Tenderness rose up strong in the pit of Tucker’s stomach. She didn’t have to carry platters of eggs and bacon to people to scrape up a few bucks. He had enough to keep her in furs and diamonds, even if she only wanted those things for her alpacas.
“I insisted that she quit the diner.”
Christian swung his head around to Tucker once more. In the darkness, his eyes glittered. “What are you sayin’?”
“I’ll take care of her.”
“We’lltake care of her.”
Tucker jerked his chin down in a nod. “That’s right. We’re in this together.”
A soft puff of air left Christian. He leaned closer to Tucker, and he couldn’t resist putting his arm around the man. The scents of his soapmixed with his musk, and strong desire heated Tucker.
He strummed his thumb down the hard ridges of Christian’s torso. Silence dominated, but as always, it was comfortable. Christian understood when he should speak up and when to remain quiet.
Through a loud chorus of crickets around them in the grass, Tucker said, “I’m done runnin’.”
Christian leaned into his side until their heads touched. “Good to hear.”
“A relief to acknowledge.” A smile spread over his face. If he tried, he couldn’t stop the pull on the corners of his mouth. He rubbed his jaw against Christian’s. Their lips were inches away. “I’m not leaving ever again—not without you and Claire in that truck with me.”
“Speaking of the truck—when you gonna get those bat marks fixed?”
Tucker gave Christian’s cheek a quick smooch. “I think of them as love taps.”
They shared a minute of laughter. Then Christian locked his arm around Tucker and jerked him into his embrace. He allowed hislover to take control—wholeheartedly giving himself.
Christian rolled him into the grass and pressed his big body over Tucker’s. As strong as Tucker, but possessing traits that he didn’t. A perfect complement.
Christian brought his hips against Tucker’s, pinning him completely. The thick length of his cock dug into Tucker’s rapidly swelling one.
He bucked upward, rubbing. Cock to cock.
Of the few times they’d been on the lookout for trespassers on the ranch, he and Christian had only fallen into each other’s arms once. Christian had submitted easily and Tucker had spent long, blissful minutes sliding in and out of his body.
But the dynamics were different tonight. A dark hunger pulsed in Christian—Tucker felt it just beneath the surface of the man’s skin.
He ground his hips into Tucker’s. The tang of crushed grass rose around them.
Christian’s eyes loomed close. Minty breath washed across Tucker’s face. Then, “Give me your mouth.”
The rough demand made Tucker as hard as the posts they’d spent erecting for the alpaca pen. He surged upward at the same moment Christian crushed his mouth down on his. The bruising collision ignited the primal instinct to grip, bite, steal this man’s soul.
Christian plunged his tongue between Tucker’s lips. Hot and smooth kisses followed. Then turned carnal once more. Christian locked a hand around Tucker’s nape and dragged his mouth to his again and again. The sharp spikes of his five o’clock shadow only spurred Tucker to be rougher, go harder.
A low rustle sounded off to the right. At the same moment, he and Christian broke away and looked in the direction of the sound.
Tucker’s heart drummed wildly against his chest from their make-out session, but he willed it to slow so he could hear better.
Christian’s fingers tightened against Tucker’s skin. “Someone’s coming up the ridge,” he barely breathed.
Tucker flattened his palm on Christian’s spine. For a full ten seconds, they didn’t breathe. Then very slowly, Christian rolled off. They gained their feet soundlessly.
In the grass, Tucker had laid a shotgun. Not that he’d ever shoot a man—relative or not—but he couldn’t very well just sit up here with a condom in his pocket as weapon. Besides, he might even spot a coyote on the prowl.
Tucker swept the gun into his hands and aimed it at the sky. Christian was tense at his side, a big cat ready to spring.
The grass swished around a person’s feet. Sweat ran down Tucker’s back and wet his waistband.
