by Andrew Grey
Ryan watched and they got the bull ready, apprehension settling deep in his gut. “Harder to judge someone you know.”
“Yeah,” Ansen admitted.
“And it says a lot about a man who’s willing to think things over before he acts,” Ryan said, and when he glanced over, he saw Ansen nod ever so slightly. There was nothing wrong with a subtle preemptive strike, and sometimes well-disguised flattery could work wonders.
“I know it shouldn’t make no never mind. We ain’t country hicks like city folks think,” Ansen said.
“Never thought you were,” Ryan said, and Ansen turned toward him with raised eyebrows. “It’s hard to turn your back on all the things you heard all your life about how a man should behave.” Ansen nodded. “Think how hard it is when you’ve heard that same stuff and you realize it’s you that folks are railing against,” Ryan added as Dante climbed up the chute and settled on the bull. He could hear the beast snorting and raring to go.
The chute opened and the bull bounded out. It put on a bit of a show, but even Ryan could tell he really didn’t have it in him. After a while, Dante bailed and hurried across the ring to where Ansen was standing. He jumped the fence while the men rounded up the beast.
“As you expected, he isn’t going to cut it,” Dante said to Ansen, and then he gave Ryan a quick smile. “Widowmaker’s Revenge is world-class caliber, though, and I would think any of the organizations would be itching to add him to their roster. That is one rank bull,” Dante said with overflowing energy.
“Can you ride one more?” Ansen asked.
“Sure,” Dante said a bit apprehensively.
“If you can’t, say so. You can always come by later and ride him,” Ansen said amicably.
“I’ll stop by next week then and have a look,” Dante said, and Ryan breathed a sigh of relief.
“Cody, go on and finish your chores. I need to have a talk with Dante,” Ansen said, and he flashed Ryan a wary look.
“I’ll head to your place and see Gramps,” Ryan said, and after Dante gave him directions, he headed for his car. Ryan wasn’t about to try to butt in, even if he had a suspicion he was the topic of conversation.
Ryan got in his car and followed Dante’s directions back to the ranch. He knocked on the door and heard Hy call so he went inside, carrying his bag.
“What are you doing here?” Hy asked from his chair in the living room. Dante had told him that just in the last few weeks, Hy’s mobility had greatly diminished.
“Dante was meeting with Mr. Marquette, so I headed here to let them talk. I figured I could change, if you don’t mind, and then maybe I could keep you company,” Ryan said, and Hy slowly reached to the table. Ryan figured he was trying to reach the television remote, and while he could pick it up, Hy seemed to be having trouble getting it to work. Ryan reached over and turned off the television for him. “I need to get out of these pants, but I’ll be right back.” Ryan walked down the hall to the bathroom.
Ryan was relieved to get out of his dress wool pants and pull on a pair of light shorts rather than jeans. He used the facilities and packed up his dress pants before rejoining Hy in the living room. “Are you feeling okay?” Ryan asked as he set down his bag near the end of the sofa.
“Yes. Can’t do shit, though. My hands don’t want to work very well,” Hy groused, turning to look out the window. “Last night Dante had to feed me my dinner because I couldn’t close my fingers around a damned fork. I just sit here most of the day and I’m becoming a waste of space and air.”
“You know you’re neither,” Ryan said, and Hy slowly turned back toward him. “Let me ask you something. How many years did you take care of Dante? I bet you bought him his first horse, and when he was a kid, even before his parents died, you were the one who taught him how to ride a horse.”
“Yeah, so?” Hy said grumpily.
“I bet you were also the person who took him fishing and let him ride his first bull.” An idea occurred to Ryan. “I bet you rode bulls like he did when you were his age.”
“Not many secrets safe with you around, are there? Yeah, I rode bulls just like Dante, except I wasn’t as good at it and my daddy thought I was a plumb fool. The old goat didn’t talk to me for nearly six months until I won a contest at the county fair. Then he was proud as punch.” Hy quieted for a while. “What’s your point, young man? Spit it out—I ain’t getting any younger.”
“Don’t you think after all you did for him Dante might not mind taking care of you for a while?” Ryan asked. “It’s what we do for the people we love.” Ryan quieted, and Hy sat in his chair, not saying a word.
“I don’t want Dante to think he has to put his life on hold for me. He needs to live, not stay here for me,” Hy told Ryan softly.
“What if he’s staying here because it’s where he wants to be?” Ryan asked.
“You got an answer for everything. No wonder you can sell water to a drowning man,” Hy said, and Ryan smiled.
“Would you like something to drink? I can get something for you,” Ryan said, already getting up. He knew what Hy wanted, and since Dante wasn’t here, he figured it was a good time for them both to have a beer. “You haven’t taken any of your pills lately, have you?”
“No,” Hy said. “This is about the only time of day I can have a damned beer.”
Ryan grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator and opened them both. He carried them back to the living room and handed one to Hy, but his hand didn’t seem to be cooperating, and Ryan saw his frustration. Ryan set one of the bottles on the table and gently placed the other to Hy’s lips, tilting it slightly. Hy drank, and Ryan patiently held the bottle until he was done. Then he set it on the table and picked up his own. Ryan settled back on the sofa and then gulped from his own bottle. He needed a beer desperately. Seeing Dante up close on top of an actual bull, horns and all, had really unsettled him. Sure, he’d seen Dante perform in the rodeo, but he hadn’t known him then. Ryan hadn’t yet come to care for him and about him. Seeing him riding Widowmaker’s Revenge, Ryan had barely been able to watch. If Dante had actually ridden the third bull, Ryan wasn’t sure he’d even have been able to stay.
“Can I ask you something? What did your wife think about you riding bulls?” Ryan asked.
“Got to you, didn’t it?” Hy asked.
“Yeah, it did,” Ryan answered honestly, wiping a hand nervously over his brow.
Hy’s expression turned remarkably soft. “She hated it. Said it nearly made her sick with fear.” Hy shifted slightly in his chair. “She told me once that she had nightmares about me getting stomped. When she told me, she was shaking like a leaf. I didn’t ride bulls after that. She was more important, and like I said, I wasn’t that good. But Dante is, and riding them beasts is in his blood.”
“I can tell he loves it. After riding that bull today, his eyes shone and he was so filled with excitement. He reminded me of a five-year-old who’s just seen his birthday cake.” There was no way he could ask Dante to give up riding. But he wasn’t sure how much worrying he could take. A shiver went up Ryan’s spine as he thought about Dante under that huge beast, the fucker’s hooves stomping, breaking bones or…. Ryan closed his eyes and gulped from the bottle again.
“Do you know what Ansen wanted to talk about with Dante?” Hy asked, pulling Ryan out of his thoughts, which centered on Dante being gored or stomped by one of those beasts.
“No. But he and I had an interesting conversation.”
“I bet you did. That man’s probably lecturing Dante on the evils of lying with men and how he needs to mend his ways or he’ll be going straight to hell.” Hy huffed. “He was always a bit preachy for my taste, but his mother and my daughter were close friends, so I tolerate him for her sake.”
“I’m not sure how preachy he’ll be, but I think the conversation I had with him was a bit of an eye-opener for him. We’ll see what Dante says,” Ryan commented as he heard a vehicle pull into the drive. Ryan waited a few minutes, and then Dant
e practically bounded inside. “Everything okay?” Ryan asked, tilting his head so he could see Dante.
“Good as can be expected, I guess,” Dante answered and then got a beer before flopping on the sofa. “What did you and Ansen talk about? He seemed unusually open-minded.” Hy snorted, and Ryan set his bottle on the table, helping Hy take another drink.
“Not much. Just told him some of the facts of life in a way he might understand. Why?”
“He said he’d put in a word with my sponsor if I thought it would do some good. I doubt it will, but it’s nice to know I have some support.” Dante finished his bottle in a few drinks and got up to get another.
“You do have support,” Ryan said softly, and Dante nodded.
“But if I lose my sponsor, it’s doubtful I’ll be able to get another one, and I wouldn’t be able to ride next year. I can’t afford to pay all the entrance fees on my own.”
A thought crept into the back of Ryan’s mind, one he wasn’t particularly proud of, but it was there. If Dante lost his sponsor, then maybe he wouldn’t be able to compete any longer.
“You could sell the ranch,” Hy said, and Dante glared at him.
“We’ve had this conversation. I’ll stop riding and work the land here with my bare hands before I’ll sell the ranch. This is our history, our home.”
“But what if….”
Dante shifted and knelt near his grandfather’s chair. “Gramps, if you need care, you’ll get it. I don’t know how, but you will. I won’t sell the ranch to pay my entrance fees, but I will sell it for you if I have to.”
Ryan stood up quietly and left the room to give them some privacy, walking through the house to the sliding glass doors that led to the back patio. He stood in front of them and stared outside, watching dark shapes as they slowly moved across the grassland. Part of him, the part he wished would keep quiet, was pleased that Dante might lose his sponsorship. At least Dante wouldn’t be riding bulls and he’d be safe. Ryan hated even thinking that way, but seeing Dante on that bull had really affected him, and without a sponsorship, Dante would return to the ranch, take care of his grandfather, and be safe. Ryan wanted him safe and whole.
Dante would hate that, and Ryan also knew that part of the man he was growing to care for, and maybe… he pushed the word from his mind. It was too early to use the “L” word, way too early. If Dante couldn’t ride, a part of him would die, Ryan knew that, just like he knew if he couldn’t go into the office and feel the rush of landing a new client, or make the right decision that helped a couple plan for and then be able to retire, his life wouldn’t be the same. Or the times he took a leap of faith and listened to his gut and made a killing in the market. Making money for his clients was like winning, and Ryan loved to win. Just like Dante did. Granted, Ryan wasn’t taking his life in his hands to win. He took a deep breath and tried to think positively, but he wasn’t sure what positive meant. Did he hope Dante kept his sponsorship so he could ride next season? Or was being positive hoping that Dante couldn’t ride and was safe and unhurt?
“Gramps went to bed,” Dante said softly from behind him, and Ryan slowly turned around. “Maybe we should do the same thing.” Ryan nodded and let Dante lead him toward the bedroom. “You’ve been quiet,” Dante said as he sat on the side of the bed.
“Just thinking,” Ryan said, pushing his fears aside as best he could before leaning close to kiss Dante, who sizzled like a ball of energy. “What’s gotten into you?” Ryan asked knowingly.
“It’s the riding. It always gets me going,” Dante said, and Ryan pressed him back onto the bed with a hard kiss, forgetting about his concerns, pushing everything from his mind except Dante. His worries and fears didn’t matter right now.
“Let’s get these clothes off,” Ryan said, and Dante’s shoes thunked to the floor. Then Ryan tugged off Dante’s shirt and practically ripped Dante’s pants off in his haste. It seemed he was as revved up as Dante. Ryan backed away, pulling off his shirt and then getting his shoes and socks off. Dante lay back on the bed, stroking himself slowly while Ryan got out of his pants. “You’re really pushing it, aren’t you?” Ryan asked as he watched Dante’s hand slowly move up and down his shaft.
“I’m only waiting for you,” Dante said, stroking a bit faster, eyes half lidded.
“You know that’s for me,” Ryan said in a low growl. “Put your hands up.”
“Officer,” Dante quipped, quick to grip the headboard, “I was only taking care of business.”
Ryan lightly swatted Dante’s hip as his gaze roamed down Dante’s skin. Small bruises were already starting to purple below Dante’s ribs and on his right inner thigh. Those few rides had done that. Ryan lightly traced the marks with his fingers. “You need to be careful,” Ryan murmured, his fear returning. All he kept seeing was Dante hurt and in pain.
“They come with the territory,” Dante whispered. Ryan said nothing, trying to push that from his thoughts as well. Two rides, and Dante had bruises like this. He’d seen him at the end of the season, but since then Dante had healed, and the last time they were together, his cowboy’s skin had been golden brown and perfect.
“I don’t like you hurt,” Ryan said, shaking a little as he leaned down to kiss one of the bruises.
“There, all better,” Dante said. “Now I have something hard and insistent that’s feeling a bit sore.” Dante thrust his hips lightly.
“I can see that,” Ryan said, ignoring Dante’s throbbing cock for the time being and licking a trail to a nipple, trying to bury his trepidation in the musk and sweat from Dante’s skin. Ryan sucked, and Dante hissed softly, thrusting his chest forward for more, but Ryan backed away. He wasn’t really in the mood for games or long, drawn-out foreplay. He needed Dante now and he needed him bad. Ryan reached into the bedside table, where Dante kept the supplies, and dropped them on the bed before slamming the drawer closed, the lamp wobbling slightly. Ryan slicked his fingers and then leaned forward, nearly kissing Dante’s lips off.
Dante lifted his legs, and Ryan sank two fingers deep into him, the tight heat clutching his digits.
“This isn’t going to be pretty, but I fucking need you right now. I need you to scream and let me know you’re all right,” Ryan said. He pulled out his fingers, rolled the condom onto himself, and did his very best not to plunge fast and hard into Dante’s body. He forced himself to take his time because, while he didn’t want to hurt Dante, he needed him too fucking bad to go slowly. Ryan’s legs shook as he knelt between Dante’s legs and entered him.
“Jesus,” Dante cried, and Ryan pressed forward, burying himself in Dante’s viselike heat. Ryan stopped only because he didn’t want to hurt him. Dante did something he’d never done and released the headboard without permission, tugging Ryan down. Their kiss was sloppy and rushed as Ryan pulled away and drove deep into Dante.
“This is going to be fast,” Ryan warned and closed his eyes, pumping hard and deep, like a man possessed.
Dante held him tight, breathing deeply and groaning with each thrust. Skin slapped skin, and each of Ryan’s thrusts reverberated through Dante’s body, coming back to him again.
Ryan pulled out of Dante’s body, afraid he was hurting him. Dante rolled over on the bed, his butt in the air, and Ryan lay on top of him, entering Dante again in a single, deep thrust. Ryan sucked on the skin of Dante’s shoulder as he sank into his lover’s body with complete abandon. Dante’s cries and groans spurred him on. Ryan felt Dante’s body grip him tightly. When Dante arched his back and cried out, Ryan knew he was coming. He could feel the spasms of Dante’s climax ripple through him, and it drove Ryan’s orgasm from deep inside him. Ryan thrust deep and stilled, shaking to beat the band, clenching his eyes closed as he emptied himself.
Ryan caught his breath and did his best not to collapse on Dante. He pulled out and flopped on the mattress next to Dante, tugging off the condom and getting it in the trash before pulling Dante close. “Did I hurt you?” he asked softly.
“God, no,
” Dante answered breathlessly. “That was something else.”
“I was afraid I was too enthusiastic,” Ryan said, and Dante chuckled.
“No such thing as far as I’m concerned.” Dante settled in Ryan’s arms. “What brought that on?”
“I guess I needed to know you were okay and….” Ryan couldn’t put into words. “I saw you riding that bull and then the bruises and I needed you. I needed to be with you and know you were okay.” How could he explain that the thought of Dante getting hurt, or worse, scared him half to death and that his fear had come out in the fucking of his life?
“I understand,” Dante said softly as he rested his head on Ryan’s chest. “I hear a lot of the guys talking about how their wives refuse to come to the events because they can’t bear to see them compete.”
“Then why do you do it? Why put your life at risk?” Ryan shifted so he could see Dante’s eyes. “I’m not being derogatory or anything, I really need to know. You could run the ranch full time, expanding it beyond what it is now because you’d have the time. You could turn this place into a thriving business, but you put your life in danger to ride bulls.”
Dante moved away and shifted, sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Ryan. “I bet if you asked every one of the other bull riders they’d tell you the same thing. We do it because we love it. There’s nothing in the world like sitting on eighteen-hundred pounds of mean muscle and knowing that in the end, you’ll master that beast, at least for a few seconds. There’s no greater rush in the world than that,” Dante said, and Ryan closed his eyes as a touch of hurt he didn’t mean to feel bloomed anyway. “Well, maybe there is a greater rush.” Dante turned and grinned at Ryan. “But I think you know what I mean.”
“Nice save,” Ryan said.
“Are you asking me to give up riding?” Dante asked, but Ryan remained quiet. He wanted to ask him to do just that. To choose something less dangerous, but he also knew he could never do that. If Ryan asked Dante to give up riding, and he did, then someday Dante would resent him. They hadn’t known each other all that long, but Ryan knew that without a doubt.
