“My boss asked us to contact you concerning a job proposition. We couldn’t resist seeing for ourselves what you’re made of. Our boss knows his stuff, but sometimes we like to have a bit of fun,” Treb answered.
“So you make a potential employee pass some kind of initiation or something?” Boone challenged. He recalled Tony’s phone call and figured he knew what company these guys were from.
“Sometimes, sure, if that’s the way you want to look at it.” Treb shrugged his shoulders.
“Cool.” Boone smiled.
“Would you like to go back and discuss the company we work for? We’re camping on the other side of the same campground you’re in,” Treb said.
“I know. I checked you out the first night you arrived,” Boone admitted.
Treb whistled long and low before he laughed. “I like you. I think you and I are going to get along.”
“I guess we’ll see how things go. Let’s go find a beer, and you can tell me about this company you work for. What’s the name of it?” Boone asked.
“Rescue for Hire,” Treb answered.
Excitement surged through Boone. He hadn’t mentioned it to Tony, but before he’d met the man in Florida he’d heard of Rescue for Hire. It didn’t matter what division of the armed forces a person was in, the grapevine of gossip spared no one. Scuttlebutt said if your skills were good enough, once you retired from the service, there might be a position at Rescue for Hire. The rumors also stated that if you had a homophobic bone in your body, don’t bother even applying.
Easily, Boone followed Treb out of the tree to join the other two men now standing at the bottom waiting for them. So far from what he’d seen, these guys were just as wild as he was. Boone wondered if his search for a place in life had ended. He also wondered if it somehow could include a certain sexy cowboy.
* * * *
The small glass vase shattered against the bedroom door after Shane’s hastily departing figure. Tony collapsed onto the floor in agony. He shouldn’t have used his right arm to throw the vase. Because the doctors didn’t take his pectoral muscles, he didn’t have much pain there. But his underarm hurt like a bitch, and the arm itself seemed to hang uselessly sometimes when he tried to use it. The doctor assured him this was normal after having the lymph nodes removed.
Tony lay on the floor and let the pain recede. Doc Bronson had taken the drain tubes out of his chest earlier today. Next week he was scheduled to have a tiny dot tattooed on his skin so the technicians knew where to direct the radiation.
Lifting his hand, Tony touched the bandages that covered the right side of his chest. Cancer echoed through his mind. He had cancer. He knew his thinking was screwed up. Pain pills combined with the thought that this horrible disease had invaded his body made him unbalanced.
Tony screamed at the top of his lungs. The release of tension felt so good he screamed again. Before he knew it, he couldn’t stop screaming until the screams had turned into sobs.
Warm, muscled arms picked Tony up and carried him to the bed. Shane climbed onto the bed and settled back against the headboard with Tony on his lap. Tony buried his face into his lover’s neck and cried until he didn’t have any tears left. All the while, Shane continued to rock him in his arms.
* * * *
Flynn drove into Cade Miller’s yard and parked his truck at the rear of the house. Things were moving right along with the addition. The log walls were up, and today, he hoped to finish installing the vents on the roof before the roofers arrived.
He’d spent the last two days hiring the plumbers, heating and cooling installers, and the electrician to come in do their thing when he was ready for them. He also ordered drywall and other supplies he expected to be delivered today sometime.
Fifteen minutes later, Flynn knelt on the plywood roof and fit a metal vent in the center crease at the top. Glancing over the roof’s peak, Flynn noticed a camper trailer parked on the edge of Cade’s lawn. Flynn frowned. That hadn’t been there two days before.
The door to the camper opened, and a lean man wearing nothing but sleep pants stepped out. Flynn sat on the roof, transfixed, when the man raised both arms and stretched his delicious body. He heard his loud yawn all the way from across the yard.
Flynn watched the man put his arms down and look around. When he spotted Flynn, he froze and stared up at him. Flynn had to grab the edge of the plywood to keep from falling off the roof. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Boone was here.
With a bare chest and feet, Boone walked across the short grass toward Flynn. In the early morning sunlight, he was more handsome than he had been that night they’d met. Messy, shiny, dark-brown hair, smooth tan skin, and lean muscles drew Flynn like a magnet.
Boone stopped on the edge of the asphalt driveway and put his hands on his hips. “I thought you were a cowboy.”
“What’s your description of a cowboy?” he called down. Flynn held back a laugh when Boone pulled his bottom lip in and thought about that for a second.
Velvety brown eyes sparkled up at him, and Boone said, “Cowboys have cows, horses, and hay lofts to rendezvous in.”
“I have all of them,” Flynn said.
“But now you’re wearing a tool belt and carrying a hammer. That tells me you’re a carpenter,” Boone teased.
Flynn laughed at the adorable man. “I’m a man of many talents.”
“That you are,” Boone said as he made his way across the driveway until he disappeared under the edge of the roof.
Flynn saw the ladder move slightly and heard Boone climbing up. He had a grand show of Boone’s head appearing over the edge of the plywood, followed by a smooth chest, belly, and a pair of thin plain sleep pants.
“What are you doing?” Flynn asked as Boone climbed onto the roof and crawled across it toward him.
“I came to say hi,” Boone said right before he kissed Flynn.
Christmas had come early, and Flynn’s present was a warm Boone in his arms. He swept the man closer and maneuvered him around so they sat facing each other. Flynn had missed Boone and wondered if he would ever meet him again. Now that he was here, Flynn pressed his tongue in and tasted every secret of his mouth.
Only when he was satisfied did Flynn break the kiss and savor a trail of smooth skin to Boone’s ear. He took a moment to suck his ear lobe, surprised there wasn’t a ring in it. Little moans escaped from Boone’s throat as Flynn placed biting kisses down the side of it before sucking a patch of skin into his mouth, marking the man.
Goosebumps pebbled across the man’s skin when Flynn centered his attention on the spot where Boone’s shoulder met his neck. Ruthlessly, he pulled up another mark before lovingly bathing it with his tongue.
“Flynn, you’re making me need, man,” Boone breathed out.
Flynn was just about to tell Boone what a great idea he thought that was when he heard a throat clear from down on the ground.
“Normally I’d think watching two men rolling around and heading toward naked on a roof an awesome way to pass the time. But we have babies here now, and maybe you should take that show somewhere private.”
Flynn looked down and saw a laughing Brett James holding a baby. Cade was standing next to him with a little girl’s tiny hand clasped in his.
“Shit.” Boone’s muffled response came from Flynn shoulder where the man currently had his face buried.
Chapter Seven
Boone bit a piece of crisp bacon in half and chewed it while he tried to calm the desire churning through his blood. It was all he could do not to jump the big cowboy currently taking a drink of hot coffee from a mug that had a smiling dog on it.
Bret insisted Flynn and Boone get down off the roof and come inside for some breakfast. Flynn politely declined food, saying he’d already eaten but did accept coffee. It had taken only a few minutes for Boone to go back to his trailer and throw on some jeans and a T-shirt. That short time alone did nothing to cool the fire a few kisses from Flynn had inflamed.
Boone didn’t
want to be here. He wanted to talk to Flynn alone. He wanted to see the cowboy’s cows and most definitely his hayloft.
“What’s on the agenda today, Flynn?” Cade asked. A little hand, holding a miniature spoon filled with a small piece of scrambled egg, headed toward Cade. The massive man leaned down and opened his mouth. Boone winced as the little girl, sitting in a booster seat, nailed Cade’s tooth feeding him the egg. “Thank you, Abbie,” Cade said.
“The roofers should be arriving in an hour. I hope to get the roof vents installed before they get here. This afternoon a flatbed semitrailer is scheduled to deliver drywall and supplies,” Flynn answered.
Brett’s brown eyes lit up. “Are the cabinets on them? What about the light fixtures I picked out?”
Flynn laughed, and Boone wondered if his boss would be offended if he sat on Flynn’s lap and ran his hands through all that hair under his thin T-shirt. Maybe Flynn would laugh again and Boone could feel the vibration through the hair.
“The cabinets should be on the truck, but the fixtures won’t be here for another couple of weeks.” Flynn looked at Cade. “Is it all right if we store everything in that shed out back? They’re talking rain for tomorrow.”
“No problem, there’s plenty of room in there,” Cade answered before setting his napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I need to go make a phone call before the rest of the team shows up.”
“How is Tony doing?” Flynn asked.
During his interview with Cade, Boone had learned part of his responsibilities would be to take over some of their computer specialist’s duties. The poor guy had cancer surgery just the week before and would be undergoing radiation treatments next week.
“He’s recovering well from the surgery. Shane, of course, is hovering. I’ll know Tony is truly on the mend when he loses his temper and kicks Shane out of the house for a while so he can have some peace.” Cade chuckled.
“Do the doctors think they got most of the cancer?”
Cade’s blue eyes grew somber. “Yeah. They told Tony that, with the radiation, he has something like a ninety-eight percent chance of making it to the five-year mark. After that, the odds go up.”
“It sounds like they caught it early. That’s the key. I’m glad he’s doing so well,” Boone said. A few members of his family had been struck down by the terrible disease, and he didn’t wish anyone having to go through something like that.
“Thanks,” Cade said. “Now I have to go make that call.”
Cade leaned over, letting the little girl kiss his cheek. “Help Bret take care of Toby, Abbie,” he instructed.
Abbie clapped her hands, making her red silky curls dance. “We’re going to go swing.”
Cade’s whole face lit up at the little girl’s antics. “Have fun, sweetheart.”
Flynn stood after Cade left the room. “I need to get those vents installed. Thank you for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. I keep the pot full most of the day. Feel free to come in for a cup any time,” Bret replied.
Green eyes settled on Boone. The world stopped for a moment. The cowboy definitely had a hold on him.
“See you later?” Flynn asked.
“All right,” he managed. Boone continued to drown in Flynn’s eyes.
“Man, you two. You’re going to make me have to find a babysitter and go antagonize Bear until he takes care of me,” Bret complained.
The first time Bret had called Cade Bear, Boone couldn’t figure out who he was talking about. He still thought it funny the couple had cute but fitting names for each other. Cade often referred to Bret as Pup.
Flynn blinked. Red stained his cheeks above his beard. “I’ve got to go,” he said and practically raced out the door.
Ignoring Bret’s amused look, Boone busily gathered the plates together from the kitchen table. “I’ll help you clean up before the team meeting,” he murmured.
* * * *
Flynn gave the side of Smoky’s head a good scratch. It felt good to be home after putting in a full day at Cade’s. This morning’s short reunion with Boone had poked holes in his concentration and he’d had to work harder keeping everything straight. The big gelding with a wide white stripe down the center of his face rubbed his head hard against Flynn’s chest, causing him to take a step back.
“You big goof,” he told the horse.
A loud throbbing engine reached Flynn’s ears. Giving the horse one more pat, Flynn went to the barn door and watched Boone pull up on his Harley. My, my, that man is a fine specimen of sexy. Flynn’s cock took notice and plumped up letting him know what it wanted. .
After their breakfast together this morning, Flynn hadn’t seen Boone again. With the arrival of the roofers and supply trailer, Flynn had his hands full for the rest of the day.
Quiet descended until Flynn heard only the tick, tick of the motorcycle’s engine cooling. Flynn leaned against the frame of the barn’s door and watched the brown-eyed pretty baby sit back on the cycle’s seat and cross his arms over his chest. He appeared to be thinking hard about something.
Flynn frowned. Boone seemed unsure and a little hesitant. This wasn’t like the confident, cocky man Flynn knew up until now. Something was up.
“Is it all right that I came over?” Boone asked. “Bret gave me directions.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you can come over or be where I am any time you want,” Flynn said. “Now get over here and give me a kiss. And then you can tell me what brought this on.”
Lean muscles flexed and moved under the thin material of Boone’s jeans when he lifted one leg over the cycle and stood up. Boone’s gait wasn’t as cocky as usual, but Flynn liked that he didn’t stop moving until their chests were touching.
Boone lifted his head and presented his lips to Flynn. Flynn wrapped his arm around Boone’s shoulders and covered his sweet mouth. The kiss deepened, and Flynn craved the taste and feel of Boone’s tongue against his. The smaller man let him in, and their tongues tangled together.
“Flynn, I have the wagon loaded with hay to take out to the herd right away in the morning before you leave for Cade’s. I have a dentist appointment so I won’t be in until noon. Everything else is locked down for the night.”
Flynn broke the kiss, eliciting a groan from Boone, and looked over at Tim. The pinched look on the man’s face and anger simmering in his eyes surprised Flynn.
“Thanks,” he said, trying to figure out what was going on. “Why don’t you go home? Morning will be here before you know it.”
“I was thinking about going into town for some supper and wondered if you’d like to come along,” Tim said.
Beneath Flynn’s arm, Boone stiffened. Moving his fingers back and forth over his back, Flynn tried to reassure him.
“Thanks for the offer, but I have chicken waiting in the Crock-Pot. Tim, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Boone Ryder. Boone, this is Tim Klitzsky. He helps me with the farm during the summer.” For some reason, Flynn felt like ducking for cover. Growing tension saturated the air around them.
Flynn watched both men nod and shake hands. He could see that was about as friendly as he was going to get out of either of them. Now he wondered if someone was putting crazy pills in the water.
“Well, I’ve got to go,” Tim said abruptly. “See you tomorrow.”
Flynn watched Tim stalk to his truck and leave in a swirl of dust. “What in the world was that all about?”
“He’s in love with you,” Boone said.
“He’s worked here for a few years and has never acted like that,” Flynn pointed out.
“Has he ever caught you kissing anyone before?” Boone asked.
Flynn rolled that question over in his mind. It had been years since he’d had more than a quick hookup with a man, much less brought them home. Boone might have a point.
“No, but if he was interested in getting together, wouldn’t he have let me know?” he asked.
Boone put both arms around Flynn’s neck and gave him a peck
on the lips. “I would have, and I did.”
“That you did,” Flynn replied. “Now do you want to tell me what you were thinking before?” Flynn nodded toward the bike.
“Truth?”
“I think that’s usually best,” Flynn said.
“I watched you take charge of all those men working on Cade’s addition and unloading the supplies from that semi today. I saw a self-assured, sexy-as-hell, older man who, without a doubt, is in a different league than I am. It was all I could do not to walk over and mark you somehow so everyone can see you are mine.” Boone turned his head and looked off into the distance before looking back at Flynn. “Those feelings scared me. Right there I knew I’m opening up myself for a world of hurt. I don’t want to be lying on the floor in a devastated heap if you decide I’m too young and not worth your time.”
Flynn was shocked. The man moved fast. And yet, at twenty-seven, he could be married with three kids and coaching pee-wee soccer. Yes, thirteen years separated them. But now that they were back together it didn’t seem too much, and Flynn wanted him.
“I don’t think you have anything to be worried about,” Flynn informed him and kissed Boone on the corner of his sweet mouth. “There’s still a little light left. Would you like to see the place? If you haven’t had supper yet, I’ll be happy to share what’s in my Crock-Pot.”
“Sounds good to me.” Boone smiled.
Flynn had to take one more kiss. The kiss turned into another then another. Boone tasted like heaven and felt so good under Flynn’s wandering hands. Before long, Flynn had Boone up on the tips of his toes and their bodies plastered together. He decided Boone belonged in his arms and wanted to keep him there as much as he could.
Reluctantly, he let Boone go. “How about a quick tour and then we can go in the house?”
“Are we starting in the hay loft?” Mischief danced in Boone’s velvety brown eyes.
Boone's Cowboy [Rescue for Hire 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 5