Sequel to: Temptation

He didn't know what happened after the half-formed confrontation in the main room of the church, fueled by a storm of mixed emotions; dark emotions born of anger, rejection and pride. Didn't know how he had ended up sprawled, reclining in the same spot the preacher had sat, silently mourning, nursing his own set of dark demons just before Ezra had lit into him for his role in the gambler's greed.

Could not remember moving after Josiah had kissed him, wrapped his arms around him almost like a drowning man himself; cautious and careful of his injured left side but with a strength and desperation that Ezra more than matched.

But there he was, sprawled upright in the first pew of the church, panting in the faint golden light, air laden with dust and the warm, faint aroma of melting candle wax. Ezra himself was about to melt as the older man leaned over him for a moment before bracing himself against the back of the bench, large hands on either side of the gambler's head as Josiah moved in quickly to claim another kiss.

Sensual and sweet, Josiah tasted of whiskey, coffee and dust, his tongue tentative as it slipped inside to gently touch Ezra's. When they met, neither was able to stop the moans that escaped at that first taste. Whimpering into the hot mouth devouring him, Ezra pushed up, intending to wrap his good arm around the body holding him down, only to have Josiah break the kiss and pull away.

"We have time."

Peering up into the flushed face, hearing the reassuring words panted into the stillness broken by their harsh breathing, Standish was not a man minded to patience. "Mister Sanchez, I feel as I must inform you that, as of this moment, I am not given to exercising that particular virtue." When Josiah didn't move, he pressed his point, the only one he could at the moment, home. "I have never been given to patience and it is not time that I need. I need you."

The larger man swallowed, closed his eyes and lifted them sightless to the ceiling in a silent prayer for control. It was one prayer Ezra ferverently hoped was not answered. "Ezra..."

"Now, Josiah." He silenced any further protests, lightly trailing his fingers over the front seem of the preacher's dark gray trousers. Heart-of-the-fire blue eyes opened and matched his burning and wavering in the stillness. "Please."

That was enough to presuade him and the resulting growl was met with an answering purr as Ezra once again felt lips at his throat, this time bared to them by the opened collar, buttons undone just past the bone. Reaching up one handed, finger's nimble from years of card practice buried themselves into the thick greying curls, massaging and pressing that hot mouth closer into his skin.

Looking up, Josiah weighed him with a measuring gaze before claiming his lips, reigning kisses over his face, along his jaw, down along his throat where the buttons remained. Instead of stopping there, trembling fingers worked on the material baring an inch of golden flesh at a time until they could push the concealing fabric away. Intent on having it out with the big man, Ezra had not worn his usual collection of jacket and vest atop the cream colored material and now he very glad he had forgone those items. From the way Josiah was looking at him, it was assured that he felt the same.

"You could have died."

The harsh whisper broke the silence, large hands trembling as they ghosted over the bandage Nathan had used to cover the gunshot wound left center of his abdomin. Truth be known, in the wash of emotion and adrineline, the conman had forgotten about it. Now, however, as the preacher had reminded him of his injury, the pain awoke with a vengence.

"I wanted to." The admission slipped out without warning, before he could censor himself. He had believed that the others of the Seven had rejected him, refused him their trust, but he had since realized that was not the case at all. They merely trusted him to be himself and that man would have stolen the ten thousand and ran.

After succumbing to the very temptation they feared, a part of him had wanted to die; to end it then. Saving Mary's life was only half the virtuous act the others all assumed it was.

Wanting to erase the pain in his lover's eyes, Exra's words were quiet but firm. "I no longer have such a desire. The only thing I desire at this moment, Josiah, is that you make love to me."

The pain did ease, replaced briefly with guilt before warming with tenderness and something that made the southerner's blood boil at the promise it held. "That a fact? Well, I'll see what I can't do about that, Ezra." He kissed him gently, one large hand cupping his cheek, thumb trailing across an eye as the younger man leaned into the caress. "But not right now."

He protested but the the words were firm, Josiah's determination set. "We have time, Ezra, and I won't hurt you." The hand not cupping his cheek hovered faintly over the guaze, already lightly stained from his exertions. The gambler was about to protest he was fine, but the thumb stroking his cheek moved to press against his lips. "Don't mean I won't love you silly before ya leave."

The wicked smile most often seen with the preacher's own evil brand of teasing disappeared and once again, the southerner was being kissed, this time with a strength that left him weak and panting in the growing morning light filtering in through the drawn shades. Ezra moaned in desperation as the mouth left his, Josiah sitting up and admiring his lover in the soft light, aided only faintly by the candles lit in abandon all over the church.

He took in the gorgeous man lying in unaccustomed abandon half sprawled upright against the wooden pew bench, legs open and bent, feet resting lightly on the worn hardwood floor. Hair disheveled, shirt undone and open, exposing the long column of his throat along with the shapely expanse of chest to his hungry gaze. The arm not confined in the white cloth sling thrown wide, the fingers gripping and releasing the seat, skittering along the wooden edge betraying his tension. Eyes bright and shining, watching him drink him in, that chest rising and falling in growing excitement as the preacher's eyes darkened, desire coarsing through his veins like fire in his blood.

"Beautiful."

And definitely too tempting to resist, God help him.

A flash of gold as Ezra smiled and he returned it, nuzzling the juncture of neck and shoulder before placing a kiss deliberately downward, ever downward until Josiah had kissed his way down to the fastenings of the black trousers, stubble scraping across the sensitive skin drawing gasps and moans of pleasure from the taunt body beneath him, the fingers back in his hair.

Smiling, Josiah hummed into the quivering muscles but didn't stop there. His kisses continued downward until he was poised over the distinctive bulge, stretching the dark material painfully tight across the groin. The strangled 'please!' resumed his quest and he added teeth and a slight bit of suction the the kisses bestowed on the hidden skin, fingers moving up to undo the fastenings and free it from it's unexpected prison.

The whimpered plea of his name brought his eyes up to catch the desperation in the green ones haunting him and he reached back up to fiercely kiss the tears away. "Love you, Ezra."

"yes..."

The simple sigh warmed him and Josiah kissed him again before returning to his goal and love the gambler senseless. Withdrawing the painfully hard member from it's cloth confines, Josiah cupped the swollen balls gently, spreading his kisses over the top and along the sides of the silken column of flesh. With gentle nips, tongue and suction, he drove his captive crazy until Ezra's head thrashed from side to side along the back of the wooden pew. His pleas now came in short gasps, his eyes closed, body tight as the big man teased him, taking his time to taste the salty skin, the pearly fluid that was beginning to leak a little harder as the pleas grew weaker.

"Cruel and...unusual...punishment, sir." Ezra protested weakly, his head lifting to watch the torturous acts of pleasure on his body, dropping back to the pew as wave after wave of thwarted pleasure sang through his nerves.

Josiah chuckled and Ezra groaned at the vibrations that rippled along his veins centered in his cock. "Cruel, " he agreed readily. "But not that unusual..."

And with that, Ezra was suddenly surrounded by pressure and moist heat as Josiah deep throated him, hands holding his hips as the sudden climax ripped through his body and he cried out, sensation burning him to the ground as he continued to jerk and shiver under the comforting hands.

He came back around to the soft wet feel of a tongue gently washing him, cleaning his stomach of the last of his release. He shivered again at the air that blew gently across the damp skin.

"Better?" Josiah chuckled at the contented look when he preacher raised his head to meet the sated green gaze.

"Not yet." His smile, though muted with orgasm, was wicked as he used his free arm to pull an unresisting Josiah up for a kiss, their tongues meeting and sharing his taste between them. "Your turn. But first...bed. I am much too wounded ro remain on this bench, as much as I have enjoyed it's convenience."

Not bothering to fasten his clothes, the preacher laughed and rose to scoop the smaller man, protesting, into his arms. "Faster this way, " he exlpained arranging him on the bed and lying down along side the glaring man.

"It is hardly either of my legs that are impared, Mister Sanchez, only my arm which..."

"Ezra? Shut up." To ensure the southerner followed the smiling command, Josiah claimed his lips in a kiss, arms wraping around his waist to pull him closer, loving the feel of finally having this man in his arms, in his bed to do with what he pleased. It was his turn to groan as eager fingers ran sly trails over the front of his trousers, his body buckling lightly into the exquisite torment.

"By all means, I do believe we have something else that may quite occupy my attention in a much more effective fashion."

With that, Ezra's mouth claimed his fiercely, kissing and licking the corners before diving in again, stealing his breath and his good sense; all except one. "Ezra...you lock..." a nip to his throat made him growl and buck again. "door!" Gasp. "Did ya lock...the door..."

"No." That wicked mouth tormented him until his teeth latched onto a nipple, newly bared to the gamblers intentions. "But I doubt anyone will be too willing to venture forth into the church for quite a while to come." Another nip had the preacher crying out wordlessly, growling between pants for breath as Ezra licked the pain away, sucking the little nub into the hot mouth before releasing it to lavish the same attention on it's twin. "At least not unless they believe we are killing each other. You see, I was quite obviusly in a foul temper when I saught out your sanctuary, Josiah."

One last bite to the reddened flesh and Ezra kissed it lightly, tongue traveling down the center line of the broad chest, the defined abdomin, teeth gently working the skin around his belly button. "We shall not be disturbed for a very long time." With those reassuring (or were they ominous?) words, Josiah about went through the roof when Ezra diped his tongue into the hollow of his navel, licking and swirling the moist and agile muscle into in the little hole until the older man was a mass of writhing, quivering flesh, his breath panting, heart racing.

Long moments of teasing ensued before giving up that territory for now, Ezra pushed Josiah onto his back, the larger man trying in vain to get his breath back. Kneeling over him, Ezra straddled his hips and resisted the urge to ride him to completion through their clothes until Josiah came for him. While it would no doubt be extremely satisfying, Erza wanted to uncover the body beneathe him. Wanted to let his eyes roam and discover the preacher's body much as Josiah had devoured his earlier.

With a slight shrug of his arm, the younger man indictated his impairment and demanded, "Undress for me."

Haisty fingers began to undo the defiant buttons, the preacher wiggled and shifted his weight, tempting and teasing them both until vest, shirt, trousers and long underwear were undone and thrown aside, leaving only the talisman the preacher habitually wore to cover the large body from the glittering green gaze.

"Yer turn."

The husky command sent shivers through his body and Ezra did not hesitate. When the consideration for his stiches dictated he go slowly, Ezra made a production out of it, quaranteed to enflame and torment. Drawing out the moment the last of his body was revealed with agonizing deliberation until he stood nude before his new lover, save the sling he once again arranged for his arm and the gauze patch on his side, he waited.

He received the assurance he was waiting for as Josiah's arm raised to hold out a hand to him, drawing him back into the certainty of his love.

Touching slowly, reverantly, the pair kissed and stroked, their bodies moving lazily together, smooth and slick until Josiah broke their latest kiss, panting, to rest his forehead in the hollow of Ezra's neck and shoulder.

"Close," he warned.

"Mmm." Unable to wrap their bodies together, lying as he was on his good arm, Ezra compromised by entangling their legs together, Josiah doing the rest by wrapping strong arms around him, drawing them closer, his face still buried, muffling his gasps of pleasure.

"Ezra..."

"Let me." With that, the gambler removed his left arm from sling, forgoing it's support in order to trap their cocks together, stroking them both at once. The shivers racking the large body curled around him increased and Josiah stifled his cry in Ezra's shoulder, the heavy sting of teeth followed by one last stroke throwing Ezra over the edge after him.

Silence descended on the deserted church as breathing even out, the two men curled together on the narrow bed loathe to disentangle themselves. Carresses that before were meant to enflame and entice now merely served to keep the close connection as the sharp wave of urgency dissipated, drawing them down into the lethargy of shared release.

Taking a deep breath, Josiah reared back a little to regard the chesnutt head now resting on his collarbone. Feeling the movement, Ezra shifted a little to look up, frowning at the seriousness in the troubled blue gaze.

"Josiah...?" Frowning himself, the first touch of forbodding curled cold fingered trails into his contentment. The urge to shut himself off was back with a vengence along with the colder knot of dread that told the conman this had been a terrible mistake. Perhaps after the heat of passion, the older man realised he no longer felt the same...

The following words were not what he was expecting.

"I love you, Ezra."

"You...do?" Unable to keep the doubt and hope from warring in his surprise, Ezra repeated, "You love me?"

Josiah sighed, whatever he found turning him away, though his arms still surrounded him, keeping them locked together. "Yes, Ezra, I do. I'm sorry...I should have known you wouldn't want..." He stopped, unable to continue.

"Oh but I do want, Josiah." The hand attached to his bad side turned the averted gaze back to him. Making sure Josiah saw what he needed to see in his eyes, Ezra ignored the slight twinge of protest his defenses were giving him to state firmly, "You. As I believe I stated earlier, I don't need time to consider or deliberate or make up my mind. I only need you. I also love you."

The large smile the preacher wore broke free and he grinned. "Yeah?"

"Yes." Another kiss assured the preacher that his gambler was going nowhere anytime soon.

"Wonder what the others would make of this?"

"I don't know and quite frankly, nor do I care. I don't need anyone's permission to love someone, Josiah. I just need yours to do something about it." The chuckle earned him another kiss as Ezra snuggled back down in the secure embrace, remembering to re-sling his arm before settling down into an obvious nap.

"You got it, Standish. You got it."

"Good. I shall remind you of that when you awake to find me devouring you for lunch."

The low rumble vibrated from the broad chest he curled against. He vaguely heard one last smile, arms tightening briefly around him before allowing the gentle hands of Morpheous to drag him down into the sweet depths of slumber...

"Lookin' forward to it, Ezra. Lookin' forward to it."