Two Masters for Alex (6 page)

She found the kitchen and entered, standing shyly by the swinging door. “Can I help you?” she asked. Daniel was placing a small pitcher of cream on the table next to a napkin-lined bowl of delicious-looking muffins. The table was nestled in a breakfast nook, the walls of which had floor-to-ceiling windows.

“No, the coffee’s just about ready. Have a seat and help yourself.” He waved toward the table. Alex looked around the room. It was large with green-tinted glass cabinets filled with neatly stacked china. Copper pots hung from an iron trestle over a wooden island, into which a sink had been set. A bowl of potatoes, already peeled and resting in water, sat next to a large white onion and a cluster of garlic cloves.

Following Alex’s gaze, Daniel said, “I’m making clam chowder for dinner. We got some great fresh clams yesterday down at Dudley’s Wharf where the shell fishermen come in. You can help me chop the vegetables if you get done with your other jobs in time.”

“About that,” Alex said slowly. “I’m not much of a housekeeper. I hadn’t really planned on chores as a part of my training…” She trailed off as Daniel furrowed his brows at her.

“You can’t be serious,” he finally said. “What did you expect? To come here and be waited on hand and foot? You’re training to be a sub, for god’s sake! This is, for this week at least, your Master’s house! While you’re in our house, you’ll live by our rules. We don’t have a maid. I keep the house and I take great pride in doing it. Liam is to have a lovely, clean home when he gets back from a long day and a commute. If you think you’re going to sit around eating bon bons and watching soap operas while I’m scrubbing floors—”

“No, I didn’t mean that!” Alex tried to protest, though in fact she’d had something like that in mind, involving her laptop and writing while Daniel went about his daily duties. The fun, the training—all that would happen at night when Liam came home from work.

“What did you mean exactly then?” Daniel asked. She hoped she detected just a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth but she couldn’t be sure. He really was incredibly good-looking. She loved the way the light from the window made his hair shimmer with myriad colors. She wondered if he had professional highlights but doubted it—it looked completely natural, spun gold and wheat over rich coppers and browns. And his eyes, such a lovely gray blue, beautiful beneath straight brows. She realized he was waiting for her answer.

Forcing herself to retrieve the thread of their conversation, she said lamely, “I just meant, um, that I’m not so good at it. I’ll have to learn, I guess, is what I mean.”

Appearing somewhat mollified, Daniel seemed to accept her explanation. “I’ve written a list of your chores. I’ll get you started with each one, but after today I’ll expect you to do them on your own. You can always ask me anything of course, if you have questions along the way.”

He handed Alex a sheet of paper with a list of items printed in a neat, masculine hand. It read—

Clean master and guest bathrooms
,
including toilets
,
sinks
,
counters and floors
.

Collect used towels for laundry and place fresh towels in the bathrooms
.

Dust living room
,
study and den
.

Weed flower gardens
.

Sweep and mop kitchen floor
.

Vacuum carpets
.

As she read through the list, Alex glanced up at Daniel, unable to control her expression of incredulity. “You expect me to do all this in a week?”

“A week?” Daniel retorted. “Those are your chores for today! After you finish each job, you report back to me. I’ll inspect your work and reward or punish you accordingly. Then you’ll need to shower and groom so you’ll be ready for Liam.”

Alex was momentarily silenced by his promise of a reward or punishment. Nervously she bit her lower lip. “I don’t know, Daniel. Like I said, I’m not that good a housekeeper…”

“That’s all right. By the time I’m done with you, you will be.”

* * * * *

A half-hour after breakfast found Alex hovering anxiously behind Daniel, who had entered the much-larger master bath to check on her first chore of the day. He’d shown
her where cleaning supplies were kept and given her an apron and a few cursory instructions about what he expected.

As Alex had scrubbed, wiped, sprayed and mopped, she’d grumbled to herself. Being someone’s unpaid drudge was not her idea of an erotic adventure! Still, she had to admit, it made a certain kind of sense to share the duties of the other resident submissive. Daniel was working in the kitchen, she knew. It wasn’t as if he were just using her for free maid service. She tried to think of it as something sexy—a French maid on her knees as the Master came in to have his way with her…but she couldn’t quite manage it, especially not while she was scouring the toilet. Why couldn’t men aim better, for Pete’s sake?

He looked at the mirrors and examined the faucets and sinks, all shiny clean. He stepped to the toilet, lifting the lid and peering into the bowl. He ran his finger along the inside of the bathtub and opened the shower stall, closing it after a moment with a satisfied nod. His glance fell to the bath rug and he frowned. Alex followed his gaze and saw a bit of tissue, which she hurriedly bent down to retrieve and toss in the trash can.

“You swept the floor and mopped it?” he asked, frowning.

“Um, yes.” She had swept and she’d run a damp mop around the edges of the room. Jesus, this wasn’t a freaking hotel, for god’s sake. The place looked way cleaner than when she’d started, what was the guy’s problem?

Daniel knelt and lifted the edge of the bath rug. He shook it, watching as dust and a few bits of lint sprang free. “The fresh bath rugs are in the linen cabinet,” he said, pointing. “You should have seen them when you put out the clean towels.” He picked up the rug and shook it out again before dropping it into the hamper. On the floor where it had been lay two more crumpled tissues, proof positive Alex hadn’t picked up the rug in order to sweep and mop.

She felt her face heat with chagrin. “Hey,” she said weakly. “I
told
you I’m not that good a housekeeper.” She knew her voice sounded whiny. She was angry at herself for not doing the best possible job. She had hoped to impress Daniel with her diligence and obedience.

He turned to her. “Lesson three. We don’t make excuses. You did a decent job as far as it went. You called me in to inspect incomplete work. What do you think I should do about it?”

“Um, chalk it up to inexperience?” Alex stared at the floor, feeling like a recalcitrant child as she twisted her hands nervously behind her.

“That I will. This is your first day and your first chore. I know it won’t happen again because I’m going to help you to remember.”

“How?” Alex asked, her voice tiny.

“Your first punishment. Pull down your shorts and bend over the bathtub.”

“Oh Daniel. You’re kidding, right?” Alex had expected something sexy like a flogging in the torture chamber or being “forced” to suck Daniel’s cock, a task she
absolutely adored. “You’re not going to spank me!” Even as she said this, she imagined his large hand coming down hard on her ass. Despite her embarrassment, she felt her pussy heat and swell at the thought of it.

“No, I’m not actually. I know that wouldn’t be a punishment, you see. I’m just like you, don’t forget. I know how your perverted little mind works. In fact, you probably left that bit of cleaning undone just to see what I would do.”

That was unfair! “No! I swear! I’m just a lousy housekeeper!”

“So you say,” Daniel said, grinning. “Anyway, you’ve wasted enough of my time. Do what I said. Pull down your shorts and bend over the bathtub.”

“But if you’re not going to spank me…” she trailed off uncertainly.

“You’re going to kneel over the tub with your bare ass sticking out and your hands behind your back. You’ll spread your knees as far apart as you can and stay that way until I tell you.”

“This is weird, Daniel. I—”

“Alex,” Daniel said, his voice deadly serious. “If you continue to disobey me, I’m going to tell Liam I don’t want you here any longer. This isn’t a game. You have one week to prove yourself. So far you’re doing a damn poor job of it. While we’re here alone, my word is law. I own you for all intents and purposes. Do you understand? Now get on your knees, head over the tub and
don
’
t move
until I get back. Got it?”

Aware she was blushing, Alex slowly obeyed, unbuttoning her shorts and pulling them down past her bare ass. She knelt, glad at least she was facing away from Daniel, whose eyes she could feel boring into her. “Wider,” he said, flicking at her ankle with his bare foot. Obediently she spread her legs wider, the tiled floor already making her knees ache.

She heard him leave the room but didn’t dare turn around. In a moment he was back and she heard him moving behind her. “What’re you doing?” she asked, craning her head to see.

“Face the wall,” he snapped. “I didn’t tell you to move.” She turned back but not before she’d seen the digital camera he held in his hands. She heard him snap the shutter and saw the light of the flash reflected against the white tiles above the bathtub.

“What are you doing?” she whispered again.

“Taking a picture of your nasty stubble for Liam. I was going to let it slide, but I’ve decided he should see how you arrived for your first day as our sub girl.”

“I didn’t know,” she said miserably. “It won’t happen again.” As she knelt with her legs lewdly splayed, Alex felt hot tears form behind her eyes. It took all her willpower not to slam her legs closed to Daniel’s cruel scrutiny. This morning was not going at all how she’d planned. Somehow she’d envisioned sexy erotic torture, the kind she adored with the added benefit of two men fawning over her instead of the usual one.

Yet hadn’t she sought out men who would by their very nature be resistant to her efforts to control the scene, to dictate the pace and actions of those she claimed to want
to serve? Before today, she would have used her tears to advantage. She would have turned around to show Daniel how he’d upset her, aware her large green eyes, brimming with tears and her full, lush mouth trembling, would melt his heart at once. Instead, she blinked, trying to keep the tears at bay. She would endure what in retrospect she guessed she’d earned, first by not grooming the morning of her visit and second by failing to properly clean the bathroom.

“Stand up,” Daniel said behind her, his tone suddenly gentle. Slowly Alex stood. She didn’t turn around, aware a few of the tears had streaked down her cheeks. She felt Daniel’s hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her toward him. Kneeling in front of her, he pulled up her shorts and buttoned them, his gesture almost fatherly.

“You did well,” he said softly. “You were very obedient just then, and I know it was really hard for you to handle that. I embarrassed you. I’m sorry.” He saw the tears then, and though he didn’t say anything directly, he wiped them away with his fingers.

“Come sit down,” he said, leading her by the hand to the huge bed. It was piled with pillows at the headboard and covered by a huge, black quilt that felt soft as silk when she sat on it. He held out the camera and pointed to the delete button. “Push it,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I’m not going to show him. That’s Liam’s one pet peeve. He likes his slaves perfectly smooth at all times. I’m not going to have you start off on the wrong foot in that regard. I can see you’re going to mess up enough on your own.” He laughed, but the laughter was kind. “Go ahead. Press the delete button and select delete all. That way you’ll know they’re gone.”

She pressed the button, feeling a surge of gratitude as she did so. “Thank you, Sir,” she said softly, barely aware she’d used the title. “I’ll do better on the next chore, I promise.”

“Yes, I’m certain you will,” Daniel said. “Now we better get moving. Still lots to do before Liam arrives!”

Alex hurried out after Daniel, admiring the firm, sexy lines of his ass as he moved in front of her, wondering if the welt Liam had inflicted that morning still showed, wondering if she’d get to watch Liam put him through his paces tonight.

God, she hoped so!

Chapter Four

Alex stole a sidelong glance at Daniel, who was kneeling a few feet away from her on the thick, brightly colored throw rug in the front hall. They were both leaning back on their haunches, their legs spread, hands resting lightly on their thighs. Daniel seemed almost unaware of Alex, his eyes fixed firmly on the door.

Liam had left the text message on Daniel’s cell phone indicating he would be there in five minutes. That was Daniel’s cue to stop whatever he was doing and present himself at the front door for his Master. Alex watched with barely concealed lust as Daniel casually pulled off his shorts and knelt to wait for his lover. His body was perfection—tan, smooth skin, broad, straight shoulders, a well-muscled, smooth chest tapering to firm abs and a cock that had risen to full erection as he sat waiting for Liam to arrive. Alex couldn’t help but steal glances at his shaven cock and balls, which somehow looked even bigger without a nest of pubic curls to obscure them. His cock was long and thick, the head beautifully shaped. Her mouth actually watered and she had to swallow rapidly to keep from choking.