by Trina Lane
“Good for you. I’m glad you’re enjoying your weekend.” Rick looked to the sky. “I think it’s time to get things ready.”
Ethan looked over his shoulder and saw Ryan speaking to some of the guests. He motioned Ryan over and the two of them walked around lighting the dozens of paper lanterns scattering the area around where Rick, Conor and Calleigh would say their vows. The sun was low, and the sky was awash of orange, red and purple. Ethan noticed that Calleigh stood at the entrance to the beach and he indicated that everyone should get in their places.
Rick and Conor stood in an open space amidst of the flickering lights. Ethan and Ryan stood on either side of them a few feet away. Calleigh’s parents corralled the twins. Her best friend Carla from the hospital with her husband and a few of Rick and Conor’s buddies stood in a semi circle outside the lanterns. One of them played an acoustic guitar as Calleigh walked towards her soon-to-be husbands. She wore a simple royal blue sundress. Like everyone else she was barefoot and carried an arrangement of orange calla lilies tied with a single ribbon.
There was no celebrant since this was a union of love between three and not a legal marriage. When Calleigh reached the centre, she placed her flowers in the sand and the three joined hands. Rick said his vows to Calleigh first then she to him. Conor recited his in Gaelic. Calleigh surprised everyone by doing the same. Apparently, it was a surprise to Conor too because the man was visibly moved. The three exchanged rings. Ethan had been privileged to see them the night before. The intricate Celtic designs were a perfect symbol of their union. The three of them moved forward and joined in a three-way kiss, and everyone broke into applause. The guitarist played as they exited the candlelit area. The trio had taken photos before the ceremony, and now, everyone would move to an open air restaurant.
Ethan and Ryan were in charge of gathering all the lanterns before joining the rest of the party. Ethan was about to blow out the first candle when Ryan placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Wait, come with me,” Ryan said.
They walked to the location where the ceremony had taken place. The sky had turned to complete darkness now, and everything beyond the lights was black.
“I overheard you talking to Rick and Conor before the ceremony. Did you mean what you said?”
“Umm, which part? I said a lot of things.”
“The part about making love to your husband.”
“Oh, that. Well, I guess I kinda thought of last night as our wedding night. You know with…”
Ethan became extremely nervous all of a sudden. He’d thought when Ryan had made love to him without the condom that’s what it had meant. Ethan had stated when they’d first started dating he wouldn’t do that until he’d found the man he would spend his life with. Didn’t Ryan see it that way? Was Ethan not enough, after all? Had Ryan just stayed with him out of pity?
“Ethan, look at me,” Ryan whispered.
Ethan twisted his hands together and stared at his feet. His bare toes sunk into the sand. With the warmth of the sun gone, the grains had cooled and made his feet chilled. He felt that iciness travel up his body, freezing his lungs and circling his heart.
“Ethan!”
He slowly lifted his head. The flickering candlelight gave Ryan an intense look, but Ethan couldn’t read the expression in the low light. He loved this man so desperately. He wouldn’t have survived the last couple of months without him. He didn’t want to give him up. He knew he could exist without Ryan, but he wouldn’t truly live without him by his side.
“Ry?”
“I hadn’t planned on doing this today. I didn’t want to take away from Rick, Conor, and Calleigh’s special day—”
“Oh God, please don’t. Not now.”
Tears filled his eyes, and he backed away. Maybe if he turned away, this moment would go away. Out of sight, out of mind and all that.
“Ethan? Why are you turning away from me?”
An hour ago, he’d been telling his friends how much he loved this man, and now he was being dumped. Anger steamed rolled through him, and he turned to confront Ryan and give him a piece of his mind.
“Ethan, I know you well enough to suspect what just went through your mind but…” Ryan lowered himself to one knee in the sand. “I’m on my knee because I love you more with every breath I take. I want nothing more than to spend our lives together. I will always strive to be a better husband than the day before, and if you accept this proposal, you will never again doubt my love for you or your place in my life. You are everything I’ve searched for. Will you marry me?”
Ethan was stunned. His knees buckled, and he sank to the sand in front of Ryan, his mind a cyclone of thoughts and emotions. He stared into Ryan’s eyes for long seconds. Did Ryan really mean it? Then Ethan tackled Ryan into the sand, kissing him as if his life depended on it. He was sprawled over the top of Ryan as their lips met hungrily. Teeth clicked, tongues thrashed and hands groped. When they finally came up for air, Ryan sat up, and Ethan ended up straddling his thighs.
“Is that a yes?”
Ethan nodded.
“Say it, E.”
“Yes…yes, I will marry you,” he softly said.
They kissed for several more minutes then finished blowing out the candles and collected the paper lanterns. They walked up the beach hand in hand, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect day with his perfect partner.
* * * *
Ryan gazed out the window of his office, wishing he could be outside. The sun was shinning, and the trees were finally turning green. He should close the blinds. It was the only way he would get any work done.
As he stood, he heard the little pinging sound from his computer announcing a new email. He sat back in the chair and clicked it open.
The email was from Ethan, and all he saw were the words “I Found It!” with a highlighted link. After his proposal, Ryan had let the lease run out on his loft and officially moved in with Ethan. They both loved Ethan’s place but felt they needed a little more space than what if offered, so they’d started looking for a place to buy together. It’d been two months, and they’d visited fifteen places. They just couldn’t seem to find a space that called to them. They wanted the exposed brick and dark hardwood floors that each of their lofts had, but many of the places for sale were either way too urban or way too suburban.
If Ethan was really as excited as the message appeared, Ryan knew this had to be good. He opened the link, and a new window popped open. The page filled with images that seemed too good to be true. The unit constituted an entire floor of a converted warehouse with a private elevator entrance. A massive expanse of arched windows offered views of the North End neighbourhood. There was custom moulding throughout the entire space. The ceiling had stained wood beams, and the message said they were fourteen feet high. He saw a built-in drink cabinet with little lights and wine cooler. The flooring was Brazilian cherry, the countertops granite, and the appliances were top-end stainless steel. Glass French doors led to the master suite, which had two closets, an en suite bathroom with glass enclosed shower, whirlpool tub and double sinks. There was a doorway leading to a fire escape with small desk off the large, triangle-shaped great room that had a bi-folding closet with hook-ups for their own washer and dryer. No more basement laundry rooms! There was a second bedroom for guests or office space. He quickly picked up the phone and dialled Ethan’s office.
“Ethan Harrison.”
“Hi, love. This is stunning, but there is no conceivable way we can afford a place like this. It must run close to eight hundred thousand. Unless Ed McMahon has finally come through and I’m not aware of it, I’m afraid it’s not going to work no matter how perfect it may seem.”
“Ah, but here is the beautiful part. It’s a foreclosure. You remember my friend John? He works for the bank that holds the mortgage, and he’s the one who sent me the photos. He knew we were searching thought this place was just what we were looking for.”
“Yeah, but how much?”
“Well, we need to ask our agent if she’ll handle the deal, and I want to actually view the place in person before we sign anything.”
“Umm, I already called her to ask. She said it was fine and would look into whether there’s a listed broker on the property. I’m waiting to hear back from her about when we can see it.”
Ryan chuckled. “Awfully sure of my reaction, weren’t you, E?”
“Well…I just thought. It’s everything that I…that we talked about. I’m pretty sure this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
He was glad that Ethan had taken the initiative with the property. It showed him that Ethan was becoming more comfortable and confident in his place as a lifetime partner. “You’re right, love. Call me when you hear back from the agent.”
“Okay. I love you, Ry.”
“Love you, too, baby.”
* * * *
Three weeks later, the elevator dinged as the door opened. Ryan smiled at the sight of their new home.
“E?” he called out. “This is the last of it.” He carried the box of books inside and set it next to the open, wood-framed bookshelves against the one of the walls.
The sale had gone off without a hitch despite the exorbitant amount of paperwork. He’d never before purchased a home, and apparently, since this was a foreclosure, it required the buyer and seller to cut through a lot more red tape than a typical sale.
There was plenty of space in the great room for a combination of furniture from both his and Ethan’s former places. His large sectional was placed to take advantage of the arched windows, and Ethan’s flat screen TV fit almost perfectly between two of the window casings. They’d turned the second bedroom into a home office with Ethan’s pullout sofa in there for when they had guests. The art from Ethan’s old place looked fantastic against the red brick walls, and they’d purchased some display lights to highlight the warm bold colours. They’d painted the interior walls in warm jewelled tones creating an intimate and comfortable atmosphere.
They’d sold both their beds and purchased a new one together. Ryan couldn’t wait to sink into the pillow-topped, air-supported mattress at the end of a long day.
Ethan came through the doorway leading to the office dressed casually in the well worn, ass-hugging jeans he loved so much. He had on a green T-shirt that highlighted his golden hazel eyes and was barefoot. Ryan licked his lips, and Ethan froze where he stood, staring at him.
“We’re officially moved in. I just carried up the last box.”
“Oh good. I was unpacking the stuff in the office.”
Ryan moved forward slowly, and Ethan angled towards the bedroom. Ryan stalked him across the living area. “You know what the only thing left to do is, right?”
Ethan bumped into one of the stained, wood-beamed columns holding up the ceiling and tried to move around it without looking behind him. “What’s that?”
“The best part of moving into a new home. We get to christen every flat surface and every wall. I vote that we start right here.”
Ryan stripped off his T-shirt and unsnapped his jeans. His shoes and socks were kicked off as he advanced on Ethan who’d backed into the island in the kitchen area. Ryan unzipped his jeans and reached inside his boxer briefs to stroke his cock. Ethan’s eyes were trained on Ryan’s hand as it moved up and down. Ryan saw that sweet little pink tongue come out and wet Ethan’s lips.
“What are you waiting for? I want to see naked skin in two point five seconds.”
“I haven’t unpacked the lube yet,” Ethan said, shucking his shirt and ripping open the buttons of his jeans.
Ryan spied a bottle of olive oil through the frosted glass doors of the kitchen cabinets. Opening the cabinet, he pulled it out and waved it towards Ethan.
“Oh good, that’ll work.” Ethan shoved his jeans down his legs and jumped up onto the counter top of the island.
Ryan moved between Ethan’s spread thighs. He slid Ethan forward so his perfectly round ass perched on the very edge of the counter. The height prevented him from fucking Ethan right there, but it was perfect for getting a taste of that delicious cock and edible little ass.
He yanked Ethan into a hard kiss, slamming their chests together. Their lips devoured each other for several minutes. Ryan’s fingers dug into the thick strands of Ethan’s hair and arched his neck back. He roughly feasted on the exposed skin.
Ethan wrapped his long legs around Ryan’s waist, holding their bodies tight together. Ryan’s mouth travelled down Ethan’s neck and chest, pushing against his shoulders to create some space between their bodies. He swooped down and swallowed Ethan’s hard cock, which stood tall.
Grunts and moans from both of them echoed in the wide, open space.
He used his tongue and mouth to build Ethan’s need into a frenzy of arousal. Releasing the stiff flesh, he swiped around Ethan’s balls. Ethan leant back onto the expanse of the island and offered himself like a sacrifice. Ryan’s tongue found the puckered rosette of Ethan’s ass and went to work. He flattened his tongue and rasped it across the tightly closed opening and up around Ethan’s sac then back down.
Ethan’s hands clutched Ryan’s head and tried to keep him attached to his body. Ryan stabbed his tongue inside Ethan’s hole and wiggled it around to open it further. Opening the bottle of oil, he dribbled some on his fingers and speared them into the now unfurled ring.
“Ry! Fuck me. Oh God, please fuck me now!”
Ryan helped Ethan off the counter top and spun him around. Using the olive oil, he slicked himself up. He used one hand to push Ethan down over the granite and the other to hold his hips in the right position. He lined his cock up and pushed deep in one thrust. The tight heat of Ethan’s channel surrounded him, and Ryan still marvelled at the feel of nothing separating their skin. They were both way too far gone to make this a long, slow, drawn out love making session. This was no holds barred, fast and furious, down and dirty raw fucking.
His hips slammed forward, and Ethan pushed back to meet each and every thrust. Ryan increased his momentum and bent his knees to change the angle of his entry. Ethan’s yell indicated that Ryan had hit the right spot. His hand reached around and grasped his love’s cock, jerking it in time with his movements.
That familiar tingle in his spine and tightening of his balls indicated that his orgasm was quickly approaching. The ripples and contractions of Ethan’s ass indicated that he was close, as well. They moved in synchronicity, crying out each other’s names and finally giving over to the pleasure.
Chapter Fourteen
Ethan looked at the clock on his laptop and noticed that it was nearly 7:00 P.M. Ryan should be here any minute. Ever since Ethan had gone back to work after the attack, Ryan had met him at the office each night and driven him home. Ryan dropped him off every morning with a kiss and admonition to be careful.
Ethan’s office and the courthouse were located in the same complex. He was fortunate that he got to work in such an inviting building. The unique architecture, open spaces and colourful art on the walls never made him feel closed in. A massive wall of glass looked out on a public park, the harbour and downtown. It was an easy walk to some local restaurants or, if he brought his lunch, he could always go sit outside at one of the several umbrella tables.
During the daylight, he felt completely safe, but late at night, after the rest of the office staff had left and the large inviting spaces echoed with silence, he sometimes felt a little nervous. He’d acted as if he were indulging Ryan, but in reality, he was glad his husband was so protective. He didn’t know what it was, but something felt off tonight.
The dark sky outside his window looked menacing. A shiver ran through his body.
A knock on his door startled him, and he jumped away from the window. Ryan stood in the doorway with a concerned look on his face.
“You scared the bejesus out of me,” Ethan said, trying to calm his racing heart.
Ryan walked over to where Ethan stood. He lifted Ethan’s hands. “Baby, your hands are shaking. What’s wrong?”
Ethan moved into Ryan’s body and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s waist. His head rested on Ryan’s shoulder, and he let the comfort of his love’s body heat seep into his cold bones.
“Nothing really. I was just a little spooked. It happens sometimes since―”
The shrill sound of the phone in his office made him tense for a second. He stepped back and moved to the desk to answer it.
“Hello?”
“You think that little incident a few months ago hurt? You wait and see what we’re capable of if you keep it up.”
“Who is this?” Ethan looked up at Ryan, terror ripping through his body.
Ryan flipped open his phone and called the lab in the bureau. “Give me a triangulation of this number.” He rattled off Ethan’s office number. “It involves the case against Luke Yeung.” He kept his phone on and closed the distance between him and Ethan.
Ethan tilted the phone away so Ryan could hear what the caller said. Ryan’s large hand rubbed soothing circles on Ethan’s lower back.
“Who I am doesn’t matter.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You think your beating was really a gay bashing? Get real. We don’t care who you fuck, as long as you stop fucking with our associate. Back off, or you will pay the ultimate price.”
He knew he had to keep the caller on the line for Ryan’s trace to work. “I have a lot of cases right now. How do I know which one you’re talking about?”