Ava March His Request

His Request

A short story sequel to

His Client

AVA MARCH

Life in the English countryside is better than Jasper Reed could have ever hoped. His garden

is flourishing, he has Nathaniel Travers in his bed most nights, and his lover has become his

neighbor.

When Nate suggests they play ‘the physician and his patient’, Jasper eagerly agrees. The

erotic game proves just the thing to fill the rainy summer afternoon. Yet Nate’s request after their

game is over gives Jasper pause, stirring up old doubts and making him question if he is indeed

first in Nate’s heart.

His Request

Published by Ava March at Smashwords

Cover Art: Harper by Design

All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be sold, manipulated, or reproduced in any

manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s

imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not construed to be real. Any resemblance to

persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely incidental.

Warning

This work contains sexually explicit scenes and graphic language and may be considered

offensive to some readers. Intended for adult audiences only. Not intended for anyone under the

age of 18. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Please do not try any new sexual practice, especially those that might be found

in this BDSM title without the guidance of an experienced practitioner. The author will not be

responsible for any loss, harm, injury or death resulting from use of the information contained in

this title.

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright
His Request
Thank You
Excerpt: His Client
Also by Ava March
About the Author

Shere, Surrey, England
July 1823

Rain drummed against the kitchen window in a steady, unending rhythm, yet the soothing

sound did nothing to calm his pulse. Jasper Reed opened the oven, pulled out the pan, and
checked on the beef roast. Another couple of hours or so before the roast would be ready for
supper.

Straightening, he glanced about the kitchen. The vegetables were in with the roast, the bread

on the worktable shouldn’t be cut until directly before the meal, and the sink was empty of
anything to wash. Absolutely nothing left to do but wait.

What was taking Nate so long?
“Wait in the kitchen. Won’t take me but a moment to gather a few things,” Nate had said.
Jasper had heard Nate come back down the stairs a good couple of minutes ago. What the

hell was he doing in the study? Why hadn’t Nate called for him yet?

Unless Jasper had not heard him. It was raining, after all. Perhaps the sound had drowned

out Nate’s voice. The driving rain had been what had prompted the game. No chance of a
neighbor stopping by the quaint cottage, unless said neighbor was of a mind to get soaked
through and that possibility was remote enough to push it to nonexistent. Jasper had a small
though decent selection of books in the study, but why spend the afternoon reading when the
time could be put to much better use?

Jasper had voiced the idea to his lover, and Nate had selected the game—‘the physician and

his patient’. A fresh bolt of anticipation swept through Jasper at the prospect of whiling away the
afternoon not only playing an erotic game with Nate, but playing a new game. Why Jasper had
never thought of this particular game before he hadn’t the faintest notion. Clearly Nate had toyed
with the idea at least somewhat, for it had taken him less than a moment to propose it.

He tossed the small towel he’d used to check on the roast onto the counter. Enough waiting.

Ten minutes had to have passed. Clearly he’d not heard Nate’s call.

“I’m ready.” Nate’s voice drifted into the kitchen, followed by the snap of a door closing.
Jasper bolted out of the kitchen and down the short corridor, coming to a stop before the

study door. Closing his eyes, he gave himself a moment to slip into his role. A prospective
patient with a nervous complaint. A little smile flittered across his lips. He had a fair notion the
physician’s prescription would involve an orgasm on both of their parts. How they would reach
that point…well, therein laid the fun.

Nate hadn’t instructed him to don anything specific, therefore the brown trousers, white

shirt, and plain tan waistcoat Jasper had pulled on that morning must fit the game.

One deep breath. Then another. He had a nervous complaint, and as he’d never made the

acquaintance of Mr. Nathaniel Travers, he’d also be…uncertain. Desperate for assistance yet
reluctant to ask for the good physician’s opinion.

Yes, indeed. Desperate and eager yet uncertain.
He opened his eyes and knocked.
“Enter,” came a strong voice through the oak door.
Jasper turned the knob, pushed open the door, and closed it behind him. The horrid brown

and black plaid drapes he hadn’t bothered to replace yet were closed tight, muffling the rain
against the widows. A fire in the hearth warmed the room, vanquishing the dampness in the air,
and a few candles stationed about provided enough light to chase away the shadows. The
straight-back wooden chair from his bedchamber was stationed facing the desk and behind that
desk, clad in a black coat, sat Nate, his broad shoulders pulled back, pencil in hand and his
attention on a ledger before him. He had even combed his untidy light brown hair, the short
stands lying neatly against his head.

Nate looked up. “How can I help you?”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Travers. An acquaintance of mine, a Mr. Smith, referred me to your

office.” Shifting his weight, Jasper gave his waistcoat a tug to straighten it. “He thought you
could be of…assistance.”

“Please, sit.” Nate waved a hand toward the chair. “How is Mr. Smith these days? Is he

well?”

“Very well,” he said, as he sat down. “And he credits it to your remedies.”
Rugged features wiped clean of emotion, Nate tipped his head, the epitome of a conservative

physician. “It would be helpful if I knew your name.”

Jasper nodded. Should have introduced himself when he first walked into the room. “Mr.

Jasper Reed.”

Nate turned to a fresh page in the ledger and wrote something at the top. Except for that

ledger, the desk was clear, the agricultural pamphlets and books on botany gone. “How can I be
of assistance, Mr. Reed?”

Jasper clasped his hands on his lap. How best to describe a nervous complaint, and describe

it in a manner that could lead their game in the direction they would both want it to go? “I have
been experiencing pains in my stomach of late. Well, they aren’t pains exactly. More like my
insides are tied in knots. It is most distressing.”

“How often do these pains occur?”
“At least once a day.”
“And when do they usually occur? A particular time of day or after a particular activity or a

meal?”

“Not after a meal. More in the evenings, when I am in bed. I haven’t been able to sleep

soundly for weeks.”

There was the scratch of pencil on paper as Nate made a notation. “Are there any other

ailments that accompany these knots?”

“Besides the sleepless nights, I have found myself tense. And…” He felt his cheeks begin to

heat. Embarrassing to have to say it aloud, but he knew he needed to. The good physician would
need all the facts in order to truly help him. “And my arse, it doesn’t quite ache but yet it does.”

Nate made a little sound under his breath, something that approached a harrumph designed

to stifle the start of a laugh. He cleared his throat. “This tension and these pains, are they
accompanied by arousal?”

There was something about the tone of Nate’s voice. It shouldn’t affect him so, but the

detached, clinical quality went straight to Jasper’s cock. He hoped to God he did not need to call
on the local apothecary’s services anytime soon. Wouldn’t do to sport an erection as soon as the
man began asking what was plaguing him.

“Yes,” Jasper admitted in a whisper. “Painfully so. I tried”—He shifted again, rolled one

shoulder—“tending to it, but my efforts don’t seem to ease the ache. If anything, it makes it
worse. I toss and turn through the night, and in the morning, I am all out of sorts.”

After making another notation, Nate set down his pencil and closed the ledger. “Would you

please stand and remove your waistcoat and shirt? I need to examine you, to palpitate your
stomach, rule out any serious maladies.”

With a nod, Jasper did as bid, folding his waistcoat, shirt, and cravat over the back of his

chair.

Nate got to his feet, revealing himself to be a couple of inches below Jasper’s own six feet in

height. Jasper was no slight wisp of a man, but the inherent strength of Nate’s frame, the strong,
hard muscles the bland black coat could not conceal, never failed to make Jasper feel as though
he should need to look up to meet Nate’s eyes. The man certainly did not physically resemble
any physician Jasper had ever encountered.

Nor did he resemble a tutor or a butler, and the knots marring the bridge of his nose kept

away any trace of a haughty lord. But the right demeanor was all that was needed. The tone of
Nate’s voice, the look in his eyes, and his choice of words always exactly matched his role. The
man made it so easy to almost forget he wasn’t actually a physician.

“Please stand with your back to the desk.” Chair legs scraped against the wooden

floorboards as Nate positioned the chair before Jasper. He sat down. “Are the knots localized or
do they encompass your entire belly?”

“Usually they are more lower than higher up.” Jasper touched just below the waistband of

his trousers. “About there.”

“I shall start below your ribs and proceed down. Let me know if my touch is painful.”
With gentle hands, Nate probed Jasper’s belly. Pressing carefully, moving right to left.

There was absolutely nothing sensual or even mildly erotic in his touch, but by the time he
reached the waistband, Jasper’s erection was tenting the placket of his trousers. Impossible not to
notice, yet aside from a slight furrow on his brow, Nate’s features remained wiped clean of
emotion.

“I will need to unbutton your trousers to finish the examination.”
Nate followed words with action. Jasper’s breaths stuttered as the top button was tugged

from its mooring. Then the next button and the next. The arch of his erection was the only thing
keeping his trousers from falling down his hips. Warm fingers continued their exploration,
probing gently, stopping just before they encountered the dark thatch of hair on his groin.

Arms locked at his sides, Jasper stood perfectly still. Resisted the urge to thrust his hips

forward, to grab Nate’s hand and press it over his hard cock, to get some sort of friction.

Leaning back in the chair, Nate’s hands left Jasper’s body. “I did not encounter anything to

cause concern. Did you experience any pains during the examination?”

“It didn’t hurt, but it made my insides go into knots.”
“And your arse, does it ache?” Nate asked, all seriousness, looking up at Jasper.
Jasper nodded. He marveled at Nate’s ability to ask such a question and keep even a hint of

a smirk from touching his lips. It was all Jasper could do to stay in character, to not beg Nate to

bend him over the desk and bugger him senseless. To not grab Nate, crush his mouth over
Nate’s, and have the man in his arms.

Nate went back behind the desk and pulled a wooden box from a drawer. Jasper recognized

the box—it had been on one of the bookshelves when he’d purchased Westborne Cottage a year
ago and there it had stayed until now. How could stray pencils and bits of string play into their
game?

“Mr. Smith was correct in referring you to me. I am going to prescribe a remedy which

should alleviate your aches and allow you to relax enough to sleep soundly.”

Nate came back around the desk and set the box near the edge, within easy distance of the

chair. He lifted the lid. Inside were not bits of string or pencils, but a bottle of oil and three
dildos. Two in marble—one slim and short and one slightly larger—and a third in steel that
rivaled Nate’s cock in length and width. All of which had come from Jasper’s bedside table
drawer.

No wonder it had taken Nate so long to call Jasper into the study.
“These are dilators,” Nate said. “Designed to assist in relaxing your muscles.”
Dilators? Where had Nate heard that term? Though it was an apt one, considering their

purpose. The largest one in particular would certainly stretch Jasper wide open.

A heavy jolt of lust shot through him at the prospect of what was to come.
“You are to use them every other evening for a fortnight,” Nate continued. “After which,

you are to reduce the usage to twice per week. If your aches persist, return to this office and I
will prescribe an alternative remedy, though I believe this one will resolve your malady.”

As though he’d never laid eyes on a dilator in all his life, Jasper asked, all curious

innocence, “How am I to use them?”

Nate’s deep blue eyes banked with raw desire. Jasper had asked the correct question.
“Please remove your trousers and sit on the edge of the desk. I will instruct you in their use.”
Doing his best not to rush too quickly to comply, Jasper pushed down his trousers and

stepped free of them. Wooden joints creaked faintly as he got into position. The creaks didn’t
concern him—the desk had been through enough bouts of ‘lord and secretary’ to prove it could
hold his weight.

Pulling the straight-back chair a bit closer, positioning it between Jasper’s casually spread

thighs, Nate sat then reached for the wooden box. “You need to coax your muscles to relax, not
force them. Begin with the smallest and liberally coat each with oil.” Jasper couldn’t take his
eyes off Nate’s fingers as he slicked the short, black marble length. “Lean back onto your elbows
and lift your legs. It will be easiest to do this while you are lying in bed at night.”

Nodding, Jasper followed Nate’s instructions. The hard desk wasn’t the most comfortable,

but soon that would matter not. Excitement and anticipation backed by a measure of self-
conscious nervousness coursed through his veins. Ridiculous to feel nervous or self-conscious.
Nate was well acquainted with every inch of Jasper’s body. Yet every time they played a game,
when Jasper took on a role, he couldn’t help but feel a bit as if this was all truly new to him.

The comfort and security of being with Nate, with the man he loved, mixed with the rush of

the unfamiliar. A decidedly potent and exhilarating combination.

A large hand splayed over his right arse cheek. Nate’s thumb just grazed the outer edge of

Jasper’s hole. A tremor shook Jasper’s body. A drop of fluid beaded at the head of his cock.

“Position the crown at your entrance and push. Don’t shove, use a constant pressure.”
The oil-slicked length slid inside him. Lush sensation spread up from Jasper’s arse,

gooseflesh pricking his skin. Capturing his bottom lip between his teeth, he stifled a groan.

Nate picked up a slow, gentle rhythm. In then almost all the way out. “How does that feel?”
Goddamned fantastic. “Strange but good.” His breaths hitched.
Nate’s light brown head nodded once. “Keep up this motion for two to three minutes. You

will know your body is ready to progress to the next size when you can pull this one free and
push it back in with little resistance.”

“All right.” It was the only response Jasper could think to give.
The muffled tap of the rain against the windows was all that broke the silence as Nate

worked to relax Jasper’s muscles, his deep blue gaze fixed on Jasper’s arse, on the marble sliding
in and out of his hole.

The narrow crown slipped free of his body. Jasper’s muscles tightened, a quick unconscious

contraction. A grunt scraped Nate’s throat, fingers tightening on Jasper’s arse.

“Relax,” Nate murmured. He brushed the pad of his thumb across Jasper’s entrance, a

teasing caress that effortlessly coaxed Jasper’s muscles to open for him.

Then the hard marble crown slid inside him once again.
Jasper had to focus to keep from clamping eagerly around the dildo. Little resistance, Nate

had said.

“Very good.” Nate removed the dildo and gave Jasper’s exposed arse cheek a light pat.
The clank of marble against marble snapped through the study as Nate put the slim dildo

back into the box. He selected the slightly larger one, coated the length with oil, and then eased it
inside Jasper’s body.

By the time the two to three minutes was up, Jasper’s jaw was clamped shut, holding back

the plea for more. The dildo had felt divine, but he wanted more. And goddamn-it, if Nate didn’t
touch his cock soon, he was going to growl at his lover.

Another clank of marble. Nate’s hands shook the tiniest bit as he prepared the largest dildo.

A slight flush tinged his cheekbones, his breaths no longer easy and steady. Jasper craned his
neck, tried to get a glimpse of Nate’s lap, wanted to see the erection he knew had to be tenting
his trousers. Yet given Jasper’s position and with Nate seated between his spread thighs, the
man’s erection was just out of sight.

That large hand, palm roughened with calluses from the linen he wrapped around his

knuckles for sparring matches, splayed back over Jasper’s arse cheek.

“You might feel a bit of a sting from the stretch. Simply breathe through it.” Cool steel

brushed Jasper’s entrance. Nate caught his eye. “Ready?” he asked, the lust finally beginning to
creep into his voice.

Pulling his knees back even further, Jasper nodded.
Nate pushed. A wince crossed Jasper’s brow. He made it a point to follow Nate’s

instructions, as any good patient would do. He took a breath, let it out slowly, as Nate eased the
thick length inside of him, all the way to the hilt.

“Very good,” Nate said, hoarse and rough. He picked up that gentle rhythm again. In and

then almost all the way out. Again and again.

Perched on the edge of the desk, knees drawn up to his chest while Nate fucked him with a

big dildo…

Jasper’s head lolled back, eyes drifting closed, lips parting on a low moan, the sound

drenched with lust. His hands curled into fists. His cock ached for a touch, for any sort of
attention. Yet Nate steadfastly ignored the erection arched over Jasper’s stomach. And that
deliberate inattention served to ratchet the frantic need for more, until it was clawing at Jasper’s

throat. Until he couldn’t stop himself from bumping into the next thrust, from trying to get the
dildo deeper, from trying to get more.

There was a scrape of wood against wood. The rhythm of Nate’s strokes faltered. Fabric

grazed the backs of Jasper’s thighs. He could feel the heat pouring off Nate’s body, knew
without opening his eyes that Nate had got to his feet.

Those gentle strokes abruptly turned demanding. Strength, purpose behind each luscious

thrust. Jasper couldn’t stop the groans. They tumbled out of his mouth unchecked. Each deep
thrust sent a wave of exquisite sensation rolling through his body. But it wasn’t enough. He
wanted more. Wanted Nate. Wanted his lover’s cock buried deep within him when the climax
seized his senses.

“Nate. Please, fuck me,” he begged, completely abandoning the game.
Slick steel left him, was yanked from his body. The blunt head of Nate’s cock pushed

against his hole, demanding entry.

“Yes yes yes,” Jasper chanted, as Nate shoved inside him, all traces of the detached

physician long gone.

Features hardened with fierce determination, gaze soaked with lust for him, Nate clutched

Jasper’s hips, held him steady for each demanding thrust. Pushing himself up onto a straight arm,
Jasper grabbed Nate’s neck, hauled his lover in for a kiss. He wrapped his legs around Nate’s
waist and tugged, urging for more.

And Nate gave him more. The desk creaked, the sound blending with their groans and the

quick slap of flesh against flesh. Jasper’s erection rubbed against the fabric of Nate’s coat,
reminding him anew the man was still fully dressed. He thrust his tongue into Nate’s mouth,
tangled his fingers into his lover’s short hair. The orgasm barreled upon him. He could feel it
barreling upon Nate as well, turning those demanding strokes rough, almost violent in their
intensity.

Nate worked a hand between their bodies, grasped Jasper’s cock. Two tugs, and the climax

burst across Jasper’s senses. He let out a shout, the sound lost in their kiss, as Nate stiffened,
warmth filling Jasper’s passage.

Nate released him, dropping down onto straight arms. Legs still wrapped around Nate’s

waist and arms wrapped around his neck, Jasper held on tight, unwilling to break the contact of
their bodies just yet.

A nip to Nate’s lower lip, a nip with more than a hint of bite to it, and Jasper broke their

kiss.

“How do you feel?” Nate’s biceps bulged beneath his coat sleeves as he effortlessly

supported Jasper’s weight.

“Very relaxed. I believe your prescription was just the thing I needed, Mr. Travers.”
A chuckle rumbled Nate’s broad chest. “Glad to hear you approve.” He captured Jasper’s

mouth, the kiss sloppy and wet and slow. Perfection.

When Nate pulled back, Jasper reluctantly released his hold on his lover. An ache briefly

seized his hips as he dropped his legs, but the slight ache had definitely been worth it.

Nate pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe the seed from Jasper’s

stomach. After tossing the soiled handkerchief into the fire, he handed Jasper his shirt from the
back of the chair. Jasper got off the desk and forced his limbs to cooperate enough to pull on his
clothes.

A few flicks of Nate’s fingers, and his trousers were set to rights. “I need to go to London

tomorrow. Check in with Overton,” Nate said, referring to the secretary of the small shipping
office his grandfather had left him. “Would you care to accompany me to town?”

“I don’t much care for town anymore.” Since moving to Westborne Cottage, Jasper had

managed not once to return to London. Everything he needed, including Nate, could be found in
Shere. “If you need to attend to business, you should go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“I thought you wanted a new worktable for the kitchen, and you could peruse a few

bookstores.” Nate handed Jasper his trousers. “You’ve already pruned the shop in the village of
all its books on rose gardens and plants.”

Jasper pulled on his trousers, did up the placket. “It’s nothing pressing.” The shim he had

shoved under one leg of the old worktable was doing its duty. The table no longer wobbled, well,
at least not enough to push him to leave the safety of the countryside, where no one knew what
he had been before he had taken up residence at the cottage.

“But, I’d like you to come with me.”
“Why?” While Nate went to town about every month or so, he had never before asked

Jasper to accompany him.

“I’d like you to meet Peter.”
Jasper’s fingers stilled over the first button on his waistcoat.
Peter Edmonton? Hell no.
“I’d rather not.” Jasper had heard enough about Edmonton over the years. He did not want

to actually come face-to-face with the man Nate had once believed himself in love with. And not
just a passing, fleeting kind of love. But for years. Many years. Well over a decade.

“It’s not…” Brow furrowing, Nate looked to the windows, to the horrid drapes that hid the

view on the side of the house. After a moment, he met Jasper’s gaze again. “You mean a lot to
me, Jasper. Peter’s been my friend since my school days. I’d like him to meet you.”

He could appreciate Nate’s sentiment but… Jasper had never laid eyes on Edmonton, and he

preferred to keep it that way. To never have a face to go with the name. To never know if he
even slightly resembled the man.

Jasper shook his head. “I’d really rather not meet him.”
“Please, Jasper. You’re a part of my life, and so is he. It’s just, you know all about him, and

he—”

“Doesn’t know I exist.”
“Actually, he does.”
Jasper gaped at Nate. “What?” He just barely managed to get the question past the shock

filling his head. By Nate’s own admission, he had never confessed his own preferences to his old
friend. When and why and under what circumstances would Nate have ever mentioned him to
Edmonton? Hell, he was not only Nate’s lover, but an ex-prostitute.

“He doesn’t know about us,” Nate said, correctly guessing part of the source of Jasper’s

shocked disbelief. “But I’ve mentioned you to him. I spend so much time in the country now.
With you. Even purchased a property here. I can’t see Peter and not mention Jasper Reed, my
good friend in Shere. Last I saw him, he extended an open invitation for you to accompany me to
supper at his town house next we were in London. I’d like to take him up on that invitation.”

“That was kind of him, but you will need to extend my regrets.”
Nate let out a sigh. He crossed to the couch situated along the wall opposite the windows

and sat down. Resting his elbows on his knees and with his head bowed, he picked at the cuff of
his sleeve peeking from beneath his black coat.

Jasper finished buttoning his waistcoat and tied his cravat in a simple knot. Hopefully Nate

had abandoned his argument and wasn’t simply gathering his thoughts, trying to find another
way to convince Jasper to accept Edmonton’s supper invitation. For he certainly did not want to
be stuck at Edmonton’s table as Nate chatted with his old friend. Nerves on edge, forced to
witness the easy camaraderie between his lover and the man Nate had once loved.

No. Definitely not.
“I don’t love him,” Nate said, head still bowed and gaze fixed between his spread knees. “I

love you, Jasper. You are the only man I want to be with. What I once thought I wanted with
him…it would not have worked. I know that. We were meant to be friends and nothing more.
Hell, if he showed up on my doorstep tomorrow and confessed he preferred men and wanted to
give it a go between us, I would still choose to be with you.” He passed a hand over the back of
his neck. The hard line of his shoulders slumped. “I should have known you wouldn’t want to
go.” He pushed up from the couch, resignation etched in his features. “I’ll take the chair back up
to your bedchamber. Might as well tidy the room.”

Jasper did his best to keep the relief hidden from view. “Indeed. Shouldn’t leave my new

dilators on the desk. The neighbors might mistake them for something other than a remedy for
my nervous condition.”

The comment didn’t earn him even a hint of a smile from Nate as the man picked up the

straight-back chair and left the study.

Letting out a sigh, Jasper turned toward the desk. He gathered the remnants of their

afternoon game and put them in the box. He’d clean the dildos later, before tucking them back in
the drawer in his bedside table. What had Nate done with the bits of string and the pencils? He
glanced to the bookshelves. At not seeing a little pile there, he checked the desk. And found said
objects in the top middle drawer. It appeared as if Nate had simply dumped the contents of the
wooden box into the drawer.

Not that Nate was all that tidy of an individual. Still, the haphazard mess screamed of

impatience. The same sort of impatience that had coursed through Jasper’s veins as he’d waited
in the kitchen for Nate’s call.

But instead of the content, post-orgasmic languor that settled over them after they played,

tension hung in the air. Nate wasn’t even in the study at the moment, and Jasper could still feel
the tension between them. And he hated that feeling.

You’re being ridiculous, he chided himself. He knew Nate loved him. Still…
The sound of heavy footsteps approached the study.
Sliding the drawer shut, Jasper looked up.
Nate stood in the open doorway. “I think it best I just go home for the night.”
“You don’t need to leave.” Even though Nate had a house of his own less than a mile away,

if Nate was in the country, he slept in Jasper’s bed more often than not. Neither had servants that
lived under their roofs—Jasper didn’t even have a maid who tidied up during the day—so their
sleeping arrangements did not rouse suspicion from anyone in the neighborhood. “And it’s still
pouring rain. You’ll get drenched through.”

“The rain won’t do me any harm. It’s just… I wouldn’t be very good company right about

now. I’m…disappointed.”

“In me?” Because Jasper was certainly disappointed in himself right about now. Nate had

never asked him to accompany him anywhere, and the one time he did, Jasper had acted like a
jealous, stubborn arse.

“No. In myself. I’m sorry, Jasper. I was such a fool, and you were so patient with me. The

money aside, surely you could have told me to bugger off any point, refused to see me, conjured
some excuse whenever I requested you at Delacroix’s. But you never did. Why did you put up
with me for so long?”

“Because I loved you.”
“Why?” Nate asked, as if he truly could not fathom the answer.
“Because you were my friend.”
A wrinkle marred Nate’s brow, his rugged features twisting in confusion at the simple

answer.

“Men don’t usually go to a brothel to talk. They go there for one reason only. Yet you, you

treated me like a friend.” When Jasper said it aloud, it sounded pathetic—he had fallen in love
with Nate because he hadn’t treated Jasper like a toy he’d purchased for the evening. In actuality,
there was so much more to it than that. It had been Nate himself. The way the man never held
himself up on a pedestal above Jasper, the way he’d looked on Jasper as an equal. The way he
had valued Jasper’s advice, sought it out. The way Nate had trusted him with his most guarded
thoughts, his deepest worries. The way Jasper had instinctively known Nate had needed him.

“You were my best friend, Jasper. Still are. And I hope will always be. You understand me,

even when I’m horrid at explaining myself. So you know why I’m disappointed in myself. I
should not have asked. I should have known you would not want to meet him. For once, I should
have put my own selfish wishes aside, considered you first, and I didn’t. You have my apologies.
I’ll try not to be so selfish again. I still need to go to town though, but I’ll be back before
Thursday.”

Nate turned from the study.
Jasper caught up with him in the small entrance hall. “It’s very important to you, isn’t it, that

Edmonton meets me?”

Nate’s fingers stilled over the front door’s knob. Looking over his shoulder, he met Jasper’s

eyes, his gaze solemn and grave. “You’re the most important person in my life.”

There had been a time when Jasper had been so certain Nate would never be proud to call

him friend. Never want Jasper standing at his shoulder. And now, Nate wanted him there with
him, at his side. Wanted to introduce him to his old friend.

He doesn’t want Edmonton, he wants me, Jasper reminded himself.
Edmonton wasn’t a threat. Well, at least not anymore. The man had stopped being his rival

for Nate’s heart a year ago.

He truly was being ridiculous. There was absolutely nothing for him to fret about. Nothing

at all.

“All right then, I’ll go to town with you.”
Nate turned from the door. “You don’t need—”
Jasper held up a hand, cutting Nate off. “No, I don’t need to. But I want to. We can depart

tomorrow morning. Now though, supper should be about ready. Please don’t say you are going
to leave me to an empty table, after I went through the trouble of cooking a roast for us.”

A smile touched Nate’s firm mouth. “Well, since you cooked a roast…”
“And you can help me set the dining table. Now come along, before the roast burns.”
“Thank you, Jasper.”
He had made to head for the kitchen, but stopped. The somber tone brought Jasper’s gaze to

Nate. It couldn’t even be five o’clock yet, and a shadow of a day beard already covered his
lover’s strong jaw. His brows were lowered, his deep blue eyes filled with love for him.

Jasper lifted one shoulder in a casual half-shrug. “It’s important to you, therefore it’s

important to me. And I love you, too.”

* * *

Nate lifted his arm, paused, and then dropped his arm to his side. “I can send him your

regrets, offer an excuse for your absence.”

“Not necessary.”
“Are you certain?” Concern creased Nate’s forehead.
“Absolutely. In any case, we are here and I’m hungry. Why pay for a meal elsewhere when I

can sit at Edmonton’s table and sample his fare?” With a red brick exterior, three neat rows of
windows, and situated on a quiet, tree lined street just outside of Mayfair, Edmonton appeared to
have a respectable, tidy town house. The sort that would employ a capable cook. One that would
certainly surpass whoever had been responsible for the poor excuse for a steak and kidney pie he
and Nate had shared at a posting inn on their way to London yesterday.

Nate’s gaze swept over his face. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him, for he gave

a crisp nod.

His double knock was answered within seconds by one of Edmonton’s servants. Either a

footman or a butler, Jasper wasn’t certain which type. Jasper kept his chin up and refused to shift
his weight. He might not be anything close to an actual gentleman, but he had lived a year in
Shere and could play one with some level of proficiency. Should be able to make it through a
supper without Edmonton wondering why Nate had chosen to befriend him.

“Good evening, Mr. Travers and Mr. Reed. Mr. Edmonton is in the study.”
The house’s interior matched its exterior—neat and tidy with a dignified elegance that

proclaimed its owner’s wealth without shouting too loudly. He and Nate followed the servant up
to the first floor. He spied what had to be a maid, her brown hair in a knot at her nap, slipping
through a narrow door at the end of the corridor. The butler showed them through the first door
on the right.

After announcing them, the servant gave a half-bow and left the room.
“Ah, the Mr. Jasper Reed I’ve heard so much about.” Dropping a newspaper onto the

cushion, Peter Edmonton rose from the couch. He had auburn hair, brown eyes, and a friendly,
open face. His build was similar to Nate’s—stout and solid—yet either his tailor’s skills were not
up to scratch or his muscles truly did not rival Nate’s. All in all, a pleasant looking fellow.

The tension in Jasper’s chest eased a notch.
“Yes, indeed, I’ve brought him at last.” A broad smile curved Nate’s lips. “Peter, this is

Jasper Reed, my good friend from Shere. Jasper, Peter Edmonton, my old friend from London.”

Jasper couldn’t stop the start of a chuckle from teasing his throat. Nate appeared so

damned…happy. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He shook Edmonton’s outstretched
hand.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Instead of shaking Nate’s hand, the man gave Nate a good-

natured punch to the upper arm. “Old, am I? Good to see you, too, Nate. Come in, have a seat. I
have brandy if you’d care for it. Supper should be ready shortly.”

While he would have preferred to sit beside Nate, Jasper selected one of the armchairs. He

did not know if Nate did it deliberately or if the other armchair was his usual spot in Edmonton’s
study, but his lover did not make a move toward the empty half of the couch. Following Nate’s
lead, he tipped his head in assent to a glass of brandy.

“I was quite pleased to receive your note yesterday evening, Nate,” Edmonton said, as he

poured the brandy. “Last we spoke, you weren’t certain when you’d next be in town.”

“The office pulled me from the country.” Nate took the proffered glass. “Fortunately, I was

able to persuade Mr. Reed to join me. Having a friend along for the ride made the journey much
more pleasant.”

Edmonton gave a nod. “Traveling can be tiresome. And a bore.” He handed a half-full

tumbler to Jasper. “Do you come to town often, Mr. Reed?”

“No. I much prefer the quiet of the countryside to the bustle of town.”
“Well then, I thank Nate for luring you to London. Hopefully your stay will be at least

tolerable.”

Jasper tipped his head. “I have no doubt that it will.”
Edmonton settled on the couch and looked to Nate. “Think you’ll have time for a bout or

two at Gentleman Jackson’s tomorrow afternoon?” Then he asked Jasper, “Do you like to engage
in pugilism?”

“I indulge Travers on occasion.” Even though Edmonton referred to Nate by his Christian

name, Jasper shied away from following Edmonton’s informality. He only called his lover Nate
when it was the two of them, and doing so before Edmonton would feel much too…intimate.
While they were under this roof, in London, he needed to treat Nate like a friend. A good friend,
but nothing more.

“Watch his uppercut,” Edmonton said, lowering his voice. He cast a quick glance to Nate,

all mock seriousness. “He has a habit of sneaking it in when you least expect it, and you next
find yourself laid out on the floor.”

“Much obliged for the advice.” As if Nate had ever or would ever strike Jasper hard enough

to cause him to stagger back even a half-step. He and Nate sparred on occasion in the back
garden, but their matches were more for fun than anything. Lightning quick, light taps from Nate
coupled with Jasper’s attempts to follow Nate’s advice on technique. And their matches usually
ended with both of them laid out on the grass.

“So what say you, Nate? Jackson’s tomorrow? You could show Reed the place while he’s in

town, and I could make an attempt to best you.”

To Jasper’s surprise, Nate shook his head. “We’re only in town for a couple of days, and I

need to see Overton tomorrow. You’ll have to make do without the bruises.”

It was on the tip of Jasper’s tongue to tell Nate they could extend their stay. Pugilism was

Nate’s favorite sport. He loved testing his strength and agility against another. Jasper didn’t want
Nate to refuse because of him, and he had strong suspicion his lover had refused for that exact
reason.

As Jasper went to open his mouth, Nate caught his eye. His lover did not say a word, but he

didn’t need to. Jasper heard his reassure as if he had spoken. Just to confirm, Jasper looked but
he couldn’t detect even a trace of regret in the deep blue depths of Nate’s eyes.

“Ah well.” Edmonton shrugged, a bit of genuine disappointment on his friendly face. “Mrs.

Edmonton will be thankful, at least. She doesn’t believe a bruised jaw becomes me.”

“What a shame.” Nate took a sip of his brandy. “I find it an improvement.”
Edmonton laughed. “Of course you would, you bastard.”
There was a light tap a second before the study door opened revealing a petite woman in a

pale pink gown, her golden curls piled on her head. With her porcelain skin, lush figure and wide
hazel eyes, she had the sort of fresh, wholesome beauty prized by the ton. “My apologies for
disturbing you, but supper is about to be placed on the table.”

“Come in, my dear. You must meet our new guest.” Edmonton stood and crossed to the

woman who had to be his wife.

After he made the necessary introduction, they all made their way to the dining room.
As supper began, as the footmen placed dishes before each of them and filled glasses with

wine, the last bit of tension drained out of Jasper.

Tonight he had received a reassurance he hadn’t realized he needed. His trust, his

confidence in Nate, in them, was now anchored by stone and iron.

He knew Nate belonged with him. Had known it for years before Nate had come to his

senses and acknowledged it himself. Nate had told him he did not want anyone but Jasper. Had
shown him quite clearly over the past year. Yet…the worry had been there, in a tiny spot of
Jasper’s heart. How could it not, after years of listening to Nate pine over Edmonton?

There wasn’t a trace of jealousy in Nate’s gaze when he looked upon Edmonton’s pretty

wife. No poorly hidden looks of longing direct at the man at the head of the table. Nate smiled
and chuckled at Edmonton’s jokes. He was pleased to spend a meal with him. More importantly
though, he had been pleased to have the opportunity to introduced Jasper to his old friend.

As Edmonton asked Nate how all was faring at the shipping office, Jasper turned his

attention to the only woman at the mahogany table. “Please extend my complements to your
cook, Mrs. Edmonton. The broiled sole is delicious. The best I have had the pleasure of
sampling.”

Her face lit up, her hazel eyes sparkling with pleasure. “Why thank you, Mr. Reed. I will

most certainly pass your praise along to the kitchen.”

He tipped his head. “And you have my thanks for inviting me to your table. You have a

lovely home.” Not very unique as far as complements went, but his ability to play the gentleman
only extended so far. Unlike his lover, he hadn’t been raised to mix with Society.

“Mr. Edmonton tells me you enjoy gardening. Having a garden, and tending to the plants, is

the only thing I miss about living in the country. Unfortunately, London doesn’t afford much in
the way of space for flowers.”

As he described his rose garden to her, he felt Nate’s gaze upon him. A quick glace

confirmed it, and confirmed the smile he knew he’d find on Nate’s lips.

* * *

Nate pulled the brass key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. The instant Jasper

was inside the parlor of Nate’s bachelor apartments, Nate flicked the door shut. Not bothering to
light a candle, Nate pushed his lover against the nearby wall and captured his mouth.

There wasn’t even a trace of hesitation or surprise as Jasper wrapped his arms around Nate

and eagerly opened for Nate’s kiss.

Yet Nate didn’t plunder Jasper’s delectable mouth. He kept the kiss soft, slow. Simply

reveled in having Jasper in his arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered against Jasper’s full lips. He had felt his lover’s unease the

moment they had arrived in London late yesterday afternoon. But Jasper had come to London,
agreed to meet Peter, because it was important to Nate. He could not thank him enough.

Soft lips coasted over one side of Nate’s jaw. “Think nothing of it.”
Rather than argue the nonchalant response, Nate let it go. Jasper understood. He always did.
“I’ll meet Overton first thing in the morning.” Another kiss, this one longer, hotter, stronger.

“Then we can depart for Shere.”

“Eager to get back?” Jasper ground against him, the hard arch of his erection pressing

against Nate’s. They’d need to move to the bedroom very soon.

“Most assuredly.” Two days, and already he missed being with Jasper in the country. Missed

their suppers, missed being with him at the cottage, where they could just be themselves, do as

they pleased, without worry of detection. “Care to come with me to the office? There’s a
furniture warehouse two building’s down. You could purchase a new worktable.”

“It’s nothing pressing. I’ll wait for you here.”
It hadn’t escaped his notice that Jasper had been reluctant to be seen out and about town

with him. Jasper had gone to a couple bookshops alone while Nate had been at the office that
afternoon, even though Nate had offered to accompany him before going to Peter’s. He had a
suspicion as to the why, but rather than argue that it was highly unlikely they’d run into any of
Jasper’s former clients, he had pretended not to notice. He knew no amount of arguing would
placate Jasper’s concerns, concerns which stemmed from Jasper’s old worries about preserving
Nate’s reputation.

“Won’t take but an hour at the office.” He dragged his hands down Jasper’s back, palmed

his firm arse. “Just need to finalize the details. I’m making Overton a partner.”

Jasper’s hands stilled over the waistband of Nate’s trousers. “A partner? You didn’t mention

that when Edmonton asked you about the office during supper.”

“Because I hadn’t told you yet.” He nipped at Jasper’s bottom lip. “I’ll tell Peter next I see

him.”

“But why?”
“Did I make Overton a partner? He knows more about shipping than I do.” The man had

served as office secretary to Nate’s grandfather for years before Nate had inherited the small
shipping firm. “Already manages most everything for me. He’s earned it, and I won’t need to
come to London as often.” He could spend more time with Jasper. That was what mattered most.

“That’s…” The moonlight streaming through a window was just enough to keep the smile

spreading across Jasper’s gorgeous features from being hidden by the darkness surrounding
them. “Thank you, Nate.”

As always, Jasper understood what Nate had not said.
“Think nothing of it.” He’d stop in at the furniture warehouse after meeting with Overton,

purchase the best kitchen worktable the place offered, and have it delivered to Westborne
Cottage. It was the least he could do, after everything Jasper had done for him. “But what you
can think about is relocating into my bedchamber.”

“Sounds like a capital idea.”
But before Nate could take a step back, Jasper’s mouth was over his again. Urgent hands

tugged at the waistband of Nate’s trousers, freeing his cock.

The hell with the bed. The wall would do just fine.

* * *

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read His Request. I hope you enjoyed the story.

To find out more about my books, or to sign up for my new release e-newsletter, visit

www.avamarch.com

His Request is a short story sequel to

His Client

. To read an excerpt from His Client, please

turn the page.

His Client

Publisher: Loose Id, LLC

Mr. Nathaniel Travers has been visiting Madame Delacroix’s brothel for five years. On

every visit, he requests the same man. Stunningly handsome and highly skilled, Jasper not only
shares Nate’s fondness for wickedly erotic games and black leather corsets, but he’s become a
friend. Someone he can talk to. Someone he can share a supper with. And Jasper’s the only
person who knows Nate secretly harbors a love for his old childhood friend, Peter Edmonton.

Mr. Jasper Reed has been working at the house for a decade. He’s saved enough to retire,

yet he remains at the decadent London brothel. Retiring would mean leaving Nate and the hope
perhaps someday the rugged gentleman would stop pining for his best friend and realize he loves
Jasper, just as Jasper loves him.

It takes Edmonton’s marriage for Jasper to see he’s been just as blind as Nate. Stubbornly

hoping for something that cannot be. Convinced a gentleman like Nate can never be more than
his client, Jasper retires.

Life in the country may be lonely, but with no one to please but himself, it’s calm and

peaceful...until Nate shows up on his doorstep.

Enjoy the following excerpt for His Client:
All thoughts of Peter flew out of Nate’s mind. The desolation that had hung over his head

like a damn thundercloud vanished as if it had never been there. He tore his gaze away from
Jasper and back to the garments on the bed.

If pressed to give an answer, they were two of his favorites, yet distinctly different in the

mood they set. One hinted, teased. The other was blatant, demanding. With black leather came
that wicked edge, and the small metal rings strategically positioned at the bottom of the corset
provided so many interesting opportunities. Yet the contrast of soft white linen over a hard male
body…

Lust spiked his senses. Spreading his legs wider, Nate reached down and adjusted himself,

giving his hardening cock what room could be found in the confines of his trousers. “The shift.”

The smile lingering at the corners of Jasper’s mouth broadened. Reaching behind, he

grabbed the linen shift. Cock bobbing with each step, he crossed the distance separating them
and rounded the couch, stopping at the end table.

“Any particular preferences this evening?” Jasper asked, as casual as could be, wanting to

know if Nate had anything different in mind that he should be aware of.

He shook his head. “No.”
That casual acceptance was one of the many traits that drew him to Jasper. The man

indulged him with an openness he had never encountered with another. Nate was well aware his
tastes ran toward the eccentric. His acquaintances would think him fit for Bedlam if they knew
what went on in this room. And Peter…the man would likely never call Nate friend again. Yet
with Jasper, he felt completely free to voice any request without fear the man would think him an

oddity. And the stiff prick jutting from between Jasper’s thighs indicated he enjoyed their time
together as much as Nate.

Long familiar with this particular game, Jasper pulled a small glass bottle of oil and a black

marble plug from the drawer and set them on the table. He reached up to slip the shift over his
head. White linen flowed over the perfect contours of his chest and abdomen, the length catching
on his prick. A little tug and the hem fluttered down, stopping just above his masculine calves.

Jasper righted the narrow straps on his shoulders with a flick of his fingers. He left the

delicate ribbon ties hanging loose at the top of the bodice. The garment was sized to fit the
dimensions of a woman’s body, not the hard bulk of a man, and as such, the broad width of
Jasper’s chest stretched the short V opening of the simple bodice, exposing a few more inches of
porcelain skin to Nate’s hungry gaze.

Closing his eyes, Jasper dropped his arms to his sides. The fire in the hearth behind him

crackled. The golden light easily cut through the thin fabric, revealing the lines of Jasper’s body
beneath the white linen. Six feet of stunningly gorgeous male. Narrow hips and strong, sleek
thighs. The shadow of the dark hair on his groin. The hard arch of his substantial arousal. No
doubt about it. Even with a smear of red rouge on his lips, just enough to stain them a shade
darker than their usual soft pink, Jasper was 100 percent a man.

On one occasion, Jasper had donned a crimson silk gown for him, and on another, black silk

stockings. Neither had even come close to masking his masculinity, yet still, they had been…too
much. But the shift… A grunt rumbled from Nate’s chest. He could not explain it, but there was
just something incredibly erotic about it.

Jasper’s broad chest expanded, and as he let out the breath, his entire posture changed. The

shifts so subtle, so fluid, Nate could not have pinpointed each one if he tried. But the overall
effect…

Absolutely amazing. Gone was the easy confidence, the self-assurance he usually wore like

a second skin. In its place, the distinct edge of uncertainty.

Long black lashes fluttered faintly against high cheekbones before slowly sweeping up to

reveal soft, innocent, light green eyes.

“You called for me?” Even his voice sounded different. A fragile hesitancy behind each

word.

“Yes.” He surveyed Jasper, taking a moment to orientate himself. The shift meant Jasper

would play the eager innocent to his experienced seducer. Though he had never seduced anyone
in his life, it was still a wonderfully wicked game. Even more so, since he did not have the
responsibility of a true innocent to contend with. He beckoned Jasper with a flick of his head.
“Come closer.”

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* * *

Also by Ava March

Beyond Reckless