by CJ Turner
I am in trouble.
Manu shoved that thought away and walked toward his client.
This time, Alister Grant had dressed appropriately in a tight T-shirt stretched taut over his pecs and abs and a pair of jeans that hugged tightly in all the right places. The man wore clothes to show off his body, and Manu bit his lip reflexively.
Alister wore a pair of hiking boots, which left no doubt that he was the client of the day. When Manu got closer, he caught the Gucci icon on the side of his footwear, and he swallowed hard. While Gucci was not on Manu’s go-to list, he did know what they cost. Who wore a pair of $1,300 boots? Alister Grant, apparently.
“You’ll burn up dressed like that,” said Manu. He slung his backpack from his shoulder and pulled a light long-sleeve plaid out and one of the baseball caps with the Martin’s Mountain Tours logo. He handed the shirt to Alister and slapped the lid on the twink’s head. When he did, he caught a whiff of Alister’s cologne, sandalwood with a hint of musk, and Manu’s head spun.
“Aww,” said Alister sarcastically, “I didn’t know you cared.”
Manu must distance himself from Alister. He was a client, damn it, not a fuck toy, though that thought churned his insides.
“Are you always this mouthy in the morning?” said Manu.
“When it’s not otherwise engaged,” said Alister with a wicked grin.
It was a smile filled with sin. The blood drained from Manu’s head and rushed to parts south, which was not a good way to start a ride. He was glad he thought to wear an overshirt. It hung low enough to cover his body’s indiscretion.
“Have you ridden before?”
Alister snorted, and that sparked more inappropriate thoughts. Manu cursed under his breath.
“What was that?” said Alister. Total innocence laced his voice, and Manu figured this was on purpose.
“Nothing. But I do need to know your level of horse riding experience.”
“Does five years of dressage qualify?” he said.
“Dressage?” said Manu incredulously.
“Yeah, I competed one year but, after that, it bored me.”
“Bored—” Manu shook his head.“Who are you?”
“Oh, just your average New York twink.” Alister winked at him, and Manu’s mouth formed a hard line. He didn’t like Alister playing him.
“We use Western saddles,” stated Manu flatly.
“I think I can handle it. I like good leather.”
Mind. Officially. Blown. Manu opened his mouth and shut it. The twink endeavored to get a rise out of him. And it was working. His cock throbbed rock-hard in his jeans, and there was nothing he could do about it other than push forward with the day’s plan.
“Let’s saddle up, Gucci cowboy, and show me what you got.”
Manu had hoped to knock back the twink with that remark. Instead, Alister beamed brighter at him.
“My pleasure, big guy. I’m ready to saddle up anytime.”
Chapter Seven
Alister
What would it take to melt the mountain man’s frosty demeanor?
Alister had tried his best lines on him but, instead of encouraging him, Manu shut down. This was not the plan.
What Alister crafted was a subtle seduction where he’d be too irresistible to ignore. The clothes, the double entendres, the flirty glances never failed to work—except with Manu Martin.
Alister had decided, despite his promise to Sebastian, that the mountain man was too delicious to resist. He reasoned that no one would know if he took a private tour with Manu, so he booked the first on the calendar—today.
He could barely sleep all night, replaying the memories of them on the couch. It forced him into the shower for a late-night replay. But it wasn’t the same as the mountain man’s heat under him or the taste of his skin and mouth. And that must change.
No one denied Alister Grant.
And he felt very denied.
Remembering how Jesse used him and Manu’s apparent lack of interest confirmed something he felt to his core. That the lovers he attracted were only interested in his money. This deflating thought had crossed south of his beltline to work its evil magic there.
But Alister was not a man to admit defeat. Yes. He made a mistake with his previous lover, Jesse, jumped in too quickly and put too much faith in him. He tried, as his dearly departed grandmother would have said, to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But Manu, for his rough edges, was no Jesse. Alister was sure of this.
Manu slipped into the barn and entered the corral carrying two saddles. This was impressive. Those things weighed four times an English saddle, and these looked older and therefore heavier than the new ones on the market.
“Do you need help?”
Manu tossed him a disparaging glance. “It’s my job. I’m responsible for these animals.” His arms jerked as he tightened the cinches, and Alister licked his lips as he thought about Manu’s muscles bunching as he worked.
There, thought Alister. That proves it. Jesse never used the word ‘responsible’. But it miffed him.
“Excuse me,” said Alister in a snarky tone.
Manu peered over the top of the saddle he put on the black gelding and shook his head.
“What are you doing here, Alister Grant?” He spoke the words in an open challenge, and Alister looked away as he formed his retort. But no good one came.
“I wanted to see the mountains.”
Manu snorted as if he didn’t believe Alister. He didn’t speak as he finished with the chestnut mare and held out the reins for the mare to Alister.
“Here you go.”
“No,” said Alister. “I want to ride the other horse.”
“Thunder? I assure you he lives up to his name.”
“Who is the client here?” said Alister. “It’s the gelding or nothing.”
“Fine,” said Manu. “Let me check to see if you signed the Release of Liability form.”
“I did,” affirmed Alister with a huff.
But Manu pulled out his phone, flipped through it, and nodded. “Okay, can’t be too careful. What about your altitude sickness from yesterday?”
Alister picked up his ears. This was the first mention of yesterday that Manu made. For a second, Alister thought he forgot about their time together. But how could he? Alister couldn’t get it out of his head.
“You were right. I was dehydrated. Silly me. I’ve drunk so much water I might have to piss often.”
Manu quirked his mouth. “Let me know, cowboy. I don’t want you to get lost on the trail.”
The mountain man handed him the reins of the black gelding and climbed on the chestnut mare. He rested his crooked arm on his saddle’s pommel and waited for Alister to mount the horse.
Only Thunder wasn’t having any of it. When Alister held the reins and stuck his foot in the stirrup, Thunder decided to take a few steps to circle toward his tail. Alister had to step back to avoid the horse stepping on his foot. Even with hiking boots, being stepped on by 700 pounds of horseflesh would be painful.
“Real wiseguy, eh?” he said to the horse who whinnied.
Asshole.
Alister gripped the pommel tightly, pulled his body up, and swung his leg around before Thunder could repeat his trick. He glanced at Manu, who couldn’t hide the amusement in his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. Alister sucked in a breath and shoved his annoyance away. He was a man on a mission.
“That’s pretty good,” said Manu. “Only two tries.”
“Every horse has his quirks,” said Alister cooly. “This one thinks he’s smarter than humans. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
Manu flashed a smile close to a smirk, but Alister decided to ignore that. “I did try to warn you.”
“Let’s see what he can do.” Alister pulled right on the reins, and the horse tossed his head. Alister yanked harder, hating to draw on the horse’s mouth, but some animals had “hard mouths,” especially those used on trails with multiple riders. Thunder took the ste
ps Alister called on, and then Alister pulled left, forcing the animal to move in the opposite direction. Thunder almost balked, but Alister’s steady pull and a slap of his knee on the side he wanted the horse to turn in caught Thunder’s attention. This recalcitrant creature differed from his former horse, Puffin, bred for competition and taught responsiveness. When Alister trained with her, it was he that had the learning to do. Puffin’s loss was an emotional blow from which he didn’t recover. And now he sat on this beast, an animal more wild and raw despite his domestication.
“Do we understand each other?” Alister said.
Thunder stood and waited for Alister’s next command, which was good. But Alister didn’t see the subtle relaxation in the equine’s ears, demonstrating he trusted Alister. They had a lot of work to do to get to that point.
“Are we ready now?” said Manu.
“Where’s Jack?”
At the mention of the dog’s name, Jack ran from the barn. An older woman followed.
“Hi there, Manu. Is it okay if Jack stays with me for a while? I’d appreciate some canine companionship.”
“What do you say, Jack. You want to stay with Mrs. Thurman?”
Jack circled her and sniffed at the pockets of her apron.
“I see,” said Manu. “She’s bribed you with homemade doggie cookies. Sure, Mrs. Thurman. It’s a day tour, though. We’ll be back later this afternoon.”
“That’s fine. Come on, Jack. We’ll go into the house for a few.” Mrs. Thurman and Jack disappeared around the barn.
“You ready?” said Manu.
“Lead on, Mr. Tour Guide. I’m all yours.”
Manu didn’t register the double entendre. Instead, with a press of his knees and a few clicks of his tongue, he urged his horse forward. They rose with the slight incline toward the white-tipped mountains Alister knew were too far to reach. They came to a lip in the trail, and the land flattened out. It was odd how the straw-colored land this high in the mountains lay level. But it was a gorgeous contrast with the purple mountains in the background. With his camera phone, he snapped off a bunch of luscious landscape shots. But for what he had in mind, he needed something else.
“Hey, Mr. Tour Guide.”
Manu glanced over his shoulder, and Alister got a great shot of him. The mountain man shook his head and looked away, and continued on the trail.
Manu kept a leisurely walking pace, and Alister found he could almost stay ahead of the dizzy feeling threatening to overtake him if he breathed deeply. Manu glanced over his shoulder to Alister and frowned.
“You okay?” said Manu.
“Yeah,” said Alister with a little gasp.
“How about a bottle of water?”
He almost said “no,” but this was the first time Manu spoke to him since they started, and he wanted to keep the conversation going. Manu fished a reusable stainless steel can from his bag and handed it to Alister.
“You a save-the-earth type of guy?” said Alister.
“Someone has to do it,” said Manu. He kept his eyes forward as his horse placed one hoof after another at a plodding pace.
Silence fell between them, and Alister thought his plan missed the mark. They continued for another hour in near silence, frustrating the hell out of Alister. He was not used to being ignored. Thunder behaved himself, adding to Alister’s boredom.
“You want to take a break?” said Manu.
“Sure,” said Alister.
“This way,” said Manu.
Manu led them up another rise and to a cut in the rock where the rock walls rose on either side. Alister dropped behind Manu once more, but this time Thunder tossed his head. Alister pulled on the reins to gain control of the horse. The last thing he needed was Thunder spooking in the narrow passage.
But the way opened, and Alister’s mouth hung open.
A gorgeous lake spread out with pine trees growing on either side. The lake’s shimmering mirror met the woodland in a natural wholeness that awed Alister.
“Wow,” said Alister.
“Yeah,” said Manu. “Unspoiled beauty. Let’s water the horses.”
“Sure.”
Manu dismounted, and Alister followed him. They walked the equines to the edge of the lake. Instead of sand, rocks of different sizes, from pebbles to boulders, littered the edges of the lake bed.
“Careful,” said Manu. “The rocks are slippery.”
“Sure,” said Alister. He didn’t want to get his hiking boots wet. Thunder picked his way to the water. Alister did his best to follow. Flies buzzed over the surface of the water.
Without warning and with a flash of silver, a fish splashed up from the water and snapped at a fly. Thunder startled and stepped backward, pulling on the reins Alister held. On the slippery rocks, Alister lost his footing and fell back. There was nothing he could do to stop a crash into the rocks below him.
This will hurt, he thought.
But in a second, Manu grabbed him around his waist, surely and securely, and Alister knew he would not fall. He looked up into Manu’s eyes that were half-lidded with lust.
“What are you doing here?” He stared at Alister as if trying to search for the answers to his question. “ I haven’t stopped thinking of you since I met you. You’re driving me fucking crazy, Grant.”
“I’m driving you crazy, mountain man? My hard-on hasn’t stopped reminding me of our make-out session yesterday.”
“What about Sebastian?”
“What about him?”
“Is he your boyfriend or what?”
“Good friend. We were never like that. Irreconcilable differences.” Alister raised his hand to Manu’s cheek, which had sprouted a bit of morning stubble.
“So what is going on here, Grant? A little nookie with the tour guide before you head home to buy more Gucci? Is this what you think $700 gets?” Manu’s voice was rough, and even though his words were hard, that voice strummed through Alister like a violin. Horror stole over Alister. It didn’t occur to him that it looked just like that.
“No!”
“No?” Manu gave him a hard stare, and Alister felt like an idiot.
“It’s not like that. It’s just—damn it.”
“What?”
“I always do this. I go overboard. Full steam ahead.”
“I see. You can’t help yourself.”
“When it comes to you, no. Look, I don’t know how long I’ll be here. I thought that it wouldn’t be so bad if we continued what we started. But if you feel otherwise, I’ll just go home.”
“It’s that simple for you?”
Now anger rose through Alister’s gut. “No, it’s not. Either you want to, or you don’t. And I can see you don’t.” Alister twisted away from Manu and stepped toward Thunder, who stood chewing on grass.
And Manu grabbed his arm, and Alister looked up into Manu’s eyes.
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”
“You didn’t?”
Manu shook his head.
“Then—” Alister threw his arm around Manu’s thick neck and drew his body up to meet Manu’s lips. Alister was hungry and needy, and Manu’s flesh melding with his was the most delicious thing he tasted since yesterday. His heart pounded as his hand sought the prize below Manu’s waist and got rewarded with a moan as his hand gripped the bulge there.
Overhead a helicopter flew, and Alister almost stepped back.
“Don’t,” said Manu. “They aren’t looking for us. They can’t see much from that height.”
Eagerly, Manu’s hand undid Alister’s buckle with deft fingers, then unzipped his jeans. He reached in and tugged down Alister’s underwear.
“Fucking silk,” growled Manu. And in a second, the big man’s hand gripped Alister’s shaft, and that pressure had Alister seeing stars. He panted as he worked the belt buckle, then the top button of Manu’s jeans, hot enough to do anything with the sexy mountain guide. Manu used one hand to push his jeans and underwear over his hips. His cock sprang forward, and A
lister looked down and licked his lips. He wanted a taste of that. Instead, Manu pushed his cock against Alister’s and wrapped his big hand around both of them.
“Look at me,” said Manu in a husky voice.
Alister locked his eyes on Manu as the mountain man pulled on both cocks. Alister groaned, and his precum leaked on both of them. His strokes sped up, and Manu leaned forward and nipped Alister’s lower lip, then sucked on Alister’s neck. The slight pain spiked his excitement, and Alister burst apart. With a moan, Manu did too, and their cum spilled onto Manu’s hand.
Alister panted and leaned against Manu, trying to pull himself together. His heart’s beating seemed to grow louder, and he realized it was the sound of a helicopter getting closer. And then it descended beyond the rocky outcropping. They glanced at each other, and then Alister pulled up his jeans. Manu bent and washed his hands in the water, then pulled up his jeans, too.
“Do you know anything about that helicopter, Grant?”
But before Alister could answer, the familiar figure of his security stepped forward, pointing his handgun at Manu.
“Step away from Mr. Grant,” he said in a no-nonsense voice.
Chapter Eight
Manu
Alister groaned beside Manu as the man with the gun advanced.
“What the hell?” Manu said. “Is this guy serious?”
Alister’s face turned deathly pale, and Manu reached out to steady him.
“Step away from Mr. Grant,” the man repeated, this time in a more threatening tone.
“He’s serious,” gasped Alister.
“Who is he?”
“My bodyguard, the Grim Keeper.”
“Mr. Grant,” protested the bodyguard. “I’m only doing my job.”
“Go away,” said Alister. The twink started to hyperventilate, and Manu grew concerned. It dawned on him that Alister had lied to him about not suffering altitude sickness. Panic attacks and altitude sickness were remarkably similar, and Alister’s distress could rapidly turn into a cardiac health crisis.
“Here, sit down,” said Manu.
“I, I can’t breathe,” gasped Alister.
“I know,” said Manu. He steadied Alister as he helped him to the ground. “Put your head between your knees.”
