CHAPTER ONE

The party bored Jay to tears. Everyone who was anyone had shown up and people absolutely swarmed the mansion. Nobles were everywhere, though Jay would have used the term very lightly with this crowd. He knew most of them, and noble wasn't the first on his list of words for the lot of them. Stifling a yawn, he hung back, more content to simply observe.

Not too far away, Mary Price, a well-known socialite, attempted to woo Jay's nephew—a handsome young man of eighteen. Jay chuckled to himself, quite happy to watch the older woman seduce a man who would make horrendous faces behind her back while Jay watched.

If he had to choose the life of the party, it would be William. Jay's nephew was a brilliant, strapping young man with his head in politics—precisely the reason, among others, that Jay was simply holding the lands and titles for him. For himself, Jay just wanted a normal life.

As he scanned the room once more, Jay spotted one lone, young man hovering near the open balcony doors. From the indecisive look on the man's face, it was clear he might be attempting an escape. He also seemed to be the only one in the entire room wearing jeans. Short, curly blond hair caught the light from the chandeliers above, and silver flicks of light danced in his hair with the movement of his head.

To say that Jay was intrigued would have been an understatement. He wasn't sure if it was the look of sheer boredom on the man's face, or the almost sinfully tight jeans. Whatever it was, he moved toward the man before he'd even realized it.

"Good evening," he said, offering his hand.

For a brief moment, the stranger appeared startled, as though caught doing something he shouldn't. The look faded as a bit of a smile took its place. Taking hold of Jay's hand, he shook it firmly before releasing it. "Hello. Would it be rude to ask who you are?"

Jay smiled in earnest for the first time all day. "Jay Alistair. And you?"

"Devon Brooks. I can't remember any of the names I heard today. But my mother thinks these people are important enough for me to exert myself."

Cocking his head to the side, Jay asked, "Do you drink?"

"Well, where I come from, I'm not of legal drinking age, but I guess I am here."

"How old are you?" Jay asked pointedly.

"Nineteen. Why?" Giving him a quizzical look, Devon shrugged slightly.

"Excellent." Setting his wine glass on a nearby table, Jay turned back to Devon and leaned close, whispering conspiratorially in his ear. "There's a pub just outside of town. Join me? I'll buy you a pint or two. You look about as out of place here as I feel."

Dev glanced quickly over his shoulder. He nodded, looking a great deal relieved. "You're the only one to approach me without my mother having to drag you. Yeah, I'm really out of place and could use a drink or two."

Taking a quick look around, Jay spotted his mother. She was thoroughly engrossed in a five-way conversation. Smirking, he looked back at Devon. "Follow me. We'll use the cook's entrance; otherwise, we're likely to be spotted."

He headed for a door off to the side, almost hidden by an ornate, white marble column. With a quick glance around, he opened the door and held it for Dev.

Following silently behind this new but far more interesting gentleman, Dev slipped through the doorway. The whole time his eyes had been on his mother, hoping she wouldn't notice him taking off.

Closing the door, Jay let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. "We'll go through the kitchen. The cooks won't say anything."

He led the way down the short hall to the kitchen, which was bustling and hectic. People were everywhere, scrambling to get the food and drinks out to the guests in the main ballroom. Sneaking silently into the kitchen, Jay stayed near the far right wall, nodding here and there before tugging open a heavy wooden door.

"After you," he said with a grin.

"I'll probably pay for this later, you know?" Dev headed outside. A part of him felt a bit guilty about it, but he was having fun.

"So will I," Jay said as he closed the door behind them, "especially if my mum finds out."

They were outside, just behind the mansion, in a parking lot. Most were servants' cars, Dev assumed, though a few looked a bit too expensive to be anything other than guest cars. Jay took a quick look around and crooked a finger at Dev, beckoning him along. When he reached a motorcycle, he grinned.

"Lucky I keep a spare helmet," he said as he handed one to Dev before sliding the other over his own head.

"Awesome bike." Putting the helmet on, Dev strapped it under his chin. "Any place to take this out and let her go?"

"Thanks," Jay said. He settled on the bike and waited until Dev was snug up behind him before starting it. "If you want, we can take the long way out of town. There are several roads that way where I can open it up."

Snaking his arms around Jay, Dev held on. "Do it then."

Jay pulled out of the car park and onto the back driveway Dev figured the mansion's staff used. Once on one of the less-traveled roads, Jay gunned the engine. The bike purred loudly, the vibrations soothing and sweet, as they hit 128 kilometers-per-hour. Dev had a sneaking suspicion it was well over double the speed limit in town.

Hugging tightly to Jay, Dev started laughing. "This was the only time since I've arrived in England that I've had any fun at all."

Pulling up in front of a small pub, Jay finally felt free. He'd gotten ungodly tired of the pomp and circumstance of the life he was expected to lead. This was much better, in his opinion.

Hanging his helmet on one of the handlebars, he slid off of the bike. "They know me here," he said. "They won't say a word."

Taking Devon's helmet, Jay set it on the other bar then led the way into the pub. The atmosphere was filled with smoke and quiet conversation. Several of the locals glanced over at them and gave Jay a nod before they turned back to their pints.

"You find us a table, and I'll get our pints. You like Guinness?"

"I'll find out when I taste it," Devon answered Jay before he quickly glanced around, looking for an empty table. Spotting one near the back wall, he walked over to it and settled in a seat.

Jay just laughed and went up to the bar. After a few minutes, he had two pints in his hands: one Guinness, and one a mild German beer. He sat down across from Devon and put the beer in front of him.

"Now, I will tell you this: Guinness is an acquired taste." He held out the pint of Guinness. "Try it. If you like it, you're welcome to it. If not, there's a beer for you."

"I'll take your word for it since I've never had one." Taking the pint, Dev swallowed a small bit. Instantly he made a face and shook his head as he handed it back to Jay. "I think I'll try the other one."

Jay laughed and took a slow sip from the Guinness, eyes closing in appreciation. "It's good if you're used to it—nice and thick and smooth."

Taking a swallow of the other beer, Dev found it wasn't as hard to drink. "Let's leave that one to you right now. I've never had a drink in my life."

An eyebrow rose as Jay took another drink, peering at Dev over his glass. "So, how did you come to be a fellow wallflower back at Wharton Manor?"

"My mother. She works for the government, and she's been dragging me around. I'm starting to wonder why I agreed to stay here for six months with her." Shrugging slightly, he added, "But, I agreed to it."

"I'm assuming you are not English, then?"

"Lived in the United States most of my life. I was born here, but my parents divorced when I was two. My dad took me to the States, and this is the first time I've been back here." Taking several small drinks of the beer, Dev was careful not to drink too much too fast.

"I see." Jay finished off his Guinness and set the glass down. "Have you seen or done nothing in England to make your stay worthwhile? Nothing fun or exciting?"

"Other than ride on your bike, nope. It's mostly been a stuffy bunch of Lords this, that, and the other. My mother enjoys it, but I think it's boring."

"Where are you staying?" Jay asked. "If you'd like, I could show you some of the sights, from the back of a motorbike, of course."

"We're staying at the Wharton Manor for a week. Some house party thing or other for all the bigwigs. Then we're going back to London, I guess."

"Then it is settled. I will steal you away from the nobles—and I use that term loosely, mind you—and we'll get some take-away from one of the town pubs."

"Maybe you can show me some of the fun things to do around here. My mom isn't exactly a fountain of fun." Dev grinned at him. "I love the woman, but damn."

"I can do that. You dance?"

"I can dance, and a hell of a lot more than just ballroom."

"I know a few good places to go then," Jay said. "Though I hope you can overlook the fact that most of the patrons are men…dancing with other men."

"Well, I was going to mention the fact that I don't have a thing for women. So it shouldn't bother me." Dev didn't even bat a lash as he talked. He had absolutely no problem with people knowing his preference.

"Well, then." Jay sat back in his chair, looking easy in his skin. "That makes two of us."

Dev eyed him, vaguely surprised, his gaze drifting over Jay. "Are things as easygoing here as they are in New York? Or are people more uptight about that sort of thing?"

Jay shrugged. "Depends on where you are. I'm out, for the most part, though my mum hates the fact. She wants grandchildren, but knows she'll never get them from me."

"It doesn't bother my mom or dad, but then they were always the progressive sort. For the most part, anyway." By now, his beer was only about a quarter empty, and Dev wasn't in any hurry to finish it.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, when did you realize you liked men?"

"When I started noticing them more than girls. I never liked being around girls that much. Not even when I was little. What about you?"

"About sixteen years ago," Jay said. "I was thirteen when I first discovered there were other things I could do with my dick than piss. I never thought about girls, though. I always thought about the guys at school."

"So you're twenty-nine? Not a bad age," Dev teased. "I know my dad noticed things, and it never seemed to bother him. And we made it plain to Mom so she wouldn't run around and try to set me up in hopes of grandkids."

"Mum never could handle it," Jay said. "Dad and my brother never thought twice about it."

"Hard on you, I imagine. I've had friends whose parents disowned them over it. My cousin's mom kicked him out when she found out. He stayed with me and my dad." Frowning slightly, Dev reached for his beer. It wasn't something he liked to think about if he could help it.

"So, why are you here instead of with your dad, then? You seem like you'd be much happier with him."

"When I graduated from high school, my mom wanted me to stay with her. I agreed. I've only been here a week, and I'm willing to give it a bit of time. I just hope things get less boring."

"I'll do my best to make certain that it does," Jay said. "How about we go out tomorrow? We can stop by one of the pubs, grab some take-away, and head out to see the sights."

"I can handle that." Glancing down, Dev caught sight of the time. "Shit, I better get back before my mother notices I'm not there at all."

"Then it's a date."

CHAPTER TWO

Jay got off of the bike and waited for Dev. They'd spent the entire day riding around the countryside, with him showing Dev some of the older nearby villages and several castles. Now they were outside a small, out-of-the-way pub called Darkness. It was run by an American, but the clientele came from all over the British Isles. Jay trusted the men who frequented the place to keep his identity to themselves. He only wanted fun when he came here, not some tourist or another fawning over him after learning that he was a duke.

"I think you will like this place very much," he said as he opened the door for Dev.

The first thing Dev noticed after seeing the huge circular black bar in the center of the room was that there were no women anywhere. A dance floor, lit by low, sultry red lights from the wall, was crowded with dancing couples. The ceiling was a black, billowing fabric that undulated above their heads. Already he liked the place.

"Want a drink," Jay asked him, "or did you have something else in mind first?" The look he gave Dev was positively wicked.

"Drink, I guess, then maybe dancing."

As Jay passed by him, Dev's gaze followed the form clad in tight black clothing. He also noticed he wasn't the only one staring at Jay.

After a few minutes the bartender made it to Jay. In the meantime, several men approached Jay, leaning toward him to whisper in his ear. Jay just laughed them off, shaking his head. When he turned back around to Dev, he handed him a bottle.

"So you dance, then?" he asked, sipping on his Guinness.

Realizing Jay seemed to be a popular man, Dev stayed quiet, simply watching. As he took the bottle, he nodded. "I enjoy dancing. Though you don't have to stick by me the entire evening, you know."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "And if I said that I wanted to? If I said that I'm hoping you will dance with me?"

Blinking in surprise, Dev eyed Jay for a long moment before he said, "I'd be more than willing to dance with you." He managed to get it out without blushing, though he did lower his gaze to Jay's chest. The material of the man's shirt smoothed perfectly over the taut muscles beneath, as if it had been painted on him.

Slipping a finger under his chin, Jay tilted Dev's head up. "Good. Then finish your beer. I want to get you out there on the floor."

For a moment, Jay's eyes temporarily mesmerized Dev, the beer in Dev's hand long forgotten. "Oh, yeah." Hastily, he took a few swallows, drinking nearly half the beer without thinking about it. Setting the glass down on the bar counter, he looked expectantly toward Jay.

Jay finished off his Guinness and without another word, took Dev's hand, and led him out onto the packed dance floor. Once he found a small pocket within the throng of sweat-slick, gyrating bodies, he snaked an arm around Dev's waist, pulling him right up close, their bodies pressing together. The beat of the music was a bizarre techno rhythm, but it was danceable. Jay quickly proved he knew what he was doing; his hips, indeed his whole body, worked to the music, sliding across Dev's.

Relaxing within the rhythm of the dance, Dev matched every one of Jay's movements. The reddish light surrounding them faded with the beat of music, leaving them in the shadows.

Lowering his head, Jay whispered in Dev's ear, "Would it be in bad form if I were to ask for a kiss?"

Not even thinking twice, Dev whispered back, "No." Turning his head slightly, his gaze sought Jay's as his lips parted slightly, almost inviting the touch.

The first meeting was no more than a brush of Jay's lips across Dev's. Then Jay slipped his tongue out, taking a fleeting taste of Dev before dipping into his mouth. His hold tightened around Dev's waist, pressing them together as he began to sway absently, not quite moving to the music and not appearing to care in the least.

The bar around them completely faded to Dev as Jay kissed him. Near to taking his breath away, a tingle ran down his spine as his fingers tightened slightly on Jay's arms. His tongue slowly flit beneath Jay's, and he lost awareness of everything else around him. He'd been kissed before, but Dev had never been so totally drawn into it like this, and it floored him.

Nothing else existed. Not the rigors of his life, not his mother, not the snooty socialites Jay was expected to be like. No. The only thing that existed at that moment was the body pressed tightly to his, the fingers digging into his biceps, the tongue exploring his mouth as thoroughly as he was exploring Dev's.

Breathing deep, Jay pulled away, the room spinning as he simply stared into Dev's eyes. "Wow."

Blinking rapidly, Dev looked bemused as he opened his eyes. "I…"

Without breaking the contact between their bodies, Jay backed up, moving through the crowd until he felt the wall behind him. Relaxing back against it, he spread his legs and pulled Dev to stand between them. Sliding a hand through Dev's hair, he reeled the young man in for another kiss, this one more thorough, more certain.

Without even token resistance, Dev found himself in Jay's arms, answering his kiss, arms around the man's neck. This time the tingling made him shiver. There was something mesmerizing to the current as it traced through him. Again, it drew Dev in totally, leaving him blissfully unaware of anything else around them.

"God, I wish you were staying here longer," Jay murmured over Dev's lips.

"Don't you ever come to London?"

Bloody Hell. Jay wondered how far this would go, if he should just outright tell Dev who he was. In London there were many who would know him, but not well enough to keep their mouths shut. Sighing, he looked into Dev's eyes and finally made up his mind.

"There's something I need to explain first."

As Dev eyed Jay questioningly, they were interrupted when a couple of Jay's "friends" grabbed hold of both of them.

Dragging them back to the dance floor, Neil teased Jay, "Now, none of that 'til later, old man."

Jay grumbled under his breath, but instead of worrying, he simply pulled Dev close again, relying on the friction between them to scrub away any troubling thoughts. Neil bumped into them repeatedly, wiggling his eyebrows as he looked from Jay to Dev. Jay just rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"Don't mind him," he said. "He really has no sense of tact."

Dev's cheeks flushed and he simply nodded as he closed his eyes.

"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted…" Jay took a deep breath and continued. "My last name is Wharton, Dev."

"Wharton?" Dev's voice was muffled against Jay's shirt.

Jay raised Dev's head to see his face. "My full name is Jayson Alistair George Wharton, Duke of Wharton."

"Is that important or something?"

"That house you're staying in? It's mine."

"Oh." Blinking in clear confusion, Dev stared at Jay before looking away. "You're like all those other guys mom keeps introducing me to."

"Am I?" Jay asked. "The catch is: I don't want to be. I'm not cut out for the life my mother seems intent on force-feeding me, even at nearly thirty years old. I'm holding the title and lands for my nephew."

"Yeah, you're all important and that sort of stuff." Dev wasn't at all sure what his mother would think about him being with a Duke. Or even what anybody else would think. Finally looking back at him, Dev felt lost for a moment. His gaze slowly lowered to Jay's lips before lifting back to his eyes. All he really wanted was another kiss, to see if he'd been right about how it had felt.

"Please," Jay whispered, his lips moving softly over Dev's, "let me try to change your mind."

Dev melted. His lips parted with a small sound and all he wanted was for Jay to keep kissing him. Dev wasn't certain how a kiss could be so dizzying, but it was.

Jay held him close, tongue stroking Dev's as his hands slid down Dev's spine to rest just at the top of his buttocks. Hooking his thumbs in two of the belt loops, he pulled Dev up against him, moaning softly into Dev's mouth.

Breaking away for a breath, Dev opened his eyes and pulled slightly away from Jay. "I think I could use another beer."

"I could, too." Fingers linked with Dev's, Jay led the way off the dance floor and back to the bar. After getting them both another beer, he nodded toward one of the high tables along the wall. "Want to sit down?"

"I don't know what the hell to say right now."

Jay looked down at his own beer, fiddling with the label on the dark bottle. "I'm not entirely sure myself," he said quietly. "It wasn't my intent to make you uneasy, Dev."

"Not uneasy. It's just… I'm not sure how to explain. Or even if you'd care to hang around long enough for me to figure anything out." With a slight shrug, Dev sipped his beer.

"Why would I not want to hang around?" Reaching out, Jay touched Dev's face softly. "Do you honestly think I'm as superficial as they all are?"

Dev stilled with Jay's touch, neither pressing toward it nor moving away from it. "You seem to belong to a rather exclusive club, Jay." Dev's tone was a touch dry. "At least, that's the impression I've gotten at all of those parties."

Jay let his hand drop as he schooled his features into something more neutral. "A club I was born into. I assure you: it was not by choice. I can't change who I am, Dev, but that doesn't mean I have to act like them."

"No, and you don't act like that. Not that I've noticed, anyway. But it still doesn't stop you from being considered important." Shaking his head, Dev smiled ruefully. "And I'm not entirely sure of what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Look, I'm just going to flat out ask you," Jay said. "Do you want to see me? Because I'll be completely honest: I've never met anyone I connect with like I do with you. I want to see you more."

"I asked you that earlier, and you side tracked me." Grinning at him, Dev made an attempt to lighten things up a little. "Yeah, I would like to continue…" He waved his hand a little. "…this."

"Actually, I wanted to tell you who I was, just in case you found out later and changed your mind," Jay said, eyebrow lifting. "However, we were rudely interrupted by a friend of mine." Looking down at his bottle, he peeled more of the paper label off. "So...does that mean we're officially dating?"

Blinking, Dev thought about it for a moment. "I suppose if you want to consider us to be. Is it an exclusive thing or what?" By way of explanation, Dev added, "I dated a guy once who expected exclusive but forgot to tell me. That's why I'm asking."

"I'd like it to be." Looking up at him, Jay smiled warily. "Is that a problem? I just can't handle more than one person. I like to devote myself and more than one is too many."

"No, it doesn't bother me. I was never much for juggling different guys for different nights. I figured I better know what you expect. And you probably should know what I expect, too."

"Completely understandable. Is safe sex an issue, because I won't bareback unless we've both been tested."

Dev opened his mouth to say something then ended up closing it quickly. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat. "We can try: sex isn't an issue at all. I'm a virgin, Jay, believe it or not. And I'm going to stay that way until I'm with somebody for the rest of my life."

"I can respect that. As long as I can have a kiss every now and then." Jay gave Dev a slightly teasing smile. "Your kisses make me breathless."

Dev reached for Jay's hand, curling his fingers around it. "You seem to have the same effect on me. I just want to make it plain, Jay. No blowjobs and no hand jobs. Yes, I've taken care of myself, and no, it's not the same."

Jay chuckled and squeezed his hand. "No need to explain, though it sounds like you've had to do it one too many times. I'd be lying if I said that I'm not hard as a rock just from kissing you, but I can take care of that in private. Besides..." He gave Dev a quick wink. "...I have a great imagination and a photographic memory."

"I've had to explain it more than once. You'd think the word virgin was a red flag meaning fuck me." Dev laughed and rolled his eyes. "Though admittedly, it weeds out some of the guys the minute they realize I'm serious."

"It can be frustrating on both sides of the coin," Jay said with a grin. "However, that doesn't change the fact that I want to spend time with you, get to know you."

"It can be, but I deal with it. My cousin, the one that lived with us, he had different notions. He was murdered by his lover after Dylan found out he was HIV positive. That's a side of the coin I'll live without." Gazing steadily at Jay, Dev smiled. "I want to get to know you better, too. Spend more time with you."

"I'm really sorry about your cousin." Jay leaned over the table and kissed Dev's lips in a soft but chaste kiss. "But I'm glad you're not screaming and running in the other direction."

It felt nice to Dev for someone to simply kiss him without further expectation. "No, not quite that. I just believe there's one person out there for me. Not a whole lot of people, and I don't want a whole lot anyway. Only one."

Smiling, Jay sat back down in his seat. "There is, and I have faith that you'll find him."

CHAPTER THREE

"Is there a reason you can't sit still, Dev?"

Sighing, Dev glanced over at his mom. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Just don't know where to start."

"At the beginning would be a good place." She settled back in her chair, giving Dev her full attention.

"I'm dating this guy. He's really great, but, well, he's the Duke of Wharton." Dev got the last part out in a rush of words. He figured he better give his mother the heads up before she found out some other way. Uncertain of what she would think, he watched her reaction carefully.

"The Duke of Wharton?" One brow rose as she eyed him steadily. "I'm not sure what to say, Dev. Ever since the young man came out, he's been a media darling. Are you prepared for that?"

Giving her a rueful look, he said, "Not really, but he's a hell of a kisser."

Laying her hand on his, stilling the nervous twirling of the pen between his fingers, she smiled at him. "You know I'll support whatever choices you make, Dev. I just hope you're prepared for the attention you're likely to get. And you also need to know the Duchess of Wharton is very vocal about her son. She has been after him for years to choose the next Duchess."

"Yeah, Jay told me. He's more than happy to let his nephew take over, but his mom doesn't see things his way." Ever since they'd returned to London, Dev had only talked to Jay over the phone. He didn't want to take the chance of anybody seeing them together until he'd worked up the nerve to talk to his mom.

She gave him a knowing look as she asked, "Are you going with me to Lady Bessel's reception tonight? I believe His Grace will be in attendance."

It took Dev a moment to realize his mother was talking about Jay. "Oh yeah, I'm going. I haven't seen Jay since we got back to London."

"At least I know you'll happily attend the parties he'll be at. No matter how boring they are." Chuckling, she patted his hand. "Since you're going, you'd better get ready. We'll be leaving in less than an hour."

"It won't take me that long to get ready." Dev tried to suppress his excitement over the thought of seeing Jay again as he stood up.

"And no leaving the party early, young man. Don't think I didn't notice you'd been sneaking off while we were at the Wharton estate."

"Mom." Though the one word was more of a protest, he couldn't help grinning.

"At least put in an hour, will you?"

"I will. If he doesn't drag me off sooner." Laughing, Dev made it out the door before his mother could say anything else.

After a shower and dithering over what he should wear, Dev made it back downstairs just as his mother and stepfather were getting ready to leave.

During the drive, his mother kept looking back at him, as if reminding Dev she wanted him by her side. Though she didn't say anything, it was a long ten minutes later before they were standing in the reception line, waiting to be greeted by their host and hostess. Try as he might, Dev couldn't help constantly looking around for Jay.

As everybody exchanged polite greetings, Dev stifled his own restlessness. Thankfully shortly after, they made their way into the ballroom. As usual, the sedate crowd was scattered in groups, talking quietly amongst themselves, as a small orchestra played in the background. Dev hadn't yet spotted Jay. His stepfather had taken off with his cronies to avoid the boring gathering, and his mother was comfortably ensconced with her friends. Dev politely smiled at the women, but his thoughts were elsewhere. The latest crop of lovely young English debutantes was on full display not too far off from their mothers. Completely bored out of his mind, Dev wasn't expecting the soft voice in his ear.

"I can think of much better things to do."

Dev's eyes widened slightly and his mother looked up toward them. An amused smile graced her lips as she raised her brow.

Turning his head slightly, Dev whispered back, "Mom wanted me to stay at least an hour." On his best behavior, Dev didn't lean back against Jay like he wanted to.

"Now that's a shame," Jay whispered, kissing Dev's ear. "Because I'm so bloody desperate for a kiss."

Unable to resist, Dev did lean back. The look he shot his mom had just an edge of pleading to let him out of his agreement with her. She shook her head and pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. Raising her hand, she shooed both of them away before she returned to her own discussion with her friends.

It quickly became apparent to the room at large who Jay's companion was. A few titters sounded behind a number of hands, and a number more were thoroughly disgusted, yet didn't have to the nerve to criticize someone in Jay's position.

"Ignore them," Jay murmured, "and come with me." Giving everyone else in the room a cursory glance, he brazenly took Dev's hand and led him right out of the room.

"Popular fellow, aren't you?"

Jay just chuckled, leading Dev through a small throng of people milling about in the halls. He finally pushed open a door at the far end of the hall, just under the grand staircase, and tugged Dev inside the small sitting room, closing the door behind them.

"You know what I want right now?"

"Jay, we are in somebody else's house." It didn't stop him from moving closer to Jay, though, did it? He lifted his face for the kiss he wanted as well.

Jay turned them both and leaned back against the door, pulling Dev close. He licked at Dev's lips, tracing them with the tip of his tongue before sliding inside. One hand went around Dev's waist and the other cupped the back of his head, holding him tight. Dev's breath escaped him in a quiet sigh as he nestled in against Jay, arms around the duke's neck. The tingling started with the simple touch of Jay's lip, and everything faded as Dev returned the kiss.

Be good. It had become a chant since meeting Dev. Jay wanted him desperately, but the boundaries were set and he was determined to respect them. But...that didn't stop him from needing, from growing hard within seconds of feeling Dev's lips on his.

Finally drawing back, Dev rested his forehead to Jay's shoulder, dragging in a deep breath. "I think I'm glad to see you."

"You think?" Jay laughed. "I've done nothing but think about you, Dev."

"Okay, I'm damn sure I am." Dev lifted his head and grinned. "I did talk to my mom about you. She doesn't seem to mind. Took me a bit to come out and say who you were, though."

Jay chose to ignore the gnawing inside him when he thought of his own mother. "I'm glad she's accepting of it," he said, lowering his head to nuzzle Dev's neck. He breathed in deep, drawing Dev's scent into him. "God, you smell good."

"You know, I didn't want to take the chance of her finding out before I said anything." Tilting his head, Dev shivered slightly. His fingers played with the short brown hair at the nape of Jay's neck. "At least I can go out with you now."

Humming against Dev's skin, Jay nodded. "Dinner, dancing, movie? What would you like? As long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do." But Lord, he'd need to disappear for a few minutes first. Already he felt like he was going to explode, but then, Dev sparked something in him he'd never felt before.

"Dinner and a movie sound good tonight. And if you're free Wednesday, I'll invite you to the house for a special dinner." Pulling back slightly, Dev gave Jay a mischievous grin.

Jay laughed and reeled Dev in for another kiss, whispering on Dev's lips, "Now that I can do."

Instantly Dev responded to him, and the press of his lips molded tightly to Jay's. Jay opened for him, letting Dev take control of the kiss. He settled his hands at Dev's waist, but went no lower. He rocked his hips slightly, if only to know that he had the same effect on Dev that Dev had on him.

"I think we better go eat, Jay. We going to the theater or renting a movie tonight?"

Thinking on that for a minute, Jay wasn't sure which was better: a dark theatre or sitting alone in a room together. At least if he needed to, he could slip off to the bathroom if they rented in. "How about renting?"

"Your house, I'm gonna assume, unless you want my mom and stepdad around." Reaching behind him, Dev opened the door and pulled Jay with him toward the front door. If Dev was aware of the sound of whispering from the two women nearby, he didn't act like it.

"Definitely my place." Jay ignored everyone but Dev. Then again, how could he even begin to ignore the sight walking in front of him? Shaking his head, he took over, all but dragging Dev toward the motorcycle. "My mum is infuriated because I drove the motorbike instead of riding with her." He handed Dev a helmet before putting on his own.

"I came with my parents, so it's a good thing you did. Otherwise the Duke would have to ride in a cab." After putting the helmet on, Dev strapped it beneath his chin, straddled the bike, and settled behind Jay, arms around Jay's waist.

Jay shivered, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the idea of a taxi. He started the bike and pulled out onto the long driveway. He took it slow and easy until they turned onto the main road leading back to town, then he gunned the bike, opening it up as they raced down the road.

Resting his chin on Jay's shoulder, Dev tightened his hold slightly as they gained speed. The blur of scenery didn't interest him at all, just being close again to Jay did. His soft chuckle was taken by the wind, and as the miles sped by, Dev clung to Jay.

Slowing down as they entered town, Jay finally pulled into the parking lot of a movie store. "Let's see what we can find." He took off his helmet and hung it on the handlebar.

Dev set his own helmet on the other handlebar. "How about old and scary?" Once inside the store, Dev made a beeline for the horror section. "Oh yeah, they got Dr. Phibes." He picked up the box and read the back. "You ever see this movie, Jay?"

"You can't watch the first one and not watch the second one right after."

"I was gonna suggest that." Grinning, Dev tugged Jay toward the clerk. "Now what's for dinner? Or should we just stop for some snacks on the way to your place?"

"How hungry are you?" Jay gave the clerk a credit card, then put it back into his wallet when she handed it back a moment later. She put a slip on the counter and he signed it before grabbing the movies.

"I'm more in the mood for snacks than a full dinner. But I could still eat, so it really doesn't matter to me. If we go get dinner, though, we'll be stopping at the store for snacks anyway."

"Snacks it is then." Jay took Dev's hand and gave the clerk a wave before they walked out. He secured the movies in one of the saddlebags and put his helmet on. "We have a ton of snacks in the kitchen pantry. You still want to stop at the store?"

"Nah. If you're well supplied, I'll be fine." After buckling his helmet back on, Dev straddled the bike behind Jay. "I'd rather get to the movies."

CHAPTER FOUR

Once their helmets were off, Dev got a bit sneaky. As he turned to face Jay, his arms snaked around his neck. The light press of his lips touched to Jay's before traveling slowly downward to his throat. A series of kisses brushed to Jay's skin as Dev did a little nuzzling of his own.

Jay shuddered, eyes closing as he caught his breath. "Tease," he whispered, fingers sliding through Dev's hair.

"Just wanted my own taste, Jay. You had one earlier." The light nip of his teeth tugged gently at Jay's earlobe before he released it. "Now I get a proper kiss as well." Not giving Jay time to answer, Dev's mouth covered his, and his tongue slid between Jay's lips. The intensity between them flared.

Jay answered every bit of that hunger, knowing it well. God, he wanted this man so bad it made him ache. Pulling slowly from the kiss, he said, "Movies. Snacks. Snuggling. More kissing."

"In that order?" Dev winked at him as he stepped back from Jay. His hand slid down Jay's arm to take his hand. "Lead the way, Duke McDuff."

"Okay," Jay laughed, getting the movies. "How about snacks, kissing, movies, kissing, snuggling, and kissing? Oh, did I mention kissing?"

"Yeah, I think you mentioned it in passing." Dev broke out laughing as he followed along with Jay into the house. Once inside, he spent just a moment noticing the luxurious décor and antiques that littered the place. If anything, Jay certainly lived well.

"First things first..." Jay pulled Dev toward the servants' hallway and into the enormous kitchen. "Snacks." He led the way over to a door and opened it, revealing a pantry bigger than a normal-sized bedroom. "Anything you want. There's more in the refrigerator, too. Sodas, milk, juice, water...you name it."

"Oh, jeeze, Jay. Party much?" Astonished, Dev looked over the wide array of choices on the shelves. "There's more here than my dad gets on his poker nights."

Jay chuckled and kissed him on the cheek, leaving Dev to peruse the pantry as he took out several sodas from the refrigerator. "I have a small refrigerator in my bedroom as well. So cold stuff stays cold up there."

When Dev made his decision, he snagged three bags of the chips and a bag of chocolate. "If I need more I can always send you on a special mission."

"Sounds good to me." Jay grinned and led the way out of the kitchen and upstairs, stopping at the end of the hall in front of a door. Fumbling for a moment to dig his keys out of his pocket, he finally got the door unlocked and pushed it open, stepping to the side for Dev.

As he stepped inside, Dev looked around in total amazement. "You're so not going to tell me this is your bedroom..." He stood in what would be considered in most places as a full-sized apartment. Eyeing Jay, he couldn't quite believe the guy had his own apartment in his own house.

Grinning, Jay closed the door with his foot and carried the movies into the sitting area, complete with a full entertainment system and big screen television. "You want the grand tour?"

"You mean of your place or the entire house?" Following behind him, Dev laid the bags of snacks on the end table near the couch. "Which will take longer?"

Jay glanced over his shoulder as he put the sodas into the mini-fridge. "Just my space."

"Yeah, I'd like to see your space, Jay." Straightening, Dev waited for Jay to show him around. He took a couple seconds to look around and spotted a few pictures near another door. Family, maybe? Ancestors? Dev felt small compared to Jay. Unlike the duke, he didn't know much of anything about his own family history, though he remembered something about some distant relative being instrumental in a tiny little town in the States. He shook the feeling when Jay returned to him.

"I'd show you around the whole damn mansion, but then we'd never get to the movies." Jay winked and took his hand, leading him through another doorway. He flipped the switch on the wall. "This is my office, complete with a computer filled to the brim with games and porn."

"Games and porn? Part of the ducal duty, I take it."

"Of course!" Jay flashed him a wicked grin before turning off the light. "And over here…" He pulled Dev to the other side of the main sitting room and into another room. "This is my bedroom." He flipped a switch and track lighting poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the four-poster, canopied bed. Matching dark wood furniture—a dresser, an armoire, and a chest of drawers—stood along the walls.

"You realize this is bigger than the apartment I share with my dad back home, don't you?" Dev slowly looked around, noting the immaculate state of the room. "It's cleaner, too."

"It's cozy," Jay said with a shrug. "The rest of the mansion is a bit much for me, to be honest. I tend to cloister myself in my apartment and leave the rest of the world to the house proper." He grinned over at Dev before turning off the light. "The bathroom's just beside my office, by the way. Nothing special. Ready for those movies?"

"Cozy?" Stepping out of the room, Dev followed Jay. He couldn't even begin to explain why this place was bigger than just cozy. "Yeah, we can watch the movies."

Jay put their drinks on the coffee table and picked up one of the movies. After putting it into the DVD player, he grabbed the remote and dropped down onto the couch, patting the cushion beside him. "Have a seat, babe."

Sitting beside Jay, Dev grabbed one of the sodas and sat back, relaxing against him. The atmosphere seemed so natural and comfortable to Dev. Glancing at Jay, he smiled. "I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed so quickly with someone I'm dating."

"Same here," Jay said, dropping a kiss to Dev's hair. He turned on the movie and settled, slipping an arm around Dev's shoulders. When the movie began, both of them fell into a comfortable silence as they avidly watched Dr. Phibes.

* * * *

Nearly every night, Dev looked eagerly forward to being with Jay. Whether it was a formal fancy-to-do or just a night with them, Dev spent the time in between with thoughts of Jay on his brain.

Tonight, Jay had promised to take him to one of the prolific underground clubs in London. Choosing his clothes with care, Dev settled on a pair of black leather pants and a shirt and boots with a similar look to them. After laying out his clothes, Dev padded to the bathroom to get his shower.

Turning on the water, he waited for it to heat up before he stepped into the tub. Hit with the hot spray, he tipped up the shower head up a bit as he leaned against the back wall. With the thoughts of Jay very close to the surface, his hand lowered to his cock, beginning a lazy tug on the length. There were times he wanted Jay so bad, he could taste it. Imagining what it would be like to feel Jay inside him, the hand on his cock sped up slightly in rhythm to his thoughts.

The only way to relieve his own tension and keep some control on himself had been the near nightly session with his own hand. Tonight was no different. With every stroke of his hand, he brought himself closer to the edge, fueling his fantasy of being with Jay.

* * * *

Jay knocked on the door, then shoved his hands into his pockets. He'd never been nervous about a date, but every date with Dev twisted his insides into knots—good knots. Granted, he'd become overly familiar with his right hand and a few toys here and there, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Somehow, he just knew: Dev was different, worth the wait.

The butler opened the door and bowed politely to Jay. "Good evening, your Grace."

Behind him Dev raced down the staircase and skidded to a halt near them. Sounding breathless, Dev said, "I got it, Davis. Hey, Jay. Where we going tonight?"

Davis' brow rose as he eyed Dev before he bowed once more to Jay and withdrew to the back quarters of the house.

Jay chuckled and reached for Dev's hand. "The Pipeline. You'll love it, I promise." He gave Dev a wink and pulled him closer. "Hi, babe," he whispered, smiling.

Okay, Dev couldn't help his eagerness to see Jay, and it showed way too obviously. With the tug forward, Dev moved in close enough to lean against Jay and give him a proper kiss. The overt move surprised a sound out of Jay, but he quickly recovered, arm sliding around Dev's waist as he coaxed Dev's lips apart with his tongue.

Dev responded, uncaring of where they were at that moment. It wasn't until a full minute later that he pulled slowly away from Jay. "We better get going before I get into trouble for that."

"Certainly wouldn't be from me." Jay grinned at Dev before leading the way toward his bike. "You have identification on you, right?" He straddled the bike and slipped his helmet on, glancing over his shoulder as he waited for Dev.

"I've got my drivers' license. That should count." Sliding in behind Jay, Dev put the other helmet on, fastening it under his chin. His arms went around Jay, holding to him as he started the bike.

"That works."

Jay started the bike and pulled out into the street, heading for downtown London. He wove in and out of traffic, following the speed limit as he switched from one lane to another, darting around cars. It took about twenty minutes to get to the club and Jay pulled into the small parking lot to the left of the building. The lot was already quite full, and if the line outside the door was any indication, most of the people were waiting to get into the club.

"Here we are, babe, The Pipeline." Jay waited until Dev was off before he took off his helmet and stood. With a grin, he took Dev's hand and was able to bypass the wait immediately with a simple flash of his ID.

After showing his card as well, Dev followed Jay down the nearby stairs that led to a basement area club. Several enormous arches held up the wooden ceiling, giving the club an old world feel of an ancient wine cellar. The first level of the club was well lit from the bar that lined the back wall to the dance floor and strategically placed tables. Already the place was packed with wall-to-wall bodies dancing to the live band that played on the elevated stage.

Dev looked around with a great deal of interest. "I've heard about this place. What about the other levels?"

"Well, this," Jay said with a sweeping motion of his hand, "is The Mainframe. Down one level is The Core—it's basically the same: live band, bar, dance floor, but the music is harder. Then there's The Source, where the really hardcore stuff happens: mosh pit, death metal, black metal, stuff like that. What are you in the mood for?"

"I think this will do since death metal isn't my thing." Glancing over at the bar, Dev noticed several people were waving madly at them, trying to get Jay's attention. "I think some of your friends are here."

Jay simply waved at them. "I didn't come here to spend time with them," he said with a grin. He tugged on Dev's hand, pulling him toward the dance floor.

Following behind him, Dev laughed. "I'll be nice and share you for a short time."

Easily Dev picked up the rhythm of the music and began dancing with Jay. The other bodies around them moved with a wild abandon and occasionally jostled against him or Jay. Just being near, Jay shielded Dev from most of the reckless dancing around them. The music was something industrial—hard and driving, but still danceable. Strobe lights flashed in time to the music, drowning them in intermittent flickers of blue, red, white, and purple. With a grin, Dev gave himself over to the dancing as Jay led him in several sets. The heavy beat thrummed through the club and Dev. A smoky haze and the flash of colored lights, timed to the music, added to the atmosphere surrounding them.

Toward the end of their third dance, Dev grabbed Jay's hand and started to tug him toward the bar. "Need a drink. How about you?"

Panting and just barely sweating, Jay nodded. "Oh, yeah."

Leaning up against the counter, Dev waited for the bartender to get to them. "Thanks for bringing me here, Jay. Never thought I would get into the place."

"Anytime," Jay said, smiling. "What do you want to drink?"

"I think I'll go daring and have rum and Coke. Anything but beer." Making a face, it became clear Dev wasn't a big fan of the stuff.

Jay chuckled and when the bartender got to them, he ordered their drinks. Then he turned his back to the bar, leaned up against it, and pulled Dev to stand between his legs. "Are you having fun?" he whispered in Dev's ear before kissing it.

"I always have fun with you, Jay." Threading his fingers through the belt loops of Jay's pants, Dev tilted his head slightly. "As long as it's not one of those pain in the ass affairs our moms keep dragging us to."

Jay's soft laugh warmed Dev's ear, tickled over his neck. "That I would most certainly agree with, babe." His arms draped around Dev's waist, holding him close.

"I have another special dinner planned for you on Sunday. So no making plans. The cook is letting me take over the kitchen once again."

"Hey, Jay, where you been hiding?" A man straddled a bar stool near them as several others took up residence against the counter.

Jay nodded before looking over to him. "Pleasantly occupied," he said, pulling Dev closer. "What have you all been up to?"

Laughing, the man clapped him on the back. "I can see that. Easy on the eye and definitely better than the last one you took up with." Holding out his hand to Dev, he grinned. "I'm Richard Hamilton. Old friend of Jay's."

"Hi, I'm Dev." Dev took his hand, giving it a firm shake.

Jay just rolled his eyes. "That was a long time ago, Rich," he grumbled, giving Richard a cursory glare. "But yes, this is the man who's captured my…" He trailed off, almost sticking his foot in his mouth. "My time," he said finally, quietly. Richard met his gaze, those brown eyes staring straight into Jay, knowing.

"Good to hear that, Jay. You coming to Bertie's house on Friday? He's going all out to entertain us. You should come and bring Dev along with you. Bertie was asking about you the other day." After ordering a beer, Richard turned his attention back to both of them.

Dev didn't say anything as he looked between them. Reaching around Jay, he grabbed his own glass from the counter and took a drink.

Jay ignored his drink, content with closing his eyes and breathing in Dev's scent. "You up for that, baby? Little party with some friends?"

"Yeah, we can." Dev nodded his agreement, more curious about Jay's friends than he let on.

"Great. I'll tell Bertie you'll be showing up with Dev. Everybody'll be there around six or so. Swimsuits are optional and we'll be enjoying Bertie's pool."

"We'll be there." Jay didn't bother to look up, just continued nuzzling Dev, wanting so much to brush his hair back, to kiss his neck, his shoulders.

"Now, I don't suppose you'd share him long enough for me to have a dance with him, would you, old fellow?" Richard seemed extremely aware of Jay's inattention.

Looking over at him, Dev opened his mouth, not sure what to say and partially distracted by the press of Jay's lips on his skin.

"Not a bloody chance," Jay half-muttered, half-growled. He took a chance and kissed Dev's neck, tongue slipping out just to taste his skin. A soft, almost inaudible moan escaped him and he shivered.

"Guess not." Dev didn't look the least bit sorry and his focus was taken up by Jay. One hand slid up against Jay's chest, fingers rubbing into his shirt.

Chuckling, Richard grabbed his beer and slid off the seat. "You're no fun at all any more, old man. See you at Bertie's."

* * * *

By the time Jay had dropped Dev back home and returned to his own, he ended up falling onto his bed, body aching from dancing, cock aching for release. He wasted no time in getting undressed, tossing his clothes wherever. Then he stretched out, legs spread, one hand cupping his balls. His other hand he wrapped tight around his cock, fisting it quickly up and down. There was no playing this time, just the urgent need.

"Dev…" Jay hissed, hips jerking, breathing turning to bursts. "Oh, sweet fuck…" With a deep groan, he came, cock pulsing in his hand, pouring heat over his fingers. Jay's body simply went limp, his breath labored. Not even bothering to wipe up, Jay rolled to his stomach and promptly fell deeply asleep.

CHAPTER FIVE

Most nights, both of them were more than happy to hole up in Jay's apartment. Dev wasn't much for any wild rounds of partying and socializing. Occasionally, one of their mothers would demand attendance at a particularly important event, but for the majority of the summer they made their time their own.

By special command, both of them were in attendance at the unveiling of an exhibit for the Earl of Merin's private museum. Dev stood on the sidelines, watching as a group of reporters surrounded Jay. Dev's mother sat across the room, occasionally looking over at him.

Each time Dev met her look of concern with a smile. The reporters were annoying to say the least, but Jay did seem to be a media darling. The duchess sat, with her cronies, busily gossiping not too far from Dev's mother. Dev sipped at his champagne, leaning against the nearby column.

"Are there prospects for a future Duchess of Wharton?" one of the reporters asked before thrusting his microphone in Jay's face.

Jay took the question in stride, smiled, and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I'm…not in the market."

Several other reporters started laughing as one said, "Now there's a stupid question."

"Your Grace, who's the new man in your life?" With a nod of his head, the reporter indicated Dev. "We've seen you two together quite a few times. Is it serious?"

Dev looked away from Jay and caught the Duchess' dark, scowling gaze pinned on him. Getting it from both sides was not fun. Another lady near the Duchess tittered behind her fan before she lazily continued fanning herself.

"This is Dev," Jay said with a proud, happy smile. He slipped an arm around Dev's shoulders and pulled him close. "And yes, it's serious. Now if you all will excuse us…"

Dev looked up to find reporters with cameras surrounding him. Blinking in surprise, he didn't really have time to react before the flashes nearly blinded him.

"How long have you been seeing his Grace, Dev?" Another reporter, with pen in hand, fired the quick questions at Dev. "What does your mother think about the relationship?"

Another reporter piped in with a grin, "We know what the Duchess thinks, but does she know about you yet?"

"Well, she probably will when she reads the paper you guys put out." His dry retort made the group laugh.

Jay steered Dev away from the reporters who'd flocked toward him. When he looked up, Jay met his mother's steel gaze. He knew she hated the very notion of his sexuality, and seeing him blatantly with Dev must have been a slap in the face to her.

Dev made an awkward waving gesture to the reporters as he tried to regain his composure. He wasn't used to either the baleful glare or the intent interest of the reporters who had all turned to look him.

Muttering under his breath, he slipped his arm around Jay. "Okay, now that was…" He trailed off, not certain what word to use in the circumstance.

"Bloody annoying," Jay finished for him. Giving his mother a last stern glance, Jay steered Dev toward the doors leading out into the gardens.

"I'll agree to that." Chuckling, Dev felt relieved to get out of the room and drew a deep breath of the fresh air outside. "I just didn't think you'd tell them all we're getting serious."

Jay stopped him just as the door closed, leaving the sharks inside. Turning Dev to face him, he asked, "You wish I hadn't?"

Shaking his head, Dev answered him quickly. "No, I don't wish that at all. You know how I feel about you, Jay. I don't care who knows, though I wish your mother and the reporters would leave us alone."

Jay sighed and pulled Dev close, resting his cheek on Dev's hair. "I know, babe. I know." Pressing a soft kiss to Dev's head, Jay pulled back slightly to look at him. "Want to take a walk? Just to get out of the shark-infested waters for a bit?"

"Yeah, anywhere but back in there." Dev's arms tightened around him, reluctant to let him go as he leaned against Jay's body, relaxing. When they were close together, nothing else seemed to matter.

Jay hugged Dev tight and nodded. "Come on, let's go for a stroll in the gardens."

Shifting to rest his head against Jay's shoulder, Dev walked down the path flanked on both sides by blue and white flowers. "You don't ever regret this, do you, Jay?"

"Not on your life. Can't imagine this without you, Dev. You?"

"It's the same for me. You've grown under my skin. I didn't expect it, but I don't regret it." His hand clung tightly to Jay's.

A sudden flash temporarily blinded Dev. The camera woman beamed at both of them and checked the shot she'd gotten. "Thanks for the picture. Nice to catch young love in its natural state." Walking away, the reporter headed out of the garden through the gate.

"Umm, yeah." Blinking, Dev shook his head. "Not used to people popping up all of a sudden, though."

Jay growled under his breath. "I wish I wasn't used to it. Bloody press doesn't comprehend the concept of privacy. To them, when it comes to nobility or celebrity status, there is no such thing." Arm tightening around Dev, Jay led the way into the small hedge maze. "Maybe we can find peace somewhere in here."

"Oh, I'm fairly sure someone will be industrious enough to figure out how to hide in one of those thick hedges." Grinning, Dev wrapped his arm around Jay, hugging tightly to him. "It's all kind of silly, really. But then you are a very hard man to resist. So it's no wonder they keep wanting pictures of you."

Jay stopped when he reached a dead end, gave a good look around the corner, and pulled Dev up against him. "Only one I want to tempt is you."

"Now why do I enjoy that thought so much?" More of a rhetorical question, Dev didn't wait for the answer as his arms snaked around Jay's neck. Lifting his face, he practically begged Jay for a kiss.

Jay gave him a smile before capturing Dev's lips, tongue coaxing them apart. He moaned softly, tugging Dev up against him. Despite knowing he couldn't do anything else, Jay couldn't begin to stop the effect Dev had on him.

Opening instantly to him, Dev drew Jay's tongue into his mouth, tightening around it. He loved the pull Jay had on him, and it took very little to leave Dev breathless. His lips brushed slowly to Jay's as he whispered, "You always do this to me. Ever since we met."

"Do what?" Jay rested his forehead to Dev's as he worked to slow his heartbeat down, to will away the inevitable erection that always occurred around Dev.

"All you have to do is kiss me and I can't think anymore. I just want to be with you, and that's all that matters to me."

Jay nodded. "God, this isn't easy," he whispered. "Not when I want to touch you, to feel you…"

Solemnly, Dev studied Jay. "I know." Dev's fingers caressed slowly to the line of Jay's face, his own internal struggle apparent.

"Do what feels right, Dev. I won't ever pressure you into anything. You know that." Jay turned his head and kissed Dev's fingertips, resisting the urge to draw them into his mouth.

"What feels right." Dev sighed, trying to sort through his own tangled feelings. They cared about each other, he knew that, but they weren't bound to each other in any way. Nothing gave them a commitment to the other. It only troubled Dev and reflected in his eyes. "I can't do anymore, Jay. Even as much as my body might want to, my mind won't accept it."

"Then we wait," Jay said with a reassuring smile. "You're worth waiting for, Dev."

Still troubled, Dev nodded to him before he gave Jay a soft kiss. He couldn't deny what he felt for the man in his arms; he just couldn't find a way around his own personal beliefs, either.

* * * *

Even making it through several encounters with both Jay's mom and the media at large, Dev hadn't managed to yet find any kind of equilibrium in dealing with them. As Dev looked around the room, he spotted Jay's mother. She'd seen him as well and a glacial gaze followed him everywhere he went. With an imperious gesture of her hand, she beckoned him over to her.

Though he was tempted to ignore her, Dev thought it best if he didn't. It simply wasn't in him to be that rude. Reluctantly he walked toward her and sat in the chair she pointed out to him. Very clearly, the Duchess seriously disliked him. Her chill gaze traveled over him as if examining a bug under a microscope. She wasn't at all pleased with what she saw.

"You are the young man my son has been making a fool of himself over." Raising her lorgnette, she stared at him through the glass.

What could he say that? Calmly, he returned her stare without saying a word. Beneath the gimlet gaze, Dev shifted uneasily in his chair; he was starting to get a bit pissy about the attempt to intimidate him.

"How much?" Her voice was frosty as she gave Dev a look of pure hatred.

Blinking in confusion, he had no clue what the woman was talking about. "How much what?"

"You are stupid as well." Carefully enunciating her words, she continued, "How much money will it take for you to leave my son alone?"

Confusion turned to outright shock as he stared unblinkingly at her. "You want to pay me money to stop seeing Jay?"

"I am prepared to offer you a substantial amount." Her tone suggested she had no doubt he would take the money and run.

Okay, this was just downright fucking bizarre. As he stared at the woman, he tried his damnedest not to laugh.

"No doubt you are nothing more than a passing fancy to Jayson, but I haven't the patience to wait until you've outlived your usefulness to him."

The urge to laugh fled completely at her words because they struck at a nerve deep inside Dev. Unsure of how long Jay would be interested in him, he found the thought made his heart drop. I'm getting in too deep. The thought sank deep into him as the Duchess spoke again.

"If you agree to never see my son again, I will make it worth your while."

Dev barely heard her. Something inside him had tightened and now it hurt. Frantically, his eyes searched the room for Jay. Maybe it's just better to let go before I can't. The insidious thought tried to find some place inside to hold to. No, I can't. Unable to silence the internal argument of his own mind, Dev looked back at the woman.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." At the last moment, he remembered the proper address for her. "Your Grace, I'm not interested in your money."

Standing, he bowed politely to her before he turned on his heel and hurriedly walked away. He needed air to clear his head; something, anything to still the voices. As he passed by one of the waiters, he grabbed a glass of champagne and quickly downed it. Placing the empty glass back on the tray, Dev headed straight for the front door. As he stepped outside, the flash of a camera caught him at the wrong moment.

"It's Wharton's boyfriend!"

He heard the voice before he saw the group of men and women hurrying toward him. As the cameras flashed at him, a volley of questions followed. The clamoring of voices made Dev's head hurt.

"Not now." He tried to push his way past the group as they surrounded him.

Dev had a pounding headache as he frantically began walking away. Everything seemed to be going downhill. The Duchess had become more openly vitriolic against him and the media shadowed almost every function he and Jay showed up at. Something was going to crack somewhere, and Dev was starting to think it would be him.

Every damn time they were out in public, whispers followed in their wake. Several deliberately designed to be overheard, and the disapproval factor weighed heavily on Dev. The Duchess and her cronies had taken it upon themselves to cut Dev at every turn. Nothing was ever done in front of Jay, but behind the Duke's back, it was a far different story. One side slighted him every chance they got, and the other side homed in on him like sharks, constantly taking his picture and throwing questions at him. Hearing and reading the speculation about his private life, from both the private and public sector, was more than Dev could really handle.

Not slowing his stride, Dev didn't even know where his footsteps were leading him until he looked up and thankfully saw his mother's house. Knowing he was close to breaking down, he entered the house and went straight up to his bedroom. As he sat on the edge of the bed, a longing for his own home and to see his father hit him.

Feeling way in over his head, he couldn't have imagined how rough all of this would turn out to be. Curling up on his side, Dev stared toward the open window. His thoughts tumbled in on themselves and gave him no peace. It wasn't until he heard his mother and stepfather coming in downstairs that Dev realized he'd been laying there for several hours.

"Dev, its dinner time. Are you coming down?"

Dev didn't even lift his head from the pillow as he answered her. "Nah, mom, I'm not really hungry."

"Jay's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

Not up to facing any conversation with Jay, he said, "Tell him I'll call later."

After a moment's hesitation, Sheila opened the door and looked in on her son. "Dev, are you all right?"

Closing his eyes, Dev couldn't answer right away. Uncertainty had gained a heavy foothold on him. All he really wanted to do was go back to New York, back to a far more peaceful life. "I don't know. I really don't know. I want to go home."

Feeling the shift of the bed as his mom sat down on the edge of it, Dev opened his eyes, looking into her worried face. "I know it's hard on you, Dev."

"She tried to pay me off and when I went outside the reporters were waiting there. I don't think I can handle it anymore, mom. Everywhere I go, his mother and her friends…"

Sheila laid her hand on his shoulder when he trailed off. "I wish I could make it easier on you, but I don't believe it will get any easier. Jay's mother will not change her mind or her tactics, and the reporters aren't going to let go of a juicy bone. You're the one who has to decide if you can live with all of this, Dev."

"I don't get any peace here." Dev just wanted to get away from everything. "Can you make arrangements for a flight back home?"

Sighing heavily, Sheila agreed with a nod of her head as she stood up. "I'll take care of that for you, Dev." With one last worried look at her son, she moved toward the door and quietly shut it behind her as she left.

CHAPTER SIX

Everything hinged on this moment. There was no backing down now—he'd left England for this...for Dev. The question was: would Dev still want him? Jay looked down at the scrap of notebook paper in his hand, still crumpled from where it had been tucked into his jeans pocket. He'd been to New York many times in the past, but it wasn't the city that made him nervous. It was seeing Dev again, after nearly three months since Dev left England.

Clearing his throat, Jay reached up and knocked on the apartment door. For all he bloody knew, Dev would laugh in his face, though that was more his own fear talking than anything else. As he waited for someone to answer, he forced all thoughts from his mind and absently fingered the small box in his jacket pocket—the small box he'd brought...just in case.

A man opened the door and looked at him questioningly. Behind him, the sound of the stereo played quietly in the background. "Can I help you?"

Dev's voice came from the direction of the back hall. "Hey, Dad, you forgot to get your clothes out of the dryer, and I'm not folding them this time."

"Um..." For a moment, Jay lost any semblance of speech. Quickly recovering, he said, "Hi. I'm...a friend...of Dev's. My name is Jay Wharton."

Ignoring his son, he nodded to Jay. By his expression, Jay could tell the man recognized his name. "Come on in." Stepping back, he let Jay into the apartment. "Dev should be out in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Mr. Brooks." Jay walked into the small but neatly furnished apartment. "You have a very nice home."

"Thanks, and you can call me James. I don't believe Dev is expecting you. So I'm sure your visit is going to be a big surprise. Go ahead and have a seat."

After walking across the room, Jay sat down and nodded. "Thank you and I imagine it will be."

James walked to the back hall, yelling, "Dev, you got a guest, and I'm getting ready for work."

"Your work clothes are in the dryer where you left them, Dad. I'll be out in a minute." The tone of Dev's voice held a hint of impatience as if he were tired of his father's procrastination on the laundry.

When Dev finally emerged from his bedroom, his hair was still damp, and he was wearing a pair of gray sweats and no shirt. Walking into the living room, he staggered slightly backward when he saw Jay. Staring at him in disbelief, he whispered, "Jay?"

Jay stood up and bit at his lip for a moment. "Hello, Dev. I know this must be a shock..."

Recovering somewhat, Dev nodded. "Yeah, it is. What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you, Dev. I..." Jay sighed and slid a hand through his hair, the length a bit more than his usual cut. "I swore to myself that I wouldn't choke," he laughed, "but that's exactly what I'm doing." He walked up to Dev, eyes searching, though he made no further move. "I can't live without you."

"Jay…" Dev fell silent, unable to explain precisely why he had fled England when he did. Jay didn't know a quarter of what had happened, and it really had become too much for Dev. He just couldn't help himself from staring at his ex-boyfriend, and wishing he could be back in Jay's arms. Lifting his hand, he wanted to touch, and his fingers touched gently to Jay's face.

"I think I fell in love with you soon after we met," Jay said quietly. "Because God knows I'm in deep now."

Dropping his hand, the look of shock returned to Dev's features. The only thing he could do was admit to the truth himself. "It's been so hard without you. I'm already in love with you."

Jay smiled slowly and stepped just a little bit closer. "Is there any chance of...us? Of us being together for good?"

Everything was just a bit hard for him to take in. Dev eyed him uncertainly. "Together for good?"

Here it was: the one moment that Jay had been simultaneously dreading and looking forward to. Eyes never leaving Dev's, he knelt down right there in the hallway, literally on bended knee. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the small box he'd kept close for the past month. Opening it, he took out the claddagh ring and held it up to Dev.

"I love you, Devon Brooks. Will you marry me?"

Completely speechless, Dev stared at the ring then Jay. Part of him was near tears, the other part wanted to start yelling wildly in joy. Reaching for his other hand, Dev pulled him up and whispered, "Yes."

Taking Dev's left hand, he slid the ring on Dev's ring finger, crown and heart pointed toward Dev's hand, showing him as engaged. Then Jay slid his fingers between Dev's and pulled him close, the kiss deep, Jay pouring everything of himself into it.

Dev was only given a moment to stare at the ring on his hand. With the touch of Jay's lips, Dev's arms slid around his neck and he leaned in against him. He opened eagerly to Jay and the heady taste left Dev's mind reeling. There was no doubt in his heart and mind how much he loved Jay.

Turning slightly, Jay leaned back against the wall, pulling Dev to stand between his legs. He broke the kiss slowly and rested his forehead to Dev's, eyes closed.

"I was so scared you'd say no," he whispered. "Terrified that you'd turn me away."

"I had hoped you would stay away, and I prayed you wouldn't." He'd been left in one hell of a state of confusion since he'd returned to the States. Resting against him, Dev turned his head enough to press soft kisses to Jay's cheek.

They both glanced at James when he cleared his throat then chuckled. Giving them an amused look, James stood with his arms folded over his chest. "So I'm assuming all's right with the world now?"

Jay chuckled softly. "You want to tell him? Or should I have asked for his permission first?"

"My permission?" James' brow rose questioningly and he glanced between Jay and his son.

Grinning, Dev held out his hand, showing his father the ring. "We're getting married, Dad."

To say Dev looked near ecstatic would be an understatement.

His father appeared undisturbed, though he did give Jay a long, measuring look. "Congratulations to both of you. We'll celebrate after I get home from work."

"Thank you," Jay said, though whether it was to Dev or Dev's father was anyone's guess. Turning back to Dev, he stroked the backs of his fingers down Dev's cheek. "I mean it: thank you," he whispered. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you'd turned me away."

Leaving them to their moment of privacy, James went out the front door to head to work.

Looking back at Jay, Dev's expression softened and he pressed a kiss to the back of Jay's fingers. "There's no way in hell I could turn you away. It's just not in me. I love you too much."

"Love you, too." Cupping Dev's face, Jay pulled him in for another kiss, tongue sliding across Dev's lips before parting them slowly. He slid his arms around Dev, holding him close.

Dev couldn't think at all when Jay kissed him. His arms tightened back around him, and a soft whimper rose in his throat, wanting a richer taste of him. The flick of Dev's tongue lured the touch of Jay's and he relaxed completely against him.

Jay slid his hands up and down Dev's back, tracing his spine with his fingertips. He finally had to pull away from the kiss, breathless. "If we keep that up, I can't be responsible for my actions," he laughed.

The touch made him shiver and, with a half groan, Dev reluctantly released him from the kiss. Laying his head on Jay's shoulder, he closed his eyes simply, holding on. Dev needed to have contact, and it had been too long since he'd been with Jay. It took a few moments for some of his memories to surface. When they did, Dev's head jerked up. In a horrified tone, he whispered, "Your mother."

A wry grin creased Jay's mouth. "She's bloody pissed that I left England, but there's nothing she can do."

"She'll try to make us miserable, Jay." Dev had already had a large enough dose of Jay's mother's nastiness to last him a lifetime. It had been enough to make him flee England.

"She's an ocean away. Aside from the phone, there's no other way she'll mess with us. She hates airplanes."

Blinking at him, confused, whatever Jay meant didn't dawn on him immediately. When it did, Dev gave him a shocked look. "You want to live here? You can't do that, can you?"

Jay raised an eyebrow at that. "I can," he said, nodding. Pressing Dev close, he kissed Dev's jaw, mouth moving to his ear. "I left England for you, praying you'd want me still. This is where I belong, by your side."

Stunned, he couldn't believe Jay could and would do that. "I thought you would want to live there." He gently took a hold of Jay's face, making him look at him. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Absolutely," Jay said without hesitation. "Though it might be prudent to find a different place to live besides your father's apartment, unless he needs you here."

"No, he doesn't need me here at all. I'd been thinking about moving into my grandfather's house." It finally started to sink more fully into Dev that he would have Jay with him for the rest of his life. He pressed a series of quick kisses to Jay's face and started laughing.

Jay sighed happily and tugged Dev up against him. "We've got some planning to do, love. What kind of ceremony do you want?"

"It's not legal here, but we can have a ceremony, Jay. And I want something very romantic. Do you think your sister can fly in for it? I know my mother will want to, and Dad will want to be there. Damn, we have so much to plan." Looking up at him, the smile on his lips transformed his face. Dev was incredibly happy and it showed.

"You kidding? My sister helped me find our rings," Jay laughed.

"We could go to Canada. They do perform marriage ceremonies, though the States won't recognize it." It would take a ton of planning, but he was willing to bet with his father's and sister's help, they'd be able to get it done in a couple of weeks.

"We could do that. My sister is only waiting on a phone call at this point: a yay or nay." Jay grinned and hooked his thumbs just beneath the waistband of Dev's sweats.

"Is there anybody else in England that will want to attend, besides your sister? And I probably should let you go so you can call her." Dev seemed exceedingly reluctant to do it since he was quite relaxed in his position, lounging against Jay.

"A few close friends will probably have my head if they aren't invited." He let go of Dev with one hand and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his wallet. "Mind if I use your phone?"

Chuckling softly, he said, "Go ahead, Jay. I can let you go for that long."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Of course Dev felt ungodly nervous. He'd tried to attend to every last minute detail of the wedding. Minor disasters were around every corner, from his suit not fitting him to the driver not arriving to pick up Jay's sister. Jay had hurriedly left to get her from the hotel, and more headaches followed from the caterer to the blasted newspaper and TV reporters who wanted front seats at the wedding.

"Relax, honey, everything will be fine." His mother chuckled, smoothing down the back of his jacket with the palm of her hand.

"I know, mom, I know." When he glanced at the clock, he started to panic again. "Shit, only ten minutes left. Has Jay gotten back yet?"

Whirling around, he eyed his mom wildly.

"Dev, he'll be here." Dev could tell she was trying not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. "You look like you're about to fall apart. Listen to your mother. Everything will be fine. So calm down."

"You ready, love?"

Sheila winked when she saw Jay come into the room. From the besotted expression on Jay's face, it was doubtful he even noticed.

Jay's sudden presence was the only reason Dev relaxed. Closing his eyes, he hugged to Jay's arms, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm past ready."

Simply shaking her head, Sheila silently left the room.

The music started up then and Jay stood to Dev's right, giving him a soft smile and a kiss. "Love you, baby."

"Love you, too, or I wouldn't be doing this." Grinning over at him, he took hold of Jay's hand. Outside the room, they crossed the small hallway and entered the center of the hall. Their family and friends were seated on both sides of the aisle. A sea of smiles and a few teary eyes greeted them during their procession to the small dais where Reverend Theson, Dev's mother, and Jay's sister waited for them. Dev had chosen his mother for his best man, and Jay had chosen his sister.

When Dev caught sight of his dad, James grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up.

As they stopped just at the foot of the dais, the reverend smiled at them. Jay squeezed Dev's hand gently, fighting the urge to bounce. Beside him, Mary, his sister, looked almost ecstatic, her smile wide and bright.

"Friends and family, we are gathered here this day to witness the union of Jayson Alistair George Wharton and Devon James Brooks. They've written their own vows and will now share them with each other." Looking to Jay, he continued, "Jayson, please turn toward Dev and take his hands in yours."

Jay turned and laced his fingers in Dev's, his eyes watery and steadily holding Dev's. "Dev, I love you more than life itself, and I promise to love and honor and cherish you through the end of time. I crossed an entire ocean for you, and to see you here, with me and smiling, just reminds me how special you are to me."

Dev could barely contain his smile, and his hand clung tightly to Jay's. "Jay, with a free and unconstrained soul, I give you all I am and all I am to become. I join my life to yours, not merely as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant. Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on which you rest, the companion of your life. With you I will walk my path from this day forward. I love you."

Jay smiled and lifted Dev's hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to each one. "I love you," he whispered.

Nodding first to Mary and then to Sheila, Reverend Theson said, "If I may have the rings." Both women placed the matching gold claddaghs on the reverend's open book, then stepped back into place.

"Jay, as you place this ring on Dev's finger, please repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed."

Taking the smaller of the rings, Jay lifted Dev's left hand and slid the ring over the fourth finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Drawing a slow breath, Dev stared at Jay mesmerized. The feel of the ring on his finger solidified the reality to him.

Quietly, the reverend addressed him, "Dev, as you place this ring of Jay's fingers, please repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed."

At first Dev didn't seem to hear him. When the reverend quietly cleared his throat to get Dev's attention, Dev blinked then looked quickly at him. A small rustle of laughter ran through the assembled crowd before he reached for the ring and placed it on Jay's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Before this time you both journeyed through life alone. From this day forward you will walk as one through life's joys and sorrows. May your path by a long one blessed by God's grace. By the power vested in me, by God and the province of Nova Scotia, I now pronounce you as married. You may kiss."

Jay pulled Dev close then, the kiss soft and light, but full of a world of promises and words he simply didn't know how to say. "I love you so much," he murmured.

Dev returned the soft kiss. They were married. Truly and irrevocably married, and he could barely take it all in. "I love you, Jay."

Beaming, the Reverend watched both of them as they turned and walked back down the aisle to the cheers of their family and friends. There was barely a dry eye in the room. They led the way to the reception room further down the hall so everybody could celebrate their union.

Arms wrapped around Dev's waist, Jay lifted him up and spun him around the middle of the reception hall, laughing as everyone came in.

"We're official, baby!"

Laughing, he clung to Jay and the others crowded around them. The room filled with the sound of laughter and shouts of 'Congratulations'. When the hired band began to play, Dev whispered to Jay, "It's our first official married dance."

All of the tables were already set with place settings, and some of the people moved off to sit down while others hovered near the edge of the dance area.

"It is..." Jay set him on his feet and started dancing, the tempo of the band's rendition of Live's "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" just a tiny bit slower than the original. Forehead resting to Dev's, Jay sang the words to him, his eyes never leaving Dev's.

Dev couldn't look away from Jay. The depth of love they had for each other was apparent in both of their faces the whole time they danced slowly together. For Dev, all he could see was his husband, and he could only feel the heat of emotions holding them both together. Lifting his face, he pressed a soft, reverent kiss to Jay's lips.

Without stopping the dance, Jay opened to him. The rest of the world faded away to only them in the kiss. His tongue slid over Dev's, drinking in the warmth and love flowing between them.

Dev's lips parted to the loving kiss, the slow dance of their tongues stroked over each other's. Needing a breath, he drew back slightly, whispering, "I feel like shouting to the whole world. My husband, my love."

Jay chuckled. "Me, too. I'd cross a thousand oceans for you, Dev."

The waiters began to pour the glasses of champagne and Dev's dad stood up, shouting, "A toast to the newly married couple. May love reign in their home and keep them together to the end of their days."

One of the waiters approached Dev and Jay and held a tray with two special glasses of champagne.

Grinning, Jay took the glasses and handed one to Dev. "To Dev: my husband, my lover, my best friend."

Taking the glass, Dev raised it to Jay. "To Jay: my husband and one day companion of my old age."

He couldn't resist saying that. It brought an image to his mind of them as old men rocking in their rocking chairs on a porch and holding hands.

A round of cheers rose from their well wishers before everybody drained their glasses. Finishing his champagne, Jay took Dev's hand and led him to the small round table with the two-tier, chocolate cake. He picked up the knife and as they held it together, they made the first cut into the cake amid claps and more cheers.

Under his lashes, he watched Jay. A soft smile curved his lips and his fingers curled tighter to Jay's. After they'd cut two small portions from the cake, Dev picked a piece with Jay. He enticingly offered the cake to Jay and his lips parted to take a bite of the other piece Jay offered him. The intermittent flash of cameras accompanied their actions, and the wedding photographers got several close ups both in video and on film.

"Mmm," Jay hummed, nibbling the offered cake. Feeding Dev's piece to him, he licked and sucked on Dev's fingers, grinning wickedly, cleaning the frosting off.

Dev's eyes widened slightly, feeling the erotic effect of Jay's tongue. He knew his husband was doing it deliberately, especially from the wide grin on Jay's lips. With his mouth full of cake, he couldn't say anything right away. But he did wink at him teasingly.

Grinning, Jay let Dev's fingers slip out of his mouth. A moment later, Mary dropped her arms over each of their shoulders.

"You know, I've never seen my brother look this happy in all his life," she said, smile wide and bright. She leaned over and kissed Dev's cheek. "You're perfect for him. Really. And he might be stubborn, but he's utterly devoted to you."

Giving her a grateful smile, it meant a lot to Dev that Jay's sister supported them. He wasn't sure how bothered Jay was by his mother's behavior. Dev wasn't even really sure if Jay and his mother were close or not. Letting go of Jay, he enveloped her in a tight hug. "Thanks, Mary."

Warmly, she returned the hug before she pulled slightly away. Grinning at her brother, she had a mischievous look on her face. "There's a special ring I need to give you, Dev. It's a special piece of jewelry given to all of the spouses of the Duke of Wharton."

Opening her small purse, she pulled out a black velvet jewelry box and handed it to Dev. "It's been tradition in my family since the first duke married."

Surprised, Dev looked quickly between them before he took the box. Opening it, a lone ruby, encased in platinum, rested on the black velvet.

Whispering softly, Mary said, "It has 'The chosen of the sixteenth Duke of Wharton' engraved inside the band."

Jay's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Mary..."

"Mother is a vindictive banshee, Jay." Mary muttered to him under her breath. "It's Dev's right as your husband to have one of the Wharton rubies."

Taking it from the box, Dev studied the inside of the band. A wide smile crossed his lips and he slipped it on the finger of his right hand. It was made all the more special for Jay's sister bucking all the tradition to give him a tradition. "I don't know what to say, Mary. Thank you really isn't enough."

"He does deserve it," Jay said. Turning to Dev, he slipped a finger under Dev's chin and tilted his head up for a kiss. "You deserve everything in this world," he whispered over Dev's lips.

"That's why I have you, Jay." Dev whispered back against the press of Jay's lips. The day had indeed been magical for him.

Laughing, Mary took hold of them both and tugged them toward their table. Pieces of the wedding cake were passed out to the wedding guests along with the chosen menu for everyone. "You two need to eat before you disappear on all of us."

Jay looked like food was the last thing on his mind, but he just laughed and nodded, letting his sister herd them to the main banquet table set out in front of all the others. Sitting down, he took Dev's hand and looked at the Wharton ring, sliding his thumb over the stone. Then he lifted Dev's left hand and did the same to the gold surface of the claddagh.

"Both look good on you," he said, "especially this one..." He kissed the claddagh before releasing Dev's hand to pick up the menu.

Giving Jay a knowing look, Dev knew exactly what was on his mind. When Jay released his hand, he rested it on Jay's thigh with his own sly smile. Looking up at the waiter near him, he said, "I'll have the roast beef selection. Thanks."

"I'll have the same please." Leaning over, Jay made it appear he was whispering into Dev's ear. Brushing Dev's hair back slightly, he licked his ear, then nipped at it gently.

Unable to subdue his shivering reaction, Dev glanced over at Jay, whispering, "It will be a while before we can disappear, love."

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I can't play." He sat back in his chair and gave Dev a quick wink before sliding his hand up Dev's thigh, fingers resting close to his crotch.

"Oh." The one word came out in a small squeak and Dev squirmed slightly beneath Jay's hand. "You're allowed to now."

The waiters moved around, taking the orders of everybody at their table before they went back to the kitchen area. A few moments later, the buzz of activity increased in the room as the waiters brought out trays with plates of food for everybody.

Jay chuckled softly, watching a waiter put their food before them both. "I promise I'll take everything slow and gentle." He glanced over at Dev and squeezed his thigh, letting his fingers graze Dev's crotch with the barest touch. Leaning toward Dev, he whispered, "I can't wait to taste you, love."

Dev shifted helplessly beneath the drifting pressure of Jay's hand. He knew Jay was teasing him, and he was doing a damn good job of it. The words and simple touch caused a slow tightening across the fabric of his pants. His words came out breathlessly, "I can't wait either."

Dev's mom called out. "A toast to Dev and Jay. May the grace of God bless their union and guide them in their lives." She raised her glass to them and the others joined her in the toast.

Laughing, Jay raised his glass. "Thank you!" His other hand never moved from its position.

Grinning at Jay, James chuckled before he set his glass down. A series of toasts, all for the well-being of Jay and Dev, followed.

Risking a glance toward Jay, Dev gave him a bit of a smile before he began eating. Jay just shook his head and started on his meal, laughing and talking to others around them. Most of them were Dev's friends and family. Neil, unfortunately, had not made it; but at least Mary was there. Out of all the people he knew aside from Dev, she was the one Jay was closest to.

To Dev, time seemed to drag, though he acted naturally enough amidst the well wishes of their family and friends. The gaiety of the party was infectious. As he ate, his one hand remained on Jay's. Occasionally, he looked over at him, mouthing, "I love you."

Hand tightening on Dev's, Jay smiled over, returning the sentiment every time. After two hours of chatting and toasting and eating, he was ready to get out of there.

Sensing Jay's impatience, Dev leaned toward him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, "Shall we sneak away as quick as we can?"

"I want you out of that suit and into my arms," Jay said under his breath.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Something in his gaze made it clear that Dev wanted the same thing. Signaling to the one of the waiters, Dev waited for a moment. When the back doors opened, two waiters came in, carrying a huge tray decorated with a sugar sculpture of a magnificent castle. Flanking the sculpture were two brandy-soaked five tier cakes set alight. When everybody's attention was diverted to the display, Dev quickly stood and tugged Jay with him toward the side door behind them.

Jay went without hesitation, catching a wink from Mary just before the door closed behind them. "Nice exit, love."

"I thought a diversion would come in handy if we wanted to escape without everybody hounding after us." Chuckling, his fingers curled tightly around Jay's hand and they headed outside toward their car.

Grinning, Jay steered them in another direction. As they rounded the corner of the building, a man in a chauffeur's cap and a dark suit stood beside a stretch limo, holding the back door open. Jay winked at Dev.

"You think I'm going to let either one of us drive?"

"Now why would you do that?" Dev had to laugh since he figured Jay would be teasing him unmercifully. Sliding into the limo, he settled in against the luxurious leather upholstery.

After whispering something to the driver, Jay got in. Once the door was closed, he reached out and pulled Dev over and onto his lap. Fingers sliding into Dev's hair, Jay pulled him down into a deep, heated kiss.

His body molded to Jay's, settling in his lap. During the last two weeks, they hadn't been left alone much. The kiss had a drugging effect on Dev, making him lose track and his fingers curled tightly to Jay's shoulder.

"Want to see you come," Jay whispered on Dev's lips as his hands slid down to grip Dev's hips tightly, pushing their bodies together. "Want to hear you cry out."

Jay's words drew a low groan from him and he opened his eyes, staring at him. Jay aroused him beyond words, and the force of it ran through his body. Both of his hands cupped Jay's face, his lips capturing Jay's and Dev's tongue slid between the folds, seeking the deeper taste of his husband.

Sliding one hand between them, Jay popped the button on Dev's pants. Head back against the seat, his other hand cupped the back of Dev's head, deepening the kiss as he slid his hand inside, fingers grazing over the hot, slick tip of Dev's cock.

The intimate touch of Jay's hand sent a slow shudder through Dev. Unable to stop the slight jerk of his hips, the movement of his body only encouraged Jay. Already as hard as a rock, his body begged for the release Jay could give him. Taking care of himself had never felt anything like this.

Breaking from the kiss, Jay's eyes locked onto Dev's and he wrapped his hand around Dev's cock. "Come on, baby," he coaxed, fingers and hand working up and down Dev's cock, stroking and squeezing, thumb sliding over the tip. "Show me what I've only dreamed about..."

Opening his eyes, he looked down at Jay's hand, playing with him. The sight sent a trembling rush through him. His gaze locked to Jay's in a heated daze while the sensations take over his body. A soft whimper followed by another groan of escaped him, and the pulse of pleasure quickly rose then erupted over him.

"Oh, God, Jay." His features tightened with the exquisite feeling and his orgasm flooded his body as his cock coated Jay's hand with thick ribbons of liquid.

"Yes..." The word barely made it out of Jay's mouth before he groaned, heat spreading between them and he came, soaking the front of his pants. Struggling to catch his breath, he eased his hand out of Dev's pants and brought it to his lips, savoring the taste and scent of Dev on his fingers and licking them clean.

As he clung to Jay, Dev felt the slight buck of his husband's hips, grinding up against him. It sent its own quiver of anticipation through him. Whispering softly to him, Dev said, "I think it's going to be a long night for both of us."

Jay hummed, tilting his head up for another kiss. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Well, you explain the wet stains to the hotel clerk. Okay?" Dev couldn't help but laugh since their clothes bore the results of their over anxiousness to play.

"Not stopping by the front desk." Jay grinned. "I had some things ordered and taken up to the room when I went to get Mary."

"You did? Are you going to tell me or surprise me?" Dev eyed him with a great deal of curiosity he couldn't hide.

"Wouldn't be any fun if I told you, now would it?" Jay winked and shifted Dev to the side. He pushed a little button on the side of the limo and said, "Thank you for taking the extra time. We're ready to head to the hotel now."

"Thank you, sir," came the reply from the driver, who apparently found the entire situation a tad bit amusing. "It's not the first time I've taken the long way."

Yes, Dev could be easily made to blush. He shifted in his seat, hastily zipping up his pants. Nudging up as close as he could to Jay's side, he rested his head against his shoulder. "It's still sinking in that we're married. Everything else is kind of hazy."

Reaching for a black bag tucked just beneath the edge of the seat, Jay nodded. "Yes, it is. I still can't quite believe it myself." He opened the bag and pulled out a pair of black pants. Grinning, he hurriedly stripped from the waist down.

Not being as well prepared, Dev eyed the bag and then Jay. "You didn't happen to bring along a pair for me, did you? I didn't know you were planning on attacking me on the drive to the hotel."

Jay laughed and nodded toward the bag as he slid his clean pants on. "In the bag, love."

Unzipping his pants, Dev wiggled around in the seat as he took them off. Leaning over in the seat, he pulled his own pants out of the bag before stuffing the other pair into it. "Good thing you think ahead, Jay."

"Always."

Just as Dev finished buttoning the clean pants, the limo stopped. A few minutes later, the side door opened and Jay grabbed the bag before climbing out. He held out a hand to Dev, smiling as he discreetly slipped the driver an extra two hundred dollars.

Getting out of the limo, Dev stretched then eyed the exchange between Jay and the driver. Shaking his head and stifling his laugh, he waited for Jay to lead the way. He was very grateful Jay had brought along an extra pair of pants for him since it would have been embarrassing to stand there with a wet stain dampening the material.

Dev's hand in his, Jay went right through the lobby, not stopping until they got to the elevators. Once inside the elevator car, he leaned up against the wall and smiled.

"I'd be lying if I said that I'm not nervous."

"Nervous? Why would you be nervous?"

"Because I want your first time to be perfect," Jay said.

Dev's expression softened as he turned to face Jay. "But it's already that, love. Didn't you realize that?"

Smiling, Jay pulled Dev close to him. "All I need is you," he whispered. "Just you, love."

When the elevator stopped on the seventh floor, Jay kissed Dev quickly before stepping out into the hallway. He slid his arm around Dev's waist as they headed for Room 723.

Sighing quietly, he stayed beside Jay as he unlocked the door. Dev still felt a little nervous, but nothing like the butterflies he'd had earlier. Smiling at Jay, he stepped inside the room then looked around the suite Jay had gotten. He hadn't expected something quite this luxurious.

Jay set the bag down and locked the door behind them. "Like it?" He walked over to the small refrigerator and crouched down as he opened it. He pulled out a tray of cheeses and fruits, with dipping sauces in little cups in the center of the silver tray. Next he took out a bottle of red wine and set it on the dresser beside the tray. Sitting in front of the dresser mirror were two silver and crystal wine glasses, each one engraved with their names and the date.

Blinking, Dev murmured, "I get the feeling you went all out." Unknotting his tie, he slipped it over his head before he took off his jacket. After he dropped them on a nearby chair, he moved to stand beside Jay.

As he stood up, Jay closed the refrigerator and picked up the wine. Popping the cork, he just winked at Dev. He poured wine into each glass, then picked them up, handing Dev one.

"To us," he said.

"To us," Dev whispered quietly before he took a sip of the wine. As his gaze roamed over Jay, a few of his own fantasies paraded through his head.

Jay smiled knowingly as he finished off his wine, setting the glass back down. Without moving toward Dev, he loosened his tie and slid it off, simply dropping it to the floor. Unbuttoning his shirt slowly, he said, "What are you thinking about right now?"

Dev set his own glass down. Already a bit giddy from the alcohol he'd had at the reception, he didn't need anymore. His tongue darted out, licking at his suddenly dry lips as his gaze riveted on Jay's hands. "Touching you. Tasting you." He took a step closer to Jay, lifting his hands to help him undress.

Letting Dev take over, Jay dropped his hands away. "I am yours, Dev. Every inch of my body, every ounce of my soul." He shrugged out of his shirt, letting it slide down his arms.

Dev's eyes followed the movements of his hands as they slowly caressed over the contours of Jay's chest. Infinitely fascinated by the sight, he lowered his head to press a soft kiss just above Jay's right nipple. A flick of his tongue followed, taking his first taste. To know he could do whatever he wanted to Jay was a heady feeling.

A soft catch of breath followed, Jay's fingers sliding over Dev's cheeks. "Dev..."

Moving slightly lower, his tongue circled Jay's nipple before covering it with his mouth. Gently, he bit into Jay's skin before his mouth tightened. Dev's hands moved to Jay's arms, running downward to catch at his hands. Listening to the soft sounds Jay made for him made him shiver.

"Oh, God..." Jay shuddered, breathe quickening. "Dev..." His voice trembled as his fingers laced through Dev's. Tremors ran through him, sliding from his nipple to his cock. "Gonna...oh, fuck..."

One hand reached up, his fingers twisting the one nipple as his mouth suckled at the other. Dev wanted to taste every inch of his husband. His free hand unsnapped the front of Jay's pants then pushed beneath the edge of them to slide them down. When Jay was naked, Dev released the nipple in his mouth.

Dropping to his knees, he stared for a long moment at the sight of Jay's hard cock. Lifting his gaze to Jay's, he reached up to curl his fingers around the hard length. As he leaned slightly forward, his tongue licked at the drops glistening on the head of Jay's cock. Riveted, his gaze held Jay's, wanting to see his reaction.

Jay's eyes widened, his heart already thundering in his chest. He slid his fingers through Dev's hair and waited breathlessly, one word conveying everything: "Please."

The soft plea nearly did Dev in. He couldn't resist Jay at all. Slowly, his mouth took in the head of Jay's cock, tasting at the slight salty-sweet flavor. His tongue slowly swirled to the tip, gathering the drops before he began to take Jay in. Dev was by no means an expert, but he loved the taste and feel of Jay in his mouth. One hand reached up, gently cupping under Jay's balls.

Groaning, Jay rocked his hips forward then back, sliding his cock in and out of Dev's mouth. He stepped out of his pants and kicked them to the side, then spread his legs more as he leaned back against the wall.

"Yes. God, Dev, that feels so good."

He needed Jay's encouragement in this. Easily, he adjusted to the rhythm of Jay's hips. The pressure of his mouth tightened around Jay's cock before his teeth slid lightly against him each time Jay withdrew. A curious hand explored the rounded bottom of Jay's ass, dipping slightly between the crack. His eyes never left Jay's, intent on the sight and sound of his husband.

Jay spread his legs, encouraging Dev in his explorations. Every slide into Dev's mouth drew a shudder out of Jay, the heated rush pulsing up his spine. "Dev...keep going..." he panted, licking his lips.

With a great deal of relish, Dev's mouth repeatedly enveloped his cock, devouring it. Momentarily, he reached back around to wet his finger before his hand returned to its prior occupation. Nudging between Jay's cheeks, Dev's finger circled to the rim of his hole. Dev wanted to feel everything. Jay's cock in his mouth and the gentle push of his fingers inside Jay's ass only excited him all the more. The feelings and sensations washed over at him as he stared upward at Jay. Most of all he wanted to see Jay's face when Jay gave into him and lost complete control.

Growling out Dev's name, Jay spread his legs more as he thrust, driving Dev's finger deeper inside him as he came. Thick, liquid heat poured into Dev's mouth, Jay's cock throbbing on his tongue, every tremor bolting up Jay's spine like lightning.

Quickly, Dev drank Jay in, swallowing every spurt and savoring the intimate flavor. Mesmerized, he watched the play of pleasure and emotion on Jay's face and the effect he had on his husband. Every little nuance was his to enjoy, from the betraying shudders of Jay's body to the throbbing pulse of his cock as it filled his mouth. It was one hell of a thrill.

"Come here." Sliding his hands under Dev's arms, Jay pulled him to his feet. "Bed, love. Let's catch our breath and take a break. This night is far from over."

CHAPTER NINE

Letting Jay help him up, Dev moved toward the bed. On the dresser, he saw a newspaper. The headline was emblazoned with the bold, black letters "The Duke's Husband." It completely sidetracked him. Reaching for it, he sat on the edge of the bed, reading the article.

"They move quickly when the news is juicy enough, don't they?" Jay took out two cans of soda from the refrigerator and handed one to Dev as he sat down beside him. "The news will hit England fairly soon, if it hasn't already."

Looking up from the paper, Dev took the can. "I believe it has already. The paper says there are protests from the conservatives and rallies from the gay community on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of this sounds pretty ugly."

Jay snorted and popped the top on his soda can. "Nothing new. It'll blow over and they'll all go back to their meaningless lives rallying for yet another infringement on the 'sanctity of marriage.'"

"The Duke's husband." Dev murmured the words with a chuckle. He really didn't care what the rest of the world thought. This was Jay's and his relationship, not theirs. "Does that make me the Duchess?"

Laughing, Jay just rested his head on Dev's thigh, looking up at him with an amused grin. Then he rolled his head and gave the tip of Dev's prick a quick kiss. "Mm, I think I prefer you as a Duke."

Dev's cock responded immediately to the kiss, jumping slightly. "I was just about to ask if I get to be called Duke, too." Smiling down at him, Dev's hand went to Jay's hair, smoothing over the soft darkness.

Jay hummed softly, eyes closing. "By marriage, yes. Trust me, be happy it's not by blood. I was never cut out for it. Just give me a nice, quiet house, you, and the means to survive, and I'll be happy for the rest of my life."

"I think we have that now." His expression softened as he studied the relaxed lines of Jay's face. Jay seemed so content, and Dev's own emotions reflected the same. "We'll be moving to Kansas as soon as our honeymoon is over. I know you'll love the house. It's huge, but it's out in the middle of nowhere. And we can putter around fixing it up."

"Sounds perfect, love." Jay opened his eyes and smiled, looking up into Dev's. "I guess it's no secret now that I had a good bit of money converted and put into a bank over here, huh?" he asked, grinning mischievously.

A brow arched as Dev continued eyeing his husband. "Well, it was until you just told me. I had no clue."

"Oh." Jay tried like hell to suppress the sheepish grin, but failed miserably. "Um, yeah. Well, I did. Kind of had everything resting on a 'yes.'"

"I would ask, but I probably shouldn't. Besides, I never told you about my inheritance from my mom's mom." Grinning back at him, Dev winked. Shifting on the bed, Dev stretched on his side and pulled Jay with him.

"Inheritance?" Jay chuckled and slid an arm around Dev's waist, tugging him up close. "I am curious."

"I suppose we both should have signed prenuptial agreements," Dev murmured as he winked at him. "Dad manages it. I don't gain full control of it until I'm twenty-five. But Dad agreed to let me have enough to fix up the house."

"I keep forgetting you're only nineteen," Jay said. "You certainly don't act that young, love."

"I'm years older in my head." Laughing, he snuggled contently against Jay. "My grandfather willed the property in Kansas to Dad. Grandpa decided to tear the house down, but then he died, and Dad sent me out to finish the job. I just decided the house shouldn't be torn down so I talked Dad into letting me have it instead."

"Can't wait to see it," Jay murmured, rubbing his nose alongside Dev's, eyes closed. "So far away from the bloody bullshit...just you and me."

"I think we can be happy there, Jay." The small movements of Jay's body had the effect of teasing his and already Dev started to harden again. Turning his head slightly, his lips brushed to Jay's then sealed over them. The tip of his tongue slid between the folds, inviting a kiss.

Jay rolled onto his back, bringing Dev up and over to settle on top of him. Hands on Dev's thighs, Jay pulled them up until Dev was straddling him. He stroked Dev's spine, his hips, his thighs.

With the intimate press of his body to Jay's, a stirring of need rustled through Dev and he lost thought to the sensation. He could feel the ridge of the cock against the crack of his ass, and it played havoc with his body, along with Jay's hands. Running his own hands slowly over the chest beneath him, curious fingers explored the planes of Jay's body.

"Want to taste you," Jay whispered, hands gripping Dev's hips as he rocked his own upward. "Open you up for me, have you writhing and breathless before I even get this—" he pulled Dev down against his cock "—inside you."

"Do anything you want to me." Dev whispered back against his lips. The grind of their bodies together made Dev gasp with the strengthening sense of need. He'd never experienced the full strength of the feelings, and they were rushing over him now.

Jay rolled them over again, landing Dev in the middle of the bed, and slid down his body. Kneeling between Dev's legs, Jay slid his hands beneath them and lifted them up, pushing them apart.

"Oh, fuck..." Licking his lips, his gaze slid back up to Dev's face. "Hold your legs up and apart for me."

Sliding his hands to the back of his thighs, Dev held to his legs for Jay, his muscles tight in anticipation. Drawing in a ragged breath, he tried to calm himself down slightly, especially when his legs started trembling and Jay hadn't even touched him.

Giving him a quick wink, Jay settled lower on the bed, resting on his stomach, and took his first taste. He circled Dev's hole with the tip of his tongue, moaning softly as the musky scent and flavor of Dev enveloped his senses. Needing more, he flicked his tongue over the puckered hole, then pushed in, hands moving up to grab Dev's buttocks, spreading him open even more.

The feel of Jay's tongue entering him had Dev squirming against the bed as his fingers tightened on his legs. A sharper gasp escaped him as he called Jay's name. Lifting his hips slightly and further parting his legs, he exposed himself more.

Moaning, Jay plunged his tongue in deeper, all but drowning himself in Dev's body. He sucked one finger into his mouth and pulled back to rub it over Dev's hole, not quite pushing in, just applying pressure to tease.

It just wasn't quite enough; Dev's hips wiggled on the bed, shifting down to make that finger enter him. He couldn't see what was going on, but he could sure as hell feel it. And every little thing just pushed him to want more.

"Yes," Jay hissed as he slid his finger inside. Tight, gripping heat surrounded him, nearly driving him insane with the need to get inside. Looking up, his eyes locked onto Dev's, and he curled his finger forward to stroke just lightly over the tiny gland in Dev's body.

The friction caused Dev's body to buck against Jay's finger as he groaned. All he could think about was Jay inside him. The thought possessed Dev and allowed for none of the nervousness he'd felt earlier. A pleading look crept into his eyes as they locked with Jay's. "Jay, please." Aching all over, Dev's cock was leaking, and it slicked the skin of his stomach.

"Shh..." Jay eased his finger out and slid up Dev's body, taking a quick kiss before leaning over to grab the bottle of lube from the bedside table drawer. "Little more, baby. Don't want to hurt you."

He popped the cap and got two fingers slick. Setting the bottle down on the bed, he moved his hand back down and slid his fingers slowly inside Dev. Once they were as deep as they could go, he twisted them, working Dev open, loosening him gently.

At this point, Dev wasn't certain if he'd care if it hurt or not. He wanted to feel Jay way too much. Each movement inside him sent stronger quivers through his body. He tried to hold still but simply couldn't.

"Wrap your legs around me, baby," Jay murmured over Dev's lips, "and take a deep breath..." When Dev's legs wrapped around his waist, Jay slicked himself and slid in, cock surging deep, slowly and gently.

Dev's arms and legs wrapped tightly to Jay. Staring into Jay's eyes, he saw nothing but the deep love Jay had for him, and he returned it equally. Feeling the burning stretch, his body tightened before he dragged in a very deep breath. "Hurts, love, but don't stop. Please, don't stop." Another deep breath helped him relax, and his hands caressed over Jay's arms, then traveled to his back. "God, I love you so much."

"Love you, too, baby...more than anything." Jay took him in another kiss, his tongue sliding deep into Dev's mouth, licking and tasting, sweeping through it as he continued his slow slide into Dev's body. Once he was in all the way, hips pressing against Dev's ass, he broke the kiss, staring down into Dev's eyes, his own wide and unfocused. "Oh, God..."

The fullness of Jay's cock inside him hurt like hell at first. Dev had to bite at his lower lip to stifle any sound. But it couldn't dim what all of this meant to him. His hands slid quickly down to Jay's ass, pressing down to hold him still. Raising his head, Dev's lips caught at Jay's and silenced any further sound. His tongue sought Jay's in slow, sensuous flicks. It took very little for Dev to lose himself once again. After several moments, a slow experimental rock of his hips ground against Jay.

Without breaking the kiss, Jay began to move, rotating his hips slowly, rocking back and forth. As they continued to move together, his movements grew longer, more sure, as he pulled out a little and pushed back, groaning into the kiss as the exquisite heat of Dev's body sucked him in deeper with every stroke.

Muscles constricting tightly around Jay added a deeper friction to each slow motion. Dev's head fell back as he moaned. The deep penetration sent sparks flitting through his body; he couldn't hold out much longer. With a sudden shudder, his entire body writhed beneath Jay. He cried out sharply as the strength of his release flooded him, left him clinging tightly to his husband.

"Dev!" Several quick, deep strokes and Jay was coming as he plundered Dev's mouth with his tongue. Every pulse of his cock sent another bolt up his spine, dragging a harsh groan out of him.

The moment held an emotionally intense aspect as Dev held more tightly to Jay, feeling the shudder of his body as he came. Dev had never felt anything like that in his life, and it left him breathless and shaking. Breaking off the kiss and burrowing his face against Jay's neck, a half sob escaped him.

Jay slid his arms under Dev and rolled them onto their sides. He pulled out slowly before holding Dev tightly as he tugged the blankets over them. He kissed Dev's hair softly, rocking them slowly as he fought to come back down as well. He had no words for any of it.

Everything they were to each other had finally sunk fully into Dev. Tears pricked beneath his eyelids as he nestled as tightly as he could to Jay. The slow, soothing rock calmed him, though the tears spilled from his eyes. Indescribably happy, the tears spoke for him.

"Love you, Dev, so very much." Jay kissed the tears, chasing them until he reached Dev's lips, where he stopped, tasting Dev before deepening the kiss into something soft and pure.

Dev wanted to tell Jay he loved him and to never stop saying it. The sweet touch of Jay's lips silenced him, and he opened to him. Dev could feel how much Jay loved him, something he couldn't doubt, and they shared the emotional depth.

"Sleep, love," Jay whispered, tucking the blankets around them. "We can go out for dinner later if you want."

Already exhausted from the day, Dev murmured sleepily to him. "Love you."

CHAPTER TEN

Balancing the box between his chest and the doorframe, Jay dug into his jeans pocket for the house key. It had taken them a month before they could finally move into their own place. Dev looked around for just a brief moment, enjoying the sheer quiet. The paint around the doorframe crackled and gave way as Jay pushed the door open. The house wasn't as musty as it had been the first time they saw it, but a layer of dust still covered every surface that he could see. Pushing the door open the rest of the way with his foot, Jay stepped inside.

"Damn, it's cold in here. Didn't you say this place had a furnace or something in the basement?"

The box of cooking equipment was heavy, and Dev pushed into Jay to get him moving more quickly. "Yeah, in the basement. There's supposed to be some wood for the fireplace in the living room too."

Finally walking around Jay, he disappeared into the kitchen then returned a moment later minus the box. "You get both going, and I'll get a few more boxes in."

"Pushy bastard," Jay teased as he set the box of DVDs down on the floor just inside the bare living room. "How about setting up the coffee maker when you come back in?" he called out as he started down the hallway toward the basement door.

"Will do." Dev yelled to Jay's retreating back. "And don't forget the movers are supposed to be here in a couple of hours." Turning to head back outside, he muttered to himself, "God, I hope they show up."

Walking to the back of the rented van, he rummaged for the box that had the coffee maker. After having to move three boxes and set them on the ground, he finally found the box he was looking for. Lifting it, he headed back toward the house and into the kitchen. Placing it on the floor, Dev began to unpack it, then set up the coffee maker on the counter and plugged it in. It didn't take more than a few moments to measure out the coffee and fill the pot.

Jay wandered back into the kitchen, hand running through disheveled brown hair. "Uh…where's the flashlight? Or is that a stupid question?"

"It would be if I hadn't just taken it out of the box." Laughing, Dev pointed to the flashlight on the counter. The rich aroma of coffee already permeated the air, and Dev put a small pan of water on the stove, setting the water to boiling for his tea.

"Oh. Yeah." Jay walked over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing the flashlight and heading back for the basement.

He turned the black flashlight on and started down the half-rotting steps. Cobwebs hung everywhere and he had to brush several out of his face as he continued down. The basement still held the ages-old musty smell and he swept the expansive but empty room with the light. Finding the pull chain for the light, he tugged on it. Yellow-white light flooded the immediate area and Jay turned off the flashlight, heading for the furnace. After several shouts and cursing in three different languages, none of them English, he finally had the furnace stoked and going strong.

While the coffee brewed, Dev made two more trips out to the car. Bringing in a few more boxes, he set them down in the kitchen. Taking a moment to fix his tea, he chuckled quietly, hearing the language downstairs. He poured Jay his cup of coffee then went to the phone. After looking over his list, he dialed the number for the landscaping company.

"Yes, this is Dev Brooks. I wanted to set up an appointment to have a crew come out to 23 Blue Water Way." Pausing, Dev listened for a moment then said, "Yeah, that's fine. I'll expect Mr. Watson tomorrow at two. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he picked up his tea and waited for Jay to come back upstairs.

"Bloody cold if you ask me." Jay was grumbling as he wandered into the kitchen. He put the flashlight on the counter and picked up his cup, blowing into the steam over the top. "Thank you, love. When are the movers getting here?"

"Anytime between now and five o'clock. A wide window there." Sighing in disgust, Dev took a sip of his tea as he leaned against the counter. "Mr. Watson will be here tomorrow to give us an estimate on landscaping the outside. I'm not doing it all by myself."

Peering at Dev over his coffee mug, Jay said, "You know I'll help. Okay, as long as I don't have to do the damn dishes, anyway."

"Yeah, right." Good-humouredly, Dev eyed Jay. "You never even pick up after yourself. This time, we're hiring the professionals to do it."

"Hey! I do, too…when we're having company. Besides…" He set his coffee mug down and stepped up to Dev, sliding his hands up his lover's arms. "This is our house. I promise I'll help however I can when it comes to cleaning."

"You're the one that brings in the money, Jay. I'm the house husband, remember?" Setting aside his own cup, Dev reached for Jay, smirking as he hugged against him. "Besides you show the proper attention where you're supposed to."

"Mm," Jay hummed as he started moving to a slow song somewhere in his mind. "Where I'm supposed to? Or when I'm supposed to?" He grinned and kissed Dev's nose. "Yeah. You the house husband—cook, clean, keep my bed warm. What more could a man ask for?"

Without thought, the sway of Dev's body moved with Jay's. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead to Jay's. "I could ask for you to clean and cook and see how far I get." A half-ass grin flit over his lips.

Jay snorted and thrust his hips forward. "I can cook, smart ass."

"You can cook, but it doesn't mean you will," Dev shot back quickly as he pressed a quick kiss to Jay's lips.

"All right, Mr. Brooks," Jay said. "What would you like for dinner? I'll cook."

"Is that an offer, Mr. Wharton?" Dev's brow rose as he eyed Jay teasingly. "At least I'd be able to bring in more boxes while you cook."

"It's a promise," Jay whispered just before kissing him softly.

Briefly returning the kiss, he asked, "Lasagna? Either that or we can have hotdogs."

Chuckling, Jay said, "Lasagna it is, then. Love you."

"Love you, too." As Jay drew back, Dev's arm tightened around him. The slow brush of his lips to Jay's tried to coax him into a longer, deeper kiss.

"You're really not making it easy to start dinner," Jay murmured across Dev's lips. Yet he made no move to get away, just pressed closer in all the right places as he slid his tongue into Dev's mouth, moaning softly as his hands slid down to hold his lover's hips.

The deliberately lowered tone had its own effect on Dev just as Jay knew it would. Dev deepened the kiss, drawing Jay's tongue into his mouth.

"You don't seem to want me to," Dev murmured as he drew his head back slightly. The rest of his body kept its lounging position against Jay. "If you try hard enough, it might get you out of making dinner."

"If I try hard enough," Jay whispered, lowering his head to kiss Dev's neck, "then I might just end up bending you over the counter."

"We haven't had much time for ourselves, not with everything else." Tilting his head, Dev shivered slightly with the brush of Jay's lips. "But we still have a van to unpack. Nathan wants it back tonight. And the movers are coming. Does it ever end?"

"Things will calm down once we get settled in," Jay said as he moved up to nibble on Dev's ear. "I miss you, Dev. Want you."

"Tempting. So tempting." Dev whispered as he arched into the light bite. Finally he began to pull away. "Get dinner done and I'll get the van unpacked. "Maybe by then the movers will be here, and we can get our bed set up. Then we'll have a comfortable place for ourselves."

Jay groaned and nodded. "Tease," he chuckled, kissing Dev one last time before letting him go." At least we thought ahead and went shopping yesterday," he said as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.

As he walked away, Dev put a less than subtle sway in his hips, the movement meant to draw a gaze to the ass tightly confined in the jeans. Looking over his shoulder at Jay, it would be obvious Dev wanted his attention on him. "The pans for the lasagna are on the kitchen table. I know the cleaners have already swept through the place, but I was going to wipe out the cupboards and start putting some of this stuff away."

Muttering an amused 'cheeky bastard' under his breath, Jay just shook his head and start getting things together for the lasagna. He set the hamburger meat on the counter and then pulled out the provolone, mozzarella, ricotta, and cottage cheeses. Humming one of the newer Tool songs he'd heard on the radio on the way over, he started browning the meat.

Filling the sink with hot, soapy water, Dev glanced over at Jay with a wicked grin. Taking a rag, he wetted it, then started wiping out the cupboard nearest to Jay. Each small movement against his lover was deliberate as he stretched to get the higher shelves.

Jay nearly dropped the entire shaker of garlic salt into the cooking meat as Dev's shirt rode up his back, revealing slightly-tanned skin along his lover's spine. "Bloody tease," he grumbled, not the least upset by the show Dev was putting on. He stood behind Dev, pressing his lover up against the counter as he reached around him to get the box of lasagna noodles.

Dev arched back slightly, grinding his ass against Jay as he continued nonchalantly cleaning the shelves. Turning his head, his lips parted slightly as a soft sound escaped him. It might be awhile before they actually could relieve their need of each other, but in the meantime, they intended to keep each other's mind in the gutter.

"Can't wait to get at that ass," Jay growled low into Dev's ear. Box of noodles in one hand, he moved back to the stove, grabbing his lover's ass with the other hand and goosing him good.

Instead of dancing away, Dev wiggled against the hand, trying to encourage more contact. "Can't blame me for wanting you to get at my ass, now can you?" Laughing, Dev moved to one of the opened boxes and began stacking the dishes in the cupboard.

"Nope," Jay said, shaking his head as he started a pot of water boiling. "Where's the oregano? It wasn't in the box with the spices."

"Umm, check in the box next to it. Not everything would fit in one box." After unpacking the box, Dev returned outside to get more. Grabbing another huge box from the back of the van, he looked over and saw the moving truck turning into the driveway.

Heading back to the porch, he set the box down and propped the screen door open. When one of the movers approached him, he filled him in on what boxes were going into what rooms.

By the time the movers had the kitchen table inside and in place, the first layer of the lasagna was done. Jay just finished spooning out a thin layer of cottage cheese when one of the movers banged the doorframe with a dinette chair. Jay winced, cringing inwardly; that dinette set was a wedding gift from his sister.

"Tell them to be careful or they're gonna have my boot up their asses," he grumbled as Dev walked back in with another box.

Since the movers heard Jay, Dev didn't need to repeat the message. Pulling one of the movers aside, he offered the guy a fifty to unpack the van for him. Relieved when that task was taken care of, Dev stayed in the kitchen to finish cleaning the cupboards. Every once in a while when he was close enough to Jay, he would stop and lean over for a quick kiss.

"When do we have to get the van back to Nathan, anyway?" Jay finished the last layer of lasagna and opened the oven to slide the pan inside. Setting the timer for twenty-five minutes, he turned and pulled Dev to him. "Have I told you that I love you today?"

"He wanted it back by eight." With the pull, Dev's arms slid around Jay's waist as he raised his face to him. "Only once today. I think you owe me about half a dozen more times. I love you."

Jay hummed as he rested his forehead to Dev's, eyes closed and a smile on his lips. "Love you, too, baby," he whispered. Just as he angled his head down for a kiss, someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Jay opened his eyes and sighed.

"Um..." The man standing there seemed to have a difficult time finding the right words for whatever he wanted to say. Jay just grinned wickedly, completely unwilling to help the poor guy out.

Shaking his head at Jay's grin, Dev looked over at the other guy and smiled. When the phone rang, he eyed Jay. "You handle him. Nicely. And I'll answer the phone."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Picking up the receiver, Dev said, "Wharton and Brooks household." Glancing over at Jay, he mouthed, "It's Nathan."

Jay gave his lover his best angelic smile before he turned to the man standing in the doorway. "Can I help you?"

"Uh, where's the workout bench go?" the guy asked, trying like hell to look completely nonplussed and failing miserably.

"Upstairs." Jay checked the timer on the stove and nodded to the guy. "I'll show you."

After listening for a moment to their friend, Dev said, "No, that's no problem. The van will be unpacked by the time you get here." Hanging up the receiver, he finished unpacking another box as he waited for Jay to return.

The moving guys came back down, but after several minutes, Jay hadn't. The guys kept bringing furniture in, and Jay still wasn't back down. Rolling his eyes, Dev sighed as he traipsed upstairs to see what was taking Jay so long, though he already knew. As he stood in the doorway, watching his lover, he shook his head.

"You wanna get your ass up before dinner burns? And Nathan called to say he'd be coming to get the van. So at least we won't have to waste an hour taking it back."

"Nineteen, twenty." Jay puffed out a breath as he set the barbell back on its frame. "Sorry. You know I can't resist." Sitting up, he patted his stomach. "Gotta keep in shape, you know."

"If you work out much more, your muscles will burst your skin." As Jay sat up, Dev moved closer to him, running his hand slowly along the tight muscles of his arm. An appreciative gaze roamed over Jay before it returned to his face. "You're already built like a brick shit house, love. Anymore and you'll never keep me off of you."

Arching an eyebrow, Jay looked up at him. "And you think that's going to deter me from working out?" He reached out and tugged Dev down, pulling his lover to straddle his lap. A hand on each buttock, Jay chuckled. "Look at it this way: if I didn't work out, I wouldn't be able to hold you up against the wall while pounding your ass."

"No, but you have a dinner to finish, and we have a house to unpack." After a suggestive grind of his hips, Dev scrambled off Jay's lap. Quickly, he headed for the door before Jay could grab him again. He just couldn't resist his parting shot. "Having you fuck me against the wall is sounding better and better. So don't forget that thought."

Jay groaned and got up, following Dev downstairs. The timer on the stove went off just as he walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a potholder from another box, he pulled out the lasagna and turned off the oven. After opening every single drawer, he finally found where Dev had put the extra silverware, including the big spoons and spatulas. He cut out two big pieces and put them on plates, catching a long string of melted mozzarella on his finger as he pulled the spatula away.

"Mm, good."

Just as Dev finished a box, the phone rang again. Picking it up, he said, "Wharton and Brooks household." As he heard the voice on the other end, Dev grimaced before he held the phone out to Jay. "It's your mom."

Jay rolled his eyes and took the phone. "Hi, mum," he said as he poured two glasses of tea. "No, we're still unpacking."

A few minutes passed with him holding the phone out to the side, counting on his fingers and waiting for her to finish bitching about the move. Then he put the phone back to his ear. A moment later, he slammed the refrigerator door shut.

"No," he snapped. "Dev is my husband, and I'm his." Another minute and he was near shouting. "I don't bloody care about the church's stand on queers! I'm in love with a man. Get used to it!" With that, he pushed the 'end' button and set the phone down none-too-gently.

When Dev turned away, two things were obvious: he knew what was coming, and he hated confrontation. Busying himself with another of the boxes, he didn't once look at Jay as he carefully pulled some of the pots and pans out of the box. A hunch to his shoulders gave away part of his emotions, yet he said nothing even after Jay hung up so abruptly on his mother.

"Hey." Jay turned Dev around and pulled him close. "I'm sorry you had to hear any of that," he said against Dev's hair. "She's never accepted my choices; it's not your fault, babe."

"I know she hates me, Jay." Dev tucked his face against Jay's chest. The fights between Jay and his mother seriously hurt them both. Sliding his arms around Jay's waist, he held tightly to him.

"At least she's still in England, right?" Jay laughed softly. "No surprise visits from the mother from Hell." He lifted Dev's face and kissed him softly. "Dinner's ready, love. You wanna set out a plate for Nathan? Is Jeff coming with him?"

Letting go of the subject, Dev pulled away. "No, he wanted to get back to town. Something about Jeff promising a night out."

Jay let him go reluctantly. "Okay."

He set their plates and tea on the table and then went to check on the movers. The last bit of furniture was being placed in the guest bedroom and he saw the guys out, closing the door behind them. Resting his forehead to the wooden door, Jay closed his eyes and sighed. He felt like he couldn't win either way; either he was listening to his mother bitch about his lifestyle, or he was trying to smooth away the hurt she caused Dev.

"Fuck her," he said quietly. "I've got everything I need right here." With that, he walked back into the kitchen, dropping a kiss to the top of Dev's head before sitting down across from him.

Dev waited until Jay was seated before he started in on the meal. Giving him a smile, Dev reached for Jay's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He never knew what to say when Jay's mother entered the mix, so he said nothing at all.

"You know you're the most important person in my life, right?" Jay asked, turning his hand over to lock his fingers with Dev's. "Everyone else in this world could disappear, and as long as I had you, I wouldn't care."

Yeah, Dev needed the reassurance and felt guilt in the need. "I know that, just sometimes I need to hear you say it. We both made our choices, and I'm always praying you never regret yours."

Food forgotten, Jay got up and turned Dev's chair, kneeling down in front of him. "I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I felt like I might regret this. And I'll say it for the rest of our lives. I love you, Dev. Nothing else matters but this life we've built together." When a knock sounded on the front door, he stood up and kissed Dev softly. "Don't ever forget that," he whispered.

"Just keep telling me that, Jay." Smiling slowly, Dev reached out, touching Jay gently before he drew back his hand. "You answer the door."

Jay smiled and went to open the door. "Hi, Nathan." He stepped to the side to let Nathan in.

"Wow! Dev wasn't kidding when he said this place was big."

Jay laughed as he closed the door. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he nodded toward the kitchen. "Yeah, it's pretty big. Dev's in the kitchen. We were just finishing up dinner."

Laughing, Dev called out, "We haven't even started eating it yet. Van keys are on the fireplace mantle in the living room."

Grinning at Nathan, Jay said, "Okay, so I've gotten a little more to eat than he has. My mum called."

Nathan groaned and went into the living room, Jay following behind. "Very nice," Nathan said, nodding as he looked around. "How are y'all gonna decorate? Or have you argued that one yet?"

While Jay talked with Nathan, Dev got some soda out of the fridge. Because he was starving he snuck in a few quick bites of the lasagna. "Damn," he muttered to himself. "I need to get him to cook more often."

"So," Nathan said loud enough for Dev to hear, "you think Dev will let you tack up the Union Jack above the mantle?"

Jay bit his lip and tried like hell not to laugh as he led Nathan past the kitchen door toward the stairs. "I know his weaknesses."

Hearing it, Dev shot back, "Not a chance in hell. And if you want some lasagna, get your ass in here, Jay."

"I'm giving Nat a tour of the house," Jay yelled from the top of the stairs. "I seriously doubt your skinny butt can eat that whole pan."

Since Jay wasn't returning right away, and he was damn hungry, Dev finished his plate. Cutting another portion of the lasagna from the pan, he started on that in between sips of his soda. About fifteen minutes later, Jay and Nathan came back downstairs, laughing and talking. When they came wandering into the kitchen, Dev had already finished his dinner and started unpacking more of the boxes the movers had brought in. Standing in front of one of the cupboards, he busied himself by filling the drawers with utensils.

Jay walked Nathan outside and helped him load the small motorcycle into the back of the van, then he gave him a hug. "Take it easy, Nat. We'll get together soon, I'm sure."

"You, too. I'll tell Jeff y'all said 'hi.'"

"Cool."

Jay walked back up onto the porch and waited until Nathan had pulled out of the driveway before heading back inside. Finding Dev still unpacking in the kitchen, he just shook his head.

"Enough." He took the sandwich maker out of Dev's hand and pulled him out of the kitchen and toward the stairs.

Dev almost protested, but the determined look on Jay's face kept him quiet. Curling his fingers to Jay's, he walked docilely beside him, casting an occasional amused look Jay's way. "Your patience ran out?"

Jay stayed silent until they got to the master bedroom. The second the door was closed, he turned and pushed Dev up against it. "You could say that." Without giving Dev a chance to respond, Jay kissed him, tongue pushing into Dev's mouth as he started working on those sinfully tight jeans.

Dev's fingers fumbled as he tried to help. Returning the hungry kiss, it took him a moment to shimmy out of his pants, then he pulled on the belt loops of Jay's jeans, drawing the man tight against his groin.

Jay reached down and cupped Dev through his underwear, giving his balls a light squeeze. His other hand worked his own jeans open and then he shoved them down. As he stepped out of them, he slid a hand around to Dev's ass, sliding down into his briefs, searching for skin. He groaned into Dev's mouth, kneading his lover's ass and balls.

The fact they had an entire house to unpack had already been forgotten. Each touch and sound ignited the fire burning inside Dev. He whispered against Jay's lips. "Both of us. Naked." Quickly he got rid of his shirt and underwear, wanting nothing as a barrier between them.

Nodding, Jay stepped back and stripped, muscles moving like water beneath tanned skin. He reached into a box on the dresser and pulled out a bottle of clear gel, setting it within reach. Then he crowded Dev against the door again, lifting one of his lover's legs up to rest against his hip. As he devoured Dev's mouth, his cock slid under Dev's balls, every rock of his hips sliding its length across sensitive skin.

Both of Dev's legs encircled Jay, increasing the tension of his own body's craving for his lover as Jay's hands slid to his ass, pulling him to grind harder against Jay. The sound of his moan was swallowed by the hungry assault of Jay's mouth. Dev's cock, trapped between the tight confines of their bodies, was already hard and leaking.

Jay fumbled blindly for the lube and finally found it again. Getting two fingers slick, he slid his hand under Dev and eased both fingers deep inside, groaning as the tight heat of Dev's body sucked him in.

Squirming slightly, Dev's muscles contracted around Jay's fingers. The simple touch was enough to send a wave of longing sweeping through him. Breaking off the kiss, needing to breath, Dev drew in a ragged breath before it exhaled in a moan.

"Ready for me, baby?" Jay pulled his fingers out and slicked his cock, nipping at Dev's chin as he held him tight. The head pressed against Dev, and with a slow, steady push of his hips, he slid into Dev's ass. "Oh, fuck yes," he groaned.

Dev's head rested back against the door as he closed his eyes. His entire body shuddered as Jay penetrated him. The pressure of his hips bore down, encouraging Jay to make love to him.

Gripping Dev's ass in both hands, Jay withdrew and slid back in, mouth covering Dev's for a kiss just as deep, just as hungry. He pushed up and in, hips rocking as his thrusts grew stronger, quickening as he growled into Dev's mouth.

"I love you." The words were whispered against Jay's lips before Dev gave into the hunger. A flood of sensations spiraled outward, knotting in his groin as the shift of his hips kept the rhythm Jay set. Clinging to him, Dev could feel the need sharply increase, demanding its own release. A whimper rose in his throat, signaling the closeness to what he wanted.

Breaking from the kiss, Jay locked his gaze in Dev's, the hard rhythm of his hips pushing them both closer. "I love you," he whispered. "Come on, baby. Come on my cock, Dev."

The sound of the whimper strengthened as he vocally begged mindlessly for the pleasure Jay would give him. With the whispered words of his lover, Dev's orgasm exploded over his senses. His body shuddered as it strained tightly to Jay, and he was lost in the exquisite rush.

"Oh, fuck, oh, fuck…Dev!" Jay thrust hard, burying himself deep as Dev's body pulled his orgasm right out of him. Cock pulsing, he rocked his hips, driving deeper inside. Panting for breath, he pulled away from the door after a few moments and carried Dev to the bed, easing them both down.

"Love you. Love you so much."

Needing the tender contact, Dev refused to release Jay and kept him in a tight hold as they relaxed on the bed. The gentle touch of his lips clung to Jay's before pressing butterfly kisses to Jay's cheek and along the line of his jaw. "I adore you so much it hurts, Jay."

"You were worth leaving England for," Jay said. "You always were, love."

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dev had spent the better part of the day exploring the musty old attic, browsing through trunks and boxes filled with old clothes and memorabilia from his family's past. Fascinated, Dev looked through the old family photo albums. His dad really didn't know much about his own family. After the death of his grandmother, his grandfather had left the old house with his infant son and hadn't returned except to demolish. So Dev's dad didn't know that much about the house or the family. From all accounts of old newspaper clippings and photos, his ancestors had been a driving force in the nearby town. Though it was now practically deserted, it had once been a thriving hub for the surrounding communities.

Digging into the bottom of one of the old trunks, Dev uncovered yet another old album and pulled it out. He sat back on the floor, opening it in his lap. The first page was filled with a spidery crawl of writing. It listed the date and birth information of his great-great-great-great grandfather in 1828. Next to it was an old newspaper article that detailed the death of a migrant worker on the property on the same day of Benjamin's birth.

Slowly turning the pages, Dev discovered the entire album was filled with pages of birth announcements and the adjacent pages contained articles of more deaths. All on the same days as the births.

"Oh, my God, this is fucking bizarre," Dev muttered to himself.

"Dev?"

"Yeah, I'm up here." Dev answered as he turned the page again. His eyes widened as he read the information about his father's birth, and the announcement of his grandmother's death.

A minute later Jay appeared in the doorway. "What are you looking at, love?" He walked over and sat behind Dev, nestling close.

He only half paid attention to Jay as he leaned back against him. "This old album. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. It lists my dad's family's births and on each page is an article about who died here on the same day. The only one not listed is me."

"Damn." Jay rested his chin on Dev's shoulder. "Did your dad tell you about this?"

"No, he doesn't know that much about his family. Granddad never said much. But my dad is in here, and my grandmother is the death listed for the same day. And the rest of the deaths are really strange. One construction worker fell from scaffolding while some work was being done on the house. Somehow a rope got wrapped around his neck and hung him. That was the same day my great-great grandfather was born." Closing the album, he turned his head to look back at Jay.

Jay lifted an eyebrow and when he spoke, there was no humor in his words. "There isn't some sort of curse on your family, is there?"

"Curse?" Blinking, it took Dev a moment to shake his head. "Not that I know of. But when my great grandfather was born, a drifter murdered one of the guests of my great-great grandfather on the same day. There's a whole bunch of deaths covering a lot of my aunts and uncles. I've never seen anything like this."

"Don't mean to scare you, babe, but I'd certainly wonder if there was a curse. I wish your dad knew more." Jay kissed his neck softly. "Anything else of interest up here?"

"Just some awesome antiques we ought to clean up. Most of this stuff is just personal family junk." Shrugging slightly, Dev didn't take it seriously; it was just really bizarre. "I'm gonna call Dad and ask him about this stuff. He always told me granddad never talked much about his family, but who knows, he might know something."

"Good idea." Jay turned Dev's head for a kiss, but the shattering of glass stopped him. "What the hell?"

Startled by the sound, Dev jumped slightly then had to calm his racing heart. Looking quickly around, he saw glass from one of the old mirrors littering the floor five feet from them.

"Umm…" Jay got up and went to the mirror. He tilted the empty frame forward, leaving a few remaining shards to scatter to the floor. "I guess it was just…old." He eased the mirror frame down onto the floor and started picking up the shards carefully, putting them into the frame. "Shit!" Blood welled up and dripped onto the floor as he stood abruptly. "That bloody piece got me deep."

"It must have been cracked or something…" Dev trailed off because he couldn't remember whether it had been or not. But the remaining jagged pieces that were in the old frame suggested it had been cracked. Standing quickly, he headed toward Jay and took his hand to look over the cut.

"Come on down to the kitchen. We'll get it cleaned up." "Next time use the broom."

Shaking his head, Dev chuckled as he led Jay downstairs and into the kitchen. Turning on the water, he let Jay rinse off the cut as he got out the first aid kit. Taking Jay's hand, he dried it off with a clean piece of gauze before putting a dab of ointment on it. The cut was too big for a band aid so Dev folded over another piece of gauze and laid it on the wound before bandaging it with the tape.

"Since when have you known me to be sensible?" Jay slipped his free hand beneath Dev's chin and tilted his head up for a kiss.

"Since you married me, old man." Grinning at him, Dev laid a light kiss on him.

Jay chuckled and returned the kiss. "Brat," he whispered affectionately.

"And it's why you married me. Why don't you go clean up the glass while I talk to my dad? And take the broom and dustpan this time. I only play doctor once a day." Winking impishly at him, Dev reached for the phone and dialed his dad's number.

"You sure?" Jay grinned and swatted Dev's ass with his good hand before grabbing the broom. "Where did the dustpan end up?"

"Other side of the stove, husband mine." A moment later, Dev spoke into the receiver, "Oh, hey, Dad. Didn't catch you at bad time, did I?"

"Smart ass. Hi, James!" Jay started upstairs with the broom and dustpan then.

"Dad says hi back!" Dev yelled to Jay as he disappeared. "Yeah, we're fine, dad. Just getting settled into the old place. Unpacking boxes, or should I say, trying to get Jay to let me unpack them."

Laughing, he listened to his dad for a few moments, then began to explain about finding the old family album and probing his dad for any information on it.

A few minutes later, Jay stepped into the doorway, looking thoroughly bemused. "Dev…"

In the midst of talking to his dad, Dev looked over at Jay. "What, hon?"

"All joking aside, I think I'm losing my mind. Did I not bleed on the floor upstairs?"

Blinking at him confused, Dev couldn't honestly remember. "I'm not sure if you did or not."

Jay set the broom down and dumped the broken glass into an empty box. "I'm sure I did. I remember seeing the blood hit the wood. But it's not there now."

"Oh, sorry, Dad. Jay cut his hand, cleaning up some broken glass. That's all. He's okay." Giving Jay a faintly worried look, he listened to his dad for a moment. "Yeah, I will. Talk to you later."

"What did your dad have to say?"

Putting the phone back on its cradle, he leaned against the counter, folding his arms against his chest. "He didn't know anything about the album at all. He wants to stop by this weekend to take a look at it. From the little my grandfather ever said to Dad, he figured my fifth great-grandfather was the one who started the album. Grandpa Isaiah was our family history buff, I guess."

Jay nodded. "Hopefully he'll have some ideas then."

"I don't know, Jay. Sometimes this place seems…" He tried to shrug it off before he finished, "I don't know. Weird, I guess."

"What's wrong?" Jay walked up to him and slid his arms around Dev's waist. "Something weird besides the mirror shattering out of nowhere?"

Sighing, he just shook his head. "It's probably just me." Dev couldn't have explained it if he tried.

"How about a break? Maybe collapse on the couch and watch a few movies?"

"Sounds perfect to me. I'll finish sorting through the attic tomorrow, and you can help me drag some of the stuff down here." Flashing a grin at Jay, he quickly escaped to the living room before Jay could make any comment.

"Oh, no," Jay laughed as he followed behind but at a more leisurely pace. He stilled in the doorway of the living room and pulled his t-shirt over his head. Grinning, he said, "I'm thinking about getting one of my nipples pierced."

Settled on the couch, Dev stared at him, mouth open. "You want to do what?" The idea of someone like Jay getting his nipples pierced was mind-boggling at the very least.

Jay moved slowly toward the couch, dropping his shirt on the floor halfway. "You know…a metal ring through my nipple, making it even more sensitive…"

Dev couldn't picture Jay doing that. "Umm, yeah, right." Shaking his head, he reached for the remote and flicked the TV on. "Let me know when your sanity has returned."

Jay moved around in front of the couch and straddled Dev's lap. "You mean you wouldn't want to tug on it and make me writhe on the bed," he whispered, lips inches from Dev's, "begging you to stop or fuck me?"

The change in Dev's expression reflected his total interest in what Jay just said. Sliding his arm around Jay, he grinned, "Now that does have serious potential."

"What? The idea of tugging on it?" Jay slipped a hand down between them and rubbed Dev through his jeans. "Or the idea of hearing me beg?"

More curious than anything, Dev asked, "If I wanted you to do it, would you, Jay? And I think hearing you beg would be at the top of my list." With a sly smile, he reached up to tweak Jay's nipple.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Jay rocked his hips. "Anything," he said breathlessly.

Twisting the hardening nub a bit more sharply, Dev smirked. "You just saying that because I have you by the nipple, love?" A slow upward grind of his hips accompanied Dev's words.

"Harder…" Jay shivered and rocked. "Please, love."

One of Dev's hands started a slow massage of Jay's cock through the material of his pants as his fingers tortured Jay's nipple. The rock of his hips ground his own cock tight against Jay's ass. Rapt in watching Jay's expression, Dev whispered, "God, you're so fucking beautiful when you need me."

"Devon… Oh, fuck…" The movement of Jay's hips sped up and his hand covered Dev's, pushing their hands harder on his cock. He shuddered with every sharp twist of his nipple.

Quickly, he slid his hand out from under Jay's and unfastened his pants. Edging beneath the material Dev's hand curling around the hard flesh, caressing within the tight confines. "Yeah, babe, I want to hear you."

Dev lowered his head and latched onto Jay's nipple through the material of his shirt, biting sharply at him. The same moment his other hand quickened its stroke over Jay's cock.

"Dev!" Jay's body jerked and with a hard grind of his hips, he came, heat spilling over Dev's fist.

"Mmm," the sound came from Dev as a soft purr as Jay came for him. The tone of it filled with his own sense of satisfaction as he watched the play of taut expressions on Jay's features. His fist continued its tight stroke, milking Jay's cock to drag out the last little bit of pleasure for him. When Jay started to come down, Dev lifted his hand and licked at the salty-sweet mess.

"Love you," Jay whispered before tipping Dev's head back for a kiss.

"Love you, too." Dev answered him quietly before his tongue teased slowly over Jay's lips, slipping between them.

Jay slid his fingers through Dev's hair, holding him as they kissed. Pulling away slowly, he laughed as he rested his forehead to Dev's. "I need to get out of these jeans. Wanna pick us out a movie?"

Chuckling, Dev nodded. "I can do that."

Waiting until Jay slid out of his lap, Dev stood and headed toward the entertainment center. As he waffled between two movies, he decided he probably should get undressed as well. Knowing Jay would probably want to retaliate, he took off his shirt and pants and tossed them to the chair nearby. Looking back at the movies, he started swaying slightly, shaking his ass to his own internal music.

"Oh, now there's a sight," Jay said a few minutes later, sliding an arm around Dev's waist. The other hand gripped Dev's hip, pulling him back. Jay's semi-hard cock pressed against Dev's ass, nestled perfectly in the crease. "Keep dancing, babe. We haven't danced since our wedding."

Closing his eyes, Dev gave up his task as he felt Jay behind him. The slow grind of his hips pressed back to Jay as Dev's hand covered his.

Jay released Dev's hip and reached over to the stereo. He pushed the play button on the CD player and slid his hand back down Dev's side to rest at his hip again. Moving his lips over Dev's neck, he started singing along softly to their song: "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" by Live.

The song brought back memories of their wedding day and a slow smile curved Dev's lips as he arched his throat to Jay. His hand tightened on Jay's as they swayed slowly to the music. The cocoon of their shared emotions settled over them and Dev's breath escaped him in a sigh.

When the song ended, Jay turned Dev around slowly. "Need you," he murmured on Dev's lips, "inside me."

A tightening rippled through Dev's groin with Jay's words. Dev slid his arms around Jay's neck and his body brushed tightly against Jay's. His lips claimed Jay's in a searing kiss, driving out any other thought from their minds.

Jay opened to him, moaning softly as he walked them back to the couch. With a twist of his body, he landed on his back, pulling Dev down between his legs. His hands gripped Dev's hips as he spread his legs further apart.

Landing on him, Dev nestled against Jay as one of his hand slid slowly over Jay's side toward his hip. The slow, rocking grind of his body rubbed over their trapped cocks, heightening the tension between them.

"Lube…under the cushion." Jay patted the cushion under his head. "Want to feel that sweet cock deep inside me, babe."

Reaching beneath the cushion, Dev pulled out the lube and opened it to slather a generous amount over his cock. Playfully, he lowered his hand, pressing a finger inside Jay. He added a second finger as he stared down at Jay, smiling.

"Yes." Jay arched, rocking his hips down, impaling himself on Dev's fingers. "Dev…love…"

Stretching him with an exquisite pressure, Dev's fingers slowly slid in and out of Jay's ass. Before long, he withdrew his hand and a persistent thrust of his hips drove his cock deep inside his husband. God, he loved that feeling. Jay's tight ass opening to him sent shivers through Dev. The hot sheath surrounding him scattered any notions of tender lovemaking with the wash of need flooding Dev. A low groan rose in his throat and his hips began a rapid thrusting.

Jay's fingers curled around Dev's biceps, his hips rising to meet every thrust. "Dev… Don't stop. Please, don't stop…"

Dev couldn't if he tried. The friction burned through him, tightening over his senses and maddening him with the urge. Harder and harder, he slammed into Jay, the grip of his hand and nails pulling Jay into the motion, each sensation pushing him even closer to the edge. Dev's breathing became ragged as he whispered, "Need you, love. God, how I need you."

"Yes," Jay hissed. "Oh, God…" He arched suddenly, catching Dev's mouth with his as heat spread between them.

Sliding his hand between him, Dev's fingers worked over Jay's cock as his own body strained against him and began to shake. Wave after wave of intensity washed over him as Dev came, Jay's mouth silencing his cry.

Jay clung to Dev, arms sliding around him to hold him tight. "Love you so much."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Dev left Jay at the house while he headed into the nearby town. The white picket fence glory had long ago faded. At about the same time Dev's grandfather had left the old homestead, the town had suffered a reversal in its fortunes. Most of the houses that lined the main street and other thoroughfares were long deserted and boarded up.

There were still signs of life within Elk's Run, and what was left seemed to be an historical society of sorts. Everybody knew everybody and the small grocery store was the local hangout of choice.

Stopping at the town hall, Dev parked the car along the curb, then went inside. Stilling at the desk, he waited to get the attention of the clerk. When she looked over at him, he smiled at her. "Hi, I'm Devon Brooks. I was wondering where I could get some information about the old Brooks house on Blue Way."

"So you're the one who moved into that old place. Nice to meet you. I'm Gracie Simmons, a cousin of sorts."

Since Dev hadn't realized any of his relatives still lived in the town, her pronouncement caught him by surprise. "Oh, wow, I didn't even think of that."

"My great-grandmother married your great-grandfather's youngest brother. It's all tangled in there somewhere." Laughing, she held out her hand to him.

Taking her hand, he shook it with a grin. "I just moved in, and I'm trying to get a background on the history of the place and the family."

"You're in luck, Devon. We've got pretty good records here. And my mother has a family chart. It's fairly current and goes back to Isaiah Brooks. He was the original owner of Brooks Manor and commissioned the construction in 1825. Until 1960, the Brooks family pretty much ran the entire town. After that, a series of fires and problems almost leveled Elk's Run. There's only about a thousand people left still living here and quite a few of them are related to us in one way or another."

"You just told me a hell of a lot more than I already knew, Gracie. My dad didn't know much about the family history. I was hoping there would still be some records here in town."

Motioning for him to follow her, she stepped around the old fashioned wood counter. "Our records are in really good order, mostly because of my family. Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother have run the archives for years. I took over for Mom about five years ago. Took a lot work indexing everything, but I managed."

Dev followed her into another room then up a short staircase. Heading down a long corridor, Gracie entered one of the rooms and flicked on the light. The small office contained two computers. "If you want to research at home, most of the records are in our database on the computer."

Settling at one of the computers, Gracie brought up the town's website. "Births, death, property, whatever you might need to know is right here, and the links are alphabetized."

Standing behind her, Dev asked, "What about newspaper clippings?"

"The ER Bugle started in 1792. All of the editions have been scanned and are under the Bugle link on the main page. The originals are housed downstairs in our basement along with all of the other town records. If you want family history, you should talk to my mom. She knows more about the Brooks family than I do."

Dev watched her bring up several pages from the site as she spoke. "There's a great deal about the family in the archives. A Brooks had always been town Mayor from 1810 until 1971. So the Brooks family had a lot of hands, both politically and business wise, in building the town. Everything is a matter of public record."

"Where's your mom at?"

"She runs the diner down the street, and her name is Martha Brooks. When you leave the building, it's to the right. You can probably catch her before the lunch hour rush."

Smiling at him, he offered her his hand as she stood up. "I really appreciate your help, Gracie. I didn't realize there would be so much information available."

Giving his hand a firm shake, she smiled back at him. "No problem, Devon. When you get settled in, I'd love to see the house. I always thought somebody should fix it up, but your grandfather absolutely refused to sell it."

"We should have most of it at least cleaned up within a couple of weeks. So go ahead and stop by later this month if you want." Dev paused to scribble his phone number on a piece of paper on the table. "Just call before you come. Jay and I will be happy to see you. Might as well tell you Jay is my husband. We were married in Canada."

It wasn't something Dev intended to hide from anyone, and he figured mentioning it to everybody he saw would make it an established fact amongst the town.

Momentarily surprised, Gracie blinked at him before she recovered quickly. "There's a few in town like the minister and his wife who probably won't take well to that one. Maizie is our town gossip and her group could make a big deal of it. But in the main, most of the people here are too busy keeping their heads afloat to worry about what anybody else is doing."

"Thanks for the heads up, Gracie. We've had our share of dissention to the marriage." Shrugging, Dev wasn't about to let it bother him anymore.

"I don't think you have to worry about my mom on that. Or me, either." Smiling at him, she picked up the piece of paper and stuffed it in her pocket.

"I'm just going to write down the address to the website then I'll head over to see your mom." Making quick note of the link to the website, Dev wrote it down as Gracie headed back to work.

A few minutes later, he went back outside, walking down the main street. It wasn't difficult to spot the small diner with the sign over the door. Dev walked into Brooks' Restaurant and settled on one of the stools at the counter. A woman, whom he assumed to be Gracie's mom, came out, carrying a coffee pot.

"Martha Brooks?"

"Yeah, hon. What can I get for you?"

"A cup of coffee would be good, and some information."

"What kind of information do you need?" After pouring him some coffee, she set the pot down and leaned against the counter.

"I'm Devon Brooks. I live in the old Brooks place and just talked to your daughter, Gracie."

A broad smile wreathed her features as she held out her hand to Dev. "I used to know your father. We were in grade school together. How is James? I haven't seen him since he and your grandfather moved."

Martha's comment surprised him because Dev hadn't known his dad had lived in the town at all. "My dad is fine. I never knew he lived in town."

She paused a moment in deep thought, eyeing him. "That was at the height of the first flood from the Monroe River so it was a pretty rough time for everybody. The town had a lot of problems after your grandfather left Brooks Manor. Some folks thought it was his fault, and some of the kids were as bad as their parents. I don't know how much your dad remembers about it all. Even I only remember bits and pieces."

"That's really weird." Dev took a sip of the hot coffee then continued, "Dad's supposed to visit today so I'll ask him about it."

"Tell him to stop by the diner if he gets a chance. I'm always here until seven, handling the Ames factory dinner crowd."

"I will, Mrs. Brooks. Can you tell me more about what was going on then?"

"Call me Martha, hon. Sure, what I lack in memory, my own mother filled in. She passed away about five years ago, but I still have all of her journals. Sarah, your grandmother, died when your father was born and right afterwards your grandfather moved into town. That was in 1960. I'd listened to the old rumors growing up. For years the town had had problems after Paul left Brooks Manor. Fires and floods, several of the main pillars of business left town all together and it really didn't stop until this year. That's the first time since 1960 the Monroe River hasn't overflowed its banks. Come to think on it, we haven't had a fire this year, either."

"And people blamed all of this on my grandfather?" Bemused, Dev stared at her as he drank his coffee.

"A lot of the older folks did. Brooks Manor and the Brooks family were the heart of this town. I remember my mom telling me that poor Paul Brooks was the most haunted man she'd ever seen in her life. Something was wrong, but she didn't know what. Paul left Elk's Run with James in 1967 and swore he would never come back."

Frowning, Dev considered her words. "He wanted the house demolished. I know he came back but he only took a look at the property. Dad said Grandpa had talked to one of the demolition companies in Forest Grove but he died before he could sign anything. Dad sent me out to take a look at the house a couple of months ago, and I decided to move in. It's a gorgeous house; it just needs a lot of TLC."

"I'm glad you decided to take it on, Dev. Over the years, there were quite a few buyers interested in the manor, but your grandfather wouldn't sell it. He paid for minimal maintenance to it but nobody's lived in that house since your aunt Katherine died in 1988."

Drawing his wallet out of his back pocket, Dev opened it to pay for the coffee. "Thanks, Martha, I appreciate the information."

"Your money's no good here, Dev. It's on the house. If you want any more, I can dig out my mother's journals. She wrote quite a bit about the situation in town. She also ran the Bugle for about twenty years."

Smiling up at her, Dev said, "Thanks, that'd be great."

"Why don't you come in Friday for dinner and you can pick up the journals?"

"Is it all right if I bring my husband Jay along?"

For a moment she looked at him confused. Dev figured it wasn't a term she heard often from a man. But she recovered quickly. "Sure, Dev. I'll see you both Friday around five or so. Is that okay?"

"Sounds great." Standing, he grinned at her. "See you Friday at five, Martha, and thanks again."

As Dev headed out the front door several other people came in for lunch.

* * * *

After putting the lasagna in the oven, Dev heard Jay and his dad talking in the front entry. Quickly washing his hands, he dried them off and left the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad."

"Looks like you two are settling in pretty good. You going to show me around the place?" He reached for Dev, giving him a quick hug.

"Yeah, if you want, Dad. Dinner won't be ready for another thirty minutes or so."

"I'll let you two talk, I'm heading to the workout room." Jay turned and ascended the stairs then disappeared down the upstairs hallway.

Left alone with his dad, Dev started showing him around the house, talking the whole time. "I've found some really weird stuff. I told you about that family album. It's here in the living room, right there on the writing desk."

James nodded as he moved to the desk and began looking through the album. "I'm not that familiar with our family history, Dev. Like I told you on the phone the few times I asked my dad about it, he wouldn't say anything. Just told me it wasn't important anymore."

"I also talked to Martha and Gracie Brooks in town. Martha said she knew you because you guys had gone to school together. I never knew you lived in the area."

Looking up at him, James frowned slightly. "I barely remember that. I was in first grade. I do remember hating the damn teacher and most of the kids. Only little things here and there, and I do remember Martha. She was one of the few who played with me. We had the run of Valley Park just about every day after school."

"Martha said a lot of the townspeople blamed Grandpa Paul for the troubles the town had. And it was all because he moved out of this house." After James finished looking through the album, Dev led him through the downstairs rooms.

"I don't think I ever really knew why the people were so mean, Dev. And I really don't believe my dad had anything to do with any disasters in town."

"I don't either, but something was going on in this house. Every time somebody was born, somebody died according to that album. Maybe one or more of our relatives was a serial killer or something."

James looked at him with a smirk. "Maybe the house is haunted."

Rolling his eyes, Dev headed up the front entry stairs. "I haven't had a chance to check the town archives to see whether or not all of the things in the album are true or not. If they are, this family had one hell of a streak of bad luck."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It took Dev several days to compile a full list of the files he wanted to research. Jay had gone into the city for the day just to do some shopping, and Dev decided to remain at the house and get the rest of it unpacked before he began his work on the computer.

Setting the empty boxes down in the attic, Dev straightened and stretched slightly to relieve the small ache in his muscles. A feeling of not being alone descended over him and he quickly spun around. Dust particles floated in the pale beam of sunlight streaming through the attic window but nothing else moved. He could hear the distinct sound of breathing but he couldn't see anybody.

A chill ran up his spine and Dev tried to ignore the oppressed sense hovering over him as he methodically searched in between the piled boxes and furniture for the source of the sound. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Dev whirled quickly around, but then stumbled back against several boxes.

In front of him a hazy, dark form undulated in the air. It had no distinct features and simply hovered there. As Dev scrambled to back away from it, he tripped and fell to the floor, hitting his head on the corner of a table.

"He dies."

Dev heard the words before he blacked out.

* * * *

"Dev?"

Jay set the bags in the kitchen, put away the cold stuff, and left the rest for later. He went into the living room and then the office, but didn't see Dev anywhere.

"Dev?" he called as he started up the stairs. He looked in the bedroom and grumbled. "Dev, where the bloody hell are you?"

Just as he started back down the stairs, he caught sight of the open door to the attic stairs. Peering up, he called for Dev again. When he didn't get an answer, he climbed the steps.

"Dev, are you…" He trailed off abruptly when he saw Dev laying on the floor. Dev!" He hurried up the rest of the way and crouched down beside Dev, cupping his face. "Come on, love. Wake up."

Dev slowly opened his eyes, trying to focus on Jay. "Jay? What the…"

As Dev struggled to sit up he looked quickly around. "There's somebody in here."

"What?" Jay helped him up slowly. "Dev, there's no one in here. Just us."

"Somebody pushed me and I fell." A look of complete confusion covered Dev's features and he looked back at Jay. "I swear. I heard somebody say 'He dies'."

Reaching up, he rubbed at the knot at the back of his head and winced. "Fuck, that hurts."

"Whoa…" Jay pulled Dev's hand away and turned his head. "Christ. That's a hell of a bump, love. Can you stand up?"

"Yeah, I think so." Holding to Jay's hand, Dev carefully got up from the floor and straightened. "Just my head hurts. What the hell is going on? This isn't the first time something weird has happened. I know damn well somebody touched me."

"Come on. Let's get downstairs." Jay led him to the steps. "Take it slow."

Using one hand to grab the railing, Dev held to Jay's with the other as they descended the stairs. "Jay, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

Jay sighed and once they were safely in the hallway, he shut the door behind them. "I don't know, Dev. Nothing concrete, just feelings."

"Like?" Dev quietly prompted him. Heading down the main stairs and to the kitchen, he opened the cupboard and got out a bottle of aspirin then took out one of the glasses. Standing in front of the sink, he filled the glass with water and downed a couple of aspirin.

Leaning back against the counter beside him, Jay said, "hard to explain. Hair standing on end when I'm alone. A feeling of being watched. Like I said, nothing concrete." He pushed away from the counter and rummaged in the freezer. He came out with a package of frozen peas and wrapped the package in a towel. Then he turned Dev around and pressed it gently against his lover's head. "How are you feeling?"

"Something is going on here. I just don't know what." Dev drew Jay's other hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of his fingers. "As soon as the aspirin kicks in, I'll be fine."

"I don't like this, Dev," Jay grumbled, almost growled. "Chills and shit, I can handle. But you got hurt."

Leaning against the counter, Dev closed his eyes and set the glass down. "That book, Jay. The family history. And some of the rumors in the town. I read some of Martha's mom's journal. Some of the townspeople thought this house controlled the town. I'm starting to think there's something to it."

Jay snaked his arm around Dev's waist and set the icepack down on the counter. "If there is, we'll figure it out." He cupped Dev's chin and tilted his head up, pressing a soft kiss to Dev's lips. "But if there is something here, I'll be damned if it's getting you."

"It's not chasing me out of this house either." His jaw jutted stubbornly as he opened his eyes. "I should call Percy. He knows about this kind of shit."

Resting against Jay, he slipped his arms around him, returning the light kiss.

Jay hummed his agreement, too intent on the kiss for the time being. Finally pulling back slightly, he asked, "Percy? Do I want to know?"

"Old friend of mine. He works for one of those paranormal investigation places. If anybody can figure out what's going on here, he might." Rather pleased with his own idea, Dev grinned at Jay. "I'll call him while you fix dinner. It is your turn, remember?"

One eyebrow rose, Jay looking highly skeptical. "Oh, sounds…interesting." He just shook his head and stole another kiss. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Something simple. Maybe hamburgers and fries." Dev made the off hand suggestion as he slipped out from Jay's grasp. "Food and phone call first, love."

Jay chuckled and let him go. "You say that like I have ulterior motives," he said as he started getting out the stuff for dinner.

"Your ulterior motives are never a secret." Grinning at Jay, he picked up the phone and dialed Percy's number. After a moment, he said, "Hey Percy, it's Dev. Got a question for you. You wouldn't happen to want to bring yourself and your equipment down to the middle of nowhere would you?"

Jay rolled his eyes and started the hamburger patties frying. Then he got the frozen fries out of the freezer and set the bag on the counter. Reaching for the oil, he happened to glance up in the window looking out into the back yard…and froze.

"Tomorrow would be great." After another pause, Dev continued. "You know I love ya and I love ya even more for this. See you at four."

After hanging up the phone, Dev moved back to Jay. Noticing the odd look on his face, Dev laid his hand on Jay's shoulder and looked out the window. "Shit. What the fuck?"

In a flash, Dev ran to the kitchen door and flung it open before he raced outside.

"Dev!" Jay moved the pan off the burner and ran after him. "Dev, wait!"

Unheeding of Jay's shout, Dev ran across the lawn toward the old oak tree and the strange misty form. Before he could reach it, it faded away but Dev caught the distinctly human features of a feminine face as it disappeared and a dry rustle of sound reached his ears. "Leave."

Panting, Jay caught up with him. "Dev. Get back inside. Now." He grabbed Dev's arm and started backing away from the tree. "Now, Dev."

Ignoring Jay for a moment, Dev stared at the empty space. "My grandmother. It looked like my grandmother."

When it sank in Jay was trying to pull him back into the house, Dev let Jay drag him back toward the back door. Muttering to himself, he tried to make sense of what he'd just seen. "I saw her portrait in the attic. It looked like her."

"That's wonderful," Jay muttered. "But I think we need to get back inside. I don't like this."

When they got back into the kitchen, Dev shut the door behind them then went straight to the window. "I'm going to find out what's going on here."

Pressing up against him, Jay rested his chin on Dev's shoulder, arms tight around Dev's waist. "We will find out what's going on here," he corrected.

With a sigh, Dev leaned back against him and his hands covered Jay's. "I know. It's me and you, love."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next afternoon Dev showed Percy around the house, explaining what had been going on. As he led the way up the stairs to the attic, Dev became aware of a definitely heavier feeling surrounding him. "I swear somebody touched me, and I heard a voice. I didn't find anybody in the attic and neither did Jay."

When they entered attic, Percy immediately began poking around every nook and cranny. "Sounds like you might have some activity going on here, Dev. Dan and Marley will get things set up downstairs in the living room and kitchen, then get the equipment up in the attic. Any other places?"

"Just outside in the backyard by the huge maple tree. That's where we saw my grandmother. And both Jay and I saw her." Though Dev wasn't entirely comfortable in the attic anymore he remained near the door, watching Percy.

Percy took out a small metallic box and began methodically walking back and forth across the wooden floor, waving the instrument through the air. Staring intently at the readout, he nodded to Dev. "Yeah, we've got some high fluctuations up here. Show me where you were touched."

Walking toward one of the pile of boxes Dev pointed to the spot. "I could hear somebody breathing, so I started searching the attic. I had just finished searching near those old trunks and I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I turned around I saw something like a black shape, it didn't have a face or anything."

"Seeing human shaped shadows is fairly common, Dev."

"Not for me. I tried to get away from it but ended up falling. Right before I passed out, I heard it say 'He dies'. I'm not imagining it. I know what I saw and heard." Resting his elbow on top one of the boxes Dev fell silent, waiting for Percy to say something.

"Any clue at all what it meant?" Percy's expression appeared curious and not at all disbelieving, helping Dev to relax a bit.

"No. I told you about that weird family album. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. But I do think my grandmother wants me to leave. I didn't get any bad feelings when I saw her, not like with that shadow thing."

"Hopefully we'll catch whatever is going on. Go ahead and go downstairs while I finish up here."

Leaving the oppressive attic, Dev left Percy to his work and headed to his bedroom to get the family album. Searching through the closet, he pushed aside some of the boxes on the upper shelf. "Jay, did you put the album in the closet like I asked you to?"

Jay's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. "What, hon?"

Shoving one of the boxes into the corner, Dev saw the album. "Never mind, I found it."

As he reached for it, Dev heard a small whirring sound and the back wall of the closet slowly began to open. "What the…"

"Did you need something, Dev?" Jay walked up behind him than stopped when he saw the opening at the back of the closet.

"Get a flashlight. I think I found a secret room or something."

Jay hurriedly ran down to the kitchen to get a flashlight. Dev peered into the room and could barely make out the outlines of some tables and chairs but little else.

"Dev, you in here?" Percy entered the room and Jay came back in right behind him.

"I think I found something, Percy. There's a room behind the closet." Dev took the flashlight from Jay and turned it on. Using it to illuminate the room, the pale beam showed several tables with glass vials and equipment covered in thick layers of dust.

Percy took the flashlight from Dev and moved into the room. He looked over the stacks of books piled on a desk, then used the flashlight to read some of the titles of the books lining the bookcases.

Dev caught a glimpse of a light switch on the wall near him and felt with his hand to turn it on.

"Somebody in this house was an alchemist and studied the dark arts." Percy commented as he perused a row of books.

Opening one of the books laying on the table, Dev discovered handwritten notes in a cramped scrawl. "I'd say my great great-grandfather Adam, since this is a notebook with his name on it."

Jay pulled one of the thicker books off the shelf and looked through it. "Somebody named Isaiah, too. Here's his journal."

"He's the one that build this house. My fifth great-grandfather." Dev reached for the book and took it from Jay. The pages were of a thick paper, aging and yellowed. Carefully Dev turned a few pages, reading through it.

Pausing in his inspection of one of the tables, Percy commented, "You could sell some of these books for a great deal of money, Dev. Unless you plan on taking up the dark arts."

"Uh, no. It's not my idea of fun on the side."

Several loud bangs sounded from upstairs and the vibration shook the house, setting the glass vials to rattling. All three of them looked at each other in shock and Dev said, "That was from the attic."

Percy started back toward the bedroom, pulling out his walkie talkie. "I'll investigate, you guys keep setting up in the living room."

Marley answered him. "Gotcha, boss."

"Sounds like somebody didn't like your answer, Dev." Percy looked over his shoulder at his friend.

Dev hurried behind Percy and Jay followed. When they reached the attic, they saw nothing appeared to be disturbed. Nothing that could account for the noise. Everything looked the same as it had before.

"I'm going off the radar here. .75, .76, .77." Percy continued walking a path across the attic floor, reading the gauge.

"And this means…?" Jay's expression was confused as he watched Percy.

"A strong suggestion of something possibly paranormal. The readings here were a lot lower earlier."

Pissed, Dev pushed past Jay and went back down the stairs. Returning to the secret room, Dev scoured over the books, looking for any explanation as to what the hell was going on. He took Isaiah and William's journals and tried to find more. In the corner, he noticed a small closed trunk.

Laying the books on the edge of one of the tables he walked over to it and knelt down, popping the latch. Inside he saw several slender books, some jewelry cases, and old photographs of his grandparents. Picking up one of the books, Dev scanned over a few pages. Reading briefly, Dev assumed the elegant handwriting belong to his grandmother. Closing the book, he picked up the others and stood.

Stopping only to gather up the other books he had found, Dev headed out of the room and downstairs. He wanted the quiet solitude of the gazebo to read. Outside, he drew in a deep breath of the fresh air tinged with the scent of flowers and sunshine. Everything seemed perfectly normal out here. Turning to look back at the house, Dev studied its exterior. The gray stone front had already been cleaned and every bit of trim had been repainted. It no longer had a neglected air to it; everything looked nearly as pristine as the day it had been built.

An army of gardeners had cleared away all the brush and debris in the gardens, and the designer Dev had hired had planted an astonishing array of bushes, flowers and new trees. The enclosed gazebo had been cleaned and repainted as well. Everything seemed so damn normal.

With a quiet sigh, Dev turned away from the house and walked to the gazebo. Rose vines trailed over the white wood of the structure, giving it an almost romantic air. But romance was the last thing on Dev's mind. Settling inside, Dev sprawled out on the white velvet pillows covering the seat. Briefly he scanned through Adam's journal, learning more than he ever really cared to know. After setting it aside, he read more slowly through his grandmother's journal. Oddly as he turned the pages he felt a calming, peaceful sense flow over him. It felt the same as when he had briefly seen his grandmother the other day.

Looking up from the book, he almost expected to see her but nothing was there. Still the feeling persisted and he continued looking through her journal. She had known what was going on and had tried to fight against it and his grandfather had sided with her. Turning to the last page in the book, Dev discovered the last entry was dated the day before she died. As he read it a wave of sadness came over him. His grandmother had been fiercely focused on protecting her unborn child.

"Thought I'd check on you, love. Everything all right?"

Dev hadn't heard Jay come into the gazebo but he was grateful for his husband's concern. "Sort of. I'm okay but nothing else is."

As Dev sat up, Jay settled beside him. "You want to explain?"

"I just read through some of Adam's journal. The family struck some kind of deal with something. Whatever it was, it's still in the house." Sighing, he leaned over just enough to rest his head on Jay's shoulder. "From what I read, it requires a sacrifice every generation. It's how my family gained their power, and it extended to the town as well."

"It must think you're the next generation." The words were drawn reluctantly from Jay.

"No way in hell. I don't want anything to do with it. My grandfather refused to give into it. And I think it's why my grandmother came to me." Dev had the feeling his grandmother was trying to protect him and wasn't a part of any of this.

"This is a bit more than we bargained for when we moved into the house."

* * * *

With Percy, Dan, and Marley setting up all of their equipment around the house, Dev ran quickly upstairs to the bedroom to put away the journals. After placing them on the stand near the bed, Dev noticed the secret room door had been left open. Walking into the closet, he fiddled with the panel, trying to get it to close.

When that didn't work, he pulled out a small plastic crate and stood on it. Moving some of the stuff on the closet shelf, Dev searched for whatever it was that opened and closed the door.

Once he moved one of the larger boxes aside, he found a small lever protruding from the wall. As he pushed it back in he heard the soft whirring noise, signaling the door was closing. Relieved, he climbed off the crate and made his way downstairs. Since Jay was already in the kitchen fixing dinner, Dev decided to join him.

The savory aroma of steak in teriyaki marinade drifted to his nose as Dev pushed open the kitchen door. Seeing Jay busily cutting up vegetables, Dev sidled up behind him, wrapping his arms around his husband's waist.

"Done out there for now?" Jay murmured the question as he turned his head and caught Dev's lips in a kiss.

Unable to answer right away, Dev's hands moved to Jay's shoulders and turned him around to get a more proper kiss. The door bell sounded and Dev nudged against Jay, refusing to let go of him just quite yet. Finally Dev drew back with a sigh, more a sound of annoyance. "Go ahead and answer it, I'll finish up in here."

Sneaking in a quick kiss, the door bell rang again before Jay pulled away from Dev. "It's getting too damn exciting around here, and I don't mean that in a good way. I want some good way."

"Later, love. I promise." Swatting Jay's ass, Dev sent him out the door.

Approaching the front door, Jay could see a dark clad figure through the frosted glass. The bell rang again, this time with a longer buzz of sound and Jay called out, "I'm coming. Give me a minute."

Reaching the door and opening it, Jay said, "Sorry about that. I was…" He trailed off in shock, seeing the man standing in front of him.

His valet James gracefully bowed in the proper protocol. "I understand, your Grace. May I come in?"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Remembering himself, Jay stepped to the side. "Of course. Come in, James."

"Thank you, your Grace." James walked into the foyer and turned. Only then did Jay notice the dark gray suitcase. He closed the door and took James' hat.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you, your Grace," James said. He looked around a moment, then back to Jay. "Might we have a word, in private?"

"Yes, we can do that."

"Jay, you want the…" Dev trailed off, blinking as he peered around the kitchen doorway at Jay and caught sight of the other man.

"James, you remember Dev, don't you? Dev, this is James, my former valet."

"Hi," Dev said quietly.

"Good evening, Mr. Brooks. I trust you are well."

"Umm, yeah."

"Dev, I'll be there in a moment," Jay said, nodding toward the living room.

"Okay." Dev raised one eyebrow before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"This is quite unexpected," Jay said as he led his former valet into the living room.

"I do apologize, your Grace." Looking around at the wires crisscrossing the floor and the odd equipment littering the room, James glanced questioningly at Jay.

Jay stopped and turned around, shaking his head at James' puzzled look. Holding up a hand, he smiled. "Please, James. No more formalities. It's just Jay now, okay?"

James seemed unsure, but nodded finally. "Yes, your…Jay."

"Thank you. Now…" Jay glanced down at the suitcase. "Well, I suppose you're needing a room. Follow me. It just so happens that we finished fixing up the guest room."

As they ascended the stairs, he stole another glance at James. To say Jay was shocked was an understatement. He shook his head discreetly and led the way down the hall, stopping in front of the guest room door.

"May we speak privately?"

Jay nodded and opened the door, closing it once they were both inside. "Why exactly are you here?"

James sighed and, for the first time, looked ragged as he sat on the bed and set his case down. "With your departure from England, your mother saw no need to keep me employed." He looked up at Jay, dark brown eyes pleading. "I came with no other alternative. I have no family there, Jay."

Things were already confusing enough, but Jay simply couldn't turn the man away. Aside from James' faithful service so many years, there was a past there that left Jay feeling a touch obligated to at least give James some place to stay, if not find him something in the way of employment.

"I suppose I can speak with Dev," Jay said, absently fingering the drapes on the window, careful not to look at James. "See if maybe he'd like a housekeeper."

"Thank you." The bed shifted and Jay was acutely aware of another body close to him. "For everything, Jay."

He turned and found himself staring into eyes he'd not seen in a long while. Memories of forbidden trysts, stolen kisses, came back to him. "James…"

"It's been so long," James whispered, stepping closer. Too close.

Jay shook his head. "I can't…"

"One kiss, Jay. For old times' sake?"

His gaze lowered to lips he knew years before. "Dev..."

"He won't know, Jay." James was nearly touching him, a hand on the wall by Jay's head.

Jay opened his mouth to protest, but no word came out. James seemed to take that as a 'yes' and Jay found himself pressed back against the wall, his former valet's tongue pushing between his lips. Finally coming to his senses, he pushed James gently but firmly away.

"No more, James," he said simply. "You're welcome to stay, but nothing can ever happen between us again."

James nodded. "I apologize. It won't happen again."

"Thank you." Jay let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Are you hungry? Dev is finishing dinner."

"That would be wonderful."

* * * *

After finishing the dishes, Dev went on the search for Jay. Not finding him in the living room with Percy or James, Dev headed upstairs to Jay's favorite spot. He heard the small clank of metal against metal before he even got close to the door. Leaning against the door frame, he watched Jay work out, his gaze fixated on the smooth flex of muscle beneath Jay's skin. Just seeing his husband in the slick, sweaty state was a major turn on for Dev.

Dev had to shift slightly to ease the growing bulge in his pants and he tried for casual, folding his arms across his chest as he spoke. "Got any time to spare for me?"

Jay grunted as he set the bar back on its rest. Without sitting up, he crooked his finger, beckoning Dev to him. "I will always have time for you, love."

"Seems lately we haven't had any time for each other." Slowly approaching Jay, Dev's gaze roamed over Jay's body with a bit of a lustful tinge. With fixing up the house and everything else happening, most nights they went to bed exhausted. Which is why Dev had plans for making an early night.

"Come here," Jay said, voice gone husky, deep. He held out a hand and tugged Dev to straddle him. "Miss you."

Stepping over Jay, Dev settled against his thighs then leaned down, running his hands over Jay's bare chest. Need roughened his voice as he stared down at Jay. "Fuck, you look sexy like this. Makes me want to feel you filling my ass."

Hands on Dev's hips, Jay thrust up. "Get naked. I want to taste and touch you, from head to toe, love. Want to feel you everywhere."

"Shower and me against the wall? Or shower later?" Dev needed very little encouragement. Quickly pulling his shirt over his head, he tossed it to the side as he deliberately ground his hips slowly back and forth against Jay. The tips of his fingers trailed lightly down the front of Jay's chest.

Jay groaned and started working on Dev's jeans. "Shower. You. Me. Slick."

The flick of Dev's tongue ran slowly over Jay's lips as further enticement to arouse his husband. His hands caught Jay's, drawing them away from his pants. "You better let me keep these on unless you want me to walk naked down the hallway."

Grinning, Jay slapped Dev's ass. "Good point. Let me up."

With a wicked smirk, he squirmed against Jay for slapping him and got up. "When we're alone, I'll dance naked down the hall for you. How's that?"

Before Jay could retaliate, Dev started laughing and took off in a run for the bathroom next to their bedroom. The minute Jay appeared, Dev dragged him inside and shut the door then began stripping Jay's pants off.

"Mm, you, too." Jay waited until his own were off before he started on Dev's jeans. He dropped to his knees and worked the pants down, pressing kisses to Dev's thighs as he went. Once Dev stepped out of the jeans, Jay grabbed his hips and sucked Dev's cock into his mouth, humming as he swallowed him down.

"Thought you wanted me against the shower wall." Dev's comment turned into a mumbling when Jay's lips closed around his cock. A low moan rose in his throat then broke off as he gasped. "Keep doing that."

Jay didn't answer, just sucked and licked. When he finally pulled back, he gripped the base of Dev's cock to keep him from coming. "Now…we can get in the shower," he said, flicking the tip one last time before standing.

Since Dev hadn't thought he would stop, a protesting groan sounded when Jay did. Painfully hard, he stood indecisively for a moment before he reached over to turn on the hot water. "That was cruel, babe. Really cruel."

Jay turned Dev and pressed up against him. Tipping Dev's head back, he kissed a slow path over the side of Dev's neck. "I love you," he whispered.

With no real effort on Jay's part, Dev could feel himself literally melting. His throat arched toward the press of Jay's lips and his body leaned back into the solid feel of his husband's. "Love you just as much."

"In the shower," Jay whispered. "Want you slick and hard and begging."

"The only thing I ain't is slick." A wry humor tinged his voice as he stepped into the tub then beneath the spray of water. Leaning back against the side of the tub, a lazy hand ran over his cock as he watched Jay with a half lidded look. "If you don't fuck me soon I'm going to explode."

Following him into the shower, Jay pulled the curtain closed, eyes riveted on the movement of Dev's hand. "You will be when I'm done." He looked up into Dev's eyes. "Turn around and bend over, love. I want to taste."

To do what Jay wanted, Dev had to move to the back of the tub. He bent over slowly, using both hands to spread his ass open for Jay. His actions and words were meant to urge his husband into more action. "Come and get it, Jay."

Jay groaned and dropped to his knees, sliding his hands up Dev's thighs. He kissed first one cheek and then the other, teeth grazing just a bit as he moved closer to Dev's crease. Reaching up to spread Dev open and to free his lover's hands, Jay flicked his tongue over Dev's hole before pushing it inside.

Dev needed his hands free to use the wall for support. The sensation pulsing through him had his knees shaking and sticking his ass out farther literally begged for Jay's attention. Ignoring the need throbbing through his cock, his hands remained flat against the tile.

Jay's attention was solely on what he was doing. He sucked the puckered skin, moaning and growling a little. Then a finger joined his tongue, sliding deep and curling to stroke lightly over Dev's gland.

"So hot," he murmured, licking around the rim stretched over his finger.

The rising tension in Dev's body skyrocketed. Neither of them had had much play in way too long and it took very little to get Dev close to that edge. Small motions of his hips encouraged Jay and his low groan rose in tone with each movement of Jay's finger and tongue. "Need, babe. Need."

Without removing his finger, Jay stood and reached up with the other hand for the lube they kept on the soap dish. He got it open and slicked himself, then slid his finger out. Drawing Dev up to stand, pressed back against him, Jay bent his knees slightly and pushed up and in, groaning as he slid in deep.

"Oh, fuck." The words came out followed by a deep groan and the shudder of Dev's body. His hips pressed back flush with Jay and ground tightly to him. One hand reached behind, grasping Jay's hip and the other slid up into his hair, drawing Jay to the side of his throat.

"Love you," Jay whispered, biting down on the nape of Dev's neck. He rocked his hips, sliding out and driving back in, slow but deep.

Closing his eyes and bowing his head, Dev rode the rhythm of their bodies. Unable to resist, his hand dropped to his own cock, stroking over it at the same pace of Jay's thrusts. "Love you always."

Jay licked the place he'd bitten, kissed it softly. "Feel so good. So perfect, Dev…" He turned Dev's head, catching him in a kiss. His other hand gripped Dev's hip, the thrusts strong, quickening.

Dev couldn't have agreed more but then it was always perfect between them. Silenced before he could say anything, he returned the kiss and deepened it with the hunger rolling through his body. The friction and pressure inside his ass and the quickening rhythm of his hand made Dev's body tremble. After several long moments, he broke free of the kiss with a sharp cry, his husband's name escaping him. "Jay!"

As he came, threads of come spurted over his hand and onto the tile wall of the tub. Lost in the exquisite pulse, he damn near forgot where they were.

"Oh, God…" Jay groaned and bent Dev just a bit, changing the angle. "Fuck. Dev!" One last hard thrust and he jerked Dev back against him, cock throbbing.

The tight hold of his hand held Jay to him. Panting heavily, he tried to catch his breath as he leaned limply back against Jay. When his breathing became a bit more even, he whispered, "Never stop, babe."

"Never." Jay shook his head and kissed Dev's jaw. "How about bed? Then more loving? I need you too much to let go anytime soon, love."

Dev had to laugh since it seemed Jay forgot why they were there as well. "I'd say finish our shower then bed."

Still laughing, he grabbed the soap and a wash cloth. After lathering it, he began washing Jay. He didn't plan on letting Jay out of bed until late the next morning and right now Dev planned on taking his own sweet time showing Jay how much he loved him.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Standing in the attic, Dev slowly turned around, uncertain of why he was there. As he looked toward the back of the attic a hazy shape began to form. He should have been startled, but he wasn't. Instead, he moved closer to it.

A distant sound reached his ears then slowly became a voice. "A child. You must have a child. One of our blood."

What the hell did that mean? He wasn't ever likely to have a kid and didn't even want one. Nothing substantial had formed from the haze, and Dev shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not going to have kids."

"He must die. Another must take his place."

There sure were a lot of musts to whatever the hell it was Dev faced.

"Or you will die." The rasp of the voice sounded close to Dev's ear, making him jump slightly. A deep chill permeated Dev and he shivered uncontrollably in reaction. He'd discovered enough of his family history to realize what the entity wanted. He just wasn't going to give in to it.

"It all dies with me." Dev was the last of the line of direct descendants so the statement held weight.

A roar of outrage filled his ears and his hands covered them, trying to block it out. A blast of wind came from nowhere and Dev staggered back a few steps. Angry now, he picked up one of the boxes near him and hurled it at the pulsing form. A strange blackness swiftly concealed the back wall of the attic, then began to cover the ceiling.

Dev turned abruptly and ran for the stairs. After slamming the door behind him, he raced down the steps. At the bottom he looked back up toward the attic, but nothing seemed to have followed him. Walking down the hall, it took him a moment to figure out all the noise hadn't awakened anyone. Hastily he returned to the bedroom to check on Jay. When he saw his husband slumbering peacefully in the bed, Dev relaxed. Once reassured, he left the bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He could use a good stiff drink right about now.

* * * *

The next evening after Percy and his crew left, Jay and Dev lounged on the couch, watching TV. Percy had promised to get back with Dev after they went over all the data they'd collected. It would take a few days to go through it all, though.

When Jay took his hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, Dev shifted closer to nestle against him.

"Thanks for taking James in, love. I really appreciate it."

"I figured your mother would be serious about kicking him to the curb. It's no problem."

"James has been with me for several years, and I don't think he knows what to do with himself now." Jay didn't feel the need to explain anything else about what had happened when James first arrived. Nothing would come of it so he didn't think it was important enough to bring up.

"What would you say about moving?" Turning to face him, Dev gave him a serious look as his hand squeezed Jay's.

Surprised by the abrupt change in conversation, Jay stared at him blankly for a moment. Since the subject had never come up, he wasn't sure what to say. "Do you really want to?"

"I don't know, but I've been thinking about it. Maybe we should."

"What would you do with the house?"

"Not sure. Anything but live here." Dev tried for a lighter tone but really didn't succeed.

"I think it's something you really need to consider for longer than five minutes, and you shouldn't make too quick of a decision."

"I suppose you're right, Jay."

Leaning toward him for a kiss, Jay murmured, "I'm always right. You know that, love."

Biting lightly at Jay's lower lip, Dev drew back with a grin. "Only when you have me pinned down in bed."

"Hold that thought until I get back from town. Speaking of which, I better get going before dinner is done. Anything you need from the store?"

As Jay stood and moved to get his jacket, Dev said, "Don't forget some Andes chocolate. Not the toffee ones but the mint ones."

"I'll add it to the list."

When Jay left, Dev stared into the flames crackling in the fireplace. He could hear James moving around in the kitchen, fixing dinner. Lately a depression had settled over Dev and he couldn't shake it. It was definitely the house. He hadn't said anything about the incident in the attic though he wondered if he should. He didn't have the barest clue how to fight this thing, and he disliked the helpless feeling everything gave him.

The spirit, or whatever it was, was a malevolent force Dev could feel growing stronger. Sighing, he stood and headed upstairs to the bathroom. After stripping and throwing his clothes into the hamper, Dev turned on the water the hottest he could stand it and stepped into the shower. Evan as he washed his hair he really couldn't relax nor would his thoughts still. Part of him wanted to tear the fucking house down, level it to the ground. Then see how long the damn spirit hung around.

After soaping and rinsing off, he shut off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. Heading back down the hall to the bedroom, the slight chill in the air made Dev shiver. Once he was dry, he tossed the towel toward the door and opened the dresser to find a shirt and a pair of pants. When he turned around he found James right in front of him, staring at him with an intent focus. The slow sweep of James' gaze over Dev's naked body betrayed a blatant interest. As did the bulge in James' pants.

Before Dev could really react, James lifted his hand, resting it on Dev's chest, then stepped forward and kissed him. Shock at the unexpected action riveted Dev to the spot. When James pressed him back toward the dresser, Dev's hands flew up and he shoved James away.

Blinking rapidly, James stammered out, "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Dev had a pretty good clue, or at least thought he did and had no problem dismissing James' action out of hand. "It's okay, James. Nothing to worry about. Just don't let it happen again."

With a hasty bow of his head, James retreated from the room. "I'll go finish dinner. I'm so sorry."

Dev dressed in a thoughtful mood. He knew where to place the blame. Squarely on the damn house, trying to cause trouble. It only angered him all the more. This was his life and no supernatural effort from his family line would change that.

* * * *

Dinner had been somber, all three of them quiet for the most part. James was a good cook, as he'd always been, and Jay did his best to eat. Dev, however, poked a bit, nibbling but not really eating like he normally did. When they were done, Dev excused himself and left the kitchen. James stood and began putting dishes into the sink, and Jay got up to help.

"I didn't get to know him too well before," James said. "Is Dev always so quiet?"

"Not terribly so." Jay set the dishes in the sink and wiped off the table. "But I think he has a lot on his mind lately. He needs a break from the house."

"So why don't you two go out one night?"

Jay laughed and shook his head. "Where? This town is tiny, not much to do."

James shrugged. "I don't know. Dinner?"

Chewing at his lip, Jay nodded. "Maybe. Yeah, I think we'll do that."

"Go up to him," James said with a slight smile. "I've got the dishes."

"You sure?"

James nodded. "Absolutely."

"Thank you. We'll sit down and sort out chores tomorrow." Jay patted James' shoulder and left the kitchen, heading for the stairs. When he reached the bedroom, he knocked lightly, then opened the door. "Hey, love. Want some company?"

"Sure." Dev smiled and set the television remote down, patting the bed beside him.

Grinning, Jay closed the bedroom door and stripped down to his underwear. After turning off the light, leaving the television as the only light in the room, he crawled up the length of the bed, bending to place kisses on Dev's bare thigh every few inches. By the time he reached Dev's mouth, they were both hard, Jay groaning when Dev's lips met his.

"Need you," Dev whispered, hands holding to Jay's shoulders and head. He tilted his husband's head, pushing his tongue into Jay's mouth, needing this, needing Jay.

Jay's hands curled to Dev's hips and tugged him until Dev was looking up at Jay. Giving Dev's lips one more kiss, Jay continued downward, nipping and licking along Dev's throat, hands working Dev's underwear off. Then he wrapped his fingers around Dev's cock, loving the soft moan he received. He slid down Dev's body and took him in, tongue gliding along the underside as he swallowed Dev down.

"Jay!" Dev jerked, panting as Jay's throat rippled around him. "Oh, fuck…"

Jay hummed, the sound vibrating Dev's cock and up through his body. Dev spread his legs, letting Jay settle between them. One of Jay's hands cupped his balls, rolling and tugging gently, a single fingertip pressing the soft skin just behind them. Dev gasped, hips rocking, thrusting a little. Jay pulled off for a second, sucked two fingers into his mouth to wet them, then sucked Dev's cock back down. Dev grabbed his legs and pulled them up and apart, body shuddering as Jay's fingers pushed deeper inside him.

"Jay…"

Those fingers curled forward and Dev shouted, entire body jerking hard. Jay began a slow, torturous sucking motion, head bobbing up and down, repeatedly swallowing Dev's cock. Dev panted and rocked, caught between the sensations. Jay spread his fingers apart, then stroked Dev's gland one more time.

Dev all but screamed Jay's name, cock pulsing in his husband's mouth as he came. Jay groaned and swallowed every drop, licking Dev clean as he pulled away slowly.

"Holy shit."

Jay chuckled and crawled back up, taking Dev in a deep, hungry kiss. Dev let his legs down, cradling Jay between them, before reaching blindly for the bedside table. Finally finding the bottle of lube, he popped it open and broke the kiss. Jay grinned and sat up. Taking the bottle, he slicked himself up, fist stroking slowly over his hardened flesh, gaze heated as he stared at Dev.

"Love you," Jay whispered as he leaned back down. Positioning himself, he pushed into Dev—slow and easy.

Dev's eyes rolled back, then closed. "Love you…" He arched and bore down, letting Jay in deep. "Oh, God, yes."

Nodding, Jay rested his forehead to Dev's and took a deep breath as he was seated fully inside. "Feel so good, baby. So perfect."

Beyond words, Dev could only moan as Jay began moving, rocking and sliding, their hips grinding together. Jay's lips grazed his throat, the bites gentle, then sharp as their movements sped up. Jay caught Dev's hands and pinned them to the pillow above Dev's head, thrusts turning stronger, deeper.

"Can't stop," Dev gasped, rocking his hips up to meet every thrust from Jay. "Oh, fuck, Jay. Don't stop!"

"Come on," Jay growled. "Come for me, Dev."

"Oh…fuck!" Surprising himself, Dev cried out, heat pouring between them without a single touch.

Jay groaned and kissed him hard, hips slamming into Dev. Several quick thrusts and Jay tore away from the kiss, gasping Dev's name as he filled Dev's body with his release.

Exhausted, they slumped together, Jay working to keep his weight off Dev before he finally gave up and rolled over. He slid his arms around Dev and pulled him close.

"I needed that," Dev mumbled sleepily.

"I think we both did, babe." Jay kissed Dev's hair softly. "I think we both did."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Jay had taken James into town to do a bit of shopping, so Dev decided to explore the secret room. Hoping he could find more information, he pushed the small lever, then climbed off the crate and entered the room.

He felt along the inner wall until he found the light switch and flicked it on. Since he hadn't bothered taking a very good look the first time he'd seen it, he slowly glanced around. It was bizarrely decorated with whitewashed walls and strange symbols painted in red and black.

The floor, from what he could see, appeared to be a giant symbol as well. Eight inlaid wood spokes radiated out from a center black disc. The color of the bars were a darker wood then the floor outside the circle. Each shaft had different designs carved into the wood, and Dev could have swore some of the emblems were hieroglyphics.

Eight inner panels between the spokes seemed to be some sort of black, glossy stone with figures etched into them. Crouching down, Dev examined one of them. The damn thing looked kind of like an old woodcarving of a demon from the Middle Ages. He'd seen similar carvings in books.

The etched creature had three horns protruding from its head and a long spear-like tongue. Its tail was as long as its body was tall, and the face and body looked human. In one hand it held a spear with a decapitated body dangling from its tip; the other held a head.

"Now that will give me nightmares," Dev muttered, completely uninterested in studying any more of the figures on the panels. He straightened and walked over to his grandparents' trunk then opened it to go through the contents. Opening one of the jewelry boxes, he found it contained a sapphire and diamond ring. The gold setting was old fashioned and made for a man. It probably belonged to his grandfather. The next box contained another ring with a flat square onyx set in silver, and a small diamond embedded near the right corner.

Opening the last box, Dev was immediately drawn to the jade disc necklace. Taking it from the box, he carefully examined the detailed work. It was a beautiful piece inlaid with lapis and silver strips in an intricate design. The chain was medium silver link and Dev opened the clasp then fastened the necklace around his neck. Slipping it beneath his shirt, he found it felt warm against his skin.

After nosing through the rest of the trunk and finding nothing interesting, he closed the lid. As he headed over to one of the bookcases, he noticed a pile of books on the uppermost shelf. Since he couldn't reach them he had to return to the closet and get the plastic crate. Setting it in front of the shelves, he stepped onto it and grabbed the three dusty books.

He climbed down his temporary stepping stool and carried everything back to the closet. Not wanting Jay to notice he'd been in the secret room while no one was home, Dev shut the panel. Books safely in hand he blew the dust off of the top one and made himself sneeze. Stretching out across the bed and setting the books beside him, Dev opened the first one. Unfortunately it was handwritten in a language Dev didn't understand. Though he thought it might be Latin.

"That's not going to do me a damn bit of good." Irritated, he set it aside and started on the next book. From the name on the cover page, he discovered it belong to Isaiah Brooks, the man who had built the house. His fifth great grandfather had terrible penmanship.

Dev discovered Isaiah was indeed the one who had performed some kind of spell and made a bargain with an otherworldly creature. If he didn't know there really was something in the house, Dev would have never believed what he read.

When he heard Jay and James downstairs he shut the book and put all of them on the nightstand. Glancing at the clock, he realized two hours had gone by. That surprised him since he didn't think it had been that long.

"Come on down, love. I've got something for you." Jay called to him from the bottom of the stairs.

Jumping from the bed, Dev left the room and headed downstairs. Jay stood near the bottom step with his hands behind his back. Dev saw the back of James' head, disappearing into the kitchen.

"What's the surprise?" Curious, Dev stilled in front of Jay, waiting to see what he had.

Teasingly Jay took a few steps back. "Guess."

Jay's infectious smile made Dev chuckle. When he tried to peek behind Jay, Jay turned slightly so Dev couldn't see what he had in his hands.

"You bought me the Porsche I wanted, right?"

"Smart ass." Jay brought out a white box with the name of Dev's favorite bakery emblazoned on the lid.

"Umm, something better. I've been craving those." Dev knew the box contained the mini cream puffs and éclairs he adored.

"Been awhile since I've spoiled you." Grinning, he opened the box and took out one of the cream puffs then fed it to Dev.

"No spoiling your dinner." James peeked out from the kitchen right as Dev's lips closed around the cream puff and Jay's fingers.

"You're not supposed to see that, James."

Dev licked the small drops of cream from Jay's fingers before he released them from his mouth. "You can put the rest in the fridge and we'll have them after dinner."

"Dinner should be ready soon." James took the box from Jay and headed back into the kitchen.

"We can watch a bit of TV if you want," Jay suggested.

"Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute. Got something I want to show you." Dev ran up the stairs to the bedroom. Grabbing one of the books, he went back downstairs to join Jay.

"You wouldn't happen to know Latin, would you?" Dev asked as he settled on the couch next to Jay.

"I learned a bit, but that was a long time ago, Dev."

"Well, see what you can make of this." He handed the book over to Jay then watched him flip through the pages.

"I might be able to tell what a few of the words mean, but I couldn't translate this."

"Damn." Disappointed, Dev took the book back and set it on the coffee table. Tugging the necklace from under his shirt, he showed it to Jay. "Found this, too. In my grandparent's chest."

Jay frowned as he looked at the disc. "It's nice, but I thought I told you not to go in there alone."

"No harm, Jay. I just looked around a bit."

"You really shouldn't go in there unless somebody else is here."

"I'll remember." He tucked the disc back under his shirt.

Sliding his arm around Dev, Jay let him get comfortable against him as they watched the news. When Dev's eyelids grew heavy, he nodded off to sleep.

As Jay listened to the softer rhythm of Dev's breathing, he pressed a soft kiss to Dev's forehead. He really wished Dev wouldn't go into that room by himself. Glancing at the book on the coffee table, he decided he would try to find a translator next time he got online. Maybe the book could answer some of their questions.

When James came in to tell them dinner was ready, Jay nudged Dev gently to wake him up. Dev groaned in protest and opened his eyes.

Jay stood, holding out his hand to him. "Come on, love. It's dinner time."

Grabbing Jay's hand he hauled himself off the couch then followed behind him and James into the kitchen. James was ladling out a savory smelling stew into the bowls on the table.

"Now that smells fantastic." Dev sat down at the table next to Jay and James settled on the opposite side.

Taking a spoonful, Jay nodded heartily. "Best jack of all trades in London. Wait until he makes beef Wellington."

The conversation was casual as they all ate. By the time they were done Dev had eaten two heaping bowls, Jay had helped himself to three. After dinner Jay headed up to the work room, and Dev went back to the living room to finish reading Isaiah's journal. About twenty minutes later James joined him and settled in to watch TV. Though neither of them talked much it was a comfortable quiet disturbed only by the show.

Determined to decipher what clues he could find, Dev read carefully over the pages. No name was given for the entity but Isaiah had detailed several spells from summoning to trying to create a Philosopher's Stone. Quite a bit of it Dev dismissed at first, but there was something in the feverish tone of writing that intrigued him. Had Isaiah really done some of the things he claimed? Obviously he'd succeeded in calling up something, but Dev wasn't clear on the what.

For a few moments he studied the drawings Isaiah had made. He didn't even know enough to understand what they were. If he ever hoped to have a chance of getting rid of the entity he needed to learn more. The urge to go to the secret room overcame Dev, but he did his best to ignore it.

Raising his hand, he pulled the jade disc out from under his shirt and absent-mindedly fingered it. The best thing to do would be to wait until Jay was asleep, then do some more research. Somehow he doubted Jay would like him nosing in the rest of the books in the secret room. It was best to keep it to himself.

After switching off the TV, James asked, "Feel like a cup of coffee and some of those éclairs?"

"Sure. Sounds good, James." Dev didn't look up from the book as James got up and left the room.

"Jay, come on down for some dessert." James called up to Jay then disappeared into the kitchen.

A few minutes later Jay came down the stairs, freshly showered and clad only in a pair of sweats. Dev eyed him with a disappointed look. "You didn't come and get me to take a shower with you."

"We would have never gotten to dessert if I had." Jay moved to the cabinet to pick out a movie. "In the mood for Pirates of the Caribbean?"

Nodding, Dev set aside the journal and tucked his feet under him to get comfortable, waiting for Jay to join him. Before Jay could finish putting the movie in, James came back into the living room, carrying a tray with three cups and a plate of cream puffs and éclairs. Jay nudged his way next to Dev, his arm around Dev's shoulders, and James sat down in the recliner near them. After he placed the tray on the coffee table, they all helped themselves.

Grinning Dev asked Jay. "Think we could talk James into watching Phibes?"

"Dr. Phibes is one of my favorites. Vincent Price was the best." James answered with his own grin.

"I've got House on Haunted Hill, House of the Long Shadows, The Tomb of Ligeia, and The Masque of the Red Death. We can always have an all-night marathon of horror." Jay figured they would both agree to the idea.

Dev jumped up, saying, "I'll put Phibes in the player."

* * * *

A scream startled Jay awake. He bolted upright, only to realize he was still on the couch and the scream had come from the irritatingly insane female on House on Haunted Hill. Relief flooded through him and he rubbed his face, then looked around. James was sound asleep in the recliner, but Dev was nowhere to be seen. With a sinking feeling, he got up and started upstairs. When he walked into the bedroom, all he had to see was the faint light coming from the secret room. Swallowing the protest before it could escape, he just turned and went back downstairs without saying a word.

He reminded himself that he'd told Dev to wait until there was someone else home, which Dev had done. Yet that didn't ease the worry that ate away at Jay. Ever since Dev had found that damned room, he'd become obsessed with it. Grumbling and scowling, Jay settled back onto the couch, and before long, the drone of the television lured him back to sleep.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Dev returned home right after sunset to find the house dark. Figuring Jay and James must have gone somewhere in James' car, he headed into the kitchen. He turned on the light and saw a piece of paper on the counter. As he set the bags down and began putting groceries away, he read the note.

Since he wasn't sure when they would return, Dev made himself a bologna sandwich. Now would be the perfect time to investigate more of the books in the secret room. Climbing the stairs, he walked straight back to the closet of the bedroom. Turning on the light, he headed straight for the bookcase. He still wanted to find an explanation for Isaiah's drawings. Pulling out several books, Dev sat down on the stool in front of the work table and began reading while he ate the sandwich.

Several dust covered jars and bottles nearly covered the entire length of the table. For a moment, Dev debated about actually cleaning the entire room. To be truthful, he found everything fascinating. If he were going to spend any length of time there, he needed to clean it. He was aware Jay didn't share his feelings, but Dev didn't expect him to. Though he couldn't explain it, he could somehow feel the enormous power hovering in the air and his curiosity about it had definitely gotten the best of him.

After a few moments of scanning through the books, Dev chose four of them and got up, taking them into the bedroom. Once he'd closed the panel, he went to the bed and stretched out to read.

* * * *

Standing within the circle, Dev felt an enormous rush of power. The etched figures in the black stone panels glowed with a bright, unearthly light. A hunger within him deepened for more of the exhilarating pulse of energy.

"Every secret known to you." Dev heard the soft whisper close to his ear. "A future that will be everything you want."

There was a seductive lure to the words weaving through Dev's senses. "Nothing will be hidden."

The disc in the center of the circle floated upward from the floor. When it stopped a few inches from the ceiling, rays of light shot downward to the eight spokes in the floor. Rainbow beams of energy surrounded Dev and sent a surge of heat pouring through him.

As the disc began spinning, the kaleidoscope swirl of colors hypnotized him. He reached up toward the spiral and immediately the vast feeling of power increased within Dev. He could feel it inside him. Strong. Invincible.

Glancing down, he noticed the odd symbols glow ever more brightly. For a brief moment understanding of their meaning flooded him, then too quickly faded, leaving him disappointed. In the next moment, the emblems on the back wall flared into flames. The fire engulfed the wall before both disappeared.

Stepping into the vast darkness beyond the room, Dev found himself standing in the backyard near the gazebo. Jay stood near him, staring upward at the house. The house itself seemed to have taken on a new life. Because of an old painting he'd seen, Dev knew it appeared just as it did when Isaiah first built it.

Dev could feel an incredible flow of energy beneath his feet, and its power expanded outward deep into the woods surrounding the property. When he turned toward Jay, he saw James standing beside Jay with his arm around him. Frowning slightly, Dev stepped forward as the other two started to walk off.

"Jay?"

Neither of them stopped, but continued heading toward the front drive. James laughed as Jay stopped long enough to press a kiss to his lips.

"Jay?" The tone of Dev's voice took on a more urgent note, but Jay and James didn't seem to even notice him. Dev knew it should bother him, and he wanted to try to stop them, but the sudden increase of power rinsing from the ground completely distracted him. Its beckoning lure drew him back toward the house, and he was barely aware of anything else.

* * * *

Jay couldn't understand what was happening to Dev. He'd caught him several times in that damned secret room after telling Dev not to go in their alone. Seeing the stack of books on the nightstand, Jay picked one up and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Though the handwriting was definitely English, Jay couldn't make heads or tails of most of it. Emblems of power and generated energy fields weren't his field of expertise. Flipping through the pages, he did his best to figure it out. When the writing became less vague and began to make pointed references to a talisman of power Jay read more carefully.

Turning the page, he studied the drawing of a statue. Its face was human, sort of. The three horns growing out of its head ruined the totally human effect. It sat cross legged with its arms extended out from its body. Strange symbols were carved on the chest and on the base of the statue.

Could this be what empowered the entity in the house? Closing the book, Jay set it back on the pile, then stared at the closet. If he could find that thing, he'd destroy it. Then maybe everything would go back to normal.

James entered the room, carrying an armload of folded clothes. After acknowledging Jay with a nod, he began putting them away. Jay eyed him with a speculative look as he waited for James to finish. Reaching for the book, he opened it to the page that contained the drawing of the statue. When James finished, Jay stopped him from leaving the room.

"James, I want you to help me find this." Holding up the book, he showed it to James.

"I haven't seen anything like that in the house, Jay."

"I think it's in the secret room."

Surprised, James' gaze shifted from Jay toward the closet. Getting up from the bed, Jay opened the closet door. Lately it seemed the panel was never closed. James said nothing as he followed behind Jay.

Jay began looking through the cabinets on one side of the room, and James searched the other. After grabbing a flashlight from the table, Jay crawled into a deep cupboard, rummaging through the contents. When he didn't find the statue, he used the flashlight to tap lightly against the back wall.

"What are you doing?"

Hearing James' question, Jay crawled out of the cupboard. "There might be hidden niches in this place. So make sure you check for that too."

"I will." James started to search the built-in drawers that covered a quarter of one wall. Pulling each one out, he quickly checked through the contents then set it on a nearby table. After looking through several, he reached into the empty cubbyhole and rapped on the back wall with his knuckles. Hearing a hollow sound, he stopped and looked at Jay.

Dropping his own search, Jay moved toward James and grabbed a nearby hammer. "Use this to break through the back."

"But the damage—"

Jay didn't let him finish. "Just smash it."

"Get me the flashlight so I can see what I'm doing."

Jay walked back to the table, grabbed the flashlight and held it up so the beam illuminated inside the hole.

"You know if there are several of these like I think there are, we'll be here all night." With little finesse, James used the hammer to smash through the back wall. Peering closer into the space, all he could see were a pile of papers. "Nope, it's not in there."

Jay started taking out several more drawers and putting them on the table and floor. "We keep going until we find the damn thing."

"Find what thing?" Dev asked as he entered the room.

"We're looking for a statue. A talisman of power. It was mentioned in one of those books." Jay answered him as James took the hammer to the next section of panel.

With the sound of splintering wood, Dev hurried toward them. "Dammit, Jay, there's no reason to tear up the place."

Folding his arms across his chest, Jay scowled at him. "Yes, there is. I'm going to find that statue and smash the thing to bloody pieces."

Not wanting to be a witness to the rising tension between the two, James pulled out the hammer and set it down. "I'll let you discuss this while I go downstairs and finish cooking dinner."

Both of them ignored James as he hastily left the room.

"You're not going to wreck this room, Jay. A lot of this stuff belongs in a museum."

"Maybe if I wreck it, you won't spend so much time in here. Don't think I haven't noticed, Dev." Jay finally gave vent to the aggravated feelings that had been building up in him.

"I've been trying to figure out what's going on." Dev looked away from him, moving toward the drawers that had been dismantled.

Uncertain whether or not he should believe that fully, Jay cut off Dev and forced Dev to look at him. "You come in here by yourself when I've asked you several times not to. Why, Dev?"

Angered by the questioning, Dev glared at him. "I told you."

"It'd be better if you took all this out of here and got rid of it. I don't think you know what you're getting into." Stepping closer to him, Jay laid his hand on Dev's shoulder, trying to massage away the tension.

Dev jerked away from him and stepped back. "I don't care what you think. This belongs to my family. So stay the hell out of this room."

Whirling abruptly away, Dev stalked out of the room, leaving Jay staring in shock at him. When Jay finally moved, he heard the slam of the door downstairs.

* * * *

Several hours later, Dev returned to the house. He'd spent some time in the diner, cooling off. At first, he'd been beyond pissed at Jay's interference. After eating dinner and talking to Martha, he'd calmed himself enough to realize Jay had only been concerned.

Shutting off the car, he stared up at the house, sighing quietly. Maybe they needed some time away from the house. A nice vacation away from it all. He grabbed the boxed lemon meringue pie he'd bought for Jay from the passenger seat.

Balancing the pie in one hand, Dev opened the car door and got out, shutting it behind him. The lights in the living room were on and the curtains hadn't been drawn yet. As he climbed the steps to the porch, he saw James and Jay standing in the living room. When James leaned in and kissed Jay, Dev froze in disbelief.

Neither of them noticed him as James slipped his arm around Jay's shoulder and they headed upstairs. He'd known James and Jay had been lovers, but that had been quite a while before Dev met Jay. His first thought was to charge in there and demand to know what the hell was going on. On the heels of the feeling, a strange calm descended over him.

He quietly opened the front door and took the pie to the kitchen, putting it in the fridge. Being careful not to make any noise, Dev went into the living room and picked up the books he'd left there earlier. Then he crept back outside to the gazebo.

Dev felt no desire to be around Jay. The anger was still there, but it was distant to him, just like Jay seemed to be becoming. Something troubled Dev, but he wasn't entirely sure what it was. He turned on the small light that lit the gazebo and settled in to read. When he opened the book, everything else seemed to fade completely except for the knowledge he was gaining.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Jay hissed and cursed, sucking on the heel of his hand. When the taste of blood became stronger, he resorted to running water over it. As the blood washed away, it became apparent that the cut wasn't big, but it was deep. He sighed and turned off the water, wrapping the dishtowel tightly around his hand.

"Jay?"

He looked up and nodded at James. "I'm okay, just a nasty cut."

James walked up to him and after a moment, Jay finally let the man pull away the bloodied towel. "It's deep. You think you'll need stitches?"

"No." Jay rewrapped his hand, applying a good deal of pressure. "Get me the first aid kit from the bathroom. There's some gauze and medical tape in there."

Nodding, James rushed out of the kitchen, leaving Jay alone. A few minutes later he returned. Jay rinsed the cut off one more time and then let James bandage it, all the while staring out the kitchen window.

"All done. What happened?"

Jay shrugged and pulled his hand back. "Was cutting up vegetables for dinner and the knife slipped."

James gave him a look that made it clear the man wasn't buying that excuse. "Jay, this isn't like you. Something's going on. What's wrong?"

Dinner forgotten, Jay went to the table and dropped into a chair. Looking up at James, he shook his head. "I don't know, James. Ever since he found that room, Dev has been aloof, withdrawing from me. I'm worried about him, about us. He doesn't seem to give a damn."

James knelt down in front of him, a hand resting on one of Jay's knees. "What can I do?"

"I don't know if there's anything to do short of burning the bloody house down," Jay grumbled. "Remember me telling you about that book?" James nodded and Jay continued. "Well, I got in touch with an old colleague who was able to translate bits and pieces online. It's a talisman that's fueling the…" He waved his hand helplessly. "…whatever it is that has hold of this house…and Dev."

Brows furrowing, James turned away and went to the kitchen table. "Jay, there's something I need to tell you."

A knot formed in Jay's stomach, but he managed to nod. "Okay…"

James wouldn't meet his gaze and simply stared at the tabletop. "You know I care greatly for you, right?"

Sitting down at the table, Jay regarded his friend closely. "Yes," he said after a few seconds of silence.

"I didn't come here because the Duchess dismissed me. She sent me to split you up, to come between you."

Ice began to settle somewhere inside Jay. "James—"

"Wait!" James' hand shot out and grasped Jay's. "Please hear me out. I was given a choice: do her bidding, or lose my employment and my reputation. But since I've been here, I've realized that what the two of you have means more than that. I can rebuild a reputation elsewhere; I can find work somewhere else. But I can't replace my friendship with you, or the love between you and Dev. I'm sorry, Jay, and if there's anything I can do to prove that, I'll do it."

More silence hung in the air between them, Jay wondering if he could trust James at this point. How could he have been so stupid to think his mother wouldn't have stooped to such a thing? Sighing, he raked his other hand through his hair. They all needed some time away from the house.

"You want to prove that I can trust you again?"

James nodded.

"I want to get out of here for a while, maybe take a week's vacation somewhere."

"What can I do?"

Jay slid his hand out from under James' and stood, rubbing absently at his hand, which was now throbbing like hell. He stared out the kitchen window at the gazebo where Dev spent most of his time. "Does your cousin still live in Denver?"

"Yes."

"See if you can stay there for about a week or two. I don't want anyone to stay here alone."

James nodded and got up, starting for the phone. "Where are you and Dev going?"

"Mountains, anywhere, I don't know yet. Just anywhere but here."

Jay left the kitchen and went upstairs. If Dev wasn't in the gazebo, there was only one other place he could be. Jay bit back the protests forming; he needed to get Dev out of here and arguing about the secret room wasn't the way to do it. When he reached the bedroom, he was surprised to find Dev asleep on the bed.

"Dev." He sat down beside his husband and patted Dev's shoulder. "Dev, wake up."

"Hmm?" Dev rolled over and looked sleepily up at him. "Hey."

Jay smiled and brushed Dev's hair away from his eyes. "Hi, love. Can we go outside and talk?"

"Outside?"

Nodding, Jay resisted the urge to kiss those lips. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. "Come on. It's a nice night outside. Let's go sit in the gazebo."

He waited while Dev got up and dressed in something more than shorts, then led the way back to the kitchen. Once they were outside, the door closed behind them, Jay let out a slow breath of relief. Outside the house, the air didn't feel so heavy, so oppressive. He took Dev's hand and led him to the gazebo.

"It is nice out here," Dev said, leaning over and against the railing.

Jay nodded, unable to say anything just then. He couldn't remember the last time they'd touched, or the last kiss they'd had. Closing his eyes, he willed away the tiny voice in his head that whispered he was losing the man he loved more than life itself.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

He stepped up to Dev and without thought, reached out, trailing his fingers down his lover's back. "I want us to take a vacation."

Dev hummed, his back arching into the touch. "Where?"

Anywhere but here, Jay thought. "Wherever you want to go.

"Camping?"

"Sounds good to me." Jay ran his hand back up Dev's spine, hoping for more of those happy sounds. It'd been so long since he'd heard them.

"'Kay. My dad and I used to go to the mountains in Colorado." Dev straightened and turned around, surprising Jay by draping his arms over Jay's shoulders.

"I'll talk to your dad. I miss you," Jay whispered, not realizing he'd said it until Dev's expression softened.

"Kiss me?"

Jay didn't give Dev time to say much more than that. He caught Dev's lips with his own, countless weeks of pain and fear coalescing in one desperate kiss. Dev made a soft noise, almost a moan, and pressed closer, pushing them backward until Jay's back hit one of the posts. Everything else faded but the two of them, need quickly replacing worry, easing one knot in Jay's stomach, only to create another.

"Need you," Dev breathed into Jay's mouth, one hand pushing between them to cup Jay through his pants.

Nodding, Jay somehow managed to work both of their pants open. Dev took another kiss, stepping out of his jeans as Jay circled their cocks with his hand, stroking slowly. Dev moaned and stepped back, licking his lips. When he turned around, Dev flashed Jay the most sensual look he'd seen in weeks over his shoulder. Jay spit in his palm and slicked his cock, moving up behind Dev.

"I love you," he murmured, bending just enough to kiss Dev's shoulder as he pushed in.

"Jay!" Dev's head fell back and he straightened, bearing down on Jay as rested his head back on Jay's shoulder. "Oh, God. Missed this…missed you."

Jay didn't trust himself to talk, so he let Dev do it for him, saying all the things that stuck in his throat. He took it slow, drinking in Dev's warmth, his scent, wishing to God it would never end. He barely heard Dev's cry, but he felt his lover's body tighten around him, and Jay let go, tears burning his eyes as he came.

* * * *

"Oh, wow!" Dev spun around in the living room of the cabin, arms outstretched, looking happier than Jay had seen him in quite a while. "It's awesome, babe!"

Jay smiled and set down their suitcases. Then he caught Dev's hand and twirled him around. Dev laughed and stopped, stepping close for a kiss. "I'm glad you like it."

Dev nodded and grinned. "Love it. How long have we got?"

"A whole week, love. No phone, no visitors, no bloody interruptions of any sort for a whole blessed week."

The smile turned devilish and Dev leaned in, licking a slow path over Jay's throat. "Gonna fuck me in here, in front of a roaring fire?"

Tilting his head, Jay closed his eyes, arms sliding around Dev's waist. "And anywhere else I can get my hands on you."

"Good." Dev pulled away and turned, tossing a grin over his shoulder. "Wonder what the bedroom looks like…"

Like a love struck puppy, Jay followed right behind Dev, gaze locked onto that ass teasing him with every step Dev took. By the time they reached the bedroom, Jay was hard as a rock and judging from the way Dev stared at him, fingers working Dev's jeans open, Jay figured it was a pretty good guess that they were on the same page. He undressed as well, then watched as Dev climbed into bed.

"Oh." Dev smoothed his hand over the bedspread. "Soft." Crooking his finger, he beckoned Jay to him. "Want you."

"Got me," Jay said as he crawled onto the bed. He parted Dev's legs and kissed his way up first one thigh, then the other. When he reached the top, Dev was hard, the scent of his arousal hitting Jay like a freight train. Jay pushed Dev's legs up toward Dev's chest, then leaned down to flick his tongue over the shaft of Dev's cock.

Dev gasped and gripped his legs, freeing Jay's hands. "Jay…"

Hopelessly lost, Jay scooted down and licked Dev's hole, drinking in the musky taste, the faint hint of soap, and Dev's cries for more. Spreading Dev open, Jay licked and sucked the puckered skin, Dev's hips lifting and rocking against him. Unable to resist any longer, Jay pushed his tongue in.

"Jay!"

He fucked Dev with his tongue until his lover was writhing, calling out to him in panting breaths. Jay relented and slid back up Dev's body, cock plunging deep as he took Dev's mouth in a kiss.

Dev keened, legs wrapping tight around Jay's waist, driving him deeper. Hands braced on either side of Dev's head, Jay rode the moans, the pleas, hips bucking when Dev's nails raked down his back.

Dev gasped. His eyes were wide, wild, and his neck arched when Jay thrust in, pegging his gland. "Jay!"

"Come on, love," Jay growled. "Give me what I want, Dev. Let me feel you."

"Yes. Oh, fuck…" Dev cried out, body tightening around Jay's cock like a vise. Heat spread between them and Dev jerked through the last aftershocks.

"Dev." Jay thrust several more times and froze, the world going gray at the edges as he came deep inside of Dev.

Groaning, he rested his head on Dev's shoulder. Dev's arms snaked around his neck, Dev nodding.

"Love you," Jay whispered, kissing the curve of Dev's ear. "So much."

"Love you, too, Jay." Dev lifted Jay's head and smiled up at him, finger tracing down Jay's face to his lips. "Thank you."

Jay tilted his head, half in confusion and half wanting more of that touch. "For what?"

"For this. For you…for us."

Smiling slowly, Jay lowered his head and kissed Dev softly. "No need to thank me, love. I'd do anything for you, anything for us."

He brushed Dev's necklace to the side, for once not caring that Dev was wearing that damned pendant, and kissed his husband's neck. Dev hummed, turned his head to give Jay more room. This was their time; the rest of the world—supernatural or otherwise—be damned.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Jay settled on the bed beside Dev, a bowl of sliced strawberries in one hand. He set the bowl on the table beside the bed and grabbed a strawberry slice before straddling Dev. Leaning down, he rubbed the sweet fruit over Dev's left nipple, then bent to lick it clean.

"Oh." Dev's fingers slid through Jay's hair, pulling him closer. "Jay."

Jay nodded and hummed, taking Dev's nipple into his mouth to suck and nibble. Dev arched under him, heart pounding beneath Jay's lips. Jay released him and kissed his way back up to Dev's mouth.

"Good morning, love."

"Fuck yes, it is," Dev groaned, hips rocking a little.

Beneath Jay, Dev was hard, settled neatly between Jay's buttocks. He shifted slightly and moaned when the head of Dev's cock grazed his hole. Strawberry forgotten, Jay dropped it into the bowl and pulled open the drawer. Lube in hand, he took a kiss as he popped the cap on the tube.

"In me," he whispered, grabbing one of Dev's hands. He slicked Dev's fingers then tossed the lube to the floor.

Dev broke the kiss and stared up at him as two fingers pushed deep inside Jay. "God, you feel good, Jay."

Jay could only nod, breath leaving him as he rode Dev's fingers. "Now. In me, Dev."

The fingers left and then Dev was sliding in, hands resting on Jay's hips to push him down. Jay gasped and sat up, eyes rolling back as he sank completely down on his husband's cock. They both stilled then, just touching, inside and out. Jay ground down a little, the motion causing Dev's prick to slide over his gland. Sparks skittered up Jay's spine and he grabbed his cock.

"Yeah," Dev said breathlessly as he started to move. "Come on, love. Come for me."

"Oh, God." Jay's strokes sped up, hips jerking as he rode Dev hard. "Dev!" Seconds after he came, Dev filled him, groaning through the aftershocks.

"Fuck."

Collapsing onto Dev's chest, Jay just nodded.

* * * *

Jay chuckled when Dev set the Monopoly board on the table. Three days into their stay and it was the first day they'd done something besides eat, sleep, or make love. Not that he was complaining, especially since Dev was still dressed in nothing but a pair of loose-fitting, silk lounge pants. Jay's mind was far from games, but then again, he was just glad to have his husband back. And smiling.

"What do you want to be?" Dev asked as he counted out their banks.

"Hmm…" Jay sat forward from where he'd been comfortably reclined on the couch. "Race car."

Dev laughed, counted out Jay's starting money under his breath, then handed it to Jay. "Why am I not surprised?"

Jay lifted an eyebrow at him before spreading out his bank. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Really, babe…" Dev smirked. "Coy does not become you at all. Besides, you honestly think I can forget those wild rides on your motorcycle?"

Leaning forward a little more, Jay brushed his lips over Dev's. "No. You just like having something powerful vibrating between your legs."

The temperature in the room shot up by about a hundred degrees as Dev's eyes locked onto Jay's.

"You offering?"

Jay shoved the board off the table, sending money and game pieces clattering to the floor. "I'm promising."

* * * *

With Dev in the city visiting his father, Jay enlisted James' aid in tearing apart the secret room. He was willing to gut the entire room to find the talisman statue. It had only taken two weeks since they'd returned from their vacation for everything to go back to the way it had been.

At first uncertain with the whole thing, James hung back, watching Jay take all the drawers out of the large build-in cabinet. Once Jay finished stacking them on the floor, he grabbed a sledge hammer and began breaking the wooden framework apart to get at the back. Sighing, James started searching through the drawers. The continuous splintering of the wood made him wince.

Jay was fiercely determined to find that statue, and ignored James' reluctance. The breaking of the wood eased some of Jay's frustration at the situation. Since they'd come back, the house seemed to have laid claim to Dev again. Dev was distant and constantly either in this room or reading the books lining the book shelves. It felt like their time away had done no good at all.

As Jay swung the sledge hammer, he cracked the last section of wood. The panels in the back wall were exposed, and they could see it was segmented in many smaller sections. Five of them looked large enough to possibly contain the statue, and he motioned to James to help him.

"What are you going to do if you find this statue, Jay?" James knelt on the floor to get to the panel nearest the floor.

"Smash the bloody thing to hell."

Reaching for a small hammer, James cracked the wood with his first hit. Jay moved toward the bookcase as James searched through the contents that had been hidden.

Pulling several books from one of the shelves, Jay tapped at the back panel but the sound was solid. When he removed the next set of books, an envelope slipped from between them and fell to the floor. After Jay put the books to the side, he stooped down and picked it up. Taking the letter out, Jay realized it was from Dev's friend Percy. It surprised him that obviously Dev had tried to hide it from him, but its content didn't surprise him at all. The equipment had picked up a long list of anomalies in the house. Jay's heart dropped when he read about the repeated voices saying Dev's name.

Although Percy had invited Dev to come to the office and go over the data, Jay knew Dev hadn't. Nor had Dev heeded Percy's advice to arrange a more detailed investigation and to vacate the premises until it could be completed. Sighing, Jay replaced the letter in the envelope and put it down on top of the books. He felt like tearing the whole room apart just to end this.

Looking up at Jay and seeing his expression, James paused. "What's wrong?"

"Tomorrow we need to head into the city. I want to talk to Dev's friend Percy. That letter was from him."

James got up from the floor and walked over to the pile of books, picking up the envelope. After pulling the letter out, he quickly scanned the contents. "I don't know what to say, Jay. At first I wasn't sure if you were doing the right thing. But I know something is going on here, and I don't need this letter to tell me that."

In anger and frustration, Jay clenched his fists at his sides. At times he felt like he was waging a losing battle, but he refused to let go of Dev. No matter how distant or cold his husband became, Jay wouldn't give up. "Dev won't be back until tomorrow, James. Today we'll search this room and tomorrow we'll go see Percy. I'll give him a call later and set it up. God, I hope we can get rid of that bloody thing before Dev comes home."

Both of them renewed their efforts in finding the statue. By lunch time, James had gone through half the hidden cubbyholes, and Jay had removed all the books on the shelves. They still hadn't found anything, though, and the room was in a state of chaos.

After a quick lunch, they returned to their work with a grim determination. Even though a bleak depression had settled over Jay, he continued looking for potential hiding places in the room. If they didn't find the statue in there, they'd tackle the attic next.

Carefully Jay climbed the bookcase and methodically began tapping the wall at the top of the shelves. When he reached the middle of it, a hollow sound rewarded his efforts. As he reached down, trying to grab the hammer from the table, James stepped forward and picked it up, handing it to Jay.

Using the hammer, Jay punched a hole in the wall. He wasn't in the mood to try to figure out how to open the damn panel. The moment he caught a glimpse of something shiny within the hole, he reached inside and felt the smoothness of a large object then pulled it out. Feeling a triumphant surge, he recognized the statue from the drawing he'd seen.

"That's it." James crowed triumphantly behind him as Jay climbed down the bookcase with the statue in hand.

Setting it on the table, Jay stared at it, half expecting something to happen. But there was only silence. James picked up the sledge hammer and handed it to him. The leering features seemed to mock Jay, and he lifted the heavy hammer. A loud crash sounded from the attic above them. James jumped slightly, but Jay refused to be deterred. With a great deal of satisfaction, he brought the sledge hammer down on the statue's head, breaking off a chunk of it.

A low rumbling seemed to come from the house, and the sound rose in volume as the shaking of the walls brought plaster down on them. Jay started to laugh as he hit what was left of the statue two more times.

Just as quickly, the house became silent again except for Jay's laughter. As he put the sledge hammer down on the table, James' arm slid around him in a quick hug. Arm in arm, they left the secret room in an exultant mood.

Downstairs in the kitchen, James fixed celebratory cups of tea, and when the phone rang, Jay answered it. "Brooks and Wharton residence."

"This is Albert Denner. I would like to speak to Jay Wharton."

"Hello, Albert. Jay here." When James handed him a cup of tea, Jay flashed him a grin.

"I finished the Latin translations you wanted. Are you going to be in town anytime soon?"

"I was planning on making the trip tomorrow."

"I'll be in my office after four so you can stop in when you want. I also wanted to ask if you have any more books like that journal."

"There's quite a few here, but that might be the only Latin one, Albert."

James leaned against the counter with his own cup, listening.

"I'd be most interested in reading any others you have, Jay. The one I have is a most unusual journal."

"I'll bet it is." Jay couldn't help the edge of dryness in his tone. "I'll drop a few off when I come in to see you."

"See you then. Bye."

Jay hung up as James asked, "He wants to read some of those books?"

"Yes, he does. And I'll be happy to let him as long as it gets rid of them. He can keep them for all I care."

Before James could say anything, the phone rang again. After a quick sip of his tea, Jay answered it in his usual fashion.

"Hey, Jay, Dev anywhere around? It's Percy."

"No, Dev is visiting his dad, but I was going to call you. I'll be in town tomorrow, and I wanted to see the data you had."

"I can arrange that." Jay heard the rustling of paper before Percy continued, "I'm free at two if that's a good time to come in."

Since it fit in perfectly with his appointment with Albert, Jay agreed. "I'll be there. Talk to you later, Percy." After they said their goodbyes, Jay hung up then leaned back against the counter, relaxing. "We'll have a busy day tomorrow."

The house had a sense of peacefulness to it, and Jay absorbed the feeling as he drank his tea. Smiling at James, he said, "Maybe we should have a party to welcome Dev home."

"We can pick up some champagne before we go to Percy's. After all of this, you both deserve it."

"Right now, I'm going to get some of those books for Albert. Find me a box to put them in. A very large box." Grinning, Jay set his cup down then pushed from the counter to head upstairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The light-hearted mood Jay shared with James over lunch at Brenner's faded as they listened to the audio tapes Percy's equipment had recorded during their stay in the house. Repeatedly the recorder had caught a voice whispering Dev's name. None of them had heard it at the time, but it could be heard very clearly on the tape.

The cameras had also picked up several incidents of the distinct movement of objects or unexplained dark shadows, and James and Jay viewed each one.

"As you can see there's nobody in the room, guys. But that rocker is definitely moving back and forth." Percy commented as he pointed to the rocking chair on the screen.

"Looks like somebody is sitting in it." James glanced at Jay with a frown.

"Dan and Marley were outside at the time, setting up the equipment for the gazebo. The rest of us were in the secret room. Now watch this part." Percy settled back in his chair as they all watched the screen intently.

A moment later it appeared as if half of the attic was in complete darkness. They could see one of the light bulbs burning but the other looked like it had gone out in the blackness. Then the entire room blacked out and the camera showed nothing but a black screen. A loud noise followed like the house was shaking.

In the background, they could hear several footsteps running up the stairs, then the blackness disappeared as if the camera was suddenly turned back on. The attic door opened and Percy, Dev, and Jay entered the room.

"Remember we were in the secret room at the time and heard the noise then ran upstairs to the attic."

"Yes, I remember, Percy." Jay remembered the incident vividly.

"There's one last clip. This is why I wanted you guys out of the way while we did a more detailed investigation." Percy took out the tape from the VCR then inserted another one. After pressing the play button, he sat back, watching Jay.

Jay saw Dev enter the attic then turn slowly around, looking bemused. There was a flicker of movement on the other side of room then a hazy shape appeared.

Out of the blue, an oddly eerie voice said, "A child. You must have a child. One of our blood."

Jay knew it wasn't Dev's voice.

Dev shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not going to have kids."

"He must die. Another must take his place."

"Or you will die."

Dev jumped suddenly and shivered. "It all dies with me."

A roar of outrage startled both James and Jay, and on the screen Dev's hands covered his ears, trying to block it out. A blast of wind came from nowhere; they could hear the howl of it, but nothing in the room appeared to be effected by it except Dev when he staggered back a few steps. Dev picked up one of the boxes near him and hurled it towards the sudden appearance of shadows. Swiftly, blackness concealed the back wall of the attic then began to cover the ceiling. That's when Dev turned abruptly and ran for the stairs. After the door slammed, the darkness completely cleared and the attic appeared normal as if nothing had happened in the room.

From the time blinking on the screen Jay figured it had happened when they were all asleep. Looking away from the TV, Jay showed his own bemusement. "We all were there, but none of us heard anything."

"I didn't even realized it had happened until we viewed the tapes. I'm going to guess Dev didn't tell you about it."

Jay frowned, his fingers tapping impatiently to the table. "There were a lot of things he didn't tell me. I did find out that that thing, whatever it was, was linked to a talisman statue. We tore apart the secret room to find the bloody thing. Finally we found it yesterday, and I smashed it to pieces."

Percy gave Jay an uncertain look. "If I didn't know better, it's starting to look like an entity is trying to possess Dev. Whether the spirit of somebody dead or not, that's totally out of my field of expertise."

"The house feels different now. Just take my word for it. If you want to come out again, you can. But it might be a wasted trip, Percy."

"Won't be able to do it today since we're already set up for another house. But we can review the recordings from it after we set up your house. So we'll be out there tomorrow around six in the evening."

"I'll set extra plates for dinner." James smiled at Percy, offering his hand as he and Jay stood up.

Shaking first James' hand then Jay's, Percy said, "See you guys then."

After leaving the office, James turned to look at Jay. "That was fucking creepy. If I'd have known, I'd never have stayed in that damn house."

"If I'd known, I would have dragged Dev out of there and never returned."

Checking his watch as they headed towards the car, James muttered, "It's almost four o'clock. We need to be at Mr. Denner's office so we better get going."

"Dev said he probably wouldn't be home until six. We still have plenty of time to get to Denner's office then home." Jay unlocked the car then slid in, unlocking the passenger side for James.

When James slid into the passenger seat, Jay said, "Check the notepad for the directions to get to Denner's."

James reached into the back seat and picked up the pad. He read over it as Jay started the car. "Make a right onto Elmhurst then get on 72 South. Go to exit 40 and go right from the exit ramp. It shouldn't take us too long to get there."

After pulling out onto the street, Jay made an immediate right on Elmhurst. "I know the directions said something about a big white building."

"Yeah, after we get off the 72, you'll make a right then a left onto State Street. His office is three blocks down in a large, white building on the right."

The traffic on the 72 slowed them down to a crawl, and James commented dryly, "May take us a bit longer than I thought."

It took them fifteen minutes to get to exit 40, and Jay had already cursed several times under his breath. The congestion finally eased as they got off the 72. A few minutes later they parked the car next to the curb near Denner's office. Jay grabbed the box of books from the back seat and got out of the car. James followed him into the building.

Stopping by the receptionist's desk, Jay said, "I'm Jay Wharton. We're here to see Albert Denner."

She nodded with a smile then pressed a blue button on her console. "You can go back. It's the third office on the right."

A buzz sounded from the door near the desk as it unlocked and James opened it for Jay. Carrying the box of books, Jay stepped into the long hall then walked to the third office. Quickly, James opened the door for him, then they both entered the room.

Albert Denner looked up, smiling when he saw them. "I wasn't sure what time you would get here, Jay."

"I brought some more books for you, though I couldn't find anymore in Latin." As Jay set the box on the desk, Albert reached for it and pulled it down to the floor beside him.

Jay and James sat down in the chairs in front of Albert's desk, watching him look through the books before Albert addressed them again. "I do have some interest in alchemy so the book you gave me to translate proved to be very informative. Did you want the book back right away? Several colleagues of mine would be most interested in reading it."

"No, you can keep the books for as long as you want, Albert. This is only a very small part of what we found. I'd be more than happy to lend you whatever you want to read."

"I must visit you then. To see the collection for myself."

"Any time you want to, Albert. Just call in advance to let me know." Jay had no problem with him coming to the house.

Pulling a stack of papers towards him, Albert nodded to Jay. "This is the translation of the book. Quite a bit of it is rather dry, but I highlighted some of the more relevant writings. The gentleman who wrote it, Isaiah, showed a great deal of knowledge about alchemy and magic. Not exactly part of a gentlemen's education in his time. Mainly his writing talked about his studies and experiments."

Both of them relaxed in their seats, listening to him. Jay felt the urge to explain to Albert that Isaiah had succeeded in at least one of his experiments, but he refrained.

"Closer to the end of the book, it seems Isaiah strayed more and more into what I would call elemental magic. He spent the majority of his time trying to find a way to tap into the power of his own land. In fact he wrote about a talisman that he believed carried the source of that power." Pausing, Albert moved several of the papers on his desk, searching for something.

"I drew a sketch from the description he gave, but I'm not sure where I put it."

"A statue with three horns, right?" Jay asked as he watched him.

Albert shook his head, continuing to look through the pile of papers. A moment later, he pulled one from the stack. "Ah, here it is. I believe it's designed to be worn as a necklace. So it's not a statue."

As he held up the sketch, showing it to them, James gasped and all the color drained from Jay's face. Both of them instantly recognized the necklace that Dev wore.

* * * *

Dev stood in the kitchen, debating about whether or not to make dinner. He'd read Jay's note, but he wasn't certain what time he and James would be home. Still he did want to make a special dinner just for the heck of it.

He began to prepare the chicken he'd bought, breading the breasts in egg and cracker crumbs. Once he finished, he could set the pan in the refrigerator and put them in the oven when Jay and James got home. It wouldn't take more than a half an hour to cook everything.

Part of Dev knew things had been getting off track between him and Jay. He wasn't entirely happy with it either and had come home determined to set everything right. When he finished breading the chicken, he set the pan in the fridge and began making the au gratin potatoes.

As he glanced out the kitchen window, he saw a hazy form standing near the gazebo. Without thinking about it, Dev went out the back door towards the ghost. He knew who it was. The youthful face of his grandmother watched him as he approached him. He sensed the melancholy air that clung to her as he stopped in front of her.

"Leave, Devon. It will never be over until you do." Glancing upward toward the house, she stared at it for a moment. "He needs you to come back."

Whirling, Dev looked up at the house and saw a figure standing at the attic window. Even with the distance, he just knew it was the face of Isaiah Brooks. The sight didn't surprise Dev. Staring up at him, Dev realized the man was behind everything. "You son of a bitch."

Stalking back towards the house, Dev ignored his grandmother's entreaties for him to stop. The minute he'd seen Isaiah, Dev realized the last few months had been Isaiah's fault. His obsession over those damn books hadn't been his own. A blinding rage drove Dev back into the house then up the stairs to confront Isaiah.

Instead of going to the attic, Dev headed toward the secret room. He knew Isaiah would be there. When he entered the room, he saw the bastard standing in the center of the circle. As Dev stilled not to far from him, Isaiah spoke, "Dead or alive, Devon. It doesn't matter either way. I still win."

The mocking expression made Dev lunge for him, but before he could reach Isaiah a rope coiled around his throat. Desperately, Dev tried to pull on the rope but it tightened and dragged him upward until he was dangling a few inches from the floor.

"As I said, either way I win. It's your choice, grandson." An unpleasant smile creased Isaiah's lips as he watched Dev struggle.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

James didn't even have the car turned off before Jay was jumping out, not bothering to close the door behind him. Seeing Dev's car in the drive, Jay ran to the front door and fumbled for a second, trying to unlock it without breaking the key. Soon as it was unlocked, he shoved the door open, causing it to bang against the wall.

"Dev!" When he heard a loud crash above his head, Jay took the stairs two at a time, heart pounding as he ran up them. He could hear James right behind him. When they reached the bedroom, Jay didn't stop until he got to the secret room. "Dev!"

Dev tried to cry out to Jay as a wall of darkness formed around Isaiah, blocking him from their view, then a loud roar shook the walls as the blackness swelled. Dev managed to flex his feet to touch the ground as he tried to pull the cord from around his throat. When the rope yanked him a few inches higher, his legs dangled in the air. Unable to breathe, Dev choked as the rope stayed wound tightly around his neck.

Jay grabbed Dev around the waist and lifted him enough to create a little slack. Balancing Dev in one arm, he reached up with the other and caught the cord, jerking it downward with all of his strength. Dev collapsed into his arms, gasping for breath.

The house shook violently and things began falling from their shelves. The black mass of shadows swirled, threatening to engulf everything. As James took Dev, cradling him in his arms, Jay wrapped his hand around the chain of Dev's necklace and yanked it off. He scrambled for the hammer still sitting on the floor, dodging books and God-knew what else.

Dev broke free from James and ran into the black cloud, intent on attacking Isaiah. James tried to grab for him but missed and hesitated for a moment as the darkness swallowed Dev.

"You bastard!" Dev's yell of outrage nearly drowned in the uproar within the room. Glass jars shattered on impact against the walls, books ejected from their shelves, and the house seemed to shake from its very foundations.

Finally getting hold of the hammer, Jay slammed the necklace on the floor and brought the hammer down on it. Managing to crack one of the small slabs of stone in the necklace, Jay hit it again with the hammer several more times, chipping off pieces of it. Small cracks appeared in the inlaid stone of the floor. With each smash of the hammer to the necklace, the cracks lengthened and widened in the floor.

An unholy shriek followed, then a force within the shadows exploded, expelling Dev and throwing him across the room. James and Jay ran over to him, shielding him from the debris as Isaiah's spirit raged. A sharp, piercing cry split the air, then everything fell silent.

Stunned, Dev didn't react right away as he lay on the floor, trying to catch his breath. A moment later when the dust settled, Dev looked around, bemused. The mangled pieces of the necklace lay on the floor in the midst of the debris. Large cracks damaged the appearance of the circle, and the oddly oppressive air that haunted the house had dissipated, leaving only blissful quiet.

"Dev?" Jay pushed Dev's hair out of the way to see his eyes. "Look at me. Please tell me it's you."

Blinking. Dev looked back at Jay. "Who the hell else would I be?"

Reaching for Jay, Dev hugged tightly to him and started laughing. He couldn't help it. Burying his face against Jay's hair, Dev whispered, "I think it's okay now."

Jay shuddered in relief, holding Dev tight. "Thank God. Oh, thank God."

"Hate to break the moment," James said after a couple of minutes, "but am I the only one who feels the need to get the hell out of this house for a while?"

"I have a special dinner made." Somehow everything still hadn't fully sunk into Dev and his comment showed it. Pulling back from Jay, Dev moved to stand up and pulled Jay with him.

Jay and James exchanged looks. "Um, babe…" Jay's brow wrinkled as he tried to find the correct way to explain things. He finally gave up. "Okay. Let's go downstairs. Then maybe a nice, long vacation is in order. You think your dad is up for company for a while?"

Heading for the stairs, Dev looked over his shoulder at them. "You guys want to tell me what happened? I was in the kitchen fixing dinner, and I saw my grandmother again. When I went outside, I saw Isaiah in the attic window. I wanted to kill him, and I think he nearly killed me."

"To say the least," James muttered.

"Dev." Jay caught Dev's arm, stopping him. "It's over. Isaiah's gone. The key was the necklace. Once I destroyed it, Isaiah's spirit went with it."

Dev paused in front of the kitchen, seeming lost in thought for a moment. Finally, he slipped his arm around Jay and said, "I don't think I want to live here anymore. Maybe we should get out of here just in case anything else happens."

"Agreed. James, pack enough for us all to leave for a while. We'll stay in a hotel if we have to. I'll find us another place." He kissed Dev softly, then rested his forehead to Dev's and sighed. "Thought I was going to lose you."

James nodded to Jay and sprinted back upstairs, disappearing into Jay and Dev's bedroom.

"I realized my behavior has been weird, and I wanted to make up for it by fixing dinner for you. That got blown all to hell." Turning his head slightly, he pressed a kiss to Jay's cheek. "I need to turn off the oven then we can all leave. After we get to Dad's, we can have everything else moved out of here. Might be a good idea to do exactly what my grandfather wanted to do to this house."

"Good." Jay slipped a finger under Dev's chin and tilted Dev's head up. "Love you," he whispered.

Dev gave into his own urge, and the brush of his lips covered Jay's. Their lives had been far too much like a roller coaster, and Dev had only started to realize it. Free from whatever spell had befuddled him, Dev started to understand just how bizarre his own behavior had been. His arms slid around Jay, keeping him close as the hunger of their kiss deepened.

Leaning back against the doorframe of the kitchen, Jay all but devoured Dev in the kiss. When they finally broke for air, he smiled. "Get the oven off and let's get the bloody hell out of here."

* * * *

After paying for the hotel room, Dev handed Jay the key and drove the car towards the back of the building, looking for room 167. Spotting the room, Dev parked the car in front of the door. He grabbed for their cases from the back seat and got out of the car.

"James will be fine at Dad's. I just wanted a night or two to ourselves before we start looking for another place."

A smile quirked Jay's lips as he got out of the car and met Dev at the door. Unlocking it, he opened it and walked in. "You do have quite a bit to make up for, love."

"We should be able to afford another place with no problem." Dev had thought about their finances on the drive into the city. He had every plan to tear down the family house. Whether they'd ever rebuild on the property was up in the air.

"Don't care. Don't want to talk." Jay murmured, and the tone of his voice distracted Dev. Once they both were inside, the door shut and locked, Jay took the cases from Dev and dropped them to the floor. Then he pushed Dev back against the door and kissed him.

Dev understood Jay's mood and answered it. His fingers slipped under the edge of Jay's shirt, wanting to feel the skin beneath. They had a lot of things to make up for now that everything was thankfully past them.

Breaking the kiss, Jay pulled his shirt off, then Dev's, dropping both to the floor. Then he started on Dev's jeans, kissing his way down Dev's neck as he shoved the jeans to the floor.

"Love you, babe," Dev whispered to him. Toeing off his shoes, he stepped out of his pants and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the hunger of Jay's arousal.

"Love you, too." Jay dropped to his knees, kissing a path down Dev's stomach, hands sliding up his thighs, then between them. He cupped Dev's balls gently, rolling them in his palm as he licked a line down the length of Dev's cock.

Closing his eyes, he rested his hand in Jay's hair, giving into the sensations Jay brought out in him. The nudge of his hips demanded entry into the heat of Jay's mouth as his fingers tugged at Jay's hair.

Wrapping his fingers around the shaft, Jay flicked the tip of Dev's cock with his tongue, moaning softly. Then he opened his mouth and drew Dev in, gaze locked onto Dev as he swallowed.

"Jay." A groan enveloped the name and Dev's fingers tangled more tightly in Jay's hair. Remaining against the wall, Dev let Jay set the rhythm but it didn't take long for Dev to want more. His hand slid down to Jay's shoulder, drawing him up then pushed him toward the bed.

Crouching down, Dev fumbled in one of the bags for the lube. As he straightened, he watched intently as Jay stripped for him before sliding onto the bed. Slowly approaching the bed, Dev's gaze fastened on the lazy stroke of Jay's hand over his own hardening cock.

Giving him a sexy smile, Jay's voice lowered to a deeper level. "Come here, love. I've got just the thing you need."

Kneeling beside Jay, Dev opened the tube and poured a generous amount of the gel into his palm. Brushing Jay's hand aside, Dev took over, slicking Jay's cock. Jay groaned, thrusting up into Dev's fist.

"Dev."

Dev remained motionless except for the movement of his hand, stroking over Jay's cock. He loved the sight of his husband captivated by the sensations Dev aroused in him. A bare, open need glazed Jay's eyes, and Dev took the moment to relish Jay's reaction to him.

Straddling Jay, Dev used his hand to guide Jay's cock slowly inside him. The downward shift of his hips buried Jay deeply in his ass, making Dev slowly shudder in response.

"Oh, God…" Jay's eyes rolled back and he gripped Dev's hips, his own lifting to drive him deeper inside Dev. "Dev."

His hips rocked slowly against Jay, feeling the pressure stretch his ass in a pleasurably delicious sensation. One hand wrapped around his own cock and the other kneaded against Jay's chest, nails scraping gently over one nipple. "I want it to last forever, Jay."

Jay hissed and bucked. Anchoring his feet, he bent his legs up, giving himself more leverage, and thrust up hard, jerking Dev down at the same moment. "Come on," he grunted, gaze heated and determined as he stared at Dev. "Fucking ride me."

Dev fingers pinched lightly at Jay's nipple, and he maintained the same, excruciatingly slow pace. The friction against his prostrate drew a deep groan from him as Dev's other hand squeezed in its up and down motion to his cock. Staring down at Jay, Dev whispered, "I can't get enough of the feel of you. God, it drives me crazy."

Beyond words, Jay could only nod. He managed to slow down a little, letting Dev set the pace. Hands on Dev's hips, Jay rocked them both, the sensations sending sparks throughout his body.

Lowering his head, Dev's teeth and tongue replaced his fingers, suckling on the hard nub. The need to taste and feel overrode everything else, and each stroke of his hand and grind of his hips pushed them both closer to the edge of urgency. Releasing the nipple, Dev left a trail of kisses across Jay's chest before he latched onto the other one. His fingers caressed in a slow path downward over Jay's stomach then slipped further, reaching beneath his ass. One tip ran gently against Jay's cock before pushing in alongside it.

"Oh, fuck," Jay gasped, his movements faltered for a moment. "Fuck, Dev." Releasing Dev's hip, Jay tilted Dev down and reached behind him, sliding one of his fingers inside Dev as well. "Fuck, yes," he growled.

The hand on Dev's cock quickened as the sudden aching need flooded him, and the push of his hips became harder and more urgent. He bit hard at Jay's nipple before he released it, gasping out Jay's name. Several shudders rolled through Dev before lightning shot through his body. Warm, sticky liquid spurted over Jay's stomach as he came.

Jay pulled his finger out and grabbed Dev's hips, flipping him over. Mouth crashing down on Dev's, Jay began thrusting fast and deep, need overwhelming the desire to be gentle. Without warning his orgasm hit and he jerked, hips slamming into Dev as Jay shot. Breathless, he collapsed, panting, face pressed against Dev's shoulder.

Dev collapsed against the covers, wrapping his arms around Jay. He didn't want to be separated from him just yet. After a moment when his breath began to return to normal, he raised his head burrowing in against Jay's neck. "I love you."

"Love you, too, babe." Jay pulled out slowly and rolled onto his side, holding Dev close. "So much."

Relaxing against Jay, Dev could only thank God things were back to normal for them. The solid feel of his husband's body was a comfort all its own, and Dev refused to give it up for any reason for the time being.

When the phone rang, Dev deliberately buried his face against Jay's chest with a groan.

Sighing, Jay twisted and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Mr. Wharton?"

"Yes."

"This is the front desk. We have a message for you to contact…James?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you." Jay hung up the phone and groaned. "I just got a message to call James at your dad's."

Surprised, Dev drew back, blinking at Jay. Grabbing the phone, he dialed his dad's number then handed the phone back to Jay.

When Dev's father answered the phone, Jay said, "Hi, James. Is…" He blinked. "Is James there?" he finally finished with a slight chuckle.

"Hi there, Jay. Yeah, here he is."

"Jay, it's James."

"James? What's wrong?" Something inside Jay tightened simply from the tone of James' voice.

"It's your mother, Jay. She's…" James sighed and his voice lowered slightly. "She's had a heart attack, Jay."

Numbness settled throughout him and Jay didn't answer. He just hung up the phone and stared unblinking at the ceiling.

Seeing Jay's paled features sent a feeling of alarm through Dev. Laying his hand gently on Jay's chest, he asked quietly, "What's wrong, Jay?"

"My mum had a heart attack."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, love." Draping his arm over Jay, he drew him close, pressing Jay's head in against his shoulder. "Do you want to go to England?"

Arm sliding around Dev, Jay held him tightly, pressing his face in Dev's hair. "I have to," he whispered.

"It's all right, love. We'll go." Slowly Dev rocked Jay against him. He didn't care about the reasons he'd fled England in the first place. His first concern was his husband, and Dev had every intention of going with him. Nothing would ever part them again.

About the Authors

Mychael Black never set out to write erotic romance (or romance or erotica, for that matter). When Mychael first started writing (way back when), it was to be a fantasy author—someone along the lines of Tolkien or Mercedes Lackey. Mychael even thought about breaking into horror. Then, somewhere down the line, Mychael got hooked on gay porn.

The rest is history.

Born in Alabama in 1976, Mychael is known by many names. At this point, most people in the e-publishing world (readers and authors) know Mychael as Kay Derwydd.

The name Mychael Black came about when Mychael started working with Shayne Carmichael. (See Shayne's bio for the progression of that whole thing.) To date, Mychael has written countless works with Shayne, plus several single-authored works as Mychael Black.

When not writing, Mychael can usually be found researching anything medieval—arms, armor, history, religion; anything Welsh—culture, language, history; languages—namely Welsh, Hebrew, German; and only God knows what else.

Aside from research, writing, and editing, Mychael spends most of the time chasing down two young children and fighting off the plot bunnies left and right.

More information can be found at the following places:

http://www.geocities.com/mychaelblack

http://mychael-black2.livejournal.com

Who is Shayne Carmichael? His real name is Shayne Lee Smith. He was born in Itazuke, Japan to American parents. (ie - Dad was in the Air Force). From the age of three to eight, he lived in Taiwan. He's traveled a lot, and only discovered even more he wants to learn about the world.

When not writing, Shayne is a self taught PHP and MySql dynamo. Or at least one would think from the number of scripts he's been begged to write for free. With any spare time left to him, Shayne runs ERWI (Erotic Romance Writers International), aggravates his co-author, Mychael, to no end, often drowns under Mychael's plot bunnies, and holds a forty hour a week job.

Currently Shayne is working on a six book series, The Legends of the Romanorum. Blood Ties, Blood Magic and Blood Sins are being written by Shayne. The Prince's Angel, And the Two Shall Become One, and Forever May Not Be Long Enough are being written by Shayne and Mychael. Included in the writing list are a few other books, Magic and the Pagan, Night Song, and numerous novellas and shorts.

Shayne writes under the pen names of Sable St Germain and Shayne Carmichael. Sable was an RP character he used to play. Shayne Carmichael is a combination of his first name and Cian's (Angel/sorcerer in The Prince's Angel) last name. The character Shayne writes for in The Prince's Angel is Mael Black. That would explain why Mychael's last name is Black, and the character Mychael writes for is Cian.

Shayne's first official publishing contact is with Phaze for the Power of Two. A vampire D/s, BDSM story written with Mychael Black. The status of Phaze author has been one of their goals. Having achieved that, their next goal is to take over the world.

Over the last nine years, Shayne has rped (roleplayed) and written both male and female characters. Gay, lesbian and het (vanilla and non vanilla). You could say he runs the gamut.

He's never believed whatever gender he happens to possess dictates what he can and can't write. And he pretty much ignores anybody who thinks that way. Especially since he's never been a vampire, were tiger, ghost or guide, but he writes about them anyway.

Hell, he could be a woman pretending to be a man, or a man pretending to be a woman. He might be a 21 year old sex crazed female or a 60 year old dirty old man. It's the world wide anonymous web, remember? In the anonymous vacuum of web space, nobody can hear you scream. They can't tell your age or sex either.

In the publication of most of his books and for advertising, his persona is male. In the comic strip The Beleaguered Lives of Mychael and Shayne, his persona is female. Why? He likes confusing the readers. Then again, maybe he's a bit of both.

Whether he's a man writing gay, lesbian and kinky het or a woman writing gay, lesbian and kinky het, doesn't matter. If he can draw you into a story with his words, he's done his job.

Who is Shayne Carmichael? Does it really matter?

Shayne shares a website with Mychael Black, his partner in crime at http://www.theprinceangel.com.

Excerpts for other works and several freebie stories are available on the site. To contact Shayne, email shayne@theprincesangel.com.

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