reviews_and_ramblings | Excerpt: Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane

Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane
Release Date: 09/2009
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60504-750-8
Buy Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/lessons-in-power

Amazon Kindle: Lessons in Power: Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 4

Blurb: The ghosts of the past will shape your future. Unless you fight them. Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 4. Cambridge, 1907. After settling in their new home, Cambridge dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart are looking forward to nothing more exciting than teaching their students and playing rugby. Their plans change when a friend asks their help to clear an old flame who stands accused of murder. Doing the right thing means Jonty and Orlando must leave the sheltering walls of St. Bride’s to enter a labyrinth of suspects and suspicions, lies and anguish. Their investigation raises ghosts from Jonty’s past when the murder victim turns out to be one of the men who sexually abused him at school. The trauma forces Jonty to withdraw behind a wall of painful memories. And Orlando fears he may forever lose the intimacy of his best friend and lover. When another one of Jonty’s abusers is found dead, police suspicion falls on the Cambridge fellows themselves. Finding this murderer becomes a race to solve the crime…before it destroys Jonty’s fragile state of mind.

Excerpt:

Orlando wandered through the bathroom which connected their two bedrooms, found his pyjamas, slipped them on, then returned to find Jonty snuggled down, book and reading glasses discarded. Orlando slid between the soft linen sheets, drawing Jonty to him. "I´d hoped it was all over, you know."

"Hmm?"

"This business with the thunder. I always hoped that somehow I could overcome it with my affection for you. `Perfect love casteth out fear´ and all that."

"Well it should do, Orlando, but somehow it´s not as easy as it seems. We do have perfect love for each other and I´d regard myself as blessed above all men `were it not that I have bad dreams´." Jonty shuddered, as if he were shaking off memories as easily as he could shake off his jacket.

"Do you? Nightmares?"

"No, clown." Jonty pinched his lover´s backside. "I was quoting your pal Hamlet. It isn´t the land of nod, wherever I go when the storms come. I don´t feel distressed or see visions, I just visit somewhere else. Very odd."
"I think you go there to protect yourself, in case you remember anything." Orlando smoothed his lover´s hair, admiring the golden tones, the hints of auburn the firelight threw up.

"You could well be right. I don´t want to remember the gruesome details, thank you." Jonty snuggled onto his lover´s chest. "Want to make new memories with you. I think we should somehow wangle it one night, you know, make love while a storm is at its height. That might just get rid of all the trouble. If I could keep here for long enough to take an active part."

Orlando held him tighter, kissed his brow. "I suppose I could pinch you or something. Shame there´s not been a storm since we got the house-being there would make it easier."

"There´ll be plenty in the spring. We just need to plan things. You´ll like that, working out your military strategy." Jonty giggled and launched an assault on his lover´s collarbone.

"Seems you´ve got a strategy worked out." Orlando responded by caressing Stewart´s back, little, tender movements which always brought contentment to them both.

"Sort of. It´s been a long time since we shared the last favours, my love. I´ve been skittish for too long."

The business with Jardine had become an ever-present menace, as if those who´d committed such outrages on Jonty had somehow found access to his bedroom and were standing gloating, spoiling even the most innocent of pleasures.

Orlando had been frustrated yet endeavoured to understand-he had to be patient, the worst thing to do would be rushing or forcing things. None of this logical reasoning had helped. Now the lowering clouds of unease seemed to have lifted and the sunshine of affection warmed him beyond measure. "If you´re sure, I´m ready."

"You always are, Dr. Coppersmith. Since you discovered the delights of the flesh you´ve become quite a hedonist. Just imagine if I´d taken up that post in Ireland, you´d never have known any of this."

Orlando swallowed hard, hating to be reminded of how close he´d been to not having Jonty by him. "Don´t remind me of that. Small turning points, that´s what life consists of. One little decision and the whole world changes."

"It does. As it did for us." Jonty reached up to kiss him. "Come on, I want you to lie with me. Been far too long."
Orlando didn´t reply. Lips and hands could talk for him, kisses saying yes as loudly as tender touches did. Jonty´s skin was warmer than expected beneath his boyish pyjamas, and wafts of something lovely, which might have been lavender soap, assailed Orlando´s senses as he undid any buttons which had survived his first assault. To feel Jonty´s chest against his own, downy skin on smooth, was a necessary part of their lovemaking for him, a sign that they were indeed one, and not meant to be split asunder.

He still wasn´t sure how far Jonty wanted to pursue this. There was hesitancy in his touch, some slight tentativeness which didn´t usually grace their bed. He gently caressed the small of his lover´s back and was pleased to find that, at least for the moment, his hands were allowed to carry on.

Jonty twisted in his lover´s arms, using his powerful muscles to turn Orlando, give himself the dominance. He stretched over his lover, a protective canopy against the cold, the world, anything which might disturb them this night. Orlando burrowed into the security, enjoying the unusual sensation of being looked after. He preferred to be the protective one, guarding his most treasured possession, but Ariadne Peters´s words had stuck with him. He knew he shouldn´t always be the protector.

Tender kisses on the side of his neck made him tingle, firm strokes on his lower back made the sensation spread. However far Jonty wanted to go, he was ready, more than ready. He inched his fingers from the smooth skin of Jonty´s lower back down towards their target, a movement which normally brought delighted acquiescence, manoeuvring of body and legs to allow access. Not this time.

"What´s wrong?" Orlando spoke into his lover´s hair. Jonty had tensed-he was trying to hide it, but Orlando knew.

"I can´t. I´m sorry." Jonty pulled away, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Is it this wretched thunder?" Orlando laid a tentative hand on his lover´s arm. A protective, comforting gesture, with no hint of desire.

"No. Yes. It´s everything." Jonty crossed his arms over his face, shaking off Orlando´s hand in the process. "I´m back there, in my mind. A boy of thirteen in a cold room praying for a fire alarm to sound, or anything that would make it stop."

"Dear God." Orlando knew this had happened before, but never with him-all he could do was wait for Jonty to come out of the slough of despond.

"Put off the light and go to sleep, sweetheart. I don´t think I´ll be able to get off for a while."

"Should I stay here? I´ll do whatever you think best."

"Please, if you could bear it. I´ll be fine, soon. Just tonight...I couldn´t do it tonight." Jonty turned, pulling the covers over his head.

"Of course." Orlando didn´t attempt to touch his friend. For the moment they were beyond words or contact. There was a chance, more than a chance, that it would be a long time before doing it became a viable option again.