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.Ellis closed his eyes.He didn t want to think about that. Don t. Gabriel s thumb brushed his lip. You re so beautiful.I knowyou think Harte is& I don t know, better than you? Because of theway he looks.But you re beautiful, too. And then Gabriel kissedhim.Ellis meant to pull away.He meant to push Gabriel away.Hejust meant to stop it.But somehow, he didn t.Gabriel was warmand inviting, and he thought Ellis was beautiful and deserved amaster like William.He felt Gabriel s tongue touch his lips, and hemade himself break the kiss. I m not supposed to, he said sorrowfully.Gabriel looked pained. I m sorry, I-I should have known that.123 AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISEMy master never lets his slaves kiss each other. Ellis pulled farther back, away from temptation. It isn t that.He doesn t want us to kiss when he s not there to watch.He evenextended the rule to you. Ellis suddenly knew how Harte had felt when Ellis had kissedhim.Ellis didn t want to get Gabriel in trouble, but he had to tellthe master what had happened.Gabriel must have seen it in his face because he cringed andsaid, Please, don t tell him. I have to.I can t lie to him, Gabriel.He won t be mad at you,I swear.I kissed Harte and he didn t get upset with me.You didn tknow the rule.I ll be in trouble, not you. I can t let you get yourself in trouble! It s okay.It won t be that bad.Please don t worry. Ellisstroked a finger down Gabriel s arm but didn t trust himself to kisshim on the cheek. I should go. I m sorry, Gabriel whispered, staring at the spot on the bedwhere Ellis had been. It isn t your fault.Just try to get some sleep. As Ellis left, Harte came in with a glass of warm milk, butGabriel didn t want it.Harte drank it instead, watching Elliscarefully as they went to sit outside for a few minutes before themaster came home. What happened? Harte asked seriously.Ellis had to tell the master first. It s okay.I just need to talk toSir a bit when he comes home, all right? Of course. Harte reached out and took his hand.They bothsat by the pool and let the water dance around their legs. Whatever it is& he won t send you away. You have no way of knowing that. 124 AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE No, but he threatened me with it once, a long time ago, but nomatter how bad I was and sometimes I was really bad, at firsthe never even mentioned it, especially not when I was scared.Hedoesn t believe in the Facility, I don t think.That s why he went toget Gabriel. Maybe, but what Harte called bad, Ellis would probably callnormal.And the master had gotten Gabriel because it was his case.There was absolutely no reason for the master to forgive hismistake.He hadn t made himself indispensable like Harte.By the time the master finally came home, Ellis was a mess.His stomach was cramped and sore, he felt nauseous, and hisforehead hurt from creasing so much.Harte and Ellis ran to the front door and knelt to greet him.Hisfingers brushed Harte s cheek, then Ellis s.Harte took thebriefcase that William held out and took it into the dining roomwhere they would have a lesson later. How is he? William asked Ellis quietly, looking up the stairs. He s resting now, Sir, Ellis said.He bit his lip.Best just tosay it, he knew, but he d never invited punishment before.He dalways just waited to be discovered because there was the chancehis mistake wouldn t be noted.But even though there was no way for William to find outabout the kiss Ellis didn t think Gabriel would ever tell hewanted to be a good slave.He wanted to tell the truth.And he waswrong.He d broken a rule.He should be punished. Sir, I need to speak with you, Ellis said, voice barely morethan a whisper.William seemed to take stock of him. Do you want to go toyour bedroom to talk? 125 AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISEEllis knew the master was offering him protection bysuggesting his safe place.But it would be redundant; they d justhave to go somewhere else to discuss punishment. No, Sir. Come with me, then. Ellis followed William as he walked with purpose to the study.He sat behind his desk and folded his hands together on top of it.Ellis moved to kneel beside him, but William grabbed his armsand put him on his lap.Sitting stiffly, Ellis fought the instinctualurge to slide back down to the floor.If this was where the masterwanted him, this was where he would stay. Now, what is it you need to talk about? His voice was softbut stern.Forcing himself to look into the master s eyes so dark theywere almost black, but the warmth was there around the edges andEllis knew they were brown Ellis said, Punishment, Sir. Oh? And who am I to punish? Me, Sir
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