Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“Absolutely not,” Archie replied firmly. “Here—Master gave me cash.” I saw him slip a bill into Tate’s hand. “Stop giving away your effort for free.”
I loved Archie. He could be so frugal, but in a way I really liked. He was all about bargains and coupons, until he stumbled across a small business owner or a hobby creator.
I walked over to Macklin and Kit, who were studying the candle spread on Tate and Master Kingsley’s bed.
“Hi, babe.” Macklin draped an arm around my shoulders, never taking his gaze off the candles. “If I’m not mistaken, Master Lucian likes woodsier scents.” He pointed at a cluster of six or seven tins.
I was so impressed with Tate’s handiwork. He’d put labels on each tin, and he was calling the line Made by the property of Master Kingsley.
“He does.” I nodded. “And…ohhhh.” I picked up a tin with the scent of fresh linen. “Nothing wrong with choosing my favorite scents too, right?”
To be honest, I didn’t have many preferences when it came to scents, whether it was for cleaning supplies or cologne. But few things beat the feeling of going to bed after you’d showered, and the sheets had come straight from the dryer.
“Okay, everyone, you can all pick out a candle, and then we’ll start the demo on the veranda,” Tate announced.
I was totally sticking with my fresh linen candle. The tin wasn’t big, maybe four ounces, so I wanted to stock up. Because I was not the crafty person Archie and Tate were. If you needed help with coding and computer analytics, I was your guy.
“I’m gonna go with raspberry-vanilla ’cause that sounds delicious,” Kit decided.
Sure, on a dessert. Maybe not on my Owner… Actually…
I shook my head quickly and followed the others outside.
Oh. Master Kingsley was there, wearing nothing but a towel, and Tate had evidently borrowed a massage table from the spa.
“Try not to gawk at my man too much,” Tate teased.
I grinned.
Master Kingsley chuckled under his breath and put out his cigarette.
“Honey, we make no promises.” Macklin was appreciating the view.
At least I tried to be subtle in my staring when Master Kingsley dropped the towel and got comfortable on the table. But man, he was hot. He hid sleek muscles and a bit of bulk underneath his hoodies and jeans. And that ass… It totally reminded me of Daddy’s! That was the ass of a man who knew physical labor or fierce training.
“All right, put me to sleep, baby,” Master Kingsley said. His face disappeared in that hole thing at the top, right next to three lit massage candles.
“Yes, Owner.” Tate faced us from the other side of the table. “On the tables behind you, you’ll find lighters and refreshments. Please get comfortable and light your candles.”
Oh, I’d missed the chairs. And the spread! Sliced fruit and ice water.
I sat down between Kit and Macklin and poured four glasses for us. I was thirsty.
Not to mention excited to massage Master later, ’cause his body was my ultimate crack.
Macklin munched on a piece of pineapple and lit his candle, and I followed suit.
“Okay, so first things first—the candle.” Tate held one up. “Whether you buy them or make them, you wanna make sure they have all natural, organic ingredients. I try to follow the rule, if I wouldn’t eat it, I wouldn’t put it on my body. Of course there are exceptions, but it’s a good rule of thumb for skincare products.”
I dug my phone out of my shorts to make a note. I liked that rule.
“These candles contain soy, coconut oil, rapeseed—”
“Rapeseed,” Kit snickered.
I grinned to myself and shook my head.
Kit cleared his throat. “I forgot I don’t have my brat squad here. Sorry, go on. I’m cool.”
Tate and Macklin exchanged a smirk before Tate continued.
“…a little bit of shea butter and essential oils,” he finished. “I found heaps of different recipes online, and the trickiest part is getting the right texture and melting point. Obviously, the flame will turn the candle into liquid, but you don’t want the oils to set again once it’s on your skin.”
Right. In other words, I was definitely not going to make these myself. I’d buy them from Tate and possibly from Archie later. I was guessing Tate would have his hands full the moment their child was born.
Over the next few minutes, we watched and listened as Tate got ready to massage Master Kingsley. I took notes too. Double-check to make sure the melted oils weren’t too hot. Planning ahead was key. If you wanted to give your Master a body-worship session, the candle had to be lit in advance, because it took a while to produce enough oil.
Tate recommended half an hour, depending on the size of the candle.
“This is why I prefer the smaller tins, because it doesn’t take as long,” he said.