Chapter Sixteen
Ishmael
Ishmael closed out the chat application and folded the lid to the laptop down. He picked it up, carrying it back into his home office before reappearing again into the main open plan room. Instead of returning to the sofa to sit down, he strode to the windows overlooking the city. He said nothing for several long moments, trying to compose his thoughts.
On the one hand, I want him to voluntarily submit but not because he fears me. On the other, I can’t let his disobedience go.
He sighed. “I had hoped to avoid having this discussion tonight. I had a nice evening planned for the both of us, to help you settle in here with me comfortably.”
“Are you even kidding me!” Kris’ voice was shrill. “This has been the most fucked up day of my entire life. You’re telling me that you’re crazy enough to think that actually making me a formal job offer and me getting to talk to my mom and, oh, have a nice fancy dinner with you would be enough for me to just happily slot myself in the life you want me to have?”
Ishmael stiffened, anger swamping him as Kris’ words bludgeoned him.
Mustn’t let him see how his words affect me.
Taking a deep breath, he turned part way around and gazed at Kris cooly. With one eyebrow raised, he replied in an even voice. “I expected you to abide by our agreement, as well as to always be civil and respectful.”
Kris shrank back, licking his lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell like that. I’m feeling rather, um, off-kilter, if you l know what I mean.”
“I do, and it is to be expected. That does not, however, excuse you from exercising a measure of self-control. It does not give you license to disrespect me by not abiding by our agreed upon terms.”
Kris’ face paled, his lips pressed together into a bloodless line. His eyes darted around nervously. Ishmael noted the fear dilating his eyes, the increase in respiration indicating the building of panic within, and the small beads of sweat that began to dot his upper lip. It was time to head him off, to redirect his focus before he descended into a full blown panic attack.
Ishmael turned around to fully face the room, his hands remaining locked together behind his back. “I’m not going to disrespect you, though. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, here.” He watched some of the tension drain out of Kris’ frame, hope beginning to light his eyes. “So, tell me, Kris, how are we going to handle this?”
Kris stole a glance at him and licked his lips once more before replying. “Well, the only thing I didn’t do was use that thing in the shower. But, um, while I know the general idea of how to use it, I didn’t know how to use it properly, without, you know, maybe hurting myself somehow.”
Ishmael nodded slowly. “I see. So, you decided to simply not make use of it. This, despite the fact that you saw it attached, with the lube on the shelf, before you would have gotten in. And if you hadn’t due to poor observation, you still didn’t think it worth mentioning to me first thing, nor to call out and ask for assistance.’
“I couldn’t ask the bodyguard!” Kris protested, his face turning scarlet.
“Ah, too embarrassed, I see. You’ll have to get over that. You need to consider any staff I leave with you as an extension of myself in these matters. So, let us revisit the question of adhering to the terms of our agreement.”
“You mean punishment,” Kris whispered. “Please, I don’t want you to hit me. Can’t I just strip and take another shower. You can show me how to use that thing.”
Ishmael’s lips gave a nearly imperceptible twitch.He really is too cute. He can’t even face calling it by its name.“We could do that,” he allowed. “That would address you knowing how to use it safely and effectively.”
Kris nodded his head. “Yes! It would.”
“It would not address the fact that you broke the agreement, to begin with, and further disrespected me by not bringing your inability to use it to the attention of either myself or my staff.”
“So, I’ll still get a beating?” Kris whispered.
Ishmael pinched the bridge of his nose. He was a patient man when it came to business, but this was wearing. “Do you have another suggestion?”
“I dunno, couldn’t I just say I’m sorry, do the shower again, and promise to not mess it up again? I won’t, you know. Mess up taking a shower and stuff, I mean. Again.”
Ishmael lowered his hand and turned back around to face the window once more, all the while observing Kris’ reflection. He said nothing, letting the silence weigh heavily and speak for him.
“Or, you could put me in the corner or something?” Kris ventured, his voice sounding even more timid than before.
Now that has possibilities.He thought back to the sensory deprivation mask that he had in his study.Yes, it has possibilities galore.
“Very well,” Ishmael agreed.
“Really?” Kris squeaked.
“Though we do it my way. You will not be able to see or hear a thing.”
“A total timeout, yes, I understand,” Kris babbled in palpable relief.
“Come,” Ishmael said, walking forward and extending his hand out for Kris to take. “Let’s attend to your shower first.”
He was pleased to see that Kris tried to hide the grimace at the realisation that soon, he was going to have warm water shooting into his bowels. Water that would need to be let out along with the faecal matter it was there to rinse out. Even more pleasing was that despite the grimace, he readily stood up and took his hand, following Ishmael willingly into the bathroom.
Once there, Ishmael dropped Kris’ hand and reached in to adjust the water temperature. “Strip,” he ordered, not even bothering to look over his shoulder to see if Kris obeyed. Even if he’d needed confirmation, he didn’t need to turn around to see for himself. The rustling sounds and the soft noises of exertion Kris made as he hastened to comply told him all he needed to know.
