“Depends on what you want, I’d wager.”
That left a ton more pressure on him, and it was crushing him along with all the rest. He was worried that Lee would reject him, worried that Lee would see him and forget all he’d said in the speech.
Mostly, he was afraid that he’d built Lee so high in his mind that the real person would never be good enough.
Brett hugged him when they arrived at the dungeon, and he felt like crying again. Ryan saw and commented on it. “He’s bawling like a kid, but it’s pretty sweet.”
“You cry over Homeward Bound, so don’t talk.”
“Brett! You don’t tell people here about that! I’m supposed to be tough!”
Eli slapped him on the back and vowed, “I’ll never tell a soul. Now, let’s get this going.”
It was in warp speed, like some movie on fast forward. He was rushed to a guestroom and Brett helped him undress, a little too happily, maybe, and Ryan was there, watching, laughing as he called in other slaves to help as well.
In under a minute, he was undressed and being pushed to the showers. “I know I probably stink, but what if he gets here while I’m getting ready?”
“He’s driving from almost the top of the US, Eli. I doubt you’re going to miss him just by taking a bath,” Brett groaned.
The tub was filled with bubbles and scented oil, and the moment the slaves helped him into it, he felt all the tension in the world sliding off his shoulders. The scent, some flower from exotic places, and the suds all around his neck, his body in the heated water, he could calm himself enough to think.
Everything had gone so quickly he hadn’t had much time for that. He thought,surely it would all crumble into doubt, but then he remembered their two weeks alone before they’d ended it. He remembered sitting on the shore of a lake, fishing pole in the water and making love on the ground. He remembered hating Lee but secretly watching him strut across the floor of the big mansion.
All the memories flooded him, and he smiled. “I’m not letting you push me away this time, Lee.”
After the bath, he was thrown back into more memories with Lee, as Brett had clothes brought in by the slaves, and he was made to try on outfit after outfit. He’d experienced that with Lee buying him clothes, and he’d nearly forgotten that Lee always said something nice to him.That looks great on you. That blue suits you. I can’t get away with wearing that, but you pull it off well.The comments like that were made even when Lee was barely speaking to him. He managed to make him feel good, even though he acted like he couldn’t stand the sight of him.
Then, having the personal shopper meet with him in Cape Cod, dressing him in the best, like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. He’d felt so special, so cared for. Not that he wanted to be Lee’s trophy husband, but it felt good now and then to be pampered and Lee was great at pampering him.
Or, at least, he had been.
After getting some sleep and reviving some, he bathed again and dressed in a dark suitcoat, lavender shirt underneath and the softest slacks he’d ever felt in a cream color. Brett fussed over him, and Lei wanted to ask him a million questions. What he came up with, though was, “What if he doesn’t want me?”
Brett nodded to the slaves, and they left the room. Brett took his arm, leading him to the settee by the window. “I never told you how Ryan and I met, did I?”
“You said something about jail but didn’t elaborate.”
Brett chuckled sadly. “Yeah, my sister robbed a store and I drove her there, and then she disappeared. They saw me with the store cameras outside and since they couldn’t find her, they threw the book at me.
“I had these guys after me inside, and they were determined. Ryan…he agreed to protect me and when you’re in prison…”
“I’ve seen movies, I think I get it. He made you and you fell for him?”
“Look at the guy. I wanted to, believe me. Not to mention, he did protect me, more than I even knew at the time. My cousin, he’s…”
“The guy I called,” Eli said and admitted, “I got the feeling I remembered the name Dante, and sure enough, one of the first big Dantes to come up on the internet was Carrillo.”
“That’s him, my cousin, though I didn’t know that then. When I did know it, after I came here to see Ryan was alive and well, after I thought he died, well, Dante asked us to run the place. The former High Master and High slave wanted to go, so we took over, and we never thought we could last here. All the sex, the…”
“I get it.”
“The thing is, your guy just went in front of literally the world, talking about you. If you’re nervous, I do understand, but I think you are gonna be surprised.”
Eli knew that, and understood the importance of that speech, but asked Brett, “If he was talking to me, why disappear and come here?”
“Good point. Yeah, um…ask him.”
“Thanks a lot, Brett,” he droned sarcastically.