Once outside, he hesitated. Should he go to see JD or should he ignore Mary's words and go to Vin? The trouble was he had already experienced some pangs of jealousy at the closeness of Vin's relationship with Ezra before he had left town and he did not trust the wily gambler as he did say Buck or Josiah. Further, he knew how upset Vin had been at the thought of his leaving and how clingy the tracker had become since Hudson's attack. Could Standish have taken advantage of those factors? The gambler was always one for the main chance and was the first to admit it, believing it to be an admirable trait.He knew going to JD showed a lack of trust in Vin, but then he wondered whether Mary really intended him to feel like that and so decide not to go. Perhaps she was running a double bluff and expected he would not ask JD, with the result that doubts and suspicion would always cast their evil shadows over his relationship with Vin.
Thus, he tethered his horse outside the boarding-house and then headed briskly towards the sheriff's office. He told himself that he was doing the right thing. After all, the kid would be bound to deny Mary's words.
"Chris, I didn't know you were back!" JD stated happily, as the gunslinger entered. Then he saw Larabee's grim expression and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"That's what I want you to tell me," the gunslinger replied. "What's been going on in my absence?"
"Well, I arrested a couple of drunks and Bob Masters reckons someone's rustled a couple of steers from his place, but Buck and I couldn't find anything. However, I guess the main news is that young Billy Travis got kidnapped by some guys who didn't like what Mrs Travis put in the paper about them, but Vin tracked them down and got him back safely."
Whatever Chris had been expecting that snippet of news was not it. He wondered how Mary could have not only neglected to mention what had happened, but why she seemed to still have it in for Vin after that. However, the thought that Vin had been tracking was great, as it suggested he was getting back to his old self at last.
It was hard to ask about Vin and Ezra, but Chris was never one to back down once he had determined upon a course of action. He decided to work around to the topic. "Sounds like Vin's feelin' better if he's trackin' again," he observed.
JD looked awkward. "Well sort of," he said.
"What do ya mean 'sort of'?" Chris demanded.
"Well, someone gave him a bit of a beating and then he got shot when we were rescuing Billy. Just a crease to his head," he added hurriedly. Looking at Larabee's angry face, he began to gabble out the story. "And then we couldn't find him and the weather was bad and he got sick and Nathan thought he might get pneumonia, but he's getting better now."
Chris was horrified. Mary had made no mention of Vin being hurt or ill. His first impulse was to run to his lover, but that would be going right against his policy of maintaining a discreet distance from Vin in public. Sure he would go to any one of the six who was hurt, but he would do so in a seemly manner. The cool, unemotional gunslinger could not be seen haring to his friend's bedside like a scared kid, however much his tremulous heart urged him to do so. 'Besides,' he rationalized, 'the kid said he was on the mend.' "Is he at Nathan's clinic?" he asked, hoping his voice did not betray his agitation.
"No, he's at Ezra's place."
"I hear he's been havin' quite a bit to do with Ezra," Chris observed casually.
"Yeah, Ezra's been helping Nathan with him a lot of the time."
"What about the beatin' ya mentioned? Who did it?"
"I don't know. Buck and I didn't know it had even happened till we went to get Ezra to look after the jail when we were going to look for Billy."
Chris sensed he was getting to the key point. "And what did lookin' for Ezra have to do with Vin?"
"You're not going to believe it, but he was in Ezra's bed, JD said, grinning at the amusing memory. "I couldn't believe Ezra'd let him use it after what he always says about Vin being scruffy and all. Course I didn't realize he was hurt at first as the main bruising was on the window side of his face. I was telling him where were going and he said he'd help. I knew Mrs Travis didn't want him too, but Buck thought we needed him to find Billy and I didn't like to repeat what she'd said. It seemed a stupid thing to say. Anyway, Vin wanted to come and it's hard to stop him when he wants to do something."
"And where was Standish while all this was going on?"
"He was getting dressed."
"What time was it?"
"Just after lunch."
Chris frowned. Mary's story was clearly not a complete fabrication. 'But it's still not conclusive evidence,' he tried to tell himself. "Well, I guess I'd better go and find Vin," he said.
"Yes, he'll be keen to see you. He always misses you when you're away. He doesn't let on, but he goes up on the saloon roof and keeps looking out. I don't think he knows I've noticed."
"And has he been doin' that this time?"
"Dunno. Not since he got hurt anyway."
"And when was that?"
"He got shot Sunday before last. I think someone must have beaten him up the night before."
"And no one thought to contact me?"
"Buck tried to telegraph you when we got your message about being late returning, but you'd already moved on."
"Yeah, well I suppose I'd better move on again and see Vin." He stood up slowly and stretched lazily, trying to appear as casual as possible about the whole affair.
He certainly convinced the kid. In fact, JD was to comment later to Buck that he could not believe that their leader was so unconcerned about Vin. "I always thought Vin was kind of special to him, but it seemed like he could hardly be bothered making the effort to go to check on him. Do you think they've fallen out or something?"
Of course, by that time Buck knew everything that had been going on. 'I must drop a hint to Chris about overacting,' he thought, smiling inwardly as he imagined the gunslinger's reaction to that, while saying, "I don't think so, kid. You know old Chris don't like showin' too much emotion. It ain't good for his image. Mind you, if it was his old pal, Buck, lyin' hurt he'd have been over there in a flash. I mean a man's gotta have priorities, don't he?"
The kid had laughed at that, as Buck had intended, and no more was said.
+ + + + + + +
Larabee set his feet towards the boarding-house. Clearly there was some truth in Mary's story, but the kid obviously put a different interpretation on things than Mary did. Mind you, JD was very innocent in some respects. However, someone else had clearly been present as well and that person was anything but innocent – Buck Wilmington.
He wondered why Mary had not cited Buck as an additional witness. Perhaps she felt with his reputation as a philanderer, he would see nothing wrong with Vin's sexual indiscretion and would lie for him. Well, if she thought that, she was wrong. Chris would stake his life on Buck looking after his interests and having the guts to say things Larabee did not want to hear if he thought he needed to do so.
As he walked he looked around the street, hoping to spot his friend, but Buck was nowhere in sight. He looked into the saloon, and spotting Lucy, called out to ask the saloon-girl if she had seen Buck.
He immediately received some scathing and somewhat incomprehensible comments about Buck's clumsiness, a carpet and a valuable crystal glass that had belonged to Lucy's dear, departed grandmother. Lucy was always a bit of a spitfire, a fact that both amused and attracted the ladies' man, but perhaps he had got his fingers burnt this time. From the sound of things, Buck would have been well advised to run for cover and, no fool, probably had, so Larabee decided it was not worth the time it would take him to locate the scoundrel.
Indeed, Larabee could wait no longer. He was going to confront ... 'No, not confront, I'm going to see Vin,' he thought. 'I've gotta play this cool and keep calm and give him time to explain,' He was determined to keep his volatile temper under tight rein and to allow his lover a chance to give his side of the story.
He headed into the boarding-house and moved quickly, but quietly, up the stairs to Ezra's rooms. He hesitated and took a deep breath, willing himself to be calm.
Even as he stood there, another thought occurred. Vin had been so scared of intercourse that, if Standish had persuaded him, perhaps it would not be a wholly bad thing and he should just be pleased that the tracker was no longer afraid. However, he was honest enough to admit that the selfish desire to keep Vin to himself overrode that idea and the thought that the sharpshooter might have placed more trust in the shifty gambler than in him was particularly galling. For all his good intentions, he felt his temper rising at the notion.
He eased the door, which he knew led to Standish's bedroom, open. His eyes immediately alighted upon a sleeping Vin.
Larabee stood silently regarding the still form in the large bed. Vin's eyes were closed and his beautiful face was pale. His hair spilled over the pillow in glorious abundance.
Always a light sleeper, Vin roused as the door opened. However, since he was still not sleeping well, Ezra had added a mild sleeping draught to his herbal medicine, at Nathan's suggestion, and so Vin's eyes did not seem to want to open. Vin assumed it to be the gambler entering the room. Surprised when Standish did not speak, he raised heavy lids with an effort and turned blearily towards the door. "Come here, Ez," he murmured, reaching out a languid hand.
Seeing the gesture, Larabee's good intentions fled and a wave of jealous suspicion washed over him.
Then Vin's eyes started to focus and he saw the patch of black. His heart leapt joyfully. "CHRIS!" he exclaimed. There was no mistaking the joy in his voice. His hazy, blue eyes gathered sudden brilliance, shining with love and his shapely lips curved into a dazzling smile. His heart was fluttering in his breast.
However, then he saw the gunslinger's set face and an icy hand clutched his heart. "Chris, wh-what's wrong?" he faltered.
"You tell me. I had barely set foot in town before 'well-wishers' hastened to inform me that you have transferred your affections in my absence," Larabee said harshly. "I didn't believe them, but here I find you lyin' in Standish's bed."
Vin's heart sank at the first and he felt even worse when he realized he had not yet warned Ezra about his danger. Hoping that when the gambler arrived, he would hear the discussion and be warned to make himself scarce, Vin said, "Ya were the one who arranged for me to stay here."
"So it's my fault, ya've betrayed me, is it?" Larabee demanded.
"No!"
"Whose then?"
"I meant I ain't betrayed ya. Whoever ya've been talkin' to were lyin'."
"It doesn't look like it to me."
Unbeknownst to the pair, Ezra was actually in the adjoining room, which he used as a sitting room. He had been sitting reading when Larabee had entered, having let himself in by its corridor entrance while Vin slept. He had not heard Vin's first statement, made as it was in his usual soft drawl, but the delighted "CHRIS!" had got his attention.
The gambler knew that it was not honourable to eavesdrop, but he also knew that those who lived by too rigid a code often missed information of considerable benefit to themselves. Accordingly, he had padded quietly to the connecting door and unashamedly put his ear to it. What he heard horrified him.
Of course, Buck had told him that there were people who would tell Larabee that Vin had been betraying him, but Ezra had not expected them to work so fast. He had assumed Larabee would be so anxious to see Vin that he would not have stopped to gossip with anyone and that he would have given short shrift to anyone who attempted to waylay him en route. It would be a brave man or an exceptionally foolhardy one that stepped between a determined Chris Larabee and his goal.
Further, Ezra had determined that, for his own well-being, he would be uncharacteristically open with the gunslinger and would show his whole hand, telling him all that had happened in his absence. Well, perhaps not all. Yes, he would admit, for example, that a nightmare-plagued Vin Tanner had sought solace in his arms, but there was no point in courting death by also confessing the lustful thoughts that had assailed him during those times. However, he knew that even he, skilled dissembler though he was, was likely to falter under that gimlet glare if he tried to depart too far from the truth. He also knew that Vin was not a good liar, and in his innocence, might not understand how necessary it could be to omit details at times. So, all-in-all honesty, or something fairly close to it, was the best policy on this occasion.
Unfortunately, he had expected to have a chance to speak to Larabee before his detractors did and clearly he had badly miscalculated, both as to their determination and Larabee's willingness to listen to them as soon as he had arrived home.
The question was what was best to do now. His well-honed survival instincts shouted, "Run!" After all, Larabee was clearly in a rage and Ezra could just picture the cold, green eyes and the icy glare. At present they were aimed at the tracker, but they would soon turn on him and Standish feared the deadly fury that always lurked, barely controlled, in the gunslinger.
A sensible man, and Ezra saw himself as that, would definitely depart hurriedly for parts unknown, at least until Larabee had calmed enough to listen to explanations.
However, to Ezra's commingled shock and horror, he found he could not do that. He had finally found someone whose welfare meant more to him than his own skin. He knew he could not leave Vin to face the gunslinger's wrath alone, especially since he believed the sharpshooter had no idea what people had been saying and so was not at all prepared to meet Larabee's anger.
Cursing himself inwardly for a fool, he opened the connecting door and walked into his bedroom. He caught Vin's horrified eyes and saw the distress there. He heard, Vin start to gasp, "Ezra, no ...", but ignored him and moved casually forward. Attack was, he fervently hoped, occasionally the best form of defence.
Positioning himself between the tracker and the sharpshooter, he said coolly, "Mr Larabee, Mr Tanner is indisposed. Please moderate your tone. He needs peace and quiet."
Chris' mouth actually dropped open at the sheer effrontery of the gambler. Then his face changed and he looked as if he was about to suffer an apoplexy. Indeed, he was so furious he could hardly speak. Finally he gritted, "I've got a few things to say to you, Standish."
"Perhaps we could repair to the saloon," Ezra suggested urbanely. "Mr Tanner need not hear ..."
" Mr Tanner needs to hear every damned word," Larabee retorted.
Just then they were interrupted by the sound of someone clattering noisily up the stairs and thumping along the corridor. Buck burst into the room without pausing to knock. "Hey, Chris," he greeted boisterously, apparently oblivious to the tension in the room, and continued, "I was just leavin' Nate's and I spotted yer horse. When did ya get back?"
Then, without waiting for an answer, he pushed past a stunned Chris, winked at Ezra and said, "I guess ya'll be happy now, Vin. Chris is back at last so ya can stop all that damned pinin'. It was gettin' on my nerves I can tell ya."
He swung back to the gambler and added, "And I'm bettin' you'll be pleased to get rid of yer houseguest, Ez. Ya know what a difficult patient our young tracker is, Chris. I swear poor old Ez has been longin' for yer return almost as much as Vin has."
His three listeners could not believe their ears. Both Vin and Ezra had been told in no uncertain terms what Wilmington thought about their behaviour, while Chris had come to believe that Buck would confirm Mary's scathing comments. Now all three were temporarily lost for words on hearing his unexpected observations.
Ezra characteristically recovered first. "Now, Mr Wilmington, that is a trifle unfair. Perhaps Mr Tanner would not be my first choice of houseguest, but I would not be so unmindful of my duty as host as to blacken his reputation with unkind comments."
"Funny," Buck responded, "I believe you made some mention of the need to fumigate your rooms in the near future."
"I assure you, Mr Larabee, I would not be so uncouth as to make such an unjustified remark," Ezra insisted.
Vin did not know what 'fumigate' meant, but could tell from Ezra's reaction, that he should be insulted. However, he was just grateful that Buck appeared to have had a change of heart and was, hopefully, going to get Ezra out of potential danger. He decided he ought to help him along. "I ain't been bad, Chris. I've been stayin' here like ya told me and I've been doin' like Ezra says ... mostly, 'cept I still don't like that ditch-water Nate makes me drink."
Chris stared suspiciously at the three of them. There was something going on. That he was sure of. But what? He did not trust the gambler, but he knew that Buck had his interests at heart and would never put Standish before him. And here was Wilmington making it abundantly clear that he did not believe what Mary had said about Vin and Ezra. Perhaps his jealousy had been unwarranted.
Seeing doubts and indecision had undermined Chris' potentially lethal fury, Buck decided it was time to remove the gambler from his presence and leave Vin and Chris to sort things out between them. He turned to Ezra and said, "C'mon, Ez, yer free at last. Let's go down to the saloon and I'll buy ya a drink to celebrate."
Standish nodded. He still did not know what had caused Buck's change of heart, but he was not such a fool as to look a gift-horse in the mouth lest it bite him. "I will admit caring for Mr Tanner has been rather an arduous undertaking, so if you two gentlemen will excuse me, I think I will join Mr Wilmington."
Even as he spoke, the paronomasia he had unintentionally made, with his use of the expression 'caring for Mr Tanner', caused his heart to contract painfully. 'Still,' he thought wryly, 'I might not be heart-whole, but at least I seem to be escaping with a whole skin and that is no small thing for anyone faced with an angry Chris Larabee.' He followed the ladies' man out.
Buck was silently congratulating himself on how well he had handled the tricky situation. As he had told Larabee, he had observed Chris' horse as he left the clinic, but more importantly, he had also seen Mary Travis standing on the boardwalk on the far side of the street looking across at the boarding-house. Fearing the worst, he had hastened along the street, only to have his suspicions confirmed when he observed her self-satisfied, not to say gloating, expression. Clearly, she had done her worst, and Buck had realized it was up to him to institute what damage control he could.
Fortunately, he was not only adept at thinking on his feet, but also knew Chris well enough to have a pretty good idea of what the situation would be.
Left alone with Larabee, Vin was relieved to think that Ezra was apparently not going to be called to account by Chris. After all, they had not done anything except cuddle and that was his fault not the gambler's. However, he was more than somewhat apprehensive to find himself alone with the gunslinger and he did not like the look in Larabee's eyes at all.
Since it seemed Larabee was waiting for him to speak, Vin finally ventured, "Th-Thank you, Chris."
"What are ya thankin' me for?"
"For not hurtin' Ez. For not believin' what those people said."
"Did I say I didn't believe them?"
"N-No, but ... but I th-thought ... I-I hoped when ya let Ez go ... I ..." he stammered, breaking off in confusion.
"Have ya heard the sayin' 'Where there's smoke, there's fire', Vin? Ya say ya didn't do anythin', but here I find ya in Ez's bed and invitin' him to join ya."
Vin's heart fell. "Chris, we didn't ... we haven't ... It wasn't Ezra's fault. I had nightmares and I-I needed someone to ... to hold. That's all and ... and I just liked him holdin' me. It felt safe."
"Ya weren't havin' a nightmare when I came in ... not till ya saw me anyway," Larabee added, with a touch of wry humour.
"I just ... I needed ya and ya weren't here so I ... I s'pose I used Ez," he added contritely.
Chris looked at his lover's unhappy face. He knew Vin was not a liar. Ezra might be able to swear black was white without a blush and even Buck was quite a dab hand at that when it suited him, but Vin was honest, even when it went against his best interests. If things had gone further than the cuddles the tracker had mentioned, he would have admitted it and accepted any punishment Chris chose to dole out as well merited. He might try to lie to save someone else, but never himself. "Yes, I suppose you did. Well, I'm here now and this ain't gonna happen again."
"Chris?" Vin wondered fearfully what was coming. Surely Chris was not going to leave him. Please, not that. Anything, but that. He felt tears welling up.
"I think it's time for me to put my brand on ya, cowboy. I should have done this earlier and made sure ya understood how things are gonna be. No more cuddles from anybody else." As he spoke, he peeled back the covers and then grasped the hem of the nightshirt, and in one swift motion, dragged it up around Vin's waist.
Vin blushed at the exposure and automatically tried to restore the garment, but the gunslinger batted his hand away roughly. "No, leave it!" he warned. "Lie still! I want to look at you."
Vin took several deep breaths, attempting to still the racing of his heart, to quell the panic rising in his breast. It took every ounce of his dwindling courage to meet Chris' burning gaze. Somehow he managed a small smile, which the trembling of his lips made unconsciously seductive.
Larabee leant down and lightly brushed the tracker's lips with his own. Tender and yielding, they parted deliciously under his allowing him to renew his acquaintance with the honeyed cavern they concealed. Then Chris began to trail feather-light kisses teasingly down Vin's chin and then around his taut throat.
The tracker was both surprised and relieved by the gunslinger's gentleness. He had feared rejection and possibly violence and the unexpected turn of events had him bemused, but grateful. He lay compliant as Larabee's mouth and hands began to explore his body. Perhaps everything was going to be all right after all.
Then Chris turned his attentions to the sensitive juncture of neck and shoulder. He knew that attentions to that area drove the tracker wild. Vin giggled, writhed and gasped a protest, "N-Not there, c-cowboy, I can't ... tickles ...oh, hell, that ... that ..." He broke off as one of Chris' hands probed gently between his slender thighs.
Apprehension started to return, but he forced it down as Chris fondled him. Larabee had petted him like that and had stroked him to climax before, but he knew that Chris wanted more. Hell, Vin wanted to give him more. Loving Chris as he did, he hated to deny him anything, but he was so frightened.
Then Chris abruptly withdrew his hand and, without warning, flipped Vin onto his stomach. Panic rushed over him. "No! Please, Chris, I ain't ... I can't ..." He tried to roll back, but Chris put a firm hand in the small of his back preventing the movement and then swiftly climbed between Vin's thighs.
Vin frantically twisted to try to dislodge him and pushed at him wildly with his good hand. "I can't! I can't!" he repeated desperately.
"I think ya can, Vin, and I'm gonna try. I need to make ya mine. If ya relax it won't hurt," Chris said firmly. Larabee hoped like hell that he was right. He knew what he was about to do could destroy Vin's trust and ruin any future relationship between them, but he also knew that he had to make Vin face his fears, or the way he was going, he would never beat them.
The tracker knew that too, but every instinct urged him to resist, to fight against what Larabee wanted to do to him. He could not seem to stop himself. He was sure he was going to disappoint Chris and was going to lose him. He could not bear that. Then his frantic mind hit on a solution. "Chris," he whispered.
"Yes?"
"I-I want ya to tie me down ... l-like Hudson did."
"I can't do that to ya, Vin," Larabee responded, appalled at the suggestion.
"Please, ya have to. I'm too scared to let ya take me. Yer probably right when ya say it won't hurt, but I can't stop myself fightin' ya. Please tie me. It's the only way."
Reluctantly, Chris clambered off Vin and rummaged in the bottom of his closet for some rope. He found what he was seeking and looked back at Vin.
The tracker's eyes were wide with fear, but he was still lying on his stomach, waiting.
"Vin, I can't ... " Chris started.
"Ya can! Ya must! And ya mustn't stop even iffen I ask ya to. Please, Chris. Ezra says Hudson can only hurt me iffen I let him."
"Huh?" He did not particularly want to hear the gambler's opinions, but felt this rather cryptic communication needed elucidation.
"I'm scared 'cos of Hudson hurtin' me and iffen I don't let ya it's like he's still hurtin' me. I need ya to help me face him down."
"All right, Vin, we'll try it your way, but you still need to try to do what I tell ya even when yer tied."
"I-I'll try."
"Okay, get the nightshirt off," he instructed.
Vin obeyed, blushing hotly. He was always embarrassed at being naked and it seemed worse that usual since Larabee had remained fully clad.
"Now roll onto your back and give me your wrists."
Vin slipped off his sling and Larabee tied his wrists firmly to the headboard. Then he spread Vin's legs wide and secured them. "This ain't gonna be fast, Vin," he warned. "I want to have you good and ready before I do anythin'."
With that, he commenced a most protracted session of nibbling, stroking, licking and tickling. He ranged over all of Vin's body, except for his penis, while an increasingly desperate tracker moaned and writhed under his tender torment.
In spite of his fear, Vin began to react to the teasing attentions, growing achingly, desperately hard. He needed Chris to take him in hand and to pump him dry as on other occasions, but the gunslinger deftly avoided the sharpshooter's attempts to thrust against him.
Finally, the gunslinger lowered his head and began to lick and nibble at the soft white flesh of his inner thighs, while gently cupping his balls. Vin began to plead with him. "Chris, I can't stand this any more. Please, I can't. Chris, I'm hurtin'. Please."
"I think yer ready, Vin," Chris responded with irritating calmness, reaching for the oil jar.
'I'm not! I'm not!' Vin thought desperately, as he saw the jar in Chris' hand, somehow managing to stop himself voicing his terror.
Larabee moved quickly to free Vin's ankles and then flipped him onto his stomach, positioning himself between Vin's legs and resuming his teasing of that area, while the tracker writhed and whimpered helplessly. Then he ran a slippery finger lightly down Vin's cleft.
The tracker immediately tensed. "Take a breath, Vin," Chris said. "Now relax and let it out slowly. That's right."
As he obeyed the finger slid inside him and stopped. It felt odd and threatening, but it did not actually hurt. Larabee's other hand continued its distracting teasing between Vin's legs, fondling his balls gently. Then the intruding finger withdrew only to reenter with a second. That was less comfortable, but when the pair stilled, Vin managed to fight back the panic in his breast.
Then Chris began to more these probing fingers, searching carefully. As he did so he whispered words of love and reassurance and slid his other hand around Vin's side to clasp his penis, which had softened somewhat when he had been turned and his fears had intensified.
Distracted momentarily by the new touch, Vin was caught completely off-guard when an incredible burst of pleasure shot through him. "What the hell? Chris, wh-what was that?" he gasped.
"Just a taste of the pleasures that await ya, Vin." Chris replied carefully removing his fingers and starting optimistically to coat his penis with oil.
"B-But what did ya do?" Vin asked, in confusion.
"Stroked yer prostate for ya."
"My what?"
"A little gland that loves what I want to do to ya, Vin. Do ya think yer ready to feel that again?"
"Yeah! N-No! I s'pose. Hell, Chris, I dunno what I want. Just shut up and do me."
"Okay, Vin, now ya do that breathin' thin' again, while I just stretch ya a little more. That's good. Okay, here goes." He began to push his cock past the ring of muscle.
In spite of his good intentions, Vin began to tense up and the intrusion began to hurt. He bit down hard on his lip, tasting blood and willed himself not to protest. His knuckles showed white as he clenched his fists.
Chris could see the muscles tightening on his lover's back and knew the battle Vin was waging not to beg the gunslinger to desist. Hell, he was facing a fight of his own as he tried to resist his cock's determination to thrust into that beloved body as though there was no tomorrow. Somehow, he kept control and continued to move slowly in.
All the while, he kept on muttering words of encouragement and endearment. Once he was fully sheathed he halted to allow Vin some time to adjust to the fullness.
Vin wanted to scream at him to stop, but knew he had to fight the impulse. 'That damned Hudson ain't gonna beat me,' he thought wildly. 'Chris won't let him.'
Then Larabee began to move slowly, gradually increasing his tempo. As he did so, his hand began to slide up and down Vin's shaft. To Vin's confusion, the pain started to ease and suddenly he needed Chris to increase the pace. His breathing became short, harsh gasps of need. Then suddenly Chris hit that wonderful pleasure spot. Vin's screamed in pleasure/pain and ejaculated hard as his world exploded, disintegrating around him, his reaction causing Chris to climax as well.
Larabee had collapsed on top of Vin and now lay there panting and enjoying the feeling of finally being one with the tracker. Taking Vin had been wonderful. Since Sarah's death, he had never enjoyed making love with someone who was important to him. Sure he had had sex, but that was not the same. How he loved the tracker. He just hoped Vin finally knew how good ...
Hell! He emerged from this pleasant reverie with a frightening jolt, as he realized that Vin was lying limp beneath him. Carefully withdrawing from his lover's body, he scrambled off the bed and hurried to free the tracker from his restraints. Then he gently rolled the unconscious Vin onto his back.
To his relief, Vin's thick lashes fluttered and his eyes slowly opened. "Ch-Chris? That was ... That was ..." He trailed off unable to find the words.
Larabee's heart was in his mouth. Had he hurt Vin? He had thought that the tracker was enjoying it when he had started gasping, but what if he had only heard what he wanted to hear. "Are ya okay, Vin? I didn't hurt ya, did I, cowboy?" he asked, his concern clear in his voice.
"I'm fine," Vin replied quietly, lowering his lashes to shield his eyes, as though unwilling to meet Larabee's gaze.
Contrary to what might have been expected, that expression was the one least likely to reassure the gunslinger since it was the one that Vin always employed when he was hurt. "I'm sorry, Vin," he apologized, "I thought ... I hoped ya would enjoy it."
"Well, I s'pose I might have enjoyed it, but ..."
"But?" Larabee prompted, steeling himself for the worst.
"I sorta went to sleep or somethin'at the end there and missed some of it. I reckon ya'll need to try it a few more times before I know for sure." A triumphant Vin knew that he was echoing part of a comment Hudson had made to him. He had beaten the bastard at last! Blue eyes sparkling with mischief and love shot open to watch Larabee's reaction and he grinned cheekily when he saw the stunned expression on his lover's face.
Recovering himself, Chris retorted, "Yer ass might not be sore now, but it will be by the time I'm finished with ya, cowboy. That damned gambler had better not expect his bed back any time soon."
With that he reached happily for his willing lover.
THE END