Page 1 of Unbar the Barred
Chapter One
Cassidy
His heat was over, or damn near it, and still he craved Trey. His toys were no substitute for the bar owner, who occasionally fucked him in the restroom out the back of his bar, Ranch-Down. Their no-strings agreement was okay, sort of, if Cassidy discounted the part of him that wanted to cuddle after sex. Was it too much to ask for more than a slap to his ass before Treywithdrew, zipped up, and exited the stall to wash his hands and clean off Cassidy’s scent?
He tsked at his own neediness when he was a willing participant in what Trey had been clear about from the beginning.
Sex.
That was it.
No expectations.
No dates.
No romance.
Sex. The sex part was what he needed right now. Whatever else was in his thoughts got shoved aside because it would lead to nothing but heartbreak. He followed the need of his rock hard cock, which was demanding something he couldn’t achieve alone. Not until the worst of his heat was over.
One glance at his wristwatch and he calculated he had enough time to wash the stink of his heat off him, dress and be at the back of the bar right around closing.
Ethan, the manager of Darling Ranch, wasn’t expecting him back to work until the day after next, so it wouldn’t matter if he had a late one. His girls would get well taken care of by Sunny, one of the other ranch-hands who didn’t mind the chicken stink. His excitement grew at the fact that, for a little while, he was free.
In the shower, he reached for the body wash Trey liked and washed the dried slick from his legs and ass. He had left his toys in the bathroom sink to wash later. His ass clenched as he slid his fingers around his well-used hole, feeling how easily the muscle relaxed, the sensitive skin encouraging him to sink in three fingers, deep. He released a guttural groan, and finger fucked his ass under the steamy water, biting his lip to keep the noise down, knowing how thin the walls were between the tiny workers' cabins sitting on the outskirts of the ranch.
Slick continued to leak from his ass at thoughts of Trey’s thick, long cock and how his knot would stretch and burn so good. His toys were never a substitute for the real thing. But needs must and an unexpected pregnancy was not what anyone wanted.
Cassidy took the free hand he had braced on the wall to stroke down his hard shaft. Using the soapiness to glide up and down his sensitive dick, the need drove him to rock back and forth, fucking himself with practiced moves. His eyes darkened with hot thoughts of his last encounter with Trey.
Biting harder on his lip to hold back his whimpers, he tasted blood. He pushed deeper, adding another finger, seeking relief and the same pleasure he got from Trey. When he came there was none of the elation, all he felt was dissatisfaction from his own touch despite a little of the tension easing in his gut. He blew out a breath into the steamy air, working to slow his heart rate down while he finished cleaning himself.
Cassidy attempted to keep his mind empty as he dried and dressed in loose sweats, minus underwear. He grabbed his truck keys off the counter that divided the small space between the kitchen and the living area. All the cabins were the same. A living space, a bedroom big enough for a double bed, with a built-in closet, and a small bathroom with a shower. Rustic, wooden walls and polished floors, it was home, and Cassidy had no complaints when he had a door he could lock and have privacy. Something he’d never experienced as a child.
His sneakers made no sound as he went down the porch steps after locking his door, avoiding the creaky floorboards. He knew everyone on ranch land, but he was still cautious. He had little, but what he had he wanted to keep because he had worked for it.
It was never truly dark on the ranch with the open sky above, scattered with stars. It was rare for the clouds to obscure them all. Cassidy loved to lie out back on a blanket and stare up atthem to remind himself how lucky he was and how much he’d achieved on his own.
The sound of the night birds, animals housed not that far away in barns and out in the pastures and paddocks, carried on the breeze. It was music to him. This was his place. He took a moment to appreciate it before coasting his truck down the hill towards the ranch gates and then starting the engine.
He listened to the radio as he made the familiar trip to town, which only took fifteen minutes. Most of the roads out by the ranch were empty this late. It was only as he drew closer to town that he passed other vehicles.
It took one look at the car lot behind the bar to see he’d miscalculated. He groaned in complaint at seeing some familiar trucks and motorcycles. He debated with himself for all of ten seconds as his truck idled while he decided if he should hang or leave.
Fuck it.
He parked in a spot that the lights didn’t reach. Out of the truck, he glanced about, listening to the loud music. It had to be Friday when there was a band playing. One Friday every month, Trey got a band in for the locals.
Time had slipped by Cassidy. He rarely paid any interest in dates or days because they were of little consequence, unless it came to his heat. Then he had to take notice.
The back door opened, and the noise increased, only Cassidy wasn’t paying attention to that. His focus was on the huge guy blocking out the light, who happened to be the reason he was here.
Trey was around fifteen years older than Cassidy. Silver streaked his midnight black hair. It hung in a shaggy mess around a rugged face. Dark, leathery skin made his eyes stand out. Green like the sun hitting leaves, so bright they were a reminder of summer when winter came. He was lanky but broadacross the back and his chest held solid muscle from carrying beer casks. He filled the plaid shirts he favored, usually paired with low slung Levi’s that hugged his ass sublimely. The man was a fucking wet dream, and Cassidy witnessed the pleasure coming into Trey’s eyes when he stepped into view.
No matter what the man said, the look he wore now suggested he felt more than a passing fancy for Cassidy. He had his reasons for not wanting more, and they were his own. Cassidy didn’t push for more. He had learned over the last two years they’d been doing this—whateverthiswas—that he was an immovable mountain, unless he actively decided differently.
The security lights caught Trey pause, as if considering his next move. The bulging trash bag he held hovered over the pile to his left.
“Well, lookie what we have here?” he drawled. The trash bag got plonked on top of the others. Dusting his hands off, he strolled towards Cassidy. “Been a while, Cass.”
