5. Levi

"So, how's our new guest, Mr. Harwick, fitting in?" Matteo asked, stepping in close beside Levi.

They watched as their newest guest chatted with another one of their more seasoned guests, a man by the name of Ali Baberie.

Baberie was on the board of directors of a major oil company located in the Middle East. Back home, the man would have been shunned and persecuted for his sexual orientation. Here, the man was able to freely indulge in every desire and fantasy he wished to enjoy. And, like clockwork, the man returned every other month for a four-day weekend.

"I don't know," Levi answered, watching as Chase became a little too chummy with the muscular, Middle Eastern man.

He watched as Chase tapped the man's furry chest and laughed at whatever was being said. There was something about how Chase was enjoying himself with this other man that made Levi's stomach knot.

The questionnaire indicated that Chase was attracted to twinks and preferred to be the more dominating man in any scenario. Yet, here Chase was getting awfully flirty with a furry dominant top. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

"What do you mean?"

"He's not like the rest of the guys. Most men come here and immediately begin asserting their dominance, making it clear what they want and what they expect. Most can't stop talking about themselves and how great they are. Mr. Harwick is the complete opposite. He took the time to get to know me, asked me questions, and even asked about other members of the staff. He didn't really seem like he was here to fuck any of us."

They both glanced back at their new friend and began watching him more closely. There was something different about Chase, and it wasn't just his choice of men.

"Who did you say referred him?" Matteo asked, never taking his eyes off the mysterious man in the tight black Speedo.

"Ares," Levi responded, watching as the vein in his boss's forehead began to pulsate.

"Ares, that fucking guy," Matteo grumbled under his breath.

The name Ares was seldom spoken out loud at La Maison, not if you wanted to keep your head attached to your body. Matteo and Ares had some sort of history together, but the exact extent of that was never made clear to any of the people who lived and worked at the chateau. All everyone knew was that speaking the man's name often resulted in their boss being pissed for the rest of the day. And no one wanted that. Ever.

"He saved me, you know," Levi said without taking his eyes off the ruggedly handsome man across the pool.

"He what?" Matteo gasped, turning to face Levi with a concerned look on his face.

Levi shook his head. "I had to ban Mr. Stewart from the Maison. He was being very pushy and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Did he hurt you?" Matteo asked, placing his hand lovingly on the side of Levi's face.

"No. But he did knock me down on the floor. That's when Mr. Harwick appeared out of nowhere and threatened to beat in the man's face if he touched me again."

Matteo looked back over at the mystery man chatting away.

"It was actually kind of hot the way he got all protective over me," Levi added with a smile.

Snapping his head back, Matteo glared at Levi.

"You know the rules."

Yes, he knew the fucking rules. "Don't let fantasy cross over into reality. Never let your heart do the talking."

Matteo's eyes softened. "I know you have a big heart. But the rules are in place to protect you boys from heartache. It's easy to confuse reality with fiction, especially when being intimate with someone. Just always remember that they are paying us to give them an escape, not to fall in love with them."

Levi nodded. He understood the need to protect one's heart. Sometimes, it became difficult, but Matteo only wanted to protect them.

"Good," Matteo added, turning back to the two men chatting across the way. "I'll stop by and introduce myself to Mr. Harwick later today. For now, keep the man company and see what you can find out about who he is and what he's doing here. This man intrigues me," Matteo instructed, eating the olive off his toothpick before downing the rest of his old-fashioned.

With that, Levi nodded to his boss, then made his way over to join Baberie and their newest guest. Baberie's favorite companion was on his way over to them at the same time, no doubt checking to see if Baberie was ready for a little one-on-one time. Baberie had a thing for more bearish type men, preferring the thickness and strength of a linebacker over the sleek seduction of a hairless twink.

"Hello, gentlemen," Levi greeted as he and his brother-in-arms, Noah, arrived at the same time.

Noah immediately wrapped his arms around Baberie and nestled his head into his chest. "It's nice to see you again, stud," Noah greeted with a heavy Belgian accent.

Given the wide variety of guests who frequented the establishment, most people spoke English while at La Maison. It was rare for them to get a guest who only spoke in their native language, but given the large number of staff who worked at the chateau, there was always someone who spoke the language. French and Spanish were the next two most commonly spoken languages at La Maison.

"I've missed you too, my sexy beast," Baberie responded, grabbing Noah's butt and giving it a firm squeeze.

Noah let out a growl as he leaned further into his date.

"How about we go for a walk and catch up on everything we've missed?" Noah asked, stepping back and giving his chubbing cock a nice little squeeze.

Baberie smirked. "It was nice chatting with you, Mr. Harwick, but it appears that my attention is required elsewhere."

Levi and Chase watched as the two furry men walked off together, no doubt about to engage in some stiff negotiations.

Turning back to Chase, Levi tilted his head toward the chateau. "Are you ready yet for that one-on-one tour I promised you?"

"Yes, please," Chase answered, allowing Levi to snake his arm through his once again and lead him toward the fancy estate.

"So, what sort of services and activities do you offer here at the chateau?" Chase asked as they stepped through the bay doors and into the large foyer.

"Well, we pretty much offer anything that your heart desires. If it's not currently being offered, we can look into it and arrange it for you. Many of our guests enjoy afternoons by the pool lounging around with their favorite man. Others prefer to be more active during the day, playing golf or volleyball or even hiking if you're into that sort of thing. But my favorite is the all-day spa treatments we offer here. Mud wraps, facials, massages, you name it. For the evening, we offer fine dining in any of our three onsite dining areas, we have a lounge for more intimate conversations, and, of course, we have our main event starting at ten p.m. The show consists of multiple acts, strip shows, and even live fucking on stage."

Levi tried not to laugh when he noticed Chase's face blush at the mention of live fucking on stage. Had the man never been to Amsterdam before?

"The onstage sex show only involves the men of La Maison. If guests wish to enjoy a bit more intimate activities, they are welcome to enjoy one of our guest suites for either a few hours or an overnight stay."

"So, this place is basically a brothel?"

Levi snapped his head. He didn't like guys referring to him and his work as prostitution. What they offered was so much more than a quick fuck for cash.

"It's nothing like a brothel. La Maison de M is a place where men can come and connect with other like-minded people to enjoy who they are together. Yes, the services offered here are paid, but any sexual activity that transpires is completely mutual. We are not hookers, and we all have the right to decline any offers made."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean any offense. I guess I'm just amazed that a place like this even exists."

"You're American, correct?"

"Yup."

"Here in France and in most of Europe, sex is viewed much differently than in North America. You look at sex as something to be ashamed of and hide at all costs; we look at sex as something to be enjoyed and celebrated," Levi explained, continuing his tour of the chateau.

He hoped that Chase's narrow mindset would open up when it came to sex and exploring his sexuality. The man was hot as fuck, and he wouldn't mind getting underneath that muscular body of his. Perhaps spending a few hours getting hot and sweaty.

The material in Levi's swimsuit began to tighten. Perfect timing; Little Levi wants to come out and play. He wasn't concerned about people seeing him walk around with a boner—boners were a common sight around this place. He was a little more concerned with how Chase might react when he spots his little friend struggling to get free.

Down, boy!

It was around six p.m. when they wrapped up their tour of the chateau.

"Will you be staying this evening for the show?" Levi asked, secretly hoping that the mystery man would stay and not run off.

With guests, you never knew. Some became loyal clients and returned quite frequently; others only came once or twice to try out the experience and never returned.

Levi always hated that. He liked making connections with people and getting to know them. It always hurt spending a wonderful day with someone, only to discover that they were heading back to their country with no plans on ever returning.

"Actually, I thought I would grab some dinner and return a few messages before staying for the show tonight." Chase gave him a dashing smile that melted his heart.

The man was gorgeous and totally Levi's type. Chase was tall, well over six-foot-two, if he had to guess. This was, of course, one of Levi's weaknesses. He loved it when a big, strong man could fling him around on the bed while they were both getting hot and sweaty.

His body. My God! What a body. Chase was solid, thick, and definitely knew his way around a gym. His big, muscular arms made you just want to wrap yourself in them and never come up for air.

Bodies like Chase's, Levi was used to seeing on military men—guys who have remained in shape through tons of intense and vigorous combat training. Levi hoped he would get the chance to ask Chase more about his background, partly because Matteo wanted to know but mostly because Levi needed to know. He wanted to know where that amazing body came from and what caused Chase to have such a protective nature. Having the man stand up for him in the locker room was totally hot and made Levi fall for him… just a bit.

As if Chase's body and protective nature weren't enough to make a gay boy wet, there were his eyes. Those fucking piercing blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean, that deep blue Mediterranean sea color that you only saw on the Italian coast. Levi had to admit, staring into those deep blues, he almost lost himself, wanting to drown in the depths of them.

"Well, then, I look forward to seeing you at the show later tonight," Levi said, leaning in and giving Chase a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for keeping me company today, stud. Hope I can repay the favor sometime soon."

With that, Levi waved over Nathan so that he could help Chase get settled in for dinner.

"See ya later, stud." He gave Chase a wink before walking off toward the private quarters.

He needed to shower and unwind a bit before his performance tonight. He wasn't going to lie; the thought of seeing Chase once again gave him butterflies in his stomach.