Sutcliffe Cove

by Ariel Tachna

  “Let’s go see what we can find,” Brett purred.

  Turned out they found a combination of both. A bathroom upstairs—with a claw-foot tub—had been enlarged by knocking out a closet. It was decorated in soothing blues, and being in the front of the house, it was away from the music and the crowd.

  Brett snicked the lock shut. “Privacy,” he said with a grin, advancing on Gerald and pinning him against the wall.

  Gerald let Brett hold him in place and dipped his head to kiss him as his pulse sped. “Brett….” he breathed as he felt himself get hard when Brett’s hand slid across the front of his suit pants and groped him.

  “God, I want inside you,” Brett groaned. “Please tell me you’ve got lube in your pocket.”

  “Jesus, Brett, it’s a wedding! Of course I don’t have lube in my pocket,” Gerald said. He shifted his hips, trying to get some pressure on his cock.

  “I guess I’ll just have to suck you off then,” Brett lamented, humping Gerald’s thigh. “But when we get home, your ass is mine.”

  Gerald whined ever so slightly as the thought of Brett on his knees really made his gut clench. “I think I’m gonna come in my pants,” he said shakily.

  “And this is bad because?” Brett drawled, dropping to his knees and pulling open Gerald’s pants.

  “Because I have to walk through all those people to the car!” Gerald exclaimed as he dropped his chin to watch. “Awwww, fuck, Brett, hurry! I didn’t know I was so fucking turned on. I don’t want to get caught.” Gerald’s voice was near desperate, very unlike him.

  “We locked the door, baby. Nobody’s going to come in and interrupt us,” Brett soothed, though his movements were nearly as frantic, pulling Gerald’s briefs down enough to get at his cock, sucking it deep.

  Gerald quivered and let out a long, soft cry as he leaned back against the wall, his hips moving slightly in counterpoint to Brett’s mouth. One hand threaded into Brett’s hair, massaging gently despite how aroused he was.

  Brett sucked harder, needing the flavor of Gerald’s come on his tongue. One hand slid between his lover’s legs to massage his tight balls while the other opened his own pants so he could get at his aching cock, jacking himself off in time to the suction of his mouth.

  The first touch of Brett’s fingers between his legs made Gerald jerk as a jolt struck through him, and as the attention dragged out a few minutes his breaths turned to gasps. “Oh fuck, that mouth,” Gerald hissed as his hand moved to Brett’s shoulder and curled tightly. “Fuck, lover, gonna… gonna….”

  The smart comment Brett wanted to make about his ass being what turned Gerald on died in his throat as hot come splattered in his mouth. Gerald threw his head back on a silent, painful cry, and his body curled down over Brett, unable to stand the brain-melting sensation as he shook all over, barely able to hold himself up as Brett kept up the suction. After only a handful of seconds, Gerald mewled and tried to pull back as the stimulation threatened to turn him inside out while Brett swallowed over and over, sucking Gerald dry.

  Jerking hard on his cock, Brett followed Gerald, keeping his mouth on his lover despite the whined protest. It only took a couple of pulls before he spilled over his hand and onto the floor, his moan muffled by Gerald’s cock as he came.

  Finally squirming free with a tortured gasp, Gerald collapsed onto the toilet and sprawled backward, legs spread, as he tried to get an even breath. His dazed eyes wouldn’t focus on his lover, but it was all he could do to keep them open at this point. Sex with Brett of any kind had the side effect of tapping all his energy. Brett always seemed to take particular pleasure in exploiting that.

  Gerald managed to crack an eye open and see Brett still on his knees, wet cock in hand, streams of come trailing from his fingers and puddling on the floor. Gerald twitched, hard. What a sight.

  “I think we made a mess,” Brett gasped, following Gerald’s line of sight to the sticky mess he’d made.

  Gerald laughed breathlessly. “At least we’re in the bathroom. Makes it easier to clean up.”

  Brett chuckled. “Yeah. Hand me some paper towels since I’m already down here.”

  Gerald pulled some towels off the roll and handed them down before wetting another few and using them to clean himself up a little. Once he zipped up and tucked his shirt in, he wet another; Brett surely needed it more than he did. He looked down at Brett wiping up the floor and had to snicker. “We’re terrible.”

  Brett shrugged. “We’re at the wedding of two old queens. I think we fit right in.”

  Eyes bulging, Gerald slapped his hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. “Oh God” was muffled behind his palm as he half bent over.

  Brett chuckled along with him. “Come on,” he said, straightening up. “Let’s get back to the reception.”

  Gerald sighed and tried to stop laughing as he walked to the door and opened it while looking back at Brett. “You know, only you would do something like—” As he turned around Gerald stopped dead in place and blushed furiously.

  Outside the door, Bruce and Jeff stood, arms interlaced, huge grins on their faces. “If you’re done, maybe you’d like to let the newlyweds inside?” Jeff teased.

  Gerald’s mouth opened, then snapped shut, and he bit his bottom lip. “Um….”

  “Of course,” Brett replied with a satisfied grin, pushing Gerald out the door ahead of him. “It’s all yours.”

  As soon as Jeff and Bruce shut the door, Gerald turned around and looked at Brett with wide, wide eyes. He was so surprised; he had no idea what to do. “I hope I didn’t get you in trouble.”

  Brett laughed. “With those two? Given that they’re probably going to do exactly what we just did? We aren’t in trouble.”

  Gerald relaxed, but then tensed again as his eyes flew to the door. He grabbed Brett’s hand and started pulling him toward the stairs. “Time to go. Give them some privacy,” he said as he hurried.

  Brett laughed at the look on Gerald’s face from hearing the sounds of pleasure in the bathroom all the way down the stairs.

  GERALD moved easily with Misfit’s walking gait, following Brett as the horses picked their way to the unknown destination. He contented himself with watching Brett sway in his saddle and anticipating the promised reward. Gerald wondered idly if Brett’s plan would work—if he’d be able to ride home tomorrow or not. The idea of it just made him smile.

  They cleared the forest line, coming out into a large, wide meadow. Brett looked back at Gerald. “Ready to pick up the pace a little?” he asked.

  “I’m sure Misfit won’t mind,” Gerald answered, patting his mount’s neck. “She’s ready to run.”

  “Keep a tighter rein on her than usual,” Brett warned. “She knows she’s not in the ring, and she can just keep going if she can get away from you.” Trusting Gerald to keep Misfit under control, Brett gave Shah his head, letting the stallion race across the field, tail high in his enthusiasm.

  It didn’t take any spurring for Misfit to go. She took off after Shah, drawing a laugh from Gerald at her exuberance. While they couldn’t catch Shah, they certainly kept up at a short distance. Gerald was careful to follow Brett’s directions, though. He didn’t fancy falling on his ass when Brett had plans for it later.

  Gerald pulled on the reins to slow Misfit down so he could ride safely without having to focus on it so much. His eyes followed Brett around the meadow, and he smiled when he heard Brett laugh. He shook his head, wondering how he had gotten so lucky.

  Turning as they reached the other end, Brett guided Shah back across the meadow, letting him run himself out, soaring over a log in the middle of the field. He laughed aloud for the sheer joy of riding.

  Feeling Shah slow finally of his own accord, Brett reined him back to a trot and rode to Gerald’s side. “Ready to go on to our destination?”

  “You haven’t told me what that is yet, but I trust you not to leave me in a ravine somewhere,” Gerald joked.

  “I thought I’d surprise you,”
Brett said. “And I promise not to leave you in a ditch. Come on. It was my favorite place to go in the summers when I was a kid.” He paused and considered. “Come to think of it, it still is.”

  Gerald urged Misfit to walk alongside Shah. “I’d love to see it,” he said.

  “It’s just through the trees on the other side of the meadow. Come on; we can be there in ten minutes.”

  When Brett later pulled Shah to a halt, Misfit walked a little farther so Gerald could peer through the trees to see an old farmhouse sitting right on the water. “Is this the actual cove?” he asked.

  Brett nodded. “And the original house. Added on to and improved, of course, but the original rooms are still there. My grandparents lived it in, but when my dad decided to add the stables and use lessons as a source of income instead of just breeding, they built the newer house by the arena. My grandparents lived here until they died.”

  “I think it’s great that you’ve kept it up,” Gerald said. “So many people would have just let it go altogether or bulldozed it.” He kicked back slightly so Misfit would start walking toward the house. “And you stay out here sometimes? I guess that was before me, huh?” For the past four weeks Gerald had been at the farm exclusively. It felt like home now. It was home now.

  “When I was a kid, I’d move out here for the summer,” Brett explained. “My grandparents made sure I could swim and then they just let me run loose in the woods with the dogs and the horses for company. When they died, they left the farm to my dad, of course, but they left the house to me. It was home until my parents moved to Florida. All through college, that’s where I had my stuff. I actually still have a lot of it there just because I haven’t bothered to move it up to the big house. There’s a shed in the back where we can leave our tack and a big field for the horses. Misfit isn’t in heat, so we don’t have to worry about leaving them together.”

  “So you’re finally showing me your house,” Gerald said.

  “Yeah, I guess I am,” Brett said, “although I wouldn’t want to live there in the winter anymore. It’s an old drafty farmhouse. The heating bill’s astronomical. In the summer, though, it catches every breeze, and when that isn’t enough, the porches are the perfect size for a mattress.”

  Gerald chuckled. “As long as there’s no line of sight from the farm,” he said.

  “No, not at all,” Brett promised. “The trees block it really well, and the lake’s in the center of our property with no public access. There’s no one around to see us for miles. You’re all mine.”

  “Yeah,” Gerald said in agreement. “So. Going to show me around before you jump me?”

  “Nope, wasn’t planning on it.”

  Gerald threw back his head and laughed, and Misfit pranced to the side and bobbed her head in an echo of her rider. “Well then,” Gerald said. He dismounted, pulled the small bag he’d brought off the saddle, and laid Misfit’s reins over the saddle.

  “We should put the horses out at least,” Brett said, trying as much to convince himself as to convince Gerald.

  “We should,” Gerald said agreeably, but he was fighting a grin. “Where? You said the field in the back?”

  “Yes,” Brett said, dismounting and leading Shah toward the back of the cabin. “We can stick the saddles in the shed there and put the horses out to graze.”

  They got things put away and turned the horses out in the back field, and soon they were walking along the edge of the water. “It’s really gorgeous here,” Gerald said as he skipped a rock out into the pond.

  “I love it here,” Brett said with a soft smile. “It’s my retreat.” He reached for Gerald’s hand, squeezing tightly. “I’ve dreamed of having someone to share it with. Now I can’t imagine sharing it with anyone but you.”

  Gerald returned the smile to his lover as they walked along. “I’m glad,” he said truthfully. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but with Brett anymore.

  “Do you think you might… stay?” Brett asked softly.

  Gerald stopped in place and frowned a little. “Stay? Why do you ask? I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.”

  “Not just tonight,” Brett pressed, “but always, like Bruce and Jeff.”

  Gerald’s confusion deepened and was clear on his face. “Well, of course I’m staying, Brett. Where do you think I’m going to go?”

  Brett sighed in frustration, pulling his hand away to run it through his short hair, sweaty from the riding helmet. “Back to your house? Off with someone else who catches your interest? I don’t know. I just know I want you to stay, to marry me.”

  Equal parts thrilled happiness and soft affection echoed through Gerald. His face gentled, and he grabbed Brett’s other hand, trying to calm his lover’s agitation. “I’m not going anywhere,” Gerald said reassuringly. “There’s no one else that I would even consider marrying.”

  “Would you consider marrying me, Gerry?” The words were soft, pained almost. Brett looked up, met Gerald’s eyes, his emotions painted vividly on his face. “Will you marry me?”

  Gerald’s eyes brightened, and he leaned to brush his lips across Brett’s. “Yes,” he said simply.

  The sigh of relief that rushed passed Brett’s lips was audible. “Why do you always make everything so difficult?” he murmured, pulling Gerald against him and kissing him until they both had to pull away to breathe.

  The kiss consumed him, and Gerald couldn’t even think for a long moment after their mouths separated. “Difficult?” he managed.

  “You always answer my questions, but you answer only the exact question I ask. Everything is literal, in the moment,” Brett explained. “It’s a little hard when you’re trying to put your heart on the line.”

  Gerald blinked at him, bemused. “I don’t know. I just answer the question,” he offered, shrugging slightly. “Why don’t you ask the question you want the answer to?”

  “I did.”

  Gerald chuckled. “Well then. I’m glad you asked. You don’t need to worry about your heart. I’ll take good care of it.”

  “I love you, Gerald Saunders,” Brett declared slowly. “I just wanted to say that.”

  “I’m really happy to hear that,” Gerald said, grinning before he leaned in to kiss Brett warmly. When he pulled back he frowned slightly. “You know I love you, right?” Gerald asked, eyes narrowed.

  “Not until you just told me,” Brett retorted, though after Gerald’s agreement to his proposal, the words bore no heat. “I’d hoped, but you never said, never seemed to make plans beyond today or the next day. I wasn’t sure you wanted anything more than that.”

  “Brett, I will tell you if there’s something I don’t want,” Gerald said firmly. “Otherwise I’m more than happy to just be with you.” He shrugged. “I guess it didn’t occur to me to tell you I was here to stay once you let me start spending the night here.”

  Which was Brett’s point exactly, but it didn’t matter anymore. “Come on; let’s go inside. I want to show you my real house, and then I want to make love with you. Really make love with nothing held back.”

  “I wish….” Gerald looked a little regretful. “I wish I’d understood to tell you more. I’ve never held anything back.”

  “I believe you,” Brett said. “You just never seemed to volunteer anything either.” He pulled Gerald toward the house, willing to put it all behind him now that he’d secured Gerald’s heart and his agreement to wed.

  Gerald followed along. “Um. I like the farm better than my house?” he tried.

  “You’re welcome here any time you want to be. You’re wanted here all the time,” Brett assured him. “You know that, right?”

  “Yes,” Gerald said confidently. A pause. “I like it when you suggest going places. It’s thoughtful.”

  “You don’t have to give me compliments just because you think I want to hear them,” Brett said with a laugh. “Just tell me things as they come up instead of assuming I can read your mind.”

  “Oh. Okay,” Gerald said, ba
ck in his amiable tone. Then he chuckled. “I just did it again.”

  Brett laughed. “Do we need to outlaw the word ‘okay’? I had friends in college who promised each other not to say ‘I don’t care’ because they were so bad at making up their minds about what to do. If they said it, they had to drink this awful raw-egg muck. It didn’t take many times to break them of it.”

  Gerald stopped on the stairs, his face screwed up. “I’ll try,” he said. “Not sure how well I’ll do, though. Honestly, I’m really happy to do what you like pretty much all the time.”

  “In that case,” Brett drawled, “you won’t mind going upstairs and getting naked with me, will you?”

  “Oh no, not one single bit,” Gerald said fervently. “I want to make love to my future husband.”

  Brett grinned and started pulling Gerald toward the house. “I love the sound of that!”

  Gerald laughed and followed him through the front door. “I don’t ever have to wonder if you like what I suggest, huh.” It wasn’t really a question.

  “If you ever do wonder, just ask,” Brett assured him, leading him down the hall to the stairs that led to the second and third floors. “My bedroom was always the one in the attic, although there’s still a bed in the master suite if you’d be more comfortable there.”

  Gerald opened his mouth to say, “Oh-k… um. I’d rather be in your room.” Then he grinned.

  “There, see?” Brett teased, starting up the stairs. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “No,” Gerald answered. “Just a different way of thinking, is all.”

  They bypassed the first landing and kept climbing up to the converted attic with its big bed and low ceiling. “Watch your head,” Brett warned. “I wouldn’t want to spoil the mood.”

  “It would have to be a hell of a bump, but yeah, I see your point,” Gerald said, moving his free hand to rub Brett’s ass.

  Brett shimmied out of his jeans and briefs, looking over his shoulder provocatively. “Want to try that again?”