by Lynn Stark
“Have you seen the ghosts for yourself?” Brag asked as Peyton set up his recorder with Bart’s permission. He also took notes, something he could refer to easily as he wrote. “I don’t know that I’d want to.”
“I’ve seen plenty of odd things here. I suppose with a building as old and as large as this one is, you’ll see and hear things you can’t explain, not the least of which is the building settling and just plain aging. The grand old lady groans and moans at times. I’m sure that that alone plays with folks. Their imaginations are already all stirred up. There are dark corners, shadows, and drafts all there to feed them. If people want to see a ghost bad enough, they will. The things I’ve seen personally I can’t quite explain. Nothing like those movie ghosts where you see children standing together in their best frocks to frighten the life out of you. No strange green wisps or glowing balls.” He cackled and slapped his knee. “There were these ghost hunters here last year. They left after two nights in the upper storage area, where they were convinced there had been a murder.”
“Have there been murders here?” It was Peyton’s turn to question their elderly host. He waited patiently as Bart lifted a glass of water to his lips and took a drink.
Nodding, Bart frowned. “Unfortunately, yes. There were three of them to be exact. One took place before I was born. A groom strangled his bride on their wedding night. No one knew why. He never said. The second murder was a cheated player shooting a card sharp during a game of poker. The third was one man shooting another in a jealous rage over a woman they were both courting. He believed she favored the other man. That took place in the fifties.”
“And other deaths?”
“Of course you have those people who simply expire because they have health issues. Then there were accidents. A few people, including children, drowned in the lake. And there were mishaps inside the hotel. If there really are ghosts, and no one has proven to me yet that there aren’t, I would suspect these souls are the ones we are seeing and hearing here. As much mischief as they sometimes create, I feel sorry them. If they’re trapped here, I wish they could move on.”
The possibility of earthbound spirits had fascinated people for thousands of years. Some cultures feared them. Others cherished and revered them. Of course, as a teller of mysteries with a twist, Peyton worked on people’s fears. He didn’t want to terrorize his readers and he steered away from gut-churning gruesomeness. What he did want was to create enough suspense that his readers were both startled and pleased, while possibly finding it hard to turn off the lights when they went to bed.
“That’s completely understandable. Especially for the children not having a chance to experience life.”
The door opened and their food was brought in on carts. It was placed on the table with great care. Bart’s assistant helped him move from his chair to the table where Brag and Peyton joined him.
“Why don’t you leave your little machine turned on while we eat?” Bart suggested when Peyton was about to shut it off and put it away. “I don’t mind. I’ll tell you about the duel between a king and a lowly baron.”
It was the first of many stories Bart related. Peyton knew a few of them were in the hotel’s history they had been given, but he felt there was nothing like hearing about these events from a man who had actually witnessed an actual duel. Amazing.
By the time Bart was ready for his next nap, preparing for his evening activities in the hotel’s lobby, Peyton and Brag knew they had just enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience. Bart promised that he would show them his collection of photographs next. They couldn’t wait.
“So, what do we do now? Go sit in our room and wait for some weird whispers or mysterious thumps and bumps?” Brag asked curiously as they finished looking over several displays of artifacts left behind by guests. “Although I’m tempted to simply collapse on the bed and wait for my food to digest.”
“That’s completely understandable,” Peyton agreed as he admired a collection of carved ivory buttons and fans, once possessions of the wealthy. Another display featured toys, everything from a ball on a string that had to be caught in a cup, to a game system from the eighties. “Look at this,” he said, pointing to the different toys. “Look at what children enjoyed during different times. Can you see a kid nowadays being happy playing with these?” he asked pointing to set of jacks along with a rather dried up little red rubber ball.
Brag peered into the case. They were still holding hands. It was something that pleased Peyton in ways that he couldn’t explain to himself. To know Brag wasn’t afraid to show his affection in public told Peyton a lot about the man he was hoping to spend the future with.
“I don’t have much contact with kids, but I’d say that they might find it a tad boring.” Brag chuckled. “If I was sitting around when I was a kid, there was a good chance I was on a horse and I was working, eating a meal, doing homework, or listening to the preacher. We did have a game console the five of us had to share, but we could only play it a couple of hours a week and after our chores were finished.”
“I had one, too. But I liked reading and writing more than playing with it. I finally ended up giving it to a friend of mine.”
After making a full circle of the lobby and looking at the many captivating displays, they decided to walk back out through the gardens. They were walking along the path, passing the maze and heading toward the lake, when something moved quickly from one side of the path to the other. Startled, Peyton stopped and looked around. They were the only people this far away from the building. All the others were on the patio, enjoying cocktails.
“Did you see that?”
“See what? I was trying to guess how tall the maze hedges are. I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Something crossed the path.” The path was actually about six feet wide and consisted of carefully placed pavers in a herringbone pattern. “I don’t know what it was.”
They walked forward to where Peyton thought the object had crossed. He looked to both sides. There were flowerbeds and shrubbery of every description, as well as a beautifully maintained lawn, but no small animals, balls, radio-controlled gophers, or anything else that could explain what had caught his attention. His head jerked around when he heard what he believed was a young girl giggling. Then he relaxed, realizing a child was playing a trick.
Brag and he exchanged a smile. “Just a kid. Let’s go take a look at the boathouse.”
They walked on until they reached where the path ended close to the lake. There was a beautiful fence edging it, preventing people from wandering too close. Peyton already knew that the water was far too cold for swimming. However, there were canoes and kayaks available for guests’ use. Enjoying the lake was still entirely possible. The new indoor pool satisfied the need for those wanting to swim. It was a good activity for children.
Because children had come up in conversation several times, Peyton decided to ask, “How do you feel about children?”
“They’re cute and need to be fed regularly, other than that, I don’t know enough to give an opinion about them.”
“Do you want kids of your own someday? Have you thought about it?”
They took the path to the left, heading toward the boathouse that was about two hundred feet away. “Sure, I’ve thought about it. A lot of gay men do these days. If I was in a solid relationship, and it was decided beforehand that we both wanted children, then, yeah, I’d want a couple of kids. Heck, I might even want four or five. I loved having brothers to play and hang out with. What about you?”
Peyton chuckled. “As you know, I’m an only child. My parents doted on me. Maybe too much at times. But, I have to admit, I think I’d like to have had what you had. A brother or sister would have been nice to have around. I’ve thought about kids, too, and believe I’d like to be a father.”
“So, we’re on the same page about children. I don’t think knowing is rushing things, do you?”
“Not with as quickly as it’s progress
ing between us. I’m not out for sex. I can get that anywhere. I want something more with you, Brag.”
The doors to the boathouse were closed and locked, but he didn’t have any real interest in looking inside at the moment. Spending time with Brag and getting to know him was his prime objective. He would check out the boathouse before they left, to get those details he would need to flesh out his story, when and if he wrote one with the hotel as a backdrop. It was looking better and better all the time.
They stopped beside the boathouse and leaned against the fence. The breeze was a little stronger than it had been earlier and was now creating small waves on the surface of the water.
Brag turned so he was leaning back against the fence and facing Peyton. “I want something more with you, too. To be completely honest, I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”
Grimacing, Peyton knew Brag wasn’t the only one to need to share all. “Neither have I. I thought I had. I had an actual relationship with Roger. Even if he hadn’t turned into an abusive asshole, I doubt we would have lasted. There weren’t many things about my life that Roger liked or approved of. With the exception of the money I make from my novels. He liked the invitations I received to go places like the Hamptons and exclusive parties in the City. Other than that, he hated the dogs, said the horses were a waste of money, and thought we should have a more open relationship. That surprise came toward the end.”
When Brag’s jaw all but dropped as he stared at Peyton, he could see the man was stunned by this information. “The man had you and he wanted to be able to be with someone else, too?” He shook his head. “Unbelievable.” Brag lifted a hand to touch the side of Peyton’s face. “He didn’t deserve you on any level.”
“I don’t regret that Roger’s in my past. It’s where he belongs. I only regret that I ever knew him in the first place. Now, what about you? I know it’s none of my business, but have you ever come close?”
“No. I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. That was, until I met you.”
There was no way Peyton could have foreseen this happening twenty plus years ago when he had visited his great-aunt with his parents and met a cute, playful older boy named Brag. Nope, there had been no clue that they would meet again and become more than friends as men. As Brag’s thumb gently stroked near the corner of his mouth, Peyton turned his head and nipped the pad. Brag growled and leaned in for a kiss, wiping away the grin on Peyton’s face.
He slid his arms around Brag’s waist, holding on tightly as Brag rocked his world with a single kiss. Brag’s firm lips molded his. The tip of his tongue stroked, teasing, until Peyton gave in and opened his mouth, allowing Brag’s tongue to sweep in and tease his. Brag held his face between his strong, callused hands as he deepened the kiss.
Sparks began where their mouths connected and shot out from there. Peyton moaned and pressed his body against Brag’s. He didn’t want there to be any space between them. His heart pounded in his chest as his excitement increased.
Because they weren’t where they could enjoy any form of privacy, they broke apart and headed back toward the hotel, taking their time. Peyton didn’t particularly want anyone to see the erection stretching the limits of his pants, and he suspected it was the same for Brag.
It didn’t help when Brag would stop Peyton intermittently to wrap his arms around him and kiss him softly on the lips. It didn’t help, but it didn’t hurt, either. What it was doing was showing Peyton that Brag was capable of a sweetness previous lovers had been lacking. It was obviously something he had craved, because he was eagerly eating it up, offering his mouth whenever Brag stopped him on the path.
The sound of a group of giggling children broke them apart. Peyton felt his face heat up as he glanced around. They were nearly to the hotel. There was some low shrubbery, but nowhere for children to hide near the flagstone patio. There were a few adults seated at tables, but they weren’t close and didn’t seem to be giving Brag and Peyton any of their attention. There was another burst of giggling, followed by a soft swirl of warm air around them. It was strange, but he felt there was something almost loving about the touch. Then again, he had been intoxicated by Brag’s kisses. The man had definitely woven his spell around Peyton.
“I have to admit, this place is getting spookier by the moment,” Brag said, essentially confirming that Peyton wasn’t the only one hearing things as they crossed the last fifty feet to enter the hotel. They stopped and looked around the room that was about a hundred feet long and half that wide. The ceilings, like all the ceilings on the ground floor, were at least thirty feet above them. This particular room was a lounge and far less formal than the lobby. There were several groupings of comfortable furniture and single chairs near the tall windows that allowed visitors an incredible view of the lake and the mountains beyond. “It’s like stepping through a portal and entering another time,” Brag observed. “I’m beginning to understand why we’re hearing and seeing things. It’s the hotel itself.”
“Like the perfect backdrop and the claims made by past guests?”
Brag nodded. “The power of suggestion. We’re victims of it.”
A lot of strange things happened when the mind was fully engaged. That didn’t make them real. Peyton had to agree with his lover. “There are several stone and metal sculptures in the garden. It was probably the wind blowing through one of them that tricked our minds into believing we were hearing something else.”
“That sounds completely reasonable without making us nuts.” The man’s grin was gorgeous. “However, we both know there are a lot of unexplainable things out there. The hotel could have ghosts, but I doubt there’s any real way of proving it. Unless you want to sit in the dark with night vision goggles and a recorder, and wait for something to happen.”
“No thanks. I’ve done a lot of things in the name of research, but that won’t be one of them on this trip. I prefer to interact naturally with the paranormal. If we have ghosts playing tricks on us, then that’s something I can work with, all while enjoying that gorgeous, comfortable bed in our room.”
“There is that. Everything about that room is romantic. Maybe we can light a fire in the fireplace and make love in front of it.”
Peyton’s dick began to harden again. He took a deep breath until he began to relax. “Stop that. I want to look around some more. I can’t do that with a hard dick.”
Brag took his hand. “I say we find a place where I can take care of that for you.”
There wasn’t one part of Peyton that would argue with that suggestion.
They could look for ghosts anytime.
Chapter Ten
It took some doing, but they finally found a closet that wasn’t locked. The light came on as soon as they went inside. There was cleaning equipment neatly stored on shelves and in racks, but there weren’t any flat surfaces. He glanced back at the door and saw that there was no way to lock it from the inside.
“We better be quick so we don’t get caught.” Brag winked as he reached for the buckle on Peyton’s narrow brown leather belt. It only took a few seconds before he had the man’s cock out. Kneeling at his feet, Brag heard Peyton’s sharply indrawn breath. He looked up. “I love how your cock feels in my hand. It feels like it’s covered in velvet.”
“Glad you like it.”
There was no mistaking the expressions crossing Peyton’s handsome face. There was pleasure, happiness, excitement, and more than a touch of lust. It made Brag feel good to know that there was someone to feel those things for him. It reassured him to know Peyton was feeling the same things he was.
Leaning forward, Brag opened his mouth and took the swollen purple head into his mouth, causing Peyton to moan. The flat of Brag’s tongue slid over the tiny slit weeping droplets of pre-cum. His lips sealed around the thick shaft as he remembered how it felt stretching his asshole wide. A shiver of anticipation ran over him as he took Peyton’s cock deeper into his mouth until the head hit
the back of his throat. Peyton’s moans were becoming louder. The man’s musky scent filled his nostrils. As much as he would have liked to stroke his own cock as he sucked Peyton’s, Brag kept his hands on Peyton’s muscular thighs.
Brag bobbed his head, increasing the speed and sucking harder with every passing second. He wanted to pleasure Peyton swiftly, intensely, and make him lose control. There was also the danger factor. Someone could open the door at any moment, discovering them in this very pleasing position. Brag was fairly certain Peyton wouldn’t want to have anyone see them together like this. However, the fact that he wasn’t protesting was indicator enough that he was also experiencing a heightened thrill.
Fire ran through his veins. Brag inhaled through his nose and reached between Peyton’s thighs to stroke his balls. His thumb and fingers stroked the wrinkled, hair-covered sac as it tightened, pulling tight to Peyton’s body.
Then Peyton was coming, shouting as he lost his load of spunk. He grabbed Brag’s head and wove his fingers through his hair, holding on tightly as shot after shot of hot cum hit the back of Brag’s throat. He swallowed over and over, not losing a drop.
Peyton pulled back after several seconds, his softening cock slipping from between Brag’s lips. They really needed to get to a room. He stood as Peyton fixed his clothing. Brag smoothed his hair and they grinned at each other.
They left the closet without being discovered and headed upstairs to their room. Brag kept Peyton’s hand firmly in his as they hurried through the huge hotel. Their room was on the opposite end from the closet. They didn’t bother with the elevator. However, by the time they climbed the many steps at a near run, their legs burned and they were breathing hard. They laughed as they reached the door to their room. Peyton unlocked it and they went in, closing the door firmly behind them.
Getting undressed was a priority. Brag and Peyton laughed together as they fumbled over buttons, snaps, and buckles. One of Peyton’s shoes hit Brag in the shin as he tried to kick it off. Everything stopped and they stared at each other for a second. Then they were grinning as they resumed stripping off their clothes.