He was avoiding the crux of the story. “There was a problem with one of Dad’s tanks. He had gone through the oxygen supply much quicker than he should have. We could have shared my oxygen—it wasn’t enough to avoid both of us getting the bends, but there would have been a higher chance of survival. He didn’t tell me. We were tied together and he let himself die to save me. He breathed poison—for me. Nitrogen built in his blood and he had a fatal embolism. His body was connected to mine for three hours while I made my way to the surface.” Hot tears rolled down Skye’s cheeks. “My hair turned silver over the following months. The doctors said it was a rare form of alopecia exacerbated by stress from the shock. It’s a myth that hair can change color overnight. I was in a bad place for a long time.” He turned in Luke’s arms, needing his comfort as the horrific events of that day crashed back into his head.
For a while Luke said nothing, just soothed him with gentle touches.
“Your father was a selfless, brave man and I wish I could have met him.” He pulled the throw around Skye’s shoulders. “You made some wonderful memories with him and that’s what you should remember. After his sacrifice, you owe it to him to be happy.”
“You sound like my grandparents,” Skye said, snuffling against Luke’s shirt, soaking the thin cotton with his tears. “After the accident, the farm was never the same place for me. I went away to university and never went back.”
“Your home is here now, with me. I would like to meet you grandparents one day, when you feel ready.”
“Grandpa will love you. He’s strong like you are. Grandma will live up to grandmother stereotypes everywhere and want to feed you. She makes the most amazing cakes and cookies. She could teach Tor a thing or two.”
“I understand now why you said you don’t swim.”
“I haven’t been in the water since it happened. It’s a stupid phobia, I know.”
“Not stupid at all. With the pool here, if you ever want to just dangle your feet over the edge, let me know and I’ll hold your hand. You’d get to see me in swimming trunks if nothing else.”
Luke’s dry tone and injection of humor made Skye smile. “Thank you, Sir. Since I met you, I’ve been able to think about Dad without dissolving into an emotional mess. I know it wasn’t my fault and I understand why he made the decision he did, but it’s hard to be grateful when he’s gone.”
“He wouldn’t want your gratitude just that you live your life to the fullest.”
“Well, in that case, Sir…” Skye scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. “Don’t you think we should take advantage of being alone together?”
Luke swiveled around and stood in one fluid movement, holding Skye in his arms. The throw fell away, leaving him bare. Luke deposited him on the bed then proceeded to take off his clothes, Skye watching with undisguised delight. Luke plumped his pillows before sitting on the bed next to Skye.
“I think you should do all the work this time. Grab the lube and prepare yourself for me. Turn around, so I can see what you’re doing.”
Skye coated two fingers with lube. He knelt across Luke’s legs facing away from him then pushed the slick digits into his channel, grunting at the slight pinch of penetration. Skye’s face burned as he pictured Luke’s view.
“Very pretty,” Luke said. “I think that’s enough. Turn around.”
Skye managed to relocate so that he was facing Luke without kicking or kneeing him. He shuffled forward so that his arse was over Luke’s erection.
“Go at your own pace. You don’t have my permission to come and this time, there will be consequences if you do.”
In small increments, Skye lowered himself onto Luke’s cock. There was an initial ache but nothing he couldn’t manage. He felt so full. The position seemed to drive Luke deep into his body.
“That’s it. Now raise and lower yourself.”
“Yes, Sir.” Smooth movements proved to be impossible. Skye’s leg muscles wouldn’t cooperate. They twitched, making him jerk every time he moved. Luke raised his knees, penetrating him even farther. He grabbed Skye’s hips and took control, lifting and dropping him. Skye reached for his cock, desperate to come, but Luke knocked his hand away.
“Don’t you dare!”
Skye focused on bringing Luke to his climax. He squeezed with his inner muscles, rippling his body as Luke manhandled him.
“Holy fuck!” Luke yelled and heat filled Skye’s channel as Luke came. Luke dug his fingers into Skye’s hips and the pain brought Skye even closer to the edge. He rode Luke’s orgasm, pleading with his eyes as best he knew how. With a wicked smirk, Luke flicked the end of Skye’s cock.
“Come!”
The added flash of pain sent lightning to Skye’s balls. He screamed Luke’s name, his orgasm rolling through him and his entire body racked with shivers. Luke pulled him down into a hug, wrapping him in warmth.
“It’s all right, sweetheart. Just let it go. You’re safe with me and you always will be.”
Skye sobbed, his tangled emotions a confusion of joy and sadness. Still joined to Luke, he felt like he never wanted to move again.
Baring his soul had been exhausting but somehow liberating. He had not been comfortable holding something so important back from Luke. He wanted his Dom to know him inside out and his history was a part of that. He dozed against Luke’s body, relishing every gentle touch and murmured word of comfort.
Waking felt like emerging from the cocoon, exciting and full of opportunity but at the same time a little terrifying.
“You know, the boys will be disappointed if we don’t join them for the Chinese feast,” Luke said. “But if you’d rather stay here…”
Skye rubbed his eyes. “No, I’d love to join them if you don’t mind, Sir. I don’t, I mean, would you not tell them any of this? They don’t need to know. I don’t want them looking at me differently, if you see what I mean?”
“It’s between you and me,” Luke said. “I would never share anything so personal without your permission.”
“It’s history. It’s a part of me, but I can’t let it rule my life. That’s your job now, Sir.” He gave Luke a sideways glance, hoping that Luke recognized the humor in his statement. Luke rolled him over and gave his arse a couple of hard spanks.
“Well I certainly rule this, and I think it needs to be nice and pink for the rest of the evening.” Several more smacks had Skye squirming to escape. “You need another shower, brat. Now.”
Getting clean became a whole new adventure when sharing a shower with Luke. Skye’s knees ached by the time he had sucked Luke to the edge of orgasm. Then he gave thanks for waterproof lube as Luke pushed him against the tile and fucked him until he screamed.
Having his collar put back on seemed almost ceremonial, but Skye loved the look of satisfaction on Luke’s face as he tightened the buckle and checked the fit. He replaced the cock cage with gentle, deft movements then had Skye bend over the bed while he inserted a small plug. “Can’t have you feeling empty this evening.” He patted Skye’s backside eliciting a yelp. “You can get dressed now.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Skye said with a measure of sarcasm. He wished he could wear something softer than jeans while his backside recovered from the spanking, but despite the slight pain, he felt contented. Luke’s touch was on his cock, in his arse, on his skin. He needed it as much as he needed air.
Downstairs, the staff room was full of Chinese takeaway boxes and a vast array of cat paraphernalia. Skye was astonished to find the kittens sound asleep in their box while their mother, curled on one of the chairs, took a leisurely wash. Considering the racket going on all around them, he was amazed they could get any rest at all.
With a resigned sigh, Luke accepted the cup of tea he was handed then settled into the chair at the end of the table. Someone—Skye guessed it had been Rayne—handed Luke the newspaper, which he promptly unfolded and hid behind.
Skye sat with care, catching Rayne’s knowing glance as he did so. He frowned, trying to w
arn Rayne not to say anything embarrassing.
“You’re looking a little…uncomfortable, Skye. Would you like a cushion?”
Skye should have known that he could not rely on Rayne’s discretion. He sighed. “How are the kittens, Rayne?” he said through gritted teeth.
“The vet was a sweetheart. She checked them all over and gave them a clean bill of health. They have to go back for some jabs when they’re a bit older. They don’t have fleas, thank the Lord, and she gave us a whole load of leaflets about kitten care and told us what we needed to buy to look after them properly.”
“We thought you could help us with an advertising campaign to find them good new homes,” Benjy said. “You’re good at computer stuff. You found all those quotes and things for the Brideshead dinner.”
“I’d love to,” Skye said. “It’s really important that they go to places where they’ll get lots of love.” He caught Luke’s eye and gave him his most appealing look. Luke shook his head and went back to his paper. Luke’s defenses wouldn’t be too difficult to break through. He was determined that The Retreat should have its own cat. Or two. He knew he’d have the support of all the subs and between them it wouldn’t be a problem to look after two small animals, even if they weren’t allowed in the main house. The Retreat’s grounds were cat heaven. It was fate that the furry family had been delivered to its gates and Skye was hopeful that he could persuade Luke to let one or two stay.
As he munched on his Chinese food, Skye couldn’t help but daydream about how lucky he was. He had an amazing Dom, an exciting new job doing the research he loved, and now the potential for furry friends. It was hard to imagine how life could get any better.
Chapter Seventeen
Over the following weeks, Skye found that he loved his hectic but satisfying life. Luke took his training seriously and spent time every day working with him on things as simple as being able to kneel with grace, to more challenging tests of his control where, forbidden to come, Luke would edge him for what seemed like hours. Luke tested his boundaries, using a range of toys and equipment. The exploration, the newness of it all was exciting and Skye discovered he enjoyed a certain level of pain, but not beyond. Luke’s sadism veered more toward denial than pain, which suited them both. They were made for each other, their kinks compatible, their needs complementary.
Luke had replaced Skye’s leather collar with one fashioned from etched stainless steel. It had Luke’s name engraved on the inside and never came off. It gave Skye the sense of security he craved and he touched it all the time, affirming his status as belonging to Luke.
Sue Doring proved to be a flexible if somewhat demanding boss. Skye thought she’d make a good Domme if she ever felt inclined. She accepted his relationship with Luke without question, including him in all decisions about Skye’s work and the time he needed to spend on it. As time went by and Skye proved his ability, she gave him more complex tasks that exercised his brain and piqued his curiosity. He had even written an article about his research, which the professor had endorsed and submitted to an academic periodical. When it was published, Luke threw a staff party at The Retreat and the professor came along, exclaiming at the originality of the house and hugging all the boys. She had promised to visit every time she was in the country, just to taste more of Tor’s cooking.
Skye’s social media campaign for the kittens had found homes for five of the six. Having Fergus and Henry pose shirtless with the kittens in their arms had proved a big draw when Alistair sent the pictures out to The Underground’s entire membership list. The mother cat, now named Lucky, ruled over her new empire from cozy accommodations above the garage, bossing her remaining daughter, Marshmallow, during their daily mouse hunts. It was a regular occurrence that one or the other of them would sneak into the main house and have to be ejected, though some of the guests were guilty of enticing them inside. The fire in the banqueting hall proved irresistible to felines. Claw marks in leather were the biggest problems as the toughest Doms succumbed to furry appeals for a comfortable lap.
Guests came and went, some becoming friends as Skye’s shyness receded and his confidence grew. He now looked forward to the new arrivals and, despite his burgeoning academic career, still loved serving at mealtimes, especially since Luke had put a ban on him wearing costumes that were too skimpy.
Breaks between the guests were treasured and it was during one of these that Skye persuaded Frank to teach him how to bake cookies.
“Luke loves a cookie with his morning coffee,” Skye said, standing in the kitchen wearing an apron over his clothes. “I don’t want to get in the way, but it would be nice for me to be able to tell him that I baked some of them myself.”
“And so you shall.” Frank grinned. “I’m going to show you how to make the chocolate ginger ones because there’s not much Luke won’t do to get his hands on them. You should make them when you’ve been naughty, because he’ll forgive you anything if you produce a plate of them.”
Skye doubted that Luke could be bribed by something as simple as a cookie. Besides, he tried to be good. Submission came naturally to him. It wasn’t something he rebelled against, but every now and again he forgot the time when he was buried in his research or neglected to eat when he was busy serving guests and those were punishable offenses. Luke was strict about him looking after himself and inventive when it came to punishment.
“The secret to these is the amount of crystallized ginger. That’s what gives them their intense flavor,” Frank explained. “So, first of all you need to cream together the butter and the two different kinds of sugar. Then you get to beat in the vanilla and the egg, which is so therapeutic, especially when Tor’s in a bad mood.”
Snickering, Skye weighed out the ingredients then put some welly into beating everything together until it looked creamy.
“Next, we melt the chocolate in the microwave until it’s smooth and runny. I always make sure there’s a bit of extra chocolate to nibble, just to make sure it tastes right, you know?”
Skye broke up the bar of intensely dark chocolate, sharing the leftover pieces with Frank while it melted. Then he got to stir it into the mixture, changing it from cream to a deep brown color.
“Okay, now you need to stir in the crystallized ginger. I used to use the raw roots, but the guests are always requesting it, so I gave up and use this type now.”
“That stuff stings.” Skye’s arse clenched at the memory of the last time Luke had experimented with a piece of raw ginger. “Why’s it called figging anyway? Figs are a whole different thing.”
Frank laughed. “I wouldn’t know, or how it feels. One day.” He sounded a bit wistful.
“You’ll find someone,” Skye said. “I hope you’re as lucky as I am.”
“Luke’s one of a kind,” Frank said. “I think I’d need someone a bit more lenient. I’ll be heading back to The Underground soon, which will give me a chance to go Dom shopping.” He checked Skye’s mixture. “Now you’ve added the chopped ginger, you need to mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt then we combine them with the other ingredients until they’re well mixed.”
“How long will they take to cook?” Skye asked as he stirred.
“Only ten minutes or so. I like this recipe because it’s not the kind of dough you have to chill in the fridge. As long as we space the dollops out on the baking tray, they shouldn’t spread into each other.”
Skye spooned even portions of his mixture onto the baking trays Frank had prepared for him then slid them into the oven.
“Now we have time for a cuppa, while they bake. We have to let them sit for a couple of minutes on the tray when we take them out, and after that it’s a free for all.”
“Yummy.” Skye had managed to get flour and cookie mixture over most of his body. He wasn’t sure how. He helped Frank clear up then they sat chatting over a cup of tea while the kitchen filled with a wonderful aroma of baking cookies. The scent drew Fergus and Henry to the kitchen and it wasn’
t long before Rayne joined them. They all sat with expectant looks on their faces.
“You know I’m baking these for Luke, right?” Skye said, exasperated.
“Luke is going to have to share,” Rayne said.
“Share what?” Luke appeared in the doorway.
“I’m baking you cookies as a surprise, Sir, but the vultures have already descended. It’s a good job we don’t have any guests in today or they would be in here too, no doubt.”
“I was wondering what you’d been getting up to. I have plans for you and me in the dungeon, but a coffee break will set me up for the exercise quite well, I think.”
There were snickers from around the table.
“You’re blushing, love. I thought you were beyond that.” Luke took a seat at the table.
“Sir…” Skye protested, his complaint cut off by the sound of the timer going off in the kitchen. “Oh, they’re done!” He and Frank rushed into the kitchen where Skye had the honor of withdrawing the baking trays from the oven.
“They’re perfect.” Skye admired the misshapen results of his first baking efforts. “And they smell so good.”
“You’d better make sure you eat a few,” Frank said. “If Luke’s taking you to the dungeon for the rest of the day, you’ll need the sugar.”
Skye levered the cookies onto a wire cooling rack, which he carried through to the staff room and placed in the center of the table. Frank delivered some plates, which he laid in front of everyone before pouring more tea.
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