Chapter 4
4
DEER
“Ah, yes, this room will be mine,” I whispered with a grin. “Wow.”
I’d peeked into each one along the hallway and avoided what was clearly the primary bedroom, but this one on the corner of the building had two walls of windows. Not only was the view spectacular, but the color theme was a soft brown and green that reminded me of a spring forest, which I loved. Everything in the apartment had been beyond expectation so far. The only thing I hadn’t seen was fancy, superexpensive Christmas decorations. There wasn’t a single nod to the upcoming holiday.
“This is one small step in my journey to prove I’m good enough for the rest of the Killoughs,” I grumbled, then took a ridiculous leap into the room, bouncing on my heels when I landed. There was a stately wooden desk to the left, the type of thing I expected to see the president sitting behind on TV, and it was parked catty-corner to one of those massive windows. Across the room was a brown leather couch that looked as if it would be cool on my skin if I slid across it naked. A couple of green pillows were piled on each end.
And the bed.
Oh my God, the bed. Well, I’d slept on one a little like it on vacation once, but this monster was the real focal point of the room.
Massive was the only word for it.
Perfect for any acrobatics Scott could dream up. Any orders he could give. I fanned my face and bit the inside of my cheek. The whole pet play conversation had gotten to me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Would it be so bad to have that muscled, dangerous man give me some orders?
Deer, sit on my dick.
Deer, suck my dick.
Okay, my brain was pretty focused on one thing at the moment, but I would do it all gladly. The adrenaline from running at the train station was still popping in my veins like champagne bubbles.
“Holy shit, I’ve arrived.” I strode farther into the room, dumping the money bag on the floor as I went. The curtains were closed over one window, and I threw them back to stare out into the night. I’d never realized that I was poor before this moment, but looking at the view before sneaking a peek at the lush bedding—and judging by the way my feet sank into the thick carpet—I’d been busted broke and hadn’t even known it. With a skip in my step, I rushed over, grabbed the bag of cash again, and then flopped on the bed hugging it.
“Oh!” The bounce was great. With a swift glance at the door, I popped up on my feet, hopped, and gave the mattress a real bounce, then flopped down on it again, laughing. This place was so big Scott probably didn’t even hear me. I opened the bag and stared at all the money, mesmerized. The scent of cash wafted out, and a tingle slid through my body that had nothing to do with sex. I sniffed, taking a deep whiff, and grinned. It reminded me of Christmas.
Mom had been handing out envelopes of bills to save herself time and annoyance since I was four years old. Everyone knew their worth at my house, and for me it had been exactly fifteen hundred dollars for all holidays that required presents.
“Oh! Shit. Right, Mom!” I dragged my phone out of my pocket and collapsed on my back on the bed, biting my lower lip.
Deer
I have this month covered. You don’t have to worry.
The text was barely sent when I got a reply.
Mom
And what about next month? Send me the money right now. I don’t want to cancel my spa appointment for tomorrow.
Deer
It’s cash. I can’t just PayPal you fifteen grand anyway.
Mom
Why not?
Rolling my eyes, I laid my phone down and glared at the ceiling. “Good job, Deer. Thanks for saving our asses, sweetheart. You deserve all my love. You’re my favorite son.” I slapped my cheek hard enough that it stung. “Yeah, cold day in hell when she’ll say that.” I shook my head.
Launching to my feet, I went over to a nearby bookcase and explored what was there, intrigued despite the trap of the comfortable bed. I might be taking pharmacy classes, but honestly, I was far more interested in just about anything else. The Pharm D classes were a means to an end—hopefully the family business one day—but I grinned as I picked up a stunning leather-bound copy of The Art of War . This was more what got my mental engine going. If I could’ve picked anything in the world to study, it probably would’ve been something that wasn’t bound to make any money—history or philosophy.
But that wouldn’t do any good if I wanted to impress Fionn. He’d be taking over the Killough Company one day. And I had no idea what would dazzle Uncle Sloan, short of conquering a small country and turning it into part of his empire.
Sliding the book back on the shelf, I sighed and stared out the closest window at the New York skyline. All the twinkling lights made my heart ache in a weird nostalgic way, even though this was the first time I’d ever stepped foot in this room. Fionn would’ve probably done a better job at making cash, given the circumstances, but we weren’t good enough for him and Uncle Sloan anymore, according to Mom. A pain I couldn’t quite label scrabbled in my chest. What had we done wrong? I shook my head. Maybe it was stupid hoping to impress Fionn and Uncle Sloan in the first place. I danced my way back over to the bed with a couple of awkward shuffles and hip thrusts, throwing in a twirl on the way, then peeked at the money again.
Maybe if I showed them I could take care of Mom and the family, they would come around and see that I’m not useless. Fuck, why did that feel like a long shot?
“Yeah, it’s gonna be fine.” I blew out a shaky breath. This was a step on the path to having an illegal career, right? I was gaining, like, work experience? I stifled a laugh by biting my lip. The bed was so huge I couldn’t help myself, and I rolled across it as if it was a trampoline to get to the other side while excitement careened through my belly.
My phone buzzed again, probably Mom with more demands. She could wait.
I rushed over to the massive walk-in closet, but it was empty. Not a shock, really. The room was clearly for guests. One high shelf appeared to be storage for extra bedding. Whatever life Scott lived, this part of it was normalish, except for the price point. Who would’ve thought I’d be spending the night on Billionaire’s Row? I spun toward the dresser, nosy by nature, and tugged open the top drawer.
The air gushed out of me. I’d expected more empty storage space, probably smelling faintly of cedar.
“Bingo, the weird shit.” I snickered.
There were dividers in the drawer for different toys. I wasn’t sure what they were all for, but the leashes and collars were clear enough. Shit, was I not supposed to be in this room? Scott hadn’t said to avoid any particular one.
“Well, his buddy did mention pet play.” I lifted a brown suede collar out with one finger and eyed it up. The buckle was silver. The combo would look good against my skin. Would it fit me? There was a matching leash. Feeling brave, I snagged the collar and leash before using my hip to shut the drawer. Of course, it glided closed, as if angel wings were helping to smooth it along. We had nice things in the house I’d grown up in, but this was all next level. I gently laid the items on top of the dresser and let out a long breath, rubbing my clammy hands on my thighs.
There had to be a reason he was willing to pick me up, right? It wasn’t my great ass, no matter how many times he stared at it. No, he must want things he couldn’t ask the average Grindr hookup to do. I glanced at myself in the mirror over the dresser. At least the collar should look great on me. I winked.
I can handle this.
I hope.
Bryn had told me to embrace whatever bullshit my sugar daddy wanted. I wouldn’t let her down.
“Oh, crap.” I rushed over to the bed where I’d tossed my phone and dove at it. I’d told her I would call hours ago. I found her number and tapped it.
“What the heck, Killough?” she said, her Southern accent zinging down the line to sting me. She had perfected polite disdain.
I snickered as music swelled on her end of the line, an obnoxious bass followed by a techno beat. “Are you in a bar?”
“Don’t worry about me! Why didn’t you call earlier?” Her irritation gave way to fear, which killed some of my buzz.
“I’m completely safe.” Even though she couldn’t see me, I crossed my heart with one finger. “Promise.”
“You better be. It’s my mom,” she said to someone with a musical laugh, and I had to groan. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“I’m in!” Quickly, I snapped a pic of the skyline and sent it to her.
She gasped. “You found someone?”
“Yeah.” I glanced at the collar and leash on the dresser, biting my lip as excitement twisted higher in my stomach. “I’m going to take a shower so I’m ready for him. You know, get my game face on.”
“Yeah, go! Be up for anything that won’t permanently injure you, especially if you already got your pot of gold. Call me tomorrow! If I don’t see you in class on Monday, I’ll send out a search party. Text me the address.”
All at once, my throat went tight as I stared around the room. I knew in my gut Scott wouldn’t be pleased if he found out I’d told someone where he lived. He was having a bullet dug out of his shoulder in the living room. This was clearly not a man who colored inside the lines of society.
“Deer?” Bryn’s voice had a frustrated edge that jolted my brain back into action.
“I.... Yeah, no one would be able to bust in here to find me. What’s the point?”
“You better tell me where you’re at or else,” she snarled into the line. The hair rose on my arms. She was a good friend, but I was pretty sure she would also stab me with a pen the next time she saw me if I didn’t give her something to take the edge off her worry.
“I’m at Sky High Tower.”
“You dirty whore! I knew that was an expensive view. Shut the hell up!”
Snickering, I was back to feeling pleased with myself. “Yep, gotta go. Bye, Bryn!”
She was speaking as I ended the call, but I didn’t care.
Always leave them wanting more. Yeah, I’d pay for that later.
I rushed over to the collar and leash, grabbed them, and then hustled into the bathroom. It was every bit as extravagant as the bedroom, with blue glass tiles that gleamed brighter than ocean waves. The top part of the wall above the tiles was a blinding white. Everything looked brand new and untouched. Hell, I should take Bryn’s advice and lean all the way into this. If he gave me a bag of cash on a whim this month, maybe he would do it again next month if I made him happy.
That was the goal, right? A situation .
Judging by this place, he could afford to dump a sack of cash on me every month for the rest of my natural-born life and have tons left over. If he wanted me to crawl across the floor and bark, by God, I would ask if he wanted it to sound like a husky or a golden retriever. I stripped off my clothes and started the shower, shivering as the cool air hit my skin.
“What would Fionn do?” Probably not fuck a guy, but if he was Uncle Sloan’s apprentice, like I’d heard in an interview, it would be something ballsy. Mom had let a few things slip when I was younger about what the Company really did.
I spotted a washcloth and hopped under the warm spray, soaping up and showering fast. If Scott still wanted my help getting cleaned up when he was done being pieced back together, I would, but I needed to get rid of the nervous sweat first.
Needed to smell good for him.
I let out a gusty sigh and grinned. This was actually fun and a lot more exciting than anything else I would’ve been doing on a Friday night. I could get used to this.
After my shower, which was more a sprint with water, I dried off fast and finger combed my dark hair. I stared at the collar and swallowed hard. No, not yet. There were a few toiletries on the counter—new deodorant and a toothbrush—so I used those things, but then it was right back to staring at the collar.
“Why not? It’s just a necklace. A tight necklace.” Shrugging, I picked up the soft leather and put it on. It took me a couple of tries to tighten the collar so that it was comfortable, but once it was on my neck, I ran my fingers over it while I stood in front of the mirror with a towel around my waist. Taking a deep breath, I snagged the leash and hooked it to the tiny silver loop on the collar. I looked exactly like a man with a collar and leash dangling from his throat. I chuckled, which became laughter full of snorts and giggles, but I couldn’t deny that when the leash swayed and brushed over my nipples, my dick tingled. The slight tug of the leash on the collar had me squirming inside in a good way.
This was definitely a thing .
Good, bad, or otherwise was yet to be determined, but it wasn’t nothing.
“Okay, Scott expects action from you.” I spent a ridiculous second winking in the mirror and checking myself out from all angles. “He gave you a sack of cash.” I glanced out the bathroom door at the duffel bag on the bed. “A big one. Man up.” I nibbled my bottom lip and peeked out of the doorway of the bedroom, then went on the hunt for him when I didn’t hear voices. Surely, I would hear some talking if his buddy was still fishing a bullet out of him?
It took me a second to retrace my steps because the place was so huge, but I finally found Scott sitting alone with his eyes shut on a couch. He hadn’t bothered putting a shirt on. The skyline still glittered in the window at his back, beautiful dots of color spreading away into eternity. During the day, I doubted the view would be as nice—the city was dirty and gray—but it really was incredible now. I padded toward him, and he tensed but didn’t open his eyes.
“Well, what do you think? Are you getting your money’s worth?”
His lips twitched. “What did you do?”
“Open your eyes and find out.” I gathered my courage and straddled his lap, careful not to touch his injured shoulder, which was covered with a white bandage. His fingers clamped roughly onto my hips, but I didn’t hate it. I wriggled, and his grip tightened on me, stealing my breath.
Scott peeked at me and hummed.
“So, should I bark or meow or something?” I tried to give him a sexy smirk, but I was nervous. I probably looked like a lunatic.
He stared at the collar on my neck, then swallowed hard and slid his gaze down my body before his fingers plucked at my towel. He didn’t try to pull it off, just undid the knot and began to stroke the skin under my belly button, ruffling my treasure trail. I wasn’t naked or exposed, but warmth shot through my groin and my dick was a solid lump under the soft fabric.
“You’re not saying anything. Did I mess up?” I whispered.
“Hell no. This was unexpected but fuck. Look at you. Gorgeous.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across my collarbone.
How was that such a tease? My hands curled into fists at my sides as my head went light. No one had ever sounded that pleased with me. He brushed his fingers across my lower back. His eyebrows waggled as he yanked me closer, and I couldn’t stop the gasp that slipped past my lips.
“Oh, yes, you were a wise investment.” He settled his hand on my dick over the towel, not doing much except letting me feel the weight. But that was enough to begin to drive me crazy. I rocked my hips, and he gave me a gentle squeeze.
“I, uh, thought so.” My face was so hot I was going to catch on fire.
He pointed at the floor and held on to the loop at the end of the leash. “I can’t tell you what you should do. Bark or something else. We have to figure out what kind of creature you are.”
He sounded as if he was making fun of me, but there was so much intense heat in his eyes that I couldn’t do anything except nod.
“Go on. Get down there.”
Nervously, I slithered to the floor. The towel got caught and stayed behind, hung up on his knee. I didn’t have a problem being naked—I looked good and knew it—but this was completely outside my realm of experience. I glanced down at my dick making a good attempt at stabbing directly upward into the air. My pubes were trimmed, but maybe I should’ve done more? Maybe gotten rid of them entirely? But he liked the pet thing. Did that mean he found body hair sexy? How were there so many things to think about? The head of my dick was flushed pink and gleamed with a drop of precum.
Being exposed in the lamplight made my dick pulse. I wanted to give myself a couple of tugs to take the edge off, but I wasn’t sure if that was against the rules of the game we were playing, and the last thing I should do was ruin something Scott wanted.
Carefully, he rose and stood staring down at me. There was an unmistakable bulge in his suit pants. I leaned up and nuzzled my cheek against him, inhaling the musk at his crotch because I wanted to do it—for no other reason. Damn, he smelled good.
Scott chuckled. “Wise fucking investment, indeed. All right. You sure you’re fine with this?”
I nodded quickly.
“Crawl, then. Let’s see what kind of cute little thing you are. Let’s go for a walk.” He tugged gently on the leash and strolled toward the windows, and I followed along behind him. This was weird. Definitely a good weird, though. My dick swayed and the movement made me overly aware of it. I felt both proud and shy at the same time when he skated a glance along my body.
Don’t think, just do what your sugar daddy wants.
“Why don’t you try a bark?” He sounded way too entertained.
“Uh....” My arms and legs stopped coordinating and I flopped onto my belly. Groaning, I got up onto all fours again.
“It’s okay. No? Perhaps a tiny purr. I could see you as a sexy kitten.” His voice got rougher, all gravelly. “You seem like something that needs my protection. Not a big mean dog.”
My stomach twisted in pleasure and some humiliation. “I should be a big mean dog,” I grumbled. What would Fionn do? Shit, maybe I needed to stop asking myself that. This had gotten out of hand. It was difficult to swallow the spit that had gathered in my mouth.
“Says who?” He blew out a raspberry and winked at me when I glanced up, somehow making this better. Easier.
He tugged lightly on the leash and started forward again. My dick began to ache with the need to touch it, and I did appreciate the tease of being paraded around, even if I couldn’t bark or meow. We moved like that all the way to the bedroom, and I was careful to pick my knees up so I didn’t get brush burns. I’d come out in the collar and leash, so he must’ve realized which room I’d chosen.
Scott stopped beside the bed and crouched. When he was in front of me, he grabbed my chin between two fingers and put pressure on it. I went up onto my knees, completely exposing my dick. My head swam and I had to settle my hands on his chest or fall.
When he licked his lips, my ab muscles tightened and my dick twitched. Seven thousand years seemed to pass as a bead of hot precum dripped down my dick. His gaze was glued to that small drop, and it was driving me to the brink already.
He smirked. “You love this. Signs point to yes, anyway.”
“Uh.” Laughing as I rubbed my cheeks with both hands, I gazed down at my dick as if I’d never seen it. “Yes, I guess so.”
He tipped my chin up again, and I skimmed my hands across my abs as he stared into my eyes.
“So pretty, Deer. Listen good. You listening?”
Smiling, I nodded, but the longer he stared at me, the more I wanted him to do something with me. I knew he was hurt, but he looked so fucking good.
“I’m going to kiss you. I paid you, but I want you to keep this in mind. If I do something that scares you, call time-out like it’s a footy match. Just yell it. If I hurt you, same thing. Mind you, I’m not plannin’ to hurt you. This all right with you? Anything to add?”
“Uh, no?” I scrambled mentally, but my dick was throbbing and he’d said he was going to kiss me and I couldn’t focus on much more than his mouth. It was too far away.
“Paid time doesn’t mean you can’t tell me no. It just means I paid you. You don’t ever let anyone push you that way.” He glared.
“Yeah, okay,” I whispered.
He shook his head and frowned, but then he tugged me close with the leash. I melted as his lips covered mine. I was supposed to be here for him, but he was a damned good kisser. I should’ve been giving him money.