Bought and Paid For

Three days flowed past Jade in a dizzying stream of discovering the layout of Adam’s house, the names of his staff, and re-learning to engage in normal, adult conversation with an intelligent, non-threatening human being. After so many months of being either alone or in fear, Jade found the normalcy of Evelyn’s life to be novel to the point of being scary. He spent his time trailing her around like a frightened puppy, aware that he was behaving pathetically timidly for a grown man, but unable to muster the courage to explore these new surroundings on his own.

Constantly, no matter how Evelyn tried to distract or reassure him, there was the gut-wrenching fear of what would happen when Hunter and Davey got back from their trip to find Jade’s room empty, their possession gone. No matter how rich Hunter was, and no matter how little he had seemed to care about Jade, it was unlikely he’d take the loss of several million dollars’ worth of Bios Product lightly.

Jade lay awake at night, next to Evelyn’s sweet-scented, naked form, watching the beam of moonlight creeping through the gap in the curtains make its way from one side of the ceiling to the other. His mind conjured graphic images of Hunter’s anger, of Davey’s hatred, and the revenge they would take upon his defenceless body – not to mention upon Evelyn, and Adam too – once they inevitably found out.

They were due to return this weekend, though Hunter was notoriously bad about returning home when he was supposed to, he and Davey had often disappeared on spur-of-the-moment trips to exotic locations around the globe without warning. But, the closer that the dreaded Saturday evening loomed, the more tense Jade became. Horrific scenes of violence and destruction played out in his over-active imagination. He fretted; they would find out, they would hunt him down.

Maybe one of Hunter’s staff had seen Jade’s escape, or someone driving by had seen Evelyn’s little black car? It wouldn’t take long for them to track him down. Jade could practically see Hunter marching into the crisp cream foyer of Adam’s beautiful house, purple with rage and screaming all kinds of murder at the entire household. The mere fact that he was here could ruin Adam. If Adam was found to have been involved in the theft of a Bios product, his reputation would be in tatters, his associates would withdraw and his fortune would crumble. All because a pathetic little whore had felt a bit miserable for a while.

And then, crushingly, Jade made himself remember that Hunter didn’t give a shit, and that Davey would positively celebrate his absence, and he angrily snapped at himself that someone as worthless as him could never spark as much of a reaction in the world, no matter what he did. No one would care that much about him. He clenched his fists until his nails bit into the flesh of his palms and squeezed his eyes shut tightly against the hot rush of tears. Angrily, he forced his inner voice to get over himself. He didn’t matter. He’d never mattered. At the moment, the only thing he should worry about was this evening. Adam’s return from New York.

He sighed, and leaned against the cool, glassy surface of one of Evelyn’s many mirrors. He was sat on a plushly padded stool, tucked away in her dressing room, awaiting the moment she brought him out to ‘greet’ her husband. Jade was dolled up with professionally-styled hair, and expertly manicured nails and he had just come out of a glorious Swedish massage from Evelyn’s obscenely hot beautician, who had a mini-spa set up in a little room in one of the ‘lesser used wings of the house’ for his regular home appointments with her.

His skin still gleamed with the oil that had been used on him and he was leaving greasy marks on her mirror from his bare shoulders, he only had a towel round his waist – clothes were not going to feature highly this evening, if all went well. He doubted she’d care or even notice the marks before they were polished away by one of the dozens of people bustling round this vast building, constantly keeping it clean and tidy.

A door clicked open and Jade stiffened from inside his hideaway. He heard soft voices murmur in the bedroom beyond, footsteps crossing the floor. Adam’s low, questioning rumble, and Evelyn’s teasing responses. Jade’s breath quickened, his pulse racing. He fixed his eyes on the doorknob and tried to extend his awareness beyond the wooden door, into the room behind it.

Evelyn would have met Adam in the entrance hall, dressed up to the nines in stockings, killer heels and a classy black dress with little underneath. Adam would have handed his briefcase to whichever neatly-dressed young man had got there first. He would have shrugged out of his coat, and his jacket, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and loosening his tie. The images of this ritual were so vivid; Evelyn had described them to him so beautifully. Jade had felt the love pour out of her voice whenever she spoke of her husband, and had briefly been uncomfortable with his dirty pangs of lust for the man, but she had soothed him, reassuring him over and over that if he managed to make Adam happy, she would be happy.

She would have kissed Adam, her standing on the first step of the sweeping staircase, him kicking off his shoes to stand in his socks on the polished oak floor. They would have smiled, hands reaching out to touch sides, each affirming that the other was really, physically there after all these days apart. And then she would have taken him by the hand, and led him up that sweeping staircase, a dirty smile curving her lips, fully aware that every single member of staff knew exactly where she was taking him – and not caring at all.

Adam would have blushed, his introverted nature still unaccustomed to flaunting his beautiful wife in front of people, even after years of marriage to her; but he would have followed eagerly enough, his eyes fixed on the flexing of her ass as she stalked up the stairs before him. They would have made it round the corner and out of sight of the smirking eyes below when he would have wrapped an arm round her tiny waist, whirling her round and pulling her to him to capture her lips in a bruising kiss, his hand dipping down to grab a handful of that perfect ass.

Now the game would start, Evelyn gently bringing her plan into action. Instead of giving into him and allowing herself to be pulled into whichever room they came to first, stripped out of her clothes with frantic abandon and taken with a hunger that could only come from a long fortnight of sexual deprivation, she would refrain. No, tonight would be different. With a teasing smile she would have danced away from his wandering hands, beckoning him along the corridor, towards their bedroom, whispering the promise of a surprise.

Intrigued, Adam would have hurried after her, his socked feet thudding softly on the thick pile carpet, his pants tightening in anticipation. Maybe he would have caught her before they reached the door, would have tried again to skip the surprise and get straight to the sex, but she would have held him off, batting his hands away until she could twist the door handle and burst, giggling, into the rose-scented dimness of their room.

And now, there they were, just a few feet away, behind that one flimsy door. Evelyn would have moved quickly now, staving off Adam’s attempts to get her naked, even as she stripped him of his clothes and got him on to the bed. Would she have coaxed him, Jade wondered, with hushed words and soft kisses? Or would she have pushed him violently, asserting herself as the leading force in this highly sexual scene? Either way, Adam would be sprawled across the dark cotton sheets when his wife pulled out the blindfold from behind her back.

From his place in the dressing room, Jade listened intently to the hushed sounds filtering through the door. Would Adam’s eyes have lit up in excited anticipation of the game? Or would he have been nervous, reluctant? Would Evelyn have had to convince him to let her cover his eyes, let her tie the heavy fabric around his head with a firm knot, and a kiss to reassure him? Jade’s imagination was working overtime, filling his mind with glorious mental images of naked Adam, spread out and waiting. He glanced down at himself, his cock tenting the towel in his lap. Jesus, he needed to calm down or this game would not be lasting long for him.

More voices, Evelyn soothing Adam’s uncertainties. There was a long silence, heavy with the potential of a gasp or moan. Jade found himself leaning forwards in his seat, trying to get closer to the action. He jolted as the door-handle rattled and turned, the door opening; he caught a tantalising glimpse of Adam’s naked flesh, as he lay contentedly on the bed, before Evelyn shut the door behind her, smiling wickedly at him.

Adam appeared to have managed to get her out of her dress, because she wore just the corset and shift Jade had seen her put on underneath it just an hour or so ago. One stocking was slipping halfway down her leg and there was the red blush of a bite-mark on her collarbone. Jade’s mouth twitched in a nervous, anticipatory smile and he opened his mouth to ask her a thousand questions, but she shook her head, lifting a finger to her lips.

With a gesture, she got him to stand up and join her at the door. Jade obeyed; they’d discussed this thoroughly beforehand. Making sure his footsteps fell in time with hers, he followed her into the room and crouched at the foot of the bed. The dim glow from one small lamp in the corner gave Adam’s skin a dusky shine as his abs flexed with his anticipatory fast breathing.

Adam groped out a hand, blindly, his head turning this way and that, trying to work out what his wife was doing by sound alone. Her giggle was so soft he couldn't tell how far away she was, but he felt her cool fingers on his ankle, walking up to the inside of his knee.

Evelyn nudged Jade forward with a bump of her hip, now that it was safe for Adam to feel a weight on the bed between his feet. Carefully, silently, she swapped her fingers with Jade's, touching gently so Adam wouldn't tell the difference and taking a soft step back. Jade exhaled quietly, to settle his nerves, and crawled up over Adam’s legs, laying soft kisses on the insides of his thighs, just above the knee.

Adam let out a slow breath through tense lips, his abs twitching, his hands clutching at the bedding. As he worked his way further and further up Adam’s legs, Jade glanced nervously over his shoulder at Evelyn who stood behind him, broad smile curving her lips. She nodded encouragement, flicking her fingers to get him to continue. Jade swallowed, and turned his attention back to Adam, and his cock, just inches away.

Jade wetted his tongue to lay a long, slow kiss up the last short length of Adam’s thigh, resting his cheek against Adam’s hot skin. He started to move up, his tongue pressed firmly to Adam’s flesh. Adam jerked his body away from him, one hand grabbing a handful of his hair. Jade’s squeal of surprise and pain merged with Adam’s enraged shout of outrage, and Evelyn’s gasp of fear and disappointment.

Adam wrenched off his blindfold, still holding a terrified, naked Jade by the hair. Jade let his body go limp: he was more than used to being in situations like this, it was always easier not to fight. Adam grabbed the sheets, yanking them over himself and pushing Jade violently away from him. Jade scrabbled for a handhold but toppled gracelessly off the end of the bed. He shut his eyes and curled up, waiting for the kicks or punches while Evelyn launched herself forward, grabbing Adam’s wrists, soothing words already pouring from her glossed lips.

“What the fuck Ev?” Adam wrestled away from her, utterly shocked. “Who the fuck is that?” He advanced towards Jade, anger flashing in his eyes, brushing his wife aside.

Jade tried to remember how to breathe as he resisted the urge to crawl under the bed and hide. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Adam was supposed to be moaning under Jade’s tongue right now, not ready to kick seven shades of shit out of him. He had been so stupid to think Evelyn’s crazy idea might work. Why the hell would Adam want to fuck him, a worthless whore owned by his colleague?

“Get up, get up! Who the fuck are you?” Adam’s hand wrapped around Jade’s forearm, forcibly pulling him off the floor and into as close to a standing position as Jade’s shaking knees could manage. He dangled there helplessly, unable to form a coherent answer, acutely aware of his nudity and just how much it was going to hurt when Adam’s perfect fists started to pound into him. Even now, utterly afraid, Jade was aware of his attraction for him and he hated that his mind could torment him like this.

“Adam! Put him down! Leave him alone!” Evelyn tugged ineffectually at her husband’s arm, trying to break it up before Adam damaged her latest project. Jade felt a wave of self-disgust at how easily he had become her plaything – why had he fallen for it?

Adam glared at him, this man who had turned up naked in his marital bed, and slowly recognition dawned. “Holy shit! You’re… you’re…” His eyes flicked to Jade’s only adornment, the silver Bios bracelet forever round his stick-thin wrist. Jade nervously forced himself to meet his captor’s eyes, trying silently to communicate his apologies, his fear and his complete defencelessness, appealing to Adam’s pity.

With a grunt of… disgust? Adam released Jade’s am with a shove, immediately wiping his hand on the sheet around his waist as if to get rid of the contaminating Whore-Residue. Jade stumbled back a few steps and collapsed into a heap between the bed and the window, wrapping his arms around his head defensively in preparation for the blows that never came.

“Fuck Ev, that’s… that’s Hunter’s… Shit, what the fuck is he doing here?” Adam now turned angrily to his wife, advancing on her in a manner that would have had Jade backing up in fear. Evelyn, however, stood her ground, squaring up to him, raising her chin defiantly.

“I invited him. He was rattling around in Hunter’s place and he was lonely.” She tossed a warning glance at Jade and he guessed that she wanted him to just go with whatever story she came up with. He blinked an acknowledgement, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.

Adam shook his head incredulously. “And why the fuck is he naked in my fucking bedroom?” He was shouting again, the tendons in his neck standing proud with the force of his anger. “Just what the hell did you think you were doing?”

Before Evelyn could form a reply there was a loud barrage of knocks at the door and a forceful voice calling through the wood, “Is everything all right Sir? Ma’am?”

Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut. “Shit…”

The man behind the door banged again. “Sir? Sir, I’m coming in…”

Adam pushed past his wife, trailing bedding across the room. He reached the door just as it burst open; a suspicious man in a security guard’s uniform peered in, wielding a gun. Evelyn rushed forward to throw the tail end of a sheet over Jade’s prone body and he huddled on the floor on the far side of the bed, hoping he couldn’t be seen.

“Sir, we heard shouting, is everything all right?”

“No it’s fucking not all–”

Adam was quickly interrupted by his wife who slid in front of him, apologetic smile on her face. “Yes, everything’s fine. We’re okay. Everything’s under control.” She eyed the gun warily, confident he wouldn’t shoot her, but still uncomfortable.

The security guard looked between her soothing smile and Adam’s outraged anger nervously, not sure which to believe. “Sir?” He questioned politely, deferring to the man of the household, lowering the muzzle of the weapon a little.

Adam and Evelyn exchanged pregnant glances, less a battle of wills and more a warzone. Evelyn’s eyes flashed warningly and Adam’s shoulders slumped. “We’re fine. Everything’s fine.” His voice was low and defeated but he pushed enough authority into it to have the guard take a satisfied pace back, returning his gun to its holster.

“Okay then Sir. Sorry to disturb.” He looked younger now, unsure and worried that he had acted out of place. Jade remembered to breathe, he had been so worried that he’d been about to get arrested or whatever it was that a private security guard did.

Evelyn smiled reassuringly at him. “It’s okay. Thank you.” She ushered him toward the door, every inch the lady even in such a state of undress and disarray, making sure he was leaving.

“Oh!” She called to him as he padded uncertainly back down the corridor. He turned questioningly. “Would you send Martin up please? In about five or ten minutes would be good.”

“Of course, ma’am.” He nodded, pleased with the simple task and the opportunity to redeem himself in his employer’s eyes for his over-eagerness.

“Thank you.” Evelyn shut the door firmly on him and turned back to face the room… and Adam.

He snatched up his pants from where they’d been strewn on the floor in his earlier sex-fuelled haste. He advanced on his wife again, his voice lower and more controlled now, but no less angry. “I want him,” an emphatic point in Jade’s direction, “out of here by the time I’ve had a shower.”

“Adam, please, I–” Evelyn started to protest but Adam shook his head, silencing her with a slicing gesture of his arm.

“No, don’t even try it. What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

Evelyn grasped her husband’s wrists, sliding effortlessly into full sensual mode, rippling her body up against his. “It’s just that… I know you love me, honey, I know you do.” She arched her neck, bringing her mouth into a more kissable angle for him, but keeping her head back teasingly. “And I just wanted to make you happy, I wanted to give you something I couldn’t give you… y’know? Honey?”

She turned slightly, encouraging Adam to reconsider Jade, who was still crumpled on the floor, draped in a bedsheet, staring with terrified eyes as they argued about his prospects. He crawled to his knees, trying not to be quite so pathetic, and pouted his lips, playing the willing-sub – it was the only part he knew how to play.

Adam stared at him for a long moment, his eyes drinking in the smooth panels of Jade’s bare flesh. He swallowed, shut his eyes for a moment, then shook his head angrily. “This is fucking twisted, Ev. He’s Hunter’s who– uh, property.” He glared ruefully at Jade.

Evelyn shot a triumphant look at Jade. She had predicted this: Adam’s objections would be more with Jade’s contractual obligations than his sex or his looks. Jade hadn’t expected Adam’s objection to be quite so dramatic, however.

“I’m sure Hunter wouldn’t mind him making you happy, babe…” She purred into his ear, trailing a hand down his chest. “He owes you a favour to two, to say the least, after all…”

Adam rocked slightly on his feet for a second, then resolutely pushed her away. “No. Get him out. I want him out.” He brushed aside her protests and strode to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Evelyn’s shoulders slumped and she sighed heavily at the closed door. Cautiously, Jade stood, his knees cracking after being in such an awkward position for so long. She started to move towards him, her arms held out comfortingly when there was a light tap at the door. With a frustrated exhalation, she spun on her heel and went to open it.

“Ma’am?” The housekeeper, Martin, second only to Adam and Evelyn themselves in the household, stood on the threshold, looking oddly soft in jeans and a button-down shirt in lieu of his usual impeccable charcoal suit. His hair fell in waves to his shoulders, freed from its daytime ponytail. He took in the chaos of the room with barely a blink, nodding politely at Jade who had hurriedly yanked a sheet to cover up himself and was gazing in bewilderment at this informal side to the ever capable and strict modern-day butler.

“Martin, sorry to call you so late.” The apology was dismissed with a smiling shake of the head. “Could you put Jade up in a guest room for tonight? And arrange for clothes and breakfast in his room for him in the morning.” She looked around the room in dismay and sighed. “And find some new sheets for the bed in here. Fuck…”

Another polite nod. “The Blue Room, ma’am? As it’s just next door? Or the Gondola Suite?”
Evelyn frowned. “I think perhaps somewhere in the East wing might be more fitting, given the current mood…”

Martin’s mouth twitched with a smile. “Of course.” He took a step back, gesturing to Jade to come with him. “I’ll have fresh bedding arranged immediately ma’am.”

Shaken and dejected and trailing a good three feet of bedsheet, Jade trudged after the housekeeper, following him out of the door. Evelyn enveloped him in a hug as he passed. “I’m so sorry, honey. I’ll fix things. And don’t worry. You’re not going back.” She pressed a kiss into his cheek and stepped back to let him go, shutting the door softly behind them.

Jade stared at the carpet as he obediently followed Martin down the corridor, praying that they wouldn’t run into anyone on the way to wherever it was they were going. Martin smiled warmly at him. “Do you prefer chocolate or mint?”

“What?” Jade shook his head, certain he must have misheard.

“Chocolate or mint?” Martin nodded encouragingly, leading them left round a corner.
Jade stumbled over the trailing sheet. “Uh, mint?” He hiked up a fold of material, trying to untangle it from his legs. Martin nodded and made a fast right turn, making Jade nearly bump into him on the corner.

“Sorry…” Jade muttered, cursing his ineptness. Martin simply shook his head, and slowed to a stop outside a glossy white door which he opened with practiced ceremony, flicking on the lights.

“The Mint Suite, sir.” He held his arm out, inviting Jade to enter the room, which was indeed minty; decorated in fresh white with cheerful green accents. A sofa and two armchairs were arranged around a flatscreen TV, and wide-open double doors to the left revealed a bedroom dominated by a large and impossibly inviting bed.

Martin shut the door behind them and twisted the dimmer switch until the lights lowered to just a soft glow. He ran his eyes down Jade’s body, wreathed in bed linen. Jade shifted uncertainly, once again unsure of what was happening.

Martin’s eyes flickered to Jade’s bracelet. “You’re from Bios.” It was more a statement than a question and Jade nodded mutely, his heart sinking as he began to suspect where this was heading. Martin stepped forward a couple of paces, trapping Jade into the corner of the room.

“You know, I do a lot for this house. The ‘housekeeping’:, the day-to-day management of house and staff, summarising the news in reports to Mr. Carson so he knows everything’s running smoothly.” He stepped closer, one hand reaching out to touch Jade’s flinching skin. He smiled predatorily. “Mr. Carson might be interested to know how you’ve been spending your nights here…”

Jade squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly those nights sleeping naked in bed with Adam’s beautiful and equally naked wife made a whole lot less sense. He bit his lip, eyeing the housekeeper warily. Was the man threatening him? What did he want?

Martin pressed himself against Jade’s body, his fingers entwining with the bedsheet. “Or I can sweep things under the carpet. Keep it quiet.” He glanced pointedly at Jade’s bracelet again as he began to unbutton his jeans.

Jade exhaled quietly in understanding and shut his eyes as he was pushed to his knees into a nest of Egyptian cotton and made to put his training to use; trapped in the midst of his broken sanctuary.