"Kyle! God, where are you?"
Jared's angry outburst caused Kyle to cringe, but he tried to remain calm as he glanced around him. "Near the church, southside."
"Don't move. I'm coming to get you. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, I'm not moving. Don't think I can anyway."
"Fuck! Stay on the line with me, okay? Don't hang up." Jared sounded panicked, and instinctively, Kyle tried to reassure him.
"I won't."
"Why didn't you stay at the shop? Tammy said you walked out, upset, and she seemed to think she was the one to upset you. What did she do?"
Kyle gritted his teeth, quickly realizing there was no way he was going to get away with saying nothing. "She didn't do anything."
"Did she say something about last night?"
Christ, how was he supposed to tell him? How would Jared react? Kyle hesitated, unsure what to say, still wondering if he should say anything at all.
"Never mind. I'm nearly there."
Kyle turned to see Jared's truck tearing toward him. Shit, he must have broken every light and speed limit to get to him so fast. The truck skidded to a halt, and Jared bolted out the door, leaving it open as he ran around the front. Kyle was nearly knocked over with the force of Jared crashing into him.
"Where the hell did you think you were going?" The hurt in Jared's voice was evident, so too the confusion in his eyes.
"Nowhere." And that was the truth. He hadn't been thinking; he'd been acting purely on instinct. Was Jared right about him, that every time something pissed him off, he walked away?
The glare in Jared's eyes should have warned him, but he was unprepared for Jared's hard body slamming him against the wall, or for Jared's mouth colliding with his. The kiss was savage, but so too was the emotion that passed between them. Jared's mouth was punishing, both physically and mentally, and Kyle submitted to the dominance Jared exerted. Jared finally broke the kiss but rested his forehead on Kyle's, his eyes closed. He groaned, his hands gripping Kyle's shirt with the strength that told Kyle Jared wasn't going to let him go anytime soon.
"When Tammy told me you'd walked off..." Jared pulled back, and the raw emotion Kyle felt in his chest was there to see in Jared's eyes. "Fuck, Kyle, don't do that to me again. Please don't do that to me again!" Jared buried his face in Kyle's neck and wrapped strong arms around him. "Shit, shit!"
"Babe, it's okay." Had Jared thought he was leaving him? "I wasn't going anywhere, I promise." Kyle's voice caught in his throat. He could never leave Jared. He'd made that mistake once before, and he was never going to do it again. Devastated that Jared thought he would, Kyle shook his head. "I promise," he repeated.
Jared couldn't think straight. His heart was still beating madly, and terror still fed adrenaline through his bloodstream. He looked up to see shocked blue eyes and knew Kyle hadn't realized how panicked he'd been thinking Kyle'd left him again. Needing reassurance, he curved his palm around the back of Kyle's neck. Damp skin met the slide of his hand. Kyle moaned softly as Jared threaded fingers through his silky hair and pulled him forward to touch their lips briefly together.
Kyle moved closer, and Jared deepened the kiss. His tongue sought Kyle's, and he growled low in his throat when Kyle wrapped his arms around his waist. Kyle's arms strengthened, holding him tight, his heat enveloping him, his body soothing him.
"Jared, you do realize you're kissing me in the middle of the street?"
Jared abruptly pulled away. Fuck, he'd forgotten where they were.
"Sorry," he mumbled, glancing around and sighing with relief when he didn't see anyone standing there and gawking at them. Even though Kyle had said he didn't want to keep their relationship a secret, that didn't mean he was willing to be embarrassed by a man who couldn't keep his hands off him.
"What are you saying sorry to me for? I don't care."
"You don't mind me kissing you in public?"
Kyle shook his head, his bright blue eyes filled with concern. "No, Jared. You know I don't mind anyone finding out about us, but they're finding out a bit sooner than we thought."
"Tammy," Jared guessed.
"And the taxi driver," Kyle added.
"Who?"
"Short, squat, dark hair, brown eyes, serious-looking, tattoo of a dragon on his left arm. Said he used to work for you."
"Neil?" Reeling, Jared stared at Kyle. "Neil knows I'm gay?"
Kyle nodded, his gaze steady but cautious.
"I really fucked this up, didn't I? If I hadn't practically jacked you off under the table last night, no one would be the wiser."
"You didn't do it deliberately," Kyle allowed.
And that was the irony of it all. Some part of Jared thought maybe he had. He was fed up with tiptoeing around town, scared of hiding behind a lie, scared of not being able to stand up and admit who he was, and scared even more that Kyle would never respect him unless he could make that stand. Last night he'd said he could, and now was the time to prove it. He settled his gaze on Kyle and took a deep breath.
"Maybe I did. I want people to know about us, to know we're together, to know you're mine," he admitted. He gripped the front of Kyle's shirt again, desperate for him to understand. "I love you, Kyle, and I don't want to hide what I have with you." Jared heard his voice crack at the same time he saw surprise filter through Kyle's eyes.
For a second, he didn't think Kyle was going to say anything, and then Kyle shook his head. "Can we go home? This is not the place to discuss this." His solemn gaze did not bode well, made worse when he took a step back from Jared's grip.
Jared automatically nodded, trying to stem his disappointment and ignore the hurt that was biting its way through his heart. Feeling stupid because he'd hoped admitting his love might prompt Kyle into declaring his, he picked up the fallen bags and stowed them in the back of the truck, warily watching as Kyle climbed into the front seat.
He drove in silence, gripping the steering wheel too tightly while he trained his gaze on the road ahead. He didn't want to look at Kyle, didn't want to see his apathy; it was bad enough he could feel it. But Kyle had said he wouldn't leave him, had said he didn't mind people knowing about their relationship. That had to mean Kyle felt something for him, didn't it? Maybe it was the town; maybe Kyle just didn't want to be here and wasn't sure how to tell him.
Pulling into the driveway, Jared stopped in front of the house. He took one look at it and for the first time saw it as Kyle did: the house he'd been kicked out of, the home that had rejected him.
"We can move," he blurted out. He hadn't really thought about it until then, but it made sense. They could go somewhere else, somewhere Kyle was comfortable, where they wouldn't be pointed at, talked about, somewhere they could be happy.
"What!"
"We can move," Jared repeated. "Sell up here and go."
"What the fuck for?" Kyle's look of stunned incomprehension had Jared confused.
"You're not happy here and--"
"Who said I'm not happy?"
"Well, you're not. I can see you're not. You're all tense and stressed-out, and that's the last thing I want you to feel. I told you last night I want to make you happy, and if I have to sell and move to do that, I'll do it."
Kyle's blue eyes stared at him, no clearer now than they had been a few seconds ago. "Jared, I don't know what the hell you're trying to say, but stop, okay? I'm not stressed, and I'm not unhappy."
"Then what's wrong? Because something is definitely wrong. Is it because I told you I love you?" Jared hoped it wasn't that. He could take anything else but that.
The sudden warmth that heated Kyle's gaze gave him some hope; Kyle's next words took it away.
"We need to talk."
Not liking it but left with little choice, Jared followed as Kyle climbed out of the truck and limped toward the house. He opened the door and made a quick mental comparison of the difference between the interior now and what it had once been while remembering Kyle's co
mment that he liked what he'd had done to it. Did that mean Kyle didn't mind living here?
Never feeling more confused, Jared sat next to Kyle on the chocolate leather lounge, getting as close as physically possible, almost forcing Kyle into the corner.
"What are you trying to do, get on my lap?" Kyle's light smile and the spark of humor Jared saw in his eyes made him feel easier about the conversation they were about to have, even though he didn't really want to have it.
He slid his hand along Kyle's thigh, feeling the muscles tighten beneath his palm, and wondered whether he could make love to Kyle instead, but though Kyle's eyes still held humor, Jared could tell he wanted to get the conversation over and done with before anything else happened between them.
Kyle shifted a little, turning to face him. Picking up his hand, Kyle turned it over and traced the scars and hard calluses on his palm. "You love it here, don't you?" he said, his eyes grave, his face worried.
Jared wanted to be honest, though he was concerned with what Kyle was trying to tell him. "Yes, but staying here might not be an option."
"Why not?"
"I told you about the land I want to buy. Well, it's no longer up for sale. That's what took me so long getting to you. The agent rang to tell me the owner took it off the market. I can't expand." Shit, he hated having to admit his plans for the future were now shot to hell.
"And that's going to stop you?"
Jared stared at Kyle. "What am I supposed to do? There isn't any more land around here for sale."
"Ask the owner to give it to you."
"Yeah right, that would work."
The fingers circling his own tightened perceptibly. "Try me."
It took a couple of seconds for Kyle's words to sink in, and when they did, he was stunned. "You fucker! You own it?"
Kyle shrugged, though Jared could see tension in the set of Kyle's shoulders and the cast of his eyes. "My grandfather left it to me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was going to, last night, but I kind of got distracted."
And Jared could remember how. "But why did you take it off the market? Don't you want me to build up the breeding farm?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why not sell it to me?" This didn't make sense. What was Kyle trying to do?
"I don't need to. It's yours to use however you want."
"No," Jared quickly denied. "I'm not taking your inheritance."
"You can on one condition. I want to work it with you." Kyle's hold on him tightened. "I know you've worked hard to build it on your own and probably want to keep it that way, but I'd like to help you. It's not something I'd ever thought of doing, but seeing your passion, knowing how much this means to you, I'd like to be a part of it."
Jared searched Kyle's eyes, seeing complete sincerity edged with a fierce entreaty. "Why?" he asked, holding his breath and praying he hadn't got this wrong.
"Haven't you figured that out by now?"
Chapter Eleven
Oh, God. Heart hammering and with nerves suddenly strung tight, Jared hardly dared ask. "Tell me," he said, unable to keep the trepidation out of his voice but needing Kyle to say the words if only to prove they were true.
Kyle's brilliant blue eyes shone with such intensity it literally stole the breath from Jared's lungs. He waited, knowing there was nothing to be scared of but scared nonetheless.
"I love you, Jared. I love you so much."
Ecstatic, Jared grinned, crowding in on Kyle before he could say anything else. He kissed him hard, pouring all the relief and happiness he could into that one meld of lips and tongue. Kyle groaned, gripping his shoulders and kissing him back, holding on to him as if he never wanted to let him go.
"God, you scared the crap out of me," Jared said once he had a chance to come up for air.
"Why?"
"I wasn't sure you wanted to stay. I kept thinking you couldn't stand being here and that I wasn't enough for you."
"Are you kidding me? You're the only reason I'm staying. You're the only reason I came here."
"I'm amazed you did that, knowing what you were going to face." And he was amazed. Kyle had wanted him enough to come here and confront his fears, and in turn it had enabled Jared to handle the controversy living with a man was going to cause, and for that he was thankful.
"You asked me." That simple statement meant so much to Jared. It made him feel like he'd accomplished something he hadn't thought possible.
"Thank you."
"No, don't thank me, Jared. If it wasn't for you, I would never have thought of working my grandfather's land." Kyle suddenly looked anxious, which caused Jared's stomach to clench. "You are going to let me help you, aren't you?"
"God, Kyle, of course. I'd love you to. I wasn't sure I could do this on my own anyway."
"Full partner?" Kyle asked.
"Are you sure you want to? Your land is worth more than mine."
Kyle grinned. "Let's just say I'm making an investment in my future too."
Jared pulled Kyle back into his arms, still adjusting to the fact Kyle loved him. "I can't believe you're doing this."
"I can't believe you're letting me."
"I want you with me, Kyle. I want you to be a part of my life, and I just wish I'd been strong enough to admit it at the beginning."
"Hey, it doesn't matter. I know now." Kyle's smile was shockingly bright as he slowly pushed Jared back until he was lying prone on the lounge with Kyle poised above him.
"What are you doing?"
Kyle's smile turned wicked. "What do you think?"
Grinning in return, Jared pulled Kyle down for a kiss. Warm lips met his and opened to his probing tongue. He breathed in Kyle's scent and swallowed his taste; the man had a natural combination of sweat and musk that drove him to the brink of distraction. But kissing Kyle wasn't enough; he wanted more. Reaching down to cup Kyle's ass, he squeezed the tight flesh, satisfaction and lust running through him at the sound of Kyle's groan. He spread his legs and wrapped them around Kyle's hips as Kyle began to rock into him.
Teeth nipped at his throat and up to the sensitive hollow behind his ear. Jared turned his head to give Kyle better access and then wished he hadn't when a tight curl of pleasure ripped down to his cock. He groaned and started to match the gentle rock of Kyle's hips, the play of muscle on muscle beginning to send waves of need to every part of his body.
Kyle pulled back to look down at him, those mesmerizing eyes of his blazing with heat and desire. "Wait a minute; don't go anywhere," Kyle said before climbing off him and heading to their bedroom. He came back a few minutes later, naked, with a bottle of lube in his hand. Jared quickly caught on and stripped, throwing his clothes haphazardly across the room. Kyle smiled and settled over Jared's hips, straddling him so his ankle was hanging off the edge of the lounge.
Jared suddenly realized what Kyle was going to do, and his heart started pounding madly. "You sure?" he asked.
"Never more so. Been wanting to do this since you told me you're a cowboy."
"Fuck, Kyle." The thought of Kyle riding him sent a sharp needle of arousal through Jared's body, and though he was already hard, he felt his body harden even more.
Kyle laughed. "Are you going to help me or continue to lie there with that soppy look on your face?"
"It's only soppy because I'm looking at you," Jared replied, but anxious to get started, he popped open the top of the lube Kyle handed him and liberally coated his fingers. Kyle shuffled forward a little and then braced himself on the arm of the lounge above Jared's head.
"Scoot a bit closer," Jared commanded, and as Kyle did so, he reached around and gently slid his fingers between Kyle's ass cheeks and unerringly found his waiting hole. He penetrated easily, as Kyle was relaxed--too relaxed. Reaching forward with his free hand, he grabbed the base of Kyle's cock and took the swollen tip into his mouth. Kyle instantly tensed, his hips thrusting forward and the muscles around Ja
red's fingers tightening reflexively.
"That's better," Jared mumbled around the delicious mouthful while starting to finger fuck his lover.
Kyle groaned, his hips dipping slightly so Jared could take more of him into his mouth. It was heady, pleasuring Kyle this way, getting to taste him and fill him at the same time. He pushed his fingers deeper, each measured stroke matching the slick lap of his tongue.
"I think I'm ready now." There was a plea in Kyle's tone Jared couldn't ignore, though he'd been happy enough to keep on going until Kyle came. He reluctantly released him and removed his fingers. Kyle stayed where he was for a moment, regaining his breath before he slowly moved back to position himself.
"I could have come like that," he complained.
"Why didn't you? I wouldn't have minded."
Kyle shook his head. "I want you inside me when I come." He lifted up onto his knees and guided Jared's hand down. "Hold yourself steady."
Jared did so, watching Kyle intently as he slowly lowered himself. Heat enveloped him, and thick, strong muscles gripped him. The instinct to push up and bury himself deep was primal, but Jared suppressed the need, giving Kyle time to adjust to the thickness and length inexorably entering him.
Finally Kyle seated himself, the cheeks of his ass planted firmly on Jared's pelvis, his balls resting on Jared's stomach.
"Do you have any idea how good this looks?" Jared asked, sliding his hands up Kyle's thighs, noting how tight they were with strain. The flat of Kyle's stomach clenched a little as Jared caressed the soft skin, and when he rolled his hands around the thick cock pointing at him, it twitched.
"Do you have any idea how good it feels?" Kyle countered, groaning as Jared started to stroke him.
"No doubt I'm going to find out."
Kyle grinned, then curled his fingers around Jared's wrist, stopping his caress. "We're gonna take this one slow."
Jared almost protested; Kyle's slow was torture, but he held his tongue because there wasn't just desire in the dark blue depths of his eyes. There was a whole lot of need there as well.
Bringing Him Home Page 18
