Born to Please [Pleasure Vessels 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (3 page)

“I’m guessing this is why they do the personality alignment,” he said, more to himself than to Payne.

Payne’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“Well, it’s obvious you aren’t happy with me right now. My eagerness for your body has brought on some misplaced bitterness that I wasn’t even aware Vessels could feel. Even if we’re very well suited, arguments will of course arise. A personality alignment will fix this…disagreement between us?”

If it were possible, Payne’s lips pressed more firmly into a thin line. “I shall be your puppet, my lord, and you shall be my puppeteer. After the alignment, my every thought, action, and desire will be geared toward the pursuit of yours.” Alec was shocked at the anger in his voice. “And since that is the inevitable outcome of this ‘disagreement’ between us, you should just go ahead and press the call button so that I can be taken immediately to the brainwash, oh, I’m sorry, that was a slip of the tongue, the ‘realignment’ room so that neither you nor I will be forced to put up with my ‘resentment’ or anger for that matter over your callous disregard for the human condition. In fact”—Payne took a step off the platform and crossed the room to the call box—“let me press it for you. I wouldn’t want you to trouble yourself.”

Alec finally got irritated and stalked after him, grabbing the Vessel’s outstretched hand. With one stiff yank he pulled him close until they were nose-to-nose. It was only then that he realized there was only an inch or two difference in their heights.

“What got shoved up your ass, Vessel?” he snarled. “What could I have possibly done to you in the last five minutes to warrant such hostility?” He knew he was gripping harder on the Vessel’s arms than he should be. It was probably hurting him, but he was too pissed off to care. To Alec’s surprise, Payne moaned, and he felt the straining length of his erection press against his slacks.

“And what the fuck kind of reaction is that?” he asked with a growl. He eased his grip.

Anger sparked in Payne’s eyes. “It’s my training. I can’t help it. My submission training rewired my body to respond to either pain or pleasure.” He closed his eyes and shuddered. He rubbed against Alec as if to demonstrate. He stopped himself before he opened his eyes. “Press the goddamn call button,
Master
.” He spat the word like a curse. “Reprogram me to be the perfect fuck doll for you.”

A voice snapped from behind them as a hidden panel slid open to reveal the employees’ hallway. “Payne!” Payne winced noticeably. “Vessel 8189, fall into slave position three immediately!”

Payne jerked out of Alec’s astonished grip and knelt, his forehead pressed to the cold floor. Alec looked on, stunned, and raised his gaze to look at the Trainer who had just entered the room. Who in the world would cause such an instant, fearful reaction? Whoever it was, Alec had the sneaking suspicion that he wouldn’t like this man.

Eerie, gray eyes met his stare. “I apologize, Mr. Kane. I am Trainer J. Payne is one of the ones in my charge at the Facility. I am his primary care Trainer. I informed the board at the last meeting that he was not ready for placement yet, but your father insisted that he be ready for your birthday. Unfortunately, as you can see, we haven’t managed to get out the last kinks in his personality yet. It will be corrected within a day or two, I assure you.” The hard edge to his voice and the way Payne’s shoulders shook at the prospect left Alec little doubt that the way they “corrected” his personality involved something very painful.

“If he is so defective, why was he allowed to remain in the program for so long?” Alec asked. It was a sick curiosity that made him ask it. He had no intention of letting anyone touch Payne. Fighting or not, he was strangely protective of the Vessel.

“He isn’t defective at all,” the Trainer answered with a wistful smile. “He’s the top-ranking Pleasure Vessel on the Compound. I can personally attest to his skills.”

“Then why is he so hostile?” Alec demanded. He couldn’t explain, even to himself, why he was so pissed off over the fact that the Trainer had experienced any of Payne’s “skills.” The fact was that the other man had obviously done something to hurt Payne, and it really pissed Alec off. No human being should be treated in such a fashion. By law, they weren’t technically human, but there was no denying the intelligence and awareness the Vessel had.

The Trainer shrugged. “Again, I am so sorry he was hostile toward you. I have some idea on how to find out though. I’ll interview his Twin Vessel Desiree. She knows everything about him. They talk far more than is protocol, and he tends to tell her things that he doesn’t tell his counselor. Once that is established, we’ll put him into personality rehabilitation and have him ready for you by Friday.”

Alec regarded the Trainer with mounting unease. He looked at the ground where his Vessel knelt, his shoulders trembling harder than before. “Personality rehabilitation? What’s that?”

“It’s a simple procedure really. We go in with three needles and inject a cocktail into certain parts of the brain. We then subject them to flash images and chemical suggestions to correct the problem. Minor procedure, like I said.”

“Is it painful?” Alec asked.

“Well, it’s moderately painful but nothing to write home about. In fact, it’s not nearly as painful as the personality alignment is. The results are completely worth the process.”

“What if they don’t want the alignment? What if they chose not to continue on as Pleasure Units?”

The Trainer laughed. “They are Vessels. They don’t know what they want until we tell them what they want. Besides, have you ever seen a Vessel that has a chemical match with a person and then finds the person abhorrent? It’s awful! Better that we make them happy in their mating than let both Master and Vessel be miserable. Please, Mr. Kane, you have to understand that, just because they look human and share human characteristics, it doesn’t mean they are human. They are marvels of engineering, but they aren’t like us.” He patted Alec on the shoulder like he was lecturing a young boy on the facts of life. “Like I said, I’ll personally deliver him to your home in a few days. Come along, Payne.”

Payne stood, biting his bottom lip, his eyes filled with sheer terror.

“Wait a second,” Alec interrupted, standing in between Payne and the Trainer. “I want my Vessel today, and we’re going to be leaving soon, so there won’t be time for an alignment.” Payne’s gaze snapped to his face, searching his visage with barely concealed confusion. “In fact, we’re leaving immediately, so feel free to hand over some clothing for him, and we’ll be on our way.” Alec didn’t know why he was so protective over the spirited Vessel, but he just knew that it would kill him to see that light extinguished, even if it did irritate him.

The Trainer hesitated. “Are you sure, Mr. Kane? It will only take a little while to do an alignment.” He sounded annoyed with Alec, but Alec didn’t give a damn. His father had spent enough money on the Vessel that if Alec wanted a full wardrobe included, he felt like he wouldn’t be asking too much.

“I’m sure,” Alec said firmly. “I want him packed and ready to go in fifteen minutes.” He reached down and pulled Payne to his feet, placing him just a step behind him just in case the Trainer got any bright ideas. He glanced back at his Vessel.

Payne’s face broke into a grateful smile. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I’ll go to the Vessels’ quarters to collect my things. They’re already packed. I just need to grab the bag. They’ll have you pick out an outfit for me at the exiting station at the reception desk. I’ll meet you there if that’s all right?” The Vessel hesitated as if unsure of Alec’s reaction to his suggestions.

Alec smiled encouragingly. “That’ll be great, Payne. I’ll meet you at the desk.” He paused before pointing to the Trainer. “Stay away from that guy.” He didn’t give a damn if Trainer J was insulted.

With another smile that melted Alec’s heart a little, Payne walked past the Trainer and into the hidden hallway.

The Trainer frowned at their exchange. “Well, if that’s the way you want it, I will of course support your decision. However, if you want to come back and get the alignment done, I’ll put my card into the file you’ll be receiving at checkout.”

“Excellent. If you’ll point me in the direction of the checkout?” Alec asked, straightening his suit jacket.

The other man nodded, barely restrained anger shimmering on his face. “Follow me.”

* * * *

“Desi!” Payne called out as he burst into the Vessels’ quarters. The barrack-like place they were held in was sparsely furnished and simply decorated. It was the epitome of efficiency like everything dealing with the Vessels in the Facility. Other Vessels were in their bunks in between lessons, and some gave him sour looks at his loud intrusion. Desiree popped her head around the corner of their set of bunks.

“What is it? Oh God, Payne, are you all right?” Desi asked, concern lacing every word. She smiled as she saw the beaming smile on his face. “I’m guessing it went well?”

“Yes,” Payne bragged, relief washing over him as he realized that his owner was not what he thought he would be. “My owner was such an ass at first, we started to argue, and then Trainer J came in and was about to drag me off to the Alignment Room for reprogramming.” His grin widened exponentially as he remembered the look of shock and anger on Trainer J’s face. “Then he stood up for me and decided not to let them do it.” Desiree gasped. Payne giggled in giddy glee. “I was so shocked it was ridiculous. He told me to get my stuff, and we’re leaving in ten minutes!”

“You argued with him? Payne, you could’ve got rehabilitation for that!” His words seemed to penetrate her mind then. She blinked. “He stood up for you? Really? That’s fantastic!”

“He was…great.” Payne sighed. He knew he was gushing a little bit, but he’d been so shocked and thrilled that his owner hadn’t turned out to be a total douche.

He gathered his small Holo-Pic of him and Desi from his nightstand and tucked it into the side pocket of his Facility-issued blue-and-white gym bag. A Service Vessel came in and put a neatly folded pile of clothes on the bed. Service Vessels were the least respected out of the three types of Vessels. As a Pleasure Vessel, Payne was the most valuable type. The middle class were the Working Vessels, who did skilled working jobs and worked as personal servants and the like. Lastly, the Service Vessels were the house servants and labor workers of the Vessel world.

Out of curiosity, Desiree picked up the pants. They glanced at one another and burst out laughing. She giggled. “He put you in blue jeans!”

“I’ve never worn blue jeans,” Payne said with a laugh. “I was expecting leather, latex, or a suit.” He chuckled. “I didn’t even know the Facility had blue jeans.”

“I hope he gives you even more surprises in the future, Payne,” Desi said. “He seems like an interesting guy.” They shared another smile between them. “I love you, brother.”

“I love you, too, sis.” He hugged her, trying to convey without words how much he appreciated her. “If there is a way, I’ll come back for you.”

“Oh, hush. That’s never going to happen. But thank you. Be happy, Payne,” she whispered against his hair. Oddly enough, for the first time, he felt like he actually could be.

* * * *

Payne took Alec’s breath away when he came into view. He was dressed exactly per his instructions. A white button-up shirt over a skintight pair of dark-wash blue jeans accentuated his lighter build and perfect form to flawlessness.

“God help me, he is beautiful,” Alec murmured, letting himself look his fill at the beautiful man before him.

“He’s the best-looking Pleasure Vessel I’ve seen leave the Facility,” the pretty blonde receptionist agreed. She had given him a thick file folder of Payne’s personal history as well as some Holo-Files of some of his training sessions, which Alec was looking forward to watching. Maybe they would reassure him a little bit of the validity of the program. His father had developed it and had sworn to the ethics of the schedule, but his father wasn’t the most warm and fuzzy person in the world.

Payne bowed before Alec in a courtly manner that Alec had only seen in a Holo-File. The first thing they would have to knock off was the formality. Outside of work, Alec wasn’t formal at all.

“I am ready, my lord,” Payne said, training his eyes on the floor again.

“What’d I tell you about that?” Alec corrected gently. “Call me Alec, and for god’s sake, look at me. This subservience of yours doesn’t suit you.”

Payne raised his eyes. “Then I will face you always, Alec.”

Alec winked. “I hope that is true, beautiful, because I look forward to seeing your eyes lit up with passion.”

Payne blushed but did not otherwise react. Alec found it endearing. Vessels were taught about the theory of love words and dirty talk, but he imagined he wasn’t used to the practice. That was all right, though. Alec would get him used to it.

“You are sexy when you do that. The blush turns your skin the shade of golden rose.”

Payne blushed all the harder for the compliment.

Two Days Later

Norfolk, Virginia

Two days spent on the road had given them time to get to know one another. Payne was still very reserved when Alec asked his opinion, but for the most part they conversed freely about numerous subjects. Alec was growing more at ease with every new fact he learned about his Vessel. He was very glad that he hadn’t had Payne’s personality “fixed.” The little tiffs and debates that they got into made Payne more fascinating with each mental wrestling match they had.