Paid to Kneel

by Romilly King

  "Look at me," the Emptor said, and Richard's head snapped up before he even realized what he was doing. "Good. Keep your eyes on me. Can you do that?"

  "Yes," Richard said, gritting the word out because the point was to make a good impression on the Emptor, and he wasn't going to accomplish that by telling the man no.

  But after a few tense seconds of worrying he wasn't going to manage to get erect after all, he found it helped to look, to see the arousal on the Emptor's face, even if he was a stranger. Here was an incredibly handsome man, watching Richard pleasure himself, and Richard's movements became smoother, his cock firming in his grip.

  "Lick your hand," the Emptor said and Richard swallowed at the order and then had to work more saliva into his mouth. He licked his palm twice to coat it and then inhaled sharply at the delicious slickness when he started stroking himself again.

  Once he got started, it took much less time to get close to orgasm than usual, which he tried not to think about as his hand worked quickly, his breathing getting louder and his thighs tensing in readiness.

  "Now stop," The Emptor spoke for the first time since telling him to lick his hand.

  "What?" Richard breathed, even though he'd heard him because it took a second for the meaning of what the Emptor had said to register. When it did, he had to close his eyes, his fingers squeezing his cock once before he forced himself to let go. Orgasm delay. He'd forgotten.

  "Were you close?"

  It was clear the Emptor already knew the answer to his question judging from the small smile on his face.

  Still, the Emptor had asked, so Richard answered, "Yes." He couldn't help sounding resentful, both for the question and for having to stop.

  The Emptor's smile widened. "Good, I'm glad I could see it, you can start up again when you want."

  Richard took a moment to compose himself and then he grasped his cock again, picking up from where he'd left off, quickly feeling his pleasure mount.

  He was able to stop again, and then again when instructed to and the interest in the Emptor's eyes turning sharper and more focused every time he obeyed.

  By the fourth time, Richard was trembling, and he couldn't keep from gasping, "Please," curling his hands into fists to keep them away from his cock.

  "Please what?" the Emptor asked, but Richard could hear the thread of satisfaction in his voice, and he had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from finishing himself off. He may have known what he was getting himself into, but it didn't prevent him from feeling the first curls of anger, the desire to orgasm almost too great to handle. He had to keep the money at the forefront of his thoughts; it was the only thing that let him hold on to his control.

  "Please, may I come?" he said, and even to his own ears, it didn't come off as polite, frustration making him sound harsh.

  The Emptor appeared to consider it, but Richard could tell it wasn't genuine. "No. No, I don't think so. Not yet anyway," the Emptor said with a wide smile that showed a sweet dimple in his left cheek. Richard wanted to punch it.

  Taking a deep breath Richard tried to take the "not yet" to heart. It would seem that the Emptor would eventually let him orgasm, but it was difficult to keep having faith when the Emptor stopped him for the fifth and then the sixth time.

  By the tenth time, Richard was barely touching his cock at all before the Emptor was telling him to stop. He no longer needed to lick his hand as precome soaked his shaft and balls. Richard had no idea how he managed to obey the last order, winding his fingers in the soft bedding he sat on and holding on like a lifeline. Think of the money, he reminded himself yet again. You have to keep going if you want the money. But he could hardly bring himself to care when his breath was coming in heaving pants, sweat was trickling down his back and his cock was harder than it'd ever been. His testicles ached. He felt like he had a low-grade fever and his thighs trembled incessantly. He'd even stopped caring about Ms. Maisie being in the room as he had never wanted to come so badly in his life.

  "Shhh," the Emptor said leaning forward in his seat, his elbows resting on his knees and Richard realized he was whispering, "Please," over and over again, rocking his body to the tempo of his words. He couldn't believe he was begging, his resentment having disappeared long ago under the overwhelming need, but he was begging and he could feel tears welling in his eyes as he whispered another desperate "Please."

  "You've been so good sweetheart," The Emptor shifted in his chair, his hands sliding up and down his thighs. "Do it. Come whenever you want."

  Richard had his cock in his hand before the Emptor even finished speaking. With just two harsh strokes he was groaning loudly, shaking and hunched over, his stomach muscles contracting as his cock spasmed with pleasure so intense it left him dizzy as he came and came and came.

  He felt exhausted and boneless, and it was an effort to keep himself upright when all he wanted to do what collapse onto the bed.

  "Are you okay?" the Emptor asked, his voice soft and intense, and Richard blinked at him hazily.

  "I'm . . ." He tried to search for a way to explain everything he was feeling, but it was too much. He could barely think. "I'm okay."

  The Emptor let out a quiet laugh, and Richard blinked again. The Emptor cleared his throat. "I think you should lie down for a second." He stood and walked toward the bed, grabbing the far end of the wool throw and draping it over Richard's shoulders.

  "You can clean up in a minute," the Emptor said, and Richard looked down, realizing he was a mess and that he was still holding his cock. He let it go, twitching at the sensation and stared at his body. He was covered in come. Drenched in it. He had never come so much in his life. He drew the blanket further down until he was semi-decent.

  "Okay." Richard struggled to focus, he felt hazy and distant but was already conscious of the cooling come on his body. "Do you need me to do anything else?" he asked, at last, still determined to offer all he could to the Emptor.

  "No, I don't need to see any more, I've made my decision, I'd like to offer you the contract." The Emptor didn't touch Richard, but Richard got the impression he wanted to. "Here," he said, handing Richard a bottle of water out of seeming nowhere. "Now if you'll excuse me, Ms. Maisey and I need to talk. Take your time coming out. The bathroom is over there," he said, pointing. "If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be right outside the door."

  Richard nodded and then watched the Emptor leave the room followed quickly by Ms. Maisie who didn't look at him. He'd done it. He fell back onto the gloriously smooth sheets and stared up at the interlocking beams of the ceiling. The Emptor was offering Richard the contract, and the thought filled him with triumph and something else that he didn't quite understand. He was only doing this for the money, so the knowledge that he'd pleased the Emptor shouldn't matter beyond the fact that it'd gotten him the job. And yet, somehow it did matter.

  Chapter Four

  Richard started his new job on a Monday. He'd returned to Delphic the morning after his interview to pick up further detailed instructions from the Emptor--or Ash Gannon, since he now got to know his name--and to set up his payment instructions. He was relieved not to see Ms. Maisie again, he had struggled to interact with her on the journey back to the city despite her being sweet, cheerful, and apparently unaffected by having listened to him being edged for over an hour.

  He'd had the weekend to reschedule his few summer tutoring appointments and arrange for a friend to keep an eye on his apartment and water the plants. He had spent all Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday with his Dad trying to make him understand that he was going to be away for two weeks. It was soul-destroying.

  He spent Sunday evening reading over the Emptor's, Ash's, Mr. Gannon's, he didn't know what to call the tall, beautiful man in his head, file and packing a bag and then repacking it because he had no idea what he was supposed to bring. Ms. Sara had told him to bring a few different outfits in case they ended up going out in public, as well as everyday clothes, but she'd said he shouldn't worry
about it too much, Mr. Gannon would give clear instructions.

  "Many Emptores provide their own outfits for Venditores to wear, or ask you not to wear anything at all," she'd said in a way that suggested she was trying to be reassuring, but that had just made him worry more. He might have to go around naked?

  "Mr. Gannon will go over all his rules and expectations with you on Monday," she had assured him.

  So here he was, once again, standing in front of the rich walnut doors of Mr. Gannon's house. He was wearing the same suit and tie since he hadn't known what to wear but Delphic formal was probably better than too informal. Unfortunately, he only owned one suit, but hopefully, Mr. Gannon wouldn't notice.

  He rang the doorbell and didn't have to wait long for the door to open.

  "Good morning, Richard," Mr. Gannon said, and apparently Richard's memory wasn't wrong, because Mr. Gannon was still one of the most handsome men he'd ever met. Today he was dressed far less formally in well-worn low slung jeans and a pale pink t-shirt. His toned arms were on display and he looked warm and comfortable in his home, his dark hair in a more relaxed and tousled style. The silver eyes were just as intense as before.

  "Good morning, Mr. Gannon."

  "Ash," he said, smiling broadly. "Just call me Ash."

  "Good morning, Ash," Richard said obediently and then felt stupid parroting at the man.

  Ash's mouth ticked up as he seemed to suppress a smile. "Let me show you around. Is that all you brought?" he asked, indicating the suitcase at Richard's feet.

  Richard nodded.

  "Okay, then let's drop that off in your room first, and then I'll give you the full tour."

  The room Ash took him to wasn't the same one he'd been in during his interview. This one was smaller, cozier, but with a no less spectacular view. The floor was covered in a thick grey carpet and a comfortable looking and sturdy chaise was positioned in front of the sliding glass doors that lead out onto a deck. Richard could see himself lying here reading in the sunlight with the doors open to the fresh mountain air. The king-size bed had a rattan headboard and cream bedding with a lavender colored throw neatly laid across the end of the bed.

  "There is an attached bathroom through here," Ash said pushing open a door, "Sorry this one hasn't got a tub, just a walk-in shower." He indicated a span of pale wood doors in the wall next to the door, "And there is plenty of closet space."

  Richard walked to the floor to ceiling windows and finally got a good look at the view. He was surprised by the depth of the landscape. The house was obviously constructed into the side of a hill and the vista swooped away from him in a dizzying rush. "Wow," he breathed, taking in the terraces of garden below him, a hot tub built into cedar decking, a narrow swimming pool on the level below, and behind that dark green trees stretching down a narrow ravine.

  "Thank you. This is beautiful," Richard said feeling overwhelmed. He hadn't expected to be bunking in a dungeon outside of his requisite sexual servicing but it was way more than he had believed would be allotted to him.

  "You can pick a different room if you find one you like better," Ash said, "I want you to be comfortable."

  "No, this is, this is just perfect," he said sincerely. "It's very kind of you."

  Ash smiled shyly and Richard realized that no matter how many times an Emptor must do this it was still just as stressful for him as for the Venditor. It involved being vulnerable, bringing someone into their home, their very personal space. For the first time, Richard's smile towards his Emptor was wide and genuine and he saw it echoed in Ash's widening grin.

  "Come on. Let me show you around."

  The rest of the house was equally as spectacular as what Richard had already seen. Throughout an easy-going elegance meshed with beautiful views and fascinating textures and interesting art pieces. Whoever had designed this had the kind of vision that was Richard's version of a dream home.

  On the lower floor, there was a gym with weights and a treadmill, a movie room with a huge screen on the wall. The hot tub was on the first deck outside the gym and wide split log steps led down to the lower levels with the pool and seating areas, all ringed in by raised planters with a riot of mountain flowers. With the surrounding forests, there weren't any issues of privacy.

  Just off the expansive living area, the kitchen was warm walnut cabinets paired with sleek grey polished concrete work services, and the attached laundry led to a back staircase and lower mudroom. The bedrooms led out from the main living space on two wings, Richard's was on one side of the house along with two other guest bedrooms.

  As they returned to the living room Ash indicated the opposite corridor, "And of course, as you know, my bedroom is down there."

  Remembering his last visit to that room Richard felt his stomach flutter and goosebumps erupted over his arms. He was just glad Ash couldn't see them. Ash could certainly feel the rise in tension between them and his gaze was hot as he said, "I'd like to keep anything explicitly sexual between us confined to in there."

  Richard ducked his head. "Alright"

  "So I thought I'd give you a chance to settle in before we got started. Have you eaten yet?" Ash asked.

  "Yes, I'm fine," Richard said evenly, even though his heart rate had picked up when Ash had mentioned starting.

  "Okay, so why don't you relax for a while, take a look around if you want although I would prefer if you only went into my bedroom when I am there and then we can meet back in the kitchen for lunch around noon. Does that work for you?"

  Richard glanced at his watch. That would give him over two and a half hours to himself. "Yes, thank you."

  "You don't need to keep thanking me," Ash said teasingly, turning away. "At least not for just being reasonable."

  Was it? Richard wondered as he watched Ash leave. Maybe. Maybe all Emptores gave their live-in Venditores the best guest room they had to offer--he'd seen all the other rooms, and they'd all had fewer windows or ones that looked out to the pool or the patio instead of offering privacy--and gave them time to unpack instead of demanding sex right away. Maybe not. But it was still a kindness that Ash had willingly given and one that Richard appreciated.

  Ash laid out soup, fresh sourdough bread, and salad for lunch. The soup was a light tomato, fragrant with basil and the salad was a flavorsome combination of leaves and nuts and cubes of a tart cheese that Richard had never had before. He was reminded again that the Emptor was rich, food like this was normally only found in Farmer's Markets and Richard's experience of them had been limited but memorable. The conversation was polite and generic, which was understandable considering they were strangers, but it was also a little tiring. Richard wasn't great at small talk. Ash filled in the most awkward silences, and the sandwiches were delicious, so it was a pleasant enough time, but Richard hoped it would get easier as the days went on.

  It was only when they were both finished eating that Ash brought up sex.

  "I'd like to have our first session at three o'clock," he said, looking Richard in the eye, "We will start at two sessions a day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, that will give you the mornings free. Is that okay?"

  Richard curled his fingers around the napkin in his lap. "That will be fine," he said, trying not to let his voice betray his nerves.

  Ash smiled wryly, so he hadn't been as successful as he'd wished. "

  Almost. But not quite.

  "Don't worry," Ash said, standing up and clapping Richard on the shoulder. "You can always safeword."

  Richard frowned at his retreating back. Yes, he could use his safeword, but they'd both agreed that if he used it three times during the two weeks, that would be the end of the contract. They'd be too incompatible. And unless Ash was doing something outside the terms, Richard would be at fault, which meant he'd only be paid for the services he'd provided up to that point. Using his safeword was unacceptable.

  Besides, the last time had been . . .

  He shivered and quickly got up, picking up his plate and glass to
take to the kitchen.

  Chapter Five

  Richard made sure to school his features to calmness before he entered Ash's room. This would be his first time formally being in a "scene", as his research had told him it was called, and Ash knew that. He worried that appearing anxious may put Ash off, but then again perhaps Ash wanted him visibly nervous. That was something to consider.

  The glorious view that was such a part of every room in the house was obscured this afternoon, thin linen curtains pulled across the floor to ceiling windows diffusing the light, making it dreamlike. Ash was waiting inside, sitting on the bed, his back resting against the headboard.

  Richard hesitated just inside the door; memories of his time in here masturbating for Ash momentarily overwhelmed him, just like his need to come had at the time. That encounter had shocked him and he hadn't dared dwell upon it in the few days since.

  "Go ahead and close the door," Ash said and Richard nodded, shutting it quietly.

  There was something different about Ash in this situation. Richard noticed it when he turned around to look at him. He wore the same clothes as earlier but some small change in posture or demeanor made him seem both more relaxed and more controlled than any other time Richard had seen him. Here and now Ash seemed centered.

  "Welcome to your first scene," Ash's smile was open, "I want you to know that we're going to move slowly this afternoon."

  Richard nodded and tried to adopt a relaxed posture, aware that his shoulders were tight, and the way his hand clasped his forearm was straight-up defensive.

  "Routine will help you settle into this," Ash said, "It will help you find the headspace to get the most from this."

  Ash was confusing him again; he talked about this like it was as much for Richard as it was for him. Richard wasn't the one paying for it, why should he get anything from it? But then, last week, when he had come and Ash hadn't, who had gotten the most from that encounter?