by Jena Wade
Jason held him tighter, his body going tense.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m only kidding. It’s gonna take more than a fence to knock me out. See?” Lucas put his hand to the ground and attempted to lift himself, but his arm gave out, and he landed hard against Jason.
“Fuck.”
“Damn. Looks to me like you’ve got a broken wrist, man.” Darren gave them a sorrowful look.
A broken wrist for a roping team meant their season would be over.
“C’mon. Let’s get you to the medical tent.” Jason slipped his arm around Lucas’s waist and pulled him to his feet.
Lucas winced as they started walking.
“Do you want me to carry you?” Lucas’s warmth felt great next to Jason. He’d almost forgotten what the man’s strong body was like pressed up against his.
Lucas’s eyes flashed with an anger Jason had never seen before. “You fucking try, and I will kick your ass. Broken wrist or not.”
Letting go of the hold he had on Lucas, Jason stopped and watched as Lucas walked toward the medical tent, a slight hitch in his step. Jason chuckled and shook his head. Damn cowboy had more pride than he knew what to do with. Though Jason would have probably reacted the same way if their situations were reversed. He wouldn’t want all the other riders seeing him carried off to the medical tent like a wuss. He let Lucas go for a few minutes, then followed.
Inside the medical tent, Lucas sat on a portable examination table. The fact that he was there willingly told Jason all he needed to know. Lucas’s wrist must hurt badly.
“Have you talked to anyone yet?”
Lucas let out a long, frustrated sigh. “One of the EMTs is gonna check it out. It’s probably nothing. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Jason shrugged. “Nothing better to do. Bronc riding’s going on right now; we both know that’s no fun to watch.” He sneaked a glance at Lucas’s wrist. It was red and swollen, and Lucas held it close against his rib cage. “Can you move it at all?”
Lucas shook his head, the motion barely discernible.
“All right, let’s get a look at that wrist, shall we?” A pretty blonde lady dressed in an EMT uniform approached Lucas with a smile on her face. She lifted his hand. “Let me know where it hurts, okay?”
Lucas winced, and his jaw tightened as the EMT tried to rotate his wrist.
“Sorry.”
“It’s not that bad.” Lucas bit out the words through clenched teeth.
Jason wanted to hug him, but he held himself back. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Lucas hurt. Two years ago Lucas had been thrown from a young mare he was breaking. He’d spent a day in the hospital with a concussion. Jason didn’t recall the extreme need to take Lucas’s pain away then, but he felt it now. He’d give anything to switch places with him at the moment.
Lucas glowered at him. “Quit looking at me like that. I can still rope. Damn wrist is fine.”
“I’m not wor—”
“I’m not so sure about that, cowboy. I think you ought to go get this arm x-rayed. This ain’t just a bad sprain; there could be a hairline fracture, and you won’t know until you get it examined at a hospital. Best I can do here is give you an ice pack and some painkillers.”
“All I need is a cold beer and a good night’s sleep. I’m fine.” Lucas hopped off the table and took his hat out of Jason’s hands. He turned back to the EMT. “Thanks.”
She gave him a tight smile. “You’re welcome. I wish you’d go in. If there is a break, and you don’t allow that wrist to heal, it’s only going to get worse.”
Lucas put his hat on. “I’ll take my chances.”
After Lucas walked out of the tent, Jason thanked the EMT, got an ice pack and a dose of ibuprofen, and jogged after him.
“Here. At least put some ice on the damn thing while I get the horses taken care of.” Jason shoved the ice pack into Lucas’s good hand.
“I can take care of my own horse.” Dust kicked up with each stomp of Lucas’s feet. Anger radiated off him in waves. As if they could sense the frustration, each person they walked past moved out of Lucas’s way while he stormed back to the trailer.
“Just sit in the fucking truck, and I’ll take care of them,” Jason said once he caught up to Lucas.
“Fine. But only because I want to sit down, not ’cause my wrist hurts.”
“Sure. Whatever.”
Jason smiled as Lucas pulled himself into the truck and shut the door. He’d gotten in on the driver’s side, as if Jason was going to let him drive.
Jason led Rain and Argo to their stalls. Once they were settled with full water and feed buckets, he headed back to the truck.
He opened the driver’s side door and met Lucas’s blazing evil eye.
“You ain’t driving my truck.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Move over and give me the damn keys.”
After a long stare down, Lucas finally relented. He muttered under his breath and shuffled to the passenger side.
“Did you pick up our checks?”
Jason shook his head. “I forgot. I’ll get them in the morning when we get the horses.”
Lucas raised his brow. “You forgot about the money? Isn’t that the whole point of us being here?” Lucas’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and his pissy mood was beginning to grate on Jason’s nerves.
“Yeah, well, maybe some things are more important than money and winning.”
Jason started the truck and cranked the stereo up. There, let Lucas think about that for a while.
LUCAS LEANED BACK against the headrest. His arm throbbed as he tried once again to rotate it. No way could he swing a lasso with it in the shape it was in. Fuck. They had roughly five weeks before finals. How long did it take a break to heal anyway?
He swallowed hard before he spoke, burying his pride as deep as he could. “Why don’t we swing into one of those urgent care things, get an X-ray done. I pay for health insurance, might as well get some use of it.”
Jason nodded but didn’t say anything. Smart man. He turned the truck into the doctor’s office drive as if he had it planned all along.
The receptionist in the office smiled at Lucas as she took his information. He tried to fish his wallet out of his back pocket with his right hand, but he couldn’t make it work, and his left didn’t quite reach.
“Little help here, maybe?” Lucas did his best to glare at Jason, even though it wasn’t his fault that Lucas was hurt.
“Sure.” Jason slipped his hand into Lucas’s pocket and grabbed the wallet. Time seemed to crawl. Either that or Jason was copping a feel.
Lucas sucked in a breath. Damn Jason and the effect he had on him. Despite the pain throbbing in his arm and his head, Lucas’s cock stiffened. At least the blood was rushing somewhere besides his wrist now.
“We’ll be with you in a moment.”
Lucas smiled a thanks and sat in a chair. Jason settled next to him.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I don’t even know why I came. We could be out having a drink instead of sitting here.” Lucas wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. He was pretty sure Jason knew how bad his wrist was; there was no hiding the fact that he couldn’t move it at all.
Chapter Five
Jason pulled the truck and trailer into Cory’s driveway around sunset the next day. Lucas had fallen asleep two hours earlier, because he’d finally relented and taken some of the damn pain medication the doctor had prescribed.
Lucas hadn’t said much after the doctor told him he had a hairline fracture and needed to take it easy for the next four to six weeks. They had two weeks before the next rodeo anyway, and had planned to visit Cory like they did a few times each year. Now was as good a time as any.
As quietly as he could, Jason exited the truck and started unloading the horses. The movement would jostle the vehicle a bit, but hopefully Lucas would stay asleep. Jason chuckled to himself. Lucas was going to be a bear once he woke up an
d realized how long he’d been out.
“Hey, you guys made it.”
Jason handed Argo off to Cory as he approached. He wore his signature black cowboy hat and a plate-sized belt buckle that drew Jason’s attention immediately.
“Hey, Cory. Thanks for letting us crash here.”
Cory accepted the lead rope and clapped Jason on the shoulder. “No problem, man. You know you’re welcome here anytime. Where’s Lucas?”
“Sleeping in the truck.”
The truck door slammed, and the crunch of boots on gravel seared through Jason’s ears. Here we go.
“Am not.” Lucas rounded the corner of the trailer and scowled at Jason. “You could have woken me up, asshole. I slept through a whole fucking state.”
Jason resisted the urge to roll his eyes, because he knew it would only piss Lucas off. “It was only half a state. Besides, you needed the rest.”
Lucas lifted his arm, wrapped in a bandage instead of an actual cast. “This doesn’t make me useless you know.”
“Never said it did.” Jason spoke calmly, biting back a laugh. It was best to ride out Lucas’s bad mood. It wouldn’t last long, and Jason knew if he were the one with a broken wrist, he’d be none too happy either. “Let’s get the horses out to pasture, and then Cory can show us where we’re staying.”
“In separate rooms, I hope.”
Damn if Lucas didn’t look fucking hot with that angry stance, hands on his lean hips, eyes narrowed in a glare at Jason.
Jason turned to Cory and smiled. “Excuse his rudeness. He wouldn’t let me fill the prescription for the happy pills, so he’s a little on edge.”
Cory chuckled. “Hate to break it to you, but we’ve only got one cabin that isn’t under renovation, so you will have to share. It’s got a king-size bed in it and a sofa.”
Jason pulled Rain out of the trailer and handed her off to Lucas. They followed Cory to the gate leading to the pasture that the horses would be staying in. “You sure you don’t mind having us stay here for two weeks or so?”
“Hell no. You’re welcome anytime; you know that.” Cory latched the gate after the horses took off for the open grass. “Besides, we could use a little help getting some of the cabins done. We might put you to work.”
“We?” Lucas raised a brow, almost causing Jason to swoon. Was there anything that man could do that wasn’t hot?
Cory smiled wide, and a happiness like nothing Jason had ever seen took over his face. “Perry. The ranch manager and my better half. You’ll meet him at breakfast tomorrow, if you come. He’s picking up supplies in town tonight and won’t be home until late.”
Damn, Cory the self-proclaimed wanderer had settled down? Wonders never ceased. “Great. I look forward to meeting him,” Jason said.
* * * *
Lucas stared at the ceiling of the cabin he and Jason were sharing. Despite his earlier protest, Lucas didn’t really mind sharing a room with Jason. Right now he wanted Jason close by, though he couldn’t seem to act like it. His mood was still darkened by the fact that he had effectively ruined their chances at the title. If his wrist didn’t heal, they couldn’t ride.
“All right. I’m done.” Lucas said. His one good arm resting behind his head, his other cradled against his chest.
“Done with what?” Jason opened cupboard after cupboard, exploring the small kitchen inside the cabin.
“Done being a dick. It’s not your fault I fucked up my wrist.” Lucas sat up on the bed and looked Jason in the eyes. “You could probably apply to get a new partner and still keep your standings. You’d be able to make it to the next rodeo in two weeks.”
Jason closed the final cupboard and walked toward the bed. He sat on the edge, out of Lucas’s reach. “Those are our standings. If I don’t ride with you, then I don’t want to ride at all.”
“But what about the money? You said you needed the winnings this year to buy that ranch.” Lucas hated the whine that had entered his voice. Hated that he had let Jason down.
Jason shrugged, as if his dream weren’t crashing down around him. “I’ll get the money somehow. I could always get a real job. Bagging groceries full-time or something.”
Lucas heard the smile in Jason’s voice, and somehow the room felt lighter. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he could finally breathe again.
“The season isn’t over yet, Lucas. Let’s take it one day at a time. We’ve got two weeks before the next rodeo, three if we decide to skip Wichita. We aren’t out of this yet. If you feel ready, we’ll compete again. If not, then we can always try next year.”
“Thought we were going to retire and be lazy next year?” Lucas lay back down and tried to toe off his boots, but the damn things were plastered to his calves after the long drive.
Jason grabbed Lucas’s foot and gently pulled off his boot, then did the same with the next one. “We can do that too. These are all decisions for future Lucas and future Jason to make. Present Jason wants to curl up next to the sexy cowboy who’s on his bed.” He rubbed slow circles on Lucas’s foot.
Lucas bit back a groan. He’d never had someone massage his feet before, and it was heavenly. His cock stiffened, and dizziness clouded his vision. It took him a moment to register what the hell Jason was saying. “Is that another thing future Jason is going to deal with? You spending another night with me?” For the life of him he didn’t know how to control his damn mouth. Why would he argue with a man who wanted to curl up next to him?
Oh, right. Because the last time they did this, it hadn’t ended well.
The massage ended, much to Lucas’s dismay. He almost lifted his foot to put it back in Jason’s hands, but didn’t.
Jason met Lucas’s gaze, his eyes serious. “There’s nothing present Jason could do right now that future Jason would regret, except walk away.”
Need rose inside Lucas quicker than a bull out of a chute. He sat up and grasped Jason behind his neck. He allowed a moment of hesitation in case Jason changed his mind, but all he saw in Jason’s eyes was a desire that matched his.
Their lips met, and like every other kiss they’d shared, it was explosive. Lucas had expected his reaction to Jason to dull over time, but it hadn’t waned a bit. He couldn’t get close enough. Lucas moaned against Jason’s lips as he pulled on his shirt, trying to get the skin-to-skin contact he craved. It’d been too long since he’d felt Jason’s chest against his.
Jason pushed Lucas away long enough to pull his shirt over his head. Lucas tried to do the same, but his shirt got caught on the stupid bandage wrapped around his wrist. He cursed as he tugged at the material with one hand. Finally, he looked up at Jason, who stared back at him with a smug grin on his face. “Can you help me? Please?”
“Yeah.” Jason gingerly lifted the material over the bandage, and finally Lucas was free.
His chest heaved, and his arousal grew stronger as he stared at Jason’s lean chest. While maintaining eye contact, Jason stood and unbuckled his belt, sliding his jeans down his hips. His boxers followed. After a full minute of soaking in the exquisite, masculine beauty that stood before him, Lucas set into action. He worked at his belt, trying to get the damn thing unbuckled, but his hand wasn’t working properly.
Jason laughed. The low sound brought a sense of calm over Lucas. “Let me handle that. You just lie back and enjoy this.”
Reluctantly, Lucas did as he was told. Though he was unaccustomed to being bossed around anywhere, let alone in the bedroom, at the moment, with Jason, it felt right.
With a flick of his wrist, Jason had Lucas’s belt undone, and he pulled Lucas’s jeans off. Lucas’s cock sprang free, becoming even harder as Jason stared at it. He straddled Lucas and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
Lucas groaned and bucked his hips. “Do…something. Christ, why are we going so slow?”
Jason stroked Lucas’s chest, lightly running his fingertips down his abs to his groin. Then he traced the vein up his cock. “Figured I might not get to do this again;
might as well take my time.”
“Can’t we do that later?” Lucas shivered as Jason’s fingertips tickled his skin.
Jason used his hands to map out every inch of Lucas’s body.
A whoosh of cold air hit Lucas as Jason jumped off of him. Jason opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom and lube.
“How’d you know that would be in there?” Lucas asked.
“Cory told me. Apparently, this is where Perry used to stay before he moved in with Cory.”
“And he left that stuff in there? I hope they changed the sheets.”
Jason shot him a look as he straddled Lucas’s hips once again. “Pretty sure Cory put it there when I told him we were coming to stay, and I’m sure they changed the sheets.”
“How would he— Never mind, I don’t even care.” Lucas placed his good hand behind Jason’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. He tried to take control and roll Jason over so he could be on top, but Jason resisted.
“Nope, I got this. I’ve wanted to ride you since that first night, and now I’m going to get my chance.”
Heat flared through Lucas’s body as he pictured Jason riding his cock. Fuck. If he kept thinking like that, this would be over before it started. Already his cock throbbed so much it hurt. At least it took his mind off his wrist.
Jason popped the cap on the lube and slicked up his fingers. He reached behind himself, and Lucas almost shot his load, knowing what Jason was doing.
“This isn’t fair. I need a mirror or something.” Lucas groaned and tried to move so he could see. “God, I want to see you stretch your ass for me.” Precum leaked from Lucas’s dick, and he stroked it, ready to alleviate the pressure that was building deep in his balls.
“Picture it. I’ve got two fingers in there; another one and I’ll be ready for your dick. I’ve done this so many times this past month, wishing it was you.” Jason rolled his hips.
“Fuck. You shouldn’t have told me that. That’s so hot.” Lucas bit the side of his cheek to keep from coming. He needed to be inside Jason soon, or this show would be over.