Ricochet (58 page)

Matt felt his stomach do a nervous flip.

"Yes. I think it helps to have a disciplinary

implement to hand at all times; I prefer to deal

with transgressions as and when they occur."

Matt thought that if Master Richard had been

the one saying that, then maybe it would have

sounded more like an erotic promise and less like

a threat.

Rule seemed to sense his unease because he

drew him into a kiss. "Let's have some lunch," he

said, gesturing to the table, which was beautifully

laid out and ready for them.

Afterwards, Rule showed him the manicured

grounds and the stables, which contained a

collection of shiny, thoroughbred horses.

"I thought we could go riding tomorrow

morning," Rule said, putting his arm around Matt.

"Would you like that, darling?"

"I can't really ride very well," Matt admitted.

"Then I'll teach you! I love introducing you to

all these things, Matt - educating your palate." He

smiled delightedly, put his hand in Matt's, and led

him back to the house.

"You have exquisite taste, Sebastian," Matt

said, pausing in the hallway in front of a colorful

painting. "Is that…?" Matt pointed in disbelief.

"A real Van Gogh? Yes." Rule smiled at him

fondly. "Now, Matt - while we are alone in the

house together, I do have a certain standard of

presentation that I expect from my subs."

"Are my clothes wrong? I wasn't sure?" Matt

glanced down at his chinos and plain blue shirt.

"I'm usually a jeans and tee shirt kind of guy,

but…"

"Your clothes are fine - although do remind

me to take you to visit my tailor. No, Matt - it's

simply that when I'm alone with my sub, I require

him to be naked."

"What?" Matt felt his stomach do an anxious

flip, and he tried to calm himself by counting the

brush strokes on the Van Gogh.

"There's nobody here but us - and I assure you

that your virtue will be safe with me," Rule told

him, with a little smile. "I love looking at beautiful

things, Matt - as you can see." He waved his hand

around the room. "And you are very beautiful. You

would look perfect displayed in all your glory in

my house."

"Naked."

"Do you have a problem being naked for your

dom?" Rule asked sharply.

"No…" Matt hesitated. "I actually quite like it

- it's a hot fantasy."

"Then what's the problem?"

"You said we're alone, but we're not. You

have… servants." Matt waved his hand at the

butler standing nearby, and the maid who was

passing. "I mean, they're discreet, but they're still

here."

Rule laughed at him. "My dear boy - I only

employ subs to serve in my house and gardens, so

don't worry about that. When they see you, they

will only feel jealous of your beauty!"

"Right," Matt said uncertainly.

"I do insist," Rule told him, with a hard stare.

Matt took a deep breath. This was a

challenge, but sometimes it was good for him to be

challenged, so he decided to give it a try. "Okay

then."

"Good boy!" Rule took hold of Matt's hand

and led him into another room. "This is my study.

Please undress and place your clothes in the closet

over there." He pointed. "I have some work to

complete."

Rule went to sit at his desk, and Matt quickly

removed his clothes and put them away, as

instructed. Then he looked up to see Rule gazing at

him, and he flushed. This was the first time Rule

had seen him naked, and he felt stupid and

exposed.

"Very good," Rule said softly, his gaze raking

over Matt's body. "Turn for me." He twirled his

finger, and Matt slowly turned around so that his

ass was on display to his new dom. "Bend over,"

Rule ordered, and Matt sucked in an agonized

breath and did as he was told. "Legs apart and pull

your buttocks open," Rule said, and Matt clenched

his eyes tightly shut and did as ordered, feeling

completely humiliated.

Rule made him hold the position for several

minutes, without saying another word, and just

when Matt wasn't sure how much longer he could

bear it, Rule spoke. "You can stand up now and

turn to face me again."

Matt did so, still flushing fiercely, and Rule

smiled at him approvingly. "You're far too lovely

to keep covered up under clothes, darling. I want

to see that beauty. You will be naked at all times

when we are alone in the house together from now

on."

Matt wasn't sure how he felt about that. He

liked a little edge of humiliation, and it was very

flattering to be told he was beautiful, but he felt

unsettled all the same.

"Come here." Rule beckoned him over, and

Matt went to stand beside his desk. Rule reached

out and trailed his long, elegant index finger down

Matt's bare chest. "So pale; I like that. You are

forbidden from sunbathing from now on, Matt; I

want your body to be porcelain white at all times."

"Yes, sir," Matt said quietly.

"Kneel beside me while I work." Rule

pointed at a kneeling cushion beside his desk and

then turned his attention to his computer screen.

Matt tried to zone out and get into his sub-

space, but he realized that without Rick to help

him, he really didn't have a clue how to do it. He

knelt there for an hour, until his knees began to

ache, and then he shifted uncomfortably.

Rule glanced at him. "You'll have to learn to

stay in position, Matt. I'll expect you to hold a

kneeling pose by my side, in silence, for several

hours once I've collared you, ready to serve me

whenever I take a break." He pushed his chair

back from his desk and traced a finger over Matt's

lips. "I'll train you to respond to a click of my

fingers, to lean forward and suck me on command,

or present that pretty bottom for my use."

"Yes, sir," Matt breathed softly, his cock

hardening.

"However, we only have a couple of days

together this time, and I realize I'm neglecting you.

Stand up - let me see my gorgeous young sub

again."

Matt did as he was told, and Rule's steely

gaze devoured his body, lingering on his hard cock

with a knowing smile.

"Lovely. Perfect. However…" Rule's smile

faded. "I notice that you've neglected to wear your

bracelet. I told you that I expect you to wear it at

all times."

"Sorry!" Matt clamped his hand over his

mouth. "With the photo shoot this morning, I must

have completely forgotten to put it on."

"Well, I did tell you what I expect from you,

so I'm going to punish you for that lapse. Bend

over."

Rule pointed at a beautifully upholstered

leather spanking bench by the wall. Then he got up,

took the paddle off the hook, and turned back

towards Matt. This all happened so quickly that

Matt was taken by surprise, and he just stood there,

staring.

"I realize this is your first time being

disciplined by me," Rule said with a sigh, "But

when I ask you to bend over, I expect you to obey

me instantly. I do hope you're not one of those subs

who argues about whether they deserve a

punishment or not. I'm not very tolerant of such

behavior."

"No… just… we haven't really discussed

how discipline will work between us, so I wasn't

sure… I didn't know…" Matt broke off helplessly.

"Are you my sub?" Rule asked.

"Yes."

"Am I your dom?" Rule's voice was

excessively patient, as if he was talking to a child.

"Yes."

"And do I, therefore, have the right to

discipline you as I see fit?" Rule demanded.

"Yes, sir - you do," Matt said meekly. He

went over to the spanking bench and bent over it,

unsure if he was turned on or not by how forceful

his new dom was. Matt was a sub; it was hard-

wired into his DNA to enjoy responding to a

commanding dominant, and Rule was very

commanding dominant indeed. Rule patted his legs

with the paddle.

"Bend over more, legs open - that's right. This

is how I expect you to present yourself for

discipline from now on."

Matt nodded - and then screamed as the

paddle whacked down hard on his bottom. Rule

had been right when he said he didn't do pleasure

spankings. There had been no warm-up, and he

was hitting with full force. Rule smacked three

more strokes down, all of them blisteringly

painful, and then moved away. "You can get up

now," he said.

Matt did as he was told, his face flushed with

pain and humiliation. The whole thing had been an

ordeal, and he couldn't squash his feeling of

resentment. Had he really deserved that? He wasn't

sure, but he didn't think so. Rule put the paddle

away and then pulled Matt in close and kissed his

forehead. "There, there. I know that was difficult

for you, but you must try harder. I don't expect you

to achieve perfection, but I do expect you to at

least strive for it."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry - I know I let you down. I

do try hard, I really do," Matt said, all his old

anxieties about being perfect resurfacing. Maybe

he had deserved it; Rule had been very clear about

him wearing the cuff at all times, after all. It was

his own fault; he should have paid more attention.

"Then you must try harder. I'll be your guide,

sweetheart and punish you when you fall short.

You'll soon learn. I'm firm but fair - you'll come to

appreciate that about me."

"Yes, sir," Matt whispered, counting the

books on the shelf behind Rule's desk.

"Good boy. Now, as I've completed all my

work - let's have some fun!"

Rule was so charming, and such good

company for the rest of the day, that Matt found

himself relaxing again. It seemed like his new dom

knew everyone in the entire world and had so

many good stories to tell about famous people that

the day whizzed past.

"You don't need to be naked tonight; I want

you to dress for dinner," Rule said as evening fell.

"You see, we have a very special guest."

"Who?" Matt asked as Rule showed him to

his bedroom, so he could take a shower and get

dressed.

"You'll see!" Rule kissed his cheek fondly

and then left.

Matt didn't have a clue who it could be, so he

was startled, when he walked into the dining room

half an hour later, to find his mother sitting there.

"
I know who you are. I did some digging,
"

Rick said to Karl.

"
Really?
" Karl sneered.

"
Yeah. You and the chief were once friends,

but then you stole the only sub he ever really

loved. She never stopped loving him and

eventually took her own life. For some twisted

reason you blame him for that, and now you're

here to see what else you can steal from him.
"

"
How smart of you to have figured this out

all by yourself; maybe you're not as stupid as you

look. So, Agent Tanner - what precisely do you

intend to do about it?
"

"
Me? Oh, I'm here to stop you.
" Rick lunged

forward and swung his fist at Karl, who fell

backwards onto a conveniently placed mattress.

"Cut!" yelled the director. "Okay - we're done

for the night. That's a print."

"Want to come out for a drink?" Karl asked,

as Rick held out a hand to pull him up. "I'm sure

Petra won't mind - I'll make sure you don't get into

any trouble." He grinned.

Rick shrugged. "Sure. Fine." His night out

clubbing hadn't been a success, but a quiet drink

with another dom might be what he needed.

They went to a doms only bar downtown, and

Rick sat in a booth while Karl brought over a

couple of beers.

"Matt and the twins are lucky they aren't in

this episode much." Karl gave a big stretch, and

his back made a popping sound. "It's hard work."

He fingered his jaw with a groan. "I hope you