Cowboy Gangster 03 - Outlaws of Love (25 page)

Axel looked at her and chuckled. “
You’re
the funny one. And you’re not being too forward. I like…” He shrugged and pursed his lips again. “…The way you are.”

“You do?” she brightened. “Really? ‘Cause I think most people find me exhausting.”

“Mm…understandable,” Axel teased.

“Hey,” Zoe laughed and nudged his arm. “You’re supposed to disagree and tell me I’m a perfect delight to be around.”

Axel raised an eyebrow. “And keep a straight face?” he smirked.

“Uh!” Zoe scowled and laughed. “Maybe you
aren’t
all those things I said you were.”

“Told you,” Axel chuckled.

Sighing, Zoe grinned. “Ah, what the hell, I like you, anyway.”

Axel’s face softened. “I like you, too.”

Zoe ducked her head and smiled as they fell silent for a few moments. Axel cast a discreet glance her way. It surprised him how easy she was to be with, as if they’d known each other for years. Wasn’t this how it was supposed to feel when a person met their soul mate? The warmth of her lips on his cheek lingered and gave him a tickling sensation in his chest. How would it feel to kiss her on the lips? Hold her in his arms? He’d never had a real girlfriend before…just had sex with the skanks Wade brought home. Maybe what he’d told Dane was the truth –the only reason he’d clung to Clint was because he was the first and only person to make him feel safe…and loved. Maybe it hadn’t gone any deeper than that and they hadn’t really been…
in love.

If it had been real –wouldn’t Clint still be there with him?

“Oh!” Zoe squealed and clutched Axel’s arm, startling him from his thoughts. “The haunted House.” She look at Axel, grinning. “Let’s go inside. It’ll be fun.” Axel hesitated and she eyed him teasingly. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“No,” Axel chuffed as he stared at the attraction with its ghoulish exterior front. He wasn’t a fan of dark places, and even less when people in the dark were trying to scare him. Wade and his friends had scared the shit out of him on more than one Halloween. Not just little harmless stuff –but shit your pants, stop your heart kind of fucked up pranks.

“I’ll protect you.” Zoe slipped her arm through his. “I promise.”

What could he say? If he really meant to go out with this girl –did he want to start things off with her thinking he was a chicken shit who was too afraid to walk through a carnival haunted house that little kids were entering?

“Okay,” he nodded, sudden anxiety pinching his gut. “But I’m going to hold you to your promise.”

Zoe giggled and nodded and tugged him toward the waiting line.

♦

Clint entered the apartment in silence and looked around. It was a typical pad –not fancy but not trashy either. It was small, the living room and kitchen basically one single space, with a couple doors on the far side of the living area that Clint assumed opened into a bedroom and a bathroom.

Chad closed the front door and crossed the small living room to one of the two doors and opened it. “You
coming?”

Crossing the space, Clint followed him into a cramped bedroom that allowed for little more than a bed and a nightstand. A partially open sliding door to the left revealed a mini-closet. Chad peeled off his shirt without preliminaries and tossed it aside. He had a decent body, his build much like Axel’s as well, though not as perfect. He wore a silver chain necklace and matching chain bracelet that glinted in the overhead light when he ran his fingers through his hair and stepped closer to Clint.

“What’re you waiting for, cowboy?” He began to pluck open Clint’s shirt.

Clint looked down and watched Chad's fingers pop the buttons loose. He’d loved it when Axel undressed him, there was something extremely sexy about it.

Chad shoved his shirt open and kissed his chest, his teeth lightly raking his skin and seeking out a nipple. Clint shuddered and removed his shirt the rest of the way, then cupped the man’s head, gripping loose fists of soft curls. He closed his eyes as Chad sucked his chest and his stomach quivered when the young man’s hands dropped to the front of Clint’s jeans. His palm rubbed over Clint’s crotch and squeezed his cock through the denim. The kid groaned and dragged his tongue up to Clint’s neck and nipped his skin. “God, I want to suck your cock, cowboy.”

He popped loose the button of Clint’s Wranglers and slid down the zipper as he panted into Clint’s ear, his body beginning to gyrate and sway wantonly. Clint swallowed thickly and pressed his face into his hair, his cock stirring with memories of Axel’s hands all over him as Chad slipped his own beneath the waistband of his briefs.

“Mm,” Clint’s breath caught short when the guy squeezed him.

Chad slid down his body, dropping to his knees. His tongue lathered Clint’s stomach, his hands massaging his crotch. Clint let his mind drift away as Chad’s hands became Axel’s and carried him away, back into that sweet dream where his days and nights were made up of passionate kisses and love making…and promises that didn’t break.

♦

“I can’t see shit,” Axel laughed quietly and slid his hand along the wall.

“I know, me neither,” Zoe said. “It’s as dark as the inside of a black cow.”

Axel chuckled. “Nice one.”

She fumbled for his hand and grabbed on. “Don’t let go of me,” she told him. “I don’t want to get lost in here by myself.”

“How the hell do we get out?” Axel moved forward slowly and bumped into another wall. “I think we came to a dead end. I thought this was a haunted house, not a freaking black hole.”

Squeals and screams pressed through from other sections of the haunted house, but sounded distant, muffled.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have taken that detour,” Zoe suggested. “It did say
do not enter
.”

“True,” Axel murmured. “But everyone up ahead of us was screaming bloody murder. Like I wanted to go
that
way.”

Zoe laughed. “It’s a haunted house. You’re supposed to get scared and scream.”

“Well, we may have to start screaming for someone to come and find us because I think we’re going in circles.”

Zoe squeezed his hand with assurance. “We’ll find our way out…eventually,” She laughed softly. Her body pressed closer to his as they took slow steps forward, feeling their way. She grew quiet a moment then murmured, “I want to tell you something, and I’ll do it now because you can’t see my face and I don’t want you to know that I blush.”

“Okay…” Axel said. “Tell me what?”

“When I first saw you at the vet office, I…”

Axel waited as she fell silent. “What?”

“I don’t know, I…I got this funny tickle in my stomach.” She stopped moving, drawing him to a halt, but held onto his hand. “I’ve never felt it before. It was like…I knew you were special, and that…that you would be special to me. I felt all…” She laughed shyly. “…All warm and fuzzy inside.”

Axel didn’t speak as her fingertips kneaded his palm nervously.

“I shouldn’t have told you that,” she whispered when he remained silent. “I’m sorry. Please forget I said anything.” She groaned. “Now I made you all uncomfortable, didn’t I?”

Axel swallowed thickly and withdrew his hand from the wall. He touched her face and caressed his thumb across her cheek. “No,” he said quietly. “It makes me feel good. I…” His throat worked. “I very recently…got dumped by someone I thought really cared about me.” His voice strained with emotion and his eyes began to sting. “I haven’t exactly been feeling very
special
lately.”

Zoe touched his chest. “I think you’re special, Axel,” she whispered. “And anyone who can’t see that, doesn’t deserve you.”

Blinking back the forming tears, Axel asked, “How can you know that? You just met me. Maybe I’m not special at all.”

“You are,” Zoe said softly. “Sometimes when you look at a person for the first time, you just know. It…emanates out of them.”

Axel’s throat closed and his eyes filled. “I don’t feel special,” he trembled, tears in his voice. “I don’t feel like…anything.”

Arms went around his neck and soft lips brushed his mouth in a tender kiss. “Whoever hurt you…made you feel that way…” Zoe whispered. “…Should have their
ass
kicked to kingdom come.”

♦

“Where are we going?” The lights of the midway were left behind as the four boys ventured out into the darkness. Gavin glanced back. “The band is gonna go back on before long.”

“We’ll get back in time,” Tommy insisted and wrapped his arm around Gavin’s shoulders. “Not ‘fraid of the dark, are ya?”

Gavin looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. “Just the things in the dark.”

“No worries,” Tommy grinned. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Shaking his head, Ricky snorted, “He was talking about you, genius.”

Gavin and Levi laughed.

“What?” Tommy feigned innocence. “Me? No way. I’m as safe as a little puppy.”

“A puppy with rabies,” Gavin mumbled with a smirk, inciting more laughter from Ricky and Levi. “Seriously, where the hell are we going?”

“To the stables,” Tommy said. “Look at the horses.”

Ricky cleared his throat and smiled. “I don’t know if we want to
see
the horses. It might leave us all feeling a bit…inadequate.”

“Shit,” Levi laughed.

“Speak for yourself,” Tommy smirked and puffed out his chest. “I ain’t worried about it.”

Ricky hooted. “Whatever, Romeo. Tell it to someone who hasn’t seen it.”

“I am,” Tommy smiled slyly and squeezed Gavin against him. “If you guys were true friends, you’d back me up.”

“We’ll back you up, all right,” Levi snickered. “Right up against the wall and…”

“Hey now,” Tommy scolded. “Not in front of the delicate straight boy.”

“Fuck you,” Gavin laughed.

“I accept!” Tommy replied in a flash. Gavin groaned.

Ricky looked at Gavin. “You gotta choose your words carefully,” he said. “If you don’t want to find yourself with…” He chuckled and winked at Tommy. “…A monkey on your back, you don’t say
‘fuck you’
but rather
‘fuck off’
.”

“Ah,” Gavin nodded. “Gotcha.”

“Too late,” Tommy said. “He made the offer and I accepted. No takesies backsies. We are gonna get down and dirty tonight.”

Gavin shook his head and grinned. “You really
are
delusional.”

“We’ll see,” Tommy chimed. “We’ll see.”

It was becoming more and more difficult to deny the appeal of Tommy’s persistence. Gavin had even considered giving in a time or two –it wasn’t like he’d never fucked a guy before. But it was too much fun watching Tommy work for it. If he got what he wanted, the fun would be over. At least that was the excuse Gavin gave himself for putting Tommy off. He didn’t care to analyze other possible reasons.

The stables were located at the far edge of the fairgrounds, the aisles between the stalls dimly lit and deserted. A few of the horses pricked their ears and dropped their heads over the stall doors when they heard the boys enter.

“Check out this one.” Gavin stopped before a large chestnut horse with the name Cheeto on the stall door. “I’d need a stepladder to climb up on him.”

Levi nodded and walked over. He was barely taller than Gavin and gazed up at the tall animal. “Yeah,” he mused. “I’ve met a few guys like that. Needed a boost gettin’ on their backs. But what a ride.”

“Fuck,” Ricky laughed and socked him in the arm.

“Ouch,” Levi smirked and rubbed his arm. “Jealous?”

“Hey,” Tommy called. “Here we go.”

Gavin, Ricky and Levi turned his way. Tommy stood next to a western saddle resting on a wooden stand outside one of the stalls. It was arrayed with silver Conchos and the leather hand-tooled. Tommy caressed the padded seat then hopped on. He stuffed his boots in the stirrups and curled one hand around the horn.

“Do I look like a cowboy?” he tipped his hat and flicked an eyebrow flirtatiously. Gavin was startled by the sudden thump in his crotch that caused his jeans to swell a bit.

“I’d ride ya,” Ricky said.

“I know.” Tommy wiggled his eyebrows. “You already have.”

“I’m the better rider,” Levi said and winked at Tommy. “Admit it.”

Ricky chuffed. “Like fuck. Nobody rides like
Ricky
.” He grabbed Levi’s hips from behind and rocked smoothly against his ass. “I got fluid hips, baby. I know how to flow with the rhythm.”

Gavin couldn’t disagree. He’d danced with Ricky and the guy had moves that could get a straight boy cock-hard and sweating. The truth of Ricky’s bragging was evident now by the sudden bulge in Levi’s crotch. Gavin had never met two boys so readily “on call” to fuck. Though Tommy wasn’t far behind. Gavin wasn’t sure it was his brightest decision to bunk with three gay nymphos when he was struggling to maintain his heterosexuality. Especially when one of them was hell bent on
converting
him.