Connor made it to the third story landing--his arms laden with first aid materials that Lilly had continued to stack until it damn near reached his nose--when Ransom intercepted him, the lacy frills along the bottom of his cliched black dress swishing around his thighs. The slim man planted himself before him and waited a beat, then began offloading half of the haul into his own arms.
"Fine," Connor warned in response to the automatic motions. He recognized the eager movement for what it was, and it wasn't merely to be helpful. "But you stay outside the bedroom until I return for the rest."
A violent shake of wavy lengths of brown hair. "It'd be faster for you to accept my help, Master."
"She doesn't need this tonight."
"But you do." With that, the man swiveled about, the cheeky bow above his ass twitching with each step up the staircase. "You've faced down your father and been down in that hellhole of his all in one day. You're exhausted. Sometimes, you do have the right to think about more than your foundlings, you know."
Connor sighed. This was becoming a trend, certain members of his staff getting far too cozy with taking notes on his emotional state--and how to remedy it. It was soothing in its own right, though, comfortable. Familial in the right way, if he was to be honest with himself, and it took the edge off of the murderous thoughts he'd had regarding the next day's tailoring session. This image that his maid had built up though, he had to do something about that. "I'm not sure where you got the notion I'm a selfless saint, but I assure you, I'm not."
Ransom shot a look down the stairs, over his shoulder. "Mmm. Yeah, the master of the house is pretty greedy."
That got him a snort. "You've been up in those romp rooms more than me lately. Also: louder."
"And I do appreciate having so many toys at my disposal. Really. Bonnnnn~~ Tres, tres bon."
They reached the master suite and Connor entered the code. Despite his belligerent words, Ransom did indeed halt at the threshold as Connor stepped into the room. Disobedience was met with consequences even the kinky "maid" in the doorway didn't want to test.
"Piper," he said under his breath.
She was still on the bed.
He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Relieved that she hadn't sought to run from this, from him. Disappointed that she hadn't tried--or that she didn't yet have the strength to act on her petulant threats. Perhaps, he considered as he wordlessly stalked to the bathroom to put things away, she was just as drained from the day's events as he was. A good night's sleep would do them both good.
Putting things away as swiftly as he could, Connor heard a voice from the outer room.
"Are you asleep?" Ransom's question was muffled from the bathroom. "How is the Master treating you, chéri? Is there anything you need for the morning?"
He should've known the man wouldn't play the reserved and silently helpful type. All the same, he found his ears perked for her responses, and by the time he returned to collect the rest from Ransom, he'd forgiven the breech. "We will see you both for breakfast?" Ransom asked, his expression a little rueful.
"See to it there is an extra place at the table for Piper."
"Of course, Master. Mistress," he added over Connor's shoulder. "Sleep well." An audacious wink, then Ransom pulled the door shut and activated the locks.
Connor finished putting things away, then brought bandages to the nightstand. Settling on the edge of the mattress, he sent her a slight smile. "He's not really French. He's not even much of a maid. But that's Ransom. And no, don't look to him to collude with you about an escape." He lifted a bandage. The specks of blood on her shirt had begun to turn rust colored, which he took for a good sign. Clotting, if nothing else, but he still had to ensure they wouldn't come open again in the night. "I said I would trust you to do as I asked, so I won't check to see that you've taken care of your bruises. But I will need you to remove the shirt, so I can patch you up."
It would be swift. Exacting. Wash the wound, bandage against further injury. No lingering. None.
He hoped.
But somewhere in the back of his mind he had a feeling nothing about his hands on Piper's skin would be entirely clinical.
"Fine," Connor warned in response to the automatic motions. He recognized the eager movement for what it was, and it wasn't merely to be helpful. "But you stay outside the bedroom until I return for the rest."
A violent shake of wavy lengths of brown hair. "It'd be faster for you to accept my help, Master."
"She doesn't need this tonight."
"But you do." With that, the man swiveled about, the cheeky bow above his ass twitching with each step up the staircase. "You've faced down your father and been down in that hellhole of his all in one day. You're exhausted. Sometimes, you do have the right to think about more than your foundlings, you know."
Connor sighed. This was becoming a trend, certain members of his staff getting far too cozy with taking notes on his emotional state--and how to remedy it. It was soothing in its own right, though, comfortable. Familial in the right way, if he was to be honest with himself, and it took the edge off of the murderous thoughts he'd had regarding the next day's tailoring session. This image that his maid had built up though, he had to do something about that. "I'm not sure where you got the notion I'm a selfless saint, but I assure you, I'm not."
Ransom shot a look down the stairs, over his shoulder. "Mmm. Yeah, the master of the house is pretty greedy."
That got him a snort. "You've been up in those romp rooms more than me lately. Also: louder."
"And I do appreciate having so many toys at my disposal. Really. Bonnnnn~~ Tres, tres bon."
They reached the master suite and Connor entered the code. Despite his belligerent words, Ransom did indeed halt at the threshold as Connor stepped into the room. Disobedience was met with consequences even the kinky "maid" in the doorway didn't want to test.
"Piper," he said under his breath.
She was still on the bed.
He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Relieved that she hadn't sought to run from this, from him. Disappointed that she hadn't tried--or that she didn't yet have the strength to act on her petulant threats. Perhaps, he considered as he wordlessly stalked to the bathroom to put things away, she was just as drained from the day's events as he was. A good night's sleep would do them both good.
Putting things away as swiftly as he could, Connor heard a voice from the outer room.
"Are you asleep?" Ransom's question was muffled from the bathroom. "How is the Master treating you, chéri? Is there anything you need for the morning?"
He should've known the man wouldn't play the reserved and silently helpful type. All the same, he found his ears perked for her responses, and by the time he returned to collect the rest from Ransom, he'd forgiven the breech. "We will see you both for breakfast?" Ransom asked, his expression a little rueful.
"See to it there is an extra place at the table for Piper."
"Of course, Master. Mistress," he added over Connor's shoulder. "Sleep well." An audacious wink, then Ransom pulled the door shut and activated the locks.
Connor finished putting things away, then brought bandages to the nightstand. Settling on the edge of the mattress, he sent her a slight smile. "He's not really French. He's not even much of a maid. But that's Ransom. And no, don't look to him to collude with you about an escape." He lifted a bandage. The specks of blood on her shirt had begun to turn rust colored, which he took for a good sign. Clotting, if nothing else, but he still had to ensure they wouldn't come open again in the night. "I said I would trust you to do as I asked, so I won't check to see that you've taken care of your bruises. But I will need you to remove the shirt, so I can patch you up."
It would be swift. Exacting. Wash the wound, bandage against further injury. No lingering. None.
He hoped.
But somewhere in the back of his mind he had a feeling nothing about his hands on Piper's skin would be entirely clinical.
Dreams come in a size too big so we can grow into them.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 11-17-2014, 09:32 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 11-17-2014, 09:42 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 11-17-2014, 11:44 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 11-19-2014, 07:58 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 11-19-2014, 10:18 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 11-22-2014, 02:32 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 11-23-2014, 12:35 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 11-27-2014, 04:41 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 11-27-2014, 11:10 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 12-01-2014, 05:15 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 12-04-2014, 07:03 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 12-11-2014, 01:58 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 12-12-2014, 12:39 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 12-21-2014, 11:58 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 12-27-2014, 02:06 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 02-04-2015, 07:19 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 02-05-2015, 03:54 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 03-23-2015, 11:24 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 03-29-2015, 12:00 AM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 03-30-2015, 10:44 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 04-01-2015, 01:25 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 04-24-2015, 12:58 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 04-26-2015, 12:37 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 04-29-2015, 10:33 PM
Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 05-06-2015, 08:19 PM
RE: Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 12-14-2015, 09:25 PM
RE: Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 01-03-2016, 12:14 AM
RE: Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by Kat - 07-26-2016, 12:30 PM
RE: Uncommon Bonds [Kat & Dani, Closed] - by danixiewrites - 08-19-2016, 12:24 PM