by Andrew Grey
Chapter 6
THE SMELL of garlic and onions pulled Ashton away from his desk. He used his cane and followed his nose through the house to the kitchen, where Reg and Ben were working together. Guy and his security systems cohort Phil sat around the table behind their computers. The house was full of people, hopefully enough to handle any threat that should arise. It might seem like overkill, but he was determined to keep Ben—and the ranch—safe.
“Oh, I love that,” Ben said, peering into Reg’s pot of sauce.
“It’s my gramma’s recipe. She shared it with me before she died and swore me to secrecy. She never even told my mother. Gramma never liked her very much, so she refused to share any of her secrets with her. And she didn’t tell my dad because she knew he would let Mom in on the secret.” He grinned. “Keep stirring the sauce slowly. I’m going to get the lasagna noodles out.”
“Teaching Ben to cook?” Ashton said as he came up behind Ben, sniffed the sauce, and then leaned in close, lightly kissing his cheek. “That looks great.”
“I figured I’d try to help.”
Reg drained the noodles, and Ashton stepped back from the cloud of steam. “What about the horses?”
“Ben took care of them,” Reg said.
Ben looked over his shoulder. “I called Lucy, and he told me what to do. I got them fresh water and hay, and he said to spot-clean the stalls, so I did that too. The walls here were starting to close in on me. Reg stayed close to make sure I was okay, and I got to spend some time with the horses.” He chuckled. “One of them got a little friendly.”
“All of my horses are really docile and friendly.” Ashton gently hugged Ben from behind. “Thank you for taking care of things.”
“I wanted to give Marcel a chance to spend some time with Lucy. And I liked it. The horses are pretty cool, and I think they like me.” He leaned back against him. Ashton loved the way he felt against him. “I fed the dogs a few minutes ago too, so they should be all set for the night.”
“There’s no need for the two of you to get all mushy,” Reg groused, and Ashton held Ben a little tighter. They picked on each other, but Reg was only teasing. Besides, Ashton was going to hold Ben in his own home if he wanted to.
The security systems guys barely looked up from their computer screens other than to occasionally check what was happening or find out how soon dinner was going to be. Mostly they just talked quietly as they checked their cameras and the angles of the images they were providing.
“I made some snacks,” Ben said. He slipped out of Ashton’s arms and pulled a couple of plates with meat and cheese on them out of the refrigerator. The team ate and worked.
“Doesn’t anyone ever feed you two?” Ashton teased, though they simply continued eating.
“We’re really trying to make sure the grounds are covered, boss,” Guy, the more experienced of the two of them, said before grabbing a few more snacks and returning to work.
“Can you see everything?” Ashton asked.
Guy shifted his screen so Ashton could take a look. “That’s the far barn. We have a camera on it from all angles. If someone approaches, they’ll set off alarms on both our systems. We also have a few surprises in store for anyone who tries to get inside.” He grinned. “They’ll get the shock of their lives.” He chuckled. “It isn’t enough to kill, but they’ll land on their asses. We did the same thing in the barns closer to the house. So we’ll have to turn the system off before anyone tries to go inside.” He pressed a button, and Marcel and Lucy’s small house showed on the screen. “We have every building under surveillance, including this one.”
“What about the road?”
“We’ll get a message if a car turns into the driveway. We also have cameras that’ll show us if anyone tries to approach from the pastures. I’m checking for blind spots right now, but I don’t think there are any. Still, the cameras are only going to give us so much warning. We’ll have to keep a close watch.”
Ashton sighed. He was well aware of the limits of what they could do. It wasn’t like the ranch was a compound with high walls and gates. Mostly the land was open so the cattle could move. That presented them with a number of security challenges that they had to work around. “Thank you both for your help.”
Both guys smiled. “After dinner, I’m going to sleep for a while,” Guy said. “Phil will monitor things, and then later on tonight, I’ll take over for him. If it’s okay, we’ll use the table here.”
“Of course. There’s plenty of coffee.”
“Drink of the gods and late-night workers.” Guy grinned, and Ashton let him get back to work. He helped himself to a few of the appetizers Ben had made while waiting for dinner and did his best not to worry about what kind of trouble would find its way to the ranch next.
DINNER WAS delicious, and Ashton was more content than he had been in a while. In fact, he’d actually laughed during dinner as Guy relayed the antics of his last client. Of course, they wouldn’t normally talk about such things, but they were in Ashton’s home, and it was private. Besides, they needed to laugh. Ashton desperately wanted a break from the worries that swirled through his head like a tornado.
“We have to be prepared for when Dallas makes his move,” he said eventually, effectively killing the mood.
“We will be, you know that,” Reg told him quietly. “We were careful today and didn’t draw attention to ourselves. Most of what we installed were wireless devices, and we did it while appearing to work with the animals in case anyone was watching.”
“And the wireless signals?” Ashton asked.
“I set them all up so the names don’t broadcast,” Guy said. “If anyone is looking for them, they will see nothing. They have to know what the name is and actually look for it in order to even realize they’re there. On top of that, they’re encrypted. Nobody’s going to figure out my keys.” Guy had always been confident of his abilities, and he had a right to be. He was one of the best in the business when it came to surveillance. The Army had lost a real asset when he’d mustered out. But Uncle Sam’s loss was Reg and Ashton’s gain.
“Good.” Ashton finished his water and stood. “I’m going to bed. My leg is aching, and maybe some rest will help.” He set his glass by the sink and left the room, heading to the bedroom with the dogs following.
Inside, the dogs piled into their bed on the floor in the corner as Ashton got undressed and cleaned up. Danger was getting closer—he could feel it deep inside, and he was going to be ready. Ashton always felt this way on the night before a battle, and tonight was no different. Granted, he hadn’t taken part in any great conflicts, but he still knew what it felt like. In the Army, there was a lot of hurry up and wait. Ashton had gotten used to it, but that experience had given him a sense of knowing when the waiting was coming to an end.
Voices occasionally drifted in from the other room as Ashton turned off the light and slipped under the covers. The sheets were cold at first and his leg throbbed, but the pain slowly dissipated as he grew warmer.
Part of him wished for another storm, something to make the roads impassable once again. That way it would seem as if nature herself was trying to keep Ben here with him. Ben was a city boy, and once this was over, Ashton was afraid he’d leave. Hell, Ben hadn’t even seen a horse up close before he’d wandered into Ashton’s barn. He was used to the energy of the city and everything that came with city living. Ashton and his ranch couldn’t compete with that.
But right now, that was the least of his problems. If Dallas was as determined as Ben thought he was, it was only a matter of time before he showed up. And Ashton had to be ready. Though the longer nothing happened, the more he hoped that Ben had finally managed to get away. Sometimes Ashton wished he could see the future so he could prepare for what was going to happen.
The voices outside grew quiet and the light from under the door dimmed. Ashton wasn’t sure if Ben would join him. He hoped so, but that had to be Ben’s decision. Things between the two of them had
been moving much faster than Ashton would normally allow. Maybe they needed a chance to think, and the fates had conspired to keep them apart for that reason. After all, he was a broken-down cowboy, and Ben was vibrant, young, and whole. He had his whole life ahead of him, and he didn’t need to be tied to a man who could barely walk some days. Ashton didn’t know what he should do, but he did know he was tired of being alone.
After he was hurt, Ashton figured he’d end up alone. But he’d expected that the ranch, the land, the animals, and the hands who depended on it for a living would be his life, and that would be enough. Only it wasn’t—not anymore.
“Ashton?” Ben’s voice broke through the darkness of the room and his thoughts. “Are you still awake?”
“Yes. Is something wrong?” He prepared to get out of bed as Ben came inside and closed the door.
“No,” Ben whispered.
Ashton should have known. The dogs lay quietly in their beds, tails thumping occasionally, but otherwise they were content. If there’d been any trouble, it would have sent them into a frenzy. Ashton held still as Ben approached and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Is everything okay?” Ben asked.
Ashton wasn’t sure how to answer. “I suppose that depends….”
“On what?” Ben’s voice grew deeper and sent ripples of need through Ashton that he wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge. The past few days with Ben had been special, but nothing had happened that they couldn’t easily pull away from. Ashton had offered Ben a place to stay if he wanted it. And he had been sincere—he wanted Ben to stay, to see if there was a possibility of more between them. But he didn’t want Ben to think that he was only offering him a place to stay so Ben would sleep with him.
“You.” Ashton sat up a little so he could see Ben more clearly. Ashton placed his hands on Ben’s shoulders to stop him coming closer. “I’m not sure what to do, and I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“What about?” Ben asked.
Ashton swallowed hard. “I want you to stay here, if that’s what you’d like to do. I told you that you needed to decide what you wanted, but I didn’t realize that I needed to do the same thing—to figure out what it was that would make me happy.” He wasn’t saying this well, and he knew it. “You can stay here on the ranch and have a life here if that’s what you want. But that doesn’t have anything to do… you don’t have to….” Ashton tried to find the words that didn’t make what he wanted seem dirty. “You don’t have to sleep in my bed to have that. You’re welcome to stay no matter what. If that’s what you want.” Ashton closed his eyes because he wanted Ben to stay more than anything. “I don’t want you to think that I would offer you a place and make it conditional on you sleeping with me.”
Poochie woofed, and Ashton looked over to see the dog staring at him as if he was stupid. Sometimes that dog understood what he was thinking better than he did. Those huge eyes and the way he tilted his head slightly to the side made it seem as if he knew the secrets of the universe. And maybe he did. Poochie watched him for a few seconds and then lowered his head onto the back of one of the other dogs, closing his eyes. Clearly all was well in his world.
“I never thought that,” Ben said, leaning over him. “You’re far too good a person to do that, and I’ve spent enough time around bad people to know the difference.” He drew closer, and Ashton wound his arms around his back, then paused. “What are you doing?” Ben asked.
“Listening? Every time I get close to you, something happens. So I’m making sure there aren’t any immediate calamities before I….” He brought his lips to Ben’s and half expected the house to fall down around them. But the room remained quiet, and Ashton tugged Ben a little closer, deepening the kiss, tasting the hint of sweetness on his lips that gave way to richness and finally heat. God, he could do this forever. But Ashton didn’t let himself think like that for very long. Forever wasn’t something he dared dream about. Ben had his whole life ahead of him, and he certainly didn’t need to be saddled with a gimpy-legged cowboy. Still, it was amazing to hold him. Ben had so much energy, so much fire, he thought as Ben pressed him back down onto the bed, shuffling to pull away the covers.
The cool air hit his warm skin, and Ashton shivered for a second as Ben sat up, pulling off his shirt. He ran his hands up and down Ben’s back, shivering, but this time not from the cold. Ben felt amazing, his skin smooth and soft over firm muscle. “Do you want to get more comfortable?” Ashton asked.
Ben nodded and kissed him again. “I could stay right here like this for a long time.”
“Me too,” Ashton whispered and slipped his hands down Ben’s lower back and over his butt, gripping his firm ass through his pants. Ben groaned. Ashton positioned his legs so he was comfortable, then kissed Ben deeper. He was in no hurry—every kiss, every touch, only added to his desire. He throbbed under Ben’s touch, and if he could have, he’d have rolled them on the bed, tugged off his clothes, and taken Ben in a rush of heat and passion. But the throbbing in his leg warned him to take things a bit slower.
Ashton tugged at the opening of Ben’s pants, popping the button on his jeans. Ben sighed, and Ashton slipped his hands under the fabric, gripping his bare butt. “You’re amazing, you know that? You make me want things I’m not sure I have a right to.” Ashton swallowed.
Ben lifted his head, meeting Ashton’s gaze. “Why?” he asked, slowly straightening up, his hands wandering over Ashton’s chest. “I hate it when you say things like that.”
“But you know I’m not going to magically get better, and over time, my leg is likely to get worse.” He closed his eyes, wondering if the day would come when he would no longer be able to use it at all, or worse, lose it.
“You aren’t your leg.” Ben smoothed a hand over each pec, tweaking a nipple lightly between his fingers. Ashton hissed and arched his back. “It’s just a leg… but more importantly, it’s part of you.” He leaned closer. “Let me asked you something. You got hurt and you’ve had to deal with that. But what did your leg give you?”
Ashton narrowed his gaze. “Excuse me? I didn’t do anything to end up this way.” He tried to knock Ben away from him, but he leaned closer.
“I didn’t mean that, and you know it. You got injured. I know that. But what did the injury give you? How were you different before you got hurt?”
Ashton swore under his breath. “I was whole then. I could do anything I wanted. I….” He paused, and what Ben was saying finally sank into his thick head. “I probably would have stayed with Reg and my security firm and made a full-time career of it, doing pretty much what Reg does. I would….”
“You would never have come back here,” Ben added. “You’d have helped your dad, but you probably would have let him sell the ranch, and that Ashton would have gone on with his life.” Ben drew closer once again. “And that’s fine, except the ranch would belong to Henderson. He would have found me, probably kicked my ass to the curb, and then who knows?” He raised his eyebrows. “Things happen for a reason, and we don’t get to go back and change them.” Ben lay next to him, looking up at the ceiling. “I used to watch Star Trek and other sci-fi shows that dealt with time travel. I always thought it was fascinating how going back in time and adjusting one thing, it could entirely change the future.”
“I think I get it.”
Ben rolled over, sliding his hand over Ashton’s quivering belly just above the elastic of his boxers. “Do you? If things had been different, then yes, I wouldn’t be here, and Dallas might have forced me to come back to him. You certainly wouldn’t have been there to help me. Your life would have been different, and so would mine. Who’s to say which one would be better?”
Ashton rolled on his side to face Ben. “I find it hard to believe that a life that didn’t include you in some way would be dull and a little empty.” Why he’d said something so completely honest and from deep in his heart was beyond him. Not that he didn’t feel it. But to actually say the words—it gave them power.
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Ben slipped off the bed, and Ashton thought he might have gone too far and scared Ben off. He wouldn’t blame him in the least. Maybe his leg injury was somehow connected to his mouth and he had lost the ability to censor what he said. Or….
He turned as Ben dropped his pants to the floor and stepped out of them, naked. Ashton’s throat went dry, and he inhaled through his mouth as Ben returned to the bed, his cock pressing right to his belly. Damn, it was thrilling knowing he had gotten Ben so excited. Instantly Ashton grew heated, and Ben pushed the covers off, tugging Ashton’s boxers down his legs before climbing on top of him. Now, when he pressed to Ashton, skin to skin, chest to chest, energy coursed through Ashton, and he gasped for breath while he hugged Ben to him.
This was a fantasy come true, and Ashton reveled in it. Bringing their lips together, he tasted Ben while stroking hot smooth skin, inhaling the deeply musky scent that now surrounded them. Oh hell, this was incredible. “Oh God, Ben.”
He received a soft chuckle in return. “You think that was amazing?” Ben slid downward, his hands roaming over Ashton’s chest and belly, moving closer and closer to his cock but not touching it. Ashton squirmed his hips in anticipation.
Ben licked up his shaft, and Ashton clamped his eyes shut, whimpering when Ben repeated his action, then took his cock between his lips, slowly sinking lower, taking more of him. Ashton gripped the bedding as he was surrounded by wet, tight heat that made his head spin. He wanted this so much, and he gasped softly as Ben took him deeper and deeper. “Ben….” Ashton murmured as Ben bobbed his head, sucking hard, drawing more and more of Ashton inside him.
This was heaven, pure, erotic, sensual heaven. It had been a while since he’d had this with anyone, and to be given the pleasure by Ben was special. Ben hummed softly, taking all of him, backing away, and doing it again. Pressure built in Ashton’s head as he clutched the bedding tighter, determined to make the amazing pleasure last as long as possible. Instinct told him to thrust his hips, but he held still, giving himself over to Ben. It was one thing to have control of your own pleasure, but to place it in the hands of someone else was sublime. Ben swirled his tongue around the head of his cock, and Ashton whimpered high and short. The dogs might have been startled by the sound, but he wasn’t paying attention to anything other than the magic Ben was creating with his body.