Page 19 of Bound to Him

His mother’s eyes went wide before she schooled her expression to a neutral one. “Well, that’s good to know. Grab what happiness you can, Parker. And text me when you figure out a schedule for our calls. I’ll make sure the girls and I are free no matter what.”

“Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

The video call went black. Parker slumped against the back of the sofa, feeling drained. Being immersed in his master’s world had made it easy to forget why he was there and what he’d been forced to leave behind. In some ways, it would be easier to cut off all contact with his family while he served his contract. Then he could return to them and pretend this whole thing never happened. Except he very much feared that no matter how the next five years played out, he was never going to forget the pleasure he felt in Sebastian’s hands. And he very much feared that he was going to lose it soon after discovering it.

Chapter Six

“I believe we’ve just proven that experience counts more than youth.” Sebastian’s father raised his glass of beer in salute of his declaration.

Sebastian and the others followed suit. He didn’t want to spoil his father’s pleasure by pointing out that his and Will’s pairing had been saddled with his own mediocre golfing skills. He simply found the game too interminably dull to master it.

Sam Emerson slapped his son on his back. “Next time, it will be father and son against father and son. How about next Saturday? Will isn’t going to be in Boston for much longer.”

No one responded as their lunch came at that moment.

Sebastian poked at this grilled salmon before saying, “Sorry, I have plans already.”

His father looked askance. “Oh?”

“With Milo.” Sebastian didn’t need to explain himself but he knew his father would be grilled by his mother as soon as he got home. And it was also a lie. He’d had the fun idea of taking Parker up to Ogunquit for the day. The seaside town in Maine was delightful and very gay-friendly.

“Oh.” His father turned to his friend. “That’s an old college friend of Sebastian’s. Married man with a wife, a child and another one on the way, if memory serves.” As if he were allaying any concerns that Will had a rival.

Sam nodded and waved his fork. “Right. I remember. A black fella?”

Will winced. “Dad!”

“What? I’m just trying to confirm I’m thinking of the same guy.” He turned to Sebastian’s father. “This wokeness, huh? Never know if I’m going to say the wrong thing.”

“It’s not that hard, Dad. Try thinking of people in terms other than race, color, gender, religion…” Turning to Sebastian, he mouthed, “Sorry.”

Sebastian shot him a reassuring look. Their parents’ generation would always struggle no matter what their good intentions were. Not that the Endicotts and Emersons had that many of those. It was a minor miracle that they’d managed to get over their sons being gay. Of course, both he and Will were only children, so they had had little choice if they wanted to keep their legacies in the family. And modern IVF practices made it possible for gay men to both pass along their family genes and marry the person they actually wanted.

They ate in companionable silence for a while before Sam and his mouth couldn’t resist throwing another verbal bomb onto the table.

“It must be okay for me to ask about your slave, though, Sebastian? I mean buying a human being is hardly politically correct.”

Sebastian couldn’t hold back his wince. “You have me there, Sam.”

Will held out his hand. “Dad, please.”

“No, it’s okay. Your father is right. I can’t claim any moral high ground there, even if it has nothing to do with traditionally marginalized people.”

Sam raised his hand to signal for another round of drinks. “That’s right. These people got themselves into the mess that led them to selling themselves.” He shrugged. “You have to learn to live within your means.”

Sebastian took a slug of water as he digested that condemnation. It was easy to stay out of debt if one had lots of money at their disposal, especially inherited wealth, as each of them at the table had been blessed with. Given how the average wage was stagnating even as inflation ebbed and flowed, it wasn’t hard to imagine how someone like Parker might end up being in such a predicament and having to make such a terrible choice.

Sam waited until their plates had been cleared before picking up the thread again. “That boy of yours seems awfully young. What did he do to get himself in that position? Do you think it was drugs?”

Sebastian sat back heavily in his chair. He was more irritated at himself than Emerson that he didn’t have a ready answer as to what had led Parker to be in his bed. He’d been meaning to ask but the right time hadn’t yet materialized. “No, I don’t believe so. It may be a family problem he’s addressing.”

“Ah, the sins of the father. Is there any of that bread pudding left?” he asked the server. When he received an affirmative on that, he ordered some. “And coffee all around.”

“None for me, thanks,” Sebastian said. He felt too keyed up already to add more caffeine to the mix. He wanted to get back to Parker and enjoy what was left of the afternoon. And wasn’t that a disturbing thought…that he was more eager to spend time with his slave than his family and peers.

“Of course, that’s not to say you have anything to be ashamed about.” Dear God, the man would not drop the topic. “You’re helping them out. It’s almost charity, in a way.”

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