[Measure of Devotion 01.0 - 03.0] Box Set

by Caethes Faron

  Jason adjusted the speed of his hand and his thrusting so they both came together. It was as if he was Kale's lover. It was the most thorough fuck Kale had ever experienced. As soon as the last shudders of passion receded, Jason collapsed next to Kale. Before Jason's arm could make it around his chest, Kale was up and headed to the bathroom to clean up.

  As he washed himself off, Kale breathed deeply to try to steady his racing heart. He was keenly aware of a desire to go back to the bed and hold Jason, which was baffling. The smartest thing would be to get out of here as quickly as possible. Dampening a wash cloth, he went back out to clean Jason. As Kale worked, Jason sunk his hands into Kale’s hair and played with it, causing quite a distraction. Trying to remain distant, Kale got up to leave as soon as he was finished.

  As Kale stood up, Jason’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm, pulling him down next to him. Jason lightly stroked Kale’s face and watched him so intently that Kale felt even more naked. “You’re beautiful, Kale. I’ve always known you were attractive, but the day I saw you drawing that picture of me at my desk, I saw a new part of you. It was like looking into your soul, and it was beautiful. I guess that’s when I realized I could fall for you.”

  What could Kale say to that? Sex was always just sex to him. Tonight had been good, but things like love didn’t belong here, especially between a master and his slave. Trust Jason to make things bigger and more dramatic than they needed to be. Jason didn’t seem to need a reply; he gave Kale a quick kiss and then rested his head on Kale’s shoulder and put his arm over his chest.

  As Jason began to drift off, Kale moved to get up, trying not to disturb his master. As soon as he had made it a few inches, though, Jason’s arm tightened around him. “Where are you going?” Jason’s voice was thick with sleep, and he didn’t even open his eyes.

  “I was just going down to bed, Master.”

  Jason looked up into Kale’s face. “Stay here tonight. Please?”

  The thought of staying in bed with Jason curled around him was pleasant enough; it was the thought of how awkward the morning might be that gave Kale pause.

  “Please, Kale, I’d just like to lie with you.”

  The pleading in Jason’s eyes made it impossible for Kale to deny him. “Very well, Master. As you wish.” There was that smile again. Contemplating it, Kale thought that whatever awkwardness morning might bring, it was worth it for this moment. He situated himself back in bed, and Jason nestled up against him, settling in the crook of his arm. As soon as Jason found a comfortable fit, he was asleep again.

  Sleep did not come so quickly for Kale. He found himself in an entirely new position. Never before had he spent the night in the bed of someone he had been with, much less a free person who owned him. The blissful after-sex haze had faded, and now the reality of what happened came crashing in on Kale. Was he stupid? Did he have a death wish? There was no way this ended well for him. What was he doing giving in to his feelings? Scratch that, what was he doing having feelings for his master at all? He wasn’t that reckless, he couldn’t be. There had to be another explanation.

  Jason liked to act as if Kale had a choice, but Kale knew better. If he had refused, Jason could have made his life hell. There would have been resentment, and if not outright punishment for the refusal, surely there would have been repercussions. Jason could easily go from the nice agreeable master who suddenly took an interest in making Kale’s life easy, to the demanding, domineering man of whom Kale had learned to be wary. That had to be the real reason Kale had surrendered to Jason tonight. There was no harm in allowing himself enjoyment, as long he was clear that he was doing it out of duty. Any other thought was just too worrisome.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next morning, the movement of the bed woke Jason. Stretching, he opened his eyes, and they immediately sought out Kale, who was slipping out of bed. Once Kale noticed that Jason was awake, he stopped and Jason smiled. Waking up with Kale like this was different from all the mornings when Kale had woken him up before. The knowledge of what they had shared last night made butterflies go wild in Jason’s stomach. Just the sight of those pale green eyes that Jason now knew had flecks of gold in them made Jason want to pull Kale back into bed.

  The whole experience with Kale was different than it had been with Eric. Topping had been exquisite, a new sensation after bottoming, but that wasn’t it. The whole dynamic was different. With Eric, there had been a kind of hero worship that made Jason turn a blind eye to his true character. With Kale, however, Jason felt true admiration and respect, which made the feelings of affection deeper and more grounded. With Eric, he had felt on edge and nervous, as if the slightest wrong move on his part would pop the bubble. There was none of that here, only a feeling to want to make sure Kale enjoyed himself as much as Jason did.

  “Master, I was just going to get your breakfast.”

  “Bring up enough for yourself as well. We’ll eat together.” Kale hid his shock well, but Jason could see it in the slight quirk of his eyebrows. “It’ll be fun.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Once Kale had left, Jason’s mind began to wander over the events of last night. It seemed like he had been dreaming about having sex with Kale for weeks now. There were so many times that he had wanted to act on his desire, but he never wanted Kale to feel forced. Even now, Jason wondered if Kale had gone through with it just because his master wanted it. Closing his eyes, Jason replayed the night in his mind. No, there was no mistaking that Kale enjoyed himself and wanted it to happen.

  It would be important now to make sure that Kale still felt comfortable. It was disconcerting that he had moved to go down to his own bed. Did Kale think that he was using him? That he wasn’t interested in more than sex? Nothing could be further from the truth. It was Kale’s character that had made Jason fall for him, and he was sure that he had, indeed, fallen.

  Even though he was sure Kale was not unwilling last night, that didn’t mean his feelings were the same as Jason’s. He had to realize that this transition would be harder on Kale. Regaining Kale’s trust would not be easy, and it might not even be possible for Jason to redeem himself. While Jason was falling head first, wanting to immediately change their relationship to one of lovers, there was no guarantee that Kale would ever be in the same place. It was much better to move slowly. Jason would act as if they were just starting out. And in a way they were; until recently, Jason had only ever viewed Kale as a slave. It was time they built a relationship based on more than their legal status. As much as it pained him, Jason was bound and determined to take this as slowly as Kale needed.

  When Kale returned with breakfast, it became painfully obvious just how slowly they would need to go. Setting the breakfast tray down on the table, Kale set Jason’s place and then looked around in confusion as to what he was supposed to do with his.

  “Set your place across from mine.” Jason rose to join Kale at the table as he silently obeyed. When Jason seated himself in front of his food, he saw that Kale was once again at a loss. “Take a seat, Kale. Come on; don’t tell me you’re uncomfortable eating with me after last night.”

  That got a response. Jason could always count on Kale to defend his pride. “No, of course not, Master. I just didn’t know if you wanted me to sit with you while you ate. As I recall, that was one of the first rules you outlined.”

  Not only did Kale remember all the ways in which Jason had been a bastard, but it appeared that he was still bitter about them as well. The subtle jibe hit Jason hard. No matter how happy he was right now, there was still a lot of work to do to get Kale to move with him to a better place. Jason set down his fork and met Kale’s gaze. “I was being an ass. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was stupid, and I thought that lording myself over someone who had no control and no way to fight back would make me feel big. I was wrong, Kale, and I’m sorry.”

  It appeared that was the last thing Kale expected. His jaw went slack, and his lips parted slightly. After a moment he looke
d away. “Thank you, Master. I appreciate that.”

  Jason desperately wished he could get Kale to call him by his name, but it was too soon. When Kale did use Jason’s name, he needed it to be because Kale wanted to, because he was in love with him. “Go ahead and eat up. You don’t want it to get cold.” Jason went back to eating, and when he looked at Kale again, he saw that he was eating, too. Looking down at his plate, though, he couldn’t help noticing something was different. “Hey, why is mine fancier than yours?” Jason crinkled his forehead. It wasn’t right that they should have different meals.

  Kale started to laugh, but began to choke on his dull looking oatmeal. When he had swallowed, he asked, “Fancier, Master?”

  “Yeah, mine’s nicer than yours.”

  “I’m a slave. Oatmeal is a lot cheaper. It can also sit in a pot waiting for when we have time to eat.”

  “So? You’re eating with me. It’s not right. Switch with me.”

  “Switch?”

  “What, you don’t think I can eat what you eat every morning?”

  “It’s not a matter of being able to, Master, it’s just that you’re not going to like it.”

  “What I don’t like is you not eating well. It won’t kill me. Pass it over.”

  When Jason passed his plate to Kale, he noticed the smile that Kale was trying to hide as he handed over the oatmeal. When the plates were settled again, Kale wasn’t eating. He was probably waiting for Jason to taste the oatmeal and send it back. Wanting to prove he wasn’t the spoiled child Kale seemed to think he was, Jason raised a nice big spoonful to his mouth and looked Kale in the eye.

  Big mistake.

  If he hadn’t tried to keep eye contact, he could have kept the distaste from his face. As it was, he had to turn away to concentrate on swallowing his mouthful. It wasn’t that it tasted bad, it was that it had no taste at all, which just left the thick, goopy consistency.

  “Care for your poached eggs, Master?”

  Jason saw that Kale was holding up Jason’s original plate and reaching out his hand for the oatmeal. More than that, he had a very satisfied smile on his face. It was the smile that strengthened Jason’s resolve.

  “No, thank you. I think I’ll stick with the oatmeal. It’s very filling, really sticks to the ribs.”

  Kale raised his eyebrows and snorted. “As you wish, Master.”

  Already the honorific was grating on Jason’s nerves. One step at a time, though. “I was wondering if you might like to come with me today. I have a couple of lectures, and then I was thinking of going to the library. You could bring a book if you want, and once we get to the library, I’ll check out anything you like.”

  Kale’s eyes turned wary. “Would I like to go?”

  It was clear Kale was not comfortable being put in this kind of position. Why should he be? Jason knew he had done nothing to make Kale believe it was acceptable for him to make choices and that Jason would respect them. “It’s just that I would really like to see you more today, but I can’t get away from my classes. Who knows, you might even be interested by the lectures. I have one on philosophy today and one on mythology. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t invite you to anything too boring.”

  “I’ve never been to campus with you.”

  “No, but it’s not uncommon for students to bring slaves. If you’d feel uncomfortable, you can certainly stay home, I won’t hold it against you.” Jason knew he had him now. There was no way Kale would let him think that anything made him uncomfortable.

  “I just wanted to make sure it was appropriate for you, Master. Of course, I’ll accompany you anywhere you request.”

  * * *

  That day was one of the happiest Jason had spent in classes since he arrived at university. After his humiliation with Eric, it should have been more difficult than this, and it had been. Those first days in class had been nearly unbearable with the looks and whispers he endured from the other students. Then Kale had become an important part of his life. When he was with Kale, Jason felt like they were in their own little world, safe from intrusion.

  Kale had opted not to bring a book. He had said something about not wanting to have to carry it around, but Jason suspected his decision had more to do with his desire to show Jason that he could keep up with the lectures. It was nice to look over and see Kale kneeling next to him. Jason would have preferred to have Kale sitting beside him, but there was no way to do that in class. Even in a massive lecture hall it would cause a scene to have a slave sitting among free men. During his philosophy class, Kale appeared to be interested in the subject matter, and Jason caught him nodding along with what the professor said. Even though that level of enthusiasm was missing in the mythology class, it was easy to see that the lecture amused Kale.

  The best part of the day was walking into the library with Kale and hearing his intake of breath. Jason remembered having the same reaction when he first saw the library rotunda. When Jason told him that he could pick any book he wanted, Kale had looked at him as though he was crazy.

  “How could I possibly pick one? I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Well, what are you interested in?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Sure you do. You liked that last book you read, with the pirates, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, what did you like about it?”

  “I guess I liked reading about foreign places. All I’ve ever seen is the old county and here. I’ve always been curious about the outside world.”

  “All right then. I actually know a book you’d enjoy. It will just take a minute to find it.”

  Kale eyed the walls and shelves full of books and looked back at Jason skeptically. A few minutes later, Jason had shown Kale how to find books using the library’s catalog and handed him Voyage of the Sea Strider, a book about a nautical explorer and his adventures in new lands. It was gratifying to share these things he loved with Kale.

  After they finished at the library, Jason strolled with Kale around campus. There was no destination in his mind. Jason simply wanted Kale to see the beauty of what had drawn him to Perdana. The architecture was gorgeous, and there were plenty of grassy areas with beautiful trees where students lounged to study and nap.

  Back at the house, they fell into their usual routine. Jason needed to study, and Kale began reading his book. After every few lines that Jason read, he glanced back to watch Kale. After reading the same sentence three times, Jason figured he wouldn’t be getting much studying done and went to the bed to lie down.

  “Would you mind reading to me, Kale?”

  Kale peered at him over the cover of the book with a question in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to want to have sex every time you read to me from now on. I just like hearing your voice.” In an effort to show his sincerity, Jason closed his eyes.

  A moment later, Kale began to read aloud. Jason really did love the sound of his voice. It was strong and smooth. Solid would be the word Jason would use to describe it. Even when Kale was unsure about something, his voice sounded like he meant to be unsure. Jason quickly tuned out the words and simply let the rich tones of his voice wash over him. Thinking of how much he liked Kale’s voice made Jason think of other things he liked about Kale. The strong arms that were nicely defined, but not too bulky. They weren’t as big as they had been when Jason first received him, but they were still nicely muscled. Then there was his flat, firm stomach. And the way his face looked when he orgasmed…this was definitely not a good train of thought to be on when he was trying to prove to Kale that he could just listen to him read. Jason opened his eyes, but just like yesterday, his eyes went straight to Kale’s lips, and he began to think about just how much he wanted to taste them again. This would not do.

  Jason jumped up and strode toward his desk, hoping that he could hide the interest his body was taking. “That’s good, Kale. I’d better get back to studying. You’ve done enough reading for today. You may draw if you want.” Kale wa
s silent behind him, and Jason couldn’t tell if that meant anything. He didn’t dare look back and see; he didn’t think he could hide his desire from Kale if he faced him.

  A few minutes later, Jason heard the familiar scratch of pencil on paper and breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling that he hadn’t made a fool of himself, he was now able to study.

  When he glanced at the clock, he was surprised to see that two hours had passed. He had accomplished a lot, and it was a good time for a break. When Jason started toward where Kale was sitting in the overstuffed chair, Kale was moving to stand.

  “Don’t get up. I’m just taking a break. I thought I’d see what you were drawing.”

  Kale picked up his sketchpad from the table and picked one of the pastels to resume sketching.

  “You’re using the pastels. Do you like them?”

  “Yes, Master. Thank you again.”

  By this time, Jason had made it behind Kale and looked down to see his work. What he saw quite literally took his breath away.

  “I know it’s not very good.” Kale craned his neck to look back at Jason.

  “What are you talking about? Kale, this is phenomenal.” Before him was a perfect drawing of the library rotunda. Kale had recreated every detail, down to the stained glass windows that had been commissioned from one of the most famous artists in Perdana’s history. It was the first time Jason had seen Kale use color, and the result was stunning. Light drifted in through the stained glass windows and settled on bookshelves and tables. The colored light seemed to dance on the page. “I have never seen anything like it.”

  “You mean from a slave. I know you’ve been to art shows before, and there are plenty of pretty paintings at your school.”

  “Kale, I’m telling you, there are not many men who can draw like you, slave or free.” At times like this, Jason realized his pre-conceived notions about class were ludicrous. It was a crime to say that a slave was less of a person than a free man when he was capable of producing such art.