Anne’s mouth came off Brett and she gave an abbreviated high shriek at his entrance that degenerated into a sob. “Freddy,” she cried out. “God, yes.”
“Suck Brett, Anne,” Freddy growled. “I want your mouth on him while I fuck you.”
Anne didn’t need to be told twice. She took Brett in one swallow, his entire length buried in her sweet mouth. She coughed a little, and Brett pushed her back.
“Are…” he paused and licked his lips, “are you all right? Not so deep, sweetheart.”
Anne laughed a little self-consciously around Brett’s cock and for some reason Freddy found that both endearing and arousing. He couldn’t stop from thrusting into her a little, and Anne moaned.
“How many times have you done that, Anne?” Freddy asked, gritting his teeth as he forced himself not to move.
She pulled away again and Brett groaned. “Once or twice,” she answered, her voice a little rough. “I never liked it before.”
Brett started to sit up with a curse. “Why didn’t you say so? I don’t want to make you do something you don’t like.”
Anne laughed and pushed him down again. “I said before. I like this just fine.”
Brett caught himself on an elbow. “What do you mean?”
Anne sighed theatrically. “I mean I like doing it to you. You taste good, you smell good, and I just like it. So be quiet and let me have my fun.” Freddy slowly pulled out of her and then thrust back in just as slowly. Anne’s head fell back on her shoulders. “Oh God, Freddy, yes. You have your fun too.”
Freddy laughed with dark amusement. “Oh I am, Anne, I am.” He looked at Brett. “Lie down and let Anne suck your cock.”
Brett did as he was told with a wicked grin. “Yes, Your Grace.”
“That’s right,” Freddy growled, “and don’t you forget it.”
Brett’s laugh was cut off as Anne slid her mouth around his cock. They began a dance that Freddy had never done before. As he thrust into Anne she sucked Brett’s cock into her mouth, and as he pulled out she pulled off. He found it hard to believe they hadn’t done this a thousand times, their rhythm was so perfect. Brett had retreated into incoherent desire as he alternated between watching Anne’s mouth on him and Freddy’s cock in Anne. His eyes were glazed, his pupils large, his cheekbones sharp slashes of tension across his handsome face. He kept biting his lip to keep from crying out, but repeatedly he gave in and his low, wild, wordless cries spurred Anne and Freddy on.
Brett began to shiver and his hips were driving his cock into Anne’s mouth. Freddy felt the heat in his balls as they grew so big and tight it was an excruciating pleasure to hold back his climax. He felt Anne’s sheath quiver around him, and he knew she was holding on by a thread as well. None of them wanted it to end. But Freddy knew it didn’t have to. They would have Anne again and again, however they wanted, and she would love it. She would love them. And Freddy would bring Brett and Anne together. Everything would work out. It had to.
“Come, Brett. Come for us, and then watch us come for you.” Freddy’s voice was low, dark, demanding. He surprised himself with that voice. He liked it, he liked it very much.
Brett cried out and arched his back, thrusting deep in Anne’s throat as she gasped. Brett buried his hands in her hair and held her tightly as his cock jerked and jumped. Freddy could actually see the spasms as Brett spilled in Anne’s mouth. Anne choked, some of Brett’s release leaking back down his shaft to pool in his pubic hair.
“Swallow, Anne,” Freddy told her. “Swallow around him, as much as you can. What you can’t just let it go.”
Anne seemed to take his advice, and she stopped choking. He saw her throat working as she swallowed, and Freddy swallowed with her, almost tasting Brett on his tongue. Anne moaned. Brett had fallen back onto the blanket, panting roughly as his hands smoothed Anne’s hair. When she pulled away, rising to her hands and knees, Brett leaned up, cupping her jaw in his palm, and he kissed her tenderly. Freddy felt a spurt of dark jealousy, wanting to taste Brett in her mouth, wanting to greedily lick the residue of Brett’s climax from Anne’s lips. Brett broke the kiss slowly, and Freddy felt Anne clamp down on his cock.
“Fuck Freddy,” Brett told her softly. “Fuck him for me, come for me.”
Anne looked at Freddy over her shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips cock-bruised, bright red and slick with Brett’s seed. Freddy’s cock jerked inside her and she closed her eyes and thrust back against him. “Fuck me,” she moaned. “Fuck me hard, Freddy.”
Freddy gave her what she wanted. He drove into her again and again, the force of his thrusts nearly bringing her knees up from the ground. Brett leaned on one elbow and held her hands firmly to the ground, an action that seemed to drive Anne into a frenzy. She growled and fucked back against Freddy hard and fast. Freddy leaned over her and placed his hands over Brett’s. The change in angle made Anne give a gurgling scream, so Freddy began to thrust high and hard into her. She sobbed his name and then she began to come.
Her inner walls clutched Freddy so hard it was difficult to pull out and drive back in, but he did.
“No, no,” Anne moaned, yanking a hand from under theirs to blindly grab at him behind her.
“Stay deep, Freddy,” Brett urged him, “press hard inside her.” Freddy saw Brett reach down and he guessed that Brett was rubbing or pinching her clitoris. Anne screamed loud and long as her already strong climax intensified. Pressed so deep and hard inside her, Freddy felt every trembling moment of it until he could take no more. With a shout he pulled out and thrust hard and then exploded. He heard Anne cry out, heard Brett cry his name, but Freddy was lost in the gripping, wrenching pleasure of the most intense climax of his life. He felt his cock pulse and pulse and pulse, filling Anne, filling her for Brett.
When it was over Freddy barely managed to move to the side before collapsing against the blanket. He felt a hand brush tenderly over his hair. Was it Anne or Brett? He didn’t care. He purred into the caress. He heard Anne panting near him but Brett’s breathing had almost returned to normal.
“Thank you,” Brett said quietly, and Freddy realized it was his hand in Freddy’s hair. He opened his eyes to see Brett brushing his fingers through Anne’s hair as well, where she lay with her cheek pillowed on his stomach. Brett was looking between them.
“Yes, well,” Anne said in a rough voice. She cleared her throat. “Don’t expect me to endure much of that kind of torture. More than three or four times a day and I shall have to complain, I think.”
“Ah God, Anne,” Freddy said, and he found himself laughing weakly with happiness. How ever had they survived before Anne? A chill stole his breath. How would he survive if they left him?
That evening Freddy and Brett enjoyed a quiet dinner at Ashton Park after seeing Anne home. They talked about inconsequential things in front of Reeves and the footmen.
After the last dish was removed Freddy and Brett moved to the library for drinks—port for Freddy and scotch for Brett. Brett settled on a rather uncomfortable couch along the bank of windows that faced the enormous fireplace on the opposite side of the long, narrow room. Freddy had often wondered why his mother had chosen uncomfortable furniture for the library. It seemed perverse. As did the giant cage-like doors on all the bookshelves, as if to enjoy a book here were criminal.
“What are you going to do about Anne?” Brett asked suddenly.
Freddy was taken aback and he paused in the process of sitting in a small, spindle-legged chair facing Brett. He blinked several times and then continued down to the seat. Thoughts were racing through his head about possible things he could do about Anne. He let none of them show on his face, however. After sitting, he crossed his legs nonchalantly and set his port down on the small table next to his chair. The table was also spindly, too small to support the weight of half the tomes in the library.
“And what exactly do I need to do something about?” He thought his voice sounded unconcerned, maybe mildly interested.
Brett looked exasperated. “Clearly the Goodes have been reduced to less than ideal circumstances. Why? I know you saw the reactions of the merchants in the village. There were several furtive conversations, most of which involved Anne trying to give them money and being refused. And yet they did not hesitate to carry on business with her while we were there.”
Freddy breathed a shaky inner sigh. For a moment he’d thought Brett was going to end things with Anne after their one encounter today. He picked up his port and took a sip while he gathered his thoughts. “Each of those transactions was made with me, however, against Anne’s protestations and with the encouragement of the merchants. Curious. They don’t seem to spurn her business, or her. And yet I got the distinct impression there was something we were missing.”
Brett leaned back with a nod. “Exactly. No sugar in the house when we arrived, threadbare furniture, out-of-fashion clothes. In many ways they are the portrait of reduced circumstances. However, Anne was trying to pay them and she was refused.”
Freddy looked at Brett and raised his eyebrow questioningly. “Stephen?”
Brett nodded. “My thought as well. I’m sure Stephen will know what is going on. He works closely with Mrs. Goode, or so Anne tells us.” Brett swirled his scotch in the glass and then took a healthy swallow. “Besides, it is about time that we paid our respects. We haven’t been to see him since we arrived. He’s probably written us off by now.”
Freddy laughed. “Hardly. I’m sure Stephen is even now making excuses for us.”
Brett swirled the liquid in his glass again and smiled distractedly before he gulped down the rest of the scotch. The way he was drinking it, it might as well be water. Freddy stared incredulously when Brett rose in a jerky fashion and set his glass down with a finality that indicated his evening was over.
“Well then, I’m off to bed.” He started to leave but Freddy hurriedly stood and grabbed his arm.
“That’s it? You’re really going to walk out of this room without discussing what happened this afternoon?”
Brett glued blank eyes on Freddy’s hand until he removed it. Then he spoke over Freddy’s shoulder, not meeting his eyes. “This afternoon was about Anne.”
Freddy threw his hands up in the air. “Of course it was about Anne! But you and I were there as well, Brett, and you damn well know it.”
Brett’s calm façade broke, and he turned angrily to Freddy. “I knew you’d try to make more out of it than there was. Can’t you just accept that what happened happened? Why must we examine it to death?”
“Examine it?” Freddy burst out in frustrated amazement. “I’d just like to talk about it. I find it quite ironic that you are always full of sage advice for others but won’t even discuss your own emotions. For instance, you’ve avoided any kind of sexual involvement with me for almost five years, and today we fucked Anne together. I was naked, you were naked. Together. Don’t you have anything to say about that?”
Brett’s lips tightened. “No.”
“No?” Freddy was yelling now, and to hell with the consequences. It felt good to finally let go. “No, you have nothing to say? Or no, you won’t say anything? Because you never say anything. You put me off and put me off, you say no as if it’s the only word you ever learned, but I never get any explanation. Don’t you think I deserve an explanation? Or is it that I’m just Freddy? I’ll just be quiet and go along and pretend you didn’t just fondle my cock today and beg me to fuck Anne for you, because that’s what you want?”
“Damn it!” Brett yelled back. Freddy was so shocked he took a step back and whatever he’d been about to say was forgotten. Brett never lost his temper, never. “I will say this once, and once only, Freddy. What happened today is as far as things will go between you and me. I will be a part of…of whatever is happening between you and Anne, but I will not be manipulated by you. I will be your friend, and I will support you. I would do almost anything for you, but I will not be your lover. I cannot.”
“Whatever is happening between Anne and me?” Freddy asked in confusion. “What do you think is happening between Anne and me? Because whatever it is, it seems to be happening between you and Anne as well.”
“I can’t give Anne what she wants any more than I can give you what you want, Freddy,” Brett said in a tired voice.
“I think you gave Anne exactly what she wanted today, and you did a damn fine job of meeting my needs too.” Freddy tried to find the right thing to say. If he didn’t Brett was going to walk out that door and this argument would remain unresolved between them.
“You both deserve more than what I can give you.” Brett began walking toward the door.
“How do you know?” Freddy asked. “How do you know what we need, what we deserve? It seems to me that we should be the ones to make that decision. And we both want you.”
Brett stopped with his hand on the door, shaking his head. “You lost the right to make that decision when you became duke, Freddy.”
“And Anne?” Freddy was still determined to bring them together. Brett hadn’t said he didn’t want her. If Freddy could at least bring them together, then perhaps Brett would let him be a part of that.
Brett just shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered. Then he walked out the door and shut it quietly behind him.
Brett walked slowly down the hall away from the library. He pretended that he didn’t hear the glass breaking as it hit the heavy panels of the door behind him. He was going to have to get very good at pretending.
Chapter Nine
June 23, 1811
My Dearest Anne,
I miss you. I miss everything about you. But mostly I miss your sense of humor. You never got mad at me when I indulged in my little jokes, did you? Or am I remembering things as I wish to, and not as they were? You see, Brett is mad at me. It all started with a woman. She looked a little bit like you, Anne. Damn me, I shouldn’t tell you that, should I? I keep forgetting that I must treat you like a lady now and not like Anne. Although you’re still Anne. I’m sorry. Lack of sleep has made me confused. It’s been nearly two months since our last major battle and I still can’t sleep. Anyway, Brett is mad at me. He sent the girl away. I’m beginning to worry about him. I shall have to take drastic measures to ensure his forgiveness.
I’ve lost some of your letters, Anne. I’ve looked everywhere. I am beside myself. I’m sorry. I shall keep them all together now and carry them with me. Some poor fool has probably stolen them and thinks to show up in Ashton on the Green and sweep you off your feet when this bloody war is over. He’ll be in for a surprise, won’t he? Because I know you are far too clever for that.
Your Devoted Servant,
Bertie
* * * * *
“Go and see Anne this morning, Brett,” Freddy said as he took a sip of his coffee the next morning.
Brett had been afraid to come down for breakfast, afraid to face Freddy. He hated that because he craved Freddy’s company. He needed his companionship just as he needed coffee and sausage in the morning. He was afraid that Freddy wouldn’t let last night’s argument go. He was afraid that because for one afternoon he’d given in to his selfish desires that he’d ruined everything between them. And then what would he do? He wasn’t ready to face life without Freddy yet. Soon he’d have to, but not yet.
But Freddy had been as congenial as he always was, pleasant and concerned about Brett’s well-being. It hadn’t escaped Brett’s notice over the last few years that Freddy’s first concern was always Brett. He made sure Brett’s breakfast was served promptly, that his clothes were well-kept, that his smallest wish or need was fulfilled. Brett had become complacent. He’d let Freddy work his way into his life until Freddy was so firmly enmeshed in the fabric of Brett’s life that the thought of that life without Freddy was inconceivable. Brett had lain in his bed last night for hours wondering how he’d let that happen.
“Hello, is Brett at home this morning?” Freddy snapped his fingers in front of Brett’s nose and Brett jerked
back.
“I…” Brett shook his head, “I’m sorry. Lost in thought.”
“Apparently,” Freddy told him in an amused voice. “I said you should go and see Anne this morning.”
“Why?” Brett winced at the suspicion in his voice. Freddy just raised an amused eyebrow.
“Because I am going to see Stephen, and I do not want Anne inconveniently appearing while I interrogate the good vicar about her secrets.”
Brett felt the tension in his shoulders grow. “I can go see Stephen,” he offered. It was a sacrifice. Brett would like nothing more than to go and see Anne, to spend the morning in her company. And he wasn’t ready to see Stephen. Not yet.
“Mmm,” Freddy hummed as he took a sip of coffee. He shook his head. “No. I really need to do it. I need the village to see me with Stephen. I haven’t spent enough time here to solidify his position. I want everyone to see he has my approval and friendship. I think that’s important if he is to be successful here.”
Brett thought about that a moment. It was plausible. “Stephen has been here for over two years, Freddy. Don’t you think they’ve accepted him already?”
Freddy appeared to consider Brett’s statement. “Perhaps. But we both know how country folk are, Brett. There are probably quite a few people in the parish who still hold back, who haven’t given him their complete trust because they don’t know he has my approbation. And let’s be honest, I’m sure my mother hasn’t helped in that regard.”
Brett sighed. “You’re right of course. I’d be happy to go see Anne, you know that. But I don’t wish to deprive you of her company.”
Freddy reached over and patted Brett’s hand, making Brett tense again. He felt like a fool when Freddy immediately pulled back with a distracted smile. “Never fear,” Freddy said cheerily. “I shall join you at Anne’s as soon as I am able.”
Brett arrived at Anne’s at the same time that morning as he and Freddy had been appearing for the last week. And as usual after that first day he found Anne and her mother having their morning tea in the drawing room awaiting them.
Brothers In Arms 05: Retreat From Love Page 14
