What Remains

by Bailey Bradford

  Chapter Four

  Laine did his best not to let Sev know how worried he was but his lover was one of the most observant people Laine had ever met, and he knew Laine better than anyone else ever had. Sometimes he suspected Sev knew him better than he knew himself.

  “I could call Alma, tell her something’s come up,” Sev offered after recounting the details of his day. “It wouldn’t be a lie, and I’m not sure I’m up to having them visit right now.”

  As badly as Laine wanted to jump on that offer, he didn’t. Laine hated to admit it, but maybe having some family down would help Sev in ways Laine couldn’t. Distract him, at the very least. Sev wore a pinched expression that sat unnaturally on his normally cheerful face. Nothing Laine had said yet had wiped that look away.

  “No, it wouldn’t be right to cancel on her at the last minute.” He bit back a sigh at the lost opportunity to avoid what he fully expected to be an uncomfortable week spent around Sev’s family. “And anyway, it won’t make a difference if they don’t come. Something has happened to the spirits in McKinton.” He gave Sev a determined look, knowing he would do whatever it took not to let the man down. “We’ll figure out what happened and how to right it. We’ll get them all back.”

  Sev relaxed a little and rested his head on Laine’s shoulder. It felt good, so Laine decided it’d only get better if he stretched out on the couch under Sev’s sexy body. He resituated them both then groaned as he closed his eyes. “Chris’ mom is a trip. She damn near talked my ear off when I went out there to talk to her about that ceremony they’ll be doing in a couple of nights. You are coming with me, right?”

  “Like I’d miss a bunch of skyclad people dancing around under the moonlight.” Sev snorted. “Not gonna happen. Of course I’m going.”

  “Skyclad?” Laine twitched, afraid he knew what that meant. Sev confirmed it.

  “Yeah, you know, naked? Dressed in the sky or something like that. I’m not sure of the technical definition, but it does mean bare-ass naked.”

  Laine’s eyes popped open. He glared into Sev’s pale eyes. “Oh no. No, no, no. There’s not going to be any of that naked dancing stuff. I made that perfectly clear to Miriam and that High Priest fellow, Vincent. They agreed to keep their clothes on and light any fires in proper fire-safe containers. When they’re done the place will look like they were never there. Chris promised he’d see to it.”

  “Aw, you just took all the fun out of it, but I still want to go.” Sev propped himself up on Laine’s chest. For the first time in a good hour, Laine saw a hint of Sev’s usual optimism. “Hey, maybe we can ask Miriam about the spirits. Chris and Rich probably aren’t aware of what’s going on since they don’t have any hanging around them. Did you mention anything about this to them?”

  Laine knew he was giving his lover an ‘Are you serious?’ look. He wasn’t exactly the most talkative man on the planet.

  “Right,” Sev said, laughing softly as he shook his head.

  That little bit of laughter was enough to warm Laine through to his marrow. He cupped Sev’s angular chin and looked into his pretty pale eyes. Laine’s cock started to fill, pressing uncomfortably against the inseam of his pants. “You know, we might be pretty busy while your sister’s here.”

  This time Sev’s laughter was louder as he dipped his head and kissed Laine’s palm. He licked up to the pad of Laine’s thumb then sucked the digit in his mouth. Laine’s eyes nearly crossed when Sev sucked, his tongue swirling and flicking just like Sev did when he sucked Laine’s dick.

  Sev pulled off with a lewd slurp the leered at him. “Like you need to bother thinking up an excuse to get me naked.” He bit the tip of Laine’s thumb then waggled his dark eyebrows. “And there will still be lots of sex while my sister’s in town. She isn’t going to be spending every minute with me.”

  “What else is she going to be doing? It’s not like there’s a lot to see here.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Sev gnawed on his bottom lip for a moment then shrugged. “The Senior and Youth Center will be open in another two days. She can take the kids there. And they’ll probably want to spend a day in Dallas or Fort Worth, or maybe both.”

  “I would think so. They’re going to be bored out of their minds if they spend a whole week here.” An idea occurred to him. “Hey, if they do go to Dallas, you could go with them and have your visit with Carlin’s dad.” Sev had been visiting Mr. Douglas in the Alzheimer’s care facility weekly for a while now. At first Sev had been trying to help the man with an ability much like his, but Mr. Douglas’ health had deteriorated quickly. Sev said he hadn’t had even a hint of lucidity from the man in months.

  Neither had Carlin. Laine couldn’t imagine Carlin’s pain. Watching his father die a little more each visit had to be tearing the guy apart. Laine’s parents had died when he was in the Houston Police Academy. His father had suffered a heart attack while trying to land his beloved twin engine plane. He and Laine’s mother had died instantly upon impact. It had been a horrible shock, but he thought it would have been even worse to watch his parents suffer the way Mr. Douglas was.

  “It’d save me from having to take the bus since if Carlin isn’t going to be visiting him that day, so maybe.” Sev narrowed his eyes. “You were quiet there for a bit. Where’d you go?”

  Laine considered distracting Sev in a manner that would make them both happily boneless, but that would just delay this conversation. Sev wouldn’t let it drop, and it wasn’t that Laine minded talking to him, he just really wanted to make the most of tonight since he had a feeling Sev’s visitors would be more of an imposition than Sev thought. Laine kept envisioning Alma—in his mind’s eyes she was a sterner, feminine version of Sev—and her husband and kids all camping out at the house. It made him want to shudder.

  When Sev poked him in the ribs Laine yelped and scowled at the man. Sev merely raised his eyebrows and started tapping his fingers on Laine’s collarbone. Any chance he’d had of getting laid first was well and gone.

  “I was just thinking about my folks and Mr. Douglas. How even though I lost both of my parents at the same time and in such an unexpected manner, it had to be easier on them, and me, than watching them slowly die a little each day.”

  Sev’s fingers stilled, his gaze going distant as if he peered inside himself. “Yeah, it is hard. Mr. Douglas isn’t even my dad and it hurts, watching Alzheimer’s eat away at him. I can’t imagine how Carlin must feel. I suppose quick would be better.” Sev sighed and looked at Laine. “What really sucks is that you and Carlin had parents who loved y’all, and they died way too soon, or, in Mr. Douglas’ case… Well, you know what I mean. My parents aren’t nearly so nice, aren’t anywhere near nice, and they’ll probably outlive all of us just to gloat about it. Not that I wish them dead or anything. Just funny how Fate seems to cut the strings on the good ones sooner than the others.”

  “Not always,” Laine argued. “You and me are a couple of the good ones and we aren’t going anywhere for a long time. Even when we do, I’m sure we’ll be together even then.” Laine believed it with every fiber of his being. They might be separated briefly by death if one died before the other, but they both knew there were spirits, that it was possible to remain behind on some level after the body died. The how if it wasn’t clear, but Laine didn’t doubt for one second he and Sev would figure it out, as strongly as they loved each other.

  Sev’s frown sent a shard of spiky pain straight through Laine’s heart. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Laine asked, cradling Sev to his chest. He buried his hands in the silky black hair, drawing comfort from the warmth of it against his skin as well as the feel of Sev’s body on his.

  “What if all the spirits are gone, Laine? What does that mean for us? I don’t ever want to lose you, not in death or any other way. I don’t know where the others go when they die, the ones that don’t linger. They could just cease existing, or maybe they’re reincarnated—”

  Laine refused to even consider any of those scenari
os. He tugged gently on Sev’s hair until those pretty eyes met his. “Hey. Nothing—nothing—is going to keep us from being together, okay? We aren’t going to just disappear. Whatever happens, we’ll find each other, even if we end up back here as…” Laine searched his mind for something ridiculous, anything to replace Sev’s frown with the smile he loved so much. “Even if we come back as a couple of ants, or…or platypuses, we’ll be together. I promise.” Somehow, he’d make sure of it. Sev was imprinted into his very DNA. If there was such a thing as reincarnation, Laine would spend his next life looking for Sev, and he’d damn well find him.

  Sev’s lips curled up and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Gay ants? Gay platypuses? Really?”

  Laine strove for his most serious tone. “Who said anything about being gay? Maybe you’ll be the little woman and I’ll be the big strong man—hey!” He yelped as a tiny bit of pain spread from his chest outward. “You pinched me,” Laine grumbled, hoping Sev didn’t notice the effect that bite of pain had on him.

  Sev’s wicked smile dashed Laine’s hope. “And you liked it,” Sev purred, reaching between them to palm Laine’s cock. “A lot, judging by how fast you got it up.”

  Sev sounded so smug Laine was tempted to paddle him, or… Sev’s teasing expression changed, turned to something darker, demanding. “So you think I’d be the ‘little woman,’ hm?” He pinched Laine’s cockhead hard through the layers of clothes.

  A streak of fire burned down from the tip of Laine’s dick to his asshole. He clenched his butt cheeks as that whole area tingled with anticipation. His heart hammered in his chest as trepidation bloomed like a morning glory. Maybe teasing Sev like that had been a little…too much.

  Sev gave him a heated look then nodded. “That’s right, baby. You’re in for it now. You just threw down the gauntlet, so to speak, and challenged my manhood.” He wiggled his hips, rubbing his erection against Laine’s hip. “So now I’m going to have to prove just how much of a man I am. You know, all that machismo bullshit.” Sev smiled wickedly as Laine shuddered. “Oh yeah. Next time you want me to fuck you, just ask. You don’t have to goad me into it.”

  Was that what he’d done? Laine thought about it while Sev continued grinding against him. Yeah, it was. Sev had topped exactly twice, and he’d been so nervous when he’d done it Laine hadn’t pushed for more.

  Plus, he was a little worried about how much he liked feeling Sev pounding into his ass. Laine tended to think, at least when Sev was fucking him, that he might just prefer to bottom the majority of the time. Then he’d come out of that well-fucked bliss and panic at the thought of never being in Sev’s sweet ass again. He knew it didn’t have to be one way or the other, but still, it kind of kept Laine from initiating a change in their love-making.

  Except he obviously had tonight. Laine locked stares with Sev and pulled up his most commanding tone. “So prove how much of a man you are already.”

  Sev’s nostrils flared, a small thing that Laine found incredibly sexy. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you, Laine. I’m kind of on edge here.”

  Even though he couldn’t quite snuff out a trickle of fear, Laine nodded. “I don’t want easy. Just don’t do any permanent damage down there.”

  Sev rolled off him and onto his feet in one graceful movement. He stared down at Laine with a fierce look in his eyes, exuding a confidence that nearly made Laine come in his pants. “I wouldn’t hurt you, ever. But you will feel me for days.” He held out his hand. “But we need to be in the bedroom. Can’t fuck you into the mattress otherwise.”

  Need coiled in Laine’s groin and spread up to his stomach. He took Sev’s hand and let his lover help him up. The walk to the bedroom took twice as long as it should have with both of them groping each other and pulling off clothes. By the time Laine tumbled down onto the bed he was utterly naked.

  The previous two times Sev had taken him, Laine had been on his back, but tonight he wanted, needed, more. He rolled to his stomach and rose up on his knees. “Come on,” he ordered, dropping his shoulders and spreading his legs. His cock brushed over the blanket. It felt so good but wasn’t nearly enough friction so Laine arched his back and rubbed his dick against the nubby material.

  “You want this bad, don’t you?”

  Laine turned his head and grinned at the sight of Sev holding his cock at the base, waving the wet-tipped length back and forth. There were no signs of nervousness in the man, just that same confidence Laine had noted in the living room.

  That didn’t, however, mean Laine was giving up control. Bottoming didn’t mean being passive, not in his book. He reached back and pulled one cheek aside, knowing he was exposing more than just a hole. “Almost as bad as you want this.”

  Sev groaned and let go of his dick. Laine watched him as he grabbed the lube. He hadn’t caught on until this moment how badly Sev needed this. The vanishing spirits had shaken Sev up, shaken them both up. This promised to be a very pleasurable diversion that would help them let go of that particular worry for a while.

  Laine brushed his fingers over his pucker then pressed lightly against the tight ring.

  “Stop that,” Sev snapped, shooting him grin. “That’s mine, and I have the lube.” Sev held up the bottle in one hand while pushing Laine’s eager fingers away with the other.

  Laine settled his forearm back under his head while Sev crawled onto the bed. He closed his eyes, expecting to hear the snap of the lube cap and was startled when Sev grabbed his ass and pried his cheeks apart. Laine’s breath stuttered from his lungs in a series of whimpers as Sev lapped at his hole.

  “Love this, love you,” Sev mumbled from behind him. Laine opened his mouth to respond and ended up groaning when Sev licked down to his balls and sucked them into his hot mouth.

  “Shit! Suck them harder!” Laine half shouted the demand, his diaphragm clenching as pleasure enveloped him. Each sucking tug on his balls pulled at Laine’s insides, tightening everything from his toes to his skull. He moaned and dug his fingers into the blanket, trying to keep himself from floating away.

  Sev’s tongue swirled over his nuts then pressed firmly between them. It took all of Laine’s strength not to buck, not to howl, as his blood roared in his ears.

  Sev gave his balls another mind-boggling suck then he nipped his way back to Laine’s hole. Laine writhed shamelessly, curses wrung from his lips as Sev ate his ass. When Sev scraped his teeth over that delicate tissue, Laine started begging mindlessly. Sev continued tormenting him, ignoring Laine’s pleas.

  “God damn it,” Laine found the strength to rasp, “get something bigger in there already!”

  Sev chuckled darkly, the sound low and rough. It sent shivers down Laine’s spine and made his ass clench with anticipation. “I’m getting there. Just had to make up for you saying you wanted me in your ass almost as bad as I want my dick inside you.”

  “Fucking smart ass,” Laine muttered, much to Sev’s amusement since it sent the man into a fit of laughter. Laine was ready to snarl by the time Sev slipped one finger inside his hole. He shoved back into the penetration, demanding more. Sev’s tongue had stretched him some already—Laine didn’t need to be babied along in this right now. “Sev…” he growled, only to hiss as a second digit joined the first.

  “What?” Sev crooned, twisting those fingers inside him. A lightning zing of pleasure shot out from Laine’s gland. Laine panted and canted his hips, spreading his ass hungrily. “Oh yeah, feels good, doesn’t it? Always drives me out of my mind when you touch me right there.” Sev added slight pressure to Laine’s prostate, enough to make him gasp. “Feels even better when you’re fucking me, though. Then I’m full and getting to experience this.”

  “Sev, sweetheart, fuck me now or I’ll throw you on your back and do it myself!” Laine was borderline frantic to feel Sev pounding into him, and if he was interested in playing around back there some more, he’d just have to get with the new plan.

  “You don’t know what it does to me to hear you so needy
,” Sev said over the gurgle of more lube being poured out. “Makes me feel like a god, like the luckiest man who ever lived, knowing it’s me you need.”

  Apparently Sev had got past his nerves, and Laine couldn’t be happier. Well, he could, if Sev would just hurry the fuck up. Before Laine could snap out another demand, Sev settled between his legs and pushed down on the small of Laine’s back.

  “A little lower, okay?”

  Laine slid his knees further apart. He was a good foot taller than his lover, something that led them to some creative contortionism at times. His inner thigh muscles burned with strain when Sev patted his hip. “That’s good, perfect. God.” Laine heard Sev’s breath rattle free. “I want you so fuckin’ bad I’m afraid I’ll just shove right in!”

  As good as that sounded, Laine figured it would probably hurt more than he’d be able to handle with any sort of dignity. He bit his lip to keep from saying so, though. He trusted Sev to take care of him.

  Sev ran his thumbs down Laine’s crack then parted his cheeks. “You open so beautifully for me, Laine. Why don’t we do this more often?”

  Laine guessed Sev didn’t expect an answer since the next thing he knew there was a broad, blunt, wet cock prodding at his hole. Laine kept his breathing steady, his body relaxed as Sev began penetrating him.

  Despite the stretching, it burned slightly as his guardian muscle gave way, opening for Sev’s dick. Laine couldn’t stop it when something like a sob slipped past his lips—it just felt so damned good! He’d been a flaming fool to deny him and Sev this on a more regular basis.

  Sev stopped with just his cockhead lodged inside. His hands opened and closed on Laine’s hips, gripping and releasing, a sure sign he was struggling to keep in control of his body’s demands. “Laine, I don’t know…”

  Laine didn’t like hearing Sev worrying now, not when he’d been so confident seconds ago. And he wanted more, wanted to feel Sev’s dick lodged so deep inside him he could taste it. That was worth what would be, hopefully, a little pain.