Jamie, so independent, stripped himself to the skin, and tugged at Leland’s jeans. In that moment, they weren’t foreman and drifter anymore. They were two men coming together because they both wanted this, them together, sex in the half-dark, yes, but with the light of both their hearts shining upon it.
With his hand on Jamie’s hip, fingers tracing the demarcation between tanned and pale skin, Leland looked at him and sighed. He was even prettier naked, his cock standing up in a hard curve against his belly, dark hair between his legs, trailing down his upper thighs. A pattern Leland’s eyes adored, a pattern of skin and hair and muscle that made up this young man who had stormed his way onto the property and made a place for himself inside of Leland’s life.
“Your jeans, now,” Jamie said, moving between Leland’s legs, blocking any chance of Leland actually obeying him. “Take them off.”
“Yes, sir,” Leland said, a bit of laughter bubbling up inside of him. “Here.”
Leland eased Jamie back and stood up and peeled off his boots and socks and jeans as fast as he could. And, expecting Jamie would be a bit shy, was surprised when he stepped up and cupped Leland’s cock in the palm of his hand, his fingers between Leland’s legs, curling and uncurling. Such a bold thing he was, though in his eyes, there was a touch of uncertainty, as though he was asking himself if he’d taken it too far, too fast.
Placing his hand over Jamie’s, he made a low sound, and it felt as though Jamie had pushed through ribs and skin to stand inside of him. There was no more time to wait; his body was shouting at him that this was urgent. He sat on the bed and, pulling Jamie on top of him, tumbled to the pillows.
Sprawled between Leland’s open thighs. Jamie smiled and began scooting down as though he meant to slither lower to take Leland in his mouth and pleasure him, when that’s not how he wanted it at all.
“Here,” Leland said, holding him tight about his waist, both arms wrapped around him. “You and me both, at the same time.”
Jamie’s eyes wide, he nodded, and together, in sync, like they’d been doing it that way forever, Leland reached between Jamie’s legs and he reached between Leland’s. Jamie’s dark hair sprawled across his forehead as he looked down, as though seeing this, what they were doing, was half the fun for him. Leland kissed the side of his temple and let go of him long enough to push the hair from his forehead. Then took his cock in his hand and curled his fingers around it.
“There’s lube in the nightstand,” he said. “If you want it. If you need it.”
“No,” Jamie said with a shake of his head, sending his forelock into his eyes again. His eyes gleamed with pleasure as he looked up. “I think I’d like it lightly, lightly.”
Leland knew what he meant, what he wanted. Going lightly was different than going at it hard, and it caused more shivers, more wanting, more desire, as if lighting a single candle rather than a whole bonfire. There was something delicious in that, so Leland nodded, licked his palm quickly, and stroked him, good and soft. Lightly, lightly, Jamie shivering in his arms as he did this. Returned the favor, his fingers warm and delightful, stroking Leland, causing his belly to quake with wanting as his thighs shivered, his hand between Jamie’s legs.
They tumbled on that bed, rocking each other slowly, creating such light friction, that Leland came without warning, hard and sharp, his body loving it, his mind shocked into stillness just as all of him decided that lightly, lightly was his favorite new thing.
Jamie followed, coming in Leland’s hand, hot, silky ribbons, just after, and he held Jamie and petted him and kissed him over and over, a delicious whirl surrounding them both as they breathed and sighed and held onto each other as the night, and the air around them, became still once more.
The light from the main room was on, but Leland dozed, then came awake with a start, his heart pounding as Jamie stirred in his arms.
“Can we do this again?” asked Jamie, his voice bright, his eyes shining like stars. “Every night?”
“Jamie—” Leland’s breath caught in his throat, heartsore over the beauty of it and the mistake of it, all at the same time.
As though Leland had actually shaken his head and said no, Jamie sat up and slipped out from beneath the sheets to stand naked in the light from the half-open doorway.
“I should probably go to my own room,” he said, and before Leland could protest or, even, really figure out what would be better for him, or what he wanted—did he really want to go or just think he had to?—he had dressed and, carrying his socks and boots, slipped out the door, into the main room, and out the front door, closing it almost silently behind him.
Leland rose to sit on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. This was not how it should have gone. He would have wanted to take a shower with Jamie to clean up, then held him while they slept. And in the morning, they could have shared a cup of coffee while they stood on the flagstone patio and watched the sun come up over the low hills to the south.
That or it never should have happened at all, and then he wouldn’t have all kinds of thoughts and regrets and hope, whirling inside of him like an unexpected spring storm.
He got up to straighten the bed and then turned on the shower. He would take that shower and in the morning, he would straighten everything out with Jamie. There he stood in his bedroom for a good long while as the water ran, berating himself. There was cum drying on his thigh, and stains on the white sheets, and he’d just taken crass advantage of a young man who’d made himself vulnerable. He should not have done it, never. What had he been thinking?
In his heart he knew that what he’d been thinking was to turn a different corner this time and welcome the connection that had sprung up between him and Jamie. Someone who wanted what he wanted, or so it seemed: a simple life with simple pleasures. Someone to share chores with. Someone who would look at a far blue and green horizon and turn to Leland with a smile in his eyes.
Instead, what he’d done was take advantage of a situation. Jamie responded to him because he was his boss. Surely that was why Jamie had been turning to him, time after time, a smile in his eyes. And surely Leland should have laid down firm lines, and reminded Jamie of his policy, over and over, until it stuck. But he hadn’t. And now here he stood, having made the worst mistake he possibly could have with someone like Jamie. And he had no idea what to do about it.
25
Leland
In the morning, Leland staggered into the shower, half asleep, before the sun came up, and while he was under the stream of water, it hit him all over again. What had happened between him and Jamie could not happen again. Not because it was wrong in his heart because his feelings for Jamie weren’t wrong.
The problem was—he’d taken advantage of who Jamie was and where he’d come from. Leland had led him on, his heart dancing ahead of his thoughts and concerns about Jamie, and it was up to Leland to make it right. Not that it would be easy, no. He was already breaking his own heart, and he didn’t want to break Jamie’s, but it would be better, smarter, kinder to do it now. While the connection between them was still young. Leland dreaded doing it, but it was his responsibility, and his alone, to do the right thing.
He showered and shaved, ate a hurried breakfast in the lively dining hall, and then headed out front to where Maddy was waiting. She’d already called the repairman on the ice maker, of course, because that’s how efficient she was. She’d probably done it before she’d gone to bed the night before, knowing her. Which left Leland with nothing to do but go over the duty roster, and assign his people to various tasks, and if his voice sounded hollow in his own ears, it didn’t seem to affect anyone else.
Except for Jamie, who stood in the back row, where he usually stood, his dark hair and green eyes drawing Leland’s attention like a beacon. He could see the expression on Jamie’s face, and though they’d not talked yet, it was easy to see Jamie was troubled.
