Right then he stirred, expelling a soft moan. I was at his side in an instant, kneeling beside him.
“Sir?” My voice must have cut through the haze, because he peered at me through half-closed lids.
“Pet?”
My heart thumped, and then I relaxed: he was still calling me pet, even though he was drunk. “What happened?” I inquired without thinking. Then I held my tongue. I had no right asking him personal questions.
Eli struggled to prop himself up on his elbow, his eyes bleary. “It was a shit day.” A heavy sigh rolled out of him. “One of our trucks tipped over, and Jerry, my mate, got hurt pretty badly.” He swallowed hard.
I laid my hand on his arm. “Oh, no. How is he?”
“We all went with him to A&E. His wife Patti met us there, and she was the only one allowed in to see him. She told us it was touch and go, but that he’s going to be okay.”
“Thank goodness.”
His weary gaze met mine. “We’ll have to see. Right now all
that
means is that he’s not about to die on us. Not sure he will be able to return to work. Patti said he doesn’t have any feeling in his legs. The doctors told her to wait until the swelling went down and they’d know more then.”
“All you can do is stay positive, Sir.” I knew Eli wasn’t the sort of man to indulge in a pity party.
“I went to the pub with a few of the men, and we all got a bit plastered. Took a taxi home.”
I chose not to tell him I’d found him passed out on the front doorstep.
“I’ll be back in a sec.” I squeezed his arm and then went into the kitchen to put on some coffee. I had to wonder if he’d eaten at all. Probably not. I took out a couple of slices of bread and popped them into the toaster, before emptying a can of baked beans into a saucepan. By the time the coffee was just about brewed, Eli appeared in the doorway, holding on to the doorframe.
“Sit down, Sir, and I’ll pour you some coffee.”
He obeyed without a word. I placed a full mug of black coffee in front of him, followed by a plate of beans and toast. He groaned when he saw it. “Not so hungry, pet.”
Like I was going to listen to that. “And yet, you’ll eat it. My job is to take care of you, so let me do my job.” I smiled, hoping I wasn’t about to get told my place.
He cupped my cheek in his hand, mumbled a thank-you, then picked up the fork, and began to eat.
I watched him picking at his food. At least he was putting something in his stomach. I had little experience of dealing with a drunken Dom. Phillip rarely drank, and never to excess. Occasionally Eli would have a few beers at the weekend. This was a first.
I looked at the clock. Eli would need to be up for work in two hours.
Yeah, well, not today.
I pulled out my phone and thumbed through the contacts for the haulage company. Then it occurred to me that no one would be there for a few hours. This would have to wait.
A soft snore had me turning to look at Eli. He’d fallen asleep at the table, head resting on his crossed arms, plate pushed out of reach. The tight lines on his face had smoothed out, and he seemed so innocent that I sighed wistfully. I had no doubt in my mind about my place in his world. The contract spelled it out to the letter.
That didn’t stop me from wanting just a little more.
I put my arm around his back and helped him to his feet. Eli shook his head, his manner dazed. “Wha… what time issit?”
“Time for you to get some sleep in a bed,” I told him firmly.
His brow furrowed. “Work….”
I guided him out of the kitchen and up the stairs, relieved when he grabbed the handrail to hoist himself up. “You let me worry about work. Right now you need a shower and some sleep.”
To my relief he didn’t argue but sagged against me. I held on to him and led him into our bedroom. Eli sat heavily on the bed and let me undress him. He seemed so lost. I led him into the bathroom and sat him on the toilet while I flipped on the shower. When the water was warm enough, I went over to him.
Eli’s head was bowed, and whatever he murmured into his chest was lost. I knelt before him. “What did you say, Sir?”
His eyes met mine. “It was supposed to be my run, pet. I was scheduled to take it, but Jerry asked if he could do it instead. He needed a bit of overtime to buy something for their anniversary. I told him, sure. All I was thinking about was getting home to you.”
I thought quickly. Discarding my boxers, I led Eli into the shower and held him under the jets. He wrapped his arms around me, his face against my shoulder. “It was my run,” he whispered.
“I’ve got you, Sir.”
He shuddered against me, and my heart quaked. Eli was crying.
“Jerry will be fine, you’ll see,” I said softly, pushing as much reassurance into my voice as I could. “You wait. A few weeks from now, he’ll be in the pub with the rest of you, buying you all a drink. And he’ll have walked in there on his own two feet.” I hoped to God I was right.
I soaped up my hands and moved them slowly over his body, washing away the grime of the day, and wishing I could wash away his feelings of guilt so easily. He clung to me, his tears ebbing, and by the time I’d rinsed away the lather, he had himself under control once more.
After drying first Eli, then myself, I walked back into the bedroom, Eli behind me. I lifted the sheets, and he slid under them, his head hitting the pillow with a sigh. “Thank you, pet.”
The words were barely audible but definitely there.
I leaned over and kissed his forehead before retreating out of the room and back down the stairs. I spent a few minutes in the kitchen, clearing up the dishes and tidying things away. Then I went into the living room and sank onto the couch. Once I’d set my alarm, I dozed on and off for a few hours. When it finally went off, I took a moment to get my head together and then called the haulage company.
“Good morning. This is Jarod, and I’m calling for Eli. He’s not going to be able to make it in this morning.”
The voice at the other end sounded just as weary. “We figured as much. My boss has me contacting clients to let them know of a shipping delay. We’re hoping they’ll all understand when I explain about Jerry. Tell Eli we hope he feels better.”
I thanked him and switched off the phone. It was still dark outside. I climbed the stairs and undressed quietly before getting into bed with Eli. I curled up around him, sliding my arm across his chest. The feel of his heart beating beneath my hand was a comfort. He stirred and pressed back into my arms with a sigh.
I’ve got you, Sir.
Yes, the roles were reversed, but right then I didn’t give a damn. All that mattered was that I was there to care for Eli.
Eli needed me.
Jarod
“THIS PLACE
is amazing!” Scott’s exclamation was echoed by the others. They’d made enough noises when they’d climbed out of Pietro’s car and stared at the front of the house. The noise only got louder when they entered the hallway.
I couldn’t believe we’d finally agreed on a date. It had taken a few weeks to make sure everyone was able to come, but we’d done it. Getting Alex and Pietro to have a day off at the same time had been the tricky part, but they’d managed it somehow. Scott was missing two lectures, but a friend on his course had promised to take notes. Dorian was okay; his new course didn’t start until September. Gareth had the day off, and as for Peter, Thomas had apparently been delighted when he’d heard about our plans. I hadn’t known about Peter’s agoraphobia, so I guessed this was a big deal.
Of course, once they got inside, everyone had wanted a tour, so I’d shown them around the house. There may have been five bedrooms, but it soon became clear that they all wanted to spend the night in the same room, so mattresses were moved immediately. What touched me was that they wanted me with them. I had to admit, I liked the idea of the seven of us sleeping in one room, although I had a feeling not much sleeping would be taking place. I could imagine, however, a lot of talking until the wee hours.
It only took five minutes to decide on a rehearsal room. The media room at the back of the house was plenty big enough for them, and it had the added bonus of wall speakers.
“So, what’s the plan, Jarod?” Scott asked, and six pairs of eyes suddenly focused on me. It was then that I realized I was the one in charge. I could live with that.
“Well,” I began, “we can let Gareth show us these moves he’s cooked up, and then spend a while getting them right. Then dinner. It’s going to be a warm evening, so I thought we could eat burgers and salad outside. There’s a fire pit that we can sit around when it gets chilly. We can do a bit more rehearsing before bed, if we need it.”
“We?” Alex was grinning at me. “You gonna join us?”
Hell. “Er, no.” There was no way I was about to embarrass myself, dancing with a group of twentysomethings. That would just look strange.
My words were greeted with a chorus of disappointed “Aw,” but I shook my head. I wasn’t going to be moved on that point. Most of them were half my age.
“I don’t mind hosting this… shindig, but that’s where I draw the line.” More disappointed groans resulted, but I dialed them out.
“That’s fine.” Peter gazed around at his friends. “And if Jarod doesn’t want to take part, we’re not going to make him feel uncomfortable for making that decision, are we?” He emphasized the last two words and flashed them a keen stare. One by one the young men nodded. I gave Peter a grateful smile.
“I suppose you want to hear which song I’ve chosen,” Gareth said with a grin. He walked over to the iPod docking station, and after scrolling through, he connected up his phone. “Here we go.” That grin widened.
The room was suddenly alive with the sound of Rihanna’s “S&M.”
It only took a second for the men to react.
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Scott cried out, clapping his hands together. Alex and Peter burst out laughing, Dorian and Pietro not far behind them. I had to smile. The choice was inspired. We sang along, everyone moving to the music. It was infectious.
When it came to an end, Gareth beamed at us. “I take it you’re happy with that?” Our nods reassured him. “Oh, great.” He rubbed his hands together. “Well? Let’s get started. We can work here, if we move the couch out of the way to give us more space.”
He got up and the others lifted the couch closer to the window. Gareth stood in the middle of the floor, smiling. “I’ll show you what I’ve worked out, and we can take it from there. Jarod, can you be in charge of the music?”
I nodded and moved over to the music system. The others sat on the floor, giving him room. His brightly colored, loose-fitting clothes would give him ease of movement, and I envied him his youth. I was certain those colors would never work for me. “Ready?”
Gareth gave me a thumbs-up, and I turned up the music, which boomed through the media room. He smiled and then broke into a frenzy of movement and color. All of us watched him with our mouths hanging open.
When he finished, he didn’t even seem remotely out of breath. “So, what did you think?”
There was a stunned silence. Peter glanced at all of us and then stared at Gareth. “You’re kidding, right?”
Gareth frowned. “No, why?”
“We have a couple of weeks until Sir’s birthday. I don’t know about the rest of you, but there’s no way I can learn those moves by then, not unless we’re going to camp out here every night. And somehow I think our masters might get a little suspicious.”
Everyone mumbled their agreement, and Gareth smiled. “No problem, lads. The dance is supposed to be about sensuality, not anything else, so what if I show you something we could probably learn in an afternoon? Something that will get our Sirs all hot and bothered, and guarantee us a good night afterward.” He waggled his brows, and we couldn’t help but laugh. Gareth lifted a straight-backed chair from next to the table and placed it in the middle of the floor. He looked at me. “Jarod, I need your help for this. You need to pretend to be one of our masters and sit in this chair.”
“Me?” I squeaked.
“You,” Gareth said, grabbing my hand.
The boys hooted as I took the chair Gareth selected. “Okay, boys, we’re going to do this without the music first, so you can learn the basic steps. They’re very simple.”
For the next hour, Gareth did some gyrations that would probably be illegal in any other place in England. They were sensual, erotic, and showed off his lithe body beautifully. His fellow subs watched him intently, taking in every movement, and then they were on their feet, copying him. Gareth was right: the steps were simple enough that even I could do them. Not that I was going to, of course. Watching him, I got the impression Gareth was very good at his job. It was easy to imagine him performing this for a customer, just the two of them, the music pulsing through them.
Everything changed for me when he came over and straddled my lap, and began grinding against me. He stared into my eyes, and I felt the intense urge to push him off me, run, and hide.
He stopped and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “You’re fine, Jarod. I can tell how tense you are, but you’re among friends.”
I breathed deeply, letting his words register. It had felt uncomfortable, but the feeling had passed.
He knelt in front of me, his hand resting on my knee. “We’d love to have you practice with us. Even if you won’t get up there on stage with us, here we’d love you to be a part of what we’re doing. Please?”
There was affection in his voice. I imagined it was how he sounded when he talked to his master, because there was such tenderness and caring in it.
“Yeah, go on, Jarod,” Scott called out, his face earnest. The others were nodding.
It only took one look at their expressions to make up my mind. “Sure.” How could I let them down?
“YOU HAVING
a good time, pet?”
I smiled. I’d known Eli would call at some point, and luckily it had coincided with a break. We were sitting on the floor, drinking water and juice, and chatting.
“Yes, Sir. We’ve been watching a film and eating popcorn,” I lied.