Coming Home Page 15

  As Cade rambled past Brett’s house to the stables the following morning, Brett’s truck was parked in the drive. Anticipation coiled low in his belly as he stepped into the stables and went straight to Marci’s stall. He greeted their beautiful new mare, stroking a hand over her mahogany coat. She gave a snort of approval, pushing her muzzle into his hand. He smiled sadly, thinking of Dixie. There’d never be another one like her, but Marci’s eyes reminded him of Dixie’s in the way they sparkled with intelligence and vibrancy.

  “Wait here, sweetheart,” he said to the horse, backing out of the stall. “You and me are going for a ride.” After fetching a saddle and bridle from the tack room—he wasn’t riding her bareback again—he returned to her stall and saddled her up.

  Her hooves clattered on the cobbled ground as he led her out of the stables and across the yard. They bumped into Jimmy when rounding the corner of the stables and upon seeing Marci the old man’s wizened face lit up.

  “Now there is a fine beast if I’ve ever seen one,” Jimmy said, looking the horse up and down in admiration. “You picked a good one there, boy.”

  Cade nodded and then glanced past Jimmy to the paddocks. “Have you seen Brett this morning?” he asked casually, pulling on Marci’s reins as she stomped her foot impatiently.

  “Helping Paul and Danny with the cattle,” Jimmy said, his face twisting in a grimace. “Those boys don’t have two cents to rub together when it comes to branding.”

  Grinning, Cade shook his head. “I can’t say it’s my favorite job either.” As Marci gave another tug, he started forward again. “I’ll see you later, Jimmy.”

  He led the mare across the paddocks to where his favorite trail began. When he reached the dusty, juniper-lined path that declined down the mountain, he mounted the horse and dug his heels into her sides. She immediately launched into a full canter and they sped along the path. After thirty minutes or so, the path widened and then opened completely into the valley of Steeplecrest Ranch. He drank in the massive expanse of flat land that rolled on for miles and ended at the bottom of the next mountain over. Most of the land they used was hilly as the ranch sat nestled between the peaks of the Glass Mountains. Cade loved riding down into the valley between their mountain and the next and galloping across these grassy plains. At the moment the grass was browning in the heat and crackled beneath Marci’s hooves. He breathed in a lungful of hot Texas air and made a mental note to talk to Brett about a new irrigation system down here.

  While they cantered across the valley, he savored every second of familiarizing himself with Marci. He pushed her hard, riding her over the plains and tightening the reins each time she made a move to follow her own direction. She wasn’t easy to tame but he thrived on the challenge. Later that afternoon, as he headed back up the mountain, taking a detour past the creek so Marci could take a drink of water, he realized he’d managed to push Brett out of his mind for a couple of hours.

  But when he rode back around the paddocks Brett crashed right back to the front of his mind. He watched Brett’s biceps flex as he lugged the branding equipment toward the barn. He was bare-chested as he usually was at this time of day and sweat glistened all over his upper body. Cade’s throat dried as he remembered how Brett had sweated the other night. Nothing to do with cattle equipment.

  He jumped down from Marci and led her into the yard. The sound of her hooves on the ground caught Brett’s attention and he turned. His whole body stiffened as he saw Cade approach.

  “Hey there,” Cade greeted, wishing he could see Brett’s eyes but they were lost in the shadow of his Stetson. “Wondered if I’d see you today.”

  The man’s mouth tightened as he stood stock-still in the middle of the yard. Then, without saying a word, he turned and continued into the barn.

  Amusement triggered a smile from Cade’s lips as he watched Brett’s large frame disappear into the barn. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone look so uncomfortable.

  “Come on then,” he said to Marci, pulling her toward the stables. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  After washing down the horse and settling her back in her stall with something to munch on, he headed back into the yard and couldn’t resist taking a peek into the barn. Brett was still there, shifting the equipment around the tiny space he’d allocated for it.

  “Shit,” he cursed as he caught his finger on something. Seeing the blood ooze from his finger, Cade stepped forward.

  “You okay?”

  Brett swung around, his finger in his mouth. He’d taken off the hat and his dark eyes stared accusingly into Cade’s. “Fine.” He turned his back pointedly and Cade grinned.

  “So where were you yesterday?” he asked, leaning against a stack of bales. “Wondered if you’d decided to let me have the ranch all to myself.”

  Brett snorted but kept his focus on the equipment. “If that happened this whole place would fall apart.”

  Cade didn’t argue. Instead, he waited, knowing the heavy silence would break Brett eventually.

  He was right. After catching his finger again, Brett swore beneath his breath and lashed out at Cade. “What the hell are you hanging around for?” he demanded, throwing a glare in his direction.

  Cade lifted a brow, knowing what he was about to say would really set the guy off. “You don’t think we should talk?” He fought a smile as he stepped forward, holding Brett’s defensive gaze. “You know, about the other night?”

  The color drained from Brett’s face and he backed up, knocking into the equipment he’d spent so much time organizing. “We ain’t got nothing to talk about.” His tone was fierce but the slight shake in his voice diluted the strength of his words.

  “Sure we do,” Cade said smoothly, taking another step forward. “It’s not every day I fuck someone I work with.”

  Brett’s sharp intake of breath was loud in the barn. “It was a mistake,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “I didn’t—I mean I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “No,” Cade conceded, “you most definitely were not thinking straight.” He grinned crookedly and moved even closer to Brett, so close he could feel the heat radiating from the man’s body. “That was the fun.”

  As confusion and lust—a combination he was becoming familiar with—blazed in Brett’s eyes, Cade reached out and ran a fingertip along the waistband of Brett’s pants. Maybe he should wait, give Brett the space he needed. But as Brett’s eyes heated further, Cade couldn’t help himself. He lowered his hands to Brett’s groin and stroked the thickening bulge in his jeans.

  Brett didn’t appear to breathe as Cade touched him. His cock lengthened with each rub of Cade’s hand and Cade’s own dick reacted to Brett’s arousal.

  “I’m not gay,” Brett blurted out as Cade increased the pressure of his hand on the man’s cock. “I’m not—I mean, I like women.” He gave a low groan and swiped his hand over his face. “I like tits, I like pussy.”

  Cade nodded. “And you like cock too.” He leaned in, letting his lips brush Brett’s earlobe as he inhaled the smell of fresh sweat. “It doesn’t have to be one or the other,” he whispered, cupping Brett’s hard-on through the denim. “You can have both.”

  At his words, Brett’s cock leaped in his pants. He didn’t say anything as Cade got to work on his belt buckle, didn’t make any sound of protest as Cade jerked down the zipper of his jeans.

  Dropping to his knees, Cade pulled Brett’s cock out of his pants and groaned at the sight of rock-hard, plum-colored flesh. He wrapped his hands around the thick base and brought his lips to the swollen head. Sucking Brett’s dick the other night had made him harder than he’d ever been and he was desperate to experience the pleasure again. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the ridged head, letting the heady taste of Brett’s salty skin fill his mouth. Lowering his head, he took more of Brett’s dick into his mouth and the thick shaft glided over his tongue, making his taste buds tingle and his mouth water. He bathed the tight skin with his tongue and groaned as the pu
lsing in Brett’s cock increased.

  As he sucked with an eagerness he’d never felt for any other man, he let his hands glide up over Brett’s muscular thighs and around to his denim-covered buttocks. He kneaded Brett’s ass and, when Brett’s fingers weaved into his hair and gripped hard, Cade’s cock jerked between his legs. Releasing Brett from his mouth, he dragged the tip of his tongue along the heavily veined underside as he looked up into Brett’s glassy eyes.

  “What if someone comes?” Brett asked huskily, hands still tangled in Cade’s curls.

  Cade smiled. “The only one who’s gonna come is you,” he mumbled against Brett’s erection, knowing how his words would vibrate against the throbbing skin. “Jimmy and the guys are out on the pastures with the cattle. They ain’t got any business coming in here.”

  This seemed to satisfy Brett as his hips started to pump. A growl of approval stuck in Cade’s throat as Brett drove his cock across his tongue, increasing the pace with each steady thrust. He swallowed all of him, loving how Brett’s hot skin burned his tongue. He gripped Brett’s ass as tightly as Brett gripped his hair and waited for the man to lose control. It finally happened with a sudden double jerk of his hips and Brett’s creamy release pooled on Cade’s tongue. He swallowed it down greedily and licked Brett’s cock until he’d caught every drop. Then, rising to his feet, dick still throbbing in his pants, he grinned at Brett’s defeated expression.

  “It doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” he said, cupping Brett’s shadowed jaw in one hand and making him look at him. “No pressure, no big deal. Just fucking.”

  Brett’s throat worked as he swallowed. “It’s not just fucking when it’s with another guy.”

  Cade’s heart clenched in the face of Brett’s vulnerability. Damn, this man made him feel and he didn’t know whether to go with the strong emotions or run the hell away from them. Losing himself in the dark depths of Brett’s eyes, he decided he needed to go with the emotion. Easing Brett’s fear would be hard enough without worrying about his own.

  Wanting nothing more than to turn Brett around and bend him over the stacked equipment, he backed up toward the barn doors. Enough for today. If he rushed things too fast there was a bigger chance he’d lose Brett altogether. And he wouldn’t risk that, not even to ease the ache between his legs.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said, walking out of the barn. He kept going, heading in the direction of his house. He waited until he was hidden by trees before he stopped and unbuttoned his pants. He jacked off there at the side of the road.

  He thought of Brett when he exploded in his fist.

  ***

  The next day, after leading the horses out to one of the paddocks, Cade spotted Brett’s frame approaching in the distance. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Cade lifted his hand to his hat and tugged the brim down over his eyes to take away the sun’s glare. Yep, that was Brett alright, and there wasn’t a chance the guy hadn’t seen him.

  A grin started to spread across Cade’s face. He’d expected Brett to spend the day ignoring him as he had after all their other encounters. But there he was, long legs carrying him forward, though Cade did have to admit he still looked a little uncomfortable.

  “Mornin’,” he greeted when Brett closed in on the paddock. “You seen Jimmy yet?”

  Brett shook his head. “He’s on a day off.”

  “About time too.” The old man worked himself to the bone. He was going to keel over if he didn’t let up.

  Stopping at the fence and propping one booted foot on the bottom rail, Brett jerked his head to the horses. “Marci looks good.”

  Cade glanced behind him and grinned as the mahogany mare gave a derisive snort when one of the others bumped against her. “Yeah, she’s a fine specimen,” he agreed, looking back into Brett’s shadowy eyes. “Still looks a little empty without Dixie around though.”

  Brett gave a curt nod. “Sure does.” He cleared his throat as if to say something, then hesitated.

  “You want something?” Cade asked, studying the man’s expression for a clue. He was difficult to read with that damn Stetson on his head.

  Brett paused again and then took a step back. “No, I’ll leave you to it.” He turned on his heel and started back toward the yard. He’d crossed about ten yards before he turned back. “You want to come over for the game tonight?”

  Cade blinked. Had he heard the guy right? From Brett’s awkward stance, he guessed he had. “Uh, sure,” he blurted out and wished he hadn’t sounded so surprised. “I’ll be there around seven?”

  “Yeah.” Brett hesitated another second and then turned again and set off into the distance.

  Cade turned back to the horses and pulled his hat from his head. “Did you hear that?” he asked Marci, shaking out his hair. “I’m gonna watch the game with Brett tonight.”

  Her large chocolate gaze stared into his and he could have sworn she rolled her eyes.

  When seven o’clock rolled around that evening, Cade climbed the steps up onto Brett’s veranda and walked straight through the open door.

  “Brett?” he called, making a beeline for the kitchen that was releasing the enticing aroma of fried chicken. “You in here?”

  He stepped inside, found the kitchen empty, and then started as the back door swung open and Brett entered from the backyard.

  “Sorry for barging in,” Cade said, his body reacting immediately to the jeans that clung lovingly to Brett’s strong thighs. “Door was open.”

  “I know.” He strode past Cade to the frying pan and flipped the chicken pieces. “You hungry?”

  Cade’s gaze swept the length of Brett’s body, resting for a second on the tight ass. He swallowed thickly. “Starved.”

  As if he’d picked up on Cade’s double meaning, Brett tensed his shoulders but kept his focus on the food. “There’s beer in the fridge.”

  “Thanks.” Cade grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and set one down on the kitchen table before uncapping the other. As he let the cold liquid trickle down his throat, his mind flashed back to the first time he’d been in this kitchen after the funeral. Remembering the tension between them, the hostility that had oozed from Brett in truckloads, Cade grinned. Back then he’d never for a second believed he’d one day get to fuck the guy, though he had fantasized about it while sitting at this very kitchen table. Things changed fast around here.

  “What’s so funny?” Brett asked as he grabbed two plates from one of the cupboards.

  Not sure Brett was ready to hear how long Cade had been lusting after him, he just shrugged. “Heard you were teaching the two boys how to brand cattle yesterday.”

  Brett let loose a sound that was half-groan, half-laugh. “It was a fucking nightmare,” he said, sliding fried chicken onto the plates. He carried them over to the table and took the seat opposite Cade. “Didn’t think we were going to get it done.”

  “At least now they know,” Cade said, lifting a piece of the crispy chicken to his lips.

  Brett snorted. “I wouldn’t trust those two with a hot iron if my life depended on it.”

  “Well, Paul’s taking off for college next year,” Cade said after swallowing a tender bite of chicken. “Danny seems to have a bit more sense. We can keep him and take on someone else.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking that. But who is there to take on? Most of the kids don’t want to work all the way out here, especially when their folks are throwing money at them to keep them in school.”

  “Not the way we were raised.”

  Brett shook his head. “Not even close.”

  They ate in silence after that and Cade found himself lost in thoughts of their shared childhood. Brett’s dad had been tough, but his dad had been tougher, especially when he’d had a few too many drinks down at Billy’s. When he’d been sober he’d been a decent man with strict morals and a big heart. Cade just wished he could have been sober more often.

  “You okay?”

  Cade looked up from his food and felt his stomach cle
nch at the tenderness in Brett’s eyes. It disappeared half a second later but the memory of it made Cade’s heart ache. This wasn’t just sex. Not for him and not for Brett either.

  “You can turn on the TV if you want,” Brett said, getting to his feet and carrying the empty plates to the sink.

  Cade lifted a brow. So they really were going to watch TV after all. He headed out into the hall and stepped into the living room. Brett joined him a couple of minutes later with another round of beers and they sat on the sofa to watch the game.

  With Brett in such close proximity, Cade couldn’t keep track of the score, couldn’t even be sure what players were on the field at any given time. His eyes kept slanting in Brett’s direction, watching him gulp down some beer or stretch his leg out on the coffee table. To hide his growing erection, Cade crossed one leg over the other, resting the side of his shin on his knee to give his lap plenty of breathing space. When the game finally ended, Cade didn’t have a clue who’d won.

  Brett slid his foot off the coffee table and leaned forward to set his beer down on the glass. “Good game,” he said, leaving the TV on as the commentary began.

  Cade nodded. “Sure.”

  They drifted into silence again and Cade became aware of the tension in Brett’s body. He was still leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes focused on the screen, but his breathing was far from even. He was waiting for something to happen.

  Uncrossing his legs, Cade shifted to the edge of the sofa cushion and turned his head to Brett. “Why don’t we turn this off?”

  He heard Brett’s breath catch as the man aimed the remote control at the TV and clicked the off button. He dropped the remote, still looking at the black screen.

  Cade reached out and touched his arm. Brett’s gaze, dark with desire, shot to his.

  “Sit back,” Cade told him, increasing the pressure on Brett’s arm. The man held his eyes as he shifted back on the sofa and settled fully into the seat. Cade glanced down, feeling a tug on his dick as he noticed the bulge at the front of Brett’s pants. For Christ’s sake, how long’s that been there for?