Verne’s face relaxed. “You mean they were pulling our legs? Jesus, lads. That was epic.” He gave a wide smile and nodded his appreciation at the two of us. I was still reeling from the whole situation. Tammy slapped Toby on the arm as Ginny sat back with a sniff and an evil look in my lover’s direction.
“Hmm. Not bad, Toby, darling. You had me going there for a minute.”
Toby grinned. “Ginny, I’m honored. It takes a lot to pull the wool over your eyes. Rain, are you okay? You look a little… hot.” His words were innocuous enough, but the look he gave me was smoldering. I picked up my beer glass, taking a large swig as I nodded.
“I’m fine. It’s just getting a little warm in here. Must be all the hot air.” I glared at him, and he raised his glass at me with a mocking smile. I turned to Ginny, wanting the conversation to go anywhere to make me forget the hard-on I had in my jeans. “So, Ginny, what’s new at the paper? Any gossip to tell us?”
She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands. “Other than the current talk ad nauseam about the lack of precipitation, there’s not much to tell you. I’m bloody fed up with the whole town moaning about the lack of rain. It’s a fucking dry season, people. Nothing we can do about it.” She slurped her drink moodily. “I do have one good bit of news for you, though. Neil’s left town.”
From the gasps around the table, I guess she realized we hadn’t known. She shrugged. “Yup, he left about a week ago. He’s gone to live in Lincoln, apparently.”
Toby leaned forward. “Why did he leave?” he asked quietly. “Was it because of the newspaper article you wrote?”
Ginny looked smug. “Well, I can’t take all the credit for him going, I think, but it might have had a little to do with it.”
Verne gave a loud grunt. “Ginny, that’s false bloody modesty. You know you managed to rip the boy apart for his attack on Toby—quite rightly, I say—and he was bloody lucky to get off with just a police warning, thanks to Toby here.” He squinted at him. “Why didn’t you press charges ? I know you said in the article you had your reasons, but I would have wanted to see Neil behind bars if he’d bashed me like he did you.”
I glanced at Toby, who’d gone still. I took his hand and squeezed it.
He smiled at me as he replied to Ginny. “I didn’t want to make things worse. It was for the best. I know I thanked you for the article, but I’d like to tell you again how grateful I was that you told the truth.”
It was Ginny’s turn to snort now. “Darling, I always tell the truth. Neil was a twat who deserved to get his comeuppance. You weren’t the only one he’d given trouble to, Toby. There’d been others before you. I, for one, say good riddance that he’s gone.” She raised her glass in a toast, and everyone did the same. “I also heard via the grapevine that Davey Webber is being transferred to another police station.”
We all looked at her in surprise once again. Her smile was smug. “Some Japanese tourist sent a video they had of the attack on Toby to a local reporter here in town”—Ginny smiled wolfishly— “together with a mobile phone record of a conversation that took place, to prove Sergeant Webber had been a little biased. Said reporter then sent it to the superintendent for the region with an opinion that he had a homophobic sergeant in his ranks.”
I looked at Toby. His face was still, and I could see the sheen of tears in his eyes. I reached out and took his hands, covering them with mine.
“Mr. Miyamoto,” I murmured. “It must have been.”
Ginny smiled at us both. “So, after some internal consultation, it was decided that Sergeant Webber take a transfer.” She shrugged again. “I have no idea where. As long as it’s not here, I’m happy. I never liked him either. He was a prick.” And having delivered that bombshell, she stood up, pushing her chair back, and went off in search of another drink. Everyone looked over at Toby, who was trying manfully to act as if he wasn’t crying just a little. I felt a surge of love for my man and his way of wearing his heart on his sleeve.
“I think you need another drink.” I stood up and kissed the top of his head. “Anyone else?” My erection was still clamoring to get out of my trousers, but the place was busy, and I doubted anyone would notice the bulge at my crotch. I took the drinks order, going to stand with Ginny, who was swearing at her inability to attract the barmaid’s attention. It was very busy, the crowd at the bar two deep.
“Thank you, Ginny,” I said to her quietly as she smiled at me. “For everything.”
She waved a hand, but I could see she was pleased. “Tish-tosh,” she said. “Toby has been here four years, and he might not know it, but he has a lot of respect and affection from the people here. He’s a good man, well thought of, and together he and Simon have made a real go of that hotel and attracted tourists. The town is grateful for that.” She glanced at my lover with true affection. “And he’s a darling. And if you ever hurt him, Rain Engel, I will hunt you down and kill you.”
I chuckled. “No chance of that. I have every intention of making him happy.”
She smiled at me warmly. “You do, Rain. That man has never looked so happy. He adores you. Anyone can see that. And you have the same look on your face when you look at him. I might be an incurable romantic, but I’m glad you two found each other.”
I snorted even as her words sent a flood of warmth through me. “You a romantic? Perish the bloody thought. You need to be careful, Ginny. You’ll have people thinking you do have a heart underneath that stone-cold reporter image you like to project.”
She punched my arm hard, causing the two drinks I’d just picked up to spill over onto my hands.
“Oi!” I said aggrievedly. “Stop being such a bloody bully.” I chuckled as I left her impatiently tapping the bar with blood-red fingernails and eying the bartender with some intent to kill if she didn’t get her drink soon. I got back to the table and sat down. Toby smiled at me as I passed him his beer and Tammy her wine. Lucas glowered at me, and I stared at him in confusion.
What the hell did I do?
Toby grinned at me. “Verne here was just telling me about the day he picked up your ex from your place. He says he’s never seen you so pissed off and that you seemed really glad to be rid of him.” There was pure affection on his face at the fact I’d chosen him over Tommy. I groaned inwardly.
Lucas turned to me, his face dark. “You didn’t tell me Tommy was here.” His tone was fierce. I nodded even as my heart beat faster at the fact I’d kept this from him.
“Yes, he swung by to talk to me about selling the house. He’s having money troubles, and he needs the cash. We’ve agreed to get rid of the place.”
“Hmm. And you just forgot to mention this to me how?” Lucas stared at me, his eyes flinty.
Tammy reached out and laid a hand on his tensed arm. “Lucas, it’s none of your business. Even though I didn’t know anything about it either.” She glared at Toby in turn.
Toby and I looked at each other. “Erm, yes, we didn’t see any point in saying anything. He came, he talked, he went.” Toby shrugged as his hand found mine. “Nothing much more to say, really.” He smiled at me in shared secrecy. We’d agreed there was no need for everyone to know about our lover’s spat, and Simon had promised he’d stay mum.
Verne glanced at me apologetically. “Sorry, Rain, mate, I didn’t realize it was a secret. I hope I haven’t caused any trouble for you.”
I shook my head. “No trouble. He’s gone now. That’s what matters.”
Lucas was shaking his head in amazement, and I looked at him in surprise. “What?”
His voice was soft and affectionate when he spoke next. He’d obviously forgiven me already for not telling him. Lucas wasn’t one to bear grudges. “You sent him packing, Rain. I’m glad you decided Toby was your man. You two are great together.”
I saw Toby’s face flush with pleasure at Lucas’s words. I reached over to caress his cheek softly. He looked into my eyes, and I saw the promise in them of very good things to come.
“Yes, we are.”
I still couldn’t believe how easily I could admit my feelings for Toby now I’d told him I loved him. Of course, Toby made it so easy with his warmth, his giving, and his sheer unconditional love for me.
Toby leaned forward and whispered in my ear, his words causing my groin to flood with heat and the beast in my pants to growl and bare his teeth. “We are definitely made for each other. And I intend showing you just how much later when I’m inside you. You can have me first, though.”
Toby definitely seemed to want to make up for lost time in fucking me with regular abandon. I had to say I had no issue with that now that I’d lost my fear of bottoming.
The rest of the evening passed quickly enough, but I was impatient to get Toby alone. His words about the Dom/sub thing were enough to get my whole blood supply rushing to my cock and leaving me dizzy every time I remembered them, let alone his whispered promise to fill me up. So, by the time we made a move upstairs to his room, being the closest bed we had, I was pretty far gone already in the lust stakes. There was no bloody way I was driving home alone tonight, and I doubted if the two of us had gone back to my place that we’d make it across the parking lot. My promise of giving him a pole dance would have to wait for another day.
When he opened the door to his hotel room, I had no reservations about slamming him against the wall and grinding my hips against his as I plundered his beautiful mouth with hard, wet kisses. He moaned, his hands immediately moving to my jeans to unzip me and reach in and grasp me. My jeans slid to the floor. I heard a low chuckle from him, a sexy sound that made me even hornier.
“Still not one for underwear, then?” His voice was husky with desire, and it made me demented with need for him. I nodded in between sucking his tongue and trying to meld myself into his body. His own cock was rock hard, pressing against the front of the beige chinos he wore. He felt so damned good.
“I don’t see the need when I’m with you. Looks like you’ll have to take a rain check for the dance.”
“Oh, there are different types of pole dances, Rain” was his wicked reply. “I think we might manage to conjure something up.” He nibbled at my ear, and he stuck his tongue in it. I shuddered, dragging him over to the bed. I pushed him back onto it. He lay looking up at me, his lips swollen, his eyes unfocused. I jumped onto the bed beside him in just my tee shirt, naked from the waist down. My cock reared, swollen and red, and he looked at it and licked his lips.
“Take off your shirt,” I growled. “Then those trousers. I want you naked, Toby.” I lifted my tee shirt off and watched him as he slowly, teasingly lifted the blue polo shirt over his head. He then proceeded to drive me even crazier with slowly easing the zip of his chinos down, then sitting up, raising his hips to pull them off. Underneath he wore tight, silky black briefs, and I could see the tip of his cock rising above the waistband, already wet and looking very delectable. I leaned down and swiped my tongue over the tip of it, hearing his gasp, feeling his body shiver as he lay back down. I tongued the length of him through the silky goodness that contained what I wanted. He moaned and closed his eyes, his hands clenching into the duvet.
“I’m not in the mood for foreplay tonight,” I whispered. “I am going to give you a blowjob to make your toes curl; then I just want to be inside you. Then later when we’ve recovered, you can have me. Is that a plan?”
“Hell, yes,” he grunted, his voice strangled as I nipped his shaft through the fabric of his underwear. “Just stop fucking promising already and get down to it, Rain, before I mess the sheets just lying here. I’ve been so bloody horny all night.”
I chuckled as I slid the briefs down his legs and tossed them over my shoulder to land God knows where. “It’s all that talk of cock cages, floggers, and you being my Dom.” His cock twitched even as I said the words, and I grinned as mine did the same. “I think we might have to think about that role-play game. I can see us slapping each other’s arses until we’re bursting.”
“Jesus, Rain, enough already.” Toby was hyperventilating as he pulled my head down toward his groin. “Just do it. It’s not going to take long to make me come, I promise. Just one touch of that mouth of yours and… oh hell.” His words trailed off to a whisper as I took him in my mouth, slowly licking and rolling my tongue around his length. I grasped the bottom of his shaft in my left hand to try and keep him going. From the movement of his hips, his erratic breathing, and the low groaning coming out of his mouth, I thought that was a wasted effort. This man was so ready to rock and roll nothing I could do was going to stop his eruption.
And it didn’t take long at all. No sooner had I sucked and teased him for a couple of minutes than he was coming into my mouth, his warm, salty semen coating my throat and lips, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I wasted no time putting on a condom, prepping him and me in lube, lifting his legs over my shoulders, and then covering his body with mine. I slid into him with an ease borne of practice. His hot warmth surrounded me, teased me. All I could hear was our loud panting as I moved in and out of his slick heat, his muscles tightening around my cock and making me dizzy with sheer pleasure.
“Hell, Toby, I love this,” I gasped as his greedy mouth tried to suction me in and his fingers gripped my hips, leaving what I was sure would be bruise marks later. “I love you. You drive me bloody insane.” I was close to my own orgasm now, and as I thrust harder into him, trying to drive my cock out through his mouth, he grabbed my face, bringing it down to his to take my mouth in a bruising, passionate kiss that made our teeth click together. I groaned, feeling his hungry tongue in my mouth, and came, my come flooding the condom with wet, sticky heat. My groin throbbed, pulsed, and trembled with the power of my orgasm. I collapsed on top of him as he moved his legs to a more comfortable position, and we lay there, sandwiched together by heat and sweat. I kissed his wet neck, running my tongue down the line of moisture that trickled over his throat. He gave a slow, deep grumble and ran his hands down my spine. I shivered at the sensation of those fingers on my oversensitive skin.
“I think that was a world record,” he murmured as I moved myself off him and lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling in satisfaction. “I think we both needed that.” His hand trailed slowly down my stomach.
I chuckled. “Toby, when do we ever not need that?” I leaned over, propping myself up on my elbow. “It’s like we have an electric current between us, just sizzling away.”
He was quiet for a while as I lay beside him, and I thought he’d gone to sleep. I shifted to look down at him. He was still awake, a troubled expression on his face. I ran my finger along his eyebrows, tracing the lines.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked softly. “I know that look. It’s your deep-thought one.”
“Do you think that’s all this is about?” he said quietly. “Just this sexual attraction, and one day it’ll be gone, and we’ll not be together anymore?”
I felt a wrench in my chest at his words. My Toby was feeling vulnerable, and all I wanted to do was reassure him I’d always be there for him. I leaned down, kissing him tenderly, taking his lips in a slow and gentle movement. When I released him, his eyes gazed up at me. I brushed hair from his face. “How do you think I know what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling? When I hear your voice, see your smile, and my bloody heart leaps like a salmon, what’s that all about?”
I saw the smile forming on his face as he listened. I was on a roll now.
“Would I let just anyone inside me? Do a bloody pole dance and fuck on a haystack for just anyone?” I mock groaned. “Listen to their bloody awful sheep jokes while sitting by a hedge waiting for a sheep stealer?”
He was giggling now, and the sound touched my heart. “The answer is definitely no. I love you crazily, Toby Prentiss, and I have no intention of ever leaving your side.”
He reached up then, pushing me back and covering my body with his.
“I love you too, Rain Engel. And I’m not going anywhere either.” His whisper sent shi
vers through my body. He kissed me fiercely, his hands cupping my jaw, and for a moment, I fell into a deep, warm place where the only thing that mattered was the man currently with his heated body against me and his hungry tongue probing my mouth like an octopus tentacle. When he let me go and lay beside me, snuggling into my side with his arm draped possessively over my stomach, I didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Chapter 19
Toby
OVER THE next few weeks, the preparations for the upcoming November Winter Festival kept the hotel busy. As one of the main and most popular venues in the town, we were fully booked, to the extent that we had to turn many bookings down. We liaised with various bed-and-breakfasts in the area and tried to get potential customers settled in there. It was a manic time during the weeks in the run-up to the event. Tammy and I were stressed, and it didn’t help that we didn’t have our unflappable leader, Simon, there to bolster us up. He was still in Spain, but he was due back a few days before the fair started. He was bringing his boyfriend, Luis, over, and I was looking forward to seeing the man who seemed to have claimed my employer’s heart.
In my office, I scowled at Tammy as she once again patiently took the stainless-steel letter opener I’d been tapping the desk with. This time, she opened a drawer, dropped the offending implement in, and shut the drawer firmly.
“Why did you do that?” I asked petulantly. “It was like a stress ball. It keeps me focused.”
“And it drives me bloody mad, and while I’m sitting here with you, sorting out these bookings, I don’t need mad. I need calm. Toby, you are like a cat prowling the grounds looking for a pigeon to maul. I’ve never seen you this edgy.”
“I’ve never had to contend with the bloody Winter Festival on my own without Si either,” I said tightly. “I never realized just how much was involved, what he did for them to help out. And now I’m expected to fill his shoes. Those tossers at the council are so prim and proper, and getting the permits for everything is a bloody pain.” I scowled more. “And there’s that one idiot down there who doesn’t like me very much because I’m gay, and he’s done everything he can to make my life a bloody misery.”
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