Touch Me Gently (14 page)

The entire time that the siblings had been arguing, Kaden’s heart had fallen into his stomach, and he slowly dismounted, undoing the straps on the saddle. Mantacor gave him a look of questioning but he just smiled weakly. He patted the horse’s neck lightly. “It’s okay, boy. I’ll take you for a ride another day.”

Logan felt like an asshole at the disheartened expression on Kaden’s face.

“I’m sorry, Kaden. Please show me what you’ve accomplished.” Not only had he frightened the boy that morning, he’d screwed up yet again. But seeing him on that horse’s back had almost made his heart stop. If something happened to Kaden, he didn’t know what he would do.

Kaden looked at him, studying him for a moment. “It’s all right. I’ll just show you another day.”

“No. Please. I want to see it now.” Logan tried to encourage him with a smile, kicking his own ass mentally. The boy had been so happy and proud of being able to ride the horse, and he’d reacted like such a jerk. Damn, it seemed that he was constantly screwing up when it came to Kaden.

The teen hesitated for another second before starting to redo the straps, making sure they were tight before swinging up into the saddle. Kaden began to smile again, slowly at first, as he put Mantacor through the paces that Shea had shown him. He felt such peace being astride the sweet animal. No one understood that the horse just needed someone to understand him. Like Logan had with him. Mantacor tossed his head as if to say, “Look at me,” and let out a neigh of pleasure, trotting around the corral with Kaden encouraging him. “Good boy, Mantacor. You’re just a big softy, aren’t you, boy,” he said, smiling broadly at Shea and Logan.

Logan began to ease his grip on the fence the longer Kaden rode the horse. It appeared as though the stallion really did trust Kaden, and believed that Kaden wouldn’t hurt him. It seemed that both of them had been healing slowly these last several weeks, together, with different catalysts. Real joy radiated brightly from Kaden’s entire being, and Logan leaned against the fence to enjoy the sight.

After showing Logan all the things that Mantacor had learned, Kaden dismounted in the center of the ring and went to remove the saddle, but Mantacor darted away, stopping a few feet from him. Kaden frowned, approaching the horse once more, and as he reached out to grip the saddle again, Mantacor pranced another ten feet. Suddenly it dawned on Kaden why the stallion kept running from him. He was playing, teasing Kaden. He grinned. “So that’s how it is, huh, boy? Well, let’s see who can beat who, then.” With that, he began to chase the horse, almost playing a form of tag with the animal.

Shea and Logan were laughing and calling encouragement to Kaden, who in turn was laughing so hard it made it hard to keep up with the stallion, until finally, Mantacor seemed to tire of the game and let Kaden catch him. The teen removed the saddle and brushed the white horse down, patting his hindquarters before carrying the saddle into the barn. Shea headed back into the house, and Logan followed Kaden. He watched, arms folded, propped up against the barn door while the boy put away the saddle and reins. When Kaden came back out of the tack room, Logan praised him. “Well done, Kaden. You’ve managed to accomplish with that horse in just a few weeks what I’ve been trying to for over a year.”

Kaden gave him a cheeky grin and teased, “Well, I just happen to have that magic touch, unlike an old guy like you.”

Logan raised an eyebrow at his words. “An old guy like me, huh?” The cowboy pushed away from the door, slowly stalking Kaden, who started to back away, still grinning. Kaden found he had nowhere to go but up, so he grabbed hold of the ladder, and hoisting himself up, moved agilely up the rungs. Logan followed, intent on extracting revenge for the teen’s insult. Kaden looked around frantically for a place to hide in the hay loft, and headed to the open overhead doors.

“You’ve got nowhere to go, Kaden,” Logan taunted from the other side of the hay loft, a smug smile curving his lips.

Kaden waited for an opportunity to dart around Logan and go back down the ladder, taking the chance when he saw an opening, only to be stopped when an arm of steel came around his waist, tackling him down into the loose hay. Logan chuckled as he began to tickle Kaden, causing laughter to erupt from the dark-haired young man. He ran his fingers along the thin sides, brushing over the boy’s ribs. Kaden tried to grab at Logan’s hands to stop him. But the cowboy had more strength than he did, and he just rolled around, trying to dislodge his hands. “O-okay! I… gi-give,” he cried out, fighting to breathe, his chest heaving from lack of oxygen.

Taking pity on him, Logan stopped, grinning down at Kaden, his hands still on the boy’s sides. There were several strands of straw stuck to Kaden’s head, and he slowly began to pick them off, tossing them aside. Light from the open door cast over Kaden’s features, and his grin faded as he looked down into those violet eyes, the ones he loved so much, the ones he never wanted to see sad again. “I love you, Kaden,” he whispered, bringing his lips down to meet Kaden’s, brushing over them in a soft caress.

Shock wound its way through Kaden at Logan’s words, and tears stung his eyes at the gentle giant’s sweet confession. He brought his arms up, winding them around Logan’s shoulders and deepened the kiss. They lay there, slowly kissing, without lust or passion, just simple, loving kisses.

Even though Kaden didn’t say the words back, Logan felt in his heart that the boy cared for him in the same way he cared for the boy. It would just take time for him to voice his feelings.

Another turning point in their relationship came that night, much to Logan’s surprise and absolute delight. After dinner, Shea left to go on another date with Ty, telling them not to wait up for her, to which Logan growled that she had better be joking. She’d laughed that tinkling laugh she gave sometimes before winking and racing out of the house before he could stop her.

Happy
that he and Logan had the house to themselves, Kaden tried to ignore the churning in his stomach. Something had changed inside him that morning. When Logan had uttered those words to him in the hayloft, the final chip of ice on his heart had given way, melting away to nothing. He knew that he’d fallen in love with the big cowboy, a head over heels, fireworks-exploding-in-the-air kind of love. The realization left him with the desire to be closer to him, to explore another side of their relationship in the physical sense. His fear hadn’t just disappeared, and his hands shook as he washed the dishes from their dinner. Could he go through with it? It wouldn’t be fair to Logan if he started and had to stop in the middle. Determination to show Logan that he held complete trust in him stiffened Kaden’s spine, and he refused to allow his past to keep them from being together. He would just remind himself that Logan loved him, and would never hurt him, abuse him, or touch him with the intention of causing pain.

Logan could sense Kaden’s nervousness and wondered if his confession that morning had upset him. It caused him to doubt his certainty that Kaden felt the same, and as always, he couldn’t let Kaden brood over whatever had upset him, so Logan asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Hmm?” Kaden looked up from the dish he was drying only to find Logan’s eyes studying him intently. “N… no. Nothing’s wrong. Why would you think that?”

“You seem awfully jumpy if nothing’s wrong,” Logan commented.

Logan reminded Kaden of a detective. He had a way of seeing things most people wouldn’t. Or maybe he wore his emotions on his face like a coat on his body. Kaden had never been good at hiding his feelings. So he sighed and said, “Let me finish these, and then I’ll show you what’s wrong.”

Logan’s brow furrowed at the boy’s choice of words, but he shrugged and stood up to help him finish the dishes. Once they’d been put away, Logan took Kaden by the hand and led him into the living room. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Kaden didn’t know quite how to put it, but he supposed he should just come out with it. Taking a deep breath, he looked Logan in the eyes and said, “I want you to make love to me.”

“No,” Logan refused stiffly, standing up to move restlessly around the room.

“B-but why? Don’t you… want me?” Kaden asked hoarsely, fingering the hem of his T-shirt, his heart pounding hard and fast. He didn’t understand the cowboy’s denial of his request. Did Logan really mean everything he’d said? Or did Logan say those things about his body being beautiful just to give him confidence?

“Kaden, I want you more than anything else in this world, but I won’t let you force yourself into something that you aren’t ready for,” Logan said heatedly, fiercely. His green eyes flashed, and his lips were turning white around the edges with how tightly he pulled them in.

“How do you know I’m not ready?” Kaden demanded, standing up straighter and glaring at Logan. “Why do you get to decide that? It’s my body and my choice. I….” He softened his words, looking down at his shoes. “I want you, Logan. Truly, sincerely want you. Please.” His voice had dipped to a mere breath of a whisper, and he blinked furiously, twisting his fingers in the hem of his shirt further.

Logan warred with his inner mind. He wanted to accept Kaden at his word so badly that it hurt, but how could the younger man truly know what he wanted? Sighing, he moved closer to Kaden, taking him gently into his arms and cradling him close to his chest. He rested his chin on top of the kid’s head lightly. “Are you sure? Absolutely sure?”

“Yes.”

He pulled back to gaze down at Kaden, a stern expression dominating his face. “If you feel afraid or uncomfortable, you are to tell me, immediately. Do you hear me?”

Nodding, Kaden beamed up at Logan, the grin beginning to fade as the emerald eyes darkened with passion. He licked his lips, wetting them and drawing those jewels to stare at his mouth. A squeak emerged from Kaden’s throat when Logan suddenly swept him up in his arms and started up the stairs to his bedroom. Logan slowly set Kaden on his feet, brushing a lock of dark hair back from his face before lowering his lips to cover Kaden’s. Kaden reached up to wrap his arms around Logan’s neck, his fingers twining in the sandy blond hair as they kissed.

Heat started building inside Kaden, spiraling from his lips to his belly and lower still. He gasped at the sensation, his head falling back as Logan’s mouth locked onto the sensitive skin at the base of his neck. He felt a tug in his groin at the feel of Logan’s slick tongue flicking over his flesh. Logan’s hands roamed down his back to slide beneath Kaden’s shirt, the rough skin of his palms slid over his bare back, sending a shaft of desire through Kaden. Nothing else existed, just them and the fire rising higher with each tender kiss and soft caress. Logan lifted Kaden in his arms again, and carried him to the bed, carefully laying him down and leaning back to gaze at him. He perched on the edge of the bed, cupping Kaden’s cheek and stroking the skin there with his thumb.

He helped the teenager remove his shirt, baring his upper body to Logan’s parched gaze. Logan dropped light kisses along Kaden’s collarbone, traveling lower to capture a stiff nub between his lips, tearing a gasp from Kaden. His tongue laved the nipple, swirling around the hard little button before he suckled slowly, enjoying the sounds issuing from the boy’s throat. He moved his attentions to the other, running his hand down the muscles on Kaden’s chest.

A split second of panic spiked inside Kaden when he felt Logan’s hands working on the button and zipper of his jeans, but he buried it deep in his mind. He wanted this, and refused to allow the memories to ruin it for him. Pleasure zipped through him at the feel of the calloused palms on his skin, and then Logan carefully removed the last articles of clothing separating him from the cowboy. A flush invaded Kaden’s cheeks at suddenly being so bare in front of Logan, but when he felt the bigger man tenderly slide his hands down his left leg and then up the right one, caressing and massaging as he moved, he forgot his embarrassment quickly. He sucked in a deep breath when the back of Logan’s fingers brushed against his erect cock, and his eyes slid closed in rapture.

A cry escaped his lips at the feel of the wet, hot heat that closed around the tip of his shaft, and the cry faded into groans of lust as Logan sucked him deep inside his mouth. The feel of Logan’s tongue on his cock sent bolts of lightning zipping up his spine. He’d never felt anything like it before. The cowboy flicked the tip of his tongue along the bottom of his stiff prick as Logan’s mouth rose and fell on him. Kaden felt something spiraling inside of him, begging for release, and he let out several mewling cries, his hips jerking slightly. Logan pinned his hips to the bed and sucked harder and faster, coaxing Kaden to the edge. As Kaden reached that peak, Logan probed gently at the entrance to Kaden’s body, feeling the tight heat that gripped his finger as the teenager’s back arched from the bed, a cry of ecstasy resounding in the room. Warm liquid splashed into Logan’s mouth, and he swallowed instinctively, moaning at the taste of Kaden’s essence.

He continued to lap Kaden’s softening flesh until no trace of his little one’s orgasm remained, releasing it to fall back onto Kaden’s soft belly. He licked his lips and moved up to rest beside Kaden, lazily trailing his fingers over the soft skin of the teen’s chest. Kaden lay there in a daze. Never having believed another’s touch could bring him such pleasure, it left him reeling. A multitude of emotions raced through him: happiness, wonder, and the most important one of all, love. He turned his head to gaze at Logan, his eyes glistening with tears. Logan frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing. I just never… knew it could feel so good. I’ve… never felt like that before,” Kaden managed, his eyes lowering to lock onto the cowboy’s broad chin.

Logan smirked in satisfaction, leaning forward to kiss Kaden’s forehead. “Well, it’s not over yet. That was only the appetizer.” He slipped from the bed, smiling reassuringly at the hesitant expression on Kaden’s face. He padded barefoot into the bathroom to get a condom and the small tube of KY Shea had passed to him in the kitchen a few days ago. He could still feel the heat that crawled up his neck when he’d seen the tube. She’d laughed uproariously at the discomfort on his face before slapping him on his shoulder and walking away.

He set them on the nightstand, and slowly removed his clothing, slipping back into the bed beside Kaden. “I’m going to let you control whatever we do, Kaden. It’s up to you how far you want this to go.”

Kaden’s hand trembled as he reached out to place it lightly on the muscular chest, running his fingers experimentally over the tan flesh. The light dusting of blond hairs on Logan’s chest tickled his palm, eliciting a small smile from Kaden. He sat up, moving closer to Logan’s side, gazing down at him in wonder. Their skin contrasted deeply against one another. From his days spent in the sun, Logan’s body was a dark tan, while Kaden’s gleamed like white alabaster in the light thrown across the bed from the lamp on the nightstand. He ran the tip of one finger over the man’s nipple, watching Logan’s reaction and the way the man’s lips parted on a soft sigh. He did it again, lingering this time. He wanted to make Logan feel as good as he had. Bending down, he took that little brown nub into his mouth, swiping his tongue over it. A groan rumbled in Logan’s chest, causing the skin in his mouth to vibrate against his tongue.

He took his time, leisurely touching and exploring the man’s body, learning the firm contours, and the velvety skin inside Logan’s thighs. He found a birthmark in the shape of a strawberry on Logan’s inner thigh, and it fascinated him so much that he couldn’t help but taste it. Kaden tentatively licked at the smudge on his lover’s body, enjoying the sound Logan made.

Sweat beaded on Logan’s forehead as he strained to keep from grabbing Kaden and taking him roughly. The kid was driving him crazy with lust—the delicate, fluttery touches of his fingers, the tongue that now laved at the skin on his thigh, and the warm breath that passed over his swollen sac. “Kaden, you’re driving me insane,” he growled, arching his hips from the bed.

Kaden grinned, looking up at Logan from beneath his eyelashes. “But I like learning every inch of you. You’re so beautiful.”

For the first time in ages, Logan actually felt self-conscious and had to fight off a blush rising in his cheeks. But he quickly forgot his chagrin when Kaden’s fingers wrapped around his aching shaft, and those slender fingers began to explore the silk-sheathed, engorged cock. Logan’s breath hissed from his lungs when the kid tentatively swiped at the large tip with his tongue, tasting him. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to fill Kaden’s mouth with his seed when the boy suddenly took him into his mouth and slid down to the bottom, taking him deep into his throat. It surprised him that the kid could take all of him so easily, and before he could explode at the erotic act, he lifted Kaden away from his dick and brought him up onto the bed beside him.

Logan fumbled for the tube of KY, his breathing heavy with desire and the strain of keeping himself in check. “Turn on your side facing away from me,” he instructed calmly, and Kaden hesitantly rolled to his side.

A shudder wound its way through Kaden’s body when he felt a large hand caressing his back, slipping down to grip his ass lightly. Kaden stifled a gasp when he felt Logan pressing a finger covered in a cold substance against his entrance. Terror rose to the surface, and he closed his eyes, praying it would recede as Logan began to push inside him. Once inside to the second knuckle, Logan retreated and pushed his finger back inside, repeating this until he felt Kaden begin to relax.