STORY EXCERPT

Riley knew he was in trouble when the twinkle in his pa’s eyes started to shimmer. “I’ve decided to hire Sterling as a ranch hand.”

Riley’s jaw dropped. “You what!”

Pa chuckled, and it was an ominous sound. He had an evil twist to his lips as he smiled at Riley. His pa leaned over and tapped the bottom of Riley’s chin. “Close your mouth, boy. You’re going to let all the flies in.”

Riley quickly closed his mouth, his eyes wandering over to where Sterling was talking to one of the cows.

Lord, help me.

“Why would you hire someone who knows absolutely nothing about ranching?” And why would his pa do this to him?

Riley was trying to keep his distance from Sterling, not work next to the man all day long. His cock already grew ramrod straight anytime Sterling was five feet from him. He knew it was the scent of his mate that kept him hard, but he also admitted that Sterling was a gorgeous man.

This was going to make working almost impossible. He couldn’t run from his help and expect Sterling to learn the ropes. No matter his objections, Riley would do what his pa asked. He was a loyal family man and respected his pa. But why couldn’t the guy ask him to tame Hell Raiser—the meanest black stallion Riley had ever come across—instead? That would be a lot easier than working around Sterling all day.

“I have Abe working the ranch and you don’t argue about it,” Pa pointed out.

Yeah, but Abe wasn’t his mate. Riley could leave Abe to his own devices. Riley knew for a damn fact his bear wasn’t going to let anything happen to Sterling. It roared at Riley every time he ran from Sterling.

Riley gave up the argument. He knew it was a lost cause. When his pa made up his mind, that was that. “I’ll head into town.”

Pa chuckled as he turned Lover Lost around, heading back toward the house. “Don’t sound like I’m sending you to your death, son. It’s just Sterling. He’s as harmless as a fly,” he shouted over his shoulder, and then laughed as he trotted away.

Riley narrowed his eyes. That man knew something. Riley hadn’t told anyone that Sterling was his mate. But Riley knew his pa knew. His pa had to know Riley and Sterling were mates or he wouldn’t be torturing Riley like this.

Turning Warrior toward the house, Riley groaned, knowing that Sterling was not only going to be his downfall, but his undoing as well. He could see it coming, and Riley was at a loss on how to avoid that train wreck from happening. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to avoid it or if he wanted it to happen.

Riley dismounted his horse and handed the reins off to his younger brother, Bryce, when he got close enough to the barn. He was not looking forward to the ride into town. Riley had been a prick to Sterling, and now he was going to have to sit next to the man and deal with his actions. “Can you take care of Warrior for me? I have to go into town for Pa.”

“Sure,” Bryce said as he grabbed the reins. “I ordered a new saddle last week. Can you see if it’s there while you’re at the feedstore?”

Riley tilted his head in a nod, wondering how he could get out of this in the next five seconds and knew he was wasting his time trying to ditch Sterling.

“Oh, and Riley,” Bryce called out as Riley began to walk to his truck. Riley turned and wished he hadn’t when he saw the wicked grin on his brother’s face. “Have fun on the drive into town.”

Riley growled as Bryce busted up laughing, shaking his head as he walked Warrior to the back of the barn. Riley wasn’t sure who figured out his relationship with Sterling, but it was a sure bet that if Bryce knew, everyone knew.

Damn it.

“I’m told I have to ride into town with you, sir.”

Riley’s steps slowed, and then he paused in his walking, glancing back at his mate. Sir? Where in the hell did that come from? Riley fully turned to see Sterling standing there, his big light-grey eyes filled with something Riley didn’t want to decipher. “Why are you calling me sir?”

“Because,” Sterling said as he grinned, making Riley’s cock harden and his heart melt, “Chauncey told me you liked to be called sir.”

Riley inwardly growled. One of these days he was going to teach his brothers a lesson. They played around a little too damn much. Just wait until he got his hands on the troublemaking twin. Riley balled his fists at his sides, ready to go find Chauncey and knock some sense into the man.

“Don’t call you sir?” Sterling asked, his mouth dipping down into a deep frown.

“Call me Riley.” He headed toward his truck, not waiting on the young man. Halfway to his truck, Riley spun around so fast, he nearly fell over his own feet.

“What’s wrong?” Sterling asked, blinking innocently up at him.

“You just touched my ass!”

“I did?” Sterling lifted his hands, looking at them as if they were their own entity. “Dang things must have a mind of their own.”

Riley sighed in exasperation, waving a hand toward the truck. “Get in.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“Do you want me to stretch you, or…can I watch?”

Sterling looked confused for a moment, cocking his head to the side, and then his eyes widened slightly, just a hair, as his entire body flushed a nice pink. Riley was discovering that although Sterling was aggressive in some aspects, he was shy as hell in others. And talking about sex seemed to be one of his shy points.

This was going to be interesting considering sex was the only time Riley became the chatty one. He loved talking dirty while having sex, and Sterling was about to find out just how much.

And hopefully he could get Sterling over his shyness because Riley loved being talked dirty to just as much.

“I…uh…” Sterling glanced down at his feet, tapping the bottle lightly on his naked thigh.

“Come here, hon.”

Sterling neared the bed, kneeling down onto it and resting his hand on Riley’s knee. His leg was bent, and Riley pushed it toward Sterling as he palmed his cock. “You don’t want to give me a show?”

Sterling swallowed hard but nodded.

“Then get on your hands and knees with your tight little ass facing me.”

Sterling set the bottle of lube down and then did as Riley instructed. Riley picked the bottle up, opened the cap, and drizzled some of the clear gel down the crack of Sterling’s ass.

Sterling jumped.

“Easy, hon. I can go as slow as you need me to.”

“It’s cold.”

Riley set the bottle aside and ran a hand over one firm mound. “Give me your hand.”

Sterling reached back and Riley curled his fingers around Sterling’s wrist, guiding the man’s fingers toward his small puckered hole. The angle was no good.

“Straddle my legs,” Riley instructed as he lowered his bent leg and watched as Sterling climbed over them. Oh hell. The man’s hole was right there in front of Riley. He had an urge to lick the man silly, but he wanted to watch Sterling stretch himself even more.

Riley took Sterling’s wrist and guided it back to his ass once more, brushing Sterling’s fingers over the quivering ring. “Do you feel that?”

“Y–Yes.”

Riley curled Sterling’s fingers in, leaving only one still standing out, and then pressed it into Sterling’s body until the finger slid past the band of muscles and sank all the way in. He released his mate’s hand.

“I think you know what to do from here.” He sat back, palming his cock once more as he watched Sterling’s finger slide back out and then glide back in. Riley grabbed the base of his cock. It was throbbing so badly that he was afraid he was going to come on the spot from the erotic sight.

Sterling stretched himself stiffly, as if it were a chore more than something sensual. Riley reached a hand up and traced his mate’s fingers, pushing Sterling’s fingers in every other stroke. Riley uncurled Sterling’s fist, and helped his mate slide another inside.

“Does it feel good, baby?” Riley asked. “Because it sure as hell looks good from back here.”

His mate groaned as he dropped his head. “You’re going to drive me crazy, Riley.”

Riley slowly stroked his cock, watching how the skin stretched for his mate’s fingers. He couldn’t stand it any longer. The sight of Sterling’s ass sucking his fingers in was too much. Riley scooted down the bed until he was under the man and then took Sterling’s cock into his mouth, feeding his dick to Sterling. He grabbed Sterling’s hips, rocking the man up and down, feeding his mate’s shaft to himself.

Sterling whimpered, sucking at Riley’s cock, his tongue caressing the sensitive flesh. Riley used one hand to push his fingers in alongside Sterling’s, wanting the man stretched completely before he fucked and claimed his mate. The tension in Sterling’s body was gone. He was riding Riley’s cock with his moist mouth aggressively, plunging down on every downstroke.

His bear was anxious to break free, anxious for Riley to claim Sterling, but Riley kept him at bay. The pressure in his balls was mounting, and a hunger was unleashing inside of him at an unbelievable rate of speed. He wanted to consume this man, to stake his claim and let the world know that Sterling Lagrange belonged to Riley Lakeland and anyone dumb enough to fuck with his mate would pay the ultimate price.

The possessiveness was all-consuming, the need to bite was mounting, and the pleasure inside of him was growing to a fevered pitch.

Riley released Sterling’s cock with a growl, pulling his mate off of him and dropping the man to his knees. “I’m going to fuck you so hard and so fast, baby,” he snarled right before he plunged his cock deep inside his mate.

Sterling hissed and then shouted as he spread his legs wider. Riley gripped Sterling’s hips and then exhaled a long breath. He had to slow down. He couldn’t take Sterling this way. Not their first time together.

Maybe the next.

Riley tucked his hands behind his back, reining in the out-of-control freight train that was barreling full speed ahead. He had to use patience, control, and care. “Fuck me, Sterling,” he commanded as he watched his cock slip in and out of his mate’s ass. It took every scrap of control Riley possessed not to thrust, but he managed to remain statue-still.

But that didn’t mean he had to remain quiet.

“You like fucking my cock, Sterling? Do you like feeling this thick piece of flesh splitting you in half?”

Sterling moaned as he rocked back onto Riley’s cock harder and faster.

“Answer me, hon.”

“Yes.”

Riley’s eyes flickered up to his mate’s head to see that it was rolling on his shoulders, and then his eyes were pulled back down to Sterling’s puckered ass like a magnet.