“Thank you, Patrick.” Carter shook out the blanket and tucked it over them, then leaned back on the bench and draped his arm across Reed’s shoulders. Patrick clucked his tongue, and Tommy the horse took off at a slow clop into Central Park.
The wind blew softly, and the trees rustled. “What is this? Why are we here?”
“It’s a beautiful night. Why not?”
Exasperated, Reed threw back his part of the blanket. “Come on. We’re here to talk about us. And Jacks. I know you’d like us all to get along, but the fact remains that you have a responsibility that’s never going to change. And I couldn’t and wouldn’t ever want to be the one to come between you.”
“Why do you think you’d have to? You walked out so quickly you never gave it a chance.” Moving closer, Carter pulled the blanket over them both again and pressed up against him. “I had a talk with Jacks’s psychiatrist today, and he said it would be beneficial for Jacks to start learning he can’t always be number one; that I shouldn’t make myself a doormat and never put my feelings first. I’ve devoted three years exclusively to his care. The doctor said it could actually be helpful to show Jacks I can have a loving and solid connection with another adult. That it will give him even more stability.” Carter kissed him with soft, tender touches of his lips. “Are you giving up on us so easily when we can finally have it all?”
Would there ever come a time when having Carter near wouldn’t cause his blood to race or his heart to pound in slow, almost painful beats?
“I don’t want to hurt Jacks and the relationship you have.”
Carter slid his hand down Reed’s thigh, brushing close to his half-hard cock. “First of all, you couldn’t. It’s not a matter of either/or with you and him. He’s my little brother, and by default he’ll always have my protection and my love. That doesn’t mean I can’t love you too; I’m not choosing you over him. I think I have a right to be happy now, and you need to create a separate, special relationship with him. Don’t piggyback on mine. Give it a chance to grow and for him to know and love you.”
Reed opened his mouth to speak, but Carter’s lips covered his while his hand became busy under the blanket, unbuttoning his soft cotton pants and drawing them down out from under his ass to release his fully erect cock. His mind spun hazily, wondering how Carter once again maneuvered him into having semi-public sex, but with Carter stroking his dick and his tongue probing his mouth, Reed cared about nothing else except the incredible pressure building up inside him.
The horse’s hooves beat a steady pace along the path, and Patrick called back to them. “How’re you gentlemen doing? The night treating you well?”
Carter broke free of the kiss. “Just fine, thanks,” he said, wet lips hovering over Reed’s mouth. They stared at each other, both breathing heavily. “Have some important business to get down to.” Even in the dim light, Reed caught the glint of Carter’s wicked grin.
“I understand.” The undertone of laughter in Patrick’s voice left little doubt he knew exactly what was going down in the back seat of his carriage. “I’ll leave you two to your privacy.”
“Carter, what are you doing?” Reed kept his voice down.
“I thought it was obvious. I’m trying to love you.” Carter nuzzled Reed’s neck and stroked his cock from tip to root. Carter had barely touched him, yet Reed was dangerously close to coming. What did it say about him that having sex in a public place was such a fucking turn-on? The ache in his groin had him not caring at all.
“If you can’t figure it out, I’ll need to do a whole lot better than this.” He grasped Reed’s cock and slid his hand down the rigid length to his balls, rolling and squeezing them.
“Better?” Reed managed to choke out, before he fell back against the seat and squeezed his eyes shut, his tense body vibrating. Any better and he might fly to pieces from the pleasure.
“I love your balls; they fit perfectly in my hands. I love how I can tell when you’re going to shoot ’cause they get all tight and springy.” Carter sucked, then bit his earlobe.
Nothing existed for Reed outside of the carriage. The velvety darkness of the evening hid them well. Carter kissed a path down Reed’s neck to the top of his chest, forcing Reed to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. With deft fingers, Carter unbuttoned his shirt, and swirled his tongue around Reed’s nipples, sucking the pointy nubs into his mouth. Reed groaned and arched his back; a jolt traveling straight to his cock, sending out a spurt of precome against Carter’s hand.
Chuckling deep in his chest, Carter slid his sticky hand down Reed’s throbbing cock, reaching farther between his legs to slide the tip of a wet finger past the rim of his hole.
At that precise moment they hit a rut in the path and the carriage bounced, forcing Carter’s finger farther inside Reed. Without warning Reed yelped and came hard, spurting across his stomach.
“All right back there? Sorry about the rough ride. The damn city never keeps up with the roads these days.”
“It’s fine; no problem at all.” Carter smothered his laughter, then leaned over and brushed their lips together. He rested his lips on the corner of Reed’s mouth and whispered to him. “Come home with me tomorrow, please. Be with me and Jacks. You never gave us a chance; you walked out and didn’t look back.”
In his sleepy, blissed out state, Reed struggled to remain strong, then wondered what he was fighting and why. If Carter proved correct, he could have everything he’d always wanted; a man who knew the real him and not only didn’t run away spitting hurtful words but embraced his differences, understood him, and loved him anyway. Unconditional love, something he thought he’d only have from his father, now within his reach. A forever. A home.
He’d have to be crazy not to grab on, hold tight, and never let him go.
“Reed?”
Even in the dark Carter’s face stood out to him like a beacon of hope and love. It always would.
“Yeah, okay. Tomorrow.”
Chapter Eighteen
‡
“Carter, relax. IfReed is as special as I’m guessing, everything will work out fine.”
