“Yeah, she thought—”

  “I can’t believe it! You weren’t meant to see them.” He covered his mouth, shaking his head. His face warmed from the humiliation.

  “Hey, now.” Martin came over to him and pulled his hands down, holding them tightly. “There’s no need to act all girlish about those letters. I’ve read every single one. I even have a few of them in my saddlebag. They’re very precious to me, just as you are.”

  He couldn’t stop the heat creeping up his cheeks. Never had Martin proclaimed such sentiment toward him.

  The urge to kiss Martin was overpowering, but he held back as he tried to digest everything. “Well, this is quite…how did you get the horrible bruise on your arm?”

  “This?” Martin shrugged as he inspected his arm where dark black-and-blue marks streaked his biceps. “Let’s just say I had a scuffle with the Night Prowler.”

  He almost took his arm to examine the bruising, but stopped and fisted his hands on his hips. “How did you meet up with him?”

  Martin exhaled and scratched his head. “Last night I came upon him holding up a carriage. I stopped him before he could hurt the passengers, and we fought. It was nothing more than a tussle. He was able to outwit me and rode away.”

  “A tussle, Martin? The Night Prowler is a dangerous criminal! You could have been seriously hurt.” His voice cracked with strain. “You should have gone for help.”

  Martin’s incredulous snort made him want to bow his head and scuff his boot. “How naïve are you, Thom? I’m a wanted criminal. You can’t expect me to waltz in the town hall searchin’ for some high-and-mighty law nob. I’d be thrown in a cell in a blink of an eye.”

  “You’re so stubborn.” He felt the urge to shake the man standing before him. “You say you have defied the law to come back to me, but when other innocent lives are in danger, you don’t think of the consequences. You could have been killed!”

  Martin grabbed him by the arm. “Good to know you still care for my well-being even after you’ve been enjoyin’ yourself on the side with your prissy four-eyed servant and that snooty miss with the big tits.”

  His mouth dropped, and his eyes widened. “Wait, how do you know about Will….” He snapped his fingers. “I knew I was being watched.”

  “Yeah? You were pretty cozy with the gel, who didn’t mind having your tongue down her throat.”

  He dug his nails in his palms as his temper flared. Not only did his heart begin to race, but sweat beaded on his forehead. “How dare you stand here insulting me this way. We made no promises to one another. I have the right to stick my tongue in anyone’s mouth I want, as well as f-fuck who I want, when I want.”

  The hurt crossing Martin’s face made his stomach drop. But he refused to apologize for his harsh words and tugged his arm away.

  “Your pair of balls has grown bigger this past year,” Martin replied softly.

  “You could say that. And why should you be upset about anyone I’m intimate with now? What we had was a fling, a moment of madness that will never be repeated.”

  Martin flinched. “If I were you, I would stop speakin’ before you really say somethin’ stupid.”

  He laughed loudly and crossed his arms. “Stop treating me like a child! I bet after I left, you had a string of young strapping lads on their knees with your cock in their mouths. Let’s be honest. I was one of your many playthings.”

  “Boyo, I’m not in the mood to listen to your immature tantrum just ’cause you’re some lofty lord with a stick up his ass who can’t admit he loved being bent over and taken from behind.” Martin curled his lip in disdain.

  How dare he! He growled low in his throat and flicked his tongue over his teeth. “We’re done here. Unless you’re willing to come with me to the authorities to give your statement about the Night Prowler, I’ll go to them myself and explain.”

  As he tried to walk past, he was grabbed around the waist and pulled up against Martin. “The hell you will.” He shook Thomas hard. “You don’t understand anything. I can’t go to the authorities.”

  “And why is that? Oh, you can’t tell me because you’re a selfish bastard—”

  “Shut the fuck up, Thom.”

  He’d turned to slap Martin’s face, when Martin snagged him by his hair and roughly slanted his mouth on his. He was stunned, and when Martin slipped his tongue inside his mouth, he pounded his fists on Martin’s shoulders. He tried to keep his mouth shut, but as Martin dug his fingers in his backside, he gasped. Martin tickled the warm cavern of his mouth with his slick tongue and stumbled back with him in his arms until Thomas hit the wall behind him.

  “Damn you,” he said and wrapped his arms around tighter, pushing his knee in between Martin’s legs and circling his crotch.

  “Yes, give me this.” Martin ripped open Thomas’s coat, vest, and shirt.

  “Oh!” he yelped as his buttons went flying. Martin placed his mouth on his nipple and bit down. He sucked hard on the nub and then licked to soothe away the sting.

  Thomas jerked Martin’s face up and gave him deep kisses, while Martin twisted his nipples.

  “Do you like this, laddie?”

  Martin’s whispered endearment pushed him over the edge. He reached around not only to grab Martin’s cock, but to stretch his hand until he stroked in between Martin’s legs and prodded his anus.

  “I can’t wait to bugger you hard.” Martin slid down, licking Thomas’s chest, sucking on one nipple and then the other.

  He groaned in pleasure and squeezed Martin’s cock harder. “Suck me off. You owe it to me,” he gasped as Martin unfastened his pants and skated his hands down inside the front.

  He fondled Thomas’s balls and glanced up at his face, giving him a wicked grin. “You should be punished for letting another wet these with his tongue,” Martin growled low in his throat.

  He rolled his head back and forth on the rotted wall, barely making much sense of the other’s words. He tugged on Martin’s ears when he pulled his pants down, and released a loud cry when Martin claimed one of his balls in his mouth.

  Dear God…yes! He rocked against Martin as he sucked on his sac. He needed him to touch his cock and milk it with either his hand or mouth. But he did neither, only clutching his hips and concentrating on the fiery pleasure the kneeling man gave him without asking for anything in return.

  “Put my prick in your mouth!” he ordered, legs trembling with need.

  Martin released him and curled his lip. He dug his fingers in Martin’s shoulder and lifted up on his toes as Martin glided his finger down and circled his asshole. He blinked in stunned delight, and as he opened his mouth, Martin pressed his digit in until it was swallowed by the ring of Thomas’s anus.

  “Ungh!” He banged his head on the wall as Martin’s finger moved in and out.

  The sweet burn was too much for him; he could barely stay upright.

  “Oh, please…please…don’t stop.” He whimpered and bowed his back when Martin fisted his cock and lapped up and down each side until his mouth met Thomas’s pubic hair and he swallowed his shaft.

  His ass muscles clenched as his balls tightened in response to Martin’s tugs on his cock. His head continued to hit the wall as he released a long line of curses. Martin lurched back, his lip circling the slit of Thomas’s penis, and flicked his tongue on the head.

  “Come for me,” Martin whispered hoarsely, grabbed Thomas by the root of his cock, and stroked, milking his shaft so perfectly that tears fell down Thomas’s cheeks from the overwhelming pleasure.

  He bellowed and stomped his foot as he came hard in Martin’s mouth. His harsh panting filled his ears as he closed his eyes, and he spread his legs as Martin continued to suck his cock and slide his finger in between his ass cheeks. And when a blunt, second finger followed the first, he dug his own into the side of Martin’s neck from the extreme pressure.

  “No more…I’m spent,” he groaned, and when Martin stood up and kissed him, he cupped the back of his head and ate away at his mouth.

  “Like this, do you?” He bit Thomas’s bottom lip and leaned back, watching with drooping eyes as Thomas rocked on his fingers still fucking him from behind.

  “Oh!” He pressed his face in Martin’s chest, breathing in deeply. “How I missed your smell.”

  “Smell?” Martin kissed him again, this time with his tongue swiping the inside of his mouth.

  “Want…you…naked,” he whimpered, tugging on Martin’s hand. Martin slowly pulled his fingers out of his ass, and shudders overcame his body.

  “Soon,” Martin promised, and guided him to where the blanket lay.

  He licked the salty sweat falling down Martin’s cheek and tore his shirt open. Martin laughed and knelt on the musty blanket, taking Thomas down beside him.

  Falling back, he yanked Martin on top of him, rubbing his nose on his sweaty chest, and taking one of his nipples between his teeth.

  “Jaysus!” Martin tugged on Thomas’s hair while Thomas bit down and sucked.

  Martin’s loud groans from his sucking broke through the quiet in the stall. He released the hard nub and slid his palms in circles over Martin’s shoulder. He couldn’t get enough of the way Martin felt. He cupped the older man’s face and kissed him.

  Martin’s deep kisses almost made him climax again, and Thomas sighed when Martin gripped his cock and stroked him slowly.

  “Let’s rub our pricks together like we used to do.” He tugged Martin’s pants down and wrapped his fist around the man’s distended cock.

  “I’d rather place my meat in your sweet ass, but for now this will have to do.” Martin nipped his mouth, pulled down Thomas’s pants until they pooled around his ankles, threw them to the side, spread his legs open, and slapped his cock on Thomas’s swollen member.

  “Martin, my man,” he sobbed and rocked back and forth, watching through heavy-lidded eyes while their cocks moved together.

  “Yes, boyo, that’s it. Nice and slow.” Martin linked their fingers, pulling Thomas’s hands up on either side of his head. He pressed his face on Thomas’s shoulder and grunted as he moved.

  This is where he should be, he thought happily as he wrapped his arm around Martin’s head, swiping his fingers on his bare nape and rocking with him. He bit his lip to stop from shouting out his feelings for this man who owned him body and soul.

  The slapping of their flesh and their groans rose up in the air. Their eyes and lips met, and Thomas couldn’t stop his tears from falling. This time they were ones of complete and utter bliss, and he smiled. Martin returned his smile, and as he lifted up on his elbows, he came. Martin huffed and grunted, going limp. The scent of cum covered them. He didn’t mind one bit.

  With Martin prone over him, he turned to the window, blinked his tears away, and mouthed, I love you.

  Martin responded with a deep sigh and pulled him into a tighter embrace, softly brushing his lips on his cheek.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Do we really have to move? I don’t think I can.” Thomas balanced on an elbow and rubbed his knuckles on his lover’s hairy chin.

  “Eventually, we’ll have to.” Martin smiled drowsily and kissed him.

  He grinned, returned the kiss, and then pressed a few on Martin’s chin. He sniffed and wiggled his nose. “You may want to wash your face at some point.”

  Martin tugged on a piece of Thomas’s hair he had been twirling with his finger. “How can a grown man like you still blush?”

  “Um, in this case you have a few dried spots of….” He couldn’t find the words to describe how his cum had ended up in Martin’s whiskers.

  Martin tugged on his chin hairs and cracked his jaw. “Are you trying to say I have your man juice on my face?”

  “Martin!” He dropped a palm on his eyes and peeked through his fingers. He felt the heat rising on his cheeks and choked on a laugh. “I can see our time apart hasn’t stopped you from speaking so bluntly.” He glanced around, sitting up. “If you wait here, I can go find some water—”

  “No, stay.” Martin pulled down him by the neck. “I’ll take care of that in a minute. But first, I have to tell you something.”

  “What can be more important than you washing my cu—”

  “I love you, Thomas.”

  He inhaled and flinched. He tried to move away but couldn’t, for Martin had locked his arms around his back. He remained silent as Martin waited for an answer.

  Why, he looks scared. He wanted to shout his joy to the hills, but held back. Even though he had been waiting for his proclamation for so long, it felt lacking in some way.

  “Thom, say somethin’. I’ve never told another man I loved him before. The least you can do is respond.” Martin tapped his fingers on Thomas’s lower back.

  “I-I…what do you want me to say?’

  “That you love me back.”

  “Love you back?” He drummed his fingers on Martin’s chest while the other man continued to do the same on his back. “And what if I admit my feelings? Then what?”

  Martin rolled his eyes “Hell if I know.” Wiping the top of his head, he shrugged. “We can be together then.”

  “Be together?” When he moved away, Martin allowed him to go, but kept a hand on his hip. “How do you recommend we do that? You’re a fugitive from justice while

  I’m—”

  “A rich nob who already has someone to love him.”

  He fisted his hands and then released them slowly. It wouldn’t do them any good if he became emotional. He took in a deep breath and then exhaled. “I’m not interested in marrying Ramona and don’t have any plans—”

  Martin sat up and placed his arm on his raised knee. “I’m not talking about that hoity-toity society miss I’m talkin’ about your man with the glasses.”

  “Will?” He rubbed his hair. “So? Now don’t glower at me. Did you not expect me to move on?”

  “Thom, you’re a fool. I was worried you would move on. It’s been one of my biggest fears. But for all your speeches on why we couldn’t be together, you’ve decided it’s perfectly fine to keep a little something on the side.” Martin scratched his chin in contemplation. “I wonder what your fancy friends and neighbors would think if they knew you were secretly screwing your male help.”

  He jumped to his feet and put on his clothes “How dare you judge me!” As he fastened his pants, he stomped his foot and pointed his finger. “I refuse to listen to a man who’s a scheming pirate—”

  “Enough!” Martin bellowed, getting to his feet and grabbing him by the arms, giving him a rough shake. “Yeah, I’ve done some nasty things in my life, but I had to in order to survive. What if I wasn’t on the run? Then what?”

  “We probably wouldn’t have met,” he said in a shaky voice and lifted his hand, placing it on Martin’s shoulder. “I’m scared. You changed me forever. Since I’ve come home, I haven’t been the same. I’ve had to lie to everyone I know, and I’ve compounded my lies by taking another man I don’t love to my bed for some sort of distraction. I can barely look at myself in the mirror half the time.”

  “Oh, lad.” Martin hugged him and crooned in his ear, rocking him slowly until his heartbeat slowed and he found his breath again.

  “Would you like to know why I’m being hunted?”

  “Do tell, sir.” He wiped his nose and stood back, taking Martin’s hand.

  Martin cupped him behind the head and fiddled with the ends of his hair. “My parents lived on the other side of the border, near the mountains, which is about a two-day carriage ride away from here. It was only myself and my brother, Jaxson, who’s five years younger than I am.”

  “And how old are you?” Thomas asked.

  He chuckled. “Let me tell you my story first before I lose my nerve. Then I’ll tell you my age.”

  “And your first name?”

  “Thom, hush. All in good time.”

  Why won’t he tell me those small facts still? He wanted to complain again, but stopped as Martin stared over his shoulder, his eyes glazing over.

  “Even when Jaxson was a boy, he would start fights with me. He grew up to be a big bully, and a mean son of a bitch, more so when my father went for long periods of time for work. I could hate Jaxson for the number of times he made my ma cry. I tried my best to make him behave and pounded on him a few times to keep him in line, but it just made him meaner. You know how someone is a lost soul ’cause they seem dead inside, or have no heart? That would be Jaxson. He was a bad seed, through and through.”

  “That sounds horrible.” Thomas held him closer.

  “When Jaxson was fifteen, it got to a point where he was so out of control at home that my father wanted to throw him out. I had already moved out and was working odd jobs around town, wanting nothing more than to sail away and see the world. My pa and I had a fight in the middle of the public square where everyone could see us. He felt I was abandoning my ma. He wanted me to stay around to watch Jaxson and keep him out of trouble. I was angry and told my old man to shove off. It was the last time I saw him alive.”

  “What happened?” Thomas asked softly.

  He blinked. “Early the next morning, I was rounded up by the town sheriff and his men. My parents’ house had gone up in flames during the night, killing both my ma and pa. They couldn’t put out the fire in time, and the entire house burned to the ground. A witness claimed he saw me sneaking around in the darkness. He’d seen me light a torch, break in a window, and throw it in. I had no alibi. I’d been in my rented room alone with a bottle of whiskey, getting drunk, when it happened.”

  “What about your brother? Did they question him?”

  Martin laughed weakly. “They said he’d been with a woman the entire night. I told them I would never hurt my parents. But ’cause of the public fight with my father, and my brother telling them about how I abused him and my parents over the years, they accused me of the crime.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Thomas said, shocked. “How could they convict you on such inadequate evidence?”

  He shrugged and patted Thomas’s cheek. “I come from a small village where they have strange beliefs. That was why I’d wanted to leave. Even when I tried to tell them the truth about Jaxson, they brushed it off.”