Page 67 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
Perfection.
Hugo angled his head backward just enough so they could kiss each other on the mouth. A claiming and a declaration of what they were going forward—even if what they were was a secret for a little while longer.
Chapter Twenty
Hugo woke with sunshine on his face, a hot body draped over his, and the unfamiliar sound of someone snoring near his ear. Brand. They’d spent the night together in the bunkhouse but why was Brand in—Oh yeah. Nightmare. He half expected a bit of embarrassment from the nightmare but none came. Brand had been supportive, concerned and kind, and Hugo adored him for that. For not teasing him like Buck used to, and for all of Brand’s words the night before.
Getting into bar fights was out of character for Hugo, but he wasn’t going to let himself be bullied anymore. Especially when he’d done nothing wrong. And watching Brand bristle and snarl like a protective bulldog? Hot as hell. Hugo didn’t need a defender, but he loved knowing he had one anyway in his longtime crush.
A longtime crush sleeping right beside him, exactly where Hugo had wanted him for years. As much as he didn’t want to move and ruin the moment, he really had to pee, so he gently extricated himself from Brand’s arms. Brand snuffled once, then pressed his face into the pillow and kept snoring.
Hugo did his business, then fetched a bottle of water from the mini fridge. He’d had a few with his stash of food from the trailer, but he’d need to buy a new case soon. Maybe he could borrow Brand’s truck and hit up the supercenter this evening, get a few things to make the bunkhouse a bit homier, like curtains for the big windows. Brand would probably insist on paying for anything specific to the bunkhouse, and not Hugo’s personal needs, so he could get the tax write-off.
Brand was still sleeping when Hugo went back into the bedroom. He’d rolled onto his back, and despite the bruises on his face, he looked peaceful. And so fucking handsome Hugo’s chest ached. So much had happened in the last four days, everything from having sex in the tent, to Hugo’s arrest, to last night’s bar fights. It was all so surreal, like he’d dreamed it rather than lived it.
But memories didn’t lie, and Hugo had lived it all. He could also see himself living like this far into the future. Herding cattle with Brand, sleeping together every night, turning Woods Ranch back into the success it had always been. Loving each other and watching their family grow all around them. On this unique piece of land in north Texas.
He sat on the edge of the bunk. “You stole my heart a long time ago,” Hugo whispered, so soft he barely heard his own words. “Please take care with it, and I’ll take care with yours.”
Brand snuffled once, as if hearing the quiet declaration. His eyes moved behind the lids several times before he blinked them open. Initial confusion shifted into a bright smile when he spotted Hugo hovering over him. “Morning. Sleep okay?”
“Yeah, I did. You?”
“Like a stone. Must have been the company.”
Hugo leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Brand’s mouth. “I enjoyed the company, too. And I’d offer to make you breakfast, but all I’ve got are protein bars.”
Brand chuckled. “No worries, Mom invited us up to the house for breakfast, remember?”
“Right, sorry. So much has happened recently, I keep forgetting shit.”
“No one’s gonna blame you for that. What time is it?”
Hugo checked his phone. “Seven-thirty. Still time to shower and get dressed. Wanna save water and share?”
“Have you seen the shower in this place?”
He hadn’t actually peeked behind the plain white—and likely to break apart if they moved it too fast—plastic curtain to inspect the shower. Standing shower, not a tub, but the size of it actually made Hugo laugh. It had two separate showerheads, probably to help speed things along back in the heyday when the bunkhouse had been full, with no real light other than the standard bulb over the sink. The thing seemed designed to get guys in and out as fast as possible.
It also gave them room to share and play a little. Hugo hadn’t yet had the chance to admire Brand’s fully naked body, standing in front of him in all its glory. Work-hardened muscles, dark-blond hair on his torso and upper thighs, a few scars here and there from accidents or injuries Hugo didn’t know about. The kind of guy who’d be at home in any cowboy calendar lineup.
And he wanted Hugo.
They washed and played and both got hard, but since they didn’t have a lot of time before breakfast, simply jerked each other off before rinsing a final time. It was such a simple thing but it ticked off another box in Hugo’s long list of fantasies with Brand: shower sex. Sure, Hugo’s hotter fantasies had involved Brand pushing him up against the tile wall while fucking him from behind, but they could save that for later.
Brand had forgotten to bring a clean shirt for this morning, so he wore his same jeans and went bare-chested, because yesterday’s shirt had bloodstains on it. They walked up to the house together, and Brand sneaked upstairs for a shirt, while Hugo headed for the kitchen.
The enticing scents of cinnamon and coffee greeted him. Rose bustled about, Wayne nowhere in sight yet, and Hugo helped himself to a mug of coffee.
“Sleep well, hon?” Rose asked.
“I did, thank you. I appreciate the chance to stay close right now.” He blew across the top of his coffee. “Being able to stay here is a very generous gesture by your family.”
“Well, it’s been far too long since we’ve had folks living out there. Hard times and all, so it’s nice to see the building being used for more than just holding on to junk my husband can’t seem to get rid of. I keep saying he needs to clear that mess out, maybe have an auction. Make space for when Brand turns us into the most popular organic beef supplier in six counties.”
Hugo grinned at her absolute faith in Brand. “I’ll drink to that, ma’am. Brand has an amazing mind. Your ranch is in good hands with him.”
“Thank you, dear.”
