The Tin Star (13 page)

He knew Jamie was close to bursting, but Ethan bet he was closer and decided to help Jamie along. He slid his fingers into his mouth beside Jamie’s cock, wetting them. He was rewarded with a gasp and shudder when he ran the wet fingers down the crease of Jamie’s ass. When his fingers found the tight ring of muscle, he pushed in.

Jamie pushed back. “Oh, God, yes!”

He fucked Jamie with his fingers as Jamie fucked his mouth. The feel of that long, throbbing prick on his tongue sliding past his lips was too much. Ethan’s hips thrust into his own hand. He barely managed to cup his hand around the head to keep from making a bigger mess when he came.

Jamie tangled his fingers through Ethan’s and rocked himself back and forth between Ethan’s mouth and fingers, moaning out his pleasure. “Ethan!” He tensed, his back arched, ass muscles contracting, and spilled his come down the back of Ethan’s throat.

Ethan swallowed every last salty drop, reveling in the taste of his Blue Eyes. When Jamie finally relaxed, he slid his mouth and fingers free and watched as Jamie slid to the floor in front of him, resting his head on Ethan’s leg.

“Just give me a second, Cowboy, and I’ll take care of you.” He kissed Ethan’s jean-clad knee, then rubbed his face against it like a cat.

Ethan grinned and brushed a hand through Jamie’s tousled hair. “No need. I came before you did.”

Those blue eyes blinked up at him in surprise, then focused on the hand still cupping the end of his cock. Jamie grinned and came to his knees, kissing Ethan soundly on his lips. “Be right back.” He got up, pulled his pants up and went into the bathroom connected to Ethan’s office. He came back a few minutes later with his clothing put to rights and a wet rag, then proceeded to clean Ethan up.

Ethan laid his head back, enjoying the feel of Jamie’s gentle ministrations. When he felt Jamie putting his sated cock back into his pants, then fastening the jeans, he opened his eyes.

Jamie got back up and took the rag back to the bathroom, then sat down on Ethan’s desk facing him when he returned.

“We need to talk.”

Jamie nodded. “I kind of figured. You looked like you were trying to figure out a solution to world hunger when I came in. What’s on your mind?”

Ethan chuckled and extended his hand to Jamie, wanting him closer. “Nothing quite so far reaching, but probably just as difficult.” For him, anyway. Jamie was becoming more and more important to him, and he hated having to give him bad news ... well, life-altering news.

Jamie took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled back into Ethan’s lap. He sighed and grinned. “I guess if you want me this close, you aren’t kicking me out.”

“What? Hell, no! You are welcome here. Period. And as to the two of us ... I’m not even close to being through with you, Blue Eyes.”

Jamie smiled, showing teeth, and visibly relaxed. “Good, because I don’t think I’m ever going to be done with you. I’m afraid you may have gotten more than you bargained for. I've wanted you since I was a kid, and now that I have you, I don't plan on letting go. You're stuck with me."

Ethan groaned. Damned if that declaration didn't feel ... right. He felt almost giddy. Excited. Hell, he felt both and even more protective than ever. He grabbed Jamie by both sides of his face and kissed him.

Jamie wrapped his arms around Ethan’s neck and tilted his head, kissing him back.

“You two are not even going to believe the latest!” John’s voice startled them, interrupting their kiss. They looked up.

John came into the study and went straight to the decanter of whiskey on the bookcase, never even looking their direction.

Ethan and Jamie stared at each other. Jamie grinned and kissed his nose. Ethan dropped his hands to Jamie’s waist and leaned back in his chair, waiting for John to notice them. Hell, he’d decided he was keeping Jamie, so John was going to have to know. More to the point, John was going to have to stop barging right on into his home whenever he felt like it.

Ethan cringed as he thought about what John would have seen had he walked in unannounced only ten minutes earlier. The sooner John knew about them, the better.

John poured a tumbler of whiskey and turned around as he took a drink. To his credit he didn’t choke, his eyes merely widened as he finished swallowing. He set the tumbler on the bookcase and pointed to them. “You two? Since when? I can’t believe I’m just finding out about this!”

Ethan nodded. “Since recently ... very recently.”

“Oh, okay, then I guess you are both relieved of an ass chewing for hiding it from me.”

Jamie smiled. “Gee, that’s a relief. I think I’ve fill my quota for having my ass nibbled on today.”

John’s eyes shot wide and he looked at Ethan.

“Don’t look at me. I haven’t nibbled on his ass ... today. He was talking about the fact that Spot bit him earlier.”

John laughed, poured himself another glass and came to sit in one of the two leather chairs in front of Ethan’s desk. “Well, hell! So what now? I guess this is where I’m supposed to ask what your intentions are toward my baby brother.”

Jamie groaned and rolled his eyes, shifting on Ethan’s lap. “Give me a break.”

John winked at Ethan, then lifted his chin at Jamie. “You shut up! I’m trying to protect your honor ... or is it your virtue?” He shrugged. “Whatever.”

“How about protecting my privacy and shutting the hell up?”

“Nah.” John shook his head and took a swig.

Jamie groaned and buried his face in Ethan’s neck. Ethan couldn’t help it; he started laughing. Jamie shook his head and stood up, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile.

“Oh, good grief! Now I need a drink.” He walked over and poured himself a glass of whiskey, slammed it back, swallowing all of it before he choked. He looked at Ethan and John, his eyes watering. “Good God! How do the two of you drink this shit?”

Ethan laughed harder, and John joined in. Ethan smiled at his friend. “My intentions are quite honorable.”

John smiled. “Good. You weren’t kidding when you said he was yours and you were keeping him, were you?”

“Nope.”

John nodded. “Excellent! Guess we should celebrate. And set to teaching the youngun how to drink.”

Ethan groaned. “Oh, no! We are way too old for a drunkfest.”

“We’re never too old for a drunkfest.” John motioned to Jamie. “Bring the decanter and a glass for Ethan. We have some serious drinking to do.”

Jamie did as he was told, setting the liquor and tumbler on the desk before he sat in the chair next to his brother. “Don’t start that youngun shit! You’re not that much older than me.” He poured another glass full of whiskey, chugged it down, and winced. “So, what are we never going to believe? What has our illustrious parental unit done now? Beside backing out of the deal with Ethan?”

John shook his head and glanced at Ethan. “I want in on the deal. I was going to use the Quad J’s money, but that ain’t gonna happen now. He can’t tell me what to do with my own money.”

Ethan shrugged and poured himself a drink against his better judgment. “Fine. Jamie wants in, too. I doubt Nathan will object. The only reason your father was brought in was because you decided to use the Quad J’s money.”

John looked at Jamie. “You’re in, too?”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah, I heard y’all talking about it. It sounds like a good idea.”

Ethan took a swallow and let out a sigh at the burn. “It is. Nathan Canterbury went to college with John and me. He’s a whiz in business and investing. He came to me thinking I might be able to put up the cattle, but I told him that though my operation isn’t big enough to supply a chain, I’d love to invest. He asked if I knew anyone else who’d want in. So I called John. Of course, there was more to it than that, but that’s it in a nutshell. I’ll go over the specifics with you later.”

“’Kay.”

Ethan looked back at John. “So, what is this new development that is going to shock us?”

“Oh, it’s a doozie! He wants me to marry Beth Johnson.”

Ethan’s eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline.

Jamie slapped a hand over his mouth, but it was pretty obvious he was laughing.

Ethan recovered first. “Ted Johnson’s daughter?
That
Beth Johnson? Is she even out of high school yet?”

John shrugged. “I think so. But get this. He and Ted have already discussed wedding plans.”

A suspicious sound escaped Jamie. John glared at him. When Ethan looked at Jamie, his face was red, and he was making little muffled, snorting noises.

“What in the hell is so damned funny about this?!” John demanded.

Jamie shook his head and snorted more at intervals.

Ethan bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling at the picture Jamie made. He was sliding out of his chair and had tears in his eyes, he was laughing so hard. Or rather he was trying
not
to laugh so hard. If he didn’t stop holding back soon, Ethan was afraid he was going to need CPR.

He turned to John with a grin. “Well, I guess your daddy could have picked a worse bride. Beth is a pretty little thing. Seems feminine and ladylike enough, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

That was it; the dam broke, metaphorically speaking. Jamie’s hand dropped, he hit the floor, then let loose the guffaws he’d been holding in.

John looked down at him, then back to Ethan. “I really don’t think dad picking a bride for me is all that funny. How much did he drink?”

Ethan glanced at the empty tumbler on his desk. “Just two glasses.”

Jamie flopped backward on the floor and gasped a word at them. It sounded like “thespian.”

He and John exchanged puzzled frowns.

“Did he say she’s an actor?” John’s brow wrinkled.

Jamie laughed even harder. He tried to say something else, but ended up gasping for breath, his face bright red and tear-streaked.

Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know, but don’t let him have any more to drink. I think he’s met his quota for the drunkfest.”

Finally, the guffaws slowed to little snickers, and Jamie got back into his chair. His face was still red and his eyes were watery, but he was otherwise composed ... until John asked, “What was that about?”

After another protracted bout of laughter, Jamie finally managed to speak. “She’s a lesbian! He’s trying to get you m-married to prove you aren’t gay, but h-he’s going to marry you off to a l-lesbian!”

Ethan chuckled. “Are you sure?”

Jamie nodded. “Positive. She’s a very good friend of mine. We even joked once about getting married to cover up that w-we’re both gay.”

John smiled broadly and shook his head. He caught Ethan’s gaze. “He’s a lightweight, so he isn’t going to last the whole night at this rate. Maybe we should all eat something.”

Jamie lay on the study floor in front of the fireplace with his socked feet on the couch, his head next to Ethan’s and John’s. Their boots and belts had long since landed in a pile by the couch, which held all three of their hats. Ethan’s feet were in the opposite direction of Jamie’s, resting on the hearth. John’s feet were perpendicular. All their heads were close, but their legs were spread out, like in a pinwheel. They’d finished off the decanter of whiskey, then started on a bottle of tequila. Well, Ethan and John had, Jamie had had enough sense left to stop with the whiskey.

John was currently singing a Tim McGraw song off-key, and Ethan was ... well, giggling was the only way to describe it. Jamie grinned, he’d have never thought that such a sound could come out of Ethan. Then again, he never thought he’d be lying in the middle of Ethan’s office watching the walls and ceiling spin ... and the couch and the mantel.
Whoa. What’s that?

There was an upside-down picture on the mantel. Well, it wasn’t really upside-down, but he was. Still, he’d never seen it before, and he’d been in this office tons of times over the years. He pointed his finger above his head. “Is that a daguerreotype? Where did it come from?”

Ethan lifted his head to peer at the mantel, then dropped his head back down. “Yeah. I found it a couple of weeks ago in one of the family photo albums. It was just too cool to leave there, so I had it framed. That is Theodore Whitehall. My great-granddaddy. He bought the place back in the late 1800’s after retiring as a marshal. In the Old West, lawmen often cut their stars out of tin cans, and that’s how the ranch got its name.”

John broke off from singing and took up the explanation. “Not only was Efan’s grape-grandfudder a marshal, but hiss grandfudder was a sher’f and hiss uggle a Tex’ Roger. Law ’forcemen’ runs in the Whitehall blood. Efan hass a dagger in criminiminal justice, but when Dylan died, he t-took over the Tin Star ’stead.”

“Yeah. Sure did. I wanted to be a Texas Ranger, too, but shit happens.”

Jamie wasn’t sure how long he lay there, but the next thing he knew Fred was licking him in the face. He must have fallen asleep. A quick glance to the left, then the right, assured him that he wasn’t the only one who’d nodded off. Ethan and John were both out cold.

Fred whined.

“Hey, pretty girl, what do you want?”

She barked and pranced a bit.

“Outside?”

She barked twice and wagged her tail.

Jamie sat up; his head spun and his stomach rolled. He clutched the bowling ball that was sitting on his neck. “Whoa.”

Fred barked.

He winced. “Okay, girl, give me a second.” Jamie got to his feet slowly. Once he gained his balance and convinced himself not to heave, he followed Fred through the kitchen to the back door and let her out. Within seconds, she bounded back onto the porch. He let her back in and headed to the office to see what he could do about getting Ethan and John off the floor and into bed. He’d taken three steps out of the kitchen when his leg was jerked backward.

Fred had a hold of his pant leg, tugging.

“What?”

Fred took off into the kitchen, then the laundry room where Ethan had put her food and water dishes.

“Are you hungry?”

She wagged her tail so fast she almost knocked herself over.

He chuckled.

After making sure Fred was fed and had plenty of water, Jamie returned to the office. How was he going to get Ethan and John up to bed? John he might could carry if he had to ... but Ethan? No way. He leaned against the doorframe and clapped his hands. “Come on, guys! Up and at ’em! It’s bedtime!”