by Turner, CJ
“I’m getting the food now. I’ll be back in a half hour,” called Sebastian.
“Thanks.”
Alister sighed with relief and decided there was a thing he must do while Sebastian was out of the house. He fired up the computer and took a dive into the world of Manu Martin.
Chapter 6
Manu
“Damn!”
The front door slammed and rattled in its doorframe. Jack whined and slunk to his old bed under the stairs that Manu didn’t bother to move.
Things were just getting good with the twink when Sebastian Brevard showed at his door. The man’s timing sucked, and his attitude worse. Manu couldn’t change ancient history, but it was attitudes like Sebastian’s that didn’t help Manu’s business get off the ground.
Manu tried to tell himself that his anger wasn’t because Sebastian interrupted his make-out session with Alister. But an annoying low-level burn ran through every nerve ending.
“Come on, Jack,” said Manu. “Let’s take a walk.”
Jack picked up his head and put it down. He appeared depressed, and why wouldn’t he? George abandoned the pup and left him on Manu’s doorstep while Manu was out of town trying to work out the legal problem that kept his business in trouble.
It sucked that Manu had no money of his own for a lawyer. But as he learned in New York, he was no lawyer either.
He and Jack walked up the trail again, the very same one where he found Alister. At the same rock, Manu sat and watched as the sun set. The mountain tops stretched before him took on a purple cast as rare cumulus clouds rolled overhead, promising rain. But the Rockies could lie, too. The wind currents churned and swept over the land quickly, not caught in any valley. One day it could snow three inches, and on another the sun would shine, and the temperature could be eighty degrees. That’s what he loved about these mountains. Each day brought something new, like today they brought Alister.
Manu shook his head. But now, Brevard would have soured Alister on anything having to do with him. Besides, it was just better not to get involved. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the whole George thing still sent tiny stabs to his heart when he thought about it.
And he hated that.
“Come on, Jack,” he said. “Let’s get home.”
But Jack circled the area as if looking for something, returned to the rock, sniffed Manu, and gazed up at him as if perplexed.
“What are you doing?”
Jack whined and pushed his head under Manu’s hand. With a shock, Manu recognized this from earlier when Jack did the same thing with Alister.
“He’s not here, buddy. He went with Sebastian, Sargeant Pupper’s dad.”
Jack gave him a sad face.
“Stop,” huffed Manu. “Some things don’t work out. You should know that from experience.”
Manu decided to take a walk to the road to check the mail. Jack didn’t mind the extra exercise, but all Manu found was a stack of bills. And an ominous letter. But all letters from lawyers looked like death was about to descend on you.
He sighed and walked up the hill with Jack trotting along or ahead faithfully. When he got home, he opened the mail to get the grim news and pulled out his laptop to check the grimmer news of his account balance. When Manu logged onto his bank account, he got a shock. He stared at the screen.
Someone had deposited $700 into his account. This was the amount of a full-day horse tour in the mountains. Scrambling, he opened his email to find the reservation for tomorrow, at eight for one person, to meet at the horse farm where Manu rented horses for these trips. He blinked. This one day would take care of several monthly bills.
His phone rang on his business line.
“Mr. Martin?”
“Yes.”
“This is William Chatsworth of Chatsworth, Brown, and Holder.”
Manu swallowed hard. He hadn’t heard of this lawyer before.
“Do you have five minutes to talk?”
He might as well get this over with. “Yes.”
“I’ve been reviewing the details of your case, and I know the plaintiff’s lawyers well. I believe I can get them to withdraw the suit with your permission, of course.”
Plaintiff? That didn’t sound like the language a lawyer used about his client.
“Excuse me? I didn’t ask you to look into this. And I can’t afford a lawyer.”
“In a case like this and the wealth of the plaintiff, it’s always best to have representation. But don’t worry. You won’t have to pay a thing. We do pro bono work on occasion, and a friend asked me to look into this.”
“This is very strange.”
“I can understand your reluctance. I’m messaging you paperwork to permit me to act as your lawyer. Look it over, have any lawyer look at it if you wish. Sign it and return it if you want me to work for you. You can fax me a copy so I can get working right away, and return the originals to me.”
Manu typed the lawyer’s name into his computer’s browser, and his eyes narrowed.
“You are a New York firm.”
“It always pays to hire the best. We have several satellite offices, and one of them is in Denver, licensed to practice in Colorado. It’s your choice, and I’ll stand by any decision you make.”
“Isn’t it odd that you call someone you don’t know and offer your services for free?”
“Check us out. I’m sure you’ll find we have a solid reputation.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you for calling.”
Manu hung up the call and wondered which fairy godmother dropped a bunch of bennies on him today. The tours could happen any time, though, for the past year, those have been few. But the lawyer calling from out of nowhere? That was weird. Still, if things didn’t check out, he could always tell them “no.”
“Hey, Jack. We have a tour tomorrow. What do you think?”
Jack wagged his tail and barked.
“Well, let’s get ready and hit the hay. We’re up early tomorrow.”
But Manu felt too jazzed to fall asleep quickly. He couldn’t find any information on the guy that booked the tour, Daniel Patterson. His searches on Chatsworth, Brown, and Holder turned up that they were upstanding members of the bar and had zero complaints against them. Manu hated not knowing the scoop on anyone, though he supposed the only thing he needed to know about Mr. Patterson was that his cash spent as well as anyone else’s. The lawyer was a different story. He had to wait until those papers arrived to decide that. Still, he couldn’t shake the idea their interest in his case was damned odd.
Finally, his eyes closed, and he floated into a dream where a handsome twink crawled on top of him and—
His alarm blared, and Jack exploded with a fit of barking, startling Manu awake. He rubbed his face, trying to decide if he could grab more shut-eye. It was too early. The sun hadn’t met the horizon yet. Then he remembered today he had a client. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner?” he grumbled to Jack.
But as soon as he dragged his butt from bed, showered, and hit the road, he felt better. After an uneventful ride to the horse farm where he rented a small office and horses for the day, he entered his element once again. He pulled his backpack from his truck while Jack ran around joyfully sniffing and reacquainting himself with his old haunt.
For the first time in months, things almost felt “right” again.
As he rounded the truck, Manu spotted the twink.
Alister Grant stood against the corral with his round ass sticking out, staring at the horses their owner, Mrs. Thurman, put out for Manu. One was a chestnut mare, Sally, who had an even temperament and, Thunder, a huge black gelding who could be a terror to ride. Manu liked him, though, and Thunder returned the favor, so they had fun on treks.
Jack spotted him as when Manu did and ran barking toward the man, who turned and flashed a smile at the canine. Jack jumped in his excitement, but Alister held out his hand and said, “no.” Incredibly, Jack stopped in his tracks, wagging his tail. Alister waved Jack to
him and petted him vigorously.
“Daniel Patterson, I presume.”
Alister looked up and grinned that incredible smile, and Manu almost melted on the spot. Not that he was a melt-to-the-ground type of guy, but the damned twink had that effect on him.
I am in trouble.
Manu shoved that thought away and walked toward his client.
This time, Alister Grant had dressed appropriately in a tight T-shirt stretched taut over his pecs and abs and a pair of jeans that hugged tightly in all the right places. The man wore clothes to show off his body, and Manu bit his lip reflexively.
Alister wore a pair of hiking boots, which left no doubt that he was the client of the day. When Manu got closer, he caught the Gucci icon on the side of his footwear, and he swallowed hard. While Gucci was not on Manu’s go-to list, he did know what they cost. Who wore a pair of $1,300 boots? Alister Grant, apparently.
“You’ll burn up dressed like that,” said Manu. He slung his backpack from his shoulder and pulled a light long-sleeve plaid out and one of the baseball caps with the Martin’s Mountain Tours logo. He handed the shirt to Alister and slapped the lid on the twink’s head. When he did, he caught a whiff of Alister’s cologne, sandalwood with a hint of musk, and Manu’s head spun.
“Aww,” said Alister sarcastically, “I didn’t know you cared.”
Manu must distance himself from Alister. He was a client, damn it, not a fuck toy, though that thought churned his insides.
“Are you always this mouthy in the morning?” said Manu.
“When it’s not otherwise engaged,” said Alister with a wicked grin.
It was a smile filled with sin. The blood drained from Manu’s head and rushed to parts south, which was not a good way to start a ride. He was glad he thought to wear an overshirt. It hung low enough to cover his body’s indiscretion.
“Have you ridden before?”
Alister snorted, and that sparked more inappropriate thoughts. Manu cursed under his breath.
“What was that?” said Alister. Total innocence laced his voice, and Manu figured this was on purpose.
“Nothing. But I do need to know your level of horse riding experience.”
“Does five years of dressage qualify?” he said.
“Dressage?” said Manu incredulously.
“Yeah, I competed one year but, after that, it bored me.”
“Bored—” Manu shook his head.“Who are you?”
“Oh, just your average New York twink.” Alister winked at him, and Manu’s mouth formed a hard line. He didn’t like Alister playing him.
“We use Western saddles,” stated Manu flatly.
“I think I can handle it. I like good leather.”
Mind. Officially. Blown. Manu opened his mouth and shut it. The twink endeavored to get a rise out of him. And it was working. His cock throbbed rock-hard in his jeans, and there was nothing he could do about it other than push forward with the day’s plan.
“Let’s saddle up, Gucci cowboy, and show me what you got.”
Manu had hoped to knock back the twink with that remark. Instead, Alister beamed brighter at him.
“My pleasure, big guy. I’m ready to saddle up anytime.”
Chapter 7
Alister
What would it take to melt the mountain man’s frosty demeanor?
Alister had tried his best lines on him but, instead of encouraging him, Manu shut down. This was not the plan.
What Alister crafted was a subtle seduction where he’d be too irresistible to ignore. The clothes, the double entendres, the flirty glances never failed to work—except with Manu Martin.
Alister had decided, despite his promise to Sebastian, that the mountain man was too delicious to resist. He reasoned that no one would know if he took a private tour with Manu, so he booked the first on the calendar—today.
He could barely sleep all night, replaying the memories of them on the couch. It forced him into the shower for a late-night replay. But it wasn’t the same as the mountain man’s heat under him or the taste of his skin and mouth. And that must change.
No one denied Alister Grant.
And he felt very denied.
Remembering how Jesse used him and Manu’s apparent lack of interest confirmed something he felt to his core. That the lovers he attracted were only interested in his money. This deflating thought had crossed south of his beltline to work its evil magic there.
But Alister was not a man to admit defeat. Yes. He made a mistake with his previous lover, Jesse, jumped in too quickly and put too much faith in him. He tried, as his dearly departed grandmother would have said, to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But Manu, for his rough edges, was no Jesse. Alister was sure of this.
Manu slipped into the barn and entered the corral carrying two saddles. This was impressive. Those things weighed four times an English saddle, and these looked older and therefore heavier than the new ones on the market.
“Do you need help?”
Manu tossed him a disparaging glance. “It’s my job. I’m responsible for these animals.” His arms jerked as he tightened the cinches, and Alister licked his lips as he thought about Manu’s muscles bunching as he worked.
There, thought Alister. That proves it. Jesse never used the word ‘responsible’. But it miffed him.
“Excuse me,” said Alister in a snarky tone.
Manu peered over the top of the saddle he put on the black gelding and shook his head.
“What are you doing here, Alister Grant?” He spoke the words in an open challenge, and Alister looked away as he formed his retort. But no good one came.
“I wanted to see the mountains.”
Manu snorted as if he didn’t believe Alister. He didn’t speak as he finished with the chestnut mare and held out the reins for the mare to Alister.
“Here you go.”
“No,” said Alister. “I want to ride the other horse.”
“Thunder? I assure you he lives up to his name.”
“Who is the client here?” said Alister. “It’s the gelding or nothing.”
“Fine,” said Manu. “Let me check to see if you signed the Release of Liability form.”
“I did,” affirmed Alister with a huff.
But Manu pulled out his phone, flipped through it, and nodded. “Okay, can’t be too careful. What about your altitude sickness from yesterday?”
Alister picked up his ears. This was the first mention of yesterday that Manu made. For a second, Alister thought he forgot about their time together. But how could he? Alister couldn’t get it out of his head.
“You were right. I was dehydrated. Silly me. I’ve drunk so much water I might have to piss often.”
Manu quirked his mouth. “Let me know, cowboy. I don’t want you to get lost on the trail.”
The mountain man handed him the reins of the black gelding and climbed on the chestnut mare. He rested his crooked arm on his saddle’s pommel and waited for Alister to mount the horse.
Only Thunder wasn’t having any of it. When Alister held the reins and stuck his foot in the stirrup, Thunder decided to take a few steps to circle toward his tail. Alister had to step back to avoid the horse stepping on his foot. Even with hiking boots, being stepped on by 700 pounds of horseflesh would be painful.
“Real wiseguy, eh?” he said to the horse who whinnied.
Asshole.
Alister gripped the pommel tightly, pulled his body up, and swung his leg around before Thunder could repeat his trick. He glanced at Manu, who couldn’t hide the amusement in his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. Alister sucked in a breath and shoved his annoyance away. He was a man on a mission.
“That’s pretty good,” said Manu. “Only two tries.”
“Every horse has his quirks,” said Alister cooly. “This one thinks he’s smarter than humans. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
Manu flashed a smile close to a smirk, but Alister decided to ignore that. “I did try to warn you.”
“Let’s see what he can do.” Alister pulled right on the reins, and the horse tossed his head. Alister yanked harder, hating to draw on the horse’s mouth, but some animals had “hard mouths,” especially those used on trails with multiple riders. Thunder took the steps Alister called on, and then Alister pulled left, forcing the animal to move in the opposite direction. Thunder almost balked, but Alister’s steady pull and a slap of his knee on the side he wanted the horse to turn in caught Thunder’s attention. This recalcitrant creature differed from his former horse, Puffin, bred for competition and taught responsiveness. When Alister trained with her, it was he that had the learning to do. Puffin’s loss was an emotional blow from which he didn’t recover. And now he sat on this beast, an animal more wild and raw despite his domestication.
“Do we understand each other?” Alister said.
Thunder stood and waited for Alister’s next command, which was good. But Alister didn’t see the subtle relaxation in the equine’s ears, demonstrating he trusted Alister. They had a lot of work to do to get to that point.
“Are we ready now?” said Manu.
“Where’s Jack?”
At the mention of the dog’s name, Jack ran from the barn. An older woman followed.
“Hi there, Manu. Is it okay if Jack stays with me for a while? I’d appreciate some canine companionship.”
“What do you say, Jack. You want to stay with Mrs. Thurman?”
Jack circled her and sniffed at the pockets of her apron.
“I see,” said Manu. “She’s bribed you with homemade doggie cookies. Sure, Mrs. Thurman. It’s a day tour, though. We’ll be back later this afternoon.”
“That’s fine. Come on, Jack. We’ll go into the house for a few.” Mrs. Thurman and Jack disappeared around the barn.
“You ready?” said Manu.
“Lead on, Mr. Tour Guide. I’m all yours.”
Manu didn’t register the double entendre. Instead, with a press of his knees and a few clicks of his tongue, he urged his horse forward. They rose with the slight incline toward the white-tipped mountains Alister knew were too far to reach. They came to a lip in the trail, and the land flattened out. It was odd how the straw-colored land this high in the mountains lay level. But it was a gorgeous contrast with the purple mountains in the background. With his camera phone, he snapped off a bunch of luscious landscape shots. But for what he had in mind, he needed something else.