Dreamspinner Press Year Three Greatest Hits

by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

  “It’s time for lunch.”

  Geoff opened his eyes, and Eli kissed him again. Slowly, he got up and followed Eli into the kitchen. Len put plates on the table for him and Joey, who’d just come through the back door.

  “Hi, Geoff.” He smiled brightly.

  “Hey, Joey. Lesson today?”

  “Yeah, Len is going to show me how to jump. Just small ones to help my seat.”

  Geoff started eating as Eli and Len joined them at the table. “I wanted to ask you if you’d be interested in a business proposition.”

  “Me?” Joey looked surprised.

  “Yes, you. The farm used to raise a steer that we’d enter in the county fair. We won some ribbons over the years, and I’d like to start doing that again, and I thought you might like to help. I was thinking that you and Len could pick out two young steers from the herd and bring them into the barn. You’d be in responsible for feeding, watering, and cleaning up after them. At next year’s fair, you and the farm would enter them. Then they’d be auctioned, and you and the farm would split the proceeds.”

  Joey’s face split in a massive smile. “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  Len nudged Joey’s shoulder, “After your lesson, we’ll take a look at the youngsters and see if we can pick out two.” Joey smiled and began eating faster. When he finished, he raced off to the barn to get ready for his lesson.

  Once Geoff was done, he took a pill, told Len he’d do the dishes in a while, and went into the office, determined to get something accomplished. After spending a few hours working, he was tired again, so he turned off the computer and went upstairs.

  Geoff closed the curtains to darken the room, undressed to his underwear, and flopped down on the bed, falling asleep quickly. He woke to his door opening and closing, and then he was joined on the bed. “Tiger?”

  “Yes, it’s me.” He could hear a smile in Eli’s his voice and he felt smooth skin against his own. Geoff rolled over to face Eli, snuggling close.

  “That was a wonderful thing you did for Joey,” Eli said.

  “It’s just a business arrangement.” A mutually beneficial business arrangement.

  “It’s way more than that, and you know it. You could have chosen the steers and raised them yourself with little effort and kept all the money.” Geoff’s forehead was kissed gently. “You’re a sweet man, helping Joey like that without him even knowing it.”

  Geoff pulled Eli close and fell back to sleep. He woke hours later feeling better and very much like himself. The bed was empty, and he heard voices in the house. Dressing quickly, he went downstairs to a living room full of people.

  “Did we wake you?” His Aunt Vicki smiled as she gave him a hug.

  “No, it was time I got up.” Geoff looked around and smiled at his Uncle Dan and his cousins Jill and Chris. He shook hands with Chris and hugged Jill tightly. Eli came in a few minutes later, and Geoff introduced him to his uncle and cousins. “Who’s up for a ride?”

  “I hope it’s okay. You said to come by.” Vicki sounded tentative.

  “Of course. Let’s go to the barn and get the horses saddled up,” Geoff invited.

  Eli led the way to the barn, spearheading getting the horses brushed and saddled before leading them out to the ring. Jill and Chris hadn’t ridden much, so Eli helped them learn to direct and control the horses. Geoff brought out Twilight for Vicki, and she mounted like a veteran, easily remembering skills she hadn’t used for years. Eli mounted Kirk and joined the other three as they rode around the large ring, helping Chris and Jill.

  Geoff stood outside the ring, leaning on the fence with Uncle Dan, watching the riders.

  “I wanted to thank you.”

  Geoff turned to look at his uncle.

  “I don’t know what you did, but for a long time, I’ve almost felt like I was married to Janelle as well as Vicki; there were times I thought they were joined at the hip.” Geoff noticed his uncle seemed more at ease than he could ever remember him being. “Last evening Janelle was spouting her usual crap when Vicki went off.” Dan watched his wife riding around the ring with such confidence, a look of pride on his face. “She told her she’d had enough. ‘Cliff was gay, his son is gay, and you’d better accept it.’ When Janelle didn’t stop, Vicki told her to go to hell, asked her to leave, and told her she could come back when she joined the twenty-first century.” Dan smiled wickedly. “I can still hear Vicki slamming the door behind her—sweetest sound I ever heard.” Uncle Dan was smiling to beat the band, just vibrating with happiness.

  “I never understood why she was so mean, and why Dad put up with her all these years.”

  Dan’s eyes widened. “No one ever told you?” He thought it over for a minute. “I guess maybe they wouldn’t.” He leaned in like he was going to tell a story. “When she was about twenty, Janelle met a man and fell head over heels for him. She dated him for a few weeks and then brought him home to meet the family. Unfortunately, the man she was dating was Len. He took one look at your Dad, and that was that.”

  “Holy shit!” Geoff couldn’t help smiling.

  “Yeah, she never forgave her brother for stealing her boyfriend, even though Len always said they were only friends and that Janelle was making a lot more out of their friendship than there was. To tell you the truth, I tend to believe Len on that one. Janelle sees slights everywhere.”

  “So that’s why Dad put up with her all those years. On some level he must have felt guilty.”

  “Not that he had anything to feel guilty for. He fell in love. Len didn’t love Janelle, never would. But yeah, I think he felt guilty because he was happy all those years and she never was. Even though that’s her own fault too.”

  “Poor Janelle.” Geoff shook his head.

  Uncle Dan’s face hardened. “Don’t feel sorry for her. All the pain and unhappiness she’s felt over the years she brought on herself. She could have forgiven and gone on, but she held on and became bitter and miserable.” Then Uncle Dan’s face brightened, and Geoff looked up to see his aunt riding their way, looking every bit the commanding horsewoman.

  “What are you two talking about?” Vicki asked.

  Geoff smiled. “Just gossiping.” Vicki looked unsure, but Geoff smirked. “Anyone who thinks women have a monopoly on gossip has never been to a gay bar. Those queens will rip you to shreds.” His uncle snickered, and Vicki laughed so hard she started snorting.

  Eli, who’d put Kirk in his stall, joined them at the fence, watching the riders.

  “Hey, Tiger,” Geoff greeted. Those big blue eyes shone at him as he put an arm around his waist, pulling him close. Geoff saw Eli look at his uncle, but Dan didn’t react at all, and then he felt Eli relax against him. It didn’t get much better than this: horses, happy riders, and his incredible lover next to him, enjoying it with him, surrounded by people he loved.

  Chapter 12

  GEOFF LAY awake, watching Eli sleep like he’d done off and on all night long. He’d slept some, but not much.

  “What’s wrong?” Eli’s sleep-filled voice carried to his ears.

  “I think I napped too much today.” That was only part of the truth, but he was reticent about admitting the rest of it. That Len had promised to take Eli to see his family today scared the shit out of him for so many reasons. What if they didn’t let him come back? What if Eli didn’t want to come back? And the question that really seemed to hound his thoughts lately was: what if Eli did come back but wasn’t happy? He could deal with the rest, but he couldn’t deal with Eli being unhappy. He just couldn’t.

  Geoff forced himself to stop these thoughts. This was Eli’s year away, and they had plenty of time to spend together before Eli would need to decide what he was going to do.

  Eli’s sleepy voice cut through his thoughts. “Roll over and I’ll rub your back.”

  Geoff rolled over, not so Eli could rub his back, but so that he faced him. Then he kissed him, letting the nagging questions melt away. This was what was impor
tant, right here, right now. He saw those big eyes open, shining like beacons in the dim room.

  “Love you,” Geoff said before his lips pressed to Eli’s as he moved his body closer, slowly rolling him onto his back, pressing his lover into the mattress, hands roaming, lips tasting. But it never seemed to be enough.

  Eli whimpered into his mouth as he kissed and probed, trying to get a taste of something that seemed just out of reach.

  He tried to ask Eli what he wanted, but that meant breaking their kiss, and he couldn’t do that… not yet, so he listened. Small whimpers and moans guided him. Those pleasure noises drove him on, building his own desire.

  Finally, he pulled away from Eli’s lips, kissing down that neck, tasting the skin, slightly sweaty, slightly musky, but all Eli.

  His tongue found a nipple, zeroing in on it like a flesh-colored target. Eli mewled as Geoff nibbled and sucked on one, fingers rubbing the other. Yes… more of those sounds, that “love music” Eli made just for him.

  “Geoff, yes, that’s so good.”

  That incredible body writhed beneath him as he lightly bit on the nub of flesh, and Eli’s music changed, became more urgent, more needy.

  Then he backed off, giving Eli a chance to rest as he continued his journey down that luscious body, swirling his tongue around his navel. He continued lower, skimming it over Eli’s hardness and nuzzling the fleshy globes. Lifting his legs, he licked a path to Eli’s most private entrance.

  “Geoff….” Eli let out a small, involuntary cry as Geoff swirled his tongue around the puckered skin.

  “Like that?” Geoff went further, sucking and licking the skin, listening as Eli’s music built, the pitch becoming higher, the tempo more intense. “Love those sounds you make for me.” Geoff’s tongue probed the opening, felt the muscle relax, and he went for it.

  With each lick, each probe, Eli made the most wonderful noises that made his heart soar. Reaching to the bedside table, he found a small bottle and coated his fingers. Eli cried out as slick, slippery fingers teased his skin, swirling at his opening. Slowly, Geoff pressed just the tip inside.

  Eli pushed into it, wanting more. “Feels so good.”

  A bit more finger slipped inside as Geoff made small circles, the smooth channel gripping his finger like a vise. Pushing farther, his finger slipped inside. Curling it slightly, he searched, and Eli cried out as he found that hard bundle of nerves, stroking it gently.

  “What was that?”

  Geoff smiled, bringing their mouths together, “That was your body telling me how to love you, how to take you to heaven.”

  Eli’s eyes widened. “Take me to heaven, Geoff. Take me to heaven.”

  Kissing him hard, Geoff rubbed the spot with his finger as he rocked their bodies together. Eli was mewling constantly, thrusting against him slowly. “Love you, Tiger. My Tiger.”

  Eli threw his head back, eyes wide as his climax overtook him, and Geoff felt him tense and then felt his hot, molten release shoot between them. “Love you, Geoff.”

  “Love you, Tiger.” Eli’s heat and kisses propelled him as he hurtled toward his own release.

  Eli thrust his tongue deep into Geoff’s mouth, kissing him hard as his hands grabbed his butt, pressing their bodies together hard, giving Geoff just the friction he needed to send him sailing, crying out softly as he came and coated Eli’s stomach with his release.

  Slowly, Geoff began to move, gently withdrawing his finger, lifting his weight off Eli, kissing his lover sweetly, wanting him to know how much he meant to him. Hands cupped his cheeks, bringing their lips back together, as Eli showed him that that his message of love was received.

  Then his Tiger took over, rolling them on the bed, pressing him into the mattress, kissing him hard, that sweet body pressing to his. Then the intensity began to wane for both of them, and their pace eased to sweet loving. Caresses became gentle and slow, kisses languid and deep.

  “My Tiger.”

  “Love you.”

  Geoff’s hands moved in long caresses from shoulders to back as they settled down together. He felt Eli’s weight lift off him and the bed shake as his lover got up. Then Eli was back, a soft cloth cleaning Geoff, caressing his skin.

  “Do you think you can sleep now?” Geoff was already drifting off as Eli got back in bed, pulled up the sheet, and kissed him sweetly. The last thing he remembered was hands stroking his back.

  Geoff woke hours later, having finally slept soundly, to find Eli still asleep next to him. Strange—the man was an even earlier riser than he was. “Tiger.” He gently stroked Eli’s back.

  He got a soft mumble in response. “Day off, get to sleep.” Sweet. He settled back on the bed, pulled Eli close, and let sleep take him again.

  When he woke again, it was to Eli stirring and getting out of bed. “Where you going?” Geoff rolled over and yawned.

  Eli looked puzzled. “To get cleaned up and dressed.”

  Geoff threw back the covers and took Eli by the hand, leading him to the bathroom. “I think it’s time you learned how much fun cleaning up together can be.” Geoff started the shower and stepped under the spray, gently tugging Eli in after him.

  Squeezing a dollop of shampoo on his hand he began massaging Eli’s scalp, washing the rich, black hair. If Eli were a cat, he’d have purred as he leaned into Geoff’s touch. “Rinse your hair, Tiger.” Eli leaned back into the water, and Geoff soaped his hands, washing all that smooth skin.

  “That’s really nice,” Eli murmured.

  “Isn’t it? Put your arms up.” Geoff washed under Eli’s arms and down his sides, leaning forward for a kiss as soapy hands stroked him slowly. “Turn around.”

  Eli complied and Geoff washed his back, spending extra time on his butt and legs, sliding his fingers through to tease his balls.

  “Geoff….” Eli turned around, his erection pointing at his lover. Geoff smiled and sank to his knees, taking Eli in, sucking gently. Soon Eli’s legs were shaking, and he was moaning, thrusting into Geoff’s mouth. “Geoff, can’t… gonna….”

  Geoff pressed Eli against the tile and sucked harder, wanting to taste his lover. With a soft cry, Eli came, spilling himself into Geoff’s mouth. Eli’s knees gave out, and he began sliding down the wall. Geoff pulled him into his arms and held Eli tight, kissing his sweet, sated lover. “You’re so beautiful, you know that? The most beautiful man I know.”

  Eli slapped Geoff’s shoulder gently. “I am not… women are beautiful.”

  “So are you, Tiger. My beautiful Tiger.” Geoff tickled Eli’s shoulder with his tongue.

  “Stop that.” Eli laughed and tried feebly to pull away, squirming and giggling. Geoff held that sweet neck. “It’s your turn to get clean.”

  Geoff acquiesced and let Eli go, standing under the water as Eli began washing his hair. Those hands stroking his scalp felt so good, and he gave himself over to the sensation. Then the hands slid away, only to return again, this time rubbing and stroking his chest with soapy lather. “If I’m beautiful, then you’re…” Eli stopped and thought, his hands cleaning, and then he broke into a grin, “a stallion.” Eli’s hand slid over his length, the fingers making him throb.

  “A stallion, huh?” God, that made him hot.

  Eli nodded, sliding one hand after the other down his length. “Yeah.” The fingers tightened. “A big, strong, stallion. My stallion.” Eli turned them around, pressing Geoff against the back wall of the shower, stroking his inner thigh, telling him to spread his legs. Fingers gripped his length, and Geoff moaned softly. Then he felt a hot tongue slide along his crease before teasing his entrance, and he started to whimper—a high, needy whimper.

  “Eli….” The exquisite pleasure was driving him out of his mind.

  “Relax, Stallion, it’s my turn to love you.” And love he did. Geoff was driven to magnificent heights by those fingers and that tongue—that hot, searing, tongue. Of all the partners he’d had, very few had done this for him, and it was driving him wild. He began to move h
is hips back and forth slightly, and each time he did, Eli gripped his length and pushed that magic tongue into him.

  “Eli….” He could barely catch his breath as the pressure built, Eli’s fingers pulling, his tongue swirling. “Hot… so good.” Lights flashed behind Geoff’s eyes as he shot hard onto Eli’s fingers and the shower wall. Eli shifted behind him, hands stroking his back as he regained his breath.

  The cooling water signaled that it was time to get out. Eli turned off the water and opened the door, handing Geoff a towel, eyes dancing. Geoff leaned close, going for a kiss. “How was that for cleaning up?”

  Without missing a beat, Eli quipped, “Enough incentive to get dirty again.”

  They dried off, and Geoff handed Eli the robe he’d been using. After a deep, sweet kiss, Eli left to get dressed.

  Later, in the kitchen, Geoff poured himself a second cup of coffee as Eli finished his breakfast. “When are you leaving?” He put the pot back on the warmer.

  The back door opened, and Len strode into the kitchen. “You about ready?” Eli finished the last few bites and got up from the table.

  Eli walked right up to Geoff, putting his arms around his neck. “I’ll see you later.” He gave him a kiss, a hug, and even a grab before following Len out to the truck.

  They’d been gone about ten minutes when Geoff started pacing like a cat, looking out the window at every sound. This is ridiculous. Chastising himself, he went in the office and began looking over the ideas he had for the Winters’ place. An idea had been brewing. He picked up the phone and made a call.

  “Hello, Frank, this is Geoff Laughton. Len told me that you might be looking to sell.”

  “Yeah, Penny and I are plannin’ on retirin’. Why? You interested?” He seemed hopeful. Geoff knew that Frank and Penny had been having a tough time of it lately. The older man had had some health problems and hadn’t been able to do all that needed to be done, so they’d had a couple of lean years.

  “I think so. I have a proposition that I’d like to talk to you about. I was wondering if you and Penny could come for coffee now.” The line was quiet, and then Frank came back on. “Penny says that’d be lovely.” He could hear Frank smile as he used her words.