Richard took a red star-shaped piece from the plate and inspected it. The smell of the sweet almond paste took him back to happier times—and sadder ones too. He took a small bite and found it still delicious.
“No,” he said, a hint of regret in his voice. “I’ve not changed at all.”
Chapter Nine
WILLIAM WAS still awake when Richard returned, although he was tired. When Geoffrey left, he had stripped naked and climbed beneath the sheets, hoping he would appear enticing. He fantasized a lot about what they might do, wishing for more than the tug he’d got that afternoon. Feeling Richard’s hands upon him was wonderful, but he wanted more.
He’d given up on seeing his master again that evening, when Richard walked through the door.
“I worried you would be gone all night,” William said, sitting up in the bed, immediately alert. He was so excited that he barely noticed how tired Richard appeared.
Richard went straight to the bed and sat to remove his boots. He glanced at William but didn’t seem interested in his body. “Tonight I’ve returned because I wouldn’t have you worry, but I may not sleep here again for a while,” he said wearily.
William felt stomach-sick. “Why? Have you been talking to Geoffrey?”
“It’s nothing to do with you. I’m working off the debt.”
That was a relief. Richard needn’t be away every night on Nick’s behalf.
“Why should you? Nick ought to repay Bennett, and if he can do nothing but work on his knees or on his back, then let him face the consequences.” Richard muttered his disapproval, but William didn’t know or care about his predecessor, and he wouldn’t be cowed. “He stole from you. He betrayed you. He brought that man here to blackmail you. You owe him nothing.”
“William, he was my friend and my lover for two years. I’ll not have him in my life after all those crimes against me, but I can’t forget our past. I’m not that sort of man.”
“That’s noble of you. It’s a pity he wasn’t so loyal.”
“I never wanted or needed him to be,” Richard snapped, finally finding enough energy to be angry. “I wasn’t in love with him, and I don’t believe you own a man just because you lie with him. I watched him woo girls often enough, and though I was offended when I discovered he slept with bawds, it is only because I didn’t want to be passed the pox. Nick was convenience and friendship for me, and he would have had the money if he told me he needed it.”
“So why didn’t he?”
This made Richard pause. Eventually he shook his head. “You don’t know him. He doesn’t work like that.”
Richard lay down on the bed fully dressed, and William sank down beneath the sheets next to him. After a few minutes’ silence, he found the courage to say, “Now you’re back, we should start where we left off.”
Rolling over, Richard took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m tired,” he said with a yawn. “Maybe tomorrow night.”
“You won’t be here then. Besides, I need you now. I’ve been hard half the night thinking about you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Please. I was so close before, and I have waited for you. I want you to love me.”
“Love you?” Richard gave William the same indulgent smile he had when they were first introduced. “Are you asking for a fuck?”
William grinned at him and Richard laughed. Then he closed his eyes and murmured, “All right.”
Shifting forward, William kissed him. Richard opened his mouth a little and let William tentatively probe inside with his tongue. Richard tasted of sweets and good wine. He had said he would be looked after at Bennett’s home, and apparently he had not been wrong.
William took the opportunity to explore Richard’s body, undressing him slowly as they kissed. When they were both naked, he traced a finger over his lover’s jawline, stroking the tidy beard before moving down to his chest, where there was a softer, lighter covering of fine hairs and two perky brown nipples.
He tried to deepen the kiss, but Richard wouldn’t let him. “I’m tired,” he murmured, but he continued to allow the more delicate pecks, and he pulled William close.
William whipped his hand down now, hoping to persuade Richard’s cock he wasn’t so weary, but it lay soft against his skin. He pulled his hand away as if burned. “You don’t want me anymore.” The knowledge was crushing.
Richard opened his eyes but did not look at William. He stared at the ceiling as he said, “It’s not that I don’t want you. I’ve tried, haven’t I? I can’t fuck you because I’ve nothing left.”
“I don’t understand.”
Richard sat up and pulled William up alongside him. “How do you think I am paying the debt?” he asked irritably.
Of course.
How could William have been so lean-witted as to misunderstand that? Nothing else would be keeping Richard from his own bed every night. “No,” he whispered. “Don’t sell yourself for Nick.”
Richard pointed to his clothes that lay discarded on the floor. “The purse is in amongst that pile there. Count the money. Thirty for Nick’s debt, and another five for me.”
Five pounds. Was that all Richard Brasyer cost? It was a fortune to William, and yet it seemed like nothing at all. “You’re whoring yourself for five pounds?”
Cringing, Richard explained. “It’s called patronage. Bennett often supports me through hard times, and I am generous with him in return. Plenty do it.”
“Even Geoffrey?”
“No. Not him. And you won’t tell him that I’ve done it either.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am ashamed. Now please, let me sleep.”
It was a long night. William lay awake wondering what he might be expected to do. It was one thing to pretend to a man like Sam, but another entirely to actually lie with a man like Bennett. On their brief meeting, Bennett had allowed William no dignity, treating him as just another commodity to be bought and sold, and at a far cheaper rate than the gold he was supposed to trade.
Was that how he treated Richard? Richard seemed sure that he would be looked after, but his behavior when Bennett was there didn’t suggest any warmth between them.
In the morning, after only a few hours’ sleep, William woke to find himself wrapped in Richard’s arms, head resting on his chest. Richard was still asleep but had somehow found him during the night, and apparently neither of them minded the position enough for it to wake them. William wondered if Richard dreamed of Nick or Bennett. He doubted Richard thought of him.
Still, it was nice, the comfort and closeness of his body. William had never slept naked until he arrived in Richard’s bed, and this was the first time he’d woken in a man’s embrace. It didn’t entirely make up for the previous night’s disappointment, but it was something.
He hadn’t woken up excited—it didn’t happen every day—but now he felt himself stirring. He tried to will his arousal away by focusing his mind on work, knowing he would get no release for yet another day, but he could not. Eventually, he gave up and simply enjoyed the delicious ache between his legs as he pressed against Richard’s body.
Soon Richard awoke. William closed his eyes and feigned sleep, hoping the moment would last a little longer.
“William?” Richard asked, voice drowsy, when he realized what had happened. His grip strengthened just a little, and William was sure he felt a soft kiss on the top of his head before Richard relaxed again. “William, wake up.”
William raised his head and smiled contently at him. “A few more minutes, please,” he said. “I’m enjoying this.”
“If you wish.” Richard’s hand strayed down to cup one of William’s buttocks. “Cupid’s arrow must have struck deep. I wouldn’t have imagined my presence so welcome after last night.”
“I’m not happy you went to his bed, but it couldn’t be helped.”
Richard winced slightly. “Yes, it’s just the way things are.”
“I shouldn’t have been surprised, anyway. I’ve be
en mistaken for a bawd three times since we met.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
William supposed he would, but he didn’t have to revel in it. “Am I to get used to it because I’m an actor or because you have a reputation?” he asked wryly.
“Both would be a good starting point. From there you must learn to tell any lecher you meet to go fuck his own arse.”
The pair of them giggled, and William felt a sublime friction as Richard’s body moved against his cock. He shuddered slightly and pulled himself back, breaking the contact.
“Does that thing ever go soft?” Richard asked playfully.
“Not when I’m naked with you.” William didn’t like to be teased for something he couldn’t help, and he had no control over his body’s reaction to being in Richard’s arms, in his bed. He shifted away fully, sat up, and leaned against the wall behind the bed, pulling the blankets up to hide his stiff prick.
Richard sat up too, taking a similar position next to him, one arm and thigh flush against William’s own. “You still want me,” he asked seriously, “despite knowing what I did last night?”
The thought alone of what he might have done made William yearn for him all the more. “I’ve no idea what you did, but I imagine I should like it very much. Perhaps you could show me when your debt is repaid. I will wait for you. I don’t care how long it takes.”
“You’ve not the patience for that.” Richard continued to smile, but his eyes grew sad. “Besides, I’m not worth it. I’ll just let you down again.”
“I know you have lain with men before. And I know Bennett was once your master—”
“That does not make it any better. You must forget me, I told you.”
“That’s what I was trying to do yesterday in this bed. I won’t be able to put you from my mind until I know what it is I must forget.”
Richard looked him over and then stared into his eyes. “Loyalty is important,” he murmured. “I can’t give it to you.”
“Had I five pounds in my purse, it would not matter what you think about loyalty.”
They stared at each other until William could take it no more. “We should dress,” he said, moving to leave the bed.
Richard caught his arm. “You understand, don’t you? You understand why it is better I do not let myself give in to the urge?”
“Not really, and I do not care to hear your explanation.”
William tried to pull away, but the grip around his arm tightened, and Richard would not let go.
“I would have talked of protecting you and of protecting myself. You are not like other men I have known. We are too similar, too softhearted. If you do not wish to hear it, then I will just have to give you what you want, and we must both face the consequences.”
William did not believe for a moment he would get what he wanted from Richard. “All I have wanted for days now is to come off,” he muttered. “Will you give me the room alone for a while?”
“I’ll give you my mouth, and you may do with it as you wish.”
There could be no mistaking that. William’s breath caught in his throat and his cock twitched. “All the way,” he demanded. “You take me all the way to the end, or I’ll have none of it. These past few days have been the most frustrating of my life.”
Richard responded with a desperate kiss. When he pulled back and looked into William’s eyes, he whispered, “I shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t.”
But he kissed William again, and William realized that whatever Richard’s conscience told him, he would do it anyway.
Eventually the kisses moved lower until Richard’s head sank down between William’s legs. Then warmth and wetness as Richard’s mouth closed over the end of his cock.
William gasped and tried to pull back in surprise, but there was nowhere to go. His flesh, already sensitive from being swollen so long, had never known a touch like it. It was the most wonderful thing he’d ever experienced; he knew that, if nothing else. Richard’s lips slid down and down, right to the root of him, and it was all William could do not to come off in Richard’s mouth after just one suck. He clung to the sensation, struggling not to give in to the ecstasy that was overwhelming him. After so much time spent waiting, aching for Richard, it took the power of every muscle in William’s body to hold back.
Mercifully Richard stopped, slowly withdrawing William’s prick from his mouth. “You like it?” he asked innocently.
William looked down at him, watched him lick his lips, and felt himself shudder. “I like it all right,” he replied. “And though I am trying, I cannot sustain this much longer.”
Richard continued to look up at him as he took William’s cock in his hand once more. William expected him to suck again, but instead he brought it to his mouth and licked the sensitive tip. That was an entirely new sensation, and a fresh wave of desire washed over William.
“That will not help me hold back,” he gasped.
Looking very pleased with himself, Richard asked, “Should I stop?” But his eyes were full of lust, not concern.
“No.”
“Then let yourself go. There will be other times.”
Richard brought his head back down over William’s cock, enveloping him again in moist heat.
William closed his eyes and focused on the sensation. Tight lips gliding up and down, tongue snaking around, licking the head, the slit…. He clung to the feeling for almost a minute, but as it built inside him, he could not hold back, didn’t even want to, and he came off quickly, spilling seed into Richard’s mouth.
When he opened his eyes, Richard was grinning at him.
“Relieved?” Richard asked. “You’ve done what you came here to do.”
William felt euphoric. His whole body had come alive, and the sensation hadn’t fully left him yet. Coming off alone felt good, but coming off with Richard felt like heaven. “Not just relieved,” he panted. “I am the happiest I have ever been.”
“Good. Have you scratched your itch for me?”
“I think I am more in love with you than ever now,” William confessed, regretting it a moment later when Richard nibbled his lip nervously. He didn’t want Richard to think what they’d just done was a mistake. “I mean, not in love, but…. You understand what I am saying?”
“I do.”
Richard left the bed to dress. His cock was hard, but William didn’t press for the opportunity to satisfy him. He didn’t want to be rejected and have it spoil the moment. Besides, more than anything right then, he wanted to go back to sleep.
“I must be less forward,” William said with a yawn. “I have to keep reminding myself you don’t know me the way I know you.”
Richard took a seat on the bed next to him as he pulled on his hose. “You still don’t know me at all,” he said quietly, “but I’m beginning to get used to your ways. It’s nice to have some affection. I may have bedded many men, but few have loved me, and even fewer would admit it. Even if you don’t truly mean it, it’s pleasurable to my ear. I’ve waited a long time to hear it spoken in earnest.”
William’s heart leapt. “Does this mean we’re lovers now?” he asked hopefully.
“You are still my apprentice, and I am still your master.”
“Yes, yes, but when we go to bed—”
“Nothing has changed. You know I will be with someone else tonight. You know I have just used you when I should have left you be.”
William remembered all the talk, but he didn’t feel used. “If you want to use me, then do it now. You’ve had nothing from me.”
“I’ve had more than enough from you,” Richard said curtly. Then he groaned. “You see, I have hurt you, just as promised. That is the cost of having what you want.”
It bruised, but William set his chin, ready to take on any argument Richard threw at him, knowing it would not matter the next time Richard was hot for him. “It was fair bought, and I would do it again. I suspect I will, knowing the strength of your resolve.”
Richard
shook his head as if exasperated, but a faint smile stole onto his lips as he replied, “No doubt. Now come, we must get breakfast. There’s a lot to do this morning.”
William sluggishly dragged himself from the bed. Heaven had abandoned him, and it was time to face the world in all its ugliness. He should probably start with the worst of it.
“Before we do anything this morning, I should tell you that I followed that brute last night.”
“You did what?”
Richard seemed surprised rather than angry, which was a good sign.
“I disguised myself and followed him. He went to a bookshop on the other side of the river. I don’t know the name of the street, but I could take you to it.”
“What did he do there?”
“Spoke to the bookseller about you. Well, I think it was about you. They talked as if he’d been to see someone about the purchase of a book.”
“A bookseller? You’re sure it was that man?”
“I’m positive. He may have paid me no mind, but I had a good look at him and followed him door to door.”
William watched Richard turn the information over in his mind. “Will you take me there this afternoon so I can see the place for myself?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Now, you must promise me you’ll not go sneaking about like that again. It was dangerous and stupid.”
William expected nothing less than a telling off, even though he’d done Richard a favor. “Don’t worry, I’ve already had that talk with my cousin,” he huffed.
Richard grimaced. “Geoffrey knows?”
“He caught me coming home and saw I’d borrowed a costume from the chest. He wanted to know where you were, so I told him you were with Bennett.”
“Lord, he will murder me for this,” Richard grumbled, rubbing his temples.
William didn’t press for details why, knowing Richard would not give them up so soon, but being a curious person he had to mention it.
“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I am beginning to think it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve been in trouble.”
Richard gave him a sideways glance and half a smile as he replied, “Maybe you are getting to know me after all.”
The First Act Page 10