“Rowan, you wicked boy, why haven’t you called me?”
Rowan held the handset away from his ear.
“I’ve been kind of tied up,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“I don’t think I want to know. I know you said it might be a while before you’d be able to call, but it’s been ages. You’re lucky I didn’t send the cavalry down there to rescue you.”
“I don’t need rescuing,” Rowan reassured her. “I love the job and the place is amazing. The client is…demanding, but nothing I can’t handle. He’s American and has a wonderful accent. I like him, Rory. I like him a lot.”
“You’re falling for him.” Rory’s statement sounded like an accusation. “Be careful, Rowan. I don’t want you hurt.”
“I won’t be. I know he’s only here for four weeks and then he’ll go back to his world, which is so far away from mine you wouldn’t believe. But he’s patient with me. Firm but kind. I know where I stand with him and the other staff here are great. It’s kind of like a family.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s working out for you, but I’ll still be pleased to see you back here when you get your break. You are coming back, aren’t you?”
“Of course! I can’t wait to see you. And Ed of course—he texts every day, mainly with descriptions of the things he’s been cooking. I’m going to call him next. I’ll probably get an earful of abuse.”
“If he’s been hearing from you as little as I have, I don’t blame him,” Rory said. “It’s a shame you can’t tell me who the client is because then I could find his email address and send him abusive notes.”
Rowan giggled. “And that’s probably one of the reasons why the security here is so strict—to avoid hate mail from rabid relatives.”
“Rabid? Did you just compare me to a diseased dog? If you’re not careful, your arse will get another spanking when you get back here, cheeky boy.”
Rowan rang off with Rory’s raucous laughter echoing in his ears. He called Ed next, hoping that he’d be done with lunch service at the hotel, but got his voicemail. He left a short message and promised to ring back as soon as he could. There wasn’t anyone else he wanted to call, so he lay back on his bed with his arms behind his head. He missed Lorcan. He felt a bit aimless without his Dom there to guide him. Written instructions weren’t the same as Lorcan’s commanding tones. He wondered what Lorcan was doing in London and whether Rayne’s chatter had driven him mad yet. He was a little envious that his friend got to spend the day with Lorcan instead of him, but he couldn’t be mad at Rayne. He hadn’t had much chance to chat with the young chauffeur, but Rayne was always ready with a smile and an encouraging word when they crossed paths. Lorcan hadn’t used his services very often so Rowan guessed that Rayne would have been glad for something to do, even if it had meant getting up at the crack of dawn.
Peering down his body, Rowan tried to get of decent view of his cock and balls. The leather splitter stretched his skin taut and had the effect of making everything stick out more than usual. He had almost come when Lorcan had fastened the straps in place, which had earned him extra spanks. His cock twitched at the memory. He decided it was time to get back to work because if he carried on daydreaming, he’d just get harder and more frustrated. He returned to the banqueting hall where he poked his tongue out at the hard chair. He thought he’d done enough property research. Until he had the chance to go through his choices with Lorcan, he could only guess at his preferences. He had already cleaned and tidied the Blue Room so he checked the next item on his list.
“Explore the other bedrooms and choose a new place for tonight’s scene. I can do that.” He wandered through to the hall then up the sweeping staircase to the landing. The Blue Room was first on the left so Rowan decided to work his way round from there. He’d seen all the rooms before but Lorcan kept him so busy that he hadn’t been back and he wanted to remind himself of each one before making a decision. The room next to the blue one had a dark red theme, with gold highlights in the soft furnishings and heavy drapes. Chunky mahogany furniture complemented the color scheme and the bathroom was all dramatic black tile and mirrors. The bed wasn’t a full four-poster, but had tall pillars at each corner. Rowan could easily imagine himself spread-eagled on the sumptuous quilt, chained in place, though he thought that might be a bit tame for Lorcan. There were two special features in the room—the first was a wooden chest that sat at the foot of the bed. A concealed drawer in its base held two telescopic steel poles that slotted into holes in the corners of the chest and sloped at an angle to form a V shape. Cuffs at the end of each pole meant that a man could be restrained lying flat on his back on the cushioned lid of the chest with his legs held in a splayed, vertical position leaving his arse exposed for whatever his master desired. It was an ingenious design. Rowan gave the padded top an experimental prod to test how well cushioned it was. It had potential. The room’s second secret was a cage concealed beneath the bed, the bars covered by a fabric skirt. There was only enough room for a man to lie flat and Rowan imagined that he would feel claustrophobic if he had to spend any time in the space.
He moved onto the next room where he remembered there was a priest’s secret hideaway. Underneath an ornate Turkish rug, a trapdoor lifted to reveal what was little more than a hole in the floor. Bars had been added across the top and holes drilled in the trapdoor. It meant that the cage roof could be left exposed, or a prisoner could be kept in virtual darkness if the trapdoor was lowered. Rowan shivered. He didn’t like the idea of being confined in such a small space. He put everything back in place quickly and walked across to a room-height mirror set on the wall. It took him a few seconds to locate the button that activated a mechanism which swiveled the mirror through one hundred and eighty degrees to reveal a padded surface, holding a lattice of bungee cords attached to hooks. Every limb could be held in place by the network of straps. More could be placed across the chest, shoulders and neck. He pulled on one of the cords, noting the limited elasticity. A man held in place by the full array would be completely trapped—like prey in a spider’s web. He could picture the marks that would be left on his body. It was the perfect bondage to keep a sub still for further torment. Rowan thought that Lorcan would probably like it a lot, but the priest’s cage put Rowan off. He put the Gold Room on his reserve list.
The next room, with its cool gray theme, was more modern than the others. It was full of tactile fabrics in dark gray and purple shades but the furniture was beech, much paler than in the other rooms. The king-sized bed had a heavy wooden footboard with concealed hinges. Sections of the wood could be removed to make holes, creating an ingenious set of stocks. One hole was big enough for a man’s neck, the others for his ankles. It was possible to restrain somebody either lying horizontal on the bed or on the floor with legs raised.
The second secret appeared to be a coat stand but its base was weighted, making it difficult to move. The pegs attached to its central length were adjustable, offering a variety of bondage positions. It was intriguing, but Rowan didn’t find it particularly exciting. He went on to the Green Room on the opposite side of the landing. This was Rowan’s second favorite. He loved the deep green décor and polished oak furniture. There was also a gorgeous sunken bath and multi-headed shower.
The concealed toys in the green room made his cock jerk. The first was simple—an armchair with a seat that flipped over to reveal a fixed dildo. The thought of being bound to the chair, impaled on the toy made Rowan want to rip off his cock ring and bring himself to orgasm as quickly as possible. Two simple snap fastenings were all that stood between him and release. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand behind his back, squeezing hard enough to hurt. The pain gave him a measure of control.
When he had explored the room for the first time it had taken him a while to work out where the other secrets were hidden. In one corner of the room, hanging from a sturdy chain, was an ornate birdcage big enough to house a large parrot. When he had looked closely he had realized that t
he floor of the cage was a horseshoe-shaped cushion of padded leather with a hole in the middle and that a section of the cage beneath the door was cut out. It meant that a man could sit suspended above the floor with his upper body trapped in the cage and his arse exposed from below. The cage could be lowered and raised using a pulley concealed behind a curtain.
Rowan brushed his hand over the polished surface of a saddle stand that doubled as a clothes rack. Only some brass D-rings laid into the wood revealed that the piece of furniture wasn’t quite what it seemed. The apex of the stand was a triangular ridge and if a man were made to straddle it, he would have to stand on tiptoe to avoid painful pressure on his balls and hole as the wood pressed between his arse cheeks. Rowan measured its height against his own body and judged that there would be little he could do to avoid resting his weight on the sharp angle.
“Definitely this room,” he murmured. He checked everything over to make sure there was no need to clean but the room was immaculate. He opened the window a crack to let in some fresh air then left. It was heading toward dinnertime and Rowan had no idea when Lorcan was due back. A brief pang of loneliness struck him and he decided to go to the small breakroom off the kitchen to see if either of Tor’s assistants might be around to chat over a cup of coffee. As he crossed the hall, Luke appeared from his office, moving silently as always.
“I’m glad I caught you, Rowan. Rayne just called to let me know that Mr. Wilder is on his way back and he’d like you to arrange dinner for seven-thirty.”
“Yes, Mr. Redding. That’s only a little later than usual so I hope it won’t upset Tor’s plans too much.”
“I’m sure he’ll accommodate Mr. Wilder,” Luke said. “You may also be relieved to know that he said you should dress for dinner. Your choice of outfit. And remove the collar and cuffs you have on.”
Rowan had grown accustomed to wandering around the house naked but he was glad to scuttle back to his room and pick out some clothes. He selected a pair of supple leather trousers with a placket that could be removed, turning them into a pair of chaps, and a cream, cotton shirt with loose sleeves and mother-of-pearl buttons that glimmered in the light. The fabric was translucent so his nipples were visible through the fabric. He didn’t bother with footwear because he didn’t need it in the house and Lorcan preferred him barefoot. He applied a slick of clear lip gloss and highlighted his eyes with liner. A little product in his hair and he was ready.
He decided that a trip to the kitchen was still a good idea. A cup of coffee would ensure he stayed alert for the evening, and able to focus on Lorcan’s pleasure. When he got to the staff room he was pleased to find Benjy and Frank already at the table, a huge chocolate cake between them.
“Rowan!” Frank said. “Your timing is perfect. We’re just about to test this cake.”
“Tor made it for us,” Benjy added. “As a reward for being good.”
“It’s strange to see you with your clothes on.” Frank giggled. “Not that we don’t enjoy the view.”
“It’s a perk of the job,” Benjy declared. “I hope no one wants us to cook naked because that would be…dangerous!”
“But we would…if we had to.” Frank grinned. He picked up a knife that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Scream movie then used it to carve out three slices of cake.
“I came down in the hope of coffee,” Rowan said. The cake, sandwiched with cream and jam, made his mouth water.
“There’s a fresh pot over there. I just brewed it.” Benjy pointed at the percolator. “Bring the jug and some mugs. We can all have some.”
Rowan fetched everything they needed, collecting a container of milk from the fridge.
“I only have about half an hour before Mr. Wilder gets back. I shouldn’t eat too much because I’ll have dinner with him later.”
Benjy poured the coffee. “We’re kind of jealous. Mr. Wilder is an eleven on the hotness scale. We don’t get much Dommy action in the kitchen apart from watching Chef.”
“Who I would climb like a tree,” Frank said, shoving cake into his mouth. “Oh, God, this is so good.”
“You can have Chef and I’ll have Mr. Redding,” Benjy said. “He’s sooo scary. I’ll bet he spanks really hard.”
Rowan listened to their banter with a smile. They had a similar camaraderie to him and Ed, albeit in a different context.
“I have to admit, they are both gorgeous.”
“But you get to play with Mr. Wilder and he’s scrummier than this cake.”
“If you had my job, you wouldn’t get to cook though,” Rowan said.
Benjy and Frank shared a glance. Benjy pouted. “Not an option. We love to cook and we get to do things here that we couldn’t at The Underground.”
“And Chef is patient most of the time. He’s only whacked my arse with a spatula a few times,” Frank said, grinning.
“And threatened to make us both work wearing ball gags if we don’t shut up,” Benjy added.
Rowan laughed. “You two are great therapy. My best friend Ed is a trainee chef. You guys remind me of him.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I have to go! Thanks for the cake.” He got hugs from both sides.
“Come visit again soon.”
“I will.”
Rowan made his way back to the hall, eager to see Lorcan. There was none of the worry he’d had on their first meeting, just excited anticipation. He peeked out of the door to find a thick drizzle soaking the gardens and shrouding everything in gloom. He retreated to the hall and picked a position facing the entrance then settled onto his knees to wait. Clasping his hands behind his back, he lowered his head and slowed his breathing. He registered Luke leaving his office but didn’t look up. A draught from the door ruffled Rowan’s hair and he guessed Luke had gone to wait outside. He was a little jealous that Luke would get to see Lorcan before he did but then the crunch of tires over gravel cleared his mind of everything except Lorcan’s return. The murmur of voices outside let him know that Luke was talking to Lorcan about something. Then the door banged open and two sets of footsteps came inside. Rowan badly wanted to peek from beneath his lashes but he remained still. Just in front of his knees he could see the toe caps of a pair of brown leather boots and the frayed hems of a pair of blue jeans. Lorcan. Rowan’s cock jerked.
“Have you been good for me today, Rowan?” Lorcan put a finger beneath Rowan’s chin, tilting his head back. “I do hope so. After being apart all day, I’d hate to have to punish you.”
“I…”
“Hush.” Lorcan brought Rowan to his feet. “One look into your pretty eyes tells me what I need to know. You’ll never be able to hide anything from me.”
“I missed you, Sir.” Rowan wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to admit to that, but the words just slipped out. Lorcan’s expression softened.
“I missed you too. It’s been a long day and all the way back from London in the car I’ve been looking forward to spending time with you.”
Rowan’s cheeks heated and he felt shy, not wanting to make eye contact with Lorcan in case he gave something away about his developing feelings. Lorcan wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily, though.
“Look at me.”
Rowan raised his eyes to find Lorcan smiling. He tilted his head in hope of a kiss and was rewarded with a firm press of Lorcan’s lips. The kiss was unhurried, undemanding and tender. Rowan didn’t want it to end but it had to.
“Was Rayne good company today, Sir?” Rowan asked.
“That boy needs a permanent gag, but he’s a good driver and he knows his way around the city.”
Rowan giggled. Lorcan wasn’t the type for idle chatter.
“I put my headphones in and I don’t think he even noticed.” Lorcan’s expression was comical. “He probably kept talking to himself even when I was in meetings.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me at all, Sir. Is there anything I can do for you before dinner? Would you like to freshen up, or rest?”
“Strangely, I�
��m not tired but I will take a quick shower and change my clothes before we eat. You look spectacular by the way. After dinner, I want you to show me which of the bedrooms you’ve chosen for us to use. I know you’ve been working hard on your property research, but that can wait until tomorrow morning.”
Lorcan took Rowan’s hand then led him up the stairs to the Blue Room. As soon as they were inside the door, shut away from the rest of the world, Lorcan pushed Rowan against the wall. He unfastened the placket on his trousers, freeing his cock.
“This hasn’t been giving you any trouble, has it?” he asked, releasing the snaps on the cock ring and ball splitter.
“No, Sir. It wasn’t too tight. It didn’t affect my circulation. I kind of liked the way it felt,” Rowan admitted.
“I love the way it looked on you.” Lorcan fondled Rowan’s balls. Rowan’s breath hitched.
“I’ll come, Sir.”
“Yes, you will.” Lorcan’s grin was feral. He continued his manipulations and Rowan couldn’t help but thrust into his hand. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such a treat but he didn’t dare say anything in case Lorcan stopped. He pressed his shoulders into the wall for support, his legs shaking. Lorcan rubbed his thumb over the head of Rowan’s cock before digging his nail into the slit. The moment of sharp pain took Rowan over the edge and he shot into Lorcan’s hand with a moan. The orgasm left him panting, unable to catch his breath. Lorcan guided him to the bed where he managed to lie down in an uncoordinated sprawl.
“You can stay there for a few minutes, while I take a shower.”
Rowan mumbled something in response but the words didn’t make sense. His jumbled thoughts resisted any attempt to organize them into something coherent. Lorcan had made sure their evening got off to an amazing start and Rowan couldn’t wait for the rest of it to play out.
Chapter Ten
“You chose the perfect room, Rowan.” Lorcan ran a hand over the saddle stand. “I think we’ll start here and, much as I love those pants, I’d be much happier if you were naked, so strip. Slowly.”
Serving Him Page 13
