Something New

by Sean Ashcroft

  Ash made him feel good. All Declan wanted was to make Ash feel good in return.

  “Ash,” Declan murmured. Ash’s name felt amazing to say while they were joined like this, the joy it gave Declan making his heart soar.

  Ash made a low, needy rumble in response, shifting to rest his forehead against Declan’s as he sped up his thrusts, his hips rolling in fast, tight circles.

  “You’re so hot,” Ash said in response, gasping for breath. “I’m gonna need so much more of this.”

  Declan laughed at that, but his gut clenched at the same time, the thought of more making him bite down on his lip. He wanted more, too. More of Ash. More of this.

  He wanted this forever. Not just the sex, but the closeness. The intimacy he’d always craved, always been desperate for without realizing.

  Being with Ash made his life feel complete. Like he had what he’d been missing all this time. Like everything was going to be okay.

  “Me too,” he murmured in response, his head spinning with the enormity of the thought.

  Ash.

  Forever.

  It sounded so damned good.

  Declan shifted his hold on Ash, moving his hands to Ash’s ass and digging his fingers in deep, pulling him closer, jerking his hips to get as deep inside him as he could.

  He was close now, every thrust ramping up his arousal, the first tingling of an orgasm starting behind his balls, urging him to go harder, faster.

  Ash wasn’t complaining. Declan could feel his cock leaking all over his stomach, leaving a sticky trail of precome every time he brushed against it.

  He moved one hand away from Ash’s ass to grip his cock between them, a surge of confidence flowing through him as he wrapped his fingers around it, finding it hot and hard and slick with precome.

  Ash groaned, rocking his hips forward to meet Declan’s thrusts, pushing his cock more firmly into Declan’s hand.

  “Gonna come,” Ash warned.

  Good. That was what Declan wanted.

  He wanted Ash to come all over his hand, cry out in pleasure, ride him through his orgasm, harder and faster.

  He wanted Ash to get off on this, and to come back for more, and show him everything he liked, everything he wanted to try.

  This was the first day of the rest of their lives, and Declan wanted to start it off right.

  A few more short, sharp strokes and Ash gasped, a cut-off cry catching in his throat as he started to come, the first spurt spilling over Declan’s hand, tickling its way down his knuckles as he stroked Ash through it.

  Declan screwed his eyes shut as he felt Ash clench hard around him, bearing down, suddenly tighter and hotter than he’d been before.

  The pressure behind his balls burst all at once, leaving Declan panting and moaning as he rocked his hips, coming in waves inside Ash’s body, his cock sliding easily inside him as they both rode out their orgasms, rocking together and clinging to each other.

  Kind of like they always had.

  Declan’s heart clenched at the thought that this was exactly as it should be. He felt so at peace knowing that Ash was his, and he was Ash’s, and that this was how it was going to be.

  Like it always should have been.

  They had a lot of great orgasms to catch up on.

  Declan let go of Ash’s cock when he hissed at the touch, oversensitive after coming. Declan knew all about that, how a really good orgasm left him feel wrung out and any touch after was too much to bear.

  He was getting to the same, point, biting his lip as his softening cock slipped free of Ash’s body, sighing with relief. He was completely, utterly spent.

  But happy.

  So hugely, deliriously happy that he wasn’t sure how his body could contain it. He barely remembered ever feeling so much.

  After being devastated this morning, Declan was on top of the world.

  Because of Ash. Because of Ash’s love, and patience, and kindness.

  And his ass.

  But that was a little less romantic.

  “You’ve gone quiet,” Ash prompted after a moment, resting his weight against Declan’s chest.

  “I was thinking about what a great ass you have,” Declan said.

  “Oh. Well, in that case, feel free to continue.” Ash yawned widely beside his ear, resting his forehead on Declan’s shoulder when he was done.

  They probably weren’t opening the shop today, but Hope Springs could survive one day without their second-hand book fix.

  Well…

  Maybe they’d open in the afternoon, just to stop people banging on the door. They did seem to love coming in here.

  That was nice, too. It was good to live in a place where he felt wanted.

  It was better to live there with Ash.

  “So just to be clear…” Declan began after a moment. “We’re staying married, right?”

  “Oh yeah,” Ash said. “My gorgeous husband has a great cock and a winning personality. And between you and me, I’m kind of in love with him.”

  “Weird, I’m kind of in love with my husband, too.”

  That didn’t sound strange anymore, either. Husband was exactly the title Declan wanted to have, as long as it was to Ash.

  “Great cock?” Declan asked after a moment.

  “Mm,” Ash hummed. “I consider it a bonus perk. I’d still want to be with you without it.”

  Declan chuckled at that. “Me too,” Declan said. “The sex is great, though.”

  “It’s pretty great,” Ash agreed. “I don’t wanna get up.”

  “You don’t have to,” Declan said, holding Ash as he flopped back on the bed. “The world can wait.”

  Epilogue

  One year later...

  “You look nervous,” Charlie said, nudging Ash in the ribs. “Cold feet?”

  Ash shook his head. He wanted to go through with it, there just seemed to be a lot of people waiting for him all of a sudden.

  He was fine with people in small groups or one-to-one. He could talk for hours.

  Addressing everyone he’d gotten to know in Hope Springs over the past year was a different thing. Public speaking wasn’t his favorite task.

  On the other hand, Declan excelled at it because of his previous job, so maybe they’d even each other out if Ash stuttered his way through what he wanted to say.

  “Then I think it’s about time you got up there,” Charlie nodded to the small, single-step stage they’d had constructed in the front corner of the store, by the display window.

  Enough people had volunteered to perform there that they’d gone ahead and made the change. This year, they were planning on running a whole host of events for the community, giving back after they’d been given so much.

  It was nice to feel at home here, and Ash wanted to show his gratitude.

  Declan beat him to the stage, grabbing the microphone and beckoning Ash to the stage.

  Ash took a deep breath, hugged Charlie on the way past, and stepped up to meet Declan, taking his hand.

  “Did you wanna go first?” Declan asked.

  “Well, on the one hand, no, but on the other hand, I suspect you’ll be a tough act to follow.”

  Declan smiled at him, his eyes going soft. “You’ll be fine. These are your friends. But if you have to imagine them naked…”

  “Not a good plan. It’s gonna lead to imagining you naked, and then I’ll forget everything I want to say. You go,” Ash decided. “That way I’ll be used to everyone looking at me.”

  Declan squeezed his hand, then switched the microphone on.

  “So, uh,” he began. “Some of you know why you’re here, and others are probably wondering, and first of all: we’re really grateful you came. It means a lot to have so many friends. This time last year, I could count all my friends on one finger.”

  Now, it was Ash’s turn to squeeze Declan’s hand.

  “Some of you also know this story, but I’m gonna tell it for everyone else. My great uncle Marv left me this place when he died
, and he put a condition in his will that I had to be married. And like I said… I had one friend. And that friend stepped up to volunteer, and… honestly, in the beginning? It was fake. We weren’t together, and I don’t think either of us ever thought we would be.”

  A tiny ripple of surprise spread through the crowd.

  No one seemed angry, though.

  “I think you know how the rest of the story goes. For me, Hope Springs let me just… breathe. And once I could breathe, I could worry about what else I wanted in life. And what I wanted in life was… Ash. It’s always been Ash. I just couldn’t see it before. So I want to thank every one of you for making this a place where I could do that.” Declan paused to take a breath, looking over at Ash and smiling again.

  “I’ve spoken to a lot of you and from what you’ve told me, I figure Marv knew what he was doing. I’d told him all about Ash right after I met him, and I think he knew. No one’s ever had a bad word to say about him, and while I’m sad I never got to know him well, I think I owe him a thank you. So, that’s reason one for today. To thank my great uncle and celebrate his life.”

  “Tell them about reason two,” Charlie demanded.

  Ash chuckled. Charlie had been impatient about this day since they’d first floated the idea over dinner months ago.

  “Reason two is that me and Ash never got a proper wedding, so… this is it. It’s not exactly traditional, but nothing about our relationship has been.”

  Declan clipped the microphone back into its stand, turning to face Ash and taking both of his hands.

  “You did all the talking,” Ash whispered.

  Declan shrugged. “Figured it’d save you doing it,” he said. “Now’s your chance if you’ve got something else to say.”

  Ash shook his head. “I just want to tell you how much I love you in front of all these people.”

  Declan glanced out at the crowd, grinning from ear to ear. “I think they heard. You want me to start?”

  “No, I wanna start this time,” Ash said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

  “When I met Declan, I was in tears, and he was kind to me. Looking back, I think that was the moment I fell in love with him.” Ash paused, trying to get his words in order.

  “Which is probably a surprise to him, too. I told him once that he was the man I dreamed of before I met him, and that’s never been truer than it is now. I love him, but more than anything, I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the man he’s become, and I’m proud to call him my husband.”

  He paused to look Declan in the eyes, smiling broadly at him.

  “So, promises,” he started again. “I want to promise you, first and foremost, that I’ll always love you. That you can always rely on me. That whatever happens to us, whatever the future brings, no matter what, I’ll be here. That if what we’ve already been through is only a small fraction of what life has in store for us, I’ll still stand by your side and we’ll handle it, together.”

  Declan bit his lip. “Can I kiss you now?” he asked.

  “You can kiss me after,” Ash responded. This was an important moment, one they hadn’t gotten before, and he was determined for it to be right.

  Not right for anyone else, but right for them.

  Declan sighed dramatically, winked, and then took a breath to speak. “I know everything you just said is true, because it’s been true since more or less the day we met. You’ve been my best friend for as long as I really understood what that meant, no one’s ever come close to showing me the same love and support you have. It took me a long time to figure out that you were the one, but now that I know it, nothing’s ever going to change that.”

  Declan paused to squeeze Ash’s hands. “I’m not just proud to call you my husband. I’m also the luckiest man alive. Your patience, your kindness, and your willingness to stand by me, even in the worst of times… those are the things I want to promise you, too. I want to promise you that I’ll always try to be a better man than I am, because you deserve it. Even though I know you’ll put up with me exactly the way I am now.”

  “You’re perfect,” Ash said. “I love you exactly the way you are.”

  “I know,” Declan said. “That’s why I want to be better.”

  “Kiss already, before we all die over how cute you two are,” Charlie called out.

  Ash laughed, but leaned closer to Declan all the same. He closed his eyes as their lips touched, keeping the kiss light and soft.

  Butterflies exploded in his stomach anyway, like they still did every time Declan touched him. He was starting to think that would never change.

  That shouldn’t really have been a surprise. Declan was the love of his life.

  The crowd burst into applause and wolf-whistles.

  Well, one wolf-whistle, which Ash was fairly sure had come from Charlie’s general direction. He’d been championing their relationship since they moved here.

  It was good to have friends. Not just Charlie, but everyone else who’d come here today.

  It was good to be able to promise Declan his life and devotion in front of all of them, to make up for the wedding they never got to have.

  “Oh, uh,” Ash said, turning to the crowd. “There’s also cake.”

  Marcus took that as his cue to go get it, turning the crowd’s attention to the masterpiece he’d put together for them.

  Ash looked back to Declan, grinning up at him.

  “That was a better wedding,” Declan said. “Less paperwork, more friends, cake after.”

  Ash chuckled, squeezing Declan’s hands one last time before tugging him to climb down off the stage.

  “Just wait until we get to the honeymoon.”

  Claim Your Free Bonus Scene!

  Not ready to leave Ash and Declan just yet? You can claim your free bonus scene by signing up to my newsletter here - https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/m6i8q1

  If you still want more, look out for Something Borrowed, the next installment in the series.

  OR, read on for a free taste of Checked Out, Charlie and Scott's story!

  Checked Out - Chapter One

  The soft, constant hum of people in Angie’s bar was exactly what Charlie needed after a long week at work. He loved his job, but he was always relieved when Fridays rolled around and he could sit down with his friends, drink exactly three beers, and then go home warm and giggly and happy again.

  Tonight, though, he couldn’t stop himself from staring at a man who was standing at the bar. He was tall and broad-shouldered, easily twice Charlie’s size, and therefore exactly his type.

  The problem with small towns was that new faces were rare, even with the community college bringing in new students every year. That had been fine when Charlie was college-aged, but now that he was getting a little old for undergrads, he was quickly running out of prospects.

  “You’re gonna stare a hole in the back of that guy’s head,” Lanie said, sipping her glass of house red. “You need to get up and talk to him before your laser eyes set the bar on fire.”

  Charlie had thought he was being subtle.

  “He’s straight,” Charlie said, sighing in defeat. Angie’s was effectively a gay bar—on account of Angie herself being a drag queen—but it took new people a while to catch on. Every time there’d been a new face that Charlie had any sexual or romantic interest in lately, they’d been straight. And new.

  The huge estate project on the outskirts of town had brought in a whole bunch of electricians, plumbers, carpenters and general laborers. Two-hundred new houses being built, apparently, by six-hundred straight men.

  Or at least it felt that way.

  “You’ll never know if you don’t go and talk to him,” Amber said from Lanie’s other side. They always teamed up together, though. That was what couples were supposed to do.

  It was just that in this case, they happened to be right.

  Charlie sighed, looking up at the gorgeous man smiling at the bartender. Maybe he wasn’t straight. May
be this would be the guy.

  Draining his beer so he’d have an excuse to be at the bar, Charlie slipped out of the booth he’d claimed when he arrived and headed over. A swarm of butterflies exploded in his stomach. He talked to people all day, but most of the library patrons were regulars. He knew them.

  He wasn’t desperately hoping they’d want to take him home and screw his brains out.

  “Hey,” Charlie said, leaning against the bar while he waited for service. The crowd usually picked up a little around nine, and it was right on schedule tonight.

  Hey wasn’t the best or most inventive opener, but it was all he’d had time to think of.

  “Hey,” the guy responded. At least he sounded nervous, too.

  Possibly because he was being approached by a strange man—in all possible senses of the word strange—in a bar he’d just come into for the first time. That would have been enough to make Charlie nervous.

  “I haven’t seen you in here before, so you have to be new,” Charlie tried again, realizing too late that it made him sound like a bar fly.

  Maybe he was. He couldn’t remember a Friday night in years that he hadn’t spent here, except for last winter when he’d caught the flu before he’d gotten his flu jab.

  Maybe he needed to start looking for Mr. Right someplace else.

  “I am new, actually.” The guy smiled wryly. “I guess I don’t quite fit in yet.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.” Charlie wet his lips. “Charlie, by the way. I work at the library.” He offered his hand, figuring they were still in safe, friendly territory.

  “Oh, awesome.” The guy grinned, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “Devin. I’m working over at the new estate.”

  Charlie barely stopped himself from laughing. That had been his guess.

  “I figured. Most of the new faces around here are. So I’m gonna guess… hmm. Let me see your hands?”

  Was he so desperate to hold someone’s hand that he was asking strangers in a bar?

  Absolutely. Physical contact had been sorely lacking in his life lately.

  Devin laughed awkwardly, but offered his hands a moment later. “Okay.”