Chapter
Four
Scott
sat down on the lid of the toilet and watched
as Kieran bent over to turn on the water in
the bathtub. They both had already taken off
their clothes and Scott didn’t bother to
hide his erection when Kieran turned back
around. The Druid pulled him up and against
him. Their bodies fit together perfectly,
something Scott had only dreamed about
before. When Kieran leaned in to kiss him,
Scott melted into his arms.
“The
water is going to get cold before we ever get
in there,” he whispered in Kieran’s
ear. Kieran chuckled and nodded.
He held
the shower curtain to the side and Scott
stepped in. Once Kieran was in and the
curtain was back in place, Scott pushed him
back against the shower wall. He got down on
his knees to trace the graceful curve of the
dragon’s spine down to the trimmed patch
of curly black hair. He wrapped his fingers
around Kieran’s cock and ran his tongue
down the underside of it, eliciting a low
groan from Kieran.
Despite
normally being a bottom, Scott couldn’t
get the image of Kieran bent over the kitchen
counter out of his mind. He looked up at
Kieran, who narrowed his gaze dubiously.
Scott grinned and released his cock, only to
turn Kieran around. Scott stood up and leaned
forward, pressing their slick bodies together
as he began placing soft kisses over the
Druid’s shoulders. Kieran moaned and
hung his head down, backing into Scott at the
same time. Scott slid one hand down
Kieran’s side to grip his hip and pull
him back. His cock was hard as a rock and he
ground himself up against Kieran’s ass.
“I
thought you were a bottom,” Kieran said.
Scott
slid his other hand around Kieran’s
chest to tweak his nipple. He grinned when
Kieran hissed from the pain. “With
you,” he said as he moved his hand from
Kieran’s nipple to his cock,
“I’ll make an exception.”
He
gripped Kieran’s cock and ran his thumb
lightly over the head. Kieran shifted,
spreading his legs apart until Scott’s
cock nestled perfectly against his ass. Scott
glanced down as the water ran in a single
stream to pool around the head before sliding
down either side. Kieran’s hand joined
his and they both moved up and down
Kieran’s length, stroking it in a slow,
languid rhythm.
“Fuck
me already,” Kieran said as he turned
his head to the side. “Are you
clean?”
“Yes,”
Scott answered him. He had never done
anything without a condom, but the thought of
barebacking--of feeling every inch of
Kieran’s body against his own bare
flesh--was quite an enticing one. “Are
you?”
“Quite.
I haven’t been with anyone but you in a
few years, but I get tested on a regular
basis.”
Scott
released Kieran’s hip and backed up
enough to rub the tip of his cock along
Kieran’s ass. Kieran spread his legs
even more, revealing the most perfect hole
Scott had ever seen. He let go of Kieran and
knelt down. He spread the cheeks of
Kieran’s ass and licked around the
outside of his hole.
“Oh,
God,” Kieran breathed.
Scott
pushed his tongue inside Kieran and moaned
against him. He had always loved the way a
man tasted, but no one else could ever hold a
candle to Kieran Parker. He stroked his cock
as he fucked Kieran’s ass with his
tongue, relishing the taste and feel. When he
simply couldn’t wait any longer, Scott
stood up and pushed the head of his cock into
Kieran. Kieran groaned and pushed back on
him. With the head inside, Scott gripped
Kieran’s hips and pulled him back
slowly. The velvet heat of Kieran’s body
gripped him tightly, holding him like a tight
glove as their bodies came together. Buried
to the hilt inside Kieran, Scott pulled the
Druid’s head back gently and kissed his
neck. Kieran reached around with one hand and
held the back of Scott’s head. Scott
opened his mouth and bit down on the nape of
Kieran’s neck. He smiled when Kieran
shuddered in his arms.
“Fuck,”
Kieran whispered. He turned his head a bit
more and Scott met him in a deep, heated
kiss.
Scott
broke their kiss and pulled out to the tip
slowly. When Kieran wiggled against him, he
thrust back in. Kieran rested his forehead
against the shower wall while his hand
disappeared down in front of him. Scott
gripped his hips and began to slide in and
out, picking up speed as Kieran’s rhythm
on his cock increased. Scott felt Kieran
tense, and seconds later Kieran groaned and
shook as he came. Scott followed quickly
behind him, holding Kieran tight against him
as he came deep inside the Druid’s body.
When they both finally caught their breaths,
Scott pulled out slowly. Kieran turned around
and leaned back up against the shower wall.
He reached out and pulled Scott to him with a
grin.
“Keep
that up and I might become a switch
permanently,” Kieran said.
Scott
smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “After
that, I would hope so.”
* * * *
Scott
sat down against a tree as torches were lit
to signify the perimeter of the circle. A
rectangular stone table stood in the middle
of the circle, and at each corner sat an
unlit, colored candle. As Kieran had
explained earlier, each color represented an
element and a direction: red for South and
Fire, blue for West and Water, yellow for
East and Air, green for North and Earth. Two
white candles sat in the middle of the table,
with a censer on one side and a silver
chalice on the other. A sword lay before them
across the table, sheathed in a black
scabbard. Scott moved to the inside of the
circle and took a seat against a stone bench.
Several
others were gathered within the circle, but
Mike and Kieran were nowhere to be seen. As
the last of the sun’s light filtered
through the forest, one of the others started
a steady rhythm on the drum in front of her.
It was a deep, rich sound, like the roll of
distant thunder. Scott couldn’t help but
close his eyes as the drum beat seemed to
echo around the circle. A few minutes later,
another drum, lighter in tone, joined the
first. The tempo slowly changed and Scott
opened his eyes as the chanting began.
The
chanters' voices drifted through the circle,
the cadence matching perfectly the steady
thumping of the drums. It was unlike anything
Scott had ever heard before. The drum beat
echoed in his chest and spread throughout his
body, each thump, each beat, pulling him
farther away from the world outside and
deeper into Kieran's world. When he opened
his eyes, he felt more alive than he ever had
before.
A fire
appeared near the cabin and as it moved
closer, Scott could make out a figure. The
man carried the torch along the path as the
procession moved nearer to the circle. As
they entered the circle, Scott’s heart
caught in his throat at the sight of Kieran.
Kieran’s
white robe was a stark contrast to the sable
hair which trailed down his back. A silver
and gold torque--the one in the picture on
the website--circled his neck. His boleen and
leather pouch hung from a black cord belt.
When he stopped at the altar, the drum beats
stopped. He raised his hands into the air and
began the invocations.
Kieran's
deep, almost musical voice resonated through
the circle and when Scott closed his eyes,
Kieran's voice echoed the rhythm of his
heart. It was a sobering feeling--to have
someone touch something so deep--and Scott
swallowed the lump in his throat. Time passed
by before he realized it had and when he
opened his eyes and looked up, several men
and women had disappeared and Kieran stood
before him. When Kieran held out his hand,
Scott took it and stood up. Kieran pulled him
out of the circle and when they were out of
sight, he backed Scott up against a tree.
It was
only then that Scott heard the drums once
more. He could feel the steady beat mirror
Kieran's heart as it thundered against his
own chest. Scott slid his hands under
Kieran's robe and pulled it over his head.
Beneath it, Kieran was nude and Scott pulled
the Druid to him as their lips met in a
heated kiss. When Kieran unbuttoned Scott's
jeans and they fell to the ground, Scott
stepped out of them and kicked them to the
side. Kieran pulled away from him and spread
his robe out on the ground. He looked up and
held out a hand. Scott pulled his shirt off
and stretched out beside Kieran.
Scott
spread his legs and Kieran settled between
them as they began to kiss again. Somewhere
in the distance--some close, so farther
away--Scott could hear the unmistakable
sounds of other couples making love. He knew
it was Beltaine--the time when new life
began, when love-making became an offering
and a prayer. As Kieran's lips drifted over
his chin and down his neck, Scott realized he
had become a part of the Druid's ritual in
the end. Kieran's tongue slid up from the
nape of his neck to his ear and Scott drew in
a breath and shuddered.
"God,
I want you so bad," Kieran whispered.
When he blew gently over Scott's ear, Scott
shuddered in response.
"I'm
yours, Kieran."
He drew
his legs up until his feet were planted
firmly on the ground on either side of
Kieran's thighs. Kieran's cock pressed
against him and Scott wondered briefly what
they were going to do about lubrication.
Kieran moved away from him and knelt between
his legs as he opened a second pouch which
was tied to his belt. He pulled out a small
bottle and Scott laughed.
"You
honestly think I'd invite you to a Beltaine
ritual and not be prepared?" Kieran
asked him with a grin.
Scott
bit the corner of his lower lip and watched
as Kieran stroked the slippery liquid over
his cock. He set the bottle back down and
stretched his body over Scott's once more.
With a shift of Scott's hips, Kieran pushed
inside him. Scott arched his back as Kieran
filled him completely. Kieran covered his
neck in kisses and Scott locked his ankles
around Kieran's waist. Kieran pulled out and
slid back in slowly. Scott wrapped his arms
around Kieran's neck and pulled him into a
kiss.
Off in
the distance, the drummers beat out a steady
rhythm and Scott closed his eyes as the
rhythm of their lovemaking fell in line with
the drumbeats. He released Kieran's neck and
their fingers entwined as Kieran pulled his
arms above his head to pin them to the
ground. Every thrust he made set another wave
crashing over Scott and their heartbeats
merged into one as their rhythm increased.
Scott felt his insides tighten and Kieran
caught him in another kiss. As Kieran pulled
out and thrust back in, Scott arched his back
as his breath left him. Kieran deepened their
kiss and Scott moaned into his mouth as his
orgasm hit. He rocked his hips under Kieran,
every thrust sending a fresh bolt through his
body. Seconds later Kieran tightened his hold
on Scott's hands and buried himself in
Scott's body as he came. Scott squeezed
Kieran's hands as the Druid's cock pulsed
deep inside him.
When
they both regained their breath, Scott pulled
his hands free of Kieran's and wrapped his
arms around Kieran's neck once again. The
drums were still thundering in the distance,
but to Scott they had become subdued in the
wake of his orgasm. Kieran propped himself up
and smiled down at him. The words slipped
from Scott's lips before he had even realized
it.
"I
love you."
Kieran
leaned down and brushed his lips over
Scott's. "I love you, too," he
whispered.
* * * *
Scott
slid out from under Kieran’s arm and sat
up on the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers
through his hair, combing out the tangles,
and glanced at the clock. With a quiet curse
he got up and started to dress. Kieran rolled
over onto his side and propped himself up on
his arm. Scott leaned over after putting on
his boots and Kieran pulled him down into a
kiss.
“I
need to get going,” Scott said as he sat
back up.
Kieran
rolled onto his back once more and gave him a
wistful smile. “I know. As much as I
want you to stay here, I know you’ve got
work to do.”
Scott
nodded and ran his fingertips over the
rippled lines of Kieran’s chest. Truth
be told, he much preferred the idea of
sliding back into bed with the Druid. As it
were, he still had not contacted the dean to
let him know where he was staying. Plus he
wanted to get an idea of the immediate area
around the castle before meeting with Langley
on Monday. Kieran grabbed his hand just as it
started to drift over his sheet-covered
crotch.
“Any
lower and you won’t be going
anywhere,” Kieran warned. He gave Scott
a wicked grin and Scott laughed.
“Yeah,
yeah,” Scott grumbled as he stood up.
“You don’t have to remind me
what’ll happen.” He looked over at
Kieran and the weight of things between them
hit him full force.
“You
okay?”
Scott
sat back down and pulled a surprised Kieran
up and into a soulful kiss. Kieran wrapped
his arms around his neck and Scott
couldn’t believe how right it felt. When
their kiss ended, he pulled away with a deep
pang of reluctance. Kieran smiled and leaned
back on his elbows. Scott slid his wallet
into his jeans and picked up his keys. As he
started for the door, Kieran’s voice
stopped him.
“Scott?”
He
turned around and met the Druid’s dark
gaze.
“I
love you.”
Scott
grinned. “Love you, too. I’ll be so
glad when this shit is over so I don’t
have to hide it.” Kieran nodded his
understanding and Scott closed the door as he
left.
As he
walked outside, he was suddenly glad he had
listened to Kieran last night and moved his
car closer to the house. It seemed like the
sky had opened up and rain poured down in icy
sheets. He ran to his car and sighed with
relief as he shut the door. He looked up as
he started the car and saw a man standing in
the doorway. Kieran was leaning against the
doorframe with the front door open. He seemed
perfectly content to let the rain fall over
him as he stood with nothing but a pair of
loose cotton pants on. His arms were crossed
over his chest and he winked at Scott before
retreating inside and closing the door. Scott
swallowed the ache inside and pulled out of
the parking area.
The
countryside around the castle was nothing but
rolling hills and trees, and Scott pulled off
of the road and stopped the car. The castle
loomed in front of him, standing like an
ancient sentinel to a forgotten time. He
thought back to what Kieran had said about
Langley, about him being nothing more than a
shrew businessman. There was more to
Kieran’s dislike for the man, however.
Something about the way Kieran’s
handsome face took on a dark scowl at the
mere thought of Dean Langley. As Scott peered
up at the crumbling fortification in front of
him, he wondered what more there was to it.
He
pulled back onto the road, having opted to
wait on checking out the countryside. As
Kieran had warned him before, the rain
didn’t seem to be letting up at all. By
the time he reached Cardiff, the sky had
darkened considerably. Scott spared a quick
glance up at the heavy clouds before ducking
into the lobby of the hotel. The clerk looked
up and smiled.
“Dr.
Tillman, is it?” the elderly woman
asked. Scott nodded and the woman handed him
a folded piece of paper. “A gentleman
called for you while you were gone. Said his
name was Dean Langley.”
Scott
stifled the groan and nodded. “Thank
you.”
As soon
as he was in his room, he unfolded the paper
and dialed the number.
“Hello,
this is Dr. Scott Tillman. I received a
message that Mr. Langley called for me.”
“Ah,
yes,” the young woman on the other line
said. “Mr. Langley would like to invite
you for dinner this evening.”
Scott
cursed silently, but he knew he
shouldn’t refuse. “Sounds
great,” he said. “What time should
I be there?”
“Could
you be here by seven?”
“Sure,
that should be no problem. It gives me plenty
of time to get some work done here at the
hotel. I’ll be there at seven. Tell Mr.
Langley I said ‘thank you.’”
The
young woman confirmed the time and Scott hung
up the phone.
“Shit.”
He tossed the paper on the bedside table and
grabbed the phone again. So much for dinner
with Kieran. A few rings later, Kieran
answered. “Hi, it’s Scott. I just
got a message from Langley; he wants me over
for dinner tonight.”
“Damn.
Can’t exactly say that I envy you.
Raincheck then?”
“Well,
I don’t have to be there until
seven.” He looked at the clock.
“It’s nearly ten now. Want to meet
for lunch somewhere?”
“You
sure? You’re not worried about being
seen with me right now?”
Scott
laughed. “As long we both behave
ourselves, I think it’ll be fine. Noon
sound good?”
“Sure.
I’ll meet you outside the hotel.
We’ll decide where to go from
there.”
“Sounds
great. Oh, and I had some questions to ask
you as well.”
Kieran
remained silent for a few seconds, then said,
“okay. I’ll see you at noon.”
Scott
hung up the phone and thought for a moment.
He might have known Kieran for only a few
days, but the man wasn’t prone to
nervousness. Yet Scott could’ve sworn
that he sensed it just now on the phone. He
shook his head and went to the table where
his laptop sat. He switched it on and sat
down. He opened up the school’s website
and went to check his email. The only message
was from the dean. After reading it, Scott
sat back in his chair, stunned and thoroughly
confused. To say he had questions for Kieran
didn’t begin to touch it. Apparently
Kieran had left out some rather crucial
details during their initial talk. Scott sent
the dean an email letting him know where he
was and then he closed the laptop. He had
just enough time to get a quick shower before
meeting Kieran.
* * * *
“Fuck.”
Kieran
collapsed onto the sofa and the phone fell
onto the cushion beside him. He knew the time
would come when he’d have to explain
things, but he certainly hadn’t been
looking forward to it. Scott said he had some
questions; that didn’t bode well. Kieran
let his head fall back and closed his eyes.
How the hell was he going to explain this
one?
He
opened his eyes and rolled his head over to
glance at the clock above the stove. It was
almost eleven and with the rain, it would
take longer than usual to get to the hotel.
He got up and headed for the bedroom. Having
no time for a shower, he pulled his hair back
into a ponytail and slipped on jeans and a
T-shirt. He grabbed his keys and wallet after
slipping on his shoes and headed out the
door. The rain had thankfully lessened since
Scott had left and Kieran started up the car
with an uncharacteristic sense of
nervousness.
Before
he realized it, Kieran was at the hotel. He
sat in the car for several minutes, mulling
over how to explain things to Scott. A few
minutes later Scott came out and Kieran
unlocked the passenger door. Scott slid into
the seat and gave him an odd look as he
closed the door.
“You
okay?” Scott asked him.
Kieran
blew out a nervous breath and backed out of
the parking space. “Yeah, I’m fine.
You up for checking out a new deli that just
opened up a few blocks away?”
“Sure.”
Kieran
noticed Scott eyeing him, but he focused
instead on the road. When they pulled up at
the deli, Scott grabbed his arm as he turned
the car off.
“Kieran,
what’s wrong?”
Kieran
sighed. “I didn’t exactly tell you
everything when we first talked, Scott.”
He looked over at Scott. “There’s a
bit more you need to know.”
Scott
nodded and they got out of the car. Once they
were seated inside and sipping on their
drinks, Scott leaned forward and rested his
elbows on the table. Kieran looked up from
where he had been swirling his fingertip in
his water and gave him a weak smile.
“You
said you had questions for me,” he said
before taking a drink.
Scott
sat back once more. “I did,” he
said. “But I have the feeling
you’re going to answer them
anyway.”
Kieran
set his glass down just as their food
arrived. When the waiter had left once more,
Kieran pushed his plate away.
“Everything
I told you was true,” he said.
“However, I left a few crucial details
out. I didn’t think they would make a
difference, but that was more delusional
thinking than anything else.”
Scott
stuck a chip in his mouth and nodded for
Kieran to go on.
“My
mother was Addiena Parker. She died about two
years ago.” He looked up and Scott
nodded. “And, had she not died, Dean
Langley would be my step-father now.”
The chip fell from Scott’s hand to land
in the pool of ketchup on his plate. Kieran
waited for the flurry of curses, but none
came. “I’m sorry I didn’t say
anything before.”
Scott
shook his head. “It-it’s fine.
I’m not going to lie to you; I’m
shocked as hell. What does this have to do
with the castle, though?”
Kieran
pulled his plate back over and nibbled on a
chip. “It should have been mine.”
“You’re
joking.”
Kieran
shook his head. “Not at all. The deed
was supposed to have gone to me after my
mother’s death.”
“How
did Langley end up with it?”
Kieran
forced himself to swallow the anger that
began to well up. “My mother was a very
depressed woman, Scott. After my
father’s death several years ago, she
slipped farther into a shell. Dean came along
out of nowhere and wooed her. He made her
feel like she was the queen of the world. She
even changed her will for him, which entailed
giving him the deed to the castle and the
last of her fortune should she die. Two weeks
later her housekeeper found her; she had died
in her sleep.”
“Damn,”
Scott whispered. “Kieran, I’m
sorry.”
Kieran
gave a short laugh. “Nothing anyone can
do now,” he said. He looked up at Scott.
“But I’ll be damned if I’m
going to watch my family home turned into a
tourist hotspot.”
“Understandable.
How much would he want for it should someone
offer to buy it?”
Kieran
sat back and couldn’t stop the laughter.
“More than I have, that’s for
certain.”
“But
not more than a university would have.”
Kieran
lowered his gaze from the ceiling to Scott.
“What?”
Scott
leaned forward. “If this grave turns out
to be the real thing, I could apply for a
grant to do further research, Kieran. The
castle would need a caretaker.”
Kieran’s
mouth dropped open. “Are you
serious?” Scott nodded and Kieran fought
the urge to kiss him then. It was a
possibility he hadn’t thought of before.
