Ricochet (56 page)

little more than a trinket to him," Rick said

dismissively.

Matt's eyes flashed. "As a matter of fact, he

gave it to me to cement the start of our new

relationship."

"Relationship?" Rick raised an eyebrow.

"After one date? Karl's right - he is a fast mover."

Matt shot him a cold glance. "He's just

someone who knows what he wants and goes after

it."

"Yeah, well, he's a businessman; he likes to

acquire things."

Matt stuck out his jaw defiantly. "At least he's

prepared pursue something if he wants it, rather

than letting it go because he's too chicken shit to

stake his claim."

"Stake his claim? What are you - a piece of

land?"

"Rick," Daniel said warningly. "Be nice."

"Sorry." Rick made a face. "It's a really pretty

cuff thingy, Matty. I hope he makes you very

happy."

"He already does," Matt retorted. "We have a

lot in common. He's tidy, and uncomplicated, and

is who he says he is. He doesn't live in a

permanent state of chaos, and I don't feel like I'm

bouncing off the walls around him. It's all very

calm and ordered," he said pointedly.

"Well, we all know how much you like calm

and boring," Rick muttered. "Sorry - I meant

'ordered'. Calm and ordered." He made a face at

himself in the mirror.

"Are you sure about this, Matt?" Casey asked.

"Only, it does seem very sudden, and he might be

very handsome, and rich, and famous and

everything, and the cuff is really pretty but…" she

trailed off unhappily.

"But is he right for you?" Cara finished for

her sister.

"I don't know yet, but at least he's prepared to

give a relationship a try, to see how it turns out,"

Matt replied sharply.

Casey took hold of her sister's hand and

squeezed. "It's just that we thought…" She looked

at Rick, and then back at Matt again. "We thought

that maybe there was someone else for you."

"Apparently not," Matt said stiffly.

"Hey - some of us have work to do around

here." Tim, the make-up artist, pushed through the

throng gathered around Matt and glanced at the

gold bracelet. "Very nice. Not something that Ben

would wear though, is it?"

"No." Matt winced. "I'm worried about that

because I don't know how to get it off for filming."

"A saw would work," Rick muttered. Daniel

put his hand on Rick's shoulder and squeezed,

viciously. Rick took a deep breath and got control

of himself, remembering Petra's words to him

yesterday.

"I've heard of those - they're called BBs -

bondage bracelets," Karl said, examining Matt's

wrist intently. "There is a way to get them off, but

it's hard to figure it out - and you can't do it

yourself because you need two hands, so someone

has to do it for you."

"I know how to get it off," Rick said quietly.

"What? I played with one in a store once," Rick

explained as everyone turned to look at him again.

"If Matt would like me to help?"

Matt glared at him, and the entire cast

collectively held their breath. Then Matt held out

his arm haughtily in Rick's direction.

Rick took hold of his arm and pressed the cuff

in two different places at the same time, then

twisted his fingers and felt the lock give. The

bracelet sprang open, and Rick pulled it off and

handed it to Matt.

"Thanks," Matt muttered.

Rick kept hold of his wrist. "You'll need to

get Tim to cover this up," he said quietly, pointing

to the chafed skin underneath. "Your new dom's

bondage seems to be a little too constricting."

"Where's your cuff?" Rule asked that evening,

when Matt got into his limousine.

"I can't wear it on set," Matt replied. "But

don't worry - it's safe."

"You misunderstand me. I appreciate the fact

that you can't wear it at work, but when you are

with me, you will," Rule said firmly. "Now go and

get it."

Matt ran back into the house, got the cuff, and

snapped it around his wrist, wincing slightly as it

pinched his skin. Then he ran back to the car.

"Now we will be late because of you," Rule

said in an annoyed tone.

"Look - I didn't know you wanted me to wear

it all the damn time! It's not my fault," Matt

snapped, feeling his temper rise.

Rule's expression softened. "You're right. I'm

so sorry, Matt. It's entirely my fault for not

explaining. I'm so used to people understanding my

ways - I forgot you were new to them. Forgive

me?" He placed a gentle hand on Matt's arm.

"Okay," Matt agreed. Despite what he'd said

to Rick, he still wasn't sure about this new

relationship, but it wasn't every day someone as

illustrious as Sebastian Rule showed an interest in

him, so he wanted to give it a chance.

"Please wear it at all times when you are with

me. It's a small thing, but it pleases me," Rule said,

fingering the cuff with his long, elegant fingers.

"I understand," Matt said. "It's a dom thing."

"It is." Rule smiled. "And I knew you would

understand. You're such a sweet sub."

Matt's life changed out of all recognition in

the next few weeks. Rule got invited to all the best

parties, and they were swept up in a busy social

whirl. When Matt wasn't working he was getting

photographed walking into restaurants, charity

dinners and presidential fundraisers all over town,

on Sebastian Rule's arm.

"Is your life always like this?" Matt

whispered, after they were introduced to the

president at a private party one evening. She was a

tall, striking woman with red hair. Matt hadn't

voted for her, but that didn't stop him feeling

completely awestruck in her presence.

"Mostly." Rule placed his hand on Matt's

shoulder to guide him around the room.

"I thought life as a TV actor was crazy

enough, but this is a whole different world," Matt

said, awestruck.

"It's a world that's a lot more attractive with

you in it." Rule glanced at the photographer who

was circling the room and pulled Matt in close,

wrapping his hand tightly around Matt's wrist.

"Come on, Matt - I want you in this photograph

with me. There isn't a dom alive who won't envy

me having a sub as beautiful as you on my arm."

There were already plenty of articles in the

gossip columns about them - Matt was getting used

to opening a newspaper or magazine and seeing

pictures of himself and Rule at a film premiere or

gala.

"I've been thinking," Rule said, smiling as the

photographer took several photos of them. "You

have a couple of days off coming up, after your

photo shoot for that TV magazine, so why don't you

come over to my house, and we can spend the time

together? Bring a bag and stay over - you can get a

little taste of what it's like to be Sebastian Rule's

submissive."

Matt had stopped questioning how Rule

always knew his days off - his new dom had an

eye for detail and was so busy he had to organize

his schedule with ruthless efficiency.

"Really?" It was the first time Matt had been

invited to Rule's LA house.

"Really. What do you say? Please? It would

make me very happy." Rule squeezed his shoulder

lightly. "Not that I've changed my mind; I won't

sleep with you until I've collared you - you'll have

your own room."

"Maybe we should sleep together before we

get that far?" Matt said earnestly. "I mean, it's kind

of a big deal, isn't it? Suppose we're not sexually

compatible?"

Rule laughed. "Oh, we will be," he said

confidently.

Rick got home late after a grueling day's

filming. This episode was more or less a three-

hander between Karl, Daniel and himself, and he

had more screen time than usual, so the days were

long.

He re-heated a pizza, grabbed a beer, sat

down in front of the TV, and flicked on the news.

"Tonight, the president was in Hollywood,

enjoying a night out with the stars!" the presenter

said excitedly. "Sebastian Rule was there,

accompanied by his sub, TV actor Matthew Lake."

Rick glanced up from his pizza to see Rule

and Matt standing side by side, with Rule's hand

wrapped firmly around Matt's wrist. Both of them

were beaming happily, and Rule was whispering

something silkily in Matt's ear.

"Rule, the owner of Rule-Tech, the

electronics giant, is known to have given millions

to President Snyder's re-election campaign. He

looked blissfully happy as he showed off his

beautiful new sub."

Matt did look beautiful. He was flushed with

happiness, his eyes were bright and sparkling, and

he was clearly excited to be attending all these

classy functions with his new dom.

Rick turned off the TV, shoved his pizza to

one side, and got up. Matt was clearly moving on,

so it was time he did the same; Petra be damned -

he was going clubbing.

He headed out to one of his old haunts, the

Beautiful People bar, which was always packed

with a multitude of heaving bodies. His old dom

friends had dropped him like a stone when he'd

stopped partying with them, but they welcomed

him back with open arms.

"Hey, Rick! Good to see you, old friend!"

Cilla wrapped her arms around him. "The subs

here are so cute tonight," she whispered drunkenly

in his ear. "You'll like them. So many pretty,

obedient beauties, just begging to be fucked by a

strong dom."

"Uh-huh." Rick looked around the bar and

found she was right about the subs. The bar took its

name literally and had a 'no ugly people' policy

that applied to both subs and doms, and as a result

it was always a good place to pick up the prettiest

subs.

"Hey, listen up, everyone! The drinks are on

me!" Rick yelled, and suddenly he seemed to be

surrounded by friends. He ordered a drink for

everyone within a ten foot radius and then leaned

back on the bar, smiling; at last, he was back

where he belonged.

He'd only been there a couple of minutes

when a pretty sub with dark brown eyes and soft

brown curls brushed up against him, almost

causing him to spill his drink.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Here, let me… oh wait…

aren't you Alex Tanner?" the sub said. He was

probably in his early twenties and was wearing a

pair of sinfully tight white jeans that showed off

his curved bubble butt to perfection. A tiny mesh

top clung to his torso and his nipples poked

through it, each of them enclosed in a silver

padlock piercing. His body was hard and toned,

and he was wearing a cute hat, tipped adorably

over one eye.

"Yup." Rick grinned, looking the sub up and

down appreciatively. "That's me. But you can call

me Rick."

"Oh my. Oh shit. Please - let me buy you

another drink."

"Why don't I buy you one?" Rick purred,

leaning toward the young man.

"And one for my friend?" The boy waved

over an equally beautiful female sub. She had long

legs and equally long blonde hair that danced

around her shoulders as she tottered over on a pair

of eight-inch stilettos. She was wearing nothing

save a thong and a blouse tied up in a knot in front

of her enormous breasts.

"Sure; the more the merrier." Rick bought

them both a drink, and the boy sat on his lap while

the girl hung her arms around his neck and

breathed drunkenly into his ear while chatting

about something - he couldn't hear what over the

noise in the bar. Beside him, Cilla had ordered a

young black sub onto his knees, and he was gazing

up at her adoringly while she poured beer down

his throat.

"You're so tall!" the sub in Rick's lap

exclaimed. "I had no idea from the TV."

"Can't tell onscreen." Rick shrugged.

"And so fit," the girl said, wrapping her hand