Free Troy's Surrender by K.M. Mahoney Page A

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And Rafe. He had Rafe. Troy was beginning to think that the risk was worth it. He’d never met anyone quite like his cowboy. Rafe was considerate and charming when he wanted to be. Strong and sexy. And damn, but the sex was hot. Smoking, spine-jarring, beyond amazing.
Now Troy just had to work up the guts to tell Rafe his decision. It should be easy. It wasn’t.
Besides, he was really, really enjoying Rafe’s persuasive techniques. Some of them, anyway. The guy seemed to have gone a little nuts in the last day or so.
Troy paused on the stairs leading into the house. Mark ran into him.
“You go first,” Troy ordered.
“Sissy,” Mark said.
“Damn right.”
Mark sighed. “Would you just give the man an answer, already?”
“When I’m good and ready, punk. Now move.”
Mark shoved open the door and stepped into the dim light of the house. A solid body hit him and squished him against the wall.
“Wrong guy!” Mark screeched. “Kiss me and die!”
Troy cracked up. He had to lean against the doorframe, he was laughing so hard. Rafe was in an equal state, still pinning his little brother against the wall, forehead propped on his arm as he laughed.
“Sorry, squirt,” Rafe said when he could get enough breath for words.
“I told you not to call me that,” Mark grumbled, squirming free.
“Sorry.” There wasn’t the slightest hint of apology in the word. Mark rolled his eyes.
“Go attack the right person,” Mark said, heading down the hall.
The kid had settled in surprisingly well. Seemed to Troy like some part of Mark remembered Rafe, because it hadn’t taken long for the younger man to get over any awkwardness around his big brother. Of course, the kid was still a brat, but Troy figured he’d grow out of that. Eventually.
“Hey there,” Rafe said, pulling Troy in for a kiss.
“Hey yourself.”
“Missed you.”
Now it was Troy’s turn to roll his eyes. “Please. I was only gone for an hour.”
Rafe nuzzled behind his ear. “Too long,” he whispered.
Troy groaned, going from half-hard to painful in a heartbeat. “You’d better be prepared to deliver,” he warned.
“Oh, I intend to.” Rafe herded Troy toward the stairs, still nipping and licking at the skin of his neck. “Another perk of staying. Me, delivering.”
“You used that one already,” Troy murmured.
“I know. But it’s a big one.”
Troy reached back and groped Rafe’s crotch. “That it is,” he teased.
Rafe groaned, half in feigned pain and half in arousal. “That was awful, honey.”
“Mmm. Come upstairs and I’ll make it up to you.”
Rafe later admitted that if sex like that was the result, Troy could make all the bad puns he wanted.
Troy was just getting sick and tired of the constant talking. He wasn’t used to his cowboy talking so much. But all through the sex, and the afterglow, Rafe kept listing off reason after reason for Troy to stay. The whole habit Rafe had developed of jumping around corners and attacking Troy with kisses and touches was fantastic. The logic? Not so much.
Troy finally had enough and brought out the big guns.
“What about the whole gay thing?” he pointed out. “I thought cowboys are all stereotypical redneck homophobes. Don’t think the locals will be real thrilled with a gay couple taking up residence down the street.”
Rafe chuckled. “Down the street? In case you haven’t noticed, I live pretty much in the middle of nowhere. My employees mind their own business, and no one in town really gives a damn what I get up to. They wouldn’t be pleased if we started kissing on Main Street, but as long as I don’t rub anyone’s face in it, it’s pretty much live and let live.”
“Damn. There goes another excuse.” Troy wasn’t exactly disappointed about that particular one biting the dust.
Rafe wrapped his sinewy arms around Troy and nuzzled his neck. “Face it, baby. You’re just gonna have to give in.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.” That had come out sounding way whinier