Horsfall: Tail of Two Brothers Jade Buchanan All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2008 Jade Buchanan
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ISBN: 978-1-59596-939-2
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Editor: Vicki S Burklund
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Horsfall: Tail of Two Brothers Jade Buchanan What started out as just another day for Oliver Philip quickly turned stranger than any fiction he’d ever read. Arriving at Horsfall Ranch to conduct an audit on their safety program, Oliver can’t keep his eyes off owner Bayard Stoddard. A long cool drink of water if he’s ever seen one. Just when it seems Bayard might be returning his attraction -- as unprofessional as it might be right now -- the tall, powerful man receives the news his twin, Marshall, is missing. Imagine Oliver’s surprise when the abused Shire horse he finds chained up on a neighboring ranch shapeshifts into a man who looks surprisingly familiar… it seems he’s found Bayard’s missing twin.
Chapter One Oliver Philip inhaled deeply, turning his head from side to side to capture as much of the scenery as he could. He couldn’t imagine living out here. It was so crisp, so clean. And it was only about twenty minutes outside the city limits too. Hell, it took him longer than that to drive from one end of the city to the other. He slowed his car, counting the kilometers as they clicked by. “Ten point five, ten point six, ten point seven, and there’s the turn off. Exactly where he said it’d be.” Turning into the narrow paved lane, he left the gravel road behind. His client had given him exact directions to the ranch, directions Oliver had needed. It was a little too easy to get lost on the township roads out here. It didn’t help that the damn signs were so small. He was used to driving out in the country, but still, this wasn’t like trying to find some gas plant. It was kinda hard to miss those. Horsfall Ranch might be close to the city, but it wasn’t exactly easy to get to. Thick brush lined the lane he was practically crawling down, set at the base of tall trees that were obscuring his view to either side. At least the lane was in excellent condition, although he couldn’t see anything in front of him but more trees. He drove around a curve in the road, and suddenly the whole thing opened up. He had to stop the car just to take it all in. Horsfall sat smack dab in front of him, down a slight incline. The rolling foothills were a picturesque backdrop, with the Rocky Mountains as a steady line marching across the back end in the distance. He could make out the white tops on the mountains; there were only a few wisps of cloud breaking up the blue sky. Great day to be out of the office. “Damn, I love my job.”
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Pressing his foot down on the gas pedal, Oliver pulled up to the black wrought iron gate barring his path. Pressing the intercom beside his window, he waited, nervously tapping his fingers on the wheel. “Hello?” a male voice responded. “Hi. This is Oliver Philip. I’m here to meet with Bayard Stoddard.” “Sure thing. He’s down at the main complex. I’ll let him know you’re here. Just keep on the road, and you can’t miss him.” “Thanks.” The gate opened up slowly, and he made his way through. A small farmhouse sat to the left of the gate, with a big black dog lying on the front porch. He sleepily raised his head, watching Oliver drive past. Oliver chuckled, seriously tempted to stop the car and get out. He absolutely loved animals. A second house sat back further from the road, a little bigger than the first. He wondered how many people actually lived here. Truth be told, he didn’t know much about ranching life. He’d done a bit of research on the company before coming down here, like he always did before accepting a new job, but a website didn’t give you much information about the day-to-day workings of a place. Besides, the Horsfall website talked more about their horses than anything else, and most of that information had gone right over his head. Speaking of which, who knew there would be so many buildings? A large rectangular building stood in front of him, with several smaller ones set around. An empty paddock sat to the right, and he could make out an open barn with machinery just behind the main building. Several gas tanks stood beside the open barn. At least he knew what those were. He felt a little out of his element coming here. A man stepped out of the large building in front of him. Spying the trucks parked to the right, Oliver pulled his little blue car between two dusty pickups. He opened the door, grabbing his briefcase from the passenger seat. The man had come around to meet him and was now standing at Oliver’s back bumper.
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Jesus, he’d like to have this man do more than just stand at his back bumper. He was tall, towering over Oliver by at least half a foot. Tanned and devastatingly handsome. Oliver just about swallowed his tongue looking at him. This was what Oliver fantasized about late at night when he was all alone. Fuck, the man was fulfilling almost every one of his dreams physically. He had a black cowboy hat slanted low on his forehead, and his muscular frame was encased in dusty blue jeans and a worn blue plaid shirt. For a minute Oliver was certain the big man was going to pop the seams on that shirt. It strained across a colossal chest that just begged to be explored. The cowboy held out one tanned hand. “Mr. Philip, I’m Bayard Stoddard. We spoke on the phone. Thanks for coming out here.” His voice was deep and slow, causing shivers to run through Oliver. He had to be careful here, or he’d completely lose it. Obviously it’d been way too long since he broke up with his last boyfriend. “Mr. Stoddard. Pleased to meet you.” He grasped the man’s hand in his, almost purring at the feel of the callused palm. What would those hands feel like on his body? “Please, call me Bayard. Have any trouble finding the place?” “No, your directions were excellent. I’m not too sure how I’m going to get out of here, but I’ll figure it out. And it’s Oliver.” He chuckled ruefully. Bayard smiled, revealing even teeth. It changed the planes of his face, gave him an added depth that had Oliver breathing deeply. “You’ll have to tell me where to start. I’m new at this.” Bayard motioned toward the large building, indicating for Oliver to move ahead of him. “I know this can be a big step if you’ve never done it before, but there’s nothing to worry about. When we talked on the phone, I got the feeling you’d prepared everything.” “Well, it seemed like a good idea. I know there aren’t too many operations like ours that bother to go through the process of having a safety program.”
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Oliver shook his head. “Your industry isn’t required to have one so most farms and ranches just ignore it. I think it’s great that you’re going ahead with developing one. I strongly believe a healthy system will prevent any incidents from occurring, and not just personal injuries. I know equipment loss can be just as devastating sometimes.” Bayard nodded. “I’ll take you to the office right now. You can make yourself comfortable.” He pointed to a cluster of buildings near them. “Over there’s the paint shack, and behind it is the greenhouse. We have a tool shed too, that’s the building on the right. The two houses you drove past on the way in belong to myself and our foreman. He’s here now, but I think he’s leaving in an hour or two. He’s making a trip down to Montana to look at a mare for me.” “Is it just the two of you who live here? I know you have other employees.” “Mmm-hmm, ten in all, for the most part. It depends on how busy we are but we try to keep the core staff. Makes things easier. My twin brother lives with me, but he isn’t here right now. He’s been gone for nearly two weeks, and… hmm.” Bayard frowned, and Oliver tried to think of something to say. Finally, he decided it was probably better to remain silent. Twins. Two of Bayard. Two. Oh, good lord, he could fantasize about that all day. Imagine seeing two of him, being with two of him. Bayard opened the door to the building, holding it for Oliver to precede him. Inhaling as he went past, Oliver tried to capture his scent. He smelled like horses, of course, but underneath that was a tantalizing scent of pure sweat and man. Oh, this wasn’t good at all. He listened as Bayard outlined their general operations. The larger building housed their offices and a small kitchen. On one end there was a small barn, empty at the moment, although the stalls looked like they had been inhabited not too long ago. On the other end of the building was a larger storage area where the big equipment was stored. At the back was a welding station, along with various odds and ends needed for any necessary repairs.
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Oliver heaved a sigh of relief. Here he felt completely at ease. Bring him into any shop environment and he knew what to look for. He wouldn’t know the first thing about horses, and whatever hazards existed around the big animals, but this he could deal with. Bayard led him into the office, taking off his hat and placing it on top of his desk. He ran his fingers through his short hair, mussing it up. Oliver turned his back on him, pretending to study the pictures of the horses. He ran a palm down his chest, smoothing his cream and black striped dress shirt. It was tucked into blue jeans, and his trusty steel toed boots completed his ensemble. Sure, they weren’t the more ranch-like ropers Bayard had on his feet, but Oliver always wore his steel toes on the job. It was practically ingrained in him now. Considering they were almost more comfortable than his running shoes, it was a wonder he didn’t wear them off the job too. Oliver didn’t really think he was any great catch but he wasn’t butt ugly either. He was clean, and most of the time he managed to shave his five o’clock shadow, although since it was blond it didn’t make too much of a difference anyway. His hair was short, a blond that had long since started to darken into a pale brown. Dirty blond, his sister always called it. He hated the term, made it seem like he wasn’t too familiar with basic hygiene. “Coffee?” “Sure, that would be great. Black, please.” Oliver set his briefcase on the small table in the kitchen, pulling out a chair to sit down. He had to keep his mind on task. This was a client, not a potential date. Funny enough, he’d never had to give himself that warning before. “Tell me again how this works.” Bayard efficiently measured grounds into the small coffee maker on the counter. Waiting for it to percolate, he turned to survey Oliver, crossing his arms over his burly chest. “Basically, I’m going to perform a mini audit on your operations here. You said on the phone that you’d started pulling some things together. I’ll start by familiarizing myself with the safety documents you already have. Do a bit of a Gap Analysis to see
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what you have and what you’re missing. I’ll take a look around your operations and we can run through some of the hazards you guys come across on a day-to-day basis. Once I have a good idea of what you need, I’ll go back to my office and start developing a safety program for you. “I like to make things fit-for-purpose, so it won’t be a cookie cutter manual off a shelf. I’ll work it up based on what I think you need. I’ll go over it with you once I’m done. We can make any changes you want, and then I’ll show you how to take it and integrate it into your business.” “You’re the expert. I’m in your hands.” Didn’t he just wish? Oliver smiled ruefully, nodding when Bayard dropped a slim binder on the table in front of him, along with a steaming cup of coffee. A sheet was tucked inside the clear front cover on the binder, the words Safety Manual scrawled across in bold black slashes. He wondered if that was Bayard’s writing. Flipping through, he was impressed with what Bayard had already gathered together. It just needed to be organized better but he had the bare minimum requirements here. “I’m telling you, I have no idea how you do this sort of thing. It took me near forever to find the information on the government site, and then I couldn’t figure out what it all meant.” Bayard’s grin was self-deprecating and Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think they do it on purpose just to confuse everyone. Just remember, you brought this on yourself since you’re exempt from Occupational Health and Safety legislation. Although, that’s just the absolute minimum you need for an effective program. Still, farms and ranches aren’t required to have safety programs.” “Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.” Oliver smiled, pleased. He absolutely loved it when he heard things like that. Safety was his job, and he hated it when people took it for granted as something any idiot could do. “I’ll tell you a secret, so don’t let it get out.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Having a safety program is not really all that hard. You have a set of elements that need to be combined together… hazard assessment, accident
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investigations, a communication system, responsibilities and accountabilities, training, continuous monitoring, and whatever else you feel like throwing in. “As long as you put it all together in a way that makes sense, and make sure you’re complying with government rules and regulations, you’re set. Well, that and you have to roll it out and make it more than a paper exercise. It definitely helps if everyone buys into the program and believes in it, but basically, the core elements are the same whether you’re a major oil company, a convenience store or a horse ranch.” “That easy, huh? My eyes crossed about ten minutes into reading that damn rule book. My opinion of you has increased exponentially. I don’t know how you do this for a living.” Oliver grinned, leaning back in his chair. He sipped his coffee, studying Bayard over the rim of his mug. “I’m good at my job. But I wasn’t always. It’s just something you become better at over time. Unfortunately, safety’s one of those buzz words right now. Everyone says they pay attention to it, and how important it is for every company. “But if it was really important we wouldn’t still be having the stupid incidents we have now. We wouldn’t still be hitting companies over the head with our big safety stick to get them to pay attention. And there would be more educational requirements in order to be a safety professional. Right now, most safety guys have to learn the hard way, through experience and putting years in the job. Most of the guys I meet out in the industry are volun-told to be the Safety Coordinator. It’s not something they choose as a career for themselves. It’s changing slowly, but we’re not there yet.” “I did a bit of research when I was looking for a company to work with. There’re a lot of folks out there that have good things to say about you.” “That’s nice of them.” He smiled, refraining from saying anything else. He’d rather his work showcase whatever expertise he may or may not have. He didn’t trust people who were too free with praising themselves. “Well then, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go talk to Ed before he leaves. You need anything just give me a buzz on my cell. I have it on, and I believe you have the number.”
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Oliver nodded, opening the binder in front of him. Taking a notepad out of his briefcase, he set about taking some notes. “When I’m done in here, I’d like to take a look around, see what else you have. Just come back and get me whenever you have a free moment.” “Sure thing.” Bayard turned and grabbed his cowboy hat, placing it on his head before leaving. His footsteps echoed down the hallway before he opened the outside door. It slammed closed when he left, leaving Oliver in silence. “What is wrong with you?” he whispered fiercely. He’d just about started stammering back there. The man wasn’t paying him to blabber on like an idiot. He’d hardly let Bayard get a word in edgewise. Although, to be fair, Bayard didn’t look like he’d been annoyed. The whole time Oliver had been speaking, Bayard’s gaze had remained steady on his face. He’d nodded at certain places and had looked like he’d been enjoying himself. Maybe Bayard was just one of those men who didn’t need to talk. He wondered what the brother was like. Not like Oliver. He hated the silence. He’d be more likely to start yammering away just to fill it if he was with someone. Or by himself. He kinda talked to himself occasionally. It didn’t make him insane. Just… unique. Or maybe not. Half the population probably talked to themselves. They just wouldn’t admit it. He flipped through the manual, taking notes whenever something struck his eye. His mind wandered, hopelessly unable to concentrate when he could still smell the man. Geez, where was a window to crack when he needed it? A little bit of fresh air should be able to clear his head. He dropped his pen, running his hand through his short strands. Taking a bracing sip of coffee, he sighed. This completely wasn’t like him. For some reason, he just couldn’t stop thinking about Bayard. Closing his eyes, placing his mug back on the table, he brought up an image of the big guy. “Need any help in here?” Bayard drawled, a hint of a smile playing on his face. “Well, now, that all depends on what you mean to help me with.” Oliver glanced up, studying the man standing in the doorway. He had his hands on either side of the entryway, his
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long body stretched out to perfection. Damn, Oliver wished he was naked, ’cause that would certainly paint a pretty picture. Bayard stepped forward, reaching Oliver in two strides. “Looks like you could use some help with that.” He nodded toward Oliver’s lap where his hard-on was pressing up against his jeans. The pressure was painfully arousing, just the edge he needed to keep his mind on Bayard. Hell, he wouldn’t be able to take his mind off the man as long as he had this insane urge to be with him. “Tell me what you need.” Bayard suddenly dropped to his knees beside Oliver, the brim of his black cowboy hat shadowing his eyes. His pink tongue darted out, licking his lower lip seductively. Oliver bit back a moan, unable to tear his gaze away. He made a movement, not sure what exactly he was going to do but Bayard beat him to it. With a firm yank, Bayard pulled out the chair Oliver was in, maneuvering it easily until Oliver was sprawled in front of Bayard. The big man was between his knees now, and that delectable tongue made another appearance. His gut clenched, his cock standing straight as a spike. He moaned, tossing his head back. Christ, he needed out of these damn things. As if Bayard heard his thoughts, his lean fingers were suddenly in Oliver’s lap, carefully navigating the button fly. Damn fucking buttons. It was taking forever. He panted, so close to coming. He couldn’t do it yet. Oh, he just needed a minute. He was too close. Squeezing his eyes shut, Oliver blindly lowered his hands, trying to get Bayard to ease up for a minute. Things were moving so fast he could barely breathe. His fingers touched the silken strands of Bayard’s hair. What the…? Hot breath wafted over the root of his cock an instant before that damnable tongue brushed his skin. Oliver squealed -- not a sound he’d expected to ever hear come out of his mouth -- grasping Bayard’s hair firmly. He thrust his hips, unable to stay still. He was so close, so damn close. Bayard chuckled, the sound vibrating through Oliver’s pelvis. Oh, he just… so close. If Bayard would just move an inch and… oh, that was it. Exactly what he needed. Bayard’s mouth enveloped the head of his cock, sucking him deep. The man was talented, he’d give him that much.
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“Bayard…” “Need any help in here?” Oliver jerked, opening his eyes and meeting Bayard’s warm gaze. Holy shit. He’d just… oh, he’d almost… what the hell was wrong with him? “Uh, no, I’m just wrapping up.” “Perfect timing then. I’m about ready to take you on that tour.” “Sounds great. Just give me a minute and I’ll be ready.” Was it just his imagination or was his voice a little tight? Oh sweet heaven, he was rock hard, his erection pulsing with his need to get off. What was wrong with him? He’d never had a sexual daydream when he was supposed to be working. Not even at the safety of his desk with the door closed. He’d never been this distracted during office hours. It was one of the things he prided himself on. When it was time to work, he was able to concentrate on getting the job done. Then he could do anything he wanted when he was finished. Bayard smiled, lifting his hand to rub his chin almost thoughtfully. His eyes gleamed when Oliver went into his office to place his hat on the desk. Oh, that couldn’t mean what he thought it meant. No, no way did Bayard know what he was doing in here. Right? There was no way he could know Oliver was just thinking of him. Unless… no, he was sitting at the table, his lap wasn’t in plain sight. He tried to come up with something to distract himself with. The Working Under Overhead Power Lines limits came to mind, but he couldn’t remember the basic numbers. Okay, think, think, think. He slowly started going through the Violence in the Workplace regulations, repeating the policy requirements in his mind. The pressure on his cock eased, his urgency leaving him. Relaxing his shoulders, Oliver pushed back from the table, ready to get moving. He smiled when Bayard came back to join him, their gazes meeting briefly. “Ready to go?” “Lead the way.”
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Bayard smiled again, the left corner of his mouth lifting. He lowered his head, placing his cowboy hat squarely on his head. “Follow me, Oliver. I can’t wait to show you the place.”
Chapter Two “We raise primarily Shire horses, and have been in business here for near going on ten years. It’s in our blood, I guess you could say. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything.” Bayard led him out into the yard, walking toward the cluster of smaller buildings he’d pointed out earlier. As they rounded the big building, he could hear the horses. He felt like an idiot just thinking it, but he wasn’t sure what to classify their sounds as. Neighing? Nickering? Whinnying? What exactly were you supposed to call it again? “I’ll be honest with you and say the last time I saw a horse was down at Stampede last year. They had some big guys there, they looked kind of like your horses.” “Mmmm, those were Belgians, there for a showing. Beautiful animals, aren’t they? The progenitor of the Shire used to be a warhorse back in the day. You’ve heard of the Great Horse? Eventually they became draught horses, you know, carthorses. They’re used still as farm horses, but you’re probably more familiar with the sight of Shires being used to haul the big brewery carts.” They came closer to where the horses were. The sound of his voice must have alerted them all because as they came near, the five gigantic beasts were all but plastered to the fence. One of them tossed his head. And yes, Oliver could definitely tell it was a he. Hoping to sweet heaven he wasn’t blushing, he nodded at Bayard, encouraging him to continue. This was a nice change of pace from his normal activities. He loved learning new things. “There’ve been quite a few folks crossbreeding Shires with thoroughbreds recently. They’re doing quite well as jumpers.”
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“Are there a lot of them out there?” “There’re only about 3000 Shire horses in the world. In Canada, less than 200.” “You said your foreman was going to Montana. So there’s a ranch down there with Shire horses?” “Mmm-hmm.” “What about around here? Are there other ranches nearby with these big guys?” “No one close. The nearest ranch with Shire horses is about two hours drive north of us. Nice folks. They’ve got some great animals.” “So, how do you know these are all Shires? I’ll confess they don’t look all that different from the Belgians I saw at Stampede. I mean, these guys aren’t even the same color.” Bayard laughed, a deep rumbling sound. Blushing, Oliver shook his head. “I’m fully aware that’s a stupid question.” “No stupid questions. It’s nice that you’re interested. I didn’t think the horses would capture your attention.” “What can I say? I love animals.” “That right?” “Yeah, if I didn’t live in a condo, you better believe I’d have cats and dogs running all over the place. I noticed your black beauty when I drove in here.” “Mmm, that’s Ed’s pup. My brother and I are more interested in the horses, but I love any kind of animal. If you go out to some of the barns, you’ll find barn cats just about everywhere.” He paused, placing his foot on the lower railing of the fence. Stretching out his arm, he idly petted the closest horse. A few of the others tried to butt in, causing a bit of a scuffle. Oliver warily backed up. These guys were massive. He would rather not test the durability of his steel toed boots this early in the morning if one of them stepped too close. “To answer your question, Shire horses come in different colors, it makes no nevermind as to what breed they are. You’ll find black, brown, grey or bay colored horses for the most part. This here is Horsfall Roswell.” He patted the brown horse
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beside him. As if Roswell understood him, that big head swung in Oliver’s direction. “The one thing Shires all have in common is the feather on their legs. See that long white hair above Roswell’s hooves?” “Just like a Clydesdale.” “Mmm hmm. Shires are the largest of the draught breeds. Roswell here stands about 17.4 hands. He’s a big one, just over 900 kilograms.” “900 kilograms? You mean he’s nearly two thousand pounds? Whoa buddy, better lay off the burgers.” Bayard chuckled, rubbing his fingers down Roswell’s nose. Oliver wished he could put his hand out but he’d never really been around horses before and he wasn’t entirely comfortable right now. It didn’t stop him from wishing he could touch the big beast though. They were so beautiful. Strong and regal. They stood in silence for a minute more before walking on. The horses followed Bayard along the fence as long as they could before the two men reached the paint shed. For the rest of the hour, Bayard took Oliver on a tour of the facilities, the places where Oliver felt most comfortable. Back on solid ground, so to speak. They talked about generalities, easy with each other. He was almost sad when the tour was over. Hell, it wasn’t as if he was never going to see Bayard again, but there was something about the big man that was soothing. He was so self-assured it was nice just standing beside him. Oliver had an almost insane urge to see if he could shake him up. Everything Bayard did seemed methodical, well thought-out. With a body that big, it would be a definite joy to see him lose control. Was he that controlled in bed, or did he become an absolute stallion? Snorting, Oliver rolled his eyes. Look at him using horses as a comparison to Bayard. He’d obviously been here a little too long. “Well, I think I have an overall picture of how things are working here. I’m impressed with the progress you’ve made. It’s all good stuff; we just have to find a way
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to integrate it into your daily operations. We don’t want to make more work for your employees or yourself.” “I like the sound of that. I don’t want this to be so complicated no one will ever want to fill out a form.” “No, don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure it’s user friendly.” He grinned up at Bayard, still surprised at the man’s size every time he looked at him. Oliver wasn’t a small man, he was just under six feet himself. He wasn’t used to having to look up half a foot just to meet someone’s gaze head on. They rounded the curve to head back to the main office. Bayard put out his arm, touching Oliver briefly on the shoulder, stopping their forward progress. “When do you think you’ll be able to come back?” “This shouldn’t take too long to work on. As soon as I get back to the office, I’ll make a few notes and see what I need to compile. I should have a draft for you in about two weeks. Does that work for you?” Bayard nodded slowly. “Do you think you’ll need to access anything here at the ranch? I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to drop by, run anything by me.” Oliver frowned, trying to decide if there was something more that Bayard wasn’t telling him. He’d never had a client ask him to keep coming back to their office. They were more likely to ask for the draft earlier, but most of them didn’t like the interruptions his presence caused at their facilities. Maybe it was just his wishful thinking. He certainly wanted Bayard’s offer to be because he didn’t want to wait two weeks before they could see each other again. “Bay, I need to talk to you before I go.” They both turned at the voice. Oliver recognized the voice as belonging to the man who’d greeted him at the gates this morning. Bay motioned to the man, using his other hand to briefly touch Oliver’s back. “Ed, Oliver Philip. Oliver, Ed O’Brien, my right hand.” “Now you know that’s not a bit true. If anyone’s your right hand, it would be Marshall.”
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“When he shows up, sure. But seeing as he’s normally elsewhere, I need someone I can rely on.” Ed frowned, tossing a glance to Oliver. Oliver shifted, wondering if he should just leave, but figuring if Bayard wanted him to go he’d tell him. “I heard a rumor Zhelyazko’s been bragging about his new horse. Seems he’s got a big beast of a Shire stallion. Over 18 hands high, black as night with beautiful white bushy feathers that you could just cry over.” Bayard’s entire body tensed. If Oliver hadn’t been sneaking peaks at him, he might not have noticed, but the sudden clenching of his fists gave it away. His knuckles turned white. He exhaled, shuddering, before visibly calming himself. Christ, there was something the matter with Oliver that he found that unbearably sexy. “I apologize, Oliver, forgive me for cutting this short, but there’s something I need to take care of.” “What’s going on?” For a minute, he thought Bayard wasn’t going to answer him. “One of my neighbors has been trying to purchase a Shire stallion from me. He wants to breed him with a few of his mares, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I do business with him. He doesn’t take care of his animals, treats them with absolutely no respect. His horses come down with the most preventable sores. If he maintained his facilities and equipment better, that would never happen. Raising horses requires more than just deep pockets. You have to be in love with these guys or else you just lose sight of what you’re doing.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” “So am I. There’s no way in hell he just happened to get a beauty of a Shire like that. I need to know where that horse came from. If…” He looked like he was struggling with something. Oliver took pity on him. “I’ll be in touch.” Holding out his hand, he nearly whimpered when it was enfolded in a warm palm. Bayard squeezed, staring intently at him before nodding.
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Oliver backed away, striding quickly toward his car. It was with a heavy heart that Oliver drove away from Horsfall. It just sucked that he finally met a guy he liked and he couldn’t even make a move on him. How inappropriate would that be? Geez, Bayard was paying him to provide him a service, and he sure didn’t mean for sexual favors to be part of that service. He’d never had this problem before. Sure, that was partly because he’d never been all that attracted to some of his clients, but there were a few men he’d interviewed during audits before who did it for him. That wasn’t the point. Oliver had a reputation out there for being professional. Fair, friendly and damn good at his job. He’d never let anything interfere with his work before, and that was half the reason he had repeat clients and phone calls for new projects every week. Now look at him. He was nearly a wreck and all because he had his boxers in a twist over some cowboy. Okay, so the guy was the hottest man Oliver had ever laid eyes on. Sure, he was also just about the nicest guy Oliver had ever talked to. He was passionate about his work, and genuinely seemed to care for his family. And he’d definitely been rattled at what Ed had just told him. Maybe when this was all over and he had his report written up… No, that would be colossally stupid. It would be better if he just let it go. Bayard might have given him a few glances out of those steady brown eyes, but that could have been anything. Didn’t mean the man was attracted to Oliver in any way. Besides, once again, the man was paying him. Oliver sighed, reaching over to turn the radio on. The silence was starting to get to him. Looking up, he realized he hadn’t been following the directions back to the highway. Shit, where was he? He was driving on some township road, obviously, his teeth were almost chattering from the bumpy gravel. But what road was he on? “Fuck. Every time, Ollie, this happens every time. Let your mind wander for one minute and you get lost. Just frickin’ fabulous.” He pulled his car over as far off the road as he could. There really wasn’t anything resembling a shoulder on this gravel track, but at least he was far enough over
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that another car -- or more likely a truck considering where he was -- would be able to pass him if they needed to. Dialing a familiar number, he waited until a feminine voice picked up. “Good morning, O.M. Philip and Associates. Rosemary speaking.” “Rosemary, it’s Oliver.” “Hi there. You finished up at Horsfall already?” “Yeah, but I’m a little lost. Could you go on the Internet and pull up a map for me? I think I may need to be talked out of wherever it is I am.” Warm laughter sounded in his ear. His employees were all familiar with his lack of directional sense by this point. He’d had to be helped out a few times before. “I thought you got directions from the owner? Didn’t you bring them with you?” “Yeah, but I wasn’t really paying attention when I left Horsfall. Now I’m stuck somewhere and I have no idea how to get back to the highway.” “Okay, got a map pulled up. Where are you?” “Uh…” “You don’t know what road you’re on? Boss man, that would really help narrow things down.” “I’m on a road. Gravel. With cows on one side of me.” “Oh, sure, that really narrows things down. So, you think you’re still in Southern Alberta?” “Real funny, Rosemary. Keep laughing and I’ll find a way to make you work overtime this weekend.” They both knew he was joking. He was almost too nice when it came to letting others go and staying in their place. Hell, he figured it was his company, so he should be the one making sacrifices when a job needed to get done immediately. That was one of the things that came with being a consultant. If you didn’t work, you didn’t get paid. It was a good thing the pros outweighed the cons. He might need to work his butt off to ensure he kept his clients, but it was sure nice to be able to pick and choose which jobs
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he wanted to do. And if he wanted time off, he didn’t need to put in a request for vacation. He could just take off whenever he wanted. Well, as long as he cleared his schedule with Rosemary first. He might only have two employees, but between Rosemary and his accountant Mark -- who pretty much ran everything else -- Oliver wasn’t sure he had any say in the final decision-making at his own company. “Okay, so where do you last remember being?”
“At the ranch.”
“Not helping,” Rosemary sing-songed.
“Okay, wait, I think I remember turning left on Township Road 214a.”
“Weren’t you supposed to turn right on that road?”
“Was I?”
“Just backtrack to where that road intersects with the Range Road to get to
Horsfall and you’ll be fine.” The humor was coming through loud and clear in her words. “Thanks, Rosemary. I’ll see you in a bit.” “Will do, boss.” He hung up the phone, shaking his head. Typical. If he hadn’t been thinking of Bayard Stoddard, none of this would have happened. He needed to get the man off his mind. With a sigh, he studied the pasture to the right of him. Wait, what was that? Turning his head again, he caught a flash of black out of the corner of his eye. Peering intently at the stand of trees set a little ways in to the field, he noticed a massive black horse. A massive black horse. Before the thought had fully formed in his mind he was out of the car. Praying that some gun happy rancher wasn’t nearby, he jumped the fence, strolling briskly through the grass. The closer he got the more sure he was of it. The white feather on the legs gave it away. Suddenly glad for Bayard’s impromptu lesson on what made a Shire, he slowed
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down. He didn’t want this guy to come charging out at him. If he wasn’t being treated right, as Bayard suspected, who knew what he’d do to a snooping human. The horse nickered at him, softly. Oliver paused, stepping gingerly closer to the trees. He grew more confident as it seemed the horse was in no hurry to come toward him. When he got closer, he realized why. “Goddamn it! Who would do such a lousy thing?” The black beast was tied up -- hobbled, he seemed to recall -- but not with rope. Iron shackles were clamped around his front legs and even through the feather Oliver could see the bright red splash of blood. He was suddenly glad he was alone because if the jackass responsible for this came anywhere near him right now Oliver might just be spending the rest of his life in jail for manslaughter. Who would do such a thing? The stallion tossed his head, straining forward to get closer to Oliver. He seemed to sense he meant him no harm. There was something familiar about those beautiful brown eyes. It made Oliver want to get up close and just run his hands all over the majestic animal. Holding his hands out so the big guy could tell he wasn’t holding anything, Oliver slowly bent down to get a closer look at the shackles. They seemed to be tied around one of the trees. “Well, that explains why you didn’t come closer to investigate me, hey, big guy.” The horse flicked his ears, looking like he was trying to hear Oliver better. “Okay, here’s what I’m going to do, and you’re going to help me out here, ’kay? You’re not going to make a sound ’cause if I get caught, I’m going to jail. Is it still called rustling if I steal a horse? But I’m not going to steal you, so it can’t be illegal, right? I could just say I came across you and you weren’t tied up. Yeah, that’s what I’ll say if some RCMP officer happens to drive down this road in the next ten minutes.”
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Oliver backed away, his heart beating a mile a minute. He couldn’t believe he was even contemplating this, but he couldn’t leave this guy here. Not after seeing Bayard with his horses this morning. Oh sweet heaven, he was breaking the law. Not to mention he’d probably go to hell when he died. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be there a lot sooner. He was afraid he was going to have a heart attack if he didn’t calm down. He was just going to untie him, that was all. He wasn’t going to take the horse. Turning, he made a mad dash for his car. The horse whinnied once -- a high pitched panicked sound -- before he was silent. “I’ll be back, I’ll be back. Just a minute,” he whispered, sure the horse couldn’t hear him but unable to stop the words. When he reached his car, he opened the door to pop the trunk. He’d gotten used to carrying odds and ends in his car for work. His trunk was filled with a few hard hats, a pair of coveralls, safety glasses in their protective cases, a roadside emergency kit, a small fire extinguisher, and… there it was… a pair of bolt cutters. You just never knew when you were going to need those. Running back through the field with the bolt cutters was probably stupid, but Oliver couldn’t help himself. His heart was racing. The horse tried to rear up when Oliver returned, nickering softly in greeting again. Or at least he was going to interpret it as a greeting. If that was the horse equivalent of “don’t come near me or I’ll kick your brains in,” he didn’t really want to know. Getting down on his hands and knees again, he warily watched the enormous hooves. Almost as if he understood Oliver’s concern, the horse froze, not moving a muscle. Parting the soft feather, Oliver found where the shackles were connected to the horse’s legs. Gingerly placing his hand on one leg to hold it steady, he got the bolt cutters in place. Clamping down, he cut through the first shackle easily. Too bad the sound echoed through the field.
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“Christ, give a guy a heart attack.” He patted the leg in front of him, trying to soothe the big beast. Okay, he was trying to soothe himself. The second shackle came off just as easily and suddenly the horse was free. Oliver never knew he could move that fast. Some inner strength grabbed hold of him, and before he realized he’d moved he was about five yards away. The horse was still frozen where he’d left him, studying him through lowered lids. Was that a good thing? Uh, maybe not. The horse shuddered, his muscles bunching. When he moved, Oliver lost it and started running for the car. A loud thud stopped him in his tracks. Cursing himself, he turned around to see the horse lying on his side. Wait, they weren’t supposed to do that, were they? He took a single step forward. The stallion started to convulse, his body tensing and heaving. “Oh, no, no no. What did I do? What’d I do? Please be okay, I don’t know how to treat anything.” By the time he reached the trees again, he couldn’t see the horse anymore. Where’d it go? Reaching the area where the stallion went down, Oliver’s knees buckled and he fell hard to the ground. A man lay in the grass in front of him, one of the most spectacular men he’d ever seen. A completely naked man… who looked exactly like the man he’d just left. There was no mistaking the resemblance. Not after he’d spent all morning studying Bayard’s face. Reaching out his hand, he brushed back the long hair. It was so soft he wanted to sink both hands into the silky mass. It was the only difference he could see between the two men, without having them both standing in front of him. Well, he assumed it was the only difference. There was an awful lot of Marshall -- had to be Marshall, Bayard’s twin -- on display and he’d never gotten to see Bayard without his clothes on. A tightening in his belly alerted him to the dangers in that direction. He had more important things to do.
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When he shook Marshall, he got no response. Biting his lip, he finally realized he was going to have to drag him to the car. Marshall was a very big man -- a quick downward glance assured him he was a big man everywhere -- and Oliver… just wasn’t. Not like the Stoddard brothers. Oh, imagine being pinned between both of them. His face flushed and he panted for air. Shaking his head, he tried to focus. He had no idea how long it took him to half carry, half drag Marshall to the car. It took even longer to get him in the backseat. The whole time Oliver was cursing under his breath, frantically looking around to make sure no one was watching him. It would be nearly disastrous if he was caught now. Finally, Marshall was inside. Oliver stumbled to the driver’s side, realizing he’d dropped his bolt cutters in the field. He was too freaked out to go back for them now. He’d just have to buy a new pair. He was shaking so hard he could barely get the door closed and his seatbelt on. Blowing out a breath, he started the car, executing a controlled U-turn in the middle of the gravel road. By the time he reached Horsfall, he was a nervous wreck. This wasn’t good. Luckily for him, the gate was open. Why was the gate open? He had his answer when he sped down the lane as fast as he dared. Bayard was just getting out of a pickup, his long legs unfolding to stand beside the truck. Oliver had a sudden -- wholly inappropriate -- thought about how Bayard and Marshall were identical twins. That would mean Bayard would look exactly like… squashing that image before it could fully form, he pulled the car to a stop. “Bayard!” He shouted the man’s name the minute he had his door open. Bayard started forward, his hands out as if to ward him off. “Oliver, now’s not the best time --” “I found your brother.”
Chapter Three Oliver hesitated outside the door, uncertain whether he should go inside or not. This wasn’t something he’d ever had to deal with before. Geez, most clients didn’t hear from him for at least a week or two after he went out to visit them. And yet here he was, his second visit to Horsfall Ranch on the same day. Bayard had grabbed his brother and carried him into the big house, striding up the stairs with a muttered plea for Oliver to stay. He’d still been gawking at the display of strength and he wasn’t sure if his reply was a gurgle or a moan but it must have placated Bayard. Now he was stuck here, trying to figure out what to do. He knocked quietly, knowing he had to get out of here at some point. It seemed rude to just drive off though. He wanted to at least let Bayard know he was leaving. “Come in, Oliver.” Opening the door, Oliver poked his head inside the room. It was more bare than he’d been expecting. He didn’t know exactly what he’d thought Marshall’s bedroom would be like but this wasn’t it. Of course, he knew exactly nothing about the man so for all he knew this might fit him to a T. A low bed sat in the middle of the room across from the door, a mattress set up on a frame without the added height of a box spring. White sheets were draped over the man lying in the bed, his tanned skin standing out in stark relief against the white. The walls were pale, as were the window curtains. An old fashioned radiator was set against one wall, and the opposite wall held a white dresser. Bayard was standing at a window beside the radiator, staring outside. He didn’t move when Oliver came in, just remained standing there. “Look, I should go.”
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He didn’t know what else to say to Bayard. The man had to be hurting right now. He looked so helpless before when he’d first spied Marshall lying unconscious in his backseat. Bayard turned his head, glancing back at Oliver. He didn’t say anything, just stared at him. Geez, give a guy a complex. Oliver wondered if there was something on his face. He shuffled his feet, leaning against the doorjamb. He kept his gaze on Bayard, refusing to look at the unconscious man in the bed. If he wasn’t mistaken, Marshall still didn’t have any clothes on. At least he hadn’t been able to see any telltale lumps that would indicate something else under that thin white sheet when he’d first looked. A sudden image popped into his mind -- the thought of both brothers in bed beside each other, each reaching out to Oliver with a wicked tilt to their lips. Jesus, he needed to get out of here. “I --”
“Please stay.”
Oliver gaped, not quite believing Bayard had just said that. “Why?”
The big man heaved a sigh, shrugging his shoulders. Oliver’s fingers itched with
the need to go over there and offer up a back rub. If he got his hands on Bayard, it would be more than a back rub he’d end up offering. He really didn’t think either one of them needed that. Besides, he still wasn’t sure what was going on here. “Please, Oliver, stay.”
“Only if you tell me what I want to know.”
“I’ll tell you anything, I just… I don’t really want to be alone right now.”
“You aren’t alone. You have your brother.”
“Yeah, and as you can see, he’s really forthcoming with information.”
Bayard turned fully, leaning his back against the window, bringing his hands up
to rake through his short hair. Stepping forward, Oliver finally went to him. Hell, it was what he wanted to do anyway. He stopped just short of touching Bayard. He just couldn’t resist the man;
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there was just something about him. He snorted to himself. He knew there was definitely something about Bayard. Especially if he was anything like his brother. “What was that all about? Your brother. I mean, he was a frickin’ horse! People don’t just do that. That isn’t normal. And I know I wasn’t imagining it, because I’m pretty sure I know the difference between a giant horse and an unconscious man.” “It’s a long story.” Oliver backed up, sitting down on the edge of the bed, careful not to jar Marshall. “I have time.” “Will you tell me how you found him first?” Oliver went over it with Bayard, talking about how he’d gotten lost and saw the horse in the field. Bayard closed his eyes when Oliver got to the part about seeing the shackles around Marshall’s legs. He sank to the floor when Oliver said he’d gone back to the car for the bolt cutters. Finally, he tilted his head into his hands when Oliver told him how scared he was when he tried to get Marshall in the car. Reliving the events made them somehow more real. He still couldn’t believe it had all happened. “Things like this don’t happen to me. You have to understand that. I’m so normal my life could probably be classified as boring. I go to work, I come home, I talk to friends. On weekends, I sleep in and sometimes I sneak back to the office. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. It’s like a fantasy. Next thing I know I’m going to wake up in the Emergency Room and find out this is all some dream sequence I’m having while I’m unconscious. Let me guess, I ran off the side of the road, and am even now lying in my car waiting to be rescued.” “Don’t joke about something like that.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Bayard, but you have to see what this feels like for me. What happened? What… your brother?” “I told you raising Shire horses was in my blood. What I should have said is that I meant that literally. For as long as we’ve known, the Stoddards have always been able to take two shapes. It’s something Marshall and I were born with. To us, it’s not that strange to be able to become a horse, and then become a man.”
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“So what, you’re like a werewolf, uh, werehorse, thingy?” Snorting, Bayard sounded like the horse he’d just admitted to being. “I wouldn’t call us thingies. I normally think of myself as a shapeshifter.” “How is that even possible?” “There’s a legend in our family about our origins. It’s said that my great-greatgreat and so on grandmother was a very beautiful woman. So beautiful in fact that she caught the eye of one of the fae.” “What, like little fairies?” “I wouldn’t say that in front of the majority of my family. Have you ever heard of a Phooka? There’s a bunch of different ways to spell it but the stories of them are well known, so you might be familiar with them.” “Vaguely. They used to shapeshift into dogs, right?” “And horses, goats, rabbits, goblins. It’s just like any of the old stories. They tend to change depending on where you heard it. Apparently, my grandmother fell in love with the Phooka. As such stories normally go, he couldn’t be with her in the end. Heartbroken, she died shortly after giving birth to twin sons. They were raised by her family, but when the boys grew older, they found out they could shift shapes into great black horses. It was said that was their father’s preferred shape, and the one he normally took when he went to her. The trait has remained in our family throughout each generation.” “Is it only the men then?” “As far as I’m aware, but I could be mistaken. The last few generations, there haven’t been any female Stoddards born.” “You’re serious, aren’t you? This isn’t some ‘screw the new guy’ type of routine. This is actually happening. What am I supposed to say now?” “Say you’ll stay a little longer. Say you’re not disgusted to learn I’m different. Say something. Just let it be truth. Please don’t lie to me.” Oliver stood, walking over to Bayard. “Why does it matter so much? We just met.” He desperately needed to find out where Bayard was going with this. Was the
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attraction one-sided? Because, heaven help him, he couldn’t look at Bayard without feeling the racing of his heart. Even now, just one look from those steady brown eyes and Oliver’s groin tightened. “I don’t know why, but I feel comfortable with you. I’ve met hundreds of men traveling around the world looking for new Shires. You’re different. I knew I could trust you when I met you.” “So, what, you were planning on telling me your big secret?” “No, I wouldn’t have told you if you hadn’t found Marshall. I’m not going to lie about that. It’s not my secret to keep. It affects my entire family.” Bayard reached out a hand, running it down Oliver’s calf. He was very nearly on top of Bayard now. The other man was still sitting on the floor, his legs parted casually. “Why, Bayard? Why ask me to stay? And don’t say it’s because you’re lonely. Answer me that and I’ll say whatever you want me to.” “I want you in my bed tonight. After that, we’ll see where this goes. I won’t pressure you.” “Oh, hell, I thought you’d never ask.” Oliver groaned, sinking to his knees in front of Bayard. Spreading his legs wider, Bayard drew him in until they were plastered chest to chest. Their lips met almost reverently. Softly, questing, they kissed. Oliver sighed, deepening the kiss. With a rumbling grunt, Bayard suddenly stood, drawing Oliver up with him. Those big arms closed around him, picking him up like he weighed nothing. Of course, he’d seen Bayard carry his much heavier brother upstairs without breaking a sweat so he wasn’t too surprised. But still, it made him feel like he was about to have sex with a very dangerous man. Bayard was stronger than anyone he’d ever met. This was going to be fun. Wrapping his legs around Bayard’s waist, he was barely aware of them leaving the room and crossing the hallway before he was dropped backwards. Oliver landed on
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the bed with a grunt. Looking up, he realized this was the room he was expecting when he first came upstairs. Bayard’s room was painted a creamy beige, and decorated with forest green and a deep, dark blue. That was about as much as he could notice before Bayard followed him down on the bed, pressing him into the mattress. “Wait,” he panted. Shaking his head, Bayard kissed his way down Oliver’s neck, running his cheek over his shoulder. “You never… you never gave any indication this was what you wanted. What changed your mind?” “You just weren’t looking hard enough. I’ve been walking around with an erection for most of the morning every time you came close enough for me to smell you. You were damn lucky I didn’t bend you over the table in the office after I walked in on your little daydream moment.” “What?” “Thought I didn’t know about that? You should really work on that little habit you have of talking to yourself. I think it’s cute, so on second thought, don’t change that. I like knowing what you’re thinking. I heard you say my name like you were a second from coming.” Oliver blushed, feeling the heat fill his cheeks. Hell, it was probably moving down his chest right now. He felt a full on body flush. Bayard heard? How pathetic was that? “Hey, none of that. I liked it. If you hadn’t been thinking about me, I probably would have let everything go. I was planning on calling you up once you’d finished the work for me anyway. I didn’t want to make you feel like I was mixing business and pleasure, but I knew I wasn’t going to just let you walk away.” Shaking his head at the way the fates had aligned everything today, Oliver decided he didn’t really want to make sense of it right now. Later, sure. But right now his cock was going to burst if he didn’t get some relief. His fantasy this morning,
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coupled with all that panting he’d been doing over Bayard plus the adrenaline rush he’d gotten from rescuing Marshall… he needed to let go, now. “Talk later.” Nearly ripping his shirt in half, Bayard tore the buttons off, dropping the dress shirt on the floor behind him. Then those work roughened hands were on his bare skin. Oliver whimpered, undulating under Bayard. It felt like his skin was super-sensitized to every movement. Each drag of those palms sent pleasure winging through his body. The button on his jeans was next, given the same treatment his shirt had received. Oliver twisted, desperate to have his cock out of the confining denim. “Shh, almost there. Just wait a bit more, Oliver.” A hot fist closed around his aching shaft. He almost came from the pleasure of feeling Bayard’s skin against his. A flick of a nail to the top of his dick and he was screaming, so damn close he felt like his skin was about to slip right off. “That’s it, come for me. I’ll bring you up again. Don’t you worry.” His eyes crossed, and he damn near went blind from the sensations. Bayard placed an open mouthed kiss on his shoulder, pressing his teeth against Oliver’s skin. Flicking his thumb again, he circled the opening of Oliver’s cock with his talented digit. Oh, and that was… “Bayard, oh, oh, ah!” His body collapsed, sinking into the firm mattress below. Bayard growled, pushing up to pull off his shirt. It didn’t quite receive the same care Oliver’s had. Instead of just popping the buttons off, Bayard definitely ripped the fabric. The sound of its rending penetrated the pleasure fog occupying Oliver’s mind. Bayard smoothed the fabric over Oliver’s dick, cleaning him up. The cotton felt so damn good against his skin. He smiled dreamily. “No you don’t. I’m not done with you yet.” Bayard’s voice was tight, his chest heaving. He had to step off the bed in order to get his jeans off, and then Bayard was gloriously naked.
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“Holy crap, you’re built.” His chest was just as impressive as Marshall’s had been earlier. Yep, they definitely looked good naked. And his cock. He didn’t think that should be going anywhere near his ass. “And you’re hung like a frickin’ big horse.” He chuckled, slapping the bed beside him in his mirth. Snorting, Bayard ignored him, gliding back onto the bed. His clever hands and wicked mouth set about bringing Oliver back to life. His brain was filled with the feel of Bayard, the scent of him, the taste of him when he came back to kiss Oliver’s lips. He moaned hungrily, wanting more. Bayard moved down his body, kissing and licking a path ever closer to Oliver’s groin. His own cock was perking up nicely, deciding to come out and see what else Bayard could offer him. He might just die of pleasure before this night was over. His mind flashed back to his earlier fantasy, about having Bayard on his knees before him. The reality was about a thousand times better than anything he could have come up with in his mind. Bayard’s lips were soft, his mouth wickedly erotic. He knew exactly how much pressure to exert to drive Oliver out of his mind. By the time he released Oliver’s cock with a pop, Oliver would have done just about anything for him. When Bayard moved him so he lay on his belly, he went willingly. When those hot lips brushed along his spine, he arched his back in offering. When his fingers brushed over Oliver’s ass, he moaned in passion. “Please fuck me. Please, Bayard…” “Oh, you’re going to like this. Trust me. I have no intention of letting you suffer when you’ve been oh so good.” A wet tongue brushed down his crack, teasing his hole delicately. Oliver whimpered, clenching his fingers in the bed sheets. He inhaled deeply, biting his lip. Bayard moaned hungrily, tasting him in a way that was driving him out of his mind. Biting back another sound, Oliver tensed. “Oh, no, you don’t. I want to hear every little moan from you, Oliver. Talk to me.”
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Bayard accompanied his words with a hard slap to his ass cheek. Oh wow, that was… oh. He cried out, wiggling his hips for more. He didn’t know where Bayard got the slippery stuff, but wet fingers suddenly brushing over his ass. One long finger sank into him, causing him to curl his toes and shake. Oh, this wasn’t going to last long if he wasn’t careful. A noise penetrated his mind, and he tossed his head, catching sight of someone standing in front of them. “Glad to see you up and around. Feeling better, Marsh?” “I’d feel a lot better if I was in your position right now. What’re you doing with my man?” Marshall was leaning against the doorjamb, a pair of drawstring pants covering an impressive erection. Oliver wasn’t too far gone to be acutely embarrassed to be caught like this. What the hell? Trying to move away to cover himself, he was startled when Bayard grabbed his hips to hold him in place. “Your man?” “He’s the one who rescued me, isn’t he? I’d recognize those pretty blue eyes anywhere.” “Marshall, meet Oliver Philip.” “The safety guy? Wow, fuck, how long was I gone?” “Two weeks.” As Bayard talked, he ran soothing palms down Oliver’s sides, caressing his hips. It was serving to distract him all right, but he was about to go out of his mind. He was in bed with one of the most gorgeous men he’d ever seen while the other most gorgeous man he’d ever seen was watching every move they made with slumberous eyes. Marshall licked his lips, staring intently at Oliver until he had to duck his head and blush. He seemed so different from Bayard. Where Bayard had been steady and relaxed, Marshall seemed to operate at a higher frequency. There was nothing steady about that gaze, and from the way his body was straining where he stood, he definitely wasn’t relaxed.
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“Can we, uh, talk about this later?” he panted, turning his head to look at Bayard. He didn’t care what the man did but he needed something now. He was too keyed up to sit here listening to them talk while Bayard’s work-roughened hands were driving him mad. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was mortified about his actions. He’d just met the man and here he was in his bed. And besides, he shouldn’t be turned on at the thought of Marshall watching them, but he was. Oh God, he was. His cock hadn’t deflated at all, it was still hard enough to pound nails. Those slumberous eyes were driving him mad. “Do you want me to go?” Marshall crossed his arms, smirking slightly. “I don’t know. His scent increased when you walked in. You like the idea of Marshall watching you, Oliver? Like seeing him over there, wishing he was in my position? You see, we may be different, but we share the same taste in men. This isn’t the first time we’ve both lusted after the same guy, but this time, I’m not in the mood to share.” Marshall frowned. “You kicking me out?” “It’s up to Oliver, but you aren’t touching.” They both paused. Oh, were they waiting for him? His brain had short-circuited somewhere during Bayard’s little speech. Both of them… they’d both been with someone before? Oh sweet heaven, his little fantasy had definitely changed. He couldn’t believe himself, but he was so turned on he was more than willing to go along with this. How many times did something like this happen to him? Uh, how about never? He would be the world’s biggest idiot if he walked away now. He had no idea what Bayard had in mind after tonight, but if this was all he had with him, he wasn’t going to be a prude and refuse either man. Although, Bayard was right, he didn’t know Marshall. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to get that up close and personal with a guy he’d just met a second ago. Blushing at the idea that he’d technically just met Bayard this morning, but at least they’d talked some.
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He nodded. “Baby, what’s that nod mean?” Bayard’s voice was tight, the hands on his waist convulsing for a moment. “Just watching, right?” “Anything you want.” “Then okay. He can stay. Please. Now do something. Jesus, I’m going to go out of my mind here.” Bayard hands moved over his ass again, palming him roughly. Those fingers were back at his hole, one sinking in before being joined with another. They were both panting harshly, but Oliver didn’t want this to end so soon. He needed Bayard, though, needed him before he went insane and they had to take him to the psych ward. Marshall stayed leaning against the door, but there was a tension in his body now. His hand moved down, palming his cock. Bayard removed his fingers, and a crackle of foil sounded in the room before a much wider presence nudged at his backside. Oliver whimpered. “This what you want?” “Please, Bay-Bayard. Please…” Bayard pushed, sinking in to him. Oliver’s eyesight blurred and his toes curled right under. Holy shit, that felt good. The man set a punishing pace, both of them too keyed up for anything else. Oliver moaned when a hard hand wrapped itself around his cock, squeezing in time with Bayard’s strokes. Lifting his head, Oliver spied Marshall. His head was tossed back, watching them out of glittering slits. His hand was wrapped around his own cock, jerking up and down. Oh, and that was… he cried out, his cock jerking in Bayard’s hold. Dimly he was aware of the two men joining him. Bayard shot his seed inside Oliver while Marshall came in glistening droplets on the floor. Oliver collapsed, his head hitting the bed softly. The last thing he was aware of were the soothing rough hands on his back. Oh, wow.
Chapter Four Oliver inhaled, drawing the scent of man and horse into his lungs. Shifting in bed, he brushed up against hard muscle. Opening his eyes, he stared into a laughing brown gaze. “You okay with this?” Marshall leaned in and nuzzled his cheek, drawing back to study him again. Oliver nodded sleepily, too exhausted to be embarrassed about being in bed with a different man than he’d fallen asleep beside. “Where’s Bayard?” “He had a few things to take care of. Told me to stay here and recuperate.” Pulling Oliver closer until there was barely a breath separating them, Marshall wiggled his brows. “That your idea of recuperating?” Oliver bit his lip at the feel of Marshall’s thick length against his thigh. His own cock gave a happy jerk, more than interested in picking up where he’d left off last night. “Hmmm. I bet it’d be real good for me. Gotta keep me positive you know, after being locked up for two weeks.” “Poor baby.” “You should take pity on me.” “I’m not having sex with you out of pity.” “Okay, fine, have sex with me out of lust.” Oliver chuckled, his amusement turning into a heated moan when Marshall lowered one hand to grasp his ass cheek firmly. “You know, I’m feeling a bit left out after Bay got so up close and personal with you. Maybe I should thank you for saving my life.” “I’m not, oh, going to have sex with you just so you can thank me.”
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“Baby, we going to start this again?” “Marshall, leave him alone.” Twisting his head to glance at the open door, Oliver watched Bayard come toward them. For a second he was worried that Bayard wouldn’t like seeing Marshall and him together. “Come on, now, don’t be possessive of this sweet thing. Sharing’s good for you.” “Morning, Oliver.” Bayard leaned over them, brushing his lips against Oliver’s. Sure didn’t seem upset, but he really wasn’t sure what to make of the two of them. “Uh, look, I should go.” “Now, now --” “Let him up, Marshall.” Bayard stood beside the bed, his arms crossed over his burly chest. It was currently encased in a midnight blue shirt. Oliver scrambled off the bed when Marshall released him. He grabbed his jeans from where they had been thrown to the ground yesterday, pulling them up and fastening the buttons at his waist. Not knowing what to do, he glanced around for his shirt. Bayard blocked his way, waiting until Oliver glanced up at him. “What’s this all about?” “I don’t know what you mean.” “You were fine with what happened yesterday when we all fell asleep. Now you’re not. What happened between last night and this morning that has you blushing and avoiding looking at us?” “Nothing. Look, I need to get to work.” “Do you have to meet with a client today?” “Ah, no.” “Any important meetings with contractors?” “No.” “Signing any important documents?” “Bayard.” He crossed his arms across his bare chest, mimicking the larger man’s pose. “Enough. What’s your point?”
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“My point is that you can stay for breakfast. Right? Marshall, you’ve rested enough. Go on down and scrounge up some omelet fixings.” Marshall grinned at them both, rolling out of the bed and stretching beside Oliver. He had to look away to prevent himself from rubbing up against that beautiful body. He couldn’t believe he’d been with them both last night. Well, technically he’d only been with Bayard, but he’d never had anyone jerk off while watching him fuck someone else, so that had to count for something. Immediately his mind went to his biggest fantasy of late. Him, encased in a hot horse shifter sandwich. Christ, he was getting stiff again. Pulling on a pair of loose drawstring pajama pants, Marshall ran his hand down Oliver’s back. When he shivered, Marshall chuckled. Before he left the room he stopped and whispered something to Bayard. Whatever it was, it had Bayard nodding and studying Oliver out of steady eyes. Oh, that couldn’t be good. When Marshall shut the door behind him, he was alone with Bayard. Oh, this definitely wasn’t good. He needed to get out of here and clear his head. It was just a one-off thing with them. It had to be. What kind of man was okay with sharing someone with his brother? That definitely made it seem as if neither brother was interested in having Oliver as a boyfriend. Although, Bayard had said he wasn’t going to share. So why was Marshall in bed with him this morning? Stupid and juvenile term -- boyfriend -- but it was the only one he could come up with. He was getting too old to just go around sleeping with whatever guy caught his eye. He wanted to be in a relationship. For the first time in a while, he’d actually thought Bayard could be that someone. But after last night and this morning, it didn’t seem very likely. He needed to get out of here while he still could. He couldn’t afford another repeat of this insanity. “Are you upset about Marshall joining us last night?” “It was amazing and you know it.”
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“That’s not what I asked, Oliver. Do you regret it, is that it?” “Look, last night was fantastic and I don’t regret what happened. I’ve never done anything like that before and I’m not going to lie and tell you last night wasn’t the best sex I’ve ever had. I’ve never felt that way before. So, thank you for last night. But I really need to be heading in to work now.” He didn’t think now was the right time to mention that he needed to work on Horsfall’s safety program if he expected to make some money this month. The thought of it just about made him feel sick to his stomach. “What happened between us has nothing to do with our working relationship. I want that to be clear. I didn’t set out to seduce you, although I wanted to from the moment you drove up in your car.” Bayard stepped closer. Oliver met his gaze, allowing his body to relax and lean in to the larger man. It was almost like Bayard was reading his mind. Either that or Oliver needed to work on his body language. Bayard sighed, wrapping his arms around Oliver. Oh, that felt nice. He burrowed deeper, inhaling deeply. “I’m in complete agreement with that. I’ve never slept with a client before, and I admit I’m still a little uncomfortable about that, but I don’t regret what happened. I really like you.” “Mmm. I want more than just one night with you, that’s for sure.” “Really? And just ignore that I asked that because it makes me sound like an idiot.” They both chuckled. Oliver pulled away, stepping to the side to sit down on the bed. “So, where do we go from here?” “I want to continue seeing you. If that means I have to drive into the city to take you out to dinner every night, I’m willing to do that. Although, I’ll be honest and tell you it won’t be every night. With Ed gone, I’m swamped and I don’t want Marshall anywhere near the horses right now. He doesn’t have the best control sometimes, and he’s more liable to shift and start running around with them again. Seeing as that’s how he was taken in the first place, I want this whole thing with him to die down for a bit.” “Is he going to be okay?”
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“He’ll heal. I know he’s smarting a bit from being captured, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. If he’d shifted, he would have given away our secret, and my brother is loyal to a fault. Irresponsible, but loyal. He would have never done that to me. I wouldn’t have wanted him to be in danger either. If they hadn’t hobbled him, he would have been out of there within a few hours. We’re lucky you found him.” “Lucky for you I’m lousy with directions.” Bayard didn’t laugh at his attempt at humor. Instead, he placed one of his big hands on the side of Oliver’s face. “Yeah, I am lucky. I’ve been counting my blessings since you first appeared here.” He paused, as if weighing his next words. “Please stay.” “You said that to me once before.” “I mean it.” Oliver smiled softly. “I’ll stay the day, but I have to drive up to Grande Prairie tomorrow.” “How long will you be gone?” “A few days. I’m doing some field visits. I’ll call you, okay?” “Please. I didn’t expect this thing between us. Now I feel like the idiot admitting that. I’d like to hear your voice before I go to bed, even if it’s from long distance.” “Omelets are ready.” Marshall’s voice interrupted them. It sounded like he was standing outside the door. When they got up and went into the hallway, Marshall was nowhere to be found. “Wait, Bayard.” The man turned, raising a single brow in question. “What about Marshall?” he whispered, trying to keep his voice down. “That’s up to you. I figure you don’t know him as well as you know me. If you want to spend some time with him and get to know him, I’d be okay with that. He’s the closest person to me, and he’ll always be here.” “Whoa, what exactly are you implying?” “Maybe I should answer this.” Marshall came up the stairs to stand beside them. Oliver blushed. He hadn’t realized the man had actually been listening in on them.
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“Look, I really like you. If Bayard hadn’t met you first, I would have pounced on you the minute I met you. But Bay did meet you first, and you’re obviously interested in having a relationship with him. I’m completely okay with that, as long as it means I get to see you naked every once in awhile --” “Jesus, Marshall.” Now his face was probably flaming red. “Hey, I’m not asking for sex, just that when you shower you leave the door open. Do it in pity for the fact that I’ll be lying across the hall nursing my blue balls while you’re getting up close and personal with my older brother.” “Older by five minutes. Odd that you only bring that up when you want to seem fragile and young.” Bayard grinned. “Hey, you aren’t allowed to talk right now. You just got pretty here to agree to go out with you, so I’m the one in pain.” “You’re both insane.” “What do you expect? We’re not entirely human. Look, I had a ton of fun last night, but I’m not the type of guy to crowd in when it makes people uncomfortable. I’m willing to sit back and let you and my brother explore what you have. See where it leads you. If you two are ever interested in opening your door some night, I’ll be there with bells on. Until then, I’m happy for you, ’kay?” “And that’s why I love you.” Bayard enfolded Marshall in his arms, the two men hugging each other close. Then they did one of those manly let’s-slap-each-other-onthe-back-so-we-don’t-cry things. Hating to interrupt them, Oliver brought up a topic he’d been wrestling with since yesterday. “What’s going to happen to the man who took Marshall?” Bayard sighed. “There’s not much we can do right now. We can’t admit he stole one of our horses because then we’d have to explain why we’ve never registered a horse fitting Marshall’s description. And Zhelyazko’s damn sure not going to report one of his horses went missing, because he’d have to admit how he got him in the first place.”
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“The best thing to do is probably just wait and see what happens. Zhelyazko isn’t an idiot. He’ll guess you took the horse back, but he won’t be able to confirm it for sure. And if he thinks you know what happened, he’ll hesitate before stealing another horse. Besides, the pansy is probably pissing himself worrying about how you’re going to get him back. That’s punishment enough for now. We’ll worry about what happens next later.” Marshall snorted. “So, what does happen next?” Oliver glanced from one brother to the other. “Next, we go downstairs and reheat the omelets Marshall let get cold.” Bayard paused when Marshall pushed him. Slamming out one substantial fist, he shoved Marshall back, grinning at him. “Then I’m going to take you back up here and we’re going to discover how much hot water our tank really holds.” “Shower sex? Oh, you did not just brag about having shower sex in front of me. I swear, this house sucks. I’m regretting everything I just said earlier.” Marshall muttered all the way down the stairs. Bayard laughed, the deep sound almost vibrating through Oliver when he was hauled up to Bayard’s side. “I may never let you leave. The minute you get away you’re going to realize what a bunch of nut cases we really are.” Snorting, Oliver peered up at him. “Then I’m going to fit in perfectly.” “That you are. That you are.”
Chapter Five Oliver sighed, getting out of his car on weary legs. He was simply exhausted after his trip north, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Opening his trunk, he removed his safety gear, then methodically put on his coveralls, safety glasses and hard hat. His work boots were already on, and he held up his hearing protection, ready to go into the steel factory as soon as his escort arrived. Work had to go on, even if his personal life had undergone a major change lately. It was hard to believe it had been two weeks ago that he’d first met Bayard in person. Not to mention that was the same day he met Marshall. Since that night, they hadn’t seen each other in person. One thing had just led to another and Oliver had gotten a rush job that came out of nowhere. He had to make a living so he’d accepted it. Part of it might have been his uneasiness with how quickly he’d lost himself in Bayard but the truth was he just needed a distraction. He’d talked to Bayard every night. Long discussions, covering almost every topic they could think of. He just felt so relaxed with the man. It was as if he could tell him anything. He’d talked to Marshall four times in the past two weeks, always when the other man had answered the phone first before handing it off to Bayard. The wistfulness in the other man’s voice had been unmistakable. He wasn’t quite sure what that meant. But it didn’t stop him from wondering what would have happened differently if he’d met Marshall first. Would he have been drawn to Marshall the same way he was drawn to Bayard? They looked exactly alike, with the exception of the length of their hair, but it had definitely been physical attraction that had first pulled Oliver in. Made him sound shallow, but he couldn’t deny it. His dick had been in a twist since setting eyes on Bayard.
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Of course, he’d fallen for the man once he got to know him. He liked talking to him. Bayard actually seemed as if he cared what Oliver thought. They laughed at each other, liked the same movies. They’d once talked about their tastes in reading and both found out they gestured when they read. They’d laughed at that, both had thought they were the only ones who did it and it’d been nice to find out they had that in common. Bayard just made him feel… different. Would it have been the same with Marshall? After he’d left Horsfall, he was prepared to forget it all, was worried once he got back home it would all seem unreal. Well, he was right, it did seem unreal, but when Bayard had called him that first night Oliver had finally managed to relax. They’d talked for over two hours, and he’d been barely aware the next day, wanting to get his audit over with so he could call Bayard when he got back to his hotel room. It was almost unbearable not being able to see him, touch him, just be with him. Stupid. He’d just met the man, but it didn’t seem to matter. Almost overnight, his life had turned inside out on him. He’d never acted this way before. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was in that first stupid stage of love that he used to make fun of people for. He’d shaken his head whenever he’d seen someone with stars in their eyes, and now look at him. He was one of those people! But he didn’t really care. Bayard was calming, but he also managed to tear Oliver up inside with that smooth drawl, the lazy way he seemed to say everything. It was so damn hot he couldn’t help himself. After only a few minutes of talking to him, Oliver was hard, desperately trying to keep his mind off his physical needs. Of course, Bayard always realized what was wrong with him. He’d chuckle in that dark voice of his, start whispering naughty things in the phone, and before long, Oliver would be clutching the phone hard, coming all over his stomach. Happened every time. He needed to see Bayard in person. Part of him was almost afraid to, though. If he could have this affect on Oliver after a few phone calls, what would happen if they
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saw each other again? Oliver was afraid he’d lose himself so much in what Bayard had to offer that he would never be able to survive when Bayard walked away. Sure, it was cynical, but he preferred to think of himself as being practical. No one in his life had ever managed to stay together forever. What did that mean, anyway? Hell, his parents had gotten a divorce after over thirty years married to each other. If they couldn’t stay together, what chance did Oliver have? He knew he wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. Besides, he still couldn’t get over the thought that it could have been Marshall. Oh, he wasn’t in love with Marshall, but he easily remembered the look on the other man’s face that night. The heat, the passion, the yearning. Maybe he’d wanted to be in Bayard’s place, or maybe it was all misplaced emotion because Oliver was the one who found him. He couldn’t exactly tell Bayard how he was feeling though. What could he say? I think I’m falling in love with you, but I’m confused because my dick is in a twist over your brother too. No worries, though, I think I’m just lusting after him. A few fucks and I’ll get it out of my system. You don’t mind, do you, Bayard? Yeah, that would go over well. Damn, what was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he be happy with what he had? No, this wasn’t going to last, but he was determined to take as much as he could while he was still with Bayard. If one night of real sex and two weeks of intense conversations and phone sex constituted being together, that is. Hell, Bayard had never actually come out and said they were dating. What was he supposed to call him… his boyfriend? Lover? Whatever. Oliver shook his head, glancing up as he neared the building. He couldn’t think about Bayard now, so he might as well just forget about everything else for the time being. He’d be able to see him tonight, now that he was closer to home. “Oliver, nice to see you again.” A portly gentleman came forward, holding his hand out with a big smile on his face. Oliver relaxed, easing automatically into work mode. “Nice to see you again, Herb. Any changes this year?”
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He listened as Herb outlined the changes his company had put in place since Oliver’s last audit. Herb held the door open for him, both men fitting on their hearing protection with ease. They wouldn’t be able to talk for a bit, but Oliver didn’t mind the silence. Walking through the building, Oliver’s gaze wandered around. He kept an eye out for hazards, watching the workers go through their motions. It was soothing being in comfortable surroundings again. His work never failed him. That was at least one constant in his life. After his personal life went to shit, he’d always have this. After their cursory tour, Oliver got ready for the employee interviews. There were a few names he wasn’t familiar with. New employees had come on since he’d been here last year, and he was anxious to get out and talk to them. He loved meeting new people, talking to them and finding out how they viewed their surroundings. It was amazing how different everyone was. He’d conducted hundreds of interviews over his career and this never got old. Every time it was different. His first few interviews went smoothly, and he began to get an image of their safety program in his mind. Pacing around the lunchroom they’d stashed him in, he looked around for his next interview to arrive. The man was running a bit late. A thin man with a shock of dark messy hair pushed open the door, stepping inside nervously. Oliver smiled, walking up and holding out his hand. He was used to nervous employees. They often felt they were being graded if they got something wrong. He liked to think there were no wrong answers in an audit, only revealing ones. “Hi there, I’m Oliver. I’m a third-party contractor that was brought in to do an audit on the company and see how your safety program is working.” “I’m Tim.” “Have a seat, Tim.” Tim sat down, placing his hard hat on the table in front of him. Oliver arranged his notepad, sitting down across from Tim. “Everything that’s said in here is completely confidential. I’m just going to ask you a few questions about
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the safety program and it’ll probably take about fifteen minutes. Is that okay?” He waited until Tim nodded. “What do you do here, Tim?” “Maintenance.” “How long have you worked for the company?” “’Bout six months.” Oh, that was perfect. He loved getting new employees. They could tell him so much about the orientation process a company put them through. He jotted down a note. “What made you decide to come work here?” “Needed the money.” Tim’s voice was low, he could barely hear the words. “This is close to home.” “Do you live nearby?” He was trying to get the man to relax. Maybe if they chitchatted for a bit, he’d loosen up. “On a ranch, ’bout twenty minutes outside the south end of the city.” “Oh, I envy you. I was just out on a ranch down that way about two weeks ago. It was gorgeous. Rolling hills, horses all over the place.” “I raise horses.” “Yeah? What kind?” “All kinds. Just started with Shires.” Alarm bells went off in Oliver’s brain. “Yeah? They’re beautiful animals.” Hadn’t Bayard said the closest Shires were over two hours away? Did this guy work for Bayard? “I’m just starting up with them, but pretty soon I’ll have the best horses in this area. I’m just doing this here until I can get on my feet, you know?” Tim ducked his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb. Oliver could guess where he’d tried to start… with Marshall. He clenched his fists. He’d never asked Bayard what the guy’s first name was, but he was betting it was Tim.
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Changing the subject, he began asking questions about the safety program, keeping the rest of the interview short. His hands were shaking, but he tried to smile when he wrapped everything up. Tim stood up, putting his hard hat back on. “Before I forget, what’s your last name, Tim?”
“Zhelyazko, why?”
“You looked familiar. Like someone I went to school with. Just wondering if you
had any relatives named Daly.” Tim cocked his head, studying Oliver through narrowed eyes. Oliver smiled, trying to keep the strain off his face. “Say, what ranch did you say you visited?” “Uh, it was called, uh, Horsfall.” Tim’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “That right?” “Like I said, beautiful place. Listen, thanks for your time, Tim.” Nodding, Tim backed out of the room, shutting the door with a bang. Oliver placed his head in his hands, frowning. What was he going to do now? He had no idea how he got through the rest of the morning. Just before lunch, he cornered Herb in his office, letting him know he was taking off and would be back the next day to finish up the audit. Herb nodded, lost in his own work. As soon as he got to the car, Oliver dialed Bayard’s number. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to him, but he had to say something. One ring, two… then Bayard’s voice. “This is Bayard Stoddard from Horsfall Ranch. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.” When the beep sounded, Oliver took a deep breath. “Bay… uh, I really need to talk to you. Can we… I need to see you tonight. Or sooner, if you can. It’s, uh, it’s important.” He closed his phone with a snap, shaking his head. And if that didn’t freak the man out, he didn’t know what would. He should have just played it cool but he just couldn’t bring himself to actually say he’d met Marshall’s kidnapper face to face. Was it still kidnapping if the man thought he’d taken a horse?
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On the drive through the city to get to his office, Oliver replayed his conversation with Tim over in his head. He shouldn’t have said anything. Damn, why’d he have to say anything? Traffic was slow because of the lunch hour rush and it was close to thirty minutes before he reached his office. He spotted Rosemary at the front desk, beaming at him. Oookay, what was that all about? “Rosemary?” “You’ve got a visitor. Tall, dark and dreamy. Not to mention dusty. He looks like a cowboy,” she whispered, leaning forward. “I put him back in your office. Figured you wouldn’t mind.” Oliver smiled back, shaking his head. He walked to his office, pleasure infusing his body. Bayard was here? “Bayar… oh! Marshall?” “Not what you expected?” Marshall stood up from where he’d been sitting behind Oliver’s desk. His cowboy hat was lying on one of the guest chairs, so his hair was left loose around his face. His lips twisted ruefully. He obviously hadn’t liked it when Oliver called him Bayard. But what was he doing here? “I heard your message.” “What? How?” “You called the land line. I heard it play and figured I should get over here and try to talk some sense into you.” Oliver squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, confused. “Okay, what?” “Look, Bay really likes you and I think he deserves a chance.” “Whoa! What are you talking about?” “You’re breaking up with Bayard.” “What? No I’m not. Wait, I don’t think you can call what we’re doing dating. I’ve seen him once.” “You gonna tell me that matters? If you’d seen him a hundred times or only once, you guys have a connection. I’ve heard him, on the phone with you. And after, he
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can barely sit still, he’s got to tell me all what you guys talked about. He’s crazy about you, Oliver.” Oliver sat down in the chair closest to him. Marshall didn’t exactly look happy saying that. “Really?” “Yeah. I’m not that much of an ass, you know. Bay got you first, I know that. I want him to be happy, and if you make him happy, then I’ll do anything to keep you guys together.” “Marshall…” Marshall snorted, shaking his head. Looking around, his gaze was caught by something on Oliver’s desk. “Hey, what is it you do exactly? ’Cause I’m pretty disturbed by this manual here.” Oliver frowned, standing up to peer over the desk. “Pigging? Lubing the shaft? What the hell?” Blushing uncontrollably, Oliver rolled his eyes. “It’s not what it sounds like. Pigging is done when there’s a blockage in a pipeline. Or just to perform an inspection on the pipe without stopping the flow of whatever’s going through it. They send a pig, a pipeline inspection gauge, down the shaft.” “So where does this lube come in?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Jesus, stop that!” Oliver could practically feel how red his cheeks were. “Does my brother know about this?” Marshall laughed, his big body relaxed again. “I know you’ve been having fun on the phone lubing the shaft, but I didn’t think you actually wrote about it at your day job.” “Oh my God, you did not just say that,” he hissed, waving his hand at Marshall while he turned to see how close Rosemary was to his door. He wouldn’t put it past her to come back here to get another glimpse of Marshall. Marshall chuckled, grabbing hold of Oliver’s hand. The feel of that callused palm rubbing against his skin had him closing his eyes. “Have you had lunch yet?”
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“What?” Where was Marshall going with this? He didn’t remove his hand from Marshall’s though. What was wrong with him? “Lunch. Have you had it?” “Uh, no.” “Okay, why don’t we get out of here? I’d like to take you out for lunch. Just to talk. Nothing else.” Oliver thought about it, meeting Marshall’s warm gaze. It wasn’t the same as looking at Bayard. Marshall wasn’t a calming presence by any means. But, Marshall was right. If what he had with Bayard was turning into something more serious, then he’d have to be around Marshall. Better to do it now and learn how to relax in his presence. Nodding, Oliver gestured for Marshall to walk in front of him. Marshall grabbed his cowboy hat, placing it on his head before leaving his office. “Rosemary, I’ll be back later, okay? Any messages I need to take care of now?” “Nope, everything can wait. Have fun!” She grinned cheekily. Oliver was pretty sure he was blushing. He shook his head at her, rolling his eyes when that only made her smile widen. Marshall snorted when they’d gotten outside. “She’s probably thinking we’re doing more than having lunch right now.” “She’s incorrigible, but I couldn’t live without her. As much as I’d like to shoot her sometimes.” “Where to?” Oliver paused beside his car, finally noticing the dusty pickup parked two stalls over. How did he miss that when he’d arrived? It stood out like a sore thumb in the parking lot. Sure, the city was practically overrun with trucks, but this little building housed engineering firms and a chiropractic office. Their clientele were more the small cars and minivans type. Meeting Marshall’s warm gaze, Oliver debated with himself. He needed to tell Bayard what happened, but didn’t Marshall deserve to hear it first? After all, it was him
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who was taken. Oliver still wasn’t entirely certain what happened to him. Bayard never mentioned it again, and he’d been too distracted to bring it up himself. Would Marshall tell him what he’d endured those days he’d been taken? Would he be upset to learn Oliver had come face to face with the man who took him and tied him up? He must have waited too long to reply.
“Look, Oliver, I won’t bite. If you’d rather not go --”
“Can we go to Horsfall? I’d like to see it again.”
Marshall frowned. “Bay’s not there.”
“That’s okay. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
The other man looked down, his hat shading his face. Oliver clenched his fists,
wanting to reach out and tip that hat back so he could see Marshall’s eyes. What was the other man thinking?
Chapter Six Oliver drove to the ranch in silence, not even the radio turned on as a distraction. Marshall was in front of him, driving steadily in the old, dusty pickup. He’d wanted them to go together, but Oliver convinced him it would be easier if he took his own car. Dialing a familiar number, Oliver sighed.
“Good morning, O.M. Philip and Associates. Rosemary speaking.”
“Hey, Rosemary.”
“Oliver? Why are you calling? You just left five minutes ago.”
“Yeah, I won’t be back to the office this afternoon. Something came up.”
“Umm-hmm.”
Oliver rolled his eyes, wishing she could see the movement. “It’s not what you
think.” “Of course, Mr. Philip. I would never presume to think anything about your personal life.” “Enough, Rosemary, or I’ll find a way to dock your pay.” She giggled. “Yeah, don’t see that happening anytime soon. Well, you enjoy your… lunch.” The last word was drawn out until it resembled about four syllables. Oliver mock-growled, hanging up with her peals of laughter sounding in his ear. He ran the fingers of his right hand through his short strands, probably making them stand straight up. In almost no time at all he was following Marshall through the gate into Horsfall Ranch. Marshall pulled to a stop beside the second house, the one he shared with Bayard.
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Pulling in beside Marshall, Oliver craned his neck when he got out of his car. He could see the truck Bayard had been driving so he knew the man was here somewhere. He must be out with the horses. “All right. You wanted to come here, so here we are. I don’t know what all we have in the fridge. We should have picked up something before we left the city.” Marshall stood beside the porch, waiting for Oliver to join him. “No, that’s fine. Whatever you have will be good. I’m not all that hungry anyway.” After Oliver took off his steel toes at the door, they made their way through the main floor of the house, coming into the warm kitchen Oliver remembered from his last visit. Large windows were set above the counters, bringing the view in. It was a little cloudy today so he couldn’t get the full picture of the mountains spread out in the distance, but he wasn’t complaining. Hell, the view from his place in the city opened up over a back alley. If he craned his neck when he got into his car, he could sometimes believe he could see the mountains in the distance. “All right, sandwiches good for you?” Oliver nodded, pleased when Marshall started taking fixings out of the fridge. “So what, you the one who cooks around here?” Marshall snorted. “Have to do something to earn my keep. I’ve never been as good as Bayard at the day-to-day things on the ranch, so it helps if I can take over some of the smaller things around the house. Cooking and cleaning aren’t all that hard. He’s the one who runs this place. I’d probably go crazy if I had to worry about invoices and feed and all that.” “He mentioned you help him out on the ranch, though.” “Yeah, with the animals a bit, but it’s still his. Everything here is his. I just…” “What?” Oliver sat down, not wanting to pressure Marshall in any way. But he wanted to hear what he was going to say. He wanted to be here, with him. This was stupid. But he couldn’t deny it.
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“I wish I was like him. I know it’s stupid since we’re twins. But we’ve never been the same. He’s always been the responsible one, the stable one. I’ve gotten into more trouble than I can tell you. But he’s always there for me. No matter what I do. I wish I was more like him.” “Marshall --” “No, I know what you’re going to say, but you don’t know me. Not really. You know Bayard. Hell, after talking to him for two weeks straight the way you two have been I wouldn’t be surprised if you know him better than I do. I’m the one who gets in trouble. I’m the one who makes things difficult for him. This whole bullshit with Zhelyazko is just one more example of how I fuck up everything I touch.” Oliver opened his mouth, knowing he had to say something now. “Uh…” “What?” “I met him. Tim Zhelyazko.” Marshall’s eyes widened. He threw down the loaf of bread he’d been holding, coming forward to where Oliver was sitting. Kneeling on the floor in front of Oliver, he placed both hands on Oliver’s knees. Oliver twitched, but he couldn’t move. “Are you okay?” Crap. There went his heart turning over. If he hadn’t heard the concern in Marshall’s voice he probably would have been okay. Lifting one hand, he placed it over Marshall’s. “I’m fine.” “What happened?” “I was doing an audit today and Tim was one of the guys I interviewed.” “He got a job?” “Yeah, up in the north of the city. Anyway, he looked nervous being interviewed so I tried to relax him by asking where he was from. One thing led to another and he started telling me about the new venture he’s doing. With Shire horses.” “He just sat there and told you that?” “I know, it sounds completely implausible, but you have no idea the kind of stuff people tell me. It’s like they treat the auditor like their hairdresser or bartender. There’re
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three kinds of interviews I do. The ones where they clam up and tell me nothing at all, the ones where they’re open and friendly and I learn all about the company, and then the ones where they’re open to the point that they tell me their life story. Some of the things you learn are… well, let’s just say I get told a lot.” Marshall remained silent, just staring at him. Finally the other man looked away, a fine blush covering his cheeks. “Will you… will you tell me what happened?” Shaking his head, Marshall frowned. “Why?” “Because I want to know what happened to you.” Marshall stood up, backing away when Oliver put out a hand. He turned and walked to the door, placing both palms against the oak wood. The sound of the front door opening had Oliver tensing his shoulders. Footsteps sounded, then the familiar sound of Bayard’s voice. “Marshall?” The other man slammed his fist into the door, cracking the wood down the centre. Oliver jumped, a squeak betraying his nervousness. Marshall didn’t even turn back. He pushed the door open, snarling when it listed to the side. He’d broken the hinges. Oliver stayed where he was, closing his eyes when the sound of pounding footsteps faded away. “Oliver?” He turned around, just about giving himself whiplash in the process. “Oh, Bayard. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push him.” Bayard stood inside the doorway to the kitchen, a frown creasing his forehead. “What are you doing here?” “I, uh, I called you earlier. I had to tell you something, but Marshall got the message first. He came in to town and we ended up coming back here.” “What did you want to tell me?”
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Bayard walked forward, drawing Oliver into his arms. Oliver sank into the warm body in front of him, squeezing Bayard tightly. He sniffed, inhaling the warm scent of horse and man. Despite himself, he was half-hard just from being in Bayard’s arms. “Oliver? Baby, what’s wrong?” “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I thought he should know first. I just didn’t expect him to react that way.” “Oliver, what happened?” Bayard leaned down, rubbing his cheek against the top of Oliver’s head. “I met Tim Zhelyazko.” Bayard’s head snapped up, and he squeezed Oliver just a little too hard. Jesus, the man was strong. “Where?” His voice was deep and controlled. “At a company I was doing an audit on. I’m not telling you where, ’cause it isn’t important. He was talking about Shire horses, about how he was just starting but pretty soon he would have the best ones around.” Bayard growled, sliding his palms down Oliver’s back. “That piece of shit.” “I couldn’t agree more.” He paused. “Look, I think I might have given myself away. I’d mentioned I’d been to a horse ranch down here when he first started talking about where he lived. When he asked me, I couldn’t figure out what to say. I didn’t want to lie in case I said something wrong. I mean, he’s got to know every ranch in the area and he’d know if I was lying. But when I said I’d been to Horsfall I could tell he was unsettled. I didn’t know what to do.” “You did the right thing, Oliver. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything.” “How?” He couldn’t help the suspicious tone in his voice. Bayard laughed, pressing his lips to Oliver’s forehead. “Obviously not how you’re thinking. I’m just going to go over to his place and talk to him. He’s not an idiot. If he knows that I know what he did, he’ll leave us alone. And if I threaten to go to the RCMP with the information I have, he’ll back down.”
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“Are you sure?” “Oliver, this isn’t the wild west or any such thing. Tim’s an idiot but he isn’t dangerous. Hell, he thought he was taking a horse, and while that is illegal, it could have been worse. I don’t want to bring attention to Marshall and me, which is why I didn’t do anything before, but I think Zhelyazko needs to know that if he ever tries this bullshit again, I’m going to take him out back and crush him.” Oliver’s half-hard erection suddenly got a lot harder. He blushed, shivering in Bayard’s arms. Christ, that image was just… just… wow. “And now, I think I need to take care of something else. How ’bout you and me go upstairs and I take care of your little problem.” “Little?” Bayard snorted, picking Oliver up without any problems. Oliver twisted his arms around Bayard’s neck, holding on and burying his face in the other man’s shoulder. He bit the skin in front of his face. “Little?” he asked again. “Well now, I can’t rightly remember what it looked like. Maybe we should go upstairs and I can investigate it. Check everything out and make sure.” Bayard walked up the stairs, not even breathing hard even though Oliver wasn’t exactly a lightweight. “Bay?” “Hmmm?” “Have you been holding back on me?” Bayard stopped in front of his bedroom, pushing the half-closed door open with his knee. “In what way?” “That night together. Did you hold back?” Bayard paused before dropping Oliver on the bed. He blushed, but he couldn’t stop the question now that he’d asked. He needed to know the answer. Had Bayard held back that night? If he did, how much better would it possibly get between them? “Does it matter?”
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“Yes.” “Okay, fine, I held back a little.” Bayard started unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off those broad shoulders. Oliver groaned, reaching for the buttons of his own shirt. “Don’t touch. I do believe that’s mine.” Bayard’s words had a hint of a growl. Letting his head drop back to the bed, Oliver stilled. Bayard reached for his boots, pulling off one then the other before touching his belt buckle. Oliver whimpered. He couldn’t help himself. He wiggled his hips, trying to get more comfortable. Bayard grinned, sliding his zipper down slowly. He reached into the opening of his jeans, pulling out his cock, running his fingers up and down his shaft. Without removing his jeans, Bayard crawled onto the bed at Oliver’s feet, picking up one foot and then the other to remove his socks. Oliver curled his toes, desperately hoping they didn’t smell bad. Not that they normally did, but he didn’t want to turn off Bayard in any way. Bayard nuzzled the arch of his foot, pressing a kiss to the underside. Oliver squirmed. With a wicked grin, Bayard turned his head, sucking the big toe into his mouth. Gasping, Oliver tossed his head, his eyes wide. Releasing his toe with a muffled pop, Bayard lowered Oliver’s legs to the bed. Crawling up the bed until he was between Oliver’s splayed thighs, Bayard reached for his belt. “Keep your hands where I can seem them, Oliver. Don’t move.” Oliver gasped, lifting his arms and putting them above his head. He didn’t trust himself to have them anywhere near Bayard right now. He’d probably tackle the man and then beg him to fuck him. What was wrong with him? He’d been half hoping that his reaction to Bayard had just been a one-off thing. That the next time he saw him he wouldn’t be so overcome with lust. But no. If anything, it was worse now that he’d been without sex for two weeks.
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Not without orgasms, since those nightly phone calls to Bayard took care of his need. But jerking off holding a phone to his ear was not the same thing as actually being in the same room with Bayard. This was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. Bayard carefully pulled his pants down his hips, taking his tighty whiteys with them. As the denim slid down his legs, Oliver panted. He wanted Bayard’s hands on him. His skin was almost too sensitized as it was, but he wanted more. Holding back a whimper, he shook his head. His gaze landed on the closed door. Memories from that one night intruded, seeing Marshall standing in the doorway, his hand around his cock. Gasping and moaning as he came from watching Oliver getting fucked. He closed his eyes, his chest tight. What was wrong with him? He had to be the biggest asshole in the world to be thinking of someone else. Especially when he was currently very up close and personal with the guy’s brother. Needing to feel Bayard, he reared up in the bed, wrapping his arms around Bayard’s neck and slanting his mouth over Bayard’s. Oliver moaned. Bayard took the kiss deeper, running his palms down Oliver’s sides, bringing up one big hand to cup the back of Oliver’s neck. With his other hand Bayard moved him until he was straddling Bayard’s hips. The other man hiked him up higher, pushing up with his knees and turning until his back was resting against the headboard. Bayard pulled back, releasing Oliver’s mouth. “This what you want?”
“Please, Bayard. I need you.”
“And you’ve got me, don’t worry about that.”
Oliver sniffed, staring straight into Bayard’s gaze. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Hey now, what’s this about?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Whoa, you don’t get away with being silent now. What are talking about? I’m
the one who should be down on my knees praising whatever God is out there that I’ve got you.”
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“Do you?” “Do I what? Got you? I sure hope so.” Oliver ran his fingers down Bayard’s chest, circling his nipples. “You sound pretty damn confident.” Bayard sighed, pulling him closer until he was tucked up close to the bigger man. “I’m not all that confident. I just have faith that what we have is the beginnings of something that could be great. I couldn’t stop thinking of you when you were gone. I couldn’t stop wishing you were lying in my bed beside me.” “I couldn’t stop thinking of you either,” Oliver whispered, pressing a kiss to Bayard’s chest. He didn’t deserve this man, he truly didn’t, but he wanted this to work. He didn’t know what would happen in the future, but he trusted Bayard. He wanted to be with him. So he could just damn well get over his infatuation with Marshall, his yearning to be with both men, truly, instead of just having Marshall watching them. He needed to learn how to be happy with what he had in front of him rather than wishing for pipe dreams. “You know what else I wished for?” Bayard’s voice was low, tight. Oliver pulled back, lifting one hand to run it over Bayard’s cheek. He shook his head. “I wish I could get Marshall to open up. I wish I knew what happened to him when Zhelyazko had him. I wish he’d talk to me. And I wish I could give him what he wants. I wish I could share you with him. He really likes you, and it’s not just lust. I know my brother, and he’s just as lost to you as I am.” Oh sweet heaven, did Bayard mean that? But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t leave Bayard for Marshall. No matter what, this man in front of him tied him up in knots. He was falling in love with him. “I would never, I wouldn’t…” Bayard’s smile was gentle. “Hey, that’s not why I said it, okay. I don’t know how you feel about him, but I want whatever you want. If you’re not comfortable talking about it, then we’ll never mention it again. I just wanted to be honest with you. I don’t want there to be lies between us and I realized I’d never said it before.”
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He couldn’t help himself. Tears welled in his eyes. “Oliver, no, please don’t do that. I told you, I’ll never bring it up again. I swea --” He lifted his hand, placing it over Bayard’s mouth. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. “You have no idea what I’ve been going through the last two weeks. I couldn’t stop thinking of you, I found myself falling half in love with you, and all that time I hated myself for thinking of your brother too. I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to be with him too. But not outside of you, not separate. I wanted to be with you both. And I thought I couldn’t have that, and I felt like the world’s biggest asshole for thinking of your brother when I knew I wanted to be with you.” “Hey, why didn’t you say something?” Bayard’s expression was just as gentle as his voice. Hell, Oliver should have realized the big man would be like this. Bayard was so fucking solid that he really should have known. Oliver sighed. “Things like this don’t just happen to me. You don’t understand. The way I grew up, hell, it was taboo to be gay. To want to be with two men was completely unheard of. You just don’t do that. And besides, where would I ever find two men willing to do it for more than a night? It’s completely outside anything I’ve ever imagined before. I didn’t know what to do.” “And now?” “And now, I don’t want you to believe that I started out thinking this way. I swear to you, when I first met you I was only thinking of you. Sure, I had the occasional twinges of oh-my-God-he’s-a-twin, but beyond that it never entered my mind. I wanted to be with you. Just you.” Bayard grinned, lowering his hand and pressing Oliver closer to him. Oliver gasped, his arousal returning. The feel of Bayard’s thick cock sliding against his own was almost his undoing. “And now?” Bayard repeated, gripping their shafts together and pulling firmly. “What?” He could swear his eyes just crossed. “And now? What do you want now?” “You, I’ll always want you,” he managed to gasp out.
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Bayard leaned forward, licking his shoulder, pressing his teeth into the sensitive flesh of his neck. Gasping, Oliver shuddered. “And Marshall?” “Whatever you want, Bay, uh, oh please…” Bayard snarled, pushing him back until his back hit the bed. Oliver relaxed his limbs, letting them fall to the bed until he was splayed out like a lusty sailor. Bayard licked his lips, reaching into the bedside table for a familiar bottle of lube. Uncapping the top, he squeezed some out on his fingers, spreading the liquid on his hard cock with a firm stroke. With the same hand that had just been wrapped around Bayard’s thick length, he reached for Oliver, sliding his fingers along his ass. Light touches brushed his balls, caressed between his cheeks. Oliver shifted, trying to get that touch where he wanted it. “Please, Bayard. I don’t want to wait, just fuck me already.” Bayard moaned, dropping to his elbows and pushing Oliver’s thighs further apart. His hot mouth closed over the head of Oliver’s cock. Oh, wow, that was… Closing his eyes, Oliver moaned, reaching down with one hand to grasp Bayard’s hair. He pulled on the strands, thrusting his hips in time with the slow suctioning on his dick. Reaching up with one hand, Bayard squeezed his sac, rolling it in his palm. Oliver ran his free hand down his chest, pinching his nipple, tugging and playing with the small nub. The sounds coming from Bayard were almost too much. He sounded like he was having the most glorious feast at the moment, all grunts and growls. “Bayard, please…” He shifted his weight, needing more. One of Bayard’s hands was suddenly on his ass, fingers teasing his hole, brushing against his needy flesh. He gasped, and one long digit pushed inside him, coated with lube.
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Without warning, a second digit joined the first, scissoring apart his flesh, making room for something a hell of a lot larger. His cock jerked, and he pulled hard on Bayard’s hair. The other man finally let up, releasing his cock with a soft pop. He licked his lips, staring down at Oliver lustfully. Lifting Oliver’s legs, Bayard settled himself between his spread thighs, pushing on his knees until Oliver hugged them to his chest, opening himself fully to Bayard. A hard presence bumped him, slick with Bayard’s arousal and the lube he’d coated himself with. “Is this what you want?” “Always, oh Bayard, please don’t make me wait.” Bayard reached back for the bedside table, grabbing a foil package. Within seconds he was back, lining up his dick. Oliver winced at his possession. As much as he’d been stretched, Bayard was just damn massive. Bigger than anyone Oliver had ever been with, that was for sure. If he didn’t know his lover was part horse, he’d definitely have questions for him. The feel of all that hot, hard shaft inside him just felt fucking right. No pun intended, of course. Oliver smiled, squeezing his inner muscles. He was gratified to hear Bayard moan as if he was being tortured cruelly. “You like that, baby? You like being full of me?” “Mmm-hmm.” His lids drooped, it just felt so damn good. “Would you like it even more if Marshall was here? Staring at you, touching you, wishing he was in my place fucking you?” Bayard withdrew until the head of his cock almost popped out. Oliver whimpered, tightening his ass to hold Bayard inside him. Chuckling, Bayard pushed back in. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Would you like to suck his cock while I have a little fun with this delectable ass? Would you like that? I can’t hear you, baby, would you like that?” “Oh, yes, yes, please…”
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A strong hand wrapped around his neglected shaft, milking it tightly. “I need you,” Bayard whispered, leaning down until their foreheads touched briefly. “I need you, baby.” “Always, Bayard. Whatever you want, whatever you need. I’ll give it to you, I swear.” Bayard drew back, pistoning his hips forcefully. Oliver squirmed in his hold, trying to fuck Bayard’s hand and push back onto the thick cock inside him. He couldn’t hold back any longer. Fire raced up his spine and he was coming, his mind shattered. Bayard followed him into bliss, falling limply onto Oliver. He grunted, his breath momentarily stolen from him. Bayard rolled off him, pulling him close, kissing his cheek. “Sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you up later.” Oliver sighed, letting his eyes close. Bayard tightened his hold, keeping him close.
Chapter Seven Oliver opened his eyes, unsure what had woken him up. The sound came again, a floorboard squeaking in the hallway. Bayard shifted, lifting his head. “Did you mean what you said earlier?” Unsure what to say, Oliver just nodded. “Marshall?” Silence greeted them before a tentative tap sounded on the door. “Marshall, come in here, please.” The door creaked open and Marshall was suddenly standing there. Looking very uncomfortable. He wouldn’t even glance over to the bed. Oliver blushed, trying to pull the covers higher. “Marshall, do you want Oliver?” The other man’s head snapped up and he looked incredulously over at them. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Oliver held his breath. “Answer the question.” Bayard’s voice was a calming balm compared to Marshall’s agitation. “I’m not answering some sick question like that when you’ve got the man lying in your bed. You think I can’t smell you two? Even over here I can… I’m not doing this.” Marshall turned around, stepping into the hallway. “Oliver, do you want Marshall?” Freezing, Marshall angled his head, glancing behind him once more.
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Oliver opened his mouth, closing it with a snap. He didn’t want to do this lying down. Shifting in bed, he managed to keep the covers on him while he sat up, pressing his back against the cold headboard. “Oh, for the love of… I’m going to the bathroom. When I come out I expect you two will have worked this out. Got that?” Bayard slid out of the bed, walking over to the en suite bathroom. The door closed behind him with a snap. Marshall met his gaze briefly before ducking his head. “I’m sorry about him. He’s an ass.” He turned to leave. “Marshall, if you step one foot into the hallway, I’m coming out there and I will kick your ass. Don’t test me.” They both looked to the closed door. Oliver couldn’t believe Bayard knew Marshall was leaving, but they were close enough they could probably guess what the other was thinking. Marshall grumbled, stepping inside. He walked over to the bed, glaring down at Oliver. “What the fuck is this about?” Oliver nibbled on his lower lip, not meeting Marshall’s gaze. “If he’s making you do this, just tell me.” “He’s not.” Marshall sat down on the edge of the bed, frowning slightly. “Okay, so what’s this all about?” Oliver inhaled. “Do you want me?” “You know I do, but I don’t poach.” “You wouldn’t be.” “Don’t say things like that. Please.” Marshall turned to look out the window. His fists were clenched. “I love my brother.” “So do I. At least, I’m starting to. I wouldn’t hurt him, I swear to you.” “What do you think this is?”
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“It’s what I want, Marsh.” Bayard stood at the open bathroom door, staring at them both. “Jesus, Bay, don’t --” “It’s what I want, I mean it. You don’t want to hurt me, and I don’t want to see you hurt. You need this, Marsh, more than I do.” “Bullshit. You’re in love with him.” Oliver held his breath, looking from one brother to the next. “Yeah, and so are you.” “Don’t say that.” “Then don’t be an idiot. Jesus, Marsh, this is what you want. I’m offering it to you.” Marshall snarled, pacing toward his brother until he had Bayard backed into the wall. He slammed his fist beside Bayard’s head, putting a dent in the drywall. “He’s not a fucking toy that you can pass around.” “Want to tell me again that you don’t want him?” “That’s not the fucking point!” Oliver slid out of bed, letting the sheets pool behind him. He didn’t want them fighting, he didn’t want to see either man hurt. Walking up behind them, he noticed Marshall’s back tighten when he got closer. Bayard’s gaze was calm when he met it, and the man nodded slightly. Placing his hand on the centre of Marshall’s back, he tried to soothe the big man. They outweighed him, and they towered over him, but he finally felt like he had the upper hand here. “Do you want me, Marshall?” Marshall turned so fast he didn’t have time to back away. Pulling him into his arms, Marshall buried his face in Oliver’s hair. “I’ve been dying inside not being able to have you.” “Tell me what happened, then. Please.” Marshall stiffened, trying to pull away. Oliver tightened his hold, refusing to let go. They both knew that Marshall could have pulled away at any time, though.
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Bayard was silent, not a whisper was heard from him.
“Why?”
“Because it’s you. Because your brother is dying inside not knowing what was
done to you. Because I want to help.” Marshall picked him up, striding over to the bed. Placing Oliver gently down, he brought the covers back up and tucked him in. “I can’t think when I have all that skin in front of me.” Oliver grinned, patting the bed beside him. Marshall sat down, holding out his hand for Bayard. When they were all on the bed, Marshall sighed. “I feel like such an idiot. I was so distracted that I didn’t even pay attention at first. I thought it was Ed, truthfully. He must have tranqued me because I don’t remember leaving the ranch.” “You were in the south field?”
“Yeah.”
Oliver frowned, “South field?”
“It’s close to the road, and I really shouldn’t have been there. It was a novelty for
me, though, getting to run around in the field where I’m normally only allowed in my human form. It was a stupid mistake, one I shouldn’t have made.” Bayard slid his hand over Marshall’s shoulder. “It’s done now, no use crying over it.” “He wanted me to mount his mare. You know the one, Bay. Ugly as sin, that one is. And I’m not just saying that. She really is a prime piece of fugly horse.” “What, you don’t like female horses?” They both looked at him as if he was insane. Oliver swallowed, confused. “She’s a horse, Oliver.” “Okay.” “No, I don’t think you get it. She’s a horse. I’m not. That would just be… seriously sick.”
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He blushed, ducking his head. Great, way to make him feel like an idiot. How was he supposed to know? They weren’t exactly human. Or, well, were they? Bayard hugged him. “He didn’t mean for that to be a statement against you, Oliver. He just meant that we’ve never even thought that way. We’re human, even if we can change into horses. But we’re not horses. Not really, in our minds. The thought of being with a horse is just… not something we want to think about.” “So you, uh, did he make you?” “No! I fought his handlers. Generally tried to make an absolute pest of myself. That’s why they chained me up. I guess they were trying to figure out their next move.” “Well, that’s not that bad. Why were you so afraid of telling me that?” He was seriously confused now. Why all the hesitation? “I wasn’t afraid of telling you. I was afraid you’d discover my hard-on if we kept talking. Lusting after my brother’s boyfriend isn’t exactly one of my finer moments.” His voice was subdued. “Luckily for you, you have the world’s greatest brother.” Bayard laughed. “Yeah, I do.” “You guys going to hug it out now?” Bayard mock-growled at him, causing Oliver to chuckle. “Actually, now that you mention it, I think we have something else we need to do. Marsh?” Marshall parted his lips, staring lustfully at Oliver. “Oh hell yeah. Can I?” “Be my guest.” Oliver yelped when Marshall took him down to the bed, blanketing Oliver’s body with his much larger one. Marshall swallowed his protest, kissing him with what had to be pent up frustration. He moaned when Marshall’s tongue entered his mouth, and he couldn’t stop himself from sucking the appendage. Just like he wanted to suck something else. Oh Sweet heaven, he was such a pervert. He wanted to be with these two men so damn much.
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Squirming under Marshall, he managed to part his thighs, pressing his stiff erection into Marshall’s hip. He wanted his clothes gone, wanted to feel skin on skin. “Off. Off, off, off.” Grabbing at Marshall’s shirt, he tried to yank it up. Chuckling, Marshall lifted up just enough to remove his shirt, before returning to Oliver’s mouth. He nibbled a path along Oliver’s jaw line, sucking up what was certainly going to be a mark on his neck. Oliver twisted under him, running his hands down Marshall’s bare back. He was built just like Bayard, all firm muscle. It felt wonderful moving against his own slimmer frame. Like he wasn’t in control. Marshall shifted again, trying to peal his jeans off without releasing Oliver. With a muffled snort, Bayard tapped him on the shoulder. “Get those off already. I’ll keep him warm for you.” Marshall reared up, standing beside the bed and unbuckling his belt. Bayard slid down to take his place, placing his very naked body along Oliver’s. They kissed, undulating against each other. Bayard’s hands were firm on his hips, kneading his flesh. “I hate to interrupt… hell, no I don’t. Get off my boy, Bay.” Bayard smiled into Oliver’s lips, moving over without a word of complaint. Oliver looked up, finally seeing Marshall again in all his glory. Lord, they were so damn magnificent. Marshall dropped down until he was spread out on top of Oliver again. “You too sore for this?” Oliver blushed, shaking his head. He ached, definitely, but he wanted Marshall. Marshall bent his head, running his lips down Oliver’s chest. He sucked one nipple into his mouth, biting down gently. Oliver gasped, arching his back. A warm hand closed around his shaft, running up and down, spreading the precome around the head of his cock. A hand appeared beside them, holding out a condom and lube. They both looked at Bayard sitting beside them, smirking.
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“Not that I’m pushing or anything.” Bayard lifted his wrist, holding out his bounty for Marshall to take. Marshall sat back on his heels, taking the condom and expertly putting it on. He lifted Oliver’s legs, draping them over his thighs until Oliver’s back was arched and he was half-sitting in Marshall’s lap. His back was still on the bed, but this put his ass nice and close to Marshall’s shaft. “This going to be comfortable?” Marshall lifted a brow. Heart turning over, Oliver could only nod. Marshall grabbed the lube again, covering his shaft nicely. He reached down and played his fingers over Oliver’s ass, sinking first one then two fingers inside. Without wasting any time, he lined Oliver up, fitting the head of his cock against Oliver’s ass. Whimpering, Oliver looked to Bayard, reaching out for the other man. He wanted them both at the same time. As if Bayard understood him, he shifted until his hard cock bumped against Oliver’s lips. Oliver sucked Bayard in, groaning around the firm meat when he was filled by Marshall. The two brothers set a rhythm together, both careful of Oliver. He could tell Bayard was holding back, but he wasn’t going to protest. Eventually he’d get the other man to let go fully. Although, as long as he was in his mouth, Oliver really couldn’t complain. Marshall was breathing heavily, speeding up his thrusts inside Oliver. Someone’s hand reached for his cock, and he couldn’t think enough to look down to check. Hell, at the moment he couldn’t string two brain cells together. He moaned, panting loudly. A particularly hard thrust had him screaming around Bayard’s dick. Marshall chuckled, changing his position until every thrust had him hitting Oliver’s gland. Oh, that was… He screamed again, coming hard. Whoever was jerking him swiped their thumb over his cockhead and that was it for him. He dropped his head, releasing Bayard’s shaft. Weakly, he tried to bring up one hand to jerk him, but Bayard took over. His
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breathing was erratic, the sound of his hand moving along his cock loud in the room. Oliver opened his eyes, watching him. Lifting his head, he licked the head, playing his tongue over the small slit at the tip. Bayard grunted, squeezing down on his shaft. His come burst out, coating Oliver’s cheek and running down his neck. Oliver grinned, turning his gaze on Marshall. He licked his lips, getting a taste of Bayard’s come. Apparently that was enough for Marshall. The other man groaned painfully, stilling inside Oliver. He could feel Marshall’s dick jerking inside him, filling the condom. All three of them collapsed, Oliver letting his limbs fall to the side, while Bayard managed to curl up on his side. Marshall stumbled to the bathroom, and when he came back the condom was gone. He eased into the bed beside Oliver, squeezing him between the two brothers. “Are you sure about this?” His voice was low, unsure. Oliver twisted until he was facing Marshall. Bayard came with him, spooning him from behind. Soothing him. Oliver nodded. “More sure than I’ve ever been. I want you both. For as long as you’ll have me.” “That may be a hell of a long time. I don’t plan on letting you go,” Bayard whispered. Marshall grinned. “We’ll make this work, won’t we?” “Count on it.” Oliver closed his eyes, rubbing his nose against Marshall’s chin. “We’ll definitely make this work.” Surrounded by his two men, content and completely drained, Oliver fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Jade Buchanan Jade Buchanan was born in the summer of 2006, out of a slightly shy but definitely warped mind. Jade’s alter-ego spends her days working in the world of safety management consulting, but at night she lets Jade out to play. Preferring to live in the world of fiction in which she was born, Jade can be found wandering through fields of words whenever she can. Now if only she can find her dream man -- a time-traveling Scottish laird who was born a werewolf that became a vampire and lived on a pirate ship, only to make his way to the new world and work on a ranch in Montana (with a brief foray in the Navy SEALs), before conquering the space time continuum and becoming a space marauding pirate and ruling the galaxy -- she’d be a very happy lady. Jade
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