by Ava March
“Do you like it when I stroke my cock for you?” Gabriel asked. Not because he needed the reassurance of Anthony’s answer, but because he wanted to hear Anthony’s voice. Wanted Anthony to vocalize his desires.
“Yes,” Anthony replied, voice gone hoarse.
“And why is that?” Gabriel asked. His lover seemed to adore prodding him to talk, to share his thoughts, no matter the subject. Gabriel had found there were situations that held great appeal in following Anthony’s example.
Anthony’s gaze briefly flickered up to Gabriel’s before landing once more on Gabriel’s cock. He gave a little shrug of one shoulder. “I don’t know.” His tongue darted out to swipe across his bottom lip. “It’s just very...erotic, watching you take yourself in hand.”
With his free hand, Gabriel palmed his ballocks and gave them a gentle roll.
And earned another wonderfully low groan from Anthony.
Then there were only the sounds of skin sliding across skin mixed with their quickening breaths. Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from increasing his pace, tightening his grip. Hands clutching the coverlet, Anthony shifted on the bed, an impatient slight rearrangement of limbs. His cock was so hard it arched over his lower belly, his ballocks drawn up tight enough to kiss the base.
Watching Anthony become intensely aroused simply from watching Gabriel touch himself...
“You know,” Gabriel said, fairly gasping for air, “if I keep this up much longer, we won’t have much of a night.”
“Yes, we will,” was Anthony’s quick reply.
“You want to watch me climax?”
An eager nod from Anthony. “I want to watch you come off on me.” His chest worked under the force of his panting breaths. “Paint me with your seed.”
Gabriel had to close his eyes, fight back the heavy surge of lust. Yet closing his eyes made the tantalizing image materialize in his mind. Anthony’s pale skin splattered with his seed as Gabriel marked him as his own.
He wanted that. Damnation, did he want that. And he wanted to give it to Anthony. Give his lover everything he desired. But...
He’d been weeks without Anthony. Weeks without feeling Anthony’s body beneath him, Anthony holding him tight as they both ramped to a climax.
“What if I give you that and more?”
“I’ll take anything you’ll give me, Gabriel.”
He wanted to give Anthony everything. His body, his heart, his very self. And he would give Anthony all of that, along with everything his lover desired this night and every night in the future.
“I should hope this—” he paused his hand, gave his length a squeeze “—is more than a mere anything.”
Anthony spread his legs, wide enough for Gabriel to fit between them. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
Gabriel gave his head a short, bemused shake. Hell, how he adored his inquisitive, adventurous lover who used questions to nudge Gabriel to give Anthony exactly what he wanted. Exactly what both of them wanted.
Grabbing the oil from the bedside table, Gabriel made to extinguish the candle.
“Wait,” Anthony said, stopping Gabriel before he could snuff out the flame. “After.”
Ah yes. Anthony would want to watch, and the fire in the hearth did not provide much light.
Gabriel moved onto the bed, moving into the space Anthony had created for him. The instant their bodies touched, a frisson of pure need rushed through him. Yet he kept himself from pouncing on Anthony like a savage and placated that need by claiming a blistering hot kiss from his lover.
Anthony arched up into the kiss, grabbing Gabriel’s hips, tugging him closer. Used their bodies to press their erections together in a decadent caress that was nearly Gabriel’s undoing. It had been too long, much too long, since he’d had Anthony like this. He wasn’t certain if it was those weeks without or their play, or perhaps a combination of both, that added the extra sizzle, the extra potent kick to the lust drumming through Gabriel’s veins. All he knew was that he wanted—needed—Anthony now.
Breaking the kiss, he leaned back enough to settle on his knees so he could remove the stopper from the small bottle of oil. “I missed you.” He poured oil into his palm.
“I missed you too.” Anthony rubbed a calf along Gabriel’s outer thigh, as if he needed to add the reassurance of touch to his words. Then he held out a hand, took the bottle from Gabriel and did up the stopper.
Bracing his weight on his free hand, Gabriel crouched back down over Anthony. He felt Anthony pull back his legs, knees bracketing Gabriel’s hips. Gabriel slipped his oiled hand between their bodies, gave his own cock a stroke to coat it with oil then prepared his lover. Teased the perimeter then slid a finger inside him, stretching the tight muscle. Chin tipping up and to the side, exposing his throat, Anthony went lax beneath him. Completely gave himself up to Gabriel. The trust, the beauty in his submission, held Gabriel in awe.
He didn’t know what he had ever done to deserve Anthony, but whatever it was, all he could do was be thankful. Thankful he had Anthony in his bed and in his life.
“I’m ready. Please, Gabriel.” All traces of a teasing nudge were long gone, leaving only raw need.
Pulling his fingers free, he took his own cock in hand, guided the crown to Anthony’s entrance. Gaze locked with Anthony’s, he pressed forward with his hips. Gentle at first and then with more pressure, until he made the breach. Until his entire length was trapped in the most incredible clinging heat.
And then he went still. But it wasn’t apprehension or a fear of letting go, of letting his desires free, that caused him to pause. No, that tight sensation in his gut was more...anticipation for the future. Their future.
Gabriel dropped down to fully cover Anthony. “Forever?” he whispered against Anthony’s lips, needing to be certain Anthony felt the same way. Determined not to make the same mistake he’d made seven years ago.
Beautiful gray eyes held his. “Yes, Gabriel. Forever.”
The words were there, right on the tip of his tongue, ready to be freed. Yet Gabriel kept them inside. Now was not the time. He didn’t want Anthony to assume his love was dependent on them being bound together like this. He loved all of Anthony, not just his body. And so he captured Anthony’s mouth and set about driving them both over the edge.
Soon the bed was creaking beneath the force of his thrusts. Anthony clung to him, urging him for more. Gabriel slammed harder, faster. He could feel the tension of an impending climax drawing Anthony’s muscles taut, shortening his breaths. The need to lose himself in his lover, to bring them to orgasm together, almost overwhelmed him. Yet Gabriel remained focused on his goal.
Breaking their kiss, he reared back, settling on his knees. He palmed Anthony’s thighs, pushing his legs back further, and continued slamming into Anthony.
“You wanted to watch?” Gabriel asked.
Lips parting, Anthony’s eyes flared with lust. “Yes, yes.”
With a nod, Gabriel bowed his head. And instead of waiting for Anthony to precede him, he let go, stopped holding back the orgasm.
His hips snapped forward, strokes rough, almost greedy. Lust coiled down his spine, tightening in his ballocks. And then he pulled free and grabbed hold of his erection.
“Do it, Gabriel,” Anthony urged, voice thick with unbridled passion. “Come off on me.”
Three strokes, and the climax barreled through him. Seed shot from the crown, landing on Anthony’s stomach, his cock, his chest. Painting his lover’s skin with the pearly-white proof of Gabriel’s desire for him.
“Yes, Gabriel. Yes!” Anthony threw back his head, fisted his own cock. And Gabriel had the pleasure of watching as the orgasm seized hold of his lover. As Anthony’s seed joined Gabriel’s own.
Wrung dry, Anthony dropped his legs to the mattress. “Hell and damnation,” he muttered. Then
he let out a short, sated chuckle as he dragged a finger across his painted chest. “That was...amazing.”
Leaning down, he covered Anthony. Chest pressed against chest, smearing sticky seed across his own skin. But he didn’t care about the mess. He’d clean them both up before they settled in for some sleep. “You are amazing,” he whispered, then he kissed the man he loved with all of his heart.
* * *
“Three-arm candelabra,” Anthony said. “Solid silver, fine craftsmanship. Forty-two pounds, resale value.”
Gabriel made a notation in his ledger. He’d have only figured thirty, but if Anthony thought more, then Gabriel would use that estimate. “It can go with the other silver pieces in the trunk near the couch.”
With a nod, Anthony did as bid, tucking the candelabra into the open trunk. “What’s next?”
From his place behind his desk, Gabriel glanced about the study. The console table, end tables and desk were now empty, their burdens packed in the three trunks scattered about the room. It had taken some effort to get Anthony to agree to help him finish cataloging everything in the study. Not because Anthony hadn’t wanted to help, but more because he hadn’t believed he could be of any real assistance. Gabriel had treaded carefully, not wanting the brittle vulnerability from last night to make a reappearance. Anthony’s issues with reading—and writing, as he’d admitted that morning—mattered not to Gabriel, or to the task at hand. There was only one ledger. Only one of them needed to do the recording. The task would be accomplished much quicker with two, and as Gabriel had suspected, Anthony knew far more about the value of objects than he did. A by-product of living in London for so many years and frequenting the shops there.
“Do you know anything about jewels?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes. I have a mother and a sister who are both quite fond of sparkly things.”
“Charlotte had a few good pieces.” Nothing that Gabriel had given her. She’d come into the marriage with them. He’d given her a necklace one year for her birthday, but it was just a thin gold chain, purchased from a shop in a nearby village. Derbyshire didn’t hold much in the way of craftsmen who specialized in fine jewelry. “They’re in the safe. Could you help me put a value on them?”
“Of course.” Anthony rounded the desk and held out a hand. “Key?”
Gabriel dropped his pencil onto the ledger and reached into his trouser pocket. “Here.”
As Anthony took the proffered key, he leaned down and gave Gabriel a quick kiss. A mere brush of skin against skin, yet it had the power to bring a smile to Gabriel’s lips.
Their current task might not be a very pleasant one—no man wanted to be in a position where he was forced to sell all his worldly possessions—but it couldn’t dampen Gabriel’s spirits. Today was turning into a wonderful day. He had awoken with Anthony half-sprawled across him, his bare skin a temptation Gabriel hadn’t been able to resist. With weak early morning light just barely making its way through the breaks in the drapes, he had woken Anthony with kisses and touches. And had been amply rewarded. Anthony had straddled his waist, slid down onto Gabriel’s cock and ridden him until they’d both been gasping and replete. Then they’d dragged themselves out of bed, pulled on some clothes and Anthony had cooked them a spot of breakfast.
Gray clouds might be hanging in the sky and the November air might be on the brisk side, but it had been a perfect morning. Tomorrow they would need to set off for London, but for now, he was savoring this time he had alone with Anthony.
It didn’t take Anthony long to loosely appraise the amethyst necklace and matching ring, the sapphire brooch and the emerald bracelet, all set in gold. As Anthony closed up the safe, Gabriel tallied the lines in the ledger and let out a great sigh of relief.
“With everything, including the goods I’ve already sold and the property and house, I should have 12,330 pounds.”
“That’s enough to pay off your debts.”
“Indeed. The shops in London might not give the full values we want, but hopefully after I’ve paid off Carter, I’ll be left with a few pounds to put in my pocket.” Gabriel tucked the ledger and pencil in a desk drawer and stood. “Care to take a walk to fill the afternoon? We can tour the grounds then go into the village, stop in at the tavern for a bite to eat.”
“All right. We should stop by the barn on our way out, alert Morgan and Drake that we’ll need to leave on the morrow. And we should let them know where we are going. I have no doubt they are keeping an eye on the house.”
They grabbed their greatcoats and gloves, left the house and found Drake in the barn, sitting in the aisle with his back propped up against a stall and a book in hand. The man got to his feet as Gabriel and Antony approached.
“Afternoon, Lord Rawling, Mr. Tilden. Do you have need of something?”
“Not at the moment,” Gabriel said. “Though tomorrow morning we’ll need to leave for London. I have a few trunks to take to the shops there before proceeding on to the East Side.”
Drake tipped his head. “Would eight o’clock be acceptable for departure, or would you prefer to leave earlier or later?”
Gabriel would prefer not to ever leave Derbyshire. To remain in the country with Anthony forever. But as that wasn’t an option, he agreed to depart at eight o’clock. “And just so you are aware, we are going to take a walk about then head into the village for a bit. Would you like us to bring you both back something for supper?”
They were fine on their own, Drake insisted. Just as he had insisted earlier that morning, when Gabriel had offered them a place at the table for breakfast.
“Do you want to take the carriage?” A nearby stall door opened and Morgan stepped into the aisle carrying a bucket filled with brushes. “I can harness the team.”
“Thank you, but no need. We can walk. The village is less than a mile away. An easy distance on foot.”
Apparently Morgan didn’t think it all that easy of a distance, for the man frowned.
“We will return before nightfall,” Anthony added.
But that frown stayed affixed to Morgan’s mouth. “We can accompany you.”
Drake stepped to Morgan’s side and laid a hand on the giant’s forearm. “They don’t need a shadow, Jack. Hired muscle prefers the cover of darkness. Lord Rawling and Mr. Tilden are not going to be snatched from along a country road in broad daylight.”
Drake held Morgan’s gaze for a long moment. It wasn’t as though Drake was trying to coerce Morgan into agreement. The look between them was more of a discussion. Drake arched a brow, Morgan pursed his lips as if he wasn’t yet convinced he should agree. Finally Morgan nodded once before turning his attention to Anthony and Gabriel. “Have a pleasant walk and please let us know when you return.”
Those two were definitely more than casual bedfellows, and they made Gabriel hope to one day have that sort of relationship with Anthony. Where words were not always necessary. Gabriel glanced to Anthony, who strode beside him as they left the stable yard. A slight breeze touched the ends of Anthony’s sandy blond hair, the tip of his nose already a bit pink from the chill air. Anthony caught his eye and smiled.
But he already did have that kind of relationship with Anthony. And Anthony was his forever. How exactly Gabriel would support himself in their forever...that was a different question altogether. Regardless, he knew in his heart that Anthony would stick by him no matter what.
“I’m glad Drake convinced Morgan we didn’t need an escort,” Gabriel said.
Gloved fingers slid through his own, capturing his hand that was hanging at his side. “So am I.” Anthony gave his hand a squeeze.
Gabriel’s first instinct was to pull his hand from Anthony’s. Such intimate contact would be bound to cast suspicion on them. Yet...
They were on his property, no neighbors in view. The two men they’d left behind in the barn wouldn’t
say a word against them. Until they neared the village, he could indulge in holding Anthony’s hand without fear of repercussions.
And he found it a very pleasant indulgence indeed.
He took Anthony out to the eastern limit of his property. Why exactly he wanted to show Anthony something that would very soon no longer be his, he wasn’t quite sure. And Anthony had his own country estate that likely far surpassed Gabriel’s. Wasn’t as if Anthony would find Gabriel’s plot of land impressive. Still, Gabriel wanted to show him the land he had once spent so many hours tilling and nurturing.
With his free hand, Gabriel pointed to the trees in the distance, heavy gray clouds hanging over the autumn canopy. “The woods were thicker, but I sold some of the timbers. Got a decent price for them too.”
“You’ll miss this.” It wasn’t a question, more a statement.
“Yes, but...” Gabriel let out a sigh. “This land and the house, they came to me through my marriage. It’s best I let it all go. Put it behind me. Move forward afresh.”
And it was for the best. If he had stayed in Derbyshire, never gone to London, he’d have not only missed his second chance with Anthony, but he’d have been tying himself to the past. He didn’t relish the idea of turning his property over to an unscrupulous creditor, but hopefully Carter would sell the land to someone who would care for it as Gabriel had done.
“What do you plan to do once we reach London?” Anthony asked.
“Pay off my debts.”
Anthony gave him a nudge with his shoulder. “Obviously. After that. Are you planning to stay in London or rent a house in the country?”
“Stay in London. That’s where you are.”
“But you love the countryside.”
Gabriel shrugged. “I won’t deny I’ll miss the great expanses of the country, but I would rather be with you. And London isn’t without green grass and trees. Hyde Park is lovely.”