The Copper Horse #1 Fear (39 page)

"It seems like I have a death wish, doesn't it?" His master grinned, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes, leaving them cold.

Reuben furrowed his eyebrows. "How come?"

Erik shook his head. "Never mind. I don't, but I know death will eventually come. Until then, I need to enjoy myself," he confessed, kissing Reuben's lips once more.

Reuben opened his mouth in invitation, his blood flowing faster with every second. This wasn't even about getting hard or tossing off anymore. There was something else, something that he didn't know how to describe. Now, with his hands free, he cautiously moved his fingers up Erik's spine.

"Would you like that?" his master asked, breaking the kiss, even though his mouth still lingered at Reuben's lips, each brush of the delicate skin sending sparks of pleasure down Reuben's body. "You could be free if I died."

"Would I like you to die?" The question was so shocking that he had to repeat it, looking into Erik's mesmerizing eyes. Which one was speaking now? The blue or the brown?

Erik sighed, a small smile never leaving his lips. "You can be honest, I understand. Believe me."

Reuben pushed their foreheads together, as if that could help him understand his master and took a good few moments to think of the answer. "No," he finally said and slid his fingers into Erik's hair. "I don't want your death. I just want you to be fair with me. Someone might say I am weak and a coward." That someone standing just a few feet away. "But I think I adapt well, take what life throws at me." Reuben wasn't sure if Erik understood what he was trying to say, he'd never been a master of words.

It might have been just his imagination, but he felt like Erik's heartbeat speed up against his own chest.

"Oh..." It seemed that for once, his master was at loss of words.

"Did I think about it too long?" Reuben muttered, horrified that he might have given Erik the wrong impression. "I'm not lying!"

"No, no. I'm... very happy to hear that, actually." Erik slowly got back to his knees and turned his back to Reuben. He had lithe shoulder blades and a very prominent spine. "Would you wash my hair?"

Reuben sighed, and his fingers returned to Erik's scalp to gently massage his head. That was how Jack did it, so he assumed it had to be the right way. The conversation had lifted much of the weight he carried on his chest. Maybe it was possible to make this work? His master did seem to want that. He didn't just drag him out, demand an apology, or take him straight to the carts.

"Mm, that's nice." Erik sighed, drawing his knees to his chest and arching his back. His breath seemed to have quickened.

"Jack's probably more skilled at this." Reuben gathered some water in his hands and poured it over the golden hair.

"I wouldn't enjoy his hands on me, though." Erik's body slowly relaxed into his touch. His reaction reminded Reuben of people being given opium for their pain in the Eastern hospital.

"He wouldn't make a good pony?" he asked, pulling Erik closer to his chest without much effort. It was strange to feel just how light he was. "He's more like a foal, isn't he?"

"He is not to my taste, darling." Erik chuckled, letting his head drop to Reuben's shoulder.

"Right, your taste is a lot more refined." Reuben smiled, massaging Erik's head. It was good to be back to laughter again. The thought that Erik might not want him anymore was too horrible to bear. Unexpectedly though, his master seemed intent on winning his favors back.

"It is very particular, my dear Copper," Erik told him, eyebrows twitching suggestively.

"What does it involve?"

"Hmm. Let's see." Erik smiled at him, his face relaxed. "Big, buff, strong, but with a gentle heart. I need all of those things."

Reuben looked into his eyes. "Too bad I have a heart of stone, then."

"Of course you do." Erik turned slightly, leaning close, as if he wanted to cuddle, and though Reuben hesitated, he still ended up wrapping his arms around Erik. He closed his eyes, reveling in the intimacy of holding another man close. Skin against skin, without having to rush and struggle.

"Yes, you are so strong, Copper." Erik clung to him, lips pressed to the underside of Reuben's jaw in the gentlest of caresses.

"And I will be the best cart pony you've ever had. I just need to have things explained," he whispered, closing his eyes.

Erik leaned even closer to him, seemingly content with just a hug. "I know. Perhaps I should have been clearer yesterday."

With those words, all tension dropped from Reuben's shoulders. No one could take back the past, and he had made more than his share of mistakes in life, but having Erik admit to his was a balm on his bruised heart.

"And I'm excited to have you pull my cart. I will be so proud." Erik gave Reuben a gentle smooch.

That was exactly what Reuben wanted. To make him proud. Just like when he produced electricity for the house, he wanted to be useful and needed.

Chapter 19

They stayed in the water until it ran cold, then Jack was called in to groom and dress Reuben for the occasion. The black outfit prepared for him was made of the softest leather, with just enough slack in the joints to allow Reuben to move as he desired. Complete with a thick tail fastened to an outer harness and a pair of thick-soled boots, the clothes made him look bigger, more impressive, stressing his buff figure, and his cock was obscenely trapped against one of his thighs.

Jack took him downstairs to the place with all the carts, where Reuben had argued with Erik yesterday. Having clothes on after over a month of walking around naked made it easier to keep his chin up and ready himself for what was to come. He couldn't wait to see his mask, and the anticipation made his whole body fidgety as he looked around and adjusted to the feeling of leather clinging to his body. It felt unfamiliar, maybe even a bit uncomfortable, but was essential.

Erik looked breathtaking. He was dressed in a similar set made of black leather, only his was much tighter, every line of his body hugged by the outfit, and by the looks of it, he'd chosen not to wear any underwear underneath. His face lit up when he saw Reuben. It seemed more angular with the fair hair combed back. "Copper!"

"That is me, Master." Reuben smiled and Jack raised an eyebrow at him as he escorted him through the room. As soon as they were within Erik's reach, he pulled Reuben closer for a slow kiss. His hands roamed up and down Reuben's sides, groping his leather-encased body.

"It is becoming on you."

Reuben took advantage of the moment to rub his body against Erik. The squeak of leather against leather made him grin.

"Now aren't you eager, my dear stallion?" Erik drew back after a moment and went over to a large box standing on a wooden table. Reuben knew the mask was meant for him as soon as his master took it out. Made of shiny, unspoiled leather and crafted with great attention to detail, it looked like a small horse head. If Reuben hadn't known better, he would have mistaken it for the real thing. The mane was thick and decorated with copper beads woven into thin braids made from raven black hair. There was already a bridle on the head, complete with a bit and long reins. He supposed the filter was hidden inside the mask, and there were discreet glass lenses in the eye openings.

Reuben was surprised when his heart began beating faster, and it wasn't fear that initiated the thumping. He opened his eyes wider, curious about how it would feel to wear a thing like that. He would be completely encased, embraced by his master's fantasy.

Erik asked him to kneel and put the mask on him with ease now that he towered over Reuben. It was much heavier than the gas masks he had worn before and it narrowed his vision, but he liked everything else. No one would recognize him now, and the smell of fresh leather was one he always liked. It made him think of Erik's naked body just after he took off his outfit.

A pull on the reins quickly returned him to reality, and he stood up without hesitation. As crazy as it was, he thought that the quality of his outfit might actually be to the envy of many people in the streets of Bylondon.

He was led to a simple, black cart with just one seat positioned between two large wheels. Erik got him into position between two thills and attached his wrist cuffs to twin metal rings, which must have been placed on the wooden shafts for that purpose.

"Good, now grab the thills with your hands," Erik told him, taking out the same sleek gas mask he'd worn when they first met. Erik donned it along with a top hat and walked back to Reuben, gently patting him on the pec. "Don't be nervous. I will have everything under control," he buzzed through the filter.

Reuben was too excited to speak, so he just nodded. The worst thing was that those words alone had made his cock twitch in the tight leather. God, did he want Erik to control everything. He grabbed the smooth wooden bars and lifted them, trying to find his ground with the new equipment. With Erik in the seat, it wasn't that much heavier, at least before he was told to move. Jack ran over to a gate and opened it for them, and Hans, who was lurking in the shadows like he did most of the time, followed the groom outside..

Reuben felt his muscles become unnaturally stiff and heavy. He saw the street, people walking past them, minding their own business. Being locked up for over a month made him nervous about entering the stream of crowd. At first, he slowed down, but then he took a deep breath and straightened his back. He had a mask and a glorious outfit that made him look masculine and big. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

The people in the street glanced at him, some even stopping when he came into view, but it only took them a moment to carry on walking. Were this London, he would probably have the coppers stopping him by now to inquire about what it was that he was doing, and a crowd of onlookers gathering, but this wasn't London. Here, on the outer side of the city walls, the Dals were more important than the king himself. And Bluefinger was a Dal. With a master like that, no one would dare taunt him!

Reuben held his head up high but stopped, awaiting orders. Everything that he was taught about walking, and how to react to particular pulls on the reins, now made sense. It was better than Erik screaming orders at him. He couldn't wait to show off how good he was at it, how well he remembered all the commands.

A swift but gentle pat of the riding crop to the side of his buttock was a signal to move, and the pull on the reins to the left was all he needed to know. His vision tunneled as if he had blinders on, and he had more focus than ever, yet he hesitated the moment he was about to rush through the gate. It became hard to breathe under the mask with all the body heat and sweat.

The cart behind him stirred, and the change in weight suggested Erik had gotten off. Oh, God. Reuben's first thoughts were that his master was angry and wanted to scold him up close, but then there was a gentle hand stroking his arm.

"It's all right, Copper." He heard Erik's distorted voice from the side. "I'm here, no need to be scared. You're such a big, beautiful stallion."

Erik proceeded to stroke the side of Reuben's mask, and it felt as if he was caressing his face. "Come." Erik grabbed the reins just below his chin, and pulled on them gently with a few loud clicks of his tongue.

Reuben took a deep breath of relief. His master would be with him along the way. He took his first step out of the safety of Erik's home, and just like that he shed all his fear.

K.A. Merikan is a joint project of Kat and Agnes Merikan, who jokingly claim to share one mind. They finish each other's sentences and simultaneously come up with the same ideas. Kat and Agnes enjoy writing various kinds of stories, from light-hearted romance to thrillers. They love creating characters that are not easy to classify as good or evil, and firmly believe that even some villains deserve their happy endings. It is easiest to find them in galleries, good restaurants, and historical sites, always with a computer or notebook, because for Kat and Agnes, every day is writing day. Future plans include lots of travel and a villa on the coast of Italy or a flat in Paris where they could retire after yet another crazy venture, only to write more hot homoerotic stories.