“I'll catch up with it when we get off the side of this mountain. And that'll be easier if I'm not hauling dead weight.”
“Or if you're not hauling any weight. I find that works best of all.”
“The bounty on your head is enough to convince me otherwise. For your sake, I hope that horse you stole is too tired to run far. Otherwise, you're going to have a long walk ahead of you.”
Leon didn't want to look around to verify Grady's statement, but he knew he had to. Inwardly, he groaned at the confirmation Bullet had taken off. In spite of his namesake, the horse didn't like guns. It wouldn't take much to find him, but Leon didn't think Grady would be willing to look for him at the moment.
“If you're really so concerned for my welfare, you'd forget you ever saw me. From what I hear, you shouldn't have too much problem with that.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
Leon shrugged. “Could mean a lot of things.” He took a step back, trying not to wince at the fresh weight on his sore ankle. “Tell me what's going to make you look the other way, and we'll work something out.”
Grady snorted. “I guess you haven't really heard much about me at all, if you think I'm going to let you go. I've never lost a bounty, and I'm not going to start now.”
He risked another step and winked. “Well, I won't tell if you won't tell.”
“If you don't want me to truss you up and drag you behind my horse, you'll stop moving right now.”
Leon froze. Without his gun, he didn't stand much of a chance. He'd lost it when he'd gone flying off Bullet.
“Then it looks like we're at an impasse. Because you're up there, and I'm down here.” He spread his hands. “Only way to make sure you're not hauling dead weight is to get down here and take care of me yourself.” It was also the only chance Leon had. Grady was bigger, and most likely not in pain, but he had better odds against him than he did a rifle.
Grady secured the rifle before dismounting from the horse. He never took his hard eyes from Leon, and he was taller than Leon remembered. Much taller. He wasn't holding the rifle any longer, but his revolver's pearl handle stuck out of its holster, impossible to ignore.
“If you stop being such a stubborn little cur, we can make camp here for the night.”
Leon hooked a thumb through a belt loop. That was an even better plan. He could sneak off once Grady was asleep. If Bullet didn't come wandering back by then, he'd just take the man's horse and leave Grady stranded. He had to struggle not to smile. It would serve the bastard right.
“Stubborn? Me? I'm the picture of good manners. I didn't knock your hat off your head when I shot at you, now did I?”
Grady took the coil of rope from the side of his saddle and began to unwind it. “Yes, that was mighty polite of you. Lift your hands up in the air.”
Leon cocked his head. “And you not saying please? I don't think so.”
Grady regarded him for a moment, sucking air between his teeth, before shrugging and closing the space between them. Leon tried to step away, but Grady moved faster. He closed his fingers around Leon's wrist and yanked it behind Leon's back, forcing him to spin around.
“We should clarify a few things between us. First, I don't say please.”
He hadn't realized just how tired he was until he felt the implacable grip circling his wrist. Even if he tried, Leon knew he wouldn't be able to get free. Which meant Grady was going to tie him up. Which then meant escaping in the dead of night was going to be next to impossible.
On the other hand, a good night's sleep while he formulated another plan didn't sound so bad either.
Warm breath tickled down the back of his neck, and for a split second, the tall man standing behind him flashed Leon to a different time, a different place, a different man altogether. His body hardened at the memory, even as he gritted his teeth to remind himself this wasn't Kenneth.
“Really?” Leon fought to keep his tone casual. “You look to me like the sort who loves to beg.”
“That's interesting, coming from you.” He wrapped the rough rope around Leon's wrists, pulling it tight enough to make his fingers tingle. “You get on your knees for anybody recently?”
The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Leon wanted to yank away from Grady's hold, but he knew if he tried, the man would only yank him back. A part of him had hoped he'd forgotten about it. It was turning out to be his day for disappointments.
Thomas wasn't going to get the upper hand by throwing him off like this, though.
“You know, I wondered why you stuck around for the show.” The rope cinched tighter. Leon flexed his muscles in order to keep as much room as possible to try and work free. “Not for long, though. You're not exactly a memorable type.”
“Do you ever shut up?” Thomas asked casually as he finished tying the knot.
“You're not saying I'm boring you, are you?” Leon shook his head. “And here I thought you liked what I did with my mouth. Considering you remember what you do.”
Thomas spun him around, and Leon was forced to consider, once again, just how tall the other man was. And how broad his shoulders were. The hand that had been around Leon's wrists went to his shoulder, his fingers digging into Leon's flesh. A sudden increase in pressure sent Leon to his knees.
“Maybe I just need to keep your mouth busy.”
Cold seeped through his knees, but Leon didn't feel it. He was too busy staring at the bulge in Grady's pants, his arousal straining against the fabric. It was the last thing Leon would've expected to come face to face with, but even more surprising was the way his body responded. His cock had already started to thicken with the warmth at his back; considering what it looked like Grady wanted now, it firmed the rest of the way. It wasn't just that it reminded him of Kenneth. He hadn't had a taste of another person, male or female, since he'd shared Amy with Kenneth.
Leon smirked and looked up at Thomas through his lashes. “Don't tell me you've been wanting me like this for two years. Because that's just a little pathetic.”
“I don't even want you like this now.” Grady knocked Leon's hat off and curled his fingers in his hair. His scalp tingled, the pain spreading all the way to the nape of his neck. Grady unbuttoned his pants with his free hand, letting his cock push through the confines of the thick material. “But it'll keep you quiet.”
Leon didn't believe him. The prick in front of him was thick and fully erect, the tip glistening where the foreskin was already drawn back. His mouth watered, but he deliberately pushed against the hand holding him still. “So will a gag.”
“I intend to use one.” Thomas dragged the tip across Leon's lips. “And if that doesn't work, I'll just knock you unconscious.” He forced Leon forward onto his cock. The head pressed into his mouth, meeting the barrier of Leon's teeth. With a grunt, he yanked on Leon's hair. “Open wide.”
All Leon smelled was the rich scent of Grady's arousal, the salty tang of his exposed skin. He'd be able to taste it if he obeyed. Already, the weight pressed against his lower lip, hinting at how delicious it would be to stretch his mouth around that thick length. It was bigger than Kenneth's. This one, he would feel every inch of the way.
The only problem with that, the stubborn part Thomas had already pegged didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Thomas didn't ease the pressure on Leon's scalp, though he did relieve the pressure against his lips. He held the base of his cock between two fingers, dragging the head over the rough hair on Leon's cheeks. He hissed as the whiskers brushed against the sensitive tip before slapping his cock against Leon's face. He hit him several times before returning to Leon's mouth. The second time he pressed the crown against Leon's teeth, he yanked on his hair until Leon cried out in protest.
Immediately, the hard length slipped inside. Leon's tongue curled around it on instinct, learning the ridges, the pulsing vein along its underside, and as he dug at the slit for some of the fluid Thomas had been taunting him with, both men sighed. Leon knew he didn't have to do this. All it would take was a single bite to throw Thomas off for good. It might cost him a tooth or two, but he didn't have to suck off the bounty hunter if he didn't want to.
But he did. He'd missed the smooth texture of a hard cock sliding over his lips. He missed the sense of having another man at his mercy, just with the power of his mouth. He missed the taste and sensation when the other man couldn't hold back anymore and erupted against his tongue. Granted, Kenneth had been his only partner for years, the only one he trusted with such deviant desires, but if this bounty hunter wanted to take his frustration out on Leon like this, he really wasn't going to stop him.
Thomas snapped his hips in hard, quick thrusts. Leon didn't know when Thomas last indulged in getting sucked off, but he clearly wasn't concerned about making this encounter last. Every time Leon looked up through his lashes, the other man's face was pulled tight, his mouth open enough to expose his teeth. His hat was low enough Leon couldn't see his eyes, but that didn't mean he didn't sense how much Grady wanted this, how much he enjoyed Leon's mouth.
It was hard to truly appreciate the nuances of Grady's cock. He moved too swiftly, the strokes too short to get more than a good mouthful before it was gone again. If his hands hadn't been tied, Leon might have tried to get him to slow down a little by playing with the man's balls, but the rope burning around his wrists sent new, sizzling tremors through him, reactions he'd never had before. He'd never been restrained like this during sex. He would have called it exhilarating if it didn't put him at the mercy of a man who only wanted him for the price on his head.
The rocks beneath him dug into his knees, and the breeze was cold against the back of his neck. Everything around them reminded Leon that they were in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest town. Nobody would hear him shout or fire his gun. There was no risk that somebody would spy them from behind a tree. He could make a few token efforts of resistance, but he was ultimately at Grady's mercy. That thought didn't bother him as much as it should, even as Grady pushed his cock deeper into Leon's mouth. Until the crown brushed against the back of his throat with each thrust.
Grady was going to make him take it all. Leon was sure of it. Grady wasn't going to stop until he was buried as deep as he could get, and he might not even stop then. It should have filled Leon with apprehension, made him fight back to prevent it from happening.
It didn't. It made him moan. And the next time the head pushed against the back of his tongue, Leon swallowed.
Thomas moaned for the first time, a deep, hungry sound. His length stretched Leon's throat, pushing against the soft, flexing muscles, his cock heavy against Leon's tongue and the roof of his mouth. Grady didn't move for several long seconds, holding Leon's nose against the base. Leon tried to catch his breath through his nose, but after several moments, his lungs felt like they were burning. Just as he was about to push against Grady's hand, Thomas loosened his grip and allowed Leon to yank back and gasp for breath.
His chest heaved. Fury laced through him, red-hot ire at himself for wanting it so bad, and at Thomas for pushing it to such extremes.
“You son of a bitch.” Leon glared up at him, his lips curled into a snarl. “You want it so bad, you're willing to choke me for it?”
“I'm willing to do a lot worse than that,” Thomas murmured, before slamming his hips forward. He lodged his cock into Leon's throat once again, but unlike before, he didn't hold himself in place. He started the same punishing rhythm as before, always sure to bury himself as deeply as possible before moving back.
If his hands had been free, he would have clawed at Grady's thighs and forced him to slow it down. How the hell anybody was supposed to suck a man off properly at this kind of speed was beyond him. But a dark, contrary desire lurked in the back of his head. It was the same one whispering in Leon's ear to make sure and swallow each time the thick length slid into his throat. It was the one coaxing his cock into an aching throb, desperate for release. It was the one that hinted maybe adding a little bit more, some tongue here, a few vibrations there, would make this even better for Thomas.
Leon fully suspected that the little voice wouldn't have let him push Thomas away if his hands were free. It would have talked them into holding onto those powerful legs and never letting go.
Thomas cupped the sides of Leon's face with both hands, his rough palms surprisingly gentle. That was Leon's only warning that everything was about to change. His thumbs caressed Leon's cheekbones, pressing against the cool skin. Leon looked up, trying to watch the pleasure pass over Thomas's face, trying to see if there would be any sort of difference at all. Grady's eyes screwed shut, and then his cock jerked against the back of Leon's throat.
His grip was lax enough for Leon to slide up the length just enough for the warm fluid to land on his tongue instead of untasted down his gullet. Though Grady's hands tensed, as soon as he realized Leon wasn't abandoning his shaft completely, they relaxed enough to continue their stroking. It allowed Leon the luxury of swallowing each delicious drop, savoring the tang and texture as his lips sealed tightly around the pulsing length.
Thomas pulled himself free of Leon's mouth and ran his palm down the shaft, gathering up the few drops of come that still clung to his skin. He kept himself tantalizing close to Leon's mouth, as if he planned to try for another go. Instead, a shiver went through his frame, and then he tucked himself back into his pants.
“There's a whore in Denver who could teach you a thing or two.”
The words stung, cold and unfeeling. Leon gritted his teeth against the anger overtaking the lull absorbing the orgasm had created.
“Then maybe you should try fucking her mouth instead of mine next time. Because if you try it again, I'll bite your dick off.”
“Maybe I won't be interested in your mouth the next time,” Thomas countered. He stepped back and surveyed the area they were in. “I think we'll make camp in those trees. They'll protect us from the wind and keep you from scampering off.”