Part IV
The soft pad of footsteps warned him that he had company in the bedroom
but Sharpe didn't bother moving to acknowledge the other. Instead he laid
quietly as the thin sheet that covered him was caught and began slowing
inching down his bare back andass. The mattress dipped as soon as he was
completely exposed and denim clad legs moved to straddle him. The double
thump of hands landed just below his up-stretched arms. Soft lips teased
between scarred shoulder- blades, scattering damp kisses. A tongue flicked
out to trace the longest of the marks that the group home supervisor's belt
had cut into his back.
Richard hummed low in his chest and shifted slightly, making the side of his
head more readily available. He wasn't sure if the invitation would even be
acknowledged but surprisingly enough his silent partner immediately obliged,
acting unusually indulgent about gratifying his whims this afternoon. The
sucking kisses drifted up, grazing the nape of Sharpe's neck before nibbling
at the offered ear. Single-minded attention was lavished about the area for a
good long time before the mouth began to descend once more. Teeth nipped
playfully down Richard's spine. The body above him rocked up and newly freed
hands ran down as well, tracing tiny circles as they moved along sleep warmed
skin.
"Mmm." Sharpe twisted languorously, enjoying the attention. When the gentle
hands cupped the cheeks of his ass and carefully parted them to allow the
lapping tongue lower Richard's eyes snapped open. "Son of a bitch!" He rolled
abruptly, shoving the pillows away from his face to get a good look at who it
was that had been straddling him.
Alexander Andrews, Richard's flatmate, settled back onto the rumpled
sheets beside him. The younger man looked mildly concerned by the violent
reaction his lover of seven months had to him. "What?" Alex protested. "Your
bedroom door was standing open."The kid referred to the code that indicated
whether or not they were welcome in one another's bedrooms.
Richard collapsed back down. "I thought you were out of the city. Yer Mam's
been leaving messages once a day for weeks reminding you that you were
expected. Yer supposed to be in bloody Ireland right now." He complained.
"Teresa and I... Teresa's staying here." Sharpe's mind raced. He'd been hoping
for another few days before having to deal with the kid's reaction to what he
and Teresa had been up to.
"I'm dodging my family." Alexander shrugged, an elegant gesture.
That wasn't news. Richard had noticed Andrews avoiding the telephone and
tossing notes into the garbage without reading them for almost a month now.
He'd had to field a few calls from the kid's irate mother and sister a couple of
times. Those women were heartily pissed at Alex.
"Well, Terry must have popped out to the shop 'cause she ain't here right
now,Gorgeous." Andrews frowned at some stray thought chasing through his
head then seemed to banish it in favour of a crooked smile. "Not that she
should mind, Dickin, me Darlin. She's had you for days. It's my turn." The kid
actually pounced like an overgrown cat whispering in that low sexy voice of
his. "God, I missed you so much it hurt." Alex crawled into place and melded
their mouths together.
Richard gave into the overpowering devotion his lover was displaying. He
reached up and around to slide up Alexander's narrow ass and under the kid's
soft grey shirt. Fingers threaded into Sharpe's messy gold hair, tangling, and
eager noises began to escape Andrews' throat. Their bodies rubbed together,
the cloth pleasantly abrasive against Richard's sensitised skin.
"Terry's greedy. She hates sharing you." Alex complained in a pout that
sounded just a bit too sincere.
"Teresa..." Sharpe corrected with a pecking kiss. "Says the same thing about
you, Xander. After all, we've been livin' t'gether all this time." Richard was
never entirely certain if the halfway friendly rivalry Teresa and Alex played at
wasn't something much more hostile. Either way it was about to explode in his
face when his lady returned to the flat.
"But I love you more than she does." Alexander proclaimed passionately,
locking his dark green eyes with Richard's cool, pale ones. "Sometimes I
suspect you wouldn't even bother with women anymore if you weren't so
fucking worried about what Command would think of what we're doing, my
Dearest." He sighed, staring intently at his lover'sface. His voice took on a
tone of momentous resolve. "I've decided I want to stay with you, Dickin. I like
who I am around you." The kid stated cryptically then grinned again banishing
the odd expression that had accompanied the announcement. "I'm better in
the sack than any silly girl, aren't I." Alex taunted. His teeth snapped near
Richard'sunfashionably long sideburns. "I know I give better head than Terry,
Darlin, by fair margin. I've listened in and you don't moan half so loud when
she's going down on you."
"Don't start, Brat." Richard carefully eased his lover back. "I do not want her
coming home to this, Xander. She's been cool with it before but... SHITE!
Xander, careful with that."
Andrews attempted to short circuit the protest by wrapping his talented
fingers around Sharpe's half interested cock and squeezing. "I've missed this
beauty over the last few days." His thumb ran a snaking caress up the shaft
and across the head. "I haven't had a good stiff piece since you left, Darlin.
Just chickies. You're a bad influence on me."
"Gender monogamy." Richard barked out a laugh. "I'm flattered, but you
shouldn't, Sweet thing. Not for me." His breath caught as Alexander tickled
the flat of his nails over stiffening flesh. "Stop it. Teresa will be back any
minute."
"She can watch." Alex offered with a smirk. He was edging down, dragging
damp lips over every inch of skin available as he went. "Or I suppose she could
join in. Your mouth ain't busy... but this..." Andrews kissed his way down to the
short wiry hair at Richard's groin. "This is mine to play with until I get some
cream filling."
"Jesus, Xander." The elder complained at his choice of phrasing.
"That's nothing." Alexander snickered. "I was thinking of asking you to sit for
a plastercast. That way I could have a rubber copy of this wonder if Terry
drags you out of the city again. Whacha think of that, Gorgeous?" The kid
didn't seem interested in Richard's answer. His entire attention was focused
on coaxing the erection in his hand to it's full length. Alex slid further down
the bed to line his mouth up with the object of his affection.
The clear-eyed fascination that the kid's face seemed to display always made
Richard a little uncomfortable. It suggested such a strange combination of
precise technical skill, mischief and honest desire. At times Sharpe felt the
urge to demand the history of Alex's sexual experiences but he suspected if
he actually learned about it he would immediately regret the knowledge.
Andrews bent his head to run his tongue up the underside of Sharpe's
erection, putting an end to complex thoughts. "Don't." The protest was a
mere token nod to his previous determination not to fuck around with
Alexander. Once the kid started a blowjob Richard lost all willpower.
Andrews reached the tip and suckled gently suggesting that this was going to
be the kind of encounter that melted Sharpe to the core with sweetness. The
older man carded his hand through Alex's almost black hair. He should pull the
kid off but the warm suction was drifting over every single sensitive spot.
Xander was right. He was better at this than any woman Richard had tried.
Alexander's tongue rolled into a point and thoroughly explored the weeping tip
before his mouth opened wide and Richard's cock was slowly swallowed up by
moist heat.
Sharpe closed his eyes and laid bonelessly under the sensual assault. Teresa
could come home, the country could sink into the ocean, the Commander
himself could walk in and start video-taping them... at this exact moment
Richard couldn't bring himself to care about anything but what Andrews was
doing to him. Christ, the kid could be earning diamonds and gold if he sold this
skill instead working for the British government. When one of Alex's hands
began a teasing ball massage Richard let out a pained groan. His hips rolled
and Sharpe's legs spread even wider, inviting more contact.
How could he even consider giving up the delights Alex offered so freely? The
kid was a wealth of sweet kinks and he was unrestrainedly gifting Richard with
every drop of pleasure his young body could provide. Even hinting at a fantasy
almost guaranteed that it would be fulfilled within weeks. When Alexander said
that he'd do anything Sharpe wanted, he'd meant it and he did so with
enthusiasm. The kid was a living, breathing sex toy behind the safely closed
door of their joint apartment.
Andrews tongue and teeth worked their magic making Richard moan and toss
his head against the bedsheets. His fingers tightened in dark hair, holding the
kid in place and urging Alexander to take him even deeper. "Christ Xander.
That's the way." Sharpe's back started to arch upward. He heard a brief
gagging noise but the pressure grew more intense on his cock rather than
easing off. Richard screwed his eyes shut to better appreciate the
sensations beginning to wrack through his body. "Do that... Sweet
thing. There's my Xander."
The kid's hands wandered, teasing and pinching lightly, wanting to force his
lover into making as much noise as possible. Alexander rewarded each
vocalisation with a hard swallow at the back of his throat. Alex took Richard
to the edge four or five times but eased off just as Sharpe was about to
loose it. It wasn't until the elder man had been reduced to hoarse curses that
Alexander took him all the way. Saliva soaked fingers pushed into Richard's
ass and the kid's throat constricted, dragging Sharpe's orgasm up from the
base of his balls.
Fearful of carelessly breaking the kid's neck Richard released his grip on Alex
in favour of pounding his fists down against the mattress. His body was still
shuddering in reaction when Alex's mouth vanished. Sharpe was distantly
aware of his lover fumbling with his own jeans and spitting before he felt his
body being manhandled into position. Limp legs lifted and parted without
protest. Richard grunted at the pressure but he wasn't worried. Andrews was
always so careful when penetrating him, rocking gently rather than forcing
his way inside. The fluttery moan of pleasure the kid invariably let out as
his erection pierced Sharpe was enough to send a shiver of arousal up the
spine of the man under him despite Richard's satisfaction.
"I love you, Dickin." Alexander hissed out between clenched teeth. "I've never
loved anyone like I love you. God!" His hips thrust carefully. "...do
anything... get you whatever you need. I can."
"Don't Xander." Richard whispered. "Don't talk." Normally he couldn't get
enough of the kid's breathless proclamations but today Sharpe simply couldn't
bear them, not in light of what he'd done with Teresa.
Alexander wouldn't lapse into complete silence but his endearments were now
pressed almost noiselessly right against Richard's fever hot skin. The words
had lapsed into babble with maybe a hint of French or some such if Sharpe
was hearing clearly.
"Moi Dickin." Alex threw his dark head back sending scalding droplets of
sweat flying. His spine snapped and blunt nails dug into Richard's hips, holding
on desperately. "M'sorry." The younger man slumped forward. "Too fast.
M'sorry, me Darlin. I just missed you so much." His separation was obviously
reluctant but Alex carefully pulled their bodies apart. His fingertips flickered
across the older man's skin, apologising to the beginnings of Richard's
returning erection.
"Shush."
"I want you to do me, Dickin. I want this in me." Andrews ran his nails over
slowly stiffening flesh. "I want it so deep it feels like it's spearing my heart.
That's how it should be with us, Love."
"Xander." Sharpe pushed at the other. "Don't. We've really got to talk before
Teresa comes back."
"I don' wanna talk. I wanna screw." The kid crawled up to steal a bitter tasting
kiss. "I want to fuck until neither of us has the strength to talk."
"Afternoon, boys."
The voice from the doorway was more effective than a bucket of ice on
Richard's arousal. Alexander simply growled, low in his throat, frowning
absently.
"I went out for supplies." Teresa paced across the floor then fearlessly sat
down on the edge of the bed. She and Alex exchanged territorial glares. "I
thought you were supposed to be in Ireland, Alexander."
"I thought you were only supposed to be on temporary loan to our team... so I
guess we're even." He had begun mentioning her returning to Spain at least
once a day when they met lately.
Teresa ignored the subtle malice in his voice, turning to Richard. "You need to
tell him."
"Tell me what?" The kid's eyes went even wider than usual, betraying dread.
"Has the Commander decided to keep her on permanently?"
Sharpe squirmed. This wasn't how he'd wanted to break the news to his lover,
not naked and reeking of sex. His mouth moved trying to decide on which
words to begin with. "Not exactly."
"What?" Andrews casually tucked himself away and pulled his jeans closed.
"What'exactly'?" He shifted into a more comfortable position without
surrendering any of his proximity to Richard.
"Simmerson spoke to me at headquarters the other day." Sharpe started at
the beginning. Mentioning that particular bureaucrat invariably creased up
Andrews' nose with distaste. Not that Richard liked the asshole either. "A new
first team is being chosen. Willard's lost too many men... and he's tired."
Alexander nodded warily. The news wasn't unexpected or bad. Richard was a
prime candidate to take lead on the newly assembled force.
"Command wants to give me the job, the position as First." Sharpe watched
his lover's face carefully, half wishing he'd thought to stash a gun under the
pillows for the moment of truth. "But..." He faltered, not wanting to say the
words.
"But they know about the pair of you." Teresa interrupted impatiently. "And
they don'tlike it. It's dangerous on so many levels." She met Alex's glare.
"You're not stupid, you know what kind of trouble this could stir up. Couples
aren't allowed to work together... and a same sex couple is just asking for a
scandal in the press. It's a security breach waiting to happen if an outside
organisation sniffed this out."
Alexander's frown had quickly drawn into a snarl. "I know, I know... but what
exactly does it mean?" He prompted, staring expectantly at Richard. "What
the fuck are you trying to tell me?"
"You realise what kind of honour it is, to be offered Command of the first
team when I've only been in the field for a few months. It's unheard of."
Richard didn't dare meet his lover's gaze. "It's everything I've worked for. It's
what you've been helping build me up for too, Xander... by giving me credit, by
busting your gut to make me look good." He picked at the sheets, unwilling to
look the other straight in the eyes.
The younger man sucked in a breath of air. "No. You can't mean..."
Alexander's head began slowly shaking back and forth. "We can be even more
discreet." He argued quietly. "They wouldn't dare break up our partnership.
They know how well we work together. I'm your second. You need..." The kid's
objection trailed off unfinished at the solemn looks he was receiving from
both Teresa and Richard. "But they can't dictate our personal lives even if
they reassign us." His tone was a low rumble. "Right Dickin? We can still be
together off duty." His voice grew desperate.
"Alexander." Richard began cautiously. "You know better than anyone what
my career means to me."
"Don't." The kid warned vaguely.
"Command set it up, fixed it so Teresa and I could get married a few days
ago. Simmerson pushed all the paperwork through." Richard sat straighter,
fidgeting with the pillow he'd pulled onto his lap. "They're more comfortable
about promoting me now. The way is wide open for me." He shot an unsteady
grin at his new bride. "Teresa and I suit each other just fine. I can't think of
another lady I'd rather be with."
The kid's breath was growing shallow and his eyes were flicking wildly
between Richard and Teresa but he was doing better than Sharpe had feared.
Andrews hadn't lost control.
"You married Terry." Alexander repeated softly, trying to convince himself.
"You just slipped away and married her without telling me."
The anger was coming. Sharpe could feel it prickling like the heat of a fire on
his skin.
"What? You thought I'd try to chain you up? Or was that you knew you
wouldn't be able to go through with it if I put my mind to persuading you out
of it? You don't love her Dickin, not like you love me."
"Alex." Teresa attempted to join the conversation.
"NO! YOU stay out of it. I'm all right." The younger man said reasonably. His
nose wrinkled and the crease between his brows cut deep. "I can deal."
Alexander turned back to his lover. "I've been sharing you all this time. What's
a piece of paper going to change? You still need me. You still want me. Right
Dickin? I've been a dirty little secret before. Hey, it's got it's own
attractions." The kid bit his lip. "Dickin?" His voice trembled on the edge of
breaking.
"Alexander, no." Richard said softly.
"I could quit the force. I could find something else to do around the city.
When you're home we..." His eyes had darkened from their usual green to
almost black.
"It would be a security risk." Sharpe shook his head. "They'd know."
"Oh fuck. I'm so screwed it's pathetic." Alex buried his face in his hands a
moment almost at the edge of tears. "I was ready to give it all up. I finished
here weeks ago. Nicki's been absolutely screaming at me to come home but I
thought I could stay with you. I thought it would be worth it 'cause you loved
me."
Richard frowned, not understanding everything the kid was trying to say.
Instead he addressed the fragment he did comprehend. "I do love you,
Xander... in a way, but I need more than..."
"SHUT UP!" The younger man threw himself backwards and to his feet. His
grief burned up into white hot fury.
Teresa stood slowly, her palms out. "Alexander, calm down."
"YOU BITCH! You selfish bitch! You took him. You've completely fucked me up.
You're never going to love him like I do, you're just..." Alex's fists were
clenched and his face was bloodless.
Sharpe's mouth straightened into a hard line. "That's enough, Alexander!"
Richard discarded his coverings to lunge, making a grab at the kid's arm.
"Settle down."
Andrews flinched backwards. "NO!" The words howled out. "You have no idea
what I was willing to give you!" He darted sideways across the foot of the bed
still screaming."E"b tvoju mat'!"
Sharpe's forehead crinkled into furrows. The kid had lapsed into babbling,
shifting into the mucked up language he sometimes used when the sex was
too intense for anything else. Richard suspected it was some local Gaelic
dialect from Alexander's childhood. All that really mattered was the absolute
look of rage and threat distorting the kid's beautiful face. "I don't understand
you, Xander."
Alex let out a pained bark of laughter. "Ty mne van'ku ne val'aj, moi Dickin."
He snapped, continuing on in that same line of gibberish and growing more
enraged with every syllable. A hiccup of emotion choked him off momentarily.
The kid swallowed desperately and reverted back to proper English. "How can
you do this?" Angry tears were leaking from the corner of his eyes but he
didn't even bother to wipe at them.
Teresa was staring across at the young man with her mouth hanging open.
Richard made another attempt to move forward but it only caused the kid to
edge closer to the door. "Xander, you're one of my best friends. It doesn't have
to be like this. I want you to keep the flat. You should stay with the Force.
You're good at what we do. We just can't be like we were. It isn't safe."
"My God, Dickin. How can you even think I could stand to be near you and not
touch you? Bastard! Son of poxed whore!" Alex flinched as if from a blow.
"Suka tyzlo'ebuchaya." He snatched up the nearest thing at hand, one of Richard's old
trophies and flung it with every bit of strength he had straight
at his lover's head missing him by only a hair. Another fountain of
incomprehensible outrage spouted out before Alexander whirled on his heel
and stormed out of the room. The front door to their apartment slammed a
few seconds later with enough force to rattle the pictures on Richard's
bedroom wall.
"Oh my God." Teresa's right hand was clenched at the front of her shirt. She
was actually trembling with emotion. "Oh dear Lord in heaven. This is bad." A
shiver ran through her.
"It's okay, Teresa. He'll calm down in a couple of hours and we'll sort this
out." Richard promised with more confidence than he felt. "He won't leave it
like this. He'll comeback."
"No. You don't understand." She crouched down and started frantically
grabbing after her new husband's discarded clothing. "Get dressed we have to
hurry." Fabric flew across the room.
"What are you talking about. You think he's going to hurt himself?" Richard
tugged on the underwear and jeans she tossed at him. Concern pulled his pale
brows together and down.
"No, no. Richard, didn't you hear him? Don't you realise what it means?"
His blonde head was bowed. A riot of thoughts were beginning to plague his
mind. "He was babbling. He does that sometimes." Sharpe didn't want to
specify when. It usually involved the kind of sweat-soaked sex that left him
quaking for an hour afterward. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe it wasn't too
late to work something else out. Christ he was going to miss Xander, not only
in bed but at his back when they were in the field. If they really wanted him
for Team First they might be willing to make a concession or two.
Teresa's voice interrupted his musings. "We have to go to headquarters. We
have to get there fast." She insisted.
"Why? What's this got to do with Headquarters. I ended it." Richard grimaced,
not sure he'd made the right choice despite his earlier certainty. Watching
Xander run out the door had hurt more than he'd ever expected it would.
"They won." He conceded, a little bitterly.
"Oh Christ." She sighed. "Your partner, a man privy to high level intelligence
missions and secrets that damage the government, just stormed out of here
after saying that you were a 'shit for brains, mother-fucking Bastard who
was going to regret this day'." Teresa straightened out, a look of dismay
marring her strong features.
Sharpe's head shook in confusion. How the hell had Teresa gotten those
words out of that stream of gibberish Alexander had spouted out in his
incoherent fury.
"In Russian, Love." She explained, throwing his shirt at him. "In pristine
perfect, ruling class Russian with no discernible accent. Tell me, Richard.
Where in his file does it explain how a supposedly country raised Irish man
learned to speak like a favoured son of old Mother Russia?"
"SHITE!" The implications of what his bride was suggesting hit him like a
speeding train. Richard attempted to rush doing up his buttons and made a
proper mess of entire row. "Oh damn. Are you sure?"
"Hurry up. Then we have to call the Commander. You'd best prepare yourself
for a very long stressful week, Richard." Teresa advised. "Cause this is either
some freaking weird fluke or it's the biggest breach of National security in
the last ten years."
Sharpe groaned and snatched after his socks.
Oh, poor babies. That's it for now. Milk and cookies time.
Sharpe's Scoundrel
Disruption
Richard had his head buried under one pillow and he was laying half on top of
another. It was good to be back in his own bed after the weekend in that frilly
bed and breakfast in Spain. He simply couldn't feel as comfortably sluggish
with the tidy old lady who ran the place picking up after them and
chattering about all the sights that the pair of them should take in. Richard
liked laying naked in the bed with door wide open without worrying about how it
looked.
