Page 28 of First Snow
“I’d tie you up there.” Jareth gestures toward the St. Andrew’s cross that stands where the altar used to be. “And I’d use my different spanking tools on you. My hand. A paddle. A whip.”
Arttu swallows. “Okay.”
Jareth blinks. Arttu keeps surprising him. “You want to do this?”
Arttu shrugs nonchalantly. “Why not? Sounds kinda hot.”
“Oh, thank you,” Annikki breathes as if she was genuinely concerned about finding a replacement.
Jareth can only glare darkly at them. What is he supposed to do with an insolent sub like Arttu?
Peeking through a gap between the curtains at the people gathered in front of the main stage, Jareth takes a deep breath.The Worshipis crowded, especially for a weekday. Annikki must have spread the word that he has a gig tonight. For the first time in ages, Jareth’s body thrums with restless energy before a demonstration. Annikki steps up next to him and spreads out the tools he’ll need tonight.
“Oh, don’t look like that. Isn’t this what you wanted?” she asks, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
Jareth hums noncommittally. Of course he’s thrilled about the opportunity to experience a spanking session with Arttu, a public one no less. But on the other hand, a little voice in the back of his mind keeps nagging him that he might be pushing Arttu too far, too soon. It annoys him to no end.
“Lord Briar is here,” Annikki says.
“Which one?” Jareth is running out of patience with the two of them, and his encounters with the younger Briar on two consecutive days have already left him fed up with the family.
“The elder.”
Jareth grits his teeth. The older Lord Briar has an obsession with the occult, an interest not uncommon in his circles, where many have too much time and money on their hands. What Jareth doesn’t like is that the older Briar has taken an interest in him, and that indicates that Briar has at least some connections to the Kingdom Beyond; to people or entities who are the real thing, not the usual frauds. To make things more suspicious, Briar’s strange bodyguard, Lemaire, has Jareth’s senses tingling with awareness. It makes Jareth wonder if Lord Briar is more than a harmless dilettante fooling around with ouija boards and searching for cold spots.
“Do you know what he wants?”
“Says he wants to talk business. Sounded like he’s willing to grovel some more for a spark of real magic. The man is pathetic.”
“Tell him I’ll consider meeting him.”
“Huh? Are you sure you want to bother with him, boss?” Annikki lifts a surprised eyebrow.
“Maybe it’s time we find out what he knows about the other side.”
Annikki’s grin turns sly. “I like the sound of that. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s dirt on him. Do you think he has something to do with the magic book Thorfinn brought?”
“We’ll see.” Jareth isn’t convinced of that. Sure, Briar is shady, but if he had enough knowledge and power to compile a grimoire like that, he wouldn’t be pestering Jareth. Unless he’s a very good actor who’s after more than he lets on. Jareth looks out over the crowd again. “Where’s Arttu?”
“Nervous that he won’t show up?”
“Nonsense.”
“I’ll fetch him,” Annikki says, giving him a soft smile. Jareth has no idea why she’s looking at him like that. It’s perfectly reasonable to want his sub by his side in time.
“Good. I want to talk to him before we get started.”
“Don’t you think he understood your safety instructions the first three times?”
“Go get him now.” Jareth doesn’t care to discuss his decision with Annikki when she’s like this.
Annikki grins at him before she disappears. Jareth watches the crowd for a few more seconds, before he turns his focus toward his tools. If Arttu is determined to do this with him, then Jareth will make sure that he has an extraordinary experience. He picks up a paddle and lets his hands wander over its smooth leather, inspecting the texture and weight of the device yet again. It’s perfect. It comes from his personal collection, after all. Even so, he needs to make sure everything is in impeccable condition.
“Hei,” a soft voice says. Arttu has entered the room behind the curtain through a door in the back. He looks a little lost, wearing only a bathrobe and staring at the paddle in Jareth’s hand with wide eyes.
Jareth feels a soft smile spreading over his lips. “Hei,” he echoes and offers Arttu a hand. Stepping closer, Arttu still seems a bit reluctant. “Have you prepared yourself as I instructed you?” Jareth asks. To his delight, Arttu blushes and nods.
“Good boy,” Jareth purrs. Taking Arttu’s hands, he tries to gauge if his sub is cold, but Arttu’s skin feels satisfyingly warm. Jareth slips his hands underneath Arttu’s bathrobe and between his cheeks next, eliciting a soft gasp. He checks if the plug he asked Arttu to wear is in place, giving the thing a little tug. Arttu gasps and moans. Then he melts in Jareth’s arms, pressing his whole body against him. Jareth has easy access to all this soft, naked skin underneath the silky robe, feeling Arttu’s growing arousal.