Trial by Fire (19 page)

“That’s what the hat is for, right? Hiding my face? I’m gonna have to do some talking, some hiring. I don’t have a strong foreman in here. I never thought I’d leave for any length of time.”

Lachlan nodded. “I have a good man at the station since I travel some of the year, but I’ll need to get someone else in security. I reckon Dez is about to quit on me.”

“Silly Aussies, needing full-time bullfighters to run interference with the world.” Holden winked.

“Right?” He finally reached out and grabbed Holden’s wrist. “I know a lot of people will say we have no idea what we’re doing, but make no mistake, Holden. I love you. I do.”

“Then I reckon we’ll figure us out. All we got to do is love each other, love her, and love the land. The rest works on itself.”

“Yeah? When did you get so smart, Lofty?” Lachlan wasn’t hungry anymore, really. Not for the food.

“I’ve always been the smart one. Landon was the pretty one.”

Lachlan laughed. “Oh, I don’t know about that, now. I think you’re awfully pretty.”

Holden snorted, but the smile proved that his lover was willing to consider a seduction. His lover. God, wasn’t it time to make that really true? They’d not even had a chance to really make love.

Holden picked at his food, stealing one look after another, then he pulled off his bolo tie, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Lachlan decided they needed to stop dancing around it. He stood, nodding to Chloe. “We should put her down for a bit, yeah?”

“Yeah, she needs a diaper change, I bet. You want her or the kitchen?”

He chuckled. “I’d take her, but I have no idea how. Show me?”

“Come on up. Do you want to be Uncle, Dad? Do you think it’ll ever be less odd?” Holden picked up Chloe, the soother tight in her lips. “Life, I mean.”

“I think we’ll find a new normal. You can’t run two spreads the size of ours and not have drama.” Lachlan followed Holden upstairs, watching that butt and feeling a little guilty. Not enough to stop, though.

It was tiny, tight, and he wanted it. He wanted to touch again. To learn every inch so he couldn’t ever forget it.

Chloe had to come first, so he let Holden walk him through changing her nappy. He’d never done it for Ades as she’d been so close to his own age.

She went down like a dream, Holden watching her settle. Lachlan resisted the urge to pat her butt, because she wasn’t fussy. That might shift the balance. He grinned, already thinking like a dad, him.

God. A dad.

Him.

Holden headed out of the room, stretching up, and Lachlan felt his attention shift, caught by pure sex. His engine was primed, revving up. Once he made up his mind, Lachlan went after what he wanted.

He closed the door, eyes fastened on his lover. He had to pause, just a tiny moment, to let Holden have a chance to say no. “I know it’s been a hard day….”

“It has. And if you don’t get your ass over here and make it better, I’m going to beat you to death.”

He laughed right out loud, taking the three steps that would bring them together and grabbing Holden’s upper arms. He took the kiss he’d been wanting since the night before, pressing his lips to Holden’s.

Holden opened up, one hand wrapping around the back of his head, tongue pressing in to taste him.

Lachlan moaned, getting his hands moving to work on Holden’s clothes. They needed to be naked. Now.

HOLDEN
wasn’t sure he could deal with any more talk—everyone had said everything, and he felt empty. He felt raw and a little scoured in his soul, so he grabbed Lachlan’s belt and dragged the man to his room.

No more talking. No more bullshit. He wanted something infinitely more naked. Possibly with rubbing.

Lachlan seemed to catch on pretty quickly, undoing Holden’s shirt and tossing it aside once they got it off, groaning when he caught sight of the undershirt. Holden grinned, yanked it off, and sat down on the bed to pull off his boots.

They’d explored everything creaming their jeans could teach them.

Lachlan hummed stripping down for him, shirt, boots, socks…. He wanted to do the jeans.

He reached out before Lachlan could unfasten his belt, letting the man know this was his job. That buckle wasn’t as big or shiny as his, but it sure was high tech, sliding open easily so he could unbutton and unzip the denim. The scent of need hit him and he inhaled, filling his lungs with it. Oh, that was what he needed.

Holden licked his lips, pulling Lachlan even closer so those muscled thighs and hard hips were right there in front of him, Lachlan’s cock pointing up toward his lips. Begging for his mouth.

“Love.”

Yeah. Yeah, he reckoned it was. He opened up, took Lachlan in. The head pushed between his lips, the skin so soft, almost shockingly hot.

Lachlan gave a little shout, hips rocking.

He shook his head. No waking the baby. Then he went back to exploring, tongue discovering the spongy tip, the ridge that hid beneath the soft foreskin. And wasn’t that fascinating, the way it moved, the way the tip peeked out?

Fingers sinking into Holden’s hair, Lachlan began to rock, slowly at first, then faster with every stroke of Holden’s tongue. Soft words fell down over him, filthy enough to make him moan, make him grab Lachlan’s thighs and pull harder.

That ridged belly pulled up tight, Lachlan moaning as if he was being ripped apart. “Don’t want to come in your mouth, Holden.”

Holden looked up, letting Lachlan see the length of his cock appear as he pulled back. Was Lachlan asking what Holden thought he was?

“Or you can do me,” Lachlan said, rubbing his lips with one thumb. “I’m pretty easy.”

“Good quality to have in a man.” He could let Lachlan in. He’d let the man in deeper than he ever intended to. “You’re gonna have to touch me a lot. It’s been a long, long time.”

His world was quick hand jobs, blow jobs in the back of a barn.

“Oh the horror.” Lachlan chuckled. “Just tell me you have lube.”

“I do. Tell me you don’t have a regular guy at home.” He’d never asked, but it was an important distinction. They knew so much about each other, and so little.

“No. I’ve had a few buddies over the years, even Dez a few times. No one special until you.”

He nodded. “Same here, well, Ryan, not Dez, but you get it.”

Lachlan nodded. “I do. Those two…. Where’s your slick stuff? Need it now.”

He shucked his jeans and tighty-whities, then dug through the little drawer in his headboard that held lube and his favorite porn. A jack-off drawer, convenient and private.

Lachlan joined him on the bed, distracting the hell out of him by rubbing up on his ass. The sensation of fuzzy body and heat covering him was something new, and he caught himself arching into it, balancing on the open drawer.

“Lube.” Lachlan said it firmly, stilling until he finished looking.

“Got it.” He closed the drawer and pushed back, letting himself be surrounded by Lachlan.

Those strong arms wrapped around him, and Lachlan knelt up, holding him against that wide chest, cock prodding his lower back.

Oh, Jesus. Jesus. He stretched, sliding all along Lachlan’s body feeling like a parched plant in a rainstorm.

Lachlan reached down to grab his dick and give it a few hard strokes, and Holden clenched his teeth against a wild cry.

“Mmm, Holden. I want to feel you, all around me, squeezing me.” The soft words buzzed into his ear, the lilt of Lachlan’s voice enough to make him shiver. That other big hand found his, prying the lube from his fingers, the tube a bit squished. A soft chuckle brushed his ear, and he moaned. This was his bed, his room, his lover.

Just his.

Lachlan propped him up on those long thighs and let him go just long enough to get the lube open. Then he was stretched out on his belly, with cool, slick fingers probing between his asscheeks.

Holden made himself relax, and it was easier than he’d anticipated. The hand on the small of his back was a weight, a heavy, heated mass that made him groan, helped him roll his hips back.

“That’s it. Sweet ass. Tight and hot and perfect.” One finger pushed in deep, setting his nerves alight.

He bore back, wanting Lachlan to know he was with it, he wanted this.

Lachlan bent over him, kissing the back of his neck. “I love this. Touching you.”

“Good. I need it.” His world had been shattered, and Lachlan promised to put it back together.

“Mmm-hmm.” That finger slid in and out, the scrape making Holden burn, even with the slick stuff. “Want to explore you for hours. Days. Years, Holden. I want to know everything.”

His fingers fisted in the sheets. “I can handle that. Everything.”

“I know.” One finger became two. “Strongest man I’ve known, you are.”

His breath left him in a rush. He’d never felt something so huge, so overwhelming. It wasn’t the pressure inside him; it was his cowboy, loving on him. Holden wanted more, so he pushed up like he was at the gym doing planks, ass rocking.

“Fuck me.”

Lachlan groaned, kisses landing on his shoulders, his back as Lachlan took him, fingers lighting him up inside.

“Soon. I can’t wait much longer.” That third finger pushed just far enough inside to make him grunt.

“Yes.” He nodded and tucked his knees under him, giving Lachlan all the access.

The sound Lachlan gave him was pure hunger—a deep, rough moan torn out of his chest. He heard Lachlan moving, the wet sound of flesh on flesh, and then that big cock was sliding against him, teasing his hole.

“Don’t tease.” He pushed back, the scrape and burn making him hiss. His belly drew up, so tight that it damn near cramped, and Lachlan stroked him, almost petting.

Definitely soothing. “Breathe, lover. Loosen up, let your back relax. I want in,” Lachlan said.

“I want you in.” He arched his back, and Lachlan cried out, offering him a broken sound.

That hot dick slid deep inside him finally, the lube easing the way just enough. His body felt like it was going into shock, chills running up his spine, sweat breaking out. His cock was hard as nails, though, and as they began to move, to find a rhythm, he could let the pleasure batter at him.

Lachlan gave him a helluva ride, pulling back, then shoving in, moving faster every few thrusts. So damned strong.

Once he felt like he could, Holden climbed the headboard, pushing back against Lachlan’s strength, riding like he knew he was able. He got as good as he gave, Lachlan pounding into him, really letting go of all control.

He’d never had such a talkative lover, and it was another touch, another way Lachlan had him. Only Lachlan.

The words began to run together, nonsense now, but Lachlan talked. “Soon. Holden. Need. God.”

“Soon.” Holden couldn’t get enough purchase on the headboard to let go. “Touch me, Lachlan. Touch me.”

“Oh, fuck yes.” Lachlan’s weight centered on him, and one hand slid around his belly, groping for his cock. Those long fingers closed around the base, then stroked up to the tip.

His body clenched, and Lachlan hissed, slamming in up to the root, their bodies crashing together. That hand clenched around him, right up under the head, and he yelled, too damned loud. Holden just couldn’t keep it in.

He spent, his entire body climaxing, nerves firing. His balls emptied, and his muscles squeezed around Lachlan’s big cock, and that was that.

Lachlan filled him with hot seed, his rough grunting moan filling Holden’s ears.

They rested together, swaying as he clung to the headboard.

“Shh.” Lachlan panted the sound into his ear. “Did we wake Chloe?”

“If we did, it’ll mean she sleeps better tonight when we do it again.”

That low laugh was starting to sink into his bones, becoming dear and familiar already. “Got plans, do you?”

“I do. I have lots. You’re a little inspiring.”

“God, I hope so.” They cleaned up, and then those strong arms lifted him, and Lachlan laid him out on the bed to kiss his mouth and cuddle up. “Can we hide a bit?”

“God, yes. Maria will come at five to make sure Chloe is safe from the inexperienced ones, but that’s hours. We’ll just pretend we’re not home.”

“Sounds like the best idea ever.” Lachlan scrubbed that bristly chin against his shoulder.

“Hairy man,” he teased, his body aching in the best possible way.

“Never have been all smooth like you. Asthma must have stunted your follicles.”

“Do not make me kick your ass again, cowboy.” Or maybe he could think of something better to do with it than kicking it.

NINE
came damned early the next morning by Lachlan’s reckoning. He and Holden had hidden from the world and watched movies and spread a blanket on the floor so they could roll around with Chloe and laugh at her playing with her feet and their noses and all.

Then they’d gone to bed, and Holden had reminded Lachlan that the rest of him may be small, but that cock was mighty. Jesus fuck.

He sat gingerly, smiling at Maria, who was up and making coffee and tea and… something with tortillas for breakfast. “Where did Holden go?”

“Feeding the animals and making sure things at the big house were good. He said to let you sleep and to have breakfast ready at nine.”

“I feel like a laze,” Lachlan told her, then swooped down on Chloe and hoisted her in the air. Chloe squealed happily, face wreathed in a smile. Lord help him, he loved her more than life.

“You are smitten with the littlie,” Dez said, heading in without so much as a knock, Ryan on his heels. “Good morning, Maria. Holden said we’d find breakfast here.”

“
Sí, señor
.” Maria looked pleased to have more mouths to feed, bless her.

“Morning, lads.” Lachlan held out his—his!—girl for kisses from her new uncles.

Then they all sat, Maria bringing tea and coffee over, the lot of them just waiting for Holden to appear, which he did, riding that black beast of his. Lachlan let himself admire through the window. That fierce stud of a cowboy was his too.

Holden tied the horse at the house. How bloody funny was a hitching post at the kitchen door? He waited for Holden to wash up before reeling the man in for a quick brush of lips. “Morning, Lofty. You ready for these hooligans?”