“Who in nine months is gonna be a baby daddy. He’s Riley’s brother in club visits, looked after him when he was suggesting marrying the gay guy, cared for Beth, loved Beth, still loves Beth, and he’s a friend. I am so pleased that you and Beth are extending your family, because let’s be honest, you’ve been part of mine since you met Beth when she was fourteen. So, let’s toast to Steve and Beth, to little Emily and the new baby.”

Everyone repeated the names.

Josh coughed to get attention and everyone looked at him expectantly. “There’s still time to run. Riley has a jet.”

Jack hit Josh around the back of his head and muttered, “Idiot.”

The drive back was quiet. Riley didn’t say much, and at one point Jack could have sworn Riley had nodded off against the car window. Jack himself had nursed one beer because he wanted a clear head. He had work to do. Robbie and Eli talked quietly in the back of the car and climbed out with a sketched goodbye before disappearing up into their small place over the new barn.

Jack looked at a sleepy Riley. “We can always go in the house,” he said. He wasn’t sure Riley was really up to anything tonight. Disappointment tinged the lust inside Jack. He’d waited some time to be able to make this scene in his head close to a reality.

Riley blinked at him, then appeared to realize where he was. He indicated the old barn.

“Do you have the stuff?” he asked.

“Uh huh.”

Riley clambered then stretched, the movement lifting his T-shirt and exposing the same skin that Jack wanted to taste.

“Come on then, cowboy, let’s go.”

They near ran to the barn, well, Riley stumbled and Jack held him up. As soon as they were inside the building, Jack flicked on the small flashlight and low-level lighting attached to the wall. He also turned on the old oil heater and soon the barn, with most of the drafts blocked over the last three years, began to warm up. The glow of the lamps was gentle, and just seeing Riley standing with breathless anticipation by the broken ceiling joist was enough to have Jack crack his neck and dive straight in. The kiss was all tongue, heated and messy, and Riley groaned into the touch. Riley tasted of beer, and for a long while Jack kissed and licked, until he couldn’t discern the beer.

“I love kissing you,” Jack said brokenly.

“Hmmm,” Riley said as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. They were moving against each other in lust, and Jack forcibly pushed himself away with Riley chasing the kiss.

“Strip,” he ordered.

Riley narrowed his eyes then did what he was told. Inch by inch, skin was revealed, his muscled chest, his broad shoulders, the cinnamon discs of his nipples, already hard in the cool night air. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and ran hands through his gelled hair until it lost its hold and simply lay in flicks and waves. Jack pressed a hand to his cock as he watched Riley strip. How he’d been lucky enough to find a man like this he didn’t know.

Riley unbuttoned his jeans and toed off his boots as he did so. Pushing down his jeans revealed he was commando, and Jack let out a heated moan. Pushing the jeans the rest of the way down his impossibly long legs, Riley finally stood nude and ready for Jack to do whatever he wanted. He was hard and his beautiful cock jutted out from the nest of tidy dark blond curls.

“Move back,” Jack ordered. Riley shuffled back on the blankets on the floor until his arms hit the wood, and without being asked, he raised his hands and gripped the bar created by the broken joist. The action stretched his muscles, and Jack nearly lost it within seconds of seeing that single pose. “Do I need to tie you?”

“Yes.”

Jack lifted the soft rope he’d ordered online and fingered it in his hands. He’d loosely tied up Riley before using neckties, but they’d never played with real rope. When Jack took a step closer, Riley opened his mouth to say something, but Jack placed a single finger on Riley’s lips.

“Not a word,” he said firmly. Riley nodded.

Jack had read up on this. He wanted Riley immobile so he could tease him and push him over, but he didn’t want to hurt him, and there was a special way of using the bindings. Carefully he recalled what to do, but getting close enough to ensure Riley was secure and unable to move had Jack close enough to Riley that the scent of his man was an intoxication worse than any beer.

“Can you move?” Jack asked quietly. Riley didn’t say anything, but he tugged on the rope to indicate he couldn’t move. “Does any of it hurt?” Riley shook his head, and Jack made sure that Riley’s hands could hold the bar. “Legs?”

Riley nodded and dropping to his knees, Jack made short work of securing Riley by roping his ankles loosely to the wooden upright of the old stable surround. Finally Riley was unable to move and spread out for Jack to taste. He pressed small kisses to each calf then stopped at the knees. Riley had ticklish knees, a fact they’d discovered in bed last Valentine’s. Jack touched them with fingers and lips until Riley wriggled under the touch. He still didn’t say a word.

Jack traced a path up strong thighs to nuzzle at Riley’s balls with his mouth. Riley loved this, the gentle teasing and sucking, but he would expect Jack to pay attention to his cock next. When Jack bypassed the huge erection with the pearl of pre-come on its top, Riley groaned and tested his bindings. He attempted to get his cock closer to Jack’s mouth, but Jack wasn’t ready for the main event yet. Using Riley’s strong body as a ladder, he kissed and bit and nuzzled inches of skin until he stood upright.

He spread his own legs to mirror Riley’s stance and unbuttoned his jeans. His cock was uncomfortable against the material, and he eased it upright with the tip poking out of his boxers. Idly he smeared the pre-come on the top of his cock, then lifted his fingers to Riley’s lips. Riley opened his mouth and eagerly sucked in the digits. It was Jack’s turn to moan, and without hesitation he turned his attention to Riley’s nipples. Riley loved his nipples being played with, and they were already erect, even in the warm barn. Jack teased and licked and sucked each one of them, then spent a long time turning and twisting them gently, all the time with his mouth a few inches from Riley’s and just out of reach for his lover. Jack could see the warring lust and irritation in Riley’s expression. He wanted a kiss but he loved what Jack was doing well enough to not ask. Concentrating on the left nipple with his tongue and teeth—the more sensitive of Riley’s nipples—was guaranteed to elicit a groan, and when Jack twisted the other nipple with his finger, Riley moved and humped the air in front of him. Jack stepped back and considered Riley’s heavy-lidded gaze.

“I could leave you,” Jack said quietly. “I could get myself off just looking at your cock and pulling your nipples. You know that, right?” Riley nodded and humped the air again. “You can talk,” Jack suggested.

“Fuck, Jack, suck me” was all Riley managed. “Please…” he added with a whine. Jack fell to his knees, thankful for the hay and the blankets, and pressed his hands into the dip between thigh and hip. Riley was a sight to behold, angry red and thick. Jack licked from base to root then back again before stopping and concentrating on the tip. He sucked gently, then harder until he had Riley fucking into his mouth. He loved that, loved the fact that Riley was so far gone he was taking what he wanted for himself.

Jack released his reward with a final lick, then tugged at the lube and flicked open the lid. Pressing himself against Riley, the idea of Riley naked while he was still dressed heady, he reached behind and smoothed lube on Riley’s hole. He decided that wasn’t good enough and recalled in the fantasy that he spent a long, involved time opening up his lover. Moving behind Riley, he was faced with a sight he never wanted to forget: Riley straining against the ropes, a sheen of sweat on his skin. He took a mental photograph and decided next time he’d bring a damn camera—Riley was sex and poetry rolled into one. He checked the ties and was reassured that Riley still gripped the wood and the ties weren’t too tight. He couldn’t move, but they weren’t stopping circulation.