Page 69 of Wellspring
Reichardt’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out.
Judge Morrison nodded sharply.“Marshal, you have your orders.In the absence of any will, all property belonging to Reichardt will be auctioned off in one week’s time.I will remain in town to preside over the affair.I assume there’s a room I can rent for that time?”
Parnell dragged a struggling Reichardt out of the church as the townspeople began to cheer.Cade slumped back into the pew.It was done.
They’d done it.
They’d won.Without any of their secrets coming to light.Reichardt was in chains on his way to the gallows, all his property about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder or bidders.Cade wouldn’t be one of those people, but Miz Roarke might be, at least enough to guarantee direct access to town.
It almost seemed too easy, but Cade wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Go on,” Miz Roarke said softly.“Payne and I will likely be stuck here all day, possibly longer with the auction and all.Head back to the ranch and let the others know the outcome.And Cade?”
He paused in standing to meet her kind smile.“Ma’am?”
“I don’t expect we’ll be back tonight.”
He touched a finger to the brim of his hat.“Ma’am.”
“And Webster?”Payne added.“Don’t break any furniture.”
CADE WASN’Tsure he’d made better time riding back to Wellspring the night of the attack.There was no longer a reason to avoid crossing over JR land, though he kept a wary eye out anyway.He didn’t think any of the remaining hands, if there were any, would care enough to avenge Reichardt’s arrest, let alone his conviction once they learned of it, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.Not when he had the prospect of a night alone with Erick to look forward to.
Chiles was patrolling the fence line when Cade reached the border of Wellspring land.He gave him the good news, then galloped to spread the word to the rest of the hands.
He barely waited for Nahnia to halt before he vaulted to the ground, his gaze fixed on Erick seated on the porch of the ranch house, looking good enough to eat.Of course he always looked that good to Cade, but that did nothing to diminish the pulse of anticipation that hummed beneath the surface of his skin.Tonight was theirs.
“You’re back earlier than I expected,” Erick said when Cade bounded up the steps to the porch.Cade grabbed Erick’s hands to pull him up and danced him around.All the way back in Galveston, he had imagined dancing with Erick.The circumstances didn’t resemble his fantasy, but the reality of Erick in his arms was far more erotic than his imagination.And knowing what other news he had to share only made it better.
Erick laughed at his antics.“I take it the verdict went in our favor?”
“Judge Morrison found Reichardt guilty on all counts.Parnell is taking him to Fort Concho to hang,” Cade said.Heart pounding, he met Erick’s eyes and delivered the rest of his news.“And Miz Roarke and Payne are staying in town until at least tomorrow.”He leaned in and stole a kiss, pulse picking up even more when Erick returned it in spades.“Payne told us not to break any furniture.”
Erick turned a most becoming shade of scarlet.“I doubt I am capable of anything active enough that it would break a spiderweb at the moment, much less any furniture.”
“Maybe not,” Cade said, “but that’s not the point.The point is that I can stay the nightwith their blessing.We can sleep in the same bed for once, even if we do nothing but sleep.For one night, it can be just us.”And if he hoped he could persuade Erick to do more than just sleep, that was between him and his gods.For now, he’d settle for this.
Javier cooked up a special dinner—roast pork with green beans and creamy, cheesy grits—to celebrate the news of Reichardt’s conviction, and Burke broke out a bottle of his home-brewed hootch to toast the verdict.Cade shared his friends’ need to celebrate, but the desire to be alone with Erick was stronger.Each time Erick’s leg brushed his beneath the table, each time Erick leaned against him or bumped his shoulder, Cade wanted to say to hell with them and spirit Erick away.He forced himself to be patient, to wait until Burke’s liquor had made the rounds a few times before he stood and drew Erick with him toward the house.If anyone noticed, no one saw fit to comment on it.
“I have been most diligent in performing my breathing exercises,” Erick said when Cade closed the bedroom door behind them.“I should have enough stamina to… return the pleasure you have offered me.”
Cade caught Erick’s hands in his own and brought them to his lips.If Erick had made that offer the night before down at the creek, he’d have jumped at it, but now, here, in a real bedroom, in a real house, with the prospect of an entire night ahead of them, he wanted… not something different, because he wanted exactly what Erick was offering—he wasn’t dead, was he?—but more.“Glad to hear that, because I intend to offer you every pleasure you could imagine and more, but tonight there’s no rush.I don’t know what tomorrow or next week or next month will bring.I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to arrange our own place like Kit and Mac have.So tonight, I want it all.Will you do that with me?Will you share that with me?”
“I will share all I have and all I am with you.”Erick raised Cade’s hand to his lips in turn.“I wish only that I had more to offer.”
“You have yourself.That’s all I want.”He cupped Erick’s jaw in one hand to angle his head for a kiss and slid his other hand inside the collar of Erick’s shirt to trace the skin of his neck and shoulder.Erick’s lips parted beneath his, letting him in.Cade resisted the urge to plunder, keeping the kiss tender, though he swept his tongue in to taste and claim.
Erick’s tongue met his, parrying Cade’s sweetly as Erick staked his own claim for long moments before having to draw in a breath.Cade reveled in the knowledge that Erick wanted this as much as he did, that he was Erick’s as Erick was his.Erick worked open the buttons of Cade’s shirt and pulled it free from his waistband.“We have no threat of Grace coming to send you back to the bunkhouse tonight.”He pushed the fabric easily down Cade’s arms, his grip steady now in a way Cade had missed since his injury.
“Finally being able to get naked with you is one of the things I looked forward to the whole ride back,” Cade admitted as he dropped his shirt to the floor and reached for Erick’s buttons.He undid them and parted the fabric but left the shirt hanging on Erick’s shoulders, his hands resting against Erick’s ribs.The tips of his fingers brushed against the scar on Erick’s chest, unsure of where the limits were.“Is this okay?”
Erick shrugged free of his own shirt and drew Cade closer.“I have looked forward to this also.”Cade had felt the touch of their chests before this, but it was more intense now, the rasp of scar tissue reminding him of how close he had come to losing Erick completely, and how strong Erick was.He spared a moment to give silent thanks for Erick’s survival and recovery.Cade slid his hands gently down Erick’s sides, careful not to press too firmly, but Erick caught his shoulders and dragged them together.“Let me feel you.”
“Any way you want.”Cade backed Erick toward the bed.He urged Erick to sit and knelt to pull off Erick’s boots.While he was on his knees, he took the opportunity to nuzzle Erick’s inseam, but he wanted more than a quick blowjob tonight if Erick was strong enough for it.They’d had sex before, of course, but it had always been quick, almost furtive, all about physical release without the open acknowledgment of everything that lay between them.He wanted more than that now.With the gift of time and privacy Miz Roarke had given them, he wanted everything Erick had to give and to give all that he was in return.When Erick gasped softly, Cade grinned and unfastened the placket of Erick’s pants.“Let’s get these off and get in bed.We can decide what we want from there.”
“I want to feel all of you.I want to feel you….”He lifted his hips to let Cade slide his jeans and undergarments away, revealing his still strong thighs and rigid erection.He tugged Cade to his feet so he could unbuckle his belt, the brush of his knuckles against Cade’s aching cock setting off sparks behind his eyelids as they closed despite him at the sensation.Erick worked him free of the rest of his clothes and caught Cade’s mouth in a deep, heated kiss, letting Cade tumble him to the mattress.
Cade followed Erick down onto the bed but supported his weight on his elbows as he hovered over Erick.The last thing he wanted to do was cause Erick any pain or do anything that might force him to change his mind about making love with Cade that night.And if Cade understood him correctly….His cock throbbed at the thought of sinking into Erick’s ass, but he wouldn’t do it if he thought it would hurt Erick.They’d waited this long.They would have other chances.He could be satisfied with getting his hands and mouth on Erick’s body again and having Erick touch him in return.
