The temple was as massive and gilded as Nick remembered and, though he tried not to look like a gawking idiot, he just couldn’t help himself. It was impossible to describe the wealth that decorated the temple walls and Nick’s eyes were wide as he took it all in. Gil nudged him and Nick’s jaw snapped shut with a click.

Chuckling softly, Gil asked, “How long since you’ve been to a temple, Nicky?”

“Ah, not since I was a child, with my family,” Nick replied. He shifted the offering of the bag of gold that Gil had entrusted to him from one hand to the other. “I’d forgotten how…opulent everything is here.”

Gil nodded to a passing priest and Nick’s eyes automatically dropped to the floor. He couldn’t remember a time when looking someone of authority in the eye was a right instead of a memory. The thought troubled him, and he pushed it away as unworthy of his Master and their surroundings.

“Nicky? You all right?”

The soft concern in his Master’s voice sent a stab of guilt through him and Nick stopped walking, keeping his eyes on the floor. “I’m sorry, Master. I, I shouldn’t be here.”

A gentle hand gripped his arm and Gil asked, “What’s wrong? What do you mean?”

“I’m not worthy of you,” Nick whispered miserably. “You should whip me for disloyal thoughts.”

There was a long pause, then one of Gil’s hands tipped his chin up, forcing their eyes to meet. His master stared at him for a long moment before questioning, “What kind of thoughts?”

“I was…when you nodded to that priest just now…it, it reminded me of a time when I was allowed to do the same,” Nick admitted, barely able to voice his shame.

Understanding graced the older man’s features, as did a smile, brief though it was. “Nicky, it’s understandable that being here would raise memories and feelings that you haven’t had in a long time. I don’t have a problem with you thinking for yourself, I’ve already said that, though I know it hasn’t sunk in. I would only have a problem if you no longer wished to belong to me, if you wanted to run away from me.”

Honest horror lanced through him and Nick exclaimed, “Never, Master! I love you, I would never leave you!”

“I know that,” Gil soothed, a thumb brushing over Nick’s cheek. “That’s why we’re here today. I want the Minerva how grateful I am for being with you.”

Nick burrowed close to Gil, tucking himself into his Master’s arms as he whispered, “I love you more than life.”

“Then don’t worry so much about…etiquette. It’s enough for me that you do love me, and that I’ll own you for the rest of your life,” Gil assured him, kissing just below his ear.

Feeling better, Nick nuzzled against his Master’s throat and murmured, “Can I show you how thankful I am?”

“Here and now?” Gil teased.

Heat and lust throbbed within and Nick gasped at the thought of being taken in front of witnesses. Of his Master owning him so viscerally in such a sacred place.

A wicked chuckle rumbled through Gil’s chest and he said, “Well. That’s good for me to know, Nicky. Perhaps we’ll leave that for Venus’ or Eros’ temple, though, I doubt that Minerva would welcome such a display.”

“Yes, Master, of course,” Nick agreed, grinning.

The room of the temple in which they ended, to give thanks for a union, was less ornate than the others, though it still glittered with tribute. Gil shut the door behind them, separating them from the rest of the Temple in order to try and differentiate their tribute from other people’s. With Gil’s hand on his shoulder, a comforting weight, Nick spilled the gold coins with Minerva’s image imprinted on them into the already overflowing coffer. He was careful, making sure that not one coin slipped over the edge.

Dropping to his knees, his Master doing the same beside him, Nick whispered simply, “Thank you. Thank you for bringing us together.”

“Thank you for gifting me with a soul as precious as Nicky’s,” Gil stated firmly. “I will look after him and protect him for the rest of my life.”

A breeze flowed through the sealed room, sending the candlelight flickering, though they weren’t extinguished. The tinkling of delicate bells echoed all around and Nick watched in awe as the statue of Minerva seemed to glow from some inner light.

Gil’s arm slid around his waist and warm lips kissed the side of his throat as the other man said, “We’ve been Blessed, Nicky.”

Nodding, Nick turned into the embrace and sighed in happiness.

* * * *

It was quiet that night, just the two of them in the house as always, but there was a difference. Nick could feel the same peaceful and happy aura coming from his Master as he, himself, felt. Receiving a Blessing like today’s was a rare thing. Getting one from the Priestesses was difficult enough, never mind their union being Sanctioned by Minerva herself. Or perhaps it had been Eros, but either way, they were going to be together forever. Once this life was done, they would be reunited after death to be as one.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Gil observed, nuzzling at his throat. “Everything all right?”

Smiling, Nick replied, “Fine, Master. Just lost in thought.”

“Happy thought, I hope.”

“Very.”

Gil chuckled at his emphatic response and said, “Good. I was thinking that we should take a trip next month. Have you ever been out of Las Vegas?”

Surprise held him mute for a few moments, then Nick turned towards his Master and shook his head. “Well, I grew up in Texas, of course, but other than that, Las Vegas is the only place I’ve been.”

“Where would you like to go then?” Gil questioned. “Somewhere with snow? We could visit the Northeast and you could see New York and Boston. Or we could go to Europe, that would be nice. I’ve always loved Italy and the art there.”

“Europe?” Nick squeaked, then cleared his throat.

Laughing softly, Gil suggested, “You think about it and let me know where you want to go. We’ll get you travel papers and start planning for a vacation, how’s that?”

Nick threw his arms around his Master, knocking him down on the sofa, and exclaimed, “You’re too good to me, Master!”

Cupping Nick’s face, Gil smiled up at him. “I could never be too good to you, Nicky, never.”

With a soft, happy kiss against the smile, Nick settled on his Master’s chest and curled up there. For several long minutes, Gil simply petted him, running his fingers through Nick’s short hair and trailing fingers up and down his back. Then the older man asked, “Do you miss your family, Nicky?”

Freezing in place, Nick didn’t know how to answer. He hadn’t even thought about his family in so long that it was hard to frame a response. Finally, he said, “I don’t really remember them. I mean, I do, but it’s almost like a life that belonged to someone else. Stupid, I know.”

“No, it’s not stupid, Nicky. It’s called disassociation and it’s a defense mechanism,” Gil assured him. “It’s perfectly natural. You were a child who’d been taken from his family and given to strangers, told that you had to obey every command. You simply removed yourself from the life you’d had before, so it was less painful.”

Nick nodded slowly and agreed, “That’s exactly right, yes. Master, why are you asking me?”

“If you want to find your family, find out what happened to them and maybe see if we can buy them to bring them here, I would be willing, Nicky,” Gil murmured.

Swallowing heavily, overcome by the offer, tears welled up and fell onto his Master’s chest. Gil wrapped both arms around him and held him silently, exactly what he needed, as his Master always seemed to know.

* * * *

Greg knew something was wrong even as he walked down the driveway towards the house he’d lived in most of his life. There was a strange car parked there and it had official plates. Frowning, he finished walking to the house and went inside. His mother was in the living room, talking with two strange men, and Greg took in their appearance with something akin to terror…slavers!

“Mom? What’s going on?” he demanded fearfully, finally tearing his eyes from the men to his mother to find her in tears.

Wiping at her eyes, his mother pleaded, “Greg, honey, I’m so sorry, but there’s no other way!”

Suspicion reared its ugly head and he asked, “No other way for what?”

“Just come with us and everything will be fine,” one of the men stated, walking towards him.

Eyes widening in horror, Greg shook his head. “No way! Mom, what’s going on? Hey! Get your hands off me! Stop it! Mom! Mom!”

* * * *

“Mom! Please, no, please! Help me!”

Cursing, Warrick bolted to his feet and sprinted from the living room to the bedroom where Greg had gone to sleep early. It had been a long time since the younger man had dreamed this particular nightmare, where his mother had sold him into slavery to pay off her debts, but it sounded as vicious as always. He climbed into the bed and shook Greg’s shoulder. “Greg! Wake up, man! It’s a dream! Wake up!”

Greg went eerily still, then his eyes opened and met Warrick’s. Shuddering, he rolled into Warrick’s arms and cried. Sighing, Warrick just rode out the storm, holding Greg and soothing him as best he could. All the shit with Crane had stirred up Greg something fierce inside. He hadn’t slept through the night since, even knowing that the bastard was dead.

Finally, Greg pulled away, sitting up and reaching over to grab the tissue box. Warrick snagged the tissue from him and tenderly cleaned off the other’s face.

Clearly miserable, Greg apologized, “I’m sorry, Master. I just…I can’t seem to get passed this. I’m so weak, I can’t even stand myself!”

Combing his fingers gently through the wild hair, Warrick replied, “It’s going to take some time, Greg, it’s only been a few days. I know it’s not your strong suit, but be patient, okay?”

At that, a woebegone smile surfaced and Greg nodded. Warrick tweaked his nose and smiled at him. “Good. Go on and get yourself some water while I close up shop for the day. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Greg nodded again and scrambled off the bed towards the bathroom. Warrick’s smile grew and he climbed off the bed as well, heading back into the living room to shut off the laptop and run a check around the security systems. He kept turning something over in his mind, wondering if this was the best, or the worst, time to make this suggestion. It could go either way, actually. It could help cement Greg and give him something tangible to hold onto, or it could send him into a blind panic. Greg was so unpredictable that it was impossible to tell.

When he returned to the bedroom, Greg was already back under the covers and waiting for him. Warrick scooted under them and pulled his slave into his arms, tucking him under his chin. “It’s going to be okay, Greg, I promise. We’ll get through this like we do everything else.”

Greg sighed deeply and relaxed against him. It was a few minutes later that he said softly, “I love you, Master, so much.”

Shock ran through Warrick at the words and his arms tightened involuntarily.

“Master! Breathing helps!”

Instantly loosening his arms, Warrick kissed Greg’s temple and said hoarsely, “I love you too, Greg. More than life.”

“I know,” Greg murmured, kissing his chest. “I’ve known it since that first day when you bought me from Master Grissom, but I was still so…angry. And confused and afraid. I couldn’t let myself see it, not for a long time.”

Almost afraid to ask, Warrick prompted, “And now?”

Greg smiled against him and replied, “And now I’m content. I’ll always long for freedom to some degree, but there’s no reversing a convict-slave status. I’m lucky Master Grissom was able to pull some strings so I could work at the lab.”

“If we could reverse the convict-status, you know I would, right?” Warrick asked, hesitant. “But they take drug convictions so seriously…I know you didn’t do it and if there were a chance in hell that I could find the proof, I’d demand they reopen your case in a heartbeat.”

Nodding, Greg agreed, “I know. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m content. I’m your slave, but you value me as so much more.”

“I do, Greg, I really do.”

“I know, Master, and I love you for it.”

They were silent for a long time, then Warrick took a fortifying breath and asked, “Would you do me the very, very great honor of bearing our children?”

There was a moment of complete silence before Greg bolted upright with a whoop of excitement, displacing Warrick entirely and sending him off rolling the bed. Groaning at this impact of his ass to the unforgiving floor, Warrick didn’t even have time to move before Greg was on him.

Straddling Warrick’s hips, Greg put his hands on Warrick’s chest to keep him down and demanded, “When? Do you already have the hormone treatment ready? How long have you been thinking about this? Can we do it now? How many children? I really, really want a big family, because growing up as an only child really sucks and…”

Warrick stopped the tumbling words the best and easiest way: with a kiss. He stayed at it for several minutes, loving the way Greg just melted against him and returned the intimate stroke of tongue against tongue. He felt Greg’s cock hard against him, but they had things to talk about first. Breaking the kiss, Warrick lightly swatted Greg on the butt and ordered, “Back to bed.”

Scrambling back into bed, Greg practically vibrated with excitement as he waited for Warrick to get settled. “What do I do? When can I start?”

Unable to stop the grin, and not really wanting to, Warrick shook his head in fond amusement and said, “We can start now, if you want. I’ve talked to Dr. Gibbons a few times in detail and he’s sure that you’re young enough to take to the hormone treatments without any trouble. He gave me the pills and the injections since he knows that I know how to give a shot. But Greg, I really want you to think about this, okay? Your whole body, hell, both our lives are going to change if we have a kid.”

“Don’t you want one?” Greg questioned, his eyes big and uncertain.

Hastily, Warrick assured him, “I want a half dozen, if you’ll have them. You know I come from a big family. I think we’re going to have beautiful kids, baby, but it’s your body and your decision. This isn’t something that I’m going to go through with if you’ve got any doubts. A child shouldn’t be brought into a home unless both parents want it.”

A brilliant smile crossed Greg’s face and he reached out, twining his fingers with Warrick’s as he answered, “I want to have our children, Warrick, I want to give you sons and daughters and have a family. The kind I didn’t get when I was growing up.”

“Oh, baby, I wish I could change that for you,” Warrick sighed, bringing up their hands so he could kiss the back of both of Greg’s. “But if we have kids, all they’re going to know is love and home and security. I swear it.”

Swallowing unsteadily, Greg nodded emphatically and cleared his throat. “Let’s do it. Now. Please?”

Happiness washed through Warrick and he nodded in return, saying, “All right, baby. One baby on the way. Oh, and just a warning…do not bitch to me about morning sickness, got it?”

Greg laughed.

* * * *

“Catherine’s called in sick,” Gil announced, sighing in aggravation. He just didn’t need this! He’d been using her as a buffer between himself and Sara the last two days and it had proved necessary. Sara had been polite and civil, but distinctly cool. The thought of having to work directly with her started his stomach rumbling queasily. “Come on, Nicky, you’re coming into work tonight. You can help me make sense of the insanity that is my paperwork, or hang out with Greg in the lab.”

“Is she going to be all right? Maybe I should go over to help with Lindsey, or make sure she doesn’t get worse,” Nick suggested, worry clouding his expression.

A reluctant smile surfaced at Nick’s concern, cutting through the annoyance, and he said, “She’s contagious, so you’re not going anywhere near her. It’s an unpleasant stomach bug, but not serious. She’s got medicine and is just going to sleep through it.”

“What about Lindsey?” Nick persisted.

Wry, Gil answered, “She’s joined her mother in bed for the next few days. Come on, Nicky, get a move on.”

Nick didn’t hesitate any longer, he simply grabbed a couple of books that he’d been reading and followed Gil outside.

Once in the car, Gil asked, “Did you think any more about the trip?”

With an eager nod, Nick held up the history books with pictures of Rome and Florence on the front and said, “I think we should go to Italy, since you like it so much. Everything’s going to be new to me and I certainly never expected to travel anywhere in my life, so I don’t really have a preference. I’d like to experience your favorite.”

Smiling as he started the engine, Gil pulled the SUV out of the driveway. “That sounds like a wonderful plan to me. And while we’re there, we can offer another tribute to Minerva, maybe visit Eros’ or Mars’ temple and give a more…intimate…offering than gold.”

Nick shuddered when Gil’s hand gripped him between the legs. He arched into the touch and some perverse demon inside Gil prompted him to massage the flesh there until it was hard. Groaning, Nick’s fingers gripped the door and the seat, keeping himself still while Gil stroked him through his pants. “I love playing with you, Nicky, love touching you like this.”

“M-Master! Oh, Gods,” Nick gasped.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Gil used his free hand to drive Nick towards orgasm, rubbing him hard through the fabric and feeling it dampen beneath his grip. Nick moaned and jerked into the heavy-handed caress, soft words begging sweetly for his release. Taking his hand away to pull into the garage provoked a wail of disappointed need from Nick and he grinned fiercely at it.

Pulling into his parking spot, Gil unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock, ordering, “Suck me, Nicky, quick! You can come when I do.”

Instantly, Nick was on him, mouth sucking on as much of Gil’s cock as he could. Lacing his fingers through the short hair, Gil pumped his shaft into the tight wetness, moaning as Nick relaxed his throat enough so that he could slip all the way inside. “Fuck! That’s it, Nicky, faster, do me faster!”

Nick obeyed immediately, head bobbing up and down, pausing only on those longer times when Gil’s ck went all the way down his throat. Gil forced Nick’s head all the way down just before he came, shooting directly down his slave’s throat. Nick moaned around him, adding to the sensation, but didn’t try to free himself, despite what had to be a lack of oxygen. Gil kept him there as he rode out the aftershocks, buried to the root inside Nick.

He felt the pulse fluttering rapidly beneath his hand, but it wasn’t until Nick jerked and went limp against him, that Gil released his slave.

Nick pulled off his again half-hard shaft, drawing in long, shuddering breaths as his forehead rested on Gil’s thigh. “Oh Master, Master…”

Tilting his head up with a finger beneath Nick’s chin, Gil saw the tear-stained face and obliterated expression with a deep sense of satisfaction. Bending over, he licked the salty tracks from Nick’s face and whispered hotly, “You please me so much, Nicky, I can’t wait to get you home in the morning.”

Nick just shuddered in response, eyes rolling back in his head as another weak spurt of seed escaped his cock.

* * * *

Gil looked curiously at Greg, who was humming softly to himself as he moved competently around the lab. There was something different about him, though Gil couldn’t put his finger on what. After four days off, he and Warrick had returned to work and, at least by outward appearances, whatever emotional turmoil Greg had gone through at Crane’ death, he was over it.

Shrugging, Gil entered the lab the rest of the way and greeted, “Evening, Greg.”

Greg didn’t stop what he was doing, he simply replied softly, “Good evening, Master Grissom. Can I help you with something?”

“I want to talk to you about the Harrison case,” Gil said, taking a seat on a lab stool.

Finishing up whatever it was that he was working on, Greg turned his full attention on Gil and asked, “What about it?”

“Tell me the protocol that you used. Walk me through it as if I didn’t know how it was done,” Gil ordered with a smile.

A faint frown creased Greg’s face, but he did as he was ordered without protest. He walked Gil through every step that he’d taken, from start to finish, and ended with, “Once the samples were sealed, I sent them via courier to the Federal lab to compare to the samples they had.”

“And we have more samples here?” Gil questioned.

“Of course. Do you want to see them?”

“Please.”

Gil watched and waited as Greg took the labeled samples from the refrigerator where they were kept and doled out a tiny sample to be viewed under the microscope. Once it was ready, Gil took a long look and found that there was nothing wrong with the sample. Everything looked exactly as it should, with no contamination.

That meant that either the Federal lab had messed up the samples, or Sara had done it herself and was lying about it.

“Is everything all right, Master Grissom?” Greg asked hesitantly.

Glancing up from the microscope at Greg, he smiled in reassurance and said, “It’s fine, Greg. Consider this a spot check. You passed with flying colors, which was exactly what I expected.”

Relieved, Greg smiled shyly and lowered his eyes. “Thank you.”

“I’ll see you later, Greg. Time to go spot-check your Master,” Gil teased.

A small chuckle escaped Greg and his eyes rose briefly to show his humor as he replied, “He’ll appreciate that, Master Grissom.”

Snorting, Gil agreed, “Like a hole in the head. Bye, Greg.”

Leaving the lab, Gil was on his way to call Warrick when his beeper beeped. He didn’t recognize the number, but made a mental note of it on his way to the office. He called the number back and a woman answered, “McNeil and Chavez, how may I direct your call?”

Gil frowned and said, “My name is Gil Grissom and someone from your office paged me.”

“Yes, Master Grissom, that was Ms. McNeil. One moment.”

He waited impatiently on hold, about to hang up when a woman greeted, “Master Grissom, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Jenny McNeill and I represent Maria Crane in the wrongful death suit against you. I would like to schedule a deposition with you and your slave.”

Anger flashed through him, but Gil held on to his temper. The woman was only doing her job, after all. He would save his ire for the right target and strike at the right moment. “Aside from the fact that this is a frivolous suit and a waste of the court’s time, I’m a very busy man, Ms. McNeil. You may inform Ms. Crane that we are available tomorrow at three and to take it or leave it.”

“We’ll take it,” Jenny agreed instantly. “We’re at 10245 West Avenue, in Suite 805. Thank you for your time, Master Grissom.”

Hanging up, Gil had to take a few minutes to calm down. It wouldn’t do to let himself get rattled over this, even if he was uncertain how the courts would react to the situation. Jim was convinced that it was open and shut in his favor, but Gil wasn’t. Things looked different in the light of day, under the stark examination of a deposition or courtroom setting.

He shook the disquieting thoughts from his head and picked up the phone again to call the Federal lab. If Sara was trying to somehow set Greg up for a fall, then Warrick had a right to know about it, but Gil wasn’t going to tell him just yet. He needed more evidence and the certainty that someone else hadn’t messed up.

* * * *

“That is so cool,” Nick marveled, looking closely.

Greg preened under the praise and said, “That’s nothing. You should see the tat my Master got me for my birthday last year!”

“Well?”

“Oh, uh, not in public,” Greg replied, red flushing through his cheeks. “I got in trouble last time.”

“Definitely not in public. Brown’s got even less inhibitions than you do about showing you off.”

They both turned towards Jim and Greg smirked impudently at the comment. “That’s because I’m perfect.”

Eyes rolling, though his lips twitched in amusement, Jim glanced over at Nick and asked, “Where’s your Master? He’s slipped away again, and I really wish I knew how he manages to do that so I could put a stop to it.”

Nonplused, Nick shook his head, answering, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since we first got here and he gave me a ton of files to sort through.”

“I saw him about an hour ago,” Greg offered. “He was doing some kind of spot-check thing and said he was going to catch up with Warrick.”

A frown creased Jim’s face, but he only said, “Thanks, Greg. Stay out of trouble, you two,” and left the lab area.

Nick’s eyes were drawn back to the bare skin of Greg’s stomach where the traditional tattoo sigil that signified ‘honored slave above all’ rested over and around small inward curve of the belly-button. “I wonder if my Master would give me one of those?”

Grinning, Greg looked around the area and whispered, “Let’s go to the men’s room and I’ll show you the other tat.”

“You’re on!” Nick exclaimed, racing after the smaller slave.

* * * *

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Cath.”

Sighing faintly, Catherine wiped Lindsey’s forehead down and returned the face cloth to the bowl of ice water. They were both fairly miserable, but at least it wasn’t too serious if she kept them hydrated and cool. “So there’s no evidence either way?”

“Not conclusively, no. I talked to the lab tech in the Fed’s office and he admitted that there could have been an error on their end. They were shorthanded and breaking in a new employee when the samples were handled,” Grissom answered.

“I want Nicky!” Lindsey demanded crossly, tears welling.

Catherine sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose as she answered, “Nicky can’t come over until we get better, Linds, you know that.”

“I want Nicky!” Lindsey wailed.

“Should I call back?”

Catherine snorted and answered, “No, she’ll get over it. Just tell Nicky that Lindsey misses him. And his braiding skills.”

A warm chuckle echoed from the other end and Grissom replied, “I’ll pass on the message.”

“Good, good. As for Sara…” Catherine’s voice trailed off as she turned over the possibilities. “Why don’t you let me talk to her? I know she’s been cool to Greg in the past, but I never noticed any serious grudges she had against slaves. Nick is probably more sensitive to prejudices like that because he is a slave, but he could also be overreacting to someone he perceives as a threat.”

“A threat?” Grissom demanded incredulously.

Eyes rolling, Catherine repeated, “Yes, Gil, a threat. Sara is everything someone of your rank should have as a wife and companion; she’s intelligent, comes from an impeccable family, shares your passion for your work and doesn’t know when to quit.”

There was a brief silence before Grissom admitted, “I never thought of it like that. I mean, I knew he was jealous of the time I spent with her, but he knows how much I love him.”

“And if Nicky spent a lot of time with, say, Warrick, you wouldn’t see Warrick as a threat?” Catherine challenged.

“Point taken. All right, sound her out. Thanks, Catherine.”

“Anytime. Well, once we’re back to normal that is.”

“You take it easy. And if you need anything…”

“I’ll call,” she promised. “Good luck tomorrow. Call me and let me know how it went.”

“I will, thanks again,” Grissom replied.

Hanging up, Catherine noticed the pinched, sick look on Lindsey’s face just in time to roll her over so she threw up on the floor and not in the bed.

* * * *

Nick smiled at his Master’s entrance into the common area and asked eagerly, “Time to go?”

Echoing the grin, Gil nodded and answered, “I have to meet up with Jim for a few minutes before he blows a gasket, so why don’t you go down to your locker and get your things? I’ll meet you in my office.”

Hopping off the sofa, Nick paused only long enough to buss a kiss onto his Master’s cheek and headed swiftly for the locker area. It didn’t take long to get to the right floor, he’d already gotten lost twice that day and was starting to be able to find his way around. Some people even smiled and nodded at him, recognizing him from prior introductions.

Nick went through the locker room door and stopped short in shock, freezing in place as the door clicked softly shut behind him. Heat slashed through him, his cock hardening as he took in the sight of Greg, naked and straining, arms over his head as he gripped the top shelf of an open locker. Standing right in front of him was, of course, Warrick. The black man wasn’t naked; his shirt was off and his pants unzipped with his own cock hard and thick, pointing at Greg.

One dark hand gripped Greg’s cock, stroking it roughly. The other was hidden by Greg’s body, but from the younger man’s cries, it was obvious what Warrick’s hidden hand was doing. Warrick leaned in and bit at a nipple, pulling the skin taut, not releasing it as his head moved back. Greg groaned in pain, his chest arching out further.

Warrick let it go and hissed, “Fucking slut, Greg, that’s what you are! Can’t even make it a few hours without a cock, can you? You’re like a bitch in heat, exactly like one. And since you act like one, I’ll treat you like one and mount you. Just like this, bitch, mounting you in public, anywhere, dry, and shoving my cock in your hole.”

He flipped the smaller man around hard enough to shove Greg face first into the locker beside the opened one. Warrick palmed the ass and spread it, forcing his cock into a hole that seemed much, much too small for it. Greg cried out in what sounded like honest pain, his fingers white-knuckled on the locker as Warrick started fucking him without any mercy or apparent care. The black cock rammed in and out of Greg while Warrick continued uttering harsh curses at the slave.

It wasn’t until Greg started begging that Nick jumped in surprise, completely caught up in the sound of Warrick’s deeper tones.

“Please, please Master, I’m sorry, oh Gods, I’m sorry!” Greg pleaded, doing nothing except trying to keep himself in place.

“Tough shit, bitch. You wanted it, you got it,” Warrick snarled on a particularly hard thrust that caused Greg to scream.

Nick jumped backwards, hitting the door with a thump and drawing Warrick’s attention, something he desperately wanted to avoid. Dark eyes caught his, shocked at the interruption, but before Warrick could say or do anything, Nick fled.

* * * *

Gil jumped in surprise when the office door banged open to show a wild-eyed Nick, who barely caught the door on the rebound so it didn’t knock back into him. The young man automatically closed the door and then didn’t move. Alarmed by the shock and panic on the slave’s face, Gil stood and hurried over to him with, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Master, oh Gods, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean, I mean, they were there, and Warrick was…and I, I couldn’t help myself, with, with Greg and, and I didn’t mean to!” Nick wailed, dropping to the floor at Gil’s feet.

Keeping a firm grip on both imagination and temper, though it was more difficult to do than anything in recent memory, Gil demanded, “What didn’t you mean to do?”

Nick flinched at the harsh question and whispered, “I, I watched, Master, and it, I was, I was hard!”

Gil stopped short, suddenly very thankful that he’d kept his temper. He often forgot just how sheltered Nick had been, the young man had so seamlessly molded himself to Gil’s life. It occurred to him just then, that Nick had probably never even watched porn, let alone been treated to the kind of impromptu show that Warrick and Greg liked to put on.

Still. Gil wasn’t one to let an opportunity like this go by, either.

“Stand up, Nicky.” The nick-name alone told Nick that everything was all right, but he was clearly confused and miserable as he obeyed. Gil hid a smile at the expression, gripping Nick’s chin firmly as he ordered, “Strip and then get in the same position that Greg was in. Use whatever props you have to, but I want you as close to how he was as you can be.”

Nick frowned, but again obeyed, quickly taking off his clothes, even as he looked anxiously over at the door with its glass upper half. It was a murky glass, though, so no one could really see inside.

When Nick put his back to a shelving unit and gripped the top shelf, his chest thrust out from the position, Gil joined him and asked, “Was Warrick naked, too?”

“Um, no. N-not completely. His shirt was off and his pants open with his c-cock out,” Nick stammered, blushing.

Gil pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside deliberately. Slowly, he unzipped and pulled his cock out, stroking it the rest of the way to hardness. He saw Nick swallow, eyes glued to the cock as it grew larger, then prompted, “What did Warrick say, Nicky? I know he’s got quite the vocabulary range.”

“I, I don’t think I can…”

“What did he say, slave?”

Nick jumped at the hard tone, his blush moving south over the pale skin as he whispered, “H-he called Greg a slut and he, um, he said Greg was a, a b-bitch in heat.”

“And what was he doing while he said all that?” Gil questioned lightly, his tone still brooking no refusal.

“He was, um, stroking Greg and I couldn’t see exactly what his other hand was doing because it was be-behind Greg,” Nick replied.

Gil suited his actions to those words and moved closer, gripping Nick’s cock and sliding his other hand behind Nick to probe at his hole. Nick gasped as the finger pushed in without warning and Gil ordered, “Keep going. What else did Warrick say?”

“He said, he said that if Greg was going to, to act like a b-bitch in heat, that he’d be, um, treated like one. That he was going to mount him in public and dry, anywhere. Just shove his cock in Greg’s hole.”

Gil’s finger was accepted reluctantly without the lube, but he forced the body to take it, watching Nick for signs of real distress and seeing none. “What next?”

“He, he kind of flipped Greg around, pushing him against the locker and then just, he just…Master!”

Gil didn’t give him any time to think about it, he just lined up his cock and forced it into Nick’s tight hole, provoking a cry of surprise and pain as it shoved all the way inside. Pressed up against him full length, resting his chin on Nick’s shoulder, he demanded, “What next, slave?”

“He just, he just took him, hard, it was, was almost, violent,” Nick groaned between pants.

“And you liked it,” Gil whispered, biting Nick’s ear sharply. “You wanted it just like that, didn’t you, slave?”

“Gods, I, I did, Master, I’m sorry!”

“So you’re a bitch in heat, just like Greg, aren’t you, slave? A whore and a slut, eager for my cock, or maybe just for anything to split you open. Maybe Warrick and I should sell tickets and put you both out on the street. Earn your keep as whores for the world to see with any man’s cock, or any woman’s fist, up your ass. Is that it, slave?”

“Master,” Nick moaned.

In answer, Gil started fucking him, hard and fast, his cock forcing its way in and out of Nick’s dry hole, smearing it with pre-come, but not fast enough to take the burn and pain of it away, he knew. Nick cried out almost continuously, squirming to get away from the reaming, his hands tight on the shelving unit that shook with the force of Gil’s thrusts into his slave. Reaching below showed that Nick was still hard and he grinned fiercely.

Gil was fast approaching his orgasm, ignoring the begging that fell so pretty from Nick’s mouth. He bit and sucked all over Nick’s sweaty back, nipping at the muscles that moved beneath the skin. His cock hardened that little bit before orgasm, his balls drawing up tight, and then he humped violently into Nick, coming and filling the hole to overflowing.

Panting, Gil rested completely on Nick, knowing the other would hold him up until he could move. The tension in Nick’s back was almost painfully tight and Gil grinned, feral with the unspoken desires that he’d been reluctant to so far visit on Nick. Despite the young man’s reaction to the idea of a public claiming at one of the temples, Gil hadn’t been all that sure how Nick might react to some of his more…esoteric desires. He pulled out of Nick, ordering, “Bend over the desk.”

Nick staggered the few feet across the room and didn’t so much as bend over the desk, as he did collapse on it.

Gil stared at the enticing body, watching the come splattered ass and glistening hole for a few minutes before sliding his belt free. Folding it in half, he moved up behind Nick and reached beneath him again, rudely fingering the hard cock as he warned, “If you come, you will regret it.”

Nick shuddered.

Bringing the makeshift strap down on Nick’s bare ass caused the slave to cry out, jerking against the glass desk. Gil rained down blows on the pale ass, heavy-handed and without mercy, until Nick was sobbing, tears deliciously staining his face, and begging for him to stop. By then, the ass was a dark, angry red and Gil was hard again.

Throwing the belt down, Gil moved behind Nick and rammed into him, the still wet come easing his passage, though not by much. Nick shouted as the fucking resumed, just as hard and violent as the first coupling. Feeling Nick’s cock showed Gil that while Nick might be in pain, he was enjoying it, too. He’d known that from the way that Nick hadn’t even attempted to evade the whipping until his ass was rosy red from several blows, but relief nonetheless surged through him at the confirmation.

Grunting, Gil came again in only a few short thrusts, spilling inside Nick, though not as copiously as before. Nick was completely limp beneath him and for a second, Gil thought he’d been unable to restrain himself and had come. A fast grope between the legs disproved that, though, and after catching his breath, Gil pulled out of the abused hole. A visceral thrill ran through him at the sight of blood on his cock, even as it warred with concern that Nick might have been truly injured.

Gil manhandled Nick onto his back, the slave moaning in pain when his ass came into contact with the desk. Nick’s cock was just as dark red as his ass, and the blush was spread through most of his body to match. Bending over Nick, he licked up the angry cock, bathing it with his tongue.

Nick whimpered.

After nuzzling the balls, Gil mouthed them, sucking on them and rolling them with his tongue.

Nick’s body arched up, his mouth open in a silent scream of need. Gil was almost positive that the other had come, but when he stood, it was to see the straining, drooling cock exactly the same. Without further delay, he gripped the shaft and stroked it roughly, ordering, “Come, Nicky!”

He’d barely gotten the word out before Nick’s body seized up in an arch and he erupted silently, coming all over himself and the desk. Gil watched avidly, taking in every straining muscle and every drop of sweat that mixed with the seed now splattered across Nick’s abs and chest.

Finally, Gil shook himself from the lustful daze and pushed his pants off the rest of the way. He moved to the sofa lining his wall, pulling the blanket down and spreading it out to cushion his exhausted slave. Returning to the desk showed that Nick was completely out of it and Gil smiled, filled with love and devotion as he carefully scooped the young man into his arms.

Settling them onto the couch so that Nick was resting face down on Gil’s chest to save the pained ass any more contact, Gil pulled the other blanket over them and yawned, kissing Nick’s temple. It was about five minutes later that there was a tentative knock on the door and Gil called out, “Enter!”

Warrick poked his head inside and asked, “Everything okay?”

Nodding, Gil combed his fingers through Nick’s sweaty hair and confirmed, “Everything’s great. Nick just got an unexpected initiation into exhibitionism.”

“Gil, I swear I didn’t even think about Nick when I started with Greg,” Warrick apologized, abashed. “You know how we get wrapped up in things and forget where we are.”

Gil chuckled softly. “I know. And it’s fine. What’s with the ‘bitch in heat,’ theme though? That’s a new one.”

Straightening with obvious pride, Warrick replied, “Greg’s come into his cycle so, you know, it’s pretty accurate.”

Surprised, Gil exclaimed, “I didn’t even know he’d been taking the shots! Congratulations, Warrick!”

“Thanks, man, we appreciate that,” Warrick answered, grinning broadly. “Though damn, I don’t know if I’ll get through this with my dick intact. He’s got me completely whipped, Gris, completely. When this is done, I don’t think I’ll get another hard-on for months.”

Laughing softly, Gil pointed out, “He won’t want you to, once he starts gaining weight. Enjoy it while you can.”

“Heh. True. Well, I’ll leave you guys alone. See you tomorrow,” Warrick said, waving.

Gil waved back and wrapped his arms back around Nick, sighing deeply. So Warrick and Greg were trying for a baby. Interesting and happy news. Contemplating it, Gil yawned and slowly allowed his exhausted body to drag him down into sleep.

Just a nap though, he thought, kissing Nick’s sweaty temple. We’ve got a perfectly good bed at home to sleep in.

* * * *

Sara watched as Nick and Gil walked to the SUV, the slave walking gingerly enough that she knew exactly what the two men had just been up to. It sickened her, how solicitous Gil was to the slave, helping it get into the truck and then settling the seatbelt. A soft growl of anger escaped when Gil leaned in and gently kissed the slave before walking around to the driver’s side.

Taking a breath, Sara deliberately calmed herself. It wasn’t a good idea to go into battle without a clear head, and that was exactly what was about to happen. She’d made her feint and tomorrow would show exactly how it paid off. All the pieces were in play and, Gods willing, the slave would be in other hands within forty-eight hours. Once that happened, Gil would be hers, as he was meant to be.

Sara had never lost a battle before and wasn’t about to start, not when the stakes were so high.