“I didn’t think you’d come,” Leo said, his voice a low murmur against my ear. “Your artsy types usually avoid these things like the plague.”

I forced a laugh, the sound brittle even to my own ears. “Well, you do not know everything about me.” My gaze involuntarily drifted back to Alistair. He was watching us, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held a predatory glare that made my skin prickle.

“I’ve missed you,” Leo added, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. The simple, familiar gesture sent a pang of longing through me. This was what I wanted. This easy affection, this connection. Not the dark, twisted game his father was playing.

“I’ve missed you too, Leo,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

Before he could reply, a waiter announced that dinner was being served. We were escorted to our assigned tables. Of course, fate, in its infinite cruelty, had seated me directly across from Alistair Sterling. Leo was to my right. To my left was a stuffy old professor from the classics department. I was cornered.

Dinner was a special kind of hell. I picked at my seared scallops, my appetite completely gone. Every time I glanced up, Alistair’s eyes were on me. He didn’t leer. He just… observed. It was infinitely more unnerving. He made polite conversation with the dean, a picture of refined respectability, all while holding my fate in his perfectly manicured hands.

Halfway through the main course, my phone, which I’d placed on my lap under the table, vibrated. My heart leaped into my throat. I fumbled with it, my hands sweating inside my fine linen napkin.

Mr. Sterling: You look very handsome tonight, Julian. That suit fits you well.

I risked a glance at him. He was swirling the wine in his glass, his attention seemingly on the professor next to him. He hadn’t even looked at his phone.

Me: Thank you.

Mr. Sterling: I wonder what’s underneath it. I have a fairly good idea, of course. But I find myself wanting to be reminded.

My face burned. I typed back quickly, my thumbs trembling.

Me: Please, not here.

Mr. Sterling: Why not? I believe you owe me. And I find I’m thirsty for more… art.

He paused, and I watched him take a slow sip of his wine. My phone buzzed again.

Mr. Sterling: Excuse yourself. Go to the men’s lounge. Second door on the left. I’ll be there in two minutes.

Panic seized me. “I, uh… I need to use the restroom,” I mumbled to Leo, my chair scraping loudly against the floor as I stood.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Fine! Just… too much champagne,” I lied, gesturing vaguely with my hand.

I fled the ballroom, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The men’s lounge was opulent, all dark wood and leather armchairs. It was empty. I stood in the middle of the room, feeling like a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

The door opened and closed softly. Alistair Sterling locked it behind him.

“Turn around,” he said, his voice a low, calm command that brooked no argument.

I did, my eyes fixed on the antique Persian rug at his feet. I couldn’t look at him.

“Look at me, Julian.”

I slowly lifted my gaze. He was closer now, his presence overwhelming. He reached out and his fingers brushed against my lapel, his touch sending a jolt through me.

“You did very well tonight,” he said, his eyes scanning my face. “You look… presentable.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, the word catching in my throat.

“But I find I’m so… hungry for more,” he continued, his hand dropping to my tie, his fingers toying with the silk. “I believe our agreement was for more… artistic content. And yet, here I am, still wanting.”

“What do you want?” I asked, the question barely audible.

A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. “I want a performance. Right here. Right now.” He took a step back, his gaze sweeping over me. “Unbutton your shirt. Slowly.”

My hands shook as I fumbled with the tiny pearl buttons. My fingers felt clumsy and useless.

“Slower,” he chided softly. “Savor it. This isn’t a race. This is an unveiling.”

I took a deep breath and forced myself to slow down, my eyes locked on his as I revealed the skin of my chest, my stomach. The cool air of the room pebbled my nipples.

“Now the trousers,” he commanded.

I hesitated. “Someone could walk in.”

“I locked the door,” he said simply. “And even if they didn’t, that’s part of the thrill, isn’t it? The risk. The possibility of being discovered.” He took a sip from the glass of whiskey he’d brought with him. “Don’t disappoint me, Julian.”

My fingers went to my belt. The metallic click of the buckle opening was unnaturally loud in the silent room. I slid my trousers down my hips letting them pool around my ankles. I stood before him in nothing but my unbuttoned shirt and my boxers, my erection painfully obvious.

“Much better,” he murmured, his eyes dark with hunger. “Now, I believe you were on your knees in our last correspondence. Let’s see that again. But this time, I want to watch it happen in person.”

The world narrowed to the space between me and him. The plush rug under my feet, the scent of his expensive cologne mingling with the whiskey, the intense, unwavering gaze that held me captive. My mind was screaming at me to run, to get out, but my body was a traitor, humming with a sick, illicit excitement.

I sank to my knees, the movements slow and deliberate, as if I were moving through water. The fabric of my shirt made sounds against my skin. I kept my eyes on him, watching as his own eyes darkened, as a muscle tightened in his jaw. He liked this. He liked my submission.

“That’s it,” he breathed, his voice a low rumble. “So much better in person.”

He set his glass down on a nearby table and closed the distance between us. He stopped directly in front of me, so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. He didn’t touch me, not yet. He just looked down, his gaze a physical weight.

“Open your shirt,” he said. “I want to see all of you.”

My hands, which had been resting on my thighs, moved to the last few buttons. I shrugged the shirt off, letting it fall to the floor behind me. Now I was completely bare from the waist up, kneeling before him in the dimly lit room.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, and the word, coming from him, felt like both a compliment and a brand. He finally reached out, his hand cupping my jaw, his thumb stroking my lower lip. “You have no idea what you do to me, Julian. What you could do for me.”

He tilted my head back, forcing me to meet his eyes. “You’re a smart boy. You understand power, I think. You have it, in your beauty, your talent. And I have it, in my influence, my resources. Together, we could be very… productive.”

His other hand went to his belt. The sound of it unbuckling was like a gunshot in the quiet room. My breath hitched. This was really happening. Here. Now. With Leo just a few hundred feet away.

“But power,” he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as he freed himself from his trousers, “requires a demonstration. A reminder of who holds the reins.”

He was hard. Thick and imposing. He guided himself to my lips, the velvety head of his cock brushing against them. The gesture was both a question and a command.

“Show me,” he said softly. “Show me how badly you want to keep your secrets.”

I closed my eyes and parted my lips, taking him into my mouth. The taste of him, clean and slightly salty, filled my senses. I heard him hiss in a sharp breath, his hand tangling in my hair, gripping it tight. The pain was a grounding force, a sharp contrast to the dizzying whirl of my submission.

I’d done this before, of course, but never like this. Never with the stakes so high, with this potent mix of fear and arousal coursing through me. I focused on the task, on pleasing him, on ending this as quickly as possible. I used my tongue, my lips, my hand, working him with a desperate intensity.

“Look at me,” he commanded, his voice strained.

I opened my eyes, looking up at him as I took him deeper. The sight of him—head thrown back, his face a mask of pleasure, his control finally fracturing sent a surge of power through me. I was the one on my knees, but in that moment, I was the one making him lose control.

“Fuck, Julian,” he groaned, his hips thrusting forward gently. “Just like that.”

He set the pace, his hand in my hair guiding me, and I let him. I let him use my mouth, my body, for his pleasure. And the most fucked up part? I was hard as a rock, aching with a need that was both humiliating and overwhelming.

Just as I felt him begin to tense, just as I knew he was close, a sharp, loud knock echoed through the room.

“Julian? Are you in there? It’s Leo. I wanted to check on you. You have taken up so much time. Are you up for some quicke”

I froze, Alistair’s cock still in my mouth. My eyes flew wide with panic. Alistair’s grip on my hair tightened, almost painfully, but his voice, when he spoke, was as calm and collected as ever.

“Not really, I will be out very soon,” he called out, his voice betraying nothing. ‘’I’m abit green around the gills. But go back to the hall. I’ll be out before you know it.”

“Ouch. That hurts. I though you would be happy to give me a blowjob. Well, you better be out in a minute if not i’m breaking that door to come get you,” Leo’s voice replied, muffled by the heavy door.

“Will do,” I said.

We listened to the sound of Leo’s footsteps retreating. Only then did I relax and did Alistair let out a slow breath, looking down at me. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face.

“Well now,” he murmured, his thumb stroking my cheek. “That was… exciting, wasn’t it?”

He didn’t let me finish him.

After Leo’s footsteps faded, Alistair simply tucked himself back into his trousers, leaving me kneeling on the floor, hard and aching and utterly humiliated.

“A pity about the interruption,” he said, his voice smooth as silk as he fastened his belt. He looked completely unruffled, while I felt like I’d been put through a wringer. “But I suppose it builds character. And anticipation.”

He helped me to my feet, his hands steadying me on my arms. My legs felt like jelly. I quickly pulled my trousers back on, my hands fumbling with the zipper.

“You’ll finish what you started,” he said, it wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact. “But not here. Not now.”

He straightened my tie for me, his touch infuriatingly paternal. “You’re a remarkable young man, Julian. Truly. Go back to the gala. Smile. Mingle with Leo. Act like nothing happened. Can you do that for me?”

I could only nod, my throat too tight to form words.

“Good boy,” he said, and the praise, as condescending as it was, sent a fresh wave of heat through me. He unlocked the door and held it open for me. “I will join the party later.”

I walked back into the ballroom on shaky legs, my face burning. I felt like everyone could see what I’d just done, that the scent of him was still on my breath. I avoided Leo’s gaze, grabbing another glass of champagne and downing it in one go.

The rest of the evening was a blur of forced smiles and meaningless small talk. I could feel Alistair’s eyes on me from across the room, a constant, heavy presence. Leo tried to talk to me a few more times, but I gave him short, non-committal answers, my mind too scrambled to hold a coherent conversation.

Finally, it was over. As people were leaving, my phone buzzed one last time.

Mr. Sterling: My car. Outside. Now.

I found the sleek black town car waiting at the curb. The driver opened the door for me, and I slid into the plush leather interior. Alistair was already there, a glass of whiskey in hand. He said nothing as the car pulled away from the curb, merging into the city traffic.

We drove in silence for a long time, the city lights blurring past the tinted windows. My anxiety ratcheted up with every passing block. Where was he taking me?

“Do you know why I agreed to fund that new arts wing, Julian?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

I shook my head.

“Potential,” he said, turning to look at me. “I believe in nurturing potential. In shaping it. And you, my boy, are brimming with it. You have a fire in you. A… recklessness. It’s what makes your art so compelling. And it’s what makes you so incredibly vulnerable.”

He reached over and placed his hand on my thigh, his grip firm. “I can make you a star, Julian. I can get you into any gallery you want. I can ensure you never have to worry about money again. All you have to do is what you’re told. When you’re told.”

The car pulled up to a high-rise apartment building, all glass and steel. The driver opened my door. We went up in a private elevator, opening directly into a penthouse apartment that was stunningly minimalist and breathtakingly expensive. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the entire city.

He led me to the bedroom, a vast space with a king-sized bed that looked like it was floating in the middle of the room. He turned to face me, shrugging off his tuxedo jacket.

“Now,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “Where were we?”

This time, there was no rush. He undressed me slowly, his hands and lips exploring every inch of my body. He was in complete control, dictating the pace, the pressure, the intensity. He pushed me back onto the bed, his mouth finding mine, his kiss demanding and possessive. He tasted of whiskey and power.

He was right. I was putty in his hands. I wanted everything he was offering, and I hated myself for it. I arched into his touch, my body betraying my mind, my soft moans filling the quiet room.

“You see?” he murmured against my skin. “You were made for this. For me.”

He moved down my body, his mouth leaving a trail of fire. He took me into his mouth, and I cried out, my hands fisting in the expensive sheets. He was skilled, relentless, driving me to the edge again and again before pulling back, leaving me gasping and begging.

“Please, Mr. Sterling,” I whimpered, not even knowing what I was begging for. Release? Mercy?

“Call me Alistair,” he commanded, before flipping me over onto my stomach. He pulled my hips up, and I felt the cool, slick liquid of lube being applied. Then, he was pushing into me, a slow, relentless stretch that burned and pleased in equal measure.

He filled me completely, his body blanketing mine, his lips against my ear. “You’re mine now, Julian. Say it.”

“I’m yours,” I gasped, as he began to move, his thrusts deep and punishing. “I’m yours, Alistair.”

The pleasure was overwhelming, a tidal wave that swept away everything else. I was lost in the sensation, in the feeling of him taking me, claiming me. I felt my orgasm building, a tight coil in my gut, and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

Just as I was about to fall over the edge, the bedroom door creaked open.

I didn’t hear it at first, lost in my own haze of pleasure. But Alistair’s movements stuttered. His body went rigid.

I managed to open my eyes, my vision blurry. And there, standing in the doorway, his face a mask of horror and disbelief, was Leo. His eyes, the same beautiful blue eyes I’d gotten lost in so many times, were locked on me. On us. On his father, buried deep inside me.