David Livingston has fallen -- and fallen hard -- for Marcus. With some confusion and a lot of nerves, he's taking Marcus home to the family for Christmas. With a high school sweetheart in the picture, lots of family around, and lots to do, there's not much time for privacy.
Too many pulls on his time and too many emotions swirl away in David's heart. Is he gay? Is this just a one-shot deal with Marcus, just a way to explore a mere curiosity? Or is it something deeper, something that will change his entire life?
David and Marcus have to makes some tough choices all in the middle of Horsing Around.
This story appears in the author's print collection, Holding the Reins and Other Stories.
Sara invited Katie, a classmate from David’s high school for lunch. A girl he dated and petted and he’d nuzzled between her legs a couple of times, and it was probably the first time he’d fallen in love, but now he looked at her and felt nothing. David chatted with Katie for a bit then she wanted to check email, and so he set her up in Stan’s office. Marcus came downstairs, freshly dressed in pressed khakis and a pale yellow dress shirt that set off his dark skin and eyes. He made David’s knees go wobbly, just seeing him at the kitchen island, trying to help with the salad, and David felt a rush of heat. The women in the room perked up.
Hands off, girls.
“Want to go outside and check the horses?” David asked. His belly and groin warmed. Marcus ... and some privacy.
“Sure.” Marcus’s gaze was even.
Sara spoke up as they headed towards the mudroom. “Don’t you horsemen ever get enough of those beasts?”
“Never.” Marcus boomed as they tugged on their jackets and pulled on gloves. “Equines are creatures from the gods!”
They ran up the hill to the barn, laughing, feet crunching on the cold earth. Belle, the head mare, poked her head out of the side window of her stall and whinnied. Inside, the barn was warmer, filled with the pleasant scent of hay and horses and rightness. Marcus went over to Paulie’s stall, and David watched as Marcus checked the colt’s left haunch where the colt had banged up against a fence. His big hands smoothed over the animal’s pelt and David felt himself stir, wanting Marcus’s hands on him, in him, and more.
“Hey,” David said, his voice soft.
Marcus looked up, saw David's face, and stepped out of the stall. David took his hand and led him to the hayloft on the south end of the barn. Once up the ladder, David set up two hay bales, waist high and he leaned against them, watching Marcus. David was hard already, his breath puffing in the afternoon’s cool air.
Marcus’s eyes were soft. “What do you want, babe?”
“You. I want you.” David slipped off his heavy coat and loafers. He unfastened his pants and let them drop to the floor. A puff of hay dust rose in the air. Marcus’s face flushed, went tight as his gaze moved down David’s body. David tugged open his shirt.
