Ryan snorted. “Accidents are my life.”
“What do you mean?” Callum studied the cutie, curious about that statement.
“To be honest, what happened out there in the kitchen and the office happens to me all the time. If you value your health and anything around you, stay away from me. Otherwise, I’ll end up getting you hurt, or at the very least, drive you crazy.”
The sadness in Ryan’s voice just about broke Callum’s heart. Lifting Ryan’s chin, he gently placed a small kiss on those pretty pink lips. He liked the way the cutie’s mismatched eyes widened. “I think it’s my decision whether I’ll stay away from you or not. Now why don’t you change out of those wet jeans? When you’re finished, come out and help Elliot and me clean up the kitchen. Then we’ll tackle the office.”
“Okay,” Ryan answered.
Callum liked the submissive vibe he was receiving from Ryan. After placing another kiss on those sweet lips, Callum left to go help Elliot.
* * * *
One week later….
Ten more miles and he would be back at the ranch. What he wouldn’t give to be able to collapse onto his bed and sleep for a month. The last week had been brutal. Callum had started helping Elliot clean up the kitchen when he received the call that one of the horses on a ranch fifty miles from the Crazy Angle was down with colic.
That ended up being one hell of a long night. Callum and the owner had taken turns slowly walking the mare around when she became too uncomfortable, and administered medication until the wee hours of the morning. Finally, the horse seemed to be responding to Callum’s efforts to help her.
Callum’s two minutes of relaxing ended abruptly when one of the ranch hands announced a different mare on the farm had gone into labor. It was late afternoon before Callum delivered a healthy filly. His triumph was short-lived when the first mare again started showing signs of colic. Callum had ended up making arrangements for the owners to transport her to a university in Dallas where they could perform surgery.
Since then Callum had been to four other farms for various emergencies. Reaching over, Callum opened the window of his truck, hoping the fresh night air would keep him alert enough to get home. A flash of bright white light caught his attention.
Callum drove another half mile and was passing by the old Much farm when he realized the light he had seen was coming from the window of a brand-new building on the property. He only had a few seconds, but from what he could see by the dim yellow glow of the big yard light, someone had been working on the rest of the buildings on the property as well. He made a mental note to tell Graham about it in case the new owners needed a veterinarian.
Minutes later Callum drove his truck up to the Crazy Angle’s main barn and parked it next to the door. Dees had called him earlier in the day and mentioned that one of the ranch’s mares was acting a little sluggish this morning. Callum was thankful for any help Dees gave him. He was an ex-mercenary and Callum suspected that if Dees didn’t have a hard-on for Stan, he would have left the ranch already and pursued his real love, human medicine.
Walking into the barn dimly lit by night lighting, Callum headed down the wide aisle until he reached Zelda’s stall. Callum let the huge Belgian mare sniff his hand while he looked her over. Not seeing anything yet to alarm him, Callum flicked on the stall’s light and grabbed a small riding crop hanging from a nail before stepping into the stall.
Very seldom in Callum’s career had he ever been forced to use the crop. But these animals towered over Callum and could easily cripple or kill him. As an extension of his arm, if he needed it to, the crop would give him a chance to get out of the stall if the animal became aggressive.
“Hey there, big girl, I heard that you weren’t feeling up to par today,” he cooed while running his hands over her neck, body, and legs. Not feeling any abnormalities, he pulled a stethoscope out of his ever-present tan vest pocket and started listening to her heart and abdomen. The vest was a staple in Callum’s life. Its multiple pockets contained things he needed when he examined a patient. There was a drawer in his rooms at the ranch filled with vests just like the one he was wearing.
Callum had his head tipped to the side and was staring at the wall of the stall, concentrating on the sounds of Zelda’s insides when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye.
Anger surged through Callum. What the hell was Ryan thinking lying on the floor in the corner of Zelda’s stall? Shock had him standing there stupidly staring at the sleeping man. Three kittens, a gray and white, an orange and white, and a black one, were all curled up on his lap. Next to him on the floor lay Tyler’s golden retriever, Barney.
Walking over, Callum squatted down and shook Ryan’s shoulder. “Ryan, wake up.”
One brown and one blue eye opened and stared at him blankly. After a few seconds, recognition seeped into them. “Hey, Callum,” Ryan said, smiling sweetly.
Callum didn’t know whether to shake the man or kiss him. Standing up, he ordered, “Get up. What do thing you’re doing in here? Don’t you know that Zelda could have crushed or maimed you at any time? Do you realize what a dangerous position you put yourself in?”
Ryan gently placed the kittens on the hay-strewn floor and patted Barney on the head before standing. Despite his irritation, Callum’s gaze locked onto the thin, royal-blue, low-riding sleep pants and tight, matching T-shirt that allowed a strip of smooth belly skin to show. On Ryan’s feet were blue backless slippers.
The crazy cutie walked past Callum, as comfortable as you please, took Zelda’s huge head in his hands, and rubbed his cheek against it. “I heard Dees tell Adam pretty Zelda wasn’t feeling too well. So I came out here to see how she was doing. She seemed to like it when I petted her and talked to her. So I stayed. A while ago she passed quite a bit of gas. After that, she seemed more comfortable.”
All the while Ryan was speaking, Zelda stood still as a statue, letting him love on her. Callum was flabbergasted. Zelda was known to be one of the more moody mares on the Ranch. Many of the hands had found themselves diving out of her stall to avoid being crushed.
“Do you come out here often, Ryan?” Callum asked.
Ryan’s cheeks grew red, and he suddenly became interested in the floor. “Well, since Elliot threatened to bar me from the kitchen for life if I wrecked anything else in it, I quit exploring the cupboards at night. I was afraid of what might happen if I broke something. Elliot’s Zaiden could probably break me in half with one hand.”
Callum put his arm around the smaller man’s shoulders and guided him out of the stall. After flicking off the light, he kept Ryan moving down the aisle. “Why do you explore the cupboards at night?”
The cutie frowned and studied Callum for a moment. “Because, if I looked in them during the day, Elliot would get mad at me for being in the way and touching his stuff.” The man’s tone suggested that Callum should have figured that obvious answer out himself.
There was a piece of hay stuck in Ryan’s hair. Callum pulled it out and used the opportunity to pull Ryan closer. He liked how the smaller man melted against him.
After making sure the barn door was securely shut, Callum opened the passenger side door of his truck for Ryan and waited for him to climb in. The man’s foot only slipped off the running board once before he managed to scramble in.
Getting into the truck Callum started the vehicle and headed toward the ranch’s main house.
“Why do you look into the cupboards, Ryan?” Callum asked. He found Ryan fascinating.
“Well…um…because?”
“Try again, cutie,” Callum ordered.
“Cutie?”
“Answer the question.” He was quickly learning that Ryan was very smart but had an innocent air about him. From what Callum had seen so far, Ryan didn’t have any hidden agendas and wasn’t trying to manipulate anything. For Callum, after Merick, this was quite a refreshing change.
“Well, sometimes I can’t sleep and Elliot’s kitchen is incredible. Th
ere are things in there that I have no idea what they do or how they work,” Ryan exclaimed. “Do you know that they make a plastic box that when you close the lid, it chops up onions? Can you imagine not having to cry from chopping onions with a knife? Not to mention accidently slicing up your fingers? My father would have saved a bundle on emergency room visits. Heck, I wouldn’t have had to have half as many stitches in my fingers over the years.”
Ryan’s eyes were sparkling in the dim interior of the truck cab, and his excitement was almost touchable. Callum decided right then and there that he was going to be upfront with Ryan and see if they could make something work. The man was adorable, and Callum wanted him.
Callum parked the truck in front of the Ranch house and turned to Ryan. “Do you like to cook?”
Mismatched eyes comically widened before Ryan shook his head vigorously. “No way. After the one time I tried making eggs and toast for my dad on Father’s day, my dad has forbidden me from ever cooking again. It took the carpenters three weeks to restore the kitchen.”
Callum chuckled and put one hand on the back of Ryan’s head and pulled him close. He gave Ryan a quick kiss before saying, “Then it’s a good thing we have Elliot to cook for us, because I can’t cook either.”
“Really? You can’t cook?” Ryan’s surprised expression was so cute that Callum had to drop another kiss on his sweet lips again.
“Nope,” he answered. “Now let’s get in the house. I need to put some blood samples in the meds room so that they can be shipped out tomorrow.”
Callum left the truck and walked to the back of the dark blue vehicle. The truck bed was set up with cabinets and drawers to hold everything he needed to take care of the animals he tended. The truck was almost like a small vet clinic.
While Callum pulled a small cooler out of one of the cabinets, Ryan’s door opened, and he left the tall vehicle. He proceeded to misstep and ended up falling to the ground. Callum right then made a decision on how he was going to keep Ryan safe around vehicles if the man agreed to try a relationship between them.
“Are you okay?” Callum asked calmly. His first instinct was to rush over, but something inside told him that Ryan needed Callum to trust that he could help himself or ask if he needed it.
“Yeah,” Ryan answered. He stood up and brushed himself off before going to stand next to Callum.
Not able to resist, Callum put his arm around Ryan’s shoulders and softly kissed him one more time. Slowly their lips parted and he said, “Let’s get you inside. I need some sleep before the next emergency calls me.”
Together they went in through the side door that opened to the back utility room. There was a large utility sink so the hands could clean up before each meal. The tile floor took a lot of abuse from the dirt covered boots. Callum had seen Elliot run a hose from the sink and spray the mud down the drain set in the middle of the floor. Footwear wasn’t allowed in the house, so Callum automatically took his shoes off.
Reaching into his pocket, Callum took out his keys and opened a door off the utility room. The white walls and tile floor of the meds room made it bright and clean looking. It always took a second for Callum’s eyes to adjust when he went in there. Shelves lined the walls and ran down the middle of the room. Adam kept them stocked with supplies and medications Callum needed to treat the horses and sometimes other animals under his care. Walking over to a large refrigerated cooler, Callum put the vials of blood samples he had taken from some of the horses he had treated over the last couple of days into a large vial holder.
Attached to the wall next to the cooler were plastic file holders. Pulling out some report sheets that corresponded with the vials of blood, Callum put the papers in the appropriate holders.
“I’ll send that stuff to the lab right away tomorrow,” Ryan said, standing by the door.
“Sounds good, now let’s get out of here,” Callum said wearily as the last few days caught up with him.
In the kitchen, he caught Ryan’s hand, stopping him in midstep, and pulled him around into his arms. Taking his face between his hands, Callum lowered his lips and covered Ryan’s. The kiss was good, but Callum wanted more.
“Open for me,” he whispered against the cutie’s lips.
Immediately Ryan’s lips parted, and Callum had his first taste of the man. Tongues brushed against each other as Callum probed Ryan’s mouth exploring every inch. Knowing he had to stop before it went any further, reluctantly, Callum ended the kiss.
“Sleep well,” he said, and kissed Ryan’s forehead before heading out of the kitchen.
“Callum,” Ryan called, and Callum paused at the doorway of the short hall to the back door.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to stay with me?”
Chapter Four
Ryan knew if he didn’t take a breath soon the dark spots currently dancing in front of his eyes were going to mesh together and he was going to pass out. Still, he peered through the spots at Callum and hoped he wasn’t making a colossal fool out of himself.
Air rushed back into his lungs as the big man’s long strides came toward him. Callum didn’t say anything. Instead, hands encircled Ryan’s waist, and Callum lifted him onto the island’s hard granite counter.
Ryan leaned back when Callum leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of Ryan’s hips. The man smelled good. Some might not like the scent of horse, sweat, and hay mixed together with Callum’s musky smell. But for Ryan it was like an aphrodisiac.
“Who the hell took care of you before you came here?” Callum’s sapphire blue eyes were boring into Ryan.
“What do you mean? I thought…”
“Answer the question, Ryan,” Callum demanded.
“I took care of myself. Of course I lived with my friend Eric, and my dad was around, but nobody took care of me,” Ryan answered.
“Yeah, right. The last time you got yourself into trouble, who bailed you out?” Callum’s face was slowly turning red.
“Look, I thought you might want to spend some time with me. Just forget it.” Ryan pushed against Callum’s wide chest. He was so out of here.
Of course Callum didn’t move. He in fact, leaned closer and covered Ryan’s lips in a brutal kiss. Teeth scraped his lips before Ryan’s bottom lip was sucked into Callum’s mouth. Ryan could only bury his fingers in the material of Callum’s vest and submit to the big man’s dominance.
When Callum raised his head, Ryan’s mouth burned. “Everyone said you were a nice guy,” Ryan said accusingly.
“I am a nice guy. But you, my sweet cutie, have gotten the beast’s attention. And I think you’re way too innocent for the likes of me,” Callum declared.
“I’m not innocent. I’ve been with guys before,” Ryan defended.
“I don’t care how many guys you’ve been with. You are so innocent it scares me when I think of what some of the guys around here could do to you, including me.” Callum’s gaze dropped down to his mouth, and Ryan swore the burn intensified.
“Look, if you don’t want to hook up with me, fine. But you don’t have to try to scare me away,” Ryan said, untangling his fingers from Callum’s vest.
“You’re right. I don’t want to hook up with you. I want to own you,” Callum declared.
Ryan blinked, positive he had just misheard Callum. People didn’t own people. No matter how many times Ryan turned that sentence over in his mind, it still didn’t make sense.
“I don’t understand,” he admitted.
“Of course you don’t. And that’s just what I’m talking about,” Callum responded.
“I’m not stupid. Explain it to me.” Ryan was getting sick of being put down.
“All right. I’ll tell you what I want and expect in a lover. You can take as long as you need to decide if it’s for you or not. No pressure.” Callum spread his fingers along Ryan’s jaw and lifted his head until their eyes met. “But, if you decide to become mine, you’d better be sure. As strong as this thing between us already is, o
nce I’ve had you, I’ll never let you go.”
Ryan couldn’t help it. His dick had been hard ever since Callum walked toward him from the doorway. Now he felt pre-cum wet the inside of his underwear. Those words on top of Callum’s tone, aura, and intense gaze had him fighting an orgasm.
He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head, and almost groaned when Callum’s scent swamped his already muddled mind. “Tell me,” he whispered.
Callum pressed his lips tightly together for a moment before speaking. “I like to play with toys. I will fill your mouth, ass, and maybe, if I feel like it, the tip of your dick. I will spend a lot of time tying you up with different colored ropes, creating intricate knots that will form beautiful designs on your naked body. And there is nothing I like more than sinking my cock into a tight ass reddened and warmed by my hand.”
“Holy shit,” Ryan whispered. The wet spot in his pants grew.
“If you need something from me, you can ask and we can discuss it. But, I will not tolerate you topping from the bottom,” Callum concluded.
Ryan studied Callum, taking in his full lips, amazing blue eyes, and sun-streaked short wavy blond hair. He even had a beauty mark just above the corner of his mouth. When you added in his bedroom demands, you had one heck of a gorgeous, exciting man that Ryan couldn’t stop drooling over.
“Why aren’t you taken?” Ryan asked.
Callum snorted. “My last boyfriend tried to manipulate me into doing what he wanted. If you want to challenge me, fine. I will gladly take you up on that and show you my way of doing things. But, I will not whip or flog you. Cutting, golden showers, and anything else along those lines are out. I don’t want a mouse, but I refuse to spend all my time putting my partner in his place. I’d rather be loving on you and making you scream with pleasure.”
Ryan’s balls were starting to hurt. He wanted to launch himself off the countertop and beg Callum to fuck him. But he could see the man was adamant on his idea that Ryan should take the time to think about it. So he would, probably for all of about thirty seconds. He figured his right hand was going to get a workout for the rest of the night.
Callum's Love [Men of Crazy Angle Ranch: 5] Page 3