********

Eight.


The month following Tch’fl Craig’s return was ridiculously busy. On top of the Peterson Factory project that Justin was already in charge of, there was a new contract with a Southerly factory that he needed to oversee, as well as the added work Craig gave him trying to establish new contacts in Calcascadia. It got so bad at times that Justin sometimes felt like he was drowning in paperwork.

Whenever he wasn’t toiling away in his office, Justin was kept busy by his wife and their Surrogates. Daphne had been adamant that Justin cover the two males as many times a day as he could get it up. Not that he really minded that requirement all that much, although with all the other work he had these days it made things even more hectic. It felt like there was a constant stream of people coming in and out of his office during the day, what with the Dom’l and his scribes bringing him more paperwork and Daphne ferrying in his Surrogates between appointments. Justin sometimes felt more like a stallion out to stud than a privileged Mis’l.

Yet, even amid all this bustle, Justin and Brian had found plenty of private time. Justin regularly kept Brian with him for the night. And not only did he enjoy their solo playtime, he found he just slept better with the big male in his bed - which was strange because Justin had never been fond of having another sleeping with him and hadn’t even let his wife enjoy that privilege. But, as busy as he was these days, he needed all the help he could get, so if having a Surrogate bed warmer worked and helped him sleep, he was all for it. Brian didn’t seem to object to the arrangement either, so it quickly became the norm for them.

And there was one other benefit Justin discovered by having his male Surrogate always nearby; the fact that Brian was a rather good scribe. One afternoon, while Justin was busy covering Troiyes and the other male was seated in Justin’s desk chair waiting for his turn, the Mis’l noticed Brian surreptitiously making some corrections to a letter that Justin had been struggling with all morning. He hadn’t said anything about it at the time. He’d merely fucked both males, sent them on their way and then returned to his work. But when he looked at the corrections the Surrogate had made, he noticed that they were quite helpful. Brian was obviously bright and fairly well educated for someone from the servant classes. He seemed to have a turn for phrasing too. The wording Justin had been so unhappy with before was one hundred percent improved by the additions the male had made. After that, Justin had regularly asked for Brian’s assistance on his work whenever he was feeling particularly overwhelmed, and the male Surrogate happily pitched in, lightening Justin’s workload in a very efficient manner.

Until one evening, when Justin and Brian were quietly working together in his chamber - the two of them lying companionably together in bed, naked, but so busy discussing the final changes to the Southerly contract that they hadn’t yet got around to fucking - that their peaceful idyll was disturbed by the unannounced intrusion of Dom’l Hobbs. Christopher had not bothered to wait for permission to enter after hastily knocking, barging into the chamber without compunction. Justin was, for some reason, more embarrassed to have been caught in innocent companionship with his Surrogate than he would have been if Hobbs had walked in on them fucking. The Dom’l seemed equally shocked by the scene he found, if the sneer on the man’s face was any indication.

“Mis’l, forgive my untimely interruption,” Hobbs pleaded, trying to sound contrite but coming up short. “I’ve just received word that there’s a problem at the Peterson Factory. There’s some dispute over the boundaries of the property purchase. Mis’l Peterson is being obdurate and won’t let the construction team proceed with the groundbreaking that was supposed to start yesterday. Tch’fl Craig has directed you to take care of it. I’ve arranged for a motor for you and sent word to Mis’l Peterson to expect your arrival. Everything should be ready for you to leave by sunrise.”

“Sunrise?” Justin groaned. “That leaves me only . . .” he looked at the clock on his bedside table, noted the late hour, and groaned again, “about four hours to sleep, pack and put together the files that I’ll need. Why is this such an emergency? Can’t I leave at a decent hour?”

“Tch’fl Craig wants you on-site before the workers are scheduled to start for the day. He doesn’t want to waste another day of construction time while the workers sit around getting paid to do nothing,” Hobbs replied with an impertinent little smile that Justin longed to slap right off the lacky’s face.

“Fine. Send someone to wake me at 0500. They can pack for me while I breakfast and gather my files together. Now, leave me so I can get a least a few hours sleep,” Justin ordered, tossing aside the contracts he had been working on and turning off the lights before Hobbs had even left the room.

“Should I leave, Mis’l,” the husky baritone of his bedmate intoned as soon as the door to the chamber was closed behind Hobbs’ back.

“No. Stay, please,” Justin requested, pulling the male’s body closer to him in the dark and beginning to run his hands across the fleshy planes that were starting to feel familiar to him. “I don’t know how long this trip will take me and I don’t want to leave you without one last time . . .”

Justin’s hand slid across the well-defined chest, his fingers tugging briefly on the metal ID tag attached to the male’s nipple, before wandering downwards. He loved the feeling of the taut abs under his palm, the ticklish strands of hair that led southward from the navel, and the lush curliness of the thick thatch of pubes below. He especially loved the hefty warmth of the male’s member, which he proceeded to wrap his hand around next. The way it plumped up to his touch was extremely gratifying.

Justin spent a few minutes stroking and fondling that prodigious man handle until he’d managed to produce a small puddle of sticky seed from the dripping tip. Then Justin swiped up that liquid with his fingers and used the natural lubricant to open up and stretch the male’s hole wider. He secretly loved the deep sighs and happy ‘mmmm’ noises the male Surrogate made when he took his time and got him ready like this; it always made Justin feel like he’d learned his sex ed lessons well.

When the male was fully prepared, as evidenced by the slight, unconscious rocking of his hips and the heavy breathing, Justin shifted over so his body was lying in the vee of the man’s widespread legs. He added some real lubricant and then gladly slid inside the heated vice of the male’s ass. He paused briefly, giving the male time to adjust to the greater girth of his erection, but was soon happily rutting away. With his arms wrapped around the male’s thighs and the man’s body raised up slightly, Justin managed - after a few tries - to adjust his trajectory so that his aim caused the male to moan out loud. That one small sound, which the male tried to squelch by biting his lower lip, filled Justin with a huge burst of pride. Knowing that he was causing the male that much pleasure was almost as big a turn on for the Mis’l as the direct friction to his dick. He loved knowing he could draw that kind of response out of the male, despite the Surrogate’s attempts to remain detached, and the escalating noises encouraged the Mis’l to increase his pace and force. Before long the male was compelled to raise his hands above his head and hold onto the bars of the headboard to prevent himself from being driven against the wood as Justin slammed into him over and over again. And still the Mis’l didn’t relent. He wanted the Surrogate to come apart, to feel what he was feeling, to know the joy and wonder he felt every time they were together, even though Justin couldn’t voice those forbidden sentiments. In that moment, Justin wanted to bring this man pleasure even more than he wanted that pleasure for himself.

Finally, with a small ‘Oh!’ that was part surprise and part affirmation, Justin felt the male’s cock begin to twitch and jump where it was trapped between their two bellies. A second later the warm, wet gush of the male’s seed coated his stomach. The smell of sex, the uncontrollable trembling of the body underneath him, and the resulting contractions of the already tight ass around his own cock were more than enough to drive Justin to his own climax. He thrust in deep one last time and then froze, holding on to the other man’s body for all he was worth as the spasms of his release rocked through them both.

When it was all over and the cooling endorphins had washed away the tingling fire of his arousal, Justin felt boneless and empty. He didn’t want to ever move. He wanted to just stay right there, draped over the larger Surrogate’s body, glued together by their sweat and cum, forever. The rest of the world, including his father, the responsibilities of being a Mis’l of the Domain, and everything else, simply vanished. The only thing that mattered were the two of them and this unspoken but inescapable connection between them. Justin didn’t want to ever lose this - whatever it was - because it was the ONLY thing that made sense to him at that moment.

********

Justin woke in almost the same position the next morning. He was lying atop the male Surrogate’s chest, the man’s two strong arms wrapped around him, holding him in place. He felt so comfortable and serene that he didn’t really want to move. The Surrogate, however, was tapping his fingers against Justin’s back, intent on rousing him.

“It’s almost 0500, Mis’l,” the Surrogate whispered in his ear. “Your servants will be here any minute to get you ready for your trip. You should be up before they arrive.”

Justin rubbed at his eyes to clear away the sleep. A quick glance at the clock confirmed the male’s warning. He was grateful the man had woke him, ensuring he wouldn’t be caught out in such a compromising position - curled up asleep on his MALE Surrogate’s chest - by servants who would undoubtedly tattle on him to the Dom’l. Justin quickly sat up and then moved away from the still-reclining Surrogate.

Just in time, too, as it was right then that the anticipated knock to his chamber door echoed through the room. Justin gave the male’s hand a tiny squeeze, meant to convey his gratitude for the timely warning, before he stood up, pulled the sheets up to cover the Surrogate’s body, and then called out an ‘Enter!’ to whomever was at the door. A second later the door creaked open, admitting two servants, one carrying a small valise and the other a tray piled with breakfast items. Justin directed that the food be left next to the bed and ordered the Surrogate to help himself while the Mis’l took himself off to his bathing chamber.

When Justin returned, showered, dressed, and ready to start his day, he found his overnight bag packed and the servants already gone. His Brian was still lazing in bed, picking at the food. Justin seated himself on the edge of the mattress next to the man and picked up a flaky croissant for himself. They noshed together in companionable silence for a few minutes as the sky outside the windows of his chamber gradually lightened and the first light of dawn crept over the horizon.

“I have to go,” the Mis’l announced, setting aside what was left of his breakfast and getting to his feet.

Strangely enough, Justin felt like he should say something more to the man waiting in his bed; like he owed the Surrogate some comment before he left. He felt oddly reluctant to part with the man. Which was just silly, right? Still, the nagging feeling that he needed to say something persisted.

“You’re welcome to stay here and try to get some more sleep,” he offered lamely. Then he added, “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Hopefully it’ll only be a day or so. If you need anything, Mis’la Daphne will be able to see to your requirements . . .”

The Surrogate cut him off with a cocky smile. “Have a good trip, Mis’l.”

“Yes. Quite,” Justin replied, taking a deep breath and then bending to pick up the waiting valise. And then, without stopping to think of what he was saying before the words had escaped, he said, “I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”

Whereupon the confused Mis’l fled the scene without looking back, trying to escape the flood of emotions this departure caused him before he said something even more embarrassing.

********

Unfortunately it took four full days to resolve the dispute at the Peterson Factory. Mis’l Ronald was being particularly difficult, obviously taking his disappointment over the news of Justin’s Surrogates and the realization Justin would not be taking Mis’la Lindsey as a second wife rather poorly. It took all the statesmanship Justin could muster to placate the man’s tantrums. In the end, though, the terms of the contract were incontrovertible and Ronald was forced to let the construction proceed.

As soon as he was sure that the project was proceeding apace, and the area was properly secured from further mischief by the Peterson contingent, Justin rushed home. He arrived rather late in the day, tired, thoroughly stressed out, and in need of some serious down time. He’d only just stepped out of the shower though, before he was accosted by a jubilant Daphne demanding his attention.

Daphne pulled Justin out of the bath chamber and into the main room, where he found his three Surrogates waiting, sitting on the bed all in a line. Troiyes and Rosie were both smiling up at him, clearly happy about something. The third Surrogate, Brian, sat there, biting at his lower lip, looking down at the carpet, and refusing to meet the Mis’l’s eye. Definitely mixed messages here.

“Go on, Rosie. Tell him!” Daph ordered, bouncing on her toes next to Justin’s shoulder, barely able to contain her own excitement.

“I missed my monthly courses, Mis’l,” the female announced with a shy pride. “So, the Mis’la and I did the test and . . . I’m breeding.”

“Isn’t that wonderful! We did it! We did it!” Daphne screeched before Justin even had a chance to voice his own approval. “Can you believe it? After only six weeks too! I mean, considering that we’ve been trying for more than two years now, it’s practically a miracle! We’re going to have a baby, Justin. We’re going to have a BABY!”

Justin kissed his overjoyed wife and then chuckled at her over-the-top enthusiasm. Not that he wasn’t just as happy. He really was looking forward to finally having a child, not only because it would satisfy his father’s need for an heir, but also because he knew how much Daphne was looking forward to being a mother. It’s just that he’d hoped the first Surrogate to start breeding would have been . . . not Rose.

“That’s great news. I’m very pleased, Rose,” Justin praised the female, getting a huge return smile from her. “What about you other two? Any encouraging signs there?”

“Now, Jus, you know it’s not as easy to tell with a male Surrogate,” Daphne chided him. “Males don’t go through a noticeable menstrual cycle like females, so it sometimes takes longer to tell when they’re breeding. Even the tests aren’t always accurate early on with males. They could be pregnant too and just not showing any outward signs. But even if they’re not, it’s only been a short time, and we can still keep trying.” Daphne walked over to the line up of Surrogates sitting on the bed, stopping next to Troiyes and running her hand affectionately down the male’s cheek. “I’m not giving up on our boys yet, so neither are you, Justin. You’ll just have to keep at it with Brian and Troiyes till they’re breeding too. I want lots of babies - and I want to keep us all together as long as possible - and the only way to do that is for you and your little swimmers to redouble your efforts.”

Justin frowned, wondering how he was supposed to find the time to cover the two males MORE than he already had been. He’d been servicing them each at least three times a day, more in Brian’s case. Well, at least he didn’t need to worry about covering Rosie any longer now that she was already breeding; that would at least remove some of the pressure on him.

“I’ll do my best, Daph. It’s not like I wasn’t trying before, you know.”

“I know. I know,” Daphne rushed to reassure him. “But this is important. You know how your father is.”

“You don’t have to remind me,” Justin sighed. “I’m sure Father would try and use this as yet another excuse to denigrate male Surrogates, which is why we can’t say anything about Rosie yet. Not until the males are breeding too. Agreed?”

“Of course, that goes without saying.” Daphne turned to address the waiting Surrogates. “You know that we’re happy and excited about this, Rosie, but we need to ask you all to keep this a secret for a little while longer, okay? We don’t want to make any announcements for a while yet. We’re hoping that all three of you will be breeding before too long and we’ll tell everyone then. Got it?”

Both Rosie and Troiyes nodded easily but Brian was still staring at the floor as if lost in thought. Justin could tell something was wrong with the male. He moved closer, standing right in front of the Surrogate so he could cup the male’s chin and raise his face till Brian was forced to look at him.

“Is everything okay, Brian?” Justin asked. The Surrogate nodded wordlessly. “Good. And you’re on board about keeping Rosie’s condition secret for now?” Another nod. “Thank you, Brian,” Justin responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning back to his wife. “So, what are we going to do to celebrate this amazing news?”

“What else? We’re going to fuck, of course. There’s no time like the present for you to get started on catching the boys up to Rosie,” Daphne declared with her usual impish grin.

And so the evening’s orgy began. While Justin serviced first Troiyes and then Brian and then Troiyes again, Daphne unlocked the drawer where she kept her ‘toys’, got out her strap-on and went at Rosie. At first Justin found it a little strange to be kneeling on the mattress, shoulder to shoulder with his wife, while he plowed Troiyes’s ass and she did the same to little Rosie's rear end. But it seemed the female Surrogate quite enjoyed the anal penetration, so what the hell, right? Daphne was in high spirits and enjoying herself too, leaning over every so often to kiss Justin without either slowing their pace. Rosie and Troiyes were getting into it as well, kissing and even holding hands right before they both reached tandem climaxes. Justin came a moment later, emptying his seed into the dark male’s ass with a happy groan.

The only one who didn’t seem to be getting into the spirit of the celebration that evening was Brian. The beautiful, golden-skinned male remained reserved and quiet throughout. He submitted to first Justin’s attentions and then Daphne’s without complaint but without any enthusiasm either. And, while they were all used to the male’s more reticent nature by that point, this felt like something more. Justin wondered if the male was upset that HE hadn’t been the first to breed. But it wasn’t like the Mis’l had taken the male to task for his slowness or anything. He’d said he intended to keep trying with the males. So what else could the Surrogate be worrying about?

Justin didn’t get a chance to ask Brian about his odd mood though. Their revelries went quite late that night. They took a short break and ordered in some food before starting up again. Then Daphne decided to take on Troiyes with her dangerous toy, while Justin rested, laughing and egging his crazy wife on. Finally, Daphne decided she wanted some reciprocity for a change and demanded that Justin actually fuck her, something they hadn’t done since the Surrogates had first arrived. It felt unfamiliar and a bit awkward to slide his dick into his wife again after so long. He kept comparing the experience - unfavorably - to how it felt to be with one of the males. But, regardless of how out of practice Justin felt, he managed to finish them both off eventually, which seemed to be the culmination of the evening’s entertainment.

As a yawning Daphne ushered the others out of the chamber, shouting her good nights to her husband, Justin separated Brian from the rest, indicating he wished the male to remain for the night. They both showered before heading to bed, but all the while Justin continued to sense an uneasy distance between them. When they were finally together under the covers, the Mis’l tried his best to resolve the matter by speaking up.

“Brian,” he started off, using the male’s name, something he rarely did. “It’s okay, you know? I had hoped you would be the first one breeding, but I’m not upset about it or anything. We can keep trying.” When even this didn’t get any real response from the frowning male, Justin sighed and thought to offer even more reassurance. “I promise to keep servicing you as often as I can till you’re breeding too, okay? I really want your offspring, Brian. I’ll do everything in my power not to let you down. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be knocked up just like Rosie in no time. Right?”

Instead of acting relieved though, Justin’s words seemed to have the opposite effect on the male Surrogate. Brian frowned, heaved a depressed-sounding sigh, and then resignedly rolled over onto his stomach so as to present his ass to the Mis’l’s attentions. Justin took hold of the male’s shoulder and tried to get him to turn back over again, but Brian resisted. In the end, Justin was left confused and a little perturbed. He didn’t know what was bugging the Surrogate or how to fix it and he felt like he was - literally - getting the cold shoulder from the male. But the only thing he could think of doing at that point was to try again.

So, with the goal of impregnating this Surrogate as soon as possible in mind, Justin proceeded to do his duty. He covered the male from behind, efficiently depositing his seed inside the male after only a few minutes, trying not to think about how much he missed looking into Brian’s intriguing hazel eyes or seeing the man’s crooked smile as he fucked him. And when it was over, they both lay there, each lost in their separate silent thoughts, for a long, long time before they fell asleep.

It wasn’t till he was just starting to drift off that Justin felt the male’s larger frame moving nearer and the man’s arms reaching out to pull him closer. Justin happily rearranged himself so that his head was pillowed on the strong chest, fitting comfortably into the hollow of the taller man’s shoulder, in the spot he’d come to think of as his place. It felt so right, he immediately relaxed completely.

“I missed this while I was gone, Brian,” Justin quietly admitted, not caring, for once, how vulnerable that admission made him.

And just as he lost consciousness, in a whisper so quiet he almost wasn’t sure he’d heard it, Justin received Brian’s reluctant response.

“Me too.”

********