Chapter Two

Hayden's POV

"Kendall, please come to my office real quick." I ask my assistant and I cut the call as soon as she agrees. I look through the papers on my desk, till I find what I'm looking for, just as she walks through the door.

As usual, she is immaculately dressed in a knee-length shift dress and a pair of her ridiculously high heels. Her make-up is always perfectly done and her hair is hanging down her back in a silky black curtain. If I was straight I would definitely have gone for her, but as it was, I was very gay and she was only one of my very best friends. She knew everything about me, even the fact that I was a Dominant, and she never judged me for any of it.

She goes to sit in one of the chairs in front of my desk with a slight smirk on her face. "See something you like boss man?" She teases, and I can't help but chuckle and retaliate.

"Maybe if you had a flatter chest and a nice package down there we could have come to some sort of agreement sweetheart, but you lack the right equipment." I tease back and she bursts out laughing. This was very usual for us, since we became friends in College, and back then our closeness used to come in handy. She kept the girls off my back and I kept the boys off hers, because she just wasn't interested in a relationship back then and I wasn't out of the closet yet.

We eventually stop our joking around and she looks at me, a smile still on her face, "So what did you need me for?" She asks and her professional mask slips back on. Yes, we were friends and we teased and joked a lot, but she was seriously the best at her job and she did it with dedication and she was a really serious and hard worker.

"Right, I wanted to get your opinion on this Mr Reylan and his request. I'm supposed to go to a dinner party at his house tonight, but I'm not going to waste my time with him, if it's not going to be a viable use of my time." I say as I hand her the folder. I probably should have asked her opinion sooner on this matter, but I've been swamped and I actually forgot about it, till I got the reminder just now on my calender about the dinner party tonight.

I sit back and wait for her to browse through the papers in the folder and make up her mind. I see her frowning a few times, but keep silent till eventually she looks up at me. I cock an eyebrow at her and she just sighs, slightly shaking her head. "I honestly don't really know Hayden. It says here that his company is doing really, really well and by the looks of things, he would make a valuable asset to our company, but as for the man himself, I don't know. From what I have read about him in the papers as well as what I saw for myself when we met with him, he seems a bit off." She stops and bites her lower lip, like she is contemplating about something before she looks at me again.

"What is your main concern with him then?" I ask, knowing that she is a really good judge of character.

"Well, according to the folder and some other articles, it says that his company is a very family oriented firm, same as ours, but if that is the case, why is there practically no mention of his son? I mean, I can understand that he might want to keep his son out of the limelight and protected, but he doesn't ever talk about him at functions. The boy is eighteen years old now, but he doesn't even attend any of the dinners or anything with his parents. Then there is the fact that he seems to be one cold bastard, and I know what you are going to say, Hayden, but yours is just a mask. He just seems like a cold hearted and hard person. Plus there is also that scandal that happened a few years ago, about his son landing in hospital with a broken arm. Apparently he was on the verge of being charged for child abuse, but nothing was ever proven. Do you really want to associate yourself with someone like that?"

She makes a very valid point. My company is well known for our strong family values and if the rumours about this man is true, then there is no way in hell I would do any kind of business with him, nevermind still offer him a very lucrative contract to make up some of our more common tech that we supply to the Government.

I sit back and contemplate this for a few minutes, before making my decision. "I think I will go tonight. The dinner is at their house, so the son is probably going to be there for this one. I want to sit back and watch their interactions and see for myself if there is any tension or anything off between them. If I spot anything out of place, I will just tell him that his firm isn't the right fit for ours." I tell her and she smiles again.

"Good idea, your observation skills are quite scary, so I'm sure if anything is out of place in that family or if there is even a tiny sign that there is something off, then you will be able to spot it immediately." She praises and we both laugh again. She always said that the Government could make good use out of my observation skills and that I would be able to detect an intruder or terrorist way before any of my tech could do it.

"Okay, so now that this is confirmed, can you ask Greg to collect my tuxedo from the dry cleaners and make sure that the car is downstairs at about 5;30 tonight. That should give me enough time to go home and get ready for this circus tonight." I sigh, not looking forward to any of it.

"Will do, boss." She says cheekily as she gets up and walks out my office, leaving me to my thoughts. After a few minutes of silence, I turn to my computer and start my search. What Kendall had said about the son was really bothering me for some reason, so I decide to do a background check on him. After a few minutes, I manage to bring up everything that concerns the young man, as well as a photograph.

The image seems to be about two years old and shows a boy with very pale blonde hair and pale green eyes, and even though he must have been only sixteen at the time, I felt a jolt go through me at his beautiful face. The information under the picture said that he was only 5'7 in height, eighteen years old and he seemed to be a really bright young man if his school records are any indication. The only class he seems to have lower marks in was gym, the rest are all A's and A . The article that Kendall had mentioned also came up, so I quickly scanned through it.

It said that Corey Reylan was taken to hospital when he was about fourteen years old, with a broken arm. According to the article, the doctors had wanted to get social services involved due to suspicions that it was the father that had done it and that he was being abused at home, but it didn't stipulate why they had thought that at the time. All it ended up saying, was that Corey had denied all charges against his father and without actual evidence that Mr. Reylan had done this, they couldn't push it. So they had to let it go and let Corey go home. Apparently Corey was hardly ever seen with his parents after this incident.

Something was off about this whole situation and it was really bugging me, so I was now even more determined to see this for myself. I don't know why I was so adamant to do this myself, but I wasn't about to fight it. There was just something in those luminous green eyes that seemed to be screaming for someone to see him. I felt my heart thump even harder as I stared at his photograph and it took me almost half an hour to pull myself away from it and continue with the work I was busy with before.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur and before I knew it, I was getting into my car and Greg was driving me home. The young Corey seemed to haunt my mind since I looked at his picture and I actually felt myself feeling a burst of anticipation at seeing the young man tonight.

Once home, I went straight to my bedroom and stripped out of my clothing, till I was in nothing but a pair of white boxer briefs and walked into my bathroom.

No money was spared when it came to decorating my house, but this bathroom was definitely one of my favourites. I've had a lot of fun with subs in here, because I loved playing with water. I loved feeling their smaller hands gliding over my wet skin and mine over theirs. I found it very erotic and sensuous, so I had decorated the room accordingly. There were a lot of toys in small drawers as well as chains that came out the ceiling with the push of a button. The cuffs for the chains were non-slip, so no one could get hurt and of course there was the massive mirror on the wall opposite the bath and shower.

As always, I felt myself relax once I was inside this familiar room and I quickly stripped out of my boxers and stepped into the shower, switching on the water and adjusting it to the perfect temperature. I stood under the blast of water and let it to it's job to sooth my tense muscles and ease the ache that had developed in my neck over the last few hours. I loved my job, don't get me wrong, but I had to keep my mask in place there, so it becomes a bit much after a few hours and I loved coming home, where I could relax.

Please, don't get me wrong and think that I'm like this just because I want to keep people at a distance. That's not the case at all, I did it, because I NEEDED to keep people at a distance. I couldn't afford to let people get to close to me, because the last time I did, the fucker almost ruined me and I swore that I would never allow that again. So now, I keep my face cold and impassive around everyone, except Kendall and my friends at the club that I belong to.

It's a BDSM club, called Leather Dreams and it was owned by two of my closest friends Leo and Dean. Leo also owns a few other businesses as well as his job at the College as a Professor. We loved teasing him about it and Dean often told him that he was only doing the teaching thing so he could perv over young boys all day long. This usually resulted in Leo flipping him off and telling him he was just jealous, and then a playful argument would break out between the two.

I shake my head at the thought of my two friends and finish off my shower, before stepping out and drying my body. When that is done, I make my way into my bedroom and into my walk-in closet to find a shirt to go with the tuxedo that Greg had left on my bed while I was in the shower.

I quickly got dressed and finished getting ready. By the time I was done, I only had about half an hour to get to the address where the dinner was being held. So I quickly made my way downstairs and out the door, where Greg was patiently waiting for me.

I got in the back and he quickly closed the door and made his way to the drivers side and got in. We were quickly on our way and I used the time to scroll through some emails on my phone. It helped to pass the time and soon we were pulling through the wrought iron gates of the address I had been given.

Greg pulled the car up the the front steps of the beautiful house and pulled to a stop. He let me out and got back in to go park the car. I looked up at the huge double doors and sighed. I was really not looking forward to tonight, but I still felt compelled to see it through. I would have much rather spent the evening at the club, enjoying the company of my friends and maybe a cute little sub or two, but here I am, dressed up like a monkey and already hating it all.

I made my way up the stairs and they opened before I even got to them. Before me stood a man in his late forties or early fifties. His face held a stern look and his eyes were a cold pale green. Next to him stood a woman with darker blonde hair, a sharpish face and she looked like she had been sucking one too many dicks, with the way her cheeks were hollowed in. Both had fake smiles on their faces and I took an instant dislike to the two, but I kept the grimace off my face and kept my expression in its usual cold and hard mask.

"Good evening Mr Lawson, it's such an honour to have you with us tonight"Mr Reylan said in his deep voice. He put out his hand and I shook it, doing my best to keep my cold mask in place. The man's hand was sweaty and I let go of it at the earliest possible moment. "Thank you for the invite Mr Reylan." I said and quickly turned to the woman next to him, but not before I saw the greedy little glint in his eye.

"Yes, it really is an honour to have you with us tonight Mr Lawson." Said the woman and I almost cringed when she tried to give me a flirty look.

You are barking up the wrong fucking tree lady, I thought to myself, but kept it in and I took her hand, lightly shaking it.

"Thank you for having me in your beautiful home Mrs Reylan." I said and quickly took my hand out of her tentacle grip.

"Oh please, it's Mark and Felicia, none of this Mr and Mrs nonsense." She said, giggling like a teenage girl on crack.

Fuck my life, why did I come here tonight? I've only been here a few minutes and I was already regretting my decision and thinking of a way to get the fuck out of here.

I just gave her a quick, fake smile and an "as you wish" then I noticed movement coming from the stairs behind them.

I looked up and felt my heart almost stop. Coming down the elaborate stairs was one of the most beautiful boys I had ever laid my eyes on. He had his father's pale blonde hair, and green eyes, but his mother's sharper, more feminine features and smaller build. He was wearing a beautifully fitted tux and his hair was done nicely. He had obviously matured since the picture I had looked at just this afternoon, but he had an air of innocence surrounding him that took my breath away.

I waited with baited breath as he came down and stood next to his mother and he greeted them, before he turned to me, waiting for his parents to introduce us.

He tried to look me in the eye, but couldn't seem to hold it and his eyes dropped to the floor, his back straight, the perfect picture of submission and it took all my self control to keep my errant dick from swelling in the tight confines of my boxer briefs.

Mr Reylan gave his son a cold look that I didn't understand, before quickly masking it with his fake smile and turned to me. "This is our son, Corey, Mr Lawson."

I held out my hand and he shyly held out his and I engulfed it in my much bigger one. I wanted to groan out loud at the satin soft skin under my fingertips, but luckily held it in. "It's a pleasure to meet you Corey." I told him in a much gentler tone, feeling his hand tremble in mine. He must be feeling very nervous, the poor baby.

"Likewise Mr Lawson." He says in a soft, angelic voice. I could listen to his sweet voice for hours and never get tired of hearing it.

What the fuck was happening to me. I had just met the boy and already I'm starting to feel my protective side coming out. I let go of his hand after a reassuring squeeze and had to drag my eyes away from his beauty, when Mr Reylan cleared his throat and motioned into his house.

"How about I take you to meet a few of the other people we have here tonight, Mr Lawson." He says, and I can clearly hear an edge in his voice. We make our way inside, followed my his wife and my sweet angel, and he takes me through another large set of doors, into what seems to be the dining room. It's large and so overly done, that it makes me feel uncomfortable, with people milling about, looking like a bunch of glittering, lost sheep.

For the next hour, I have to bite my tongue and control my temper as he leads me from one group of fawning idiots to the next, while I try my best to keep an eye on the beautiful young man that is now standing alone on the other side of the room. He looks very uncomfortable and I just want to hold the poor thing tight and let him know that everything will be alright, but I obviously can't do that.

I try to pay attention to what people are saying, but my mind keeps wondering back to the other end of the room, till I hear a smarmy voice ask Mr Reylan about his son, so I quickly tune back into the discussion.

I look at the man who had asked about Corey and see an overweight man in his mid thirties, who was staring at the boy as if he was his last meal and I wanted to punch him, but held myself in check, waiting to hear what the boy's father says.

"Oh, you know him Reichardt, he's not one for these kind of events." He replies and tries to fake a laugh, but I see him glance over at his son, giving him a cold look and Corey immediately stands up straight and tries to look less miserable.

So far, what I had seen, has not reassured me in the least and I had a feeling that Corey was here against his will. From Corey's reactions to his father and the way he held himself, I was almost sure that something was not right in this house and I had already made up my mind to not give them the contract. But now, I had a new dilemma. I had to make sure that Corey didn't pay for this. I was astute enough to realise that Mark Reylan was only trying to put on a show tonight, but that if he didn't get the contract, Corey would somehow get the blame for it.

So for now, I didn't say anything and just kept watching and listening. "That's true, it's a pity he turned out the way he did and not like you, Mark." I hear a woman say and I look at her. She has bleach blonde hair, a very tight red dress and she is looking between myself and Mark like we are for dinner. Mark seems to love the attention and leans closer to her, "You would know, wouldn't you Clarissa?" He smirks at her and she lets out an irritating giggle.

I tune out their disgusting conversation and make my excuses to walk around the room myself, making my way closer and closer to the boy I just can't seem to get out of my head.

Just before I could reach him though, he turned and walked through the doors behind him. From the glimpse I catch before the door closes, it seems to be the kitchen and unfortunately I can't follow him there, so I decide to hang around, like the stalker I seem to have turned into. I felt this strong compulsion to talk to him and get to know him better.

After a few minutes of being approached by random people and making useless small talk, Mark finally got everyone's attention and told us to be seated and dinner will be served in a few minutes.

We all took our seats and I was quite displeased to see that I was seated on Mark's right, but my displeasure quickly melted away when someone sat down next to me and I realised it was Corey. His small frame gracefully sat down in his chair and he put his hands in his lap, his fingers nervously twitching. I looked up and saw no one was looking, so I quickly put my hand on his to try make him feel more at ease and it worked almost immediately.

He looked up at me, his eyes big and round, so I just smiled down at him. He blushed beautifully and quickly lowered his eyes, but he was more calm and I saw his mouth twitch up at the corner, before he composed himself.

This was going to be a very interesting evening indeed and I was glad that I had decided to come here tonight. I knew it was probably wrong in the eyes of many people, but this boy had definitely caught my attention and I wanted to talk to him more. Besides he was legal and he would be graduating real soon.

All I had to do now, was to get to know the shy little cutie better and make sure he won't be blamed when his father finds out that I have no intention of giving him that contract.

This night just got a whole lot better, I think to myself as I sit back and relax in my seat. I look around at the other people around the table and it's as clear as day to me, Corey doesn't belong here at all.