Page 18 of Bound to Him

He matched her expression. “Hi, Mom. It’s good to see you. Is this a good time?”

“Of course. The girls are each out playing a game, though. They’ll be sorry to miss you.”

Parker knew his sisters, avid soccer players, would be gone. It was one of the reasons he’d picked a Saturday to call. While he missed them, too, he didn’t think he was quite up to talking to them. It was hard doing it with only his mother and being teenagers, they were bound to ask pointed and uncomfortable questions. He’d catch up with them later, once he felt more settled in his new life.

“I miss them too, but I thought it would be nice for just the two of us to chat.”

“Is it all right for you to do so?” His mother craned her neck as if she could see over his shoulder.

“Sure. My, um, Mr. Endicott is out and I can pretty much do as I like when I’m not with him.”

“Oh. So you’re not with him all the time?” She obviously picked her words carefully, no more interested in treading on the sticky details of his slave life than he was.

“No, not really. I mean, he takes me to his office and to some of his social events, like we’re having brunch tomorrow with his parents. It’s just something he does most every Sunday. But, you know, he has meetings and…dates and stuff that he doesn’t bring me to.” He shrugged. “I have a lot of free time.” He inwardly cringed because naturally his mother was now thinking that he actually had a job from which his free time sprung.

His mother was careful to keep her expression neutral. “Oh, that’s nice. What do you do…when you’re on your own?”

This was an easy entry into the stuff he wanted to talk about. “I work out and watch shows and movies. The house has a gym and a theater.” He couldn’t help chuckling. “You should see it all! I mean, it’s everything you could want without leaving the house. And there’s books.”

He unfolded his legs and stood. “Take a look at this.” He turned the tablet to show her the sitting room at large, then focusing on the bookshelves. “Isn’t this amazing? And there’s a library in the house, too, crammed with so much more.”

His mother’s voice emanated from the front of his tablet. “Oh my. That is very impressive. Such a lovely room, and I hope you’re allowed to read those books.”

Parker turned the tablet around again to look at her. “Sure. Mr. Endicott lets me do pretty much whatever I want in his house. I mean, I’m sure there are rooms I’m not supposed to enter, but it hasn’t come up yet.” He went to flop down on a sofa. “It’s only been a couple of weeks.”

His mother’s face fell at that obvious statement. “Yes, it’s going to be a long five years.”

Because he heard tears in her voice, Parker sat up and peered at her. “It’s okay, Mom. We can set up a weekly call, some day and time when the girls are around.”

“Do you think…will he allow you to visit? Like at Christmas, maybe?”

“Oh. I haven’t asked him about that, but I’m sure I can come see you even if it’s not a holiday. As long as it doesn’t conflict with his schedule, I think he’ll be fine with it.” Parker resisted gnawing on his lip as he thought about it. Everything he knew about Sebastian so far led him to believe that the man wouldn’t be so cruel as to keep him from his family.

“That would be nice.” His mother tried for a smile and failed. “It sounds like he’s kind?”

Parker thought of all the ways his master used his body and decided that it would be wrong to characterize the man as such. “He’s generous.” Yeah, that worked. Not only did Sebestian give him lots of costly material things, the pleasure he meted out when it pleased him was valuable too. No matter what happened in the future, Parker would carry those memories with him for the rest of his life…and enjoy them.

“That’s good to hear,” his mother said with a curt nod.

Before Parker could think of anything else to say, Beasley’s voice came through the intercom. “What would you like for lunch, Mr. Parker?”

The formal way the man addressed him, as if he were some boy child in the house, both amused and discomforted him. “One second, Mom.”

He went to the intercom and pressed the button. If he asked for something crazy, like beef Wellington, or another type of meal that was difficult to make and inappropriate for lunch, he had no doubt the manservant would provide it without a moment’s hesitation. But Parker was still the guy he’d been before entering the house. “Grilled cheese, please, Mr. Beasley.”

“Very well.” Although the servant didn’t say so, he was undoubtedly going to use some very expensive cheese for the sandwich and provide a crisp salad along with it. Nothing in the Endicott house was done by half measures or low standards.

“I guess I should go, sweetheart, and let you enjoy your meal. It sounds like you are being well-cared for.”

Hearing the doubt underlying the words, Parker tried to alleviate his mother’s worries. “I am, Mom. Really. Please don’t worry.”

She gave him a watery smile. “How can I not? If I had only paid more attention to what your father was doing…”

“Mom, please! There was nothing you could have done.” He’d berated himself for not realizing what was happening, but there had been nothing he could have done, either. His father had kept his secrets through control over his family. “There’s no point in dwelling on the past. We found a way out of the mess and are going to be fine now. That’s all that matters.”

“At the cost of your freedom.” The bitterness in her tone surprised him. She’d always tried to keep up a brave and cheery face.

“I’m okay, Mom. I truly am. Living in such luxury is hardly a sacrifice.” And because he sensed his mother needed more to move past her obvious guilt and misery, he stuck a toe into the more delicate waters. “I like being with him…you know, in that way.”

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