by Jena Wade
Cory snorted. “I just did.” He slapped Perry’s knee and then walked toward the end of the truck.
Perry shook the exhaustion from his body and climbed out of the truck. Cory already had the trailer doors open, so Perry went around to the side windows to unlatch Spice. Once she sensed she was free, she backed out of the trailer. Cory then tied her off to the side and Perry unhooked Denny.
Within minutes they were leading the horses to their stalls. Perry closed the door once Spice was inside and heading straight for her hay bag. He chuckled. His damn horse sure could eat a lot.
“What are you laughing at over there, sleepyhead?”
Perry turned his head as Cory walked down the hall of the stable toward him. Damn, that man could fill out a pair of jeans. And his plate-sized belt buckle didn’t help Perry to keep from staring at Cory’s crotch.
“Nothing. Umm. Well. Thanks for letting me ride along.” Perry shuffled his feet. Words never were his thing and they were escaping him now more than ever. His bed was calling his name and he had a full day starting in just a few hours, but he was reluctant to say good-bye to Cory.
Cory stopped walking and stood as close to Perry as he could get without touching him. Perry almost took a step back, but he knew he’d just hit the wall of the stall. Cornered. Shit. It was too late, and he was too tired to remember all the reasons he shouldn’t mess around with Cory.
“You know, she’s a damn fine horse.”
Oh fuck. If there was a wall around his heart then Cory just might’ve found a way to break it down. “Thanks.”
“You’re not too bad yourself. Good enough to get us in the placings anyway. We would’ve placed higher, but we were doomed once Lucas showed up. Even though they weren’t on top of their game, we were no match for them. They took off in a hurry. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to them. Coming in third with a rookie rider is damn good, though.” Cory’s voice was low, feeling like soft velvet to Perry’s ears.
“I’m not a rookie.” The argument held no power. Perry’s defenses were down, more because of the man standing in front of him rather than the sleepiness. But he wasn’t about to admit that.
“You are when it comes to competing.” Cory hesitated a moment and cocked his head to the side. A slow smile spread across his face and a far-off look settled in his eyes. “I’d ride with you again, though. I had a lot of fun tonight. I can’t remember the last time I had fun competing.”
“Maybe you’ve just forgotten how.” Before Perry could continue, Cory closed the space between them. He lifted his hand and took the hat off Perry’s head, then wound his arm around Perry’s neck.
“Why do you keep skirting around the issue here?”
“There’s an issue?” For the life of him Perry couldn’t recall what they were talking about. Something about having fun? He could think of a million ways the two of them could have fun.
“You and me. I think we’d be pretty fantastic together. All that’s standing in the way is you.” Cory pressed his lips to Perry’s, silencing any argument Perry might’ve had. Only he didn’t have one. Not this early in the morning. Not when Cory looked so damn good.
Distantly Perry heard his hat drop to the floor, but he didn’t care. Cory’s hands were on his back, pulling him closer, and his lips and tongue were devouring Perry’s. Perry moaned and held himself steady on Cory’s strong shoulders.
Perry’s cock hardened behind the zipper of his jeans. He ground his hips into Cory’s, desperate for any friction that might bring a release from this sweet torture.
Cory lifted his lips from Perry’s and Perry almost whimpered at the loss, but Cory silenced him with soft kisses down his neck. Cory snaked his hand into Perry’s shirt and flicked open the buttons.
All thoughts left Perry’s mind, and he no longer felt tired. He and Cory were in their own little world, and he was ready to take Cory into the nearest empty stall and fuck him into next week.
Just as he was about to suggest they do that, the side door of the barn opened.
“Damn it, Cory, if you left the lights on again, I’m going to kick your ass.” Garrett’s voice booming through the barn doused any flame of desire Perry had at that moment.
Fuck. Now he remembered why he wasn’t supposed to be fucking around with Cory.
He stepped back, out of Cory’s arms, and picked up his hat off the ground.
Cory turned on his heel as Garrett rounded the corner. “Calm down, old man, Perry and I were checking on the horses. We only pulled in a few minutes ago.” His voice came out calmer than Perry could’ve managed.
“All right. Well, finish up. Just ’cause you were out late doesn’t mean you don’t have to work tomorrow.”
Cory chuckled. “I know it.” He turned and smiled at Perry. “You just let me know when we’re going to go on that date, okay?”
Perry nodded. Not trusting his voice. Damn the younger man for being able to act like everything was fine and dandy. Like they weren’t about to rip each other’s clothes off just moments ago. With a final wave at Garrett and Cory, Perry made his way back to his house.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely inside. He needed a cold shower. And a game plan for how he was going to avoid being too close to Cory for the next… However long Cory planned on being around the ranch.
The championships were in a month. Cory would be leaving for them soon. And then he’d be back on the road, doing what he loved. Fucking around, as he referred to it.
Perry just needed to remind himself of that each time he thought he might be special to Cory.
* * * *
It’d only taken Cory a week before he called Perry out on the fact that they were supposed to go on a date. So when Perry arrived in the barn carrying a set of full saddlebags and suggested they go for a ride, he shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Wait, so this is our date?” Cory nudged Mister into a trot until he was walking alongside Perry and Spice. “You’re taking me on a picnic?”
Perry smiled in a way that would’ve had Cory agreeing to mucking out stalls for their date. “Yeah. I’ve got food packed and some soda. I made it all myself. Those were the terms, right?”
“Well, yeah. But I sort of expected a homemade steak dinner or at least eating inside.” The thought of going on a trail ride most certainly never occurred to him. “Where are we going?”
Perry shrugged. “Anywhere. You know the area around here better than I do. Can you think of a few good spots to sit for a while? If not, we can just ride around until we find one.”
Ride around? Aimlessly? That was a foreign thought to Cory. Ever since he’d started competing every ride had a purpose. Each time he saddled up one of his horses he had a reason for it, an objective to complete. Now Perry wanted to just wander around?
“You look lost. Don’t you ever go on trail rides?”
“Not since I was a kid. And then it was with the camp groups, and I was always the lead. We had designated trails to ride and places to go.” Riding had been work even then. Or at least that’s when it started.
“Take us there then.”
Cory racked his brain for some memory of where those trails were and how to get to them. “They’re going to be overgrown. We probably won’t be able to get through anywhere.”
Perry smiled wide, and a mischievous look took over his eyes. “That’s half the fun.” He urged Spice into a trot and Cory had no choice but to follow, unsure of what lay ahead of them for their “date.”
Forty-five minutes later, they reached the edge of the woods that Cory remembered once held several trails to ride through. And if it was the right forest they would end up in a small meadow. If it was still there.
“Let me go through first. If we run across anything that’s too thick, we can turn around,” Perry said.
“We can go through whatever you and Spice can.” Cory wasn’t sure why he felt the need to defend his horse, but he wasn’t about to let Perry assume that he and his horse couldn�
�t handle a little rough terrain. He wasn’t a greenhorn.
Perry stopped Spice and turned in his saddle. “I’m sure he’d do just fine, but it’s not worth risking any injury. You’ve got finals in, what? A month?”
Oh yeah. He had a competition coming up. He’d almost forgotten about it.
Cory and Mister followed as Perry and Spice broke through the brush. It was easy to see that a trail had once been there, but the lack of use over the years had allowed for overgrown tree limbs to occupy the space. Knocking branches out of the way with each step made for an interesting ride.
Just when Cory thought he’d been wrong about the meadow and was going to suggest to Perry that they turn around, the sun peeked through the trees ahead. “Looks like we’re getting close,” he said.
Perry steered Spice in the direction of the sunlight and Cory followed. Within a few minutes they broke through the trees and found themselves in an open field filled with wildflowers. It was a scene straight out of a movie. The whites and yellows of daisies and black-eyed Susans covered the ground, and a slight breeze swept through the area. Even birds were singing. Cory’s mood lightened. Suddenly a trail ride and a picnic was the perfect date.
“Looks like we found our picnic spot.” Perry continued toward a large shade tree on the edge of the forest line. He hopped off Spice and removed her bridle, using the lead line he’d brought to tie her to a nearby tree. “You gonna just sit and watch or are you going to come down here and get some lunch?”
Cory snapped from his thoughts and dismounted. He tied Mister up near Spice. “What are we having?”
“Sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches?” Cory had to laugh. He’d never imagined that was what they would be eating on his first date, but then again he couldn’t really complain. That’s probably what he’d be having if he was at home right now anyway. “Sounds good.”
He sat at the base of the shade tree and waited for Perry to dish out the food. It might not be a gourmet meal, but he wasn’t going to let Perry slack on the service.
Once they both had their meals and were situated under the tree, they ate in a comfortable silence. Cory enjoyed the calmness of meadow, and it was nice to be out with his horse for some reason other than practice. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a relaxing ride. Even though he’d had fun competing the other night, it still had been a competition.
Maybe if he stayed around the ranch, instead of doing the seminar, he could have more afternoons like this. With Perry. He had a feeling Perry was the reason he was enjoying himself so much. It was nice not to be living out of his suitcase and being able to stretch his legs in his bed, rather than being cramped in the living quarters of the trailer. Of course, he wouldn’t mind being cramped in a bed if he was sharing it with Perry.
That would have to wait though. He hadn’t broken down all of Perry’s defenses. But he could tell he was close.
The more he thought about it the more he realized he wanted to stay at the ranch. He wanted to stay in one place for a while. He let out a heavy sigh and relaxed against the tree. He couldn’t remember ever feeling that way. He’d been traveling almost nonstop for the past three years, but now he felt like he was home. For real. Of course, Perry had a lot to do with that, and he didn’t even know it.
“So when does that seminar start?” Perry asked.
“Two weeks. Not sure I’ll be going though.”
“Why not?” Perry looked at him with real interest in his eyes. It was almost like Cory could tell him anything right now.
“I kinda want to stay put for a while.” Here. With you.
“So you can torment me some more?” Perry smiled as he said the words, and his eyes shone in the afternoon sunlight. It was all Cory could do not to grab him and kiss him senseless.
“Well, that is one hell of a perk.” Cory paused for a moment, pondering whether he should continue with the truth or change the subject so they weren’t talking about him and his future anymore. With one look in Perry’s eyes, his decision was made. “I kinda want to think about staying at the ranch more often. I’m tired of traveling.”
Perry’s brow rose. “Really? What would you do? Train horses? Lounge around? Rake in the stud fees from Cash?”
Cory bit his lip and avoided Perry’s gaze. “Actually, Leslie, the friend of mine who rides dressage, and I have talked about starting a camp here at the ranch like we used to have. Have a few groups come out during the summer, between competitions of course. Maybe even have some camps going on during the year.”
“For kids?”
Cory nodded. “Any age from preschool to high school. We’d teach them how to take care of horses, how to ride, show them the ins and outs of running a ranch. Course we’d have a lot of work to do just to get set up.” He shrugged. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about.” He held his breath as he braced himself for Perry’s response. He hadn’t told anyone besides Leslie about his dreams, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear what others thought.
“That sounds like a lot of work.” Perry took a swig of his soda and Cory waited anxiously to hear what else he had to say. “I know your grandparents would love to have you around more and taking part in planning the ranch’s future. Based on what I understand, it was hard for them when they quit running the camp. I’m sure they’d like to see it started up again.”
Bravery that Cory didn’t even know he had came spilling out of him. “What about you? Would you want me around more?”
This time Perry avoided his gaze. “It’s your home. Makes sense for you to be here. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy having you around. Now that you’ve stopped insulting my horse.”
Cory chuckled. That was as good a compliment as he was going to get from Perry. He’d put it in the win column for now. “If I’m around more you won’t be able to resist me much longer.”
“I’m not going to argue with that.”
Cory’s heart jumped, and he nearly launched himself at Perry right then. Finally he was getting somewhere.
“What’s the big deal anyway? So you work for my grandparents. I don’t see the issue.” Cory tried to tread carefully, like he was approaching an unbroken horse.
“Let’s just say I don’t have the best experience with my boss’s family members. Things can get ugly fast.”
Cory wanted to push further, see what the hell Perry was talking about. But Perry’s cell rang.
“Hello?” Perry answered. His face fell as he listened to the person on the other end of the line. “All right. We’ll be back in less than an hour; can you hold off that long?” He stood up, obviously set on leaving soon. “Okay. That will work.” He disconnected the call.
“I’ve got a load of steers coming; they weren’t supposed to be here until later, but the driver’s running ahead of schedule. We’ll have to head back.” The look on his face said Perry didn’t want their impromptu date to end any more than Cory did, but duty called.
Cory nodded as he and Perry stood, staring at each other.
His breath caught just as he thought Perry was going to make a move. He held himself still, seeing the want in Perry’s eyes, knowing it mirrored his own.
But instead Perry stepped back. “All right, let’s get going then.”
Mood broken, Cory picked up their trash and refilled the saddlebags with what was left of the food. He knew one thing; he wasn’t going to wait too long before he found himself alone with Perry again. Next time the man wouldn’t be able to escape so easily.
Chapter Six
Cory groaned as he stepped into the sunlight. He’d been in his apartment most of the morning, talking on the phone, discussing his plans for after the championships and during the off season. Nothing was set in stone, but he had a lot of options. Leslie was hell-bent on starting right away on plans for the camp. Cory had to admit she had a lot of damn good ideas. The way she talked, starting this new venture would be smooth and easy. Before any decisions were made Cory knew he’d hav
e to speak with his grandparents. He just wasn’t sure how.
Now, if only he could decide whether or not to do the training clinic in California.
Some part of him felt the need to run his plans by Perry before he fully committed himself to leaving the ranch so soon, but he shook that aside. He didn’t owe Perry any explanation. Besides, what was he supposed to do? Hang out at the ranch all the time? Help do the daily chores? That had never been him. He didn’t think it was now; yet somehow, the thought of working side by side with Perry each day didn’t sound all that horrible.
“Hustle up, lazy ass. I got a hot date tonight, and I don’t want to miss it.” Tre tossed a bottle of water into Cory’s hands as he passed. “And stay hydrated. I’m not sure how long it’s been since you put in a real day’s work, but I ain’t taking your ass to the ER.”
Cory rolled his eyes and jogged to catch up. “Fuck off. I don’t need any special treatment.”
“This is what? The first time in five years that you’ve helped with a cutting of hay?” Tre chuckled. “You ain’t gonna be able to keep up.”
In his head, Cory knew that Tre was right. He hadn’t done this in a long time, and the only reason he was doing it now was because he’d stupidly told Perry that he would help since they were shorthanded.
Fuck, this was going to be a long day. He took a deep breath. He could do it. No way were Tre and Perry going to get the best of him. He’d go bale for bale with them all day long. Even if it killed him.
“Where’s Perry?” Cory asked.
“In the field already. We’ll take the ATV out there and meet him.”
Spotting the ATV just a few yards away, Cory shoved Tre. “I’ll drive.” He raced to the vehicle and hopped in the driver’s seat before Tre recovered.
“Asshole.”
“You know it.”
Within a few minutes, they made it to the field. Cory spotted Perry in the middle of the rows of cut hay, with the tractor and wagon.
Cory parked the ATV on the side of the field and he and Tre headed toward Perry. As they got closer, Cory realized that Perry was leaning against the tractor tire, bare-chested.
