Epilogue

A hunting cottage in the country offered all the privacy they needed. It wasn't huge, it wasn't luxurious, but no one would raise a brow to find that two gentlemen were spending the weekend away from the scrutiny of the ton to do some shooting and card playing, and for all the busybodies knew, flirtation with the local gentry. It was just a two bedroom cottage in the outskirts of a remote village. The grooms would have to share a room over the tiny stable, and a girl from the village would come in to cook and clean a bit each day.

In Gareth's mind it was a castle—a brilliant sparkling jewel set in the midst of the forest down a lane. Because it was here that he and Gideon could be alone, without friends, family, or acquaintances. Here they could simply love each other without fearing scrutiny.

Gareth opened the door himself when Gideon knocked, and launched himself into his lover's arms without restraint. Gideon chuckled softly and pushed him away, into the large shabby parlor. The door was kicked shut and this time, Gideon was the aggressor as he swept Gareth up and whirled pinning him to the heavy oak door with his greater strength.

Startled, Gareth huffed, accepting Gideon's weight against his body, pinning him in place. Gareth's lips parted of their own accord in anticipation as Gideon's head descended. His moist tongue slicked over Gareth's lips then plunged deep, and Gareth sucked it in eagerly. Grinding against him, Gideon pressed their groins together through the thin riding breeches. Gareth returned the embrace, whimpering in protest when Gideon withdrew his mouth. It had been too long, and knowing they were safe gave his desire an added intensity.

"Gideon!" He tried using his grip in Gideon's hair to force the man's mouth back down to his, but Gideon just laughed softly. He seemed absorbed in looking and running his fingers through Gareth's carefully coiffed hair.

Gareth scattered wet hungry kisses over Gideon's cheek, nose, throat, whatever parts of the man he could reach. The bristle of beard growth tickled his lips and made them burn as he rubbed his mouth along his lover's jaw.

Gideon wove his fingers through the hair at Gareth's nape, cradling his head, holding him with tender care, so Gareth occupied himself with licking the hollow behind Gideon's ear and enjoying the shivers of response. "I can't believe you purchased this place for us. It's wonderful. The hunting must be fabulous."

"Didn't buy it to hunt. Wanted a place where we could go when hiding was too much. Had to do something with that windfall win, didn't seem right to gamble it all away again." Gareth groaned hotly against Gideon's ear.

Gideon urged him to the carpet, and then recaptured his mouth for another kiss. Gareth thrust his tongue into Gideon's mouth and dueled with him for the privilege of guiding their kiss. He yanked Gideon's shirt form his trousers and gasped when his hands met warm, hard flesh.

Their clothing was tedious to remove but Gareth left the mechanics of it to Gideon, shifting and shaking off garment after garment as it was loosened by his lover's clever fingers. He had enough to do exploring those firm muscles, the long length of spine, and sucking sweet kisses from lips growing hot and swollen.

"I missed you this past sennight," Gideon murmured, deftly unfastening Gareth's breeches.

"Likewise." Gareth murmured, leaning back on his elbows and lifting up, allowing Gideon to drag trousers and small clothes down all at once. His breath escaped on a sigh of pleasure his freed cock slapped his belly. Slick drops splattered his flesh and he shivered again.

"You're still the prettiest man I've ever seen," Gideon leaned down to place a burning kiss on his inner thigh, just above his knee. The touch seared a streak of pleasure straight to his groin He licked his way up Gareth's body, teasing his flesh with tiny nips of his sharp teeth followed by the soothing stroke of his tongue. His long brown hair tickled as he dragged his tongue back down again to flick his prick with teasing strokes of his tongue.

With trembling hands, Gareth swept the hair aside, savoring its fine texture as it tangled around his fingers. He stared down the length of his body, admiring the intent, sensual expression on Gideon's handsome face. Gideon smiled tightly at him, then turned his head, breaking eye contact, and lapped at Gareth's balls. Choking on an indrawn breath, Gareth couldn't resist the urge to push up, to tug at Gideon's hair and direct his mouth to where he wanted it most.

Gideon shifted obligingly and allowed Gareth to push his prick against his lips. He opened his mouth wide and sucked the whole head of it in, and Gareth fell back with a strangled cry, releasing his grip in his lover's hair and scrabbling for something on the floor to hold on to.

Gideon dragged his tongue along Gareth's prick in a wet glide, then took hold of the base and opening his mouth wider, sucked the head in. Gareth whimpered, sensation swirling through him. The hot cavern of Gideon's mouth was wicked luxury enough, but the stroke of his tongue over the skin, the way he worked it under and probed at the slit were ratcheting his lust up untold notches.

"Oh, Gideon." Gareth whispered. He wound his fingers through Gideon's hair, tugging gently to redirect that teasing mouth. "This isn't what I want."

With a final probe of his tongue into the delicate slit, Gideon released his prick and met his gaze. He continued to stimulate Gareth's lust by stroking it wetly, tugging the sensitive foreskin with every twist of his wrist. "I enjoy this." He whispered when Gareth briefly broke eye contact.

"Damn you! I've waited patiently. I thought you didn't want to risk it in town, but here... No one will walk in on us here, Gideon. I want you inside me, like when we were in Italy." The Grand Tour had been a halcyon period of intimacy and passion that had set his standard for how he wanted their relationship to be. When they'd returned to town, Gideon had been different, more distant, and things had fallen apart.

"I do want you that way, Gareth...but I haven't ever done that with anyone but you."

Gareth growled possessively. "Good. I like knowing that. I've never permitted anyone else to do it to me, either. I need you to be the one, Gideon! Fuck me."

Gideon's eyes went hot and liquid. His nostrils flared as though the crude words fired his passion.

Gareth grunted, pushing into that stroking fist, feeling his balls tightening in preparation of release. "I like that you haven't done it with anyone else."

"You don't understand. It's been so long. I'm afraid I want it so badly, I'm going to hurt you."

Gareth pulled at his hair. "You won't hurt me more than I can stand."

Gideon laughed, straightening. "So confident in yourself, are you?" Wrapping a hand around his thick prick, he stroked.

Gareth licked his lips. "No. I place my confidence in you, in your caring for me." He knew in that moment that Gideon was going to give in, to do as he wanted. The man's whole body shuddered, his eyes drifted nearly shut, and his breathing picked up.

"You unman me with your faith." The words were uttered in a tight, controlled voice that once would have scared Gareth, but now he understood the struggle for control his lover waged, and he allowed it.

Gideon dropped their pricks and used one broad hand to shove Gareth's thighs further apart. The other he brought to his mouth and slicked his fingers with saliva.

Squeezing his prick in his fist, Gareth held his breath as Gideon pressed against his hole. He fought not to wince as the probing stretched him; the burn was exquisite, the pain inconsequential. Remembered ecstasy hovered just out of reach, and he was terrified he'd spend himself before Gideon got his fat prick inside him.

He sighed, arching a little when Gideon brushed over a spot that felt particularly good. "That's good, love. Do that again." His prick pulsed in his hand and his balls tightened further, drawing up against him. He rubbed his thumb over the head of his cock.

Withdrawing his fingers, Gideon regarded him through slitted eyes. "Tell me if it hurts. We'll stop."

Gareth gasped, bearing down as Gideon pressed the head of his cock to the tender opening. He stroked his cock, feeling the intense rush of sensation building as the ring of muscle stretched and Gideon slid inside.

As Gideon sank slowly into him, ripples of pleasure rocketed through Gareth. He slid his hand from the floor up Gideon's furred chest, to wrap around his nape. Gideon dropped down over him, cock fully embedded in Gareth's passage, trapping Gareth's hand and his throbbing prick between their bellies.

"So hot." Gideon purred. He slid a hand under Gareth's buttocks and tilted him, rocking the two of them together carefully. "So tight. Gareth, I love you." The steady rocking picked up pace, Gideon's eyes glittered down at him, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Gareth whimpered, twisting his hips, seeking more sensation. Gideon pulled out slowly, and then thrust back in. His belly rubbed over Gareth's aching prick, and Gareth shuddered again. He rocked into Gideon's thrusts, urging Gideon to give him more, to let him spend.

"Ahhh!" Gareth gasped as Gideon pushed back in faster. "More!" He groaned when Gideon pulled out. "Harder."

"Not hurting you, Gar. Never." Instead of using more of strength to pound Gareth's ass harder, Gideon wriggled a hand between them and took over stroking Gareth's cock, squeezing him and rubbing him so perfectly in tandem with his thrusts that Gareth was thrown into orgasm in seconds.

"Oh please. Please, Gideon, please!" Hot bursts of ejaculate spurted between them, and his passage rippled. He could feel Gideon's prick swelling in response to the constriction of his hole as orgasm trembled through him.

Gideon shuddered, stilled, cock buried deep. His mouth fell open and a warm gush of fluid bathed Gareth's passage as Gideon jerked a few times. He grabbed Gareth's hip and held himself upright, panting for breath.

Gareth smiled up at him, his tough, Corinthian, man's man, looking sated and weak and content as his body relaxed.

Gideon's eyes opened and Gareth whispered, "I love you too."