AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Says the man with his hand down my pants,” said Clint, narrowing his eyes.
Shit. He must’ve adjusted his hand subconsciously, because he now had a handful of Clint’s pants in his grip and a very decent view of a drool-worthy package. If he wasn’t mistaken, the back of his hand was a little warmer where he’d just brushed the wondrous thing on accident.
“I’m making you dinner. It’s up to you if you want to eat it or not.” Scotland slowly pulled his hand away, giving Clint one last look before he padded to the front door. “And for future reference, if you don’t want me to eye fuck you, try wearing a bit more the next time you invite me over.”
He wasn’t the type to blame the victim, but Clint was being way too shameless not to be up to something.
“There won’t be a next time, boy. I can look after myself.”
He shut the door quietly, letting out a sigh as his phone buzzed in his pocket. No one had called him ‘boy’ in a long time, and fuck, he missed it. He missed being attracted to someone so much that it almost hurt not to have them that instant, knowing that they felt the same way. It wasn’t nearly as fun when it was one-sided.
When he glanced at his phone, he let out a wry chuckle. Maddy had sent him a simple text.
How is it going?
How in the hell was he supposed to reply to that? He’d tried to build a bridge, but he’d flooded the place instead. This was probably only the beginning. It will get better. Or maybe it was all downhill from here.
Swimmingly.
He sent back the text before heading to the other side of the house where the paddock lay. The grass was almost tall enough to cover the two occupants within the place, but he’d never been worried that a coyote would get them. Donkeys were kick ass like that, even when they were miniature.
Usually, he went straight to them after work, but he’d gotten a bit distracted along the way this time. Ducking through the fence, he glanced around, trying to spot their tanned coats against green. They were quiet when they wanted to be, always picking the most startling times to let out their ear-shattering bray.
“Dumb and Dumber? Where are you guys?” Two nearly identical heads popped up a second later, their long ears pricked toward him. It was no wonder that he hadn’t been able to find them. They’d been at the far end of the nearly two-acre paddock in a lower spot where rain gathered to make a giant mud puddle every spring and fall.
A grin stretched over his lips, and he patted his thigh at the sight of them. They were both due for a brushing, with twigs and a few plants sticking to them. And it looked like Dumb had enjoyed his roll in the remaining mud, with brown streaked along his rump in large clumps.
Dumber extended his neck, letting out a loud bray as Dumb immediately trotted his way, the grass parting around him and a few grasshoppers taking off in the stampede. His ears wobbled as he ran, his tiny hooves clearing the rocks and downed branches that always managed to trip Scotland.
“Hey, sweetheart.” he lowered himself to one knee as Dumber reached him, bracing himself as the donkey thumped its head into his chest. For small creatures, they had a lot of weight behind them and one hell of a center of balance. “You guys been good today? You didn’t scare momma fox, did you?”
He scuffed Dumb’s ears, chuckling as Dumber approached and started to nibble on his shirt. It really was no wonder he went through so many clothes.
The other morning, he’d looked out of the window, only to see a whirlwind of dirt as they chased a fox out of their field, braying and kicking as they went. Thankfully, the fox had made it back to her kits, who had been sitting by a fencepost playing.
Dumber glanced toward the cabin, letting out another long bray that made his ears ring. They were better than any guard dog known to man, and he’d never met a more loyal companion. They were smart as hell, too, despite their names.
“I know, I know.” He glanced back at the cabin, catching a flash of light as the door swung open and Clint popped his head out. The only noise complaint he’d ever had at his place had been from the donkeys when a couple had brought their dog along, despite his no-pets rule in the house. Not that he didn’t love dogs, but a lot of people had allergies, and it was difficult to get the hair out of the sofa.
“You can’t run him down, guys. I’m trying to get him to relax.” He let out a huff as Dumber nudged him, sending him to his ass. He got his feet under him as calmly as he could before standing. He had no doubt that he’d get a bit trampled if they got too excited when he was down.
Clint still wasn’t wearing a shirt, but he had donned some shoes as he walked over to the fence, a grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. He propped one foot up on the lower board of the fence, crossing his arms over the top rail as he looked their way.
“I saw the fence, but I thought it was empty. Every time I looked out, I didn’t see anything.” Every bit of his anger seemed to have disappeared, his face smooth and relaxed as he slumped his shoulders.
“Yeah, they are good at keeping out of sight,” Scotland patted Dumber before scratching his neck. He wasn’t a big fan of ear scratches like Dumb was. “But don’t let that fool you. They are little hellions most days, and they are very good at making sure you don’t forget they are here.
“Yeah, that noise scared the hell out of me.”
Scotland grinned. The first time he’d heard a donkey, he’d been expecting the typical hee-haw noise. He’d had no idea that they could sound like a cow had gone head-to-head with an ice scraper.
“Do you want to pet them? They don’t bite or anything. Come on, guys.” He patted his leg, heading back to the fence where Clint was waiting. They trotted behind him like they always did, probably expecting carrots from the way Dumber was nibbling at his back pocket. He slipped his wallet out of his pocket, shoving it into the front one, just in case. They would probably have a great time munching on his credit cards.
“They’re like dogs,” said Clint. His grin was one of the cutest and sexiest things Scotland had ever seen, with his eyes lit up. I should have just put the donkeys in the cabin.
He turned away, looking back to the pair. Clint had made it pretty clear that this was going to be a hands-off arrangement, so it was probably best to avoid looking at that attractive chest that was so hot it could melt butter.
“They’re a hell of a lot smarter than dogs,” said Scotland, ducking through the fence before turning back and kneeling down. Clint crouched beside him, bringing his hand up as the two popped their heads through the fence. “Dogs will fetch the stick for you. Donkeys are smart enough to trick you into fetching the stick for them.”
