The Virgin Master (14 page)

For once his thick unruly hair behaved for him. He looked every inch the upper management business man that Evan wanted him to be. That he was qualified to be. He knew that Allen didn’t have any kneeling mats in his office, so he planned to carry one. He had just finished putting in some cuff links Evan loaned him, when Evan burst back into the apartment, obviously psyched, to get him.

“I’m nervous,” Evan admitted.

“
You’re
nervous? It’s my behavior that’s going to be judged, here.”

“And I’m going to be judged based on how you do.”

“Oh. Well I’ll certainly do my very best. We’ve been practicing this for the last month. I think I’m ready.”

Evan looked up at him and then stepped back and really
examined
him. His breath caught in his throat. Jeremy looked better than good. Words like ‘magnificent’ and
‘
stunning’ and, in Evan’s
dazed
mind
,
most
appropriate
breath
-
taking
.

“G
od
,
Jeremy. I…just…you
.
…”

Jeremy grinned at him. “I clean up pretty well. Take a breath
, please. S
omebody might think you find me attractive or something.”

Evan, still looking a little bit pole-axed,
made a sound that closely resembled giggling and
beamed at Jeremy.

“Anyone would find you attractive, J
ay
.” After staring into Jeremy’s eyes for another long minute he shook his head as if to
clear his mind by physical force. “Uh, we better not keep Dad waiting, so…”

Evan waited for Jeremy to go out the door first for a long minute while Jeremy just stared at him bemused. Finally, Evan realized his mistake and rolling his eyes at his own behavior he just turned and walked down the hall, leaving Jeremy to lock the door and follow him
in appropriate slave mode
, two steps behind on the left, eyes downcast. Evan could feel Jeremy’s presence at his back and he desperately longed to be able to walk side-by-side. He needed to get used to this
…
no, he needed to learn to
expect
this; for Jeremy’s physical placement to be second nature.

Instead of going through the reception area, Evan went further down the hallway to the private door to Allen’s office that led directly into the corridor and tapped lightly before
opening it. He entered and Jeremy promptly dropped the mat he carried and knelt, not in presentation mode this time, but in formal
ly
, knees together, back straight, hands clasped in front of him, head bowed. He had practiced this move secretly until he accomplished it with fluid grace. He centered himself and monitored his breathing. Adrenalin flooded him because he knew that Evan considered it vital that their supposed relationship be accepted so that he could go back to work. Right now, all he had to do was be the picture of beauty and obedience.

*****

At Allen’s gesture, Evan sat on the couch, while Jeremy remained kneeling upright. Allen swallowed hard as he took in the size and physical attractiveness of the young man kneeling next to his son. When Evan mentioned that he knew Jeremy from Stanford, Allen

             
had pictured a slight, wiry, average looking man, maybe with glasses. Jeremy stunned him. Evan had also spent a fortune dressing him apparently, all to good effect. Having no idea how to proceed, Allen looked askance at Evan.
“Can I speak with him?”

*****

Evan, surprised, went through the Master/Slave gestural vocabulary mentally, afraid he wouldn’t remember what to do. He breathed a sigh of relief when he remembered. He leaned sideways
and tapped Jeremy on the shoulder, to look up and brushed his thumb across Jeremy’s lower lip to signify that he could speak freely. Jeremy looked up at Allen and smiled, dimples flashing. Allen couldn’t help but smile back.

“How has my
son been treating you, Jeremy?”

Jeremy blushed
. H
e hadn’t expected this particular question. “Very well, sir.”

“He wants you to work as his personal assistant. Do you want to take this position?”

Allen didn’t want to hear the usual slave answer of ‘I want whatever my Master wants
.”

“He honors me by offering his trust. I promise to do my best not to let him down, sir.”

Allen even liked Jeremy’s voice. He glanced at Evan who seemed to be taking a ridiculous amount of pride in Jeremy’s behavior. Then he really thought about that for a minute. Jeremy had been feral. Evan had accomplished teaching him this polished behavior in less than two months. Allen swallowed back some bile as he pictured Evan punishing Jeremy.

“You behave beautifully; after only a few weeks. How did that happen?”

Jeremy tilted his head and
thought for a moment. He met Allen’s gaze and s
miled again, “Evan has done me both tremendous honor and favor by bringing me into his household. Another man was in the process of buying me before he intervened. A cruel man who hurt me so badly at the auction house that I’m lucky to be here today fully healed and unimpaired. Evan spared me and my entire family a lifetime of pain,
humiliation and sorrow. If I behave well for him, it is because it is my most urgent desire to bring credit to him in any way possible. I owe him
more than can ever possibly be repaid. It is
my
greatest desire to be flawless in his service, sir.”

Allen blinked at Jeremy’s candor. He looked at Evan and caught him looking at Jeremy fondly. He looked at Jeremy like he used to
look at Justin. He stared hard at Evan until Evan felt the weight of his forward.

“Evan…you both have to conceal this affection you obviously have for one another. You know that I’m not going to report it, but you really have to work on your act.”

Evan blushed and looked down. Jeremy grinned over at him and then fell back into impassive slave mode. Evan watched him and composed his face. As Allen watched they fell into Master/slave masks and he nodded approvingly. “I see you can do it when you want to. Well, Evan, I am going to recommend your full reinstatement to the board. I hate to admit it, but the company really has missed your hand at the helm and I want you back to work as soon as possible. I’ve seen a lot of activity in the office next to yours. Is that where you’re going to put Jeremy?”

“If it’s all right with you. Jeff came up with an office plan for him that complies with all the
regs
, and will still give him all the tools he needs to be effective.”

“I don’t approve of slavery, you know that. I’m glad to see that you really don’t either. I think this is a dangerous game you’re both playing here and I caution you that I can’t protect
yo
u from citizen complaints. Have you thought about what would happen to Jeremy if you lose him to state custody?”

Evan frowned. “Yes. That’s the last thing I want to happen.”

“Jeremy, son. You don’t have to wait for Evan to give you permission to speak when it’s just the three of us.”

Jeremy looked up and licked his lips. “I appreciate that, Mr. James, but the more times we break character the more we’re likely to do it. I’d prefer to have to behave as a slave everywhere and at all times unless Evan and I are alone at home.
That’s safest. As for what would happen to me if I had to leave Evan? You know that I can never be set free because I am feral. If Evan loses me…I will find a way to take my own life.”

Evan sucked in a little gasp.

Allen nodded at Jeremy. “Just what I would do I think. I agree with you about breaking character as well, so noted. Evan,
the next board meeting is day after tomorrow at seven p.m. Please attend and bring Jeremy with you. Be prepared for lewd and obnoxious personal questions and suggestions. There probably will be attempts to fondle him that he must not try to evade. The board will suspect that this is all a charade because they know you too well, and they know our long standing abhorrence of slavery. You need to convince them without ever alluding to your former acquaintance with Jeremy. Can you do that?”

“I have to.”

“I’m not much worried about Jeremy. He has hi
s act completely
together, it seems.”

Evan rolled his eyes. “I’ll be ready. So, I might be able to start work again next week?”

*****

“God, I hope so.” Allen stood with a smile and Evan rose to his feet giving the sign for Jeremy to rise. He did so with an ease and grace that tugged at something low in Evan’s belly.

Chapter
Twelve

The meeting with the board went well, at first. Evan didn’t think
he would be able to hold it together once the meeting broke up and
almost every one of the eleven “gentlemen” and one “lady” making up the directors of James Enterprises fondled or touched Jeremy in some way, while making lascivious remarks about what they personally would like to do with him, and making outrageous offers to Evan for his
temporary use. Jeremy knelt without moving or responding in any way; like a work of art. Evan seethed internally
. H
e had been warned to expect bad behavior but he no idea that it would be
this degree
of bad behavior or he would have dismissed Jeremy to return home once everyone had a good look at him.
Appalled,
he allowed himself to throw Allen one wide-eyed incredulous look. Allen
shrugged.
He had tried to warn Evan.

The worst offender, chairman of the board, Frank Owens, sat down on the floor next to Jeremy after walking around him and scrutinizing him from every angle. Everyone else except Evan and Allen had already left. Evan, who had walked with Allen to the door, expecting Jeremy to follow, shifted nervously as he watched Frank appraise Jeremy as if he were produce. Jeremy knelt in formal presentation, totally still. Frank tugged at his bow tie as if choking and then ran a hand along Jeremy’s cheekbone.

Evan started for him and only Allen’s warning hand on his forearm kept him from attacking the chairman. Frank grinned up at him; an expression that turned knowing when he saw Evan’s face. Realizing he showed too much in his expression, Evan reached for his mask of impassivity and found it. Not in time. Still grinning at Evan, Frank reached out and fondled Jeremy’s balls through the thin silk dress pants. Jeremy held still. Not even his breathing changed.

“Ooh, Evan. He’s pretty
and
hung. I want to try him out.”

Evan, unsure of his ground, fought for equanimity. “I don’t share
. C
’mon Frank. You wouldn’t let me drive your Bentley.”

Frank chuckled. “Yeah, but you were fifteen at the time. I know what I’m doing.” Frank reached out and unzipped Jeremy’s pants. “I just want to take a look.”

Evan strolled
casually;
at least he hoped that’s what it looked like
,
over and batted Frank’s hand gently away before he could get into Jeremy’s boxers. He zipped the fly back up and put his hand possessively on Jeremy’s shoulder. Frank’s face reddened dangerously.

“Boy, you don’t know your place. Talk to your son, Allen.”

“Seems
to
me you’re overstepping your bounds, Frank,
”

Allen replied in an easygoing tone. “At least let the boy wear the new off his toy.”

Frank glared at Allen. “This toy is way too much for your boy to handle. How much you want for him?”

Evan laughed, slow and easy.
“I own him; not my Dad. He’s
not for sale Frank
.
I tell you what; if I do decide to sell him, I’ll let you have first refusal, okay?” He held his hand out. Slightly mollified, but still unsatisfied Frank shook Evan’s hand. Standing, shaking out the creases in his trousers, Frank eyed Jeremy with undisguised lust.