Men of London 02 - Sight and Sinners (21 page)

It was about slick, hot flesh covered in lube and sweat, the sounds of sex echoing in the warm air, bodies pistoning and driving, arching and twisting and the feel of Taylor’s hands on Draven’s body, neither of them caring now about the old rule.

As Draven gasped and felt his balls constrict and as the first hot jets of fluid filled the condom and Taylor, he knew with absolute finality that this was where he belonged. With this man, in this man, and as part of this man and there was no way on God’s green earth he was ever going to let him go.

His climax reached and spent, he heard Taylor’s loud gasp of completion as his belly grew warm with Taylor’s come and the scent of musk and sweat filled the air. Draven collapsed on the sticky, wet stomach of his lover. He sought Taylor’s mouth and kissed him gently, not the rough, rude action born of desire or lust like before but rather the soft, passionate kiss of possession and affection.

“Mine,” he whispered against Taylor’s lips. “You are mine.”

Taylor nodded, eyes sleepy. “Yours,” he agreed. “Definitely.”

Draven wanted to ask Taylor what had changed, why he’d been so forgiving and not given up on him, as they’d yet to speak about it. He didn’t want to spoil the moment though, so instead he played big spoon to Taylor’s little one, wrapping protective arms around the man in his arms, listening to his soft breathing as he fell asleep.

The feel of Taylor’s warm arse against his groin and stomach made him feel complete.

Never felt like this before, must be something in the damn water
, were his last thoughts before he drifted off into slumber.

*****

The following Sunday morning they sat in the lounge, eating marmalade toast and drinking coffee. Draven thought with a pang of longing that it was all very domesticated. He’d missed having this sort of relationship, the one where you woke up to the same man each morning and took pleasure in the way they liked the sugar in their coffee and saw the adorable frown as they perused the morning newspapers. He’d watched his mother and father as a child; seen their warmth and affection. He’d never really thought he’d want that, but since meeting Taylor it seemed to have become a need in his life. His job hadn’t really allowed for it is the past, and he’d been too much of a player anyway but Taylor had put some things into perspective.

He grinned as Taylor’s eyes travelled the newspaper, watched his lips part when he read something interesting, all the while taking bites of his toast which left crumbs on his mouth. His hair curled around his face, framing his smooth skin like a puddle of black ink.

Draven chuckled. “God, you look cute when you read the papers. Your nose scrunches up like a rabbit.”

Taylor mock glared at him. “Comparing me to soft and cuddly animals isn’t going to get you laid any time soon,” he declared loftily. “I’d suggest you watch what you say.”

“Yeah, yeah. You want this body far too badly to limit your partaking of it,” Draven retorted, waving a hand languidly down his body. “You know you can’t resist it.”

Taylor stuck his tongue out at him and went back to reading his paper, a small smile on his face. Draven didn’t want to disturb his well-being but there was no easy way and no good time to impart the information he had sitting in his head.

“Tay?”

Taylor looked up. “Hmm?”

“I spoke to Clay yesterday. It was the wife. She was the one in the room when Drew shot himself.”

Taylor paled and he set the newspaper down on the table. “It was Catherine? But why, why didn’t she stop him, what happened?”

Draven sat down next to Taylor and laid a warm hand on his. “While I was away, Clay went around to see her with one of his friends, some hotshot psychologist who knows just how to get under your skin. Believe me, I know. I’ve met her. Between them, they pushed Catherine into a place she’d never have known how to leave. They got the whole story. She was the one blackmailing him. She thought it might make him see the ‘error of his ways’ when it came to his alternative lifestyle.” Draven grimaced in distaste. “She’d had enough of his antics and decided she wanted to teach him a lesson.”

“She blackmailed her own husband?” Taylor looked ill. “What the fuck did she expect he’d do? Just sit back and let it ride?” He stood up and moved around the lounge in agitation. Draven watched him.

“She said she didn’t mean for it to go so far. She’d had someone following him and they’d seen him go into the club. She had him take pictures and then used those to mess with his head.

“That night she got home early and found him in the study.” Draven’s voice tailed off. “Her story is he literally pulled the trigger as she saw him and she couldn’t stop it. Clay said she was completely hysterical and they had to send for a paramedic to come and calm her down.” He took a deep breath. “She’s in some fancy sanatorium at the moment awaiting some doctor to tell the police whether anything further should be done. After all, she didn’t pull the trigger.”

Taylor’s face was white. “No. But she drove him to it. If she hadn’t been such a fucking bitch, he wouldn’t be dead. How do you do that to someone you love, for God’s sake? Blackmail them, drive them to suicide?” His hands were shaking, his breath laboured. Draven moved over to him quickly.

“Baby, breathe. Come on. Deep in, out, in, out…breathe for me, Taylor.” He held his lover tight against his chest as the shudders lessened and then, when he was sure Taylor seemed better, he stepped back slightly and regarded him. “It’s over, Tay. You helped Drew by getting the truth out. It won’t change the fact he’s dead but at least it’s over now.”

“It’ll never be over. Not for me. I hear his death every time I close my eyes, see his blood coat those walls sometimes when I fall asleep. Nothing’s ever over, Draven. Death isn’t always the end.”

Draven had no idea what to say to that, so he simply held Taylor close, feeling the beat of his heart against his own chest and the warmth that soaked into his skin from his boyfriend’s body. Finally Taylor heaved a deep sigh. He looked up at Draven, his dark eyes shadowed.

“Sorry. That was probably a bit more intense that I meant to be. I just hope Drew’s at peace wherever he is now. He deserved that much at least.”

He moved over to the couch and slumped down, biting his fingernails. He looked a little lost and Draven couldn’t stand it. He took a deep breath. “I’m going to the hospital this afternoon. Would you like to come with me to visit Jude?”

Taylor looked up him, face lightening “Are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. “Because I’d love to if you are.”

Draven nodded, even as his heart beat faster. Jude’s plight had been his cross to bear, for not being there to protect his brother, or make his world right and bring him back. He was trying to share because he knew if he didn’t, he’d lose Taylor one day as well. “I think it’s about time you met the other man in my life,” he murmured. “So if we leave just after twelve, we won’t be in the nurse’s way at lunchtime and I won’t have the smell of hospital food clogging my nostrils.”

“Okay.” Taylor looked uncertain. “Erm, I’m normally okay in hospitals, although I can tend to space out now and then if there’s too much going on. I know I need some emotional connection to see stuff but hospitals are a bit of an unknown.” He stood up and walked over to Draven, laying a hand on his shoulder. “So I’ll try not to pass out on you or anything, but it might be a scenario we have to face.”

Draven was mystified. “Then why the hell do you want to go in there, if it makes you uncomfortable?”

Taylor brushed warm lips across his. “Because it’s something I want to share with you,” he said simply. “It eats at you and I want to be there for you.”

Draven’s chest warmed and he pulled Taylor against him and hugged him fiercely. “Thanks,” he said gruffly. “Just please try hold it together, though. I hate seeing you all whacked out.” He released his lover and started clearing away the breakfast dishes. “Let me get rid of these and then I have some work to do in the study for a while. Can you entertain yourself while I’m gone?”

Taylor smirked. “You have a 48-inch TV, an X-Box and the latest
Grand Theft Auto
. I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine.”

*****

Draven felt strangely out of sorts later on that day as he entered the hospital lobby with Taylor. It was only the second time he’d been to the hospital to see Jude with someone. The first time had been with Clay. His boss had been with him when Draven had gotten the call telling him about the tragedy. If he hadn’t been there, Draven knew he would have fallen apart. He remembered that call vividly, and he shivered now at remembering being told his whole family had just been ripped away from him.

Clay had been supportive but tenacious, like a dog humping his leg, until Draven gave in and took him to visit Jude at the hospital. From that point on, Jude had two frequent visitors. Draven knew that Clay had some personal issues of his own in the mysterious man that took up a lot of his time, but he’d always managed to pay a visit to the young man lying prone in a hospital bed.

Draven turned to look at Taylor, who followed behind him. Taylor had seemed hesitant to enter the hospital and Draven wondered if he was feeling any vibes or having visions. He cocked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Are you okay? You’ve been very quiet on the way over here.”

In truth, Taylor had hardly said a word. It was as if he’d been psychically building himself up to be here, in the slight movement of his lips, the deep breathing and the nervous twitching of his fingers as he picked at the seam on his worn jeans. He’d smoked numerous cigarettes earlier on in the garden and then glared at the packet in disgust afterward and said he was giving up. The packet had been thrown unceremoniously in the garbage bin and Draven wondered just how long Taylor would hold out.

Taylor gave a faint smile. “I’m all right. I just don’t like hospitals much. Reminds me of when my mum died.” He seemed to anticipate Draven’s heated response of “You didn’t have to come if it upset you” with a wave of his hand. “Before you go all postal on me, I want to be here. And no, I’m not tuned in to anything at the moment, so you don’t need to worry.” He frowned slightly. “Although there’s something not quite right, but I can’t really put my finger on it. It’s as if it’s there but not there, if you know what I mean.”

Draven stared at him. He had no idea at all what that meant. Sometimes his lover said the weirdest things. He nodded absently. “Uh-huh. Come on. Let’s do this then.”

Five minutes later he was standing outside Jude’s partially open door, his chest tight as he took a deep breath.

Taylor rubbed his back gently. “I’m here with you,” he said simply. “Come on.” He pushed Draven softly into the room. Draven saw Sister Alison fiddling with the transparent lines leading into Jude’s body and she gave a wide, white smile when she saw Draven.

“Draven. Lovely to see you, sweetie. Jude, your brother’s here, honey. And he’s brought a very tasty young man with him.” She grinned at Draven, winking at him and giving him a secret thumbs up. “Now we know who’s been keeping your brother company.” Her brows furrowed as she looked behind Draven.

Draven smiled and reached out and touched his brother’s cheek. It was warmer than usual and he caressed the pale skin. “Hi little bro, I bought someone to meet you.” He turned to introduce Taylor and his heart almost stuttered to a stop. Taylor was white, his hands held loosely at his sides, his eyes blank. He resembled a wax mannequin at Madam Tussauds.

Draven wasn’t even sure he could see the rise and fall of Taylor’s chest.

“Taylor?” He swiftly moved to Taylor’s side and touched his arm. “What’s wrong?”

Alison was beside him now, her face racked in concern. She stared at Draven in confusion. “Is he all right? I saw him behind you when you came in and he…just…well, he just stopped dead.”

A feeling of dread assailed Draven. “Alison, I can’t really explain, but he has these turns now and then. I’ll get him sat down, and I’m sure he’ll be okay in a minute. Can I ask you to get him a Coke or something? Sometimes his blood sugar gets a bit low…” His voice trailed off and he knew Alison wasn’t buying the story, nurse as she was. Her eyes narrowed but to his relief she simply nodded.

“Yes, I’ll get him something. You get him settled there in that easy chair. I’ll be back in a little while.”

The sister left the room and Draven took hold of Taylor’s unresisting body. “Come and sit down, Tay.” He managed to get his lover seated in the chair as Taylor’s eyes still gazed unseeingly into the distance. It was as if there was no one home, just the shell of a body left in the wake of whatever had lived in there before. Draven’s spine prickled with fear.

“Taylor, please, baby. Where the hell are you?” He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it messy and rumpled. “I knew this was a bad idea to bring you into a hospital with dying and sick people. I just knew it…” He continued to stare helplessly at the man in the chair, as he sat down next to him in another seat and placed one hand on his thigh, and the other on Jude’s hand in the bed. His hands trembled.

Hopefully both of the men in my life can feel me and know I’m here for them. Christ, what the hell do I do now?

*****

Taylor was aware of Draven beside him, aware of the fear and panic on his face but he was powerless to do or say anything. Instead, all he could do was gaze in wonder into the dark, azure blue of
somewhere
, God knew where, as a slight and blond figure stood outlined against the backdrop of deep blue, rich and vibrant colour that assailed Taylor’s vision like a starlit night.