A Subtle Breeze, Bailey Bradford [year 2 reading books .txt] 📗

stories they had shared with Brendon about the harassment Ezekiel experienced in town had turned Brendon’s stomach. Having grown up in a much larger and definitely more liberal town himself, he hadn’t encountered very much gay bashing. Sure, there had been some name-calling and such, but on a whole, he knew he’d been a pretty lucky man.

Almost perversely, rather than make him afraid to come back to this town without trying to hide his sexual preference, the stories about the hell Ezekiel had been through had only fed Brendon’s determination to come stay the summer and be himself. Because, somewhere between the pictures and the stories, Brendon had felt a piece of his heart make room for Ezekiel. He didn’t know the man, but he knew of him, and he wanted to see what, if anything, they could have between them. At the very least, he wanted to slake the lust that had been raging in his body ever since he’d opened the e-mails from Gloria. If all he and Zeke could have was some really hot sex, going at it until they were both unconscious, that would work. He hoped. But for some reason, whether it was the sharing of information about the man, or the pictures, or a combination of both, Brendon really wanted something more with Ezekiel. Maybe it was everything, combined with the fact that the man had been so mistreated, so…hurt.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Brendon folded up into the front seat of the little car, not surprised to find that, once seated, his knees were practically in his armpits. Why did the choice have to be clean air or contortion? He was sure there had to be a third ‘c’—compromise—that should be thrown into the whole hybrid craze.

The drive to the cemetery wasn’t very long, and even before they pulled in, before Enessa and Gloria pointed and nudged him, Brendon had spotted the lone figure kneeling at one of the graves. The image tugged at his heart. Ezekiel looked so solitary, though not just in the physical sense. Brendon didn’t know how to explain it except that he could swear he felt the loneliness rolling off the kneeling man.

He watched the man rise and turn to see who was pulling into the cemetery drive. Brendon noted the moment Ezekiel spotted the passengers in his sister’s car—that was when he made a beeline for his truck.

“Better hurry, Nessa, looks like your brother is going to bolt.” Not that it would deter Brendon. He would meet the man one way or another.

“Oh no, he isn’t!” Nessa declared, stomping on the hybrid’s brake pedal. She slapped the gearstick in park and jumped out, running after her brother. He watched Ezekiel’s back stiffen, saw him hesitate as though he were contemplating leaving his sister there, hollering in the graveyard. Of course he didn’t. Brendon hadn’t thought he would, not after the way Enessa had talked about her brother.

Ezekiel turned around to catch Nessa, who almost smacked right into him. Brendon gasped when he saw the man in person, he couldn’t help himself. That man was just so gorgeous, so fine that Brendon felt a quiver of uncertainty as he practically popped out of the little car to stand by Gloria. For once he worried about his looks, even if it made him feel like a vain fool. He simply didn’t know if he was attractive enough to catch Zeke’s attention, and that was a fear he’d never had before regarding another man.

Doesn’t matter, he thought as he watched the interaction between the siblings. He wanted the man, and would do his damnedest to make it happen. Even though it was obvious from watching Enessa and Ezekiel that he wouldn’t have the opportunity just yet. Zeke was shaking his head at Enessa, then paused to hear her out on something, agreeing with whatever it was she said this time.

Never once did Zeke look over and notice the two people waiting by the car, but rather than be offended, Brendon thought it might work in his favor. If the man didn’t notice him, then he wouldn’t be wary about meeting him. It would all work out, he’d make it work out. Determination and hope coursed through him as he stood still, enjoying the gentle breeze that wafted around him. Enessa’s grin when she headed back toward them fed that hope, as did her words.

“Zeke’s not up to company right now, he has to get back to the ranch, but y’all are invited to supper tonight. With us both.” Nessa and Gloria smiled and waggled their eyebrows at Brendon, who couldn’t tamp down his own answering grin. He was just glad the girls couldn’t see the way his cock had tented his pants, again. Maybe tonight he would find some relief.

Chapter Two

Zeke finished the work he had scheduled for the day, and after stopping to check with his ranch hands, Charlie and Miguel, he managed to slip through the side door of the house. Tired, sore and generally just ready to go to bed, he was wishing he’d never agreed to supper with Nessa and her buddies. A sound caught his attention, and Zeke paused outside the door to his room, recognizing Nessa’s and her friend Gloria’s voices.

It was the darkly sexy masculine voice that froze him in his tracks. That voice smoothed over his cock like a warm tongue. Zeke grew erect so fast he almost felt dizzy. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but the sound of laughter soon followed, and suddenly the idea of supper with Enessa’s friends, at least one of them, didn’t seem so bad—even if he had to sit through the meal with a hard-on. Zeke listened a few more minutes, then slipped inside his room.

Stripping quickly for his shower, Zeke stared down at his dick, watching it tap against his taut belly, begging for attention. He thought about grabbing it, stroking himself until he came, which wouldn’t take much at this