by Erin M. Leaf
“Yeah, I had a bit of a frustrating day.” Guy walked over to the knife and yanked it out. He put it down on a shelf with some other tools. “We can eat in the back.” He walked to the front door and turned the sign in the window to “Closed”, and then locked up. “The shop is attached to the rest of the house.” He smiled wryly. “Or cabin. Whatever you want to call it.”
“It looks like a cabin, but it’s not in the woods.” Theo inhaled, enjoying the fresh wood smells. He’d associate these scents with Guy for the rest of his life. He smiled at the older man, sensing Guy’s emotions settling a bit. The WoodCrafter didn’t feel as unhappy as he had earlier, when he’d had to confront that nasty old woman, but the simmering arousal bouncing between the two of them hadn’t dissipated. Theo breathed out, trying to control his side of things, but it didn’t really help. Guy was hot, and he was Theo’s soulmate, and he wanted nothing more than to show the older man precisely what that meant.
Guy lifted a shoulder. “I like wood cabins.” He glanced around, smiling slightly. “I built this myself.”
Theo nodded. “I assumed you had.” The space felt like a WoodCrafter’s home. It felt like Guy’s home.
“Come on.” Guy headed for the back door. “I’m starving.”
And I’m starving, too, but for something a hell of a lot more substantial than food, Theo thought, eyeing Guy’s very excellent ass as he followed him down a short hall and into a bright, modern kitchen.
“I built the house first, and then added the shop onto the front.” Guy took out some plates, and then retrieved two glasses from his dishwasher. “Pamela liked it here.” His expression tightened.
“I like it here, too,” Theo said softly, setting the bag down on the kitchen island. He felt Guy’s grief, sharp and bittersweet, but then it faded a bit under a slow roll of guilt, and Theo knew he had to say something. Sometimes, being an Empath really sucks. “You don’t have to pretend she didn’t exist, Guy. I can feel her, too, in here.” He tapped his chest. “She’s part of you, and I’m an Empath, so I can feel your love for her.”
Guy’s expression twisted. “Shit. I can’t keep this up, Theo.” He looked around the kitchen as though it held the answers to all his problems. “I can’t pretend I don’t miss her.”
“Why would you have to pretend? I would never ask you to do that,” Theo said, holding Guy’s gaze, willing him to believe him. His soulmate’s light brown eyes held too much pain. He wanted to soothe it away, but even if using his empathic gift in such a way wasn’t proscribed, he couldn’t do that to Guy. He couldn’t mess with the man’s memories of his dead wife. He forced a smile. “Are you hungry? I’ve got this great food, you know.”
Guy looked at him for a long moment, and then the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. “Yeah, I’m hungry. We can eat over here,” Guy said, leading the way to a small breakfast nook. He carried the plates over, and then he filled the two glasses with water. “Water okay?”
“Yes.” Theo joined him, sitting across the table from the older man. The large window on his left looked out on a large backyard filled with trees and ornamental shrubs. “Nice patio,” he said, taking in the pretty flagstones and wrought-iron furniture. “I like it.”
“Pamela designed it,” Guy said.
“I figured.” Theo began to unload the bag. His stomach growled before he even got all the food out. “Down, boy,” he said, laughing.
Guy chuckled. “I’m hungry, too.”
“Let’s eat, and worry about the rest later,” Theo suggested. He could broach the difficult topic of what to do next after they’d eaten.
****
A half hour later, Theo pushed his dirty plate away. “Did you like the olives?”
Guy nodded, wiping his face with a napkin. “Delicious. You got them at the bakery on Main Street, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Theo stood up and gathered the dirty plates. “It’s a nice little shop. Next time I’m buying some of the cookies, too.” He walked over to the counter with the dishes.
“Hey, you’re my guest. You don’t have to do that.” Guy stood, taking the plates out of Theo’s hands. Their fingers touched, and Theo froze as energy flashed through him. Arousal and power punched him in the gut, and he inhaled sharply as his cock went from half-mast to fully hard in half a second.
Guy jerked his hands away. The plates crashed to the table. One cracked into two pieces. “Sorry! Sorry,” he said, stumbling back. “I don’t know if I can do this.” He reached down for the shards of pottery.
Theo grabbed him by the wrists to stop him, gritting his teeth as another flash of power twined with arousal pushed through him. “Guy, stop.” He tightened his grip, inhaling the scent of his soulmate. Guy smelled like trees and warmth and everything Theo had ever wanted.
Guy groaned, and Theo abruptly realized that his soulmate was aroused, too. Deeply aroused. His empathy flared unexpectedly, and his cock pushed against the front of his pants so ruthlessly he thought he’d fall down if he hadn’t been holding on so tightly. “Guy, it’s okay,” he said, voice low and desperate. “It’s fine.”
“Is it?” Guy jerked his arms, as if to get away, but instead, Theo stumbled forward into him. His erection pushed right against Guy’s and both men gasped.
“Jesus,” Theo breathed, shuddering. God, I’ve never wanted anyone this badly before. Please let him be okay with this. He felt Guy’s desperate attempt to control his arousal, and he felt him fail. Theo let go of Guy’s wrists and cupped his face. “Let go, Guy. I’m right here. We can do this.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Guy asked roughly.
Theo grimaced as his empathy picked up a sharp bite of grief pulsing through his soulmate. He took a deep breath, and then let it out again. It didn’t help. “She’ll always be with you,” he finally said. It was the truth, after all. Nothing that Theo and Guy did together would erase the decades his soulmate had spent with his wife. Theo had already accepted that. He just wished Guy would let go of the twisting emotions breaking him apart and accept his grief.
“I feel so damn guilty,” Guy whispered.
I know, Theo thought, but he didn’t say it out loud. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Guy softly. “Why? Wouldn’t she want you to be happy?” He knew she would, because Guy would never have fallen deeply in love with a woman who didn’t have a generous heart.
Guy nodded. “Yeah. I know she would.” He sighed. “Hell, she told me to be happy. Right before she died.”
“Then why not listen to her and be happy?” He kissed Guy again, and deep in his bones he knew this was it. This was the moment he and Guy would bond. “Let yourself be happy. It’s okay to be happy again. I promise it’s okay.”
Guy trembled, rubbing his face against Theo’s. The stubble pricked Theo’s cheeks, but he didn’t care. “It’s okay,” he murmured, for what felt like the thousandth time.
“Oh God, I can’t say no to you.” Guy slid his hands into Theo’s hair, eyes dark with need. “Why can’t I say no?”
“Because you’re not supposed to say no to your soulmate,” Theo murmured, kissing him again. Guy tasted like bread and tangy olives and hope. “You can fuck me. You can do whatever you want to me.”
Guy froze. “What?”
Did I say that out loud? Theo leaned back. Guy’s expression told him he was more intrigued than horrified, and the emotions zinging through Theo from the older man backed that up. Theo drew a deep breath and said it again. “I want you to fuck me.”
Guy flushed. “What? Here?”
Theo looked around. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not gay,” Guy said.
Theo laughed. “Tell that to your cock.” He palmed Guy’s erection, smiling when the older man’s hips jutted forward. “You’re bisexual, Guy. It’s not a crime.” He rubbed harder. “And I, for one, am glad of it.”
“Fuck.” Guy grabbed him by the arms and dragged him to the hall, and then into a cozy den with a sofa and a fireplace. Theo didn’t
have time to look around, because Guy immediately shoved him against the wall and kissed him. “This is crazy,” he said, burying his face in Theo’s neck. He opened his mouth and gently bit down.
Fuck, he’s incredible. Theo arched his back, wishing Guy would bite harder. “I hope you have lube in here,” he said, kissing Guy again. He licked at Guy’s lower lip, then nibbled on it. Guy smelled so damn good. He’d be lucky if he didn’t come in his pants.
Guy growled. “No, I don’t have lube. What the hell am I going to do with lube?”
Theo shook his head. “We’ll make do.” He sank his fingers into Guy’s hair, ravaging his mouth. He felt the older man’s arousal like a tsunami rising, and he knew when it crashed neither of them would be the same again.
“What’s happening to us?” Guy asked, panting.
Theo scrabbled at Guy’s pants, unzipping them roughly. The older man’s cock sprang out into his palm unhindered by boxer shorts, and Theo nearly choked on his own saliva. “Commando? Oh Jesus, I’m not sure I can wait,” Theo muttered, sinking to his knees. He inhaled Guy’s scent, running the man’s thick cock along his cheek. “Fuck.” He opened his mouth and sucked the tip inside. Heat and musk burst over his tongue.
Guy groaned, hips jerking. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Theo ignored him. The heat spiraling through him from Guy had him on the edge and he hadn’t even done anything yet. He sucked harder, sinking down until the older man’s erection hit the back of his throat. None of his mental walls were up, and his Empathy was wide open. He felt everything Guy did, from desperate need to guilt and back again.
“Theo.” Guy tried to pry him off.
Theo swallowed around Guy’s cockhead, and Guy moaned. Theo dug his fingers into his lover’s ass, encouraging the older man to thrust. Guy grabbed his hair and steadied Theo’s head. “Are you sure about this?”
Theo pulled off. “Hell, yes.”
Guy gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to last.”
“And you think I will?” Theo sucked Guy’s cock back into his mouth.
Guy’s knees wobbled, and Theo locked his arms around his thighs as he ran his tongue along his length. “I love the way you taste.” Guy gasped, and Theo grinned as he licked down the underside of his shaft. “Hold on to something.”
Guy shuddered as Theo softly tongued his balls, then scraped his teeth up the older man’s erection. “Fuck. Be careful,” Guy said.
Theo looked up. Guy’s light brown eyes were dark with heat. “You want to fuck me?”
Guy trembled. “I don’t know.”
Theo shook his head and stood up. “I was going to blow you until we both lost our minds, but I want you inside me.” He cupped Guy’s jaw. “I want you so deep in my body that you can’t tell who you are anymore. I want you, Guy.”
Guy swallowed, hard. “I’m not ever going to be what you think I am.”
Theo laughed. “I don’t know what you think I expect.” He stepped back, savoring the arousal flooding through his system. Guy’s emotions rushed through him, and Theo didn’t have the strength to be patient any longer. “But let me show you what I want.”
****
Guy didn’t know where Theo got his confidence, because he didn’t have a clue what the hell he was doing here. His cock throbbed, and Theo’s flushed face and puffy lips made him want to just sink in and let go, but he couldn’t forget that he’d been married to a woman. Okay, sure, he’d had dreams about men, but those hadn’t been real. They’d just been random images from the depths of his subconscious. Now he had a grown man standing in front of him, real enough to touch. What the hell am I doing? Guy hitched up his pants, but he didn’t zip them. He didn’t think he could zip them at this point. His cock had never been so fucking hard in his life, and it felt almost as if he was betraying Pamela. He’d loved making love to her, but he had never felt so out of control. If he wasn’t careful, he’d grab Theo and damn the consequences.
“Don’t bother getting dressed.” Theo very deliberately unbuttoned his shirt, then took it off. Guy stared at Theo’s beautifully muscled chest. “Because I’ll just take your clothes off you again.” Theo reached out and tugged at the waistband of Guy’s jeans, pulling them back down. Cool air hit the skin of Guy’s ass.
“How do you know this is real?” Guy asked. He could feel the soft pouch holding their rings against his thigh as the pants slipped down, but he still didn’t feel right about showing them to Theo.
Theo snorted. “I can feel you, Guy.” He touched his chest, then splayed his palm on Guy’s. “I’m an Empath. We’re never wrong about soulmates. Never.”
Guy flushed. He knew all the stories people with Craft whispered to each other about soulmates. Everyone knew. But it was so rare when it happened, that he was afraid to believe, even with all the evidence in front of him.
“Take off your shirt,” Theo said, undoing the front placket of his slacks. He toed off his shoes.
Guy shuddered. Theo’s voice was enough to get him off. He grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and steeled himself.
“Off.” Theo already had his socks off, and he pushed down his slacks.
Guy stared, mouth going dry. Theo looked … hot as hell, frankly. His gaze went right to the younger man’s long cock, and he licked his lips when he saw pre-cum welling up at the tip. “Fuck.” He wanted to touch it. Taste it. Heat flashed over his face. He’d never been this close to another man’s bare skin before.
Theo touched himself, wetting his fingers, and then brought them to Guy’s mouth. “Taste me.”
Guy couldn’t help it. He opened up and sucked Theo’s finger into his mouth. The taste of musk and a hint of something sweet only aroused him more. “God. What are you doing? How do you taste so good?”
Theo took Guy’s shirt and pulled it up. Guy let him take it off and toss it away. “Damn, you’re built,” Theo said, running his hands along Guy’s chest. “Come on. Off with these.” He tugged at Guy’s pants, and then he went back down on his knees and slid them down, taking Guy’s shoes with them. When he looked up, Guy scrabbled at the wall behind him so he wouldn’t fall. Theo looked like sex and submission and power all wrapped up in an insanely perfect package.
“I’m going to prep, and I want you to watch,” Theo said, standing up. He kissed Guy again, and their cocks slid across each other, this time without clothes in the way.
Oh, my fucking God. Guy sucked in a breath as pleasure prickled along his skin. “This is crazy.” He grabbed his cock so he wouldn’t blow right then and there.
“No, it’s not. This is how it works,” Theo said, towing him over to the leather sofa in front of the fireplace. He gently pushed Guy down. Guy sat, and Theo climbed into his lap. “This is exactly how it works when soulmates meet.” He kissed Guy softly.
Guy wrapped his arms around Theo, remembering the last time he’d had sex in here. It had been a year before his wife’s death. She was already sick, but neither of them cared. He loved her. He remembered how silky her hair had felt, sliding across his arms, and he tried to push Theo away. “Wait—”
“No. Just breathe, okay?” Theo put a finger on his lips. “I can feel your emotions, remember? I understand.”
“You have no idea what I was going to say,” Guy protested, still half out of his mind with need. Theo felt like heat and desire and acceptance. He’d forgotten what it felt like to be this close to another person. How could I have forgotten what this feels like? he wondered, not sure if he should laugh with joy or cry.
Theo leaned over, reaching for the lotion Guy kept on the side table. “I know you were thinking about your wife. She must have been an extraordinary woman.”
Damn. He knows. Guy nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The last time he’d talked about her to Theo, he’d masturbated on the phone. The guilt deepened. He should never have done that, but Theo was so damned persuasive. He’s your soulmate. What did you expect? he asked himself, fighting with the need to give in to his instincts.
>
“You told me she had gorgeous hair, and smooth skin,” Theo said. He ran a hand down Guy’s torso. “I bet she loved your chest, too, because damn. It’s hot as hell.”
“Aw, fuck.” Guy gritted his teeth as Theo scraped his fingers over his nipples. Pamela had loved playing with him, and he loved it when she did. He remembered the last time Pamela had sat on his lap, in this very room, and then all of his thoughts scattered as Theo suddenly slicked his cock with a generous handful of lotion. He groaned, bucking up into Theo’s hand. “Oh, God. That feels so good.”
“I bet she loved your cock, too.” Theo kissed him, and Guy gasped, simultaneously aroused and sad.
“What are you doing to me?” Guy managed to ask. He gritted his teeth. He was so close to the edge, one firm stroke would take him over.
“I’m making love to you. I’m showing you that everything you did in your past, the woman you loved and made a child with, wasn’t a waste. It’s all a part of you,” Theo said. He’d let go of Guy’s erection.
Guy frowned, looking down, and moaned when he realized that by “prep,” Theo had meant he would be fingering himself. “Fuck me,” he breathed, watching as Theo slid first one, then another finger inside his ass. “I can’t—”
“You can,” Theo said, voice low and heated. “You will.” He slid a third finger inside. “And if you want, I’ll fuck you sometime, so you’ll know exactly how good it feels.”
Guy reached out a shaky hand and wrapped it around Theo’s cock. Theo growled, fucking into his fist, and Guy licked his lips as the hot, slick length slid across his palm. Theo felt like lightning, and Guy gasped as energy sparkled up his arm. “God, damn.”
