The Rules of Love Read online

  Table of Contents

  Legal Page

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  New Excerpt

  About the Author

  Publisher Page

  A Totally Bound Publication

  The Rules of Love

  ISBN # 978-1-78430-397-6

  ©Copyright Morticia Knight 2015

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2015

  Edited by Sue Meadows

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2015 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

  Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 1.

  The Hampton Road Club

  THE RULES OF LOVE

  Morticia Knight

  Book two in the Hampton Road Club series

  Master Saul is captivated by the beautifully submissive Kenneth and the boy’s love of pain. Unfortunately, Kenneth belongs to Master Preston.

  It’s 1926 and as one of the founding members of the Hampton Road Club, Master Saul Liebowitz has enjoyed the charms of many willing submissives over the years. One of the newer submissives to the club has captured his attention more than anyone has in a long time. Kenneth is tall, muscular and also seems to have a greater love of pain than most. If only Kenneth didn’t already belong to another Master.

  After Kenneth’s Master died years before, he allowed himself to be taken in by the promises of Master Preston. As time has gone by, Preston has become increasingly crueler to the point where Kenneth fears for his life. They’ve recently joined a sadomasochism club and Kenneth can’t help but yearn for the handsome Master the other boys speak so highly of—Master Saul.

  Preston takes things too far one night, and when Saul and his good friend, Master Aaron, do some investigating, they realize that Kenneth might be in real danger. Amidst turmoil at the club over whether there should be rules to keep the boys safe and Preston’s play for power, Saul searches for a way to save Kenneth from what he’s sure is a deadly situation.

  Both men fight for what they believe to be the right thing. When they find their way to one another, a wonderful new world opens up to them. But there’s one man out there who refuses to let go of the old ways. Kenneth is his property and Master Preston won’t give him up.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Cadillac: General Motors Company

  Stutz Bearcat: Stutz Motor Company

  Chapter One

  “He’s quite beautiful. Wouldn’t you agree, Saul?”

  As one of the founding members of the Hampton Road Club, Saul Liebowitz had seen many stunning submissive men over the years. Sweet, pliant, handsome men who surrendered themselves to capable Dominant men—or if they were very lucky—an adoring Master.

  I would adore someone that beautiful. If only he were mine to adore.

  Saul turned to his good friend, Aaron Rubenstein. The younger man was attending Hampton Road with his magnificently trained submissive, Sam. It had been a joy to watch their pairing unfold into a glorious permanent union. Aaron had allowed himself to suffer through many dark years of loneliness until he’d rescued the naïve little Sam from a disreputable bathhouse. Saul held back a grin. He couldn’t help but take some credit for pushing Aaron in the innocent Sam’s direction.

  “Quite. But it’s irrelevant, as he’s Master Preston’s boy.”

  An expert at self-control, he’d managed to keep the disgust at the mention of Preston Cornwall out of his voice. At least, for the most part.

  Aaron’s mouth quirked as he considered Saul. “Not a fan of Kenneth’s Master, are we?”

  Saul let out a small grunt. “He’s of questionable character, old sport, and you already know how I feel about their…relationship.”

  They had kept their voices low as they sat in the back of the grand ballroom located on the second floor of the Hampton Road Club mansion. Saul continued to watch with concerned interest as Master Preston used a long single tail whip on Kenneth. The spectacular naked form of the mid-thirties submissive writhed and twisted each time the end of the implement snapped against his visibly abused flesh. He was tall with some definition, his arms and legs well-muscled. Saul surmised he must use them a lot, based on the intricate positions and rough demonstrations he’d witnessed Preston put him through.

  His wrists were tied with leather strips, restrained above his head and attached to a chain. A muzzle gag was strapped over Kenneth’s face, the black leather panel completely covering his mouth and chin, then held in place by leather straps and metal rings. Muffled grunts and the occasional cry could be heard as Kenneth reacted to the harsher strikes.

  Saul wasn’t sure if the gag was there to quiet Kenneth or to humiliate him. The entire piece had the feel of a horse’s bridle and Preston had bragged that he’d purchased it at an antiquities auction. He’d claimed that it was an authentic device that had once been employed in a medieval dungeon. Saul found Preston’s boast to be rather ridiculous, but knew that some of the newer Dominant men fell for his antics rather easily. That, in and of itself, made Saul question the worthiness of those recent initiates.

  As the presentation continued, more concerns nagged at Saul. He couldn’t help but wonder how Kenneth would be able to beg for mercy if he couldn’t speak. There had been no indication at the beginning of Preston’s display that Kenneth had another means of stopping the whipping.

  Such irresponsible behavior had recently become a point of contention at the club and that greatly worried Saul. The nineteen twenties had seen America and the rest of the world become freer than ever, but gay men could still be arrested for sodomy and were generally shunned or mistreated. Practicing sadomasochism would get them into even more trouble, were they ever to be discovered. So far, their best defense had been unity. Lately, it had felt as if that camaraderie was crumbling at the San Marino club. It put them all at risk.

  He angled his body toward Aaron. “Would you mind coming with me to the smoking room? I’d like to have a word with you.”

  Aaron turned to Saul, a slight furrow on his brow. “Of course. Let me get Sam situated first.”

  Sam had been
resting his head against Aaron’s thigh, having been encouraged to relax by his loving Master. Aaron got Sam’s attention by caressing his head, then carding his fingers through Sam’s hair as he lifted his chin with his other hand. Saul didn’t want to eavesdrop, but he was transfixed by the tender scene before him. He’d personally never experienced such a relationship before. The two men were the envy of more than one member of the club—Dominant and submissive alike.

  Aaron placed a soft kiss on Sam’s lips. “Sweet boy, Saul and I are going to go and have a smoke. I’m unclipping your leash. You may go to the submissives’ den and I’ll send for you later.”

  Even in the dim lighting, Saul could detect a flicker of disappointment cross Sam’s features. Aaron reached down to grasp the naked Sam’s cock, then gently stroked it until it was hard. Sam’s mouth opened on a sigh and Aaron took it in a deep kiss. When he finally pulled back, Sam’s expression was one of bliss, his eyes hooded, his lips parted with a hint of a smile.

  “Yes, Master.”

  “That’s my good boy. Now, run along, little Sam.”

  Aaron removed the leash from the collar he’d gifted to Sam when they’d first made their commitment to one another. As soon as the lead was off, Sam gracefully rose to his feet. He really was a pretty little thing, just barely nineteen. He wasn’t the type of man Saul typically went for, but he appreciated his allure in general. Overall, what Saul found to be the most alluring attribute to Sam was how eager and heartfelt his submission was to Aaron.

  If only…

  Oh well. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have a full life. Since he was one of the founding members of the club and a long-time respected Dominant, he had an abundant choice of compliant men willing to do his every bidding—not necessarily any that he would ever consider long term, but sometimes those dreams were not meant to be. His gaze wandered to Kenneth, who glistened from head to toe with a fine sheen of sweat. He locked his eyes on Kenneth’s taut ass as it flexed in time with the snap of his Master’s strikes. Saul plucked a handkerchief from his smoking jacket pocket and swiped at his forehead.

  Damnably stuffy in this room tonight.

  He turned in time to see Aaron reach his hand behind Sam’s backside. Sam’s eyes rounded, but as a credit to his training and Sam’s self-control, he didn’t cry out, despite whatever it was Aaron had done to him. Judging by how much Sam’s rigid cock leaked, it must have been something quite wonderful.

  “No touching, sweet Sam. Remember, the rewards will be much greater when I get you home.”

  Aaron winked at him and Sam whimpered.

  “Yes, Master.”

  Aaron pulled Sam to him by the nape of his neck for one more peck on his lips before shooing him away with a final swat on his rear.

  Aaron pocketed Sam’s leash then regarded Saul with a bit of a gleam in his eye. “Shall we?”

  Saul stole one more quick glance in Kenneth’s direction then stood. When he raised his head to regard Aaron, he couldn’t miss the twinkle still evident in Aaron’s stare. Saul arched his eyebrows, then spoke, still keeping his voice low. “As one of the main benefactors of this establishment, I’ve earned the right to look.”

  Aaron chuckled lightly. “I’ve said nothing.”

  “Perhaps not, old sport, but you were thinking it rather loudly.”

  Saul indicated for Aaron to go ahead of him and they proceeded down the long hall until they reached the round smoking room at the farthest end. It was attached to an upstairs music room. The mansion had been laid out so that many of the entertainments took place on the second floor. The first floor was kept in a pristine state of upper-class elegance, but was off-limits to the club’s participants. It was designated that way in order to maintain a degree of security. Should anyone unexpectedly show up at the front door, they wouldn’t be treated to an eyeful and possibly endanger the members.

  In addition to the ballroom, music and smoking rooms, there were several large and luxurious ones that accommodated every manner of perversion. The lounge was the smallest of the rooms on the second floor—more intimate, lined in dark woods. It was used for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it was a nice place for a respite from the intensity of a night’s activities, at other times, it could be an informal and quick trysting spot.

  The bedrooms with a wide variety of sadomasochistic amenities were on the third floor, along with the large den where the submissives gathered when not with their Masters. An additional den adjacent to it was where men without Masters waited to see if their services might be requested for the evening. At least once a week some sort of mixer was arranged to afford unattached Dominants and submissives the chance to mingle. Saul was proud that the club he was so closely a part of had made many successful matches.

  The only cost required of anyone was a monthly fee which only the Dominant men paid. The monies were then used to offset the cost of maintaining the club. No one knew who owned the property and Saul felt it was best that way. Preserving the owner’s anonymity meant that any questions or concerns regarding how the club was run were exclusively handled by the elected board.

  Had he known what Preston Cornwall was going to be like as a Master, he might have argued to the other board members that the Dominant man not be granted a membership. There was a twinge in his gut at that thought. Had he turned Preston away, Kenneth would have likely gone with him. It was a silly consideration in many ways, since he had nothing to do with the handsome young submissive. It was none of his business what went on between a Master and the lover who offered him their submission. He grimaced.

  Lover.

  The passion, the openness that Saul could sense from Kenneth seemed at odds with the cold, uncaring person that Saul believed Preston to be. He was conflicted. He never wanted to be a party to censuring another man’s desires and how he chose to express them. For years he’d fought to reassure others like himself to embrace rather than subjugate their needs. His involvement with the Hampton Road Club was a testament to that. But perhaps there were men, like Kenneth, who were being taken advantage of, who hadn’t agreed to what they were being subjected to. Maybe they didn’t understand that they deserved respect and love. That they mattered.

  Saul and Aaron entered the smoking room, and once Aaron had stepped inside, Saul clicked the door shut behind them. No one entered or knocked on a closed door at the club unless they’d been specifically invited. Saul frowned as he considered that. It was an unspoken rule. When had that come about? Who had decided it? He wasn’t sure he could say exactly.

  Saul picked up a cut glass brandy decanter then removed the stopper. He held it aloft. “Drink?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll be tying up Sam later. I have some new silk scarves I’d like to try. If they’re to my liking, I’ll paint him being restrained with them.”

  Nodding thoughtfully, Saul poured a small amount of the golden drink into a snifter, not bothering to go to the effort of warming it. He swirled the glass, taking his time, pondering how he wanted to bring up what was bothering him to Aaron. Had it been a year earlier, he would’ve spoken to his closest friend, Vincent Franklin, Global Studios ex-chief. But Vincent had long since moved to a ranch up north with his submissive lover. Even though they’d known one another for years, once Aaron had permanently relocated to California, Saul had then become closer to him. If he were to seek anyone’s opinion, or share concerns, it would be with Aaron.

  And now Aaron has someone too.

  Saul mistakenly allowed a sigh to escape his lips. He didn’t want to come across as melancholy. He had a reputation of being jovial amongst his peers, yet severe with his submissives. He also didn’t want to appear jealous.

  Aaron had taken a seat in one of the wing chairs, and Saul noted that despite how relaxed his long-time friend appeared, a slight frown marred his brow as he regarded Saul. Lowering himself onto the matching chair opposite Aaron, Saul contemplated how to bring up the thoughts that had been troubling him as of late. He’d had yet to organize them, or even
decide how or if he wanted to take any action in response. However, the scene with Kenneth had made up his mind.

  “Out with it, Saul.” Aaron winked.

  “You know me too well, old sport.” Saul took another sip of the brandy before continuing. “Have you ever hurt, or worried that you might hurt Sam—or any of the other submissive men you’ve had the pleasure of playing with?”

  “I…don’t understand.” Aaron’s peaceful expression clouded. “Of course I hurt Sam. He receives either pleasure or emotional release from the pain I give him. So do I.” Aaron shifted in his seat, the look on his face growing more troubled. “I feel as if we’re about to have the same conversation that we did the night I almost let Sam slip away. You were the one who encouraged me, reminded me that the desires we all have in common here at the club are not wrong. Yet, somehow I get the impression that I might be the one doing the encouraging tonight?”

  “Perhaps. But don’t misunderstand me, old sport. I wholeheartedly believe in our lifestyle, in the beauty of what we share as Dominant and submissive men.” Saul huffed. “As a matter of fact, the relationships we forge typically have a stronger bond than what is considered to be normal.”

  “Then what is it that’s bothering you?”

  He needed to be careful how he expressed his worries to Aaron. There was a fair chance that his new resolve had been greatly influenced by how closely he’d been keeping an eye on Preston and Kenneth.

  If I’m being honest with myself—how closely I’ve been watching Kenneth.

  The urge for a cigar overtook his thoughts and he distracted himself from answering Aaron’s question for the moment by retrieving a fine Cuban stogie from the brass humidor that boasted an intricate design of a Chinese dragon. He busied himself with cutting and lighting the cigar and attempted to ignore the heat of the glare he imagined Aaron must be directing at him.