At His Throat, a Promise (26 page)

“Master, we had no idea you"d be awake so early,” Alastair said, turning to look at Alex, who leaned against the doorjamb with a raised eyebrow.

“How could I sleep with the thoughts of what you two—or three, as I should have guessed—could be up to?”

“That"s what
I
said!” Harte cried. “I mean… ” He lowered his voice and repeated, “That"s what I said, Master Alex.” 220

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Alex laughed. “Don"t move. I know someone who would very much want to see this.” He turned and left.

Ellis immediately tried to squirm away—he felt wanton, naked and covered in come and other people"s limbs. But those limbs held fast, and he couldn"t move.

“Beautiful, aren"t they?” Alex asked.

Ellis shot a glance to William, whose eyes were almost black in the distance and with the scant morning light leaking in. Those eyes met his, and Ellis bit his lip. There was no trying to look innocent when caught in such a situation.

“Making the best of our time together, are we?” William asked, though it wasn"t cruel. He looked pleased, even.

“Who wouldn"t?” said Alastair, running his hand down Ellis"s side. Oversensitised and nervous about the master, Ellis shuddered.

“So beautifully responsive,” Alex said. “Harte does have the best taste, doesn"t he?”

Ellis assumed he was referring to the fact that Harte had pleaded his case at the Lounge, what seemed like a lifetime ago.

“He certainly knows how to get what he wants,” William said.

“Are you all finished, then? It looks like it from here.” Ellis closed his eyes to fight off a flush. He didn"t like the master seeing him like this, so depraved. But then, he had permission. It wasn"t like he"d done something wrong. Harte didn"t seem to mind—Ellis wasn"t even sure if he was awake anymore.

His eyes were closed and his breathing steady, though his hand sometimes twitched reactively around Ellis"s wrist.

Which reminded him—he had to talk to the master. He gave William a look that he hoped conveyed his need and was relieved when the master nodded.

“Alastair, why don"t you come tend to your master? I think 221

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

you"ve put him in a bit of a state with your appearance.”

“What a perfect idea,” Alex said. He grinned at Ellis, who couldn"t really bring himself to return it. Alastair slinked out of the bed and practically sauntered over to Alex, who took his hand and led him away, but not before Alastair turned and gave a wink to Ellis.

Ellis wriggled out of Harte"s embrace—he was definitely asleep. As he sat on the end of the bed, he faced a dilemma. He desperately needed a shower, but he couldn"t very well make the master wait, and he didn"t want to put on a sheath and get it filthy while they talked.

William must have noticed his hesitation, for he said, “Why don"t you have a bath? I"ll help.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Except… how was he going to make it to the bathroom without William seeing the come all over his ass?

Again, William seemed to know him too well. “I won"t look, promise.” There was a definite smile in his voice.

Embarrassed to even
be
embarrassed, Ellis walked to the bathroom, turning once to make sure William kept his word. He did; he was looking at Harte, whose lips were parted in slumber.

Once he entered the bathroom, however, William was right behind him. Ellis had no choice but to get into the large claw-foot bathtub under the stripping gaze of the master.

William pulled up an attendant"s chair that usually sat in the corner and took the handheld showerhead out, turning on the taps as Ellis settled into the empty tub. The porcelain was icy, but it soothed both his humiliation and his sore bottom.

The warm spray cleared away the come that had started to itch on his belly. “Open your legs,” William said.

Ellis did, as much as was possible within the confines of the 222

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tub.

But William said, “Wider,” with a feral look in his eyes.

Ellis propped one leg over the ledge, slouching a little so he was completely exposed.

“Perfect,” William whispered, and the hose turned on his tender hole.

Gasping, Ellis couldn"t help but tilt his hips up into the warm spray. He closed his eyes so he wouldn"t have to see William looking at him like he could see everything Ellis tried to hide.

Eventually, the spray stopped and William plugged the drain, turning the taps on full. He got up and added some salts and something oily to the water. It smelled vaguely of lilies.

Ellis set to washing right away. He was naked, but he"d never felt more so—under William"s careful gaze, he was vulnerable.

“Let me,” William said, taking the washcloth from him.

Ellis sat forward so William could wash his back. He hadn"t been spoiled like that in a long time. William"s hand was gentle and soothing, familiar enough to not be frightening but new enough to be exciting.

“How was last night with Alastair?”

“It was fine, Sir. Nothing happened, though.”

“Nothing?”

“Well, we almost, you know… but we stopped.”

“Oh?”

Ellis shifted a little. The washcloth dipped into his crack, making him bite his lip and try to remember what he"d been saying. “We talked instead.”

“Did you talk about something that"s bothering you now?”

“Um… not really, Sir. But something did happen that I thought I should tell you about.”

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“I thought you said nothing happened,” William said.

“Nothing sexual, Sir.” He paused. He didn"t want to lose this moment, but he had to say it.

“You know, Ellis, I admire your honesty. Many slaves wouldn"t tell their master something if they thought they could get away with it.”

“I couldn"t lie to you, Sir.”

“It"s not really lying, though, is it? If I don"t ask… ” Ellis shook his head, confused. “Are you saying you don"t want to know?” That stung a little. Ellis was sure the master would want to hear
anything
Harte had to say.

“I most certainly do want to know. I just thought I would make sure you want to tell me. And just so you know, remember how your bedroom is your safe place? How you"ll never be punished or yelled at in there?”

“Yes.”

“That extends to the bathroom, all right? You don"t have to be afraid. I already told you that I"d never subject you to the second punishment again, didn"t I? If you need punishing, we"ll do something physical like I did with Harte.” Ellis supposed that was meant to be reassuring, but with his low pain tolerance, it didn"t exactly make him feel better.

“Now, go ahead.”

Ellis remembered, all too well, the last time he"d confessed something to William. He"d blurted it out without preamble.

William hadn"t taken that well, but it could have been the news and not the delivery. Still… “I spoke to Harte about your instructions to… entertain Alastair and Master Alex. I asked him if there was something that they liked that I might be able to do in order to please them.”

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“Hence the makeup, I presume.”

“Exactly, Sir. But Harte also told me something that Alastair liked, and so I thought I"d try it in order to make him like me…

because last time, it seemed like he really didn"t.” The washcloth slipped over his shoulders and onto his chest.

Ellis leaned back against the tub and tried not to think of that gentle hand hurting him in some way.

“Does this have anything to do with the bruises on your wrists?”

Although already still, Ellis froze. Well, at least he wouldn"t have to say it. “Yes, Sir,” he whispered.

William sat back and draped the cloth over the edge of the tub.

“I"m well aware of Alastair"s proclivities. I"m also not clueless as to what Harte considers
helping
. Do I wish you had conferred with me before making what I consider to be a big decision? Yes. Am I going to punish you for something against which there was no rule, something you knew another slave to do without reprimand? No. I wish you weren"t afraid of me, though I can see how it"s come to this.”

“Oh, Sir, I"m not afraid. I just… Things here are strange to me.

I"m still learning my place”—
and the fact that I don’t have one
—

“and I don"t want to upset you.”

“I"m pleased that you went to such lengths to follow my orders.”

Ellis was stunned. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Did it work?”

“Sir?”

“Did you get Alastair to like you? Not that I think he didn"t, or couldn"t, for that matter.”

“I think I was able to… build a bridge between us. But not 225

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through… ”

“Bondage.”

“Right, Sir.”

“Through what, then?”

“Oh. Well, we talked a bit. About slavery. And masters.” William laughed, and it took Ellis by surprise. “You aren"t obligated to tell me everything, you know. I understand that slaves talk about things masters could never understand.” He shot Ellis a look that, on anyone else, would have been called teasing. “We talk about you, too.”

“Me?”

“Slaves.”

“Oh.” Was Ellis supposed to ask what they talked about? “I"m glad you"re not upset, Sir.”

“Just… think of me before you do something like that next time.”

“I will, Sir. Especially since Harte said you had a long talk with him about it. I should have realised it was important.” William picked up the washcloth and lathered it with soap.

“Put your leg up here,” he said, indicating the ledge closest to him.

Ellis did, and William began washing his foot. He immediately thought of Harte"s punishment. Feet just weren"t supposed to be punished like that.

“This healed well,” William said, carefully washing the remnants of the scab from the cut he"d acquired in the forest.

“Yes, Sir. Thanks to you.”

William shook his head, but Ellis saw him smile.

“The reason I spoke to Harte so in depth about bondage… ” William hesitated, looking as uncertain as Ellis had ever seen him.

“Have you any experience with being tied up?” 226

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“No, Sir.”

“But many masters like it. And sometimes the things a previous master did can make a slave frightened—even if he doesn"t show it—even with a new master.”

“Of course, Sir.” There were things his previous master had done that Ellis didn"t really like thinking about, but most were fairly basic sexual things. Most he"d already done again and hadn"t even thought of his master. So perhaps it wasn"t the same as what William was referring to.

“There were instances… both in the Facility and with Harte"s previous master… in which Harte was abused while bound.” Ellis just closed his eyes. The more he learned about what Harte had gone through, the angrier he became at those who had hurt him. Gabriel had said that, in the Facility, Harte would just lie there. Why, then, did they feel the need to bind him?

Ellis suddenly realised it wouldn"t have been the other slaves who would have done so. It would have been the
guards
. Bile rose in his throat at the sheer violation. No one had ever protected Harte.

Not until William.

“So I was afraid, at first, that it would trigger Harte"s unpleasant memories. After a while, I no longer thought that. But he began to request it with other people, and I worried that he was using the bonds as an escape. He didn"t have to think about anything, he didn"t have to react or enjoy it. He could just… be there.”

“Oh… ”
Harte.

“But from what little I knew about your former master, and from what I learned after I"d… acquired you, I knew that he didn"t have much interest in things like that. So I didn"t think I had to 227

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worry about you. I could have been wrong, of course. Was I?” Ellis didn"t really think so, but… “There was a moment when I thought… everything is so much easier when I don"t have to choose. But I still
wanted
it. I was still involved.” The discussion had brought his attention away from the washcloth, but now that it as tracing small circles on the inside of his knee, he couldn"t help but feel it all over.

“So you enjoyed it, then?” The washcloth inched up.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Would you like to try it with me sometime?” Ellis shivered as the washcloth was released and slithered down to the bottom of the tub. William"s hand continued where it had left off, touching just enough to make him want more. His leg twitched and he moaned.

“Yes, Sir. Very much. But not with a pillowcase.” The fingers stopped a moment, but then started back up as William said, “No, certainly not. And not anything like handcuffs, either. I know just the thing.”

“What, Sir?” Ellis asked, knowing that it wasn"t his place to, but desperately curious and becoming harder by the second.

“Shackles. Fur lined.”

Ellis moaned as William"s finger caressed his balls. “Yes,” he hissed, letting his head fall back.

Then the hand was gone. “Breakfast is probably ready. We should get you finished up. Alex wants to spend some time by the pool. I think it"s just an excuse to see you all in little white shorts, but he swears that he enjoys the water.” Ellis"s mouth was open in shock and disappointment. “But, Sir… you said you weren"t going to punish me.” William smiled a little evilly and leaned in to kiss Ellis. “This 228

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isn"t punishment,” he said in a soft voice, pulling back. “It"s anticipation.”

Well, they feel exactly the same,
he thought after William left him to finish up.

* * *

He could hear them on the patio. Someone was in the water, and there was a low susurration of voices that made Ellis think he was being talked about, the way most people do when they hear whispering.

“Seems like a nice day, hmm?” Nell said as she served them up a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.