Flashing Rico a quick grin, Adam returned to making love to Rico’s dick, lapping at the flowing juices. Attuned to Rico’s body, he felt the trembling in the muscles of his thighs and engulfed Rico to the root while sliding a finger down his crack. He teased around the rim of Rico’s hole, slipping in one finger, wet with his spit and Rico’s precome. For a few moments, Adam played a game, touching and flirting with Rico’s ass, feeling him tighten up and start to shake beneath his hands. Finger-play with Rico had officially become Adam’s favorite sport.
“Uhhh.” Rico flung his head back and came hard, shooting his cream into Adam’s mouth. Adam sucked him down without hesitation, loving the growling noises Rico made, happy he’d satisfied his lover. When Rico—still half-hard—ceased coming, he pulled out of Adam’s mouth and reached down, grabbing him by the elbows to pick him up. They kissed, and Rico licked his mouth, their tongues twining and playing against each other, and for one crazy second, Adam wanted to put his arms around Rico and ask him to hold him tight and never let go.
“I like the way I taste in your mouth,” Rico murmured in his ear. “I like your mouth on me too. But tomorrow, you better watch out because I’m coming for you.” He squeezed Adam’s ass hard, and Adam’s insides fluttered with a deep, aching need to have Rico inside him.
“You know,” he said, then pulled away to stare into those beautiful, mellow eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. But I really am happy you came to see me.”
“Me too.”
After Rico pulled his boxers and sweatpants up, Adam flicked on the light, illuminating the rooms. His mother had outdone herself making this space warm and inviting for Rico. The wood-plank floors gleamed with fresh polish, setting off the muted earth tones of the rugs. Sheer white curtains stirred in the breeze drifting through the open windows on either side of the large, king-sized bed. Fresh white-and-green-striped sheets were revealed under the dark-green comforter. The whole room spelled comfort. Adam knew without looking that his mother had placed a fresh flower arrangement in the next room, as the perfume of her favorite roses scented the air with their sweetness.
After setting his bag on the bed, Rico sat and studied him with dark, somber eyes. “How are you doing? Do you feel better being here and away from the city?”
“I think so.” Careful to keep the distance between them, Adam remained by the door. Rico on a bed proved too much of a temptation. “I’m beginning to wrap my head around the senselessness of it all. And that it isn’t my fault.”
“Your fault?” echoed Rico. “Why would it be your fault? You didn’t know that boy.”
Shit.Adam hadn’t meant to say that. Being around Rico mixed him up. “Yeah. I’m tired. I guess I’d better go to bed and let you rest as well. If you want, tomorrow I can take you on a tour of the place.”
Doubt flashed across Rico’s face. “Adam, man, are you sure you’re okay? You know, just ’cause we said to keep it light between us doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
“I’m fine.” The tightness in Adam’s throat made it impossible for him to do more than grit out the two words.
He fled to his own bedroom before giving in to the pull of wanting so badly to join Rico on that bed, if only to be held. Because no matter how many times he told himself it wasn’t his fault, Adam knew, as he lay awake another restless night, that it was. He’d sworn not to allow Wayne’s death to be in vain, and yet once again he’d broken a promise he made to him. He rolled over and stared into the unending darkness.
Chapter Nine
“Man, this placeis huge.”
They’d tramped through the west garden early in the morning, Adam declaring it the only way to work off his mother’s huge breakfast. For Rico, simply being outdoors, smelling the sunshine and fresh dirt, invigorated him and got his juices flowing. Eyeing Adam walking a few steps ahead of him, pointing out the cows in the pasture down by the barn about a hundred feet away, Rico paid more attention to how the faded jeans hugged the curve of the man’s fine ass and the way his T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, tapering down to a narrow waist, than to this season’s kale patch and milking techniques.
“Bella is more like my mama’s pet than a regular milk cow.” The breeze ruffled Adam’s red waves, and Rico wanted to drag him off, thread his hands through Adam’s silky hair, and kiss him until they both couldn’t breathe.Shit.He needed to get his mind out of the gutter and concentrate. Adam’s words last night had hit him hard, and Rico sensed he hid a past that belied the sunny smile he pasted on that morning. An air of sadness surrounded Adam, and for some inexplicable reason, that bothered Rico.
“She’s cute.” He eyed the large animal carefully and stepped closer to Adam, who laughed and nudged his shoulder playfully.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little cow. Bella wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
The sunlight sparked Adam’s hair to a halo of fire, and his blue eyes glowed in the crisp air. Drawn to his pink lips and bright smile, Rico leaned forward for a kiss and heard the hitch in Adam’s breath. He closed his eyes.
A large wet tongue licked his cheek.
“What the fuck?” Rico sprang back and stared into Bella’s liquid brown eyes while Adam collapsed against the fence post in laughter. He wiped the slobber off his face with the back of his hand and glared at Adam. “Very fucking funny.”
“If you could see your face, you’d be laughing too.”
Tears of laughter glistened in Adam’s eyes, and Rico couldn’t stop his lips from twitching up into a grin. The man looked too cute for words, and he discovered he wanted to always keep that smile on Adam’s face.
Wait, what?He didn’t think about guys like that. Maybe they’d grown closer than he normally allowed for, but, Rico decided, he could keep his distance. Promising himself to treat Adam no differently than Gideon, Rico trailed after Adam, watching him give the cow one last pat. From a distance.
“Hold up. What’s back there?” A small, ramshackle-looking structure sat off to the side of a larger, newer-looking structure. At his words, Adam turned around, and the light in his eyes died.
“It’s nothing.” Adam hurried away, Rico lengthening his stride to keep up.
“Yo, Adam, where’s the fire? Slow down.”
But Adam didn’t listen, and half running, Rico followed him into the barn, where the whinnies of horses and the fresh, pungent smell of hay and manure filled the air. With no hesitation, Adam saddled up a very large black horse, slipped a bridle over its head and jumped onto its back. From way up high, he gazed down at Rico with wild, desperate eyes. “I need a ride.”
“Can I come?” The question burst out of him before he could stop the words, forgetting all his best intentions to remain hands-off. Something wasn’t right, and Rico needed to know what it was.
