Release Me (The Music Within Book 2) (18 page)

“I
didn’t think you liked country music,” Mal said when Cade stopped playing.

“It’s
not my favorite genre, but my father loves Waylon Jennings. I grew up listening
to country whenever we were in the car together, so it kind of stuck with me. I
do prefer rock, though.”

“Play
somethin’ else, please,” Mal begged. Cade was taken aback by the smile on his
face. It was the happiest he’d seen Mal. If singing hokey songs did that for
him, Cade would play for him anytime.

“Let’s
see. How about this one…” Everyone knew “Friends in Low Places” by Garth
Brooks, and Mal was no exception. His voice matched Cade’s and, in some
instances, sounded better. Cade stopped singing and let Mal have the final
verse. The cowboy wasn’t shy about singing, that was for sure. He picked back
up with the chorus, and when they were finished, applause was coming from the
doorway.

“Woohoo,
now that’s some singing. You boys oughta take it on the road,” Walt praised
from across the room. Suzette was grinning from ear to ear. For the next half
hour, Cade obliged Suzette with a few more country songs, and all four of them
sang along. It didn’t matter that Walt made up his own words, or that Suzette
sang off key. They were enjoying themselves, and Cade’s heart was ready to
burst out of his chest when he realized that was what it meant to be a family.
One old piano and four voices blending together in harmony. Not the harmony of the
tones, but the harmony of their souls.

When
Cade had no other choice, he said his goodbyes and headed south to the
Nashville airport. He was relieved that Suzette and Walt were standing beside
Mal when he left so it wasn’t necessary to make a big deal out of leaving. Even
though he didn’t tell them as much, Cade planned on being back in the next
couple of weeks. Somehow, some way, he was going to make time within his
musical world for his new man.

As
soon as he was on the road, Cade put in a call to his uncle.

“Kincade,
what can I do for you on a Sunday night?”

Cade
apologized, “Hey, sorry to bother you, but I wanted to go over a few things
about the new company.”

“Are
you putting away your drum sticks and picking up a lasso?” Gerard laughed at
what he considered to be a joke.

“Not
yet, but I will be someday, if I have my way. I spent time with Mal this
weekend, and there’s a lot of stuff that needs repaired, the house being one of
them. I have some ideas I want to run by you.”

“I
have to say, I’m impressed. I thought this was a spur of the moment decision,
but I’m glad you’re taking an interest in your investment. Let me go to my
office so I can take notes.” Cade waited while his uncle walked to the back of
his house where his home office was. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“First
off, I want you to visit the farm as soon as possible. Mal needs to put a face
to the company, and since it obviously can’t be me, I want you to step in. He
has taken notes and has some good ideas, so whatever he wants, I want him to
have. But he’s not going to ask for frivolous things. He is treating this as if
it were still his. He won’t buy the best of everything, so I want there to be a
purchasing department that takes care of that for him. Also, when it comes time
to hire extra help, there needs to be a human resources department to take care
of that, too. I also want you to buy him a good laptop and see to it he has
internet service. He already has a satellite dish so his mother can watch
television, so you can probably add that to the service.”

“Okay,
what else?” his uncle asked.

“Before
I go any further with the needs for the farm, I have to tell you Mal’s story.
Gerry, I’m telling you this in confidence. As my attorney and as family, I want
you to promise this stays between us.”

“Of
course, Cade. I’m hurt you think you have to mention it.”

“When
I finish telling you, you’ll understand.” Cade relayed to his uncle what
happened to Mal when his father found him.

“Jesus
fucking Christ!” Gerard exclaimed when Cade was finished.

“Exactly.
Malcolm Wilson is a good and honorable man. One of the best I’ve ever met. I
have no idea why I’m so drawn to him, but it’s there, and I can’t deny it. I
don’t want to deny it. I thought it might be because he reminded me of Tag, but
he doesn’t. They aren’t anything alike. Not really. Don’t get me wrong; I still
love Tag, and in some way, I always will. I can’t just turn off fifteen years
of feelings. But being around Mal has made me realize what I felt for Tag
wasn’t the real, deep down kind of love two people should feel for each other.
Like what he felt when he met Erik.”

“Wow,”
his uncle uttered.

Cade
needed to get the focus off his love life and back on the business. “Now,
getting back to hiring. I have an idea. You’re still in touch with Tag, aren’t
you?”

“Cade…”

“No,
listen. Erik is a volunteer at the Veterans’ Hospital. There have to be men who
want to work and need to ease back into society. I’m not saying working on a
farm is the perfect scenario, but it is quiet and peaceful. I honestly know
nothing about being in a war, but I can only imagine I would want a job away
from lots of people while getting acclimated to being back in the States. Away
from lots of noise other than some cows mooing or a tractor rolling across the
land. Also, I want to buy the bar. I know it isn’t a really good investment,
not like the farm is, but I want to take that burden away from Mal, too.”

“Do
you want to put former Marines in the bar, too?”

“That’s
where Erik comes in. He’s much better equipped to make that call than I am.”

“You
continue to surprise me.”

“Honestly,
I’m surprising myself. I would like the purchase of the bar to be separate from
the corporation.”

“Speaking
of which, I wanted to talk to you about the structure of the company.” Gerard
explained how he felt it would be better for this to be an actual corporation
than a single member limited liability corporation. When he was finished, Cade
agreed with his assessment. This wasn’t a quick fix to a small problem. This
was an investment, and in treating it as such, the company was going to look
into more investments and not just Mal’s cattle.

By
the time Cade reached the airport, he and Gerard had hashed out a plan for the
next few weeks to get Mal everything he needed, as well as seeing to some
repairs on his barn and the house. Gerard would meet with Mal and present him
with official paperwork from what Gerard had named AAW, Incorporated.
Anderson
and Wilson.
Hopefully, Mal would never figure out what it meant.

Mal

Mal
had been nervous about meeting with the CFO of the corporation, but after the
man left, Mal was feeling positive about his future. G.B. Matheson wasn’t a
tight ass like Mal imagined. He’d been down to earth and even friendly. Mal
showed him around the property, explaining where the boundaries were with
neighboring land. Mr. Matheson took notes as they walked around the property.
He asked for Mal’s input on most everything, even though there were some things
that were non-negotiable, like repairs to the barn and the house.

G.B.
explained that this was an investment that the corporation took seriously. He
meant no offense in telling Mal the house was in dire need of repairs,
something Mal was all too aware of. Since it was technically the company’s
house, they could do whatever they wanted without his permission, but
surprisingly, the man had requested Suzette’s opinion on the matter.

When
Mal handed over his list of items the farm needed, Mr. Matheson asked questions
about brand names and quantities. He assured Mal he would have the equipment
within the week. Mal was to let him know when he was ready for more cattle, as
well as when he needed the company to hire more help.

By
the time Mr. Matheson left, Mal had signed the paperwork for becoming an
employee. He had health and dental insurance, as well as a life insurance
policy paid by the company. He had a brand new laptop that he knew nothing
about, but the CFO assured him someone would be by soon to install new business
software and show him how to use it. It felt odd to be working for someone
else, but at the same time, it felt oddly good. He was going to be getting a
paycheck twice a month, and he had company paid insurance. That was a huge
chunk of change he didn’t have to worry about any more.

As
the taillights disappeared down the driveway, Mal’s first instinct was to call
Cade. He wanted to share the good news with his lover. He resisted the urge,
because he knew Cade was at the studio with his new band. Cade sent him a text
every day to say good morning and to tell him his schedule. Mal smiled when he
read the first text and immediately sent one back. Cade called him every night
and talked for a couple of hours. Mal worried about using the minutes on his
new cell phone until Cade informed him that most plans were unlimited. They
could talk until the battery was dead.

Mal
was still opening the bar every night, but he wasn’t staying open as late. The
customers grumbled, but when he asked if they wanted to buy the place so it
could remain open later, they stopped their bitching. His routine was basically
the same as it had been, only now, he and Walt were getting the pastures ready
for more cattle. Birthing season would be there soon, and they needed to have
everything else taken care of before that happened.

Mr.
Matheson called ahead of time if someone would be coming to the farm to either
work on the barn or bring equipment. Mal got to know all the workers on a
first-name basis. He had been leery, but he soon realized the men hired to be
around him and his momma were not low-life thugs straight out of prison. They
were honest, hard-working men who respected both him and Suzette. They even
deferred to Walt when Mal was off tending to something else.

Two
weeks flew by, and so much had already been done. His momma was taking an
interest in the farm again. Walt might have had something to do with that, but
whatever the reason, Mal was glad for it. No longer did she sit in her den for
hours on end watching television. Every day she put on makeup and fixed her
hair. That weekend, when they had a little down time, Mal had driven her in his
new Chevy dually truck into one of the bigger towns so she could get some new
clothes. He asked her why she didn’t have Melanie take her, but she brushed him
off with something about the girls getting in the way.

Sunday
dinner hadn’t happened again since Cade had been there. Mal asked her about
that, too, and she told him honestly, “Neil and I might have had a
disagreement. I told him he isn’t welcome until he apologizes. And you know
your sister. She’s not going to stand up for herself against that jackass.”

“What
was the argument about, Ma?”

“Don’t
worry about it, Son. It’s over and done with.” Suzette dropped the subject, and
no matter how much Mal prodded, she wouldn’t budge. He figured it had to do
with Cade being there and Mal being gay. If that was the case, he was glad not
to see the asshole every Sunday.

Another
two weeks went by before Cade mentioned coming to visit. Mal was used to their
daily texts and phone calls, but he never expected Cade to keep his promise to
visit. Cade made it clear he was going to get a hotel room in Nashville so they
could have alone time. He fully intended on visiting the farm so he could see
Suzette, but Cade’s first order of business was to get Mal naked. Since Suzette
had spent the night at Walt’s a couple of times already, Mal didn’t hesitate to
ask for her to do it that Friday night. Cade was cutting out of California
early, and it wouldn’t be too late when he arrived.

Cade
called ahead to the Hilton and put Mal’s name on the room so he could be there
waiting when Cade arrived. Mal felt funny picking up the key, especially when
the girl at the desk said, “I hope you and Mr. Anderson enjoy your evening.” He
made his way upstairs to a suite similar to the one Cade stayed in the last
time they were together at the hotel. He ordered room service per Cade’s
instructions, but as soon as Cade walked into the room, food was immediately
forgotten. Cade shoved Mal’s body against the wall and began stripping away his
clothes. “I’ve missed you, Cowboy,” he whispered against Mal’s ear. Cade’s warm
breath went straight to Mal’s cock, and he was ready to throw Cade on the bed.

Mal
had missed him, too. Until that moment, he didn’t realize just how badly.
“Missed you, too, Rock Star. I need you.” Clothes were strewn from the door to
the bed, and within minutes of Cade arriving, Mal was balls deep in his lover.
There was no foreplay, no heavy petting other than Mal getting Cade’s hole stretched
and ready. The sex was frenetic, intense. It wasn’t fucking, but it wasn’t
quite making love, either. It was an urgent melding of bodies that both men
needed. Cade’s filthy mouth was surprisingly tame. He grunted in time with
Mal’s balls slapping his ass. “Fuck, yeah, baby. God, yeah, feels so fucking
good, Cowboy.”

Jacking
off at night on the phone while Cade talked dirty to him had taken the edge
off, but it still didn’t compare to being buried deep inside his man. Mal knew
they had all night, and he would have another chance at being inside Cade’s
body, but he still wanted this time to last. He slowed his rhythm and allowed
his hands to roam down Cade’s thighs and up his sides. He focused on the
various tattoos swirling and melding into one huge piece across his rock star’s
shoulders and back. Mal had a feeling the ink was indicative of his time with
Tag. If it was, he couldn’t hold that against Cade. Not something that happened
years before they met. Not something that molded Cade into the man he was
today. If Cade could tenderly touch the scar Mal received from loving Tyler, he
would offer Cade the same courtesy in return.

Cade
begged, “Mal, baby, please. Faster. This feels good, but I need to come. My
balls are going to explode.”

It
did feel good. Too good. Something was different. Mal closed his eyes, reveling
in being with this stunning man, and gave Cade what he wanted. When room
service knocked on the door, his rhythm faltered, but Cade yelled out, “Just
leave it!”

When
Mal felt his balls tighten with his impending orgasm, he leaned over Cade’s
back, grabbing his cock. Mal commanded, “Come with me, Cade.” He stroked in
time with his hips rocking back and forth, and after a few tugs, warm jets of
Cade’s release were filling Mal’s hand. When Mal’s seed spilled into Cade’s
ass, he bit Cade on the shoulder instead of calling out his name. He stilled
his body and felt the warm liquid escaping from around his cock.

“Oh,
fuck. Shit!” A condom never entered his mind. No wonder it felt so different.
Mal hadn’t fucked bare since Tyler. Back then, they were both virgins, so the
threat of disease never came into play. Besides, neither one of them had the
guts to go into the local store and get rubbers.

Mal
pulled out quickly, holding the hand full of come out to his side while he
stared at the bed. “Hey, come here,” Cade said as he rolled over onto his back,
dragging Mal down with him. “I’m clean. I got tested while I was home, and I
have the results in my bag. I was going to talk to you about going bareback anyway.”
Cade pulled him down for a kiss. “Unless there’s something you want to tell me,
we’re good.”

Mal
was still a little shell-shocked at having been so careless. He wiped his hand
on the sheet beside Cade’s hip so he could use that hand to touch Cade while he
talked. “I haven’t been with anyone but you – well, other than a blowjob – in
the last year. But I’ll still get tested if you want me to.” He would find a
clinic in Nashville to go to. There’s no way he’d go see the local doctor in
Arlo.

Cade
pushed Mal’s hair off his forehead and let his fingertips trail lines down his
face. When they got to his mouth, Cade traced the outline of Mal’s lips. He
closed his eyes as Cade told him, “I trust you, babe. Let’s get cleaned up and
grab our food before someone steals it out of the hallway.” Mal nodded and let
Cade lead him into the bathroom where they washed the spunk off their bodies.
They both found their underwear and pulled them on before opening the door. Mal
held the door so Cade could bring the tray in without spilling their food
everywhere.

They
sat at the table in their suite, and even though they talked on the phone every
night, they still had plenty to talk about. Like Cade’s parents. “So, did your
dad move in with you?”

Cade
took a sip of beer before answering. “He did, but my mother freaked out. Seems
she wants to be able to be mad at him with him in the house. So he moved right
back home. It wasn’t like he was there all that much anyway, just to sleep.”

“He
didn’t hear you on the phone, did he?” Even though Mal’s bedroom wasn’t close
to his momma’s, he had bit his lip and buried his face in his pillow more than
once so she wouldn’t hear him and Cade having phone sex.

“Nah.
His room was on the other end of the house. Besides, it was only a few nights.
My mother hasn’t mentioned the divorce anymore, but she’s obviously not happy.
I went by there on my way home from the studio last week, and she’s still
giving everyone the cold shoulder, not just my dad. Divorce is never an easy
thing, is it?”

“How
would I know? I’ve never been married.” Mal was confused as to Cade’s thought
process until his next words left his mouth.

“I
just assumed your mom would have divorced your dad when… you know…”

Mal
had told Cade almost everything else about their family, so why was he hesitant
to tell him about this? He pushed the food around on his plate and finally
decided to be honest. “They aren’t divorced. Right after it happened and he
went to prison, she mentioned it. It was before I really knew about our money
situation. From what I gathered, she went to see a lawyer, but nobody would
take the case, being a small town and considerin’ what Dwight had done. They
were scared of what would happen if he ever got out of jail.”

“Didn’t
she go to another town?”

“Nah,
she dropped it. We were so deep in with doctor bills anyway.”

“Wow.
I…”

Mal
didn’t want to talk about his momma, because more than once he had tried to
convince her to find another lawyer, but she wouldn’t discuss it. Mal was
afraid Dwight had somehow threatened her from jail. He turned the subject to
something he prayed was more pleasant. “What about your sister? Have you met
her yet?”

“Not
yet. I did talk to her on the phone once, just to say hi and see how she was
feeling. It was weird, though. I know biologically she’s my sister, but I
didn’t feel a connection to her at all.”

“Are
you still goin’ to meet her?”

Cade
shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not really a priority at the moment.”

Mal
pushed his empty plate back and finished his beer. “So, what is a priority?”

Cade
stood from his chair and pushed his boxer briefs down his legs. He grabbed his
semi-hard cock and husked, “Getting this inside your sweet ass.”