“Stop saying that.”
“What? That Jonas loves Ollie and Ollie loves Jonas?”
“Yes.” Caleb gritted his teeth.
“You don’t want to hear it because you know it’s true.”
“It’s not.”
McBride sighed but continued to tease Caleb’s neck. He had to figure out a way to keep the peace between Jonas and Caleb. But he also had to find a way to make Caleb stay. Locking him up night and day wouldn’t really work because McBride needed Caleb to keep working on the machinery and doing the other hundred things he did on the farm.
“I don’t want to keep you against your will.”
“Great. Get me out of this thing and I’ll be on my way.”
“That’s just it.” McBride moved closer until his mouth was right above the scar. “I can’t let you leave, either.”
“Then we’ve got a big problem, because as soon as I can, I’ll kill Jonas.”
“Not if I feed you his blood.”
Caleb had been sitting still, but now he struggled violently. “You wouldn’t.” But he didn’t sound so certain.
“You really aren’t leaving me much of a choice.”
“To get your way, you’ll force me to bloodbond with a man I hate?”
“You’re not leaving me any other option. Even a mild bloodbond would stop you from harming him.” McBride pressed his hand to Caleb’s chest, keeping him pinned into the chair. “I don’t want you to go, and I don’t want you to kill him.” McBride’s mouth was watering now that he was close enough to smell Caleb’s unique scent. He extended his tongue and licked along the path he would bite. “Tell me what you’re going to do, Caleb.”
“Let me out of this thing.”
“No.” McBride slid his hand down until he was caressing Caleb’s cock through the taut fabric of his shorts. “I can’t let you go and I can’t let you kill Jonas, so what are we going to do?”
“Damn it, McBride, I won’t bloodbond to him!”
“I’m not asking you to.” Easing the buttons apart one by one, McBride slowly exposed Caleb’s prick. He was hot, hard, and so close to climax that he’d leaked all down the length of his shaft. McBride was able to work the palm of his hand up and down in the slickness. Each pass he made allowed him to gather more pre-cum so he could keep gliding his fist over Caleb’s cock.
“Stop.”
“No. I want to feel you come. I want to drink your blood and feel you climax while I suck at your neck.”
“Not like this. Please, not like this.” Caleb sounded weary and afraid.
McBride felt slapped awake by Caleb’s begging tone. He was hurting him. Not physically, but emotionally. Here he was taking advantage of Caleb because he could. Worse, he wanted to. He had a sudden urge to stand up and drag him out of the house so he could toss him in the stocks.
Stunned by what was happening, McBride jerked away, almost stumbling on the chair. With distance came clarity. He’d bound up Caleb then tried to make him do what he wanted when that wasn’t the way he envisioned their coming together. It should be passionate and mutual, not McBride forcing himself on Caleb.
He wanted to button him up as if that would hide the shame of what he’d done, but McBride feared fumbling with the buttons would only make matters worse. Instead, he moved behind Caleb and worked the buckles of the restrictor apart.
As soon as Caleb was free of the device, he stood and backed away from McBride as he buttoned up his shorts.
“I’m sorry.” Zooks, it sounded dreadfully weak. But there were no other words. How could he explain that he was going quietly crazy?
“Just leave.” Caleb’s head was down, his demeanor more confused than ashamed.
McBride stumbled past him and out onto the porch. He would have kept on going, but something made him turn and lock Caleb’s door. Until they came to some kind of agreement, McBride wasn’t going to let him slip away. As he stood there, looking toward the big house, he realized his pants were still undone. Casting his guilty gaze around, he hastily fastened his trousers.
“McBride?” Caleb struggled with the doorknob.
“I can’t let you go.” McBride rested his head against the door.
“Let me out of here.” Gone was the hurt, the confusion. In its place was bold fury.
“I can’t trust that you won’t leave or hurt Jonas.”
“I’m no good to you locked up.”
“I know.” McBride looked toward where the men were working on the garden. Everyone was working peacefully. Even from here he could hear the rise and fall of conversation as their hands moved over the earth. Why couldn’t Caleb join them? What was it that made him so determined to cause problems?
“What are you going to do?”
McBride stayed standing there with his head pressed to the cool metal of the door. In another few hours it would be blistering hot when the sun fell on it, but right now it still held the chill from the night air.
“McBride?”
“I’m here.”
“Please let me out.”
“You have to promise me you won’t leave.”
“I won’t leave.”
“And you have to keep your hands off Jonas.”
Silence greeted his demand.
“Caleb?”
“What?”
“Please.” McBride reached up and placed his hand alongside his head. “I need you.”
After a long time of quiet, Caleb whispered, “I need you, too.”
“McBride?” The voice was high and far too close to hysterical for comfort.
McBride turned and saw Jonas pointing down the long drive. “The valet saw someone coming.”
“Just one man?” McBride reached up to touch the communication device behind his earlobe when sudden pain exploded in his head. He screamed and dropped to his knees. Just before the world went sideways and turned black, McBride heard Caleb pounding on the door, calling his name. No matter what Caleb said, no matter how much hatred he had for Jonas, he still loved McBride more than he would probably ever admit.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reading, writing, and white-water rafting are the three things Anitra Lynn McLeod enjoys the most. You can visit her at www.AnitraMcLeod.com.
For all titles by Anitra Lynn McLeod, please visit
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Jared Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 12