Page 23 of His Pet

Focus, Justin, I tell myself sternly. Play along. Do whatever he tells you to do.

“Thank you, Sir,” I say as he unlocks the cage and lets me out. My muscles are stiff and achy, and a groan escapes me as I stretch this way and that and my back cracks ominously.

A delicious scent drifts from the takeout bags he’s set on the table, but the look in Cameron’s eyes shows hunger of a different kind. His eyes trace the shape of my body as I stretch, and I fight the urge to cover myself. He wouldn’t like that, so I toughen up and let him look his fill.

“I feel you,” he says, also groaning as he tilts his head to one side and then the other before rolling his shoulders. “I spent six hours today hunched over a customer’s back. I could use a massage.” The leery grin he aims at me tells me exactly what he expects me to say.

I could also use a massage, but I don’t think it would be wise to demand one from my captor. Playing the obedient servant, I nod. “I’ve never given anyone a massage, but I’ll try my best, Sir. Could I visit the bathroom first?” I’ve pissed into that damned drain because I couldn’t hold it any longer, but I refuse to use it for anything else. Even dogs can go outside to do their business.

“Sure. I’ll set out the food. I hope you’re hungry.”

My stomach is so tight with nerves I doubt I’ll be able to stuff much food inside without throwing it all up, but I force a smile and repeat my line. “Thank you, Sir.”

I take as long in the bathroom as I think Cameron will tolerate, but then it’s time to return to the lion’s den. I suck in a deep breath to calm my racing thoughts and step out of the bathroom. My eyebrows fly up when I see Cameron serving the food on the kitchen island, on actual plates with real cutlery. And is that a candle?

It’s more romantic than most of my dates have ever been, which is probably the reason I’m still single. I should have tried harder. Maybe if I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t have taken Grace’s offer of casual sex, her psycho boyfriend wouldn’t have cornered me, and Cameron would have never known of my existence.

I’m old enough to know that following the what-if path leads to nothing but misery, so I cut that train of thought and focus on the present task. Making Cameron let his guard down.

“It smells wonderful,” I say, choosing my words carefully.

“It’s from my favorite Mexican place. How do you feel about spicy food?”

I grimace before I can catch myself, then try to fix my slip-up. “Uh, I’m sure that whatever you picked will taste amazing.”

Cameron laughs easily. “I guessed you wouldn’t like it. I’m glad I was right. Here,” he grabs one plate, “this is the non-spicy one. Or wait.” He sniffs the food, then shakes his head. “Nope, this is the spicy one. That one is yours. I probably should have put it on a different plate. Come on. Sit. Eat.”

It’s kind of gross to sit naked on furniture, but Master commands, so I park my bare ass on a tall chair by the kitchen island and reach for the non-spicy plate. Since Cameron didn’t seem too sure of which one was which himself, I carefully smell the food before taking the tiniest bite. Then I wait.

When no fire erupts in my mouth, I sigh in relief and shovel a big bite into my mouth because I’m suddenly hungry and the food is delicious. As a broke college student, I tend to go for the cheapest of cheap takeout. This food is on a completely different level.

Satisfied that I’m eating, Cameron digs into his own serving. He chews slowly, then his eyes grow a little watery. “Wow. This really is sharp,” he says, fanning himself as he reaches for a glass of water. “I might have overestimated myself a bit.”

I chuckle, because he’s ridiculous as he gulps down the water and wheezes. For a moment, I completely forget that I’m not here of my own free will. I feel guilty for that immediately afterward, but I squash that feeling down for the time being. There will be enough time for guilt later. Now I have a great opportunity to cozy up to my captor.

I push my plate closer to him. “You can have some of mine. Not everything, though, because it really is delicious.”

Cameron stares at the offered plate. Sadness flicks through his expression, there and gone so quickly I wonder if what I saw was real. “It’s okay,” he says, his tone off in a way I can’t put my finger on. “I’ll have something else later. You eat. You’ll need the energy.”

I went too far, I think. Too friendly, or too direct, or both. I’ve only been here a day. I probably should be more scared, more resistant, or… I don't even know. How am I supposed to act, and why is this so difficult? I just want to stay alive, dammit!

Chapter 17

Cameron

Justin is not a great actor. It’s good because it lets me easily see through his plans, but also bad, because I know that this easy affection on his part isn’t real. It’s never real.

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

Justin seems nervous now, pushing food around his plate without eating anything. He keeps glancing at me like he’s trying to judge my mood, or guess what’s going to happen after dinner.

I don’t really have a plan in mind for our time together. I just wanted a distraction. I have another long day tomorrow and more bookings for the day after that. Another client from a powerful Bratva family has asked about my services, and I can’t really afford to turn him down. Not because of the money, but because pissing off the Russians is never a good idea.

I’m officially neutral and most families respect that, but that doesn’t make me untouchable. I still need to be careful.

I try a few more bites of the food before admitting defeat. My mouth is on fire, and I curse myself for forgetting just how spicy the restaurant makes this dish. I should have gotten the non-spicy version for myself too, but I wanted to play tough in front of my pet. Now I look like an idiot. Great fucking job, Cameron.

At least my pet finds me funny. I notice the subtle twitch of Justin’s lips before he smooths his expression. That has to be a good sign.