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"You got mail," he said, thrusting in the package into Tor's hand and pressing him up against the wall. He licked Tor's neck and said, "Need you. Now."

Tor grinned. "How bad?"

Jake ground his cock against Tor's own erection and kissed him hard, tongue going deep, hoping that his willingness to make out in the kitchen when anyone could walk in was an indication of how much. Apparently it was, 'cause Tor broke the kiss and grabbed his hand, then dragged him down the hall to their room.

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Tor pushed him into the room and onto the bed, then knelt on the floor reaching for one of Jake's boots. As he pulled it off he said, "You lose the boots and your pants. Then we'll see what I can do for ya."

Jake didn't say anything, just undid his belt. When Tor got the boots off Jake was out of his jeans faster than a bull out of the chute. Tor grabbed him at the waist, flipping him so he was bent over the edge of the bed, legs spread.

With one strong hand on Jake's back Tor caressed an offered ass cheek and said, "Push, now. Just a little."

Jake pushed gently, and felt a slight stretch as the plug was forced past his entrance. Then it was out and Jake was oddly sorry, felt slightly bereft of the pressure he'd had all morning.

Then
oh holy hell, and fuck, yes
there was something else, something wonderful and new and hot and wet. Tor's tongue licking gently at the sensitive flesh and oh God, that was just right. Jake clutched at the sheets on the bed and willed himself not to come. He'd never felt anything like this, had never had any idea that it would feel so good. He's heard about it, of course, but had never done it, had never had it done to him.

Tor's tongue teased and licked at him and Jake thought he could very well die from the pleasure of it. Then that tongue was inside of him and that was just so much better. His balls and cock were throbbing, and he was twisting the sheets in his fists, moving back onto Tor, needing more and getting it.

They were almost silent. Jake was past speech, the sensations too intense and too different for him to articulate anything. Tor's usual soundtrack was missing, but Jake found that its absence was making everything more powerful. All of his senses were screaming at him; all he could feel was Tor's tongue fucking him, all he could smell was Tor's sweat and the bed linen in his face, all he could hear was the sound of his own breath and Tor's belt buckle and zipper being undone.

Tor wrapped a fist around Jake's cock and stroked him hard. Jake was quivering, so close to release that he could practically feel his come traveling from his balls up into his cock, then Tor's tongue was gone. Jake almost whimpered, but before the sound was even fully formed Tor was pushing into him, stretching and filling and just making everything so fucking right.

Tor entered him with one smooth thrust that brushed against his prostate and Jake was coming hard, shooting all over the side of the bed. Tor froze, buried deep, until Jake's initial spasm had passed then slid out a little before pushing back in, nice and slow, brushing his gland again. Tor's hand was still working his cock, stroking and pulling gently, teasing his orgasm out.

Tor fucked him, slow and even thrusts that hit his sweet spot every fucking time. Tor's hand, working magic on his prick, keeping him hard. Tor's body, leaning over his and 90

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Tor's lips, kissing his back. It went on forever and not long enough. Jake felt like he was whole and flying to pieces at the same time, never wanting this to end but needing it to before he lost his mind.

Tor's voice, finally, in his ear. "Wanted to make you come again, Jake. Wanted to do this right, do this so bad. But, shit, I can't hold it together. Just gotta–"

And then there was Tor's cock, slamming into him hard, and Jake didn't know that he needed it like that until it happened. He rode Tor, fast and hard, and arched his back when Tor grabbed at his shoulders for leverage, pushing into Jake so much harder and deeper than before, and Jake came again, not shooting as much, but the feeling spiralling so much longer, rising each time Tor hit home. Jake couldn't cry out, couldn't breathe, could barely process anything until he felt Tor come, felt Tor’s cock throb inside him, felt the heat flooding him.

They were both breathless and gasping for minutes afterward, exchanging long kisses and touches. Jake finally scrapped himself off the floor and went into the bathroom to clean up, leaving Tor to strip the bed of its sheets.

Jake looked in the mirror and smiled. He looked completely well fucked. He looked happy. He looked like he needed a nap. However, there was another half day of work to do, so he went back into the bedroom and got clean jeans on while Tor cleaned himself up. Jake noticed that Tor wore the same stupid grin he'd just seen in the mirror.

He was getting fresh sheets on the bed when Tor came over and picked up the brown envelope that they’d tossed on the floor.

"Hey, pictures! Sit yourself down, Taggart. Gonna show off my pretty princess."

Jake just grinned and sat on the bed, wrapping himself around Tor and kissing him on the neck. He belonged right where he was, and if he were pressed for the truth Jake might have been forced into admitting that he liked looking at Tor's family pictures. It made him feel connected to a family, even if it wasn't his.

"Now, this is Susie at the pool…Susie in the pool…Susie crying 'cause she doesn't want to leave the pool…" There were about twenty five pictures of the six year old in this batch, and Tor was in proud uncle heaven.

They were almost through the stack when Tor flipped the latest 'Susie at the pool' picture over and froze.

The photo was of a young man, about twenty or so, Jake guessed, with fair hair and blue eyes. He was caught in profile, looking at something off camera and smiling slightly, as if he weren't sure if he was amused or annoyed at what was going on. Tor traced the boy's features with a finger, hand shaking slightly. Jake shifted to look at him, but Tor's eyes were fixed on the photo.

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"Is…are there anymore?" Tor whispered, handing the rest of the pictures to Jake.

Jake flipped through them quickly, seeing only Susie. "No, it looks like that's the – oh, wait, here's one."

The second picture was of Tor and the young man. Tor looked like he was nineteen or twenty, lean and lanky, hair too long. They were wrestling and Tor had the boy pinned down, was smiling over his shoulder at the camera. The boy was laughing. Tor's eyes were dark, dark, dark, and Jake knew the look. Tor was getting off on wresting with this man.

The Tor beside him was lost in the pictures, looking at one and then the other, touching the boy's face.

Jake studied Tor for a moment, feeling lost. He had no idea what to say, or what to do.

Tor was completely shut off from him now, and Jake felt like he had just been thrown.

"Who is he?" he asked softly, not touching Tor, not wanting to intrude just wanting to remind Tor that he was there, goddamn it. To save a piece of the feeling he'd just lost.

Tor blinked and looked at him. He carefully put the pictures down on his nightstand and said, "Doesn't matter. Let's get some lunch, right? Then back to work."

Tor stood and left the room without looking back.

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Chapter Fifteen

Jake watched Tor ride off after lunch and sighed, feeling confused and worried and just plain out of sorts. Tor hadn't said anything over lunch, had just gone back to work in silence, his eyes distant. Jake was pretty sure that Tor hadn't even known what he'd eaten.

It was late when Tor came back to the bunkhouse, and the others had almost finished supper. He came in and fixed himself a plate, ate standing at the counter. He answered direct questions, but offered nothing, and the look he gave Jake said only 'stay away'.

They had gotten into an after supper routine, the five of them, based on the fact that working together and sharing a house meant far too much time together. Kip would stay in the kitchen, on the phone with Beth, Elias and Hound would watch a little TV in silence, taking turns with the remote, and Jake and Tor would separate for awhile.

Usually Jake would get a book or magazine and head to the porch to read, or go to the stable and check the horses. He didn't know what Tor did, but he suspected that he just took a nap to rest up for the morning. How else could he be so damn awake that early?

But this time Tor just rinsed his plate and went to their room, closing the door behind him. They all heard the door lock.

"What's up with him?" Elias asked, brow raised.

Jake shook his head. "Hell if I know. He got something in the mail today that has him a little upset."

Kip and Hound were looking at him, Kip worried and Hound all sympathy.

"What?" Jake asked, feeling brittle and defensive, his voice gruff.

Hound raised his eyebrows. "Man, you just got locked out of your fucking room. He's more than a little upset."

Jake stood in the kitchen while the others cleared up, and then he went to sit on the porch of the main house.

He'd been there for about an hour when the door to the house opened and the Boss came out. "Evenin' Jake."

Jake looked up at him as the Boss levered himself up on the wide railing. "Sir. Nice night."

The Boss laughed softly. "No one around, son."

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Jake smiled. "Right, Doug. How was your day?"

The Boss looked at him, his eyes twinkling. "Not as good as yours if I read the signals right at lunch time," he teased.

Jake looked down at the porch and sighed. "Yeah, well. Lunch had its moments. The rest of it, though…not really good."

The Boss made a noise and Jake looked at him. "What, you too? Hell, if I get any more sympathy I'll get a sugar high. He's got a mood, that's all. Nothin' to worry about."

"That why you're out here brooding?"

"I don't brood."

"Sulking then."

"Shit." Jake leaned back and looked at the man in front of him.

The older man just looked back, not saying anything for a long time, then he sighed.

"Okay, you don't want to talk about it. I can understand that. But think, Jake. When was the last time you had a relationship? Three years? More? You gotta decide what you'll take and what you won't."

Jake shook his head. "It's not like that. He's not pissed at me, he's just working through something, and he doesn't need my help. Pretty sure I couldn't help anyway. And it's been a damn sight longer than that, Doug, and you know it."

The Boss sighed again. "Richard. Fucked you over pretty big, didn't he?"

Jake laughed. "That wasn't a relationship. That wasn't even a convenience. That was a guy trying to get rid of a woman and then finding out he liked it. Just didn't like me, is all.

Trust me, I wasn't too upset to see him leave."

"You were pretty twisted at the time, Jake," the Boss reminded him. "You worked sixteen hour days for a week."

"It was hay season!"

The Boss grinned. "Yeah, well, it's not now, so if you start putting in extra time I'm gonna worry." He stood up and crossed to the door. "You go home now, and try to straighten this out, Jake. If he matters to you."

Jake sat on the porch, wondering why everyone suddenly felt the need to tell him how to deal with Tor. They didn't get that the locked door wasn't a rejection of him, just a statement of needing to be alone; they didn't seem to understand that there were some things a man needed to deal with on his own.

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Then he wondered why he felt sick to his stomach, and lonely, and hurt.

Eventually he went back to the bunkhouse and watched TV with the others. When he walked in three sets of eyes looked at him and Kip said, "He's not been out yet."

Jake just nodded and sat down, staring at the TV, ignoring the looks the others kept giving him. When the ten o'clock news came on Hound went off to bed. Jake watched the news with the other two and when they heard the bedroom door unlock and open Jake ignored the sharp looks he got. Tor didn't come out, but at least Jake knew that he didn't have to sleep on the couch.

Kip nudged his leg with a foot. "You just gonna sit here?"

"Yep."

Kip sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine then. I'm going to bed; if ya'll fight don't wake me up. And if you make up, for God's sake be quieter than you were this morning. Christ, that was enough to make me want a smoke."

Elias laughed as Jake flushed and sank down in his chair. "Kip, I'm telling ya, you need earplugs. I got mine three days after they started sharing a room. Sleep right through it now."

Kip smacked Elias on the shoulder as he moved past. "Yeah, and you sleep through your alarm too." Then Kip was gone and Elias and Jake were left to watch the news in peace.

Elias went to bed at eleven without a word, for which Jake was grateful. He turned off the TV and sat for a few minutes then gave in to the inevitable and went down the hall to the bedroom, turning off lights as he went.

Tor was lying on the bed wearing his jeans and facing the wall. The bedside light was on and Jake could see the photos, still on the nightstand. Tor didn't look at him as he stripped off his shirt and went to brush his teeth, didn't say anything.

Jake lay on his back on the bed, following Tor's lead and leaving his jeans on. He reached to flip the light off and Tor rolled over, staring at the ceiling.

"What time is it?" Tor asked, his voice hoarse.

Jake looked at him, taking in the drawn face and tired eyes that wouldn't look at him.

"Little after eleven."

Tor sat up. "I gotta make a phone call." He stood and left the room, and Jake waited until the kitchen light came on before following him.

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Jake stood in the hall, leaning on the smooth, cool wall, feeling only slightly guilty about eavesdropping. He heard Tor pull a chair across the floor and dial a number. Eleven digits, long distance.

"Hey, it's me. Sorry to call so late. . . . .Yeah, got the pictures today, Susie's lookin' fine.