The Wild Bunch 1 Stace

by O'Dare, Deirdre

  Stace nodded. "Yep, I agree. Just happen to have a piggin' string in my back pocket, too." He whipped out the length of nylon cord and gave it a shake. Grabbing Jared's arms, Stace drew both of Jared's hands behind his back. Then he held them both with one hand and whipped the cord around Jared's wrists with the other.

  He didn't make the tie quite tight enough to cut off circulation, but Jared knew there was no way he could get free any time soon. Left alone he might eventually work enough slack to free one hand, but it would be a slow and probably painful process.

  The two cowboys stood on either side of him, arms folded across their impressive chests as they both regarded him with unswerving stares. An itchy, eager tension danced along Jared's nerves. What were they planning? How were they going to manhandle him? What would a pair of real outlaws possibly do to a captured "dude" who was totally at their mercy? He could hardly wait to find out.

  Chapter 4

  Stace glanced at Spark, catching his eye. Spark nodded in response to the unasked question. This is your game, he mouthed. I'll take my cues from you.

  Putting a heavy hand on Jared's shoulder, Stace pushed down, hard. "On your knees, dude. Until we get a ransom or some other benefit out of you, we've got to take what we can get. Right now you've got a couple of dicks to suck."

  Jared obeyed at once. He hit the floor with a solid thump. Stace almost cringed. Knees slamming down on those rough oak planks had to hurt, but he didn't show any emotion or remorse. These rough games were what Jared seemed to like so he'd give the Californiano his desires in full measure.

  Stepping in front of Jared, Stace unbuttoned the fly of his Levi's and freed his prick. It was already rising to the occasion, stiffening with every beat of his heart. Jared looked at it like a kid with a brand new all-day sucker. Yep, this guest really liked to have someone else take charge and make demands of him.

  If I get a good BJ out of it, it won't ruffle my feathers too much to play the dom. Again, Stace put one hand on Jared's head, spreading his fingers across the crown like LeBron James grabbing a basketball. With the other, he steadied his own cock and guided it toward Jared's waiting mouth. Jared's tongue swiped across his own lips and then reached to take that first sparkling droplet that poised at the tip of Stace's erection.

  It felt almost too good. Stace steeled himself to last as long as he could. He knew from last night that Jared could do one fine job of cock sucking. Just thinking about it had him perilously close to explosion. He shut his eyes and tried to visualize his last bad bull ride, the bone-jarring jolts and then slamming to the ground while the behemoth damn near romped all over him. Even that was barely enough to hold his climax at bay.

  Jared knew how to do some wicked tricks with his tongue and he had suction that wouldn't quit. Stace clenched his hand atop Jared's head, his fingers digging into the other man's scalp. He heard Spark's suggestive chuckle close beside him.

  "Your turn's coming," he muttered, "and I'll watch and laugh every second of it."

  He felt the tip of his cock bump against the back of Jared's mouth, and then the subtle tickle as the other man's soft palate brushed against Stace's prick. That did it. He sensed the surge coming, a tsunami of a climax. Jizm burst from him like a fire hose, but he held Jared steady, made him take it all. He heard the muted gulp when the other man swallowed. Only then did he pull free, let go and take a step back.

  In a moment, Spark took Stace's place, dick already out of his jeans and ready. "I can see you need some more practice, dude," Spark cracked. "Let's see what you can do with a real Texas-sized dong."

  Spark was big, but really no bigger than Stace, maybe a quarter-inch longer and a centimeter or two less in diameter. Nature had been generous with both of them. Within a few seconds, Stace started fucking Jared's mouth with unfeigned enthusiasm. "Ye-haw! I like it!" he yelled. If anything, he came faster than Stace had.

  Jared remained on his knees, his gaze dancing back and forth between the two of them, centering on the cocks neither of them had covered. Did he really want more? Stace figured the Californian would not ask or suggest, still playing the sub game, which he clearly enjoyed.

  As soon as his heartbeat settled back to normal and he caught his breath, Stace turned to Spark. He'd talk past Jared as if he were not there or were of no significance at all.

  "Got an idea," he said, his tone carefully casual. "Remember when we were kids, just able to get a hard-on? Those days, it was a big deal to do a circle jerk and see who could come the fastest. Why don't we try a variation? This time the goal is to last as long as possible and you don't get to do yourself. We'll do each other--I'll take our captive here, he can jack you off, and you can do me. Don't forget, the last one to hold out's the winner and gets to do whatever he wants with the other two."

  "I'm game," Spark said, grinning. "Betcha I can get you to blow before I do."

  "What do you bet?"

  Spark shrugged. "My share of the loot, I guess. I know you don't dare put your horse on the line here and you don't have much else I want."

  "No, I wouldn't bet that ole Paint unless it was a life or death issue, but you're on."

  Stace reached out, hauled Jared to his feet and spun him around. He untied the pigging string to free Jared's hands. When his arms fell to his sides, Jared flexed his hands a few times as if to restore circulation. He looked at Stace, a question clear in his face.

  "You can't jack Spark off with your hands behind your back and I'm not undressing you, either," he said. "Get naked."

  Jared complied at once and had shucked his jeans and peeled off his T-shirt before Stace or Spark got out of their chaps, jeans and shirts. The Californian wore underwear, which the two cowboys did not, but he rolled down his tighty-whities in a split second as well. His cock sprang free, more than half-hard and twitching with eagerness.

  Spark whipped the canvas dust cover off the bed and spread it on the floor. Then they all dropped to sitting postures, knees bent and spread wide, seated in a tight circle. Despite having just come, it only took a short while for Stace and Spark to begin to harden again. Jared was at a disadvantage, of course, since he had not come yet and had immediately gone hard as a T-bar fence post.

  Three arms stretched and three hands grasped the eager pricks of the man to their left. Three chests heaved with hard, fast and deeply sucked in breaths at the first stroke. The cowboys' wicked grins revealed they regarded the contest as an out-and-out war with no quarter given. All three were going to provide the best and most powerful hand jobs they could manage.

  Stace looked down at Jared's crotch, enjoying the contrast of his dark hand wrapped around Jared's erection, rosy now with engorging blood, but still pale in comparison. He glanced up to see the other man gnawing his bottom lip as he fought for control. Jared also bent to the task of stroking Spark's eager prick, putting as much into it as he could spare from his own efforts to slow his reaction down. And Spark was not idle either. His strong roper's hand molded around Stace's woodie and stroked with a powerful, determined rhythm.

  Again, Stace found himself trying to focus on the worst rides of his rodeo career to delay his inevitable response as long as he could. Suddenly Jared wheezed out an urgent, agonized breath. An instant later, he let go, cum shooting out in a milky stream.

  "You're next," Spark crowed, stroking and pulling on Stace with even more vigor, but Jared recovered fast and bent to his efforts on Spark, as if he was trying to help Stace win now that he'd disqualified himself. The race was a neck to neck down to the wire. When they finally let go there could not have been a nanosecond between the eruptions.

  "You went first," Spark insisted.

  "Nope, you did," Stace replied.

  Finally, they both turned to Jared. "Okay, dude, you gotta decide--who won?"

  At first his expression reflected anxiety, almost fear. "Unh, I don't know. I'm not sure. It was awfully close."

  "Photo finish?"

  Jared nodded. "Yep, that's it. Without a video, I can'
t say which. Maybe it's a tie." He glanced hopefully back and forth between them, as if to see whether they'd accept that assessment or not.

  "Does that mean we can both do anything we want to with you?"

  Jared nodded, an avid gleam in his eyes. "Yeah, that would be fair, don't you think? I can't decide, so guess you're both winners."

  Spark had to play hard to get. "I dunno," he stalled. "That don't seem quite right to me. One of us had to be first, even if it was just by a heartbeat. Think about it. It was me, wasn't it?"

  "No. I must've blinked or something, but you both... It was simultaneous, I swear."

  Spark sent a sly glance at Stace. "Tell you what...we had a side bet going, too, so I'll let you off easy. You get the dude, and I get the loot. Will that work?"

  Stace pretended to consider the notion, getting to his feet to pace around the cabin, arms folded across his chest. They were all nude, but that didn't bother him a bit. He knew his physique to be impressive. Spark, though slightly taller and slimmer, also had a gorgeous bod. And for a city guy, Jared wasn't half bad either. He still sat, looking back and forth between the cowboys with a mixture of eagerness and concern coloring his expression.

  "Actually, you're getting the best of the deal," Stace said at last, "and there's no proof you won anything. How do you figure you can set the terms now?"

  Spark lunged across the space to his piled clothes and grabbed his belt and holster. "This six-gun says I can," he replied, drawing the gun from its holster.

  Stace threw up his hands. "Okay, okay. If'n yer gonna get all huffy about it, take the fucking trash we collected. I bet I can get a ransom for our city man here and end up with the best of the deal after all."

  Spark grinned. Still keeping the pistol within easy reach, he dressed, scooped up the feedbag full of the watches, wallets and other valuables and let himself out of the cabin. "He's all yours," he called back as a parting shot. A moment later the clatter of his horse's hooves told the two inside that he'd left.

  "Well, damn," Jared muttered. "I thought you were both gonna have your wicked way with me." He grinned. "Guess your buddy was not impressed."

  Stace shook his head. "Oh, he liked you well enough, but I think he has a hot date with his Chicago mobster to deal with still, so he had to save a little for that. Come on. I think we've had enough fun for the time being. Want to head back down to the ranch or spend the night here?"

  "I'm still your captive," Jared replied, "so I don't really have a choice."

  Stace grinned. "You knew we were foolin' with you, don't you? The rest of the guests will get their stuff back no later than first thing in the morning and I'll make sure you get all of yours, too. We had some fun anyway, didn't we? But you better stay on your toes. You never know what we might hatch up next. We might be funnin' ya, but then again, we might be serious, too."

  They wound up staying at the cabin and before the night was over, Stace gave Jared the second thorough fucking the guest had been looking for. It might have been more fun if Spark had stayed to take part, too, but sometimes the other cowboy could be spooky about gang bang stuff with strangers. Stace felt no need to explain that to Jared, though. Let the California man think whatever he wanted to. Stace didn't really mind having his charge to himself anyway.

  The way Jared sat his saddle the next morning, Stace figured he'd given his guest plenty of action. The Californian squirmed a bit as if trying to find a soft spot for his ass.

  That ought to keep him satisfied for a few hours. Meanwhile, I'll see what else we can come up with. Let's see...he's got four more days and nights. I'll be driving him back to Las Cruces on Sunday morning.

  The idea of Jared's approaching departure somehow felt more significant than a guest's leaving normally did. Stace could not decide why or whether that was good or bad. He enjoyed most of the people who came for a vacation. The challenge of finding the perfect mix of fun and games each guest craved so he could provide it always excited him.. Casa and Spark often jumped into the group actions with equal enthusiasm and they all knew they excelled at their work. That was why Jason kept them all on board and made sure they got regular bonuses and the best possible working conditions a bunch of cowboys could ask for. They were a bunch of lucky bastards any way you took it.

  Thought of Jason had him sliding a fast glance at Jared. The two men still looked alike. He could not help but wonder, maybe more now than he had at first. Why in hell had Jason lit out of the ranch like a scorched skunk before Jared arrived? That was not like him at all. There had to be some explanation. As much as he wanted to probe, though, he wasn't sure he dared. Some things were private and best left alone. Everyone had a right to his secrets.

  For now, he needed to concentrate on business. They'd planned a three-night pack trip up into the wilderness. They planned to leave right after midday today and return to the ranch on Saturday afternoon. Along the way there would be less privacy for sexual encounters, but some swapping of partners or group action sometimes occurred anyway. Again, it was a play-by-ear situation. Whatever the guests seemed to want, they'd get if it were at all possible,

  Meanwhile, the cowboys needed to be alert and on guard because the area they'd ride through held wolves, mountain lions, black bears and possibly even a jaguar or a grizzly. On this trip, the three went armed for real with loaded handguns, as well as high-powered hunting rifles in scabbards on their saddles.

  Although some of the wildlife was endangered and protected, the wranglers would not allow any of the horses and mules to be attacked, to say nothing of the guests. Although an actual attack had never happened, a pack of wolves had followed the group a few times. They knew some of the wolves had been held in captivity and fed for a while, which could have them associating people with food. That could create real danger. Although the released wolves looked like large dogs, they had wild instincts and the weight, strength and teeth to do plenty of damage. The three cowboys took that danger seriously.

  On this trip, none of the guests had purchased hunting licenses so they would not be looking for game such as deer and elk, at least not to shoot, although they'd probably see some. You never knew what you might come across around this bend of the trail or approaching that watering hole. The Texas man's sidekick would probably have his camera out anyway.

  Stace saw Jared back to the lodge and then got busy helping Spark and Casa prepare for the pack trip.

  "Why did you bug out last night, buddy?" He posed the question to Spark as they loaded the panniers with supplies for the trip. "I think Jared was disappointed we didn't double up on him."

  Spark shrugged. "I figured he'd had enough and he seemed to have eyes for you a lot more than for me, anyway. I dropped in on Louie when I got back and surprised him with a bare-assed dip in the hot tub and some milder action afterwards. He's latched onto me despite our original plan."

  "You just don't like to do it with an audience," Stace chided. "Or maybe you figured you don't quite measure up? Everybody says us African American men are the biggest and best."

  Spark socked him in the shoulder. "Aw, get on with you. There's hardly a measurable difference between us. We've known that since we were about fifteen."

  "It's the quality then rather than the quantity," Stace retorted.

  This was an old argument between them, but one without malice. They respected each other and had enjoyed each other in every possible way over the years so there was no real conflict.

  Stace let the matter drop and went on about his business. He'd been just as glad to have Jared to himself anyway, if the truth be told. That disturbed him slightly. It wasn't good business to even start getting attached to a guest and he knew it. They'd be gone all too soon and might never come back again. Still, in this case, it hurt anyway as much as he tried to deny it.

  Maybe it was just because Jared was so much like Jason. All three cowboys had a minor thing for their boss, but none of them had ever dared make the first move. They were not even sure if Jason was gay or stra
ight or totally disinterested, and their jobs were too good to put at risk.

  * * * *

  The pack trip seemed to please everyone. They saw quite a range of animal life and, sure enough, the Texan's tag-along took lots of pictures. They glimpsed a small pack of wolves, two adults and a pair of cubs, but the bunch kept their distance. They saw a trophy-sized bull elk, a good herd of elk cows and calves, and a bunch of mule deer. They even caught a glimpse of a cougar. For early fall, that was a good record. Later in the winter, when feed became scarcer, the wildlife would be less independent and inclined to fade into the brush at the first sound of invaders in their territory.

  Outside of skinny-dipping in a hidden pool fed by a hot spring and some kid-style high jinx afterwards, they laid off the sexual action for the duration. That was not unusual. The ranch did offer regular outdoor adventures and advertised them as extensively as the amorous ones. Riding all day tired out most of the guests to the degree they were ready to crawl into sleeping bags alone and spend the night sleeping.

  Clearly tired when they at last got back to the ranch, the guests all said they'd had a great time as they wandered off to their lodgings. The three cowboys had several hours of work to take care of the animals and get everything unpacked. Late evening had arrived before they finished. They cadged some food from Dough-boy, who was used to their ways, although he always growled at them for being nuisances, and took off for the bunk house.

  About that point, the fact Jared would be leaving the next day hit Stace like a bronc's kick in the gut. He didn't know how to deal with his sudden intense feeling of impending loss. Spark and Casa joked and planned for a final adventure the next day and evening with the Chi-town man and the Texans before they, too, left. Stace wasn't interested. If asked, he'd do whatever was required, but his heart was not in it.

  This kind of emotional tug was new for him, a first-ever reaction. Ever since he was a teenager, he'd been content with Spark and Casa. Their friendship had always included some fun and games, experimental at first and then more intense as they all recognized they were gay and liked it that way. But there were no strings, no exclusive bonds and nothing too intense about it.