Out To Get You: An MM Contemporary Romance

by Oliver, J. P.

  In the utilitarian glare of the overhead fluorescent lights, I watched his clear gray eyes fill with moisture, making my heart clench.

  “Because I love you,” he whispered.

  I took a step back. I had wanted to hear those words from him, but I wasn’t sure I could believe them. The silence lengthened.

  “Are you going to say anything?” he finally asked.

  “I need to get the rest of my things loaded in my trailer.”

  He bit his lip and gave me a short nod. “All right. I’ll help with that.”

  Everything I did, Whitt was there to lend a hand, even going so far as to close the ramp on the trailer after I loaded Satin. I grabbed my coffee mug and started for the driver’s side door of the truck. I wanted to invite him. Hell, I wanted to beg him to come with me

  Hand on the door handle, I was starting to turn to do so, when he pulled open the passenger door and jumped in.

  “What are you doing?” I asked through the open door.

  “Coming with you.”

  I climbed in but didn’t start the truck. On the surface, Whitt appeared to be his usual, composed self. But I knew him well. There was a tick in his jaw, and his hands trembled ever so slightly.

  “Whitt—”

  “Please.” He turned to me, his throat working. “I want to help. I know you’ve been busting your ass getting Satin ready. Let me be your groom today. If you don’t want me to do anything else, I can at least do that.”

  I twisted in the seat to face him. “You moved me out of your room.”

  “You left me.”

  And god help me, I saw in those gray eyes of his what that had done to him. He had told me he thought there was something wrong with him, something that made him unlovable, and I had reinforced it.

  “I thought you wanted me to go.”

  “I never wanted you to leave. I still don’t.”

  I shook my head. “Whitt, I can’t go back to things the way they were. I can’t be your dirty little secret.” And there it was, the words that finally revealed how much he had hurt me. When I met his gaze again, the moisture that had been welling in his eyes before had now turned into tears.

  “You aren’t my dirty little secret. You aren’t a secret at all. I love you, Reece. I don’t care who knows it. I know I don’t inspire that same feeling, but—”

  “What?” I cut him off. “Whitt, that was never the issue.”

  “Just give me a chance. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. Whatever you want me to be. Please.”

  I grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him toward me. With my free hand, I wiped the tears from his face as I closed the distance between us and pressed my forehead against his.

  “I want you to be exactly who you are.”

  “I don’t even know who that is.” His voice was a little shaky.

  “The man I love.”

  And I kissed him. With every fucking thing I was worth, I kissed him like no one had ever kissed before. If I could have absorbed him into me, I would have. Whitt pushed away enough we could both catch our breath.

  “We should get going. You don’t want to be late.”

  I stroked the beard shadowing his jaw. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I—”

  He put his fingers over my lips. “It does matter. This is everything you’ve worked for. I already know you’re the best, but you need to prove it to yourself. Let me come. I’ll be your billionaire stable boy.”

  I laughed. “That sounds a little kinky.”

  Whitt grinned and waggled his brows. “I am totally at your command. Whenever, whatever. You just tell me what you need me to do.”

  Okay, so now I was going to be driving the truck with a massive hard-on tenting my breeches. I started the engine and glanced at Whitt. He had a smile on his face like I’d never seen before.

  The smile never left him. All day he happily rubbed down, tacked up, hosed off, polished up, and dusted off anything and everything presented to him. And somehow, the custom-tailored coat and boots he’d bought for me had found their way into the tack room of my trailer.

  The sun was setting, and the lights had already come on in the main ring. Whitt stood by the rail as I entered the ring for the Grand Prix. This was it, the event that everyone would be watching. I had seen the Maitlands standing near Whitt. In the stands were Steffy and a cheering section from her barn.

  I took a deep breath before I entered the ring, glancing at Whitt and seeing his thumbs-up from where he stood. I stroked Satin’s neck, feeling her sensitive flesh quiver beneath my touch. She had performed like a dream throughout the day.

  “One more time, sweetheart,” I whispered to her as I squeezed her forward.

  The course had been altered and the height of the jumps raised so that it was a true test of the mettle of both horse and rider. Satin sailed over every fence, still as strong as she had been earlier in the day. As we turned to the triple combination, I sat deep in the saddle and heeded Steffy’s reminder to keep my chin up. It wasn’t pretty. The mare over-jumped the middle obstacle and took off heart-stoppingly close to the final jump, but somehow, we cleared it. As we passed the finish, I pumped my fist in the air.

  She had gone clear. We had incurred some time penalties that left us in second place to a far more experienced horse and rider duo. I didn’t care. I had proved what I wanted to prove. Whitt was there at the gate as we came out. I jumped off Satin’s back, landing lightly on my feet.

  Before I could even think, Whitt threw his arms around me and kissed me. It wasn’t long or even particularly intimate, but it was the best kiss I had ever gotten from him. As he drew back, I saw that knowledge in his eyes. He was letting me and the entire world know that we were together.

  Whitt Dailey, billionaire banker, loved a man. Me.

  * * *

  Whitt

  We picked Mac up from Steffy’s on the way and brought both horses home. Man, that sounded good. Home. Once everyone was bedded down for the night, Reece and I walked slowly up the drive, arms around waists, with Ripper running ahead of us.

  “I am as happy to have you back here as Ripper appears to be happy to be back.”

  “I’m not sure I can think of a day that has been any better this. Ever.” Reece leaned into me.

  I tightened my grip around his waist. “I hope it’s going to get even better. I’ve missed the hell out of you, babe. I called ahead to Maggie and asked her to prepare a meal for us. I hope you’re ready. She was so overjoyed to hear you were back that she’s probably laid in a feast.”

  I had also asked her to put everything in my master suite, along with some candles and champagne. If I knew Maggie, the towels would be heating in the bathroom and the whirlpool would be filled and running.

  I wanted to make love to Reece tonight, show him in every way I could how much he meant to me.

  “Come on,” I told him as we entered the house, and I tugged him up the stairs with me.

  “Wait…Ripper…” he protested.

  “He has his own personal crate and dog bed in the master suite, which is where we’re headed.

  Maggie had not disappointed. The lights were turned low. On every available surface, candles flickered. In the corner was a table set for two with champagne cooling in a wine chiller.

  “Let me help you,” I told Reece, and began to assist him in removing his clothing.

  “What about you?” he asked as I removed his boots and went for the snap on his breeches.

  “I’ll join you in a minute. You worked hard today. Let me pamper you.”

  Reece leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. “You slaved for me today. Get your clothes off so we can enjoy the tub together. Please.”

  I didn’t need to be told twice. Being able to feel Reece’s wet, muscular body stretched out next to me had been my waking and sleeping fantasy the last few days. He turned to me in the warm, bubbling water and laid his head near my heart.

  “This is what I’ve wanted to hear,” he m
urmured. “I love listening to the beat of your heart.”

  I combed my fingers through his hair and tilted his head back. “I want to make love to you so badly it’s an ache, but not just yet. I want us to relax, have dinner, and then I’m going to take you to bed.”

  Reece’s blue eyes glowed. I saw a reflection of the love and happiness bubbling up inside of me. I kissed him, trying my damnedest to keep my passion leashed, so it would be all the sweeter when we did end up in bed.

  We dried each other off, hands lingering and stroking until we laughingly broke apart, gasping for breath.

  “You think we’re going to make it through dinner?” Reece asked. “Cause, I have to tell you, I’m starving.”

  He had just pulled on a pair of silky sleep pants. “I’m starving too,” I told him, my voice sounding like gravel.

  “Stop staring at my ass, Whitt.”

  “How do you know I’m doing that?”

  He eyed me over his shoulder, his brow quirked. “You get this really deep sound to your voice, like the big bad wolf.”

  “Feeling that way.”

  He grabbed my arm. “Dinner.”

  Maggie had left beef bourguignon with fresh bread. I checked beneath the dessert cover and laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Reece asked.

  “She left us chocolate gateau.”

  “I guess finding the other one half eaten in the bedroom was a giveaway?”

  “Probably. Maybe I should smear it all over you and lick it off.”

  Reece’s eyes widened. “Okay. Body not feeling like we’re taking this slowly.”

  I laughed. “Sorry. You said you were starving, so let’s eat. Dish the beef bourguignon while I open the champagne.”

  Over dinner, I filled Reece in on my conversation with Maitland, and the discussion I’d had with Sherry Rowland. I shook my head in disgust. “I let my fear that no one could love me blind me, Reece. You were right about Maitland being more concerned with my honesty and also right about something odd going on with Sherry. I should have listened to you.”

  Reece’s grin was lopsided. “Well, I’m sure you won’t make that mistake again, and I’ll be able to claim I’m the personal consultant to the brilliant banker, Whitt Dailey.”

  I covered the hand he had resting on the table with mine. “I’d rather you were my partner. Will you stay, Reece? Give us a chance to see exactly where this goes?”

  I was so nervous, I bit the inside of my bottom lip to stop it from trembling. His hand turned over in mine, his work-roughened fingers squeezing mine with the gentleness he showed everything. “Yes to everything.”

  I nodded, sucking in a deep, relieved breath. “Let me pour some champagne.”

  We toasted everything we could think of while we consumed Maggie’s fantastic meal. We even tasted some of the gateau before Reece stood and pulled me to my feet.

  “I can’t wait any longer, Whitt.”

  With the glow of the candles all around us, I took him in my arms, running my hands over the sculpted muscles of his back. From his broad shoulders, I skated to the dip at his waist and on to the firm globes of his ass.

  “You are so damn sexy,” I murmured. “You have no idea how I lust after this tight ass of yours.”

  Reece’s hands were untying the string of my sleep pants and dipping inside to circle my cock. “I think I might have some idea, but I probably need to get a better look to be sure.”

  He released me to tug the pants off my hips so they dropped to the floor. “That’s what I’m talking about,” he said, dropping onto the edge of the bed and pulling me close. He kissed my navel and let his tongue glide lower, licking up and down my shaft.

  With my breathing coming in short pants, I curled my fingers in his hair and held him away. “This is my turn to make up for being such an ass. Lie back.”

  Reece scooted into a position where he could recline against the pillows, one arm curled behind his head.

  “Lift your hips.” As soon as he did what I asked, I stripped the silky pants off him and took a moment to marvel at the sheer perfection of him. Golden body hair glinted in the candlelight, his prick lying stiff against his sculpted abs. I licked my lips, so ready to show him everything I felt.

  I started at his feet, working my way up with kisses and caresses until I wrapped my mouth around him and took him deep into my throat. I worked him relentlessly until he tugged at my hair.

  “I want to come while you fuck me,” he told me, his eyes glazed with passion.

  I straddled his hips, my arms braced along his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him. My heart pounded as I let my body sink on top of his, enjoying the feeling of being skin to skin.

  “I will never get enough of you,” I whispered to him.

  I eased back so I could spread his legs. Grabbing a bottle of lube, I squirted some on my fingers and teased his opening, laughing with sheer joy as he moaned my name.

  “Need you, Whitt, so damn bad.”

  “Me too, baby.” I couldn’t wait anymore. I ripped open a condom packet and covered my aching cock. After making sure we both had enough lube, I pushed into him. “Love you, Reece.”

  He brushed his hands over my chest, resting them at my waist as our gazes locked. With incredible slowness, I rocked my hips and used one of my hands to jerk him off as I fucked him. The sight of him so hard for me was amazing, earth-shattering, but it wasn’t until I looked into his bright blue eyes again and saw the love shining there that I finally lost it.

  He was everything I thought I would never have. As I came, tears rolled down my cheeks.

  “Whitt?” Reece shifted, pulling me on top of him. “You okay?”

  I nodded. Reece hugged me closer. I was way more than okay. I was loved.

  25

  Whitt

  So, Reece had his big day at the Maysburg Autumn Classic. Now I had mine. Even though we had ridden over the hunt territory, nothing had prepared me for the thrill of so many horses and hounds gathered together in the crisp air of an autumn morning. Quinn and Mary Maitland were chatting with us as we stood in a group, mounted and ready to ride.

  I glanced at Reece and caught him watching me with a smile on his face. “Think you’re ready for this?” he asked.

  “I hope so. I hired the best trainer around to make it happen.”

  Quinn laughed. “You’ll make a fine fox-hunter, Dailey.”

  Mary leaned over and touched the arm of my jacket. Her smile was serene as she said, “I’m so glad you and Reece have worked things out. You two make a lovely couple.”

  Before I could reply, the huntsman blew his horn to signal to the hounds that we were moving off. The masters of the hunt had invited Reece and me to ride closer to the front so we could see the hounds working. As we trotted toward a wide trail into the woods, I felt as wide-eyed as a kid on Christmas morning.

  Reece leaned over my way. "Don’t be surprised if it’s a little slow this morning. The weather’s been pretty dry, so scent might not be good. Still, it’s a good idea to always be ready. If the hounds find a scent trail, we could be off in a flash. Bondage knows what he’s doing, so trust your horse to take care of you.”

  Truer words were never spoken. Despite Reece’s predictions of a dry day, hounds ran three or four different lines while we were out. I was secretly relieved when every fox they chased got away.

  “Is that pretty common?” I asked Quinn as we rode back toward the meet where all the trailers were parked.

  “More often than not,” he replied. “Unlike other parts of the world, once the fox has gone to ground—gone into a hole—we don’t pursue it. The chase is what we’re after, not killing the animal.”

  He looked at me and laughed. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you dirty before, Dailey. Makes you look a lot more human and approachable.”

  I glanced forward to where Reece and Mary were deep in conversation. “I’m not sure it’s the dirt. I think it’s the man who’s making me more human.”


  Quinn’s eyes were on his wife. “I know what you mean.”

  Once everyone had taken care of their horses, the custom was to gather around for what Reece called a tailgate. Looked to me like a feast laid out on a couple of picnic tables. In fact, Maggie had left us a hamper to bring with us. As we walked over to where everyone was gathered, my phone began chirping.

  Now that the deal with Maitland was pretty well in the bag, I had put in additional calls on the West Coast deal I was working on. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, studying the screen. My thumb hovered over it.

  “Really?” Reece asked. I glanced up at his steady gaze and flicked my thumb to decline the call. If there was one thing I had always understood, it was the fine art of negotiation and compromise.

  Reece grabbed the phone and put it inside his pocket before leaning over to give me a kiss.

  “Damn, I love you,” he told me.

  And that was the best deal I had ever sealed.

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  Out To Get You

  J.P. Oliver

  © 2018

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