Inherit the Sky (Lang Downs 1 ) (32 page)

“You c-c-could take me t-t-to b-bed,” Caine proposed.
“I will,” Macklin promised. “As soon as I’m sure you’re warm again. Go on. I’ll even join you.”
That was incentive enough for Caine to dip his toe in the water. It burned as he’d known it would, but even in the warm bathroom, he was shivering so hard he could barely stand. He forced himself to climb into the tub, hissing through the pain as he lowered himself into the water. Then Macklin was there with him, holding him, steadying him, encouraging him to relax and let the pain pass.
Caine leaned back against the strong chest, still shivering. Macklin soothed him, running his hands over as much of Caine’s body as he could reach, rubbing his skin to help relax his muscles and increase his circulation. Caine’s eyes drifted closed.
“Open your eyes, Cay,” Macklin prompted. “You can’t go to sleep until I know you’re all warmed up.”
Caine struggled to keep his eyes open, but lethargy had settled in, making him so sleepy.
“Caine!” Macklin said sharply. “Come on, don’t do this to me. Open your eyes and drink some of the coffee Kami made for you.”
Caine opened his mouth, even if he couldn’t quite open his eyes. The coffee warmed his insides, and the caffeine helped stimulate him as well. He forced his eyes open to meet Macklin’s worried stare. “I’m ok-k-kay.”
“Not yet, you aren’t, but you will be,” Macklin promised, pulling Caine into his arms again. “I won’t let you be anything else.”
Caine burrowed deeper into the embrace, the shivers finally easing somewhat. “S-so what happens n-now?” he asked.
“I take you to bed and make love to you until neither of us can see straight,” Macklin said. “And then when I’m done with that, I’ll beat you black and blue for doing such a bloody stupid thing in the first place.”
“What would you have done?” Caine demanded, not pulling away because it felt too good to be held, but tipping his head up so he could look Macklin in the eyes. “If you’d been in my shoes, with Neil trapped

on the other side of that gully with no way to get to shelter, what would you have done?”
“Tossed him a rope,” Macklin said.
“We tried. We couldn’t get it across the gully to him. Would you really have left him there?”
“No,” Macklin replied, “but I’m a better rider than you,and I’m used to Ned.”
“Titan and I were doing fine until that branch hit us,” Caine retorted.“And we put the rope around me precisely so we’d have a safety net if something did happen. Yes, it was dangerous, but it was also necessary, so don’t yell at me about it.”
“You aren’t stuttering anymore,” Macklin observed. “You must be warming up.”
Caine wasn’t sure if that was an admission on Macklin’s part concerning the logic of his argument or simply a change of subject, but he was too relieved to have Macklin there with him to worry about it now. They could argue about it later if Macklin insisted. “Warm enough to exchange the tub for the bed?” he asked hopefully.
“I think that could be arranged,” Macklin said, standing and pulling Caine to his feet as well. With the chill gone and the air cleared between them, Caine became suddenly aware of the hard cock pressing against his belly as Macklin held him close. Feeling bold, Caine slid a hand between them, circling both their cocks and stroking them together.“Bloody hell, that feels good.”
“Then dry me off and take me to bed so I can do it some more,” Caine proposed.
Macklin grabbed a towel, drying Caine thoroughly and lingering over his nipples, cock, and ass, much to Caine’s delight. Even better, Macklin let him return the favor. Caine wanted to take his time and linger, but even in the steam-filled bathroom and with dry skin, he started feeling chilled again. “T-time for b-bed.”
“Cold or horny?” Macklin asked.
“B-both,” Caine replied, leading Macklin down the hall to the room he’d claimed as his own, although if Macklin agreed to move in with him, they’d have to use the master bedroom to have enough space.

“Horny is good,” Macklin said, switching on the heater in Caine’s room. “Cold is not. Get under the covers. I have to go back out. The lube and condoms are in my cabin.”
“I have that little tube of lube,” Caine said.“It’s in my backpack.”
“That doesn’t take care of the condoms.”
“When were you last tested?” Caine asked.
“A couple months before you got here,” Macklin replied, every muscle in his body visibly tense. “You aren’t suggesting….”
“Why not?” Caine asked.“Was your test negative?”
Macklin nodded.
“So was mine. I got tested when I had my physical before I came here, after John and I broke up. You just kissed me in front of a bunch of jackaroos and then carried me inside when we got back to the station,” Caine pointed out. “You can’t go back in the closet now. You’re out, and if that wasn’t a declaration of commitment, I don’t know what would be.I don’t see the problem here.”
“One more thing I’ve never done,” Macklin admitted.
Caine smiled slowly. “I’ll enjoy showing you what you’ve been missing.”
Caine could see the shiver of desire that went through Macklin at the words. “Where’s the lube? Once I get in that bed, I’m not getting out any time soon.”
“In my backpack,” Caine said.“In the toiletries kit.”
Macklin found what he was looking for and stalked toward the bed, everything in his expression and body language sending frissons of desire through Caine. He opened his arms and pulled Macklin down on top of him.
“Don’t scare me like this again,” Macklin ordered, bracketing Caine’s head with his forearms as he hovered over Caine. “You won’t like the results.”
“Don’t send me out with one of the other jackaroos when I should be out with you,” Caine retorted, lifting his head to kiss Macklin lightly. Macklin’s tongue surged into his mouth the moment their lips met, taking possession of Caine’s senses with a masterful touch. Caine

let his head fall back to the pillow, unable to support its weight with Macklin bearing down on him. Macklin followed, never letting up on the kiss as he explored every inch of Caine’s mouth and then did it again.
When they finally broke the kiss, Caine was fully hard and completely warm again. “If I could stand to share, I’d patent that as a cure for hypothermia,” he joked.
“I’m not kissing anyone but you,” Macklin insisted. “I want to make love to you, but I don’t know if I have the patience.”
“So fuck me this time and make love to me next time,” Caine said, rubbing his hands down Macklin’s back in encouragement. “I’ll love it either way.”
Macklin reared back onto his knees. “Turn over,” he ordered.
Caine scrambled onto his hands and knees, uncaring of the covers that fell to the side. Between the heater and Macklin touching him, he didn’t need them.
Immediately Macklin’s fingers worked their way inside him, stretching urgently. It burned, but Caine ignored it, rocking back against the probing digits, letting the pressure on his prostate ratchet his desire high enough that the burn didn’t matter. Before long, the fingers withdrew and Macklin covered Caine with his body, his cock slipping into place, hot and hard and completely bare inside Caine. Caine shuddered with need, but he stayed where he was, ceding control of their lovemaking to Macklin. It might be hard and fast, with nothing but a few kisses in the way of foreplay, but Caine felt the way Macklin paused when he hit bottom, felt the brush of lips across his neck, and knew they were still making love.
Then the moment of respite ended and Macklin began to move, riding Caine hard and fast, harder than he’d ever been fucked before. He lowered his head to his forearms, braced his hands against the headboard, and held on for dear life. Even though Macklin’s hands never left his hips, Caine felt every inch of his body grow sensitive as Macklin’s cock plowed into him. He sobbed out his need, too far gone to put his request into words, but Macklin understood, moving one hand beneath him to stroke his cock. Caine cried out again, his climax blindsiding him. Macklin fucked him all the way through it, drawing it out until Caine felt like a ragdoll caught in a dog’s teeth. He collapsed forward onto the bed, only Macklin’s grip on his hips keeping them lifted to the right angle.
If Caine could have formed the words, he would have begged Macklin to hurry up and come already, but words were beyond him. Instead he clenched his muscles around his lover as best he could, trying to provide the stimulation Macklin needed to find release.
Whether that had been the signal Macklin was waiting for or whether it was something else entirely, it worked. Macklin’s movements lost their rhythm, his body convulsing against Caine, shooting his load into Caine’s body. Macklin slumped forward, his weight forcing Caine’s hips down onto the bed and dislodging his cock from Caine’s passage. Caine could feel the fluid seeping onto his thighs. He pressed them together, trying to hold as much of Macklin inside him as he could.
“Next time will be better, I promise,” Macklin murmured against his ear.
Caine was pretty sure “better” would kill him completely.