Love in Xxchange: Miles to Go, Bailey Bradford [the reading strategies book txt] 📗

who dropped her foal in the middle of the night. Of course it wasn’t an easy birth, but hours later when that little baby straggled to his feet, his thin legs wobbling, even Bo couldn’t be irritated about the change in plans. Bo had felt a warm fluttering in his chest when he watched the newborn take his first steps, and pushed his plans back a few hours.

Then there’d been the downed fence in the south pasture. By the time Max straggled in that night it was almost eleven, and he had looked ready to drop where he stood. Bo had shelved his own needs and taken care of Max, who’d been too exhausted even to stay awake during the shower they’d shared. He told himself it would be enough just to sleep with Max, to feel the man pressed against him and listen to his soft snores, and it had been—for the whole three hours Max got to sleep.

Another mare, another foal, and so it continued. Four days had passed without Bo and Max being able to do much more than kiss each other goodnight if they were lucky, and Bo had had enough. He needed Max to touch him. Even with the logical reasons for the frenetic MILES TO GO

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pace around the ranch lately, Bo illogically felt as if Max was avoiding him. Nothing he told himself could chase that feeling away, and Bo was desperate to be reassured that he was still Max’s. He didn’t want to lose what he’d always wanted, not now and not before he ever truly had it.

Bo sat on the couch, trying his best to come up with a solution that didn’t involve him jumping Max while the man slept. It wasn’t looking good—unless he could get some help.

That he could do, and he knew just who to ask.

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Chapter Eleven

“You sure you’re up to this? It’s kind of chilly out.”

Bo arched a brow at Annabelle and tried not to give a raunchy reply about how Max would be warming him up soon.

Annabelle arched a brow right back, and damned if she didn’t do it better, too. “I meant riding out to Max. You’re still moving a little stiff—don’t even say it, Bo, or I’ll insist on riding along and keeping y’all company. That might put a damper on your plans.”

“At this point, I don’t think so,” Bo muttered, ignoring the blush those words brought to Annabelle’s cheeks. “Nothing short of the apocalypse is going to stop me this time—and even that might go unnoticed if things go right. But thanks for your help.”

Annabelle snorted and slapped Bo on the ass as he mounted his horse. “You deserved that, so don’t even give me that wounded look. Got everything y’all need?”

Bo felt his cheeks—the ones on his face and the one Annabelle had walloped—warming up. Maybe he was just paranoid after Rory’s little chat with Max, but it seemed like she was getting way too close to a safe sex talk for his comfort. “Yep, got it. Gotta go!” Bo reined his mount around and took off, almost as eager to escape Annabelle as he was to find Max.

Half an hour later, Bo halted his horse and looked around the area Annabelle had suggested. The stream that ran through this part of the ranch was full, the current moving at a steady clip, the sounds of water flowing almost musical. There was plenty of shade, the grass was green and not too high, and there wasn’t another soul around. Not yet, at least.

Bo dismounted and led his horse to the stream for a drink. Once that was taken care of, he tied the horse to a sturdy branch in a good sized patch of shade and went to work setting up. Pulling the blanket roll from the saddle bag, Bo tried to decide the best spot to put it down. Somewhere away from the horse, for certain.

There was a perfect place beside the stream, a nice sunny patch where they could lay after and hopefully not get chilled. Bo spread the blanket down then hurried back to grab the lunch he’d pack for him and Max along with the condoms and lube. He placed it all on the blanket then hesitated. Should he strip down now, or wait until Max had eaten? The sound of hoof beats sent a shiver down Bo’s spine. His dick was so hard that he hurt clean up to his MILES TO GO

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belly button. Oh hell, we can both work up more of an appetite. Bo stripped out of his clothes and sprawled out on the blanket and only then thought of the shit he’d catch if that wasn’t Max he heard approaching.

This plan was definitely holding together better than his first one, because Max rode right up to the blanket and seared Bo with a heated look.

“I was wondering why Annabelle told me to get my ass over here,” Max rasped, his gaze trailing down to Bo’s cock. “I was gonna come up to the bunkhouse for…but this is better.”

Bo’s mouth went dry as Max dismounted. He wished he could say something witty or seductive, but his throat was too tight, his breath too short. Max didn’t even tie off his horse, just nudged its shoulder with his and told it to ‘go on home’ as he visually devoured Bo.

A tendril of fear slithered through Bo. This felt more intense than he’d ever imagined, more…just more. He realised, as Max began removing his own clothes, that something irrevocable and life-altering was about to happen. As much as he wanted it, wanted to love and be loved, he hadn’t known it would be such a scary thing to experience. It dawned on Bo that Max could crush him with a few words— no, leave, whore—not that he thought Max would ever call him names, but it wouldn’t exactly be an untruth.

Max took off