Matt leant back in his chair as he listened. He was familiar with Conner’s antics. His spirit hadn’t gone away once Laine was safe. No, Conner still hung around, teasing Laine and scaring the occasional person Conner seemed to dislike.
“What did Conner say?”
Carlin finally looked at him. “You believe me? About it happening, and about it being Conner?”
“Sure.” Matt shrugged and tried to set Carlin at ease. “Conner can be a prankster. He still likes to play with Laine’s badge and knock his hat off. Laine pretends to be irritated, but I think he likes having Conner around, and Severo doesn’t mind. He says he and Conner would have been great friends in life, but they can still have some fun even though Conner’s deceased.”
“He slapped me on the ass!” Carlin blurted out then promptly turned a cute shade of pink.
Matt laughed before he could stop himself. “I’m not laughing at you,” he said, needing to reassure Carlin, “It’s just Conner does the same thing to Severo, and Laine snarls and ALL OF THE VOICES
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Severo does this purring thing that only eggs on Conner and Laine both. Laine’s office ends up looking like a tornado is in there—papers swirling in circles like you can’t imagine. Then Laine ends up laughing and Conner stops, like that was his goal all along. It’s funny, once you get passed being terrified.”
Carlin looked kind of terrified now.
“I’ll, uh, just check on dinner. Laine and Severo are number one on my speed dial if you still want to talk to Severo.” Matt pushed his chair back and rose, keeping an eye on Carlin. It wasn’t until Matt opened the oven that Carlin finally spoke.
“I think I’m still going to call Severo. Maybe he can tell Conner not to slap my ass or mess with my laptop. That shit is not funny.” He stood and left the kitchen just in time, because Matt couldn’t hold back a chuckle. It was kind of funny to him, but he was used to Conner’s antics.
The enchiladas were done, the cheese and sauce bubbling hot. Matt set them on the pot holder then warmed up tortillas and some refried beans he had in the freezer. Dinner was ready and on the table when Carlin walked back into the kitchen looking more than a little pissed.
“Severo say something that made you mad?” Matt asked, prepared to come to Carlin’s defence.
“No,” Carlin ground out as he crossed his arms over his chest. “He listened and was very sympathetic. He said he’d see what he could do. It was all very nice and chummy, then I got off the phone and
someone
decided to be a jackass—”
Matt couldn’t help it, he laughed until he was able to rein it in. Carlin looked so disgruntled, and Conner, from what Matt knew of his spirit at least, would think it was great fun to poke at the man.
“It’s not funny,” Carlin huffed, but his lips were curling up in a smile a devious gleam sparkled in his eyes. “I mean, Conner is getting his ghostly hands on my ass a lot more than you are.”
That stopped Matt from laughing anymore. “That isn’t funny. Conner better cut it out or I’ll have to think about calling those guys on the SyFy channel.”
Matt yelped as his ass was slapped, then a whirlwind gusted over him and disappeared.
“Guess he didn’t like that threat.”
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They sat down to dinner and the conversation turned to Mrs. Hawkins. Matt told Carlin about the first time he went on a call to her house, and Carlin laughed until his eyes watered.
“I really had no idea she was doing that, but it was nice of Laine not to tear into her or threaten to press charges against her for it.” Carlin swiped at his cheeks before taking another bite of enchiladas. He moaned as he pulled the bite of food off his fork. “These are the best enchiladas I’ve had in years.”
“Better than the little hole in the wall place in New York?” Matt asked and immediately regretted it.
Carlin’s smile slipped as he looked away. “Yeah, even better than that.”
* * * *
Carlin’s chest ached, not a physical pain, not really, it was more of a hollowed out feeling that he’d never felt before. He was very much afraid it was the beginnings of a broken heart, and if it got much worse, he was going to be a blubbering mess. Carlin ate another bite of enchiladas then pushed his plate away.
There were so many things he was grieving for—Aunt Mary, his father, the coming loss of the man across from him—but Carlin didn’t want to spend his last night with Matt mourning any of those things. There’d be time enough for that once he left. Right now, he wanted to feel Matt’s arms around him, listen to the steady beat of the man’s heart as Carlin rested his head on Matt’s chest. And he wanted to make love, something he hadn’t really taken the time to do, not when he hadn’t met anyone as special as Matt Nixon.
Matt looked across the table at him and the hollow feeling spread. He was going to lose this before they even had a real chance to explore the depth of their feelings.
“Carlin, don’t,” Matt whispered as he stood and held out his hand. “Let me hold you for a while.”
Carlin wanted to weep, to rail against the choices he was being forced to make, but more than that, he wanted what Matt offered. He rose and put his hand in Matt’s, then looked back at the table.
“We should put the food up and do the dishes.”
Matt tugged on his hand and started leading him to the bedroom. “I’ll handle it in a while. This is more important.”
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In the bedroom, Matt slowly stripped Carlin’s clothes off, kissing and stroking every bit of skin he uncovered. Carlin felt worshipped, adored by the one man he wanted most as Matt knelt before him and kissed his stomach, his hips, the tops of his thighs.
Matt stood and kissed him gently, a lover’s kiss that bespoke an emotion neither of them would utter. Carlin put his arms around Matt’s neck and opened for him, kissing Matt back with a tenderness he’d never known he had in him.
“Carlin,” Matt murmured against his lips, then nothing more as he kissed Carlin again.
Carlin closed his eyes and committed the kiss to memory, the taste, the texture, the exact pressure of Matt’s lips on his.
Eventually Matt stepped back and Carlin opened his eyes and helped him undress.
Carlin stroked the thick chest hair, the taut nipples, the delineated abs and last, the long, jagged scar that was a sign of his lover’s strength.
Together they walked to the bed and Carlin sighed as he was gently laid out on his back. Matt covered him from calves to chest, but kept his weight on his elbows. Carlin wouldn’t have cared if he’d borne the brunt of Matt’s weight. He wanted to sink into the man and never be free.
“Carlin,” Matt said again, then kissed him, slowly at first, until the passion flared between them and neither could get enough. Matt licked and nibbled a trail down Carlin’s chin, and Carlin thought he might just melt into a puddle on the bed. He started to reach for Matt’s back, wanting to feel the shift and roll of muscles but remembered the injuries from Robbie Red.
Carlin clutched at Matt’s biceps instead as Matt worked his way down to Carlin’s chest.
Carlin’s nipples were sucked and laved, then bitten when the lighter touches were no longer enough. Carlin didn’t start babbling as he normally did, instead he let the moans and whimpers convey his pleasure.
Matt rumbled his approval and licked a path down Carlin’s stomach. His naval was licked and sucked, a new and erotic experience that had Carlin bucking his hips. His cockhead bumped the underside of Matt’s chin, and Matt looked up at him with such a loving expression that Carlin couldn’t bear it. He let his lids drift shut and wished he were stronger.
Warm, wet lips closed over the tip of his cock and Carlin cried out. His balls were cupped and rolled, then Matt engulfed Carlin’s shaft. Carlin tried to keep from thrusting, but ALL OF THE VOICES
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the tight suction and the feel of his crown pressing into Matt’s throat demolished his restraint. He reached for Matt’s head, his shoulders, any part of the man he could touch and sobbed with relief when Matt let him thrust farther into his throat.
Matt’s throat muscles squeezed around Carlin’s cock, and a roar filled Carlin’s head. He didn’t realise the sound he’d heard was his own shout until Matt swallowed again, then Carlin was coming in an embarrassingly quick amount of time, his dick pumping bursts of spunk into Matt’s mouth. Matt laved and suckled Carlin’s shaft, keeping him hard as he squirmed and pleaded for Matt to fill him.
Carlin grunted as Matt pulled off his cock with a lewd slurping sound. His legs were pushed up until his thighs pressed against his chest, then Carlin howled as Matt licked a line down from the base of his dick to his hole.
“Matt, please, oh God, honey, please,” Carlin pleaded as pleasure flooded him from his ass to his brain. His cheeks were spread wide then Matt’s tongue rasped over his opening again and again until Carlin could do nothing more than beg. Only then did Matt spear his tongue into Carlin’s hole, and Carlin roared again as his balls drew tight to his body.
Matt tongued him until Carlin was on the brink of coming again, then he sat up and Carlin opened his eyes as he whimpered in protest.
“Now,” Matt said, and Carlin nodded. Carlin reached for one of the condoms he’d set on the nightstand while Matt picked up the jar of petroleum jelly. Neither of them had a problem with the thick stuff, and soon Carlin had the condom opened and was rolling it down Matt’s cock.
Carlin lay back down as Matt gently nudged his chest. He gripped the backs of Carlin’s thighs and pulled his legs up until his knees were almost beside his ears, offering himself to his lover completely.
“Look at you,” Matt murmured, then sank two fingers into his hole. Carlin moaned and tightened his grip on his legs, needing something to hold onto as Matt expertly demolished him, tearing down all the walls Carlin had built to shield his heart.
He felt Matt begin to press another finger into him. “No more,” Carlin rasped, “Just you. I need you.”
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himself to another man, not like he was giving himself to Matt. Matt owned him, though Carlin would never—could never—tell him so.
Matt pushed at Carlin’s legs and Carlin released them, instead winding them around his lover’s waist. He surged up to kiss Matt hungrily, biting the thin lips until Matt pressed him down into the mattress and plundered his mouth. Carlin cupped the back of Matt’s head as he met Matt thrust for thrust, driving Matt’s cock as deeply into him as possible. Carlin felt a desperate need to drive Matt wild, to ignite his passion to the point Matt couldn’t be careful. Carlin wanted marks, bites and bruises, mementos to take with him when he left.
“Harder.” Carlin grunted as he said it because Matt had started pummelling Carlin’s ass as soon as he started to speak. Carlin tugged at Matt’s head, setting his lips against Carlin’s. “Mark me, please, please.”
Matt moaned and fucked him harder, biting and sucking on Carlin’s neck, his shoulder.
Carlin turned his head to the side to give his lover more skin to torment, and Matt set upon the revealed flesh with an eagerness reflected in each battering slam of his hips against Carlin’s ass.
Carlin’s erection was treated to the fierce friction caused by Matt’s furry belly rubbing against it. The combination of teeth sinking into his skin, Matt pounding his ass relentlessly, and that thick, crinkly hair covering rock hard muscles was too much. Carlin howled as he came, the first burst painful in its intensity, spewing cum between his and Matt’s stomachs.
Matt thrust erratically, short jabs as Carlin clenched his butt and more semen shot from his dick.
“Oh, God, Carlin, oh,” Matt rasped, then tossed his head back, his mouth dropping open on a shout as he ground against Carlin’s ass. Carlin came until he thought his balls were dried out, each hot jet Matt released in him Carlin matched until the two of them could hardly do more than tremble and try to carefully dislodge Matt’s cock without losing the condom.
Matt finally managed to grip the base of the condom and withdraw. Carlin knew the empty, aching feeling inside him was going to grow until he was a walking ball of misery, but he’d deal with that when it happened. Right now he could do nothing more than cling to the man who’d so thoroughly stolen his heart.
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Matt listened to the funeral director telling the story of Mrs. Hawkins’ life. The quirky things that had made her so unique weren’t mentioned, which was ridiculous since everyone in McKinton knew about her calls to the Sheriff’s Department and the way she greeted the deputies. A glance around the room showed more people looking at him and Carlin than the man speaking. Matt shrugged it off and turned back to listen. He squeezed Carlin’s hand and his heart ached when he heard Carlin sob softly.
Severo put his arm around Carlin’s shoulder and hugged him. The funeral director concluded his dull recitation and said a few words Matt supposed were meant to be comforting. They came across as a trite to Matt, but he hoped Carlin’s grief was lessened.
After Mrs. Hawkins’ casket had been lowered into the ground and Carlin had led the procession to toss flowers on top of the casket, Matt walked him over to a spot of shade and held him until Carlin’s tears stopped.
“I know it hurts, but remember, she’s still with us.”
Carlin nodded and scrubbed at his cheeks. He gave Matt a watery smile. “I know.
Cookies, that’s all I’ve smelt today.”
Severo, Laine, Zeke, Brendan and Doreen all walked over and offered their condolences along with hugs and comforting pats on the back. By the time Matt and Carlin had said goodbye to their friends, there was less than half an hour left before Carlin had to meet with Mrs. Hawkins’ attorney.
Carlin looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, and Matt would have given anything to take the pain away from him. “Will you come with me?”