by Tara Lain
“Uh, no. I can do it—I think.” He looked really worried.
A rustle in the grass behind him turned Kai around. Rand looked up at Aliki. “Hey, man, listen to me but don’t look at me. See that next handhold on the branch to your right and down a little?”
Aliki turned his head. “Yeah.” He sounded a little shaky.
“Put your right hand on it.” Aliki did it. “Now, shift your weight to your right leg, hold on to the branch, and let your left leg dangle.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Man, he sounded confident. Kai stared at every tiny move Aliki made. Should I climb up?
Aliki grabbed the handhold and dropped his leg.
“Good. Now just feel around a little. You’ll touch the next branch.”
Aliki gasped when his foot touched.
“Wait. Don’t step yet. Let your body relax a little more, grip tight, and stretch out your arms like a monkey.’”
Brilliant. It gained Aliki another couple of inches.
“Now put your foot on the branch. Hold on tight with your right hand and move your left to that smaller branch by your waist.”
Tiny movements, each carefully thought through, brought Aliki down foot by foot. When he got a few feet from the ground, Rand stepped in and grabbed him, lowering him to terra firma. Aliki looked up with wide, wonder-filled eyes and threw his arms around Rand’s neck. Hell, Kai wanted to join him. “Thanks, Mr. McIntyre. Thanks so much.”
“Hey, you had it. You just needed a spotter.”
He pulled back and looked at Rand. “Yeah?”
“Heck yeah. I mean, you got down, right?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“See, I’m afraid of heights, so I would have had a lot of trouble even getting up that high.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. But that’s a lesson. Don’t go climbing big trees without someone who can spot from the ground. Okay?”
“Okay. Yeah.”
“Time to get the horses back.”
“Thanks again, Mr. McIntyre.” He ran back toward the horses and the two girls who seemed deep in conversation standing on the beach.
Kai let out his breath. Hell, his chest hurt from holding it. “Thank you.”
Rand shrugged. “You could have gotten him down. This way, he just felt more successful.”
“Not sure he needs to feel more sure of himself.” Kai grinned.
“Got that right. But that confidence will help him more than hurt him in life.”
“Are you actually afraid of heights?”
“Yep.”
“Really? Sometimes keeping your feet on the ground can be overrated.” Kai laughed and walked to his horse. Lani and Molly came running up to him. “Kai, Molly asked if Aliki and I can go to the black sand beach for lunch tomorrow with her and her family.”
She radiated happiness. Damn, hotel guests. “I’ll tell you what? When Molly’s parents pick her up, we’ll make sure it’s all right with them before I say yes, okay?”
Molly practically bounced up and down. “Oh, it will be fine, Mr. Kealoha. Honest.”
“We’ll just check, okay?”
“Okay.”
Rand fine-tuned their mounting skills—and Kai attempted to drag his brain from all the possibilities mounting suggested—then they rode back to the stables without incident. Molly’s parents sat in the van in the parking lot as they rode in. Molly and Lani both looked eager, but Rand held up his hand. “Let’s pay attention to dismount, then you’ll lead your horses to the stable and help remove their saddles and bridles. Next lesson, we’ll spend some time on currying the horses.”
The three kids made a great show of dismounting properly. Kai glanced at the parents. Good, they looked impressed. They led their horses to the stable and offered moral support while the cowboys removed the tack. Rand pointed out important details. Molly and Lani looked like they might split a gut wanting to get loose, but Rand impressed on them how important taking care of their mounts was when they came back from a ride.
Finally, Molly ran toward her parents. Lani started after her, but Kai stopped her. “Let Molly ask, kaikuahine. You don’t want to embarrass them if they prefer to not have company.”
She nodded and stared at her feet. “Yes, you’re right.” But the dark eyes crept up and glanced at Molly, in animated conversation with her parents.
Molly burst away from her mom and dad and ran toward Lani. “They said yes. I told you they would.”
Kai walked forward with Lani being pulled by Molly. Rand came behind them. Kai nodded at the Axelrods. “Thank you so much. Are you sure you don’t mind two extra kids?”
Mrs. Axelrod smiled. “No, we’d love to have them. Molly’s very excited. Just bring them to the beach tomorrow anytime after ten thirty or so. We’ll be there at least through lunch and maybe longer.” She looked up at Rand. “Thank you and Mr. McIntyre for the lesson. Molly can’t talk about anything else.”
Rand nodded and pulled his hat brim. “My pleasure. We can probably squeak in another lesson before I’m scheduled to leave. Maybe the day after Christmas?”
Molly about turned inside out. “Oh, that would be so great. Oh my gosh! And will Lani and Aliki get to come too?”
“Absolutely.”
Molly’s dad said, “Will you be at lunch on the beach tomorrow, Rand? I know your folks seem to love it.”
“Uh, no. I think I might use that time to take a much-needed nap—in my cottage.”
Mr. Axelrod laughed. “That sounds like a great idea.”
“Yes, sir. Won’t be getting much, uh, rest when I get back home.”
Kai glanced at him. Rand never changed the expression on his absolutely straight face.
Chapter Nine
“Rand dear, won’t you come to the beach with us? Nothing beats those fish sandwiches.”
Rand took a last bite of papaya and pushed the plate away. “No thanks. I’m just going to hang out around here. I might take a nap.”
“Oh?” She raised both eyebrows a little too significantly. Her slow drink of coffee looked pretty studied. “So is Julie teaching swimming today?”
“Not sure.”
She grinned. “How did your riding lessons go? Not that I fully understand why you’re teaching riding on your vacation.”
“The lesson went great. That’s part of the reason I don’t want to go to the beach today. The three kids I taught kind of bonded, and they’ll all be there. I don’t want them to think I’m spying on them.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t—as if it really matters.”
Resist engagement. “Anyway, the parents seemed happy that Molly got to have a lesson. The stable doesn’t usually offer riding lessons.”
“I’m sure they’re very grateful, dear.” She scooted back. “So enjoy your day and come join us if you change your mind.”
“I will.” He stood. Okay, time to see if any little birdies followed the breadcrumbs he’d dropped yesterday. Birdies as in big honking cocks.
His mother turned back. “By the way, I made arrangements for a picnic so we can go back to the airport on the long and winding road.”
“What? Oh, good.” He didn’t want to think about leaving right now. Only coming. He waved and walked across the open-air dining room toward his cottage.
Kai slipped through the trees beside the hotel lawn. Best not to be seen. If someone caught him approaching Rand’s cottage, they’d assume Kai was taking Rand riding. That would be the case, but not like they thought.
He stopped and stared at the small wooden building with its big porch and windows that looked out into the trees. Front door closed and shades drawn. Is he gone? Kai stepped closer—and grinned. A big old Do Not Disturb sign graced the handle of the front door. As invitations went, that was a neon sign.
Should I be thinking about this? He’s a guest at the hotel.
Right, which means he’ll leave, and I won’t have to face hi
m every day forever.
Are you sure he’s gay?
Uh, he kissed me, dummy.
Right.
Wouldn’t it be better to not get involved?
Better for who?
He slid to the side of the cottage and tapped on the shutters.
Three taps back. James Bond, no less.
Nothing else happened, so Kai crept around to the front, looked both ways, and hurried up on the porch. He pressed the door handle down and—yes! It slid like butter, and the door opened.
Inside, twilight dim. The room smelled warm and spicy. Funny, he hadn’t put that scent together with Rand—but it was his, through and through. Nobody here. “Hello?”
“Looking for me?” Rand walked out of the bathroom wearing a heart-stopping, breath-robbing towel around his hips—uh, except for the slice of bare groin revealed because the towel stood out in front like a banyan tree canopy. That cotton tent had to be a lot more comfortable than the tight denim smothering Kai’s rising cock.
Too much air flowed out with Kai’s words and made him sound like he’d just run a half marathon. “I was hoping that message about your nap might be intended for me.”
“Yep.”
“So what did you have in mind, cowboy?” Man, his heart throbbed in his dick. It ought to be dancing the salsa.
“Some riding lessons.”
“You’re the teacher.”
“Nah, I’m the quarter horse.”
Heart—stopped. “You want to bottom?”
“Yep.”
“Holy hell.”
Rand stared at Kai’s jeans and grinned. “You like that idea?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Good. Condoms and lube are on the bed. My ass, I mean stallion, is at your service.”
Kai staggered to the footstool in front of the corner chair, collapsed into it, and started yanking at his boots. Rand walked over slow and easy-like. “Take your hat, cowboy, or you want to fuck with it on?”
Fuck? Oh shit, how long since he’d been with a man? A person? His cock steamed and bobbed.
Rand grabbed Kai’s Stetson and tossed it onto the coffee table, then took hold of Kai’s other boot. The combination of two boots half-off flipped Kai onto his back on the chair like a giant turtle. Rand hauled off the one boot, then grabbed the other and pulled it too, sent both flying, then yanked on Kai’s jeans. “So much trouble getting riders properly dressed.”
Kai chuckled. “We better take off this horse blanket, don’t you think?” He snagged the towel and pulled, revealing narrow hips, a big red-headed dick slapping against Rand’s belly, and low-hanging balls bobbing out from a nest of dark blond hair. Kai could have cried just from the beauty of it.
Rand looked at Kai and, despite Rand’s cocky manner, that handsome face read uncertain and insecure.
Kai licked his lips. “Prettiest mount I ever saw.”
“You would have cut him out from the herd?”
Kai smiled. “Every time.”
Grinning, Rand went back to work sliding off Kai’s jeans until a warm breeze on his balls announced mission accomplished. Kai ripped at the snaps on his shirt and pulled it off until all he wore were socks. Pulling his legs up, he yanked on them until they hung off his toes. He looked up.
Rand stared at Kai’s bare butt like the secrets of the flaming universe lay in his asshole. He straddled the footstool, grabbed Kai’s hips, separated his cheeks, and, just like that, shoved his tongue in Kai’s hole. “Holy fuck!”
Rand’s fingers pulled harder and his tongue shoved farther until Kai’s brain switched positions and hung out in his ass. Every nerve, every cell lit up like the holidays were being celebrated inside his butt. Only one person had ever done it to him before, and that was a long time ago. He’d seen it in porn, but holy fucking perfection, nothing ever felt like this. “Wait. Oh God, wait. Too good. I’ll shoot and blow the whole pony ride.”
Rand pulled back.
Shit, maybe I changed my mind.
Rand smiled. “I’d say I don’t care, except I’m so dying to have that monster cock in my ass, I’d probably wither away like the Wicked Witch of the West if you don’t fuck me.”
Kai chuckled, though his brain and butt still buzzed. “She rode a broom.”
“Sorry for the mix of metaphors.”
“Let’s get this cock in you.”
“Yep.” Rand practically flew backward and landed on the bed, pulling his legs up beside his ears before he’d even settled.
“You want frontward?”
“Yep.”
“Okay.” He’d barely ever done it this way. You didn’t get intimate with fast back-alley fucks. Kai sucked in a deep breath as he pulled on a condom while Rand shoved lube into his own asshole, then wiped his sticky hands all over Kai’s jacketed cock. “Ready to be mounted, my pony?”
“All day long.” Again, Rand pulled up his legs.
Kai positioned his cock at Rand’s pucker. Whoa, pretty sight.
“Like what you see?”
“Hell yeah. Can’t wait to see it go in.”
“Wish I could see. Describe it.”
A challenge for a man of few words. “Well, it looks like it’ll never fit, for one thing.”
“It will. Trust me. I practice with something as big as the Texas panhandle.”
Kai snorted. “You practice?”
“Well, yeah. I mean how else is a guy gonna get to bottom for a cock like yours?”
“Here goes.” Kai pushed. “That hole is stretching. Oh man, tip’s going in. Disappearing. Hell, that hole’s sucking my dick in like quicksand. Like it’s gonna disappear and never be heard from again.” Oh my God. Hot, squeezing every nerve on his cock until shooting streaks of fire blasted into his balls and straight to his brain.
“Would you like that? To disappear in there?”
“Oh shit, Rand.” Kai thrust deep and pulled out hard, lighting him up like a Christmas tree. “Best ever.”
“Do it again, more, more.”
Kai leaned over Rand’s big body and snapped his hips in and out. No matter how hard he pounded, Rand took it and begged for more. In, out, in, out. Long strokes and short jackrabbit thrusts, each played on his cock like a different kind of music, all beautiful. Wanted to come so bad, but not without his mount. He slid a hand between them and grabbed for Rand’s dick.
“One touch and that thing’s gonna blow.”
“Good. That’s what I want.”
“Then it’s all yours, cowboy.”
Funny how that sounded good. He wrapped his fingers around Rand’s cock and pumped—once, twice, ramming his own dick as far into Rand’s hard-muscled ass as he could manage. “Wish my dick was twice as long to enjoy even more of you.” Dick pump three. “Holy shit!”
Rand’s head strained back, and all the tendons in his powerful neck stood out as he let out a long moaning yell and his hips bounced up, ramming Kai’s cock to the balls. Hot, sticky fluid flooded Kai’s hand.
Like somebody rang the bell in a bull ride, Kai released everything and let—it—happen. Explosion! Like the whole top of his head flew off and his balls turned to fire, blast after blast of semen shot out of him into the condom. Nothing ever better. He chuckled. “I don’t know how I’ll live without this after you go.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
Kai’s brain clicked, and his body tensed. What the living fuck did I just say? Bad. Very bad. Still, he could barely move. Taking a deep breath, he pushed up off Rand’s sticky chest.
Rand grabbed him back. “Okay. Calm down, cowboy. You did not just ask me to marry you, and I didn’t say yes.” Kai tensed harder, but Rand held on. “Just relax. It’s okay to enjoy yourself—once.”
Okay, no choice. He collapsed back and let his nose bury in the side of Rand’s neck, inhaling spicy, musky aromas. “You smell like sex.”
“Good. I must’ve done it right.”
“Shit yeah.”
Rand chuckled, and it vibrated t
hrough all of Kai’s parts. “We didn’t do bad for beginners.”
“So you’re not out at home?”
“Nope.”
“But your folks know.”
“Nope.”
“Man, that’s hard.”
“What about you? Your mom know?”
“Uh, no.”
“The other cowboys?”
“Hell no.”
“So why’s it hard for me and not for you?”
“I’ve got kids. I can’t come out.”
Rand scootched his head to the side and turned his eyes toward Kai. “You do?”
“I mean Lani and Aliki.”
“So they don’t know?”
“No. Nobody, really.”
“Who do you have sex with? I mean, let’s just say you’re a damned good rider.” He grinned.
“I go to the other side sometimes and find somebody to fuck. You?”
“Same. I’ve got more square footage of territory to choose from, but that’s about it.”
Quiet. “And you always bottom?”
Rand made a snuffling sound. “Nah. Too hard to admit when you’re a guy my size. Plus, it’s harder to take your pants down in alleys and shit.”
“Thanks for letting me, uh, ride you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Can I move now? You must be having trouble breathing. I’m not exactly tiny.”
“Will you freak if I say I’d like to keep you just like this for—shit, maybe ever?”
“No.” But he did, kind of, since he totally got it.
“What are you doing for Christmas?”
The tension leaped back all by itself. Rand ran a big hand over Kai’s back. “Sorry. Was that a hard question?”
He needed to move. This position showed too much. Kai rolled to the side and landed beside Rand on his back, his chest covered in drying spunk. “Yuk. Let me get a cloth to clean us up.” He scooted out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Grabbing a washcloth, he ran the water until it warmed, then rinsed the cloth under it. He glanced up at the mirror. Jesus. Black hair every which way, a body that could have used a few more pounds, and haunted eyes. What a mess. He wrung out the cloth, gave himself a quick once-over, and walked back to Rand, who’d propped himself up on his forearm. Kai smiled. Fuck, that cowboy’s flaming gorgeous. Like something out of an old Western movie when cowboys still looked like heroes. He sat on the mattress and wiped the cloth over Rand’s chest and cock.