Page 10 of Hallowed Tree
But I didn’t care. Buck’s casualness was part of what drew me to him. And I was so, so drawn to him. He slipped his large hand between us, wrapping it around both our cocks and began to stroke quickly and furiously. His touch consumed me, and I was certain we’d both flare out of existence as our release barreled down on us.
We both erupted at the same time, and I swore that our spirits became one. I felt his pleasure and his joy. The truth of his words, that I was his cup, that he considered me his great reward, was so clear within me that it was like they were my own thoughts. It was fascinating. Overwhelming. I needed a minute to think. I wished for more right now.
“Oh, Harry,” Buck groaned out. “You really do like me.”
If he saw into my heart and mind like I’d seen into his, then he’d seen the truth. The one that I barely knew how to process for myself, much less admit. But that was good. He’d give me time to come to terms with this. I knew it as surely as I knew my own name.
Carefully, Buck set me back down on two legs, and I was back in my trousers before my feet touched the ground. “Did you…” I trailed off, embarrassed. In my dalliances in the past, we eachtook care of cleaning ourselves. Scurrying away from each other as fast as possible.
Buck’s sweet smile returned. “I cleaned us both up as I redressed us.” His grin widened. “I’ve been practicing on myself in case you ever gave me a shot.”
I felt my face heat again. Did that mean he’d masturbated and then… Of course that was what he meant. I’d never thought of myself as prudish, just uncaring of the living’s desires of the flesh. I guessed it was different when I thought I was past having anything like that in my life again. I found myself equally embarrassed and aroused at the thought of Buck touching himself, then practicing this little trick, all so he could use it with me.
To cover my awkwardness, I narrowed my eyes at him. “So you do know how to do more than you originally said? Like you can change your clothes into something brand new?”
He shrugged balefully. “Sure, I can. It’s not like I left the hospital and found my way to the property in a hospital gown.”
I rolled my eyes, but then we both laughed. Holding out my hand, I asked, “Would you be so kind as to walk me back to the house?”
His whole face lit up. “Really? You don’t want to just poof back?”
Shaking my head, I said, “No. I think you’re right. Maybe it’s time for me to slow down and smell the roses.”
He beamed, and I found myself smiling back. “Woah,” came a voice from beside me. When I looked over, an older deceased woman pointed at me. “I didn’t think your lips moved like that. You’re always such a sour puss.”
Her words went right over my head as I realized what we’d done, out here in front of all these spirits. Buck winked at me. “I hid us in an air pocket, so no one saw.”
“Oh, good,” I said, relief washing through me. No, wait. “A what?”
Buck smiled mischievously, grabbing my hand. “You’ve been stuck in that mansion for so long that I might just have a couple of things to teach you, love.”
Running my gaze down his beautiful form, I zeroed in on his crotch. “I sure hope so, Buck.”
He threw his head back, his gigantic laugh booming through the yard.
Buck
“Where did you two come from?” Kingston asked, startling Harry so badly that he jump-floated ten inches off the ground while clutching his chest.
Reaching up, I grabbed his elbow and pulled him back down next to me, tucking him into my side. Since I’d created the air pocket that I’d hidden us away in, I’d noticed Kingston as I released it. “Hey, what are you doing?” I asked, hoping to distract him from the fact Harry and I were canoodling. That wouldn’t work with any of our other friends, but Kingston tended to get lost in his own head.
Taking the bait, he lifted his arms to encompass the fire pit area that he was standing in. “I came out to see if anything jumped out at me.”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked as he walked over to Kingston. Like a puppy on a leash, I followed right on his heels. If he thought I was up his butt before, he hadn’t seen anything yet now that I’d finally gotten my hands on him.
Kingston shook his head. “I’ve been having the same dream for a while about this fire pit. I thought maybe it would go away after they banished the girl in the pond, but…”
But it had gotten worse. I knew this because I’d spent plenty of time sitting out here on the logs with him while he contemplated what his dream meant. I think he’d hoped that he’d realize why or remember something he’d forgotten about the dream if he spent enough time out here. “Maybe there’s nothing to it,” I suggested.
Kingston frowned, and both Harry’s eyebrows rose up to his hairline. “Buck, you can’t believe that’s true. This is Willowhope, and we’re on the ley lines. Generally speaking, if something seems not quite right, it’s not.”
Kingston planted his hands on his hips, and his head fell back as he sighed. “That’s just it. I’ve had dreams before, and they always led to something. It used to be things like tombstones or property lines, and if I looked for facts in the town records, I discovered something from the past that we needed to know now or for the future. But there’s nothing to find out about this particular spot.”
“That’s curious,” Harry said. “I’ve lived here for over a century, and I don’t remember ever hearing anything special about the fire pit. I know that ghosts who don’t move on by themselves tend to gather around the pond.”
“Maybe that’s it,” I said. “Chance has been coming out every week or two and making sure no one needs help crossing over. Do you think maybe inside the logs used to be some kind of doorway to people’s great reward?”
“No, I asked Elyse what she thought about that, and she didn’t get any special read on this area. She said the spirits were drawn to the pond, but they could just as easily come up to the house, and Chance could help them from there.”
