Chapter Seven

 

 

 

Rowan took the lead down the steps to the dungeon, his bare feet silent on the flagstones. Lorcan kept a close eye on him, ready to catch him if he stumbled, because he seemed a little shaky. Lorcan wanted him to be excited about the morning ahead, even nervous, but not scared. Definitely not scared. The lighting was dim enough that equipment loomed out of the darkness. Lorcan ignored the main room and headed straight for one of the doors set into the wall. When Rowan had given him a tour of the facilities Lorcan had known immediately that this cell would suit his purposes. It contained a vertical iron frame, rectangular in shape and set on a platform raising it about a foot off the floor. He reckoned it was about seven feet high, five feet wide and was kept stable by posts anchoring it to the ceiling. Chains were riveted to each corner of the frame, heavy iron manacles at their ends. The frame was perfect for displaying a man whilst rendering him completely helpless. Lorcan knew that Rowan would look stunning chained and spread for his pleasure.

Once they were both inside the small room, Lorcan closed the door. It shut with a clang, making Rowan jump.

“I want you naked.”

Lorcan watched as Rowan peeled off his latex shorts. He assumed a display position with his hands behind his head, fingers interlaced and legs apart. His cock bounced as he moved, still hard. Anticipation of what might happen had not worried him enough to deflate his erection. Lorcan stripped off his shirt, wanting to feel the cool air against his skin. He could sense Rowan’s gaze on him, watching his every move.

“Step up onto the platform, Rowan, and spread your legs.”

It was a high step up and Rowan wobbled as he took it. Lorcan steadied him with a hand on his ass, noting that it was still flushed with color just as it should be.

“That’s it, facing me.”

The bar at the base of the frame was wide enough for Rowan to stand on without hurting his feet. Lorcan locked a manacle around each slender ankle. Rowan seemed fascinated as the metal clicked shut, tight against his skin.

“If you struggle, the metal will hurt you, so keep still,” Lorcan said. “Luke told me that you’re familiar with the traffic light system. If you want me to slow down at any time, what do you say?”

“Amber, Sir,” Rowan said, a slight tremble in his voice.

“And red to stop. Okay?”

Rowan nodded, eyes wide.

“Present your wrist to the cuff,” Lorcan ordered.

Rowan reached for the corner of the frame and Lorcan enclosed his wrist in metal. He had to stand on the platform in order to reach. He repeated the process with Rowan’s other wrist, leaving him displayed in an X shape.

“Stunning.” He ran his hands down Rowan’s flanks to his thighs. “You present a very pretty picture, Rowan. Now, I’m going to fetch a few things. I’ll only be a couple of minutes and I won’t leave the dungeon. You’ll be able to hear me moving around. I won’t be far away and I promise I will never leave you alone when you’re in bondage.”

Lorcan left the cell door wide open while he went to fetch the things he needed from the storage cupboards in the main room. There were so many wonderful toys to choose from but he knew what he wanted. He stopped at the deep butler’s sink to fill a metal bowl with water then carried it and his collection of other items back to the cell.

Rowan’s lips were parted and his breaths were coming fast. He eyed Lorcan’s burdens with interest. Lorcan put everything onto a low bench before circling behind the frame. Rowan’s ass muscles clenched under his scrutiny and Lorcan couldn’t resist touching. He stroked the curve of Rowan’s backside then slid a finger between his cheeks to brush his hole. Rowan gave the sweetest whimper and jerked in his chains.

“Remember what I said. Keep still, or you will have bruises on your wrists and ankles. Or maybe you’d like that? A little reminder of our morning together. Marks you can see, not like the ones I put on your ass.”

Lorcan walked around the platform to stand in front of Rowan. He took hold of his dick, giving it a couple of firm tugs, before running his fingertips through the golden curls at its base.

“I told you these would have to go, didn’t I?” He fetched the bowl of water and placed it on the platform next to one of Rowan’s feet. He set a razor and a stick of shaving soap next to it. “First, a trim.” A sharp pair of manicure scissors made quick work of Rowan’s curls. Lorcan cropped the hair as short as he could before wetting the shaving stick and rubbing it to create a lather. He spread the creamy white froth around Rowan’s groin then began to shave him, being careful to follow the line of hair so as not to cause too much irritation. Each time he moved Rowan’s cock out of the way he was rewarded by faint mewling sounds and the rattle of chains. Rowan’s balls were hot and weighty in Lorcan’s hand. He shaved with care before rinsing all traces of the cream away.

“Just think how sensitive you’re going to be now.” Lorcan cleared away the shaving equipment then applied a layer of moisturizer to Rowan’s newly bared skin. He stood back to admire his work then gave the tip of Rowan’s cock a sharp flick. “You want to come, Rowan?”

“Please! Yes! I mean… If it pleases you, Sir.”

Lorcan contemplated the idea of making Rowan suffer a bit longer, but it suited his purpose to have him come. He undid his belt and slipped it from its loops. The end would make an excellent makeshift flogger. He slapped Rowan’s cock with the leather, once, twice… Then gave his balls a light smack. Rowan’s hips jerked and he came in a gush, his scream no doubt a combination of pain and the pleasure of release.

“Oh God!” Rowan tugged on his chains.

Lorcan smiled. Rowan skin was flushed. Sweat-dampened tendrils of hair stuck to his forehead. His eyes were wild, his line of sight darting here and there. Lorcan balanced the weight of Rowan’s softening cock in his palm.

“So sensitive. But now it’s time to lock this away. I’m very possessive, Rowan, and I want to keep it all for myself. Nobody else gets to touch it, not even you.”

He went over to the bench to collect the chastity device he had selected. To begin with, he had wanted to use something heavy, fashioned from stainless steel, but this option was more practical as Rowan would be wearing it for long periods of time. He held the device up for Rowan to see.

“The cock ring component of this device has nice rounded edges so you won’t feel any pinching. It has an ingenious locking system, which doesn’t require a padlock, just a key to engage the mechanism.” Lorcan fitted the device, taking his time to make sure it was in the correct position. “It’s made of some clever material that molds to your shape as it’s heated, so the more you wear it the more comfortable it becomes. There are no metal parts so you can even wear it through an airport scanner and, unless you’re wearing something extremely tight, it won’t be visible under your clothes. Only you and I will know you’re in chastity.” There were air holes on the front of the cage for ventilation and a slit to allow Rowan to relieve himself. Once it was in place and locked, Lorcan was pleased with the way that it looked. The acrylic was clear rather than opaque and there was something infinitely satisfying about seeing Rowan’s tender flesh confined in the restrictive tube.

“How does it feel? Is anything pinching?” Rowan wouldn’t be able to fully describe how it felt until he was able to move around, but he’d know if any part of it was causing him pain.

“No, Sir… It feels strange, but nothing hurts.” Rowan bent his head, trying to get a look.

“You’ll have time to examine it soon enough,” Lorcan said. “But in the meantime, I have one last treat for you.” He fetched lube and a bulbous plug from the bench. “This should keep your mind occupied.” He slathered the plug with a thick coating of gel before circling the platform once more to stand behind Rowan. He parted Rowan’s cheeks with one hand and pushed the blunt end of the plug against his hole with the other. “Relax. This is what I want, so you’ll let it in.” He applied some pressure, breaching Rowan’s guardian muscle. Rowan let out a rush of breath and moaned.

“It’s big, Sir.”

“Nothing you can’t handle.” Lorcan pushed steadily, watching with satisfaction as Rowan’s body absorbed the widest part of the toy. The rest slid home with ease, leaving just the black base visible. Lorcan gave it a jiggle, eliciting a loud groan from his victim. “I’ll have to find a harness for you to help keep this inside, though the shape and size should mean that it won’t slip out easily.” He gave Rowan’s ass a pat.

“Thank you, Sir. That’s very considerate of you.”

“Brats get spankings,” Lorcan threatened, responding to Rowan sarcastic tone. He moved to lean against the door, taking in the picture he had created. His naked sub chained and plugged, his dick caged. The vision was inspiring.

“How are your arms? Any loss of feeling in your fingers?”

“No, Sir.” Rowan wiggled them in demonstration.

“Good.” Lorcan unzipped his fly and took a firm hold of his cock. It would be preferable to have Rowan’s lips wrapped around his swollen member, but his sadistic streak wanted to torment Rowan a bit further. He jacked himself with leisurely strokes, humming his pleasure, keeping eye contact with Rowan. He was glad of the support the door provided because when he came, his entire body shuddered through the release. It took him a while to compose himself but when he was steady on his feet again he left the cell to clean up. When he returned, he pulled on his jeans and T-shirt and shoved bare feet into his boots. He unchained Rowan’s ankles first then reached for a wrist cuff.

“This may hurt some.” He lowered Rowan’s arm, supporting it until it could rest against Rowan’s side.

“It burns a bit, Sir.”

Lorcan massaged his shoulder before releasing his other wrist. He kneaded the tense muscles until Rowan sighed and leaned into him.

“It’s been quite a morning, hasn’t it?” Lorcan petted Rowan’s hair. “I think it might be my turn to run you a bath, then there should be time for a quick nap before lunch.”

Against Lorcan’s neck, Rowan murmured something unintelligible.

“I’ll take that as agreement,” Lorcan said, smiling. “I’m proud of you, Rowan, you’ve done so well. You may only be mine for a few short weeks, but I’m glad you are. Be warned, it’s very possible I may not be able to let you go.”

 

* * * *

 

Rowan awoke in Lorcan’s bed, the fifth morning in a row that he had done so. The first week of Lorcan’s stay had passed in a flash and sometimes, in the new light of dawn, Rowan wondered if he had dreamed it all. A slight snore from next to him brought him back to reality. Rowan loved to watch Lorcan sleep. It was the only time the man ever seemed to truly relax—but only after Rowan had coaxed him through his nightmares. He’d discovered that Lorcan responded to being held. Rowan never failed to wake when Lorcan’s breathing sped up and his limbs twitched, indicating the start of a bad dream. If he cuddled close and stroked Lorcan’s skin he always calmed, and woke with no memory of what had tormented his subconscious.

Rowan never raised the subject of the nightmares. It wasn’t his business to pry about what it was that affected Lorcan so deeply. Lorcan was rich, gorgeous and successful—it was hard to imagine what could possibly have happened in his past to leave such deep scars. Rowan slipped his hand beneath the covers to touch the rigid shell encasing his cock. It had been in place since the scene in the dungeon when Lorcan had shaved him. That whole morning had fueled Rowan’s fantasies ever since, which didn’t do anything for his frustration. He didn’t dare ask Lorcan to remove the device even though he would have crawled and begged if he thought that might be the end result, but he knew that Lorcan would take his own sweet time making that decision. He made a point of checking Rowan’s cock for sore spots each morning after his discipline and at no time had he ever indicated that he intended to remove the device. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but Rowan was hyper aware of its presence. Lorcan’s control of his cock also meant he had a certain amount of control over Rowan’s mind.

A subtle change in Lorcan’s breathing told Rowan that he was awake. He shifted onto his side so that he could look into Lorcan’s eyes and be the first thing that Lorcan saw on waking. His dark lashes fluttered then lifted to reveal shards of piercing blue.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Lorcan’s sleep-roughened voice sent shivers down Rowan’s spine.

“Good morning, Sir.”

Lorcan snaked a hand around Rowan’s body to squeeze his arse. He pushed a finger between Rowan’s cheeks, grazing his hole. Rowan shuddered. He ached to be filled. A plug would do, but he hoped and prayed that one day soon Lorcan would want to fuck him.

“I want to talk to you about your contract over breakfast this morning,” Lorcan said. “I want to know how you feel about making a couple of changes.” Lorcan ran a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up in spikes. “I’ll give you your discipline before I go to the gym then meet you downstairs.”

Rowan slipped out of bed to use the bathroom and make sure everything was ready for Lorcan. He laid out his exercise clothes and a chilled bottle of water.

“I’m feeling too lazy to get out of bed yet, so come here and lie across my lap.”

Rowan climbed onto the bed and got into position.

“I do love adding color to your skin first thing in the morning,” Lorcan said before delivering three hard spanks.

Squirming, Rowan stayed where he was until Lorcan told him he could move. In its plastic prison, his cock tried to harden. The situation only got more frustrating when Lorcan stroked his backside, soothing the ache but doing nothing to relieve his arousal.

“You can dress. Stay dressed for breakfast, too. You are far too distracting with next to nothing on and I want to be focused on our discussion, not your body.”

“Yes, Sir.” Rowan pulled on his trousers, holding back a smile. Lorcan dictated what he wore so it was entirely his own fault if he got distracted. He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. From the galleried landing he could see that Luke Redding’s door was open and as Rowan descended the stairs, Luke emerged from his office. Rowan paused, lowering his eyes respectfully.

“It’s a fine morning, Rowan,” Luke said. “How are you?”

“Very good, thank you, Mr. Redding. Mr. Wilder is on his way to the gym and I’m going to make sure everything is ready for breakfast. He says he wants to discuss our contract.”

“That’s his prerogative,” Luke said. “If there’s anything you want to talk to me about afterwards, come and find me.” He took one of Rowan’s hands, lifting his arm to examine his wrist, which was ringed with bruises. “I understand Mr. Wilder has been making good use of the dungeon.” He released Rowan’s hand.

“Every day,” Rowan replied. “It’s a great facility.”

“So long as everything you do down there is by mutual consent. I know it’s your job to serve Mr. Wilder, but that doesn’t mean you have to agree to anything you don’t want to.”

“I know.” Rowan examined his bare feet, pale against the plush carpet. “But so far, I’ve been enjoying myself. A lot.” His cheeks heated.

Luke chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. You get on with what you need to do. Oh, and I meant to ask, could you check with Mr. Wilder if he’ll be needing the car today? I have some errands that I’d like Rayne to run for me but I don’t want to send him out if he’s needed elsewhere.”

“He hasn’t said he intends to go out today, but I’ll check at breakfast then let you know,” Rowan said. So far, Lorcan hadn’t left The Retreat at all, saying that there was plenty to occupy him inside.

Luke returned to his office and Rowan took a quick detour to his room to check his messages. There was a text from Rory and several from Ed. He scanned through them, giggling at the content, but there was nothing that he needed to respond to straightaway. He took a long, hot shower then changed into fresh pair of jeans and a soft, plain black T-shirt that hugged his frame. He didn’t bother with underwear because he thought it likely that he would be changing again later.

The table was laid for breakfast in the snug and Tor was in the process of leaving a pot of coffee as Rowan entered the room. The aroma tickled his nostrils.

“I have some fresh croissants warming this morning, Rowan. Do you think Mr. Wilder would like some?”

Lorcan normally stuck to a very healthy diet but he had confessed to having a secret sweet tooth.

“I’m sure he would,” Rowan said. “Especially if there’s some of that wonderful home-made jam we had the other day.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Tor stated. “Especially when it comes to jam. I’ll send one of the boys with it when they bring the croissants in because I want to keep them warm.”

“Thank you. I have to admit I’ll be looking forward to them too.” He grinned as Tor gave him a light cuff.

“Naughty boy.” He disappeared toward the kitchen, whistling.

“There is a man happy in his work,” Rowan murmured. “I know how he feels.”

“Talking to yourself, Rowan? Should I be worried?”

Rowan whirled around to find Lorcan lounging against the doorframe, a smug grin on his handsome face. He was wearing tight black jeans and a pale blue open-necked shirt and Rowan knew that if it hadn’t been for the cock cage, he would definitely be hard.

“You should be happy, Sir. I was just arranging a treat for you.”

Lorcan walked toward him. “I could say that you’re the only treat I need, but that would be a lie. I hope this one involves some of Tor’s jelly… Sorry, jam. Jelly is Jell-O, right?”

“Yes, Sir. Jelly is the dessert, though we do have bramble jelly, which is a kind of jam.”

Lorcan took a seat at the table. “I’m not even gonna ask why that should be. I think you Brits just want to confuse the rest of the world.”

“Probably.” Rowan hovered near the table, not sure whether he should kneel at Lorcan’s side or use the furniture.

“You should consider yourself off the clock for the next hour,” Lorcan said. “I want to talk to you man-to-man rather than Master-to-submissive. But before you ask, the chastity device stays.”

Rowan didn’t feel entirely comfortable as he sat opposite Lorcan at the table, gleaming crockery and glassware a barrier between them. Lorcan poured them both a glass of fresh orange juice and a mug of coffee. He served himself yogurt and fruit, sprinkling some granola over the top. Rowan sipped his juice, his appetite gone.

“Not hungry?” Lorcan asked.

Rowan shook his head. “Not really. I’m a little nervous.”

“It wasn’t my intention to make you feel uncomfortable, Rowan,” Lorcan said. “I was going to wait until we had eaten, but perhaps it’s best to get the serious part of this over with.” He sipped his coffee, humming his pleasure.

“Yes please, Sir.”

“You can call me Lorcan, sweetheart. I want to discuss your contract, specifically the no sex clause. When I came here, I had no intention of getting too involved. The appeal of this place was having a chance to play without strings. But I didn’t consider how you might make me feel. I want to sleep with you, Rowan. I don’t mean just to have you in my bed, though I will be satisfied with waking up next to you if this isn’t what you want. I’m jealous of the toys I fuck you with. I want to feel you around my cock. I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think we had an emotional connection, but I’ve grown to care for you deeply over the last week. You’ve rekindled parts of me that I thought were long dead.”

Rowan blinked, tears welling in his eyes. He hadn’t expected such raw honesty.

“Hey, don’t get upset.” Lorcan shoved his chair back then moved to stand next Rowan. He put his arm around Rowan’s shoulders. “We don’t have to change a thing, if you don’t want to.”

“That’s not it, Sir… Sorry, Lorcan. I mean, it’s what I want too. More than anything.” Rowan leaned against Lorcan’s warmth. “It’s just strange, talking about putting it into a contract when it’s something I feel. It should just be between us and have nothing to do with a piece of paper.”

“It’s for your protection, and believe me when I say I feel very protective when it comes to you. How about I just have a quiet word with Luke Redding. He’ll want your confirmation but I doubt he’ll be surprised.”

There was a discrete cough from the direction of the door. Rowan rubbed at his eyes.

“I decided to bring these in myself,” Tor said, approaching the table. He left a plate of croissants and a pot of jam on the table then left without saying anything else.

Lorcan squeezed Rowan’s shoulder. “This must be my treat. It’s turning out to be quite a morning.” He resumed his seat, picking up one of the crumbly pastries as he went.

“Would you like to go for a walk this morning?” Rowan asked. “It would be nice to get to know you a bit better. I mean, I know all the things from your file about what you like and dislike, but I don’t really know you.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ve been a bit of a hermit since I arrived, haven’t I?”

Rowan nodded, smiling. “A bit, perhaps.”

“I’ve been a little too enamored of the dungeon,” Lorcan said.

Rowan snickered. “I don’t have any objection to that, Sir.” It didn’t seem right to call Lorcan by his name. He went to kneel next to Lorcan’s chair. “Those croissants smell really good.” He tried for his most appealing expression.

Lorcan shook his head. “What I want to do is drag you upstairs and fuck you into the mattress. Several times. But I’ll be good.” He tore off a piece of croissant, spread some jam on it then pressed it to Rowan’s lips. “Food. Exercise. Then, I think I’ll have to torment you a little before we get to the main event.”

Rowan tried to concentrate on the buttery flakes dissolving on his tongue. He regretted suggesting a walk, however much he wanted to get to know Lorcan better. There were plenty of flat surfaces in the snug—he wasn’t fussy—but now Lorcan was going to draw out the anticipation for far too long. A tug on his hair brought him back to reality.

“Soon, Rowan. It’ll be worth the wait. I promise.”