Ricochet (82 page)

his arm seductively. "So, I guess this means you're

off the market?" There was a glint of invitation in

her eyes. "And just when I'm back on it! My dom

and I split up a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but yes - I am well and

truly off the market." Rick wrapped his arm even

more tightly around Matt, drawing him in close, his

other hand twisted tightly in Matt's leash.

"Really?" Sharlene looked unconvinced. "So

the legendary Rick O'Shea won't be seen out

clubbing anymore?"

"Nope. I'm done with all that; Matty's tamed

me." He lifted Matt's chin with his finger and

dropped a loving kiss on his mouth.

Several dozen flash bulbs went off at the

same time, and the crowd went nuts, cheering and

clapping.

"Well, isn't that cute?" Sharlene snapped.

"So, Matt - you're wearing Rick's collar, but are

you sub enough to cure him of his clubbing ways?"

Matt glared at her. Was she asking if Rick

was going to cheat on him? "I don't think he needed

to be 'cured' of anything," he replied, feeling his

temper rise. "I know who he is, he knows who he

is, and we both know I have nothing to worry

about."

Sharlene gave a knowing chuckle. "Well, we

all know showbiz collarings tend to be notoriously

short-lived, but I wish you guys all the best in

bucking that trend." She said that as if she was

certain they'd break up within a week.

Rick squeezed Matt's shoulder warningly and

stepped in again. "So, we're looking forward to the

awards tonight," he said smoothly, directing her

attention back to him again, giving Matt some time

to simmer down.

"Of course! That's why we're here!" Sharlene

flicked back her glossy mane of hair. "Rick, you're

nominated in the
Best Performance as a Sub in a

Supporting Role
category. You won this award

last year - do you think you can do it again this

time around?"

"I sure as hell hope not!"

"Why?" Sharlene asked, in an outraged voice.

"Because Matty's been nominated in the same

category, and it'd mean more to me if he won it."

"So romantic." Sharlene's fake smile could

have won awards of its own. "You're also up for

the Viewer's Vote award, for
The Most Spankable

Sub on TV
for your portrayal of Alex Tanner." She

gave a coy giggle. "You won that one last year too,

Rick!"

"Yes, I did, and if the viewers see fit to vote

me the famous
Spanky
award again this year, then

I'll take my licks with pride." Rick grinned.

"Awesome. Now…" Her face turned almost

tragically serious. "There's been a lot in the press

about you these past couple of months, Rick, but

you haven't given any interviews or released any

statements. Is there anything you want to say to

your fans now?"

"Yes, there is." Rick took hold of the

microphone and looked straight at the camera. "I'd

like to say that I did a lot of bad things when I was

a kid, and I regret them now. Most of what's been

said about me is true - I did go to prison and

before that I was in juvenile detention for a couple

of years. I didn't have the best start in life, but I

turned my life around. So, if there's any kid out

there in jail right now, or in some kind of trouble,

and if they're thinking the future looks pretty bleak,

then I'd like them to know that it is possible to

change and for your life to turn out pretty damn

good after all."

Sharlene looked dazed by the sincerity of that

speech - but then Matt thought she wouldn't know

sincerity if it bit her on the ass, so she was

probably just confused.

"I'm living proof of that," Rick continued.

"Look at me - standing on the red carpet at the

Suzie awards with the most beautiful sub in the

world by my side!" He pulled Matt in for another

kiss, to the delight of the crowd.

Marlene grabbed the microphone back.

"Well, thank you for that, Rick. Before you go -

was there anything you wanted to say to Greg

Newman, the journalist who broke the story about

your past?"

Newman had become something of a minor

celebrity on the back of his expose about Rick. He

had been invited onto several chat shows although

the interviewers really only seemed interested in

asking him what Rick was like in bed. This always

made Matt go into rant mode and throw cushions at

the TV, much to Rick's amusement.

Rick shook his head. "He was just doing his

job; I don't bear any grudges."

"And Matt? Is there anything more you'd like

to say?" Sharlene shoved the microphone under

Matt's nose.

"No, I think Rick's said it all," Matt muttered,

holding onto Rick's hand for dear life.

"Well, it's been a pleasure talking to you two

lovebirds. Good luck!" Sharlene waved them

away, and Matt trod on her foot as they left,

making her cry out.

"Deliberate?" Rick said out of the side of his

mouth, still smiling and waving to the crowd as

they walked towards the venue.

"Of course." Matt smiled and waved too.

"She was flirting with you like I wasn't even there!

She got off lightly."

"Remind me to spank you for that later."

"Punishment?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

Rick grinned at him. "Hell no - reward!"

"For the record, if I ever meet Greg Newman

I'll do more than stomp on his feet," Matt growled.

"I do bear grudges."

"I've always admired your vindictive streak,

Matty," Rick said fondly. "But, also for the record,

if you do, then I will actually punish you. Just let it

go - I have." He glanced over Matt's shoulder.

"Hey - there's Daniel!"

Matt turned to see Daniel getting out of his

limousine. His burly body looked fantastic stuffed

into a tux, but he was by himself, as usual. He

never brought anyone to these events, and he cut a

lonely figure.

He waved to the photographers, talked to a

few fans, and signed a few autographs before

progressing along the red carpet to meet his fate

with Sharlene.

"Daniel Mayfield! It's an honor to talk to you,

sir." Sharlene saluted him.

"Thank you." Daniel was twenty years older

than Matt and had learned how to deal with media

attention in those years, but he still had a shy air

about him.

"Now, these awards are, of course, named

after your wife, the legendary TV producer

Suzanna Dawson. She helped set them up thirty

years ago."

"That's right, yes."

"So it must feel very special to you, being

here

tonight

as

a

nominee

for

the
Best

Performance as a Dom in a Leading Role
for your

stunning portrayal of Chief Christie on
Collar

Crime
."

"Yes, it's a great honor." Daniel smiled

politely.

Sharlene assumed her tragic face and lowered

her voice appropriately. "And all the more

poignant because it was here, many years ago,

where you first met your lovely dom, wasn't it?"

Daniel gazed at her steadily. "Yes."

Matt winced; Sharlene was like a vulture,

trying to leech some kind of emotional pain out of

Daniel to feed to her audience.

"You were a young actor, and she was a

famous producer, and you fell in love, and she

collared you, and then you got married." Sharlene

plunged on, undaunted.

Daniel inclined his head.

"Now, of course, everyone knows that poor

Suzanna passed away a couple of years ago, but I

understand that you still wear her collar, in

memory of the only dom you ever truly loved."

Daniel shot her a steely glare that was all

Chief Christie, and Matt tried hard not to laugh.

"Oh, that is so romantic." Sharlene put her

head on one side, gazed at Daniel's collar with a

sigh, and patted her breast with her hand.

At that moment Karl ran up, tripped over the

edge of the red carpet, and fell headlong into

Sharlene's arms, sending her flying.

"I'm so sorry!" he said effusively, gesturing

with his head that Daniel should make a quick

getaway while he could.

Matt almost died laughing as Karl made a

great display of helping Sharlene to her feet and

dusting her dress down, while Daniel walked

swiftly towards them.

"Karl heroically saves the day," Rick said,

when Daniel reached them.

"I'll have to ask Petra to give him a bonus!"

Daniel laughed.

They chatted for a while, and then Daniel

moved on to circulate around. "Poor Karl," Rick

said, and Matt looked up to see Karl standing to

one side, gazing at Daniel with a forlorn

expression on his face. "He's good at getting other

people together, but totally crap at making it

happen for himself."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked. "Who did

he get together?"

Rick laughed. "C'mon, Matty. You don't really

think you drew the short straw in his trailer that

day by accident, do you?"

Matt swiveled his head to look at Karl again.

"What? Yes, I did! Are you saying Karl rigged that

vote to set us up?"

"Well yeah! He thought we were total losers

who were crazy in love but too stupid to see it, so

he set up that spank buddy deal to try and bring us

closer together - and it worked. Eventually." Rick

winked. "We should probably pay him a

matchmaking fee or something."

Matt stared at him, open-mouthed. "Karl did

that for us? I had no idea."

"He was nagging away at me for weeks

behind the scenes too. Without his prodding, I

doubt I'd have pulled my head out of my ass to see

the good thing that was standing right in front of

me." Rick tugged on the end of the leash, pulled

Matt in close, and kissed him.

Elspeth and Monica pressed their way

through the throng to find them, and Elspeth

coughed loudly at their public display of affection.

Matt kept kissing Rick for a few seconds longer

anyway; his mom would just have to get used to it.

"Hey guys!" two voices yelled, and the twins

suddenly burst through the crowd. They were

dressed in short green dresses - and wearing

matching green collars around their necks. "Petra

collared us!" they yelled excitedly. Petra strolled

over, wearing a long black dress with an emerald

green necklace.

"There's more!" the twins said. "Can we tell

them, Petra? Please?"

Petra snapped her fingers, and the twins knelt

immediately at her feet. Matt thought that if anyone

could ensure that the naughty pair didn't get into

too much mischief, it was her. The twins looked up

at her beseechingly, and Petra rolled her eyes and

snapped her fingers again. They squealed and

jumped up and kissed their dom, who put one arm

around each twin, looking like the cat who'd got

the cream.

"Go on then," Petra said, with a long-

suffering sigh. "Tell them!"

The twins looked at each other and then both

burst out at the same time: "Petra asked us to marry

her, and we said yes!"

Matt hugged and congratulated them, while

his mother stood stiffly to one side.

"Some of us still believe that marriage should

be between one sub and one dom," she muttered

disapprovingly.

"These

new-fangled

group

marriages are just plain wrong. A dom can collar a

whole harem of subs if that's their wish but

marriage is something else, something special and

important."

"Well, group marriage is legal in most states

now, so you'll have to learn to live with it," Matt

told her sharply.

"I happen to be a traditionalist," she said

stiffly.

"They're just people in love, dear. What does

it matter to you if they get married?" Monica said,

taking her by the arm and leading her away. Matt

noticed his mom soften slightly, and he smiled. If

Monica had tamed a sullen eighteen year old Rick,

then she might be able to handle his mom - for the

duration of the evening at least.

Estelle arrived looking disheveled, with a