by Jodi Payne
“It is my pleasure to serve, Master Bradford.”
Oh, Levi was at his most formal tonight. The boy must be feeling the need to impress Nikki. How wonderful.
“Have a look at the menu.”
“Oh, right. Sure.”
“I recommend the braised lamb chops if you’re in the mood for something substantial. The fish is much lighter. Both are typically excellent.” Chef Reggie was quite a find. Though a consummate sub himself, with Bradford’s blessing, Reggie had full command of the club’s kitchen.
“I was actually looking at the lasagna.”
Bradford smiled. “Whatever suits you.”
Nikki nodded. “Yeah. Lasagna.”
Timothy arrived at their table seconds later and knelt near his chair, and Bradford shook his head. “Up, boy.” Bradford was well aware that Timothy was still training in the dining room. “While I appreciate the respect, boy, you needn’t kneel when you are working. Keep your eyes low and simply greet me as you would anyone else at the club, hm?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
“That’s quite all right, Timothy.”
There was a moment of silence. Levi finally cleared his throat.
“Oh! Um. Good evening, sir. What can I get for you this evening?”
He smiled. “Very nice, Timothy. I will have the lamb chops. Ask Chef for rice instead of potatoes; he won’t be surprised. And a glass of whatever wine Chef recommends to pair with it.”
“Yes, sir. And your…” Timothy looked at Nikki.
“Guest,” he prompted.
“Your guest, sir?”
Nikki raised an eyebrow. “The lasagna, please, and a Coke.”
Timothy nodded. “Anything for your boy, sir?”
“No, thank you, Timothy. Levi prefers not to eat while he is serving. An extra glass of water will do.”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” Timothy turned and practically ran back to the kitchen.
He laughed. “Tim is new to the dining room. He once served in the house, as you are now. He’s very polite and respectful. He’s going to do very well.”
“I haven’t met him yet. And Levi is…you’re his Dom?”
“We’ve an agreement for this evening.”
“Huh.”
“You look nice. Handsome.” Adorable. Delicious.
“Oh, thanks. I didn’t have a tie…”
“No matter, we see all manner of dress in the dining room depending on what various members have planned. You look just fine.”
Nikki smiled at him, shyly, and it was all Bradford could do to keep his itchy fingers in his lap. “Thank you.”
“Tell me how your first day went.”
Nikki laughed. “Oh, God.”
Timothy came back with a tray and held it while Levi served drinks and set a basket of bread on the table in front of Nikki.
“You’ll have to tell me what that means.”
“Oh. Well, it was fine. I just…I was a little out of my league.”
“Nonsense. I believe you are fully capable of the required duties,” he replied, knowing very well that wasn’t what Nikki was talking about.
“No, no. That’s not what I mean.” Nikki picked up his Coke and sipped it. “I just…I honestly didn’t know what this club was about.”
“Oh, I see. You weren’t aware that I operate a BDSM establishment?”
Nikki snorted and rolled his eyes. “No, I wasn’t aware that you operate a BDSM establishment. I was not aware at all.”
Bradford raised an eyebrow, though he hadn’t intended it to climb all the way into his hairline. “You’re…mocking me?”
“Well, you do sometimes talk like you have a rod up your ass, Bradford.”
Levi coughed behind him.
Bradford could hardly blame the boy; it was all he could do not to stand up and put Nikki in his place himself. He opened his mouth and closed it again, biting his lips together. Oh, when he finally got what he wanted, he was so looking forward to keeping that smart ass rosy.
Did you hear that, love? Does the boy remind you of anyone? Harrison would have laughed himself sick.…Bradford still missed that laugh.
After a moment’s pause and a very deep breath, he tried again. “Yes, well. Others have expressed similar sentiments in the past.” Usually Tobias or Luca, though typically not while sober.
“Seriously, can you hear yourself talk?” Nikki laughed. “Anyway, Brian had to do a lot of explaining.”
“I’m sure. And what is your impression?”
“My impression?”
Oh, for the love of— “What did you think, Nikki?”
“Oh. Well, I’m not a sub, so…”
“So you can’t have an opinion?”
“Of course I have an opinion.”
“Oh? Excellent. Which was your favorite room?” Bradford asked carefully.
“My…uh…”
Bradford watched the wheels turn as Nikki tried to sort through the implications of the question. Phrasing his inquiry in such a way as to assume Nikki had a favorite should force a positive response.
“Well, the room with the big cross was pretty cool.”
Oh.
Oh, good Lord in Heaven, he was going to implode. There were at least six rooms on the second floor that were less intense than the St. Andrews room. That room was meant to be intimidating, the big cross dominating the space, built and braced in the center of the room instead of against a wall as was typical. And yet…the boy went straight for it.
“Oh? Why is that?”
Would you like to try it? Can I take you upstairs right now? Oh, the things I could do to you, Nikki. I could make you love it. I could make you scream. I know I could. It could be so good, my boy.
“…so that was cool.”
He swallowed and blinked at Nikki. “I’m sorry, I…say again?” Christ, it was quite possible he could not be trusted alone with this boy.
Ever.
“Oh, just that the cross is so cool and imposing in that room and the leather and mahogany work and all the studs are so ornate. Also, the cuffs hanging from the ceiling at the other end of the room? Whoa.”
That was the other bondage element in the room, and those cuffs hung on very heavy chains and came straight down from the ceiling. “They’re height adjustable.”
Nikki nodded and Bradford noted with no small delight the blush in the boy’s cheeks.
He pounced. “You’re curious,” he said deliberately. Not a question, but a statement that required a response.
“Oh. Oh, well, I don’t know. I’m really…I mean I don’t know anything about…uh.” Nikki picked up his Coke and sipped it.
The boy didn’t say no. He absolutely did not say no. Bradford seized on the moment as he had in his study the day Nikki was fitted for his uniform. He leaned forward, bracing one forearm in front of him on the table. “Well, of course not. I understand it can be strange and…confusing.”
“Confusing?” Nikki’s sapphire eyes locked on to his, melting him a little.
“Of course. It’s hard to know exactly how you feel about it, right? I’m sure it seems intimidating. Perhaps it may even seem scary. And yet perhaps, at the same time, it might be something you’d like to learn more about. Possibly even try one day, hm?”
“Oh, I…”
“I mean, how would you know?” His voice deepened into a seductive purr, the words slipping from his lips smoothly. “How could you possibly know unless you tried it. With someone you trust, of course. Someone you know has your well-being at heart. Someone who believes in you.”
Someone like me. Someone who can teach you how to fly.
“With someone I trust. Maybe.”
Bradford let the tentative agreement hang between them for a long breath and allowed the hypnotic moment to dissolve on its own. Then he slowly picked up his wine and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. “I’d be happy to take you up and let you try some of the equipment out sometime, just to see w
hat it’s like.” He casually sipped his wine, not knowing exactly what to expect in answer. But it was no matter. The boy was curious now, and that was all it took. It was only a matter of time.
Patience, He reminded himself. That word was becoming his mantra.
“Oh, well. I don’t know.”
He waved a hand, dismissing Nikki’s concerns. “Not to worry. The offer stands if you’re ever interested.”
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear Chef timed their meals perfectly to punctuate the end to their conversation. Levi sprang into action, serving them and refilling water glasses and his wine.
He noticed the way Nikki was watching Levi, and once the boy had completed his tasks and returned to his place, Nikki leaned closer. “He works here. I mean, today he was my boss.”
“And he will be again tomorrow.”
“But now he’s…?”
“Ah. Levi is employed here as my daytime manager, Nikki. But Levi is also a submissive and a member of the club. Tonight he is choosing to serve. He and I made arrangements earlier in the week. It’s a mere coincidence that the boy I’ve contracted with for the evening happens to also be your supervisor.”
In fact, it wasn’t much of a coincidence at all, but Nikki didn’t need to know that.
“So he’s not working.”
“Oh, no. The boy is not in my employment just now. He is my sub.”
“Because…he wants to?”
“Levi?”
Levi stepped forward. “How may I be of service, sir?”
“Are you in my service this evening because you choose to be, or because you are obligated to be?”
“It is of my own free will that I serve you this evening, and it is my honor, sir.”
“Thank you, boy. But now that you have agreed to serve me, what of that free will?”
Levi slipped gracefully but quickly to his knees. “I have no will that is not your own, Master. I am yours.”
“Just so. Very good, boy.”
He reached out and ran his fingers through Levi’s hair, smiled at Nikki, and held up his wineglass. “Well, then. To new experiences.”
Nikki was silent but picked up his glass and politely touched it to Bradford’s before taking a sip.
“Let’s eat while this delightful meal is still hot, shall we?”
8
Bradford wasn’t able to sleep a wink that night, despite several intense and energetic attempts by Levi to wear him out. Dawn arrived in all its bright and shining glory without him having closed his eyes for more than a moment.
He rolled over and hit the Call button on his nightstand, and Jamison appeared instantly and silently in his doorway.
Coffee, Bradford mouthed at him. Jamison nodded and disappeared.
He reached a hand out for Levi’s solid warmth, running his fingers over the boy’s bare shoulders and down his spine to his lower back. Levi sighed softly.
“Shh. Just saying good morning, boy. Nothing more.” He was fairly sure Levi would have quite a time walking today after their acrobatics the night before, but really, that was just an excuse. He didn’t have it in him this morning, either.
“Your hands are warm, sir.”
“Yes, well. You are a furnace in your sleep, my boy.”
Levi laughed and rolled over, but the boy’s face fell when he got a good look at him. Bradford permitted the boy eye contact in bed, and Levi wasn’t shy about telling Bradford what he saw. “Are you well, sir?”
“I’m fine, boy.”
“With all due respect, sir, you don’t appear to have slept.”
“Mmm. No. I have not.”
“My apologies, sir, if I haven’t—”
He laid a finger over Levi’s lips and mustered a tired smile. “You have. I have something on my mind is all.”
Levi sighed. “How may I serve you, sir?”
There was a soft knock at the door, and Jamison came in with a tray.
“Ah. Thank you, boy.”
“My pleasure, sir.” Jamison set the tray down on the dresser, then hurried out of the room.
“You can start with the coffee, I suppose.”
Levi slipped out of bed and poured two mugs of coffee, leaving Bradford’s black but adding cream and sugar to his own. Bradford accepted a mug and sipped deeply.
“What is your impression of Nikki, Levi?”
“He seems to have settled in quickly, sir.”
“Mm. Yes. But what do you think of him?”
“Sir?” Levi looked at him.
“You know what I am asking, Levi. Speak frankly and we’ll keep this conversation between us, hm? Do you think he’s suited to our lifestyle?”
“He’s young, but I think he is perfectly suited, sir. Brian said he was full of curiosity and interest as they worked yesterday. He said that Nikki was asking him personal questions as well, about why he subbed, how and when he knew what he wanted.”
Wasn’t that delicious?
He shook his head. “I have such high hopes for the boy, Levi. He took to that sub’s harness like he was born for it. He put it on yesterday with a pride I don’t think he understands yet. And you had to see him looking at himself in the mirror the day Liam and I fitted him. It was like he finally recognized the person looking back at him. It was breathtaking.”
“That’s incredible.”
“It is. So much potential.”
So much responsibility.
“I do think he could be easily overwhelmed, sir.”
“Oh, yes.” Levi had hit on it exactly. “That’s been my fear all along. I’ve got to take things slowly.” He looked at Levi. “He isn’t to go anywhere near that third floor, Levi. Not for anything. Not yet.” That could derail everything.
“Yes, sir. I will see to it, sir.”
Bradford nodded. The third floor boasted the club’s specialized and fetish rooms: the White Room, the Heavy Bondage Room, the Sensory Deprivation Room (also known as the Black Room), the Torture Chamber. The room Bradford’s predecessor had installed to suit his own desires was on the third floor as well; he’d referred to that room as the Lab, and every surface including the ceiling was covered in ceramic tile. Each of those rooms could be, and were essentially intended to be, daunting for even the club’s most experienced players. There were several Doms and many subs who had never seen the inside of those rooms at all.
It was impossible to say at this point how far Nikki would eventually be willing to go. He had his suspicions, drawing solely from his own experience, but there truly was no way to be sure without taking all the appropriate early steps first.
“Levi.”
“Yes, Master?”
“You will tell me if you feel that my judgment is off, won’t you? If it becomes clear that Nikki is stressed or anxious, or that he isn’t suited to the lifestyle and I am…only seeing what I want to see?”
Bradford was rarely given to confiding in subs or asking for their advice. Most subs had a hard time compartmentalizing such things, and frankly, it wouldn’t be fair of Bradford to ask, given his authority at the club. But Levi was a longtime member, going back nearly as far as Bradford himself, and he had an uncanny knack for reading people. It was part of what made him so good at serving. He was able to anticipate a need, a desire, often before it was clear to the Dom himself.
“Are you asking that of me, sir?”
He sighed and looked at Levi. “I am. I have to ask someone.” It ought to be a Dom, but following his predecessor’s custom, and in part due to his own arrogance, Bradford was the only full-time Dom that worked at the club.
“It will require honesty that could be construed as disrespect, sir.”
“I know it’s a lot to ask. I will expect frank words, and there will be no reprimand for your honesty, just gratitude for your counsel.”
“Then, yes, sir. I will monitor for you.”
“Thank you, Levi. I am very pleased by your willingness to serve.”
“It’s my honor, Master.”
> His judgment wasn’t off; he was very sure of that. Nikki was perfect. What was off was actually his self-control around the boy, but he couldn’t say that to Levi. Nikki’s education and training were going to require all of his patience and restraint. He was already light-years ahead of the boy in his own mind. If Nikki began to feel uncomfortable, it would be because he was pushing him too hard or too fast, and Levi would certainly pick up on another sub’s distress.
He only wished he could completely trust himself. It had been a long time since he’d groomed a sub, and he’d never been so utterly fascinated—or, to be honest, obsessed—by anyone.
“Would you like me to start a shower for you, sir? Will you allow me to serve you? I’ll have to get ready for work shortly thereafter.”
And there was Levi, reliably one step ahead of him. “Yes, boy. Thank you.”
Levi got out of bed, refilled his coffee, and hurried off to start the shower.
9
“Thank you, boy.”
Nikki was leaving his room when he caught sight of Bradford and Levi in the upstairs hall. He froze.
“It’s always my honor, Master Bradford. Thank you.” Levi dropped to his knees and kissed the toes of each of Bradford’s dress shoes in turn, then stood again. His eyes were low, and he was dressed much as he’d been the day before when Nikki showed up for work.
“I look forward to the next opportunity, boy. Move along now, I won’t be the reason you’re late.”
“Yes, sir. Have a good day, sir.”
As Levi hurried off, Bradford turned and caught sight of Nikki. “Ah. Good morning, boy. Do you need assistance with your harness?”
“Yes. Please.” Nikki made his way over. Boy? Part of him bristled at the nickname, but part of him, he was starting to learn, wanted to fit in. Wanted to belong. He’d never really felt like he fit anywhere. Levi was comfortable with the word, and so was Brian. Jamison didn’t seem to give it a second thought, either. It was just what Bradford did. He called people “boy.”
He felt Bradford step around him, aware of the man’s fingers on his shoulders and the fact that Bradford was standing close enough for him to feel warm breath on his neck. Bradford tugged and tightened the buckle, then stepped away.