Chapter Sixteen
The ride back to the homestead certainly went much faster than their forced march earlier. Colin wore one of Patrick’s shirts to shield his stinging skin from the sun, which was a blessed relief. He’d never been so happy to see the ramshackle cabins as he was when they crested the final rise.
Patrick stayed on his mount. “I’ll go check on the herd. You all get some rest.”
Emily gazed worriedly to the south. “You don’t think he’d try to follow us? Finish the job?”
“Doubt it. He has no weapon. But stranger things have happened.”
Colin slid off his horse and winced as his raw feet hit the ground. Keegan bounded over, tongue wagging. “If we keep the dog here, he’ll bark if anyone approaches.”
“Oh, yes. He’ll howl like you wouldn’t believe.” Patrick motioned to the storage shed. “Should be some spare rope in there. He’ll just follow me if we don’t leash him.” He jumped down from his horse and quickly returned. Kneeling, he looped the rope around Keegan’s neck and ensured it was loose enough before tying it to the fence around the horse’s corral. “Back soon.”
Colin watched Patrick ride out of sight. Moving slowly, Emily and Tallara collected water from the tower to bathe, and Colin went over to help. The feeling had returned to his body now that the shock had receded, and he ached all over.
He put his boots on gingerly, hoping they would ease his feet, but walking back and forth to the tower with buckets of water to fill their basins felt a Herculean task. The torn flesh on his back stung viciously. He sat on the side of his bed once he’d poured his own bath, catching his breath, when he heard Keegan’s bark.
Forcing himself to his feet, Colin opened the cabin door and reached for the rifle he’d left propped against the wall. He knew enough of how to use one and prayed he wouldn’t have to. Luckily, Patrick came into view a moment later. Keegan’s racket died down as Patrick neared, and his barks became playful and excited.
Colin collapsed on the bed once more and drank from his canteen. He was still dehydrated and needed very much to get some rest. Patrick was soon in the doorway. “Need to disinfect your wounds.”
It was a decidedly unpleasant thought, but Colin knew it was necessary. Patrick disappeared and returned a few minutes later with an armful of medical supplies. Before the door closed, Colin spotted Keegan outside the cabin devouring the contents of a wooden bowl.
Patrick knelt and removed Colin’s boots gently. He set about removing the splinters and pebbles that were lodged in the jagged cuts on the soles of Colin’s feet. Dipping into the basin, he washed the skin before taking a bottle of whiskey and splashing some of the dark liquid onto a cloth. Colin pressed his lips together, breathing heavily through his nose, his whole body tensed as Patrick cleaned the wounds.
When it was over, Patrick positioned Colin sideways and sat behind him on the side of the bed so he could repeat the process with the welts on Colin’s back. Colin couldn’t bite back a gasp of pain when the alcohol met his raw flesh, and Patrick caressed his hair and shushed him with comforting sounds and a kiss pressed to his shoulder.
As Patrick bandaged the wounds as best he could, Colin’s eyes grew heavy. “We need to talk.”
“Later. Sleep now.” Patrick maneuvered Colin onto his side and removed his trousers with quick hands.
“You’ll be here? You won’t leave?” Whatever would happen between them, Colin wanted to have a proper farewell this time.
Patrick gazed at him for a long moment and then kicked his boots off. He shimmied onto his side behind Colin and pulled the thin sheet over them. Colin wanted nothing more than to press back against him and sleep skin to skin, but he kept several inches between them for the sake of his wounded back.
“I’ll be here.” Patrick rested his palm lightly over Colin’s hip.
Colin wanted desperately to stay awake and find out why Patrick had returned and what it meant, but sleep took him before he could utter a word.
Darkness filled the cabin, and all was still when Colin woke. The bed was empty beside him, and his stomach somersaulted unpleasantly. He told himself that Patrick wouldn’t leave again. Not without saying good-bye, at least.
Colin gingerly tested his feet and was able to stand without too much pain. He pulled his trousers on and slipped carefully into his boots, not bothering with a shirt. He found Patrick leaning against the wall of the cabin outside. He was shirtless himself and staring up at the stars. Keegan raised his head from where he lay curled up a few feet away and peered at Colin intently before relaxing once more.
“What time is it?” Colin’s voice was scratchy.
Patrick handed him the canteen he’d been drinking from. “About four, I think. Woke up a while ago and couldn’t go back to sleep. Sorry if I woke you.”
Colin swallowed. “You didn’t.”
“Feeling better?”
“Some. Still sore, but I’ll be fine.”
“Good.”
Now that the danger had passed and there were no distractions, an awkward silence filled the space between them. There was so much Colin wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure where to start. He took a breath and blew it out. No sense in beating around the bush. “Why did you come back?”
Patrick took a long moment before answering. “There’s a pub in Drayton. Brand new. Royal Bull’s Head Inn, it’s called. Thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Haven’t had a proper drink in an age. The barkeep rented me a room. Didn’t even mind Keegan staying with me. Silly dog just wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Colin smiled slightly but said nothing. He was wary of where all this was going.
“Nice bloke, the barkeep. Talked nonsense, but he was nice to look at. When he passed me the room key, his hand lingered, just for a second. But it was enough to know. Along with the look in his eyes.”
Nausea unfurled in Colin’s belly. “Is this why you came back? To tell me you’ve moved on?”
Patrick continued as if Colin hadn’t spoken. “I waited for the knock once they closed up downstairs. Didn’t take him long.”
“You needn’t go on. I’ve heard enough.”
“He was down on his knees before I could even close the door behind him and—”
“Stop! You’ve made your point.” Colin turned to go back inside, hurt and confused. “I can’t listen to this.”
Patrick’s hands were firm on his shoulders as he carefully wheeled Colin around to face him. “And I could only bear a minute of it before I sent him on his way. Because all I could think of was you. I missed you. I wanted you.” His smile was rueful. “You’ve ruined me, Colin.”
Colin didn’t know what to think. He wanted to throw himself into Patrick’s arms and forget what had happened. But he knew that would be a mistake. “You want me now. But what about in six months? A year? You may desire my body, but I need more than that.”
“You think that’s all I want?” Patrick dropped his hands.
“I don’t know! All those things you said—”
“All the things I said were bollocks.” Patrick shook his head. “When I was young, I fell in love so easily. I leaped headfirst into it with that bastard, not even looking. No thought to where I might land. I learned the hard way.”
“That everyone lets you down. I know.”
“Yes. No.” Patrick struggled to find the right words. “I didn’t want to let you down either. It hurt when I found out the truth, and that you’d kept it from me. And it terrified me. That you could cut so deep. I swore to myself I’d never let it happen again. I’d never let someone in.” Patrick shook his head. “But it was too late. I fell a long time ago.”
Colin’s heart soared, but he schooled his emotions. “And what happens when I disappoint you again?”
“You won’t. It’s in the past now.”
“I will, though. Disappoint you. I made a dreadful mistake and I’ll do my best not to make another, but I’m not perfect, Patrick. Neither of us is. But you just ran away. What’s to stop you from doing it again?”
“There’s nowhere for me to run. Not without you. I came back to see if I’d made a mistake. And when I saw you with those men, when I thought you might die, that I’d returned too late…that I’d never hold you again…” He cupped Colin’s cheek. “Then I knew I’d made a mistake.”
Colin leaned into Patrick’s touch instinctively. He wanted so much to give up all protest. “What if—”
Patrick took Colin’s hand, brushing his thumb over the ring on Colin’s finger. “Don’t tell me you don’t want me to stay. It’s always been more than lust between us. We both know it.”
Grasping Patrick’s hand, Colin searched his eyes. “You truly want to stay?”
There was no hesitation. “Yes. This place feels like home in a way I can’t explain. I want to be here. With you. Because I love you.” His lips twitched up. “In case you hadn’t figured that out already.”
A little part of Colin couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. He stole his arms around Patrick’s waist, and leaned in close. “You love me.”
“Aye. I think it started when you told me to just throw myself into the ocean if I was so miserable not going to the gallows.”
Joy sang through Colin’s body as Patrick’s words soaked in. “I’ve loved you for…always. Always, Patrick.”
Their lips met, and Colin felt as if he was floating, drifting away on the night breeze. They kissed tenderly, breathing each other in, touching and tasting. He’d never thought he’d kiss Patrick again, and he reveled in it. But when he shifted on his feet, he couldn’t hold back a wince as one of the cuts smarted.
Patrick broke away. “You need to get back to bed. Rest.”
Colin kissed Patrick’s neck, suckling on the tender skin. “Mmm. Rest is the last thing I want to be doing in bed right now.”
Chuckling, Patrick bent his knees and lifted Colin off his feet, his arms locked over Colin’s ass. “Back inside with you, then.”
They laughed as Patrick shuffled Colin into the cabin, closing the door behind them with a kick of his foot. He placed Colin on the side of the bed and reached for one of Colin’s boots, but Colin swatted him away. “I’m not an invalid. You’ve already undressed me once today. Yesterday. Whenever it was.”
Smiling, Patrick ignored him and removed Colin’s boots anyway. Colin lifted his hips, and Patrick peeled off Colin’s trousers. Patrick’s playful smile transformed into a gaze of desire, and he licked his lips, skimming his fingers over Colin’s thighs lightly, sending shivers up Colin’s spine. His cock was already half-hard and growing heavy in anticipation.
Colin reached down and pulled Patrick’s head to meet him, his fingers tightening in Patrick’s hair as they kissed hungrily, all levity vanishing. Colin wanted Patrick, and he didn’t care how sore his body was. His ache for Patrick was far greater.
Breathing heavily, Patrick stood and quickly shucked his trousers and kicked his boots to the corner. His swollen cock already jutted out from its nest of dark curls, and Colin squeezed it with his palm as his tongue teased the head, flicking into the slit. Taking the hot flesh into his mouth, he traced a pulsing vein with his tongue, eliciting a low moan from Patrick.
Patrick rocked on his feet, and Colin took him in, opening his jaw farther, his senses overwhelmed with Patrick’s taste and scent. He sucked greedily, eager for more. After a minute, Patrick groaned and guided Colin’s head back, his cock slipping from between Colin’s lips. In a few deft movements, Patrick was on his back on Colin’s bed, and he lifted Colin astride him, hands strong on Colin’s hips.
They kissed as Patrick caressed Colin’s body, never touching the wounds on his back. He stroked their cocks together in one fist as his tongue swept through Colin’s mouth.
Despite the pleasure simmering in his veins, when Colin straightened up to catch his breath, he couldn’t ignore the flare of pain across his back where the whip and relentless sun had left their marks.
His face darkening with concern, Patrick slowed their pace and ran his fingertips over Colin’s chest, circling his sensitive nipples. He bent both his legs, feet flat on the thin mattress so that Colin could lean his lower back against Patrick’s thighs.
Patrick held Colin’s left hand and took the first finger into his mouth, his tongue tracing the metal band there. As Patrick closed his lips over two more of Colin’s fingers, they filled his mouth and he sucked obscenely, tongue swirling. Colin’s cock throbbed at the sight, and he took a shuddering breath.
Colin’s fingers dripped with Patrick’s saliva. Patrick guided Colin’s hand down between them, Colin lifting up a little on his knees. He teased the crack of Patrick’s ass with slicked fingers, and Patrick urged him on, guiding Colin to his waiting hole.
His pulse thrumming with exhilaration, Colin slipped a finger into Patrick’s tightness. Their eyes were locked as Colin stretched him with another finger, and Patrick gripped their cocks together as a moan escaped his lips. “When you’ve healed…”
Nodding, Colin worked the third finger in. He knew without asking that Patrick didn’t allow just anyone inside him. Thinking back to how long it had taken Patrick to kiss him, he leaned down and pressed their lips together. They both panted between little kisses, sweat on their skin even in the cool night.
Colin thrust his fingers in and out of Patrick’s heat as Patrick rubbed their cocks together, flicking his thumb over the heads. Sweet tension pooled in Colin’s stomach as he twisted his fingers, searching for the little nub that would take Patrick over the edge. He brushed it with his knuckles, and Patrick gasped with pleasure, Colin’s name on his lips.
As Colin repeated the motion, Patrick increased the speed and pressure of his fist around their leaking cocks. When Colin rubbed against that spot inside him for the third time, Patrick shook and clamped down on Colin’s fingers. He spurted thick ropes onto his chest and neck, still stroking their cocks, milking himself and urging Colin over the edge as Colin slipped his fingers free.
Patrick snaked his other hand down to Colin’s bollocks, kneading them together. Colin’s release scorched him from the inside out, his seed splattering Patrick as he shuddered and cried out. The pleasure rocked him, and he gripped Patrick’s thighs, fingers digging in as he shuddered. Breathless, Colin composed himself slowly and then leaned his hands against his lover’s chest. As they recovered, Colin swirled their semen together on Patrick’s skin. Marking him.
Lifting one finger to his mouth, Colin tasted their seed. Patrick groaned, and his spent cock twitched. “You’re going to have me going again if you keep that up.”
Smiling, Colin took another taste before easing himself off Patrick. He lay on his stomach, arm draped across Patrick’s chest, his leg settled between Patrick’s thighs. Patrick turned his head, and they kissed softly.
“Did you know it was Christmas?” Colin asked drowsily. “Yesterday. No. Days ago now.”
“Tried to get back in time to spend it with you.”
This pleased Colin greatly. “Shall we have a belated celebration once Robbie is back?”
“Think Tallara can make mincemeat pie?”
“The Australian version, perhaps.”
They laughed and talked, and as dawn approached, they slept, safe and sated in each other’s arms.