10. Kyle

CHAPTER 10

Kyle

K yle permitted himself the indulgence of staying like that for another minute, lodged deep inside Epsilon and feeling a connection that ran far deeper than the physical, before gently easing their bodies apart.

Epsilon's dark hair, always so meticulously tidy, was now a mess. His body was coated in a thin layer of sweat, and the cum on his stomach and leaking from between his legs made him look delightfully debauched.

The whiteboard marker earlier in the night hadn't been able to dirty Master Epsilon up, but Kyle had, and by the stars, the man was wrecked .

"Here," Kyle murmured, tugging the blindfold down away from his face. Dark eyes blinked up at him, pleased and content, and then followed Kyle as he crossed the room to dampen two fresh washcloths in the sink while offering soft words of reassurance that he'd only be a moment. Sometimes subs panicked, thinking they were being left alone, and while he knew Epsilon would have no such fears, it was a habit Kyle felt no need to break.

He knelt at the other man's side and ran a hot cloth over his face first, before sliding it down his throat and chest. Then he kissed his hip where the flogger had left a faint welt, revelling in the soft groan Epsilon made as he did so.

As Kyle began to wipe the rest of him down, he told him how beautiful and amazing and strong he'd been for him: familiar words, but no less sincere for it. He only faltered when he felt something warm and slightly rough between his thighs, and realised Epsilon had taken the other cloth and was cleaning him up in turn.

"You don't need to-"

"Shush," the Master murmured in exactly the same tone Kyle himself would have used, and folded an arm around him to bring Kyle to his chest.

Surprised, Kyle let it happen. It was easy not to think like this, just soaking in the warmth and the closeness of Epsilon, and he snuggled in against his warm, bare skin to inhale his scent. There were still lingering traces of his cologne, but what they'd just done had coaxed out his natural musk, and Kyle breathed it in eagerly.

Still an addict.

He hadn't changed one bit in the last five years: he was still an utter wreck for this man, clawing and begging for scraps of his attention.

And he was getting it. Oh fuck, was he getting it. Was this truly real, or just another of Kyle's fantasies?

Epsilon's arms around him, fingertips gently tracing the back of his hand. Epsilon's bare legs tangled with his, their skin tones so distinct. Epsilon's mouth on his forehead, gentle brushes of his lips that Kyle ached to feel against his own.

They'd never kissed. It was one of those unspoken rules of the House: do whatever depraved things to each other you both wished, but leave kissing for relationships outside of work.

And clients who paid extra for the privilege, but that was dangerous territory, at least for Kyle. Perhaps it was because of their rarity, but kisses held an intensity, a realness , that he felt uncomfortable with, and he'd long since stopped accepting client requests for it.

But Epsilon?

Fuck, he'd sell every single one of his organs to the Lower gangs for the feel of Master Epsilon's mouth on his. To learn how soft that sharp tongue of his could be...or perhaps it would mimic his switch nature, sometimes needy and sweet and other times as fiercely demanding as the way he ran his House.

Kyle…could find out.

They were already pressed so close together. All he had to do was lift his head and seek out the other man's mouth.

Or should he ask first? It felt like he should , but if he did, there was no way Epsilon would say yes. He was emotionally inaccessible at the best of times: if Kyle demanded that he vocalise permission to let Kyle kiss him, knowing what it meant and what he was really admitting out loud...

But didn't knowing that a person would refuse your kiss make doing it anyway an utterly despicable act?

The indecision froze him in place, a thousand doubts and hopes chasing each other around his head. Was he wrong to look for an emotional connection between them, when for his employer it was seemingly just sex?

And then Epsilon exhaled. It was only the slightest of movements and likely another person wouldn't have even noticed, but to Kyle, the sound of Epsilon's softly departing breath and the way his chest dipped and then rose beneath Kyle's cheek became his entire world. He was consumed by the very essence of him, acutely aware of each individual cell of skin where they were touching...and where they weren't .

This time, Kyle's heart led his head, and good sense didn't have time to reach his brain before he was twisting in Epsilon's arms and reaching for him to bring their mouths and tongues together.

Only Epsilon was already moving, leaning and turning away from him, and trying to get away. Kyle recoiled, dropping his hands and hoping to every single star he'd never seen that Epsilon wasn't going to mock him for his lovesick infatuation.

He needn't have worried. The man was the definition of emotionally stifled, avoiding all conversations that involved expressing feelings with a dedication second to none, and even the chance to deliver another of his famous lectures about professionalism didn't seem to be enough to get him to ask Kyle why he'd thrown himself at him.

Instead, Epsilon fussed for an unreasonably long time with one of the folded blankets on the end of the bed, insistently picking at invisible lint in a fairly pathetic attempt to look busy.

By the stars, the awkwardness of Kyle's ill-judged fumble had surpassed even Master Epsilon's ability to pretend.

"Here," Epsilon said when he'd finally permitted himself to turn back around, his voice as coolly neutral as Kyle had ever heard it. "I don't want you to get cold."

He proceeded to drape the eggshell blue blanket around Kyle's shoulders, ignoring his protests, and the point was made very clearly when he didn't join him under it despite being the one who was naked.

But to Kyle's surprise Epsilon didn't leave immediately, instead wrapping his arms around the blanket to secure Kyle inside its soft, comforting warmth like a cat curling up with its kittens.

It was actually kind of nice.

Until Kyle realised that it was to keep him in place so he couldn't try to kiss him again. His cheeks burned with humiliation and he tried to pull away, but the Master held firm.

"Do not dwell on what happened tonight," Epsilon murmured into his ear, and Kyle felt each word like a blow to the chest. "It is of no importance."

"I know ," said Kyle through gritted teeth.

"Do you?" Doubt was laced through his employer's voice.

Kyle tensed. He needed to put space between them yet his arms were pinned and kept helpless at his sides by the blanket. He was stronger than the other man, but the thought of hurting him made Kyle feel sicker than the blatant rejection did.

So he buried his face in the blanket instead, hiding the way his eyes felt hot and wet. "I realise it was a mistake. I'm sorry."

"Then clearly you don't know," Epsilon snapped, sounding pissed. "The man was advised of the rules, and he broke them. I will not have anyone like that in my House, and I can only be glad he came up against you rather than someone too afraid to tell him no."

Kyle froze. Epsilon had meant...he meant earlier ? That what had happened with Miles wasn't important, not what they'd just...

"That was a perfect example of an abuser masquerading under the pretence of kink," Epsilon added darkly, his fingers flexing as though imagining folding them around the client's neck. "If murder was legal..."

"As hot as you'd look covered in blood, boss," Kyle murmured, and then fearing the conversation had gotten away from him when Epsilon's smile grew darkly pleased, shimmied his shoulders until he'd worked a hand free of the blanket. "But I've already committed several crimes tonight and I'd rather not be an accessory to another."

Because despite the Uppers using the Houses' services on a regular and sometimes quite public basis, prostitution was technically illegal on Xerxes. It was one of those things that everyone knew but nothing was done about, as long as Epsilon and the other Masters kept the right palms greased with credits.

"But you're so good at it," Epsilon teased, pawing at him as Kyle fought to disentangle himself from the blanket. "My best employee."

Kyle snorted. "Compliments, is it now?"

"Why not? You're an excellent Dominant. You read your partners well, you put their needs before yours, and you never let emotion get the better of you when controlling a scene."

Kyle flushed at the sincerely expressed praise. Who the fuck was giving the aftercare to who, here?

"You taught me everything I know," he pointed out, but Epsilon shook his head with a knowing smile playing about his lips.

"Some things can't be taught, Kyle. And I...there is a lot I still have to learn myself."

Speaking of teaching…

"How did Vin go with his interview?" Kyle asked.

"Not well. Your friend never showed."

Oh. That was odd. He'd seemed so keen earlier, but he must have changed his mind after all.

Epsilon finally let go and rose gracefully to his feet, his bare thigh coming to rest inches away from Kyle's face.

There was that stupid urge again, the one to pull Epsilon close and kiss him.

But he'd settle for blowing him. It was a language they were both far more familiar with, and much easier to navigate.

Epsilon raised a warning eyebrow as Kyle rocked up onto his knees to bring his mouth closer to that perfect dick of his.

"Kyle Randall, don't you fucking dare ," he said with an icy, dangerous edge to his voice.

Kyle growled in frustration, but didn't so much as lick him. He wasn't an asshole.

Had that been it? Was the last glorious hour all he would be getting of Epsilon for another five long years?

"I will not, and will never be, a quick fuck," the other man added, somehow managing to pull off haughty indignance despite being stark naked with his tie blindfold still hanging loosely around his neck. "You have less than five minutes until your next client, and as arousing as it might be to imagine you fucking him with my cum still coating your skin, I suggest you get to the showers."

Kyle stared at him.

"Or would you like to be late for the second time today?" asked the Master snidely, for that was certainly the persona which was speaking now: hard-ass and utter bastard. "I don't recommend testing me."

The emotionless composure of Kyle's boss fell seamlessly back into place as Epsilon donned his suit once more, the return of his clothing and the distance between them making the last hour feel like a dream.

Kyle snatched at the memories of the other man kneeling at his feet, gathering them up protectively to prevent his employer from taking those from him too.

Epsilon, the compliant submissive who did whatever he was told.

Epsilon, mewling and moaning beneath him.

Epsilon, lost to his pleasure.

And Epsilon, striding from the room with a casual, dismissive gesture at Kyle as if they'd been doing nothing more meaningful than chatting about the weather.