Ricochet (59 page)

enjoyed slamming your fist into my face all

afternoon."

Rick grinned. "Aw - come on, it's not as if I

ever actually hit you. Well, apart from that one

time when I misjudged the distance." He winked.

Karl took a sip of his drink, studying him

thoughtfully. "Look - Rick, you can tell me to butt

out if you like, but are you worried about Matt?"

Rick looked at him sharply. "He's dating one

of the wealthiest, most attractive doms on the

planet, and he gives every appearance of being

head over heels in love with him. Why should I be

worried?"

"Because 'every appearance' is the operative

phrase - I think he's faking it - at least a bit," Karl

said.

"Why would he fake it?"

"Because he poured his heart out to you in

that sex scene and everyone saw, and I don't know

precisely what happened after but you very clearly

threw his heart back at him. Now some famous,

good-looking dom is showering him with presents,

and he wants to feel loved. Thing is…" Karl

shrugged. "I don't think he does; he's just playing at

it."

"I told him to find a good dom, and he has,"

Rick said tightly.

"Has he?" Karl took a sip of his drink. "Is

Sebastian Rule a good dom?"

"I looked him up online, and all his former

subs sing his praises."

"Maybe he paid them off?" Karl suggested.

"Or maybe he's a good dom who can give

Matt what he needs."

"And you couldn't?" Karl raised an eyebrow.

Rick finished his drink and got up. "Look, I'm

not in the mood for this, Karl."

Karl grabbed his arm. "Why did you let him

go?" he demanded. "What the fuck is wrong with

you? He's clearly crazy about you, and I don't care

what you say, you're just as clearly in love with

him."

"It doesn't matter. He deserves better than

me," Rick said shortly. "I'll hurt him, and he should

be with someone who won't." He pulled his arm

out of Karl's grasp, strode out of the bar, and drove

home.

He walked wearily up the stairs to his

bedroom, passing the playroom on the way. He

hadn't been able to bring himself to go inside since

that night he'd spent with Matt.

Now, something made him push open the door

and turn on the light. There was a neat pile of

bedding on the floor, and Rick frowned, trying to

figure out what it was doing there. The

housekeeper rarely came in here because he never

used the place so it only needed a cursory clean

every couple of months. Besides, why would the

housekeeper leave a pile of bedding on the floor?

Then he realized and shook his head fondly.

"Oh, Matty - that is so you; always keeping things

tidy."

He sat down on the bed, and his hand touched

something. He picked it up and found it was the

scarlet collar he'd put around Matt's neck that

night.

Rick buried his nose in the scarlet leather,

inhaling the scent and remembering how good it

had felt to see it wrapped around Matt's neck.

"Damn it, Matty; I miss you so much," he

whispered.

"Mom!" Matt glanced at Rule. "You invited

my mom? Without asking me?"

"I wanted to meet her. You've told me so

much about her."

Elspeth gazed at Rule adoringly. "He wanted

it to be a surprise, Matt. He phoned me a few days

ago to ask me if I'd play along."

Rule smiled at her approvingly. "I've been

showing Elspeth around."

"It's beautiful. Oh Matt!" His mom turned to

him with shining eyes.

"All this could be Matt's too, one day. We're

highly compatible, aren't we, sweetheart?" Rule

beckoned Matt over and wrapped an arm around

him, pulling him close. "We're talking about

collaring."

"You're going to take Sebastian's collar? Oh

darling! That's wonderful!" His mom got up and

hugged Matt warmly. "He's perfect for you," she

whispered into his ear. "So much better than that

awful Rick."

"Rick?" Rule said, picking up on that

comment. "Rick O'Shea?"

"Yes - Matt had a thing with him, didn't you,

darling? He was terrible - a complete mess. Not

right for Matt at all."

"I didn't realize it was a 'thing'." Rule pursed

his lips. "It sounds as if you're well rid of him,

Matt."

"Rick's okay," Matt muttered.

"Let's not spoil our evening talking about him.

Matt - please take your place to eat."

Matt was going to sit down in one of the

vacant chairs, but Rule wrapped a hand around his

wrist and tugged him in the direction of the

kneeling cushion on the floor beside him.

"This is where I'll expect you to eat whenever

we have guests and on all formal occasions when

you're collared," Rule told him firmly.

Matt didn't want to have an argument in front

of his mother, so he knelt down on the cushion as

instructed, and his mother gave him an approving

smile. He was Rule's sub, and Rule was within his

rights to demand this of him, but Matt wished he'd

stop springing these surprises on him and talk it

through first, so he knew what to expect.

Rule fed him morsels of food throughout the

meal. He behaved like a traditional dom from a

story book, taking care to ensure his sub had the

tastiest food from his plate, and taking his time to

feed Matt by hand, stroking him affectionately

throughout the meal. Matt felt like a very pampered

pet, but it was hard to participate in the

conversation from such a position so he spent the

evening watching his mom and Rule's mutual

admiration society.

He tried to zone out, wondering why he felt

so out of sorts. His mom was right - Rule was

perfect for him, so what was the problem?

As he walked his mom to the door a couple of

hours later, she grabbed his hand fiercely and

squeezed.

"I'm so happy for you, Matt. You deserve the

best… I can't believe you've attracted the attention

of Sebastian Rule of all people!"

"Yeah."

Elspeth looked at him anxiously. "You are

happy, aren't you?"

"Yes - I mean, I think so. We get on. We like

the same things. He's… tidy," Matt said

thoughtfully. "I mean, he can be quite strict," he

faltered.

"Well that's a good thing in a dom! At least

you know where you are with them. As long as he's

fair."

"He says he is," Matt murmured.

"He's the perfect host; so calm and domly."

His mom kissed his cheek and then got into the

waiting car. "He's perfect for you!"

Matt returned to the dining room, lost in

thought, to find Rule still there, finishing his

coffee.

"Your mother is charming," he said.

"Hmm. Yeah," Matt replied absently.

"Sebastian - why didn't you ask me if you wanted

to meet my mom?"

"Because I wanted to surprise you! I know

how important she is to you which is

understandable as it was just the two of you

growing up. I loved hearing her story about you

being temple born. She was right - it does make

you extra special."

"Right." Matt stood there uncertainly. It

sounded like a thoughtful idea, and he didn't want

to throw that back in Rule's face, but he felt uneasy

about it all the same.

"You've been quiet all evening. Come here."

Rule pushed his chair back from the table and

pointed at his lap. Matt hesitated. "Come on." Rule

smiled, patting his lap.

Matt walked over, and Rule pulled him onto

his lap and kissed his cheek. Rule's body was firm

and hard - like Matt, he practiced yoga; that

reminded Matt of how much they had in common,

and he relaxed, inhaling the scent of his dom's

strong, familiar cologne.

"Look, darling - your hiatus is coming up in a

couple of weeks, and I thought we could spend it at

my ranch near San Jose. It's pretty remote out

there; you could be naked all day long, and we

could spend every day wrapped up in each other's

arms like this, just the two of us."

"It does sound nice."

"Also, I was thinking - why don't we arrange

a big party for your collaring while we're there?"

"Already? I mean, you want to collar me so

soon?"

"Of course! We know each other well enough

to be sure we're compatible." Rule squeezed him.

"I guess. And you were thinking of a public

collaring?" Matt asked. "Isn't that kinda formal?"

"I'm a formal kind of dom - and I do love all

those romantic old traditions. We could invite all

our friends."

"All those romantic old traditions?" Matt

stiffened in his arms. "All of them?"

"Yes, darling." Rule smoothed Matt's hair

affectionately. "You'll approach me clothed and

kneel before me to take my collar. Then I'll raise

you up in front of our guests and undress you to

symbolize your new life as my collared

submissive. You'll be naked and on the end of my

leash for the party - in deep submission so you

won't be able to speak to any of our guests. Then

I'll take you upstairs to bed and finally make you

my own."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of being naked in

front of all those people"

"I understand - and it does you credit, but it's

important to me that I display you naked so that

everyone can see that you're mine. They can look,

but not touch. You're a beautiful sub - they'll all be

very envious."

"That's important to you - that people envy

you?" Matt asked quietly.

Rule pursed his lips. "I've told you, Matt, I

have an eye for beauty, and you are astonishingly

beautiful. I don't think you realize how much. Not

just physically - although you are lovely - but

there's something about your personality that makes

you completely bewitching." He squeezed Matt

tight and kissed his cheek. "There's a sense of you

being a little lost and in need of guidance that

appeals to me very strongly, as well as that little

hint of rebellion that makes you such a challenge. I

would love to show the world that I've conquered

such a beautiful and complex sub - that he wears

my collar and goes naked for me because I have

been the one to master him. That would be a great

achievement for me."

Matt was flattered by Rule's words, and he

did like the idea of being collared - the certainty of

it, and the knowledge that someone liked him

enough to want to place their collar on him. He

remembered how it had felt to wear Rick's for that

one night, and he wanted that again. He wanted to

belong to someone.

"Okay," he said quietly. "I'll do it."

"Thank you." Rule pressed a little kiss to his

lips. "You've made me a very happy dom. Now it's

time to get to bed. We want to be up early

tomorrow to go riding. Good night, sweetheart."

Rick was woken early the next morning by the

sound of his cell phone ringing loudly in his ear.

"Wha…?" He fumbled with it and finally hit

the right button. "Yes?" he mumbled blearily.

"Rick - it's Petra. Download a newspaper, or

go online, or turn on the TV - whatever."

"What? Why?" Rick sat up, now fully awake.

"Just do it. Then I want to see you in my

office in an hour." She abruptly ended the call.

Rick found the remote and pointed it at the TV

in his bedroom, bringing up the News channel.

"Good morning, America!" the entirely too

perky sub presenting the news said cheerfully. She

was wearing a shiny silver collar with a giant pink

bow on it. "The big showbiz news today is the

revelation that
Collar Crime
's Rick O'Shea was

once a criminal himself. Yes, you heard it folks -

investigative journalist, Greg Newman, went

undercover in search of the real Rick O'Shea and

discovered that the TV star has a very shady past."

Newman… Greg Newman… Rick knew the

name from somewhere, and he racked his brain

trying to remember where.

The news presenter assumed an expression of

faux shock. "It turns out that O'Shea spent his youth