Authors: K.M. Mahoney
“All set,” he assured Rafe. “Mark should be here soon.”
“Damn,” Rafe said. “I don’t even know how to begin to thank you for all this.”
Troy gave his best lecherous leer. “I can think of a few ways.”
Rafe laughed. “Horny bastard.”
“Damn right.”
Rafe stopped with their knees touching, looming over Troy where he sprawled in Rafe’s favorite cushy chair. The grin on his cowboy’s face was downright wicked.
One big, callused hand tangled in Troy’s hair, yanking his head back. Rafe slammed his lips down in a punishing kiss. Troy moaned, grabbing Rafe’s wrists, fingers flexing. Oh, yeah. The rough touch and the harsh slide of lips, tongue and teeth went straight to his cock. He grunted as Rafe increased the pressure on his hair, tilting his head at an uncomfortable angle to nip at the skin behind his ear.
“Want you,” Rafe said in a harsh voice.
“Likewise, hotshot. Upstairs?”
Rafe nipped again, harder this time. Troy groaned.
“Don’t want to wait,” Rafe said. “Think there’s room for two in that chair?”
“Probably not. But we can improvise.”
“Damn right.”
Rafe leaned over farther, balancing himself on the chair’s arms and squashing Troy into the cushions. He loved it. The weight, the heat, the pressure. Troy pushed up, wrapping his arms around Rafe’s neck and doing a little nipping of his own. His cowboy liked that, if the way he was thrusting his hips was any indication.
Troy lost himself in the kisses, wishing he could just stay right like this for the next, oh, couple of days or so. But eventually he needed to breathe.
“Okay, big guy,” Troy gasped. “My lungs are numb.”
“Is that even possible?” Rafe asked around a laugh. But he pulled back, letting Troy take a much needed lungful of air.
Troy raked his eyes up and down Rafe’s body, luxuriating in the way that magnificent chest heaved and relishing the heightened color in Rafe’s cheeks. Troy knew Rafe desired him, but it was always nice to see the evidence with his own eyes.
“You’re wearing too many clothes again,” Troy stated. “We need to work on that.”
“I don’t think the guys would appreciate it if I wandered the ranch in boxers like you,” Rafe teased.
“
I
wouldn’t appreciate it,” Troy nearly snarled. He grabbed Rafe’s hips and jerked his lover between his knees. “Mine.”
Damn, who knew he had a possessive streak? Troy hadn’t exactly been celibate, but he’d never been jealous over a lover before. He was with Rafe, though. The thought of anybody else touching that gorgeous golden skin made him all growly and irritable.
“Hmmm, I think I like this side of you,” Rafe replied. “But if you want me to get naked right now, you’re gonna have to let go.”
Troy reluctantly did so. Rafe was in a good mood, putting on a bit of a show as he stripped off his T-shirt. Troy slid his hand inside his boxers, massaging his aching erection. Damn, he could probably get off just watching the man strip. He rubbed a little harder, sliding down in the chair and using his pre-cum to slick his palm.
“Wait for me, honey,” Rafe scolded.
“Then hurry up.”
The rest of Rafe’s clothes went flying and a minute later Troy got a lapful of naked man.
“That’s better,” he murmured, running his free hand along Rafe’s chest, stopping along the way to tease his nipples erect. His other hand kept a steady rhythm on his trapped erection.
Rafe growled and shoved his hand between them, stopping Troy’s movements. “Want to fuck you.”
“Oh hell yes.” Troy yanked his hand free and shoved at Rafe’s chest. At the confused look he got, Troy grinned. “Switch places, babe. I want to ride my cowboy.”
“Save a horse?”
“You got it.”
“I always did like that song.”
Troy bounced to his feet the instant he had the room and stripped his boxers off, sending them flying into the corner.
“Hang on,” Rafe suddenly said. “Lube. Where the hell’s the lube?”
“I dunno. You had it last.”
“Shit.”
Troy cracked up as his naked cowboy raced upstairs in a panic. Several pounds and crashes later and he reemerged, waving the lube and several condoms triumphantly.
“All set, babe?” Troy teased. “Need some water or—”
“Shut up,” Rafe said, flinging himself into the chair, “and get over here.”
Troy plopped himself onto Rafe’s lap, knowing he was probably grinning like an idiot but not caring. After all, Rafe was bearing a similar expression.
“Hey,” Troy said.
“Hey, yourself.” Rafe cradled Troy’s ass, kneading a bit as he settled Troy into the position he wanted. Troy moaned as Rafe’s cock pressed against his crack, slipping along the skin with ease. Hell, who needed lube? The man was leaking enough to practically provide his own.
“Need in you,” Rafe said.
“You got it, babe.”
One thick finger worked its way into Troy’s ass. He grunted a bit at the burn but what the hell? The sting and ache was part of the thrill. Plus, the pleasure was more than worth a bit of discomfort.
“I’ll try and take it easy,” Rafe said, apparently catching the slight wince.
“Don’t you dare.” Troy bore down and his ass sucked Rafe’s finger in to the second knuckle. “God, that feels good.”
“Here comes number two,” Rafe said, following his words with a second lube-coated finger.
“Stop talking,” Troy ordered. “More, babe. Need.”
“Don’t wanna hurt you,” Rafe said between clenched teeth.
“Don’t care,” Troy replied. Words weren’t coming so easily anymore. He squirmed. “Want you.”
Troy snagged a condom off the side table and ripped it open with his teeth. He slid the latex down Rafe’s cock and the poor man’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head.
“Can’t hang on much longer.”
“Then don’t,” Troy said.
Those wonderful fingers popped out of Troy’s ass and he swallowed, hard. Damn, he felt empty now, aching all over. Hard muscle shifted under him as Rafe squirmed.
Enough already.
Troy settled his knees on either side of Rafe’s thick thighs, reached behind himself, and positioned Rafe’s cock under his ass.
“Need more lube,” Rafe said, tensing with the strain of holding back.
Troy shook his head, grinned, and let his weight drop. Rafe’s head fell back as he yelled. Troy yelled, too, the sharp pain almost too much for a minute. He liked his sex a touch on the rough side, but that didn’t mean he wanted to bleed. A couple of exes hadn’t gotten that. He liked to feel it, know he was being fucked, know he had been fucked. But he wanted pleasure to go along with it. Thankfully, Rafe seemed just as focused on Troy’s pleasure as he was on his own.
“When you’re ready,” his cowboy said, confirming Troy’s opinion.
“Damn, babe. You’re something.”
“So are you.”
Troy had to squeeze his eyes shut at the emotions shining in Rafe’s eyes. He didn’t want to deal with it right now, couldn’t deal with it. Sex with Rafe was intense enough. No sense making it overwhelming.
The tight ring of muscle finally relaxed and Rafe slipped all the way in, the burn fading as Rafe’s cock bumped his prostate. Troy groaned and flexed his muscles, pulling a matching groan from Rafe.
“Go ahead, honey,” Rafe urged.
Troy braced his hands on Rafe’s broad shoulders, using them to balance himself as he rose up on his knees. Rafe’s head fell back again, eyes closing, hands tightening on Troy’s hips with enough force to sting.
Oh yeah, baby, bruises tomorrow.
Troy let his weight drop again, let his body swallow Rafe’s. He started a steady rhythm, up and down, rocking a bit to get that perfect angle. Sweat dripped into his eyes and slid down his shoulder blades as he moved faster.
“Close, honey.”
“Me, too.”
Troy slammed down again and Rafe bucked. A loud roar filled the living room and the thick column of flesh reaming his ass thickened an instant before Rafe’s control broke. Troy watched with delight as the man curled upward, stomach muscles tightening into perfect definition as Rafe climaxed, filling the condom. Troy spared a brief regret that he couldn’t feel that thick cum filling him up and sliding out his hole. Later, he promised himself.
Rafe slumped backward, breathing hard, completely exhausted. Troy would have felt proud of himself, but he was too busy moving, trying to catch his own orgasm, hovering just beyond reach.
“Take what you need,” Rafe murmured. He began to play with Troy’s nipples, sending little tingles of electricity jolting down Troy’s body.
Troy wriggled on Rafe’s rapidly softening cock and let his cowboy hold him. He took one hand off Rafe’s shoulder to jack himself off. It took only a few quick strokes before his balls drew up and he shouted. Thick cum poured out of him in a jerky stream, coating Rafe’s abdomen in a gooey mess.
The pleasure seemed to go on forever. Troy’s cock finally gave one last twitch and he fell forward, curling into Rafe’s big, sweaty body. He dropped his forehead on Rafe’s shoulder, trying to catch his breath.
“Damn, Rafe,” he said when words became possible again.
“You said it, honey.”
Rafe wrapped his arms around Troy, pulling them close together. Troy realized Rafe was still buried in his ass. When Rafe started to move, Troy let out a wordless protest.
“Not yet,” he said. “Like it there.”
Rafe ran his hand up and down Troy’s back. “You’re already sore. And I need to get the condom off.”
“Don’t care.”
“Troy—”
“Shut up.” Troy snuggled in closer, eyes refusing to stay open.
“Okay, honey, okay.”
Rafe’s grip tightened infinitesimally, but Troy felt it. He hummed his appreciation.
“I could stay like this for a while.”
“Go ahead,” Rafe said.
Yeah, Troy thought he just might. The earlier adrenaline rush, dealing with all those damned emotions, then the sex. Yeah, he could sleep for a day or two.
Troy relished the feel of Rafe holding him close. His walls were down at the moment, in a way he couldn’t remember happening for a very long time. He could admit it. Rafe meant a lot to him. A whole lot. And he would be quite content to stay here.
Wrapped up in his cowboy’s arms, Troy finally dropped off to sleep.
Ken’s Lincoln Navigator pulled to a stop in front of the narrow porch in a cloud of dust. Poor Ken was probably freaking out. All that grime on his beloved car.
Rafe stepped up behind Troy in the doorway. Even without turning, Troy could feel the nerves pouring off his lover.
“Easy, Rafe,” he murmured, reaching behind to take Rafe’s hand. “It’s gonna be fine.”
When Mark stepped out of the vehicle, Rafe’s grip tightened until Troy could nearly feel the bones grind together.
“Ouch,” he said conversationally. Thank goodness Rafe was behind him and couldn’t see his wince. Man had a grip like a gorilla.
“Sorry, honey.” Rafe loosened his grip but still kept his hold on Troy.
“Listen, remember what I told you,” Troy warned Rafe. He watched their visitors walk toward them. Mark’s face was belligerent, as only a teenager could be. “He’s got a lot of anger and he still views you as the enemy. Take it slow.”
Rafe didn’t answer and Troy suppressed a sigh of irritation. He had a feeling his cowboy hadn’t listened to a word he’d said over the last twenty-four hours.
His suspicions were confirmed a minute later. Mark stopped at the foot of the stairs and Rafe’s control broke. He dashed past Troy and grabbed Mark into a big hug, nearly lifting the much smaller man off his feet.
“Oh, God, squirt,” he whispered. “Even after…I didn’t really believe…Oh, God, it’s really you.”
“Hey, man, get off me!” Mark struggled but couldn’t wiggle out of Rafe’s hug. “What’s wrong with you?”
Troy rolled his eyes.
Mark’s panicked expression turned to him. “Dude, you weren’t supposed to say anything! I’m your client, you’re supposed to do what I say!”
“Come on, kid, give it a rest,” Troy snapped. “It’s time to grow up and stop sneaking around.”
“But I’m paying you! You’re supposed to—”
“Oh, please.” Troy watched dispassionately as Mark finally managed to shove away from Rafe. The kid stepped behind Ken, watching Rafe with wary eyes, as if expecting to be attacked with hugs again at any moment. With the way Rafe looked at the kid, it was probably a reasonable suspicion.
“Ken was paying me, not you. And yes, I knew. I’m not stupid.” The last was addressed to Ken, who was wearing a look that was a combination of surprise and confusion. “Besides, I’m not going to take a dime for this clusterfuck. Now, will everyone please come inside so we can sit down and talk like civilized human beings?”
It took some work, but Troy was finally able to herd their little group inside the house and away from the prying eyes of the other ranch hands. Not that they wouldn’t know everything soon enough; cowboys gossiped like little old blue-haired women at a church potluck. He trusted Chip and Jason, but he still wasn’t too sure about the others who popped in and out. He’d prefer to enact this scene without an audience. He had the feeling it was going to be a doozy.
Troy waited until Rafe had sat, then he plopped himself in his cowboy’s lap. He figured it was the only way he was going to keep Rafe in one place. Rafe grunted in surprise, but his arms wrapped around Troy’s waist. Troy patted the muscular forearms, running his fingers along the dusting of hair in his best comforting gesture.
Mark perched himself on the edge of the couch, looking ready to bolt at any second. Ken stood behind him, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze.
“Why don’t you explain what’s going on?” Ken prodded.
Rafe took a deep breath. “Damn, squirt,” he said softly. “You’ve changed so much. You grew up on me.”
Mark swallowed heavily a couple of times. Troy smothered a grin. He’d seen that same look on Rafe’s face more than a few times. Yeah, definitely brothers.
“You…you knew about me? Before, I mean?”
“Hell, yes.” Rafe rested his chin on Troy’s shoulder, smiling that soft smile that meant he was looking at something in the past. “You were so tiny when we brought you home. I could almost fit you in one hand. You would look up at me with those big green eyes, like I could solve all the problems in your world.”
“You…wait, I don’t understand. What about my mom? I just don’t get this.”
The belligerence had vanished, leaving the kid vulnerable and confused. It made him look younger than ever.
“Your mom was real sick at first. So my mom and I took you home, cared for you until she got better. Every summer you spent a couple of weeks with us. I put you on your first pony when you were three. Mom nearly had a heart attack, but you loved it. Chattered about it for days and nearly drove Alyssa nuts asking for a horse of your own. I gave you Cheetah next time you came out. Never saw a kid so happy.”
“I don’t—”
“You know why I named the ranch the Double M?” Rafe interrupted.
Mark shook his head, clearly overwhelmed.
“It was for you. Mark Michael. It was my tribute to your memory, after the wreck. They told me…they told me you died. With your mom, in that accident.”
Rafe buried his head in Troy’s shoulder for a few seconds, struggling for control. Troy kept stroking those strong arms, trying to offer what comfort he could in his own clueless way. Comfort wasn’t part of his usual repertoire.
Rafe lifted his head, eyes shining with emotion and moisture. “If I had known, Mark. If I had known, I would have come to get you. I would have brought you home, with me. I swear it.”
“I don’t believe you.” But the protest didn’t sound sincere. Troy didn’t know how it could be, not while the kid was staring at Rafe. Rafe wasn’t even attempting to hide his emotions, the love he still felt for his baby brother, and it was clearly throwing Mark off balance.
Troy decided it was time for him to interfere. He was good at it, after all. He called Mark’s name. When the kid turned his attention to Troy, eyes desperate, Troy smiled.
“Did you happen to notice the name of the ranch when you drove up?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Double M, kid. For you. Like he said, Rafe named the ranch after you.”
“I can’t…that’s just…”
They really were brothers. Mark seemed to have the same trouble finishing sentences that Rafe did when upset.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Ken said, breaking the increasingly heavy silence.
“Please,” Troy said, sharing some of Mark’s desperation. This was getting…difficult.
“Stick around for a while, Mark. Get to know your brother, the ranch.”
“I’ll get the papers drawn up,” Rafe said, looking at Mark with serious eyes. “I want the ranch in your name, too.”
“But—”
“Stop protesting, kid,” Troy snapped. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Not really.”
Teenagers.
“Stay, Mark.”
No way in hell could the kid resist the tone in Rafe’s voice. A mixture of pleading and love and Troy just wanted to wrap around his cowboy and send him to oblivion. Make him feel better. “I’ve got a life, a home.”
“Mark.”
Troy captured the kid’s eyes with his own and stared him down. That particular look had broken more than one sleazebag ex. It had the desired effect on Mark. Green eyes nearly identical to Rafe’s dropped to study his shoes. Mark exhaled.
“All right,” he gave in. “But don’t expect me to do the whole reminiscing thing. And I don’t know you from Adam, so no more hugging.” He added the last with a glare at Rafe.
Rafe smiled and, oh, but it was a gorgeous smile. Made the world brighter and Troy’s chest tighten up in that damned knot again.
“No more hugging,” Rafe said with complete insincerity.
Ken snorted. Mark groaned. And Troy snuggled closer to Rafe, utterly pleased with himself.