Page 10 of Cowboy Dreams

“That’s not the same thing. I’m a stranger, a working man. I never finished high school. I’m not a relation, I got no leverage against you, if you’re my boss.”

Sylvester raised an eyebrow. “You’re a bright, insightful man, with a lot to offer. I don’t know why you didn’t graduate—”

“No money at home. I started cowboying full time at sixteen.”

“A diploma’s not a measure of who you are. Or who you can be.” He reached for my hand and I let him take it. He ran his thumb over the veins standing up on the back, turned my palm over and rubbed my calluses. “You earned these with hard work. You’re what I’m looking for. Someone to be the voice of reason in this crazy scheme from day one. Someone who won’t be too awed by my money or my personality to tell me when I’m on the wrong track or fucking things up.”

“I could probably do that part,” I agreed.

The smile that curved his lips was a hell of a pretty sight. “I bet you can. And your knowledge base perfectly complements mine for this project. I could interview a thousand men and not find someone a better fit.”

“And the sex?”

“It’s going to be months before this ranch gets off the ground, if it ever does. Probably a year or more, with the remodeling and all the rest. You’re giving me your expert opinion, not working in a chain of command with other staff.” He let go of my hand and ran one finger down my soft cock. Despite me being forty and having been dicked into oblivion ten minutes earlier, Joe Junior gave a little twitch, liking that touch.

“What are you saying?” I asked.

“I think we could be a good thing. Out there and here in bed, while we figure out if the ranch is going to fly. By the time I’m hiring hands, we’ll know if…”

“If?”

“If this perfect fit, in and out of bed, is something that’s going to last. If maybe consultant could be expanded to something full time, long-term. I spent the past year making big decisions by myself, decisions that moved millions of dollars around and put people in and out of work.” For a moment, his eyes went dark and unfocused. “I’m tired of that. Really tired. I can probably run the ranch alone, once it’s going, but God, I’d love to have someone I could trust at my side.”

I took a sharp breath through my teeth, because I suddenly wanted that, more than I’d wanted anything in my life. I could picture it, clear as day, him and me wrangling a bunch of clueless dudes, pretty horses, and reject steers all day, and then falling into this big bed at night. Getting closer, figuring each other out. A life. A place to belong. A man.

I rolled out of bed fast and began pulling on my clothes. Sylvester watched me, his face carefully neutral. When I was dressed and armored some against hurt, I turned to him. “You need to ask around,” I said. “You need to see what people say about Joe McNeil, before you hand me keys to the kingdom.”Before you break my heart,because I hadn’t been sure I had one, a few hours back, but now I felt like that organ was poised on a cliff. Ridiculous. One orgasm, a few kisses, words that echoed like I’d known this man a lifetime.We’re strangers.But we didn’t feel that way.

Sylvester asked, “What will I hear around town?”

“Some good and some bad, I’m sure.” Folks knew me, though I’d never stood out from the crowd except for being queer. “They’ll tell you I’m honest, I hope. Blunt to a fault, maybe. A good man with horses. Some folks will want to make sure you know I’m bent.”

“I think I have a pretty clear picture of that.” He flicked a finger at the butt plug on the side table.

I pulled a baggie out of my pocket, picked up the toy, and stuffed it away. “Yeah. Well, the ones that are careful to point it out are the ones to avoid doing business with for the ranch, if you can.”

“Ah, a homophobe test.” He stood up too and pulled those sinfully small briefs over his ass. “Is there something out there that’s going to make me change my mind about you?”

“I hope not,” I said. “But you can’t just… trust me with this job on the basis of how good a fuck I am for one night.”

“Believe me, you weren’t that good.”

Dammit.When I blinked hard and looked away, he hurried over and wrapped his arms around me. “No, Jesus, Joe. I didn’t mean it like that. You were great. I just meant that no man’s ass by itself would ever be enough to make me give him this offer. No matter how perfect. It wasn’t the sex. It was the parts between. The way you take teasing and give it right back to me. The way you answer seriously when you know I need it. The way you’re generous with yourself. Even this—the way you’re careful not to leap at the chance of work, money, power, in case it’s not right.”

“For both our sakes,” I pointed out. “Although… how much money are you offering? Might change my mind.”

He laughed and kissed me. I melted against him. I wondered if I’d ever develop resistance to how his kisses felt, or would he always be able to win arguments with his lips on mine?

“All right,” he murmured against my cheek, not letting me go. “I’ll ask around. I’ll do my due diligence. And if people agree with my first impressions? If you really are the man I want at my side for this? What comes next?”

I nipped his ear and stepped free of his hold. Bending, I scooped his nice sweater off the floor and tossed it to him, then added his slacks. “If you’re certain, you come to Max’s next Saturday night. And maybe, I’ll let a city slicker pick me up again. For now, you need to drive me back to my truck.”Before I never want to leave. Before I lose my willpower.

“I can do that.”

“In that Mustang. Boy oh boy, you’ve been pining for horses and leather. No wonder you bought that thing. You know, you’re gonna rip the undercarriage outta her on some of the local roads, come spring and pot-hole season.”

“I have an SUV too. I save the Mustang for special occasions.”

“Like cruising gay bars?”

---