Chapter 10
T hat night, with supper long behind them and Dominick asleep beside him, Alfie lay awake, listening. The manor was utterly silent for once, no crying babies or murmured thanks from unwelcome guests or the hushed footfalls of servants echoing down the halls. Even the wind had died down, leaving a stillness that felt unnatural, an eerie calm before the storm.
Sleep continued to evade him, so he rose, going to the window and looking out. The moon was full and in its light, the cleared top of the crag was especially barren. The scaffolding around the folly was silhouetted like a gallows against the sky. He could almost see the heads of traitors mounted on pikes like Dominick’s description of the beheaded sheep on the gateposts. Or perhaps a head bearing the monstrous face Madam Carnbee had described. At the time, it’d been easy to see through her attempt to acquire an invitation to stay, but in the small hours of the night it was easier to believe in all sorts of horrors watching from the dark.
He wrapped his arms around his bare chest, wishing he’d had the forethought to grab his banyan. He was about to go look for it when he heard a strange noise. A low, haunting cry unlike anything he’d ever heard.
He held his breath and strained his ears, but couldn’t hear anything but Dominick’s soft breathing. Then it came again, a long ‘Ooooooooo’ that slowly grew higher in pitch until it was as sharp and high as a fox’s cry.
It raised the hairs on his arms. He’d never heard a ghost, but that was exactly what one would sound like.
He leaned closer to the window, peering out to see if he could spot what was making the ghastly call. The ancient glass was warped, and cold against his cheek, but he couldn’t see anything other than the folly, its moonlit shadow casting strange shapes down the face of the crag.
“Wha’ is it?” Dominick mumbled.
“Shhh,” Alfie hissed, but the sound didn’t come again.
He looked over to see Dominick with his face half-buried in the pillows, one arm stretched out over Alfie’s empty half of the bed. When he looked back out the window, the moon had gone behind the clouds and all was dark again.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just the wind.”
“Then ge’back here,” said Dominick without opening his eyes. “You’re thinking too loud. Keepin’ me awake.”
Alfie chuckled, sliding back into bed and pulling the covers up around them both. Dominick hummed appreciatively and pulled Alfie up against him. His body was warm and despite the heaviness in his voice, there was one part of him that was definitely awake.
“Oh, you just wanted me to stop thinking, did you?” Alfie said, wrapping one hand around Dominick’s cock. It was already half-hard and firmed even further as he began to stroke slowly along its length. “Nothing else you wanted from me?”
Dominick cracked open an eye. “I might be able to think of a few things.”
“Just a few?”
“To start. You can keep at that for now.”
“Thank you, I believe I will,” Alfie said, enjoying the heat of Dominick’s prick in his hand. It had been damned cold by the window, so Alfie indulged himself by burrowing up against the great furnace that was Dominick, his chest hair tickling Alfie’s nose.
Dominick hissed and Alfie stilled his hand. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I swear to God I’m going to glue your slippers to your feet,” Dominick grumbled. “You can’t have been out of bed five minutes. Why are they always so cold?”
Alfie had no idea what Dominick was talking about. His feet were quite warm actually, tucked between Dominick’s own.
He slid his thumb over the head of Dominick’s cock, making him hiss for an entirely different reason.
He kept on like that, slow pulls punctuated by the occasional twist or unexpected attention to the head when he felt Dominick might be growing a little too complacent. One of Dominick’s heavy arms was slung over his waist, idly tracing the dimples in the small of Alfie’s back. It was lazy, comfortable lovemaking to match the hushed stillness of the night. He didn’t even know if Dominick’s eyes were open. His weren’t, but why would he need to see when he could feel Dominick, smell him, and hear his breathing as his chest rose and fell against Alfie’s cheek? It was heaven.
His arm was trapped between them as he worked, knuckles brushing Dominick’s belly, but the awkwardness of the angle was worth it as with just a shift of his hips, he could add his own cock to his grasp. Dominick was leaking profusely by now, and the slick slide of his length against Alfie’s was unbearably good.
“Fuck.” Dominick’s hips bucked against his, and the hand on Alfie’s back slid lower, teasing the crease of his buttocks.
“I’ve thought of another thing I want from you,” Dominick whispered.
Alfie was still a little sore from earlier in the night, but it wasn’t as if they were short on oil. Dominick would be gentle with him… if that’s what Alfie wanted.
Dominick chuckled. “I can hear you thinking again. You might be up for all that, you strumpet, but I’d actually like to get some sleep tonight. I was thinking of this.”
Without any warning, Alfie found himself being bodily lifted. He let out a squawk as he was rolled over Dominick’s body, thudding down onto the mattress on the other side of him.
“Was that entirely necessary?” he asked, a little breathless. Dominick being able to so easily manhandle him shouldn’t be nearly as arousing as it was.
“Mm, entirely.” Dominick had deposited Alfie on his side, facing away from him and was now nosing at Alfie’s nape, his breath tickling the delicate hairs there. “Couldn’t do this on your other side, we’d crush your leg. Besides, oil’s on this side of the bed anyway. Now you can reach.”
Alfie blinked. In the darkness, he could just make out the bottle of oil on the small table next to the bed where they’d left it earlier in the evening. When he reached out to grab it, Dominick ran his nose down the top of his spine, nearly making Alfie drop the damn thing.
“You did that on purpose.”
Dominick didn’t respond, but Alfie could feel him grin against the back of his neck. Then Dominick kissed him there, a soft whisper of a kiss that was to be the first of many. He ran a line of them up to Alfie’s shoulder and back, maddeningly gentle, before burying his face in the crook of Alfie’s neck where he was especially sensitive.
This time Alfie did drop the bottle. It vanished into the bed linens as Dominick lips, tongue, and teeth all came into play against the side of his throat. Every swipe of Dominick’s tongue against his pulse stoked Alfie’s arousal higher and each bite sent a bolt of heat straight to his cock. He wished Dominick could bite him hard enough there to leave marks, but had to contend with the agony instead of teasing nips that were almost—but not quite—enough.
The sensation was unbearable. He tilted his head back for more.
Dominick’s hand came down heavily on his flank, pinning him in place.
“Stop squirming,” Dominick whispered, but his voice was far too smug to be an admonishment. He punctuated his order by licking the shell of Alfie’s ear in a slow, devastating swipe that only made him squirm more.
“Bastard,” Alfie whispered back. He tried to pull away, just to see if he could, but Dominick’s grip was unrelenting. It was as if he didn’t even need to make an effort to hold Alfie in place.
The thought was as thrilling as it was completely unfair. What must it be like to have such strength so readily at his command? But if he was as strong as Dominick, he might not appreciate Dominick’s ability to toss him about so much. Or would it be worth it to be able to do the same right back? Quite the dilemma.
Dominick sighed in his ear. “You’re thinking again.”
“So make me stop.”
“I’m trying, you maddening creature, but you’re being too stubborn for your own good.”
“Then why don’t you—” But Alfie forgot what he was going to say when Dominick used the hand on his side to pull Alfie backwards on the bed, his body slotting perfectly against Alfie’s back and his hard cock pressing against the globes of Alfie’s buttocks, parting them just slightly to make more room for himself.
Alfie hadn’t even been paying attention to Dominick’s other arm, until the pillow under his head moved and he realised he’d been cradling Alfie’s head on his upper arm this entire time. Alfie turned his head into it, burying his moan into his inner elbow. Dominick smelled like sweat and candle smoke, and more than a bit like Alfie himself.
The hand on his side teased its way down past his hip. Dominick dragged his fingertips as he went, leaving trails of fire, until he was the one with his hand around Alfie’s cock, pulling slowly but firmly. He rubbed his own cock against Alfie’s arse in time with his hand, leaving Alfie unable to decide whether he wanted to move forward or back.
Dominick had been the one complaining about needing to get to sleep, but it seemed now he had all the time in the world to slowly drive him mad. The head of his cock brushed over Alfie’s rim more than once, making him gasp, but Dominick didn’t change his angle to fuck him, instead keeping up his leisurely torment until Alfie thought he might shiver out of his skin with want.
But Alfie’s arse was just a little too sore and Dominick’s hand was just a little too dry. Soon he was squirming again.
“Nick,” he panted. “I need.”
Dominick’s voice was rough. “Oil’s by your hand.”
Alfie groped around, but couldn’t seem to find it.
“No, here.”
Dominick leaned over, taking Alfie with him and for one glorious moment he was pinned to the bed, Dominick’s weight pressing him down into the mattress as he reached over Alfie to grab the bottle himself. Alfie thrust his aching cock against the soft sheets, needing to relieve some of the pressure. He nearly sobbed when he was rolled back, now denied both the sheets and Dominick’s hand.
The glass of the bottle was cool against his stomach, Dominick’s palm holding it there even hotter by comparison.
“You’re such a beautiful wanton, aren’t you?”
“Shut up and give me that,” Alfie snarled, trying to pry the bottle from Dominick’s grip.
“No. I want to do it.” Dominick pressed another achingly sweet kiss against Alfie’s shoulder. “Will you be good and hold still for me?”
His words made Alfie’s hips jerk of their own accord. This man was going to be the death of him. The motion had the pleasing effect of rocking him back against Dominick’s cock, so he did it again intentionally.
Dominick’s breath stuttered and he moaned against Alfie’s neck. Good. If Alfie was going to be driven mad, he could at least drag Dominick down with him.
“Why do I even ask?” Dominick muttered, but he was uncorking the bottle.
Alfie stilled. If it got Dominick in him again sooner, then he supposed he could behave, just this once.
Unfortunately, Dominick needed both hands to pour and catch the oil, so Alfie lost his pillow. He could hear Dominick shifting around behind him, but he was taking his bloody time about it, so Alfie picked up where his lover had left off, wrapping his hand around his prick and pulling. After all, Dominick hadn’t said he needed to be perfectly still.
“Christ,” Dominick swore. Then Alfie felt exactly what he’d been waiting for, Dominick’s oiled fingers against his arse. He arched his back, shoving back against those fingers, but instead of pressing in, Dominick instead slid his hand up and down, slicking Alfie’s crease. Then his hand dipped even lower, and suddenly that hot palm was oiling Alfie’s inner thighs, slicking the tight space where his legs met his body.
“Need more, love?” Dominick asked. He pulled his hand away before Alfie could respond, pouring more oil in his palm before reaching back between his legs, lifting Alfie’s upper thigh as he coated the inside of it.
Alfie tightened his grip on his prick, squeezing tightly to keep from coming on the spot. Dominick’s hands—rough, scarred, fighter’s hands—were like silk with the oil coating, flowing over all of Alfie’s most intimate areas without any question as to whether they had a right to be there. That surety—that Alfie would let Dominick do whatever he wanted with his body and Dominick knew it—took his breath away and he missed the sound of the bottle being recorked.
He didn’t miss Dominick settling down against his back or lifting his injured leg again, so gently. And he certainly didn’t miss Dominick sliding his cock between his thighs.
Alfie gripped the sheets tightly with his free hand. Dominick’s cock felt larger, hotter than it had before. And if Dominick’s oil-covered hands felt like silk, then his cock felt like something meant for only emperors and kings that had somehow fallen into the bed of an urchin-turned-earl instead.
He intended on keeping it there.
“That doesn’t hurt, does it?” Dominick asked, pushing down a little on his leg. His voice was strained but still he didn’t move, waiting for Alfie’s reply.
He’d had Dominick inside him more times than he could count, but there was something about this act that made him feel even more possessed. Perhaps it was because like this, Dominick could change his mind and decide to fuck him at any moment, but chose not to. Or perhaps it was because it was one of the first things he’d ever learned men could do together, from the dirty jokes and hushed laughter of other boys.
Whatever it was, he answered Dominick's question by reaching back and tugging on Dominick’s thigh until it was over his, pressing down and making the channel between his legs even tighter, hotter for Dominick’s use.
“Christ,” Dominick whispered again, and then he was moving. The feel of him was dizzying, holding Alfie in place as he took his pleasure. Then that oil-slicked hand was around Alfie’s cock again, even better than before.
Alfie thrust into it. He was too wound up to even try to match Dominick’s pace as Dominick rutted against him. He had to bite back a shout as the head of Dominick’s cock tapped against his bollocks. Dominick let out a grunt before releasing Alfie’s cock to cup them instead, holding them in place as he continued to rut. The knuckle of his thumb rubbed against the base of Alfie’s cock, but that wasn’t nearly enough, and he was so close.
“Nick, please. Please, Nick, please.”
Dominick could have kept him like that, ignoring Alfie’s needs to chase his own desires, but he immediately moved his hand back to Alfie’s prick, jerking fiercely, the combination of his slick hand and the rough treatment bringing Alfie right to the edge. Then his wicked thumb swiped over the head of Alfie’s cock, using his own tricks against him, and that was it.
Everything went very bright and then very dark as pleasure surged through Alfie, Dominick’s hand working him through his climax, making him shudder as wave after wave rolled through him.
Finally, it was too much and Alfie batted his hand away weakly. It didn’t go far, settling on his hip as Dominick continued to thrust. Each time his cock thrust through Alfie’s legs, striking his bollocks again, Alfie keened, so over-sensitive now that the feeling walked the line between pleasure and pain. Still, he tightened his legs until they ached, wanting to give Dominick just that little bit more.
Dominick was panting, exhaling wetly against his neck, so Alfie reached back, twisting his fingers into Dominick’s hair and pulling him impossibly closer.
“Nick,” he said again. “Please.”
Dominick’s hips stuttered and then he spent, the hot rush spilling between Alfie’s legs making them both groan. He continued to thrust after he’d finished, the roll of his hips less urgent as he spread his come over Alfie’s thighs. Alfie let him, even as he felt some trickle out from between his legs and run down his backside.
Dominick might as well enjoy it while he could. After all, he was the one who was going to have to brave the cold floors to fetch the washcloth while Alfie stayed cuddled up in their bed, now thoroughly warmed.
“Can you stop thinking and sleep now?” Dominick asked with a contagious yawn sometime later. Even as he closed his eyes, he was rubbing soothing circles on Alfie’s leg around and around the scar where he’d been shot, knowing where it was without needing to see.
“I’ll try,” said Alfie, yawning right back. He was warm and clean and sated. That was enough to make him forget some of the troubling thoughts that had been keeping him awake, at least for now. “I suppose I have to. Busy day tomorrow. The workers will be back and the McConnells want to meet to look over some final designs for the gardens. And that means meeting with you too, not just me, so you’d better not go riding off after breakfast. Dominick, are you listening to me? Repeat back what I just said.”
“Tomorrow. Look. Better. Breakfast.” Dominick slurred. “E’rything looks better after breakfast.”
And like that, he was asleep.
The next morning, Dominick was proven right. With the bright morning sun and a belly full of tea and eggs, everything did look better. The eerie sounds of the night before seemed like little more than a bad dream.
At least until the screaming began.