Vetting the Cowboy

by J. P. Bowie

  “Well, I hate whoever it was for doing that,” Seth exclaimed. “Who was it?”

  “My ex, the guy I told you about. Somehow he got hold of my phone number, God knows how, and gleaned from the area code that I’m near Sacramento. He took great delight in telling me he intends on finding me.”

  “And if he does?”

  Mike hesitated. He’d already said more than he wanted to. He hadn’t intended that a black cloud in the form of Victor Torrens be a part of their date. Maybe I should’ve canceled after all. Involving Seth in any of this mess wasn’t fair to him.

  Seth put an arm around Mike’s shoulder. “Did he threaten you or something?”

  “He likes to be the heavy, but I didn’t give him a chance to get too far in the conversation. I hung up on him, which of course will make him madder than a hornet.” He liked the weight of Seth’s arm around him and he leaned into the taller man’s side for the comfort it gave. But he couldn’t involve Seth in this.

  “Listen,” he said with a quick upward glance at Seth’s strong jaw. “I don’t want you in the mix. I can handle Victor, should he ever show up. Besides, he doesn’t have much to go on with just an area code and phone number. Plus, he does have to work—he has a ton of clients, so he can’t be running all around the Sacramento area looking for me.”

  Seth uttered a sound very much like a growl and Mike laughed. “Don’t you go all alpha male on me, Seth.”

  “I just don’t like the idea of someone threatening you, is all,” Seth huffed. “He better not come anywheres near you, lookin’ to harm you in any way. You told me he left bruises on you before. He better not even try doin’ that again or he’ll have me to contend with.”

  Mike had to admit it felt good to have someone on his side, to defend him—hopefully not all the way physically, but just to be there for him.

  “Thanks for that, Seth,” he murmured, slipping an arm around Seth’s narrow waist as they walked toward the movie house. In there, in the dark, he could relax, hold Seth’s hand, maybe steal a kiss or two. It was a gay movie, after all.

  * * * *

  “That was one of the better gay movies I’ve seen,” Seth said as they left the cine-plex.

  “Yeah, I liked the bit near the end where the surly guy lost his arrogance and almost begged the other guy to love him.”

  “Did you tear up?” Seth asked.

  “I did a bit.” He gave Seth a sly look. “I thought I heard you sobbing.”

  “Not me…well, not exactly a sob…but it was kinda sad when he had to strip himself of all that bravura and come clean about his feelings.” He put a hand on Mike’s waist. “Speakin’ of feelings…you gonna come home with me tonight? Stay a while?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “You feeling better now?” Seth squeezed Mike’s shoulder. “You seem more relaxed.”

  “I am.” But it didn’t stop him from searching the parking lot for any unwelcome stalkers while they walked to his car. Fortunately, there was no sign of Victor lurking among the cars and Mike told himself to get over it. He was going back to Seth’s apartment and they both knew what that meant—and he was going to enjoy every moment and make certain Seth did too. Thoughts of Victor could take a fucking back seat, for the next few hours at least.

  They got into the car and Mike leaned across and kissed Seth’s cheek. “Thanks for the date. I like being with you, Seth.”

  “It’s not over yet,” Seth said and waggled his eyebrows, making Mike laugh. Seth slipped a hand behind Mike’s head and held him in place so he could give him a proper kiss. “Just wait till I get you back to my place,” he murmured on Mike’s lips. “I’ll make you forget all about asshole exes.”

  “Mmm…” Mike pressed his lips firmly against Seth’s and wished like hell he was right.

  There was no hesitation between them when they got to the apartment. Clothes were off and Seth had Mike on the bed within minutes of closing the door. Their kisses were deep and hungry and their cocks, hard and glistening with pre-cum, glided over each other, filling Seth with so much need he could hardly contain himself. He wanted Mike inside him again, wanted to feel that hard, hot cock of his moving over his sweet spot, bringing him rushes of ecstasy, taking him to the brink…

  He reached for the lube and condoms impatiently. He’d gone to the local pharmacy and bought himself a fresh supply of both, hoping that he and Mike would put them to good use lots of times.

  “Mike,” he mumbled around Mike’s tongue. “Fuck me, quick and hard. We can get to the foreplay after.”

  “That would make it after-play,” Mike said, grinning. “Foreplay comes first.”

  “I know, but I’m just dyin’ to feel you inside me again. I love all this kissing and everything else, but you…inside me…somehow makes me feel…I don’t know…like a king, maybe.”

  “Wow, that’s quite an accolade.”

  “A what?”

  Mike chuckled. “Never mind, hand me the lube. I want you to feel lo…like a king.” He’d almost said ‘loved’ and maybe that was what he’d meant, but it was way too soon for that kind of talk. “Get your legs up.”

  “Bossy. I like that.” Seth smiled up at him and Mike’s breath hitched in his throat. Seth was a beautiful guy. No other word would do for him. When he smiled, especially this close, it did something to Mike’s heart and almost made him forget the dark shadow cast by the memory of Victor’s phone call.

  He sheathed himself then slicked his fingers and got Seth ready. Entering him was a visceral pleasure, the heat and the tightness, and the gleam of bliss in Seth’s green eyes was a reward all by itself. Pushing forward into Seth, he lowered his head to take the cowboy’s lips with a kiss that was both tender and demanding. And Seth responded in kind, opening to him, sucking on his tongue, sharing his breath and driving Mike slightly out of his mind.

  Seth encircled Mike’s torso with his arms and legs, anchoring them together, arching his body upward, matching Mike’s every thrust with his own. Cupping Mike’s butt cheeks, he pulled him in even deeper.

  “Mike, Jesus, Mike,” Seth muttered on a breath between kisses. “You’re fantastic, fucking fantastic.”

  “You make it easy to be,” Mike replied, his voice sounding strangely thick. He reveled in the cowboy’s words ― words he couldn’t recall ever hearing from anyone else to describe him. Sweat dampened his forehead as he plowed into Seth at an ever-increasing pace. He took Seth’s lips with a kiss that muffled the whimpers and moans that rose from both their throats. The wrenching cry of ecstasy torn from Seth was followed by a torrent of hot cum. A sizzling sensation wrapped itself around the base of Mike’s spine, surged into his balls, and he teetered on the edge of what he knew would be a mind-blowing orgasm. He gripped Seth in a bone-crushing embrace when he came, his body shuddering under the power of his climax.

  They lay sweating and panting in each other’s arms. Mike felt incapable of movement while Seth placed slow, wet kisses on his cheeks and chin. He reckoned even winning the lottery couldn’t make him feel better than this.

  “I’m thirsty, how ’bout you? Like a beer?” Seth stretched out under Mike and planted a kiss on his throat.

  “Please.” He rolled off Seth. “Just gotta get rid of this squishy thing.”

  Seth laughed and padded his way over to the kitchen while Mike headed for the bathroom. He popped two cans of light beer then sat cross-legged on the bed waiting for Mike. When Mike came out of the bathroom, he slipped on his boxer briefs then sat on the bed, facing Seth, who handed him his beer.

  “Can I say that I don’t think I’ve enjoyed anyone’s company like I have yours,” Mike said after drinking some of his beer. “Cheers, by the way.”

  “Cheers.” Seth grinned. “The feeling’s mutual. And what I said before, I meant. You are fantastic.”

  “And you have a silver tongue…in more ways than one.” Mike scooted closer and placed a hand behind Seth’s head, drawing him in. “Let me taste some of that silver.”r />
  Seth obliged, parting his lips and letting Mike’s tongue tangle with his. The sensation went all the way to his cock, which started to harden again.

  “Mmm…” Seth broke the kiss. “That’s fantastic too, but I want to talk to you ’bout somethin’.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. This guy Victor. I know you said you don’t want me involved, but just so you know, there is no way I could stand for doin’ nothin’ if this idiot does come here lookin’ for you.”

  “Seth…”

  “No, I mean it, Mike. Although…” Seth’s grin was all teeth. “He’d be a damn fool to threaten you in front of me or the other hands at the Seven Plus. He wouldn’t know his ass from his elbow by the time we’d finished with him.”

  Mike chuckled. “Yeah, have to admit the stakes would be kinda different this time around. When we lived in Seattle, most of the people I knew were his friends, with one or two exceptions, and they all thought the sun shone out of his rear end. There was no point in saying anything against Victor. I just wouldn’t have been believed. I did mention it to one of the guys I worked with and he just shook his head. ‘So why stay with him?’ was all he said, and I asked myself that so many damn times.”

  “So why did you?”

  “Because in the beginning I loved him, really, really loved him. Even when he could be an ass or a put-down, I’d shrug it off like it was no big deal.” He smiled ruefully. “If you love someone, you’re prepared to make allowances. It wasn’t until the last few months of our relationship that he started to get physical when he got mad at me. The first time he was all so apologetic. I’m lying on the floor and he’s kneeling over me, crying, holding my hand and swearing it was an accident and it would never happen again.”

  “And of course it did.” Seth gripped his beer can so hard he crushed it. “Shit…” The beer spurted over his chest.

  Mike eyed Seth with salacious interest. “I could lick all that off you.”

  “You could, but…” He swiped at it with the back of his hand. “We’re talkin’ serious here.”

  Mike nodded. “And totally ruining the mood we were enjoying.”

  “We can enjoy it again after you’re done telling me about this asshole. Want another beer?”

  “Sure…uh, maybe just split one? I’m driving.”

  “Want a glass?”

  “No, we can share the can?”

  “You bet.” Seth came back with another open can and handed it to Mike. “You first, then I get to taste your lips.”

  Mike laughed. “Which you’ve been doing for the past hour or so. Maybe more…all those kisses you stole in the theater.”

  “Stolen kisses…I like those.”

  “Like ’em too.” He drank some beer and handed the can back to Seth. “Your turn.”

  Seth made a big deal of running his lips over where Mike’s had been before drinking. “Mmm…tastes even better.”

  “You’re such a ham.”

  “Hey.”

  “But a sweet ham.” Mike reached out and tweaked Seth’s left nipple between his thumb and forefinger, lingering over it till it hardened under his touch.

  Seth hissed through his teeth and closed his eyes to savor the sensation. Then he snapped them open again. “Hey, you’re distracting me. We were talking about what we’d do if asshole shows up.”

  “You’ll do nothing, Seth. I mean it. I said I can handle it, and if he gets really stupid, I’ll call the cops.”

  “Which is what you should’ve done in the first place.”

  “I know, I know, but he’s a high-powered attorney and it would’ve been my word against his.”

  “Plus bruises.”

  “And a broken rib.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, that was the reason I left him. His apologies, his tears, suddenly meant nothing. I remember thinking through the pain that I had to get away. The look on his face before he hit me was, in a word, murderous.”

  “Jesus, Mike.”

  “Gimme that can before you crush another one.” Mike managed to laugh but Seth’s expression was anything but amused when he passed the can to Mike.

  “That guy should be in jail,” he seethed. “And he’s a lawyer?”

  “Yeah, a busy one. That’s why I’m pretty sure he can’t just up and come here. He’ll probably call and threaten me with all kinds of shit, but for the life of me, I can’t believe punishing me means that much to him. He probably just wanted to let me know he could if he wanted to.”

  “Sicko.”

  “’Fraid so. A case of Beauty and the Beast all wrapped up in the same guy.”

  “He’s good-lookin’?”

  “Oh, yeah. On the outside. I always kinda wondered why he was so fixated on me.”

  Seth snorted. “Why wouldn’t he be? You’re gorgeous.”

  Mike laughed. “Thank you, but I wasn’t in the same class as Victor.”

  Seth took the can from Mike and set it on the nightstand. He pushed Mike back onto the mattress and lay over him. “Listen to me. You are a beautiful man. All that curly hair and the bluest of blue eyes. The moment I saw you I thought…well, never mind that. Don’t want to be crude, but I wanted you, wanted to taste those sweet lips and hold you in my arms…and if I have any say in it, never let you go.”

  Mike’s eyes glistened and he kissed Seth’s lips. “Thank you, and just for the record, the moment I saw you, I thought ‘that’s the man for me’.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. And that’s enough serious talk. It’s time for the foreplay you skipped out on earlier.”

  “After-play?”

  “You got it. Now roll over. There’s something really hard sticking me in the belly. I have to take care of it before it does some damage.”

  “Okay, doc. I’m all yours.”

  Chapter Eight

  Halfway through the week and Seth was still on a high about his and Mike’s growing relationship. If there was a fly in the ointment, it was only when the niggling thought of Victor Torrens entered his mind. He tried not to worry about the likelihood of Mike’s ex showing up to threaten or bully Mike into going back to Seattle with him, but now and then it was there. One thing was for certain—if he and Victor were ever face-to-face, the threatening and bullying would be over and Victor would be winging his way back to where he belonged with his tail on fire.

  Fortunately, they were good and busy at the ranch, Parker having taken a last-minute booking from a couple who wanted to stay ten days and, Parker had told him, two more couples would be coming in on Friday. That meant all five cabins would be occupied over the weekend, which would keep the cleaning staff busy, and they’d need to ‘borrow’ two horses from Royce’s dad’s stock. He’d overheard Parker and Royce discussing the idea of buying two more horses, but they’d have to build an addition to the stable barn and was it cost-worthy? Well, that was their business and as long as they had a need to keep him on, he was happy with whatever they decided.

  He missed Mike’s daily visits now that Bonney was hale and hearty again, but at least he got to see him whenever they could manage a date…

  “Señor Seth?” He turned at the sound of his name being called. Parker’s new hire to replace Randy, Gerardo, waved at him from the stable door.

  “What is it, Gerardo?” Seth asked, striding toward the young Mexican. “And forget the señor bit. It’s just Seth. I work here, just like you.”

  “Okay, Seth, gracias…” Gerardo smiled quickly then looked worried again. “Is strange. Bob and me clean out all the stalls, but now I go in and two are messed up again and no horses.”

  Seth frowned. Gerardo had proven himself to be a hard worker in the three days since he’d been hired, so Seth didn’t think the kid was pulling a fast one. And he was right, all the horses were out in the pasture or being ridden by guests.

  “That’s weird,” he muttered. “Where’s Bob?”

  “He take a break, say I go next when he gets back.”

&n
bsp; “Okay. Well, hate to tell you, but you’ll have to do these over. I’ll take a look around, see if anyone is here who shouldn’t be.”

  Gerardo nodded and Seth left the stable, using the back exit that provided easy access to the storage sheds and garbage bins. The door to one of the storage sheds was open.

  “Shouldn’t be…” He walked over and pushed the door open wider. “Shit…” The place had been turned upside down, equipment and materials in piles on the ground and shelves torn off the walls. “What the hell?”

  He pulled his cell phone from his jeans pocket and punched in Parker’s number. “Hey, boss, someone’s been messing with the stable and the storage sheds. One of ’em’s been vandalized.”

  “Be right there.”

  Seth looked at the mess, trying to determine if anything was actually missing, but it was hard to tell with everything strewn all over the place. He startled when the door behind him was pushed open.

  “What’s goin’ on?” Bob asked.

  “Somebody’s messin’ with us, from the looks of things. Gerardo says two of the stalls were fucked up after you and him put them to rights this morning. Then this… Did you hear anything earlier?”

  “Nope.” Bob scratched his head while he gazed at the mess. “Who in hell would want to do this?”

  “Someone who doesn’t like us too well,” Parker said from behind Bob.

  “Oh, hi, boss.” Seth stepped aside when Parker walked into the shed. “Can’t tell if anything’s missing…”

  Parker shook his head as he stared at the broken shelves. “I’m guessing Randy had something to do with this. He called yesterday saying he was coming back to work and I told him no way, he was fired and I had already replaced him. He swore up a storm at me and said I’d regret it. Well, if this is the worst he can do, so be it. Me and Royce will go over to his folks’ house and let them deal with him.”

  “What an idiot,” Seth muttered. “But how did he manage to fuck all this up without being seen?”

  “Probably was in here while Bob and Gerardo were busy in the stable then snuck into the stalls once they were done.”