I’d finally had a heart-to-heart with Mitchell on my phone up at the house. After reaming him out about not preparing me for any of this, he apologized, but his reasons were what I’d suspected, and I knew he was right. I’d have never taken a chance on this place if I’d known what went on here.
*
When I got back to the grooming barn with Liv after working a week on the night shift, I felt more prepared for the routine of readying the ponyboys for their trainers. Adam had sent Connor to the bunkhouse with a couple pairs of cotton shorts in my size and a new pair of flip-flops, so I could dress more appropriately for the job. This would be Brian’s final week at the ranch, and I wanted to prove I was more than ready to take over.
When Liv asked me to look after Noah’s preparations, I felt my stomach do spontaneous somersaults as I walked over to the patient man waiting in the grooming stall. Noah looked like the subject of a questionable Renaissance painting, naked and golden, gazing at the floor obediently and awaiting instruction.
I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the surge of blood to my cock as my body registered this as the same man who clung to me on stormy nights and disturbed my sleep with impure thoughts. His smell had grown familiar now and tripped something in me, like a key fitting a lock.
“Arms up,” I instructed.
Noah raised his delicately muscled arms, pale with a light dusting of dark blond hair, up to the cuffs I fastened around his willing wrists.
“Good boy.”
I’d been told to be free with my praise in the grooming barn, because the trainers were sometimes stingy with theirs, and the positive reinforcement would encourage the ponyboys to be obedient and gentle. That was the goal anyway. The technique worked easily with Noah, who seemed in his natural state as a naked and pliant submissive.
Soon, I had the gag in place and the cock cage on. I tried to ignore the fact Noah watched my hands closely as I fastened the steel cage around his penis.
Picking up the loofah, I concentrated on giving Noah a thorough rub-down. He made delicate grunting sounds that went straight to my cock, but I tried to block them out. I didn’t need my mind going anywhere close to where it wanted to go right now. I wanted to do my job.
As I worked, I caught glimpses of Noah’s grey eyes regarding me with something approaching adoration, which gave me more satisfaction than I liked to admit. Lorraine hadn’t requested Noah have his tail inserted this morning, which I found disappointing. What the hell was I becoming?
I found the task of thoroughly washing Noah incredibly affecting. After all the nights we’d spent cuddled together, I felt very protective of him and cherished the intimate act of caring for him this way.
Afterward, I dried him and fitted him into his collar and body harness. Stepping back to look over my charge, I was pleased and aroused with the result. As always, Noah looked gorgeous in his pony gear. But now I felt like I had a hand in creating the effect and in placing him into the submissive headspace he wanted, needed, to be in for the morning session.
I removed the gag and released the wrist cuffs, allowing Noah to bend and put on his boots. When the ponyboy had trouble with a knot in one of his laces, I instinctively stepped in.
I bent to my knees and took over the job of untangling the stubborn knot. When I’d succeeded, I glanced up to see Noah watching me with a similar look of adoration. I couldn’t help smiling at the handsome ponyboy and doing up the laces of both boots, giving him a firm pat on the ankle when I was done.
“There you go.”
“Thanks,” Noah whispered. The ponyboys were supposed to be silent even after the gag was removed but I nodded and smiled at him.
I was surprised to find everyone’s eyes on me when I stood and dusted my palms on my shorts. But they soon turned back to their tasks as if they hadn’t been distracted by my spontaneous gesture.
The rest of the morning passed, with cleaning and maintenance tasks taking up the time. Liv and Brian chatted about Brian’s upcoming departure, and I lost myself in the monotony of my routine.
Liv’s radio crackled and a female voice said, “Liv, are you busy?”
Liv took the device off her belt and pressed the button. “Hey, Lorraine, what’s up? Over.”
The female trainer laughed. “Besides Noah’s cock right now? Not much. But I want Jensen to see what happens when a ponyboy does everything he’s asked to for his trainer. Over.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a surge of desire as I realized what Lorraine’s words meant. Liv replied, and I heard the smile in her voice. “Copy that. I’ll send him your way.”
“Cheers, love.”
“Ten-four,” Liv replied, putting the radio away. “Jensen, you’ve been summoned. Lorraine and Noah are in the arena. She’s been teaching him some new moves for a show this weekend. But she implied he’s getting his reward for good behavior.” She exchanged a look with Brian.
I nodded. “Okay. Do I need to bring anything?”
Liv shook her head. “Nope, just your pretty self,” she said, winking. “But don’t forget your hat. I’m pretty sure Noah would want you to wear it.”
I felt the blush rise to my cheeks but grabbed my cowboy hat off the hook by the door and exited to the sounds of Brian’s chuckles and a suggestive whistle.
As I made my way along the dusty path toward the arena my eye was caught by motion in the pasture as I heard Kamal’s yell and the crack of his bullwhip. For a second, I was distracted from my objective and walked up to the fence to get a closer look.
