by K. C. Wells
“Jarod?” he called softly. I didn’t answer. “Pet? I know you can hear me. Open your eyes, please.”
Pet? I hesitantly met his gaze, and where I’d expected to find censure, there was concern and compassion. When he reached a hand out, I expected punishment. I deserved it for not putting my trust in him. What I got surprised me yet again. He stroked my cheek, his fingertips warm against my skin. I tried to push into his hand, needing the connection more than I think I’d needed anything in many years, but I was tired and couldn’t find the strength to raise my head.
“Don’t try to move. Will said we should let you rest for a while, and then I’ll take you home.”
My heart thumped, and confusion had me in a tight grip. “Home?” I whispered.
He smiled and ran his fingers through my hair. “Yes, home. But it’s going to be up to you which place you want to go. I can take you back to your house, or… you could come home with me. No pressure, though. I want you to do what you think is—”
“I want to come home with you. Please.” My head was swimming, and I had no dignity left. I needed a place to belong, and Eli had been offering that to me.
“I was hoping you might say that, but you have to know, pet, things are going to be different.”
My heart dropped. “I understand.”
“No, I don’t think you do. And that’s been the problem since I brought you home with me the first time. You’re a trained submissive, but you’re not my trained submissive. If you decide you want to stay, you’re going to have to learn my rules, my way of doing things. We’re going to start from the beginning, the way it should have been done in the first place. You’re going to be my primary concern, and we’re going to start this journey together.”
He wanted me. Despite everything, he still had a place for me.
“Yes, please,” I croaked.
“Okay, you get some rest. Will says I can take you home in an hour or two. He wants to make sure everything is okay.”
“Will… will you stay with me?”
He smiled then, and it thawed my heart the tiniest bit. When he pulled up a chair and sat down, then took my hand, I felt a moment of contentment, the purest bliss, and then darkness pulled me under, and I slept, praying I was safe in Eli’s hands.
Chapter Seven
Eli
JAROD WAS sleeping when we pulled into the driveway. I didn’t want to wake him, but he needed to eat and get some rest in a proper bed. I shook him gently and waited while he got his bearings. A small pool of drool had made his shoulder soggy, making me smile.
“Come on, pet, let’s get you into the house.”
I put his arm over my shoulder, being mindful of the stitches that Will had said would dissolve in a few weeks, and propped him up as we made our way to the front door. I put the key in the lock and cursed when the door popped open. I had never closed or locked the damned thing.
“Let’s get you into bed.” I half lugged him toward the bedroom, then stopped. I thought for a moment before taking him into my room. His breathing hitched.
“You’ll be more comfortable here, and I want to be near you in case you need something. Is that okay?” I studied his face. He bobbed his head, and I helped him take off his shirt before he lay down. I gazed at him, his face still a little pale. “I’m going to make you something to eat. I’m not going away, and I promise I’ll be right back. Will you be all right?”
Jarod pushed up onto his elbows. “I’ll get lunch, Sir.” His voice was weak, and I could see the lines of exhaustion across his face.
“No,” I said sharply. “You’re to lie there and wait until I return. Nothing else, is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” he answered, his voice meek. I gave a nod of satisfaction and went downstairs.
My skills in the kitchen weren’t the equivalent of Jarod’s, but I did all right. I made him a toasted cheese sandwich and heated some soup for him, then put everything on a tray and returned to the bedroom. Jarod was sleeping soundly, but he had medications to take and that required food. I stared at him, my chest tight, my stomach churning. This was my fault. I had failed him miserably.
I placed the tray on the bedside table and cupped Jarod’s cheek. “Hey, pet. Open your eyes for me, please.”
A small whimper escaped him before he opened his eyes. “Sorry, Sir. I should have waited.”
I tut-tutted. “Nonsense. You need sleep, but you also need to take your pills. As soon as you have those, you’ll be able to get some rest. We need to talk, though. Can we do that while I feed you?”
Jarod flushed and nodded. I dipped the spoon into the steaming soup and fed it to him.
He licked his lips. “That’s very good.”
I snorted. “Any fool can heat up a can of soup. You could probably make it from scratch and it would taste ten times as good.” I fed him another mouthful.
His cheeks pinked. I was halfway to his mouth with another spoonful when he stopped me, his hand on my arm. “What is my punishment to be?” he asked, his voice breaking. And my heart broke to see that guarded expression.
“You didn’t take care of my belongings, did you?” I asked carefully.
He shook his head. “No” came the strained reply.
“Well, I didn’t either,” I admitted.
A look of shock crossed his face for a moment, then was gone.
I sighed. “My job is to see to your needs. When I saw you in the club the first time, I made assumptions that because you were trained and older, you’d fit into my life without me needing to do anything. That was a mistake I intend to rectify. You don’t know what I need and if I’m honest, I have little idea what you’re looking for. I should have reacted quicker on our last visit to the club, and for that I’m sincerely sorry.”
Except for our breathing, there wasn’t a sound in the room.
Jarod
MY CHEST felt tight. No punishment, only apologies. Eli continued to surprise me. He carried on feeding me slowly, wiping my chin if a bit of soup went over it.
I couldn’t just lie there. “I’ll take care of the dishes when I’m done, Sir.”
He caressed my forehead and smiled at me. “I take care of what belongs to me and so should you. By staying in bed and getting well, you are doing your job to the best of your abilities.”
The ice that gripped my heart melted, and I felt warmth rush through me. Eli fed me the last bit of sandwich, wiped my mouth and whispered to me, “Sleep now. I’ll make you some dinner later, and then you can get some more rest. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I nodded groggily. The medications had finally kicked in, and I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. “I can’t… sleep all day,” I protested, the sentence ending in a yawn.
Eli chuckled. “Well, right now, you can’t stay awake, so I think I’ll ignore that last part. Besides, sleep is the best thing for you, both for your body and your mind.” He stroked my face once more. “So go to sleep, pet.”
He wasn’t even out the door before I was asleep again.
When I awoke, it was already evening. I yawned and sat up, stretching my arms. To my surprise, Eli was sitting on the chair by the bed, a book open in his hands. He smiled.
“You look better for that.”
I felt better. I was still fatigued, but nothing like the bone-tired I’d been earlier. “How long have you been there?”
“All afternoon.” Eli marked his place in the book and placed it on the bedside cabinet. He gazed down at me, his eyes sparkling. “And you get to sample my cooking for the second time today.” His lips twitched.
I pushed back the covers. “I can make us some dinner,” I said, swinging my legs out of the bed. Eli stopped me with a shake of his head.
“Oh no, you don’t. Will said you were to have complete bed rest for today, so I’m following his instructions. You’ll just have to put up with my cooking skills for a change.” His face flushed. “Although ‘cooking’ might be stretching it a bit. We’re having l
asagne, and before you ask, it’s one I found in the freezer.” He grinned.
I couldn’t help smiling. “I’m sure it will be delicious.” I got back under the covers.
Eli snorted. “Not even I can ruin microwaving a lasagne. I’ll be back soon.” He peered intently at me. “Do you need anything?”
I shook my head. Will had told me I’d be tired today, but that a lot of it was mental exhaustion. It had been good to share with him. The prospect of a discussion with Eli made me apprehensive, but I knew it had to come.
The only thing was, I didn’t have a clue where it would lead.
Eli
I DECIDED against using the microwave and switched on the oven instead. That would give me some time before the meal was ready. I shoved the individual lasagnes onto the baking sheet and adjusted the timer, before going into the lounge and closing the door quietly behind me.
I got out my phone and scrolled through my contacts to find Brian’s number.
“Okay, you calling me at the weekend can’t be good,” he began. In the background I could hear the TV. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until Monday morning?”
I settled back against the seat cushions. “I need to ask you a big favor.”
The TV’s volume decreased. “Now I am worried. What’s up?”
“I need to take two weeks off. As of now.” I awaited the explosion. My boss didn’t disappoint me.
“You’re kidding, right? Just like that? Oh, c’mon, Eli. You don’t drop shit on me like that at such short notice.” The whining edge to his voice told me how pissed off he was.
“How long have I worked for you?” I demanded, fully aware of the answer. I knew I was pushing it, but this was important.
“Eight years.”
“And in all those years, how much time have I taken off? Hmm?” Asking for the two weeks was unreasonable, but I’d built up enough credit with Brian to risk it.
“Well….” Brian couldn’t really complain. Unlike some of the haulage company’s employees, I never took sick days, and although I was allowed four weeks off a year, I’d never once taken that many. The way I looked at it, he owed me.
“Yeah, I think you can afford to cut me some slack, right? I’ve seen the rosters for the next month. You’ve got plenty of guys who can take on my jobs, and they’ll be happy for the overtime. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important, Brian.” I fell silent, letting him ruminate on it.
After a moment, I heard his sigh. “Okay, fair enough. You do have a point,” he said, his tone grudging.
“Thanks, boss.” I’d hoped he’d see it my way.
“But if anyone at the depot asks, you had a family emergency or something, all right?”
I laughed. “Don’t worry, Brian. I won’t let anyone know you’re actually a good guy.”
“Yeah, well,” he grumbled. “I don’t want my reputation ruined.” He paused. “You okay, Eli? D’you need anything?”
Brian really was a good guy. “Thanks, but all I need is some time at home. I’ve got something that needs sorting out.”
“All right, then. I’ll go adjust the rosters and make some phone calls.” He grumbled under his breath. “Though I still think you’ve got a nerve just calling me up like that, out of the blue.” Brian huffed out a sigh. “You have a good holiday, yeah, or whatever it is you’re up to? And I know I complain, but you’re right, you haven’t taken any time off for a long while. We all need a bit of R & R, don’t we?” He said good-bye and hung up.
A holiday wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I wanted an oasis of time, some space to get to know Jarod, and I couldn’t do that if I was working the whole time.
If I was going to make this work, we needed to get to know each other.
Jarod
THE LASAGNE had been quite tasty, and I’d surprised myself at how hungry I was.
“We’re going to have an early night.” Eli moved the tray away from the bed. I heard the sound of water and the dishes clinking. Then he appeared in the bedroom once more. “Pants off, pet. You can sleep in your underwear.”
I removed my sweatpants and handed them to him. Eli folded them neatly and placed them over the foot of the bed. Then he held back the covers while I got under them. The sheets were soft against my skin.
Eli stripped off his shirt and jeans, leaving only a tight T-shirt stretched across his chest and a pair of boxers. I watched in silence, wondering what was coming. Eli lay down on the bed and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into semidarkness.
Eli was going to stay?
His voice crept out of the blackness. “Wake me if you need something. Do not try to do it on your own. In the morning you’ll stay in bed until I wake. I don’t want you leaving this bed without my permission. Understood?”
I knew he couldn’t see my smile in the darkness, but I hoped he could hear the gratitude in my strained reply. “Yes, Sir.”
“COME TO me, Jarod. I miss you so much. I want you to be with me always.”
Oh, that voice. It resonated through me, causing my heart to beat faster. I could see him in the distance, beckoning me. I ran to him, wanting nothing more than to be in his embrace. He kept drifting farther away, calling my name. I ran faster, desperate to catch up to him.
He smiled, and then Master Phillip was on fire, reaching for me, trying to take me with him. I longed to go to him. So hard. Life was so hard without him to guide me. I reached for him and his hands gripped me, pulling me into his body. I burned along with him, flames crackling across my skin. I was screaming, howling in pain. His voice drifted over the agony.
“Jarod. Jarod, wake up. You’ve got to wake up now.”
A slap stung my cheek. I jolted out of sleep to find Eli grasping my shoulder, shaking me harshly. My breathing was ragged, nothing more than a series of gasps. The room was lit by a bedside lamp.
“Jarod, focus on me. Look only at me. Come back now.”
I dragged air into my lungs, my chest heaving. “I’m okay,” I assured him. “I’m sorry if I woke you.” Already Master Phillip’s voice was fading in my head, leaving me aching.
He quirked a brow. “Me? I’d be bloody surprised if you hadn’t woken up half the neighborhood. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
My face burned in shame. “I’m very sorry, Sir.” I sat up and made as if to get out of bed.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re going to stay there and tell me what that was all about.”
I hugged my knees to my chest. The nightmare was vivid, horribly so. How could I explain to a man I barely knew how empty my life was without my Master in it? While Eli offered a glimmer of light, Master Phillip had been the sun. He consumed everything around him, making it part of himself. I was never as comfortable and safe as I was during those times he held me.
“I-I don’t want to cause you any problems. I don’t have nightmares very often, but when I do, they’re always intense.”
Eli eased me down onto the bed, stroking my hair. It seemed silly that someone half my age would be the one comforting me after a bad dream, but still I pressed into his hand. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, an oddly intimate gesture.
“Sleep, pet. The morning will be better. You need rest, and we can talk about it tomorrow.” He glanced at the clock next to the lamp and let out a wry chuckle. “Later today, I should say.” He gazed at me. “Would you like me to leave the light on?”
The heat in my cheeks assured me I was blushing, but I nodded my consent. Here I was, fifty years old, and sleeping with a night-light. Yet Eli’s smile and the kindness in his eyes made me believe he did not think any less of me. And that made all the difference in the world.
I closed my eyes, aware of his body beside me, and let sleep take me once more.
When I awoke I was curled in comfort, warm breath tickling the hairs on my neck. Eli was spooned behind me, holding me close to his body. I tried to draw away, but he grumbled and pulled me in tighter. I relaxed against his solid
form, drawing energy from him. My wrists ached, and I mentally slapped myself for having been so stupid.
My erection pressed against my briefs, my bladder fit to burst, but still I wanted to stay where I was. When my body rebelled against that idea, I rolled over to loosen Eli’s grip, then slid to the edge of the bed. I gasped when a meaty hand clapped on my shoulder.
“I believe I told you that you weren’t to move from this bed without my permission.”
A moment from last night’s conversation flashed through my head. “I’m sorry, Sir. I forgot. I have to use the loo and didn’t want to disturb you.”
He tugged me back and ordered me to stay where I was, then grabbed his robe from the back of the chair and wrapped it around me. His musky smell permeated it and enveloped me in security.
“Let’s go.”
He placed a hand on my back to steady me, carefully guiding me to the toilet. He leaned against the wall, obviously waiting on me. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about him being nearby.
A chuckle rolled out of him. “Problem, pet?”
“I-I can’t go if you’re standing there.”
“You’ll have to, because I have no intention of leaving you in here alone. Do you think I haven’t seen men in the bathroom before?”
His mirth was contagious, and I chuckled. Finally the stream began, and my aching bladder thanked me for my attention. I pushed out a heartfelt sigh of relief.
“I don’t have to ask if that felt good, do I?” Amusement danced in his eyes.
I straightened and washed my hands. For the first time since we’d arrived at the house, I felt human. “I’m okay to walk unaided, Sir.”
He nodded in approval. “In that case I suggest after we wrap your wrists, we both have a shower; then after breakfast, you and I can talk.”