* * * *
Drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, Grif had gotten to the point where he felt a bit ridiculous. After spending two weeks cooped up in the house, he'd started to rethink his original problem. Chances are he hadn't seen Quinn, and he'd already spent the last few hours castigating himself as a fool. The fact that fear still ruled him annoyed him a great deal. Determinedly, Grif continued balancing the account book.
"Master?"
Grif looked up from the ledger he'd been working on to see Tage hovering uncertainly near the open door. Instantly his mind changed gears and his own mood slid away in the presence of his slave. He had no problem shelving everything crowding his thoughts to deal with Tage. "Do you need something, Tage?"
"I…" Tage gestured helplessly as he spoke. "Can we talk?"
Standing, Grif moved around the desk and motioned to the nearby couch. The minute he sat down, Tage was next to him, nudging against his side. Smiling, Grif draped his arm around Tage's shoulder. Tage seemed to need the protective contact with his master, and Grif easily provided it. Ever since they had dealt with Tristan, Tage had his moments of needful clinging.
"Now what did you want to talk to me about?" Grif asked quietly.
"Something is wrong. I can feel it, but I don't know what it is." Curling against Grif, Tage scooted down until his head rested in Grif's lap and his body stretched out on the couch.
Grif stroked a hand gently over Tage's hair as he listened. He wasn't surprised Tage had caught onto the sense of unease. Tage had always been extremely sensitive when it came to his master. No matter what else was in his life, Grif had to quell his problems in order to give Tage the safety his slave needed. The time for worrying about what he might have seen was now over. He would never allow it to intrude on his sub.
"There are some matters I have been dealing with, Tage, but it's nothing for you worry to about. It will never affect you."
"But, Master, I think it has already." Greatly daring to speak as he did, Tage rolled to his back to look up at his master.
Though Grif frowned, he didn't reprimand Tage for the words. Instead he asked, "How do you believe it has?"
Drawing a deep breath, Tage's eyes never wavered from Grif's. "You don't spend as much time as you used to in the dungeon with me."
From Tage's expression, Grif knew Tage only spoke to him out of deep concern and love. "That is something I will quickly rectify, my pet."
* * * *
While Dominic had Jason on the other side of the room, Grif had Tage bound by restraints hanging from the ceiling on this side. It allowed Grif to slowly circle around him, applying flicks of his whip to random areas of his sub's body. Already welts striped Tage's ivory skin across his thighs, ass, and groin, staining the flesh a beautiful red. Anticipating each strike, Tage's body arched slightly in Grif's direction, silently begging for the touch of the leather as the sub moaned softly.
"You want more, don't you, my beautiful toy?" Grif spoke softly as he wielded the whip, giving Tage three more successive blows against his inner thigh.
Lost in the sublime world of increasingly burning pain, Tage shuddered in the restraints as the blows rained down on his skin harder and faster. As he looked over at Jason, he saw Dominic playing with him, and another jolt ran through Tage, drawing a harsher groan from him. After several hits, Grif's hand replaced the stinging whip, soothing over his hot flesh as it slid downward over the curve of Tage's ass before slowly sliding a finger inside him. The simple action made Tage shudder again as his hips arched back, trying to grind against his master's hand.
Jason bit at his bottom lip so hard he saw stars. His fingers itched to slide over that beautiful skin, to feel the searing heat as he stroked the welts lining Tage's body. Dominic moved up behind him and licked his neck. Jason groaned softly as two fingers slid deep inside him, his master spreading him open.
"What would you do," Dominic whispered, adding a third finger, "if you could touch him?"
Jason gasped as all three fingers pushed deep. "Kiss him," he panted. "Soothe the pain, drink in the burn as I sank inside him." Dominic's fingers disappeared then and Jason moaned as a plug replaced them. "Master…"
Jason had only a second to draw in a breath before the warmth of Dominic's body disappeared. He knew what was coming. His gaze locked onto Tage's just seconds before the first blow from Dom's riding crop landed across his ass. Jason gritted his teeth and arched, body shaking as he rode the sensations.
The snap of Grif's whip on Tage followed on the heel of Dom's crop to Jason. Welcoming the pain, and with it the intense sensitivity of his own body, Tage meet Jason's eyes in a pleading look. Tage needed to feel more, he wanted touch, and everything blended within the straining line of his body. Grif applied the whip with a skillful ease, keeping Tage right on the edge. Jason's hips jerked suddenly and he shook, crying out as he came. The blows from Dominic's crop stopped just as abruptly.
Grif stepped up behind Tage and his hands caressed over Tage's flesh as he nuzzled against Tage's throat.
Instinctively Tage sought the contact, leaning back against Grif as he whispered, "Master." His entire body trembled with each drifting touch of Grif's hands and lips on him.
"Since you seem to have lost the ability to control yourself," Dominic said to Jason, his deep voice stern, "then you will relearn control."
Jason hung his head down, body lax against his bonds. "Yes, Master." He licked his dry lips and shuddered. Dominic's punishments were harsh at best, and they never failed to serve their purpose.
Dominic walked around to stand in front of him and tilted Jason's head up. "I have a new gift for you." He coated Jason's softened cock in oil and slipped it into a clear cock cage.
The plastic cage was just barely long enough for him while limp. Jason swallowed as Dominic situated the chastity device snugly on him and locked it with a tiny padlock.
"For one week, you will have no genital contact and no orgasms of any sort. This remains on at all times except for bathing. When you need to bathe, I will unlock it. There's a hole in the tip for urination. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Master."
FOUR
Jason waited until the butler's head was turned before he stole a meatball out of the bowl. Popping it into his mouth, he tried not to laugh as he chewed. He was just licking the spaghetti sauce from his fingers when Egbert turned around. Jason's eyes went wide; Egbert's narrowed.
"It works better if you eat it with the spaghetti, Jason."
Jason just grinned, totally unrepentant. "You're no fun."
Tage came in just in time to see Jason's grin. His stomach rumbled, but he wasn't as daring as Jason in trying to steal a tidbit for himself.
Grinning as Egbert bent down to take out the garlic bread from the oven, Jason stole another meatball and walked over to Tage. "Open wide," he whispered.
After quickly looking over at the busy butler, Tage's wide-eyed gaze returned to Jason. Tage opened his mouth, and a half-ass grin peeked out as he took the meatball from Jason's fingers. Turning his head slightly, Tage tried to hide the fact that he was chewing.
"Jason Richards. I'm going to pretend that I did not see you steal another one." Despite the words, there was a good hint of humor in Egbert's voice as he set the baking sheet on the stovetop. A few seconds later, a soggy dishrag flew across the room, smacking Jason's bare back.
"Hey!" Jason jumped, almost bumping right into Tage. "That wasn't fair."
Laughing, Tage stepped back. "You think he doesn't see everything. Yeah, right." Knowing the drill, Tage obediently got out the dishes and cutlery to begin setting the table.
With a wink, Egbert returned to finishing the dinner. "You get dishes tonight, Jason."
Pouting, Jason got two glasses out, sticking his tongue out at Egbert as he did. Egbert turned and lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Keep it up, hotshot, and I'll give you dishes for a week."
"Man…" Jason rolled his eyes and laughed. Looking
over at Tage, he asked, "What are you drinking tonight, gorgeous?"
"Grape juice." The delicious scent of the food made Tage's mouth water as he settled in one of the chairs to wait for Jason to join him.
"You gonna sit with us tonight, Egbert?" Jason asked as he poured their drinks.
Egbert snorted. "And watch all my hard slaving over a stove go to waste while you two feast on each other?" He gave them both a knowing look before leaving the room.
Just as he set the glasses down on the table, Jason leaned over to steal a kiss from Tage. Jason moaned softly and a slight tug pulled Tage's head back, deepening the kiss. Unable to resist, Tage's breath escaped him with a soft sigh.
"Time to eat," Jason murmured. "Though I'd much rather make Egbert good on his comment and feast on you."
"You'd waste away to nothing if you ignored the food in favor of me." Piling some spaghetti on his plate, Tage spooned some of the sauce and meatballs on top of it before he reached for a piece of the garlic bread.
"You're as bad as Dominic," Jason laughed as he sat down. After he had his food on his plate, he seemed to pay more attention to Tage than to his food. "Egbert might be a great cook for a vampire, but I'll take you over food any day." Giving Tage a wink, Jason scooped up some sauce on his fingertip, then sucked it off in the most suggestive way imaginable. "Love the way you taste."
Thankfully, Tage had grown somewhat used to Jason's antics, or he would have been flustered by now. As it was, he covertly watched, or tried to, as Jason sucked on his finger. He purposely ignored the stirring between his legs. "No wonder you're so skinny."
"Hey, I eat," Jason said as he made good on his word, taking a bite of his spaghetti. "Still say I'd rather have my tongue in your ass, though."
Tage couldn't hide the flush he felt burning over his cheeks as he lowered his gaze to his food. Jason had a way of talking to him that caused a tightening in every part of his body. Damn hard not to think about Jason's tongue in his ass, making him squirm. Applying himself to his food, he devoured the plate of spaghetti.
Once he finished, Jason pushed his chair back from the table and reached out for Tage's hand. "Sit," he said, patting his lap.
No matter the things they had done, Tage couldn't get rid of his shyness, especially when it came to Jason. Hesitantly he stood and moved around the table. "Master Dominic wants us for a session soon, Jason." Still, he slid onto Jason's lap, resting his arm across the back of the chair.
Gripping Tage's hips, Jason leaned close. Catching Tage's cloth-covered nipple in his teeth, Jason tugged just enough to tease. Tage's breath caught in his throat and even through the fabric, he could feel the scrape of Jason's teeth. Unable to hide his own responses, Tage squirmed down to meet the slow rock of Jason's hips.
"Can't wait to see those restraints around your wrists and ankles," Jason murmured, "spreading you open. Can't wait to see what Dominic slides in your ass, stretching you."
Scrambling suddenly from Jason's lap, Tage had to stand or risk coming. Jason's sultry voice and the very words themselves had Tage reacting far more than he should. "Maybe I should go take a shower before Master Dominic calls for us."
"Want help?" The look Jason gave him was purely devilish.
Outside of the controlling situation they were in, Tage felt very uncertain when it came to Jason. Of course, he'd been forbidden to take care of his problem himself, and he groaned inwardly at the thought of Jason with him in the shower. "I probably should take that shower by myself." Quickly he picked up some of the dirty dishes and took them to the sink.
Jason got up and stopped him. "My job tonight, remember?" Smiling, he leaned down and kissed Tage softly. "Go get your shower. I've got the dishes."
Just barely stopping himself from melting, Tage murmured, "I was going to help you."
Taking the dishes from Tage's hands, Jason set them in the sink before turning to Tage. "If you stay in here, I'm likely to just bend you over the table, or fuck you on the countertop."
Tage had to bite at his lower lip to stop himself from saying 'please'. Hastily spinning around, he retreated from the kitchen.
* * * *
Tage knelt obediently beside Grif, listening as his master spoke with Dominic. Occasionally, Tage raised his eyes, covertly looking in Jason's direction. The other sub knelt near Dominic. Lately Tage had a hard time keeping his focus where it was supposed to be. All around them others went about their business in the club, but Tage paid little heed to anyone else.
In one of the far corners of the room, a scene was taking place with another sub. The young man had been tied to a St. Andrew's cross and his body writhed beneath the expert touch of a bull whip. It wasn't often such displays were given since very few masters used bull whips, and a small crowd stood in a half circle, silently watching the session.
As another man approached them, Tage shifted slightly closer to Grif's chair. Lowering his eyes, he kept his gaze fixed on the floor. He really didn't care for dealing with other people that much and some made him exceedingly nervous. He possessed a type of mental radar that warned him in some indefinable way he couldn't understand. He could feel the man's eyes on him and knew the man's name. Tage knew Bran Holden had been watching him for some time. Yet every time he caught the man's look on him, Tage would always quickly look away.
Addressing Grif, Bran said, "We need to talk, Griffith."
Fear flickered in Tage's eyes as they darted up toward Bran. Pausing in his conversation with Dominic, Grif looked up as well with a questioning look.
With a small smile, Bran looked down at Tage. "Such a precious toy. He's interested me for some time, and you know that." Returning his gaze back to Grif, he continued smoothly. "I'm willing to seriously up my offer. I figure that's what you wanted." Bran seemed entirely confident in his notion that he had only to name the right amount and Grif would give Tage to him.
Looking back down at the floor, Tage tried not to tremble. He didn't believe Grif would let someone else have him, but if Grif decided to the contrary, Tage would have to obey. It was the form of the contract they had between them; Grif owned him completely.
Grif's gaze drifted slightly between Bran and Tage, and his hand reached to brush over Tage's shoulder. "It doesn't help that I've mentioned before that I'm not interested in selling him, does it? I am curious as to your offer this time, Bran."
"I think a hundred is a fair enough offer, Griffith." Smirking faintly, Bran let his gaze travel slowly over Tage. A gleam of avarice glittered in the vampire's eyes, denoting thoughts already of a possessive nature.
Grif's fingers tightened on Tage shoulder as he smiled. "I will agree that it is more than a generous offer, Bran. But one I'm not interested in." Turning down a hundred thousand dollars for a slave wasn't something a person did everyday, but it was clear that Grif wasn't willing to sell Tage at any price.
Tage hadn't looked at anyone during the whole conversation. He could feel eyes on him and had been too afraid to look anywhere else but the floor. Even Grif's hand on him hadn't stopped the frantic beat of his heart. As he drew a shaky breath, his eyes lifted to Jason, seeing the other sub's look of sheer relief. A panicked edge still remained in Tage's mind, and it took everything he had to remain obediently kneeling where he was.
A flicker of anger was directed at Grif before Bran veiled the look in one of congenial acceptance. "I'll come up with the correct figure sooner or later, Griffith. Anticipation makes the reward all that much sweeter."
A smirk crossed Grif's lips. "Maybe some night you'll get it right. But I highly doubt it."
After Bran was out of earshot, Dominic growled low. "I don't fucking trust him."
"That makes two of us, love," Grif muttered. A narrowed gaze followed Bran until the man disappeared into another room. "I think we should return home for now, and take Jason and Tage with us." As Grif's hand slipped lower to beneath Tage's chin, Tage raised his face to his master's, meeting Grif's gaze with a grateful look. "Don't worry, pet. I won't be sel
ling you to the likes of him."
"Good idea," Dominic said as he stood.
When Dominic snapped his fingers, Jason stood, obediently keeping his hands folded behind him and his eyes downcast enough to be respectful, but still high enough to see where he was going. Tage kept his position behind Grif, a proper demeanor in place as he moved beside Jason. Daring a quick look in the other sub's direction, he caught Jason's eyes on him. No matter how badly he wanted his own form of reassurance, he kept to the sedate pace Grif and Dom set.
The walk home was quick and quiet. As soon as Dominic closed the front door, Jason fell back against the wall, eyes closed. "I don't ever want to go through that again," he muttered.
Still, Tage said nothing to Grif about the matter. Even if Grif had decided to sell him, there would have been nothing Tage could do. Bowing his head, he remained silent near Jason.
Turning to glance back at Tage, Grif seemed to sense his thoughts. Quietly, Grif said, "You are right, Tage: it is who you are. And I do have the right to sell you whenever I wish. But I'm not going to, and certainly never to someone like Bran."
Jason opened his eyes and gazed at Tage. It was the closest he'd come to losing Tage and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. When he looked at Dominic, Jason found himself under a sharp, knowing stare. Dominic knew—without Jason needing to say a single word.
"Thank you, Master." Nodding gratefully to Grif, Tage pressed a kiss to his master's hand.
"Go ahead and get yourselves some dinner. If either I or Master Dominic want you, we will call you later." Reaching for Dominic's hand, Grif headed for the stairs.
Jason reached out and pulled Tage close. "I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered.
Without any protest, Tage pushed in against him, clinging tightly. "I would have to obey."
"I know." Jason slid a finger under Tage's chin and lifted Tage's head to see his eyes. "But I'd fight like hell over it."
Tage gave him an unsure look.
Jason smiled and said, "Just nod and say 'okay, Jason'." He leaned in for a kiss then, keeping it light and chaste, waiting to see if Tage would take it further this time.
Dominion Page 4