Free A Strong Hand by Catt Ford Page B

passed him, causing the older man to laugh even harder.
    "So now I'm to be a model as well?" he asked. "What shall I wear?"
    Nick called back over his shoulder, "Just what you have on.
    Markie is naked, but your dark suit and white shirt will lend a contrast that should give it—"
    "Erotic tension," Damian finished for him. He dragged Ashley to the set. "If you stand just here, most of you will be out of frame. We'll see only your arm. I'll add a spot so that your hand, the cane, and the stripes on Markie's ass are the focus of the shot, highlighting the product and the desired end result."
    Loving the pun, Ashley started laughing again, while allowing Damian to push him into position. "Fancy that. I'm going to be featured in my own catalog, after all these years!"
    "Think of it as a cameo, like Hitchcock," Damian suggested.
    81

    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Nick carried the small light onto the set, carefully positioning it where Markie's legs would hide it, making Damian consider the practicality of always having his assistant dressed that way while he worked.
    "Get a C-stand, Nick," Damian called out, uncoiling the cord on another small light with barn doors. Together they set up the spot and tested to make sure the slave light went off at the same time as the other lights.
    Nick stood behind Damian as he verbally guided Ashley into the proper position. Damian was acutely aware of the younger man's scent and warmth, but his attention was focused mostly on his shot. He clicked the shutter and the image came up briefly on the screen on the camera. In that split second, Damian saw that he'd captured what he'd envisioned.
    "Okay, Ashley, stay right where you are. Nicholas, the other camera!"
    Damian started shooting, directing Ashley's arm to be angled several different ways before he let out a satisfied sigh. "Got it."
    Ashley let his arm down and sighed with relief. The way he'd had to stand, with his body out of the shot but leaning forward so that his arm was in the frame, had strained his back a bit. Suddenly he had a whole different slant on how painful it could be to model. "You all right, Markie?"
    "Mmmph," the blond said around the ball gag.
    "I'll take that to mean ' I'd like to get up off this bench, if I could '," Ashley said sympathetically. "Let me just check with Damian. Oi, Ian! Can I let Markie up?"
    82

    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    "Sure," Damian said. "We'll get set up for the next shot."
    He turned to look at Nick, who was standing slightly behind him and to the right. "Can you stay after work for a bit?"
    Nick nodded, his lips parted and stars in his eyes.

    * * * *
    The models were gone, Gabe was packing up, and Ashley was speaking with Damian when Nick emerged from the bathroom, clad once again in his own clothes. He found some busy work to do, wanting to look occupied with something rather than slavering for Damian's attention when Ashley went to leave.
    Ashley kept going to the door and coming back to say one last thing to Damian, but finally he made it out the door, holding it open for Gabe to pass through.
    "Everyone gone?" Damian asked.
    "I'll check." Nick made a sweep of all the rooms and came back to report. "All clear."
    "Good. Lock the door. Go to my office and wait for me, pet."
    "Yes, sir," Nick said quietly, but his heart started pounding and his breath came quicker with anticipation. He was standing in the middle of the room staring at the wooden chair when Damian came in and closed the door behind him.
    He was holding a black velvet bag, which he set on the desk.
    "Are you mine, pet? Do you belong to me?"
    Nick looked a little alarmed, but he ventured an answer.
    "Yes, sir?"
    83

    A Strong Hand
    by Catt Ford
    Damian chuckled. "You don't sound very sure. Let me put it this way: do you want to do any of this with anyone else?"
    "No, sir," Nick breathed.
    "Strip!"
    Nick started panting at the command thrown at him in the husky voice. He pulled his clothing off hastily, as if this opportunity