.”
Ryder glared at Blake as he sat back down. Like himself a few moments before, AJ could tell Ryder had no real choice in the matter.
AJ jumped as the cold lube touched his arse. “Fuck!” he hissed.
Blake still didn’t seem to understand the concept of preparation and even though the phallus had been coated in lube it still hurt AJ to take it. He hung his head and panted as he tried to force his muscles to relax.
Blake tugged at his hair, pulling him back onto his heels. “Look at him, Ryder. See how my whore takes whatever I give him.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s enjoying your attentions much,” Ryder muttered with a pointed glance at AJ’s groin.
Blake reached round and took the soft flesh in his hand, pumping vigorously until it began to harden.
Despite the lingering pain of the phallus buried in his arse, the touch of a hand on his cock made AJ moan with pleasure.
“That’s right, whore. Moan for me. Do you hear him, Ryder? I see watching us turns you on. Generally my whore charges more for public displays. Perhaps I should dock your wages.”
AJ blinked away the tears of shame and looked across at Ryder. His face was flushed and when AJ glanced down at his lap he could see a large telling bulge.
“Ryder,” AJ whispered as he spilled his seed across Blake’s hand.
“You call his name when you come?” Blake roared as he yanked the phallus from AJ’s arse and leaped from the bed. AJ shrank back from Blake as the taller man loomed over him. Time seemed to slow down as he watched Blake’s hand come at him right before everything went black.
Chapter Seven
When AJ came round his head pounded.
“Don’t try to move yet,” Ryder said. When AJ ignored his advice he realised Ryder held him in his arms.
“It’s okay, he’s gone out for a while,” Ryder said. “Are you okay?”
“I feel like shit,” AJ muttered as the room swam about him when he tried again to sit up.
“Can you walk?”
AJ let Ryder help him to his feet and gave a tiny shake of his head. “Give me a minute, just until the room stops spinning.”
“You need to take it easy. You were out cold for a couple of minutes. Come on, let me help you downstairs.”
AJ didn’t argue when Ryder slowly guided him down the stairs and through into the staff quarters.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Ryder said as he quickly undressed and helped AJ into the shower.
“I can wash myself,” AJ complained. “I’m not a baby.”
Ryder shook his head. “I never said you were. But right now you can barely stand up straight. I’m not leaving you alone in here.”
“I just want to go to sleep. I can get cleaned up in the morning.”
Ryder ignored him and grabbed a soft flannel from the rack. “You shouldn’t sleep just yet. You might have a concussion and you’re bleeding.”
AJ raised his hand to his head. He could feel the bump from where Blake had hit him, but there didn’t appear to be any blood. He looked at Ryder in confusion.
“Not there,” Ryder said as he turned on the shower and dropped to his knees.
AJ looked down and saw what Ryder referred to. A thin trickle of red ran down his thigh. Ryder gently wiped the blood away and carefully washed AJ’s most intimate places.
Under any other circumstances AJ would have been aroused by Ryder’s actions. Unfortunately, at the moment getting off was the last thing on his mind. It was probably for the best. He wiped away a stray tear, telling himself not to be so foolish as to imagine Ryder saw him as anything other than a whore. Blake had made sure they both knew AJ’s place.
Ryder finished washing him, turned off the shower and grabbed a large fluffy towel from the rack. He wrapped the soft fabric around AJ and helped him dry off. When he had finished tending AJ he grabbed a second towel for himself and did likewise.
When they were both dry Ryder walked AJ back to the sleeping quarters and put him into his capsule.
“What are you doing?” AJ asked when Ryder climbed in next to him.
“We need to talk, without anyone overhearing us.”
Ryder stretched out beside AJ and hit the button to close the capsule. “How do you feel?” he asked.
AJ groaned. “Tired and aching.”
“I’ll bet.”
“What did you want to talk about?”
“About what happened upstairs,” Ryder answered. “Why did you call my name when you came tonight?”
“You know why.”
“I need to hear you say the words.”
“Because I wanted you to be the one touching me,” AJ whispered as he c
losed his eyes.
“I wish I had been,” Ryder admitted. “You wouldn’t be in this pain if I’d been the one fucking you.”
“No one else shall ever fuck me after this week is over,” AJ promised.
“Being on the receiving end doesn’t have to be painful,” Ryder said. “Those who bottom can find pleasure in intercourse just as much as those who top.”
“I know. At least I think my other partners in the past left me satisfied. They never complained about the way I took them, and they never bled. But it’s not for me. I hate it when I feel a cock, fake or otherwise, pushing inside me. I can’t relax like you’re supposed to either. It just hurts too much.”
“You just got unlucky with Blake. He…”
AJ opened his eyes when Ryder’s voice trailed off. “What?”
Ryder chewed on his lip. “He’s had other lovers before you.”
“I’m his whore, not his lover, and I never thought him a virgin.”
“I know, but most of his past lovers have only stayed a single night. Several of them have commented on his roughness. One called him a brute as he stormed out the door and another said he was a sadist. He’s always treated his staff well, so we don’t tend to see that side of him. At least I never did, until tonight.”
AJ sighed. “I just need to make it though the rest of the week.”
“What are you going to do when the week is over?” Ryder asked.
“I don’t know. Find somewhere to live. See what other work I can find.”
“What about us?”
AJ focused on a spot on Ryder’s neck rather than look him in the eye.
“AJ?”
“I don’t know.”
“I want to see you when your contract with Blake is over.”
“You mean you want to fuck me,” AJ replied. “I saw how turned on you got when you watched tonight.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. What gay man doesn’t get off on seeing another man getting fucked?”
“Seeing Blake use you like he did isn’t what turned me on,” Ryder said. “It was the sounds you made while Blake was getting you off. Each of those little moans went right to my dick. More than anything I wanted to be the one giving you pleasure.”
