We stepped back into the kitchen after the shared shower, our bare feet sticking slightly to the floor. Bill stood at the sink, shoulders rolling rhythmically as he scrubbed the cast-iron skillet. Steam rose around him in lazy curls, the scent of soap and bacon grease mingling in the humid air.
"Cole, found you some overalls since you didn’t bring that much with you when you moved in," Bill announced, chuckling to himself as he used his chin to point out the two neatly folded pairs of denim bib overalls, draped over the ladder-back chair.
The faded blue fabric looked soft from years of wear, the knees patched with mismatched squares of flannel. Cole's fingers hovered over them, tracing a seam with something like reverence. “Thank you, Bill, these are great and much nicer than I’m used to,” Cole said with genuine appreciation.
Bill's reflection watched us in the window above the sink, his hands still submerged in soapy water. "While you two meet the horses properly, I'll have to sort out some clothes for you, Cole," Bill confirmed, his words carefully selected as a farrier trimming hooves. "Unless you want me to go see your parents first."
Cole froze mid-motion, one leg already in the bib overalls, his borrowed tighty whities resting against his hips. "Not yet," Cole finally murmured, his voice barely carrying over the clatter of Bill stacking plates.
He yanked the bib overalls up with sudden violence, the metal clasps clicking like gunshots in the quiet kitchen. "Let them...let the dust settle first."
Letting the seriousness of the conversation settle into silence, I led Cole into the paddock through the stable door with a bag of apples. Cole was mesmerised and actually, overwhelmed, as his new friends approached him.
I could also detect his trepidation. "Cole, first rule when handling Shire horses. You must have a balance of firm consistency and gentle respect. See how big they are? They're immense, and this lot typically weighs between eighteen-hundred and twenty-four-hundred pounds," as I gestured around the paddock.
"Wow," he replied to Buttercup instead of me, who was showing a lot of interest in the bag I was carrying.
"They also measure anywhere from sixteen to nineteen hands tall at the shoulder, which leads me to the next rule. Establishing clear boundaries and trust is paramount in the relationship you will have with them, and always move deliberately, communicate clearly with your voice, and reward calm, cooperative behaviour with...lots of these. They love them," as I pulled an apple out of the bag I was carrying, handing it to Cole.
"Well, Cole, say hello and give her the apple."
Cole's fingers trembled against the apple as Buttercup's velvet muzzle bumped his hand, her whiskers tickling his wrist. The crunch echoed obscenely loud in the quiet paddock, juice dripping onto Cole's bare toes where they curled in the dirt. "Christ," he breathed, watching her massive jaw work, "she could bite my arm off and not even notice."
Bianca shared the same paddock as Buttercup, and seeing her crunching through an apple, trotted over to see what all the fuss was about, taking an apple from Cole, while I could see his confidence growing.
I grinned, nudging him toward Sunny's paddock. The chestnut mare pressed against the fence the moment she spotted Cole's apple-filled hands. "She's a sweetheart," I said, watching Sunny lip the fruit from Cole's hand with surprising delicacy. His startled laugh bounced across the pasture when her tongue swiped his wrist clean.
Lola nearly knocked Cole flat when she shoved her speckled nose into his chest, sniffing loudly at the lingering peppermint scent. "Easy, girl," I murmured, steadying him with a hand on his waistband. The overalls gaped where Cole hadn't fastened the side buttons properly, revealing a stripe of flushed skin above his borrowed briefs.
Daisy turned out to be the shyest, hanging back until Cole crouched low, extending the apple on his open hand like an offering. Her warm breath gusted across his forearm as she finally approached, dark eyes liquid with curiosity. When her lips finally closed around the fruit, Cole breathed sharply, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since dawn.
Pearl and Dotty came as a pair, their matching dappled coats gleaming in the morning sun. Cole barely had time to react before they flanked him, their massive shoulders boxing him in as they sniffed his hair. "They think you're a foal," I explained, laughing when Dotty nibbled at Cole's unbuttoned overalls.
"Seems she likes my briefs," he said, still laughing. "So, you have seven meres?"
"Yep, and six are pregnant," I replied, "plus we have the proud father just over there."
Cole wiped apple juice off his hand onto his overalls as we approached the stallion paddock, the wood creaking under our weight when we climbed onto the fence rail. "Christ alive," he breathed, knuckles whitening around the top board as Apollo lifted his massive black head, nostrils flaring at our scent. "That one's built like a damn freight train."
Apollo's hooves kicked up clods of earth as he trotted toward us, his mane flying like a battle standard. The stallion stopped just shy of the fence, his dark eyes locking onto Cole with unnerving intelligence. When he suddenly reared, all two thousand pounds of muscle and gleaming coat, Cole nearly toppled backwards off the rail.
I caught his elbow, steadying him as Apollo's front hooves slammed down inches from the fence. "He's showing off for you," I said, pressing closer as Cole's back tensed against my chest. The stallion's breath gusted warm across our faces, smelling of oats and wildness. "Thinks you're pretty."
Blaze came thundering across the paddock like a chestnut comet, his white markings flashing in the sunlight. Unlike Apollo's calculated display, Blaze skidded to a halt in a spray of dirt, his tail flagged high as he sniffed the air between us with unmistakable interest.
Cole flinched when Blaze suddenly nipped at his dangling overall strap. "Easy!" I warned, slapping the stallion's muzzle lightly. Blaze jerked back with an offended snort, but his ears stayed pricked forward, fixated on Cole's trembling fingers where they gripped the fence.
"Cole, this is important,” I started, looking him in the face so there would be no misunderstanding, before continuing. “This is important, particularly when dealing with Shire stallions. Shire horses communicate unhappiness through subtle, escalating warning signs. Watch for pinned ears, hard eyes, heavy tail swishing, and a tense muzzle."
"Okay," Cole answered. "But what happens if I don't recognise any of the signs?"
"Trust me, Cole, you'll know, and if you ignore them, they will become aggressive by kicking, biting, or head tossing. At that point, you must withdraw, and whatever you do, do not crouch down. Unlike most horses, these were bred for war, and they will trample a human crouching or lying down."
Cole's fingers dug into my forearm when Blaze tossed his head, the stallion's mane flicking droplets of morning dew across our faces. "Seriously?" he whispered, his voice cracking on the second syllable. "You expect me to just...climb onto that having told me they’re dangerous?"
His throat worked as he swallowed hard, tracking the ripple of muscle beneath Blaze's gleaming coat with the wide-eyed fascination of someone watching an approaching storm.
I squeezed his wrist, feeling the rabbit-quick pulse beneath his skin. "You’ll learn to ride, Cole, and trust me, it's easier than you think," I murmured against his ear, catching the scent of peppermint shampoo lingering in his damp hair. "There's a mounting block over there," pointing to the location. “That will get you started.”
Blaze knew exactly where we were going, and by the time we got to the mounting block, Blaze was waiting.
My hands encircled his waist before he could protest, lifting him effortlessly as Blaze sidestepped with a curious snort. Cole's startled yelp turned into a breathless laugh when the stallion suddenly stilled beneath him, as if sensing his rider's inexperience.
Blaze's warmth radiated through the fabric of Cole's overalls as he settled awkwardly astride, his thighs clamping tight enough to make the stallion's ears flick backwards in question. "Christ, he's so wide," Cole gasped, knuckles whitening around the harness straps. A flush crept up his neck when Apollo bumped my shoulder impatiently, his dark eyes fixed on Cole with unsettling intensity.
"Relax your hips," I instructed, swinging onto Apollo's back in one smooth motion. The stallion arched beneath me, his power coiled like a spring as I guided him alongside Blaze. "Move with him, not against him."
Cole's uncertain nod sent droplets shaking from his hair when Blaze took his first tentative steps forward, the stallion's gait deliberately slow as if humouring his nervous rider. Apollo, though, surged forward without warning, his massive shoulders rolling beneath me as we circled the paddock.
Wind tore at my bare chest underneath the overalls as we accelerated, the world blurring into streaks of green and gold until Cole's shout snapped my attention backwards. Blaze had broken into an easy trot, Cole bouncing awkwardly atop him like a sack of grain, his overalls gaping open to reveal flashes of borrowed briefs again with every jolting step.
After fifteen minutes, Cole had got the all-important posting trot and was showing excellent signs in steering and controlling the horse, while still commenting, "He fucking huge."
I felt confident that Cole was ready as I pulled the long handle and the gate clicked open with a rusty groan, swinging wide onto seas of golden grass stretching uninterrupted toward the horizon. Blaze shoved his massive head between us, nostrils flaring at the scent of clover as I gestured toward the endless, undulating landscape. "This is why we don't plough," I said, watching Cole's eyes widen as a gust of wind sent ripples through the flowering meadow like a living thing.
Blaze stamped impatiently beneath Cole, the stallion's ears pricked forward at the open space. "Christ," Cole breathed, his grip tightening around the reins. "It's...alive, the entire meadow is alive," as a monarch butterfly landed on his knee like a misplaced orange button, its wings trembling as Blaze took an eager step forward.
I nudged Apollo alongside them, grinning at the way Cole's borrowed overalls gaped open with every movement, revealing flashes of my old briefs. "1700 acres just like this," I said, sweeping my arm across the vista. Purple lupines and crimson poppies swayed between the grasses, their colours shockingly vivid against the green. "Winter hay grows itself here, no ploughs, no pesticides. Just...all organic and natural."
Cole and I took in the view before us as we sat side by side on our horses, unsure whether or not we should be holding hands or something.
Sweeping low over the luminous expanse of the grass meadow, the swallows and swifts weaved a breathless tapestry against the sky. The swallows, with their iridescent blue jackets and deeply cleft tails, skim the amber tips of the ryegrass like skipped stones, executing sudden, joyful ricochets after unseen insects. Higher up, the soot-black swifts cut through the thermal currents on rigid, crescent-moon wings, their piercing screams echoing as they anchor themselves to the wind in perpetual, manic motion. Below this aerial ballet, the meadow ripples in sympathetic waves of jade and gold, transforming the birds' chaotic hunting ground into a living canvas of light and shadow where earth and air blurred into a magical moment.
"Steve, it's magic. It’s the most magical thing I’ve ever seen. I can believe I never knew," Cole finished, his voice hushed as a covey of quail burst from the grasses ahead. Blaze startled sideways, but Cole instinctively moved with him this time, his thighs flexing beneath bib overalls. Pride swelled in my chest watching him, already more natural bareback than most first-timers after ninety minutes.
A red-tailed hawk circled overhead as we reached the first gentle slope, its shadow darting across Cole's flushed face. "My da would have a stroke seeing all this 'wasted' land," he admitted, reaching down to brush his fingertips through the tallest tops of ryegrass while Blaze took advantage of his distraction to snatch a mouthful, chewing with exaggerated contentment.
The hillcrest revealed the valley below like a spilt treasure chest, golden grass rippling in waves toward distant stands of oak trees, their gnarled branches stretching like drowsing giants. Blaze halted beside Apollo without prompting, his sides heaving against Cole's thighs as we took in the panorama. Sweat darkened Cole's borrowed overalls at the small of his back, sticking the fabric to skin where my old briefs peeked through the gaping side buttons.
"Yep," I murmured, watching a monarch butterfly land on Cole's knee again. "It is magic, isn't it?"
Cole's fingers loosened on the reins, his shoulders slumping forward as Blaze dropped his head to graze. "Can we take a break?" he asked, his voice frayed at the edges. "I hadn't realised how hard it is riding."
Apollo tossed his head with an impatient snort, his dark eyes tracking Cole's unsteady dismount from Blaze. "Christ," he panted, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist, "my legs feel like fucking jelly."
I swung down from Apollo in one smooth motion, landing in the tall grass beside Cole with a soft thump. "Mounting block's easier for getting back on," I said, nudging his knee with mine. "It's going to be fun teaching you how to mount Blaze without one."
Cole breathed softly as my fingers traced downward along the front of his bib overalls, as I stood behind him, his breath hitching when I found the warm swell beneath the denim. The horses grazed lazily around us, their rhythmic chewing the only sound in the golden sea of grass. "Beautiful," Cole murmured again, though his eyes weren't on the landscape anymore; they'd fluttered shut as my hand pressed firmly against him through the fabric.
The overall buckles jingled faintly as I worked the front clasps open one-handed, my other arm still wrapped around his waist. Cole leaned back against me, his head lolling onto my shoulder as I slipped past the waistband of his borrowed briefs. The moment my fingers curled around him properly, he made a punched-out noise that sent Apollo's ears twitching in our direction.
Blaze lifted his massive head, grass stems dangling from his lips as he regarded us with what could only be described as equine amusement. Cole's face burned crimson when the stallion snorted directly at us, his hips jerking involuntarily into my grip. "Christ, Steve…" his protest cut off by his own gasp as I stroked him slowly, deliberately, feeling the way his body tensed and trembled against mine.
The afternoon sun baked the scent of warm horseflesh and crushed grass into our skin as Cole's overalls sagged open further, revealing that I had pushed his briefs down to show his shaved navel and groin. My thumb swiped across his tip, smearing the bead of moisture there as Apollo sidled closer, his velvety muzzle bumping Cole's shoulder in apparent curiosity.
Cole froze mid-thrust, his entire body going rigid when the stallion's whiskers tickled his skin. "Is he..."
"...watching?" Cole finished the thought in a strangled whisper, his hips stuttering against my hand as Apollo's warm breath ghosted across his shoulder. The stallion's nostrils flared inches from Cole's exposed skin, whiskers twitching at the scent of our mingled arousal hanging heavy in the afternoon heat.
"Apollo’s just enjoying the vibe," I murmured against Cole's ear, pushing his briefs down just enough to expose the flushed head of his cock to the golden sunlight. His answering gasp sent Blaze's ears flicking toward us, the stallion chewing his mouthful of grass with exaggerated indifference.
Cole's fingers clutched my forearm when I tightened my grip, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts that stirred the fine hairs on Apollo's muzzle. The stallion's lips brushed Cole's collarbone in what could only be interpreted as equine approval before he ambled away to graze, leaving us alone in our circle of trampled grass.
"Would you like me to deal with this for you?" I teased, thumbing the leaking slit of Cole's cock just hard enough to make his thighs tremble. His nod came rapid-fire, the movement dislodging droplets of sweat from his hairline onto my wrist.
The first proper stroke wrenched a broken sound from Cole's throat, his hips jerking forward into my hand like a marionette with its strings cut. His overalls gaped obscenely around my moving hand, the denim rough against my knuckles with every pull. Somewhere beyond the haze of arousal, Blaze snorted loudly, the sound suspiciously close to equine laughter.
The tall grass whispered against my thighs as I circled to Cole's front, my shadow falling across his parted legs where his overalls sagged open. Apollo's warm muzzle bumped my shoulder as I knelt, an equine blessing, before the stallion ambled away to graze, leaving us in our makeshift cathedral of swaying ryegrass as I unclipped the last buckle on his overalls.
Cole's cock glistened in the golden light, already flushed and leaking against his stomach. When I leaned forward, his fingers tangled in my hair with desperate urgency, his breath hitching as I breathed against him first, warm air ghosting over sensitive skin, before finally taking him into my mouth.
Cole made a sound like a drowning man breaking the surface, his hips jerking upward as my lips sealed around him. The taste burst across my tongue, salt and musk and something indefinably that of my boyfriend, as I worked him deeper, my nose brushing the base of his shaved cock.
Blaze chose that moment to snort loudly directly above us, his whiskers tickling my bare shoulder as he investigated the proceedings with apparent interest.
"Jesus...fuck..." Cole gasped, his fingers spasming in my hair when I hollowed my cheeks. His thighs trembled against my ribs, the denim of his overalls rough against my forearms where I braced myself over him. Somewhere beyond the roaring in my ears, Apollo stamped impatiently, shaking his mane as if offended by the interruption.
Cole's back arched when I swirled my tongue along the underside of his shaft, the motion sending his borrowed briefs sliding further down his hips. The sight of him losing control turned me on even more. His flushed chest heaving, his overall straps dangling, my old underwear pooled around one ankle, drove me to take him deeper until his tip nudged the back of my throat. His choked-off cry startled a red-winged blackbird from the grass nearby, its indignant chirps lost in the wet sounds of my mouth working him over.
Blaze's shadow fell across us as the stallion circled, his warm breath gusting across Cole's exposed stomach. "Christ...Steve...he's watching," Cole panted, his voice cracking as Blaze's velvety muzzle bumped his knee. The stallion's nostrils flared inches from where my lips stretched around Cole's cock, his whiskers twitching at the scent of our mingled arousal.
Cole's thighs tensed like bowstrings beneath my hands, his breath coming in ragged gasps that stirred the golden grass around us. I knew that telltale tremor running through his hips, the way his fingers scrabbled against my scalp like he couldn't decide whether to push me away or hold me tighter. Then his whole body stiffened with a choked-off cry, and the first hot pulse flooded my mouth with the unmistakable metallic tang of his release.
Blaze snorted directly above us, his velvety muzzle bumping my shoulder as Cole's climax hit him like a lightning strike. His hips jerked erratically, riding out the waves as I swallowed around him, milking every last twitch and shudder until he collapsed backwards into the crushed grass with a boneless sigh. The stallion's warm breath ghosted across Cole's exposed stomach, whiskers twitching at the unprotected skin as my mouth cleaned the last remnants of his climax.
"Christ," Cole panted, his chest heaving as he stared up at the cloudless sky. His fingers trembled where they'd fallen away from my hair, tracing idle patterns in the pollen-dusted air. Blaze lipped at his discarded overall strap with apparent amusement before ambling off to rejoin Apollo at the meadow's edge.
I settled my weight onto Cole's hips, pressing him deeper into the crushed grass as I kissed him slowly and thoroughly. His hands slid down to grip my ass through my overalls, fingers digging in with that delicious mixture of hesitation and hunger that drove me wild. The denim was rough against his hands, but the way his fingertips kneaded told me he liked the texture, liked the way my body filled his hands.
Blaze snorted somewhere behind us, his heavy footsteps rustling through the ryegrass as he wandered off to graze. Cole laughed against my mouth, the sound vibrating through both our chests. "Think he approves?" he whispered the question, nipping at my lower lip. His thumbs hooked into my back pockets, tugging me down harder against him until I could feel every inch of his renewed interest pressing against my thigh.
I rocked forward experimentally, savouring the way Cole's breath hitched. His fingers flexed on my ass like he wanted to leave bruises, like he couldn't decide whether to push me away or pull me closer. The indecision was intoxicating, this beautiful boy who'd been so shy last night now gripping me with such possessive intensity beneath the open sky.
"That's enough for now," I declared, pulling the front of his briefs up to cover his softening cock. Round two, when we're back, if you fancy a round two?"
“Round two? Yep, I think I can manage,” as he stood on shaky legs, his borrowed briefs still damp where they clung to his thighs as he fastened his overalls with trembling fingers.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the trampled grass where we'd lain moments before, the scent of crushed ryegrass and sex still thick in the air. Blaze watched us with one ear cocked forward, his dark eyes tracking Cole's unsteady movements with what could only be horse amusement.
"Right," Cole muttered, wiping his hands on his overall bib. "Mounting without a block." His throat worked as he swallowed hard, gaze flicking between me and the massive stallion. "This belly-over technique, it's safe...yeah?"
I grinned, stepping forward to demonstrate on Apollo. The stallion stood placidly as I grabbed a fistful of his thick mane near the withers. "Watch closely," I said, bracing my free hand against his broad barrel. With one fluid motion, I kicked up and swung my leg over, landing squarely in the saddle with a satisfying thump. Apollo barely twitched, his ears flicking backwards in acknowledgement.
"Easy. Now. Your turn, Cole."
Cole approached Blaze like a man walking toward his own execution, fingers twitching at his sides. The stallion turned his massive head, nostrils flaring as Cole's scent, peppermint, sweat, and sex, drifted across the space between them.
"Talk to him," I instructed, pressing an apple into Cole's shaking hand. "Let him know you're there."
Blaze lipped the fruit from Cole's hand with surprising gentleness, his whiskers tickling Cole's wrist as he crunched loudly. Cole breathed sharply, his shoulders loosening incrementally as Blaze's warm breath gusted across his bare stomach, where the overalls still gaped open.
Cole's fingers tangled in Blaze's mane like a drowning man clutching driftwood. His knuckles whitened as he gathered the thick strands, the stallion's coat warm and slightly damp with sweat beneath his hands. "Christ," he muttered under his breath, eyeing the sheer expanse of Blaze's back. "It's like mounting a bloody building."
I bit back a grin as Cole mimicked my earlier motion, bracing one hand against Blaze's shoulder while gathering the mane with the other. The stallion stood patiently, his ears twitching backwards to track Cole's movements as he took an experimental hop. His first attempt barely got him off the ground, his boot scuffing Blaze's flank awkwardly.
"Higher kick," I coached, watching Cole's borrowed briefs peek through the gap in his overalls as he tried again. This time, his knee hooked over Blaze's broad back, but his swing lacked momentum, leaving him dangling precariously halfway up, one leg flailing like an upturned beetle. Blaze snorted and sidestepped, nearly sending Cole tumbling into the grass.
Cole hit the dirt with a graceless thud as Blaze peered down at him with what could only be horse amusement, his velvety muzzle dripping grass juice onto Cole's flushed chest.
"Third time's the charm," I said, hauling him up by his overall straps. His hands were slick with sweat where they gripped my forearms, his pulse rabbiting beneath my thumbs.
Blaze stood like a sentinel as Cole gathered himself, his breath coming in ragged gulps that stirred the stallion's whiskers. This time when he kicked up, his bare knee hooked over Blaze's broad back with surprising grace. For one suspended moment, he balanced there, sunlight gilding the sweat-slick hollow of his throat, denim stretched taut across his thighs, before swinging his leg over in a single fluid motion.
"Fucking A," I congratulated Cole.
"Thanks," Cole said. "Fucking harder than I thought it would be," but we're good.
The ride back to the barn stretched long and lazy, Blaze's warm flank brushing against Apollo's as we let the horses pick their own pace through the golden grass. Cole sat taller now, his posture looser, though his thighs still gripped Blaze's sides like he expected to slide off any second.
The stable smelled of warm hay and horse sweat as we finished brushing down Apollo and Blaze, the rhythmic rasp of curry combs filling the dim space between us. Cole worked with surprising confidence now, his hands sure as he ran the brush down Blaze's gleaming flank one last time before offering the stallion his well-earned apple. The crunch echoed obscenely loud in the quiet barn, juice dripping onto Cole's bare toes where they curled in the loose straw.
"Hey, Steve?" Cole's voice came unexpectedly soft, barely audible over the horses' contented munching. His fingers lingered on Blaze's withers, tracing the sweat-damp coat in absent circles. "Can I... practice on you?"
I knew exactly what he meant; the way his cheeks flushed scarlet gave him away before the words fully left his mouth. But something about the nervous hope in his eyes made me play dumb. "What?"
I kept my face carefully blank as I hung Apollo's bridle on its hook. "Don't know what you're talking about?"
Cole's fingers stilled on Blaze's coat. The stallion turned his massive head to nudge Cole's shoulder impatiently, still hoping for another apple. "You know," Cole muttered to the straw at his feet, his ears burning crimson. "Like...what you did for me earlier. Only..." his gesture toward my crotch was so awkward it would've been comical if not for the genuine vulnerability in his expression.
Apollo snorted loudly, his warm breath gusting across the back of my neck as if to say. *stop being an asshole*.
Apollo's loud snort translated perfectly in my head, *quit torturing the poor bastard*...and I laughed, grabbing Cole's overalls to yank him backwards onto stacked straw bales. He landed half on top of me with an oof, his overalls rough against my bare arms where I'd rolled my sleeves up. "You can practice as much as you like," I murmured against his mouth before kissing him properly, tasting sunlight and peppermint on his lips.
Cole melted into the kiss with a soft noise, his fingers tangling in my hair like he'd been waiting all afternoon for permission. The straw prickled through my shirt as he shifted his weight, one knee slotting between my thighs with hesitant urgency. Blaze lipped at Cole's discarded bootlace nearby, his whiskers tickling my ankle as if reminding us both we weren't actually alone.
I broke the kiss to nip at Cole's jawline, grinning when he shivered. "Rules first," I said, catching his wandering hands. His hands were still slightly sticky from apple juice, warm where they flexed against my grip. "No teeth."
Cole's nose scrunched adorably at that, like he was mentally crossing something off a list. "And tell me if you need to stop."
Cole's answering nod was almost comically serious, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he eyed the fly of my overalls like it was a trigonometry exam. Blaze chose that moment to snort directly into Cole's hair, sending strands of it sticking up in every direction. "Christ's sake," Cole muttered, swatting at the stallion's muzzle while I bit back laughter.
The barn's shadows stretched long across the straw as Cole worked my overall buckles open with trembling fingers, the metal jingling faintly. Apollo shuffled his massive hooves nearby, the sound oddly soothing as Cole's breath hitched against my collarbone. When he finally got the waistband down far enough, his fingers stilled against my hips like he'd forgotten how to breathe.
Cole's fingers dug into my overall straps with sudden determination, yanking them down my hips in one rough motion. The denim caught around my thighs for a heartbeat before he shoved it all the way off, leaving me sprawled across the scratchy straw bale in nothing but my tighty whities and t-shirt. "Fair's fair," he muttered, his ears burning crimson as he tossed my boots toward the stable door where they landed with a thud.
I barely had time to register the cool barn air on my bare legs before Cole grabbed the hem of my t-shirt. The fabric stretched taut for a suspended moment before ripping free over my head, his knuckles brushing my ribs in a way that made my breath catch. The sudden vulnerability should've felt ridiculous, laid bare in a stable with two thousand-pound stallions watching, but the way Cole's throat worked as he stared made heat pool low in my stomach.
Then he surprised me.
With quick, jerky movements, Cole shucked his own overalls, the buckles jingling like sleigh bells as they hit the straw. His borrowed briefs followed, pale white cotton from age, puddling around his ankles before he kicked them toward my discarded clothes. For a heartbeat, he stood there, backlit by afternoon sun streaming through the stable doors, all lean muscle and trembling resolve. Apollo snorted approvingly from his stall as Cole climbed back onto the bale, his warm thighs bracketing mine with delicious hesitation.
"You're staring," Cole murmured, his hands sliding up my chest. The contrast of rough hands on bare skin sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the barn's cool shadows.
"I don't think you need these anymore," Cole muttered as he pulled my briefs down, throwing them to join the other discarded clothing.
Cole's fingers trembled against my thighs as a tuning fork struck too hard, his breath coming in short, warm bursts across my stomach. The stable smelled of hay and horse sweat, of leather oil and nervous anticipation.
"Easy," I murmured, carding my fingers through his hair when he hesitated. His forehead bumped my hipbone as he breathed sharply, his eyelashes fluttering against my skin.
Blaze chose that moment to knock over a bucket with a metallic clang, making Cole jerk backwards like he'd been shocked. The stallion peered over his stall door with what could only be described as equine amusement, his dark eyes tracking Cole's flushed face. "Ignore him," I said, tugging Cole back down by his shoulder. "Focus here."
Cole's first attempt was all teeth and tentative pressure, his lips catching awkwardly on my shaft as he tried to mimic what I'd done to him in the meadow. I hissed through my teeth when his incisors grazed me, and he recoiled like I'd burned him. "Sorry, shit..."
"It's okay," I soothed, guiding his chin back up with two fingers. His lower lip glistened in the stable's golden light, bitten red from nerves. "Use your hand first." I wrapped his fingers around my base, adjusting his grip until his thumb aligned properly. "Now just...follow with your mouth."
Cole's tongue darted out tentatively, tracing the vein along my underside with featherlight pressure that made my hips twitch. His exhale warmed the damp trail as he followed the path upward, pausing at the tip with a hesitation that bordered on reverence. When he finally took me into his mouth, the heat of it punched through me like sunlight through storm clouds.
Apollo shifted in his stall, his massive hooves rustling the straw as Cole worked lower inch by trembling inch. His nose bumped my pelvis when he hit resistance, his throat working visibly as he forced himself to relax. The sight alone, his flushed cheeks hollowed around me, eyelashes casting shadows on his cheekbones, nearly undid me right then.
Blaze snorted wetly nearby, his whiskers tickling my ankle where it dangled off the bale. Cole startled at the sensation, his teeth grazing me just enough to make me hiss. He jerked back instantly, apple-scented breath coming in ragged bursts. "Too much?"
I hauled him up by his armpits, flipping us until his back hit the straw with an oof. His legs fell open instinctively, knees bumping my ribs as I slotted between them. "Watch," I murmured against his collarbone before moving lower, mapping the same path down his torso that he'd traced on me moments before.
Cole's fingers scrabbled at my shoulders when I reached his thighs, his breath hitching as I nudged them wider. Apollo's shadow fell across us as the stallion leaned over his stall door, his warm breath stirring Cole's hair where it fanned across the straw. "Christ, he's *watching*," Cole gasped, his hips lifting when I bit the inside of his thigh.
Cole's fingers tangled in my hair as I took him down to the root in one smooth motion, his gasp echoing off the stable walls. Apollo's whiskers tickled my bare shoulder where the stallion leaned curiously over his stall door, his warm breath gusting across Cole's trembling stomach. I pulled back slowly, savouring the way Cole's thighs quivered against my ears, his cock glistening with saliva in the golden light filtering through the hayloft.
"Fuck...Steve..." Cole's voice cracking as I swallowed him again, his hips jerking upward into the wet heat of my mouth. The straw scratched my knees as I braced myself, gripping his thighs to keep him from bucking right off the bale. Blaze snorted loudly from his stall, the sound suspiciously close to equine laughter.
Cole's back arched off the straw when I swirled my tongue around his tip, his borrowed overall straps digging into my hands where I pinned him down. Apollo's velvety muzzle bumped my shoulder again as if reminding me he was still watching, his whiskers twitching at the scent of Cole's arousal hanging heavy in the barn air.
I glanced up to find Cole staring at Apollo with wide-eyed fascination, his lips parted around ragged breaths. The stallion's dark eyes tracked every movement, his ears pricked forward with unmistakable interest. "He's..." Cole swallowed hard, "Christ, is he really...?"
"Intrigued?" I murmured against his inner thigh, grinning when Cole shuddered. Apollo lipped at Cole's discarded overall strap with apparent approval before ambling back to his hay net, leaving us in relative privacy.
Cole's lips parted around a shaky exhale as I pulled off him, my spit-slicked thumb swiping across his swollen tip one last time. Apollo's shadow stretched long across the straw where we lay tangled, the stallion's dark eyes tracking Cole's trembling fingers as they flexed uselessly at his sides.
"Your turn," I murmured against his thigh, nipping the soft skin there just hard enough to make him jerk. Cole's answering noise was half-protest, half-desperation, his cock twitching against his stomach where it lay flushed and leaking.
Blaze snorted from his stall, shaking his mane as Cole swallowed audibly. "But you haven't..."
"...doesn't matter," I interrupted, rolling onto my back beside him. The straw prickled my bare shoulders as I stretched out, deliberately casual despite the way my pulse hammered in my throat. "Show me what you learned."
Cole stared at my erection, his tongue darting out to wet his lips in a nervous tic I was coming to adore. The stable smelled of hay and sex now, of horse sweat and Cole's peppermint shampoo as he shifted onto his knees between my legs.
Cole's second attempt was much better. Clearly, my demonstration had done the job; his mouth moved with new confidence, his tongue pressing deliberately along my underside in a way that made my fingers tighten in his hair. The straw beneath us rustled as he adjusted his angle, his knees digging into the bale on either side of my hips. His teeth still scraped occasionally when he got overeager, but the sting only added to the electric pleasure coursing through me.
Blaze's hooves shuffled against the stable floor nearby, the stallion's curious snort ruffling Cole's sweat-damp hair where it fell across my thighs. Cole barely flinched this time, too focused on the way my hips jerked when he swirled his tongue around my tip. His hands, still slightly sticky from apple juice, gripped my hips with surprising strength, holding me down as he took me deeper until my cock nudged the back of his throat.
I groaned when Cole pulled off with an obscene pop, his lips swollen and glistening. "Better?" he asked breathlessly, thumbing my slit with newfound confidence. The afternoon sunlight streaming through the stable doors caught the flush spreading down his chest, turning his skin golden where it stretched over his collarbones.
"Fuck yes," I managed, carding my fingers through his hair as he dove back down. His nose pressed into my pelvis, his throat working around me in a way that should've been impossible for someone so inexperienced. Apollo's shadow fell across us again as the stallion leaned further over his stall door, his warm breath gusting across my bare shoulder.
Cole's fingers dug into my thighs when I tried to thrust upward, his grip bordering on painful as he set a relentless rhythm. The straw scratched at my back with every movement, the scent of sex and horse sweat thick in the air between us. Blaze's tail swished lazily nearby, the sound oddly soothing beneath Cole's wet, desperate noises.
Cole's rhythm stuttered when he felt the first telltale twitch against his tongue, his dark eyes flicking up to meet mine with sudden intensity. His lips stretched wider around me, swallowing me down to the root as my hips jerked involuntarily. The straw beneath us rustled like wildfire as I fisted my hands in his hair, my thighs trembling where they bracketed his shoulders.
Apollo's shadow loomed over us as the stallion leaned further over his stall door, his whiskers brushing my bare shoulder when Cole pulled back just enough to swirl his tongue around my tip. The dual sensations, Cole's hot mouth and Apollo's curious breath, sent sparks dancing along my spine.
"I’m close," I warned through gritted teeth, but Cole just hummed around me, the vibration ricocheting through my entire body. His fingers dug into my hips hard enough to leave bruises, holding me still as he took me deeper with each pass. I could feel him testing the limits of his own throat, his nose pressing into my pelvis whenever he bottomed out.
Blaze snorted loudly from his stall, his massive head swinging around to watch as Cole's pace grew erratic. Sweat dripped down my temples as Cole's free hand found my balls, rolling them gently in his hand, an unexpectedly expert move that had me seeing stars. The stable air thickened with the scent of hay and sex and horse musk, Apollo's warm breath gusting across my shoulder blades as Cole brought me right to the edge.
Cole's rhythm stuttered when he felt my thighs tense, his dark eyes flicking up to meet mine with sudden understanding. His lips stretched wider around me, swallowing me down to the root as my hips jerked involuntarily. The straw beneath us rustled like wildfire as I fisted my hands in his hair, my thighs trembling where they bracketed his shoulders.
Cole gasped when the first hot pulse hit his tongue, his eyes widening in startled pleasure as my release flooded his mouth. For one suspended moment, he froze, lips stretched tight around me, throat working visibly as he processed the unfamiliar taste. A pearl-white strand escaped the corner of his mouth, trailing down his chin before he remembered to swallow, the motion sending another thick wave spilling over his lower lip.
Blaze's ears pricked forward at the scent, the stallion's dark eyes tracking the glistening trail as it dripped onto the straw between Cole's knees. Apollo snorted above us, his whiskers tickling my shoulder blades where I'd arched off the bale. Cole's fingers flexed against my hips, his grip bordering on painful as he forced himself to keep going, working me through the aftershocks with determined strokes of his tongue.
The stable air thickened with the scent of sex and horse sweat as Cole finally pulled off with an obscene pop, his lips swollen and glistening. His tongue darted out to catch the remnants on his chin, his throat working as he swallowed the last of it with a quiet, satisfied noise that sent heat curling low in my stomach all over again.
"Fuck," Cole breathed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His fingers trembled where they hovered near his lips, as if he couldn't decide whether to savour the taste or wipe it away entirely.
Cole's breath hitched when I dragged him up by his shoulders, our lips crashing together before he could wipe his mouth clean. The taste of myself on his tongue was dark and musky, laced with the peppermint gum he'd chewed earlier, an intoxicating mix that made my grip tighten in his hair. His surprised moan vibrated through both our chests as I licked deeper, chasing every last trace until he trembled beneath me.
The straw crunched as I rolled him onto his back, pinning his wrists above his head where Apollo could inspect them with curious snuffles. Cole's chest heaved, still glistening with sweat from his earlier exertion, his nipples pebbled tight in the barn's cooling air. I kissed down his chest, slowly, deliberately, savouring the way his stomach muscles twitched when my teeth grazed his hipbone.
"Thought you were done with me," Cole gasped, his thighs falling open wider as I nudged them apart. Blaze's shadow fell across us as the stallion leaned over his stall door, his whiskers tickling Cole's ankle where it dangled off the bale.
"Not even close," I murmured against the crease of his thigh, inhaling the mingled scents of hay, sex, and Cole's nervous sweat. His cock lay half-hard against his stomach, flushed and twitching when I blew across the damp head. The shudder that racked him sent straw sticking to his sweaty back in golden flecks.
Cole's fingers scrabbled at the bale when I took him down to the root in one smooth motion, his hips jerking upward with a punched-out groan. Apollo snorted approvingly above us, his warm breath gusting across my bare shoulders as I worked Cole over with slow, deliberate sucks. Blaze lipped at Cole's discarded boot nearby, the leather creaking between his teeth like punctuation to Cole's ragged breathing.
Cole's thighs trembled against my ears like a spooked foal's first steps, his cock twitching against my tongue with erratic urgency. I could taste the moment before it happened, the salt-sharp tang of pre-come giving way to something richer, muskier, as his fingers clawed at the straw bale beneath him. His hips jerked in aborted thrusts, his breath coming in short, punched-out gasps that stirred the hair at my neck.
"Steve...I'm..."
The warning cracked like a whip in the stable air, but I only hummed around him, flattening my tongue against his underside in deliberate counterpoint to his stuttering rhythm. His climax hit him like a spooked stallion's kick, his entire body bowing off the straw as his release flooded my mouth in hot, bitter pulses.
I swallowed reflexively, the taste blooming across my tongue, musky and slightly sweet, with an earthy undertone that was unmistakably my boyfriend. His fingers twisted in my hair, pulling almost painfully as he rode out the waves, his hips jerking erratically against my lips. A pearl-white strand escaped the corner of my mouth, trailing down my chin before I caught it with a swipe of my tongue.
Cole collapsed backwards with a boneless thud, his chest heaving like he'd just run Apollo's entire pasture perimeter. His cock lay softening against his stomach, glistening in the golden light filtering through the stable doors. Blaze snorted loudly from his stall, the sound suspiciously close to equine laughter.
"Christ," Cole panted, dragging a trembling hand across his sweat-slick forehead. His fingers still trembled where they'd fallen away from my hair, tracing idle patterns in the pollen-dusted air between us. "Did you just...swallow all of that?"
"Sure did," I replied, "just like you swallowed all mine... well, most of mine. Top tip. Remember to swallow."
The stable smelled like warm hay and sex when we finally settled into the straw, Cole's head pillowed on my shoulder with his still-trembling fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest. Blaze snorted softly from his stall, the sound muffled as he lipped at his hay net, some equine equivalent of turning over to go to sleep.
Cole's laughter vibrated against my ribs when Apollo knocked over a bucket with his massive hoof, the metallic clang startling Bianca in her stall. "Think they're judging us?" he murmured, his breath warm against my collarbone where his lips brushed skin still sticky with sweat.
"Steve?" Cole whispered as his fingers stilled on my chest, his voice oddly tentative in the golden barn light. The straw beneath us rustled as he shifted onto his elbow, his thigh pressing warm against mine. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can."
Cole murmured, obviously plucking up the courage. "How do you know if you're a top or bottom in a relationship?"
Apollo blew raspberries into my armpit before I could answer, his whiskers tickling the sensitive skin there as Cole waited with wide, earnest eyes. I shoved the stallion's muzzle away, grinning at Cole's flushed cheeks where he lay half-sprawled across me in the straw. "You're asking now?"
Cole's fingers dug into my ribs, his bitten-down nails leaving crescent moons in my skin. "Just...curious," his voice cracking on the last syllable, the way it always did when he was nervous but trying to sound casual.
I stretched deliberately, letting Cole's thigh slide higher along mine. "Doesn't work like that," I said finally, watching a piece of straw drift down to land in his eyelashes. "It's not some permanent label you stamp on your forehead."
Cole blinked up at me, the golden light catching the sweat still drying along his collarbone. "But how do you...?"
"Okay, take, for example, last night. I wanted you to take me because I felt I wanted you...I wanted to feel you inside me. I guess you didn't realise how much I wanted you so much. It wasn't because you found me naked when Uncle Bill was checking my spine, it was when you massaged my back and buttocks. It was then that I wanted you to slip deep inside me. I wanted you to make love to me."
Cole's fingers stilled against my ribs where they'd been tracing idle patterns, his pinky dipping into my belly button with a sudden, thoughtful pressure. The afternoon light slanting through the stable doors caught the dust motes swirling around his fingers, the golden particles clinging to the sweat still drying on my stomach.
"That was..."
His thumb circled my navel slowly, the calloused pad catching on my skin in a way that sent unexpected shivers down my spine. "…When I was rubbing your back?" his eyebrows knitting together, his lower lip caught between his teeth in that way he did when puzzling through something.
I nodded, watching a piece of straw tumble from his hair onto my chest. "When you kneaded my glutes like bread dough."
"I..." Cole hesitated. "I wanted to, but I was too nervous. Probably, even scared, if I'm honest."
"Cole, that's fine. I had thought of nothing else since you left me as I watched you walk naked home. Your cock is magnificent, and I decided the first time I saw you by the creek, I wanted that long, beautiful cock inside me. I even thought about the position I wanted to take it."
Cole's fingers twitched against my stomach, his breath hitching as he processed my confession. "Another question. Well, it's more of an observation. We don't have any rubbers."
"That's easy. Uncle Bill left a note on my nightstand when he went to bed last night, with a bottle of lube, assuming we might... You know. He said, we don't need rubbers because we're both virgins and don't sleep around. Well, he actually said, we are as pure as the driven slush of snow."
“Nice,” Cole chuckled.
The straw beneath us rustled when Cole suddenly rolled on top of me, his thighs straddling my hips with surprising confidence. Sunlight streamed through the stable doors, gilding the sweat still drying on his collarbones as he loomed over me.
"Show me," he demanded, his voice rough with something new, not nervousness, but hungry certainty.
"What? Now? We don't have any lube."
"That's not entirely true," Cole declared. "I brought the small bottle of massage oil, thinking you might like a massage at some time."
Cole's fingers dug into my shoulders as he straddled my hips. The stable air smelled of horse sweat and sex, thick enough to taste, as he reached behind the straw bale with one trembling hand. The small glass bottle he produced caught the afternoon light, golden oil sloshing against its sides. "I had this in my overalls. I want to make love to you more than anything else. I want to couple, to bond with you if you're happy to couple and bond with me."
The straw crackled beneath us as I surged upward, catching Cole's lips in a kiss that tasted of desperation and sunlight. His surprised gasp vibrated against my mouth as I flipped us with more strength than I knew I had, pinning his shoulders to the bale with my knees straddling his hips. His erection bobbed between us, fully hard again and glistening in the late afternoon light filtering through the stable doors.
Cole's breath hitched when I ground down against him, as his hands flew to my waist, like he couldn't decide whether to push me away or pull me closer. "Steve..."
"Cole, shut the fuck up and just make love to me. I want you."
The oil bottle slipped in my sweaty hand as I poured a slick ribbon down Cole's cock, watching the golden liquid catch sunlight before my fingers smeared it along his length. Excess oil dripped onto his tightened balls, glistening like honeycomb in the stable's amber light.
Cole's breath hitched when I swung my leg over his hips, his hands flying to my waist as I hovered above him. His fingers trembled against my skin, whether from nerves or anticipation, I couldn't tell, as I aligned myself with agonising slowness. The blunt pressure of his crown against my entrance sent sparks skittering up my spine.
"Easy," Cole murmured, though his own chest heaved like he'd been running. His thumbs rubbed circles into my hipbones, the callouses on his hands catching on my skin with each ragged exhale.
I sank down an inch, the stretch burning in the best way, my body resisting then yielding as Cole's cockhead breached me. Cole's fingers dug into my thighs when I paused, his knuckles whitening against my skin as he gripped me intensely.
The stretch burned white-hot for one suspended moment before giving way to liquid pleasure as I sank down the rest of the way, my body opening for him like the creekbank swallows the spring thaw. Cole's gasp echoed off the stable walls when our hips met, his fingers convulsing against my thighs as I sat fully impaled, breathless at the sheer fullness. The oil made obscene wet sounds between us, mingling with Apollo's curious snorts from the neighbouring stall.
I stilled, letting my body adjust, not just to his size but to the shocking intimacy of Cole's cock nudging places no one had touched before. His hips jerked involuntarily beneath me, the motion dragging his shaft against something deep inside that made stars burst behind my eyelids. "Christ," I breathed, clutching Cole's shoulders as my abdominal muscles fluttered around him.
Cole's hands skated up my ribs, calloused thumbs brushing my nipples in hesitant arcs. "You okay?" his voice cracking on the second syllable, his throat working visibly as I clenched around him.
Instead of answering, I rocked forward experimentally, crying out when that incredible friction returned tenfold. The stable air smelled of sex and leather now, of Cole's peppermint breath panting against my collarbone as I began moving in earnest. Each upward drag of his cock teased that magical spot before the downward plunge stole my breath anew.
Cole's fingers dug into my hips when I picked up speed, his blunt nails leaving half-moons in my skin as I rode him with single-minded purpose. Apollo snorted nearby, his warm breath gusting across my shoulder blades with each downward thrust, an unexpected counterpoint to Cole's ragged moans beneath me.
The oil made our movements easier between us, mingling with the straw's rustle and Blaze's occasional snorts. Cole's cock dragged against my sweet spot with every movement now, the sensation so intense it bordered on painful, a white-hot brand searing pleasure directly into my nervous system. His hips thrust upwards to meet my downward strokes, our rhythms syncing in a way that felt eerily instinctual.
Cole's breath hitched when I changed angles slightly, his cockhead brushing that sweet spot with unerring accuracy on each pass. His thighs trembled against mine, sweat-slick and shaking with the effort of restraint. "Steve...I can't..."
"Not yet," I gritted out, slamming down particularly hard to watch his eyes roll back. His orgasm would trigger mine, and I wanted this to last, wanted to memorise every twitch of his abs, every choked-off moan, every way his fingers spasmed against my skin.
Apollo's whiskers tickled my shoulder where the stallion leaned over his stall door, his dark eyes tracking our movements with unmistakable interest. The realisation that we had an equine audience should've killed the mood, but somehow it amplified everything, the musk of horse and sex mingling in the stable air, the rhythmic creak of straw beneath us, Cole's bitten-off curses as I clenched around him deliberately.
Cole's fingers dug into my hips, his blunt nails leaving crescent moons in my skin as I rode him with single-minded purpose. His cock twitched inside me, the telltale pulse signalling his impending climax. "Gonna..."
"Inside," I gasped, bearing down on him as his release flooded me in hot pulses. The sensation of him climaxing beneath me, inside me, sent me over the edge with shocking force. My vision blurred as my own climax ripped through me.
Cole collapsed backwards onto the straw with a boneless thud, his chest heaving like he'd run Apollo's entire pasture perimeter. I slumped forward onto his sweat-slick chest, my limbs suddenly liquid as I felt him continuing to pump his seed into me, realising how warm it felt. His arms came up around me automatically, his fingers tracing nonsense patterns on my back where they'd earlier gripped hard.
Apollo blew a raspberry against my shoulder, his whiskers tickling the sensitive skin there as Cole chuckled beneath me. "Think he approves?" Cole asked, his voice rough with spent desire.
"Either that or he's judging our technique," I mumbled into his collarbone, inhaling the mingled scents of sex, horse, and Cole's unique musk. His fingers still trembled where they carded through my hair, the aftershocks of pleasure making his touch unsteady.
Cole's stomach growled loudly beneath my ear, the sound incongruous in the post-coital haze. "Sorry," he muttered, flushing when I laughed against his skin.
"Hungry work," I teased, nipping at his pectoral just to feel him jump.
Cole's fingers stilled on my back where they'd been tracing idle patterns through my sweat. I felt his throat work beneath my cheek before he spoke, his voice rough as gravel but soft as the straw beneath us. "I hadn't realised it would be so...intimate."
The words hung between us, suspended in the golden dust motes drifting through the stable air. I lifted my head just enough to see his expression, not regretful, but awed, as if he'd discovered some fundamental truth about the universe while buried inside me. Apollo chose that moment to snort directly into my hair, sending strands sticking to my forehead in sweaty tendrils.
"It's not just the physical part," Cole continued, his hips shifting minutely beneath me in a way that made us both gasp. His hands came up to frame my face, calloused thumbs brushing my cheekbones with surprising tenderness. "It's...your breath. The way your pulse jumps in your throat and how I can feel, every time you swallow."
Cole's fingers trembled against my jawline, his thumb catching on my lower lip as if to memorise its shape. The straw beneath us crackled with our slightest movements, each sound amplified in the charged silence between words. His pupils swallowed the blue of his irises completely, leaving only dark pools reflecting my face and something deeper, something that made my breath catch like a fishhook in my throat.
Apollo's whiskers tickled my bare shoulder where the stallion loomed over us, his warm breath stirring the hairs at my nape. Cole didn't seem to notice the horse's intrusion, his entire focus narrowed to the space between our mouths, to the way my exhale ghosted across his lips when I whispered back: "I love you. I have from the first time I saw you, and you asked me if I was gay?"
Cole's hands froze against my face, his breath hitching audibly between us. Apollo blew another raspberry into my hair, breaking the tension as Cole's lips twitched into a helpless smile.
"Say that again," he whispered, his thumbs tracing the hinge of my jaw where sweat still clung.
I leaned forward until our foreheads touched, inhaling the scent of hay and sex and Cole's nervous sweat. "I love watching you ride Blaze. Love how you bite your lip when concentrating. Love that you brought massage oil to a horse stable."
Cole's fingers curled into my hips, his blunt nails pressing crescents into my skin as his breath hitched against my collarbone. The oil between us had cooled, making every slight shift of our bodies tacky and intimate. Apollo lipped at my shoulder again, his whiskers dragging across sweat-slick skin in a way that made me shiver against Cole's chest.
"I love..." Cole's voice cracked. He cleared his throat, his fingers flexing against my back where they'd been tracing idle patterns. "I love that you taste like hay now."
The confession hung between us, fragile as a soap bubble catching sunlight. I turned my head just enough to see his eyelashes flutter against his cheekbones, gold-tipped in the late afternoon light. Something warm and unfamiliar expanded behind my ribs at the realisation Cole had never said those words to anyone before me.
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