by Jana Downs
Alec continued to work him until he was a mass of stimulated nerves. He cried out as Alec sucked him like a lollipop, seemingly resisting the urge to breathe with relative ease as he deep-throated his length and worked him into near orgasm in seconds.
“Like getting sucked, Vessel?” Alec asked, drawing off him for a moment.
“Yes, Alec. Please, more,” Payne rumbled.
Alec went back to his task, bobbing up and down on his dick like he was just as intoxicated with Payne’s taste as Payne was with his. Payne started murmuring incomprehensively as the pleasure overwhelmed him once again. Alec’s suction increased, and Payne’s hips shot skyward. He ignored the twinge of pain that shot through his buttocks. He wanted to come, needed to.
“Alec,” he warned, gasping for breath. He’d been taught at the Facility that it was improper to come in his owner’s mouth, but he didn’t know if Alec would follow that word of wisdom any more than he followed the others the Facility had told him about.
Alec pushed his head down his cock, choking himself on Payne’s length. Payne surged upward and erupted into his lover’s willing mouth. Alec didn’t disappoint. He just drank him down in sucking pulls of his mouth. Payne’s head spun as he was rocked with the second most intense orgasm of his life.
* * * *
Payne was asleep before Alec lifted his head from his lover’s arousal to wipe his mouth. He smiled to himself as Payne sighed in his sleep.
“Sweet dreams, lover,” he murmured. Alec scooped him up in his arms, and Payne didn’t even stir. He crossed the bedroom and took the short walk to the room—Payne’s room now—that was adjacent to his own. He tucked his Vessel into his bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He kissed his forehead and then took a last, lingering look at his new lover before carting himself back to his room. Payne was everything he wanted and everything he needed, and he was going to set about proving that to him tomorrow. His mind made up, he climbed into his bed after changing the sheets and slipped into a dreamless sleep.
At a quarter after four the phone rang, jarring Alec out of a peaceful dream. With a groan Alec rolled over and grabbed the cell off his nightstand and pressed the call button.
“Someone better be dying,” he growled into the headset.
“Alec? This is Marjorie from Facility PR. I’m sorry to wake you, but we have a major PR crisis on our hands. Can you pull up your viewing network?”
He groaned but did as she asked. “Visual, open a viewing screen on News Network channel.”
Late in the twenty-first century, all news organizations had combined to form one international network called the International News Network. If anything of international importance was happening, it would be on that channel. A Holo-File popped up in the area at the foot of his bed, displaying a petite blonde woman dressed in a business suit.
“If you are just joining us, we are the first to broadcast to you live from the scene.” A reel of video began to roll across the screen. Yellow body bags were being dragged up a steep embankment out of a river. “What you are looking at is over a dozen bodies being fished out of a river near a Facility center near the border between New York and Pennsylvania. It is suspected that the bodies of the people within the river are indeed Vessels. We are waiting for either confirmation or denial from the Facility Corporation and will come to you with the latest news concerning this incident.”
“All right. Turn it off,” Alec commanded. Sickness churned in his gut. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “When do you want me to go on?” He would have to give the official version of what was happening, but he needed to know what the real story was. Was this a dumping ground for the people Payne claimed were being murdered?
“As soon as you get here, we’ll contact the local version of News Network,” Marjorie said, sounding as exhausted and heartsick as Alec. “As soon as you reach the office, we’ll have a brief for you and then we’ll have you go on and make a statement. Your father is having a fit. He’s already called four times to ask if you’re here. I’ve got the company jet on standby waiting for you. Are you bringing your new Vessel with you?”
Alec hesitated. Finally he spoke. “Yes. I’ll bring him. He’ll be safer and more comfortable at my father’s house. Contact Mother and tell her that we will have an extra guest at the house and to install him into the room next to mine.” If his father was this upset, he couldn’t have anything to do with it, could he?
“Okay, got it,” Marjorie said, obviously taking notes. “So I’ll see you in about two hours?”
“Give me two and a half to get there. Put together my brief while I’m in transit. I’ll talk to you when I get into the office.”
“See you then.”
“Good-bye.”
Alec rolled from the bed and instantly began to dress. It was at moments like this that his partners would typically get irritated at him for having to leave in the wee hours of the morning and an inevitable fight about working too much would ensue. Despite the fact that Payne had the uncanny habit of pleasantly surprising him, Alec still felt the unease as he crossed the hallway to wake him up. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
A shuffle sounded on the other side of the door before it was opened to reveal Payne’s sleepy face. “Hi, Alec,” Payne said, rubbing his eyes and looking dazed.
“Um, hi,” Alec greeted. “Sorry to wake you, but there has been an incident at one of the Facility centers near New York. We’re going to have to leave for the offices there after stopping by the local offices here in Norfolk. I’m afraid we’ve got a busy day ahead of us. I’d hoped that I could let you rest today, but at least you can meet my mom. She’s a Vessel, too.” He knew he was rambling, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
Payne held up a hand to silence his tirade. “I just woke up, and that is a lot to digest. I’ll get dressed. Explain later.” He disappeared back in the bedroom and closed the door in Alec’s astonished face.
“Are you angry with me?” Alec called through the door.
“No.” A muffled reply came through the wood. “Can’t think. I’m tired. Trying to rush. I’ll be out in a minute.” Clipped, half-formed sentences finished the communication and were followed closely by silence. Payne was obviously not a morning person. Alec hesitated before going back to his own room. He hoped Payne would understand.
Chapter Five
Payne hadn’t said a word when Alec had brought the car around. In fact, he hadn’t spoken the entire ride to the airport. They pulled onto the darkened tarmac and came to a halt beside the sleek white jet that had Facility Inc. scrawled across the side. The driver got out and opened their door for them.
“There are two bags in back,” Alec said, motioning to the trunk. “Have the crew load it behind us.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver said.
He took Payne’s hand and pulled him along with him. “We can eat something on the plane if you like. They usually keep it stocked.”
Payne grunted but otherwise made no other acknowledgement.
They climbed the steps to the plane and were greeted by the co-captain and the flight attendant. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Kane,” the flight attendant, whose name tag said Fatima, greeted. “The captain says he’ll be looking to leave in another fifteen minutes if you’d like to get comfortable.”
Payne looked at the caramel-skinned beauty with appreciation, and Alec felt a spark of jealousy at the look. Payne was devoted to him, and he knew it. Not to mention he was gay. He had no interest in Fatima.
He ignored the jealousy and offered her a smile. “Thank you, Fatima. Can you please make sure Payne is comfortable? It’s his first plane ride.”
She was the Captain Joshua’s Vessel and always traveled with him when he flew Alec around the world. She was a very sweet girl with easy smiles and an uncanny attention to detail. When she wasn’t flying the world with Josh, she could be found at their other business in New York as an interior decorator. The inside of the private jet reflected her influence because the enti
re space was designed to calm even the weariest travelers. The interior of the plane was a soft tan-and-cream color with olive-green reclining chairs and fresh flowers in little vases around the walls.
“Don’t make a fuss on my account,” Payne protested.
Alec half turned toward him. “I want to make a fuss over you, sweetheart. I want you as comfortable as possible.”
Payne crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I can find a chair myself,” he said, clearly sulking. Confusion flickered through Alec. Was he pissed over having to leave in the middle of the night?
“If I may, my lord?” Fatima interrupted their exchange. Alec turned back to her and nodded. “You talk to your Vessel as if he were a small child or simple. He gets offended because he is neither a toddler nor stupid. Josh used to do the same to me when he first purchased me. We may not be human, but we are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. He might be nervous about a plane ride, but he won’t get hysterical like a toddler.”
“Is that true, Payne?” Alec asked, turning to look at his Vessel. “Is that the reason you’re getting so angry with me?” If so, that was a relief. He didn’t want him to get pissed every time he had to go on a business trip.
Payne nodded. “I swear I can take care of myself, Alec. Can I just go sit down now?”
“Of course you can. Sorry for being overbearing. I’ll try not to do it in the future.” Alec kissed Payne’s cheek. His Vessel favored him with a smile and went to find his seat.
A few minutes later they were in the air, and Payne was asleep again in his chair. He had no problems other than a white-knuckled arm clutch at takeoff. He dropped off into dreamland right after that.
“He is a beauty, Mr. Kane,” Fatima commented as she handed him a bottle of Evian water.
“Thanks,” Alec said. She always remembered his water preferences.
Fatima smiled. “One of the many skills of a Vessel. To be honest with you I never pictured you with a Vessel.”
“Oh? Why is that?” Alec asked in surprise.
“You are one of those rare males in power that wants a partner, not a servant. I always pictured you finding a nice boy, probably another corporate type, and getting married.”
“What about you and Josh? He treats you like an equal.”
Fatima got a dreamy look on her face as she slowly smiled. “He does now. It took many years before he figured out that he wanted me to take care of him and not the other way around. However, don’t doubt that the power dynamic still exists. When he makes a decision, he is more comfortable just making the decision and informing me of what to do than consulting me beforehand. You want to talk with your Vessel, compromise, fall in love.” She looked at his shocked expression and laughed. “Or are you already in love with your sulky Vessel?” She shook her head at him, clearly amused. “Maybe there is hope for you two yet. He’s unsure of you still, but he already feels the affection or else he wouldn’t get upset with you talking over him. It won’t be long before real feelings overwhelm the chemical suggestions.”
“Can that happen? He’s worried that he won’t be able to love me because he won’t know if it’s really him or just the Vessel training.”
“Oh yes, that can happen. It happened with Joshua and me. At first I liked him because my training had prepared me to, and then I loved him because of the man he was. Not all Vessels love their Masters, Alec. If I’m any kind of judge, then I’d say that yours is well on his way to falling in love with you. Give it time. Talk to your mother when you get a chance. She’ll be able to give you a better insight once she’s interacted with him.”
“Thanks for the advice, Fatima,” Alec said. His father had been next to useless when it came to how do deal with his Vessel respectfully, and he’d scoff at the very notion that Alec wanted him to be his equal in and out of the bedroom. His father believed there was only one way to do things and if it didn’t happen in the order he thought it should, Alec was being ridiculous. It was hard to tell what his father really thought about anything really. “When it comes to him, I’m so lost. I try to treat him like a regular guy for the most part, but I sometimes find myself falling into the mindset that he’s a pet and I have to take care of him.”
Fatima gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. “You’ll find your way soon enough, Alec. You’re a smart boy.”
The overhead speaker sounded with Joshua’s familiar voice. “Fatima, can you come to the captain’s cabin please?”
Fatima crossed over to the wall panel and placed her hand on the wall mount to activate the communication box. “Of course, honey. Need some coffee?”
The panel lit up green in response. “Yes, please,” Joshua said.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Fatima said, patting Alec on the shoulder as she passed him. “Try to get some rest for the press conference.”
* * * *
Alec swallowed as he stood behind the podium on the front steps of the massive corporate building behind him while the rain drizzled on the entire swarm of people on the front sidewalk. “The incident is under investigation by our own Facility teams. When we find the people responsible for this tragedy, we fully intend to press criminal as well as civil charges against them. We can neither confirm nor deny that all the bodies they’re bringing up are Vessels or civilian workers. My family and I are going to be working closely with the authorities to bring a conclusion to the situation. At this time, we can only hope that whoever is responsible for this is brought to justice swiftly. If you have any information in regards to the investigation, contact your local police station. They’ve been instructed to send all tips to the investigators in New York that are working on the case. Thank you.” A hundred different camera flashes went off, and another dozen microphones were shoved into Alec’s face.
“Mr. Kane! Mr. Kane!” they screamed at him as he made his way off the stage and hurried toward the waiting car that would take them to his father’s house. As he stepped down the last step, they broke through the sparse security lines in front of them and swarmed around him. Oh Christ. Alec stepped around one who got in his way, and he increased the speed of his walk.
“Get back!” The security guards were barking at the reporters, who paid them little heed. He was surrounded, barely able to move as they all clamored for his attention. A hand reached through the mass of bodies and grabbed his arm to pull him through the crowd. Alec was surprised when Payne’s grim set face came into view. He had changed in the car into a black-and-gray suit and had his hair brushed back in a more formal style.
“Come on, Alec,” Payne commanded, taking Alec’s arm and practically dragging him toward the car.
A reporter yelled as Payne pushed him roughly out of their way, “Who are you?”
Another called out, “Are you a Vessel?”
“Do you belong to Mr. Kane?” yet another asked, pushing a camera into Payne’s annoyed-looking face.
Payne growled. “I’m his boyfriend and his Vessel, and if you don’t get that out of my face, you’re going to lose it.” Alec shivered at the possessive tone of his voice. Who was this confident, sexy man that had come to his rescue? Damn, that’s attractive. Payne was continually surprising him.
Finally they reached the shiny black limo that awaited them. “Get in,” Payne said, holding back some of the reporters as they continued to shout their questions and try to get closer to Alec. Alec did as he was bid and slid into the leather seat. Payne followed and slammed the door with a thud.
He sighed and turned his gaze on Alec. “Is it always like that?” Payne asked as the limo pulled off.
“Not usually,” Alec muttered, loosening his tie and breathing a sigh of relief that it was over. “Thanks for helping me out, by the way.” He just hoped that he could make good on his promises to get to the bottom of the situation quickly. This is a disaster.
Payne tapped his fingers lightly on his pants leg. “I saw that they were all over you. I hoped you weren’t going to get angry with me. You did tell
me to stay in the car.”
“I really appreciated it, sweetheart,” Alec said, tugging on Payne’s arm until he could kiss his sweet lips. “I’m sorry I dragged you out of bed this morning.”
Payne smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t really mind. I just don’t wake up that easily. Don’t take it personally if I can’t think before ten in the morning.”
Alec let out a laugh at that. “And here I thought you were mad at me for interrupting your beauty sleep.”
“Did you mind that I said I was your boyfriend?” Payne asked cautiously.
Alec smiled. “Not at all. To be honest with you, I was a little turned on when you said it.”
Payne’s apparent embarrassment was endearing. “I’m glad.” He hesitated for an instant before reaching down and entwining his fingers with Alec’s. He sighed and snuggled up to Alec’s side. Alec smiled in contentment and squeezed Payne’s hand in thanks. It seemed that Alec had passed some sort of test in Payne’s eyes, and Alec couldn’t say that it made him unhappy to have been on the winning side of the battle for once.
They fell silent for a few minutes, apparently caught up in their own thoughts. Alec glanced out the window and saw the familiar trees that led to his family’s home. The massive estate ringed in woodlands was one of the largest on the continent. It seemed a little ostentatious to him, but that was his father’s lifestyle.
“You really are going to find out what’s going on with the Vessels?” Payne asked.
“Of course I am. If what you said is true, this could just be the tip of the iceberg. I want to talk to my father when we arrive and see if he’s made any headway. After this fiasco is dealt with, I’m thinking about taking a much-needed vacation,” Alec said. “I could book the honeymoon suite at the Radisson on the big island in Hawaii. What do you think? Just me, you, and the beach for a two-week vacation? We could even go scuba diving if you’d like.”
