by K. C. Wells
“Yes, Sir.” I’d slept enough, and now I was ready.
Chapter Eight
Eli
IN SPITE of my protests, Jarod prepared an omelet for our breakfast, made with ham and cheese, the mouthwatering aroma filling the kitchen. Soon, the scent of freshly baked bread wafted from the oven to mingle with it. Jarod had made wholemeal rolls the previous week and frozen them.
I split open the crusty roll and spread butter on the bread. The smell was amazing, as was the taste. Opposite me, Jarod ate slowly. He wouldn’t meet my gaze, and I assumed he was thinking about the conversation we would be having after breakfast.
The omelet was delicious. Since Jarod had started cooking, I’d gotten used to having his wonderful meals. The rolls were the best part by far. Thick and chewy, they’d baked up golden brown. He was an absolute genius in the kitchen.
“You enjoy cooking, don’t you?”
Jarod gave a start, dropping his fork onto his plate with a clang. He picked it up sheepishly and murmured an apology. “I enjoy all aspects of housework. Master Phillip and I started out sharing the chores of the household.” His eyes glazed over. “When his job got more demanding, he’d be exhausted by the time he came home. My job was only a few hours a week, so I started handling the housework on my own. I would make the meals and do all the little things that were neglected when he was working. It made him so happy, and that made me happy in turn. When he told me he wanted me to quit working and stay home full time, I didn’t hesitate. I loved caring for him and our home.”
“What happened to that home?”
Jarod’s face fell. “When he—when he died, the house came to me, but only after a protracted battle with his family, who insisted I had no right to it. Still, my heart was in that house and I couldn’t bear to be parted from it. Eventually, they gave up, but they still managed to get most of his belongings. I was crushed seeing the things we’d bought together being taken away. The house seemed so empty, but I managed to find a few things of my master, and placed them about the house.”
I’d had no idea. I’d assumed he had a home, but to find him so attached to it, and for reasons I could well understand, was something that would complicate our discussion. It was still one we needed to have.
“After his death it took me a long while to leave the house for anything. I had groceries delivered, hired local kids to care for the lawn. Eventually I needed the connection to people, so once or twice I tried going to the clubs. At my age, most expected I was there as a Dom and wanted to do scenes with the submissives, but that wasn’t the case at all. Of course, an old man couldn’t keep up with them, and the only time a Dom took me was because there was no one else, or as a laugh. Eventually I gave up. I hadn’t been back until the day I saw you.”
Old man indeed. It burned me that Jarod saw himself that way, or worse still, that others had made him feel that was the case. I could feel the throbbing in my temples. Jarod was an amazing man and those idiots who’d overlooked him would never know what they missed.
He finished eating, placed his cutlery on the plate and stood, reaching over to collect mine.
“Pet, I want you to go into the lounge and kneel by the couch. Take a cushion to rest on as you may be there for a while.”
“Yes, Sir.” He left the kitchen. I rinsed the plates and placed them in the dishwasher before going up to my room and grabbing the folder from the bedside table drawer. I thumbed through the sheaf of papers to ensure everything I needed was there, before I made my way to Jarod.
He knelt on a cushion, head bowed. When I sat on the couch, he didn’t look up. I slid my fingers through his hair, smiling when he leaned into my hand.
“Okay, pet, we need to talk. I want you to listen to what I have to say, and I don’t want you to comment until I tell you it’s your turn. Am I understood?” Jarod nodded. “Say the words, pet. I need to hear them from you.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good boy.” I put the folder on the couch beside me. “I was wrong,” I informed him. “I shouldn’t have brought you to my house the way I did.”
Jarod tensed so much, I could feel it through his vibrations.
“No, pet. It’s not what you’re thinking. I want you here, more than anything else I’ve ever wanted. You belong to me. The thing is, when I brought you home, I was so excited because I finally had what I’d always wanted. A sub who didn’t play around. Someone who understood what I needed. I didn’t communicate with you, and that was a major error on my part. We never talked about our roles. I mistakenly assumed you would slot right into my life, and that was fantasy on my part. I intend to correct that.”
Jarod’s muscles slowly lost their tension, and his breathing relaxed. It was the reassurance I needed to continue.
“And if we’re to avoid a repeat of Friday night, we have to discuss going to clubs.” He cleared his throat. “Okay, Jarod, you may speak.”
“Do you want to go back to Spitfire?” His voice was heavy with misery.
“No,” I replied immediately. “But there are other clubs, one in particular that—”
“It’ll be like that wherever we go,” he interjected. “There’ll always be people who look at us and—”
“I don’t care.” It was my turn to interrupt. Jarod’s eyes widened, and I pressed on. “If I cared about the age difference, I wouldn’t have brought you home with me. Okay?”
He nodded, his shoulders relaxing.
“We can make this work. I know you have a life, and if you want to stay in your home, then you should do so. We can schedule around that. But I need you, pet.” It was the first time I’d let out my feelings.
Jarod was quiet for a few moments, and I could tell his mind was going a mile a minute.
“Permission to speak freely, Sir?” I nodded. “After Master Phillip died, the house was my only link to him. I can’t leave there.”
As I’d expected, but I was prepared to be flexible. “That’s fine. We can figure something out.”
Jarod shook his head. “I’m not saying this right. I can’t leave the house, but, maybe, you could come see it?”
Warmth rushed through me. “You’d let me?”
“I would. In fact, I would appreciate it if you did.” Jarod flushed beautifully when he said this.
“Then maybe we should go there at the weekend.” Jarod reacted to my words with an eager nod, and my heart eased. We can make this work. But there was still something far more important that needed doing. I picked up the folder. “This is a standard contract. It’s something we should have filled out when you came here. It’s my fault for not doing so. What happened reinforced how badly I messed up. I didn’t know enough about you, about your goals and desires. You didn’t know what to expect of me. I’d been looking at the whole situation through rose-colored glasses.” I laid the folder on the seat cushion beside me and smiled at him. “There’s more to you than just serving, after all. That may have made you happy with Phillip, but is that all you want out of life?”
Jarod studied the carpet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and thoughtful. “I was perfectly content with my life with Master Phillip. When he died, though, I had nothing.” He lifted his chin to regard me with eyes full of sorrow. “I’ve wasted four years trying to recapture what I had with him. I need to move on.”
I nodded, my chest constricting at the naked emotion I saw in his face.
“But I want to make this house my work. I could see to the running of it, just like I did with Master Phillip.”
I sighed. “I’m trying to think of your needs here. Surely you want more to your life than this?”
He squared his jaw. “This life would make me happy,” he insisted.
“Look, I admit I made a mistake. I just jumped into this.”
Jarod nodded. “I did the same. It was my first chance to serve again. But I would like the opportunity to see if I can meet your needs.”
Jarod
I WANTED to meet all his needs
, including the physical ones. Right then I was so grateful to Eli. He was giving me the opportunity to serve him, a home to take care of. All I wanted was to make him happy. And for the first time since Master Phillip had died, I found myself attracted to someone.
“And if those needs include showing you off in a club?”
His words pulled me back into the moment. I felt my cheeks heat up. “I like being shown off.”
Eli smiled. “That’s good. I know you’ve not had good experiences at the clubs, but lately, neither have I. It’s all the fault of popular literature, I’m telling you. We’ve seen an explosion of submissives who saw an aspect of BDSM that seemed very attractive, but they only want to play at it. They didn’t want to delve deeper into submission. At the end of a scene, they go back to their nine-to-five lives and forget about it. I look at the clubs, and I can see the difference in the type of guys who go there. In the past, you’d go to a club and adapt to its rules, its way of doing things. Nowadays, the clubs adapt to the members. Clubs have become a playground.” He scowled. “That’s not what I’m looking for.” His expression softened. “But that’s why I was so pleased when I found you, pet. You’re not one of those pretend subs. You’re interested in more than play.”
My chest swelled with pride. “Thank you, Sir.” It was all I wanted, for Eli to be happy with me.
Eli handed me the folder. “Read through it and then we can discuss limits and goals. Take your time. This is important.” His gaze met mine. “No skimming, either. We’re going to go through everything.”
I read through the list. “Can I speak freely, Sir?”
Eli’s smile widened. “Please, pet.”
“I don’t do blood play.” I glanced at the bandages on my wrists and repressed a shiver. “I’m not into scat, although I’m not averse to golden showers if we’re in the shower. They aren’t my favorite thing, I have to say, but if asked I would comply.”
I heard Eli’s chuckle. “Good to know.”
My cheeks grew hot. “I don’t want body modifications during our initial contract. Well, nothing permanent at any rate. I enjoy canes and whips, and Master Phillip and I dabbled in mummification, which was interesting, at least up until I had to pee and he had to unwrap me. That kind of ended the experiment there and then.”
Eli snickered. “I’d ask you to keep an open mind on the body modifications. I think these,” he said, leaning forward and grabbing my nipples through my shirt; they grew hard almost instantly, “would look amazing with my rings through them.” I stifled a moan when he twisted them, sending shudders rippling through me, and electricity racing along the length of my dick.
If Eli noticed, he didn’t let on. “I appreciate the whips and canes as they’re my favorite toys, as well as some of the more esoteric items. Wax play is a particular favorite of mine. How do you feel about pain?”
I shrugged. “Pain’s not a problem. Bondage is fine, and I think you already know my feelings about exhibitionism.” That soft chuckle made me smile.
“What about sounds?”
Now that piqued my interest. “I’ve never experienced them. Having said that, I’m happy to rectify that situation. And I’ve never taken part in wax play, so that’s another goal for me.”
“I notice you haven’t mentioned sex yet. Did you and Phillip…?”
I lowered the sheet and looked at him directly. “Master Phillip and I had a very healthy sex life, right up until the day he….” I swallowed. “If I’m being honest? I miss that. I miss the intimacy, someone holding me, kissing me….” I fell silent, knowing full well I’d understated the degree to which I’d missed that part of my life. There were times I’d lie in bed at night, recalling how it felt to be in his arms, to be beneath him, have him make love to me, so deep inside me….
Then something else occurred to me. “And if we’re talking about limits, I… I don’t want to be shared.” Master Phillip had been approached many times at the clubs in the early days, by Doms who wanted to take part in a scene with us. He’d always refused. He said I belonged to him alone. I was more than happy with that.
“I have no problem with that,” Eli said quietly. “Once we do this, you belong to me, and I don’t share.”
A lightness flooded through me. Yeah, this was going to work.
“I should also add something that’s nonnegotiable.”
“Oh?” Eli arched his eyebrows.
I smiled. “Nothing too onerous. Every Sunday, I go to see my mother.”
I could almost see the relief that swept across his features.
We spent another ten minutes or so in discussion, before Eli sat up straight and passed me a pen. “Ready to sign?”
Eli
JAROD LOOKED over his papers once more before meeting my gaze. “Yes, Sir.” His smile reassured me that all was well. I watched him work down the list, checking boxes with care. Something he’d said had given me a pang of guilt. Apart from that day, I’d hardly touched Jarod. I hadn’t even hugged him. Well, that was going to change.
Jarod signed with a flourish before handing the folder back to me. I took a minute or two to read through his limits and goals before adding my signature. I leaned back against the couch, satisfied. For the next three months, he was mine to do with as I pleased, and I was going to do everything in my power to show him he’d made the right choice.
Starting with my news.
“I have a surprise for you, pet.”
Jarod regarded me, eyes wide.
“I thought it was important for us to spend some time together, getting to know each other. So I’ve taken two weeks’ holiday, starting today.” I beamed at him. “Does that sound good?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “That sounds perfect, Sir.”
I leaned forward, until our faces were scant inches apart. “My thoughts exactly.” And with that I kissed him lightly on the lips. The hitch in his breathing, followed by a soft sigh, was a lovely reaction.
It felt good to be on the same page. Things were definitely looking up.
Chapter Nine
Eli
JAROD WAS curled up on the couch, the TV on in the background. Neither of us was really watching it, however. I sat in the recliner, studying him surreptitiously. It had been an odd afternoon. I was so used to working that for a moment the thought of two weeks without it was difficult to contemplate. What were we going to do with our time, for one thing? The idea of getting to know each other worked well in theory, but putting it into practice was another thing entirely.
Jarod had wanted to know about the two rooms that were locked, and that had provided the icebreaker. I’d shown him my little workout room. It wasn’t much, but I made the most of the available space. I’d kept it locked because I hadn’t wanted him to try and clean my multigym: that thing had cost me an arm and a leg. It was a complex-looking machine that I used to work on the various muscle groups. He gazed around, taking in the piles of weights and the barbell on its stand, the bench below it. Dumbbells filled a rack on the wall, and the multigym stood in the corner. Then it was up to my playroom.
He’d stared at my tall cupboard that contained various whips, canes and floggers, paddles, shackles, and other implements. There was a spanking bench that had caught his eye, and it had been several seconds before he’d let his gaze move on to something else. It wasn’t as if I’d gotten much use out of it up until that point: so far, it was virgin territory. Of course, I was looking at it with new eyes, already planning what we could do in here. It was plain from Jarod’s expression that he was doing the same.
Yeah, this was going to work out nicely.
He’d been fairly quiet all day. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to keep talking. I’d done some reading on grief, and Jarod needed to meet it head-on, and stop trying to hide it. If I was to be his master, then he would have to learn to put his trust in me.
I picked up the remote and switched off the TV. Jarod peered at me, his expression neutral.
I got up and moved across to the other end of the couch. “I thought we could talk for a while.” There was one thing we needed to discuss: our sleeping arrangements. I wanted him in my bed from then on, and I wasn’t sure of his reaction. Part of me thought he’d have no problem with it: he’d mentioned missing intimacy, after all.
“Okay.” He half turned toward me, a cushion hugged against his chest.
“Tell me about Phillip, pet. How did the two of you meet?”
His eyebrows arched a bit, and then he gave a slight smile.
“I’d just turned twenty-one, and was living at home with Mum. Dad had died not long before that, and she said she was tired of me being underfoot and insisted I find a job. It took her a few weeks to convince me that I had to do it, but eventually I found work at a restaurant as a waiter. I’d been there three days when an older gentleman walked in and sat in my station.”
“Only three days?” I shook my head in wonder. “It’s as if you were meant to meet each other there.”
His face glowed. “I never thought of it like that.” The soft note of awe in his voice told me the truth of his statement.
“Go on,” I urged him.
Jarod relaxed a little into the couch. “I walked up to his table and introduced myself, and he smiled. My heart skipped a few beats as I gazed into his blue eyes. Master Phillip was never the shy type. When he saw something he wanted, he went for it. I served him his dinner, and then asked if he would be interested in dessert. He asked me what we had on the menu, and I ran off the list of choices. He frowned and said we didn’t have what he really wanted. I offered to try and get it for him, if only he’d tell me what it was.” There was a faraway look in his eyes. “He reached out, took my hand, and said, ‘I want you. Will you come home with me?’”
