Page 22 of Destined Predator
“Jack.” His brother seemed lost in thought, so Rhett whistled, to make him look up. “Jack, we should think about doing some renovations, here on the ranch,” he started, with no preamble.
The stables had been modernized recently, so he understood his brother’s confused expression as he cast a look around.
“Not here. And not just making a real working office, but doing something to the kitchen as well, making a place for the hands to relax. And dividing the house, now we’re both adults. Make it into separate dwellings, or at least two separate entrances or maybe even build another property somewhere on the land.”
“We’ve both been adults for some time.” Jack’s face said he wanted his big brother to spell it out.
“Fine. Since you found your destined mate. You and Ben need a real place of your own.”
“Oh. It means a lot to me to have you say that, Rhett. To know you accept matters.”
Rhett did. And more than accept. He was happy about it. “Means you two don’t have to sneak off to Clayton or whatever town you went to for a bit of privacy—you can be as loud as you like in your own home. Long as you don’t go scaring the cattlenone, boy.” He put a bit of hay in his mouth to chomp on as he said the last part, thickening his accent to go with it.
“You sure?” Jack left what he was doing and came to him.
“Yep. Yes, Jack.” Rhett dropped his playacting and nodded. “If you didn’t want to carve the house up, having your own place would be nice, right? Out to the left, near the paddock, where the ground’s good?”
Saying it out loud lined something up inside him. Jack wasn’t a kid to protect anymore; he was a man to build beside.
Jack must have some ideas about the kind of house he wanted to call his own. He’d said more than once how much he’d missed long, low ranch houses when he was living in New York City, with their large windows that made the space inside brighter and gave the best views of the outdoors.
“You could even have a swimming pool, like on those fancy Los Angeles estates. What? What’s that look for?” Suspicious, Rhett traced the sly smile Jack wore.
“You sure it’s all for my benefit?” Jack asked. “Like the hot tub you put in and said was for my sore city muscles…and that you use more than I do? And I heard Casey’s coming over later…” Whatever he saw in Rhett’s face had him backing away. “Thanks, big brother. I’ll talk to Ben about the options.”
His mention of the hot tub put the idea in Rhett’s head, and got him through the afternoon. Call him cityfied, but he did enjoy the tub, tucked away in a secluded corner behind the little-used back porch, down a new path Rhett had laid.
It still felt decadent to use it, in the freshly created half-walled deck space with its side and underfloor heating, but he found it a good place to think. And he had a lot on his mind. He tried to push Casey Akers, with his cock-of-the-walk swagger, to the back of it, but Casey…and this morning with Casey, kept pushing itself back.
Steam wrapped him, but it didn’t blur the picture: a cocky grin, waves of dark hair, eyes that went warm amber when he pushed.Moonrise.Rhett told himself it was only a bet. His body called him a liar.
As soon as he could that evening, Rhett stepped into the water, hoping the groan he gave as he did so wasn’t a sign of age. He opened a beer and made sure the cooler was in reach, on the top step at the side of the tub. Pretty soon, he’d be having fancy cocktails here, and using one of those insulated floats to rest his glass just above the water. He’d better tell Jack to keep an eye on him and kick his ass if he started acting like that.
As soon as he lay back, intending to stare up at the night sky and the silver stars, the morning replayed for him again. That, what they’d done at the Miller house, had come up out of nowhere, like a prairie wind, and swept Rhett away. Oh, he wanted it, wanted to be with a man, wantedCasey. But what Casey seemed to be all about was being in charge. Dominating. He couldn’t help it—he was the alpha, the pack leader. But being dominated by him?
Rhett didn’t know if his fear was that he wouldn’t like it…or that he would and wouldn’t like himself for doing so. He did know he didn’t want to be under anyone’s thumb. He’d lived in his father’s shadow and grown up with a mother who made her life around his father’s. And yet…he wanted Casey Akers to come up the path and join him under the stars.
His dick stiffened, and Rhett remembered the feel of Casey’s hand on it, bringing him to a swift, draining climax. He longed to feel Casey’s mouth on him…and know what it was to have Casey fuck him. He closed his eyes and took his cock in his hand. Footsteps on the porch, then on the path, had him straightening up and bringing both hands to the sides of the tub.
“Ain’t nothing better than cool beer and a hot tub,” came in a drawl.
Casey stood in the moonlight, all long, wavy hair and intense eyes, and Rhett couldn’t put names to all the feelings that flooded him at the sight. At thepromise.
“Well, one thing, maybe. A hot Wyoming rancher, all mine on a cool Wyoming night,” Casey continued, approaching.
Rhett’s pulse tripped like a colt. He didn’t stand; he didn’t look away either. “You here to collect,” he said, steady as he could.
Casey’s smile turned slow and sinful. “Every last thing I won.”
Chapter Ten
All his.Casey swore he heard the echo of his declaration in Rhett’s mind. The thought should’ve sounded cocky, but it didn’t. It landed somewhere lower, heavier. Like a truth he wasn’t ready to say out loud.
“How’s Robin?” Rhett asked, sitting up straighter.
“He’s doing good. He shifted, healed. But we ain’t here to talk about him.”
“Are we here to talk? You won the bet, so you’re here to collect, right?”
