The First Bloom of Winter, page 13
“See?” Gardenia crowed as he licked a speck of white from his lips. “I told you he would be sweet.”
“How could you?” Holden whispered, his voice raspy from all the shouting he’d been forced into. Gardenia simply winked at him, and Holden covered his eyes with a weary arm only to have Hibiscus drag it away an instant later.
“We’re not finished with you, my dear Aster,” he said in a gently chastising tone. “There’s still work yet to be done.”
Richard. He had been patiently waiting, and the time had come for him to finally play his part. Holden began to fully appreciate the extent of the boon his fellows had bestowed on him to put him at ease. While his mind began to swirl and fret with trepidation at facing that final unknown, his body was deliciously languid from the stunning pinnacle he’d achieved. He glanced toward the hearth and noted that Richard was still seated. His elbows were braced on the arms of the chair, and his hands formed a steeple in front of his mouth. The only part of his face that was visible was his eyes, which were fixed on Holden with an intensity that caused his quiescent flesh to stir with renewed signs of life.
Gardenia wandered over to the stand next to the vanity and poured some of the water in the pitcher over his hand, washing away the traces of Holden’s weakness. As he dried his hands on a towel draped over the side of the stand, he glanced at the table holding the pewter tea service. “Yes, that’s just the thing,” he said absently, his voice barely loud enough for Holden to hear. Holden watched curiously as Gardenia retrieved a bottle from the table before rejoining them and handing the vial to Hibiscus. He felt a resurgence of his dashed nerves when Hibiscus gazed down at him with a somber expression.
“Now, this is important, Aster,” Hibiscus began. “You never want to let a customer take you when you’re not prepared. Shall I show you how?”
Holden swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat. He had no idea what Hibiscus was about, but none of them had yet given him a reason to question their counsel. “I suppose,” he acquiesced with some equivocation. When Hibiscus pulled out the stopper, Holden caught a whiff of a pleasant, woodsy scent. He watched nervously as Hibiscus poured out a measure of the essential oil into his hand.
“You’ll need to spread your legs apart,” Hibiscus said evenly.
Holden balked, his earlier reservations returning in full measure. “Is that truly necessary?” he croaked, rising up on his elbows and pressing his knees together as he was overcome by desire to do precisely the opposite of what Hibiscus had requested. Being caught up in the moment as he’d been before was one thing. His passion had chased away all sense of modesty at the moment of his culmination. But exposing himself so shamefully while fully aware of his actions was quite beyond his power.
Peony, who was still sitting beside him, placed a soothing hand against his shoulder. “Please, Aster, there’s no need to fret. Hibiscus is right. This is a liberty you must allow him to take, for your own good.”
Gardenia nodded as he lowered himself back to the bed at Holden’s other side. He traced his hand down the valley formed between the pectoral swell of Holden’s chest. “Do you trust us?” he asked. He cocked his head to the side, seeming genuinely curious about how Holden would answer.
Gardenia’s intent may have been rhetorical, but Holden paused, giving the question the careful consideration it deserved. The sentiment certainly wasn’t the first that came to mind when he thought of his relationship to these unlikely fellows. Although he had learned a little about them since his arrival, each remained far too much of a mystery for him to feel completely at ease around them. But it was clear they meant him no harm in this at least. They had unflinchingly offered their support and guidance as he undertook this necessary journey, their efforts making the experience far more pleasant than it had any right to be. For that, if nothing else, they deserved his unfeigned gratitude.
“Yes,” he said with conviction.
Gardenia smiled down at him, his expression reflecting his delight at Holden’s confession. “Then trust us,” he replied.
“Go on,” Hibiscus urged, tapping Holden’s shin with his unoiled hand to emphasize the request.
Holden firmed him lips, but try as he might, his legs refused to cooperate, remaining staunchly connected at the knees. He looked up at Hibiscus, his eyes pleading for forgiveness at his involuntary recalcitrance.
“Aster, don’t be such a prig,” Gardenia teased. “Yer got naught between yer thighs we ain’t each of us seen before.”
Blushing at his own ridiculousness, Holden scrunched his face in embarrassed frustration. Nonetheless, Gardenia’s taunt had the desired effect. Feeling foolish for his reluctance especially given what he’d already shared with them, Holden took a deep breath and allowed his legs to fall apart.
Hibiscus moved closer until he was positioned between Holden’s thighs. He gazed down at Holden with an air of amused satisfaction. “Lovely,” he quipped.
Holden felt the childish urge to respond by sticking out his tongue, but instead he gasped as he felt a lightly probing touch at that part of himself he rarely gave much thought. Hibiscus had placed one steadying hand on his knee, leaving the one disappearing between his spread thighs as the obvious culprit. The scratch of a fingernail against the virginal pucker sent a shiver through Holden, and he bit his lower lip to silence a moan before it could fully escape. A second one eluded his efforts to contain it when Hibiscus began to massage the vulnerable opening in a slow, circular motion.
“Nnnn, that feels—”
“Good?” Gardenia suggested.
“Odd!” Holden corrected.
Peony hummed as he glanced meaningfully at the torpid flesh between Holden’s legs, which was rapidly gaining new life. He tapped his fingers one after the other along Holden’s hardening cock as if he were running scales on a piano. “But not overly so, if this is any indication.”
Holden gasped at the staccato rhythm, feeling light-headed as blood surged southward to speed the process. His hole quivered, providing an opportunity as it fluttered in response to his mounting arousal.
“There we are,” Hibiscus murmured as he took advantage and pushed his oiled finger deeper inside the opening he was preparing with meticulous patience.
Holden had been vaguely aware of the differences between the sexual act in its more acceptable form and the illicit behaviors practiced among men. But he was swiftly discovering his untutored fears had been nebulous and grossly uninformed at best. He had never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that he would ever experience such an intimate violation. In truth, when Holden thought of the act against which the Church railed so vociferously, he had pictured nothing more wicked than another man rubbing his cock against him in some lewd fashion. The astonishing reality was nearly beyond his ability to comprehend.
The strangeness of the invasion turned into pain as Hibiscus added a second finger. Holden’s body clenched in protest against the intrusive contact, and he hissed, instinctively jerking away from the uncomfortable sting.
“Shhhh,” Gardenia crooned in his ear. “I know it hurts a little at first, but I swear, it will all feel much better soon. Not to mention,” he said, lowering his voice so only Holden could hear, “I suspect Richard is a lot bigger than a finger. You’ll want to be good and ready before he sets to.”
If Gardenia’s aim had been to reassure him, his failure was unmitigated. Nevertheless, now that Holden understood precisely what he was soon to experience, he appreciated that the others were only trying to help prepare him for his ultimate initiation. It wouldn’t do to ruin all of their efforts. Inhaling deeply for fortification, he forced himself to lie still.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed.
Hibiscus shook his head. “No need for apologies. We’ve all been where you are at one time or other.” He used the distraction of conversation to ease a third finger into Holden’s tight passage, stroking Holden’s knee reassuringly when he groaned at the increment.
Holden pulled his lips back, baring his teeth in a grimace. Since it had proved helpful before, he drew in another deep breath, relieved when the pressure in his ass eased as he slowly released the air from of his lungs.
“Better?” Peony asked, playing his part by continuing the gentle touches over Holden’s cock.
“Better,” he replied with a tense nod.
Holden found use for the technique again, staring up at the ceiling and allowing his gaze to go unfocused as Hibiscus eased his fingers apart. He inhaled with the stretch and exhaled as it subsided. Over and over the pattern continued—stretch and release, breath flowing in and out—Hibiscus increasing the spread of his fingers with each repetition. Suddenly Holden could feel the tightness give way. The pressure became bearable, and then grew somewhat pleasurable, until he realized his hips were moving subtly with each flex of the long, tapered digits. Gasping moans fell from his lips, but he discovered his capacity for self-consciousness was rapidly dwindling.
“I believe he’s ready.”
Though Holden couldn’t be sure he agreed with Gardenia’s assessment, he was in no doubt to whom it was directed. He heard the floorboards creek and turned his head to watch through half-shuttered eyes as Richard slowly approached the bed.
The sound of Richard’s steps was muffled, indicating he had removed his shoes. His shirt was unbuttoned down the front, and Holden stared as the impressive physique that had been merely hinted at was now fully revealed. Richard’s powerful chest was liberally dusted with hair the same shade as his dark brown locks. The movement of his body as he walked caused his shirt to slide off shoulders broad with sinewy muscle, and the arms that reached up to finally shrug it off were corded with undeniable strength. Richard was truly a work of art, the perfect marriage of striking form and potent function. Transfixed, Holden could do naught but stare in captive fascination when his minder favored him with a rueful smile.
“I almost didn’t last until now,” Richard said in a self-mocking tone. His smile grew reverent even as Holden could hear Gardenia snickering from somewhere off to his side. “You are incredible. So delightfully wanton.” A teasing grin removed any sting from his words. “I shall find watching over you no great hardship, I assure you.”
Holden blushed, feeling unaccountably modest despite the fact he was spread out in all his glory before Richard’s rapt gaze, Hibiscus’s fingers still very much employed with their charge. He moaned on a particularly thorough stretch and bit his lips searching for a suitable reply. Richard’s gaze locked onto his mouth, his own lips parting in reaction as Holden abused his. The color in his cheeks heightened further, the sight incongruously allowing Holden to find his courage.
“Right now,” Holden murmured in what he hoped was a come-hither tone, “you need not merely watch.”
Richard’s pupils grew larger, swallowing the blue of his eyes until naught remained but a narrow ring of color. He inhaled sharply, and Holden saw the distortion at his groin increase in dimension.
“That was very well done, Aster,” Gardenia said approvingly. “Surely you will not let such a tempting offer go to waste, kind sir.”
Richard ignored Gardenia, his gaze never leaving Holden although he did reach for the buttons holding together the placket of his trousers. His long fingers made quick, if clumsy, work of the task, and soon the fabric parted, allowing his prodigious manhood to spring free.
“Gawblimy,” Gardenia exclaimed in apparent awe.
Holden fully comprehended, perhaps for the first time, his comrades’ insistence that he be prepared before his ultimate joining with Richard commenced. How in heaven’s name, he pondered, would that ever fit inside him? Hibiscus’s fingers had been daunting enough, but this? He felt his breath quicken as he was beset with a bout of virginal panic.
Richard was swift to appreciate his mounting distress. “We need not continue,” he said quickly. “Even now, I swear I’ll tell Mr. Leslie we did what he wanted even if we go no further.” His forthright gaze emphasized the solemnity of his promise. “I never wish to do anything that might cause your discomfort.”
Holden laughed breathily, the worst of his fears melting away in light of Richard’s sincerity. “Which is why it must be you. It is your duty to keep me free from harm, is it not?” He smiled at Richard’s earnest nod. “Well, I can think of no better way than this,” he added. “I would much rather it be you than some stranger who cares for me not a fig.”
Richard remained silent for a long moment, his gaze searching Holden’s face as though determined to suss out any lie Holden might be concealing. He apparently found what he was seeking because he nodded.
“Then if you’re certain.”
Richard eschewed further words in lieu of immediately fulfilling Holden’s stated wish. Hibiscus eased his fingers out of the channel he’d been diligently stretching, making Holden shiver at the loss, and moved aside as Richard took up his position between Holden’s widespread thighs. The mattress dipped alarmingly beneath Richard’s far greater weight as he crawled onto the bed, the box springs creaking slightly in protest. Sitting up on his knees, Richard grasped one of Holden’s legs and used it to pull him closer so his knees supported Holden’s buttocks. He picked up the vial Hibiscus had abandoned and poured some of the oil into his hand before taking hold of his thick member. With deliberate strokes he encouraged it to even greater dimensions as he coated it from root to tip. Holden shivered when Richard’s gaze captured him once more.
Holden tried to return Richard’s regard, to convey that he had been in earnest when he’d said he wanted this. But at the touch of Richard’s cock against his opening, his eyes squeezed tightly in helpless anticipation of the likely pain to come. Given the difficultly he’d had at the outset with the acceptance of a simple finger, he suspected the intrusion of Richard’s far larger member might prove too much to bear. As it turned out, his qualms were not misplaced in the slightest. The incursion was performed with utter care, but the agony as his passage struggled to accommodate the relentless invader made him cry out in misery.
“Nnnn, wait,” Holden moaned. His hand came up on its own to press against Richard’s chest in an unconscious attempt to push him away. “Please, stop. It’s… it’s too big!” He tensed from head to toe, unconsciously trying to expel the intruder and unwittingly making the problem worse. He gritted his teeth, sweat popping out on his forehead as the heat from the fire seemed to intensify the burning in his ass.
Richard obliged immediately and began to pull out with muttered apologies, but he stilled at a word from Gardenia.
“No, don’t. It won’t do him any good if you stop now. My sweet Aster,” Gardenia whispered, pressing close to Holden’s ear. “You must try to relax. It will be so much better if you do.” He kissed the damp skin at Holden’s temple. “It doesn’t have to hurt, but you simply must let it happen.”
Holden wanted desperately to apply the benefit of his friend’s experience, but he couldn’t master his frantic response as Richard slowly, inexorably ripped away his innocence. He feared it would never be over, that the feeling of being impaled and torn asunder would be the end of him. He clenched his hands into fists, the ache of his nails digging into his palms nothing in comparison to the agony of Richard’s huge cock forcing its way into his ass. Would it be this way every time he was obliged to entertain a guest? Perish the thought! He couldn’t possibly endure this night after night. Richard pushed cautiously forward, forcing his virgin channel to accommodate his prodigious girth. Try as he might to heed Gardenia’s advice, Holden grew certain his body had reached its limit.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t!” he sobbed. He felt like he’d failed even after all the trouble the others had gone through to help him. And Richard…. Holden felt as though he’d taken Richard’s kindness and thrown it back into his face. The pitiful sound of his cries faded to a whimper as he succumbed to despair.
“Oh, for the love of heaven.” A rustle of fabric alerted Holden to a new presence an instant before the bored voice drifted up to him from the vicinity of his waist. “I can tolerate no more of this incessant whining. Move over, Gardenia. So much for your brilliant plan if he can’t even stand getting fucked without making such an absurd racket.”
A pair of hands grabbed Holden’s leg to draw it back even closer to his chest. He forced his eyes open to see who had dared and was unsurprised as he met an irritated violet glare.
“I never made this much fuss my first time, and certainly no one bothered to coddle me like this.” Amaryllis pursed his lips in disgust. “I’d tell you to go running back to your father, but I understand Mr. Leslie paid good money for you. I refuse to let you cheat him of his investment.”
“Amaryllis,” Richard growled warningly as Holden attempted to force a sputtered response past his indignation and continued pain.
“Amaryllis, that’s not fair,” Peony interjected, sounding shocked at the churlish accusation.
Gardenia snorted. “Oh, Amy, we all know how much you care that Mr. Leslie’s business succeeds. How else would you ever earn a living if not on your back?” Holden blinked up at Gardenia, astonishment at the nastiness of the retort briefly making him forget his acute discomfort. Gardenia grinned at Amaryllis viciously. “So, why don’t you use that mouth of yours for what its best at and help instead of complaining like a worthless twat?”
Holden braced himself on Gardenia’s behalf, fretfully awaiting the form Amaryllis’s revenge would take. Instead the shock was his when Amaryllis spat a determined “I intend to” before bending low and swallowing his limp cock in one go.
“Bloody hell!” Holden shouted as he filled the redhead’s indescribably hot mouth.
Amaryllis pulled off slowly with a hard suck until his lips covered just the tip of Holden’s cock, and then he eased back down, stopping only when his nose was buried in the brown curls at Holden’s groin. His soft hair fell over Holden’s stomach and thighs in a light caress, and he hummed softly as the cock in his mouth nudged at the back of his throat.
