Keys to Love (25 page)

Julian looked at him, horrified. “Someone would kill him?”

“With that rack, he’d be hunted ruthlessly.” Morgan took Julian’s hand. “Don’t worry. He’s safe living here.”

Julian slowly turned back to the deer. After several minutes, they settled enough to drink. The sunlight burnished their coats in a golden glow. Julian felt captivated by them. Unable to look away, he studied each of their movements and interactions. Then Keys to Love
201

as quietly as they’d entered, the deer turned back and vanished into the woods.

Morgan patted Chopin’s side. “Good boy. You didn’t even bark.”

“What kind of deer were they?” Julian asked.

“Whitetail. They run all over these mountains.” Morgan stood and went back to the fire pit. “Now I’m going to get us a fire going and start our dinner.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Morgan smiled at him. “Relax and enjoy the sunset.”

Julian reclined against the log, petting Chopin as he watched the shadows shift from grays and purples to dark blues and black.

As night blanketed the woods, the fire burned strong and Morgan unpacked their and Chopin’s food. With Chopin fed, he stuck a couple hot dogs on a fork and held them over the fire. Julian moved to sit at Morgan’s side. Morgan wrapped his arm around him, and Julian leaned against him.

Julian nodded toward the hot dogs. “You know, I haven’t eaten hot dogs since I was young, and then it was only because I was fed them at a friend’s house. My mother wouldn’t even allow them in her kitchen.”

“What about when you guys had cook-outs, or went to a baseball game or something like that?”

“We always had steak or fish or chicken when we had our cook grill out. And we never went to baseball games or such things.”

Morgan studied him as Julian gazed into the fire. “Did you have any life away from a piano?”

“Not much of one.”

“It’s amazing you didn’t get completely burned out and turn away from it completely.”

“Well, I do love the music, and I did one worse by my mother.”

Julian smirked at him. “I started playing rock.”

202 S.J. Frost

Morgan laughed and hugged him along with placing a kiss on his cheek. When the hot dogs were finished, he handed Julian the fork while he got the plates and buns. He couldn’t help but chuckle as Julian downed two, then stuck a third on the fork and roasted it himself. “Don’t stuff yourself too much. We still have marshmallows.”

Julian’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Morgan pulled a bag of them from his pack. “Don’t tell me you never roasted marshmallows either.”

“I haven’t.”

Morgan sighed and tossed the bag beside Julian. “I’m starting to think even though you grew up with enough money you could use it as toilet paper, you really had a deprived childhood.”

Julian ripped open the bag of marshmallows. “In many ways I did.”

With some help from Morgan, Julian learned about toasting marshmallows and discovered he liked them best when they caught fire. Their laughter echoing through the woods, he knew he was having one of the most fun moments of his life, and it was all because of the company he shared. As they finished, he shifted closed to the fire and held his hands toward the flames.

“Getting chilly?” Morgan asked.

“A little.”

Morgan went to his pack and pulled out two blankets. One he laid over the ground close enough to the fire to still feel the heat, but folded so no embers would land on it. He sat on it, leaning back on one of the logs, and patted between his legs.

Julian settled between them, his back to Morgan’s chest. Morgan wrestled the other blanket over them both with some assistance from Julian, then wrapped him in his arms.

“Warmer?”

“Much.” Julian lifted his gaze to the sky. The longer he looked into the blackness, the more stars seemed to come out and the brighter they shined. “They’re so much clearer here than in the Keys to Love
203

city.”

Morgan rubbed Julian’s thigh with one hand. “Yeah.”

Morgan’s voice, deep and gravely with desire, roused Julian’s cock. Almost without thinking he parted his thighs wider.

Morgan slid his hand between Julian’s legs to gently massage Julian’s sac through his jeans. He brought his other hand up to open the button and zipper. Julian’s breathing quickened as he felt Morgan’s warm hand dip inside his briefs to grip his solid shaft. He moaned softly and let his head fall back on Morgan’s shoulder.

Morgan stroked him slowly, bringing every sensitive nerve of his cock to life. He pressed his ass back more firmly between Morgan’s legs. A deep groan left Morgan. Julian felt Morgan’s one arm wrap tightly around his waist as Morgan ground his cock against his ass. Just the feel of the hard rod pressing against him sent heat rushing through his body. Morgan’s thumb rubbed over his slit, slicking the head with pre-cum, then moved down to press against his sweet spot on the underside below the head.

Julian sucked in a sharp breath. He arched against Morgan, feeling the warm wave building with every pump. He rocked his hips in harmony with Morgan’s movements, and rested one hand over Morgan’s. He stretched his other arm back to sink his fingers into Morgan’s hair, and as he did, Morgan’s hold around his waist loosened, his touch floating up to pinch and tease one of his nipples.

Julian’s fingers tightened in a fist around Morgan’s hair. He thrust up to Morgan’s hand with more force, then moaned loud as the pleasure hit its breaking point. His warm fluid pulsed out.

He collapsed on Morgan, savoring the lingering sensation.

Morgan nuzzled into Julian’s hair near his ear. He kissed him softly and closed his eyes, holding him for a few moments. When he spoke, his voice came out in a hushed whisper. “Julian, I love you. You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met. Everything about you, your kindness, your intelligence,” he chuckled softly and lifted his head, “your feistiness, I love it all.”

204 S.J. Frost

Julian’s heart raced. He’d finally heard the words he desired so badly, spoken from the first man he could honestly say he loved.

He shifted around until he faced him. As he met Morgan’s gaze, holding uncertainty, he lifted one hand to Morgan’s cheek. He saw in Morgan’s expression the touch alone reassured him, but he still allowed the smile inside him to glow outwardly. “I love you too, Morgan. When I first saw you, I thought the man of my dreams had been delivered to me. Then as I got to know you, I realized how right that first thought was.”

Julian saw Morgan’s bright smile, but only for an instant before Morgan claimed his lips in a passionate kiss. He felt Morgan’s hands sliding up his sides and raising his sweater and undershirt beneath it. Julian broke the kiss, lifting his arms over his head as Morgan pulled both away. He took hold of Morgan’s sweatshirt and tugged it off him.

Morgan wrapped one arm around Julian’s lower back and turned him on the blanket. He brought their lips together again as he guided Julian to his back. Between tender kisses and soft licks over each other’s skin, they worked out of their remaining clothes. Morgan left him briefly to get lube and condoms from his pack. He placed the lube near the fire to warm as he covered Julian with his body again.

Morgan moved to kiss him, but Julian stopped him with a soft touch on his cheek. He flicked his gaze toward the condoms.

“I wanted to talk to you about using those. How would you feel about going without from now on?”

“Ecstatic.” Morgan smiled against Julian’s lips, and they continued their gentle devotions on each other.

Julian drifted his hands over every part of Morgan’s body he could reach, his broad shoulders, his muscled back, his firm ass, and rubbed his own legs across Morgan’s. He kissed and sucked at Morgan’s neck, Morgan doing the same to his in turn. He felt Morgan’s hands traveling along his body, as if exploring him for the first time, and everywhere Morgan touched, his skin tingled with pleasure and excitement.

Julian lost track of how long their ritual lasted, minutes, an Keys to Love
205

hour or more. When Morgan lifted up to get the lube, his body felt flushed and anxious to join with him. The chill night air kissed Julian’s heated skin. He looked up at the stars, heard the stream rushing beyond, smelled the forest and earth. Something about it all felt so right for them to make love here. Perhaps because it was his first time with someone he truly loved, and who had shown him things he never would have thought to see before.

Morgan settled over him again. He dipped his head down to lay a kiss on his neck, moving his slicked fingers to Julian’s hole. Julian bent his legs back. His eyes closed; a soft sigh left him as Morgan’s fingers eased into him and tenderly worked him open. Only a few minutes passed before he felt Morgan’s fingers leave to be replaced by his broad cock-head. Julian raised his hips, wanting all of Morgan’s bare flesh pressed deep inside him.

Morgan sank into him. As their bodies fully connected, Morgan slid his arms under him, and Julian wrapped his around him, clinging to each other as their lips met once more.

Morgan thrust slowly. Their lips never parted from each other for long as they shared every breath. Julian could feel his orgasm beginning to build, but Morgan stopped and rested inside him, kissing and touching him, allowing both their bodies to calm.

Over and over again, he did the same thing, drawing out their union for as long as possible.

Julian didn’t want it to end. He wanted to stay joined with him until dawn came and beyond, but his body was reaching a point where it wouldn’t be denied, and he knew Morgan was feeling the same. He felt Morgan’s body tense. His own muscles constricted in response. Pleasure hummed through him with every one of Morgan’s thrusts. But unlike before where Morgan stopped, he kept going. Each thrust grew in force and urgency, and drove Julian to his peak. He gripped Morgan’s back. It was seconds away. Just as it erupted, Morgan let out a deep shout of pleasure. Julian pushed up against him, feeling Morgan’s warm cum emptying inside him.

Julian continued to hold on to him. He turned his head toward Morgan, kissing his neck, his cheek, his temple. “I truly do love
206 S.J. Frost

you, more than I ever imagined it was possible to love a person.”

Morgan raised his head and gazed down at him. He softly stroked Julian’s hair. “I love you, too. The first time we met, I knew I could spend the rest of my life with you.”

Julian smiled and placed his hand on Morgan’s head, gently bringing him down to his lips again.

Julian leaned his cheek on his fist as he gazed out the tour bus window. He and Morgan had returned from the Biltmore to Charlotte the day before, but they hadn’t even entered the city limits when Morgan’s cell phone rang. Kurt was on the other end demanding to know where he was, which didn’t make sense since Morgan wasn’t late. It didn’t matter, though, because Morgan was still swept from him before he was ready, just as their hope to talk to everyone about their relationship was crushed.

The Phoenix private jet got stuck in Chicago with delays, so as show time approached, he was the only member of Conquest around. Luckily the others made it on time, but only barely, with none left to spare for anything more than a quick greeting. After the concert, he thought he’d find Morgan and they’d try again, but Jesse looked exhausted, and all but ran from the arena with Evan to the hotel.

That morning, Morgan once again left early to join the other roadies in going ahead of the band as they headed to Atlanta, Georgia. Not a terribly long drive, so that was another thing he didn’t understand—why Kurt was pushing the staff, or more to say, Moran. The man was really agitating him, even though he rarely interacted with him these days. When he did see him, the sweetness Kurt showed sickened him, since he knew it was fake.

But all that was secondary to telling the guys about him and Morgan. He considered doing it now. They had several hours of uninterrupted time on the bus, and judging from the laughter as Jesse, Kenny, and Brad played video games, they were all in good moods, which was especially important with Jesse. Even though it was important for everyone to support him and Morgan, Jesse’s support was most important in Morgan keeping his job.

Julian glanced back at the guys. Now would be a good time, but Morgan insisted on being present for the discussion. Still, maybe he should just go ahead.

208 S.J. Frost

Julian felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and dug it out. He smiled at seeing Morgan’s name and a new text. He opened the message, reading,
Have you told them?
Julian nearly chuckled aloud. Perhaps it was his years of teaching, but Morgan always typed full words and used proper punctuation when he texted.

He discovered it was a major pet peeve of Morgan’s to use the abbreviations, so he followed his example, though occasionally he’d use abbreviations just to pick on him.

He put his fingers to the phone keys and replied back,
No.

You told me to wait, so I have. Barely.

A moment later, Morgan’s answer came through.
I had a
feeling you were getting antsy. That’s why I’m texting you to say
be patient.

I’m tired with being patient.

Keeping things hush-hush was your idea from the start, you
know.

I’m so not going to bicker about this through texts.

Okay, what would you rather do? Sexting? Oh baby, you’re
so hot. I want to suck you right now. Bet er?

Julian snorted in trying not to laugh.
No! It’s not sexy at all.

No? Do you want me to go in the restroom and send you a
picture of my cock?

I don’t think my screen is big enough to show it all.

Julian felt something bump against the back of his seat. He whipped his head to the side, looking eye to eye with Jesse, who stood behind the empty seat next to him, leaning over the back.

Jesse smirked at him. “What are you up to? Something’s got you all smiles.”

Julian turned over his phone and poked Jesse on the arm.