Dirty Angel-BarbaraElsborg (22 page)

Brody pulled back from the kiss to look into Aden’s eyes. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Move before I change my mind.”

Brody pulled back and shoved deep and Aden flung back his head, striking the top of the bed.

“Ouch.”

Brody ran his hands along Aden’s arms, pushing them back, then linking fingers. “This feels good. Fuck you’re tight. Your muscles…arrgh.”

“I’m devastated,” Aden panted. “Only good?”

Brody laughed and Aden winced.

“I’ve only just started.” Brody began to thrust and almost at once, fell out of control, his hips rocking faster and faster as he buried himself inside Aden, thrusting hard and deep. He couldn’t think of anything but the man beneath him. He knew the sacrifice Aden was making. He could
feel
it in the tightness of his arse, the way the muscles were gripping him, dragging at him and Brody’s chance of holding back the explosive surge already fizzing in his balls was zero.

Aden had his eyes closed now, his dark lashes brushing his cheek bones as he screwed up his face in that mix of pleasure-pain Brody usually felt.
This
was all pleasure, fucking another guy, sinking into him, taking him. Brody dropped down for another kiss, a tongue stealing, mouth licking, all-consuming kiss that wound him even tighter. He tried to ease into an alternate rhythm, plunging his tongue into Aden’s mouth as he pulled his cock back, but he couldn’t concentrate. He was too close to coming.

When he felt the warm spurt against his belly as Aden came, orgasm shot through Brody like a bullet, a fiery rush that filled every vein and sent come shooting from his cock in stuttering bursts of delight. He cried out louder than he’d ever heard himself cry out before, and slammed his mouth shut. But with each wrenching spasm, he felt better and better, and when it was over and his body was coming down, and he should have felt his head coming down, he didn’t. The feeling inside him kept growing. Aden had freed him. Well, not completely, but he’d empowered him, returned his control.

“For a guy who called himself stupid, you’re pretty smart.” Brody pressed a tender kiss to Aden’s lips.

“Am I?”

“Yeah, you are. That was…
very
good.”

Aden laughed. “Right.”

“If I go straight to stupendous, where is there to go from there?” Brody pulled out of Aden’s body and held tight to the condom. “Let me go and clean up.”

He was quick, but by the time he came back into the bedroom, Aden was lying on his back fast asleep, his hand still wrapped around his softening cock, come over his belly and chest. Brody went back to get a cloth, cleaned him up without him waking, then tucked in at his side and pulled the duvet over them both. He was still struggling to get his head around what had just happened. He’d topped and he’d enjoyed it. He would never have had that happen with Matt. Brody didn’t want to think about him, not while he had Aden in his bed, but he knew Matt wasn’t just going to go away. Brody had to find a way to persuade him to leave, convince him they didn’t have a future together.

There was no pang in his chest at that thought.
Oh God, am I finally done with him?
He pressed his face into Aden’s hair and inhaled. Losing Aden now he’d found him gave him an unsettled feeling in his stomach. Too soon to know if they had something here but Brody wanted him to stay. He had three weeks to convince him.

When Aden woke, he was instantly alert. He lifted his head to glance at Brody’s alarm. Ten minutes and he was due in the stables. He slid out of bed, retrieved his clothes, and dressed. Brody hadn’t stirred. As far as Aden knew, Brody hadn’t seen his back, though he’d felt it and had to at least be reassured Aden wasn’t bleeding. But a glance in the mirror had told him the scars were still there and he had no idea how to explain them. The truth didn’t work. Aden slipped back to the neighboring cottage, showered lightning fast and dressed in his dirty gear.

At least the rain had stopped but the temperature had plummeted, puddles were iced over and he shivered as he crossed the yard. He went straight to Captain’s stall and offered him the carrot he’d picked up at the door. Undoubtedly intended for some other horse, but tough.

Captain knocked his head against Aden’s.

“Good morning to you too. Remember you’ve got a much harder skull than me.”

Aden started work and ignored his rumbling stomach. He hadn’t had time to grab something to eat. The teenagers called out good morning to him as they arrived and Aden returned the greeting. A couple of them came up to talk to him while he was grooming Captain.

“How do you manage to calm that horse down?” a boy asked.

“How the f—I have no idea,” Aden muttered. “Guess he’s just mesmerized by my charm.”

“Have you ridden him?” asked the girl.

“Not yet.”

“We’re taking the horses out when it’s light. Des says they need some exercise. Want to come?”

“Maybe.”
No.
He’d fall off.

“Des is on his way,” someone called and all the kids made themselves look busy.

Des made a beeline for him. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

“I didn’t expect to see you. You remember I need you to move out this morning? Karen needs to get the place cleaned up.”

“Brody’s offered me his other room.” Aden watched to see how Des reacted.

“Has he?” Des pinned him with his gaze.

“Is that okay?” Tough if it wasn’t.

“I hope you don’t intend to mess him around.”

“Like Matt, you mean?”

Des’s eyes widened. “He told you about him?”

“Yeah. He turned up last night.”

“What the fuck?” Des glowered.

“He appeared to be unexpected and uninvited. Brody told him to go.”

“Good. At least that’s something, but… How much did Brody tell you?”

“A lot. Enough to know the guy is bad news.”

“It’s a pity Brody isn’t able to see that.”

“He is.”

Des shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, well I’ve heard that before and my idiot brother keeps getting drawn back in.”

“Not this time.”

Des stepped into Aden’s space. “It’s all well and good that you and Brody are…getting along, but don’t walk out of here in three weeks and leave him broken now he’s finally pulling himself together.”

“I’ve never deliberately hurt anyone.” He didn’t think. He might have caused accidental damage through his carelessness, upset those he’d stolen from, distressed those he walked away from, but Aden had never set out to cause real harm. Not counting that one time.

“Leave this and go and shift your stuff.”

“You still need help around the place?”

“You’ve been useful. Captain likes you and so do my kids and wife, and my bloody dog.” He looked down at Nelson who was rubbing against Aden’s leg. “He’s like a puppy around you. Don’t know what’s got into him.”

“Am I useful to you?”

“I’m not going to say no to an extra pair of hands.”

Aden nodded and went back to the cottage. Packing up his stuff took a couple of minutes. He stuffed an apple in his pocket and flinched as his fingers brushed the feathers. He made sure the place looked tidy before he went to Brody’s. The door was unlocked which was his fault and for a moment he worried Matt might have come back. But Brody was still asleep in bed. Alone. Aden smiled as he looked at him, sprawled on his stomach, arms and legs spread, mouth open, just his butt covered. He dumped his bag in the other room and went into the kitchen to make himself a coffee. Brody’s wallet lay on the counter and Aden picked it up.

There was five hundred pounds in cash inside. That was a lot of money to be carrying around.
Take it and run.
A couple of weeks ago, that would have been exactly what he’d have done, or at least taken some of it. But he closed up the wallet and put it exactly as he’d found it. Once he’d had a coffee, he went back outside.

Des was in the yard talking to a tall, dark-haired guy who was leaning against a horse trailer. As Aden passed them, Des called him over.

“Aden, this is Mr. Traske. He’s going to leave his horse, Shadow, with us, for a few days. He’s frisky.”

You or your horse?
Aden was good at recognizing trouble when he saw it and this guy was trouble. He stared at Aden as if he wanted to eat him. The look in his eyes reminded Aden of someone.

“Call me Lucian.”

He held out his hand and Aden held on no longer than he had to.

“Put Shadow next to Captain while Lucian and I do the paperwork,” Des said.

“No need for paperwork.” Lucian pulled out his wallet and handed Des several fifty pound notes. “You told me your rate but I might not have to have Shadow here for long. If I owe you more, then I’ll make up the difference.”

“This is more than I charge for a month.”

“That’s fine. I’m grateful you had room for him. Why don’t I give Aden a hand? Shadow can be difficult with people he doesn’t know.”

Des nodded and went back to the house. Considering the amount of money he’d just accepted, he didn’t look happy. Aden turned to find Lucian staring at him.

“Is he okay about coming out of the trailer?” Aden asked.

“Usually.”

Aden did not like the way this guy was continuing to eyeball him. “Maybe you better get him out just in case.” No point taking a chance he’d get kicked.

Lucian unfastened the door and lowered the ramp, all the time talking to his horse. Aden had only unloaded two horses from trailers and he’d had Des with him. He was surprised Des had left him to help this guy. But the horse backed out without problem and Aden sucked in a breath when he saw him. He wasn’t just dark, he was jet black with a glossy coat and flowing mane and tail. Compared to the other horses on the farm, this one looked like a film star. And he still had his balls.

“Good-looking horse.” Aden could feel Lucian’s gaze on him and not on Shadow.

The horse tossed its head, its mane rippling like water, then whinnied.

“You’re welcome,” Aden said and smiled.

“Speak horse do you?” Lucian asked.

“Yeah, I’m fluent.”

“Do you have a horse here you can use? We could ride together.”

“Too busy.”

“I’m sure Des won’t mind. I’m paying him enough.”

“I’m not a good rider.” He’d still not even sat on a horse.

“I think you’d be great at riding.”

Aden could feel irritation loosening his tongue and bit back his comment. He could hear the undertone in what this guy was saying. But Des needed the business. It wasn’t going to kill him to be nice.

“What just went through your head?”

“That it wouldn’t kill me to be nice to you.”

Lucian tipped his head back and laughed and at that moment, Aden knew exactly who he reminded him of.

Dante.

Now Aden stared at him.

“Something wrong?” Lucian’s eyes glittered.

“You remind me of someone.”

“In a good way, I hope. I’ll saddle Shadow, then we can take the rest of his tack into the stable and you can introduce him to his neighbors.”

“Does he like apples?” Aden asked.

“Try him.”

Aden approached the horse from the front as Shawnee had instructed him. He took the apple from his pocket, bit off a chunk and held it out. The horse snaffled it, then licked his palm.

“Seduced by an apple,” Lucian said. “I should have called him Adam.”

Aden stroked the horse’s neck. “You’re beautiful, but look as though you know it.”

The horse whinnied and Aden gave him another piece of apple. After more petting of the neck, Aden moved his hand to the jaw, then onto the horse’s nose.

“Hmm. He usually bites,” Lucian said.

He’d come up right behind Aden, so close Aden could feel the brush of his jacket against his back. Aden side-stepped away.

“I’ll show you the stable. You can ask one of the kids in there to take you to the place the horses are exercised.”

Aden picked up the remaining tack, and set off. He heard Lucian chuckling as he followed with the horse.

“Have you worked here long?” Lucian asked.

“A week.”

“I’ve just moved to the area. I’m having stables built, but when I arrived, they weren’t to my satisfaction, so Shadow will lodge here for a few days. I’m looking for someone to take care of him and my dogs on a permanent basis.”

“I’ll ask around.” No he wouldn’t.

“You’re not interested?”

“I only help out at weekends for fun. I’m a nuclear physicist during the week.”

Lucian sighed. “How does thirty thousand a year sound?”

Aden almost laughed. He’d never earned that much. “Not as good as fifty.”

“Fifty then.”

Aden stopped in his tracks and Lucian walked into him. Aden pulled away and turned to look at him.

“Ten thousand in advance.” Lucian raked him with his gaze, a move perfected by Aden and to which he was immune. “I think you’re worth it.”

Fifty thousand to service him and his horse and ten in advance? Aden shook his head and carried on toward the stable. Before he’d died, Aden might have been tempted, but the money was useless with only weeks left. Even ten thousand. What was the point if he had no future? The guy was as gorgeous as his horse but Aden didn’t like him, didn’t trust him.
What if he really
is
Dante?
The thought made him shudder.

He put the remainder of Shadow’s tack in an empty locker and led Lucian and the horse to the far end of the stable to an empty stall next to Captain. Captain put his head over the door and gave a contemptuous snort.

Aden fed him some apple. “That’s not a nice way to say hello.”

When Shadow moved forward, Captain backed off to the rear of his stall. That was weird. Captain didn’t strike Aden as being afraid of anything, but he looked wary now, his ears pinned as he stamped his hooves and shook his head.

“Is he easy to handle?” Lucian asked.

“I find him okay, but he has a temper.”

Lucian clucked and held out his hand. Captain came forward slowly, then sniffed Lucian’s fingers. “You’re very handsome.” He stroked Captain’s neck and as he brought his hand toward the horse’s mouth, Captain tried to nip him.

Aden was impressed Lucian managed to move so fast and avoid those teeth.