Page 11 of Whiskey and Wildfire

Logan let out a long, weary sigh. “Well, this is just perfect,” he grumbled, kicking at the shredded remains of his tent. “I never should’ve come on this stupid cattle drive.”

I bit back a retort, reminding myself that we were all exhausted and on edge. Instead, I focused on salvaging what I could. “Let’s see if we can get Beau’s tent back up for him,” I suggested, already moving towards the least damaged structure. “And you can bunk with me. At least you’ll have somewhere dry to sleep.”

Logan stared at me for a long moment before he nodded, following my lead without complaint for once. We worked together, our fingers fumbling with wet ropes and sodden canvas. Despite our exhaustion, we managed to get Beau’s tent upright again, though it was a bit lopsided.

“That’ll have to do,” I said, wiping my muddy hands on my equally muddy jeans. “Come on, let’s get you some dry clothes.”

We trudged over to my tent, which had miraculously survived the stampede. Inside, it was a bit damp from rain seeping through the seams, but it was still a welcome shelter from the elements. I rummaged through my pack, pulling out a spare shirt and pair of jeans.

“Here,” I said, tossing them to Logan. “They might be a bit big on you, but they’re dry.”

Logan caught the clothes, looking at them for a moment before meeting my eyes. “Thanks,” he said quietly, a hint of genuine gratitude in his voice. Then he glanced down at his soaked underwear, knowing they needed to come off.

“I’ll give you a second,” I said, starting to open the tent flap once more.

“It’s fine,” he said, turning around.

And before I could say anything in reply, he hooked his thumbs in his waistband and dropped the wet fabric to the floor. I knew I should turn away, but the moment my eyes landedon that firm, muscular ass of his, all my willpower flew out the window.

I stared as he bent down, lifting his legs one at a time to slip my jeans on. His muscles flexed and worked as he tried to shimmy the denim on over his damp skin, his ass jiggling slightly as he did so. It was a mesmerizing sight, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. I knew I liked men, but Logan was a special case. Something about him put me under a spell and I found myself suddenly wanting to do all sorts of things with him despite the rain, mud, and my exhaustion from the drive.

“Thanks again,” Logan said softly once he was dressed. “For the clothes I mean. I, uh... I know I’ve been a real ass lately.”

I turned to face him, surprised by the admission. “It’s alright,” I replied. “This drive hasn’t been easy on any of us.”

Logan nodded, running a hand through his damp hair. “Still, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Beau isn’t my favorite person, but I guess I need to work with him anyway. You were right, this cattle drive needs a functioning team.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “Well, we certainly were that tonight. You handled yourself well out there.”

“Thanks,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I guess I remember a few things from growing up on the ranch still.” He turned away, his eyes going to the floor. “Even though everyone thinks I’m a useless city boy now.”

My heart lurched, and I found myself wanting to console him, to reach out and hug him and tell him I didn’t think that of him. But I stopped myself, forcing my hand back in my pocket.

“Well, city boy or not, you handled yourself well.”

He looked up at me again, a small smile on his face that made my pulse quicken. “Thanks.”

I nodded. “Well, I’m gonna change real quick and then we need to get some sleep. Rain or not, these cattle need to move come sun up.”

“Right.” Logan glanced down at the single sleeping bag on the ground. “Do you want me to go get mine?”

I hadn’t thought of that. Logan’s sleeping bag was outside, trampled into the mud, and soaked through with rain. There was no way he was going to sleep in it and definitely no way he was gonna bring that dirty thing into my tent.

“We can share,” I said, starting to strip off my wet clothes. “It’ll be warmer that way, anyway.”

“Right.”

Logan, it seemed, had more self-control than I did. He plopped down on the ground, his back to me as I undressed. I almost hoped he’d sneak a glance as I slipped off my jeans and underwear. But, despite my secret hopes, he stayed where he was. In fact, he didn’t turn around when I sat down beside him and we both laid down. He kept his back to me the entire time, staying at the extreme edge of the sleeping bag. I could hear his teeth chattering as he shivered. Over and hour in the pouring rain with no clothes… he must’ve been nearly freezing to death.

“Lean against me,” I said softly. “It’ll help you warm up.”

“Th-Thanks.”

Logan hesitated for a moment before slowly shifting closer, his back pressing against my chest. I could feel the chill radiating off his skin, and instinctively, I wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer. He tensed at first, but then gradually relaxed into my embrace.

“Better?” I murmured, my breath ghosting over the nape of his neck.

“Y-Yeah,” Logan replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks.”

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