Dust and Violets

by Mike Shade

  "I can feel your pleasure, your heat." With his eyes closed he could feel the brush of Sam all around him, inside him, making love to him.

  He shuddered, pleasure shivering through him. Sam was everywhere.

  His lips were taken in long, breathless kisses that deepened as the thrusts sped, Samuel touching and licking and kissing and loving him.

  He was writhing within Samuel's grasp, pushing moans and gasps and whimpers into Samuel's mouth.

  It felt so good, Samuel knew exactly where to touch him to make him shake and need.

  "I am loving you, Jason. Loving you." Samuel's voice was full of need, the thrusts into his body harder, cock tugged in time.

  "Oh, God, yes! Sam..." He whimpered, it wouldn't be much longer, it felt so good, so very good.

  "Now, lovely man. Show me."

  He cried out, back bowing as pleasure shot through his cock. His come was hot against his belly.

  "Oh, so beautiful!" Samuel wrapped around him, all air and overwhelming, sweet sensation.

  He shivered, sweet aftershocks going through him as Samuel's breezy but inescapable touch moved around him.

  Finally Sam settled beside him, whole and smiling. "It was good?"

  He laughed and gave Sam a kiss. "It was very good."

  Sam's giggles bounced over his face. "Excellent. How was your outing? What did you do? What did you see? Tell me everything!"

  He chuckled, turning into Samuel and nuzzling his lover's neck. "Thank you for waiting until after we'd made love this time."

  "I did!" Samuel's hands swept down his sides, tickling and teasing. "Now, talk, Mister Jason, or I will tease each word from you! Torture you until the story is told!"

  "Are you sure?" he asked, laughing. "It was dreadfully dull."

  "Balderdash!" Samuel pounced him with a grin, surprising weight pushing him into the mattress. "Talk!"

  "All right, all right. I'll talk."

  Smiling, he leaned up and took a long sweet kiss first and then he curled up with Samuel and told him all about his day.

  ***

  He spent most of his time upstairs when Jason was visiting or working or speaking with clients or whatever the living did when they weren't playing.

  Most of it.

  Sometimes, especially when Diane was there, or a particularly attractive man was there, or Jason's mother was there, he went down to see.

  And play.

  Today it was Diane, sitting like a lump in the window seat discussing floors with his Jason.

  Floors.

  Bo-o-o-o-ring.

  He sat on the floor beside Jason's desk and began untying his shoes.

  Jason shook his foot.

  He grinned and started pulling the shoelaces out, tickling Jason's ankle with the end.

  Jason shook his foot again and crossed his legs.

  Spoilsport.

  He scooted closer and started on the other shoe.

  Jason made a noise and swiped at his foot with one hand, as if trying to shoo a bug.

  Samuel giggled, leaning down to nuzzle Jason's ankle, blow warm air along the hairs on his lover's calf.

  Jason gasped softly.

  "Jas? You okay?"

  His lover cleared his throat. "Fine -- got bit or something."

  Oh!

  Excellent idea!

  Samuel grinned up and then scraped his teeth along Jason's ankle bone.

  Jason jerked and then jumped up.

  My, Jason did look very tall from this angle.

  Samuel scooted between Jason's legs and straightened up enough to nuzzle the sweet, firm buttocks. He didn't bite, though. That would be cruel.

  Fun, but cruel.

  Jason jerked again and made a funny noise. Kind of like a swallowed moan.

  "Jas? You sure you're all right?" The Diane woman sounded concerned.

  "I guess -- " Jason's voice squeaked and he cleared his throat. "I'm feeling a little strange."

  Samuel nuzzled again. No. Soft and warm and delicious, yes. Strange? No. He squeezed a little, just to make sure.

  Jason made another one of those noises and moved back until he was pressed up against the back wall.

  Samuel stood, pressing close, lips brushing Jason's jaw. Sweet man, so proper, so gentlemanly, so sexy, so his.

  Maybe he needed to bite the Diane woman's butt.

  In fact, that was looking more and more appealing as she came up and slid her hand along Jason's cheek and across his forehead. "You're flushed, Jas. I hope you aren't coming down with something."

  He reached up and pinched her elbow. Forward thing! No one said she could touch!

  Diane yelped and slapped at the air around her arm. "There is a bug in here!"

  Jason frowned, glared really. "I hope it goes away, I'd hate to have to exterminate."

  Oh.

  With a thought he was upstairs, watching out the window, curled up in his window seat. He never had been spectacularly brilliant at that knowing when to stop concept. In fact, carrying on with a stable boy and his utterly beautiful older brother non-stop was sort of how he got into the whole consumption-dead thing.

  There was a soft knock on the door as Jason came in. "Samuel? You up here?"

  He looked over, trying to decide if Jason was angry, in which case he wasn't here. There were some benefits to being dead, after all.

  Jason sighed and came over to his window seat, curling up in it and looking out the window. "You can't bite my friends, Sammy. It isn't polite."

  "I didn't bite her!"

  He frowned and stood, sliding across the floor. He hadn't bitten her, hadn't even really bitten Jason. He'd gone down to play and he supposed he shouldn't but...

  Wait a moment.

  This was his house.

  Samuel looked over at Jason, letting himself be seen. "I was haunting my house. I am a ghost, Jason. It's my job."

  The look in Jason's eyes softened as he became visible. "I know, Sammy, but if people find out I'm sleeping with a ghost, they're going to have me committed just like Janice was." Jason shook his head. "Diane already thinks I spend too much time in Violet House."

  "What do you think?"

  He needed to know the answer. He was not a stupid man, a foolish man, perhaps, but not dumb. The living needed to be touched, needed the real. But he hoped that it wasn't time to let go, not yet. Not quite yet.

  He wanted to be believed in for a little while longer.

  Jason grinned suddenly. "I couldn't hustle Di out of the house fast enough -- what do you think I think?"

  Reaching out slowly, giving him time to solidify completely, Jason cupped his cheek, thumb brushing across his lips. "I fell in love with Violet House the first time I saw her. Took me a little longer with you, but I'm here now and I'm happy."

  He grinned, dipping his head to suck on that warm thumb, watching Jason closely. Happy was good, very good. He liked when Jason was happy.

  Happy and naked was better, but he could be patient.

  Jason moaned softly, licking his lips. "Feels good."

  He tugged at Jason's shirt, pulling harder at Jason's thumb, growing warm, heavy.

  Jason worked on his buttons with one hand, watching him, blue eyes growing dark.

  Samuel reached out and stroked Jason's belly, feeling the muscles jerk and ripple for his touch. Such power this lovely man gave him, such pleasure.

  Jason had his shirt off now. Well mostly off, it still hung from the wrist of the hand he was sucking on.

  Jason's free hand started working on his pants.

  Oh, yes, happy and getting naked was quite nice. To be highly recommended.

  He reached out and tweaked one of Jason's nipples, enjoying the jerk and gasp and groan so much he did it again.

  "You can do that anytime you want when we're alone," murmured Jason as he got the pants undone and started pushing them off.

  He could do that anytime he wanted at all, truth be told. He chose to be good.

  Mostly.

  Inst
ead of arguing the point -- which would lead to talking and arguing and not touching and moaning -- Samuel just tweaked again, watching the flesh grow hard and pink.

  Jason jerked again, moaned again and then his lover was on him, kissing him hard, finger still sharing space in his mouth.

  Oh, there were benefits to being corporeal, really there were. He opened to the kiss with a groan, rubbing his suddenly naked body against Jason's.

  Jason fucked him with tongue and finger and then Jason's hand left his face, finger leaving his mouth with a soft noise and Jason was trailing his wet finger along his neck.

  He shivered, murmured into the kiss. He slid his hands around Jason's waist, enjoying the warmth and smooth skin.

  Jason pushed him against the window and then backed off. "Bed? I don't want to give anyone a show."

  He giggled and disappeared, hand sweeping around to pump Jason's cock. "No, masturbating in the window's bad form."

  Then he leapt onto the bed with a wide grin.

  Jason laughed and came over to the bed, lying in the middle and spreading himself out. "Am I lying on you?"

  He settled himself so that he was straddling Jason's cock and then materialized. "No, it does not appear so."

  Jason laughed again, the sound less happy and more breathless need.

  "I want to fuck you, Samuel. Can I?"

  "Yes, Jason." He nodded, smiling as he pushed against the heat poking him, excitement making him tingle.

  "Oh, God. Oh, Sam. Want you."

  Jason's hands slid along his thighs, moving restlessly up and down his skin, warming him all through.

  "Take me, I'm yours. You can't hurt me. Take what we want."

  Jason's hands slid up to his waist, circling and holding. His lover slowly pushed up while pulling him down, moving the long, hot cock into him.

  Sensation and pleasure and incredible heat bloomed within him, making him arch into his lover's hands, his skin beginning to shimmer.

  He reached out, brushed the hair from Jason's forehead. "I feel you."

  Jason nuzzled into his touch. "I feel you, too. So tight, Sam. So good."

  "Mmm... yes." He moved on Jason's cock, groaning as that heat increased, made him ache.

  Jason was breathing heavily, hips moving in a solid rhythm, pushing into him over and over again, fingers tight on his skin. His entire body shuddered, sinking down onto heat again and again, forcing himself to remain whole, hot, tight, close.

  Real.

  "Oh, God, Sammy. Now. Now." Jason arched, back bowed as he came.

  "Jason..." He shuddered again and then once more, pleasure sending him flying.

  Jason's voice called him back, the long fingers searching for his body. He forced himself back, throwing himself into those hands, loving Jason as best he could. Jason stroked and touched and slid those marvelous hands along his body, loving him back.

  "Oh, Jason." He shivered, rubbing himself against warm, smooth skin like a cat, purring as Jason's hands traced his spine.

  A soft kiss pressed against his forehead. "Love you," whispered Jason.

  "I love you, dear man." He held close, nuzzling and happy.

  "You going to come help me choose the flooring now or after a nap?"

  "After a nap. Not biting your friends makes me tired." He hid his grin in Jason's shoulder.

  Jason laughed, the sound happy and full and alive.

  He giggled, cuddling into Jason's heat, pulling it into himself. There was something to be said for being corporeal.

  Of course you could get away with so much more when you weren't.

  Letting go of his form, he spread out over Jason, blanketing his lover completely.

  He spent most of his time upstairs and, if he had his way, there would never be reason to leave, love and play and pleasure all found in their big bed.

  ***

  Samuel sat in his window seat, watching the shadows of Jason and Jason's friend, Robert. Robert had come in with Jason's mother, right after the leaves started to fall. He'd come in and laughed and Jason had gone with him.

  It had been okay -- Samuel knew that people needed friends. So he hadn't worried the first time. Or the third time. Or the tenth time.

  Well, by the tenth time he'd been worried.

  "I just need to get out, Sammy."

  "There's this little band playing, Sammy. I haven't gone dancing in so long."

  "It's just a quick cup of coffee."

  Every time they went out, Sammy would sit in the windowbox and watch them walk up. Jason's eyes would glance up at him and Jason would grin and Sammy would know Jason believed in him.

  Needed him.

  Loved him.

  The last two nights, though, Jason didn't look up, just smiled at Robert and then came into the house, put the long coat away before calling his name.

  Tonight the moon was full and it was cold for October. Damnably cold. Desperately cold. Jason and Robert walked up, hand-in-hand, Jason laughing, looking up into Robert's face, the streetlights making them both so pale, so strange.

  Jason laughing was a beautiful thing.

  They stopped at the gate and Jason turned, pushed into Robert's arms, face lifted for a kiss. When their lips met, Samuel felt something inside him make a sound, a sound like he heard his father make so long ago. It made him remember something he'd forgotten in his long years in the tower room.

  Being real hurt. Hurting made him so tired.

  Samuel watched the kisses until they ended, watched every single motion, every single second of Jason happy and wanting, let the desire and loss and hope fill every single bit of him until his very self seemed to shake with it, shiver with it.

  The streetlights grew brighter along with the moon -- so bright, so big, so perfect and his eyes slipped away from the sight of the two lovers on the walk, caught in the glow.

  By the time Jason came into Violet House, went to put his coat away and called for his lover, there was no one there to answer.

  Chapter Seven

  He pulled up in front of the house and just sat there and looked. It was fucking perfect. Arches and buttresses and immaculately kept and landscaped -- the owner loved Violet House.

  Of course, Josh knew that. He had called Mr. York for almost a year, trying to get this interview. One more house and then his research was done and he could find a cheap little rental on the beach and write the fucking book.

  He grabbed his tape recorder and his notepad off the front seat and hopped out, patting Bessie's dented yellow hood as he rounded the Beetle and headed up to the front door. House thirteen and god, but she was a pretty one. Looked like he'd saved the very best for last.

  He straightened his shirt and wondered briefly if he should have put on a tie or fastened his hair back -- you never knew with these old guys. Then he just shrugged, grinned at himself and his inner worrywart, and knocked.

  There was a long pause and then the door opened on a middle aged man with dark brown hair that was just starting to grey and left just a little bit long over his ears. Bright blue eyes smiled at him. The guy was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, which sure wasn't the uniform of a butler. Maybe he kept up the grounds or something.

  "Can I help you?"

  "I sure hope so." Josh grinned and held out his hand, surreptitiously checking for dirt or ink or leftover mustard. Living in Bessie was hell on the hygiene. "I have an appointment with Mr. York. I'm Joshua Radley."

  "Oh, that's today!" The man wiped his hands on his jeans and then shook Josh's hand. "I'm Mr. York," he said, eyes twinkling. "But you can call me Jason."

  Oh, shit. Thank God he hadn't said anything fucking stupid. At least not yet.

  "It's very nice to meet you, sir. I do appreciate you talking to me." And he would appreciate his fucking cock if it would just back off, thank you. The man was fine, but really. Business. Only business.

  It didn't help that it looked like Mr. York -- Jason -- had taken a moment to check him out. Though he wondered if that had been
his own overactive imagination because now the man was smiling in a friendly, pleasant way and ushering him into the house. "I think you might find that when it comes to Violet House, I'm a little hard to shut up."

  "Excellent! She's beautiful from the outside -- you must have worked on the house for years." He followed along, eyes wide as he took in the beautiful decor, the lovely lines. It was stunning.

  He should have brought in his camera.

  Jason trailed his fingers over the woodwork as he moved from the entrance hall to the west wing door. "A labor of love, I assure you."

  Great hands, too...

  Josh bit the inside of his bottom lip, forcing his attention back to business. "I imagine so. The newspaper articles I've found said the house wasn't in the best of shape when you bought it."

  Smiling, Jason opened the door and led him into what was obviously the man's office, but aside from the computer and the phone, it was as if they had stepped into the past.

  "Yes, she needed a lot of work. Neglect and abuse. The ballroom had been split up into three rooms." Jason shook his head. "Of course I've seen worse sins committed."

  "Oh?" He sat in the velvet armchair he was motioned toward, settling in with a happy noise. Comfy. Oh, he could just fall in love with this room alone and he'd not even seen the remainder of the house.

  He slipped the tape recorder in his pocket, just leaving his notebook out for now.

  Jason nodded and sat in the window seat, looking very much at home. "I restore Victorian's for a living. I don't do the actual work anymore - I just supervise. I also design space for people within old houses, so they can keep the place as true to its original form as possible. More and more people are working to restore their buildings. It's so nice to see."

  Josh nodded. "That's one of the reasons I'm writing this book. My Nan is a Civil War-era restoration specialist, so I grew up in the midst of one old beauty after another. I'm focusing on the Victorians this go-around because there's more interest. How long did it take to fully restore this one?"

  "Five years all told, though I did most of the work the first year and then was focused on my business. I did the greenhouse the second year, the outside work the third and a lot of the little details and furnishing over the last two."

  Jason's smile was rather self-deprecating. "Not that I ever really stop. I'm always looking for new furniture, re-polishing the woodwork, repainting. Touch ups here and there." A soft laugh. "There's always something needs doing to make my lady that much more lovely."