Day, Xondra - Menage on the Prairie (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (6 page)

Jason grinned. “You’re looking at me funny. Is there something wrong? Do I look that bad?”

Ryan pulled his hand away, breaking their physical connection. “No
…
no,” he stammered. “Not at all.” His face grew hot. “Your eyes startled me, the color.”

Jason nodded, the grin remaining on his face. “I get that a lot. It could be the color of my skin that makes them stand out so much.” He gestured to one bare arm. “I sure do tan easy.”

He did indeed. Ryan could
not help but look him over. Without a doubt he was attracted to this Jason. It was wrong. He couldn’t feel that way about another boy. It was a sin. Yet, it was there. And standing in front of Jason, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to touch him.

“Yeah, it looks good on you.” Ryan lowered his eyes and regretted that statement. It wasn’t normal to say that to another boy. Blood rushed into his cheeks.

“You think?” asked Jason. “Momma tells me I should cover up more when working, but I get so darned hot.”

Ryan looked up. “Yeah, it’s hot all right.” He watched as Jason unbuttoned his shirt to the waist, revealing an equally tanned, tight torso, a light
trail
of blond fuzz meandering down into his trousers. Damn, he could feel himself getting hard. “So, yeah, you can start by helping me finish the stalls.”

They worked until noon, only stopping to go inside for dinner.

Jason sat across the table from Ryan and told both parents his life story while they all looked on, amazed at Jason’s gift for gabbing, as Ryan’s father often called it.

When they finished, Jason thanked Ryan’s mother and was off, eager to get back to work.

“How’s he working out, Ryan?” asked his father. “Any trouble?”

Ryan nodded his head in the negative. “No, sir, he’s one heck of a hard worker. He hasn’t stopped since he arrived.” It was the truth.

“He sure can talk,” chimed Joe’s mother. She laughed and shook her head as she cleared the table. “But there’s no harm in that. I think he’ll work out just fine. You can tell him the spare room will be made up for him and ready after supper.

Ryan looked to his father. “He’s staying here?”

“Of course. He can’t make that trek every day. He’s agreed to work the week, and the weekends are his own unless I need him if anything comes up out of the ordinary. That was the agreement.”

Just the thought of Jason sleeping in the next room. Well, there was that feeling again, one of anxiety mixed in with a whole mess of confused emotions.

Together, Ryan and Jason worked until late afternoon under the sweltering heat of the sun. When they had finished irrigating the crops, both collapsed under a nearby tree, seeking relief from the sun’s harsh rays.

“Man, that’s hard work,” proclaimed Jason, taking a swig of water from his canteen. He then handed it to Ryan who gratefully accepted. “Is it always like this?”

“Naw, it’ll get easier, and the weather isn’t always this hot.”

Side by side, they leaned back against the tree, deep into the cooling shade.

Stealing a sideways glance, Ryan could see that Jason’s eyes were closed, his shirt wide open. He wanted to slide his hand across Jason’s chest, to feel him, to caress him. The stirring in his trousers felt good.

“You’re looking at me again,” said Jason, smiling.

“I wasn’t.” Ryan was firm in his reply. He turned his head away and pretended interest in something else.

“You were looking at me, I caught you, and I know I wasn’t dreaming since I wasn’t asleep but resting my eyes.” He felt Jason punch him in the arm gently. “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

“But I wasn’t
.
”

“If you say so. So, I’m hot as hell sitting here. How about we go down to the river to take a dip?”

“Yeah, sure. I know a shallow spot, the current’s not too bad there.” And they were off.

Standing on the riverbank with arms planted firmly across his chest, Ryan watched as Jason stripped off his clothes. With eyes rooted on the little white behind that faced him, he fought to control his erection that was ready to burst through the confines of his trousers.

Jason glanced back at him. “Come on, get out of your clothes and let’s dive right in.”

“Yeah, okay. You go on ahead, and I’ll be right there.”

Jason shrugged his shoulders, and with one leap, landed in the river with a mighty splash.

Perhaps if he willed his hardness to go away, it would. But his thoughts stayed on that white ass, smooth and perfect, a stark contrast in color to the rest of Jason’s body.

Now naked, Ryan covered himself and walked to the edge of the bank. Jason, in the water with just his head sticking out, motioned for him to come in.

“It’s great, nice and cool.”

Ryan slid into the water, cool was right! He shivered slightly, getting down into it. Goose pimples broke out over his arms.

“This is awesome,” gushed Jason. “I could stay here all day.”

Being in such close proximity, naked with Jason, made Ryan nervous. It must have shown, and it wasn’t long before Jason took notice.

Jason swam to him and near the riverbank where it was shallow, they lounged in the water.

There was silence as
each stared up into the hazy blue sky.

“Can I ask you something?” Jason asked, this time there was no joking manner in his voice, nor was there a grin on his face. His stark
blue eyes stared directly at Ryan, who said nothing in return. He just did a quick nod.

“Can I touch you?” The words came fast out of Jason’s mouth. He pulled himself closer toward Ryan. “I mean, would it be okay?”

Ryan reached out, and took Jason’s hand, guiding it to his chest.

They came together, slick skin against slick skin. At first, each just caressed the other, no words were exchanged, each being transfixed with exploring the other.

“Come on, let’s go up on the bank.” Jason grabbed his hand, pulling him up from the water. He was fully hard now and so was Jason.

Under a cluster of trees they lay down atop their clothes.

“You’re beautiful,” said Jason, sliding next to Ryan. “I’ve never
told another guy that, but I felt the need to say it.”

Jason moved in closer, their lips touched, just grazing.

“That’s nice,” murmured Ryan, caught up in
Jason’s twinkling eyes. He felt Jason’s hardness rubbing against his leg as Jason ground into him.

“When I saw you this morning, I knew you were like me.”

“How did you know? I didn’t even know for sure about myself.” Ryan blushed.

Jason grinned. “I felt something between us. But it cinched it for me when I knew you were sizing me up.”

“No one can ever know.”

Jason nodded. “No one will.” He pressed one finger against Ryan’s lips. “It’s our secret.” They kissed.

They explored each other that day and when they had finished, a friendship had been forged along with a bond.

“That was awesome.” Ryan pulled on his trousers and then his shirt. “We’ll have to do that again.”

Jason chuckled. “You can say that again.” He winked. “I could have you again right here and now. ’Cept we have to get back or your father will wonder where we have run off to.” Jason grabbed him by the trousers and pulled him in close. “But don’t think you’ll be getting away from me that easy.” A hand grabbed his butt and then another gripped his cheeks. “Like I said, I could have you again, right here.”

“You need to get dressed,” suggested Ryan, being the voice of reason. His hands rested on Jason’s shoulders. He leaned in and kissed Jason’s cheek.

It was like that for the rest of the summer and well into the harvest season. They were inseparable, and whenever they could, they went off together to have time to themselves.

Then one day in late October, Jason was gone.

“He’s gone?” Ryan asked, looking at his father not believing what he was hearing.

“Of course. We won’t need him now that the harvest is over.”

“Of course. It was stupid of me to think otherwise.”

Outside on the front porch, the crisp October night air brought with it a bitter chill. Jason was gone, no good-bye, just gone.

He felt like screaming out into the night. And damn it all to hell.
For once he had found someone, a friend who understood him. And now, it was over, Jason was gone.

A lump formed in the back of his throat, tears welled in his eyes. He wouldn’t give in to them, no sir, not now he wouldn’t. He’d be fine, he’d be a man, and everything would be okay.

Chapter Five

Kate stood, staring off into the distance as Joe passed her heading into the cabin. When he returned he stopped, placing one hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled.

“I have work to do, so I guess you can do whatever it is that womenfolk do. If you need anything, I’ll be around. Just call for me. I should be able to hear you.”

Kate watched him walk off into the distance. Backing up, she turned and entered the house. She wasn’t the domestic type back in her old life, a life that it now seemed so long ago she’d been catered to by servants.

But this was now, this was her reality, and like it or not, she’d made the choice to come here
to marry Joe. There was no going back, there was nothing to go back to. She shuddered to think what her father would say if she did after running
off only leaving him a brief letter.

Dearest Father,

As I sit here, penning this letter, my heart is filled with much sadness and regret. After much thinking on my part, I’ve decided that I have no choice but to leave this place and my past behind.

I assure you that I will be fine. Please do not worry about me.

Your Daughter,

Kate

By then she had already made arrangements to come to Joe. So, early in the morning hours, she’d slipped the note onto her father’s desk in the library, taking her leave via the back door of the house before any of the servants had a chance to stir.

“Hello?”

Goodness! Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“Ryan, I didn’t hear you come in. I figured you’d still be in town.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just had some brief business to take care of, then I made my way back.” He held a package wrapped in brown paper in his right hand.

“We could have waited for you. There was no need for you to walk all that way. And in this heat, it isn’t good.”

He nodded. “It’s only bad from noon on. I can handle it. I’m used to it.” There was a slight coolness to his voice.

“You don’t like me very much do you?” questioned Kate. Right after she said those words, she wished she hadn’t. But she was never one for going through back doors. She preferred people to be up front and honest, and thus she lived by those rules herself.