Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey

at the barn the following morning. “You usually have them ready for me, so I thought I’d return the favor. Besides, Mari stopped by last night and asked to use the guest room until Janelle calms down.”

    “Does this have to do with your conversation last night?”

    “Yes.” Cliff checked to make sure no one was around. “I don’t really want to talk about Janelle, okay?” Len nodded, and they mounted. “Where are we going today?”

    “I thought we’d go back to the clearing by the creek.” Cliff gave his horse a flick, and Thunder took off. They raced over the pasture, Cliff laughing and calling back to Len. He didn’t feel as 131
    Love Means Courage
comfortable as Cliff did, so he and Misty cantered across the field, catching up at the far side just before the trees.
    The sun shone through the canopy, creating dappled shade, quickly warming the air even under the trees as they rode toward the creek. The familiar sound of the water greeted them as they turned and followed the creek. They didn’t talk as they rode, which Len didn’t find uncomfortable or unusual, but he did notice that a blanket was attached to the back of Cliff’s saddle. At the clearing, they dismounted, and Len tied up the horses so they could graze while Cliff spread the blanket on the soft grass.
Cliff sat on the blanket, and Len joined him. He suspected that Cliff wanted to talk, but instead he put those lips that so fascinated Len to better use and kissed him. Cliff’s fingers wound into Len’s hair, and he felt Cliff press his weight against him, settling him back on the blanket. “Are you sure?”
    Len felt the buttons of his shirt being undone. “Very sure. I’ve been wondering for days how Ruby would feel about this, and last night I got my answer.” The last of Len’s shirt buttons were undone, and warm hands stroked along his chest.

    Len arched into the touch, aching to feel those hands on his skin. “How?” He began opening Cliff’s shirt, but he gently stilled his hands before working a nipple between work-roughened fingers, and Len hissed into the sensation.
    “All I have left of her is Geoff, and he loves you.” Cliff leaned forward, nibbling gently at the base of Len’s neck. “Besides, I know she’d want me to be happy, and you make me happy.” There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but they flew from his mind as Cliff captured his lips. Concerns, questions, rational thought—all stopped as he was kissed within an inch of his life. Their tongues swirled around each other as Len felt Cliff’s 132
    Andrew Grey
weight rest on top of him. This time, he wound his arms around him, his hands settling on Cliff’s firm butt.
“I’m glad, because you make me happy too.” God, did he ever!
    Len slid his hands beneath Cliff’s shirt, firm back muscles sliding beneath his fingers and palms. Cliff lifted his head, and Len slid the shirt up Cliff’s body before pulling it over his head and off his arms. He nearly came when he first felt the skin of Cliff’s chest against his own. This was what he’d been dreaming about for so long: lips kissing, chests sliding together. Len had always thought he’d die if he got to feel Cliff like this, but now that he was, it wasn’t enough. He wanted more, needed more, and he let his hands take it, sliding them down Cliff’s back, into his jeans, and along that smooth, firm butt.
    “Len.” It sounded like a plea, and he answered it by massaging Cliff’s butt as they continued their passionate kissing.
    A steady stream of little sounds reached Len’s ears, sounding like music—passionate, thrilling, love music. Slowly, he pulled his hands from Cliff’s pants and rolled their bodies on the blanket. Now Cliff was beneath him, all that skin laid out for him. “You’re beautiful, more beautiful than I ever imagined, and I imagined a lot.” Len lowered his head, capturing a pink nipple between his lips.
    “I dreamed what you’d look like, what you’d taste like.” His tongue swirled around the pointed, hard bud. “What you’d sound like.” Cliff moaned softly, and Len smiled. He slipped off his shirt and returned his attention and his hands to Cliff, sliding them over the bulge in the front of Cliff’s pants. “Len, I can’t….” Taking pity on him, Len opened Cliff’s pants and pushed them down, sliding his hands over the hard shaft. He watched as Cliff’s stomach muscles clenched and his breathing became ragged. “So close,” Cliff