Don't... (21 page)

I pulled up outside of Jan’s Nash Villa touching close to seven and found I was fighting for parking space. Baking in the fading heat, two black Mercedes sat bodyguard and huddled in close behind Jan’s Jag. Any closer, and they’d be humping it. A third Merc sat waiting in the wings, straddled half in half out with its backend visible and just asking for a clipping on the road. I parked on the path just a little way down, strange enough my own black Merc only adding to the line of well-paid callers. Jan hadn’t claimed his yet, but at this point, it was optional.

Jan’s front door stood open, and I got a nod off the man messing with the main light in the reception hall. A rustle under my feet saw a plastic covering protecting the white marble floor from any scrapes, and it seemed to stretch beyond into the open-plan lounge and kitchen. The dull thud of feet came from upstairs, and voices drifted from all areas of the house.

“Mike, vid-link six is in place.”

The man up the ladder stopped what he was doing and grabbed at his radio hearing the crackled voice. “Go ahead.”

“All second-floor CCTV installed as well.”

“Good,” said Mike. He’d been head of Gray’s Monitoring and Installation department for about five years, taking over after Keith’s retirement from the business. Mike had a team of about forty employees, catering to all five Masters when it came to training Doms.

“Garage and outbuildings need to be intelled,” said Mike, now happy to work the radio between shoulder and mouth as he carried on working with the light. “I want to be running a full system’s check back with
Home
in thirty minutes.”

“Understood,” came the reply.

I headed on through to the lounge and into the kitchen to find Gray looking over some schematics with Kieran at Jan’s breakfast island. Kieran was Mike’s audio technician, and I got a wink off him as I went over.

“Keeping us busy again, Jack?”

Gray didn’t even glance up as I put my duffle bag on the floor. “Yeah, well, keeps me off the street, and all that.”

“Thank buhjeezus for that,” said Kieran, barely disguising a chuckle. “The paperwork and cable needed for outdoor audio is a right pain in the boll—” He glanced at Gray. “—leg.”

I caught Gray’s half-smile as he continued his overview of the schematics. Few knew what he did as a day job away from the Master’s Circle. I had a rough idea, but, like everything, just didn’t ask (or maybe didn’t really want confirming). I knew the bastard hit hard when you were on the wrong side of the law, that there was no way his interrogations skills had come off some BDSM mentor, and that, going really fucking peachy here, he usually received a fair few calls when the likes of the London 7/7 bombings blasted their way into town. Isolated practice sessions consisted of just him, a whip, different selections of fresh joints of meat positioned at various heights, all for him to practice not breaking skin, or breaking it when the need arose; cameras were never allowed on a scene where he trained a Dom, and his time with me was kept just as private. For most, they just got a taster of all that in his smile, and it was enough to make them back off. But for me, his bastard side was a major turn-on. Hell, I’d do him, then call him a bastard just to catch the sparks off knowing gutter language brought out the worst in him. All of course complemented by his even calmer side: lecturing in fine art (couldn’t really give a shit what he was talking about at times, he just had that Richard-Burton quality to his voice, slow, sexy), his patience as a tutor, and his ability to touch without an ounce of hurt if you could earn it. I’d say perfectly balanced, but just
fucking fuckable
was all that came to mind around Gray.

“Cosy.”

I glanced quickly over my shoulder, surprised again by the turndown of thermostat in Jan. “Jan.” I didn’t know what the hell to do, just eased off the island bar, almost stiffening to attention.

Ignoring me, he came over and put two broken pieces of a vase on the schematics Gray worked at.

And bits; he’d put bits all over the schematic. Fuck.

“This really necessary?”

Gray looked at the vase as Kieran put it to one side. More bits flicked on the black granite worktop now, and I frowned down at them. “Apologies,” he said quietly. “But, yes. It’s necessary.” I got a glance in my direction. “For both trainee and Master’s sub safety.”

I caught the warning behind that. What did Gray think I was going to do? I had a collar and contract and my own fucking shame to remind me of what a screw-up I was; I didn’t need his... bastard side rearing its head.

“And I’ll reimburse any breakages.” Gray was back with Jan and he’d softened his eyes.

“You do that,” snapped Jan, then to me, “You’re in contract now, yes?”

I refused to look at Gray. Kieran was in that direction, and he, like the others, were always behind cameras watching and listening when a scene started. To have them there in person. Even I could blush. I nodded. Albeit sulkily. Yeah, I could do sulky. Pathetic, huh?

“Good.” He swept his head toward the vase, dislodging a curl of hair over his eyes. “Get that cleaned up.”

Thing is, I didn’t even offer up much of a protest. As I took the schematic off the island bar, Gray and Kieran stepped back, and I angled the paper into a fine line to catch the bits. A pedal bin was back over by the door, and the bits found a home as I shook the paper. Next came the bigger chunks on the unit, followed by whatever grains of ceramic remained on the unit and floor. Satisfied, I stepped back with my hands locked behind my back.

More noise came from upstairs and Jan looked up with a scowl. “Damn it.” A quick turn on his heels, he growled his way up the stairs.

“Are you happy with these alterations, Mr. Raoul?” said Kieran, breaking the silence. He was already folding the maps I’d placed back on the unit. Mike usually ran by a standard set-up plan, but Gray always adapted according to scope and size of the location. And let’s face it; Jan had a fair-sized joint.

“Yes. Any further problems, let me know.”

I eyed Gray curiously as Kieran left. “Problems?”

Gray had been watching me and I didn’t realise until then. He smiled enough to make me a little more relaxed.

“Nothing serious, just a few black spots. They’re cleared now.” Gray hid his smile, barely. “No webcams this time, I promise.”

“Oh, yeah—you owe me a webcam, Jack,” shouted Mike, and I mumbled under my breath. “You say something there, Jack?”

“You put that thing in?” No wonder I’d never caught anyone on the CCTV, Mike had no doubt switched it off. “Not keen on the rest of the internet seeing my ass, Mike.”

“Hey,” called Mike. “You know full well any CCTV including webcams is linked back to
Home
only.”

“He’s a young dinosaur,” shouted Kieran. “Thinks he’ll press a button on a computer and the whole World Wide Web will turn their heads in his direction.”

“Anyone else want to join fucking in?” I shouted, not letting Gray’s gaze fall from mine. I knew full well he would have sanctioned Ben’s little stunt. Anything to unsettle. But then, I’d signed the contract giving him permission to play.

I grumbled and caught Gray’s smirk. The coffee maker was on the unit behind him, and I asked if he wanted one as I went over and started opening cupboards to find the mugs. Two appeared next to the coffee machine, and I looked at Gray.

“Been here before, huh?” I said; he shrugged that
maybe
shrug.

“Same as always, Jack.” His voice was very quiet, and I felt him close in behind me, slim body shaping mine from behind. “Know your safe word.” The breath on my neck stirred soft hair, and I shivered. Or maybe it had nothing to do with his breath. “I hear it, I’ll know you’ve had enough.” He rested a hand down my side, and I had to move away and focus on something, the doors, floor, wall clock. Yeah, wall clock, ’cause, damn, he had the ability to do wicked things to my body just by mere suggestive glance.

Then the wall clock really got my attention, and I stood frowning up at it.

“Contemporary design,” said Gray. If he’d noticed my deliberate avoidance, he didn’t show it as he turned and leaned against the unit. “See the mix of branch and branch length?”

Yeah, that was what griped me.

“They’re a celebration of organic life, a good representation too.” He sounded impressed. “Both expressive and emotive. Says a lot about the owner.”

The rest of Jan’s house, the open plan and angled precision of units and furniture, had this natural picture-plain feel to it, where your eyes naturally followed the lay of the lines to rest on the pinnacle point of the scene. Which was good, all nice and easy on the eye. But that clock. All different branches that jutted out at different angles, with its gold face and arms; it made you hiccup, stall, and fumble around for meaning. Forced you to stop and interpret.

“One man’s treasure, another’s rubbish, and all that bollocks,” I mumbled under my breath, and caught Gray’s soft chuckle. I scowled, but he didn’t look that impressed at my effort.

“There are a few pieces like this on show around the Villa, Jack. If they get wrapped in some drawer and hidden somewhere, there’ll be—”

“My bedroom?” said Jan, cutting across Gray. Gray did that usual thing of folding his arms and dropping his head as he crossed the bottom of his feet.

“My fucking bedroom,” said Jan, storming over and giving Gray the same cross of defiant arms. “You watch me while I sleep?”

My scowl fell seeing how stiff Jan looked. This level of intrusion was normal, it had to be. I just don’t think Jan had really understood, and it showed in the fire in his eyes. I know Gray would have explained, but unless you’d had your home tipped upside down by Gray and his men, you didn’t really understand.

“Your bedroom,” said Gray. Then he looked at Jan. “Whether you are asleep or not. Safe—”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jan, stopping him again. “Safety. I got that part.”

Gray caught his sleeve jumper as Jan spun away. “For both of you,” he said flatly. “Take note of the conditions too: you are not marked as full surveillance. You can have privacy and request Monitoring be given a silence window.
Request
being the main point here; it can be denied if I see fit. And neither of you switch obs off without a Master’s permission. Jack knows how to handle the tech, but I will show you before I leave.”

Jan looked at me, then pulled away.

“Mr. Richards,” called Gray as Jan tried to walk off.

“What?” He sounded pissed off, pissed off and annoyed at the amount of people in his house.

Gray went over to him. “You have your collared sub in your home.”

Jan didn’t seem to understand until Gray pulled the collar out of Jan’s jean pocket, then all anger and annoyance seemed pushed back firmly behind his eyes.

“Here,” he commanded flatly. I didn’t go. Even if it meant being close to Jan, I faltered, and Gray levelled his gaze on me.

“Problem?” Jan spoke what Gray’s mannerism said, only a lot nicer in comparison.

I stopped digging fingernails hard into my palm and, a push from the unit, I went over to Jan. “No problem, sir.”

Jan just huffed and took the collar from Gray. He buffeted me slightly as he stepped behind, and I slowed my breathing. My body was preparing for a fight, adrenalin trying to take over and screw with my head. Jan wrapped the leather around my throat, then fastened it at the back, almost jerking me with the pinch of skin. I kept my eyes levelled on Gray, the only source of focus that stopped me bolting. If this was how a collared sub was supposed to feel, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“Do you think that may be too constrictive?” That was Gray’s polite way of saying it
was
too tight. I could breathe, but it made swallowing uncomfortable.

Jan mumbled something; then the clasp was undone and moved back a notch. A comment about two fingers and checking
could the animal breathe
came to mind, and I quickly stuffed it down. That wasn’t what the collar represented. I avoided both men as Jan stepped back and asked Gray to double-check it. Gray didn’t answer, simply focused in on something else.

“You are aware that the cage has to come off for a certain period of time every few days?”

Jan nodded at Gray, which I thanked fuck for.

“Maybe overnight?” suggested Gray, talking to Jan but watching me. “Your sub knows the rules on no self-pleasure.”

“Fine.” said Jan. “Strip now, Jack.”

“Huh?” My gaze shot to the men in the hall, then Jan, then Gray. For goddsake.

“Mr. Richards, might I remind you about the contract at this point.”

Jan had that
th’fuck for
look, and Gray took a deep (and very patient) breath. “Guest policy.”

Yeah, my ass was supposed to stay covered in public. I slipped a “Thank you,” over to Gray. There was that look between us, then a flare of understanding from Jan, then a roll back into anger and a
so fucking what
defiance. “They’re Company employees,
Mr
. Raoul. I doubt there isn’t a person among them who hasn’t seen his ass naked. Respecting the Dom comes with the collar, right? Then he undresses when I ask him to.”

Gray seemed to distance himself and looked at me. Jan had called him out, and Gray had, strangely, backed off. Ball was in my court. I could argue no man here had seen me naked in the flesh, only via video link, and, hell, ask any porn star if they could strip in front of people who usually watched from behind a camera, I bet even they’d run for the hills, but I doubted Jan would believe that. Maybe a few days ago, but now?

Yeah, I could blush. Boy, could I fucking blush.

I took my coveralls off and flicked at the clasp to my jeans. Talking had stopped in the hall, but luckily a look off Gray put work back in play very quickly, and I was left looking down at the only thing I couldn’t remove once I’d stepped out of my jeans and boxers—the cock cage. I needed a shower too. Not only from work but from the intense handling Jan had given me in the office. Greased-up and sexed-out. Not good.

“Problem?”

I snapped a gaze up to Jan. Now would be the time to back out, grow some balls and try and fix the shit I’d caused on my own terms, but Jan, hair looking a little wild, like he’d been running hands through it as I’d stripped, eyes reflecting all the distress I felt, heart open, on display, looking every bit the Breakdown I’d seen when I first met him.