by Pandora Pine
The front desk was at the end of a short hallway. Behind the check-in desk was the grand staircase. To the left was a richly appointed sitting room with a stone fireplace and several burgundy couches artfully arranged. “I’m Ronan O’Mara. I booked The Garden Room for my fiancé and myself.”
The man behind the desk smiled at Ronan. “Ah, yes, Detective O’Mara and Mr. Grimm, welcome to the Inn at Hawthorne Lake. We’re so pleased to have you with us for the next six nights.”
“Six nights?” Tennyson whispered.
“Well, I wasn’t sure how long we’d be here with the funeral and all…” Ronan squeezed Tennyson’s hand, hoping he’d get the message to play along.
“Mom was such a wreck today. I’m sure she’ll be glad we’re staying at least that long.” Tennyson sighed.
“You’re here because of a death in your family? I was such a big fan of your reality show. I can’t believe you’re going to be guests here at the Inn. Are you able to speak to that person like you are with other spirits?”
Tennyson grinned at the desk clerk, whose name badge read “Aaron.” “That’s how I knew my father had passed on. He showed up in our bedroom and was sitting on my bed when I woke up.”
Aaron gasped. A hand fluttered to his chin. “No! How awful.”
Nodding, Ten looked up at Ronan, who patted his shoulder.
“I think we have some kind of bereavement package available.” Aaron’s fingers flew over his keyboard.
“Do you also offer a discount for law enforcement officers?” Ronan flashed his badge at the star-struck young man.
“Ohh, may I?” Without waiting for an answer, Aaron took Ronan’s badge and started running his fingers over the City of Boston seal and Ronan’s raised badge number. He handed it back to Ronan and went back to typing again. “Okay, so after adding in the bereavement and law enforcement discounts and giving you the breakfast package, on the house, that brings the room rate down to eighty-five dollars per night, plus tax. I’ll need a credit card on file for incidentals.”
Ronan almost burst out laughing as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket. When he’d looked up The Garden Room on the internet it was the prettiest room available with views of the private back garden. It was also the most expensive room with a hefty $170 per night price tag. He was nearly giddy at the thought of paying only $85 per night.
“Okay, you two are all set.” Aaron handed the card back to Ronan. “Now, if you’ll follow me, it will be my pleasure to show you to The Garden Room, your home away from home for the next six nights.”
Ronan took Tennyson’s hand as they followed Aaron down the hall. He was going to have to make sure they tipped the young man generously at the end of their stay.
Aaron opened the door with the key card and swept the door open wide onto a beautiful sitting room done in shades of forest green. “Here’s your little living room. It’s nice and cozy for watching a little television or reading. In here is the bedroom.” Aaron led them into an adjoining room with a king-sized bed with a striped comforter done in shades of green and gold. “Lastly, the bathroom with a jacuzzi built for two. If you like, I can send in a romantic snack tray for you later on.” Aaron winked at the two of them.
“I’d like that.” Tennyson smiled. “Something naughty with fresh fruit juice?”
“Ohh, I have just the thing!” Aaron was all smiles. “Here are your room keys. Dialing 1 on the phone gets you the front desk. The restaurant serves dinner until 10pm or you can order a room service tray. The menu is on the table in the sitting room. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you to settle in.”
“I’ll walk you out, Aaron.” Ronan led the young man to the door, pulling out his wallet as he moved. “Brownies on the naughty snack tray if you can.” Ronan handed him a twenty.
“Sure thing Detective O’Mara.”
“Just call me, Ronan.” He smiled at the young man and shut the door behind him.
Over the last two years, Ronan had been divorced, shot four times, attended an exorcism, chased a serial killer, and arrested a child rapist, but he could honestly say that today was the longest day in his entire life.
All he wanted to do now was take a shower and sleep for a week. He walked back into the bedroom to tell Tennyson that very thing, but it was too late. His fiancé was laying across their bed, fast asleep.
8
Tennyson
When Tennyson woke up, the room was lit only by the light of the bathroom. He was alone on the bed, but he could hear Ronan’s soft snores. When he sat up and looked around, he saw the reason for being alone. He was lying across the middle of the bed, rather than at the head of it.
Shit, Ronan must be sleeping on the small sofa in the sitting room. Stretching his still tired muscles, Ten stood up and headed toward the other room. Sure enough, Ronan was asleep on the couch. His long body was pulled into the fetal position.
As much as Tennyson hated to do it, he shook Ronan’s shoulder. If he didn’t wake his fiancé up, he was going to end up sore as hell come morning. “Ronan?” he asked gently.
“Hmm?” Ronan cracked an eyeball open. “Is it morning?”
“No, it’s dinnertime. I didn’t want you to sleep all folded up like a pretzel.”
Ronan’s long legs shot out in front of him as he stretched. “I wouldn’t have had to sleep like this if you hadn’t fallen asleep in the middle of the bed.”
“Ohh, someone woke up on the bitchy side of the bed, didn’t they?” Ten laughed and hopped out of the way as Ronan’s orangutan-like arms grabbed for him. “Tell you what? Why don’t I go start the jacuzzi for us? Maybe that will make you feel less grumpy?”
“Maybe.” Ronan grumped as he sat up.
“I think I packed the waterproof lube. Should I check my bag for it or not?” Ten teased as he left the room. He knew he packed it. They’d bought it on their trip to Sand Dollar Shoal. The walk-in shower at that place was big enough for six. After a few days of marathon shower sex sessions Ten was sick of farting peppermint from Ronan using the minty shampoo as lube. The waterproof and fragrance-free lube they’d found at the local Walgreens really did the trick. Best of all, his farts went back to smelling like farts.
Ten was busy stripping off his boxer briefs when he felt Ronan’s eyes on him from behind. He knew even a tired Ronan couldn’t resist the lure of jacuzzi sex. “Like what you see?”
“Oh, yeah.” Ronan’s voice, still thick with sleep, sounded more like a growl.
When Ten was gloriously naked, he looked over his shoulder at Ronan who was still completely dressed, but on the plus side, was drooling. “You gonna get naked and join me or am I gonna have the whole tub to myself?” Ten turned around and sat on the edge of the jacuzzi. He trailed his fingers through the bubbling water. “The water is perfect. Why don’t you hit the middle light switch, Romeo?”
Ronan gave Ten a strange look, but did as he asked and flipped the middle switch. It dimmed the lights to a romantic setting instantly. “Nice. Is there another switch for the Barry White?”
Ten shook his head. “If the mood lighting and me naked in a hot tub aren’t enough to make Huge Jackman stand up and salute, then I got nothing else for you.” Ten slid into the tub, turning around so he could watch Ronan strip.
Ronan snorted. “Why don’t we see what happens, huh? I’m still recovering from getting my ass shot.”
“It wasn’t your ass that got shot,” Ten reminded him as Ronan stripped off his shirt. He tried not to gasp when the three puckered scars came into view. Every time Tennyson saw them, he said a silent prayer thanking God that Ronan had survived.
While Tennyson was praying, Ronan had managed to get his pants off. He was stalking toward the hot tub like he was a hungry lion and Tennyson was his prey. “You look amazing in the low light, babe.”
Ronan grinned. He ran his hands down his abs and gave his cock a few quick strokes. “Wet your hair for me and slick it back. I love that look on you.”
Ten smoothed
his hair back with his wet hands. He did it several times while Ronan watched. He couldn’t help noticing the way Ronan’s breath sped up as he licked his lips.
“God, you’re beautiful, Ten.” Ronan sauntered the rest of the way to the jacuzzi. He leaned over the edge, cupping Tennyson’s face in his hands. When their lips finally met, Ronan growled low in his throat like an animal about to take possession of his mate. “Mine,” Ronan declared.
Tennyson felt his cock jerk against his stomach. He loved it when Ronan went all caveman on him like this. He had a feeling sore knees and fingerprint bruises on his hips were in his near future. “All yours,” Ten agreed, licking his lips.
Ronan sat down on the edge of the tub, spreading his legs wide. He leaned back on his arms and shot Ten an expectant look. “Suck me.”
“Your wish is my command.” Ten grinned. He floated across to Ronan. Tiny waves broke against his calves as Ten captured his prize. He moaned when the flavor of Ronan’s nectar burst across his tongue.
Ronan had only been out of the hospital for about six weeks. They hadn’t had a lot of sex in that time. Most of it included hand jobs or oral. When they did get in on like Donkey Kong, it was with Tennyson riding Ronan. He had a feeling that was all going to change tonight.
Ten used his tongue and moaned the way he knew drove Ronan the craziest. That combined with the slicked back hair was gonna get him fucked in no time flat. The last weapon in his arsenal was his eyes. He gazed up at Ronan with what he hoped was his most sultry look.
Ronan’s eyes rolled back in his head and he roared like a beast. Tennyson popped off his dick and moved out of the way. Ronan slid off the side of the tub and into the water with a splash. He grabbed Ten and pulled his lover into his arms.
Ten wrapped his arms around Ronan’s shoulders and did his best to hold on. Ronan was biting and nibbling his way up Ten’s neck. He only had a second to hope his lover wasn’t leaving marks. They needed to see the funeral director tomorrow and he didn’t want to do it wearing a turtleneck in eighty-degree heat.
“Love you so much, babe,” Ronan whispered before capturing Ten’s lips in a searing kiss.
Holding on tighter, Ten met Ronan’s kiss with all the love in his heart. Ronan’s tongue pushed into his mouth and he rubbed his own against his lover’s eagerly.
Without warning, Ronan pulled away. “Up against the edge of the tub, now!”
As Ten moved into position, he saw Ronan reaching for the waterproof lube. He heard the cap snap open and he hoisted his ass out of the water far enough for Ronan to get him ready. A few sloppy pokes later and Ronan’s finger was gone. Instead, Ten heard the squishy sound of Ronan lubing his cock. “You ready for this?”
“Fuck, yeah,” Ten panted. “Just don’t drown the both of us.”
“You got it, Ahab.” Ronan snorted.
“Shit, if I’m Ahab, that makes you…”
“Moby Dick!” Ronan crowed, just as he surged into Tennyson’s body.
Both men moaned when Ronan bottomed out. Ronan wrapped an arm around Tennyson’s shoulders and used the other arm to hold on to the edge of the tub to keep them both above water. Ronan set a quick pace. Every thrust of his powerful hips sent a wave of water crashing over the edge of the tub to splash on the floor.
“Jesus, Ronan!” Ten moaned, closing his eyes and focusing on what Ronan was doing to his body. He loved the feeling of his lover holding him so tight that he felt small and overpowered. At the same time, he’d never felt more loved or protected.
“Ten…” Ronan panted. “Please, God!”
Tennyson knew Ronan was close. He was too, just a couple more thrusts and he’d be there.
“Ten!” Ronan roared, holding his lover even tighter.
Ronan’s climax triggered Ten’s own. His dick twitched and started to pulse against his stomach. His own release burst out of the water like geyser. Ten was mesmerized by it. He could feel Ronan’s grasp on him loosening and knew his lover was floating back down to earth.
“So cool,” Ronan panted.
“What? Jacuzzi sex?” Ten laughed.
“No, Old Faithful come!” Ronan giggled and fell back into the tub with a small splash.
Before Tennyson knew it, he was laughing hysterically too. As he was falling asleep tonight, he was going to thank God again for putting Ronan O’Mara in his life.
9
Ronan
Ronan was sitting quietly in the private garden reading the morning edition of the Kansas City Star when his phone rang. Figuring it was Truman or Fitzgibbon, he picked up the phone instantly without bothering to look at the caller ID. “O’Mara.”
“Hello, Ronan. This is Kaye Grimm.”
“Ah…” Ronan’s brain stopped dead in its tracks. He had no comeback for that.
“I see I’ve shocked you speechless. I was just phoning to thank you for sending me over lunch and dinner from the Main Street Café. Cal Farmer sent over a delightful girl to deliver the meals she said you and Tennyson ordered.”
“Yes, well, you’re welcome. I hope you enjoyed the food. Ten and I had a nice lunch there yesterday.” Ronan still felt like he was behind the eight ball here in this conversation.
“Did you enjoy your night at the Best Western over in Denton. Pamela said she told you that was a nice place to stay.” Kaye sounded pleased by the recommendation.
“Well, no. Actually, we stayed at a different place that Cal Farmer recommended. It’s a bit further outside of town than Denton.”
“Oh, are you at the Days Inn over in Severance?” Kaye sounded even more pleased by that idea.
“No, Ma’am. We’re staying at the Inn at Hawthorne Lake.” Ronan held his breath waiting for Kaye’s reaction to that little revelation.
“Oh. Isn’t that place a bit pricey for a cop and a charlatan?” Kaye asked, her voice thick with snark.
Rather than explain that he was a detective and that Tennyson was a practicing medium and a consultant to the Boston Police Department, Ronan decided to be Elsa and just let it go. “No, Mrs. Grimm, the rates here are actually quite reasonable. If you’d like to speak to your son, he’s still in bed, but I can wake him up for you.”
“You shared a room with Tennyson?” The outrage in her voice was nearly volcanic.
Ronan swore he could hear the vein in Kaye’s forehead bulging. He took a deep breath to keep from laughing out loud. “Kaye, let’s be adults here for a moment. Tennyson and I have been together for ten months now. We got engaged in July and bought a house together in August. We share a bed just like you and David did.”
“You and my son fornicated in the hotel bed last night?”
Ronan was about to tell the nosy old bag that what he and Tennyson did in the bedroom was none of her damn business, but Tennyson had stepped out into the garden, looking adorable with his messy bed head. “No, Mrs. Grimm, your son and I did not fornicate in the hotel bed last night. I give you my word as an officer of the law.” We fucked in the bathtub twice… Ronan mouthed to Tennyson, holding up two fingers in case Ten couldn’t read his lips.
Ten slapped his hands over his mouth and doubled over with laughter.
“Well, Mrs. Grimm, thank you so much for calling…”
“I was hoping we could go to the funeral home today.” Kaye’s voice had turned calmer. All traces of her being outraged over Tennyson and Ronan sharing a bed was gone.
Ronan took a deep breath. This was, after all, the reason he and Ten were here in Kansas. “How about if Tennyson and I pick you up at 10am?” That would give them plenty of time to go back to bed for a bit and have time to refuel before they had to face the dragon lady again.
“Yes, Ronan. That will be acceptable. I do, however, have some rules.” Kaye’s voice had taken on a cautious tone.
“Rules?” Ronan hit the speakerphone button and held a finger up to his lips, indicating that Tennyson not speak.
“Several rules, in fact. While we are in public, you and my son are not to refer to each other by
any kind of special names. Am I understood?”
“Special names? You mean like detective and psychic?” Ronan rolled his eyes.
“No, Ronan. I mean like sweetheart or dear.”
“Ohhh, no pet names. Got it. Any other rules, Mrs. Grimm?” This ought to be good.
“No hand holding, opening doors for each other, no putting your arms around each other, and no kissing or other forms of public affection I may have left out.”
It was a good thing Ronan packed his patience on this trip. “Yes, ma’am. Ten and I will see you soon.” Ronan hit the end button before Kaye could tell him they weren’t allowed to look at or speak to each other.
“I have no words for that.” Ten shook his head and sat down next to Ronan, looking out over the garden.
Ronan didn’t either. “How’d you sleep, babe?”
“Uh, oh. No pet names, Ronan. You heard the dragon mistress.” Ten rolled his eyes. “I slept like a dream after round two.”
“Well, fornication will do that to a person. I’m just glad I could pop your Kansas cherry.” Ronan burst out laughing.
“Is cherry popping one of those forms of public affection that my mother left out?” Ten laughed along with his future husband.
Two hours and mutual blow jobs later, Tennyson and Ronan were driving down Route 20 back into Union Chapel.
“How sad is it that we’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours and I already know my way around without the help of the GPS?” Ronan frowned. “Back home, I’d barely known how to find the closest Dunkin Donuts in only a day’s time.”
“Don’t remind me of Dunkin’s. I’m suffering withdrawal already,” Ten whined.
“Where’s the closest one to Union Chapel?” The last one Ronan remembered seeing was back at the airport in Boston.
“Kansas City.” Tennyson deadpanned.
Ronan sighed and turned into Kaye’s driveway. “Why don’t you hop in the back seat, babe. Err, Tennyson. I wouldn’t want to lose control of myself and kiss you or accidently swallow your dick in front of your mother.”
