Chapter 20
Leonardo
This was getting ridiculous.
“No, they’re not dragging him off unsupervised.” For a variety of reasons. “If I have to call someone higher up the food chain of crazy at that company, I’m going right to the top.”
I’d met Eli at several events and I wasn’t afraid of the drama queen.
I also knew some of his favorite artists and I knew how to bribe crazy people.
Luca grunted like he’d winced. “Don’t you think this is taking control too far? Last night was your first date.”
“He called me and started off explaining that he knew not to move to a secondary location.” I was glad my boy knew he was surrounded by crazy and potentially dangerous levels of shenanigans. “He doesn’t know how to politely tell them no and he finds them fascinating.”
Just not to date or to talk to about work.
He just wanted to watch them like they were exotic birds at the zoo…the ones who talked and only knew dirty words.
Hell, he hadn’t even let Emerson discuss work when we’d been on our odd double date. It’d taken me a while to figure it out, but he changed the subject every time Emerson had brought up modeling.
“I don’t know what you’re expecting me to do. You’re already on your way.” Luca’s sigh was frustrating but I could hear him moving around on the other side of the phone. “They’re just being nice.”
“If you believed that, you wouldn’t have answered the phone with what did he do.” Lots. That sub had already done lots. “Let’s start with…he hung up on me.”
Cece’s phone was still sending his location, but seeing it move down the street to Leashes & Lace had not made me any less stressed. “He kidnapped my boy.”
“Only under the technical definition.” Luca sounded like they were debating what stalking meant again. “I’m sure he’s just being helpful.”
“Helping him what? Disobey? Dive headfirst into something he wasn’t ready for?
He spelled that out very clearly. He wanted to watch them and was hoping that would help him sort through his thoughts.
” Which was understandable given his background.
“He’s not answering my call which means he doesn’t have his phone. ”
That was kidnapping.
“Fine. I’m coming.” Still sounding dramatic and like he thought I was crazy, Luca seemed to have decided that saving his boy meant he had to get his ass over to that ridiculous company. “I won’t be far behind you.”
“Try again. I’m already parking.” And I was pretty sure I’d managed to dodge all the traffic cameras in the area. “Your boy needs limits.”
And I didn’t mind being the one to give them to him if he didn’t behave like a normal human.
Disconnecting the call before Luca could find another way to justify his boy’s behavior, I turned off the car and climbed out, ignoring Luca as his name flashed on my screen. “You should’ve answered the first time I called.”
Heading around the side of the building, I charged right in and only paused long enough to hear where the noise was coming from.
Upstairs.
“It’s not kidnapping. He walked with us.”
Emerson. I knew that voice.
“You have his phone.”
Hmm…Preston? I hadn’t met him enough to know.
“And he threatened to tell my Master I was naughty.”
And there was my boy.
There were other voices but I followed the loudest ones as I made my way deeper into the building and up the stairs.
It seemed like everyone in the fucking company was in the area where they normally did photo shoots because it was packed with everyone from half-naked models to people who looked more like nervous accountants.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I didn’t have to be polite to someone who’d basically stolen my toy.
And my boy didn’t seem to mind because he whipped around and his face lit up as he saw me. “Master!”
As I walked over to him, I wrapped my arms around him and ignored everyone watching us. “I didn’t do it, Master.”
“I know, pretty boy.” Kissing his head, I glared at everyone and immediately made note of the faces that looked appropriately panicked. “I also know who can’t make good decisions.”
The local Doms needed one of those phone trees like my mother had when I was in school, and I was just the person to handle it. I might not be friends with everyone but I’d met enough people through work that I had a good handle on the local scene.
“Staying with my phone seemed like the right decision since that’s got my tracker on it.” He pulled back just enough to pout. “I didn’t think about someone taking it from me. I need to be tracked too.”
“I agree.” That was going to have to move higher up my to-do list. “I didn’t realize how naughty they were.”
I thought mild levels of ridiculous, not kidnapping my sub levels.
If anyone got to do that it was going to be me.
“They are.” He seemed offended and shocked. “But I was good. I didn’t even walk by the building because we decided that wasn’t healthy behavior, but that worried them.”
Good fucking grief.
“Well, you made the right choices and that’s all that matters.
” I’d been so focused on my boy that ignoring the dramatic sounds coming from around us was easy until Emerson collapsed to the floor in a dramatic heap.
“What else matters is that I tattled to Emerson’s Owner and I’m going to also talk to every Dom I’ve me through work about the behavior of the subs here. ”
“Hey, Doms can make bad decisions too.” Preston’s response wasn’t making me any less frustrated but I appreciated the glare he sent to someone in the back of the crowd. “Tattle on them but don’t bring the business into it. Eli will—”
The click of heels had Preston stopping mid-sentence and then shaking his head as he sighed and finished his sentence. “Will be angry.”
Yep.
Eli was not pleased and frustration and curiosity dripped from his voice.
“This day just keeps getting more and more interesting.”
That was one word for it.
“Pretty boy? How about we go home and we’ll find something for you to do while I get a bit more work done?” The damned thing had to be finished so I could start a new project…and buy new goodies for Cece.
Instead of answering, he scrunched his face up and huffed. “As long as we’re in agreement I didn’t do anything wrong and you explain how this went sideways. It’s very confusing.”
“We’re in agreement and I will explain it as soon as I figure it out.” I had a few more questions before I could make any promises.
“Perfect.” Ignoring everyone around us, probably because he had no idea what to do with them, Cece smiled at me. “I bought a cookie, and you’re right, people are weird about raisins.”
Well, at least I looked smart about that.
“Can they move in together already?” Emerson’s questions came from the floor, but he wasn’t my doll or my employee, so I didn’t have to answer. “Owner said we needed more dates than that. Why does he only have to do one?”
“One?” Another voice spoke up but I couldn’t put a name with the face. “I thought the rule was three?”
For fuck’s sake.
“He’s only stalking us, not actually employed here, so he doesn’t have to follow those rules.
” Eli seemed to be getting himself up to speed.
I trusted his ability to interrogate everyone enough to get the rest of the details, so I started leading Cece toward the stairs.
“Why was I not involved in this hijack?”
Was that the right word?
“You were getting fucked in the closet.”
Emerson really needed to know when to stay quiet.
****
“My day didn’t go as planned, Master.” My boy was definitely frustrated but clearly playing up the situation for attention considering he’d plopped himself on my lap when we’d finally gotten home. “But I was very good.”
“That’s right.” It was everyone else that hadn’t behaved. “Putting aside their strange behavior, did our practice this morning help?”
I’d have quizzed him on the ride home, but unfortunately, he had his own car so that hadn’t been possible.
Driving his back to my place was the most practical way to handle it, but I’d have rather driven him home in his car seat.
He probably could’ve used the mental reset it would’ve given him, but I knew we could work on that now that we were home.
“Yes.” Beaming, he kissed my cheek. “I ran my errands like we talked about, then I went to the coffee shop.”
Well, something had gone right even if we’d started out the morning questionably. My boy should’ve never left in a rideshare of all things, but he’d been insistent he wanted me to get started on my work so we could have the afternoon free.
I was going to keep a closer eye on him in the future.
“I picked out a cookie like we planned and I moved the chair so that I didn’t look like I was inviting anyone to sit down with me.” His fading smile made it clear this was the point where his plans hit a snag. “They don’t make decisions like real people.”
“I would have to agree with that.” Snuggling him tighter, I smiled as he gave me another cute peck. “It sounds like you did a good job of handling a difficult situation, though. Walk me through what happened.”
Ridiculousness happened.
“I’m still going to agree with you on not having done anything wrong and handling the situation as best you could.” Technically I could see where the situation had been distracting to Emerson but his solution had not been appropriate.
My boy was having a hard time understanding their insanity, though. He’d curled into me and was petting my chest as he sighed. “They were even worried about us. Emerson knew you were the perfect Owner for me, but then he started to worry? I don’t get it.”
Some people just created chaos wherever they went.
“Well, I think they were reading too much into the situation. You’re not technically moving in. I’m just keeping you. There’s a difference.” They seemed to think those went hand-in-hand. “Yes, we need to keep getting to know one another but I think we’ve made the right decisions for us.”
Fuck it, Cece had even made it clear he wanted to wait until later to have his first orgasm with me.
We hadn’t made love yet or even had sex.
And hell, I hadn’t even used any of the penetrative toys on him.
We were taking things slow, but they just couldn’t see it because we weren’t oversharing?
“I made the right decisions for me when I called you, Master.” Sounding prouder of himself and less frustrated, Cece wiggled on my lap. “I didn’t get naked without talking to you first and I knew when there was a problem I couldn’t handle.”
“You would’ve figured out how to handle it eventually.
You’re very smart, pretty boy. This was just a very unique situation and you didn’t have time to think through it.
” He’d have probably made the situation crazier somehow, but I wasn’t going to point that out.
“But you’re my boy, so calling me was the right thing to do. ”
“You protect your toys.” Shifting so he could wrap his arms around my neck, his cuddles shifted toward the manipulative. “And you like playing with them and dressing them up.”
He was as subtle as a sledgehammer.
“You’re right.” Sliding my hands under his legs, I stood up and carried him toward the stairs. “So I’m going to get my pretty doll dressed up and keep you safe with me for the rest of the day.”
We’d tried the time apart for him to think thing and we weren’t going to do it again.
My pretty boy’s sigh of relief said we were on the same page with that.
His brain was still going a thousand miles an hour as I put him down by the stairs, though. “Some of the subs said their rule was three dates before they could move in with their Doms.”
“You don’t work there, and even if you did, I really don’t think they can control that kind of decision.
” There was no way that was enforceable under current labor laws.
“Besides, you haven’t moved in with me. Your playroom is just here and we’re in that honeymoon kind of phase where we’re getting to know one another and are very passionate about it. ”
That got a giggle from him as he nearly bounced up the stairs. “Then what happens?”
Well, I was hoping that he was still around at that point, so I answered it as optimistically as I could.
“Well, then we get to the practical phase where the number of times a day that I want to spank you or make love to you might slow down to a more manageable level, and you figure out a few of my habits that drive you insane.” I didn’t think we’d see any problems at that point, and neither did he judging by his snicker.
“Then what?” Skipping toward the playroom, he did a twirl like he was pretending he was already dressed up for me. “I don’t know what kind of things will drive me crazy but I can’t wait to figure it out.”
I liked his view on relationships.
“Then we’ll settle into routines and one day you’ll look at me and just know how much you love me.” Fingers crossed. “You’ll either tell me right then or worry about it for days like it’s a tummy ache, but eventually you’ll get it out and then we’ll live happily ever after.”
“Like a fairy-tale doll.” My pretty boy came to a halt in the middle of his playroom, arms out and going very still. “I’m an everyday kind of play doll, though.”
“That’s correct.” I wasn’t sure how that was translating in his head, but I gave him a quick peck as I picked him up again. “So we’ll have our fairy-tale moments once in a while, but in general, we’re enjoy our lives kind of Owner and doll.”
His smile said he liked my explanation even though I wasn’t sure I’d done a very good job of it.
“I like being an enjoy my life person with you, Master.” He kissed my cheek as I set him down on the changing table. “And I can’t wait to have my tummy ache with you.”
“I can’t wait either.” But until we got to that point, I was going to show him every day how much he was coming to mean to me…by not letting him out of my sight and by tracking him much more thoroughly.
I’d dropped the ball once and he’d gotten kidnapped…I wasn’t going to let that happen again.