Journey to Lobster Cove

by Carol Lynne

  Dub hoisted his saddle and favorite horse blanket onto his shoulder and stopped to catch his breath. He’d been two zippers away from fucking Shane—and God help him, he still wanted the sexy sonofabitch—but losing control with Shane was unacceptable. It was one thing to screw one of the students that would only be on the ranch for two or three months, but Shane was a fulltime employee, which meant Dub would have to work beside the younger man after knowing the bliss of being buried in Shane’s ass. Dub knew he had little choice but to go back out and try to make things right. At the very least, Shane deserved to know why Dub had put a stop to that amazing kiss. He walked back into the main part of the barn.

  “That won’t happen again,” he said as he passed Shane.

  “Why?” Shane asked. “I thought it was about time you made a move. I’ve only been throwing myself at you since I was sixteen and spending the night with Trent just to be around you,” he said in a sarcastic tone.

  Dub remembered the first time his dick had grown hard at the sight of Shane. It had been Shane’s twentieth birthday and Dub had found Trent and Shane on the porch, passed out after getting into the liquor cabinet. Dub had poured a bucket of water on Trent and had managed to wake him enough for him to get up and head inside. Shane was just a little thing, so Dub had decided to carry him upstairs to Trent’s room. It wasn’t until he’d held Shane in his arms that his body had reacted. He remembered staring down at Shane, knowing without a doubt that he wanted to take care of the man.

  By the time Dub had carried Shane upstairs, Trent was naked in bed. Trent had brushed the sheet beside him and thanked Dub for bringing Shane up. When Trent had pulled Shane into his arms, Dub had known there was no future with Shane. He’d done his best since that night to keep Shane at arm’s length.

  Dub threw the blanket and saddle over Gravy’s back. “That’s precisely the reason it’ll never happen again.” He glanced over his shoulder at Shane. “Set your sights on someone else, kid. You’ll never be anything to me but Trent’s friend.”

  “You’re a real asshole, do you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told a time or two.” Dub turned his back on Shane and continued to saddle his horse as he tried like hell to get his body under control. Shane wasn’t the staying kind of man, not that Dub was looking for a steady partner, but even if he was, it sure as fuck wouldn’t be someone as flirty and sexy as Shane Ackerman.

  Shane retreated to the tack room in an effort to get out of Dub’s line of fire. He wasn’t a fool, that kiss he’d shared with Dub had meant something. When he heard Dub and Gravy leave the barn, he stood in front of the dusty window and watched them ride off into the pasture.

  “Give it up already,” Trent said with a chuckle from behind Shane. “It’s starting to get pathetic.”

  “Fuck off.” Shane turned to face his best friend. “I figured you’d be eyeing the new guys by now.”

  Trent picked up a set of reins and slapped the leather against one of the saddles. “I’ve found a couple of good candidates, but it’s not the same unless you’re with me.”

  “Me? I’m not interested,” Shane denied. He would have been if the incident with Dub hadn’t happened.

  “I know, you always get like this when Dub shoots you down, but I need you. I look even better when I’m standing next to your puny ass.” Trent laughed and smacked the saddle again.

  Shane groaned. He had no idea why he continued to put up with Trent. It helped that Trent knew all his darkest secrets and had managed to keep them private. He watched his friend and shook his head. Trent was a goof who loved to have fun no matter what. Yeah, Shane loved the guy like a brother, warts and all. There weren’t many people who’d witnessed the insecure side of the sonofabitch. Shane had not only seen it but had held Trent while he’d cried for hours.

  “He kissed me,” Shane blurted out.

  “What? Who?”

  “Dub,” Shane admitted. “Just a few minutes ago. Of course then he pushed me away and told me it would never happen again.”

  Trent tossed the reins back onto the dowel before crossing his arms over his chest. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Shane.

  “What?” Shane prayed his friend wasn’t angry. He’d never kept his desire for Dub a secret from Trent, so the kiss shouldn’t have come as a shock.

  “Nothing,” Trent finally said and turned as if to leave.

  “Oh no you don’t.” Shane moved quickly to stand in front of Trent. Despite their size difference, Shane had learned to fight at an early age and wasn’t afraid to take someone on, even his best friend. The expression on Trent’s face was murderous. “You’re pissed.” He couldn’t believe it. “Why the fuck’re you mad?”

  Trent sighed. “Because I don’t want you getting messed up with Dub. Despite his holier-than-thou attitude, he’s a fuckin’ player. Just like me,” Trent mumbled. “I never really cared that you had a crush on him because I thought he’d never take you up on it, but I see it differently now.”

  “You think I’m not good enough for him or is it the other way around?” Shane asked.

  “Neither. It’s just that the two of you aren’t a good match. Believe me, I’ve lived with the prick my entire life, and he can’t make you happy. Besides, I think he’s still hung up on that rodeo guy.”

  “What rodeo guy?” Shane hadn’t heard that Dub had been seeing anyone lately.

  “Some asshole that really did a number on him. Back when Hank was still riding, Dub used to disappear on the weekends to follow him around on the circuit. He’d come home from a long weekend looking strung out but happier than I’ve ever seen him. That ended about five years ago, and he hasn’t been in a good mood since.”

  “So that doesn’t mean he’s still hung up on him.” Shane refused to consider the fact that Dub had loved someone else.

  “I don’t see him sweeping you off your feet.” Trent shook his head. “I love you, Shane, but you need to move on.”

  “Anyone here? Shane?” a deep voice called.

  Trent nodded toward the barn. “Bobby’s been sniffing around you a lot lately. Why don’t you forget about Dub and go a round or two with him? At least neither of you would get hurt in the process.”

  “Be there in a minute!” Shane hollered back. He stared up at Trent. Was Trent warning him away from Dub out of love or jealousy? Trent hadn’t attempted to get into his bed for years, so Shane tried to listen out of a place of love. Did Trent know something about Dub that he wasn’t saying? Bobby reminded him of Dub in a lot of ways. They were close to the same size with Dub being only slightly taller than Bobby’s six-foot-two frame and they both had midnight-black hair and big brown eyes. Shane bit his lower lip. He’d loved Dub for years and had still managed to have a very active sex life. Maybe Trent was right. Fucking Bobby could be the answer to weaning himself from Dub.

  Trent dug into his front pocket. “The easiest way to get Dub out of your head is to have Bobby fill your ass.” He handed the supplies to Shane.

  Shane looked at the condom and individual packet of lube. “I can’t believe you had these in your pocket.”

  Trent chuckled. “I’ve got more where they came from. Come on, this place is crawling with fresh ass, and I plan to sample the goods.”

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  About the Author

  An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles between being a full-time mother and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find Carol either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favorite chair writing steamy love scenes.

  Email: carol@carol-lynne.net

  Also by Carol Lynne

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�s Bed

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  Neo’s Realm: Royal Blood

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  Carol loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com.

  Totally Bound Publishing