Page 23 of Lost and Found

“I don’t know.” Russell hated that answer, but it was all he had. “It is surprisingly silent right now, and I’m not sure if that’s bad or good.” His legs vibrated with excitement, while at the same time, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Russell inhaled deeply, Rafe’s intense scent filling his nose, sending his brain soaring. He closed the gap between them. This wasn’t the time to be analyzing the situation the way he would a business proposition. Russell needed to use other parts of himself, and even though he had reservations, his heart and body had ideas of their own.

As soon as Russell’s lips touched Rafe’s, all he could think about was how to make it last. Their kisses a few days ago had only whetted his appetite. Russell pulled their bodies together, deepening the kiss as Rafe held him so tight, any space between them disappeared to nothing. Hell, Russell wanted to climb Rafe like a damned tree.

Rafe drew away first, and Russell blinked. “Not in here,” Rafe said. He pulled Russell across the hall into his room, then closed the door. Rafe pushed right against him, the door panels pressing into his back, but Russell didn’t care. Rafe was like a live wire, radiating energy in all directions, and Russell took it in, his own body sizzling with each of Rafe’s touches.

“Damn…,” Russell whispered. “I always knew cowboys were hot….”

Rafe flashed a quirky smile. “You don’t know the half of it.” He threaded his fingers through Russell’s hair, tilting his head slightly upward before taking his lips in a kiss that left Russell breathless and his mind completely short-circuited. His knees grew weak, with only the door and Rafe’s embrace keeping him upright.

Finally Rafe pulled him toward the bed, and Russell fell onto it with a slight bounce. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Rafe as he tugged open his shirt and then shrugged it off. Holy hell, the man was stunning! He thought his imagination had done a pretty good job of filling in what was under Rafe’s shirt, but damn, his mind had fallen far short. Just the sight of Rafe’s warm skin, dusted with dark hair across his pecs, had Russell’s mouth watering. He leaned forward, winding his arms around Rafe’s waist, and latched his lips onto his skin, longing to taste him. Rafe was heat personified, and Russell stroked up his back, his lips blazing a trail across Rafe’s skin.

Rafe pressed him back down onto the bed, tugged his shirt up over his head, and then tossed it to the floor. Their kiss completely took away Russell’s ability to think, so he simply went with it, letting go of everything in favor of pure instinct. He had spent days thinking about Rafe, and now he had him in his arms. Whatever consequences there might be, they could come as they would. Russell could do nothing to stop this now.

“Holy Jesus…,” Russell muttered when Rafe snapped the button on his pants and shucked them down his legs, then swallowed Russell’s cock in one smooth movement. Russell refused to wonder where Rafe might have learned that and groaned hard, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as wet heat surrounded him. “Rafe…,” he whimpered, winding his fingers through his soft hair, unable to move. Rafe had him completely under his spell, and Russell sincerely hoped the magic never ended.

Rafe backed away and kissed him hard, and Russell tasted hints of himself on Rafe’s lips. Somehow Russell had expected Rafe to be more tentative. He wasn’t sure why, but damn, he loved that Rafe wasn’t shy. And for that matter, neither was Russell. He rolled Rafe on the bed, smiling down into his intense eyes, loving the fact that Rafe seemed to look at him with maybe a touch of wonder. Russell loved the look and loved that he’d been able to put it in Rafe’s eyes.

Since neither of them had their boots on, the rest of their clothes came off relatively easily. They rocked against each other, flailing their legs until the last of their clothes fell to the floor and Russell found himself skin to skin with Rafe. The man was fine in every sense of the word, and Russell made time to look at him, running his fingers over the lines that crossed his chest and side.

“What happened?” Russell whispered.

“That one is courtesy of Whirlwind, and the one on my side was given to me by a bull named Bumblebee. That bastard had one hell of a sting.” He shimmied slightly as Russell ran his finger along the old wound.

“Does it hurt?” Russell asked.

“No. It only feels funny when it’s touched,” he whispered.

Russell drew closer, locking their gazes together. “Then maybe it hasn’t been touched the right way.”

“I have lots of scars,” Rafe said. “I hope they don’t put you off.”

Russell shrugged. “We all have them. Some are on the outside, there for all the world to see.” He kissed Rafe and then slid his tongue around a nipple, eliciting a groan that echoed in the room. But Russell didn’t stop there. He slid downward, running his tongue over Whirlwind’s memento. Rafe shivered. “See what I mean? Sometimes all we have to do is own the scars that we carry and then they don’t have as much power over us.” Russell bore his own scars, though they weren’t as apparent as some of Rafe’s.

“I don’t know about that,” Rafe said.

“I do. The people we let into our heart are the only ones who have the power to break it. But….” He kissed one of the scars again. “Letting someone else in can heal it too.”

Rafe sat up and cupped Russell’s cheeks in his hands. “How do you know?”

Russell blinked. “Because I’ve had my heart shattered. And it almost cost me some things I truly love—the business I poured my soul into, as well as my family. He could have taken everything from me. And it’s taken me a long time to learn to trust again, to let go. Hell, I’m not even sure I’m there yet. But I’m trying.” He didn’t continue. There was no need.

“So what do you suggest?” Rafe asked seriously.

“I don’t know.” He grinned. “More of this.” He kissed Rafe again, holding him as tightly as he could. Life held no guarantees for anything except hurt and pain. That also meant that when the chance at happiness came his way, he’d be a fool to turn his back on it. “Lots more of this.” He kissed him again, and this time their lips were busy for long enough that talking seemed like a waste of breath, energy, and time. Because while he had Rafe in his arms, no words were necessary.

RUSSELL LAYback on the mattress with Rafe, half asleep, his head resting on Russell’s shoulder. He didn’t want to move, but he could hear the dogs outside the door and he figured at any minute…. Sure enough, a single scratch followed another.

“I think the dogs are jealous,” Rafe mumbled.

“Your uncle spoiled them rotten,” Russell said. “He loved all three of them.”

Rafe nodded and rolled over. “Maybe if we’re quiet, they’ll go lie down.” He sighed and nuzzled closer. “I remember a black lab when I was a kid.”

“Skipper,” Russell said. “I remember him too. He died about ten years ago, I guess. Mack was so upset, and he swore that he’d never have another dog again.” Russell put an arm around Rafe’s shoulders.

“What changed his mind?”

Russell shrugged. “One of the dogs on our ranch had puppies, and we brought one of them over here. Mack took one look and the protestations died on his lips, especially when the little mutt crawled up onto his lap, licked his face, and then tore into the house, looking for food. Mack named her Lightning because of her coloring, and she was with him up until last year. When she passed, he had two of the other dogs, and I brought Lola over when we had another set of pups.” The scratches came again, and Russell got up and opened the door. All three dogs pranced in, and he managed to make it back into bed before three heads peered up looking for room.

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