Final Encore (18 page)

before. His mind was flooded with fear, guilt, and

uncertainty. Could he chance hurting Bily? He was so

open, so vulnerable, so wiling to risk getting hurt. How

could Bily be so unafraid of what the future held? After

al, they’d only known each other for a few days. These

feelings didn’t make any sense to Ian, but he was

through trying to make sense out of things. In this

second, he was more certain than ever that he did want

Bily, but could he make it happen, could he forget the

past and love again? He didn’t know, and at this very

moment he didn’t care. With so much uncertainty

ahead, he just wanted to get lost in this moment with

this incredible man.

Bily kissed his way down Ian’s chest and

washboard abs to what waited below. He again took

Ian’s erect cock into his mouth and caressed it while he

gently lifted his legs. Releasing Ian’s dick from his

mouth, he ran his tongue over Ian’s bals and down the

crack of his ass to his opening. Bily supported Ian’s

legs over his shoulders and with his hands spread Ian’s

ass cheeks and slowly licked and teased Ian’s hole. Ian

arched his back and whimpered from the pleasure.

“Do you trust me?” Bily asked in a very soft

voice.

“Yes,” Ian whispered.

“I want to be one with you. I need to be inside

you so badly.”

The silence was deafening.

Bily thought,
He’s not ready
, and based on al he

knew about Ian, he thought he understood why.

“I want that too,” Ian said.

“No pressure,” Bily asserted.

“I know,” Ian said as he smiled up at Bily.

Bily reached for the bottle of lubricant in the

bedside table and laid it on the bed. He slowly

repositioned Ian’s legs, taking extra care with his

bandaged ankle. Bily placed Ian’s feet against his

chest. Softly, he kissed Ian’s toes. He lubricated his

fingers and slowly approached Ian’s hole and began to

massage his pucker.

Ian tensed as he felt Bily’s finger touch him. He

fought the urge to think back to the last person who had

made love to him, but he was determined to make this a

new experience between him and Bily and not haul the

past into it.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax his inner

muscles as Bily gently probed his hole with his finger.

Bily took his time, carefuly massaging and probing to

get Ian used to the feeling and to make sure he was

relaxed enough to accept him.

“Are you ready?” Bily asked.

“Yes” flowed eagerly from Ian’s mouth.

Slowly Bily positioned his dick against Ian and

pushed into him. Ian gasped when he felt Bily’s girth.

Bily was stil for a few minutes to alow Ian to adjust to

the invasion. Slowly, Bily started moving, until his dick

disappeared into Ian’s accepting hole. Ian swalowed

hard and took deep breaths as the pain turned to

pleasure and he relaxed into the ride. When Bily saw

the shift take place, he began to move in and out of Ian,

increasing the pace as he went.

“You feel so good,” Bily whispered.

Ian’s cock seemed to get harder every time Bily

thrust fuly into him. Ian wrapped both of his legs

around Bily’s torso. Bily moved closer to Ian and felt

his cock penetrate deeper into him. Through hot breath,

Bily drove his tongue into Ian’s mouth. Ian closed his

eyes, and Bily couldn’t believe how much he yearned

for this man.

Bily spread some lube on Ian’s dick and began

to slide his hand up and down over the head, down the

shaft, to the base and back up again. Ian was so hard,

Bily feared he would burst with pleasure any minute.

Bily felt his bals begin to tighten and knew he was

about to come. He started to pick up speed and wiled

his hand to match his pace stroke for stroke as he

jerked Ian off.

Within seconds Bily and Ian simultaneously shot

their loads, Ian over his stomach and onto his chest as

far as his chin, Bily filing Ian’s warm, inviting ass. Out

of breath and exhausted from the intense lovemaking,

Bily colapsed on top of Ian, and they lay there in

silence.

They had just gone to a place never imagined,

and there was no reason to believe that they could ever

turn back. Bily finaly broke the silence.

“Ian?”

“Yeah, cowboy.”

“I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“You think?” Ian said.

“Let me rephrase that. I know that was the best

sex I’ve ever had.”

“That’s better,” Ian said. Bily repositioned

himself at Ian’s side and relaxed his head on Ian’s

chest. Ian wrapped his arm around Bily and held him

tightly. Bily gently caressed Ian’s chest and teased at

his nipples.

Eventualy, Bily helped Ian to the bathroom, and

they cleaned up and climbed back into bed. They lay

there spooning, with Ian’s back tucked against Bily’s

chest and Bily’s protective arms surrounding him,

where Ian thought he could stay forever. The last thing

Ian did before faling off into a dreamy sleep was set the

alarm clock for five o’clock the next morning.

THEY were in the same position when the alarm clock

sounded. Startled, Bily sat upright. “It’s okay, cowboy,

just the alarm clock.” Ian reached over, turned off the

alarm, and puled back the covers, making an attempt

to get out of bed.

Bily put a hand on Ian’s shoulder and said,

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To start the coffee while you shower,” Ian

replied.

“Don’t be sily,” Bily said. “I’l get a cup at the

minimart around the corner. Please… stay in bed.”

Bily got out of bed, and Ian watched his naked

body, with the tightest butt he had ever seen, pick up

his black leather bag and make his way to the

bathroom. He puled the covers back up and listened to

the unfamiliar sound of water cascading off another

person’s body, a sound he hadn’t heard in over eight

years. He decided he liked it; the effect was warm and

comforting but strange and familiar, al at the same time.

Ten minutes later, his cowboy came out of the

bathroom. His towel-dried black hair was slicked back,

and he was dressed in tight blue jeans and a plaid

western shirt.

Bily walked over to Ian, leaned over, and gently

kissed him. “I’l cal when I stop for lunch, and I’l be

back here no later than six thirty this evening.”

Ian mumbled, “I’l be fine, cowboy, enjoy your

day,” as he covered Bily’s mouth with his own.

Bily looked around and found what he was

looking for. He placed Ian’s crutches alongside the bed

and whispered, “I’l miss you,” as he turned and left the

room.

Ian contentedly roled over and fel asleep almost

immediately. He woke to the ringing of the telephone.

“Helo,” he said with a sleepy voice.

“Ian, honey, it’s Jean. Did I wake you?”

“What time is it, baby cakes?”

“Ten thirty,” Jean said. “How’s that ankle of

yours?”

“Ten thirty? It’s doing much better, thanks. Those

pain pils knocked me for a loop; I can’t remember the

last time I stayed in bed past eight o’clock.”

“You need to rest that ankle anyway, honey.

Don’t you worry about it. I just caled because Jules

told me Bily had to be at the ranch this morning, and I

wanted to make sure you were okay and didn’t need

anything.”

“Thanks Jean, I’m good. Bily made me plenty to

eat, and he’l be home about six thirty. If I feel up to it, I

may join him at the saloon tonight for his show.”

“Oh, that wil be wonderful, dear. I can’t wait to

see you both.”

“Jean?”

“Yes, honey.”

“Thanks.”

“For what, honey?”

“Just being you.”

“Oh, I can’t help that, now can I? See you

tonight.”

“See you later, baby cakes.”

Ian hung up the phone and said to himself,

Home? Did I just tell Jean that Billy would be

“home” at six thirty? Oh man, I’ve got it bad.

He got up, hopped over to the bathroom, and

turned on the steam shower. While he waited for the

water to heat up, Ian unwrapped his ankle, which

looked and felt much better this morning. He hopped

into the shower and alowed the steam and hot water to

relax his body. As he stood under the faling water of

the rain shower, he decided that physicaly, he felt

pretty good. His ass was a little tender, but that was

expected after such a night. But to his astonishment,

emotionaly, he was okay.

He had crossed a line with Bily that he hadn’t

intended to ever cross again, but he was okay. In fact

he was better than okay, he was great.
Day by day
, he

told himself,
no less, no more
.

Ian rewrapped his ankle, dressed, and made his

way downstairs on his crutches. On the breakfast bar

was a note from Bily that said, “Good morning,

handsome. There’s fresh coffee in the pot, a breakfast

sandwich in the microwave and a container with leftover

shrimp Creole in the fridge. Or if you’d rather, feel free

to help yourself to anything in the fridge and don’t push

yourself too hard today! Bily.”

Ian set the microwave to a minute and a half and

pressed “start.” He poured himself a cup of coffee, and

when the microwave dinged, he put the breakfast

sandwich on a plate and hopped to the breakfast bar.

As he ate, he planned his day. He couldn’t drive, nor

did he have a car, so he wouldn’t be leaving the house.

He would first check in with his assistant to review his

calendar. He would make a few phone cals, return

some if he had any messages, and use the downtime to

listen to the stack of demo CDs he’d neglected for the

last couple of weeks. And if he was scheduled to attend

any important meetings, he could join in via conference

cal. He crutched his way to his home office and

realized he would manage just fine working from home

for the next few days, until he could drive again and go

into his office at Capitol.

BILLY made it to the ranch in fifty-five minutes. Jules

was already there and offered him a cup of coffee.

“How’s our boy?” Jules said between sips of his

coffee.

“He’s doing pretty wel, considering,” Bily said.

“I’ve never seen Firefly get spooked; do you

know what did it?” Jules asked.

“I have no idea,” Bily replied. “One minute she

was fine, the next she was on her hind legs and Ian was

in the river. It was the damnedest thing.”

Jules said, “We might want to keep her off the

trails for a couple of days to see if anything’s up with