knees meant he wouldn’t be allowed his own pleasure just yet. That was fine by him for now; his mission had been accomplished. Ben would be solely his, and in the privacy of his estate, they could begin to mend what had been broken.
“I’d forgotten how good you are at that,” Ben said while putting his clothes to rights and then coming to his feet. “Twenty-five thousand pounds and the efforts of your skilled mouth … I do think I am receiving the better end of this bargain, Alex.”
Alex stood, wincing at the ache in his knees. “That’s the idea.”
Ben readjusted his chair, gripping its back as he observed Alex from the corner of his eye. “At least until you grow bored of the novelty of having me as your courtesan.”
I could never grow bored of you, Alex thought, still able to taste the remnants of Ben’s spend on his tongue.
“You mentioned something about a contract?” he asked aloud, keeping the thought to himself.
Ben lifted a decanter from one corner of his desk and poured himself a measure of brandy. “We usually have our clients agree to the terms on paper, but considering the danger of being caught, we will simply have to shake on it.”
Alex promptly extended his hand. “Very well. You can trust me to adhere to your terms.”
As he accepted the extended hand, Ben’s expression clearly said he didn’t trust Alex farther than he could throw him. However, they shook with a firm, decisive grasp—as if Alex hadn’t just swallowed the length of Ben’s cock.
Ben turned away and stalked to a nearby window, gazing out over the back courtyard as he sipped his brandy. Just to the right of the window, an aberration made itself apparent in the mahogany paneling of the wall. Alex frowned, drawing closer to study what turned out to be a circular hole. A smooth, shiny object appeared just beyond the scar ruining the precious wood, though for the life of him he couldn’t determine what it was.
“What happened here?” he asked.
Ben turned just as Alex pointed at the spot, his expression darkening like a thundercloud had passed over him. Turning back to the window, he tightened his jaw. “Nothing that need concern you. When do we leave for Kent?”
Alex blinked, stunned by what he had just witnessed. It was an odd reaction for a man to have concerning a hole in his wall, but he dared not press further. There were so many mysteries of Ben’s changed personality to untangle and absorb, and now Alex had plenty of time to do just that.
“Three days, if it suits you.”
“It does. Our outing?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Very well. Until then.”
He didn’t even gaze away from the window, making it clear that Alex had just been summarily dismissed. It took a great deal of his will to turn and walk away, reminding himself that this was only the beginning. If he had his way, what he and Ben shared would never end.
Alex stared at Ben’s shadowed silhouette, anticipation making him restless. The sway of his carriage intensified his anxiety, and his left leg bounced in a manifestation of it. He had arrived at Ben’s residence to collect him half an hour ago, and they’d nearly reached their destination. Alex could feel Ben’s annoyance from across the carriage but brushed it off without a second thought. Alex would have to deal with his companion's surliness through the first days of their arrangement. It wasn’t enough to deter him. Besides, his hope was that this outing would help ease some of the friction between them, reminding Ben of times long past but hopefully not forgotten.
“Where are you taking me?” Ben asked.
It was the first time either of them had spoken during the ride, and Alex was grateful he hadn’t been forced to break the silence.
“It’s a surprise,” he teased.
“I hate surprises,” Ben grunted.
“I think you will like this one. Besides, when was the last time you did something fun? I imagine you spend quite a bit of time training for your boxing matches and … and tending to your … business.”
Ben’s teeth flashed in the dark in a mocking grin. “Fucking. My business is fucking.”
A shiver raced through Alex as the crude words fell from Ben’s lips. His pleasure-starved body had been vexing him since yesterday; fevered dreams of kneeling before Ben and swallowing his cock having tormented his sleep. Knowing Ben as well as he did, Alex had a feeling he’d be made to wait until they reached Kent