Born to Please [Pleasure Vessels 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (10 page)

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.”

Payne seemed to contemplate the possibility. “I’ve never seen the ocean. I’d love that.” He favored Alec with a smile. “How many boyfriends have you whisked away for a Hawaiian vacation?”

“None. We usually don’t make it that far into a relationship. I’ve been there a couple times by myself, though,” Alec said, nipping Payne’s ear in retaliation for his teasing.

“Ouch,” Payne breathed, and he evened the score by latching onto Alec’s neck that was an inch above his face. Alec gasped, and his head fell back to give Payne better access.

“Oh fuck. That’s a sweet spot.” Alec sighed. His mind glazed over instantly with lust despite being tired. He figured he’d spend a lot of time being aroused with Payne around. His Vessel understood and fulfilled his desires better than anyone ever had.

* * * *

Payne bit harder at his reaction, sucking at the place and licking it to soothe away his bite. He’d never played the aggressor before, and he found a well of desire within himself to be just that. He wanted to bite Alec and mark him for the world to see. He wanted to see if Alec liked a man pounding inside him as much as he liked Alec doing it to him. He wanted to fuck Alec until he couldn’t remember his own name. The realization was so shocking that he let go of Alec’s neck instantly.

“Why’d you stop?” Alec wondered, his erection pressing at the front of his slacks insistently.

“I—nothing,” Payne stammered. He cleared his throat. “Are we going to get there soon?”

Alec looked puzzled by his reaction but chose to let it slide. “Yeah. We’ll be at the house in ten minutes or so.”

Payne nodded and stared out the window to watch the countryside pass. He rubbed his eyes and rested his forehead against the glass. The estate was huge and seemed to stretch on for miles. It was a wonder that they were so close to the city. In actuality they’d only been in the car for a few minutes. The woods gave it the illusion of complete privacy.

They pulled down the long drive and circled to the front of a house that looked more than a little intimidating. The towering structure was not set up to elicit feelings of comfort. It had the same feel to it as the Facility building he grew up in. Where Alec’s house was warm and welcoming, the senior Kane’s house was downright frosty.

“Just relax,” Alec said. “My father is a bit of a hard-ass, but as long as you stay out of his way, you should be fine. You’re going to love Mom though. She’s the sweetest lady I know.” He opened the door and rolled out before offering a hand out.

They climbed up a dozen steps onto a large stone porch that was overwhelmed with tall, white Grecian columns that were designed to make the approaching person feel small and insignificant. When two servant-class androids opened the doors, Payne found himself in a dark-brown-and-gold cavernous room that made their footsteps echo around the room.

“I’m getting flashbacks to
Gone with the Wind
,” Payne muttered as yet another massive staircase loomed before them.

Alec laughed. “Try growing up here. We Kanes are a lot like old Southern aristocracy.”

An old familiar voice sounded to their right. “And you’d do well to remember it, Alecander.”

Payne’s stomach dropped as he heard Alec’s father speak. He still remembered the last time they’d spoken and how painful it had been when he’d made him convulse on the floor. The elder Mr. Kane must’ve come out of the lighted hallway that ran along the right side of the staircase. Despite his age, he walked with a swagger that bespoke an arrogance of someone who was used to ruling his world with an iron fist.

“Good morning, Father. Did you see the press conference?” Alec asked, not batting a lash at his interruption.

The older man nodded. “I did. You did well with your speech. I’ll give you updates to make an additional speech tomorrow. Send your Vessel up to the Green Room. Your mother would like to have coffee with him.”

“Only if he wants to go. Would you like to go meet my mother, sweetheart?” Alec asked. Payne was a little intimidated by the prospect. “If you don’t want to, I can take you up to my room and you can nap there. I’ll come get you when my father and I are done talking.”

“I’d like to meet your mother. She’s a Vessel, right?” Payne asked, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He hadn’t expected his lover to keep his word about asking him instead of ordering him around.

Alec’s warm smile went a long way to reassuring him. “Yes, she is, and she’s dying to finally meet you.”

“Will you take me there?” Payne bit his lip in nervousness. He didn’t want to be a kid about it, but androids had always freaked him out. Whereas Vessels were flesh and blood, androids were over seventy-five percent machine. They had this eerie calmness about them that Payne had always seen as unnatural. He didn’t like to be alone with them.

“Of course I will,” Alec said, kissing his cheek. “Father, shall I meet you in the study?”

“Fine, but hurry up,” his father rumbled. “I swear you spoil that Vessel worse than I do your mother.”

Alec took his hand and led him up the massive staircase. Payne felt safer when Alec was touching him. It steadied him.

“Do you think she’ll like me?” Payne asked as they rounded the left side of the staircase and headed toward the sign that said “West Wing.” He’d never imagined a private residence large enough to necessitate signage. This place was creepy. He hoped they weren’t staying long.

“I know she will. Besides, I like you. So it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t.” Alec squeezed his hand, and warmth radiated from him.
Mine
, the now-familiar internal voice said.

“Thank you, Alec,” Payne said. “Thank you for being so kind to me.”

“I told you I want you to be my boyfriend, sweetheart. That means loving you right.” Payne’s heart tripped over itself at the “loving you” part. He hadn’t imagined he’d ever get the chance for such a thing. Alec pulled him to a stop in the carpeted hallway to kiss him gently. “You’re going to do just fine. I’m going to tell my father what you said about the Trainers at your Facility center disposing of Vessels. I may need to call on you as a witness.”

“Sure thing, Alec. Whatever you need me to say.” If he could stop the Facility from unfairly murdering Vessels, he would do it. His heart constricted as a thought struck him. “Do you think you could check on my sister, Desiree? She’s supposed to have a placement, and I’m worried about her being there without me.”

“I’ll check on her when I go to my dad’s office,” Alec assured. He pulled them along the hallway at a leisurely pace despite his father’s urgings to hurry. “The Green Room is my mother’s haven. She spends most of her free time there. When Joey and I were kids, she read to us there.” He stopped them in front of a heavy oak door. It was dark in color and had a strange lettering above the doorframe.
Mille mores delecto. Quisque est diversus
.

“A thousand ways to love. Each one is different,” Alec translated for him. “My father had my mother learn Latin when he brought her home. It’s his secret passion. He loves classical languages. He carved that himself above the door when they found out they were pregnant with me. Sweet, isn’t it?”

“How did he go from being the guy who writes love phrases above a door to the guy who is as unfeeling as a marble statue and tortures Vessels for fun?” Payne asked. Okay, he had no proof that he was torturing people other than Payne when he was mouthy, but he seemed like the type.

Irritation flickered over Alec’s face, and Payne knew he shouldn’t have said anything. “He’s not unfeeling,” Alec said. “He just—He’s a man who doesn’t believe in a big show of emotion. He takes his work very seriously, but he loves us.”