Gramps keep it up. He hasn’t been able to do a lot lately, but he’s proud of the place and it means a lot to him.” Dante touched his grandfather’s shoulder, the affection between the two of them clear. “We’ve got just a few hundred head right now. It’s what we can manage.”
“You two youngsters go have a look around. I’m going to sit here for a while,” Gramps said as he settled back in his chair, already starting to close his eyes. Dante had figured everything was fine as long as Gramps was around, but he wasn’t too sure how he felt about being alone with Ryan.
“Come on, you can show me the ranch,” Ryan said with a smile that seemed to say so much more. Dante sighed, knowing he couldn’t refuse without being rude or making Gramps suspicious. He got up and motioned Ryan toward the barn.
“Look,” Dante began as soon as they were out of earshot of his grandfather, “I don’t know how in the hell you found me, but I want you to leave.” Dante continued walking until they were inside the barn.
“Jesus,” Ryan said from behind him, and Dante whirled around. “I’m surprised your head can fit through the fucking door. Your grandfather called me because he had some old papers and investments he needed help with. I didn’t come out here looking for you.” Dante relaxed slightly until Ryan smiled a bit evilly and then moved closer. Dante stepped back as Ryan continued toward him. His entire body was on fire and he ached to have Ryan touch him, but he knew he had to resist. Somehow he had to stay in control. “You thought about me, didn’t you?” Ryan asked, and Dante took another step back, thumping into the wall of the first stall. “You did. I bet you thought about me a whole lot.”
Dante swallowed, refusing to justify Ryan’s supposition with an answer. “I—” he began, trying to protest, but his words caught in his throat.
“It’s okay. I know you thought about me.” Ryan stepped so close Dante could feel the heat from his body, but Ryan never touched him, not once. “I can tell you thought about me, and I know your body aches for me right now.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Dante protested feebly.
“Yes, it does. But as I said, I’m not going to touch you. So you can relax,” Ryan said, just softly enough for Dante to hear. “I won’t touch you again until you ask me to… and you will.”
Dante shook his head and moved to the side, away from Ryan. “No, I won’t,” he protested, feeling a little better that he’d been able to get away.
Ryan grinned a warm smile that made Dante almost move into his arms right there. “Maybe, maybe not, but like I said, I won’t touch you until you ask me. But….” Ryan paused and Dante stopped dead still. “I only gave you what you needed, and just because you couldn’t handle it is no reason to act like a jackass.”
“How can you know what I needed?” Dante challenged, moving down the row of mostly empty stalls, the few horses becoming agitated as they picked up on Dante’s mood.
“Dante,” Ryan snapped in a commanding tone that made him stop without thinking. “Your entire body screams for what you need. I’m just the person who was able to read the signs. And before you ask me, I don’t know why you need someone else to be in control any more than I know why I need to be in control, but you do need it.” Ryan stepped closer but acted like the things he’d just said were as normal and ordinary as explaining how much hay to give one of the horses.
“Now who has the ego the size of Texas?” Dante said, feeling a little better now that he had something to use against Ryan, and hoping he could deflect the conversation a little. “You think you know everything, but you don’t know shit. So keep your theories to yourself.”
Ryan simply nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, taking a small step back then leaning forward. “But what if I’m right?” Ryan whispered. Dante tried his best to meet Ryan’s
“You two youngsters go have a look around. I’m going to sit here for a while,” Gramps said as he settled back in his chair, already starting to close his eyes. Dante had figured everything was fine as long as Gramps was around, but he wasn’t too sure how he felt about being alone with Ryan.
“Come on, you can show me the ranch,” Ryan said with a smile that seemed to say so much more. Dante sighed, knowing he couldn’t refuse without being rude or making Gramps suspicious. He got up and motioned Ryan toward the barn.
“Look,” Dante began as soon as they were out of earshot of his grandfather, “I don’t know how in the hell you found me, but I want you to leave.” Dante continued walking until they were inside the barn.
“Jesus,” Ryan said from behind him, and Dante whirled around. “I’m surprised your head can fit through the fucking door. Your grandfather called me because he had some old papers and investments he needed help with. I didn’t come out here looking for you.” Dante relaxed slightly until Ryan smiled a bit evilly and then moved closer. Dante stepped back as Ryan continued toward him. His entire body was on fire and he ached to have Ryan touch him, but he knew he had to resist. Somehow he had to stay in control. “You thought about me, didn’t you?” Ryan asked, and Dante took another step back, thumping into the wall of the first stall. “You did. I bet you thought about me a whole lot.”
Dante swallowed, refusing to justify Ryan’s supposition with an answer. “I—” he began, trying to protest, but his words caught in his throat.
“It’s okay. I know you thought about me.” Ryan stepped so close Dante could feel the heat from his body, but Ryan never touched him, not once. “I can tell you thought about me, and I know your body aches for me right now.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Dante protested feebly.
“Yes, it does. But as I said, I’m not going to touch you. So you can relax,” Ryan said, just softly enough for Dante to hear. “I won’t touch you again until you ask me to… and you will.”
Dante shook his head and moved to the side, away from Ryan. “No, I won’t,” he protested, feeling a little better that he’d been able to get away.
Ryan grinned a warm smile that made Dante almost move into his arms right there. “Maybe, maybe not, but like I said, I won’t touch you until you ask me. But….” Ryan paused and Dante stopped dead still. “I only gave you what you needed, and just because you couldn’t handle it is no reason to act like a jackass.”
“How can you know what I needed?” Dante challenged, moving down the row of mostly empty stalls, the few horses becoming agitated as they picked up on Dante’s mood.
“Dante,” Ryan snapped in a commanding tone that made him stop without thinking. “Your entire body screams for what you need. I’m just the person who was able to read the signs. And before you ask me, I don’t know why you need someone else to be in control any more than I know why I need to be in control, but you do need it.” Ryan stepped closer but acted like the things he’d just said were as normal and ordinary as explaining how much hay to give one of the horses.
“Now who has the ego the size of Texas?” Dante said, feeling a little better now that he had something to use against Ryan, and hoping he could deflect the conversation a little. “You think you know everything, but you don’t know shit. So keep your theories to yourself.”
Ryan simply nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, taking a small step back then leaning forward. “But what if I’m right?” Ryan whispered. Dante tried his best to meet Ryan’s
Similar Books
