“What?” Theo said, genuinely dismayed, his chest aching. “Really? You thought I hated you?”
“It’s not so surprising,” George said. “Whenever you did talk to me, it was usually to rag me, or tell me to be more manly in some way. I certainly didn’t think there was anything about me that you liked.”
“I liked you too well! It made me afraid. But I’m not afraid anymore.”
Dipping his head, Theo kissed George, a kiss that quickly grew hot. George reached out and began unbuttoning Theo’s coat with shaking fingers. And then they were undressing one another in earnest.
Once they were naked, Theo sank to his knees, trailing his hands up George’s thighs and leaning forward to take his cock into his mouth, eagerly pleasuring him, till George’s soft gasps became deeper groans and his fingers gripped Theo’s hair almost painfully. Theo opened his throat, grunting his approval at the blind, helpless thrust of George’s hips when he instinctively shoved deeper. Moaned at the salty spray of his release.
The momentary stifling of his breath made Theo giddy for a moment. He broke free with a gasp, leaning his forehead against George’s thigh as he raggedly inhaled George’s musky scent. Then he took himself in hand and began to stroke. He was so close. It would only take a moment and?—
“Let me do that,” George said softly, dropping down to his own knees beside Theo.
Theo was so damned close he almost protested, but yes, this was better. He let George push him down to lie on his back on the Turkish rug, watching avidly as George bent over him and engulfed his ruddy shaft in the wet heat of his mouth.
An astonished laugh of sheer, bubbling happiness escaped Theo then, one that turned into a deep, wrenching groan as he began, almost immediately, to spill into George’s mouth, his hand clutching a fistful of George’s dark hair.
"Well, that was damned quick,” George murmured when he lifted his head, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“No wonder,” Theo slurred, slack with satisfaction and the pleasurable tiredness that came over him after spending. “I’ve missed you so much. You could have just breathed on me, and I’d’ve spilled. I’ll last longer when we fuck, but I may need to sleep first.”
George chuckled. “In that case, let’s get you into bed. I’ve no wish to take an afternoon nap on the floor.”
Much later, as they lay in bed together, replete, George returned to the subject of their future.
“I was serious about lending you money for Blackfriars,” he said. “Will you consider it now? If we’re to be together, why would you object?”
Theo turned his head on the pillow to meet George’s earnest gaze.
“It’s one option,” he said carefully. “Another would be for me to give Blackfriars to you as a gift and let you spend whatever you like on it.”
“What?” George exclaimed. “No! I could never agree to that! How could you even suggest it?”
“If we’re to be together, why would you object?” Theo asked, throwing George’s words back at him.
George opened his mouth, then closed it again, frowning.
“Look at it from my point of view, George. I hated the idea of taking your money. And I was petrified you might think it was the real reason I’d invited you to Wales—that was why I was so vehement about it that night. I couldn’t bear for you to think that. It’s why I went to see Prentice.”
“Ah, Prentice,” George murmured. “And how did that go?”
“Oh, just exactly as you predicted,” Theo said, stroking his thumb over George’s full lower lip. “He offered me a more than fair price and indicated his intention to remove the tenants and turn off the servants. And… I couldn’t do it.” He smiled. “That was when I had the idea of giving it to you. I couldn’t sell the place but nor could I bring it up to scratch on my own. I didn’t know what to do, and then suddenly I thought, why not give it to George? It occurred to me that, if I could be your steward, I’d at least see you sometimes because you’d need to visit.” He leaned forward and kissed George’s nose. “What with you being such a conscientious landowner.”
George looked dismayed. “Oh. I was hoping we might spend rather more time together than that, but?—”
“Good,” Theo interrupted. “Because I want as much time with you as you’ll allow. I just wanted you to know that, when it came down to it, I cared more about losing you—much more—than about losing Blackfriars.” He gave a crooked smile. “So much so I’d even use your damned sense of duty against you, just to get to see you sometimes.”
George’s gaze softened. “Us being together is what really matters. Not whose name’s on the deeds.”
“Agreed,” Theo said and brushed their lips together. When he drew back, he said, “There is something else I’m considering.”
“What’s that?”
“Martin offered to help me out by buying his farm.” When George’s expression grew concerned, Theo shook his head. “I know what you're thinking, and no, I don’t want him using his savings for that either, but it got me thinking about something else. The Morgans. Paying all that rent and still vulnerable to being removed at any time. I’m considering asking Morgan if he would like to buy his land from me, instead of renting. He might not want to do it, but if he does, I want to find a way to make it happen.”
George beamed at him. “I think Morgan will bite your hand off. It’s a wonderful idea.”
“I daresay it’s not an idea any man of business would recommend, but it’s something I would like to do. I want to work with Martin too, with a view to taking over the running of his farm myself eventually. But to make that all work, I know I have to let you help me make things right at Blackfriars, despite my reservations.”
