“You’d never hurt me,” Riley repeated softly. “You can only ever love me.”

“I do,” Jack mumbled sleepily. “Always.”

Chapter 8

Marcus didn’t even bother with an excuse to see Liam today. He bypassed the house and made his way straight to the stables. Liam wasn’t there at the front, but following the sound of voices, he found Liam and Robbie, heads close, poring over paperwork on a desk. He heard Liam’s laugh, and jealousy knifed through him—he’d never made Liam laugh like that; all he’d done is incite Liam’s cutting tongue. Added to that, he’d had another damn no to his last text. He was desperate to take Liam out somewhere they could be together and talk. He pushed the jealousy down ruthlessly. He had no right to feel it, and hell, he’d seen Robbie with Eli. Marcus had nothing to worry about.

Robbie straightened and left the desk and gave Marcus a smile as he passed him.

“Marcus,” he said with a tilt of his Stetson.

“Robbie.”

Liam looked up at them both and a not-altogether-inviting grimace crossed his expression. Great. Marcus was already up against a brick wall here, why not add in disgust in the eyes of the guy he was trying to impress.

“What do you want?” Liam asked. He folded up paperwork and pushed it in to a file box. Then he put the box on the high shelf, and Marcus got an eyeful of that wonderful strip of skin between leather belt and navel.

“Just to visit.”

“I said no,” Liam pointed out. He looked tired as Marcus moved closer. Tired and pale. Was he not well?

“Are you okay?”

Liam narrowed his eyes. “Why would you say that?”

“You look a bit…” Marcus waved his hand to finish the statement.

“Whatever. I need to finish with Hatty,” he said pointedly. “Jack and Riley aren’t here.”

“I’ll just…stand with you and Hatty.”

“You think that you’re gonna stand and stare at me again?”

Marcus could think of nothing better, but he wisely chose not to say that. “I can wait until you finish with Hatty. To talk to you.”

“Talk about what.”

“You. Me. Life.”

“Seems to me you’d be talking at me and that you like the sound of your own voice,” Liam said. He was still frowning. “Nothing to say about me, and life is good. Are we done now?”

He stalked past Marcus. Marcus wanted to reach out and touch Liam, just once to grab hold of his shirt and kiss the man senseless.

“Just one meal,” he called after him, then turned and followed him toward one of the stables. Inside was one of the small horses that he’d seen the kids ride. This was clearly Hatty.

Liam picked up a shovel and shook his head. “No.”

Marcus sighed. “I’ve asked you ten times now, and every time you say no.”

“And every time you ask me, it ratchets up one at a time. No, I won’t go out with you. No, I don’t want to talk to you. No. Just no. One day you’ll get the message.”

“What message?” Marcus asked for clarification on that one. It was a new addition to the normal ‘No’ speech he got from Liam.

“The one that says I don’t go for tiny guys with no manners who don’t understand the word no.”

Oh, this was new. Liam was actually talking to him. He could work with this.

“Tiny? Who says I’m tiny?” he teased.

“Itty-bitty man who doesn’t like to get dirty,” Liam snapped.

“I like to get dirty.”

“You have crap all over your jacket.”

Marcus fell for that one. He looked down to his unblemished jacket, worried he’d find his favorite smart jacket was ruined. “No I don’t,” he said, bemused.

“Close thing, though? I’m covered in shit and dust. You get near me, you’re getting all sorts on your fancy clothes.”

Marcus grinned at the thought of Liam covering him, not in shit and dust, but naked and heavy and pressing him into the mattress. His cock certainly liked the idea. Good thing he’d worn the longer-length jacket in his air-conditioned office and car.

He felt he should change the subject. “Anyway, back to the small thing.”

“Oh Jesus,” Liam said tiredly, “do you never stop?”

“I have it on good authority that I am a reasonable length, and it would be nothing that would leave you lacking for something to play with.”

Liam dropped the shovel in exasperation. “Holy fuck, man! Don’t give me visuals.”

“Maybe I should show you.” Marcus moved back and away from the gate and made to touch his pants.

“No,” Liam snapped. He crossed to Marcus and stayed his hand with one of his own. Leaning in close. “One kiss. That was all we had. It was an awful, clumsy, bad kiss, and I hate that it happened and the memories it dredged up from a shitty time.”

Liam’s pale silver eyes shone with emotion. Yes, it had been one kiss, but Marcus wouldn’t call it clumsy or bad, he would call it a freaking epiphany, albeit one tinged with guilt since Liam obviously didn’t feel the same way.

“You tasted so good.” Marcus kept his voice low and encouraging.

“I didn’t—”

Marcus pressed a finger to Liam’s lips to stop his talking. “One more,” he said. “Please.”

“No, I can’t…” Liam said the words but swayed closer in spite of them. Finally Marcus had another intoxicating taste of Liam. The kiss was chaste to start, but when Marcus ran his tongue over Liam’s lips demanding entrance, Liam simply sunk into the kiss with a sigh. Marcus slanted his head and stood up on tiptoes to get a better angle to deepen the kiss. They stood that way until the kiss ended.

“Why don’t you let me show you more,” Marcus asked carefully. He wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck and laced his hands in place. Liam bent toward him a little and they kissed again, but then Liam shoved him away. Marcus didn’t stop him.

“This is some sort of harassment. You need to leave me the fuck alone.” There was no heat in Liam’s voice, only resignation.

“You don’t want to be left alone,” Marcus said gently, “any more than I want to leave you alone. Please. Just dinner. Somewhere away from the ranch?”

“Will you ever give up?”

“Never, not until you say yes.”

Liam closed his eyes briefly, and Marcus could almost imagine the battle that was going on inside Liam’s head.

“One dinner. Nothing fancy that I have to get dressed up for. Steak, fries, cold beer, sawdust on the floor.”

Marcus would agree to dinner on the moon if it meant he got to spend more time with Liam.

“Done. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Seven when?”

“Tonight.”

“That’s not… It’s too soon… Jesus… Okay.”

After a final touch of his lips to Liam’s, Marcus left the barn. Robbie caught up with him as he reached his car.

“I like you, Marcus,” he began with absolute purpose in his voice. “But Liam’s had a real shitty start in his life, and he’s younger than you, nothing more than a kid. Don’t play with him.”

Marcus bristled. He wasn’t out to play with anyone; he was deadly serious. He really wanted to know Liam better, to share some of his life with him and in return find out what drove Liam. He knew Liam had been thrown out of home at sixteen, was aware he’d left his last ranch with nothing more than the clothes on his back. All that made Liam more attractive. He was a man who had fought the world and was trying to come out the other side with strength. Marcus wanted to help him with that. Then just as quickly, his irritation died. Robbie wasn’t just Liam’s boss, but his friend.

“I know I’m older, I just…look, there’s something in him that I want to know more about. I’m not just talking with my dick here.”

“You mean the one that no one says is small.”

Marcus felt heat in his cheeks. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough to feel that you will be good for Liam. He enjoys your teasing. You make him smile even though he won’t let on, and he tolerates your persistence. You need to show him what it can be like to not be afraid, the same way Eli showed me.”