The Copper Horse #1 Fear (36 page)

"Good. You're very brave, Copper!" He recognized Erik's panting. He was close to coming as well. Was he touching himself behind Reuben? He couldn't see, but heard the unmistakable slapping sounds.

The hand moved even slightly deeper into him before slowly withdrawing, inch after agonizing inch. Reuben just laid there and waited, trying to remember his own name. His master's small hand popped out in a gentle motion, but as soon as it was gone, Erik's bare fingers slid in, spreading Reuben's hole wide. For a moment he actually felt cold air on his inner walls!

But now, he was sure he could hear it, the quick, rhythmic sound of tossing off.

He tensed his buttocks, willing to give his master a better view. All his energy was gone as he laid there, still panting and brainless.

Seconds later, Erik let out a series of incomprehensible grunts, pushing the crown of his cock against Reuben's widened entrance. He didn't push in, simply spilling himself into the warm hole.

Reuben arched his back once more, delighted at the feeling of come drizzling down his balls and ashamed that it delighted him at the same time. He closed his eyes, barely able to breathe. Erik was a
fuck god
. He heard him collapse to the floor, his loud breathing filling Reuben's mind for a moment. He'd practically dozed off by the time Erik came up to give him a possessive kiss on the saliva-stained lips.

Reuben opened his mouth to the crushing force and looked at him with heavy lidded eyes, his body still shaken by the most amazing spend he had ever had.

"You are..." Erik's voice caught in his throat as he looked into Reuben's eyes. "You're a very healthy stallion, Copper."

Reuben gave him a small smile, followed by an imitation of a horse whinny. He was sure it would make Erik happy. And it must have, judging from the way his eyes lit up.

"Oh, Copper, I think I'm going to spoil you today!" he declared, quickly unbuckling Reuben from the wooden horse.

Reuben swallowed, certain he wasn't yet ready to stand on his own two feet. He would prefer to fall on the soft hay and look into the ceiling until he fell asleep, preferably in Erik's slim arms.

"Don't get up yet." Was Erik reading his thoughts? His master ran into one of the stalls, the one used for storage, and returned with a wet towel, which he used to clean Reuben's relaxed, yet numb, hole. "Do you want a cookie?"

Reuben nodded, not even shying away from the touch as he usually did when he got embarrassed after act. He just didn't give a damn anymore. Erik simply tossed the cloth to the floor.

"Lie in the fresh hay, Copper." He quickly grabbed a cookie jar from the cupboard.

Reuben slowly slid down from the device, trying not to fall over, but Erik was there by his side before he had any trouble. It was also good to know Hans was behind the door and wasn't watching. He felt the bodyguard despised him, and this was a moment he wanted to enjoy.

Erik helped him into the soft, sweet-smelling hay, his hands immediately reaching for the bit. Even his chest looked flushed, and in his eyes there was pure joy, rare and precious.

It was so overwhelming that Reuben didn't know what to think. He'd never made anyone so happy, and his heart filled with so much glee that he couldn't resist leaning in to nuzzle Erik's sweaty neck.

"I know, Copper; me, too."

Only when the bit was removed did he realize how hard he must have been clenching his teeth. The sudden emptiness in his mouth was almost painful. Erik pushed him flat onto the hay, showering his throat with hurried kisses before he could think too much about it.

Reuben lay back, letting his master do as he pleased. There were no words he could use to make this any less strange. He didn't even want to speak. Touching and feeling each other was good enough.

Chapter 16

Reuben dozed off soon after. Never before had he felt claimed like he'd been today, and the slight soreness in his anus was a small price to pay. He awoke to Erik reading that perverted book he claimed to have written.

Reuben curled his knees to his chest, noticing that he was covered with a blanket. He looked up to smile at Erik, still sleepy, but relaxed and satisfied. His master sat in the hay some two feet from him.

"So what is this book of yours about?"

The other man glanced at him, the scars in the corners of his mouth giving his smile a deeper curl. Bare as the day he was born, Erik looked happier now than when in his luxurious attire, innocent almost. He lowered his eyelids with a soft sigh. "It's about an angel named Pegasus and a sinner who wants to make him his."

"Let me guess, the sinner's name is Erik?" Reuben couldn't stop admiring him. There was something otherworldly about him, despite the blue dirt under his fingernails, or the scars. And the cruelty.

Erik snorted. "It had to be."

"When did you become so perverted, Master?" Reuben smiled and crawled over closer to his feet. They looked much softer than Reuben's, which was most likely the result of wearing fine shoes. Any shoes for that matter.

"And what could you possibly mean?"

"You know, with men and horse... things." His last words turned into a whisper.

"You're not a
thing
, darling." Erik reached out to gently cup Reuben's chin and nudge him forward.

Reuben scrambled closer and leaned his cheek against his master's thigh. "It's just that I've never met anyone so... unashamed of such filthy pleasures." His vocabulary on the subject wasn't best, even though he tried to sound polite. Maybe 'filthy' was not the word he should have used, but that was all he knew. How would he even start to describe the thing he'd done with Erik earlier today? Did it count as fucking if it wasn't a cock that entered him?

"There's no shame in pleasure. We need to use every bit of time we've got, Copper." Erik closed the book, his eyes fixed on its cover, but his thoughts were clearly somewhere else. "The world's a dangerous place, and there's always someone out to get you."

For a moment, the silence became as intense as the pulse he could see on Erik's neck, an inch away from the arch of his Adam's apple. But then Erik's eyes lit up and he smiled at Reuben, tension fading.

"People always say it's shameful for a man to want other men." Reuben lifted his head in anticipation of more caresses.

"And what makes you believe them?"

"Master, a man can get hanged for things such as we do." He finally looked away, nervous from even speaking of such things.

"Now
that
is a shame!" Erik let out a hoarse chuckle and pulled him closer. "To hang a beautiful man is such a waste for the world."

"Yeah, less for you to fuck." Reuben grumbled, but didn't shy away from his touch as the blanket slipped from his shoulders. Erik grabbed it midway and covered him again, pulling Reuben's head to rest on his sweet-smelling arm. Reuben wondered how it tasted.

"I'm not inclined to fuck a different man every night. Those numbers are meaningless to me."

Relief rushed through Reuben like a flood, and he closed his eyes. He wanted to be the only one for Erik. His master's focus, hidden away in this house forever, where no one would judge Reuben for who he was. "I suppose it's not easy to tame a new horse."

"No." Erik's lips on his forehead felt cool but soothing. "One has to invest a great deal of attention and care to groom a horse. And most are not even worth the effort."

"Why not, Master?" When Reuben opened his eyes, his first instinct was to kiss Erik, but he managed to hold back. Erik's eyes darted away for a moment, but he still smiled.

"Because a good stallion is one that wants to be mounted."

Reuben didn't move a muscle and stared at him, flush creeping up his neck. Did Erik know? Did he notice? "A good stallion just wants to be obedient," he muttered in the end.

Those pale, two-colored eyes shot straight at him, their piercing gaze giving him goose bumps. They were neither cold, nor warm. He saw something new that he couldn't pinpoint. But soon, the odd spark was gone and Erik got up, giving him his usual grin. "Then I hope you are going to enjoy your new task."

Reuben swallowed. "What new task, master?" He wouldn't mind sucking him off right now. But that wouldn't be anything
new
.

Erik combed his fingers through his hair. "You, my dear Copper, are going to pull a cart later today."

"Oh yeah? You think I'm not strong enough to carry my master on my back?" Reuben got to his knees and flexed his pecs.

Erik's eyelids fluttered as he looked at him, eyes skipping over Reuben's torso. "Everything has its time." He finally took a few steps back with a slightly tense smile. "I need to dress."

Reuben beamed at him. He was ready to be the best cart pony Erik had ever had! In order to stay in the house, he needed to prove himself useful, and this could be a chance to do just that.

Reuben stood in the downstairs corridor by the massive staircase, still completely naked save for the restraints on his wrists and thighs. He was supposed to get new tack, designed for carting, which made him more than excited despite being alone with Hans, whose silence made him jumpier with every passing minute. Reuben never really talked to the man, and with the daunting wait, he decided that maybe now was a good time. Who knew, maybe it would clear up the air between them.

"Uhm... Hans?" Reuben looked to Erik's bodyguard. "Have you worked here long?"

The other man huffed, his face tensing up even more. Reuben supposed he might be younger than he looked with that permanent scowl. "Why?"

"Just wondering." He rocked from his toes to the balls of his feet. "Who knows how long I could be here. Might as well get to know each other, huh?" It wasn't that he was intent to do so, but he would much rather have Hans on his side.

The bodyguard gave him a long, searching look, and then his muscular chest started to shake with a low, hoarse laugh. "I'm not fuckin' yor gelding ass," he said with a harsh accent Reuben could never pinpoint.

Reuben went quiet, unable to hide the offense. "That's not what I meant," he muttered. "
And
Mr. Erik calls me a stallion." He felt it was necessary to stress that according to Erik, he was the second man in the house!

Hans' face twisted into a mock-smile and he came closer, his huge palm patting Reuben's cheek with contempt. "Of course he does, but I dun't care what this sod does." His sincerity was shocking.

"It's not my fault I'm here." Reuben gathered his courage to look into Hans' eyes. "Why do you shun me?" He could feel himself recoil away from the massive figure in front of him.

"I might have killed Chestnut, but at least that man had balls. Pity he didn't get the job done before I got 'im." Hans' voice dropped to a quiet growl that only Reuben could hear, trapped between that powerful body and the wall. "You aren't worthy of being called a man."

Reuben cringed, now regretting he had started any conversation with Hans. The man was even more horrible than Reuben had imagined! It'd been a while since someone had offended him this much, but the saddest thing was that he knew some of it was true. Hans' words pierced through the walls of the safe cocoon Reuben was living in. He didn't have the guts to fight back. What could he do? Attack that living tower of meat? Naked and with no hands? Maybe a courageous man would do that. As much as the words hurt him though, it was another part of what Hans was saying that got his attention.

"You wish the master dead? What kind of bodyguard are you!?" Reuben hissed but it sounded a lot weaker than he would have wished.

Hans sneered at him. "I don't wish. I say he deserves it."

"B—but you still k—killed Chestnut?" Reuben was baffled.

"It is my job." Hans drew back, his cold stare making Reuben wish he could disappear. "But he doesn't pay me to love him."

"Fair enough. I suppose," Reuben slouched, wanting this conversation to be over as soon as possible. Some of his hair fell onto his face, and he heard Hans snort.

"The only pleasure I get in the job is when you misbehave, ponyboy. You should do it more often."

Reuben swallowed, his insides as cold with fear as the wall behind him. Being with Erik had been so amazing lately, that he'd forgotten what his actual position in this house was. This short chat was like a bucket of ice-cold water. It reminded him of what any other person outside this household would think of him: less than a man, a submissive slave with no backbone, taking it up the ass from another man.

The sound of footsteps snatched him back to reality. It was Erik. He didn't even have to look up at the stairs to know that. The person was slight, yet walked briskly and with confidence. Only Erik's walk was like that, and he would recognize it even when woken from a dead sleep.

"Are you ready, Copper?" Erik's tone was so cheerful that he couldn't have overheard their conversation.

"I think so, Master," Reuben looked down at his feet.

Now that Erik was close, the sound of fresh leather grew louder. The smell made him think of the sweaty times they'd shared in the hay.

The footsteps stopped. "Is something wrong?" Erik's tone held a definite threat, though if it was directed at him or Hans, Reuben couldn't tell.