Cowboy Way

by Cindy Sutherland

  “This okay with you?”

  Ryan leaned back even closer, letting his head rest on Jake’s shoulder. “More than okay.” Ryan could feel Jake’s hard cock pressed against his ass—hot, even through two layers of denim. It made him smile to think it was him that was doing that to Jake.

  “Jake? Where are we going?” Jake slid his hand under the front of Ryan’s shirt, trailing his fingers through the hair on Ryan’s belly, causing small whimpers to fall from his lips. Those sounds Ryan made were so amazing, and Jake just couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself. And Ryan didn’t seem to want him to.

  “I have somewhere special I want to take you.” He put his forehead on Ryan’s shoulder, and Ryan could feel the heat through his shirt that told him Jake was blushing. He slid his hand over Jake’s on his stomach, encouraging him to continue. “I just… I’ve never taken anyone here before. It’s sort of like my place to escape from the world, and I don’t know, I sort of wanted to share it with you.”

  Ryan smiled and turned his head to kiss Jake’s jaw. The feeling of Jake pressed against him, and the soft touches of fingers on his stomach, were having an effect on Ryan. He reached back to rub Jake through his jeans, and Jake’s hand tightened around him. “Ryan.” He said it in a long drawn-out moan before turning his head to kiss Ryan’s neck, using his teeth to give him a little nip before licking away the small pain.

  Ryan reached back with both hands to grab Jake’s thighs, trying to pull him even closer, and the pressure on Jake’s cock was almost unbearable. God, maybe he should have just taken Ryan to his bedroom and let Ryan fuck him into the mattress.

  Oh God, he wanted Ryan to fuck him. Until that moment he hadn’t even admitted it to himself. When he had allowed himself to think about having sex with men, he was always the one on top. But the thought of Ryan hovering over him, being strong and teaching him about making love, was making breathing damn near impossible. His whole body tensed up with desire and anticipation, and Ryan felt it. He rubbed Jake’s legs, trying to relax him.

  “Jake? What’s wrong? You okay?”

  The worry in Ryan’s voice brought Jake out of his thoughts. He sagged against Ryan again. His voice was almost a growl. “I’m fine, it’s just… you’re so fucking hot!” He buried his face in Ryan’s soft hair, finding comfort in the feeling of it.

  Ryan’s voice was rough with want. “I hope we are almost there, ’cause I wanna get you naked.”

  Jake almost came in his jeans. “Yeah, it’s about another ten minutes.” The hills were rising beside them, and it was green and cool in the shade of the trees. They rode through the woods, the quiet broken only by the sounds of birds and the occasional rustle of wind through the leaves. They came around a bend into a small meadow with a stream running through it at one end. It was completely hidden by the hills, and there were flowers all around the outside, and to Ryan it looked like paradise.

  “Jake, this is beautiful.” The awe in his voice made Jake smile.

  “I know. I found it by accident one day. Mikayla and I had been fighting for weeks, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So I saddled up and rode out. I wandered around out here for a couple of days before I stumbled on this place. I stayed here for four days before I finally gave in and went back.”

  He swung off the horse, and Ryan frowned at the loss of contact. Jake looked up at him expectantly, and he slid off, right into Jake’s waiting arms. Jake pulled him into another toe-curling kiss before letting go to take care of Aragorn. He planned on being here for a while, so he unbuckled the saddlebag and blanket, handing them to Ryan, before sliding the saddle off the horse’s back. He left the saddle blanket in place and led Aragorn over to the stream so he could drink. He left him standing there, contentedly eating grass, while he made his way back to Ryan.

  Ryan was still standing where Jake had left him, watching every move that Jake made. Ryan was pretty sure that he had never seen anything as sexy as Jake Evans—taking care of his horse, sweat-soaked shirt stuck to his back, showing off every muscle before turning back to almost stalk toward him. Ryan’s mouth went dry, and his knees were feeling kind of weak.

  Jake was determined not to touch Ryan until he was ready. So he pulled the blanket from him and spread it out in the sun before reaching for the saddlebag, opening it, and grabbing a bottle of water. He opened it and took a long drink, and Ryan watched, fascinated by the play of the muscles in Jake’s throat. He offered the water to Ryan, who took it and finished off the bottle. Jake put the empty back in the bag before setting it in the shade of a tree. He grabbed Ryan’s hand and led him to the blanket, pulling him in for a long kiss before sitting down and looking up at Ryan.

  Ryan looked down at him, licking his lips unconsciously before slowly dropping to his knees in front of him. Jake pulled him close, wrapping both arms around his slim waist before leaning back and stretching Ryan out on top of him. He wanted there to be no doubts in Ryan’s mind about what he wanted.

  He spread his legs so that Ryan could settle there, and Ryan’s hands came to rest on either side of Jake’s head. The feeling of Ryan’s cock, pressing against his through their jeans, was overwhelming, and he couldn’t wait to feel it without the barriers.

  Ryan pushed his hips against the pressure of Jake beneath him and was rewarded with a breathless moan. He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Jake’s forehead before letting his head rest on Jake’s shoulder so he could catch his breath.

  Chapter 9

  “Jake, are you sure about this?” Ryan brought his head up so he could look into those beautiful blue eyes. He needed to be sure.

  Jake’s voice was hoarse, but steady. “Ryan, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I’ve been struggling with myself for a long time, trying to be what everyone wanted but never dealing with what I wanted. When I quit the army, that was the beginning for me. My divorce? That was inevitable, but it was the right thing too. I was never going to be happy, and neither was she.”

  He reached up and started running his fingers through Ryan’s hair, wondering if it felt as comforting to Ryan as it did to him. Ryan settled his full weight on Jake so he could touch his face and hair with his hands.

  “When you pulled into my yard yesterday, I was sure fate was laughing at me. It threw this beautiful, gay man in my face and said ‘deal with it’. And I almost turned that horse around and left. Or told you to leave, but I couldn’t. I needed to be fair to you, coming all this way on my word. So, you got out of the truck, and I got off the damn horse.” He kept touching Ryan wherever he could reach him.

  “And it seems to me that we both found something we were looking for. You found a place to fit. Where you can do good work, what you love to do, be accepted for who you are. You found someone who cares about what happens to you, who sees you as someone special. And I know we just met, and I know it’s too soon, but I don’t care.”

  Ryan was smiling, but his eyes were overly bright.

  “And me? God, Ryan, I found a miracle. Someone who’s smart and funny. I can tell by the way you are with the horses that you are a caring, devoted person. I found a lover who is making me feel cherished and safe. Someone who understands me and my way of life. So, yes, I’m sure, so sure you’re the one I want to be doing this with. Sure this is where I need to be.” He reached one hand behind Ryan’s neck and pulled him down for a gentle kiss that quickly deepened.

  Jake had his legs wrapped around Ryan’s, trying to pull him closer, and he still had one hand behind his neck while the other one went to the swell of Ryan’s ass, keeping him from moving away.

  Not that he was trying to. Hell, if Ryan could have crawled inside Jake’s skin, it wouldn’t have been close enough. Everywhere they touched it felt like they were on fire, with a delicious burn. Ryan was trying to keep his senses, but it was getting more and more difficult.

  “Jake, we can’t, I don’t, oh God, love it when you touch me like that, I don’t have anything, no supplies.” He grunted it out betw
een clenched teeth. Now Jake looked a little embarrassed, but still determined.

  “In the saddlebag. I wasn’t assuming anything, just… hoping, I guess.” Ryan kissed his nose, because he looked so adorable blushing like that, before pushing off Jake to grab the saddlebag. He opened it up and dug through it, finding a small box of condoms and a bottle of lube. He grinned and raised his eyebrow at Jake, who ducked his head before mumbling something.

  “What was that, Jake?” Ryan wandered back over to Jake, dropping the supplies on the blanket beside Jake before pulling his shirt lazily over his head and dropping it.

  “About six months ago, I got it into my head to drive to the city and get myself some answers. I was going to go to a club. I got as far as the drugstore to buy that stuff. Walked out, got in the truck, and the next thing I knew, I was halfway home.”

  He shrugged, more embarrassed by the second. But Ryan just grinned that heart-stopping smile, undid the button on his jeans, and slid the zipper down. He toed off his boots and socks and slid his jeans down to his knees. He kicked them off and stood there in his boxers, looking like some sort of wild forest creature.

  He dropped to his knees beside Jake and started undoing the buttons of his shirt. He bent to lay kisses on every bit of skin that was uncovered before slipping an arm behind Jake’s back and lifting him enough to slide it off. Looking at him laying there, on a blanket in the middle of the forest, with so much trust in his eyes, Ryan thought he must have found an angel. No one could be this perfect, could they?

  He leaned down to capture Jake’s mouth before trailing his lips down his chest and abs. He slid between Jake’s knees again, and looking him in the eye, he undid the button of his jeans. He loved the sound Jake made when he accidentally brushed his knuckles over the hardness under the zipper, so he palmed Jake’s cock through his jeans, rubbing firmly through the fabric and hearing Jake’s breath come in pants and whimpers.

  He finally pulled down the zipper, and sliding down to Jake’s feet, he got rid of his boots and socks before reaching up to pull both jeans and boxers down Jake’s legs and off. God, he was gorgeous, all hard muscle and soft skin that Ryan just itched to touch. And the blush that spread over his whole body was just too adorable for words. Ryan sat back on his heels and slid his boxers down his legs and off, and then they were both naked and wild.

  Ryan slid his body back up Jake’s, and as he settled there, their cocks touched for the first time. Jake’s eyes rolled back in his head, and his back arched, putting more pressure against Ryan. Ryan pushed back with his hips before burying his face in Jake’s neck, licking and sucking. Jake threw his head back, giving him better access to the soft flesh.

  “Oh God, Ryan, you feel so good, so right.” He wanted to feel Ryan everywhere. His mouth, his chest, his cock, and his ass, God, he needed Ryan in his ass.

  Ryan kissed his way back down the beautiful body in front of him, grabbing the bottle of lube on his way. He licked and nibbled and kissed, making Jake frantic, skipping over the feast of his cock for a minute to kiss the sensitive skin on the inside of his thighs, and then moving back to kiss his way up that hard shaft before sliding his lips all the way down, sucking hard and causing Jake to almost sit up before falling back down again. Ryan pulled back a bit, running a flat tongue up from the base, causing Jake to babble incoherently.

  Ryan didn’t want to make him come yet, so he slowed down to a leisurely torture before popping open the lid of the lube and pulling away for a second. He coated the fingers of one hand, never taking his eyes from Jake’s. He kept looking for signs of fear or anxiety, but all he saw was affection and anticipation. He closed the lid and dropped the bottle, then lowered his mouth back to Jake’s rock-hard erection. He hummed as he slid further down, gaining moans and arching hips from the man writhing in ecstasy below him. His name was peppered in with the dirtiest of words, and it was making Ryan even harder.

  He slid one lubed finger between the cheeks of Jake’s ass, rubbing the wetness over his entrance, just getting him used to the feeling of being touched there. Jake just groaned louder, and when Ryan slid one finger in, he stopped all movement for a second. Ryan went to pull back, thinking Jake was going to freak out. But Jake managed to push out a shattered, “Don’t,” before pushing down on the finger inside him.

  “Feels good, please don’t stop.” So Ryan kept going, and before long Jake was begging for more. And Ryan gave it to him, keeping up the not-quite-enough friction on his cock with his tongue, finding Jake’s prostate with the second finger, being careful not to push too hard, or it would be over before it began. Soon Jake was pleading for Ryan to fuck him, and finally Jake reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him back up and kissing him hard.

  “Make love to me, Ryan.” And Ryan couldn’t resist Jake’s plea, so he grabbed a condom out of the box, opened it, and slipped it on. He grabbed the lube and slicked himself up, and after rubbing his fingers against Jake’s hole one more time, he pulled Jake’s legs high around his waist and pressed slowly inside.

  And it hurt. Jake knew it would and thought he was prepared, but he wasn’t. The shock of the pain brought tears to his eyes, and he squeezed them shut.

  But it wasn’t that long ago that Ryan had gone through this himself, and he knew what Jake was feeling. He also knew that, if he could get him through the first bit, that the pleasure he would feel would be amazing. So he linked one of Jake’s hands with his own and used the other to rub small circles on his stomach, and waited. He didn’t try and pull back, because he knew it would be worse. He just whispered to him, telling him to breathe and to relax. And when those stormy blue eyes opened, and the body surrounding him relaxed a bit, he pressed in a little farther, stopping to let Jake adjust, and kept it up until he was right against his body.

  He slid the hand from Jake’s stomach down to his cock, which had softened with the pain, stroking gently at first, letting Jake tell him when he was ready.

  And Jake could see it in Ryan’s eyes. The care and understanding, and something he couldn’t quite identify, but that made his heart swell. Finally, he pushed back against the fullness, and Ryan started to move, shallow thrusts at first, leaning in to press kisses to Jake’s mouth, down his neck, across his chest. Soon the hand holding Ryan’s was pulling on him, and chants of, “Harder,” were floating across the meadow.

  And when Ryan found the right angle, and he was hitting Jake in the sweet spot almost every time, Jake started falling apart under him, and it was an amazing thing to see. It sounded like he was chanting, “Didn’t know,” over and over again, punctuated by Ryan’s name and the occasional sob. “Please, Ryan, oh God, I need to… Ryan I have to….”

  And Ryan knew, so he thrust a little harder, and his hand got a little rougher on Jake’s cock. There was one long sob—everything in Jake tightened, and Ryan felt heat on his hand. But it was overshadowed by the pulsing muscles milking his cock, and Ryan was pushed over the edge with a cry of Jake’s name.

  Chapter 10

  Ryan and Jake lay snuggled up on the blanket, having pulled their underwear back on to protect themselves from the sun. Ryan reached up and grabbed the other bottle of water out of the saddlebag, giving it to Jake first before drinking the rest down. Jake wrapped his arms around Ryan again, wanting him close, and Ryan stroked up and down Jake’s chest, knowing the emotional rollercoaster he must be on.

  He reached up and kissed Jake on the jaw, loving the feeling of stubble against his lips. “You okay?” Jake looked down, kissed him softly, and smiled.

  “Okay? I think I’m perfect. God, Ryan, you have no idea.”

  Ryan smirked at that. “Well, I kinda have some idea. Can I ask you something, though?” Jake nodded. “Well, what did you mean, at the end there, ‘didn’t know’? What didn’t you know?”

  Jake ducked his head, embarrassed. “I didn’t know that sex could be like that. I mean, I had sex with girls before, and it was okay, we both enjoyed it, but I couldn’t ever figure
out what all the fuss was about. And I feel so stupid, sitting here talking about sex I’ve had before, but now I know, thanks to you.” And he was blushing pretty hard for someone who had just had his mind blown on a blanket in the middle of the woods.

  Ryan chuckled and hugged him closer. “First of all, that wasn’t sex. That was making love, at least for me it was, and there is definitely a difference. And second of all, I am aware of the fact that you weren’t a virgin, although sex with men is different. I wasn’t either, not that I have a lot of experience to talk about. But it helped that I’ve been where you are, Jake.”

  He couldn’t stop touching him, tracing those swollen lips, around those intense blue eyes, through the soft, sweaty curls on Jake’s head. And he loved how Jake leaned into the touch. It made him feel strong and protective, all at once.

  “I hope you’re never sorry about this, Jake, because I never will be.”

  Jake rolled them over so that he was on top of Ryan, leaning down to trail kisses over his cheeks and eyes and down his neck. “I promise you, Ryan, I will never, ever be sorry about this.” He grinned and rolled his eyes a little, giving his hips a little roll, too, feeling the hardness of both of them between them. “Hmmm, wow, didn’t think that was even possible.”

  But Ryan had other ideas. He rolled them over, kissed Jake once, hard, then got up, reaching down a hand to help Jake up. Ryan grabbed Jake’s clothes and passed them to him with another kiss before grabbing his and throwing them on. Jake looked a little confused and sort of concerned.

  “Let’s go back, Jake. We could both use a shower, and there’s still work to be done.” Jake sighed and nodded. He walked over to Aragorn and saddled him while Ryan got the blanket and saddlebag ready. He saw Jake wince a little and got concerned. He attached the stuff to the saddle before stopping in front of Jake, putting his arms around his neck, and looking him in the eye.