The warm up passed quickly, and soon, they were in a full out run. Both knew the way. Bullet needed no guidance from Kitt on the direction. It meant something to Kitt to have a mount who knew him so well. They rode in perfect fluid motion as the first rays of morning made their presence known.
Kitt couldn’t stay gone long, but he had a full thermos of gourmet coffee with him and a ripe green apple for Bullet. He’d volunteered to help Mike out for the next couple of days as the new cattle arrived over at the Grainger Farm. Bullet, who instinctively knew how to work cattle, would be needed and the best option for the job. It wouldn’t take much to keep them in line as they were run through the registration process. If Kitt timed everything right, they would leave from here and head over to the Grainger farm around six. But, for the next hour, he was free. He prayed that it was enough time to clear his mind and purge himself of all the unwanted stress coursing through him.
Kitt rode Bullet hard, pushing him into a faster run. The stallion jerked forward, running easily without pause. The rush of their breakneck speed sent a string of goose bumps up and down Kitt’s arms, and his heart picked up a beat. Kitt hunkered down low talking softly to Bullet, and slowly, the anxiety from last night washed away. Kitt could ride Bullet forever. He loved this horse.
The crest of the ridge came into view as the sun broke over the horizon. Kitt eased up on the reins, cooling Bullet down for the last few hundred feet. The sky opened up, inviting the day in with deep orange and yellow glows. The first moments of the morning began the slow heal of his soul, if only for the few minutes he stayed on the small hill. Bullet came to a stop, and Kitt slid down, landing on his feet. He pulled the thermos free of the saddle bag and stroked Bullet as he let the reins go. He knew Bullet wouldn’t wander far. He would be here within a minute if Kitt gave their chosen whistle. Kitt let the animal go and walked the distance to a small cluster of rocks sitting right on the edge. He took a seat and poured his coffee letting the sun soak into his skin.
For the first time since seeing Austin Grainger, Kitt’s dick lay limp. He’d used Sean hard last night, fucking him until neither of them was able to stand on their feet a minute longer. His thighs ached from the exertion he’d put both of them through. Once they fell on the bed, Kitt started over again. He fucked Sean for so long it made him question Kitt, jumping to so many conclusions. And, of course, Sean had gotten it completely wrong. He assumed it meant Kitt finally committed to him. Sean dubbed their sex as lovemaking which couldn’t have been any further from the truth.
The honest reality and a fact he would never tell another living soul, he maintained in his head a rolling mental image of his new neighbor all night long. He used Sean’s body to fuck Austin Grainger senseless. Sean told Kitt he’d been different last night, more fierce and aggressive, and he had. The sex had been dominating and possessive. He’d topped every single time, never giving Sean’s ass a break. Kitt claimed Sean, but he never had Sean in mind at any point. In his mind, he fucked Austin, every thrust, every grip, the entire night of pounding Austin consumed Kitt’s every thought.
Kitt tried to set Sean straight before he left. He explained to Sean that he didn’t want what they had to end, but he also didn’t want the obligation of a regular thing between them. Sean refused to hear any of it. Instead, he remained convinced they’d turned a corner last night and Kitt just had cold feet. When Sean left this morning, he left his wallet on the kitchen counter. When Kitt ran it out to him, Sean uttered those three little words to Kitt before the small kiss they shared at his car. It baffled Kitt. How in the world did things go from a random monthly fuck to a declared ‘I love you’ relationship in just seventy-two hours?
The thought caused Kitt to grimace and he rubbed a hand roughly across his face. He’d have to break it off with Sean. It needed to end, but God, Kitt hated the thought of losing Sean right now. They were past the getting to know one another’s preferences phase. He’d broken Sean in to what he liked and vice versa. He couldn’t understand how love had made its way into their deal? Kitt didn’t love Sean, Sean didn’t love Kitt. They fucked, nothing more. Why couldn’t they just keep going like they were for the next thirty years without putting all the emotion and labels on it?
“Damn it!” Kitt muttered as he did the math in his mind. Sean represented the last remnants of his carefree college days. Pushing up the brim of his cowboy hat, Kitt leaned back and took a long drink of the hot coffee, letting it burn its way down his throat. None of it really mattered. Sean would have to go. At least until he got some perspective. And, Kitt needed to focus on finding another fuck buddy, soon.
It sure looked like Austin Grainger planned to put down roots which meant his future wife would be here at some point. If Kitt didn’t find someone to fuck, he’d be walking around town with a rock hard cock targeted at a straight, married man. “Damn it!”
Bullet snuck up on him and nudged Kitt in the shoulder, startling him. It said something that Kitt was so lost in thought the horse was able to do that to him. The sun hovered in full view over the ridge. Kitt had missed that happening too. “What? Want your apple?”
Kitt dug in his pack, and grabbed the apple. Bullet greedily ate it while staying close to Kitt. He nudged Kitt again wanting to be petted. Kitt obliged running his hands down the stallion’s silky coat. “What am I gonna do, Bullet? Where do I even start to find someone new?”
Bullet gave a snort shaking his head, moving further down in the touch. “I think that was a very distinctive ‘Buck the fuck up. Get out of your own head, and take care of business.’ Got it! And I agree. As usual, you’re right, boy.”
Kitt gathered his coffee and tucked it back in the saddle bag before mounting Bullet again to make their way to the Grainger farm. It was simple. He needed to work hard. Work so hard he couldn’t think of anything else, and deal with Sean before the weekend because there would be no more use of the “L” word anywhere in his near future. After that, he’d start looking for someone else to fuck. Okay. Kitt admitted it wasn’t a brilliant plan, but it would work. And, that’s all he needed. Well, that, and maybe a haircut.
Chapter 6
Austin woke with a smile on his face, his body relaxed and his dreams the sweetest he could remember in a while. They all starred his sexy next door neighbor. How in the world did Austin get lucky enough to find his hiding place right next door to a beautiful gay man? Life was so looking up! When he’d made the final decision to move here, he knew his sex life would take a hit. He wasn’t quite sure what he might do to work it out other than long dry spells and lots of jacking off while he tried to find someone to screw.
Now, all that was taken care of. He just needed a solid game plan to woo said hot neighbor to his bed. The thought caused him to stir fully awake with the image from last night’s email at the top of his mind. He played out different scenarios, over and over, to fit that exact image, but they all included him and not the Fisker guy on the receiving end.
He naturally saw himself as the bottom in his and Kitt’s relationship. Austin viewed himself that way, and any time he found a more than one-time sex partner, he chose to bottom. Austin wasn’t really the hard, angry man most of the world saw. That image was the result of the extreme celebrity world he’d lived in. When he found a regular sex partner, Austin turned more pleasing, and he often wondered if that was what might happen in a true relationship. He wanted his sex partner happy. He found he gifted a lot. He had fun in their time together. He laughed, even became giddy and talkative. Austin encouraged his partner to always be the dominant one, letting him take a step back and be cared for. It was such a role reversal for him it took most guys a minute to catch up.
He hoped Kitt liked to top, to take charge, but Austin didn’t even try to lie to himself. He found he desperately wanted to be buried deep inside Kitt’s tight ass on the first go of things. To make that happen, he knew he’d have to work for it. It wouldn’t come easy, and everything always came easy for Austin.
Austin
flipped on the shower, brushed his teeth and stepped under the spray. He closed his eyes still fantasizing about Kitt seductively peeling off that robe of his in his bedroom. Austin imagined it floating to the floor as Kitt climbed on top of him, sliding straight down on top of his hard swollen cock. Kitt would ride him using those powerful thighs to fuck Austin. The image so perfect in his mind, he could envision Kitt’s oversized rigid cock bouncing and slapping against Austin’s stomach as he moved up and down on him, faster and harder.
Again, for a second time in only a matter of a few hours, Austin reached low and stroked himself to the same rhythm he imagined Kitt to so boldly perform on his body. God, the image was incredible, and made Austin buck his hips. He envisioned taking Kitt’s cock in his hand, stroking him as Kitt continued the bareback assault on his hardened arousal. Austin slapped a hand against the wet tile to brace himself. He aimed for the drain as he came. The warm water ran freely down his head, pooling at his chin as he watched wave after wave of his release wash away. He closed his eyes for several minutes etching this particular fantasy deep inside his brain, wanting to be able to pull it up again when needed. Damn, if Kitt proved half as hot as his fantasies and dreams made him, Austin would never get bored with him.
The prospect of a condomless fuck intrigued Austin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex without a condom and doubted it would happen anytime soon. Maybe if he could pursue Kitt and get some sort of exclusive agreement out of him, possibly a few months from now, it could become a reality. Austin shook his head and forced himself to take a mental step back at the thought of Mr. Tall, Dark and Fisker kissing Kitt before he drove away. The wooing process might take Austin longer than he liked. But whatever, the fantasy could hold him over until he got what he wanted.
’Slow it down, buddy. You have to get him away from Casanova and in your bed before you ever get to exclusive years of fucking together.’ Austin’s alarm went off at the same time he stepped from the shower, telling him it was seven in the morning. The cattle were due to arrive anywhere from eight to nine, and he wanted to be out there ready to experience it all. He knew Mike wouldn’t come get him, even though Austin had made it clear he wanted in. He was still considered the citified boss. He hoped to change their opinion about his ranching potential. He certainly owned the aching muscles to prove he’d worked hard over the last few days.
Austin quickly shaved and dressed in the standard for the area - boots, jeans and an old T-shirt – before he made his way through the house. Whooping and hollering sounded from outside. Austin ducked his head through the curtain to see a large semi-truck with a double-decker cattle trailer being unloaded in one of the temporary corrals they’d built the day before. Mike, all his security guys, Kitt, and a few others on horseback worked the cattle off the back of the trailer and toward the barn.
“Damn it!” The cattle trucks got in early, and he hadn’t heard them arrive. Frustrated with himself for not having judged the situation better, he stalked through the house, out the back door, down the porch steps, and never broke stride until he got to the barn.
“When did they get here?” Austin aggressively called out to one his security guys.
“About an hour ago. The other two trucks are close by,” the guard called back while waving his arms over his head, but the heifer he tried to corral zipped past him completely unconcerned with the crazy man in front of her.
“Damn it! I wanted to be out here,” Austin muttered grabbing his leather work gloves from the tack room inside the barn. He judged the situation trying to decide where best he should jump in. His security team seemed completely useless. None of them had ever been in this kind of environment. As much as they rocked at keeping him safe, they sucked as cow hands. They did as much standing around as helping out. A guy on horseback rode up beside him.
“They got here earlier than we thought. Kitt and Mike were workin’ them off when I pulled up forty-five minutes ago. I’m Micah, from the farm on the other side of the highway.” The rider extended his hand, never batting an eye as he introduced himself to Austin. Micah looked to be in his mid-thirties, healthy, tanned and already sweaty. A red bandana hung around his neck, his ball cap was pulled down on his head, and his shirt was hanging wet on his back. He didn’t look like anyone Austin remembered from his school days.
“I’m Austin.” He took the offered hand and shook it.
“Nice to finally meet you. My two boys are here, too. Rusty’s over there on the horse, and Brent’s workin’ with Kitt. They’re fifteen and sixteen. We all signed that paper Mike asked us to. Your secret’s safe with us. Let any of us know if you need anything.”
“Where do you need me right now?” Austin called out.
“Mike’s movin’ them into the barn. They’re gonna start processin’ and taggin’ ’em now. You can come with me. I’m gonna take over the unloadin’. The second truck just pulled on the property from the highway. It’ll be here in ten minutes. You any good on horseback yet?” Micah asked, giving Austin an appraising look.
“It’s been a while, but I’ve been picking it back up.”
“Good. Mike has a mount ready for you. She’s tied up over there. Come on.” Micah pointed to a horse loosely tied to a fence post and rode off toward the gate to wait for the truck.
A hard day filled with backbreaking manual labor kicked off. They unloaded both trailers, and Austin managed to do his job reasonably well. Only a couple of head of cattle got past him, but he was able to draw them back to the herd without any help. Rusty kept them rounded up, pushing them to the different corrals Mike designated. Austin was hot, sweaty, and his ass hurt from the saddle, but he kept going all day long.
Mike and Kitt worked the cattle through the stalls like a well-oiled machine. They didn’t mess around with any of it. They moved hundreds of heads through, tagging, indexing and vaccinating each of them. They kept them separated, but together, based on Mike’s overall plan. If Austin remembered correctly, the herd needed to be quarantined per State of Texas’ regulations before they could be put out to pasture.
They worked solidly from sunup to sundown. By nightfall, two thirds of the cattle were processed, fed and grazing in a front pasture. Austin’s security guards gave out hours ago, but Mike, Kitt, Micah and his boys worked the entire time. They never stopped for anything, and didn’t even seem overly tired at the end of the day. Austin used every acting skill he possessed to pull himself off his horse without wincing as every muscle screamed under the strain of just getting off the animal.
“Boys, it’s gettin' dark out here. I have dinner ready at the house,” Kitt’s stepmom said stepping inside the barn. Occupied with his chores, Austin never heard her until she spoke. Mrs. Kelly was young, not much older than Austin, and strikingly pretty with her long dark hair, deep brown eyes and olive complexion.
“Good evenin’, Mrs. Kelly. Heather’s got dinner waitin’,” Micah called out.
“Mrs. Kelly, I’m in.” One of the security guards said from his spot on a hay bale where he’d been most of the evening.
“Me, too!” Another yelled.
“Kitt, any of these guys staying with us tonight? Do I need to get some rooms ready?” Mrs. Kelly asked her stepson.
“No ma’am. Mike’s got it all taken care of.” Kitt quickly pulled his work gloves free of his hands. He used the short arm of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.
“You sure, Mike, they can stay at the house if you need.”
“Nah, we got it,” Mike said with a grin on his face. It was clear the whole team knew each other well, and Austin stood back watching the familiar camaraderie they shared. They were all good friends. He missed having real friends.
“And I suppose this is our new neighbor.” Mrs. Kelly finally turned her attention over to Austin.
“I’m Austin.” He nodded, walking up to her with his hand stuck out. It felt wrong to try and dodge her, and since she was a Kelly, he figured it was possible she might be bound by the te
rms of the land sale contract.
“I know who you are. Surely, the old biddies of this town haven’t missed this.” She grinned at Austin.
“It’s on the DL, Lily. No one knows. It’s that part in the contract we all thought was so dumb. You can’t tell anyone,” Kitt said. It was the first time he made any sort of reference to Austin being anywhere on the property all day long. Up until that moment, Kitt never acknowledged him. Hell, Kitt never even looked Austin’s way, not one single time. Still hadn’t. He spoke as he wrote on the clipboard in his hands.
“So, I can’t say anything either. Well dang! I never get to have the news first at church on Sunday!” Mrs. Kelly said, and they all chuckled at her fake chagrin.
“Are you comin’ to dinner, Mr. Grainger?” she asked over her shoulder while turning back to the barn’s front doors.
“Please call me Austin, and I don’t want to intrude. I can get something here.”
“You aren’t. I’ll see you all in fifteen minutes.”
With that, she was gone.
“I can get something to eat here, I don’t want to put her out.” Austin turned to Mike, and then Kitt. His muscles ached and throbbed; the idea of doing anything more than having a long hot soak and hours of sleep didn’t appeal to him at all.
“Nah, she cooks for us all the time. She likes to feed us. It’s really okay. You should come,” Mike said. Kitt resumed ignoring him as he worked something on his clipboard.
A few minutes later, Micah and his boys took off. Mike and Austin checked all the gates, and shut everything down, making sure they were locked up tight. By the time they were done, Kitt was already riding off toward his house. Austin watched him and realized the only benefit of going to dinner at the Kelly ranch just rode off in the opposite direction without a backward glance.
Texas Pride Page 7
