by BA Tortuga
Home.
He liked that.
He liked that a lot.
THE HOUSE seemed oddly musty. Well, he shouldn’t find it odd. He had an on-site foreman who took care of the horses and his few head of cattle and his dogs, but the house was mostly closed up, just Becky coming in to clean.
Max took off his hat and tossed it and his keys on the side table, then picked up the phone to call Alan, his foreman and all-around good egg, tell him to let the dogs come on up.
“Just plop the shit anywhere, y’all,” he told Morgan and Poe. “We’ll get everything set up here in a few, get the beds made and the shower going.”
Morgan was so fucking pale, those pretty eyes staring, wide. Those fingers slid over the top of his leather sofa, against the frame of one painting. Max wondered what Morgan thought of the knotty pine and exposed beams and Pendleton-style rugs and shit. Bless his heart; he’d been through a lot in a few days. Poe just kinda… followed Morgan, looking like he thought Morgan might fall over.
“Hey, Alan. I’m home. You wanna… yeah. I think I want to see the muttleys. I missed them. Thanks.”
Max hung up, grinning a little and cracking the front door. “We’re about to be invaded.”
“Is that bad?” Morgan smiled over at Poe, one side of that mouth quirking. “He looks good here. Happy.”
Poe nodded. “You know it. An Okie is always an Okie.”
“Oh fuck you.” Max laughed, though, right out loud, laughing even harder as he was bowled over by a barking mass of blonde and brown and mottled gray fur.
Oh man, look at those tails go. Shit, he wasn’t sure they’d remember him.
“Okay, okay. There’s enough of us for all of you.” Max looked over the golden’s head at Morgan and Poe. “Help!”
“They like strangers?” Morgan headed over, smiling a little tentatively.
Lady, the heeler mix with one mangled ear, broke right off and went over to sniff Morgan happily, her little stubby tail just wiggling like mad. Morgan was in no danger of anything but being licked to death, so Max went back to petting Goldie and Ruff, the golden mix and the retriever mutt.
Morgan plopped right down on the floor, fingers digging into Lady’s ruff and scritching away until Lady was in ecstasy. Poe was watching with a confused little look that he sort of got. After all, Morgan was supposed to be this rich guy, all snooty. Not sitting on his floor and loving on his dogs.
Poe could be a little snooty in reverse, sometimes.
“Okay, guys, lemme up. Let’s see if Becky left any bacons in the fridge, huh?”
Morgan’s laugh just filled his house up as the dogs loped toward the fridge, all of them pointing and ready.
“Oh, now who’re the good hunting dogs, huh?” He helped Morgan up on the way, putting an arm around him. The fridge held Beggin’ Strips, white bread, cheese, and beer. Max moaned. “Oh, bless Becky’s heart.”
“Oh. The cupboard’s not bare.” Morgan grinned, leaning right up against him, sort of snuggling in. “Are they all boys? Girls?”
“Lady and Goldie are girls. Ruff here is a boy, though he’s been fixed.” Poor old guy, he still humped everything that moved. “There’s ice in the ice maker too. You want some water, sugar?” he asked, handing Poe a beer and handing Morgan bacons to hand out.
“Oh, they sit. Yeah. Water sounds good.” Morgan fed the pups, making himself three brand-new best friends.
“Looks like he really likes them,” Poe said, and Max gave him a look.
“He’s a good guy. I told you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He got that easy grin as Poe popped open the beer. Morgan got included in it as he looked up. “No offense, kid, but me and your dad went rounds a few years back. You? You I like.”
“He and I haven’t been in the same room without fighting in twenty years.” Morgan looked over at Poe, shrugged. “That would explain the kidnapping and drugging part of our relationship.”
“I’m thinking, yeah.” Poe rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his head. “Is your foreman gonna take first watch?”
Max nodded. “He’s got it under control. The guys will spell him.”
“Cool.” Poe sucked down the last of the beer and winked. “Then I’m for the guest room, a shower, and a long nap. Later, y’all.”
And he and Morgan were alone for the first time since… well, since Morgan’s old man had busted in, damn him.
Morgan looked up at him, fingers reaching up to trace his face. “Watch?”
The dogs crowded around, all bumping them, and Max reached down to pet automatically, then got Morgan some water and himself a beer.
“Let’s go sit, okay?”
“Okay.” Morgan kept looking around, kept close like he was afraid they’d suddenly disappear.
They hit the couch and immediately got cuddled on, the two of them almost covered by a big, fuzzy pile of dog. Max laughed, made them a little room so he could kiss Morgan’s cheek.
“You know your daddy will come after you.”
“I know.” Morgan sighed a little, stroked his belly. “You want me to go? I will. Then we can meet up somewhere else.”
“Fuck no.” His muscles trembled a little. He loved how Morgan loved on him without even thinking. “I want you to stay. And when your daddy comes, we’ll talk. But we’ll do it on my terms. My men are gonna keep an eye out for him, so we can rest.”
“That sounds….” Morgan scooted closer, nodding. “I’m tired of running, cowboy. I’ve been going so long.”
“I know, sugar. I know.” He’d seen it in Morgan’s eyes. Not just the drugs and the loopiness, but the bone-deep weariness. “He’s not taking you again.”
They’d stand up to the man, and if Max had to, he’d just buy him off. Surely old Vic Bowen would understand that he’d never have to worry about Morgan being taken care of again. Bowen’d have to live with that. He just would.
“He’ll offer you a lot of money, after the blustering and threats.” Morgan chuckled as Goldie pushed against one hand, demanding a petting.
“After these guys? Your dad will be easy.” Max scritched Ruff’s ears. “You should see the rest of the house.”
“I should. You look happy here. Like on the boat.”
“I am. And I’ve got you with me.” He waited until Morgan finished the whole big glass of water before hauling them up, heading for the master suite, bumping hips. “Guess what I have besides a big bed?”
“Big sheets?” There was that laugh again, all rich and right.
“No. A sunken tub. With jets.” Oh, he couldn’t wait. The water wasn’t running anymore, so Poe was out of the shower. They could have a bath.
“Oh….”
Hell, yeah. He knew that sound, knew what that little shudder and rub meant. “Feeling better?” Morgan had slept all the way from Dallas to Oklahoma City on the plane, and then on the drive to Max’s. He looked better for sure, even if he did still seem shocky. “Here’s the bedroom.”
And his big lodge-pole bed with the pillow-top mattress.
Those dark eyes went wide. “It’s you. I mean, I thought it would be, but it is. It’s you.”
“You think? It was one of the first things I bought for the house. I loved it. And it will fit you, me, and the dogs on cold nights.” He laughed, dragging Morgan into the bathroom, where cobalt blue tile and white porcelain made a pretty tempting picture.
Morgan just crowed, moving toward the tub, stripping off as he went.
Max watched that too skinny body appear, checking for bruises and marks, growling when he saw where needles had been. But when Morgan looked back at him, all he could do was smile, shrugging out of his shirt as Morgan started the water.
“Pretty, sugar.”
“Still? I’ve looked better.” Morgan grinned over. “I’ve looked worse.”
“You look mine.” The pants took far too long to wiggle out of, but at least he managed to lean over and close the door when the dogs tried to slip in.
The
tub was steaming, filling right up, and Morgan slipped in with a purr, head rolling.
“Oh, you look good there, sugar. I can’t wait to see what you look like in my bed.” Max kicked off his boots and stepped into the almost too hot water, then sank in with a groan.
Morgan nodded, moved right over to settle in his lap. Oh hell yes.
“Hey there.” Yeah. That was like the universe snapping back into place. Max took a kiss, hands settling on Morgan’s ass.
“Hey.” Morgan hummed, fingers framing his face. “Hey.”
“Mmm.” The way Morgan touched him. Well, it made an old wildcatter like him feel loved. It really did. Like he was something fucking special.
He could feel it, feel as Morgan really relaxed, sank against him and know this was real.
Max just stroked Morgan’s back for a while, petted him, nuzzling his throat. They sort of mumbled to each other, the odd love word or silly nothing, luxuriating in being together.
“Need to shave you. You’re fuzzy.” Those eyes held him like nothing else.
“Okay.” He was probably more like prickly, but Morgan was too nice to say so. Max chuckled as he took a kiss. They’d shave him later.
Morgan opened up, easy as pie, tongue sliding against his, stroking sweet and slow.
Time to learn each other again. They’d only been apart what? A week? Not quite two? But it had been long enough to feel like it had been ages. Fucking ages. Max kissed back, letting Morgan have him as his hands traced Morgan’s skin.
“I was scared.” Morgan met his eyes, searching his face. “You know?”
“I know. I do.” He’d thought… well. Horrible shit. He really had. Thank God he’d exaggerated in his mind what the old man would do.
“Good. I mean, not that you know, but that you don’t think I’m stupid.” Morgan rolled his eyes, grinned over. “It’s like my nerves are all firing.”
“Well, we could maybe do something about that.” Laughing, he kissed Morgan again, knowing the cure for what ailed them both.
Morgan moaned, pushed right up against him, demanding, wanting him. Fucking loving him.
His cock rose high and hard under Morgan’s ass, and Max rocked them, his fingers automatically searching out Morgan’s piercings, not finding them. That they’d have to fix. Before Poe left, since there weren’t that many places in Enid to do it.
Morgan whimpered, frowning against his lips just a second before relaxing. “You’ll put the next ones in. They’ll be yours.”
“Oh. Oh, sugar, yeah.” God, he could…. His cock twitched violently. “Want you. So bad.”
He got a nod, Morgan stretching up a little, rubbing the top of his cock against that tight hole.
“Not… not gonna hurt you, Morgan.” It might too, if he didn’t find something. Maybe there was. There. “There’s stuff. Conditioner. Can you reach it?”
Okay, so he used it on the dogs. So what?
They had more hair than he did.
“Uh-huh.” Morgan arched, stretched, giving him that pretty view again.
Mmm. Max nibbled at the length of Morgan’s upper arm, licked at it where it met Morgan’s body, just loving on every little bit he could reach.
“Mmm. Your mouth.” Morgan started humming and purring, scooting right up close.
“Yeah. You like that, if I recall.” He just, well, Max almost forgot what he was doing. Then the bottle of conditioner clunked against his back. Max chuckled, took the bottle and popped it open while he took another kiss, then another.
“I do.” Morgan spread, ass rocking even harder, water splashing around them.
There. Finally he got his fingers slicked up, got them behind Morgan so he could start stretching him, opening him. Getting him ready.
He could see himself in those dark eyes, see how hungry he looked.
At least Morgan’s daddy hadn’t tried to do anything to those beautiful eyes. Max loved them, from the way the irises swallowed the pupils to that little blue dot…. Max slid two fingers inside Morgan’s body, pushing in deep.
“Max….” Morgan’s head fell back, throat working. He could feel those tight muscles, rippling and squeezing around him.
“Uhn. Morgan. Sugar.” So hot. Morgan was just on fire for him. Max added another finger, unable to stop, needing to feel Morgan on his cock.
“Yeah. Want. Want you. Need you.” Morgan started rocking, riding his fingers, moving on him so pretty.
Fuck. Max took one last kiss, letting Morgan open up a little bit more before getting more of the slick stuff on him, this time on his cock, his fingers pulling free so he could line the head of his prick up where it wanted to be.
Heat wrapped around his prick, squeezed him all the way. Those muscles shuddered and squeezed around him, held him tight.
“Morgan!” Max’s back arched, his hips rolling up as his muscles strained. “Oh God. You. Feel good. So good.”
Morgan’s fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on as Morgan’s head fell back.
They rode hard, the water sloshing over the side of the tub, the bubbles around them adding a whole other layer of sensation, tickling his skin. Max held on, squeezing Morgan’s hips.
“Love.”
“Love you.” He did. With everything he had. Max kissed Morgan so hard his lips tingled, his breath coming hard and fast as he shot, his eyes just rolling back in his head.
Morgan grunted, bucking and bouncing in his lap, riding through his orgasm before stilling, squeezing tight as his heat was added to the heat of the water.
They sat there, panting, for who knew how long, until Max figured he was about to doze right off. He shook himself a little. “Come on, sugar. Up and at ’em.”
“Hmm?” Morgan blinked up, dazed. “At who?”
“Bed. We’re getting all swimmy. Come on.” Max carefully balanced them before hoisting up out of the water, getting the jets turned off and the towels and… yeah. Bed.
“Bed. I like bed.” Morgan nodded, wandering. “Oh. Right. Your big bed.”
“Uh-huh. No dogs tonight. We’ll send ’em to get Poe.” Poe would be lonely. Max chuckled, almost snorting, surprising himself.
Man, he was tired.
“Uh-huh.” Morgan crawled right in, purring.
Max crawled in after, the sheets there and fresh, bless Becky’s heart, the pillow top cradling them as they curled together. They’d worry about Morgan’s daddy later.
They had time.
MORGAN SLEPT and slept, dreams driving him awake every few hours, Max’s hands soothing him back to sleep every time.
Finally Max’s hands were stronger than the dreams, and he slept hard, resting, body working out all the shit in his veins. It was daytime when he woke up, the sun blazing in, warming the walls. It didn’t smell like Max here, but it looked like Max, looked real.
He approved.
“Mmm. Hey, sugar. Want breakfast?” There was Max, sitting on the bed, wearing an itty-bitty pair of running shorts.
Oh. Pretty.
He scooted over, nuzzling and licking at all that skin. “Uh-huh.”
Max stroked him, big hands all over him. “Hope you don’t mind I went for a run with the mutts. You finally slept good, you know?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I feel real again. Awake. Alive.”
The skin around Max’s navel was salty, tasted good.
“Good. Oh, that feels good, Morgan.” Max sounded right again too. Relaxed, happy, that sexy growl in his voice.
“I want my jewelry back in. I want to fuck you with my tongue.” He turned his head, lips opening over Max’s prick.
“Uhn.” Max’s body arched, his cock leaping under the thin fabric of the shorts. It took one little motion of Max’s hand to get that pretty prick out, rubbing against his mouth.
Mmm-hmm. Much better than cotton. His eyes closed, tongue slipping out to flick over the slit, tease little bursts of flavor out.
So much more salty here, deeper, the flavor dark and musky. Max stroked his hair, his n
eck, fingers digging into his shoulder muscles in a slow massage.
That made it easy to open further, take more and more in, let Max’s cock nudge the back of his throat.
“Oh God, sugar. That’s… fuck, that’s good.” Slow but sure, Max started fucking his mouth.
All he could do was hum in agreement, fingers reaching inside the leg of Max’s shorts, rolling and stroking the velvet-soft balls.
A low growl rumbled, Max counting every bump on his spine on the way back up before petting his cheeks, fingers going right where Morgan’s mouth met Max’s cock.
He flicked his tongue out, tasting Max’s fingertips, loving the low groan it got him.
“Morgan….” Yeah, his cowboy was getting close, muscles quivering, thighs hard as a rock under his arms.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Fuck!” Whole body convulsing, Max came for him beautifully, just filling his mouth with saltbittervelvetheat.
Mmm. Better than wine. He drank Max down, cheek resting on Max’s belly. Oh. Warm.
“Lord, that’s a fine howdy.” Max laughed, petting him, hands hot and sweet. “Gonna come up here and kiss me?”
“Uh-huh.” He crawled right up, pushing into Max’s arms. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Max kissed him deep and hard, sharing his flavor, tongue searching out every bit.
Morgan melted, straddling Max’s waist, hips rocking just a little.
“Mmm.” Max touched him, one hand cupping his ass, the other on his cock. Those long fingers closed around him and pulled.
“Oh.” He laughed with the joy of it, the way Max’s calluses felt on him. “That’s good, cowboy.”
“Yeah? You like that?” Max rubbed his thumb up the underside of Morgan’s cock, pressing the vein.
“Uh….” His eyes rolled as he nodded, heart pounding a little faster. “Uh-huh.”
A warm chuckle landed on his neck, Max nibbling at his throat, stroking harder and faster. That other hand moved too, Max’s fingers sliding along his crease.
Morgan grinned, spread, hips rocking toward Max’s hand. “Hungry, cowboy.”