Day, Xondra - Menage on the Prairie (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read online

  “I could not care less what anyone thinks,” she snapped. “People are far too hasty with their judgments, and, well, to hell with what they think.” No sooner had she said it, a hand shot up and covered her mouth in surprise. “I’m sorry. I never meant to carry on so.” She blushed crimson.

  They were nearing the homestead.

  “There is nothing wrong with speaking your mind.”

  “A lady should never cuss. It isn’t very becoming.”

  “Perhaps. There it is, just up ahead.” He pointed to their right. “That’s Carney’s River, but it’s nothing more than a brook, really. It supplies us with water and irrigates the crops. Up yonder across the way is the upper pasture for the horses. We also keep a couple cows for milk and some hens.”

  “Of course,” she agreed.

  “We call the farm Cottonwood, hence the sign.” The wagon passed through the gates which now indicated they were on his land. “And we’re home.”

  * * * *

  So this was now home. Kate looked around as they pulled up to the small house. It was so foreign to what she had been used to in the city. Up until then she had only enjoyed a life of extreme privilege. This would take some adjustment.

  “This is it,” said Joe, climbing out of the wagon. After he helped her down he retrieved her bags, leading her inside the structure.

  “There are three rooms. This is the main area, there is the stove, the cupboards. We have a basin for washing up right over there and the two rooms at the back are bedrooms. We will share one while Ryan has the other. The outhouse is out back.”

  From behind the curtain of one bedroom a man appeared. He was about her age. He was tall, at least a foot taller than Joe, and tanned. A mess of black curls covered his head and when he smiled, he revealed two deeply embedded dimples planted firm, one in each cheek. He stepped forward and held out his hand.

  “I’m Ryan Starke, Joe’s hired hand. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Kate Summers. Joe’s told me a little about you. How do you do?”

  “I’m well thank you, and yourself?” He gently squeezed her hand.

  Kate smiled. Already she liked him. He had manners. She was a great judge of character, and as she looked him over, her heart skipped a beat. He was so strong-looking, masculine, yet he retained this boyish charm that sparkled with wonderment in his deep-brown eyes. They certainly did not make men like this back in the city.

  “I’m a little overwhelmed,” she replied. “It’s been a long journey here and everything is new. It’s a lot to absorb.”

  “That is totally understandable.” He motioned to Joe, who now stood off to the side, looking a tad amused. “We will have to do our best to make you feel at home. After all this is your home now. I’ll go see to the horses now while the two of you become more acquainted.” Upon leaving, she noted that he’d winked at Joe.

  “If you’re hungry I can fix you something. Ryan tells me I’m not half bad at cooking.”

  “Coffee would be good,” she said, taking a seat at the small wooden table. “I’m not hungry, but coffee would be spot-on.”

  Joe sat next her and sipped his own hot brew as she gingerly added sugar and milk to her own.

  “How long has Ryan been with you?”

  He paused for a moment. “I guess it’s been ’round about two years and a bit now. He’s not from around here. I met him by chance. He was just passing through looking for work. He seemed decent enough, so I took a chance and hired him. I have never regretted it.”

  “It’s good to have someone to rely on like that.” Kate thought back to her father. The only person in her life she could ever rely on was her own departed mother. But that was the past and there was no use in thinking about it now. “Good friends are hard to come by,” she added.

  “Yes. For tonight I will bunk with Ryan. It wouldn’t be the right thing for the both of us. Well, not until we’re married.”

  She sipped her coffee, felt the warmth float down through her. “That’s only right. I had my doubts about you, Joe, I’ll be up front about that. But you’re a proper gentleman and I thank you for it. It’s a rare thing to find this day and age.” She paused for a moment and thought of Darcy and all that he was—nothing more than a liar and a rake. Even now with the time that had passed, she still harbored ill feelings toward him.

  “It’s just who I am.” He stood and pushed his chair into the table. “You should rest. I’ll go help Ryan. I also have some other things that need attending. If by chance you need me before I get back, all you need to do is holler.”

  Chapter Two

  Ryan had just walked the horse into the barn to brush him down when Joe entered.

  “What do you think,” Joe asked, “of Kate? She’s something isn’t she?”

  He nodded, saying nothing.

  “It’s going to take some getting used to having a woman around Cottonwood,” continued Joe. “But I think she’ll do well, once she settles.”

  “She’s nice, Joe. I’m glad for you and I wish you both the best.” It was a bold-faced lie and one that shouldn’t have been told, yet he said it anyway.

  “Ryan, I never meant for things to turn out like this. You know that, right?”

  He didn’t dare look Joe in the face. The pleading in the man’s voice said more than enough. And while his heart screamed one thing, his mind told him to stay firm and strong.

  He felt Joe’s strong hands on both his shoulders, massaging. “Tell me you don’t hate me. I need to hear that now.”

  “Hate isn’t something I feel, Joe. You’re doing what has to be done. I do understand, it’s just going to take some time for me to adjust, and I will. I just need time is all.”

  Joe’s hands now left his shoulders and then entwined around his waist, pulling him close. He could feel Joe’s breath, hot against his ear. “I still love you, for what it’s worth. That will never change.”

  Ryan nodded and closed his eyes, doing his best to not let his emotions take over. “You should get back. She’ll wonder where you are.”

  “She’s taking a nap. She will probably sleep for hours after that trip. You smell so damned good. I never tire of your scent.”

  Ryan shuddered as he felt Joe’s hand slide inside his shirt.

  “This isn’t right. If she should come out here, it would just confirm the rumors about us.”

  It was the rumors that had started this whole kerfuffle.

  Two bachelors couldn’t run a farm together, living side by side in these parts, without being the brunt of vicious gossip.

  Ryan knew it was Mrs. Roswell who started to seed ideas into the minds of their fellow townsfolk. The sad thing was it had really started to affect them. The men of the town had avoided them, and to go into town to trade became a real chore. Between the looks and the whispers, neither man could bear it.

  It was Joe who came up with the idea to find a wife. A wife would make all the gossips and naysayers eat their words. So, he placed an ad in the paper, an ad that would be syndicated. Many responses flowed in, but only three had held any interest for Joe.

  A Miss Beulah Belfridge and a Miss Fanny Merriweather had been the other two respondents. In the end, Miss Beulah, who had included a small photograph, wasn’t in any way his type, looks-wise. And Miss Fanny, in her three-page letter, came off as rather boring and stuffy.

  So here they were. This was to be their new life. Roles would soon change and nothing would ever be the same.

  Ryan felt Joe pull away from him. “This would never have had to happen if the people in this damned town had kept to their own business.” Anger welled in Joe’s voice. “They couldn’t leave us alone.”

  Ryan shrugged his shoulders and went back to brushing the horse, this time paying particular attention to the mane. “They’d never leave us alone, Joe. You know that. Our kind or anyone different will never be welcomed in Cotton Plains.”

  He turned and watched as Joe stormed off upon hearing those words. However, it was true and
often the truth hurt the most.

  * * * *

  Joe loved Ryan with every fiber of his being. It hurt to know that they had to hide and lie about their love. It wasn’t something they had planned, it just happened. He needed to get away for a bit, and a walk down to the river would do him good. It would help clear his head and when he went back to Kate, he’d be calm once again.

  Joe thought back to the first time he’d met Ryan as he walked. A cool breeze blew across his face. Looking upward to the clear, blue sky, angry as he was, a smile crossed his lips.

  It was early spring and the first year of planting for Cottonwood. The land had come his way via his father who had purchased it with his own intentions of settling in the area to work the land with his only son. But when a heart attack took him suddenly their first month there, Joe was left on his own. His mother had passed away five years previous. He was now alone in the world for the first time ever.

  He remembered sitting on the steps to the house, wondering how in the hell he was going to manage all the work on his own, when a shadow appeared, standing over him.

  He looked up and squinted to see who it was, and there was Ryan, standing there, shuffling awkwardly from side to side, holding his hat in hand.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, standing up.

  The man nodded. They were around and about the same age, give or take a year. “I was wondering if you had any work. I’m passing through and, well, I just thought I’d chance it and come and ask.”

  He needed the help. Hell, there was no way he’d be able to plant the fields on his own. “I can’t pay ya. I’m just about flat broke. All I have is my animals and the seed. I can offer you a place to stay and food.” He paused, waiting for an answer.

  “Name’s Ryan, and, sir, that’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time. I’d be mighty pleased to take you up on it.”

  They shook hands. Joe introduced himself and then went on to give Ryan a tour around the farm.

  They planted and worked hard from daylight till dusk to get the job done, and when it was, they both sat back, pleased with all their hard work and sweat.

  “It’s all worth it in the end isn’t it,” said Ryan, standing back, looking over the vast expanse of what they had just finished. “Just to know that come late summer, early autumn this field will be full and ready to harvest. It’s amazing when you sit and think about it.”

  In the past few months, Joe had come to learn that Ryan was of a different sort. He wasn’t much like the men he was used to. Ryan was quiet, yet the guy could be downright funny at times with an odd sense of humor. And work, he would never be outdone by anyone. He soon found he liked having Ryan around, and by harvest he’d decided to make him an equal partner in the farm.

  “I can’t take you up on that Joe,” said Ryan adamantly the night when it was first proposed. Ryan paced the cabin, a look of disbelief splashed across his face. “This is yours. It’s what your father started. I have no right or claim to any of it.”

  Joe sighed and threw both arms up in the air. “Without your help, I would have sunk. You know it, and I know it. The bank would have taken this place like that.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. “I’m doing what I think is right. Stop being so stubborn and just say yes to it. I can’t run it without you.”

  Together they both sat in front of the fireplace. Outside, it was nippy, but inside they were comfortable, both staring into the flickering flames. Joe sat in the stuffed chair while Ryan sat on the floor, his legs pulled up to his chin. “I’ll need some time to think. I’m not sure if I even want to stay. I might move right on down the road once the harvest is over.”

  “What? Why would you do that? I need you. I just said that.” The fact was, there was a whole lot more to it, and Joe’s heart skipped a beat thinking about Ryan leaving him. Why, he didn’t quite know.

  “It might be best for the both of us, Joe.”

  “Don’t say that.” He didn’t know what Ryan was trying to say, it made no sense.

  Ryan was up and on his feet again, standing there, again his eyes in the flames. “I just did,” he muttered.

  Now he was on his feet, and in one fast gesture he grabbed Ryan by the arm, his grip firm. “I won’t let you leave, I won’t allow it.”

  Ryan turned to face him. “You won’t allow me? If I want to go, I’ll go. And there won’t be any stopping me.”

  Joe knew this was true. He stepped in close to Ryan, their gazes meeting, locking on to one another. And when Ryan kissed him gently, he didn’t dare pull away.

  For a moment they both leaned onto one another, staying in that position, each breathing hard. Joe rested his head on Ryan’s shoulder. “I didn’t expect that,” he said, his voice breathy.

  “Neither did I,” replied Ryan. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

  Joe released him from his embrace, leading him to the back of the cabin into his bedroom. It felt right.

  Face-to-face, chest-to-chest, they embraced again.

  For so long he’d been alone. He wasn’t even sure what to do but figured it would all come back to him. But hell, he was excited and it showed as Ryan pressed his leg against him.

  Ryan’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on Joe’s shirt. He was trembling. Come to think of it, Joe was, too.

  Slipping out of his shirt, he fell back onto the bed and pulled Ryan down on top of him. He grinned, looking up at the guy. “I never thought the day would end like this,” he said, with a light chuckle.

  Ryan’s eyes lit up, the little flecks of green held within the brown shining in the glow of the moon beaming in through the window. “Neither did I. So many nights I lay in the other room, wishing that I could come in here and sleep next to you.”

  “I never knew.” Ryan’s hands slid across his bare chest and traced down over his abdomen. When they stopped, they rested on his crotch. It had been ages since anyone had touched him there.

  “I want to make you feel good, Joe.” Ryan unbuttoned his trousers. Joe gasped when Ryan’s hand pulled him free and started to jack his cock up and down. “How does that feel?” asked Ryan, licking his lips. “That’s one heck of a cock you have, mister.” Ryan grinned. “I have to taste you.”

  Joe let out a deep groan when he felt Ryan’s tongue sliding across the tip of his cock. He reached down and grasped the back of Ryan’s head, guiding him along as Ryan swallowed him down, taking him deep inside his hot, wet mouth.

  Ryan looked up at him. “Man, you are so hot. Let’s get you out of those trousers. I want to see you naked, all of you.”

  “You too,” ordered Joe, his mind reeling with possibilities.

  Joe placed both hands behind his bed as he watched Ryan standing beside the bed, first pulling off his shirt over his head, revealing a tanned, muscular chest lightly sprinkled with dark hair which trailed down into his tight-fitting trousers. His eyes then moved lower, to the impressive bulge that now stood prominent.

  He’d never been with another man before, and the thought of what was contained within the constraints of those trousers excited the hell out him. He reached down and started to stroke himself as he watched Ryan remove the rest of his clothing. And when the trousers came off, he licked his lips at the sight of the thick cock that throbbed in front of him.

  Both men, now naked as they day they were born, slid under the bedclothes and came together, each one’s warmth permeating into the other. Outside, the wind blew cold against the windowpanes, but inside the heat was on.

  Intertwined together, they covered each other in a myriad of hot, passionate kisses, their tongues exploring each other’s most intimate places.

  Ryan guided Joe toward his cock and encouraged him to take it inside his mouth, to suck it, lick it, worship it until he was on the verge of coming. But he could not and would not allow that to happen yet.

  “I want you in me,” murmured Ryan.

  “What?” asked Joe, not sure he quite understood what the guy was saying. Then, feel
ing stupid, he kissed Ryan on the cheek. “Ah. Mmmm… I can do that.” Damn, he could burst just thinking about sliding his hard cock between those lily-white muscular globes.

  Ryan shimmied himself into place on the bed, lifting his butt slightly in the air.

  “Are you sure you want this? It may hurt.” Joe spit on two fingers and reached down to grease up Ryan’s tight hole. “Have you ever?”

  “Long story, but you’re the first for a long time.”

  Taking aim, Joe pressed into him. The tightness was overwhelming. He winced slightly, doing his best to proceed. Ryan let out a deep, guttural moan. Was he in pain?

  “I’m hurting you,” said Joe.

  “No, no. Don’t stop now. Just ease in slowly, like you’re doing.”

  Joe balanced himself with one hand while reaching up with the other to run his fingers through Ryan’s curls. “Man, it feels so good. I’m in there now. Every inch of me is inside you.”

  “Oh, yeah… Joe, fuck me nice and deep. I want to feel your balls against mine.”

  Joe bit down on his lower lip. The feeling was incredible. He withdrew slightly and then slid his cock back to the hilt.

  Together they moved as one, bucking back and forth, the sweat from Joe’s chest coating Ryan’s back.

  “I’m going to come,” whispered Joe. He plunged deep within Ryan’s ass and could feel the fire rise deep inside his loins.

  “Just do it, all over my butt. I want to feel your hot cum all over my ass.”

  Joe grinned. Hell, he’d been grinning the whole damned evening since this started. He withdrew his cock, looking downward at Ryan’s quivering hole, his sweaty ass cheeks shining in the dark. With one hand now on his cock, jacking, he knew in less than a minute he’d be covering those cheeks in molten-hot cum.

  He yelled out into the dark and closed his eyes as cum spurted from the head of his cock in streams, and for a tiny minuscule of a second he felt as if he’d pass out from sheer, unbridled pleasure. “Fuck!”