Richard was exhausted, but he wasn’t quite done, not yet. He withdrew slowly, lay down next to William, and pulled him into his arms, pressing his lips to the lad’s for one more long, slow kiss. He didn’t want it to end.
But it must. William pulled his face away from the kiss but remained in his embrace and rested his head on Richard’s chest, just as he had done when Richard first began to fall in love with him.
William was glowing. Richard felt glorious as William told him, “That was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wish I could spend the rest of my life here in this bed. You are everything I hoped you would be.”
“I wasn’t bad, I suppose,” Richard admitted modestly with a chuckle, “but don’t think I’ve peaked. I’ve so much more to do with you. Perhaps you’ll love me yet.”
William’s shy smile was back as he said, “If you keep doing things like that, I will.”
“I’d better keep it up, then.”
“Please do.”
William looked at him expectantly, and Richard waited for more too, but neither spoke.
Leaving the bed, William continued, “And please don’t tease me about love again. I’m ashamed of the way I behaved when we met.” He wet a rag in the ewer and wiped himself down.
Richard pushed down his disappointment at the words and concentrated on the invitation. William had affection for him, maybe even love, and he might be able to admit it one day when his newfound pride mattered less. Richard could wait, and until that day came, he had plenty to comfort him.
“I won’t tease you, I promise, and I would hate for you to suppress your feelings, be they good, bad, or indifferent toward me. You need never be ashamed of anything that comes from your heart.”
“When we first met, it came more from my loins than my breast, and my head could not tell the difference,” William confessed with an embarrassed laugh.
Richard smirked at that. “No need to explain. I have felt similar, in my youth. And for now, I have your body, which is just as worth having. You might surprise me again one day, if your heart catches up.”
William bit his lip and returned to the bed. He sat next to where Richard lay and looked down at him, deep into his eyes, with an intense, searching gaze. “What of your heart now?”
“My heart?” William owned it, but Richard didn’t want to reveal himself if his lover would not. “I am not ashamed of anything I feel for you. But I ought to be as careful as you are.”
“Is that what we are doing? Being careful.”
“I think it is.”
William chuckled again. “You know, that is not my usual way.”
“I had noticed.”
“So I may as well tell you that, over the last few days, I have come to realize what it truly means to be in love.”
That sounded pretty careful to Richard. As nice as it felt, he’d longed all his life to hear the words plainly spoken. “And?” he asked, a wide smile on his face.
“And I have fallen in love with you, Richard Brasyer.”
Richard stared at him for a long time. He had believed he would never live to hear anyone he loved offer those words. He pulled William down and kissed him again, but the lad pushed him away.
“Well?” William demanded. “Will you not say it back to me? I told you I won’t put up with any more teasing.”
“Of course I love you.” Richard laughed as William scrambled back into the bed merrily and kissed him.
Richard had nothing left, but he could feel William’s prick already beginning to harden again. “Slow down,” he murmured. “We have the whole of our lives for that. I’ll see you all right in a few hours.”
William cuddled up to him. “What now, then?”
What now, indeed?
Richard pulled him closer, and with a contented sigh, said, “Now, we rest.”
VANESSA MULBERRY has been reading and writing since she learned to read and write. She has been an MM romance reader for a decade now and took up writing the genre because she loves happy endings and, ahem, happy endings. Her hobbies include Gin and Tonic.
She lives in Buckinghamshire (which is significantly less posh than it sounds) with her long-suffering husband and their adorable daughter.
You can find out more about Vanessa at:
Website: www.vanessamulberry.com
Twitter: @VanessaMulberry
By Vanessa Mulberry
The First Act
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The First Act
© 2016 Vanessa Mulberry.
Cover Art
© 2016 AngstyG.
www.angstyg.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
ISBN: 978-1-63477-781-0
Digital ISBN: 978-1-63477-782-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016913747
Published October 2016
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
The First Act Page 22