Chapter Twenty
Laurie
“I don’t understand what you’ve got against guinea pigs,” Theo said as we sat around our various tables in the garden of The Sleeping Goose.
The nights were starting to draw in and there was a distinct chill in the air that I relished.
Summer was finally losing its grip on the world, and autumn was on the way.
I’d happily have sat out in the garden for another few months, but I knew soon we’d all be shuffled inside as cold nights and freezing rain became standard fare.
“I don’t have anything against guinea pigs,” I said firmly. “But that doesn’t mean you’re having one, or two, or any number of them at all. We do not have time or space for pets.”
“But what about the garden?” Theo asked, determined not to give in.
This argument had been going on for months now and I’d refused to concede.
I’d hoped Theo would get bored of asking, but for some reason the demand had stuck.
I’d rather he went back to asking about the ridiculous taxidermy chess set that had been the object of his desires at the start of the year, but I wasn’t going to bring it up or he’d start asking for both.
“You’ve got a garden?” Spencer asked as he leant in, neatly inserting himself into the conversation. “Since when?”
“Since forever,” Theo said. “It’s just in really bad shape since we haven’t done anything with it in years. But it’s got a patio and an overgrown lawn. I think there are a couple of flower beds too, but I don’t know what’s in them.”
“If it’s secure and it’s got a lawn, you could totally put a hutch out there! Especially if you’ve got a patio,” Spencer said excitedly.
“See! That’s what I said.”
“Are you going to be the one to redo the whole garden then?” I asked pointedly. “The fence needs replacing in at least two parts, the patio needs weeding and power washing, the flower beds need taking right back to basics, and the lawn… well, we don’t even own a lawn mower.”
Theo scoffed and rolled his eyes. “How hard can it be to weed a patio? And we can buy a mower.”
“Where are you going to put it?” I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t like being the villain in this situation, but somebody had to be practical. “We don’t even have a shed.”
“Wouldn’t be hard to build one,” Lane said. He was sat on Spencer’s other side and turned to face us as he sipped his beer, a thoughtful expression on his face. “How big’s the patio? Have you got any room to put a concrete base down?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t even remember the last time I went out there.” The garden had been my grandmother’s, but when she’d gotten ill, we’d had to abandon the garden out of necessity.
It had been her most-prized possession after the violin, and I felt an immense amount of guilt over the fact I’d ignored it and left it to rot, and every time I thought about tackling it, something stopped me.
I knew it needed sorting, and I’d probably feel a lot better once it was done, but getting started was the hardest part and the point I’d never managed to get to.
“If you want help clearing it, then just yell,” Will said, giving me a warm smile. “Doesn’t have to be tomorrow but give it a few months and we’ll be a bit quieter up at the farm, so it wouldn’t be hard to come down and give you a hand.”
“Thanks… I’ll think about it.”
Will nodded. “Just let me know. If it needs a lot doing to it, I can bring the mini digger down on the trailer. Probably shove all the rubbish on the trailer too.”
“If not, I can get you a skip,” Lane said. “I think between three or four of us, it wouldn’t take long.”
“And since none of us are particularly green-fingered,” Oliver said, “I can always ask Ivor for some advice.”
Ivor was Lane and Oliver’s elderly neighbour who spent several hours every day out in his garden, which was both his pride and joy and his way of escaping his incredibly nosy wife.
He’d offered Oliver a lot of advice about his garden, since it had also needed plenty of care and attention.
The death of his grandmother, Iris, had meant the garden and the cottage had been abandoned for several months before Oliver had moved in.
And even then, the garden hadn’t been his priority.
The first time I’d met Oliver had been at Iris’s funeral, but I doubted he remembered that.
I’d arranged the funeral, and I remembered talking to the softly spoken man who had been utterly bereft.
He’d spent the whole day looking like he was lost at sea, an expression I was well familiar with.
But he’d been kind and I remembered hoping he’d have fond memories of Iris to look back on.
“Thank you,” I said with a grateful nod. “That would be very kind of you.”
“It’s what friends are for,” Oliver said, a bright smile warming his face. “We’re always here to help you.”
“That’s because you’re all fabulous and wonderful,” Theo said, beaming at them before shooting me the barest wink. “Now we can have a beautiful garden and guinea pigs!”
“You know, you were quite rude earlier,” I said calmly as I shut the door to the flat behind us, throwing the bolt and chain across before slipping off my jacket and hanging it on the nearby hook.
“No, I wasn’t,” Theo said, bending down to unlace his boots.
I couldn’t help noticing the way he’d turned away from me to do it so he could wiggle his butt teasingly at me.
“I was just saying that I would like a guinea pig. You were the one who mentioned the garden. And we both know it’s been on your to-do list for forever!
This way it’ll finally get done and I’ll get an adorable piggy friend to love and spoil. ”
“If we do sort the garden, that doesn’t automatically mean you’re getting a pet.”
“Why not?”
“Firstly, do you even know how to look after a guinea pig? Secondly, pets are a lot of work and we have to make sure we’ve got the time to dedicate to them.”
Looking rather exasperated, Theo stood and slotted his boots onto the metal shoe rack behind the door.
“I know that. I’m not going to abandon it if I get bored.
That would be horrible! And I’ve been doing a lot of reading online too.
” He stepped closer to me and grinned slyly.
“Of course, if you don’t think I deserve a guinea pig, you can just say that.
Or you could buy me the chess set instead. ”
I let out a slow breath and pursed my lips. Theo was trying to push my buttons to get a reaction, and I hated that it was working.
“I didn’t say you didn’t deserve one,” I said. “I just said they were a lot of work and responsibility. And you know my thoughts on the chess set.”
“Ugh, you’re so mean!” Theo huffed. “You’re the meaniest meanie pants. You never let me do anything fun.”
“That’s enough,” I said sharply. I turned to Theo and took two steps towards him, backing him up against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.
I grabbed his wrist with my hand and pinned it above his head, lowering my voice as I continued.
“You are being very rude and I’m not enjoying your behaviour.
Just because I am thinking practically about things doesn’t mean I’m mean or that I won’t let you do anything fun. ”
Theo let out a soft groan and nodded. Reaching out a finger, I trailed it along his jaw.
I was so tempted to tie him, spank him, and remind him how to behave.
I wasn’t going to let Theo brat about like that without consequences, because otherwise he’d do it whenever he wanted something and I wasn’t about to unleash that monster upon the world.
“I’m sorry,” Theo said. The apology was half-hearted at best and I saw the gleeful twinkle in his eye as he looked up at me.
“No, you’re not.”
“I am.” I closed the gap between us until Theo was totally pinned to the wall. “Fine, I’m only sorry a little bit. But that still makes me sorry.”
“It’s not good enough, and you know it.” I leant forward and let my mouth ghost over his. Theo whimpered in the most delightful way, sending heat rushing to my groin. “I think you need a reminder on how to behave and how to apologise.”
“Mmm, I think I do too.”
I chuckled under my breath. Theo was such a brat, but I couldn’t help but love it. The way he pushed all my buttons was frustrating, but the way he submitted to me when I pushed back was too delicious to resist. “What’s your colour, my darling?”
“Green.”
“Good.” I brushed my lips against his in the barest hint of a kiss.
“We’re going to go to my room and I’m going to tie you.
I’d like to tie your arms behind you in what’s called a box tie.
Then I’m going to bend you over the bed and spank your pretty behind.
I think… at least thirty counts should teach you a lesson, but if you need more, then we can talk about it. ”
“And then?” Theo asked hopefully, tilting his head up to beg for a kiss. “Will I get to come?”
“That depends on how good you are.” I grasped his jaw gently and smirked at him.
“Hopefully this will serve as the reminder you need, but I’m not above taking it further if you continue to be a brat.
Perhaps we could even go so far as getting you a cage for your beautiful cock.
Maybe if you can’t come without my permission, you might remember your manners more often. ”
“You… you wouldn’t be so cruel.”
“I wouldn’t do it without your permission, obviously,” I said, leaning in so my breath caressed his ear as I spoke.
“But I can feel how hard you are right now, Theo. The way you’re leaning into my touch…
the way your breath caught when I suggested it.
I think you love the idea of being caged.
Of walking around with your pretty cock all locked up for me, dripping into your panties as you think about how you belong to me.
Having to go to your filming weekends and explain that you’re not allowed to come because of how badly you’ve behaved, knowing that all your tops will know what a bad boy you’ve been.
Perhaps I’d allow you to take a key and Austin could unlock you.
But you’d still be mine. And everyone would know it. ”
“Y-yes… Oh God, yes.”
“Do you want that, Theo? Do you want to belong to me?”
“Yes!”
“Then be a good boy and go to our room.” I kissed him, hard and sharp, before releasing him. Theo staggered slightly and I put my hand on his waist to steady him. “Are you okay? Do you need a minute?”
Theo shook his head and grinned at me. “I’m fine. I just don’t think I have any blood left in my head. It’s all in my dick.”
I chuckled and kissed his forehead. “Does that mean there’s none in your feet? Are you asking me to carry you?”
“Is that an option?” he asked hopefully.
“No. You can walk.”
“What if I ask nicely?” He batted his eyelashes at me. “Please, Laurie, will you carry me?”
“No,” I said. “For one thing, I am not Spencer and the heaviest thing I can lift is a stack of books.”
“That’s okay,” Theo said. “I don’t think I’d want you to be super muscley.
It’s fun sometimes, like when I film with Austin or Jake and Kai, but that’s different.
It’s work. I want you just the way you are.
” He kissed me softly then danced out of my arms and shot up the stairs towards the flat, giggling wildly.
“If you can’t catch me, you can’t spank me! ”
I shook my head and laughed quietly to myself as I watched him dart out of reach, knowing by the sound of his footsteps when he reached the top that he was heading towards our room.
I wasn’t going to point out that if he didn’t want to be spanked, he shouldn’t have gone in there, but then again, I doubted Theo wanted to avoid his punishment.
Perhaps he was even looking to increase it.
I made a mental note to search for cock cages tomorrow as I started to climb the stairs.