Colorado Fire - Colorado Heart 2 (2 page)

Tammy followed him out of the barn where he ran into Zander. The horse shied away as he and Zander tangled arms, their faces almost pressing against each other. Zander laughed and grabbed Marshal's shoulders, having no idea what havoc he caused.

"Hey, give me five minutes and I'll come with you." Zander brushed by Marshal, not giving him time to say no.

Marshal turned to Tammy and looked her in the eye. "Don't say a word."

He tied off Tammy's reins on a rail and went searching for Zander, finding him in Dusty's stall. The dark brown mane on the horse almost matched Zander's hair. He thought about Zander tossing off all his clothes before jumping onto Dusty's back, riding the gelding bareback. His dick jumped and he turned away, unable to even look at Zander.

"Hey Marshal, could you help me. I need you to push the strap over here. I can't seem to grab it."

Reluctantly, Marshal turned and grabbed the strap, his fingers brushing against Zander's.

"Thanks so much." Zander seemed totally unaffected by their contact but Marshal was reeling from the touch, his heart hammering and his breath had almost stalled.

"Sure." Marshal tried to sound unaffected, but he couldn’t hide the attraction for long. Before Zander could ask him to do anything else, Marshal went outside to his horse and adjusted the saddle before unhitching her from the post. He put one foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over, settling in the saddle. Tammy pranced around, and he allowed her to have the bit for a few seconds before he took control, making sure she knew he was the boss. She was easy to lead, falling under his command when he brushed one hand over her withers.

Zander led Dusty out of the barn then adjusted the saddle before easily mounting the horse. Marshal watched the entire process, groaning as Zander swung his leg over the back of the horse. It was near torture for him to spend this much time with Zander, but he sure as hell didn't want to not spend time with the man. He craved the contact and hated it at the same time.

"Where are we going?"

"I thought I'd ride out to the back pasture, checking a few things out, just looking at the land and fences."

"Cool."

The sun warmed Marshal though there was a cool breeze coming off the mountains. Tonight, it'd be too cold to be on the range without a coat; right now, it was still nice. For ten minutes they rode in silence, Marshal forcing his thoughts to the ranch and things that needed to be done. They had a few cows, not many, just enough so they could be considered ranchers. The horses were there to give legitimacy to their operation. They sold some of the mustangs they bought, but not nearly enough to give them a good income.

They crested a small rise and the wind picked up. Four vultures were circling low about a half-mile away, their black bodies standing out against the sky. "Vultures."

"I see that. Let's go investigate." Zander urged Dusty into a canter and Marshal followed on Tammy, adjusting in his saddle to get the rhythm right as they moved down the road.

Zander stopped and he slowed Tammy, stopping beside Dusty. "What do you think?" Marshal asked. About twenty yards away, two vultures picked at a carcass. "A wild animal?"

"Let's have a looksee." Zander dismounted and secured Dusty to a tree branch ten feet away. Marshal did the same with Tammy then followed Zander to the vultures. They were halfway there when the big birds took to the air.

Marshal stopped walking but Zander kept going. He watched Zander's ass, wondering how it would feel in his hands. The man was tall and lean with little padding in the back, but he bet the round globes of his ass would feel good, even if they were small.

Zander glanced over his shoulder and halted, arching one eyebrow. Marshal's body heated, his face feeling like it was on fire. He'd been caught lusting after his best friend, and he wasn't gay. At least that's what he'd been telling everyone including himself, but now he didn't know. His desire to experiment with guys had been growing, and Zander had been at the center of his fantasies. He shook off the uncomfortable feeling, covering his faux pas.

"So, what do you think?" Marshal asked.

Zander turned to face him, not taking his eyes off Marshal as he strode closer. His stomach turned and twisted, hoping Zander didn't say anything. They stared at each other for a long moment then Zander turned to the carcass, taking a few more steps. Marshal stayed beside him, not wanting to get caught checking out the man's ass again.

"It looks like a wolf," Zander said.

"Yeah, not sure what killed it. Probably age. From what I can see, the fur doesn't look healthy."

"At least it wasn't one of the horses or cows."

Marshal nodded then turned back to the horses, taking ten steps before Zander caught up, falling in step beside him. They'd been friends for so long and were close as brothers. He couldn't ruin their friendship with this attraction.

"Hey, do you want to head into Colorado Springs and do something fun this weekend?"

Marshal sucked in a breath, wondering how dangerous it would be for him to be alone with Zander. "Grant is still gone. I don't know if I could enjoy myself."

Zander placed his hand on Marshal's shoulder, stopping their steps. Marshal stared at the dirt, trying to control his emotions, but Zander wouldn’t let him get away with the downcast eyes. His fingers under Marshal's chin were enough encouragement for him to lift his head. Sparks shot from where Zander touched all the way to Marshal's toes.

"You need to take a break. You're stressed and you need some fun time."

Marshal swallowed over the lump forming in his throat. The care and concern in Zander's gaze did him in. Tears stung the back of his eyes, and he fought to get them under control, but the stress of the last few weeks had weighed him down. He tried to turn away from Zander, but the man caught him and pulled him into a crushing hug.

Desire and anger twisted trough him, leaving him aching to hold Zander and wanting to push him away. Zander's hands were close to his shoulders then one of Zander's hands traveled down Marshal's back, leaving little electric tingles behind. Marshal memorized the way Zander's hands moved, slow and gentle as the man rubbed Marshal's muscles.

"You need to relax. Just let it all out," Zander whispered.

Marshal's dick did the opposite of relax, and he tried to move away, but Zander didn't let go. His nose was pressed against Zander's neck, and he drew in a deep breath, taking in the masculine scent of his best friend. The soap Zander used smelled like fresh mountains on a spring day. He loved catching a whiff of the man after a shower, but now, with his body pressed up against Zander's, all he wanted to do was strip him naked and make love to him. Marshal lifted his head just a bit, placing his nose behind Zander's ear. Little curls tickled Marshal's nose, and he jerked back, lining his cheek up with Zander's. The scruff felt good against his skin and he almost groaned.

Marshal hadn't done it on purpose, but now they were cheek to cheek. Zander's hands rested on the small of his back and his fingers were curling into Zander's hips, holding him steady as he slid his lips over just a bit, lining up with Zander's mouth. The first brush of lips could have been played off as a mistake, but the second slide of his lips against Zander's couldn't be brushed off as a slip-up. The moan from deep in his throat gave further evidence that he wanted this.

Had he been thinking straight, he would have pulled back, telling Zander he was sorry and it meant nothing. He didn't do that. His tongue pressed against Zander's lips, demanding entrance just as he tightened his hold on the man.

All of his fantasies and dreams didn't come close to how wonderful it felt to be connected to Zander, his tongue sliding against Zander's. Tasting a man for the first time made his throat squeeze, and he struggled to breathe before forgetting to take in air all together.

Hot and heavy came quick on the heels of the sweet brush of lips. Marshal pressed his hips against Zander's, grinding hard. Their dicks bumped, and for a moment, he felt like he was going to shatter into a million pieces.

But it ended. Zander pulled back, gasping as he stepped away. His hand was on his lips, his blue eyes wide pools of confusion. Marshal wanted more, wanted it all, though he wasn't sure how they'd get there, or who'd do what, but he wanted to feel Zander's flesh up against his. One second passed with nothing said, then another. Marshal took a step toward Zander but his best friend bolted, unhitching Dusty and taking off at a gallop. He raced away from Marshal, a trail of dust in his wake.

Being dumped by a girl hurt, and he'd been mildly serious about a few when they walked away, but watching Zander run from him was like having his heart ripped out and tossed to the vultures. Numb from rejection, Marshal mounted Tammy, finishing his ride to the back pasture though he saw nothing.

The taste and feel of Zander still clung to him when he arrived at the barn, finding Dusty but no Zander. After taking care of his horse, brushing her and securing her in the stall, he fed her some grain, all the while building his courage. When he was done, he went in search of Zander, hell bent on apologizing to the guy, or offering something like an apology that would explain what he'd done. He'd do anything to make it up to Zander and show him that their friendship was still intact. But Zander had taken off, leaving the ranch without a word where he was headed.

Chapter Two

Zander drove south on Highway 75 heading to New Mexico. The kiss had sizzled his neurons. He only had one option—to flee. If Marshal ever figured out what he wanted to do, he'd kill him.

"Fuck!" he screamed, banging on the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Goddammit. Marshal—fuck." That hug had been his fault. He'd screwed up, touching Marshal without shuttering his feelings, and stowing his desires in the little box he kept them tucked away in, only letting the passion for Marshal out at night when he was all alone and he could pretend Marshal was more than just a friend. His come sock had Marshal's name scrawled down the side—not literally, but if the words he said when jacking off became real, printing themselves on the cloth, he'd be found out.

His phone buzzed and he checked the caller ID.
Duff
. He wanted to ignore the ringing, but he couldn't blow off Duff.

"Hey," he said, trying like hell to sound cool when he was anything but calm.

"We need you back here. Grant called in."

Zander drew in a slow breath, fear pinging around his body, causing his hands to shake. How in the world could he face Marshal after he kissed him like that? There was nothing innocent about the way he'd rubbed his dick against Marshal's or the way he'd slid his tongue inside Marshal's mouth, taking advantage of his vulnerable state.

"I'll be there." Zander hung up and slowed, checking his rearview mirror, seeing that few cars were behind him. Pulling onto the median, he waited for a car to pass before driving back onto the freeway, heading the opposite direction.

Marshal was the strongest man he knew. He had it together like nobody else Zander had ever known. But the man wasn't a robot and he had limits. Zander had been watching, seeing the pain behind the pretense that Marshal showed the rest of the world. Marshal hid it well, but Zander had been looking closely, studying the man as his fantasies grew. Since they were best friends, it had been easy to get close. Now he knew all about Marshal's emotions, how hard he tried to hide his unhappiness and how close he was to breaking.

A state trooper slid in behind him, staying close all the way to his cutoff, forcing him to drive the speed limit. It took him longer to get back to the ranch than it had to leave, and though it had been more than an hour since the kiss, his lips still held the sweet feel, and if he really focused, he could still taste Marshal on his tongue. It was torture, so he ignored the taste, or tried to ignore it.

Before walking into the house, he braced himself, preparing to look Marshal in the eyes and pretend like he hadn't done anything wrong. His body betrayed him though, craving the man's touch. If he could have a dream day, he'd be with Marshal in a cabin totally alone, no phone, no Internet, and they'd be naked. Zander shook himself, pushing away the erotic thoughts. He opened his truck door, glad that none of the guys were outside to see his sorry state. Each step closer to the house brought more weight to his shoulders. He glanced to the mountains standing proud as a backdrop to the homestead, wishing he could escape and hide, but he had to face the music and deal with they way he'd come on to Marshal.

The door opened, revealing Billy, "Hey, hurry up. We're waiting for you. Come on."

Zander followed him in, his gaze seeking out Marshal. Pain lanced his heart as Marshal ignored him, not even looking up. Shit, he'd ruined everything. They were best friends and now they didn't even have that.

"Zander, glad you're back." Duff called out. "Marshal, get him up to speed."

The air grew too thick to breathe. Duff didn't know. How could he? Marshal and he were best friends, it wasn't any secret, but none of these guys had any clue that he'd kissed Marshal almost two hours earlier.

"Sure," he moved toward his best friend, waiting for the guy to look at him, but Marshal kept his head buried in the papers, his shoulders stiff. Terrible pain twisted through Zander, and he wanted to drop to his knees, begging Marshal to forgive him, pleading to go back to what they had before.

Zander settled in the seat next to Marshal, inching the chair closer to his friend, accidently bumping into his leg. The air around them was stiff with unspoken words. The muscles on Marshal's forearm popped out as he clenched his fists. Unease filled Zander as he waited for Marshal to speak. Five seconds passed that seemed more like an hour. Zander held his breath, unsure how to even talk to Marshal.

"We've blown up a map of the area in Leeds where Craig is known to have been. The building is circled in red."

Zander pushed away the uncomfortable feeling, concentrating on the maps laid out on the table. They weren't working in the conference room, but had spread out in the kitchen, taking over every available space. Duff didn't like to set up out here often, but on special projects, they took over the main room of the house, choosing to eat as they worked instead of taking breaks.