“What was that about? Do you know these people?” Ian asked blandly.
Rick couldn’t tell how Ian was feeling, although his mate did press into the hand on his back for a moment. Ian smelled amazing, even over the scent of dung, hay, and horse.
“Charlie and his mate are good friends of mine, although it’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen each other,” Rick admitted reassuring his mate that there was nothing for him to worry about. “There was a time when I was a part of the rodeo circuit, and we often traveled together, or would be at the same events.”
“And this Pip you mentioned, is he your friend too?”
“Yep. That’s Charlie’s mate. You’ll meet him later, at the grill they are doing. Pip makes the most amazing pork spareribs. They are honestly divine.”
Rick kept a smile to himself as Ian let out a bit of a growl. It was cute, like when a puppy is trying to get a stick off a larger dog, but they don’t really have enough oomph.
At least that was how Rick saw it. Ian would soon learn that Rick was someone he could trust. Thanking Charlie when his friend brought over the second horse, Rick tethered him to the railing before grabbing two brushes and handing one to Ian. “Okay, let’s talk about how to approach a horse,” he said quietly.
“Er… should we even approach them at all? Or like, put our hand out so they can sniff us first?”
“You could.” Rick chuckled. “But horses have big teeth and a tendency to bite. You want to watch the front and the back end of a horse at all times.”
“But…” Rick mentally sighed happily. Confused Ian was adorable. “They’re not shifter horses, so aren’t they upset over our animal sides. They can sense that sort of thing, can’t they?”
“These horses are well-trained and used to crowds and shifter types.” Rick and Ian both looked over their shoulders as one omegashrieked and started flapping their arms when a horse snorted on them. That horse did not look happy as he snapped its teeth at the silly omega. “Most of them,” he added, directing Ian back to the horse he would ride. “Your animal side would be able to tell if the horse is upset.”
“All right.” Ian straightened his shoulders and then looked down at the brush. “So do I?” He lifted the brush and mimicked an up and down movement in the air, but not actually touching the horse.
Moving around so he was between both of the horses, Rick held his brush up. He’d already slid the brush over his hand, so the bristles were pointing out from his palm. “You want to move in the same direction as the horse’s hair,” he said, running his hand down Beauty’s neck and following it with the brush. “You don’t want to press too hard, although be firm. Think of it like a massage. You want Annabelle to know you’re there and you’re caring for them, and that you are smoothing their hair, not trying to rub it off. Just long, soothing motions.”
As Rick spoke, he was brushing Beauty’s neck and across his back and flank. He looked up when Ian said nothing. His mate was clutching his brush in both hands, watching Rick’s hands, his nostrils flared and the tip of his tongue peeking out from his full lips.
Oops. Rick wanted to adjust his dick so badly, but there was nowhere for that appendage to go. Swiping over Beauty’s side one last time, he moved around to where Ian was standing and gently took one of Ian’s hands and placed it on top of his—the one holding the brush. “Like this,” Rick rumbled.
Some of the horses and riders were already heading out, and while the pile of hay in the corner of the barn was really tempting, Rick wanted Ian to get something from the event itself.He would certainly get something if youtook him to the hay.
Pushing his bear back, Rick smiled. “Relax your arm. There you go. See how Annabelle’s just standing there. She’s perfectly happy with what you’re doing.”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Rick had to step back. Ian’s ass, encased perfectly in those worn jeans, was right there. It would be so easy to press up against his back, slot the lump in his pants against that cute dip in Ian’s…
“Did you want stock saddles, or the regular riding ones, Rick?”
Charlie’s intervention was probably well-intentioned, although in that moment, Rick was hard-pressed to tell what those intentions were.Ian deserves more than being fucked in a barn,he chastised himself.“I’ll take a stock saddle, thanks, Charlie, and Ian… are the event people doing anything more than just riding, or are they going to put on barrel racing and things like that as well?”
Charlie shook his head. “Health and safety regulations. We’re putting on demonstrations. I’m sure Ian will be fine with a regular saddle, and it’ll be a lot more comfortable as well, being a newbie.”
“My thoughts exactly, thanks.”
Charlie hurried off, and Rick focused on Ian again. Running his hand over Annabelle’s flank, he could tell she was ready for the saddle.
“I didn’t even know there were more than one type of saddle,” Ian confessed quietly. “And I have no idea what this barrel racing business is.”
“That’s why you signed up for the event, wasn’t it? To learn new things?”
“I signed up to meet you, and look…” Ian winked at him from where he was bending to reach Annabelle’s underbelly. “It worked.”
Bent over Ian was a work of art. His ass was like a delicious ripe peach, just begging for a bite. Deliberately pushing down on his dick,Rick showed his teeth. “I’m the gift that keeps on giving,” he said as he hurried off to help Charlie with the saddles.
Gods, could I get any more cringe? Pull yourself together, man.
Resting Ian’s saddle over the railing, Rick wiped his hand over Annabelle’s back one last time. “When you’re saddling your horse, keep in mind what I said about smoothing out the hair. Even when putting on the underblanket, you want to think about going with the line of hair… in this case, from front to back. Can you imagine if someone was ruffling your fur the wrong way?”
