The First Bloom of Winter, page 12
Holden had seen Gardenia in many moods, from playful to shy, frustrated to confident, but he had never seen him like this. He, too, wore a kimono, the pale blue silk embroidered with small white flowers, and held together with a sash of pure white. The effect highlighted his cherubic appearance, but any comparison Holden might have made between his friend and the angelic was spoiled by the leer that seemed so at home on Gardenia’s pixie-like features. Though he knew the performance was for his benefit, Holden felt compelled to offer his friends one final opportunity to relinquish the obligation of their promise.
“I am most terribly grateful to you, all of you,” he said, including all the lads in his sphere of gratitude, “but you need not involve yourself on my account. Truly, I will be fine.” He squeezed Gardenia’s fingers, satisfied that the lingering tremors in his hands were nearly imperceptible.
Gardenia’s smile grew tender as he pulled Holden close. “Thanks to you, I now know ‘Aster’ means ‘kind,’ which you are.” He rose up on his toes until their lips were mere inches apart. “Let us return a little of that kindness and help you through this. You might even enjoy it,” he murmured before closing the final distance between them.
Holden heard himself mutter a surprised “What!” when he felt the hard press of Gardenia’s lips against his. Though Gardenia had teased him often with inappropriate touches, never before had he been so forceful. Holden tried to pull away, but his friend’s grip was unexpectedly strong, holding him in place. Having no other gauge of measurement, his mind immediately flitted to his assignations with Tommy, remembering their multitude of stolen kisses. At first, he thought Gardenia’s kiss chaste in comparison, even when he felt the probe of an intrepid tongue seeking admittance past his lips. He initially resisted the silent request, having rarely allowed even Tommy the intimate privilege. But when curiosity overcame his hesitancy and he let Gardenia in, his error became immediately apparent.
“Mmmm!”
In some corner of his awareness, Holden was mortified to recognize his own voice in the helpless moan that rang out into the otherwise still room. The concern was a fleeting one, as Gardenia’s skillful assault soon robbed him of the ability to think of anything else. Gardenia alternated between dipping his tongue playfully into Holden’s mouth and sweeping it across the tender surfaces within, proving that his lingual gifts went far beyond his ability to mimic the accents of his betters. He tickled at a point right behind the top row of Holden’s teeth, and Holden moaned again at the unanticipated sensitivity of the unlikely spot.
Holden felt Gardenia’s smile against his lips. Fearing he was being laughed at for his untutored response, he lifted his head and glared down at him. His nascent ire vanished when he noticed the flush in Gardenia’s cheeks betraying that he had not been the only one affected by the connection.
“He is a talented kisser, our Gardenia, is he not?”
Hibiscus spoke from close behind Holden, making him jump at his unexpected proximity. Although they were of a height, Holden felt somewhat daunted as he looked back and met the molten amber of Hibiscus’s gaze. That enigmatic smile was still in place, as though he were the possessor of countless unknowable secrets.
“As Gardenia said, we simply want to help you. Performing your duties will be far less intimidating if you know what to expect. And perhaps we can give you a few suggestions to assist you in pleasing your guests.”
“S-such as?” Holden asked, nervously voicing his willingness to be instructed.
“Entertaining customers is all about showmanship. You must learn how to perform to an audience.” Hibiscus spun Holden about until he was facing away from the bed. “Ah, and of course,” he murmured as he ran a finger along the skin of Holden’s bared shoulder, “there’s one who’ll always be there. Watching.”
Richard had seated himself in the chair positioned between the hearth and Leslie’s reading desk. Succumbing to the warmth of the fire, he had removed his jacket and waistcoat. His crisp, white shirt clung to the heavy muscles of his arms and chest, and the seams of his trousers strained against his sturdy thighs. His posture was nonthreatening as he sat back with his long legs stretched out in front of him. But his hands gripped the arms of the chair, and his gaze was fixed on the scene unfolding before him with an intensity that hinted he’d rather die than look away.
“It’s true,” Gardenia said, coming to stand at Holden’s other side. He nudged the blue silk lower, revealing more of Holden to Richard’s appreciative gaze. “You should be grateful for his attentiveness.” He pressed a kiss to the curve of Holden’s upper arm. “See how he looks at you? You are his angel,” Gardenia continued on a furtive whisper.
“I….” Holden couldn’t speak the lie that automatically sprang to his lips. Did he want Richard to divert his gaze, to stop watching? Never. The answer came from an unexplored place deep within him. Though Richard remained unmoving, Holden was completely under his sway. He could feel Richard’s vibrant gaze upon him like a physical weight, protective and sheltering, yet also unhesitating in its admiration. Holden realized that in Richard’s eyes, he was beautiful.
Still, it seemed wrong to encourage something that could never be. Richard was granting him this one service before their relationship settled into one of guardian and ward. Nothing but harm could come from imbuing the moment with his impossible longings. He would never belong to Richard, no matter how he suddenly wanted that to be true. After tonight, he would be mere property for Leslie to lend out as he pleased. How could Richard possibly see him in any positive light after witnessing him in such a state?
Holden turned his head to hide his face from Richard’s unwavering gaze. “I don’t think that’s a wise supposition—” He broke off as Gardenia hushed him with a finger against his lips.
“Shhhh, you think too much,” Gardenia said before replacing his finger with his mouth. This time, he didn’t afford Holden the courtesy of a slow wooing. Instead he pushed his tongue forcefully into the convenient gap caused by Holden’s startled gasp and resumed his interrupted exploration. Placing his hands on either side of Holden’s face, he ensured Holden could not escape him so easily a second time.
Holden groaned as Gardenia’s tongue pumped in and out of his mouth in a slow, inexorable rhythm, hinting at an action far more intimate than a mere kiss. The playfulness Gardenia had displayed earlier was gone, and Holden understood for the first time that his friend was an accomplished professional. Despite his reservations, he gradually succumbed to Gardenia’s expertise, his knees going weak as the flesh between his legs reacted in quite the opposite fashion.
“There, now,” Hibiscus murmured, “that’s more like it.” He rested his hands lightly on either side of Holden’s waist and rubbed his thumbs soothingly over the silk lying against his flanks. His breath was warm against Holden’s ear as he spoke, causing a delicious shiver to travel down Holden’s spine. He lightly kissed the side of Holden’s neck before drawing the pale skin between his teeth.
“Ah!” Holden cried as the bite teetered on the edge of pain. He had never been assaulted in such a brazen manner and wanted to ask the raven-haired lad what in the hell he was about. But when Hibiscus followed by soothing the hurt with a long sweep of his tongue, Holden instantly forgot his discomfort. Lust soon overwhelmed all other emotions as he remained trapped between his enthusiastic tormentors.
Together, Gardenia and Hibiscus made a quick disaster of Sebastian’s careful work. Without relinquishing a single ounce of the attention he was paying Holden’s mouth, Gardenia lowered his hands long enough to tug at one trailing edge of the sash keeping the kimono in place. He succeeded in rendering the bow a nullity just as Hibiscus pushed at the heavy silk. It slipped downward until it hung around Holden’s waist, supported only by the bend of his arms. Holden grasped fretfully at Gardenia’s equally loose clothing. He wondered briefly when Gardenia had undressed himself, but all of his awareness suddenly narrowed precipitously as clever fingers began to fondle the sensitive nubs on his chest.
Holden gasped, his eyes widening at the unfamiliar sensation. He tore his mouth away from Gardenia and looked down only to discover the culprit stood behind him. “What are you doing? You shouldn’t do that,” he whimpered, turning to beg Hibiscus to stop, but Gardenia took hold of his face again, keeping him from looking away.
“Ah, ah,” he scolded, watching Holden carefully. “Be honest, now. Do you like it when he does that? Does it feel good?”
Holden shook his head, wanting to deny the shameful truth, but the lie wouldn’t leave his tongue. Tommy had generally ignored the seemingly useless nubs, and he’d been ignorant of the pleasure that was to be had from their manipulation. Hibiscus, however, proved most knowledgeable on the subject. All Holden could utter were breathy moans as he continued to suffer Hibiscus’s dexterous attentions.
Hibiscus chuckled ominously, plucking at one, then the other of Holden’s nipples as if they were strings on a lute. “I think he’s being deceitful, Gardenia.” He hummed thoughtfully as he sucked at the lobe of Holden’s ear. “What do you propose? How should we punish him?”
Holden cried out as Hibiscus abandoned the flitting caresses and clamped his fingers down on the tender flesh like a vise. He thrust his hips into the air, seeking in vain a source of friction to ease the mounting ache between his legs.
Gardenia gazed up at him with a pleased grin. “Yes, I believe that will do nicely, Hibiscus. Well done.” He looked down at where Hibiscus’s fingers were clamped on to Holden’s nipples and skimmed his thumb across the reddening peaks. “But we don’t want to be too harsh on him. It’s only his first time, after all.” He glanced up and sent Holden a teasing wink. “There will be plenty of opportunities later to introduce Aster to your particular area of expertise.”
Holden’s concern about what Gardenia could possibly be alluding to vanished when Gardenia swatted Hibiscus away from one of his new playthings and bent to replace the torturous fingers with comforting swirls of his tongue. The soft licks and gentle suction at the one nipple only accentuated the erotic agony Hibiscus was still subjecting Holden to on the other. Holden gasped in pained confusion, his pulsing cock betraying his base enjoyment of the subtle torture even as he pleaded incoherently for them to let him be. He threw his head back, once again allowing Hibiscus access to ply his neck with teasing bites.
“At the rate you two are going, this will take all night.”
Distracted as he was, it was a moment before he recognized Amaryllis’s exasperated cadence coming from the bed, indicating the redhead had not moved to join in the festivities. He was slightly quicker on the uptake when Peony spoke at his shoulder.
“I didn’t realize we were in a hurry, Amaryllis.” Peony replied with mild scorn before sighing, his distress audible. “You’re too tall for me to kiss you while you’re standing, Aster. Gardenia, you’re in my way.”
Holden couldn’t even muster up enough mental cohesion to find Peony’s childish complaint amusing, awash as he was in so many divergent sensations. Still nibbling at Holden’s neck, Hibiscus had switched places with Gardenia, his fingers pinching the recently soothed nub while Gardenia busily employed his tongue easing the ache in the other one. Holden’s remaining composure teetered desperately when he felt a hand reach past the gaping fabric of his kimono and take hold of his throbbing cock in a practiced grip.
“Ohhh!” Holden shouted before looking blearily to his side at a touch against his cheek.
Peony smiled up at him, caressing his face with the hand not currently working him into an even more frantic state of arousal. “Why don’t we take this over to the bed?” He ran a finger over Holden’s parted lips. “You looked so pretty when Gardenia was kissing you, I want my turn as well.”
Unable to answer save with a whimper, Holden was at the mercy of his friends as they paused in their respective dalliances long enough to maneuver him backward toward the bed. His knees hit the edge of the mattress, and he fell backward gracelessly, relieved he no longer had to depend on his legs to hold him upright. His body was not as pleased with the cessation of the attention it had come to crave in such a disgracefully short amount of time. He reached out blindly and grabbed the first thing his hand fell upon. Gardenia giggled, indicating the identity of his captive.
“Now look at who’s so eager that he’s likely to tear me clothes straight off.” He leaned over and took Holden’s lower lip between his teeth before pulling back slowly until it had popped free again. He smirked at Holden’s helpless moan. “Don’t you worry none, lovey. We’ll see to you right and proper.”
Gardenia and Hibiscus each took one side of Holden’s kimono and pulled it wide, completely exposing his naked form to their scrutiny. Holden glanced out into the room, his gaze drawn to the silent figure watching from beside the fire. He caught the impression of blue eyes that gleamed even brighter than the flame. Richard had edged forward on his seat as though something had interrupted his intention to stand. He appeared torn between the desire to fulfill his ultimate duty and his need to simply keep watching. His continued fascination with the tableau the flowers were creating for him gratified Holden while at the same time tempting him to shy away in embarrassment. Holden’s gaze dropped lower, falling on the bulge visible between Richard’s thighs even beneath the thick fabric of his trousers. The sight of his obvious lust fanned Holden’s in return. He didn’t mind being vulnerable before that intent regard, he realized, and not only did he find it unobjectionable, he wished he could remain so. Somehow, exposing himself to Richard was quickly becoming his natural inclination, as though if he were ever again to attempt to hide away, he would be denying his own heart.
Holden’s field of vision was suddenly filled with Peony’s bashful countenance, interrupting his and Richard’s silent communication. He struggled not to feel resentful about the intrusion when Peony regarded him with a shy smile.
“Yes, that’s much better,” Peony said before taking possession of Holden’s mouth in a show of mastery that made Gardenia’s kiss seem nothing more than a child’s artless buss.
How, Holden wondered dizzily, did Peony hide such a lascivious nature so convincingly behind his guileless façade? Peony thrust his tongue deep into Holden’s mouth, stroking assuredly over the sensitive palate and brushing the back of his throat with each intrusion. Holden barely had time to breathe let alone to rally his thoughts into working order. Peony moaned into his mouth, the filthy announcement of his own enjoyment resonating with Holden’s rapidly dwindling self-control.
His eyes had closed as Peony kissed him to within an inch of his life, so he didn’t see who it was that returned to the neglected nub pulsing on his chest from its earlier misuse. All he knew was that its twin was not left wanting for long, and soon both were being paid individualized attention. His tormentors differed in their pacing, and the variation in the licks, nibbles, and the occasionally firmer bites being applied were beyond his ability to withstand. He shoved his fingers into tumbles of hair, only when he discerned the contrast between the curls beneath his left hand and the straight locks teasing his right could he put names to the clever mouths. Gardenia sucked hard on his left nipple, making his toes curl. Holden twisted away from Peony long enough to take a trembling breath.
“Unnnggg, yes!” he shouted, lacking the ability to be shocked by his uncharacteristic brazenness.
A chuckle from his other side proclaimed Hibiscus’s opinion of his needy exclamation. He punctuated his amusement by worrying the nub he’d taken command of with his teeth as though trying to see what sounds he could pull from Holden. Holden obliged by groaning low in his throat and tightening his grip on Hibiscus’s dark hair, earning his own pleased moan in return.
Peony took pity on him, applying his shockingly capable mouth to Holden’s ear instead of resuming the kiss, although Holden wondered if the respite was simply so his startled gasps and whimpers could escape without impediment. His theory was tested when someone traced down his torso with long fingers, making the muscles in his abdomen jump and twitch in their wake. Although he suspected their trajectory, he was still astounded by the incredible sensation as the explorer took hold of his cock and treated the throbbing length to what became the first in a series of long, deliberate strokes.
“Oh, please!” Holden cried out, not even certain what he was begging for. He bent his knees and placed his feet flat against the bed, his hips thrusting in an erratic rhythm as he moved his cock along the sheath created by the convenient hand.
“You’re getting my hand all wet, you dirty lad.” Gardenia snickered, betraying himself as Holden’s clever helper.
Fingers twisted Holden’s nipple in a hard pinch, proving that Hibiscus had not abandoned his task. He licked delicately at the other, driving Holden in a frenzy of conflicting urges as he struggled to accept that he was enjoying the abuse as much as he was the gentle coddling. Shouts of encouragement combined with pleas for mercy in an incoherent stream of contradictions.
“Oh, Gardenia! Please let me go! Ahh, for the love of God, let me die!”
Peony kissed him on a flushed cheek. “You have to make up your mind, dearest Aster. Do you want to be left like this, with your pretty cock hard and aching, or do you want to release all of your troubles? Hmmm,” he hummed before blowing softly across Holden’s ear. “I bet we’re all dying to know how you taste.”
Holden’s eyes flew open as the calmly uttered vulgarity pierced through the lustful haze clouding his mind. He threw a startled glance at Peony, who smiled back at him with an expression of sublime, blushing naivety. In that moment, Holden truly understood the diminutive lad’s power. He gave himself over to it, his body welcoming the suggestion and spurting his pent up passion into Gardenia’s waiting hand. Consciousness abandoned him for unknown moments, and when he was finally able to see again, his first image was of Gardenia fulfilling Peony’s unspeakable prediction.
