by Wolfe, H. M.
”He twisted their arm into it, threatening to sue the hospital. The goddamn kid turned out to be a lawyer, a very seasoned one even. He called our legal counselors and spent almost an hour talking to them. According to the members of the staff who assisted at the scene, your protege was a force of nature.”
As she spoke, Victoria became less and less frustrated, the feeling replaced with admiration for the young man’s actions. The criminal psychologist Alastair was, felt the change and that made him smile brightly. He was about to ask the doctor some more questions, hoping to find out more relevant details that could bring some light into the mysterious story, when the sound of the intercom put a stop to his intentions.
”Sorry, dear, I would like to talk to you more, but I have to go. The boys remembered their old uncle Alastair and decided to visit me," he said, joy pouring from his voice.
”Go on and answer the door, Mister Stark, no need to apologize. Have fun with the little ones and don’t forget to tell Daniel and Tarquin I love them,” Victoria giggled into the phone.
”I will, darling. Goodbye, and thank you.”
After hanging up on Doctor Stuyvesant, Alastair pushed the intercom button. ”Who is it?” he asked, knowing the answer in advance.
”Excuse me, Mister Stark, but one Vincent Grant is here, asking to see you. The man is quite persistent.” the concierge answered apologetically.
A wave of shock hit the former CIA director, sending chills along his spine. Vincent Grant. The man he was least expecting to see. ”Send him up” the man spoke in an ice-cold voice.
CHAPTER 3
Although the sun had started to rise, pouring light and warmth from its shining rays, it was pitch black in the room. The thick curtains completely covered the windows, the only source of discreet light being the aromatic candles placed on the floor and the two nightstands.
Daniel lay on the bed, wearing nothing but the oval agate Tarquin gave him eighteen months earlier, when the blond proposed, and the two rings he got from Alastair the same day. The raven-haired man’s breath hitched slightly as he stared, in awe, at the sight of his husband before him.
Moving tortuously slow, undulating his hips and flexing the perfectly sculptured muscles of his torso, Daniel’s wonderful husband removed the t-shirt and boxers he had worn the previous night. Then, completely naked, Tarquin climbed onto the bed, seductively crawling, until he was only inches away from Daniel.
”How do you want it this time, husband?” the blond whispered into the raven-haired man’s ear in a husky voice.
”Like last time,” he answered, making considerable effort to form the words. ”I want you to take me while I lay on my back so that I can lose myself in your beautiful eyes.” Then, Daniel fell silent and, extending a hand, he delicately caressed Tarquin’s eyes and the thick, long, silky lashes shadowing them.
”You know I will take care of you, don’t you?” the blond whispered gently, following the contour of his husband’s face with the pad of his index finger.
The raven-haired man nodded. ”You always take care of me, I trust you with my life.”
”Good.” A smirk played on Tarquin’s lips, spreading all over his face. Lowering his head, the blond started to kiss Daniel’s chest, neck, and face, until he reached his husband’s lips. With the skillful tip of his tongue, he parted them, demanding entrance, then he captured them in a heated, passionate kiss, while his tongue won the battle for dominance, tasting, exploring and conquering Daniel’s mouth.
Breaking the kiss for one moment, Tarquin reached for the nightstand, taking the bottle of lube he’d placed there earlier. Then the blond resumed the kissing session even more passionately until both he and his husband ran out of air again. The feel of Tarquin’s lips on his skin and mouth made Daniel whimper in need, already wanting to be taken by his beautiful, passionate husband.
Boring his sky blue eyes into the raven-haired man’s dark blue, almost black ones, the blond gave him an assuring smile. Gently spreading Daniel’s legs, Tarquin properly and carefully prepared him, then coated his cock with lube, pushing inside his husband’s hot, pulsating, welcoming hole. Knowing precisely what Daniel liked and how he loved it, the blond started to tease the man, moving slowly inside him.
As soon as the raven-haired man started to moan, Tarquin sped up the pace, putting more force in his thrusts, heatedly caressing every inch of his husband’s body. Meanwhile, the said husband returned the favor, delicately touching the blond’s flawless skin until he reached his firm, hardened nipples, the most sensitive points on his wonderfully shaped body. Smirking, Daniel squeezed the two buds, making Tarquin jolt and tilt his head backward, eyes half closed.
In response, the young Ballard intensified the force of his thrusts, almost driving his husband over the edge. On the brink of the orgasm himself, the blond took Daniel’s cock in his hand, stroking it slowly at first. Then, as the raven-haired man bucked, pushing his dick into Tarquin’s fist, he increased the frequency of the strokes, understanding the message.
”Please, my love, bear with me a few more seconds,” the blond asked his husband in a rough, pleading voice. ”Let’s come together.”
Breathing erratically, Daniel didn’t offer an answer, he just nodded. Several powerful thrusts later, Tarquin came with a loud, passion-filled moan. His husband followed him, releasing with a savage, victorious cry.
For a while, the two men just laid on their backs, in silence, lost in each other's eyes, basking in the post-orgasm euphoria. As usual, Daniel was the one who made the first move. Turning on one side, he propped up on an elbow, looking at his husband with adoration. The young Bloom lightly touched the blond’s chest with the tips of his fingers, when Tarquin playfully slapped his hand, gently shoving it away.
”What was that for?” Daniel feigned surprise, although, judging by the wide grin on his face, the raven-haired man already knew the answer.
”Consider it a warning,” his husband answered, sporting an equally wide grin. ”You cheated again, Bloom.”
”I have no idea what you are talking about, Ballard,” Daniel defended himself.
”The nipple thing. You did it again, taking me by surprise, although I told you not to” Tarquin explained, waiting for the other man to react. ”And it’s Ballard-Bloom, in case you forgot.”
”So, that’s it, you didn’t like me playing with these sweet, deliciously tasty pebbles?” the raven-haired man grinned again, giving a light squeeze to one of the blond’s nipples. “That is why you moaned so loud,” he laughingly added.
Tarquin gave his husband a stern look. ”You are in deep trouble, Mister Bloom,” he said huskily.
”Define deep trouble, Mister What’s-your-name” Daniel answered in the same manner.
”Payback, punishment, round two. No touching, no teasing.”
The expression on the blond’s face was one of fiery passion and the raven-haired man’s heart swelled with love at the sight of his lover. Without a word, he laid on his stomach, waiting for his husband to take the lead. Tarquin didn’t waste any time, and he prepared him and Daniel again, then pushed inside the bigger, older man in one go.
Tarquin gave Daniel some time to adjust, starting to pound his beloved husband’s ass mercilessly when he sensed the man was ready to take what he was giving to him. Gripping Daniel’s shoulder with one hand, Tarquin reached for the man’s dick with the other, stroking it with urgency. Encouraged by Daniel’s loud moans, the blond increased the rhythm and intensity of the thrusts, in an all-consuming act of lust, passion, and love.
Tarquin brought Daniel to the edge two times before finally allowing his release. When he came, the raven-haired man did it more intensely than the first time, soiling the sheets beneath him. The orgasm still washed over him, sending pleasurable shocks throughout his body. Turning his head to the other side, Daniel smiled widely at the image of Tarquin sprawled all over the bed.
”What are you looking at?” the blond mumbled, eyes half closed, feeling h
is husband’s gaze on him.
”At the beautiful man sprawled next to me," the answer came in a love-filled voice. ”Even now, after a year, I still can’t believe how lucky I am.”
The blond frowned a little. ”What do you mean by that?”
Daniel caressed his husband’s soft, silky curls. ”I am lucky to be married to the bravest, most intelligent, caring and beautiful man on the face of the Earth. I am the proud father of three sons, the greatest a father could wish for. I am the luckiest bastard in the whole world.”
Tears glistened in Tarquin’s eyes as he spoke. ”You know, my love, not even a day passes without me thanking all the gods out there for sending you into my life. I couldn’t imagine how my life would be without you. Don’t ever think about leaving my side, Daniel Bloom.”
”Don’t worry, you are stuck with me forever,” the raven-haired man smirked. Pulling his husband close, he wrapped his strong arms around him, enjoying the peace and comfort he felt in the blond’s presence.
The two men stayed like that for more than an hour, dozing off from time to time. The house was peaceful, the kids spending the night at Eugene’s, under the watchful eyes of Aristarh and Mickey. The young Detroit Mafia boss adored his little adoptive nephews, showering them with affection, attention and all kind of gifts.
The young boys loved their Uncle Eugene from the bottom of their little hearts and listened to him as if he was one of their fathers. Avid to learn new things as they were, the children listened, fascinated, to the stories the two bodyguards told them about their faraway native countries.
As for Eugene, he encouraged the boys’ inclinations towards studying by turning one of the extra rooms in his house into a children’s library. The hundreds of books on different subjects, interactive maps, and audio materials quenched the thirst of knowledge, Emery Lochlin and Gabriel possessed.
Surrounded by love and understanding, protected, cared for and listened to, the three young boys’ minds developed spectacularly, making them act more mature and responsible than their age of six and twelve, respectively.
As for their fathers, the two of them had evolved spectacularly in the eighteen months that passed since they had proposed to each other. During that time, two events marked Tarquin and Daniel’s lives, making them realize how much they’d changed themselves. One was Swinton’s trial, set between the marriage proposal and the wedding. The other one was the honeymoon they spent in Sabahaddin.
To spare his father the suffering and guilt, Tarquin avoided telling his parents about the horrible things he had experienced at the hands of the disgraced media tycoon. Using Alastair’s influence and taking advantage of the fact that Eugene owned the most prestigious news channels in the country, Daniel managed to get his fiancee’s name out of public attention.
However, for justice to be served, Tarquin still had to testify before the grand jury. It was then when his transformation became visible, making his friends and lover proud of him like never before. The blond did a great job in court, resisting the vicious attacks Swinton’s lawyers unleashed on him.
He didn’t crumble, didn’t break down in tears, didn’t show any sign of fear. Instead, the young man sat there, looking the monster straight in the eyes while telling his story in simple words, without leaving anything out or adding something to it. Tarquin’s testimony was decisive to the course of the trial. It was what ascertained that the jury voted unanimously for Swinton’s conviction.
From that experience, young Ballard emerged stronger, wiser and much more confident. Even if, because of the choice he made, his father wasn’t at his side, the blond felt the support and encouragement emanating from Liam, Elizabeth, Martin Cornelius and Eugene, the most loyal friends' someone could wish for.
The day they got married was the most beautiful day of Daniel and Tarquin’s life as a couple. Having Eugene and Liam at their sides as best men, the two lovers exchanged vows and rings, tightening the bond between them even more. That day, the two husbands looked in their beloved’s eyes and saw their soul reflected there. But, instead of reserving the bright future both of them deserved so much, the Fates decided to put them to the test one more time.
While planning their wedding, the two lovers decided on Sabahaddin, the little, but rich and powerful emirate Tarquin’s uncle ruled over as their honeymoon destination. After spending the first few days lost in each other's embrace, abandoning themselves to the delightful pleasures of the flesh, things went downhill at warp speed.
Daniel started pretending not to understand his husband’s discreet signals when he was in the mood for some hot sex, so Tarquin became more evident in expressing his wishes. In the end, the young Bloom avoided the blond altogether. However, instead of being hurt by the constant rejection, Daniel’s husband went directly to the root of the problem.
Tarquin’s patience soon was rewarded, as the raven-haired man confessed that he felt unworthy of touching the blond, afraid that he would stain his flawless body. The young man was shocked by his husband’s revelation, but he didn’t show it. Gradually, after days and nights of discussions, Daniel finally decided to let it all out.
Eyes vacant, he told Tarquin about the memories of his horrible past that invaded his mind, torturing him night and day. Daniel recounted the abuse, the torture, the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Leonard and all the other beasts with human faces from that lab of horrors.
Daniel’s confession shook his life partner to the core. He knew about the experiments, of course, but he hadn’t any idea of the other terrifying things his beloved was put through by those savages. In the beginning, Tarquin felt lost, because, far away from home as they were, he had no one to turn to for advice. Then, the realization hit the young Ballard, so he took the first step on the long path of healing his husband’s shattered soul and broken mind.
The two of them secretly traveled outside the walls of the royal palace, unaccompanied, to the holy dervish’s small house. The wise old man welcomed them as if he knew about their visit and he started, without asking the young men anything, to tattoo the magic word on Daniel’s chest.
As soon as the pair returned to New York, taking advantage of his husband’s absence, who was in Detroit, inspecting the House’s branch there, Tarquin gathered his trusted friends and told them the whole story, asking for their help and support.
Elizabeth, who then worked as a profiler for the special team, was the first one who suggested they should switch their roles in the bedroom. She was sanctioned by Eugene, who seemed quite informed on the subject, much to the others surprise.
When Daniel returned, Tarquin brought the subject up for discussion and was relieved when his husband agreed with the idea, without raising any objection. And so, the raven-haired man surrendered entirely to his blond guardian angel, who kept showing him how worthy of love he was.
Benefiting from Eugene’s expert advise, Tarquin alternated sweet, passionate lovemaking sessions with intense, rough sex, Daniel responding wonderfully to the stimulation. From time to time, the blond let his husband retake the lead, increasing his confidence and making their bond tighter and stronger.
And there they were, almost a year later, wrapped in each other's arms, the blankets pooling around their waists, as the two men enjoyed the calmness around them. Daniel opened his eyes, smiling widely at the sight of Tarquin’s head on his chest, the golden, rebellious curls covering almost all his torso.
The raven-haired man started to run his fingers through that silky hair when the beep of his phone stopped him. Careful not to wake up his husband, Daniel grabbed the phone, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. To the young Bloom’s surprise, it was Alastair who was calling, quite unusual for the former Supreme Dragon, especially on a Saturday morning.
”Hi, great-uncle, how are you?” Daniel started the conversation, as relaxed as he could.
”Hello, my dear boy,” the older man returned the greeting, his voice sounding strained. ”I am sorry to interrup
t your lazy Saturday” Alastair continued, apologetically.
”Don’t worry. We were going to get up anyway. In fact, I spoke with Tarquin last night, and we intended to visit you today.”
”Really?! I am glad to hear that, my boy,” the former Supreme Dragon said in a more relaxed voice. ”How are the kids?”
At the mentioning of his sons, Daniel’s face brightened. ”The three musketeers are at Eugene’s. Later on, the gang will come here and then go out for the entire day. God, great-uncle, those cousins of mine would spoil our kids rotten if we let them” the raven-haired man playfully groaned.
”Good. This way, you and Tarquin will be free all day. Could the two of you come to my place earlier than planned, please?” The tension in Alastair’s voice returned even more noticeable than before.
”Of course we can. What’s wrong, great-uncle?” Daniel started to worry.
”Thank you very much, son. See you soon,” the head of the Stark family ignored his great-nephew’s question, hanging up.