All of the Voices

by Bailey Bradford

  “Maybe. Anyway, Conner was apparently lingering around and telling Severo what a pathetic guy I was. I hadn’t told Severo when I’d spoken to him, so he didn’t know how bad off I was. Once he did, he made up his mind to find a solution, and he did.”

  “And you don’t think the guy deserves a sloppy kiss?” Matt wasn’t going to do it, but it was fun to tease Carlin and watch his cheeks tint a ruddy color.

  “I think he deserves two.”

  Matt couldn’t pretend to be jealous, not when he knew Carlin loved him. Hell, the man had moved all the way down from New York for him! “You can give him both, just don’t enjoy it too much or Laine’ll be pounding on your head.”

  Carlin stuck his lower lip out as if to pout but ruined it by chuckling. “You are no fun at all.”

  “I’m plenty of fun. Just wait until we get home and I’ll prove it.” Matt frowned as a thought occurred to him. “Where are you going to be living? And working, for that matter?”

  Carlin cleared his throat and darted a quick glance at him. “I haven’t had a chance to look for a place to live yet. I drove straight from Fort Worth to the Sheriff’s Department, hoping to beat the town gossip, and I did. As for a job, I’ll set up in McKinton. I won’t make nearly as much as I did in New York, but Dad inherited a lot of money, and I inherited a hefty chunk as well.”

  What Matt got most out of that was Carlin needed a place to live. “You can stay with me. I think we’d suit, but if you’re not ready yet, I understand.”

  Carlin steered the car into Matt’s drive and shut the vehicle off after putting it in park. He gave Matt a luminous smile and pulled the keys from the ignition. “I’ve been missing you for more than five months. It’ll take a lifetime to make up for that, so yes, I’d love to share your home with you.”

  Matt couldn’t get unbuckled and out of the car fast enough. He rounded the hood of the car where Carlin was waiting, somehow having managed to exit the vehicle faster. Matt let out a joyful whoop and scooped Carlin up, tossing him onto his shoulder as Carlin yelped.

  “You’re all mine,” Matt crooned, topping the claiming with a swat to Carlin’s ass. “The things I’m going to do to you…”

  “I can’t wait,” Carlin rasped as he slipped his hands down the back of Matt’s pants.

  Matt moaned as his ass was kneaded while he loped to the front door. He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out the keys then opened the front door. And smelled it the same time Carlin did, it seemed.

  “Hi, Aunt Mary,” Carlin called out. “Thanks for watching over Matt for me!”

  When had the bedroom door moved so far away? Matt thought they were never going to get there, but once they did, he had Carlin on the bed and was stripping him as fast as he could. Carlin made it difficult as he kept trying to get Matt naked, too. After the third time they got their fingers tangled, they both laughed and settled for taking their own clothes off, then Matt was finally, finally holding the man he loved.

  Matt kissed him softly then with increased passion as the months of going without Carlin came to an end. He wanted to take his time, wanted to hurry, needed to be inside Carlin’s tight ass already. Carlin bit Matt’s nipples and Matt knew he wasn’t going to last long.

  “Need you soon,” he croaked as he reached for the petroleum jelly.

  “You never got lube?” Carlin asked.

  “Didn’t think I’d ever need it since you weren’t here.” Matt pulled the lid off and tossed it somewhere on the floor. He slicked his fingers in the gooey stuff then reached down to tease Carlin’s hole.

  “Yessss.” Carlin’s legs dropped open, giving Matt room to play. He took one look at the big, leaking cock tapping against Carlin’s lower belly. That was exactly what he wanted. He fisted the base then sucked down Carlin’s cock at the same time he pushed his index finger into Carlin’s satiny heat. The shout those two things shoved out of Carlin was music to Matt’s ears. He sucked and licked Carlin’s dick until he had three fingers stretching Carlin’s hole, then Matt let Carlin’s length slip from his mouth.

  “You ready?” Matt reached for a condom and prayed like hell they hadn’t expired. They had, and Matt cursed and threw the package on the floor.

  “Wallet,” Carlin rasped, then spoke clearly when Matt arched an eyebrow at him. “I knew you were going to be fucking me as soon as possible, so I bought some. Got a box in my suitcase.”

  “I’d like to get tested so we don’t have to use them.” Matt got off the bed and let Carlin think about that while Matt hunted down the condoms.

  “I want that, too.”

  Matt turned back to Carlin and tossed the package. Carlin caught it then ripped it open with his teeth. Matt sidled up to the bed and watched, shuddering a couple of times, as Carlin sheathed his dick.

  “You want to fuck me like this?” Carlin rolled onto his stomach then brought his knees up underneath him and thrust his ass in the air. “It’s my favorite. You can fuck me really deep and hard. God, please fuck me like this!”

  Like Matt could refuse that fluttering hole or those rounded ass cheeks, or the heavy balls hanging low, or— Matt crawled onto the bed and kneeled between Carlin’s calves. He guided his dick to Carlin’s opening with one hand while with the other he held one of Carlin’s hips.

  “Do it, all the way in, please, need it…”

  Matt pressed his crown against Carlin’s hole then settled his other hand on Carlin’s hip. “You sure?”

  “Matt, please!”

  Carlin knows what he wants, Matt assured himself, then he tightened his grip and plunged his cock balls-deep into Carlin’s tight heat. Carlin screamed and thrust back against him, adding to the force of the penetration. Matt would have been concerned but Carlin immediately began fucking himself on Matt’s cock and shouting, “Yes! Fucking yes!” every time his ass slammed against Matt’s groin.

  “Let me do the fucking,” Matt growled as Carlin’s inner muscles contracted around Matt’s shaft. He kneed Carlin’s legs further apart then covered the man, pressing his chest to Carlin’s back and resting on his elbows above Carlin’s shoulders. Matt really liked this position, and showed it by pounding into Carlin’s ass with quick, short jabs.

  A tingle zipped down Matt’s spine and his balls sucked up tight to his body. He reached under Carlin and grabbed his cock. Carlin babbled ceaselessly, cursing and begging and saying things that didn’t make any sense but Matt didn’t care. He pumped Carlin’s dick and pummeled his ass.

  “Do it! Fuck me! Yes! Matt!” Spunk splattered onto Matt’s hand as Carlin came, cursing and whimpering each time spunk shot from his shaft.

  Matt’s hips stuttered as his cock was massaged by Carlin’s clenching muscles. “Carlin!” Matt couldn’t say anything else as his climax slammed into him. He ground his groin against Carlin’s ass and panted as he filled the condom.

  Once his softened dick slipped from Carlin’s ass, Matt pulled the condom off and tied it shut then tossed it onto his recently shucked clothes. Carlin mumbled something and Matt snuggled the man to him, spooning the slender body with his larger one. Matt dozed contentedly with his lover, only waking when he heard Carlin’s voice.

  “What’d you say, sweetheart? I couldn’t hear you.”

  Carlin craned his neck around in a position that looked painful to Matt. “I said, I forgot to tell you Severo has his doubts about what’s wrong with Dad. He seems to think Dad can hear spirits, at least some of the time. I just don’t know about that.”

  “Severo won’t do anything to hurt your dad.”

  “I wouldn’t have put Severo on the visitor’s list if I’d thought he would hurt my dad. I guess I’m just afraid to get my hopes up. I’d rather Dad be hearing and speaking to spirits than be schizophrenic.”

  Matt nuzzled Carlin’s soft blond hair and told him it’d all work out. And it would, Matt was certain. They had great friends, a roof over their head, enough money for their needs and possibly more than that, but most importantly, they had ea
ch other. Everything else would come with time.

  * * * *

  As it turned out, Carlin’s dad was indeed psychic, but he also suffered from psychosis, delusions the doctors said were caused by early onset dementia. It wasn’t the diagnosis Carlin wanted, not at all. He’d thought he’d feel better having a firm answer. He’d been wrong. For all that he’d hoped and prayed his dad would be able to live out the rest of his life under better conditions, the human body was frail and his mind was degrading. It broke his heart, and if he hadn’t had Matt to comfort him, Carlin might have been a bigger mess than he was after first hearing the diagnosis.

  Moving to McKinton to be with Matt was the best thing Carlin had ever done. Carlin spent his nights in the arms of the man who loved him most in the world, and his days passed quickly as he learned more about McKinton and its residents.

  He wondered how many other towns and cities had populations of spirits that the living knew about and interacted with. Carlin didn’t know the extent of who chatted or whatever with which spirit, but he knew it happened.

  And he was all right with it. It eased a previously unacknowledged fear he’d always had about death. He’d never been a good believer in God, though he wouldn’t have called himself an atheist. Perhaps an agnostic. He might still be, though he did believe there was something greater than the common person out there, wherever ‘there’ might be.

  He was contemplating just that, staring out at the sky as he sat on the porch swing waiting for Matt to get home. It was so much darker there than in New York. Carlin never saw the stars when he’d been out at night there. Then again, he couldn’t remember ever taking the time to look.

  The chickens were being quiet, and only the sounds of cicadas and bullfrogs broke through the silence of the night. Occasionally, the porch swing’s chains squeaked, but for the most part, it was peaceful and relaxing even if he was alone.

  Carlin saw Matt’s headlights from quite a distance with nothing much to obstruct the view. His heartbeat doubled and he actually put a hand to his throat as anticipation thrummed through him.

  He’d been living with Matt for two months, and every day, every single day, he was just as thrilled by the man as he had been the first time they’d touched. The sparks that had shot off between them when they’d first met had been a portent of the ones they gave off together as a couple in love. Carlin could just picture them forty years down the road, wrinkled old men still goosing each other and unable to keep their hands to themselves when they were alone. He clung to that fantasy, a fantasy he believed whole-heartedly would become a reality someday.

  Carlin stood when Matt turned into the long driveway. He trotted down the steps and met Matt when he gotten out of the car.

  “Hey,” Carlin said, smiling so big his cheeks must have plumped up like a chipmunk’s.

  Matt beamed at him in return and cupped Carlin’s nape. “Hey, sexy. How was your day?”

  Carlin slid his hands up Matt’s torso, from his trim waist to right beside his pecs. He moved over those slight swells of muscles and further up to link his hands around Matt’s neck, then twined his fingers in the back of Matt’s hair.

  “It was…it was good,” Carlin answered. He pressed his nose to Matt’s neck and inhaled deeply. He loved the way Matt smelled when he came home. There was something about an honest day’s work mingling with the faded scent of aftershave and some aroma that was strictly Matt’s. It fired up Carlin’s lust like nothing else. “Mmm. Could lick you all over, honey.”

  Matt rumbled and maneuvered them around so that Carlin was pinned against the driver’s door. “I’d sure enough let you.” He nipped at Carlin’s lips then licked them before pushing his tongue into Carlin’s mouth.

  Carlin melted inside. He had no other words for it. Every worry and fear he’d held tight dissolved when he was in Matt’s arms.

  Carlin tilted his head to the left for a better kissing angle, and he curled his fingers to give Matt’s hair a little tug.

  The night breeze picked up and blew cool on Carlin’s heated skin. Matt moaned into the kiss then sucked on Carlin’s bottom lip.

  Carlin wanted them naked, yet he wanted to take his time loving on Matt, and he wanted to talk to him, too, see how Matt’s day had been in detail. Watch his eyes light up with amusement or anger, depending on what story he shared. Listen to the deepening timbre of his voice.

  Matt nuzzled his jaw then blew gently in his ear.

  Carlin squeaked a little then. “You know that tickles,” he accused.

  “Sure do.” Matt pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. “So does this.”

  Carlin squealed when Matt went for his ribs. He squirmed and managed to poke Matt in the belly a few times, then they were laughing, just having fun. Then Carlin linked his fingers with Matt’s and pressed his head to Matt’s shoulder. “I love you, so much.”

  Matt freed his hands and was holding him in seconds. “And to think, I used to want to punch you. Now…now I wish I could marry you and have the whole happy ever after ending.”

  Carlin didn’t take offense. He hadn’t been as good a nephew to his aunt as he wished he’d been. If he’d been in Matt’s shoes, he probably would have punched Carlin.

  As for the happy ever after, Carlin wanted it, too. “We could get married, somewhere else. The state of Texas won’t recognize it, probably, but we’d know, and our friends, our families would honor it. I’d like to wear your ring, and see mine on your finger.”

  “We’re turning into romantic fools,” Matt groused, though the happy tone in his voice was unmistakable. “Maybe we could do it, sooner than later.”

  While my dad’s still with us. Carlin knew that was what Matt meant. “That’d be perfect. Now come inside and tell me about who you ticketed and how much Conner irritated Laine today while I’m putting dinner together. Then we can decide on rings and dates before I drag you into the shower and take advantage of your wet, soapy body.”

  “It ain’t taking advantage if I’m offering,” Matt said. “Probably even do some begging.”

  Carlin winked at him. “Well, begging is always good when it comes to sex. Good for my ego, anyway.”

  Matt chuckled. “Like your ego needs any stroking.”

  “Not my ego, no,” Carlin teased.

  “Inside,” Matt ordered. “Feed me and I’ll tell you about Aubrey Maynard and the turtle. My first emergency call for someone being attacked by a critter like that. She was fishing and caught a snapping turtle, thought she’d cut its head off to get rid of a pest, as she called it. That turtle had other ideas.”

  “Who won the battle?” Carlin asked as they walked up the steps.

  “I’m thinking the turtle did, if the vet can get the hook out of its mouth.” Matt held the front door open for him. “Not sure if Aubrey will have a thumb tip though. I should probably check on her tomorrow.”

  “Ew.” Carlin grimaced. “I didn’t know snapping turtles could bite off fingers.”

  “Not your common snapping turtle, no, but an alligator snapping turtle can. But,” Matt stressed. “Aubrey didn’t catch an alligator snapping turtle. She caught a regular one, and it just happened to bite the fleshy part of her thumb. Then the hook got caught up in it somehow, and—well, it was a damned bloody mess, let me tell you.”

  Carlin’s stomach wasn’t going to let him eat what he’d planned to warm up for dinner. “So, um. Spaghetti’s off the menu tonight. Sorry.”

  Matt laughed and guided Carlin to the small kitchen table. “Sit down and I’ll take care of dinner. It won’t be fancy, but I think there’s sandwich stuff, isn’t there?”

  “In the meat and cheese drawer, yes,” Carlin answered. He felt guilty letting Matt make the sandwiches since Matt had worked longer. “I should—”

  Matt didn’t even let him finish. “Nah, you just sit there, and maybe look on your phone and see what we can do about getting married. And the rings, do you want gold, silver, white gold, platinum—I don’t have a preference
, so if you do, we’ll go with that.”

  Carlin fetched his iPad because he could see better on it. Matt’s skin was what Carlin had come to think of as Texas Tan—his chest and legs were pale in comparison to his hands, forearms, and face. Platinum or gold, either would look stunning on Matt’s finger.

  “You’re looking serious as all get-out,” Matt said as he put a plate with a sandwich and chips down beside Carlin’s tablet.

  “I’m mentally debating the merits of twenty-four karat cold versus platinum. Either would look lovely against your skin,” Carlin murmured.

  “What about your skin?” Matt asked. He set his own plate down. “Do you have a glass of tea somewhere? Out on the porch, maybe?”

  “I wasn’t drinking any, so no,” Carlin answered. “And I think either option would work on me. Let me see your hand.”

  Matt came back to Carlin and held out his left hand. He wiggled his ring finger. “I’m getting all excited about this already, you know.”

  “Me, too.” Carlin stroked Matt’s rough palm, then the top of his hand. “Platinum,” he decided. “With blue diamonds, or maybe green and white ones. Yeah, I like that idea. A dark green, hm. I wonder how much something like that would cost.”

  “Might want to check that out before getting your heart set on a ring.” Matt gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Let me get us some tea. I’m so thirsty, my throat could give the Sahara a run for the money when it comes to dry.”

  Carlin didn’t want to argue about the expense of their rings. Whatever they chose would last them a lifetime, and would be worth the cost they paid for them.

  They discussed their options for where to get married—Carlin and Matt agreed the easiest thing would be to do it in the nearest available state—and whether or not to take their honeymoon immediately after.

  The conversation turned Carlin on so much, his cock was hard as could be by the time he pushed his empty plate aside. “Who knew commitment would be so arousing?” He stood up and palmed his erection through his trousers.

  “We should talk about it more often.” Matt scooted his chair back then patted his lap. “Grab the lube then come sit on my lap, sexy.”