Texas_Heat- (13 page)

Robbie finished the chores to get the horses sorted in ten minutes where it would have normally taken thirty. He would usually spend time talking to the horses, petting them and settling them but Eli had broken through every single barrier Robbie had with that simple statement. Eli had admitted he didn't want just any rough and ready cowboy taking him hard and fast, and he didn't want smooth and urbane and slick taking things slow. He wanted both. Eli said he wanted each part of him and, God help him, Robbie believed him.

Once finished, he went back to where Eli stood quiet and still. Robbie didn't want to talk and break anything they had sorted. He offered his hand, Eli took it, and Robbie guided the man up the outside stairs and into his small room. He couldn't remember what he had done to the bed this morning but at least it was kind of tidy. Eli didn't appear to care. As soon as the door was shut he was kissing Robbie. How they remained standing Robbie wasn't sure. Eli kissed like his life depended on it and didn't seem to want to stop for air. Robbie shoved at him slightly and Eli leaned back in.

"Slow down, we need to breathe," Robbie said. He aimed for teasing and was rewarded by Eli raising his eyebrows.

Eli muttered something under his breath that sounded like he didn't want to take his time but Robbie chuckled. "Let's take this horizontal," he said.

Eli got with that plan pretty quickly, shucking boots and jeans and a button-down until he stood in some pretty damn sexy shorts. Robbie followed suit but just a little slower. He was hot and sweaty from a day's work and really needed a shower. He wondered how that would go down with Eli and then inhaled sharply when Eli literally jumped him and overbalanced them both onto the bed.

Eli wasn't having any of it. Experimentally he licked a stripe from Robbie's throat to a nipple, and suddenly a shower was right down the list of options if it meant he could get Eli biting and then laving his nipple like he was now.

"You taste like outside," Eli said. His voice was little more than a whisper. For a moment he sat upright, straddling Robbie's legs and just tracing Robbie's every muscle with his gaze.

"Something you like?" Robbie said. He had to break the intensity of Eli's concentration a little, and God, he wanted Eli's hands and mouth back on him.

Eli leaned forward and mutely requested more kisses by touch alone. "The minute I saw you I wanted you." He broke off from talking and trailed kisses to the other nipple.

Robbie pressed up into the touch and then sank his hands into Eli's hair. He wanted more of this. It had been too long. Tugging, he managed to get Eli up to lip level and stole more kisses. The lazy slide of tongues turned to more and when Eli moved his hand and pulled at Robbie's shorts, he was lost in sensation. The first touch of Eli's hand had Robbie moaning Eli's name. The lithe younger man was over him and tasting him, and sensation swirled inside Robbie. They were still kissing. Robbie had never had sex like this before. With Paul there were stolen moments when both were too exhausted to do anything more than get off, except for one memorable time in Brisbane when they had the whole weekend. That was when Robbie found out how much he liked slow and steady. The eroticism of preparation with the slide of fingers and the burn and the slick, slippery lube that trickled onto his balls was enough jerk-off material to last him a lifetime.

Robbie had never asked if Eli topped. Maybe he never did?
"Eli," Robbie said.
Eli looked up from where his mouth was leaving ovals of red skin where blood bloomed to the surface.
"When we're done, will you fuck me?"
Eli's eyes widened, but not because of the implications of the question it seemed. He lowered his gaze and for a moment, he was still.
Robbie hated the stillness and the sudden anxious look in Eli's eyes. "You don't have to—"
"I want to," Eli interrupted. "Thing is…" His voice trailed off and he laid his head on Robbie's chest, "I get tired."
"I'm sorry." The last thing Robbie wanted to do was to remind Eli of his illness or the lack of energy he said he sometimes felt. "I didn't mean—"
"No," Eli said with simple finality. He raised his head and locked gazes. "Give me an hour or so to recover then believe me, I would like nothing better than to get inside you." His voice was curiously husky. "First though. You in me. Now."
Robbie felt tension slip and it was replaced by the same arousal he had been feeling on and off ever since he met Eli. Just the man's voice was enough to send shivers down Robbie's spine and when they kissed it was as if they had never stopped to talk. With a practiced twist Robbie had Eli on his back and there it was, his body laid out for Robbie to mark and use and love.
Dusk was darkening the room a little, blurring the edges, making every single touch and sigh more intimate and immediate. Robbie reached for his own lube—he wanted to do this right—Eli simply spread himself and tilted his hips in invitation.
Robbie sat up with his knees between Eli's legs, took the head of Eli's cock into his mouth, and the taste and weight of this man was perfect. Closing the gap between mouth and root with his lubed hand, he set up a rhythm that he knew could get Eli off if they wanted to. He stopped when moaning and pleading turned to little more than shallow breathing and tension made Eli's thighs rock solid. Taking his lubed hand to Eli's ass, he pressed there and pushed inside. Just one finger. Enough to spread lube inside and crook to touch the nerve-filled sensitive channel. Eli moaned and Robbie felt Eli's fingers grazing Robbie's lips and pressing inside his mouth.
Robbie groaned at the feeling—of Eli touching himself while Robbie was tasting—and he couldn't bring himself to tell Eli not to touch his own dick. The way this was going Eli was going to come hard and fast without Robbie even getting a look in. That was fine. Impossibly, it was evident he was really only focused on Eli, which was a new sensation. A second finger joined the first with his thumb pressing the taint between ass and balls. The pressure there was evidently an overload as Eli turned from merely breathing to guttural begging. The lube was slippery slick and he pushed a third finger deeper inside Eli. God, Robbie wanted inside and he wanted it now. Lifting his wet lips from the end of Eli's cock, he left with a broad swipe of his tongue across Eli's hand and to his balls—Eli's ass lifted off the bed, giving Robbie the best view he had ever seen. Eli was begging and twisting his head as Robbie pressed the P-spot and sent Eli higher. Eli's hand was closed around his own dick but he wasn't moving his hand, simply pressing it flat against his hip bone. Robbie hurriedly rolled a condom on himself, hissing when the touch of it against his sensitive skin nearly made him come there and then.
He moved until his knees supported Eli's upper thighs, and with no words he pushed the broad head of his dick against Eli's slippery wet hole. The pressure was intense and Robbie saw Eli shut his eyes.
"Sorry if I hurt you." He groaned as he pushed through the ring of tight muscle and beyond.
"Not… hurting…" Eli muttered. His face screwed up with concentration and Robbie waited until the expression eased. When it had he pressed forward and finally, when Eli's body allowed him to, he was balls deep in the sexiest man he had ever seen. Eli groaned and opened his eyes wide.
"You need to move," he said.
Robbie looked into his beautiful green eyes and then to his hands gripping the white sheets tightly.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Get on with it, you fucker," Eli griped.
Robbie chuckled and pulled out a little before pushing back in. Gently he continued to do this until he saw Eli's breathing settled into a rhythm he could match. This wasn't going to take long. Robbie leaned over as best he could to kiss. He loved kissing while fucking. It meant he was close enough to taste Eli and hear the delicious sounds he was making.
Orgasm twisted low in him. The tingle of being so near and edging, then pulling nearly out and waiting was as near damn perfect as anything.
"I need…" Eli said around the kisses.
"What? What do you need, Eli?"
"Harder." Eli's hand was running the length of his dick and pre-cum lightened the end as he drew his fingers up and over.
Robbie was happy to comply and he shifted slightly so he had a steady base. Moving this way meant he could go deeper, harder, push more. The pace was punishing and the sweat he had worked up outside with the horses was nothing on the sheen of moisture on his and Eli's skin. A minute, nothing more, and Eli arched with a muffled shout and was coming across his belly with Robbie following soon after from the delicious tensing of Eli's muscles around him.
For a second they stayed still, blue gaze meeting green, and the high of orgasm thick in the air. As he softened, Robbie gripped the end of the condom and dropped it to the floor by the bed. He could deal with it in a minute when he actually had some energy.
Still panting heavily, he slumped to one side and moved his hands above his head.
"Fuck, Eli," was all he could manage.
"That was…" Eli was boneless, sprawled over his half of the bed with a blissed-out expression on his face.
"Best. Sex. Ever," Robbie replied. He was not lying. He couldn't remember feeling as wiped out and high when he'd had sex. Eli begging and pleading and then having him writhing under him had literally blown his mind.
"Not sex… I love you," Eli murmured.
Robbie couldn't help tensing at the words.
Love is dangerous. It makes you plant roots where maybe you don't want any.
"Don't say things like that," Robbie half whispered.
"You can't stop me from saying I love you." Eli sounded incredulous. "Doesn't matter what you think back, I just want you to know that I want more of this. I don't just want sex."
"I'm leaving at the end of the season." Robbie kept his thoughts to himself about whether or not he could bring himself to leave the Double D, Eli or no Eli. "No point in making plans and promises past Christmas."
"Guess not," Eli said.
His tone was very even and Robbie was thankful Eli wasn't going all possessive on him. The sex was good. Hell, the sex was awesome. And who could blame him if he wanted to pull Eli in for a cuddle just about now. Post-sex cuddling wasn't on his list of things to avoid in life. He had to avoid falling in love again. That was number one.
Eli didn't say anything else. He rolled on to his side and rested his head on Robbie's chest, settling in close and falling asleep really quickly. When he was convinced that Eli was deeply under, he eased himself out of bed and pulled on his jeans and boots. He just needed to check the horses before he could really settle to sleep. He opened the door and the cool evening air slapped at his room-hot body and he smiled. There was nothing better than the touch of breeze that stirred the night.
"Everything okay?"
Robbie looked down at the fencing close to the barn. Jack leaned against the wood and looked up at him. He guessed the shit was going to hit the fan in the end but still he was hoping maybe he and Eli could go at least a few nights without having to sneak around and be watched.
"Yeah," he answered. Taking the steps two at a time he stopped at the bottom. His heart wanted to go straight to the horses; his head told him Jack's presence near his place was maybe an indication he wanted to talk.
"Is Eli asleep?"
Robbie leaned against the same fence with his booted foot up on the lower level. He could play this one of two ways:
Yes, Eli is asleep
, or
no, I don't know
.
"Yeah." No sense in beating around the bush.
"You come down to check the horses?"
"I always do, one last time before I go to bed."
"I know. I see you most nights. You're good with them. Good for the ranch."
"Thank you." Never let it be said Robbie Curtis didn't know a compliment when it was given by the guy who paid his wages.
"I was hoping to catch you tonight." Jack turned so his back was to the fence and he rested his elbows back on the wood. Tipping his head back to look up at the sky he continued. "You said you were thinking of moving on after Christmas and I was wondering if maybe you had given any thought to staying on."
"I hadn't."
"I'd like you to. I have a proposition for you. I know you have the bonuses for the training but I would like to suggest that maybe we had something more concrete in place. More of a partnership in the new horses we train up."
Robbie was lost for words. He'd seen this done before; where trainers partnered and shared rewards. What Jack was proposing was a lot more than just simple bonuses but an actual chance to make some serious money doing what he loved.
"I don't have the money to stake my share."
Jack shrugged. "I would cover your share and you could pay it back out of proceeds."
Jack made it sound so simple. If only his damned head would get itself out of this cycle of moving on then maybe this would be the perfect choice. Images of Eli asleep in his bed, sprawled this way and that in tangled sheets, passed through Robbie's thoughts. If he stayed at the Double D longer, if he actually put down a root or two, then the other thing he would need to consider is where Eli fit into all of this. Saying that he loved Robbie was like a burr under a saddle; it itched and scratched and wouldn't go away.
"Think on it," Jack said simply.
Robbie nodded. "I will."
Jack pushed himself away from the fence and began to walk back to the main house.
"Jack?" Robbie called and Jack stopped to turn and face him. "Thank you for your faith in me." He felt heat in his face; he wasn't used to making such sweeping grand statements of thanks.
"Let me know when you make a decision."
And with that Jack left Robbie propping up the fence and with a head full of ifs, buts, and maybes.
The horses done, he went back to Eli, who rolled over and clung to him as soon as he climbed into bed. The last time he had slept with someone, or invested any time in someone, had been with Paul. Losing Paul was damn near close enough to having his heart ripped from his chest.
He slid his hand down Eli's side, resting finally on the obvious scar where Robbie stroked a pattern of indecision. Paul had a weakness inside him, his brain had a fault, and now Robbie met Eli who had cancer, which also hides deep in the body. Could Robbie stand to let himself fall again? Was it possible to love another man and not fear every day that fate was going to rip them apart?
Staying at the Double D, partnering with Jack, drawing a line and making his stand in the dirt? That all involved Eli at some point in the equation.
Eli Martin with his dark hair that was soft against Robbie's skin and his forest green eyes that sparked with life and hope.
When did I lose that same life? That same hope?
Eli moved again in sleep, his hand curling across Robbie's chest and then reflexively relaxing, and Robbie tightened his grip on the man.
Lying in his arms was the most danger his heart had ever faced.