The whole time I’d been here since my dad’s heart attack I’d been staying in the garage apartment. It was something my parents had built as a place for potential buyers to stay in if they traveled long distances to see the horses, but with all the people in for the wedding, I’d given up the apartment to Alex’s family. All the guest rooms were full, and the house was packed. Honestly, it was a little too much for me. I’d happily moved my stuff out to the bunk in the tack room. It was literally nothing but a bed and a small bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower stall. Its purpose was for Meg to have a place to stay near the mares when they were foaling. But it suited me fine, and by evening, I was looking forward to getting to the room.

I’d spent most of the day playing with the kids, helping set up for the wedding, and doing my best to avoid Matt. For the most part, I’d been successful. We’d had some mild interactions, like around the table when we ate or when we both got roped into playing dominoes with my dad, but mostly, I’d managed to stay far away.

“I’m going out to check on the horses and shut down the barn. I’ll be back in a bit,” I said as I headed out the back door. This was my favorite time to be out in the barn. There was something peaceful about the sound of the horses at night. I walked through checking on each horse, making sure they had water and giving them some extra hay. I made it to the end stall where my horse waited.

His name was Harley, and he was the thing I’d miss most when I returned to Austin. I grabbed a brush and stepped into his stall. He loved it when I brushed his flanks, and honestly, it calmed me to do it. I was talking quietly to him when I heard the barn door open. I stuck my head out of the horse’s stall to see Matt entering the barn. I took a deep breath and exited the stall, being sure to close the door behind me.

“What are you doing out here, Matt?” I asked.

“I thought I’d come out and see what you were up to,” he said as he casually leaned against the barn door.

“I’m just doing the evening chores. Work’s never done on a horse ranch.”

“Really, is that what you were doing? I thought maybe you were out here avoiding me,” he said, pushing off the door and stalking toward me.

I took a step back and tripped over a bucket I’d left sitting there. I felt myself falling backward and flailed my arms in an attempt to right myself, but I knew it was no use and I was going down. Until a pair of strong arms grabbed me and pulled me back upright.

“Whoa, easy there, cowboy,” Matt said pulling me close. God, it felt so good to have his body pressed against mine. But no matter how good it felt, I reminded myself that I’d decided this was a bad idea and took a step back. And ended up flat against the wall. Shit. I put my hand against his chest to stop his forward movement, and he stared into my eyes.

“Matt, we can’t do this,” I insisted.

“Why, Lincoln? Why can’t we? Did you find someone else while you were here?” He took one finger and trailed it gently down the side of my face. My breath caught, and I shivered. Damn him for being able to do that to me with just a touch. “Someone else who can make you feel the way I do? If so, say the word and I’ll go.”

I thought about lying to him and telling him there was someone else, but that had never been my way. “No, Matt, there’s no one else. I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been here. Time to realize I want something different when I get back to Austin.”

He reached up with his left hand, covering the one I still had pressed against his chest. He slid his hand under mine and twined our fingers together joining our hands. Never breaking eye contact, he lifted our hands and pressed mine into the barn wall just above my head. He pressed his body against mine, trapping me between him and the wall. He stared deep into my eyes for a moment, searching for something, then a sexy grin spread over his face. He moved his mouth to my ear close enough I could feel his breath. I stood there frozen waiting to see what he’d do next. “Well then, it’s a good thing we aren’t back in Austin yet, isn’t it?” he asked, and then he kissed the spot right behind my ear that he knew drove me crazy.

“Matt,” I groaned as he kissed and sucked and nipped his way down my neck. My body involuntary pushed against his, seeking more. More contact, more Matt.

“God, Linc, I’ve missed this, missed you,” he murmured into the hollow of my neck.

I heard what he said, but I chose to ignore it. I knew it was the sex talking. Matt didn’t actually miss me, but right now, I really didn’t give a shit. Right now, I just wanted. It’d been months since anyone had touched me like this, and even longer since Matt had. “Fuck me, Matt. I need you inside me.” He pulled back and looked at me. His pupils were blown, and his face flushed.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “This really isn’t why I came out here. You just… I just…”

I had no idea why he was hesitating, but there was no way we were stopping now. “Yes, I’m sure. Come with me.” He stepped back, but didn’t let go of my hand, and I led him into the bunk room where I was staying.

When Linc said Come with me, I stepped back to let him go. I really didn’t come out here for this; I came out here to talk. I was hoping to apologize for the night he got the call about his dad, and maybe call a truce. But he was just so damn sexy. I’d always had a thing for cowboys, and Lincoln… put him out here in a barn with horses in his boots and hat, and damn. But no matter what I came out here for, he made that comment about wanting something different once he got back home to Austin and the fear that this might be my last chance to touch him overrode my good intentions.

He led me to the front of the barn and through a door into a small room. It basically was nothing but a bed. “You have that whole huge house over there, and this’s where you stay?”

He laughed and said, “Not normally, no. We have a garage apartment attached to the house, and that’s where I’ve been staying. I just moved over here so Alex’s family could have the apartment.”

“You’re a good man, Lincoln Reynolds,” I said.

“Well, honestly, I did it to get away from all the craziness over there, so don’t go nominating me for sainthood or anything,” he chuckled.

“I mean it. You’re a really good man,” I insisted.

“No, Matt. None of that. I can’t handle that from you. I don’t want you to be nice to me; I want you to fuck me.”

I stopped and stared at him, and I almost turned and walked out. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to push me into a sex-only box, and I got it. That was pretty much what I’d insisted on, but that wasn’t what I wanted now. He didn’t know that though. I didn’t know if I should leave, try to explain, or what, but the vulnerable look I saw in his eyes made me stay. I didn’t say anything. I knew he hated showing that side of himself, but knowing it was there told me if I played my cards right, I still had a chance. So, for tonight, I’d let it go and just give him what he wanted.

I reached for him, pulling him to me and kissing him like this was the most important kiss of my life. I pushed him up against the wall and began to devour him. He grabbed my ass, pulling me closer and grinding his rock-hard cock against mine. Aside from Lincoln, I normally chose smaller men, but I loved the way his body fit flush against mine, all of our parts lining up perfectly. I threaded my fingers in his hair and jerked his head back roughly, and he groaned as I sucked on his Adam’s Apple. I slid one hand up under his shirt and found his nipple. At first, I lightly brushed my thumb over it and he inhaled sharply. His nipples were so sensitive. I loved that about him. I moved my mouth to his and kissed him deeply, our tongues fighting for dominance as I grabbed his nipple and twisted, hard. He gasped and went still.

“Who’s in control here, Lincoln?” I asked firmly. I wasn’t sure this was the right way to take this tonight, but if this was the only time we’d be together, I wanted him to remember what I could give him.

He licked his lips and looked like he wasn’t sure what the right answer was. So I tightened my grip in his hair just enough to sting a little.

“Lincoln?” I asked again.

“You are, dammit,” he spat out. “You’re in control.”

I loosened my grip in his hair and feathered light kisses up his neck and over his lips. “That’s right, baby. I’m in control, and that isn’t a bad thing, Lincoln. I’m going to make you feel so good.” He whimpered, and if possible, my cock got even harder. God, I loved it when he made that sound. “Okay, clothes off. On the bed, now,” I ordered him, and he didn’t hesitate to comply. “I want you on your hands and knees waiting for me.”

I stripped off my clothes as I watched him get into position. He was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. He was big and strong, with defined muscles and a perfect ass. I ran my hand down his back into the dip where it swayed down and up over his firm buttocks. “Fuck, Linc, you’ve gotten even more defined since I saw you last,” I said.

“Ranching’s hard work,” he said looking over his shoulder at me with a grin. “You like?”

I let my hands roam and said, “Oh yeah, I like. Do you have lube and condoms out here?”

“Somewhere, probably in that bag. I haven’t taken them out, haven’t needed them,” he said while pointing to a bag on top of a couple of boxes by the door.

“Good, you stay right there like that and wait while I get them.” I went over to the bag and quickly found what we needed. Stalking back toward the bed I said, “Ass up, elbows down.” He quickly dropped his elbows to the bed which pushed his ass farther up. “Mmm,” I hummed in appreciation. I opened the bottle of lube and poured some in my hand coating my fingers. I ran one index finger between his ass cheeks and he jumped.

“Fuck, a little warning would be nice,” he growled, and I slapped his ass.

“Did I tell you to talk, Lincoln?” He shook his head no. “I don’t want to hear a word out of your mouth unless it’s yes, Matt, please, Matt, or thank you, Matt. Are we clear?” I asked him and gave his ass another swat.

“Yes, Matt,” he said begrudgingly.

I chuckled as I slid a finger inside his waiting hole. “Good boy.” I watched as I moved my finger in and out of his body. “Damn, I missed your ass,” I said as I added a second finger and waited as his hole adjusted. Once I felt the muscles around my fingers relax, I added a third and he moaned. “You like that, don’t you, Lincoln?”

“Yes, Matt,” he breathed out.

“You always did enjoy having your ass fingered. Sometimes I thought you were going to come just from that,” I said as I increased the speed and the force of my movements. “Do you think you could come just from me fingering your ass, Lincoln?” I asked as I brushed over that bundle of nerves that I knew would drive him crazy.

“Oh fuck, Yes, please, Matt, I want to come,” he begged.

“You know I love it when you beg,” I said as I pressed on his prostate again. “But no, Lincoln, you can’t come yet. Not until I say you can. Do you understand?”

He whimpered but didn’t answer. I shook my head and made a tsking sound, giving his ask another swat. “I asked you a question. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Matt,” he hissed.

“Yes, what?” I asked as I rolled on the condom.

“Yes, I understand. I don’t get to come until you say so.”

“Good, boy,” I said as I rubbed his ass where I’d left my handprint. “I love seeing my handprint on your gorgeous ass,” I said as I lined myself up and pushed inside him. He let out a long groan and pushed back against me, forcing my cock deep inside him. I grabbed his hips and held him there against me enjoying the feel of his tight, hot channel around my hard length. “Fuck, Lincoln, your ass feels so good.” I could feel his body pulsing with the need to move, but I held him there until I wasn’t sure I could take it anymore.

“Shit, Matt. Please, please move. I need you to move,” he begged, and that was what I was waiting for. I began to thrust in and out of him hard and deep. “Yes, harder, Matt. Please harder,” he continued. I knew I wasn’t going to last long. This was too much, too perfect. I reached around him, wrapped my hand around his cock and began stroking him in time with my thrusts. “I’m going to come, Matt. Please, I can’t wait.”

I felt the tingling sensation in my balls that signaled my pending orgasm. I used my free hand to grasp him and pull him hard against me, impaling him on my cock and holding him there. “Now, Lincoln, now.” I held his body against mine as his orgasm coursed through his body. I felt hot, wet cum flow over my hand as I continued to stroke him. The muscles in his ass tightened on my cock, squeezing it and sending me over the edge as the force of my own orgasm spread through my body.

We both collapsed on the bed heaving and trying to catch our breath. Normally in the past, when the sex was over, I quickly left the bed, but not this time. I tried to convince myself this wasn’t the last time I’d hold this man in my arms, but a part of me knew it might be, and I didn’t want it to be over yet.

“Um, I’ll just go get cleaned up,” he said as he started to get up.

I reached for him before he could go and pulled him back against me. “Just let me hold you for a minute, Lincoln,” I said. “Please.” He turned his head and looked at me, confusion in his eyes, but he settled against me and I wrapped my arms around him. I nestled my face into the crook of his neck, and as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what I’d been missing all these years. This feeling of utter peace and contentment that holding my lover close brought.