McLeod, Anitra Lynn - Dirty Cowboy (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (10 page)

It had taken Dalton years to find Everett and infiltrate him in dust-devil form. What if, as humans, they never reconnected to one another? As much as he wanted to physically love Dalton, Everett couldn’t justify the potential peril. It was better to be happy with what they had than lose each other altogether.

It was Dalton who first suggested how they could return to human form and minimize the risks. Everett was leery, afraid they wouldn’t remember, but Dalton convinced him they wouldn’t know unless they tried. They debated the issue for a long time, but it was the prospect of kissing Dalton that convinced Everett to shift.

Even though as a dust devil his senses were different, there was a memory of how good Dalton had tasted. All of his flesh had been so beautifully formed and blissfully sweet. Lifting and parting his legs, sliding his tongue deep into his cleft, easing his cock within that snug passage—longing had Everett halfway convinced to try, but it was his fear of abandonment that conflicted him.

“It’s been so long since I’ve tasted you that way.” Everett didn’t speak so much as he conveyed his thoughts to Dalton.

“I know,” Dalton thought back to him, swirling around him, merging their particles. This twirling was as close as they could come to lovemaking of any sort. And it simply wasn’t enough. “I want to feel you inside me again.”

“I’m all over you right now.”

“It’s not the same.”

Everett agreed, but they had to move with great caution. “There has to be a way to do this and not lose one another.”

“I think I know how.”

Dalton twirled parallel to a well-used trail. Everett followed.

“If we transform at the same time, we should remember before we can get too far from one another.”

“I don’t like that word.”

“Which word?”

“Should.” Everett pushed until he was next to Dalton. “Should means that so much can go wrong.”

“But so much could go right.” As if to prove his point, Dalton twirled into him until they became one cone. “You were afraid of this, too, remember?”

How could he forget? When the other dust devil had confronted him, he’d been annoyed at first, and then afraid, but once he realized it was Dalton, he was eternally grateful.

“Once we shift, we’ll both be naked.” Everett pointed out as he and Dalton moved as one.

“Should make us instant partners.”

Everett didn’t think so, but he didn’t convey his doubts to Dalton. In his exuberance, Dalton was very persuasive. As much as he was reluctant to lose what they had in this form, Everett knew they could have so much more as humans. Debating the risks and rewards had consumed his every moment since Dalton made the suggestion.

“I swear, it will be all right.”

After traveling for days, Everett realized where they were going. Inexorably they moved toward the spring where they had met. Anticipation and dread were as much his constant companions as Dalton. When they arrived, Everett noted the trees were a bit taller and the land had been cleared, most likely to make it easier for travelers to obtain water.

“Looks like a popular spot,” Everett said as their cone bumped over the many hoof prints.

“No one is here now.”

Splitting into two separate devils took only moments, but Everett hated the feeling of Dalton leaving him. He worried this was but a small taste of things to come. And then, most horribly, he realized that if he couldn’t remember Dalton after they shifted, he wouldn’t miss him. Everett found no comfort in that idea at all. Just because he wouldn’t know at first didn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually remember.

Dalton urged him toward the spring. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Everett stopped just short of the water’s edge.

“What?” Dalton was ready to plunge on in.

“I just wanted to say, just in case I forget, that I love you.”

Swirling particles vibrated in dappled sunlight.

“I love you, too.”

Everett felt Dalton waiting for him. In leaving the final push forward up to him, Dalton put the entire venture on Everett.

“Don’t you let me forget.”

“I won’t,” Dalton said.

They hit the water together.

Everett would never forget the feel of the spring pulling him in, washing him away to oblivion. He felt each individual grain of sand that was slipping away from his form. Such sharp terror gripped his soul that he shifted to human without really understanding exactly how it happened.

As soon as he opened his eyes, Everett was confused by what he saw. Visually, nothing made sense to him because everything was different now that he was human. As a dust devil, he didn’t see so much as he sensed the land around him. Adjusting to his vision was nothing compared to simply trying to stand. Maintaining his equilibrium without spinning felt impossible. Everett’s arms windmilled, but he hit the water face-first anyway.

Forgetting that he couldn’t breathe water, and frankly forgetting how to breathe at all, he took in a great amount of liquid that caused his chest to constrict. Thrashing about, flinging his arms and sputtering in a crazed attempt to simply survive, he slogged to his knees. He drew air into his lungs in great gasps as he groped for purchase. Whatever he grasped onto came away, and he went under.

And then, just when he thought he was a goner for sure, something latched onto him and lifted him up.

“I’ve got you.”

Everett struggled against whatever held him, his panic rising from his inability to comprehend what had happened. A part of him recognized the sound as speech, but he didn’t quite grasp what was being said.

“Relax. Let me help you.”

Everett stopped struggling mainly because the sound of the voice was soothing and vaguely familiar. Besides, whoever was helping him seemed to be able to keep his head above water. That was important. He couldn’t breathe underwater. Right now that was about the only thing he seemed to fully comprehend.

“Try to stand, Everett.”

He shook his head, wanting to stay right where he was, but the person behind him kept tugging on him until they reached the bank. Here, the water wasn’t as deep, and he was able to settle on his knees. When he turned to look over his shoulder, he saw a creature who held him in thrall.

Behind him, helping him, was something with beautiful features and the kindest expression. Familiar and foreign all at the same time, Everett merely watched the creature until he realized whatever the being was, it was built like himself. Human, he thought. Man? That seemed right, but he wasn’t certain.

“Do you remember me?”

Everett simply stared. Every moment that passed pushed words into his mind, words that helped him place what he was and what he was seeing.

The man reached out to him, cupping his hand to Everett’s face. A powerful sensation made him sway in the water. A touch, his touch, was something that Everett craved more of as soon as he had the barest bit.

“I’m Dalton.”

“Dalton.” Everett spoke the name, feeling his mouth and tongue move in concert. He giggled at how the vibration from his chest tickled his nose. Dalton. That was this man’s name just like Everett was his name. And that look on Dalton’s face. That was a smile. And when Dalton leaned close, so close that Everett could see that his eyes were the richest shade of blue, and pressed his lips against Everett, that was a kiss.

A kiss.

Memories flooded into his brain. Almost of their own accord, his arms came up and wrapped around Dalton. A kiss, a hug, and then as Dalton helped him stand, their bodies pressed together. Naked. They were soaking wet and naked and alone. Recollections of all they had done in human form surged into his mind, causing his mouth to water and his cock to harden.

“I remember.” Everett squeezed Dalton. “I remember everything.”

Overcome with joy, he and Dalton moved to the bank where they rested on their backs. Feet in the water, hands firmly clasped, they lay there looking up through the broad leaves of a cottonwood tree. There was no rush now, not when they were together. After a time, they grew accustomed to their human forms, and with that came remembrance of how to move without falling down. But more than that came the recollection of how they’d loved.

Rolling up to a sitting position, Everett looked around the spring, confirming that he and Dalton were alone. With a grin, he slipped into the water and pulled Dalton in after him.

Laughing, they tumbled in the spring. They played, splashing one another until desire swept away the giddy relief that caused their bubbly behavior. This time when Dalton pressed against him, an electrical surge plowed through Everett’s body, igniting a hunger that he couldn’t control.

Everett pulled Dalton against him, kissing him as he drew him down into the water. Once there he urged Dalton onto his back, near the bank, so he could lift his hands and hold on. Gently, Everett eased Dalton’s body out until he was floating on the surface.

“Hold on.”

Dalton grinned and dug his fingers into the bank, but it crumbled. Instead, he lowered his arms into the water, finding something below to hold him steady in the gentle current.

Once Dalton was set, Everett placed openmouthed kisses along his body, working his way down to Dalton’s hips.

“Spread your legs for me.”

Grinning, Dalton parted his legs.

After plunging below the water, Everett popped up between Dalton’s thighs. Tenderly he teased his fingertips over Dalton’s sac, shivering with pleasure when Dalton moaned. It wasn’t quite the sound he remembered, but that only made him want to work harder. Stroking his fingers lower, he took Dalton’s cock into his mouth.

“Everett...”

Dalton grew harder within his mouth, and as Everett slipped his finger into his bottom, Dalton uttered that plaintive groan. Like music to his ears, that sound pushed Everett to take his time and tease Dalton into a frenzy of need.

Sensing he was on the verge of climax, Everett stopped bobbing his head over Dalton’s prick. Instead, he swirled his tongue over the sensitive head and eased another finger inside him.

“Please, please,” Dalton strained, lifting his body out of the water. Unfortunately, his movements pulled his cock from Everett’s mouth.

Dalton swore in a torrent.

“Hold still.”

Gritting his teeth, Dalton clung to something below the water, his entire body rigid.

“I don’t want to tease you too much.” Everett lowered his lips back to Dalton’s cock. Rather than take him within the hot hollow of his mouth, he placed openmouthed kisses along his shaft, working his way to his balls. Swiping his tongue over the sac caused Dalton to utter a series of frustrated whimpers. When he sipped water into his mouth and gushed it out over his sac and the puckered skin of his bottom, Dalton uttered the most unearthly howl.

“I’m so close, so close, and it’s been so long. Everett, please, fill me.”

“Soon, so soon.” Everett took Dalton’s prick into his mouth, flicking his tongue and sucking in time to his heartbeat. He worked his finger in and out with Dalton’s breathing.

On a long, blissful moan, Dalton climaxed. His taste was so sweet, so luscious, that tears filled Everett’s eyes. Sadness didn’t fill him so much as a deep remorse that he had almost, almost, given up this most sublime pleasure because of fear.

When Dalton relaxed in the water, all the tautness gone from his body, Everett cradled him in his arms. For a long time they stayed entwined in the water. He wanted Dalton to recover but also feeling his body against him, feeling his own arousal and waiting, built his anticipation.