Mason raised his eyebrows. “You don’t control me. This is my ranch. That is my ranch hand. And I am going out there to deal with him.”
Mason made to shove past him, but Colt countered the move.
“Nick is on his way,” Colt said with far more reason than Mason could handle. “We don’t want to alert John and give him a head start in case he decides to run.”
Mason snorted. “He won’t be able to run when I’m done with him.”
“Jesus, Mason.” Colt’s eyebrows arrowed downward. “I’m not going to let you get arrested along with him.”
Mason stood where he was. Unable to move, unable to think clearly. He just knew he needed to do something with the rage boiling in his veins. He glared at Colt, who stared back unflinchingly.
“Where would John be now?” Colt asked.
It took Mason a few seconds to redirect his mind so he could remember. “He was doing some maintenance and repair work on the haying equipment today.”
Mason glanced at his watch. How was it early evening already? “I doubt he’d still be there though. Most of the hands should be heading over to the dining hall for dinner about now.”
“Okay.” Colt nodded. “Take a deep breath and—”
“Donotstart with that,” Mason warned, narrowing his eyes.
“Fine.” Colt held his hands up. “If you can keep it together, we’ll go out to the yard and wait for Nick. You willnotapproach John if we see him.”
Mason flattened his mouth and reached around Colt to open the door, but Colt grabbed his arm before he could exit.
“I’m serious, Mason. Do not approach John.”
“I got it.” Mason yanked his arm free, stomped out the door, and then along the pathway to the main yard. Colt was right there keeping pace with him, but fortunately, he kept quiet. Mason was in no mood for chitchat while his mind reeled.
When they reached the main yard, Mason veered off toward the dining hall—but Colt blocked his path once again.
“What did I just say?” Colt growled.
Mason ground his back teeth together. He had never wanted to punch someone so badly in his whole life. “I can’t let him get away with this.”
“He’s not getting away with anything.” Frustration laced Colt’s voice, which only served to increase Mason’s ire. What the hell did he have to be frustrated about? “He will be arrested when Nick gets here. He was caught on video. That is rock-solid evidence.”
“Fuck!” Mason shouted to the sky.
“Okay.” Colt grabbed Mason by the hand and tugged him in the opposite direction. “Enough.”
Mason tried to pull out of his grip, but Colt was latched on like a vice.
Colt led him across the yard and into the small barn. Twenty-year-old flashbacks bombarded Mason’s mind, when he and Colt had run panting and laughing into that very same space. Just like then, Colt spun him around and pushed him back against the barn wall.
Colt was on him like a hungry wolf. Lips and hands and full body pressing into Mason. Mason’s brain skittered over the edges of its tracks, trying to find purchase after the sudden derailment. His internal meter shouldn’t flip from anger to desire in the space of a single heartbeat, but all thoughts of John fled as Colt demanded his complete attention without words.
He pulled Colt closer to him, shoved his hands into Colt’s hair, cupped the back of his head with one hand and his jaw with the other. Colt’s hat fell off, and Mason’s was pushed up, trapped between the back of his head and the wall, preventing it from falling and joining Colt’s on the barn floor.
The blood raced in Mason’s veins, his heart pounded like a herd of stampeding horses, and all he could think was “more” and “closer” and “yes, yes, yes.” His tongue fought with Colt’s in a sensual duel for control, his teeth bumped, and his breath came in huge, heaving gasps. He rocked his hips into Colt, his painfully hard erection met with equal strength, and a groan rumbled up his throat. Holy hell, he was seconds from losing it and coming in his jeans like a randy teenager.
Colt leaned back, breaking the frenetic connection. He cupped Mason’s head with two strong hands and stared into his eyes. His breathing was as labored and ragged as Mason’s. A high-pitched noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine emanated from the base of Mason’s throat.
“Do I have your attention now?” Colt’s voice was husky and rough and the sexiest sound to ever dance over Mason’s eardrums.
Mason nodded, unable to trust that he could form coherent words.
“Good.” Colt leaned forward and dropped his forehead to Mason’s. Mason closed his eyes and breathed in the warm, woodsy scent of Colt, basked in the heat of his muscular body, savored the taste of him still tingling on his tongue.
