STORY EXCERPT

Elliot stood on the porch as he watched Jess talk with the new hired hands. His morning usually consisted of office work, but today he was interested in something else. More to the point—someone else.

Standing by Jess was a man who intrigued Elliot. His brother stood there deciding where the new hands should go, and before Elliot could stop himself, he headed toward his brother. “I’ll take him.”

Have you lost your mind?

He must have, because he couldn’t stop himself from moving closer. He needed to get to work, to ignore the strange urge inside of him. Hello, hired hand, remember?

He ignored his inner voice.

As they headed back toward the house, the guy gazed up at him with a smile. “I’m Courtney.”

Kind of a girly name.

But the name fit the man and he liked it. “I’m Elliot Wylde.”

Courtney’s lips curved upward. “Wow, what a strong name for such a strong man.”

Elliot’s face burned with heat. “I’ll be right back.” Before Courtney could say another word, Elliot headed toward the house, breathing hard as he wondered if he hadn’t really lost his damn mind. He had a rule of no fooling around with the hands, but one pretty face and he was breaking it like a bad habit.

“You want another cup before I put this away?” Aunt Meg asked as she entered the dining room, wiping her hands on a towel. Elliot nodded. Hell, he needed something stronger. Was five in the morning too early to start tossing back shots?

“You looked flushed.” Aunt Meg held concern in her honey-gold eyes. “Are you coming down with something?”

Yeah, stupid-itis.

“No, I’m fine.” He accepted the mug from his aunt and saw the morning paper on the sideboard. Snagging it, he walked back outside. The way he was behaving was bizarre and a little confusing. He was ready to go back to bed and start his day all over again. Maybe his common sense would be intact this time.

You’ve already offered to take him so just stick to business.

Clearing his throat, Elliot stepped onto the porch. The activity around the ranch had already begun, the hired hands busy with their jobs. The only two standing around were Courtney and the other new hire, Ben Cross.

Courtney turned toward him and, even from this distance, Elliot could see pleasure in the man’s eyes. Courtney started to walk toward him and Elliot stood there, hypnotized by the sway of the man’s hips. They rocked back and forth gently, making Elliot’s cock jerk in his jeans.

Fuck, he’s pretty.

Courtney stopped in front of him, cocking his head to the side while he smiled in a bemused manner at Elliot. “Where’d you go? I usually don’t lose men.”

Elliot wasn’t sure what to say to that. Was it a come-on? “I’m working in my office today, but I could use some help organizing the paperwork.”

A smirk tightened at the side of Courtney’s mouth and Elliot suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss those blushing lips. “Carson didn’t say anything about an office assistant, but I’d be more than happy to help you with anything you need.”

Lord, help me. “Follow me.”

Courtney moved in front of Elliot, pulling the screen door open. When Elliot’s brow hitched up, Courtney said, “Your hands are full, boss.”

“Just call me Elliot.” He walked in to see Aunt Meg clearing away the breakfast dishes. She glanced at Courtney, as if measuring him up, and then gave the man a warm smile.

“And who do we have here?”

She was greeting Courtney as if Elliot was bringing a damn date home—which he’d never done a day in his life.

“A hired hand.” He stressed the words, hoping she took the hint. But Aunt Meg wasn’t one to be easily dissuaded. She walked around the cluttered table, giving Courtney’s hand a shake.

“I like her,” Courtney said as he smiled at Elliot and then turned toward Aunt Meg. “I’m Courtney Landing, ma’am.”

“Everyone just calls me Aunt Meg. Would you like some coffee, Courtney?” Before an answer was given, Elliot’s aunt was going back into the kitchen.

“She’s so sweet.” Courtney said it like he had just been playing with a small puppy. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

“Don’t get too comfortable in the house.” Elliot began to move down the hallway. “This is just for today. Tomorrow you’ll be out there with the other hands.” He wasn’t even sure why he’d taken Courtney from Jess. When in the house, Elliot liked to work alone. It was his unwinding time, his chance to snatch a few hours of peace. He had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen with Courtney around.

Aunt Meg came down the hallway, white mug in her hand. “It’s black. I wasn’t sure what you took in it.”

“This is fine.” Courtney took the mug and then dropped a quick kiss on Aunt Meg’s cheek. “Thank you so much for offering it to me.”

His aunt’s cheek flamed with embarrassment as she shooed him away. Elliot rolled his eyes at the transparent ass kissing. “Let’s get to work.”

Settling behind his desk, Elliot set his mug down, tossed the morning paper aside, and then showed Courtney what he wanted done. The man’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at the monitor. “I know this program. I used it at my last job.”

“Which was?” Elliot asked, wondering if Courtney was telling the truth. He seemed pretty good as schmoozing and Elliot refused to be taken in by the man’s pretty face.

Dumb shmuck. You already have.

Courtney smirked, apparently hearing the doubt in Elliot’s tone. “I was a secretary for a small advertising company in Ridge Creek.”

Elliot asked heartily, “Then why are you working a cattle ranch?”

“Don’t make fun of me. I like to try new things.” Courtney moved closer, clicking a few buttons and showing Elliot some things he didn’t even know about the program he’d worked with for close to ten months. The guy really did seem to know what he was doing.

ADULT EXCERPT

God, this felt so damn good. His apartment didn’t even have half the water pressure Elliot’s shower was giving him. What he wouldn’t give to have water pressure like this at home. Courtney stuck his head under the spray, feeling like a new man as he scrubbed his body down. He remembered that he wasn’t at home and needed to hurry.

Too bad he couldn’t spend another half an hour in there, but he had to get out. Courtney cut the water and stepped onto the rug, grabbing a towel from the rack by the medicine cabinet. Once he ran the cloth over his damp hair, he dried himself off and walked out into the bedroom.

Tossing the towel over his shoulder, he began to look through Elliot’s drawers for some jogging pants.

“What are you doing?”

Courtney froze. Elliot was standing in the doorway, looking seven kinds of pissed. Oh, boy. The man was going to fire him. He could see it in Elliot’s dark-grey eyes. This really sucked because Courtney needed this job. It had taken him three months just to get another job after the advertising company had folded. Work was scarce and he couldn’t afford to be unemployed. “I’m really sorry,” he quickly said. “I was feeling so damn nasty after waking up from sweating and vomiting that I needed to get the scum off of me.”

“I was talking about you going through my drawers.” Elliot moved into the room, shutting the one Courtney had just been rifling through. “This is my bedroom. I expected you to respect that fact when I allowed you to rest in here.”

“I was just looking to see if you had any jogging pants. I swear, Elliot, I wasn’t snooping. I told you that you could trust me, and I meant that.” Courtney was feeling desperate, terrified that Elliot was going to tell him to get the hell out.

“You could have just asked.”

Courtney waved a hand at his body. “I’m naked. I’m real sure Aunt Meg would have had something to say if I’d come down there with my dick swinging in the wind. She seems pretty open minded, but I’m sure she draws the line at exposed ass cracks.”

A smile twitched at Elliot’s lips. Courtney grinned. Elliot chuckled. Courtney burst out laughing. And then the most unexpected thing happened. Elliot moved into Courtney’s space, grabbed his hips, and crushed his mouth over Courtney’s.

Holy shit!

Courtney snagged Elliot around the nape of his neck, pulling the man closer as his exposed cock hardened until it was smashed between them. He rocked his body up and down, using the friction to pleasure himself.

Elliot’s callused hand was firm at the small of his back, one finger just tracing the top of Courtney’s crack. Flames licked up his spine and he was afraid he was gonna come right there, right then. Elliot pulled back enough to tip his head and slant their mouths together more deeply. His tongue licked Courtney’s teeth, swept the depths of his desire. Courtney’s hair was in both their eyes, a lustrous tangle that kept them from looking at each other clearly.

Reaching up with one hand, Elliot brushed the wet strands aside as Courtney continued to rub his cock over Elliot’s clothes. “Please, Elliot…oh…please let me get off.”

Courtney had never wanted something as badly as he wanted release. Just the hot, sweaty smell of the man bruising his lips was making him senseless. Elliot pushed Courtney into the dresser before wrapping his fingers around Courtney’s cock, stroking it with quick, eager moves.

He hissed as his fingers scrambled to unsnap Elliot’s pants. He got the zipper down and then reached past the denim and underwear, gasping as he felt the thick girth in his hand. Both hands were pumping, both men groaning and panting.

Courtney spread his legs wider, wishing they would go further, but didn’t ask for fear of breaking whatever spell they were under. As if the man had been inside his head, Elliot released Courtney’s shaft, spun him around, and bent him over the dresser before dropping to his knees and tonguing Courtney’s hole.

“Oh, fuuuccck!” Courtney groaned loudly. He wasn’t sure what the hell had gotten into the man, but prayed Elliot didn’t stop. If he did, Courtney was going to beat the man over the head with his erection.

When Elliot inserted a finger into the tiny pink muscles, Courtney damn near crawled up the wall. He hitched one leg on the dresser, his fingers curling into the edge of the wood.

“You made me break my goddamn rule.” Elliot growled before biting him on the ass. Courtney was well aware of what he was talking about. Aunt Meg had already filled him in. But the woman had been wrong about Courtney needing to make the first move.

Elliot was a beast.

There were two fingers now fucking his ass, and Courtney couldn’t stand still. He kept bucking, jutting his ass further out, feeling Elliot lapping at his balls. God, he was going to come if the man didn’t hurry up and get inside of him.

“Now, Elliot…now!”

The drawer was pulled open and Courtney could see Elliot grabbing a condom. Just how many stashes did the man have? If shit got serious between them, he was going to have a talk with Elliot about why he needed to stuff condoms around his bedroom.

Courtney nearly went mad waiting for Elliot to roll the damn thing on. He was about to turn around and help when he felt the blunt head pushing at his hole. Courtney took matters into his own hands and slammed his ass back, seating himself as they both hissed and groaned.

“I think I just pushed the breath out of me.” Courtney swallowed hard, sweat breaking out all over his body.

There goes my shower.

Elliot licked a path up Courtney’s arm until he reached his shoulder, placing a kiss there before he asked, “Ready?”

Good god! The man’s eyes were dark steel. He was so fucking sexy that Courtney nearly whimpered.

Elliot thrust his hips.

Courtney did whimper.

“Come on, baby. You can take me.” Elliot grabbed Courtney’s hips and began to piston into him as he licked a path up his spine. He wasn’t sure if they should be doing this, but common sense had fled the moment Elliot touched him. He was puttering along on pure instinct now. Horny instinct. That should have been a warning sign in and of itself.