Serving Him Page 11

  A subtle change in Lorcan’s breathing told Rowan that he was awake. He shifted onto his side so that he could look into Lorcan’s eyes and be the first thing that Lorcan saw on waking. His dark lashes fluttered then lifted to reveal shards of piercing blue.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” Lorcan’s sleep-roughened voice sent shivers down Rowan’s spine.

  “Good morning, Sir.”

  Lorcan snaked a hand around Rowan’s body to squeeze his arse. He pushed a finger between Rowan’s cheeks, grazing his hole. Rowan shuddered. He ached to be filled. A plug would do, but he hoped and prayed that one day soon Lorcan would want to fuck him.

  “I want to talk to you about your contract over breakfast this morning,” Lorcan said. “I want to know how you feel about making a couple of changes.” Lorcan ran a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up in spikes. “I’ll give you your discipline before I go to the gym then meet you downstairs.”

  Rowan slipped out of bed to use the bathroom and make sure everything was ready for Lorcan. He laid out his exercise clothes and a chilled bottle of water.

  “I’m feeling too lazy to get out of bed yet, so come here and lie across my lap.”

  Rowan climbed onto the bed and got into position.

  “I do love adding color to your skin first thing in the morning,” Lorcan said before delivering three hard spanks.

  Squirming, Rowan stayed where he was until Lorcan told him he could move. In its plastic prison, his cock tried to harden. The situation only got more frustrating when Lorcan stroked his backside, soothing the ache but doing nothing to relieve his arousal.

  “You can dress. Stay dressed for breakfast, too. You are far too distracting with next to nothing on and I want to be focused on our discussion, not your body.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Rowan pulled on his trousers, holding back a smile. Lorcan dictated what he wore so it was entirely his own fault if he got distracted. He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. From the galleried landing he could see that Luke Redding’s door was open and as Rowan descended the stairs, Luke emerged from his office. Rowan paused, lowering his eyes respectfully.

  “It’s a fine morning, Rowan,” Luke said. “How are you?”

  “Very good, thank you, Mr. Redding. Mr. Wilder is on his way to the gym and I’m going to make sure everything is ready for breakfast. He says he wants to discuss our contract.”

  “That’s his prerogative,” Luke said. “If there’s anything you want to talk to me about afterwards, come and find me.” He took one of Rowan’s hands, lifting his arm to examine his wrist, which was ringed with bruises. “I understand Mr. Wilder has been making good use of the dungeon.” He released Rowan’s hand.

  “Every day,” Rowan replied. “It’s a great facility.”

  “So long as everything you do down there is by mutual consent. I know it’s your job to serve Mr. Wilder, but that doesn’t mean you have to agree to anything you don’t want to.”

  “I know.” Rowan examined his bare feet, pale against the plush carpet. “But so far, I’ve been enjoying myself. A lot.” His cheeks heated.

  Luke chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. You get on with what you need to do. Oh, and I meant to ask, could you check with Mr. Wilder if he’ll be needing the car today? I have some errands that I’d like Rayne to run for me but I don’t want to send him out if he’s needed elsewhere.”

  “He hasn’t said he intends to go out today, but I’ll check at breakfast then let you know,” Rowan said. So far, Lorcan hadn’t left The Retreat at all, saying that there was plenty to occupy him inside.

  Luke returned to his office and Rowan took a quick detour to his room to check his messages. There was a text from Rory and several from Ed. He scanned through them, giggling at the content, but there was nothing that he needed to respond to straightaway. He took a long, hot shower then changed into fresh pair of jeans and a soft, plain black T-shirt that hugged his frame. He didn’t bother with underwear because he thought it likely that he would be changing again later.

  The table was laid for breakfast in the snug and Tor was in the process of leaving a pot of coffee as Rowan entered the room. The aroma tickled his nostrils.

  “I have some fresh croissants warming this morning, Rowan. Do you think Mr. Wilder would like some?”

  Lorcan normally stuck to a very healthy diet but he had confessed to having a secret sweet tooth.

  “I’m sure he would,” Rowan said. “Especially if there’s some of that wonderful home-made jam we had the other day.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere,” Tor stated. “Especially when it comes to jam. I’ll send one of the boys with it when they bring the croissants in because I want to keep them warm.”

  “Thank you. I have to admit I’ll be looking forward to them too.” He grinned as Tor gave him a light cuff.

  “Naughty boy.” He disappeared toward the kitchen, whistling.

  “There is a man happy in his work,” Rowan murmured. “I know how he feels.”

  “Talking to yourself, Rowan? Should I be worried?”

  Rowan whirled around to find Lorcan lounging against the doorframe, a smug grin on his handsome face. He was wearing tight black jeans and a pale blue open-necked shirt and Rowan knew that if it hadn’t been for the cock cage, he would definitely be hard.

  “You should be happy, Sir. I was just arranging a treat for you.”

  Lorcan walked toward him. “I could say that you’re the only treat I need, but that would be a lie. I hope this one involves some of Tor’s jelly… Sorry, jam. Jelly is Jell-O, right?”

  “Yes, Sir. Jelly is the dessert, though we do have bramble jelly, which is a kind of jam.”

  Lorcan took a seat at the table. “I’m not even gonna ask why that should be. I think you Brits just want to confuse the rest of the world.”

  “Probably.” Rowan hovered near the table, not sure whether he should kneel at Lorcan’s side or use the furniture.

  “You should consider yourself off the clock for the next hour,” Lorcan said. “I want to talk to you man-to-man rather than Master-to-submissive. But before you ask, the chastity device stays.”

  Rowan didn’t feel entirely comfortable as he sat opposite Lorcan at the table, gleaming crockery and glassware a barrier between them. Lorcan poured them both a glass of fresh orange juice and a mug of coffee. He served himself yogurt and fruit, sprinkling some granola over the top. Rowan sipped his juice, his appetite gone.

  “Not hungry?” Lorcan asked.

  Rowan shook his head. “Not really. I’m a little nervous.”

  “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel uncomfortable, Rowan,” Lorcan said. “I was going to wait until we had eaten, but perhaps it’s best to get the serious part of this over with.” He sipped his coffee, humming his pleasure.

  “Yes please, Sir.”

  “You can call me Lorcan, sweetheart. I want to discuss your contract, specifically the no sex clause. When I came here, I had no intention of getting too involved. The appeal of this place was having a chance to play without strings. But I didn’t consider how you might make me feel. I want to sleep with you, Rowan. I don’t mean just to have you in my bed, though I will be satisfied with waking up next to you if this isn’t what you want. I’m jealous of the toys I fuck you with. I want to feel you around my cock. I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think we had an emotional connection, but I’ve grown to care for you deeply over the last week. You’ve rekindled parts of me that I thought were long dead.”

  Rowan blinked, tears welling in his eyes. He hadn’t expected such raw honesty.

  “Hey, don’t get upset.” Lorcan shoved his chair back then moved to stand next Rowan. He put his arm around Rowan’s shoulders. “We don’t have to change a thing, if you don’t want to.”

  “That’s not it, Sir… Sorry, Lorcan. I mean, it’s what I want too. More than anything.” Rowan leaned against Lorcan’s warmth. “It’s just strange, talking about putting it into a contract w
hen it’s something I feel. It should just be between us and have nothing to do with a piece of paper.”

  “It’s for your protection, and believe me when I say I feel very protective when it comes to you. How about I just have a quiet word with Luke Redding. He’ll want your confirmation but I doubt he’ll be surprised.”

  There was a discrete cough from the direction of the door. Rowan rubbed at his eyes.

  “I decided to bring these in myself,” Tor said, approaching the table. He left a plate of croissants and a pot of jam on the table then left without saying anything else.

  Lorcan squeezed Rowan’s shoulder. “This must be my treat. It’s turning out to be quite a morning.” He resumed his seat, picking up one of the crumbly pastries as he went.

  “Would you like to go for a walk this morning?” Rowan asked. “It would be nice to get to know you a bit better. I mean, I know all the things from your file about what you like and dislike, but I don’t really know you.”

  “That sounds like a great idea. I’ve been a bit of a hermit since I arrived, haven’t I?”

  Rowan nodded, smiling. “A bit, perhaps.”

  “I’ve been a little too enamored of the dungeon,” Lorcan said.

  Rowan snickered. “I don’t have any objection to that, Sir.” It didn’t seem right to call Lorcan by his name. He went to kneel next to Lorcan’s chair. “Those croissants smell really good.” He tried for his most appealing expression.

  Lorcan shook his head. “What I want to do is drag you upstairs and fuck you into the mattress. Several times. But I’ll be good.” He tore off a piece of croissant, spread some jam on it then pressed it to Rowan’s lips. “Food. Exercise. Then, I think I’ll have to torment you a little before we get to the main event.”

  Rowan tried to concentrate on the buttery flakes dissolving on his tongue. He regretted suggesting a walk, however much he wanted to get to know Lorcan better. There were plenty of flat surfaces in the snug—he wasn’t fussy—but now Lorcan was going to draw out the anticipation for far too long. A tug on his hair brought him back to reality.

  “Soon, Rowan. It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.”

  Chapter Eight

  Rowan had to admit that the grounds of The Retreat were stunning. Covering around forty acres, narrow paths wound through the trees that encircled the property on all sides. Formal gardens were limited to the back of the house and though they were well laid out, Rowan preferred the mysterious atmosphere of the woods. Sunlight broke through the leaves, dappling the paths with light. Some of them were like tunnels with branches arching across them from both sides. Every now and again he caught sight of some small animal scurrying away through the leaf litter and the sound of birdsong mixed with the constant rustle of leaves.

  “Where should we go?” asked Lorcan.

  “I only arrived here the day before you, Sir,” Rowan explained. “I’m afraid I never got the chance to explore the grounds.”

  “Then we shall just have to go where the paths take us,” Lorcan said. “I don’t think there’s much chance of us getting lost. The boundary wall will always guide us back to the gates. I need to walk off all those croissants you made me eat.”

  “Me?” Rowan protested. “I think it was you that decided the last one looked lonely on the plate and had to be eaten.”

  “Tor would have been insulted if we’d left anything and he’s ex-military, I wouldn’t want to risk annoying him. He might decide to shoot me.”

  “This isn’t America,” Rowan said with a giggle. “We don’t generally carry guns over here.”

  “And that’s one of the things I love about this country,” Lorcan said. “One of the reasons for coming here, apart from visiting The Retreat of course, is for me to find a place to live. I’d like you to help me with that. I’ve avoided opening my laptop since I arrived, but sooner or later I’m going to have to reconnect with the world. I may have sold my business but I have a lot of other interests that I can’t abandon.”

  “I’d be happy to help,” Rowan said. “I know all the property sites. I’ve been saving up for a deposit on a place of my own since I started work. I’m way off yet, but it’s fun to browse through the places for sale. Though I doubt you will be looking at same kind of places as me.”

  “I’ll need a crash pad in London,” Lorcan said. “Preferably somewhere within easy reach of The Underground, but that won’t be my permanent base. I’ve lived in San Francisco for the last ten years and though city living has its advantages, I want somewhere quieter.”

  Rowan’s heart rate sped up a little. He loved the idea that Lorcan would not be leaving the country at the end of his stay and maybe, just maybe, there was a minute chance Rowan might get to see more of him beyond The Retreat.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, Sir, what kind of place did you have in San Francisco? Have you ever been to Alcatraz? And I read about giant redwoods that grow near the Golden Gate Bridge, they must be quite a sight. And have you ever been to the Folsom Street fair? That must be amazing.” He realized he had been chattering away, not allowing Lorcan to get a word in edgeways. “Sorry, I’ve not had the chance to travel for real. I take my trips on the internet and San Francisco is one of the places on my must-visit list.”

  “I have a house in Pacific Heights, which I spend so little time in I’d be hard pressed to describe some of the rooms. My office has, I mean had, an amazing view of the bridge. And yes, I have been to Folsom a couple of times. There’s a great atmosphere. But I’ve never been to Alcatraz or done any of the tourist spots, which is shameful. But you have to understand, Rowan. My business has been all consuming. There hasn’t been space in my life for much else for a long time.”

  Rowan reached for Lorcan’s hand, hoping he wasn’t being too forward. Lorcan intertwined their fingers.

  “Being here—this break—is the start of a new life with new priorities. I’m in the fortunate position that I can afford the lifestyle I want, where I want, but I’m not the kind of man who is able to sit idle. I have several ideas for new start-ups and investments, so once I’m settled I’ll be back at work, though I have no intention of allowing it to take over my life again.”

  “You should meet my aunt Rory,” Rowan said. “She’s a lawyer and she works really hard, but she always says that we only have one life to live and that it’s okay to be selfish some of the time. Making yourself happy gives you more capacity to make others feel good. I think it’s a great philosophy.”

  “She sounds like an eminently sensible woman.”

  Rowan pictured his crazy aunt. “I’m not sure anyone would ever apply the word sensible to Rory,” he admitted. “She’s a little crazy, I have to admit. Do you have much family, Sir?”

  Lorcan frowned.

  “I’m sorry,” Rowan said. “I’m being nosy. It’s none of my business.”

  “No, it’s good to be able to talk with someone who has no agenda.”

  “I kind of do have an agenda,” Rowan said, nibbling on his lower lip. “I don’t want you to change your mind about fucking me.”

  Before he knew what was happening, Lorcan had pushed him up against the nearest tree and had pinned his arms above his head. He leaned in for a kiss and Rowan parted his lips in anticipation. Lorcan ravished his mouth in a way that took Rowan’s breath away, leaving him gasping and his cock fighting its prison. His skin burned from the rub of Lorcan’s stubble. Lorcan held his wrists against the bark for a while longer, staring into his eyes.

  “That’s not likely to be something I’d forget,” he growled. He shoved a hand down the back of Rowan’s jeans to grope his arse. “This is mine.”

  Rowan swallowed. The possession in Lorcan’s voice was a huge turn-on. He nodded, his mouth too dry to speak.

  “So long as that’s understood, let’s walk a bit further,” Lorcan said, taking Rowan’s hand again. “I don’t have much family that I know of. Not blood relatives anyway. I was adopted as a baby by a wealthy couple who gave me everything I could e
ver have wanted, including an exclusive education. But I was only ever an accessory to their lifestyle and I didn’t see that much of them when I was growing up. So long as I put in an appearance at various parties and social events, I could do what I pleased. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some poor little rich kid starved of affection. Mom and Dad led very busy lives and they did their best. They were a bit older than most parents because they tried for years to have a child of their own. They’ve retired to Florida now and spend most of their time on the golf course.”

  “Do they know…? I mean, have you told them…?”

  “That I’m gay?” Lorcan nodded. “I came out when I was sixteen and they couldn’t care less. They are fairly liberal. They still expect grandkids at some point because they adopted themselves, so they see no good reason why they can’t have them. How about you? Are your parents okay with your orientation?”

  “I think they knew before I did,” Rowan responded. “When I came out they weren’t surprised at all. I think they worry for me, you know, that I’ll get myself into trouble I can’t get out of with some man, but so far they’ve been supportive. Mum’s waiting for me to bring someone home to dinner but I think that’s more because she wants to show off her cooking than meet my boyfriend.” He giggled. “She is a fantastic cook, though. She got my friend Ed hooked on baking and now he’s a trainee chef at the hotel where I used to work.”

  “Sounds like we both lucked out on the family front,” Lorcan said. To Rowan, he sounded sad, as if talking about his past brought back painful memories. “I think we should be getting back. All this fresh air is going to my head and I’m quite tempted to find a fallen trunk to bend you over.”