Chapter Three #2
Poe stopped him.
“I’m giving myself to the man I love. I don’t have any lines with you. You have to be you, and I’ll be me. We’ll work it out.”
He hoped so.
Poe was curious now.
“What about you?”
Gamble shared.
“I was eighteen and just out of boot camp. The base was outside a town, and me and a bunch of the guys went out to have a few drinks. No one carded Marines if you wore your fatigues. The waitress was my first, and I don’t know her name. She flirted with me, and we had some fun in her car. That was the beginning of my sexual journey that led me to you.”
That made him curious.
Poe had been fifteen when he first had sex, but Gamble…that surprised him. The man was sexy, and he imagined even in school he’d been a heartbreaker.
Those eyes…
“Not in high school?”
Gamble was honest.
Thankfully, it was a long time ago.
“I was the poor kid and then, I was the kid in foster care. My parents neglected me, and they didn’t have money for clothes or food for me. I dropped out and I only have a GED. I had to work to buy food and clothes to go to school, but then was too tired to go to school. Survival was paramount. I’ve always had to survive.”
That was soul-crushing for him.
Poe put his spoon down.
“I’m sorry.”
Gamble stared into his eyes, not sure why Poe looked so upset. It had been so long ago that it didn’t matter to Gamble. He’d made something of his life, and that was what was most important.
He was a decorated Marine who had served his country with nothing but honor.
“Why? Does that change your mind about me?” he asked, waving his arm at the castle. “That I came from nothing, and that I’m a killer?” he asked.
Clearly, Poe hit a sore spot. Gamble was good at hiding emotion as he’d learned as his therapist. He might come across cool, but that upset him.
“No, I just would have taken care of you. That’s all. I would have helped you any way I could.”
Since they were both in their mid-thirties, he wouldn’t have been able to, but Gamble understood.
“It made me who I am,” he said. “You taught me that, Poe. The obstacles make us the people we are. I’m a survivor, and I made it out.”
Poe placed his hand over his.
“I’ll never change my mind about you. If anything, it makes me love you more. You fought hard to find me. All those bumps were a lesson that brought you to me.”
He squeezed his hand.
Poe was right.
And now, he’d have a good life with the one person who truly loved him.
Gamble continued.
“So, yes, I was a virgin until then. Then, it was a free-for-all until I met Storm. I felt bad for her, as I’ve told you, and I took care of her. In the process, I stopped being Gamble, and became Storm’s husband. I lost me.”
Poe handed him the other half of his toastie. He wanted the man to keep building back his strength. The last few days had been taxing.
Gamble took it like it was second nature.
“Taking care of me, are you, Poe?” he asked.
The man nodded.
“Forever. It makes me happy to take care of you. It gives me pleasure. I like nothing more than making us a meal and sitting with you to eat it. It’s intimate, and I miss it.”
Oh, he did too.
“Same,” Gamble said.
Now, Poe was curious.
“Can I be blunt?” he asked.
Gamble was chewing.
“I mean, sure. We don’t have secrets between us, do we? I’ve been pretty open, and so have you.”
They had been.
“I’m curious.”
Gamble was an open book with this man. He’d reached into him to do battle with the demons that nearly destroyed him. The least Gamble could do was answer a few questions.
“Shoot.”
Poe did.
“When we had sex, did you hold back?” he asked. “Were you being gentle because of your past with Storm? Because I’m not her.”
Gamble laughed and ate his sandwich. Never let it be said that this man wasn’t a therapist to his core, and it made him feel…
Loved.
Very few people had ever cared about his feelings.
Now, Gamble had to navigate this.
“Yes,” he said, not mincing words. “I was able to be wilder than I was with Storm, but not the normal Gamble sex combo.”
Poe sat there and listened.
It’s what he did normally.
“She was damaged, and I couldn’t go near her ass, since she was assaulted by hordes of men. I also had to be very gentle during sex. We made love. We never just…fucked. Know what I mean? That’s a big part of who I am. I’m rough, I have a high sex drive, and I shelved it for her sake. Before her, I would enjoy the moment, but after her, I’ve been trained to be different.”
Poe suspected as much, and he didn’t want him to hold back. Sex should be fun.
It should charge your batteries and make you happy. He wanted that for both of them.
“I could tell. I hope you’ll be yourself with me, and trust me with that part of you.”
Gamble sat back in the chair.
“I guess that depends on you, Doctor. How rough do you like your Marines?” he teased to keep the conversation light.
While he knew they needed to have conversations like this, there was always a little piece of Gamble that feared what would happen if Poe saw the real him.
Would he leave?
Would he laugh?
Would he hate him?
“As for Marines, the single one I’ve slept with,” he said, amused, “I have no complaints if he gets rougher. I’m good with some hot sex with a wild Marine. If you ever think I’m saying no to that…”
There was that moment where he felt relief.
“So if I wake up in the middle of the night…”
“Absolutely. On a boat, in a moat…,” he joked. “I’m not a bloody idiot. If you’re waking me up for sex, I’m going along for the ride.”
Gamble grinned.
“If you said with a goat, I was going to question you,” he joked.
Poe laughed.
It gave Gamble the chills. His voice was whiskey-warm, and it soothed all the pain away when he heard it.
“Not my particular kink, but our shadow will probably watch us,” Poe said, pointing to Rufus lying not far away. He’d been tailing them through the castle.
Gamble was amused.
As for their sex life, well, then, he was going to show the man how he liked to roll.
“I like kink, Doctor,” Gamble said. “I think I’d like to explore it with you.”
Poe fanned himself.
“God. I love my life.”
Gamble was feeling the same way. It was a good day in his world. He had his man back.
Poe was curious.
“You like to give. Do you think you’d like to receive?” he asked, knowing that might be the hard line for his lover. Gay sex was new for the Marine, and some men were very protective of their asses.
He’d had sex with plenty of men who couldn’t fathom a good dicking.
Gamble knew what he was talking about, and he thought about it.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had anyone attempt to put ANYTHING near my ass. Do I think I’d like it? I’m not sure. What’s it like?”
Poe loved how they could just be open, talk, and have a conversation. He loved how Gamble was curious, and not judgmental.
Considering what he asked, he came up with a one-word answer.
“Pleasurable,” he admitted.
Gamble leaned in.
“Do tell, Doctor. How pleasurable?”
Poe laughed.
“Well, gay men everywhere wouldn’t keep doing it if it didn’t feel good. If it’s done right, you tend to want it to happen all of the time. I’ve been fucked plenty of times, and a few were all kinds of wrong.”
Gamble was curious.
“What do you mean?”
He was to the point.
“I’m not a fan of drunken fornication. I’ve had sex with a few men who tend to forget that pain isn’t always pleasurable.”
That made Gamble angry.
“Someone hurt you?” he asked.
Poe stopped him.
“I’m not Storm. I’ve not been hurt like that. I meant more like a bad angle, sloppy sex where I didn’t get off with my partner, or not enough lube. I’m not a victim of anything but an inexperienced sex partner.”
Gamble calmed down.
“Really, Mate. I’m good.”
He knew that Gamble needed a completely different partner than Storm. He’d spent too much time protecting and not enough time enjoying.
“You’ve taken my ass, and it was amazing. You’re not one of the mediocre lovers. Trust me.”
That was good.
At his words, now, Gamble was curious.
“Do you like giving?” Gamble asked. “Or are you more into being taken? I’m good with either since I want to experience everything with you.”
Poe was to the point.
“I have before, and I will again if that’s what you want to have happen. If not, I’m perfectly fine with always being your sexy cum receptacle. Marines do it far superiorly than the average college co-ed.”
He grinned.
“Well, then, I’ll keep that in mind,” he admitted. “I really just want to experience everything with you.”
Poe wanted that too.
“Well, I’m up for it. There’s nothing we will do in bed that I don’t want, Gamble. Just be you.”
He was curious.
“Anything?”
Poe nodded.
“Anything, Mate. Kink it up. Like I said, I’ve had plenty of sex so nothing will upset me. When it’s with you, it’s special. I’ve never had sex with my soulmate before. That’s something that’s all yours.”
And Gamble was glad.
Poe finished his soup and leaned back in his chair.
“Ask,” he said, knowing he was thinking about sex.
“So if I slap you on the ass…”
He grinned.
“Yes, please, Sir, can I have some more?” he asked, with a full accent.
Oh, well, that was definitely something to think about.
“I love my life,” Gamble said. “I really, really, really love it.”
Poe snorted.
“Same. Trust me.”
Looking around, Gamble was honest.
“Thank you for lunch out here,” Gamble admitted. “It was a really nice date with you.”
It should be him who was thanking Gamble. He showed up and now, he didn’t feel so alone.
“I hope we have many more,” Poe admitted. “There’s something amazing about just being with you and having a conversation, Gamble. Sometimes, sex is all people have, but I have more. I have us, and I’m grateful.”
Gamble twined his fingers with his.
“I have everything,” Gamble said. “I love every moment with you, Poe. Thank you for being mine,” he stated. “In and out of bed.”
Oh, well, Poe wanted to be in bed.
Again, he was curious what kind of kink and sex Gamble liked. He wanted to experience it with him. So, that was a good segue for continuing the tour.
“Want to see our bedroom?” Poe asked, blushing. “Or if you want, you can have a separate room,” he began not wanting to be forward, but was cut off.
It was clear Gamble wasn’t having it.
“Absolutely not. I need my emotional support Poe. We’re bunking together. I got to sleep with you that one time, and from what I remember, it was…stimulating. So, yes, let’s see OUR bedroom.”
Gamble was never sleeping alone again. When he’d been with Storm, he had to leave after sex because she couldn’t wake up with a person beside her. Now, he was going to make sure he always woke with Poe.
FOREVER.
Poe was amused by what he’d said.
Yes, yes, it had been incredibly stimulating to the point they both came.
For the last three months in his care, and when he had to check on Gamble in another room back at the farm, he’d wanted to climb into bed with him and experience this man.
Curiosity was killing this cat.
“Come on, then. Let’s bring these in. I have staff, but it’s weird to make them wait on me. I like to take care of my own things.”
That was good to know, since Gamble felt weird having people do that for him.
Oh, not Poe because that was sexy watching him cook for him, or give him a sponge bath.
That was the sexy shower stuff he fantasized about. There was no doubt he was curious what the man would be like in bed.
And if they’d mesh.
“Lead the way,” he offered, once more checking out his ass, and planning what he wanted to do with him in bed. There was a wish list about a mile long.
After depositing the dishes in the kitchen in the dishwasher, Poe led him by hand up the stone stairs and to the part of the castle tower that their bedrooms were in. As he reached one door, he pointed.
“That’s Hemmingway’s space,” he admitted. “It’s more a shrine than anything,” he said. “My mother made sure that all of his things were placed in there. That’s the stuff I want to pack up at some point.”
That made Gamble want to explore in there.
Later.
Maybe Von Donore’s men missed the key code in there. He’d ask Poe, but the last thing he wanted was him thinking about that asshole.
“Again, if that’s what you need, Poe, I support you,” he admitted.
Poe was grateful.
As they headed into the man’s room, his things were already there. Gamble had left them outside, and someone who worked there had to have brought them up after Poe announced they were a couple.
That worked for him.
Inside, Gamble took in the space.
There was a big bed, and it had four posters. On it were pillows, and everything was done in a dark blue. It reminded him of the doctor.
Classy.
Not flashy.
Not far away, there was a balcony that overlooked the property, and there was a modern bathroom that had likely been added at one point.
“Nice place you have here,” Gamble admitted.
Poe laughed.
“Honestly, I’m just as shocked as you are. When I came back, I thought my mother would have changed it into a hobby room. She gave up hope that I was coming back married or with kids.”
Since he brought that up, Gamble was curious.
Before Poe, he never wanted another child again. Now, after finding the love of his life, Gamble wasn’t opposed to kids again despite Storm killing his daughter.
When he told Poe he wanted everything, he was willing to go all in and trust again. He knew Poe’s heart, and he was a good, kind man.
He was gentle and sweet.
“Do you want kids?” he asked, clearly catching him off guard with that question.
Poe stood there.
“What?” Gamble asked. “You look worried.”
He sighed.
“I’m afraid to answer that, knowing what I do about your past, Gamble,” he admitted. “I don’t want to hurt you or break what we have, and I know what happened to your child is always going to lurk between us.”
Gamble knew what he was saying.
“So you’d give up children for me?” he asked.
Poe didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
That didn’t sit well for Gamble. Poe wasn’t Storm, and he shouldn’t be punished for it.
Poe continued.
“It would be nice to have an heir to the Gordon bloodline, but after what happened to you, and the fact that I’m gay so…”
Gamble had to make a choice.
Deep down, he knew he had to trust Poe with all of him, or they wouldn’t work.
“I’d like kids again one day, but with someone I know would never hurt them. I know I can trust you with our children. You keep telling me you’re not Storm, and I have to believe that. I trust you, Poe. I believe in the person you are, and how compassionate you are. You sacrificed yourself to the mercenaries and fought for my life. I know you’d fight for a child’s.”
Indubitably.
Poe would never hurt a child, or Gamble—not intentionally.
“I want a life,” Gamble said. “I want a full life with you. I’ll forever miss my daughter, and carry that scar, but I have to believe that the person I love wouldn’t do that to me. The person who knows my soul would protect me from that again.”
His trust in him was incredible.
That faith…it touched Poe’s heart.
“I’d love children with you, Gamble. I want the marriage, the relationship, and a family with you.”
And there it was.
Gamble made up his mind for both him, and for Poe—who deserved a chance to be a father.
“Maybe we can consider a family if we ever have some safety, and The Hunters take out Von Donore.”
Poe knew they’d navigated another rough moment in the best way possible.
“I think you’d make cute babies,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t mind being a father.”
Gamble had so much faith in this man. He swore he’d never procreate again, but here they were, in a castle, and he could picture kids running amuck here.
“I think you’d make an adorable heir to the dukedom,” he stated. “When we’re safe, and after we get married, let’s discuss it,” Gamble stated. “I don’t want your bloodline to end. It’s a good, brave bloodline. Your brother was a hero, and you’re tenacious.”
Poe blushed.
This man made him feel good about himself and the world. Because of Gamble, he wasn’t mourning.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to laugh, live, and love, like Elizabeth had written on Rufus’ cast.
Glancing over at the dog, he was lying on the hard floor, and that parenting instinct had kicked in. Poe picked Rufus up, much to his annoyance, and Poe made a little bed of pillows in the corner.
The whole time, Gamble watched.
It was sweet.
When he turned, Poe explained.
“He’s not staying on our bed,” Poe admitted. “He can rest there.”
Gamble laughed.
“Don’t want doggy fur on your PJs, Doc?” he asked, thinking that was it.
Only, that had nothing to do with it.
Poe had different plans.
“No, I don’t want him in the way while we christen this room,” he said, moving toward him and into his body. “We’ve yet to fornicate in a bed. I think it’s about time we experienced that too.”
All of the talk about a family made Poe want to be in contact with his man.
Close.
Contact.
The man pressed to him was all Gamble needed to have his libido roar to life. Oh, he wanted him naked in bed with him now.
He wrapped his arms around Poe and began making love to his mouth.
It was wild, it was wicked, and it was definitely out of control.
Like how he felt.
“Be you,” Poe whispered, reminding him that he deserved all of Gamble. “I want the wild man,” he said. “Take control, and show me. I want to share our whole world.”
Well, ask and he would receive.
Kissing him, his one hand was on Poe’s ass, and the other in his hair. He worked his mouth over, the kisses feverish, wild, and out of control.
He pillaged in a hunger he had only begun feeling again with this man.
There was need there, awash in lust and cravings.
Carnal ones.
They were pressed together, and Gamble could feel Poe’s dick hard against his own. Someone was definitely in the mood.
He.
Was.
Too.
Well, he knew where this was going, and that was perfectly fine by him.
Bring it on.
Pulling off his man’s sweater, he only broke the kiss to get Poe naked. As their dog lay on the pillows, taking a nap, Gamble needed to get Poe’s oppressive clothing off of his body.
Oh, and he couldn’t wait.
He’d been thinking about this since Poe had disappeared, and he’d been left behind. Gamble wanted this to cement Poe to him for the rest of their lives.
They were in a light-filled room, and while the grotto had been fun, this was better.
So.
Much.
Better.
Now, he could see everything as he experienced their first time in bed.
As his mouth was pillaged again, and his man was stripping him down, Poe was out of breath. It seemed like a daydream that last night he’d laid in this bed crying and missing him, and like a spell, he’d been cast and brought here.
Life began again.
There was no doubt that he was so lucky too.
And he knew it.
He held on, and when he felt his belt being pulled from the loops of his pants, he moaned. The act of undressing him was so incredibly intimate that he craved more.
He craved everything.
Gamble gave him all he had, and he held nothing back as he showed Poe want he wanted.
HIM.
If this man wanted the real him, he was going to get the whole show.
It was about erasing Storm and going back to be the Marine he’d been. It was time to show Poe who he was.
It was starting with a dude who really liked a rousing bout of foreplay. It was something Gamble really enjoyed, as that need built between two people.
That foreplay made the sex even hotter.
Oh, and who didn’t like hot?
When he flicked his wrist, and Poe’s trousers dropped, he cupped him through the material of his boxer briefs.
Poe moaned at the feeling of Gamble’s strong hand over his erection.
“Please,” he whispered. “I need you. Show me, Gamble. Give me all of you.”
Oh, Gamble wanted that too.
He continued on with the kiss, silencing the man as he stroked him through his underwear. His fingers were roughly stroking his cock and showing him no mercy.
Gamble was in control.
When he broke the kiss, again, he stepped back, catching Poe off guard.
“Toe off your shoes,” he said. “So I can get you naked. I want my man out of his things so I can explore his body and enjoy him.”
At his words, Poe hurriedly did just that. What kind of nut wouldn’t?
He wasn’t going to wait for him to ask again.
Hell.
No.
As he did what Gamble asked, Poe shook in anticipation of what was to come.
HIM.
As soon as he was out of his pants, Gamble was back on him, his mouth destroying his control. No one had ever kissed him like Gamble.
In fact, with his hands being held behind his back, and his mouth being taken, Poe felt like the man was trying to consume him.