A Subtle Breeze by Bailey Bradford (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

be done… Well, Brendon hadn’t seen anything so damn magnificent in a long time. Looking at the man right now, no one would ever know he’d had a moment’s doubt about himself, or that he’d lived in fear for so many years. And there was no way anyone would ever think this calm, assured man had been tormented with panic attacks. It amazed Brendon to think how much more there was to a person than what people let show. He was so proud to be the person Zeke trusted enough to share himself with.

As though he felt Brendon’s gaze on him, Zeke turned, exhaustion and worry fading a bit as he gave Brendon a slight smile and gestured him over. Brendon knew the man was beat, emotionally and physically. He’d just have to do his best to push this from Zeke’s mind when they got back to the house.

“We’re about ready to head back,” Zeke told him, and Brendon didn’t think he’d ever heard someone sound so weary. “Charlie’s calling for removal of the carcasses, scheduling some of them for necropsies and all of them for incineration. I… Fuck, Brendon. Someone poisoned them, and I just…” Zeke shook his head, all his earlier confidence fleeing. Brendon couldn’t stand to see the pain flickering in his eyes. He wrapped Zeke in a hug, not giving a good goddamn what anyone else thought or worrying about what he was getting all over himself.

“I know, Zeke. I’m so sorry, honey, I am, but it’ll be okay. We’ll make it okay, despite this.” Despite the fact that Brendon was pretty sure that he knew who did this. There was only one person he could think of who would want to hurt Zeke, and if he got the chance, Brendon was going to set that bitch straight. Someone needed to, for God’s sake. He enjoyed the feel of Zeke pressed against him, though he tried not to inhale much. Wouldn’t do for him to heave on the man he was trying to comfort.

“Got everything scheduled, Zeke.” Charlie strolled over, Miguel and Doc not far behind him. Brendon and Zeke parted reluctantly, turning to face the three men.

“All right, thank you, Charlie, Miguel. And thank you, Doc Michaels.” Zeke reached out to shake the man’s hand. “You think it’ll be long before you get the lab results back?”

Doc shrugged. “Doubt it. I have a friend or two who owe me a couple of favors up at the lab. I’ll see if I can get them to kick this up on their to-do list.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t want you to use up your favors for me, Doc.” Zeke looked a little uncomfortable, but Doc waved a hand through the air, cutting him off.

“I don’t want to hear it, Ezekiel Matthers, not when there are sixty-three dead head of cattle laying here, almost half of which we had to put down because they were convulsing like…well. You saw it, and I have no doubt it was a deliberate poisoning. I didn’t find a thing in this pasture that would have caused this. Goddamn it, I will call in whatever favor I have to, you hear me?” Doc had worked himself into an impressive tizzy.

Zeke looked properly chastised while Charlie and Miguel tried to hide behind him. Personally, Brendon wanted to slap a high-five on the doctor. Someone needed to let Zeke know he deserved help, that he was worth it. Well, someone besides him.

“Yes, sir.” Zeke’s mouth twitched, as if he was fighting a smile. “I appreciate it, Doc.”

Doc Michaels huffed out an irritated breath, jerking a hand through his hair. “I don’t mean to snap, Zeke, it’s just… Damn, man, you have to let people help you sometimes. Not everyone in McKinton is a backwards homophobe. Most of us aren’t, for that matter.” He stared at Zeke until he got a nod. Brendon winked at Doc before turning and leading his man back to the truck.

“What do you say we head back to the house, take a long, hot shower, then I’ll massage out all that tension running through you? Right before I swallow your cock?” Brendon was counting on shock value to knock Zeke out of his Doc-induced musing, and it worked like a charm. Zeke’s head whipped around, mouth opened in a sexy-as-hell ‘o’. Oh yeah, his man liked that blow job offer, sure enough. Brendon could see Zeke’s cock trying to burst free from the confines of his jeans. He let his knuckles accidentally brush Zeke’s erection as he walked by, winking at the man as he slid into the passenger seat.

“Of course, if you’d rather, we could just go to sleep I reckon,” Brendon teased as Zeke started the truck. Zeke reached over and cupped Brendon’s cock, squeezing with enough force to make him groan with need. Geez, he’d thought he was doing so good teasing Zeke into a horny state, but the man had it all over him on making someone hot. Steering the truck onto the dirt road with one hand, Zeke continued to stroke Brendon’s cock using light, fluttering touches that gradually became firmer and more insistent, making his hips buck up into the touch.

“I don’t think sleep is gonna be happening for a while, babe.” Zeke popped open a few buttons and slid his hand into Brendon’s jeans. Rough fingertips teased his wet cockhead, and Brendon found himself running an embarrassing risk of creaming his jeans like a kid.

“Ah, fuck, fuck, Zeke…” He really was going to come with that hand stroking his cock and the bumpy ride. “Stop, I don’t wanna come yet,” he panted, reaching for Zeke’s hand. Brendon pulled back quickly when Zeke squeezed his dick, hard, sending a bolt of pleasure-pain to his balls.

“Shoulda thought of that before you started teasing, babe.” Zeke caressed the head of Brendon’s cock, pressing his thumbnail into the slit.

Oh, damn, that’s it. Brendon’s entire body clenched, head flinging back as thick, white spunk pulsed from his dick He gasped for