Chapter One
Twoweeksearlier
The rustling sound from inside the last horse’s stall was as familiar to Buck as breathing. Someone brushed down the horses. The repetitive noise of a brush scraping downward over and over again was oddly loud tonight. There shouldn’t be anyone left in the stables this late. That was exactly why he knew it was Sterling, and—unfortunately—he was the person Buck was looking for.
Buck headed for the back and peered inside. Obviously, he had known Sterling was back in town for a visit. But Buck had promised himself he would steer clear of any place he might runinto Sterling. Leave it to Quince to fall out of commission and leave Buck no other choice but to end up here. He knew Quince wasn’t really to blame, but he had to choose someone to take the fall.
“Don’t you live in Miami now?”
Sterling glanced up. A smile spread across his lips, as if happy to see Buck. He loathed the way that fucked with his head. And those eyes, goddamn. “I still have a house here too, thankfully. If it wasn’t in Tip’s name, Mom likely would’ve sold it the second she noticed I was gone.”
“You’re safe, then. She likely never noticed.” As the words left his lips, Buck regretted them. He saw the slight flinch they caused. Buck’s throat swelled. He didn’t want to feel anything but the rage Sterling had left behind.
Sterling being Sterling, he didn’t give Buck the satisfaction of seeing how deeply his words cut. Sterling’s mother didn’t love him. That was no secret, but Buck had no business using that particular weapon against him.
“How are you enjoying being the new foreman? The position fits you.”
“It’s only temporary. I came out here to tell you Quince is awake. Now you have an excuse to go see that guard you have your eye on.” Buck bit his tongue to keep from growling. He didn’t want to show an ounce of jealousy. Tip’s usual foreman, Quince, had recently been shot trying to protect his man. He had been in acoma for a while, and his man’s new bodyguard was a little too sexy for Buck’s comfort. Sterling could have anyone he wanted. Buck couldn’t compete. Not that he wanted to.
Sterling tossed the brush aside and focused on Buck. Damn. He was still just sexy as fuck and… beautiful. His chest hurt. “Jealous?”
Buck snorted at Sterling’s taunt. He hated how much he actually was. “You’re still the same spoiled kid who thinks everyone wants him.” Why? Seriously, why couldn’t he shut up?
Sterling’s eyes swept down Buck’s body. “Not everyone. That’s never been true. I still have a dildo named Buck that I can’t get enough of.”
In a flash, Buck sprang. He couldn’t have stopped his feet from moving if he tried. Sterling’s teasing had always been his downfall. “One of these days, being a tease will get you hurt.”
Sterling untucked the T-shirt Buck wore beneath his unbuttoned flannel. He held Buck’s stare as his hands slipped beneath the material.
Buck’s skin was ablaze with lust. His body knew who touched him. Buck’s heart knew.
“Quince won’t choose to come back. He has Jathan now. You deserve the foreman position.” Typical Sterling. Changing the subject the moment he broke Buck.
Buck didn’t soften. A muscle in his jaw ticked. He couldn’t hide his anger. “Don’t try to make me want things I’ll never have. That’s all you ever do.” Buck had sworn he would never be in that position again. Fuck. Sterling was just so goddamn beautiful.
Sterling slowly drew Buck closer. Pain and hatred rose inside Buck. There was no way Sterling didn’t see the roiling emotions with the way he held Buck’s stare. When their lips inevitably met, fire struck. Their kiss was violent. Buck wanted to die. He wanted Sterling to hurt. Still, his mouth moved to Sterling’s neck, incapable of stopping. He had to taste his skin. Buck had to smell him. Everything Buck possessed missed Sterling.
“You still smell the same.”
Buck dropped his forehead to Sterling’s shoulder. The confession slaughtered him. His hatred grew by the second. Why did Sterling torment him like this? He had genuinely believed Sterling loved him before he left town. Now all Buck had was his broken heart, keeping him company.
“Tell me you hate me. It’s okay. Say you don’t even think about me because I make you sick. Tell me all the things I deserve to hear. It’s okay.”
Maybe it was time to say those things. Maybe if he did, he could move on. “You’re right. I hate you.” He shoved away from Sterling and didn’t look back. He made it all of six feet from the stall. Buck froze. It was as if an invisible rope kept him tethered to the other half of himself. His dick strained against his zipper. Everything felt the same as before, except none of this life withSterling actually existed. This was just Sterling filling a gap in his day. Sterling didn’t understand how much he decimated Buck.
With a low curse, Buck spun. His angry stride carried him back to Sterling. He snatched Sterling off his feet and tossed him over his shoulder. Damn, he was light. Sterling had always been skinny, but this was ridiculous. It was like he hadn’t eaten since he had been gone. It still pissed Buck off that he cared. He stormed across the way to an empty stall. Buck kicked open the door.
“Fuck you for this.” The growled words sounded evil even to his ears. Buck couldn’t stop. All the love was still there. His resentment had nowhere else to go.
Buck threw Sterling down on a pile of hay inside the stall and slammed the door behind them. The rage inside Buck had him falling on Sterling like a starving fiend. That was exactly what he was—famished for the pleasure only Sterling brought. Everything happened on autopilot as Buck fought to get what he wanted—to get off and then walk away. He needed Sterling to suffer—left empty and betrayed. The way he had done Buck.
Buck didn’t slow or even recall anything he had done until he slammed inside Sterling. His gaze moved down Sterling’s body. Buck had him facedown and ass up with no mercy for Sterling’s discomfort on the rough hay. He wished his actions made him feel better. They didn’t. He was still broken. All the nights he had stroked himself and whispered Sterling’s name crashed into him. Buck needed to make Sterling pay for every pang in Buck’s soul. Buck shut down his mind and fucked Sterling hard. In the back of his mind, Buck realized he would regret not taking thisfinal opportunity to savor every second. But all Buck could think was at least this wasn’t another fury-filled night of masturbation. At least this was real.
Chapter Two
Thesmelloffreshhay surrounded Sterling. He couldn’t count the number of times he had hidden in the hayloft as a kid. Sterling didn’t know why he’d thought he needed to hide. No one had been looking for him. When Sterling’s dad had died, so too had their family. Sterling had ceased to exist. Living on a ranch hadn’t given him the opportunity to stir up too much mischief, but he couldn’t count the number of times he hoped, if he stayed hidden long enough, his mom might actually realize he was gone. He had slept many a night in the thick hay. It wasn’t technically comfortable, but the rough bedding wasn’t the worst either. When Sterling had gotten older, rolling in the hay had become a very different experience.
Sterling rolled onto his side and stared at nothing, getting stabbed in the ribs by straw and seeing only the images inside his head.
