Chapter 19
DeAnna Zankich
Sequel to | Sweet Redemption
Summary: The days leading up to the big `I do'.
Warnings: None
Author Notes: A thousand thanks to my sweet friend Kristina Grönberg for the title.
Spoilers: None
Flopping down in a chair next to Kate, Stuart sighed. He was hot and sweaty from dancing and he ran his hands through his hair to mind his curls. She grinned at him.
"Hottie," she said, like it was an accusation.
He blew her a kiss. "I told you, luv. All that flattery is fallin' on deaf ears. I fancy blokes."
Kate shook her head. "Girl's gotta try. And don't you dare tell me you don't lap up every single compliment I give you." She winked at him, reaching over to grab the hem of his kilt. She lifted the very edge of it, showing his thigh about half way up.
He stayed still, watching her closely, wondering if she would really lift it all the way. Not that he'd put it passed her, that was certain. They were both a bit drunk and they were dangerous together when mixed with alcohol. That was a proven fact.
"Go on, then," he challenged, unable to resist. "My grandmother's right in the line of site. Flash her. Go on."
Kate glanced over at Maeve Jones as she sat at a table across the room with Marie. "You're an evil brat," she concluded.
"Takes one to know one," he said, winking at her to up the challenge.
Grinning, Kate quickly lifted the wool fabric and stole a glance at his goods. "Ha!" she laughed. "Just like it felt."
"Sorry?" he said, his eyebrows lifting. "Katey, did you molest me while I was sleeping in your guestroom?"
"No, honey. That was Brian," she batted her eyes and the raised her hand to her mouth. "Oh, shit. Sorry."
"Why? What'd you do?"
"I've been trying not to mention him today," Kate said.
He waved his hand dismissively. "You're certainly not the first."
She picked up her glass and finished the last two sips of champagne. "Let me guess. Hazel beat me to it."
He shook his head. "It was my friend, Romey. Actually her girlfriend. That Fucking Lisa. Cunt. She loves to wind me up."
"Clearly she's got the right combination," Kate said, nudging his leg with her toe.
Stuart breathed a laugh. "Yeah. She's really smart and never misses a chance to flex her wit. I end up the butt of her sarcastic jokes more often than not."
Kate lifted an inquiring eyebrow. "So, what do you hate more--the jokes or how smart she is?"
"I hate it all. Now, when did you feel my cock, luv?" he said, sharply switching gears. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to discuss less on his wedding night than Lisa Levene.
She chuckled. "You don't remember, do you?"
He looked at her suspiciously. "I'm not forgetting a shag, am I?"
Kate burst out laughing, leaning forward with the force of it. "God, don't tell me that I could have slept with you, Stuart. If there was a way and I didn't find it, I'm going to slit my wrists!"
He laughed. "I've been known to do very out of character things when I'm drunk."
"Really?" Kate teased. "I'd never imagine!! It was that night we went down to the Village and I was instigating you to get up to no good with Nathan. You rubbed against me and you were hard as rock. You don't remember that?"
"I was rubbing on you just because you were there," he said. "Soft, warm flesh. It was nothing personal."
Kate laughed again. "Believe me, bunny. I KNOW. Brian does it to me all the time." She looked down sheepishly and shook her head. "Sorry, God. I just . . . I'm used to talking about him all the time."
"I said it's fine. I like Brian. Quite a lot, in fact. Don't feel like you can't mention him, Katey. He's a good friend of yours and you spend a lot of time with him."
She sighed, reaching over to touch the silver bracelet she'd given him. "I love this on you." She rolled the fine links gently against the other bracelet on his wrist. "Did Vince mind you wearing them together?"
"'Course not." Stuart grabbed her fingers and squeezed them softly. They looked at each other for a long, quiet moment and then she smiled sadly.
"I'll miss you when you're in Greece. I usually talk to you a few times a day."
"Yeah," he agreed. "I'll miss you, too." He sat forward and kissed her lips, lingering a bit.
Snickering softly, Kate wagged a finger at him. "Tease," she said.
He pressed his lips to her hand affectionately.
"Right, should I be jealous?" Vince said as he walked up to the table where they were sitting. He stood close to Stuart, touching their knees together. "You're sitting here snoggin' a woman on our wedding night."
"Yeah," he said. "I've decided after careful consideration that all this gay business is for the birds. I'm runnin' off with Kate."
"I always knew it would come to this," Vince said. He ran his fingers through Stuart's curls, gently playing with the ringlets. Stuart shivered from the lovely touch and gave his husband a sexy smile.
"Stop it, please," he whispered, a bit desperately. He could already feel his blood rushing to fill his impatient cock.
Vince grinned. "I thought that was MY fetish."
Looking up at his best friend and lover, Stuart reached for Vince's tie and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. "I want to give you your gift before your mother leaves."
"Why?" he said, his pretty eyes twinkling. "What's Hazel got to do with my wedding present?"
"A lot." Stuart kissed Vince's lips. "I figured it was time we just broke down and had a threesome. She's been pining for me for so long, after all."
"Ah," Vince nodded, laughing. "Seriously, what's she got to do with it?"
Smiling cryptically, Stuart said "do you want to do it now?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll get mum."
"Not yet." Stuart stood up and hooked Vince's arm with his. Turning to give Kate another smile, he said "we'll be back in a minute."
"I'll be here." She waved with her fingers as they walked off to the kitchen.
"Where are we going?" Vince asked.
Marie and Sandra were standing near the frig chatting over fresh glasses of wine. They were the only guests in the kitchen and when they saw the boys approach they moved off a bit, somehow knowing to give the boys a bit of privacy.
"I put your present in the drawer in here," Stuart said. They leaned against the counter and he opened a drawer beside the sink. Inside there was a small stack of folded linen napkins and a brown leather document portfolio tied with a dark blue satin ribbon. Stuart took this out and handed it to Vince.
"What have you done?" he asked, his eyes wide and wondering.
"Actually, it's what YOU'VE done," Stuart told him. "I just kept it organized. Go on, then. Open it."
Vince untied the satin ribbon slowly and set it aside, then he opened the portfolio with trembling fingers. Inside was the deed to his mother's house. He held the thick, notarized document in his hand and just stared at it for a moment, then he looked up at Stuart.
"How did I do this . . ?"
"I told you," he said. "That's from the money you've been giving me for the flat."
"Stuart, that was for OUR living expenses."
He shook his head, smiling gently. "We've covered this. I never needed your money and I knew you had always wanted to pay Hazel's mortgage. I put your money into a separate account where it could collect its own interest and then I had my solicitor arrange to pay the deed for you. You almost had it all, luv. If we'd got married in September instead of June, you'd have had the whole nut. I only had to put in three thousand quid to make it in time for the wedding."
Vince just gawked at the deed, his brow knitting slightly. His reaction was completely the opposite of what Stuart expected and he was suddenly unsure how to proceed.
"Is it all right that I did that?" he said warily. "I mean, I didn't DO it--it was your money. You paid it for her, really. Just like you always wanted to. I just kept track of the funds."
Vince looked up finally and then Stuart could see the glint of a smile in his lovely blue eyes. "She'll rip the bark off me when I tell her. You know how proud she is."
Stuart let out a relieved sigh then he put his arms around Vince and pulled him into a cuddle. "I'll stand in front of you when you tell her. I'm used to her ripping the bark off me."
Vince laughed softly against his body and then he hugged Stuart really hard. They stood there for a long time just squeezing each other and breathing together. Vince kissed his neck and then his cheek and then softly pressed their lips together. "This is lovely, Stuart. Completely fantastic. But . . . Hazel might not be happy at first. I mean, I just don't want you to be disappointed by her reaction."
"She'll be happy," Stuart said assuredly. "She's free to pay off the rest of her bills on her own now. I know she won't let us do it all for her. At least now . . . maybe she can do something she couldn't afford before. Travel, buy gifts for her new step-grandson."
Vince glanced around the lively room looking for his mother and spotted her standing near the bedroom door discussing his tropical fish with Andie. They were peering into the tank and she was pointing at each of the shimmery critters, apparently telling the young American girl their names.
"She's there," Vince said. "Let's tell her now."
Stuart smiled into his lover's eyes and nodded, letting him lead as they walked around the counter and weeded through the people dancing in the middle of the floor. Vince put his hands on Andie's narrow shoulders and she looked up at him, smiling brightly.
"Your fish make me want to see Dr. Who," she said. "Is it good?"
He laughed and his cheeks colored beautifully. "Well, `good' might be stretchin' it It's a cult classic. You might like it, though. I'll send you a tape so you can get your feet wet."
She nodded. "Okay, cool! Send me your favorite one."
Vince winked at her. "I'll do that. Andie, luv, we have to talk to my mum for a minute but after that--I'd love it if you and I could have dance."
Andie beamed and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "You bet. I'll be over there with Aunt Reb." She smiled at Hazel and Stuart and then bounced off to join her aunt.
"What's this, then?" Hazel said.
She and Vince sat on the steps outside the closed bedroom door and Stuart knelt in front of them, taking care to arrange the kilt so he was safe from showing her more than she wanted to see. He waited patiently for his lover to tell her the news. Inside, he knew Vince was right. His mother wouldn't be pleased at first--in fact, she would likely go mental and yell at them, knowing her. But eventually, she would understand that this was the biggest gift Stuart could have given his husband. Eventually, Hazel would know that paying off her mortgage was much more for her son than it was for her.
"Mum," Vince began, his voice low and soothing. "I know you're going to be quite surprised by this, but I want you to try to accept it graciously. All right?"
Her eyes narrowed and she looked from one to the other of them. "What have you little beasts done now?"
Stuart chuckled and Vince smiled at him. Handing his mother the deed, he reached over and took Stuart's hand, squeezing it while they both waited for her to realize what was happening.
Hazel squinted at the document in her hand, turning the pages and looking at each of them several times. It seemed as though she wasn't trusting her eyes. "Is this . . ?"
"The deed to your house," Vince told her. "We--"
"YOU," Stuart interjected.
He sighed. "All right. I paid it, but it was only because Stuart never spent the money I gave him for our flat. He kept squirreling it away to do this. So, technically I paid it, but I didn't know I was doing it. And I would have done . . . eventually . . . even if . . . well, I would have paid it. You know that, don't you?"
She looked at Stuart and her keen eyes flashed. "You paid off my house?" she said incredulously.
"Your son did," he insisted. "I just arranged everything."
Hazel let out a deep sigh. "Well, this explains why the bank sent me that bloody fruit basket," she said. "I couldn't figure that out for the life of me!" She lowered her chin and looked directly at Stuart, her gaze burning into him like it had so many times over the years. "This was your wedding gift to Vince?"
"One of them, yeah," he said, trying to stifle the smirk pulling on his lips. He knew she was going to tear into him any second and, in a way, he looked forward to the release of it.
"This, me lad, is hardly romantic," she said. "Paying off HIS debts would be romantic, not payin' off his bloody mother's!"
Stuart nodded. "You're right," he said. "But THIS is something he would accept. The other, no chance."
"And you think I'M going to accept this?" she said, her brow knitting in the center. Her cheeks were coloring and he could tell she was starting to boil.
"Not at first, no," he said.
"Mum," Vince warned. "You said you'd try to be gracious."
"YOU said I should be, Vinnie, I never agreed to it." She gathered her dress and stood up, wagging the deed at Stuart like a death warrant. "This is outrageous, you know that!"
Standing up himself, he took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. Yeah."
Her outburst had caught the attention of some of the guests within earshot and Vince smiled at them bashfully.
"Mum, please," he said, stepping up to her and holding on to her arms. "Just try to relax."
She advanced on Stuart, still shaking the document at him fiercely. "You can't just do something like this without asking me, Stuart Jones! This is . . . bloody enormous! You can't just . . !"
He stayed his ground and let her come, closely watching her expression as she approached. He bit his lips as he focused on Hazel's face, noticing every little change. When she was right up against him, she looked down at the papers in her hand as though she'd only just seen them.
"Oh, God," she said and then the tears came and she covered her eyes with her hand.
Stuart and Vince looked at each other and then they both closed around her, locking their arms on either side of her. They touched their foreheads together and pressed Hazel into a three-way hug between them, both of them waiting for her to come to terms with her new found financial freedom.
Vince kissed her on top of her head and that was the pebble that broke the dam. Hazel buried her face in her son's chest and wept, albeit quietly. Stuart wrapped his arms around them both and they just stood there for a long time until she collected herself enough to look at them.
Sniffling and wiping delicately at her slightly smudged eye make up, Hazel gave them each a kiss. "I don't know what to say. I . . . this is incredible."
Stuart kissed her at the temple and felt her heart beating quickly under his lips. "Your son is the most generous person I've ever known," he whispered to her. "He would have done this for you anyway, no matter how long it took him. But this way . . . you can both enjoy it more. I knew this would make him happy. That's why . . ." he didn't finish.
She looked up at him through her wet eyes and then she put her hand on his cheek. Smiling at each other, he saw her get it--she finally realized the point of his gift. Stuart winked at her like they had a secret and then let her turn to hug Vince.
Glancing across the floor, his eyes met Reb's as she sat at a table with Andie. She brought her finger to her lips in a gesture of quiet and Stuart had to look away. Sighing, he walked over to the counter and picked up three glasses of champagne, bringing them back to his husband and mother in law so they could have a toast to their good fortune.
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Justin:
After they showered, Justin realized he hadn't eaten all day. He was light-headed and he went to the kitchen to see if Brian had any juice. The only thing in the pristine white refrigerator was a jar of finely minced garlic and a tin of smoked oysters.
"You--have no food," he said as he heard Brian's bare feet whisper softly on the kitchen floor.
"You--are correct. I've been out of the country." Brian opened a drawer under the counter and pulled out a handful of take-out menus. "What do you feel like? Italian? Thai? Mexican?"
"Why don't I just go get you some groceries?" Justin said. "You can finish unpacking and I'll make you dinner." He expected Brian to say no immediately but to his surprise, the infuriating beauty tossed the menus back into the drawer.
"Okay." He walked out of the kitchen and went up to the bedroom to get his wallet. When he returned, he gave Justin three twenties. "It's all the US currency I've got. The rest of the money in my wallet is in pounds. And we already know you can't be trusted with my credit card." He batted his eyes with playful sarcasm.
Justin stuck out his tongue. "This should be fine. I'm just going to get you some stuff for the weekend and then dinner. Do you want anything special?"
"Whatever you feel like making." Brian leaned on the counter and smiled at the boy very slightly. The expression was a bit mischievous, but Justin couldn't figure out the game.
"Okay," he said. "Spaghetti?"
"Sounds good."
The phone rang then and Brian glanced over at it, but he didn't move to go answer it. It rang four times and then the machine picked it up. After the rather curt outgoing message played, the beep sounded and Lindsay's voice rang through the quite loft.
"Bri, it's Lindz. I was just calling to see how your trip was. Michael called us earlier and said you'd got in this afternoon. He sounded a little tired but he said it was a good trip. Gus is doing great, but he'd love to see his daddy. Let me know when you feel like company and we'll stop by. Hope you guys had fun. I want to hear all about how Lloyds spoiled you over their account. Call me soon. Bye." She hung up and the dial tone droned for a moment before the machine disconnected the call. Brian never flinched.
"You don't want to talk to Lindsay?" Justin said.
He shook his head but had nothing to say.
"Okay . . . then, I'll be right back. Can I have the key for the door downstairs?"
"It's right there on the counter."
Grabbing the key and putting in his pocket, Justin trotted to the bedroom to get his shoes on and when he came back down, Brian was stretched out on the couch with the remote in his hand.
Leaning over the back of the modern white couch, Justin looked down at his lover's face. "Are you okay?"
"Fine. Why?"
He squinted as he headed for the front door. "You're acting weird. Brian, if you don't want me to come back, I won't. I'm used to being dismissed after we fuck. I won't cry or anything." He pulled the door open then looked back at the couch.
Brian was staring at him but his expression was totally unreadable. Justin waited for a response but the older man said nothing for a long time.
"Well?" he asked. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"
Brian turned back to the TV. "I think I want salad, too. Just get one of those pre-packaged ones--something with spinach in it. And Ranch dressing."
"Ranch?" Justin said, his eyebrows lifting in surprised. "Mr. Gym Bunny wants to eat Ranch dressing? I thought you wouldn't go near anything but low-fat Italian--and even that you order on the side."
Brian flipped him off.
Chuckling, he stepped out of the door and started to slide it closed. "Fine," Justin said, mostly to himself. "Ranch dressing and salad with spinach." He pulled the door into place then trotted down the stairs, his step light and full of bounce.
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Vince:
At ten after eleven, they were down to six guests and the caterers and bar staff had already cleared away most of their gear. The flat was almost back to normal which was strangely amazing after the complete transformation it had undergone.
While Stuart was saying goodnight to Sandra and her husband, Vince slipped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He figured he had about five minutes before his partner realized he was missing so he went to work immediately.
Two dustbin-size clear plastic bags stuffed with rose petals were propped against the bed. Vince quickly removed the white comforter and folded it neatly then he folded the yummy cashmere blanket and put them both on the floor of the wardrobe. With just the sheets and pillows exposed, he tore the small staples at the top of the first bag of petals and proceeded to dump them all over the bed. Spreading them around carefully until they made a thick layer across the mattress, he tore open the second bag and upended it onto the first pile. This next lot was for decoration while the first one was meant to create a dense padding.
Vince arranged the fragrant, satiny petals all around the pillows and let some drop on to the floor. He tossed a handful of them onto the night table near the white pillar candles he had there just waiting to be lit. Surveying his work, he decided he was happy with the look of it. Next he grabbed some matches out of the goodie drawer and set about lighting the candles. There were seventeen of them in all, placed in strategic locations around the bedroom and bathroom. This part of the operation took the most time and put his surprise in the most danger of being discovered too soon. He knew Stuart would be able to see the flicker of the candle light even through the closed blinds.
As he tossed the matches back into the drawer, he grabbed out a small bottle of lube and tucked it into his pocket. Vince's plan for the evening was extremely specific and had to be carefully orchestrated. With the completion of that last detail, everything was in place and he smiled to himself.
Cracking the door just slightly, he peered out and saw Stuart standing near the front door hugging Sandra good night. She was drunk and crying, blubbing something mushy to him about how happy she was for him and Vince. Fairly certain he wouldn't be seen, Vince slipped back out into the main room and closed the bedroom door softly.
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Stuart:
After finally getting Sandra safely out the door, he turned back to their remaining four guests. Bernie was helping Hazel into her coat and Kate sat at the kitchen counter waiting for Richard to come out of the loo. She dug her mobile out of her small bag and started to check her messages, momentarily unaware that Stuart was watching her. His Katey-girl, his confidante, there in her beautiful yellow dress, that perfect hat tilting rakishly on her head. Her hair had been half pinned up at the beginning of the day but it had since tumbled down around her shoulders in loose ringlets of strawberry gold. When she tilted her head to bring the little Nokia to her ear, her green eyes caught the glint of a nearby string of white lights. Stuart smiled to himself at how uncanny her resemblance to Nicole Kidman really was. Kate could be Kidman's film double.
He strolled over to where she sat and leaned against the counter, reaching up to gently extract the hat from her head. Tilting it forward playfully, he put it on his own head and stood back so she could see.
Kate laughed sweetly. "Oh, God--no! It's totally not your color. You need Hazel's hat. That color matches your husband's eyes."
Stuart set the hat on the counter and smoothed his curls with his fingers. "My husband," he repeated softly. "Christ."
"Yeah," Kate said. "Welcome to the Old Married Person Club." She shut off her phone and put it back into her bag.
Stuart squinted, wishing he could stop himself from saying what he was going to say. "Did Brian get home all right?"
She squinted back with niggling disapproval. "He didn't call me," she reported. "I thought he would, but there's no messages." Kate nudged his ribs. "Quit thinking about him, you little fucker! It's your wedding night--and in case you didn't notice, you married someone ELSE."
Stuart shook his head. "It's got nothing to do with that. I'm allowed to think about him." He looked down at his hands and gently rolled his wedding band around on his finger.
"I can't believe Vince lets you sleep with that blanket," she said. "If you were my honey, I'd have burned that fucking thing before it came out of the box. I never would have let it touch your skin, that's for sure. It's like . . . he's there with you in your bed."
Stuart glanced over at Vince as he stood talking to Bernie. His partner looked tired but beautiful and the soft golden hairs on the back of his neck were so inviting that Stuart had to look away. "The blanket has a lot of meaning, Katey. It's . . . complicated." He smiled at her a bit shyly. "It sounds mad, but having something representing Brian there with us in our bed . . . it's a good thing. A reminder, you know? And . . ." He breathed a laugh and looked down again, feeling a hot blush creep into his cheeks. "It's just . . . sexy to us. Both of us. It's a juicy memory."
Kate lifted his chin and looked him in the eye. "Don't make me worry about you, Stuey."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it means. Are you thinking of seeing Brian again sometime in the future?"
Stuart giggled. "I think about seeing him again often, but I don't think we will do. At least not for a long time. We've got to be hot, panting newlyweds for a while and do nothin' but shag each other stupid."
She nodded. "Now, that's what I want to hear. Come here." She put her arms around him and hugged him.
Richard emerged from the guest room loo and strided across the floor to meet them. Lacing his arm around his wife's tiny waist, he smiled at Stuart. "This has been a wonderful day," he said, extending his hand. "Thank you for having me. I'll never forget it."
Stuart gave his hand a warm squeeze and smiled back. "I'm really pleased you could make it, Richard. You're off to Balmoral tomorrow?"
"That's right," he said. "And then on to Paris for a few days before we head back to Manhattan. You will send us a postcard from Greece, right?"
"'Course." They started toward the front door just as Hazel and Bernie were saying their goodbyes to Vince. He could hear his mother- in-law speaking softly to her son, thanking him again for the amazing thing they did with the mortgage.
Richard and Bernie shook hands and Kate waited for Vince to come and give her a hug. Bernie gave Stuart a big bear hug that made them both laugh a little.
"I've always wanted to do that," the older man said, chuckling. "Ever since I first met you, you looked like you needed a good squeezin'. AND a good spankin'."
Stuart nodded, taking the razzing graciously. "Thanks for coming, Bernie. Wouldn't have been right without you. And I don' t know what you and Vince got up to this morning, but thanks for getting him to me on time."
Bernie smiled. "You'll like what he did, luv. When you see it, all that drama this afternoon will be worth it." He gave Stuart a kiss on the lips--quickly, as though he were stealing it. "Always wanted to do THAT, too," he said and that made them both laugh again.
Kate and Richard stepped out the door first and she reached back for Stuart's hand.
"See ya soon?" she said.
"Sooner than you think," he returned. They squeezed each other's hands tightly and then the Stephanis said goodnight and walked down the stairs to the lobby.
Hazel put her arms around Stuart in the doorway as Bernie went out to get the lift gate open. "I'll never forgive you, you know," she whispered.
Stuart held her close and said "you're welcome."
She smacked his backside as she stepped into the hall. "Cheeky bastard. Vinnie, give me a ring when you get to Greece, yeah? Just so I know you're still among the living?"
They walked his mother into the hall and made sure she and Bernie got into the lift all right. "We'll call you as soon as we get settled in the hotel," he said.
"Right," Hazel said. She looked at each of them for a long moment, just taking in the sight of them together. "You're a bloody handsome pair. Congratulations."
Vince smiled, tugging Stuart close to him with his arm around his waist. "Good night, Mum. Thank you again."
"I love you lads. Have a safe trip." She reached up and pulled the gate down and Bernie waved as the lift shuddered then began its decent.
Walking back to the flat, Vince went in to do a quick check just to make sure everyone had gone. Stuart pulled the door closed and proceeded to turn the locks one at a time.
"I can't believe it's over," he said.
"Yeah," Vince said, startling him by being right behind him. Vince pressed his body against Stuart's and laced their fingers together, pushing the brunette against the back of the door. He sunk his teeth into the soft flesh below Stuart's ear and growled like a hungry animal.
Stuart was hard instantly and all the air ran out of his lungs. He wiggled against Vince and tried to turn around so they could kiss, but his lover held him firmly against the door. He shivered almost violently when Vince's hands stroked his naked thighs and reached up under the kilt to caress his backside. Stuart felt his cock twitch and throb, aching to be touched. Vince chewed his earlobe and his rapid breathing was deliciously hot against Stuart's neck.
"I need to be inside you," Vince whispered.
Stuart's mouth flooded with saliva and he swallowed but he was unable to speak. He was faint with arousal and absolutely dying to feel his lover's cock penetrate him. Lifting his hips back to express his need, he rubbed against Vince's burning erection through his tuxedo trousers.
"Come to bed?"
Stuart shook his head vehemently. "Do it . . . here . . . I need you . . . do it . . . now . . ." He closed his eyes and just let himself feel all the wonderful sensations reeling through him. Seemingly out of nowhere, Vince produced a bottle of lube and smeared some of the slick liquid into the crack of Stuart's ass. His fingers found their mark instantly and he cried out when Vince slipped those digits inside. Stuart was so sensitive from the teasing they had done all day. He stepped his legs apart and groaned, lifting his ass wantonly.
Wasting no time, Vince grabbed his lover's lean hips and held him steady while he plunged his cock inside. They both moaned and sighed, staying still for a long time before either of them moved. Stuart's breath came in shallow pants and he flattened his palms against the door for support. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Vince's eyes flutter closed and his lips part in pleasure and then he began to rock his hips very slowly at first.
"Oh, no you don't . . ." Stuart said and they looked right in each other's eyes. "Not after torturing me all day, mate. I require a right shafting and I expect you to take it very seriously."
Vince grinned and laughed softly through his rapid breathing. "You're really tight, luv . . . I don't want to hurt you."
"That's pain I can deal with," he said, pushing with his hands against the door so he could devour Vince's cock into his body. "Fuck me . . .please, Vince . . . I need you."
Bracing his hand on Stuart's lower back, Vince curved his hips under and bent his knees a bit for leverage. Stuart felt his lover's cock rubbing all the tingly places inside his body as his position shifted and he bit his lower lip in anticipation. Vince drew his erection all the way out until the swollen head was just barely stretching Stuart's anus and then he drove it back in with a long, purposeful jab. He did this again and again until they were both gasping for breath and right on the edge of coming--and then he stopped.
Pressing their bodies flush against each other, Vince wrapped his arms around Stuart's torso and walked them back toward the lounge. Stuart was suspended on Vince's cock with his lover's strong arms carrying him. He sighed as his toes brushed the floor and then Vince put him down again so he could hold onto the back of the fuzzy white chair near the telly. He felt his kilt being unbuttoned and the pin Hazel had put in at the waist was carefully undone. The soft wool garment slipped to the floor at their feet. Vince stroked Stuart's back under his shirt and then he began that hard pistoning fuck again.
Stuart closed his eyes and groaned, feeling his entire body break out in sweat. Vince's hands caressed his belly and chest, stopping to pull on his nipples roughly as that intensely satisfying pummeling continued. Stuart's prostate swelled and tingled every time Vince's engorged cock thumped it and he reared his hips back to meet each of his lover's thrusts. Stuart's cock bobbed against his belly coursing with luscious sensation as his balls grew full and tight.
Behind him Vince's moans became deep and guttural and his pace picked up as his orgasm drew near. He grasped Stuart's hips with trembling fingers and pulled his body back to meet his cock, deepening the penetration powerfully. Stuart moaned and held onto the chair as he felt Vince reach around and take hold of his starving cock.
Taking a deep breath, Stuart closed his eyes as the first spiraling tingle of his climax teased his nerves. In that darkness behind his eyelids, he suddenly had a flash of an image--one so bright and clear it was like a photograph.
He could see himself standing at the window in the library of Glengarry Castle looking out at Loch Oich. The color of the daylight made him think of late afternoon and the trees outside the window were dusted with the hues of autumn. He was older--much older than he was then--but his hair was still full and dark with only a bit of gray around his temples. All his age showed around his eyes, and those eyes were far away--watching the Scottish landscape as though he were expecting someone to arrive.
He could see his platinum ring on his wedding finger and on his right wrist there were three silver bracelets. The linked one Kate had given him and both of the bracelets he and Vince wore. In this image, he was wearing his own bracelet and his partner's as well.
Opening his eyes, Stuart gripped the chair with his hands and held on while Vince came inside him deeply, moaning and gasping for air. Stuart's orgasm was a wrenching surprise that seemed to want to tear him apart. The contractions shredded through him and he cried out, trying desperately not to think of the image that had flashed in his mind a moment before. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake the implication of what his soul's eye had shown him. No matter what, Stuart could still feel what was underneath the expression he'd seen on his own face. He could feel the longing and the weight of the loss and suddenly, as the deep spasms began to die away, he burst into tears.
Vince grabbed him immediately, pulling his cock out very gently then turning Stuart around in his arms and crushing their bodies together.
"What?!" he gasped, his breath still ragged and shallow from his orgasm. "Stuart, my God . . . what on earth is wrong?"
The tears had a mind of their own and had no intention of stopping. Stuart clung to his husband and buried his face in Vince's neck, sobbing and trembling, trying to wash away the emotions attached to that haunting premonition. Unable to do anything else, he just let Vince hold him and cradle him. They made their way into the white chair and sat in a tangle of limbs while Stuart let his outburst run its course.
"Tell me," Vince whispered. "What's happened? Christ, I never know what to do when you do that."
Finally Stuart looked up at him, blinking the huge tears out of his eyes so he could see. "It's nothing," he said lamely. "I'm just . . . overwhelmed. The wedding and all." He put his head down again and sighed, pressing into the welcome heat of Vince's body. "Been holding that in all day, I reckon."
Vince kissed his forehead and smoothed his long curls out of his hot face. "You scared the life outta me," he said. "I thought I was hurting you."
Stuart shifted in the chair so he was sitting in Vince's lap and then curled his arms around his lover's neck. "Not at all," he said softly, his nose stuffed up and running. "That was just what I wanted. It was fantastic."
Vince rocked him very gently as they sat in the chair. The flat seemed extremely quiet and large even though the party staff had returned most of the furniture to its original position. From where they sat, they could hear the fish tank burbling softly.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Vince asked after a while.
"Mm hm." Feeling drained but considerably more calm, Stuart played with the loose tie around Vince's neck. "You looked so bloody lovely today," he said.
Another kiss on his forehead and Vince smiled. "I'm glad you thought so, even though you were a right tough act to follow with your beautiful legs out like this." Vince reached out and worked Stuart's stockings down, gently pushing them and his shoes off until his legs were bare. "Lovely," he said, petting the soft hairs on Stuart's calves.
Still toying with the tie, Stuart kissed him, lingering on Vince's lips for a long time.
"Kate picked out this tie," he whispered.
"Yeah?" Stuart said, smiling with his tear-swollen eyes. "Figures. It's very posh." He slid the silky fabric off his lover's neck slowly, then draped it over the side of the chair. Next, he began unbuttoning Vince's shirt and softly playing with the hairs above his navel.
"I hope you're ready for your wedding present." Vince said, kissing his ear gently.
Stuart nodded.
With his pale blue eyes glinting hopefully, Vince said, "good. Cos you're unwrapping it as we speak."
Looking down at Vince's shirt half open over his lovely tummy, Stuart bit his lip and continued to undo the last three buttons. The tails of the fine cotton shirt covered Vince's hips and laid in rumpled sheets over his lap. Stuart unhooked the last button then shifted again on the chair so he could see his lover's delectable belly. God, he loved to kiss Vince's there . . . right there on that silky bit between his navel and his pubic hair.
Moving the fabric aside, Stuart blinked at first not sure of what he was seeing. Vince sat quietly barely breathing and waited for his lover's reaction.
Unable to speak, Stuart used his fingertips and began to softly trace the design of the trinity knot etched so beautifully into Vince's tender skin. Certain parts of the tattoo were still rough with healing scabs and Stuart ran his fingers over those bits very gently. Sliding down between his lover's legs, he sat on the floor and leaned over Vince's belly so he could see the design up close.
"Well?" Vince whispered. He brushed Stuart's hair away from his face as the curls had dropped forward when he was looking down. "I wish you'd say something, luv."
Stuart felt his eyes well up again as he took in every detail of the fine artwork. He reached for Vince's left hand and looked at the design carved into the band of the Claddagh, comparing it to the tattoo on his lover's belly. "That's where it came from?"
Vince nodded. "It's permanent, you know," he said. "It'll go to my grave with me."
Letting the new tears drop and roll down his cheeks, Stuart smiled softly when Vince's wiped them away. "I can't believe you did this," he whispered.
A flash of doubt crossed Vince's handsome face. "You don't like it?"
"I love it," he said, feeling yet another wave of intense emotion. Stuart leaned forward and put three soft kisses on Vince's skin--one in the center of each knot. "I love to kiss you here . . ."
"I know," Vince whispered, his fingers sliding into Stuart's hair. He stroked and softly tugged the curls in that loving, covetous way he had.
Stuart laid his cheek against the tattooed skin, as though he were hugging it. "That's why you pulled away from me when we were sleeping last night," he said thoughtfully.
"I never pull away from you," Vince said, still petting Stuart's hair. "I had a bandage on and I didn't want you to feel it. Would have given away the surprise."
"Did it hurt?" Keeping his face pressed gently against Vince's belly, he looked up into his eyes.
"Yeah," he said. "Hurt like bleedin' hell. Had to ask the bloke to stop a few times because I thought I might cry." Vince smiled. "Sniveling's not a very manly thing to do in a tattoo parlor. Might not have survived that."
Stuart laughed softly.
"But I wanted to do something, you know . . . lasting," Vince went on. "Something so you would know I'm in this forever."
The more Vince talked about forever, the more Stuart ached all over. He knew he shouldn't take what Reb said about the lines in their palms so seriously, but in his current tumultuous emotional state he just couldn't stop himself. He knew he was overwrought from the day and his feelings were too raw and close to the bone, but . . . he still felt weak and vulnerable and like he needed to be as close to Vince as possible.
As though he was reading Stuart's thoughts, Vince sat forward and stood up, holding out his hand for Stuart. "Come on, then. Let's go to bed. I want to properly consummate our union."
Stuart let himself be pulled to his feet and he walked across the room to their closed bedroom door. He could see the flicker of candlelight through the blinds and he smiled, glancing back at his lover. "What's goin' on in there? Burning all the porn now that we're married?"
"Nah, just the photos of all your other lovers," Vince said, grinning sweetly.
"Cheeky," Stuart muttered.
They stopped at the stairs and Vince leaned on the wall, waiting. "Go on, then. Open the door."
Stuart gave his lover a soft kiss and then he turned the knob and pushed the door open.
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