[Measure of Devotion 03.0] Measure of Peace

by Caethes Faron

  Their troubles were far from over. They had merely moved to a new stage of healing. Kale had confidence in their ability to persevere. After all, they had each other’s support. The love that swelled in his chest started to swell another part of his anatomy. Of course his lust would resurface when Jason was sleeping. If it had been any other time, Kale would have woken him, but Jason was in need of sleep. Kale could only hope that when his erection withered, it wouldn’t be permanent.

  He tried to think of mundane matters: the work he would need to do in the garden, making a trip to the gallery in the next few days to see what had sold, the magnitude of the mission they had undertaken in campaigning for slavery reform. Nothing worked. If anything, his erection was straining even more.

  Kale tried to move from underneath Jason so he could go to the bathroom and relieve himself. The moment he shifted his weight, Jason cuddled in closer, moving his knee up so it barely grazed Kale’s cock before settling lower down. Gods, Kale almost wished for the return of his impotence. Almost. If Jason was moving around, he couldn’t be as deep in sleep as Kale thought. Kale lowered his lips to Jason’s ear and barely whispered, “How tired are you?”

  “Hmm?” Jason moved around on top of Kale more, but his eyes didn’t open.

  “Nothing.” If they weren’t going to have sex, then he really wanted Jason to stop moving. Once he was settled down, maybe Kale could take care of it without bothering him.

  “All right.” Jason wiggled against Kale, snuggling in for a closer fit. Kale’s erection leapt as Jason’s knee once again brushed against it, and Kale had to suppress a groan. Jason continued to move until his leg settled against Kale’s cock. As soon as the hard heat registered against Jason’s skin, his eyes flew open and he lifted his head, all traces of sleep banished.

  A smile curled Jason’s lips. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “You’re tired.”

  “No, I’m not.” Jason moved on top of him and rubbed his own growing erection against Kale’s.

  Kale chuckled. “I’m glad your cock hasn’t realized that you’re not a teenager anymore.”

  Jason blushed, reminding Kale of the young man he had been when they’d first met. “Can you blame me when I have you lying here?” Jason didn’t wait for a reply. He dove for the canister of grease they kept by the bed. With one hand he liberally applied the lubricant to Kale’s cock. With the other he grasped Kale’s bicep and then littered his chest with kisses.

  Kale didn’t try to suppress his groans any longer. Jason’s hand was firm on his erection, doing more than simply preparing him. His lover’s mouth was devouring his chest as if he had been waiting weeks for this moment. In a way, Kale supposed he had, though he wished he hadn’t denied himself simply because of Kale’s problem.

  “Stop.” Kale wrenched Jason’s hand off his cock. “Unless you want this to end in your hand?” Perhaps Jason did want to simply get the job done and get back to sleeping.

  “Gods, no.” Jason knelt up on his knees and prepared himself. It took little more than a greased finger, and he was putting the canister away.

  “Are you sure you’re good?” Kale didn’t want Jason to let himself get hurt in his rush.

  “Yes. I want to feel you. I don’t care if it hurts a little.” And with that, Jason lowered himself onto Kale’s cock in one slow, smooth motion.

  The tight warmth that enveloped him was intoxicating. Kale’s back arched, and his hands immediately grabbed Jason’s hips, holding him still. “Don’t move.” He needed a moment to adjust. Otherwise, this wasn’t going to last very long.

  Jason nodded and leaned down to suck Kale’s bottom lip into his mouth. The closeness gave Kale a heady sensation. He arched into the contact until his rib cage touched Jason’s. At the touch, he wrapped an arm around Jason and pulled him flush against him. Using his other arm for leverage, he flipped them over so he was on top of Jason. A little smile played at Jason’s lips. He clearly liked this turn of events.

  “I don’t know how long I can last.” Kale’s husky voice communicated his desire more than his words did.

  “That’s all right. It’s not like it’s the last time we’re going to do this. We have an entire night to fill later.”

  Kale smiled. Of course, they had all the time in the world. A dark voice in the back of his head said that wasn’t true, that eventually it would be their last time, but Kale pushed it away. If he had learned anything during recent events, it was to treasure life’s moments as they happened.

  Slowly, he began to thrust into Jason and released a shuddered breath. The sensation was overwhelming after so much time. Slow was suddenly no longer an option. All he wanted was more of this feeling. He latched his mouth onto Jason’s shoulder and raked his nails along his back, pulling Jason to him, rough with desperation. Somewhere in his mind, he registered that Jason was taking care of his own cock in time with Kale’s movements.

  The tension curled and built in his groin until he didn’t think he’d be able to take it anymore. In a burst of sensation, the tension broke. Kale released Jason’s shoulder and arched up in ecstasy. His orgasm kept going longer than he would have thought possible. Once his climax had washed over him, he fell forward onto his hands. He gathered himself in time to see Jason reach his finish, come spurting out in long ribbons over his chest. Too late, he realized the implications as Jason’s ass tightened around Kale’s sensitized cock.

  “Ooh. Aah.” Kale pulled out at the first loosening of Jason’s muscles and lay next to him. Jason laughed and rolled over to give Kale a passionate kiss. When Jason pulled away, Kale marveled at the man looking down at him. “Gods, you get more beautiful every day.” Jason’s blush warmed Kale’s heart. “I’d better go get a washcloth before we fall asleep. We don’t want to wake up stuck to each other.”

  Jason grinned. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “Yeah, that’s because you don’t have as much chest hair as I do.” Kale moved out from under Jason and retrieved a damp cloth. After he cleaned both of them, he tossed it on the floor. Tidying up could wait. Everything could wait until they had gotten some sleep.

  Jason pulled Kale down and wrapped an arm around his chest. The pleasant afterglow settled around them, and Kale felt a rush of closeness to his partner that was more intense than the physical contact they shared. As wonderful as the sex was, Kale thought he might have missed the afterglow even more. The intense physical sensation enhanced the emotional bond they shared. Kale tightened his grip around Jason, seeking an outlet for the fierceness of his love.

  “Hmm.” Jason drifted off to sleep, his snores ruffling Kale’s chest hair.

  It was good to finally be home.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  “Kale, can you hand me my blue shirt? You know, the one I like to wear around the house?” Jason had just gotten out of the shower and was drying off while he looked at a list of calls he wanted to make. He’d spent every day of the last three weeks in Calea. This was the first day he was staying home and making calls instead of attending meetings in town, and he wanted to be comfortable.

  “No, I can’t. It’s packed.” Kale pulled clothes out of the closet.

  “Packed? Whatever for?” There hadn’t been a trip on his schedule.

  “For our vacation.”

  “What are you talking about, Kale? I don’t have time to go anywhere. There’s too much to do.” Jason didn’t have the energy to mask his irritation.

  “There is exactly nothing for you to do. You’ve done all you can. Renee and the others will manage anything that’s left. You’ve worked day and night on this legislation for five months, and it’s time to realize that it’s done. The Arinians are either going to accept the proposal or not. There is nothing more you can do. You’ve let this consume your life in an unhealthy way.”

  “I know, but I’m doing this for you, Kale. For Thomas and Demetri and Darlene and all the others. For the men in my mills.”

  Kale rubbed Jason’s arms in what
Jason was sure was meant to be a comforting fashion while he made eye contact. “Which is why I’ve allowed it for so long, but it stops today. Now, in fact. We’re leaving for the train station in twenty minutes.”

  Jason broke free of Kale’s grasp. “Kale, I can’t be ready in twenty minutes.”

  “You already are.” Damn Kale’s collected calm.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I already told you. Besides, you promised me once that you’d show me the world. I’m calling that promise due.”

  Kale had him.

  * * *

  Kale had been right. They had both needed a vacation. Jason hadn’t worked alone to get the bill passed. Kale had taken Lisa’s suggestion and done a series of pieces from his experiences as a slave. They were haunting, more so because Jason knew the truth behind them. Kale had also allowed him to see the ones that were too personal to display publicly. It had been a cathartic experience for both of them. Newspapers credited Kale with turning the abolitionist movement into a nationwide cause. It had worked perfectly. Anything short of abolition was looking good to the Arinians.

  Watching Kale see new places was an endless source of delight for Jason. They hiked the Hiashin foothills, explored the ruins of the abandoned city at Parubala, and frolicked on the white sandy beaches of the Bluffington coast. Jason couldn’t remember ever being more relaxed. He and Kale reconnected, reminding each other why they had chosen to spend the rest of their lives together. Each new experience was sweeter because he shared it with Kale, each new discovery more amazing because he saw it through Kale’s eyes as well as his own.

  They’d spent the day on cliffs overlooking the beach. There was a place where the ocean jutted inward, forming a lagoon. The water was deep, and Kale had urged Jason to jump. It had to have been at least fifteen meters above the water. After much cajoling, Jason had held Kale’s hand, and they’d jumped together. It was exhilarating. Now, Kale was downstairs finding them a place to eat, and Jason was in their hotel room fiddling with the new camera they had purchased. He had just about figured out how to load the film when Kale returned.

  “Where’s it going to be tonight? Did you find a place with fresh shellfish?”

  “Jason.” Kale’s somber voice brought Jason’s head up from the camera. “I have some news.”

  Jason’s heart sank. Kale stood in the doorway, appearing dazed. Jason didn’t think he could bear any more bad news, not when they had survived so much recently. Surely their respite would last a little longer. “What is it?”

  “The Arinian king has signed the bill into law. Slaves can now be freed by their masters.” Kale continued to stand blankly, as if he didn’t believe the words he had uttered.

  Jason whooped and leapt into the air on his way to Kale. “That’s great news!” He kissed an unresponsive Kale. “Why aren’t you happy?”

  Kale’s head jerked to Jason as he finally focused his gaze. “Happy? I’m overwhelmed with joy.” Tears pooled in Kale’s eyes. “This means my brother’s going to be free.”

  “Yes, it does. Come on.” Jason dragged Kale to the closet. “We’ll eat on the train. We’re going back to the ranch.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  It took more than a week to reach Malar County. They traveled from the balmy coast back to Calea to pack appropriately for the inland chill and make a few preparations before heading into Arine. There was a nervous excitement in the air the entire way there. Kale could hardly believe that he was traveling to free his brother on the tracks he had once laid as a slave. Not only his brother, but himself. He would no longer have to worry about the precarious arrangement Jason had concocted in order to free him. There would be no question. In the eyes of the law, Kale would be a free man in the country of his birth.

  When Kale and Jason pulled up to the house, it was just after midnight, and the darkness had a cold bite. The top was up on the car, and as soon as they stepped out, their warm breath fogged in the air. Kale grabbed his valise, leaving everything else until morning, and they jogged up to the front door, not even bothering to knock.

  “Kale, Jason.” Thomas reached the front door as Jason closed it. He knocked Kale over with a giant hug and then treated Jason to the same. “Darlene left some dinner for you. Come on in. Let me take your coats.” Thomas hung their coats in the hall closet and led them to the kitchen.

  At the kitchen table, a young woman set out food. She turned as they entered, and Kale remembered seeing her there before, but never talking to her. He thought she was the same girl Thomas had been making eyes at.

  “This is Ellen.” Thomas strode to her side and put a proprietary arm around her waist.

  Kale quirked an eyebrow. “It’s nice to meet you, Ellen. I see a lot has happened since we were last here.”

  “Yeah, it has. I thought we might keep you two company while you ate.”

  Jason and Kale sat at the table. Steak and potatoes were laid out for each of them along with a glass of milk each. The familiarity was as comforting as the warmth. “So, Ellen, what lies has my brother told you to trick you into fancying him?”

  Ellen smiled—a big, beaming grin, not the shy, bashful smile some women were prone to. “He can’t lie to me. I can spot it a kilometer away. It’s a little charming how flustered he can get. It took me a while to realize that he didn’t have a stutter; he was trying to court me.”

  Thomas shifted in his seat, grimacing at the attention.

  Jason laughed. “Good to see he got his tongue back.”

  “That he did.”

  Kale made quick work of his food. He had a good idea that Thomas and Ellen weren’t awake just to greet them. “I had planned to wait until tomorrow, but there’s no sense in you going to bed a slave tonight. I have your title and registration here.” Kale pulled them out of his valise along with one of the dozens of writ of manumission forms they had printed when they stopped in Calea. “And this is a writ of manumission.” Kale laid the papers out on the table. “All we have to do is fill it out. We’ll have to file it with the county for there to be a legal record, but as soon as it’s signed, you’re free. I already filled out everything I knew.”

  “What else do you need?” Thomas vibrated with either excitement or nervousness. Probably both.

  “What last name do you want to go by?”

  “I’d like to go by the same last name you do, since you’re my brother. If that’s all right. If you don’t—”

  “No, we were hoping you’d want to. I want my father’s name passed on.” Jason patted his hand.

  “Thank you.”

  Kale filled out the last name then signed and dated it. “All right. Now you just have to sign it here.” Kale pushed the paper and pen toward his brother, pointing to the signature line.

  Thomas took the pen in his hand and inhaled deeply. With a quick flourish, he signed his name.

  “Congratulations, Thomas. You’re free. How does it feel?”

  “Amazing. I’m really free?” Thomas looked bewildered.

  “Yes, you’re really free.” Kale squeezed his brother’s shoulder, remembering his own journey to freedom.

  Jason pulled another writ of manumission from the case and began filling it out. “Ellen, what last name would you like me to put on yours?”

  Thomas spoke before Ellen could. “Wadsworth.”

  Ellen looked to Thomas.

  “You’ll be taking the name Wadsworth anyway, if you’ll have me.”

  Ellen narrowed her eyes “Are you proposing to me, Thomas Wadsworth?”

  Thomas nodded. “I believe I am.”

  Ellen’s broad smile returned even brighter than before. “Then you’d better put Wadsworth on the form, sir.”

  Thomas took Ellen’s face in his hands and kissed her. Kale observed the scene in silence. His first instinct was to caution his brother against making such a serious decision when he had just been freed. However, the sheer joy in Thomas’s face was breathtaking. What sealed Kale’s happiness, though,
was the fact that Ellen’s apparent joy mirrored his brother’s. There was no use counseling his brother to take his time to experience the world when what he wanted was already right in front of him. Kale would have scoffed at anyone who told him to explore freedom before making the choice to spend his life with Jason.

  Jason grinned and signed the writ. The only slave Kale had owned was his brother. It was up to Jason to free the others. “You’ll just need to put your mark there.” Jason indicated the spot.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “You’d better make it Jason now that you’re going to be part of the family.”

  Ellen nodded. “Thank you, Jason.” She carefully wrote her name, her tongue peeking out in concentration. From the way Thomas leaned over her, it was clear they had been practicing so Ellen would have the dignity of signing her name instead of an X. When she finished, she placed the pen down, and Thomas pulled her into a hug.

  “Well, we should get to bed and leave you two to celebrate. We’ll see you in the morning.” Kale rose with a yawn. It had been a long day.

  “Thank you, Kale. Sleep in. We’ll have a late breakfast.” Thomas had pulled away enough to address his brother, but he still had both arms wrapped around Ellen.

  Kale chuckled. “I’m sure we will.”

  * * *

  Despite his earlier drowsiness, Kale sat in bed looking at his own writ of manumission. To avoid the strange appearance of having Kale sign his own writ in both places, they’d had Jason sign it as a designated representative of P and C Enterprises. Kale was really and truly free. His brother was free. His brother’s fiancée was free. He’d be able to return for their wedding as a free man without any fear of it being taken away from him. Never again would he have to endure the stress of guarding his title as he traveled. He could live in Perdana or in Calea or anywhere he wanted. A chuckle escaped his lips.

  “What is it?” Jason craned his neck to look at the paper.