Love Comes in Darkness (14 page)

“It’s okay,” Gordy said. Howard pressed a finger inside and groaned softly along with Gordy. The heat and pressure on his finger were amazing, and Howard’s head throbbed from the idea of what was about to happen between them. “You’re so amazing,” Gordy told him, and Howard added a second finger, moving them slowly in and out of Gordy’s searing heat. “Please, Howie,” Gordy pleaded. “I want you so bad.”

“I won’t hurt you by rushing,” Howard responded, scissoring his fingers. Gordy groaned again, and Howard continued easing the way until he couldn’t wait anymore.

He withdrew his fingers and added more lube with Gordy’s help. He fumbled a bit slicking his length because he didn’t want to break skin contact with Gordy to do it. Then he pressed to Gordy’s opening.

Gordy’s body opened to him, and Howard slowly entered him. He could barely breathe and only managed a small gasp as Gordy’s heat and pressure surrounded him. He tried to go as slowly as he could, stroking Gordy’s skin and listening for any sign of distress. “Wait,” Gordy whispered, and Howard paused. Gordy’s muscles twitched around him. Afraid he was hurting him, Howard was about to pull away when Gordy pressed to the back of his legs.

Howard rocked slowly back and forth, each forward thrust going just a little deeper than the previous one. Gordy whispered and breathed shallowly through his mouth. “You promise to say if I hurt you,” Howard whispered, barely able to talk as he realized they were intimately connected, skin to skin.

“Not hurting, but please go faster,” Gordy pleaded, and Howard thrust deeper and paused when he his hips pressed to Gordy’s butt.

Howard began moving again and Gordy moaned softly. “We need to be quiet,” Howard reminded him gently.

“I know, but it’s hard,” Gordy said. Howard began moving again, and Gordy was quiet—too damned quiet. Howard had no idea if what he was doing was good or not, and his only way of gauging that things were progressing properly had fallen away. “Gordy.”

“I’m fine, sweetheart, more than fine,” Gordy said, and then his words shifted to a quiet moan. Howard picked up his pace, moving faster, and Gordy’s breathing once again became shallow. He caressed down Gordy’s belly and found his cock, stroking it to the rhythm of his thrusting.

Gordy’s attempt at silence ended and his moan filled the room. “Okay?” Howard asked. “You like that?” He stroked faster, tightening his grip, and Gordy moaned loudly. “I wish I could see you,” Howard said, and then he felt Gordy still his hand and bring it to his face.

Howard traced Gordy’s open lips with his fingers, felt the sheen of sweat on his brow, and lightly brushed over Gordy’s closed eyes. When he returned his fingers to Gordy’s lips, Gordy sucked on them and groaned softly. Howard stilled, and Gordy pressed against him. Howard began moving again, with Gordy now moaning steadily. Howard let his fingers fall from Gordy’s lips and stroked Gordy’s skin, feeling him arch his back. He grabbed Gordy’s hips and thrust deeply, driving into him, the bed rocking slightly with their movements. Conscious thought became nearly impossible as passion welled higher and higher. He could barely think and went almost strictly on instinct as he snapped his hips faster and faster.

Gordy moaned steadily, and Howard now couldn’t keep quiet. Soon he groaned along with Gordy, and the sounds of their pleasure filled the room. “Can’t last,” Howard whimpered.

“I know,” Gordy told him. “I’m right there.”

“Me too,” Howard gasped as he tried to hold off his release for a few seconds more. Gordy’s body clenched almost painfully around him and his breathing changed. Howard had barely kept his body under control and now he tumbled over the precipice. He shivered and shook as he came deep inside Gordy’s body. All his senses seemed to turn off, and Howard floated on clouds of happiness for just a few seconds.

Gordy had stopped moving, and Howard touched his chest as he tried to catch his breath. “Gordy,” he whispered.

“Right here, sweetheart,” Gordy moaned, stroking his arm. Howard collapsed onto Gordy, and he hugged him close. Wetness pressed to Howard’s skin from Gordy’s, but he didn’t care. This had been one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

“Never topped with anyone before,” Howard said, afraid to move, wanting to prolong their connection. Eventually, their bodies separated, and Gordy held him tighter. “You are so amazing.”

“So are you, sweetheart,” Gordy whispered and kissed him gently, but with such intensity that Howard hoped it would never end.

T
HREE
weeks later, Howard sat at his desk, working. His sister and Sophia had left two weeks earlier, and Howard had thrown himself into his work both to make up for the time he’d lost while they’d been visiting and because he missed having them around. He’d just completed a major project and sent it to the customer. He’d been able to make additional advancements in computer vocalizations, and the customer was very pleased. So was Howard, because he always insisted that his work remained his. The customer had the right to license his work, but didn’t own it. His agreement with his customer was more complicated than that, but it meant he would retain control of his work and would have the right to license it to others as long as they weren’t the customer’s direct competitor.

His phone rang and he answered it excitedly. “Gordy?” Howard asked right away.

“Yes, it’s me. I just finished for the week and I’m on my way to your place,” Gordy said, and Howard’s heart jumped with excitement.

“Did you pack a bag?” Howard asked. They’d planned to spend the weekend together, and Howard hoped Gordy hadn’t changed his mind.

“You better believe it. I’m looking forward to having you all to myself. You’ve been working too much, and I’ve been way too busy since your sister left. So I’m looking forward to a few days of quiet. I talked to Patrick and Ken, like you asked me to, and they said they’d love to come over for a cookout tomorrow. So other than that, you’re all mine.” Gordy sounded so happy and his energy was so catching that as soon as Howard hung up, he began saving his work and powered down his equipment.

A strange feeling he couldn’t identify raced up his spine. He didn’t smell or hear anything out of the ordinary, but then he hadn’t known immediately when Cedric had moved all his stuff, either. “Token,” Howard called. He heard the dog jump down, probably from the spot he’d claimed as his on the sofa. Howard heard him walk to the door. “Is anyone there?” Howard asked, his heart racing. “Token, come,” he said, and the dog came to him.

Howard asked again if anyone was there, and then Token whined softly and nuzzled Howard’s hand. He stroked the dog and did his best to calm down. He forced his breathing to return to normal. He had intended to take off Token’s harness earlier but hadn’t, and he was grateful for it now. “Find the door,” Howard said once he’d taken hold of the harness, and Token led him through the house. Howard unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch.

The door closed behind him and Howard gulped fresh air. As he stood on the porch, the wind picked up and Howard felt the temperature dropping. He’d been here long enough to know the sound and smell of a storm brewing off the lake. Howard shivered as the temperature dropped, but he didn’t want to go back inside.

The wind continued to build, and Howard stood near the house as the wind whipped through the nearby tree limbs. Howard felt raindrops on the wind, and Token moved closer, then pressed against Howard’s legs. Thunder sounded in the distance and got closer within minutes. This storm was moving fast and about to break.

“What are you doing?” Gordy asked, and Howard immediately heard footsteps on the porch. Gordy hugged him. “You shouldn’t be waiting for me out here, not in a storm like this.”

“I felt… weird when I was inside,” Howard said, but he found it hard to explain why. The words sounded silly even in his head. “Like maybe someone was there?”

“Let’s get where it’s safe,” Gordy said, and Howard followed Gordy inside, then closed and locked the front door. “Is something wrong?”

“I…,” Howard began. “Does everything look the same to you? Please check my office too,” he said, and he went to sit on the sofa with Token next to him. Thunder crashed and rain spattered on the windows as the storm broke around the house. He petted the dog and waited for Gordy to return.

“Everything looks fine. Why? What has you scared enough to wait on your porch in the storm?”

“I was in my office and had a feeling like something was wrong. I called for Token, and he came in, whining. No one answered, and we left the house. I must still be spooked from that time when Cedric came in and moved all my furniture around.”

He heard Gordy mutter, “That guy’s a real jerk,” and then his footsteps faded as he walked toward the office. After a couple of minutes, Howard heard Gordy’s footsteps coming back into the living room.

“The back door is still locked, and nothing seems to have been moved or taken,” Gordy told him, tapping lightly on his leg, and Howard moved over so Gordy could sit down. “I don’t think there was anyone here. Maybe Token was picking up on your distress,” Gordy suggested.

“It’s possible,” Howard admitted.

Thunder cracked outside, and Howard jumped. Gordy wrapped his arms around him and held him gently. “You’re unnerved and jumpy.” Gordy stroked his back gently, and some of Howard’s tension slipped away. Maybe he really had imagined the whole thing. Cedric had taken away some of Howard’s peace of mind with his furniture-moving stunt, but Gordy had helped him get it back. Howard sighed and relaxed into Gordy’s embrace.

T
HE
storm raged for a good hour, rain lashing the windows and the wind howling around the house. Gordy told him the lights flickered a few times but didn’t go out. Finally, the storm’s rage began to abate, and Howard got up from where he’d been sitting next to Gordy and went into the kitchen, then returned with two bottles of beer. He handed one to Gordy and twisted the cap off the other.

Howard’s phone rang as he was about to sit down, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Hello,” he answered tentatively.

“I’m looking for Mr. Howard Justinian,” a rather official-sounding voice said.

“That’s me,” Howard answered, tensing immediately.

“I’m Officer Cole with the Traverse City Police Department, and I’m sorry to inform you that your sister Elizabeth and niece Sophia were involved in a traffic accident.”

The air flew from Howard’s lungs, and it took him a second before he could speak again. “Are they okay?” Without thinking he dropped the bottle he’d been holding, and it smashed on the floor. He barely noticed as the beer soaked through his socks.

“I’m sorry to tell you that Elizabeth Martinson did not survive. Your niece Sophia is being treated for minor injuries and she should be fine. We called Sophia’s school and found out that you were listed as an emergency contact.” He sounded so detached. “Is it possible for you to come down here? A neighbor has been contacted, and she has agreed to sit with Sophia, but we really need a family member or someone designated to speak for Elizabeth, and from the information we have, that’s you.”

“Okay,” Howard said, swallowing hard. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can I get your contact number?”

“Of course,” he said and rattled off a number. Howard stored it away as best he could, repeating it back to the officer. “Sophia is at Cherry County Memorial.”

“Thank you,” Howard said.

“I know this is a very difficult time, so please don’t hesitate to call if there’s anything I can do,” Officer Cole said. Howard thanked him and hung up. He stood stock-still and breathed deeply.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Gordy asked. “Your hands are shaking. Where do you need to go?” Gordy guided him down onto the sofa.

“Lizzy was in an accident. She’s dead,” Howard said and then buried his face in Gordy’s shoulder. He wanted to cry, and he could feel the tears just about ready to fall. “God, Sophia is all alone.”

Howard stood back up, and Gordy stilled him as glass crunched under his foot. “Sit back down and keep Token with you. I need to clean up the glass and beer. Then you can tell me everything.” Gordy stood up. “I’ll be right back.” Howard heard Gordy rush away and then return quickly. Glass jangled, and Gordy swore under his breath a few times as the scent of beer slowly lessened. “Give me one more minute,” Gordy said. He hurried away and then returned, placing a glass in Howard’s hand. “It’s just water,” Gordy told him softly, and then he hurried away again.

“Gordy,” Howard called.

“I’m almost done,” Gordy said, and this time when he returned, he sat next to Howard. “What happened?”

“I need to get there,” Howard said. “Can you take me?” His thoughts were all over the board. “If you can’t, I understand. I’ll see if Ken or Patrick can drive me.”

“Of course I’ll take you. I have the bag from the weekend. Let’s get some things packed for you and we’ll take off. It’s about five hours. We’ll get there late, but we should be able to leave in less than an hour. I’ll help you pack if you tell me what you need.”

“I don’t know how long I’m going to need to be there,” Howard said, unable to think straight. Things seemed to come to him in fits and starts.