At His Throat, a Promise (27 page)

“Be better in bed,” Harte grumbled, stabbing his eggs.

“Oh, stop,” she chided, winking at Ellis. “Just be glad you"re not over a hot stove, eh?”

Harte looked up. “I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to—”

“I know,” she said easily, pouring juice for both of them. “I get paid for what I do, remember?”

She walked back into the kitchen. Harte began eating right away, throwing longing glances toward the back door, through which was the pool. Ellis was thinking about what Nell had said.

Was that some sort of insult, because they were slaves and she was free? Or was it said sympathetically, like she believed they should be paid as well?

Ellis thought about that. It would certainly make slavery easier, but in a way, he"d be whoring himself. He didn"t like the thought 229

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

of that. At the end of his servitude, he"d have an unparalleled education. That was enough.

“Let"s
go
!” Harte said, doing his little Harte bounce.

Ellis took an exaggeratedly slow bite just to see Harte"s eyes narrow. Once they did, he just laughed and finished up. He wanted to get outside, too. He felt like he spent of lot of time indoors. He didn"t get to use the pool nearly as often as he"d like. He knew the basics of swimming, but he rather thought he might enjoy doing laps like he could sometimes see the master do from his window.

The last bite was barely in Ellis"s mouth when Harte leapt up and ran outside, tearing his sheath off. Ellis didn"t even know why Harte had bothered to wait for him, but he was glad he had, because it was easier to walk outside when all eyes were on Harte.

Until Ellis took off his sheath, of course.

He was still wearing Harte"s too small, too tight bathing suit, and with Alex and William both staring at him, it felt even smaller.

William and Alex were sitting on lounge chairs by the side of the pool, which was occupied by Harte and Alastair. Ellis went to kneel by William, who greeted him with a hand on the back his neck. Still aroused mentally, if not physically, from their interaction in the bathroom, Ellis leaned back into the touch.

“You must be breaking laws, wearing that,” Alex said, laughing.

“Not that he"s complaining,” Alastair said, coming to kneel beside Ellis, between the two masters. “You look good enough to eat.”

“Too bad you already had breakfast,” Alex teased.

Ellis noticed they didn"t have the same easy physical relationship that Harte and William shared, but their discussion was on a more equal level. It made Ellis a little uncomfortable, but 230

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

he just focused on the fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Harte was floating on his back in the pool, legs kicking randomly to keep himself afloat.

“I keep forgetting to get a new swimsuit for you,” William said.

“Funny, I hadn"t realised your memory was that bad,” Alex said. When William didn"t answer, he added, “Not that I"d want to remember if it meant I couldn"t see what I"m seeing now.” Ellis shifted a little under the flirtation. He wasn"t sure if he was supposed to respond or thank Alex or…

“Just relax,” William whispered in his ear. “Have fun.” Ellis nodded. “I don"t mind wearing Harte"s things, especially if it pleases you, Sir.”

Alex laughed heartily, pushing a little at Alastair, who glared, but in a mocking way. “Take notes, boy.”

“Only if you take notes from Master William,” Alastair retorted.

“On what?”

“On getting another slave!”

Though it seemed to have been said as a joke, William"s fingers stilled and Alex frowned a little. “Go entertain Harte. He looks bored.”

“Do you mean entertain, or
entertain
?” Alastair said.

Ellis didn"t think the other slave was oblivious to whatever gaffe he"d made, but he was determined to work past it.

“Whatever you like, but save some… energy for tonight.”

“Don"t worry about me.
I’m
still young!” Alastair cried before leaping up and cannonballing into the pool right beside Harte, who sputtered indignantly and tried to keep Alastair from surfacing, to 231

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

no avail.

“He"s a horrible slave, really,” Alex said lightly, taking a drink from a glass on the table by his side.

“Oh, please. Who made him that way?” William asked.

“Oh, I take full responsibility. I couldn"t break him if I tried, and I certainly have no interest in trying.”

“I know you"re not suggesting that I"m trying to break my slaves,” William said coolly.

Alex sighed. “William, you know that"s not what I meant. I just don"t have it in me to give the same kind of discipline you do. And before you say, „Then you shouldn"t have a slave," let me remind you that I came upon this realisation myself. Which is why I have only one, down from ten.”

“I don"t care what you do with your slaves, or slave, as the case may be. I just ask for the same in return. Harte is happier than he"s ever been, there"s no denying that.”

“Of course not. I"ve never seen a turnabout like Harte"s.” They all turned their gazes to Harte, who was happily pinned beneath Alastair"s larger form on the stairs leading into the shallow end. They didn"t seem to be doing anything but talking, but knowing Alastair"s penchant for dirty language, talking could be much less than innocent.

Ellis ignored the pain in his knees as he half-listened to the conversation that went on above him. His mind was focused on whether or not he should continue with his plan to try to get Alex to want to bring him home. He had no idea what the other man thought of him beyond finding him attractive. But if Alex liked a more outgoing slave, he certainly wasn"t going to find that in Ellis.

It did sound like he was perfectly content with the way Alastair talked back and did pretty much whatever he wanted.

232

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

“Ellis, come on!” Harte cried from somewhere beneath the redheaded slave on top of him. “Alastair"s being mean and I need you on my side!”

“Sir, may I?”

“Ellis, you don"t always have to… ” But the master broke off and exchanged a look with Alex over his head. “Go ahead.” Harte shrieked with laughter and shouted, “You"re going to get it now!”

Alastair looked dubiously at Ellis, who grinned at him, slipping into the pool with a soft gasp at the temperature. He adapted though, and swam up to where Alastair and Harte were entwined.

“I don"t think you"re as safe as you think you are, Harte,” Alastair said, laughing.

Harte turned to look at Ellis with comically wide eyes. “Not you, too!”

Ellis just launched himself at the pair and grabbed Harte"s wrists, helping Alastair hold him down. Harte wriggled and squirmed, but the look in his eyes defied the vehemence of his actions.

“I"ll be good, I"ll be good!” he cried, gasping from laughter.

“You had your chance,” Alastair said. He did something to Harte below the water line that made the smaller slave pant, laughing dying on his lips. “But maybe we can make a deal.”

“Wha… what did you have in mind?” Harte said between moans.

Alastair leaned in and whispered something in Harte"s ear. Ellis started to feel a little nervous when Harte shot him a quick glance and nodded rapidly.

Suddenly, his hands that had been holding Harte"s became, instead, held by Harte, who moved so they were off the stairs and 233

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

into the water, standing. Ellis could have broken out of the grip, but Harte was being careful not to hurt his sore wrists, so he figured whatever they had in mind wouldn"t actually injure him and no harm would come from playing along.

Alastair was in front of him, holding his waist as he struggled just enough that Harte had to really make an effort to keep hold.

“Nothing prettier than a wet boy,” Alastair said, leaning in to lick Ellis"s neck from collarbone to jaw. Without thinking, Ellis let his head fall back.

“Can I kiss him, Master William?” Alastair called.

Ellis couldn"t see the response, but it must have been affirmative because Alastair took his lips immediately. Ellis stopped struggling, and Harte must have realised there was no longer a reason to hold his arms, because they were now free to entwine around Alastair"s neck.

“Can I, Master?” Harte asked.

“Yes, Harte,” came the master"s voice, closer than it should have been. Ellis opened his eyes to see both masters in the pool with them, their longer, coloured shorts seeming strangely casual when compared to a master"s usual attire of suits or at the very least, trousers and dress shirts.

With one last, hard kiss, Alastair swam away and latched himself onto his master. Ellis smiled. Alastair could swear up and down that he didn"t care for Alex, but the proof was in his actions.

Harte spun him around and brought his face down for a kiss.

“Wanted to do that so badly this morning,” he whispered.

Harte jumped up and latched his legs around Ellis"s waist, equalling their heights enough that Harte could kiss him squarely.

When the kiss broke, Ellis"s eyes opened right into William"s, who was staring at them with hunger. He couldn"t look away as the 234

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

master approached from behind Harte.

“Don"t you ever get tired of being such a greedy little bottom?” he purred in Harte"s ear.

Reacting instantaneously, Harte moaned and leaned back, trusting William to catch him, which he did. “No, Master.”

“Do you think maybe Ellis gets tired of mastering you when I"m not around?”

When Harte grinned, Ellis knew he was in trouble. “No, Master. Ellis likes it. He thinks about being my master.”

“Does he now.” William raised an eyebrow at Ellis.

“Sir, no, I… I mean, not really. I think about being
a
master, but not… specifically… Harte"s.”

“Why do you think I"d be upset with that? I know you"re mine.”

It wasn"t clear who William was speaking to, but Ellis pretended, just for a moment, that it was him.

He was distracted from his thoughts when Harte rolled his hips while leaning back in William"s arms to kiss him.

It was a long time before Ellis could give the matter any coherent thought.

* * *

Dinner was something of a subdued affair, despite the tension in the room. Everyone knew that they would all be spending the night together, and maybe Ellis was imagining it—because the rest of them did it often enough that it shouldn"t be such an event—but it seemed like everyone was barely containing excitement in their own little way.

Harte, of course, was the most obvious. He was barely eating, 235

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

but he made up for that by talking through the entire meal.

Then there was Alastair, who kept sending looks that could only be described as
filthy
to Ellis, who pretended to ignore them but kept glancing back for more.

Alex, as well, seemed anxious for the meal to be over. He was the first one finished, and Ellis noticed he was giving everyone"s plates baleful glares when he thought no one was looking. Ellis, of course, was always looking.

William was the hardest to read. He ate leisurely, spoke no more than usual, deigned not to grace the others with looks that promised debauchery, and had no disdain for the status of anyone else"s meals. But if Ellis watched very closely, which he did, he could tell that the master was, indeed, eager for the more carnal parts of the evening.

It was in his eyes.

William had very expressive eyes. They didn"t seem to change colour or shape in any dramatic way, but they
pinned
you. When William wanted something, that something
knew
. His eyes told them. So every single person at that table, were they as observant as Ellis, must have known that William wanted them, and
soon.

That was enough for Ellis to polish off the last of his mashed potatoes. The pleased look sent his way by Alex was also appreciated.

“Shall we have a drink?” William suggested, those wanting eyes filled with mischief.

Meeting his bluff—perhaps unaware that he"d given his hand away ten times over—Alex smiled graciously and acquiesced.

Harte"s eyes were wide with disbelief, but he more than anyone should have been aware of his master"s tricks. Alastair only rolled his eyes very subtly to Ellis, who smirked a little in return. He 236

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

wondered if he and Alastair would be paired together, and if so, whether or not the other slave would make up for his previous misdeeds against Ellis.

The slaves sat with concealed eagerness while the masters drank, both taking their time as if to show off how little they wanted the evening to commence. The nuances of the challenge were lost to Ellis, who was rather of the mind that if you wanted something, you shouldn"t act like you didn"t or you"d lose it.

Though there was a time and a place for wanting something.

* * *

William stopped Ellis outside the bedroom door, letting Harte, Alex, and Alastair enter without them. He closed the door so they could have privacy in the hall.

“Remember when I asked you to make Alex and Alastair at home?”

Ellis immediately panicked a little. “Yes, Sir, and I"ve—”

“You"ve done very well, I"m not upset with you. I just wanted to let you know that that extends to right now. Alex has asked me if I"d allow you to be with the two of them. I"ve agreed.”

“All right,” Ellis said, uncertain as to how he was meant to react. He didn"t have a choice in the matter, and he"d already assumed he"d be with the other master and slave in some way. He had hoped that he might be able to also be with Harte and William, but there were only so many things five men could do together, he supposed. He"d have to sate himself with just watching them.

“You"re comfortable with this?”

“Of course, Sir.”

“Such a good boy,” William murmured, pulling Ellis in close.

237

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE