His New Master's Business and Pleasure

Taylor Raine is a talented interior designer with a killer portfolio and a backlog of successful clientele. So when he's called out to the middle of nowhere to service the eccentric and reclusiive Abramo De Rosa, his patience is already wearing thin...

That is, until he lays eyes on the man himself. De Rosa is as handsome as he is unusual, and it's not long before Taylor finds himself charmed, led through from room to room of the strange old house as Abramo illustrates the various sundry activities he envisions for each nook and cranny.

But it's not until his mysterious client leads him into the master bedroom - or "Dungeon", as Abramo calls it - that Taylor realizes exactly what kind of job he's stumbled into. And by then, it's far too late to turn back...

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Excerpt:

"There is one final room I want you to see. It has my most favored items packed away."

Taylor gave a swift nod and followed the eccentric person downstairs, his mind relatively calm for having experienced such strange behavior from his client. They reached the second floor again and Abramo pushed a door open to a very large bedroom. It was empty except for a wide bed, the mattress resting on an intricate, cast-iron frame. Four narrow poles erupted from the corners of the support, each spindly post decorated with black, metal vines. The headboard of the bed was lovely as well, sporting the same woven wires of sculpted flowers and leaves.

"This is the master bedroom. I want this to be absolutely splendid: my own private lair." Abramo strode into the room and opened the closets. "If it's possible, I want some retractable toys in here. I want my friends and guests to be completely overwhelmed by the hidden contraptions that spring out and ensnare them."

Taylor didn't know why he asked, but the words escaped him before he had even prepared to speak. "And what form of toys were you thinking?"

His voice was silky and alluring, a tone he had never used before. Taylor surprised himself, normally being a soft-spoken, relatively bland guy, but he felt strong and confident in the Abramo's presence. Without really knowing the man, Taylor understood, with impressive clarity, that he would never be judged by the client for speaking out of turn.

Abramo peered at Taylor, his dark eyes scanning the designer's thin body. He still held Taylor's sports coat and he smiled, appreciating the fact that the professional man was actually asking him questions with authentic curiosity.

Turning around, Abramo went into his closet and grabbed something hidden in the shadows. Taylor stood by the door, his knees suddenly trembling as he wondered if he had somehow gotten himself into a situation he couldn't handle. But his gray eyes remained glued to the pointed thing that was covered by a red, silk blanket as it was wheeled onto the main floor of the bedroom. Abramo hesitated, gauging Taylor's expression, before slowly pulling the sheet from the metal contraption.