Winning Entry in the Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy Contest

Pairing: Jasper and Emmett

POV: Emmett

Emmett POV

The road was still in need of repair, and I bounced around in my seat as the Jeep rounded the corner and came up to the ranch. I'd gone to school for architecture, but with the economy's downward turn, I found myself without a job. My parents had left me a small trust fund specifically earmarked for education. After design, my second love was animals. I went back to college for my Vet Tech degree and took additional courses in livestock and equine care.

When I ran into Bella on the University grounds last week, I had not expected to be offered a job on their ranch. She had asked me what I was doing at the Veterinary Medicine campus and when I pointed out the employment opportunities kiosk I was standing in front of, her dark eyes grew almost "Japanese cartoon freaky girl big, with sparkles in them" sized. Our old friend Alice- yeah, I would have expected that from her, but not Bella.

Then she offered me my dream job.

"Emmett, you can come work for us on the ranch. We are in desperate need for another hand, specifically one who can administer routine veterinary care and help us stretch the periods of time between having a 'house-call' made to the stables or barn. "

Bella had gone through the specifics and given the nature of my education, I was pretty damn confident that I would be a good match for what she was looking for. We found a map of Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs. Down south west of Scottsdale, she showed me the county road I'd take out to the ranch. Then she had to go and pull the fucking rug out from under me.

"Tomorrow morning, nine AM to start, seven thirty after that. Jasper will show you the ropes."

My mental response was a big "fuck me," followed with a "please, Jasper."

"You'll be in charge specifically of the horses and cattle. We're pretty self-sufficient on the sheep after some experience lambing last year. There are a few exceptions, namely Eclipse and Monterrey..."

I'm pretty sure that I was still listening but all I could think about was seeing Jasper again after all these years. Fuck me. Hard.

~*~

Parking in the "employee" lot, I felt lost for a minute as I looked at all the out buildings. Sheep. Goats. Llamas and Alpacas. Scottish Highland Cattle. Each building was clearly labeled. Was I supposed to start working or should I go to the house. It was a two story, looked to be roughly three thousand square feet by my best guest. It was easy to see the original house on the back side in comparison to the newer brick and sided wing that I'm guessing is the Bed and Breakfast side of the ranch for guests.

Bella came out of front door, on the fancy side, wearing an apron. There were a few flour smudges on her cheek.

"You're right on time which is late in Jasper's books. He wants you working at the start time, not pulling in. He'll grouch a bit when he finally sees you, so just hang your head and take it. He's been a dick since yesterday afternoon. I don't really know what put him in the mood, so just tread carefully. It's been too long since we've seen you to let you go now, especially when we need your skills."

I reached out and brushed off some of the flour from Bella's face. "You missed some..."

"Alice and I were starting on the lunch prep. The boys always have a big appetite and I remember from high school that you could eat three times what Edward could. We're making twice as much bread as normal. Roast beef sandwiches, real beef, not from the deli, potato salad, and I think Alice is making some pocket pies for dessert. We'll deliver them out as an afternoon snack."

"You and Ed are still together then?" I hadn't heard his name since shortly after graduation.

Her cheeks colored a slight pink; she was still the same-old Bella. "Uh, no. We...discovered in college that we had different paths. We're still good friends. He actually married Rosalie. I thought you would have heard."

It was my turn to blush as I let out a small cough. "We didn't part on the best of terms."

"I heard. She wasn't too happy to have caught you with someone else."

That is the understatement of the year.

The walkie-talkie on Bella's hip made its presence known with a loud squawk before I hear Alice ask Bella where the canned peaches from last summer were. "I'd best get back in there before you guys end up with green bean pies for dessert. If you head down by the stables, Jazz should spot you. He can show you where we keep everything. It is good to have you here, Emmett. An email now and then was not enough. We can talk more during lunch. You'll hear the bell, don't worry."

I gave her my best smile and stuck my hands in my pockets. If Rosalie hadn't divulged that she'd walked in on me fucking Jake in the shower, who was I to share the story?

Once I was out of the main visitor area and back by the barns, I was glad that I'd taken the email from Alice to heart last night and worn boots. I was approaching the horse stable when he came riding up along the fence.

"Bella said you'd finally shown up. Unless you want to be stuck mucking stalls all week with Mike and Tyler, be on time."

I ducked my head in embarrassment. It was my first day and I'd already pissed off my boss. He dismounted from Eclipse, a quarter-horse Bella had told me about yesterday. Eclipse is Jasper's personal horse and not to be messed with. He handles all of Eclipse's care.

It had been a little over ten years since I last saw Jasper, but his effect on me was the same. My hands jammed deeper into my pockets to hide my swelling cock. With his back to me, I let my eyes drift down to the curve of his ass beneath those Levi's. Jasper as a teen had been gorgeous enough to clue me in on my interest to the same sex. Jasper as a man, well, I didn't have a chance to avoid sporting wood through half of my chores.

His hair was still a dish-water blond and the waves were visible beneath his hat. Jasper's skin was a deep tan from being out in the sun, and when he spun around, those "blue as the fucking sea" eyes met mine. His eyes never left my face as he put one hand up on the painted red wood beam and then vaulted over it.

"It is good to see you, Emm."

He patted me on the shoulder and I had to press against my cock where it was straining on the zipper of my pants. Jasper smelled like the pinion pines, musk, leather, and horses. It was a divine form of torture.

"You, too, Jasper." My voice broke half-way through his name. Those blue eyes and that shit-eating grin of his have been the stars in my late night dreams for years. When Jake and I called it quits after college, I jumped feet first into my school work, fully immersing myself in my studies so that I didn't end up doing things, or people, I'd later regret. Felix, one of the guys from the old gang, and I had an agreement of sorts. If we were both single and in need, we'd get together for a weekend. He was going to die laughing when I tell him that I'm working for Jasper.

Get it together, Emmett McCarty, or you're going to blow this job- and not in the way you'd like.

"So, boss, where do I start?"

I was rewarded with his lazy smile and I resolved to earn that smile each and every day I was employed here at Moonrise Ranch and Inn.

"Now that's what I like to hear, Emmett. The farrier is here today so you and I will be helpin' out in the stables. We do a hot shoe process to get the best fit. The mini forge really heats up the area we'll be in, so I hope you're ready to sweat."

He whistled for Eclipse and then led him through a gate and into the stable. I snuck a peek at his pale blue button down over a black tank top and the jeans with black boots, scuffed from wear. He turned around quickly when he didn't hear the gate latch, only to smile as he saw that I'd caught the gate and shut it quietly.

"That's Dawn, Bella's mare. She was here when Alice and I bought the ranch. We couldn't bear to part with her and when we hired Bella to run the inn, they took a likin' to one another. Our own stock are mainly Morgans but we have a few Arabians that Alice has rescued."

As he mentioned Alice, I felt a surge of jealousy. Of course they'd be together! She had tried to catch his eye during high school and college but he only ever hung out with Felix and me, eventually with Alice's older brother, Edward, but that was only after Rose and I were through.

The farrier was already hard at work, measuring the hoof on Dawn. Jasper put me to work prying off old horseshoes on the horse in the next stall. I'd done it once before when we were learning how to trim hooves. After watching Jasper go through the process, it was easy enough to pick up. I lost myself in the rhythm of the farrier, in Jasper's hummed song, and my own thoughts and the occasional glance at his sweat glazed chest. We'd both stripped down to our undershirts only two horses into the process. I checked over all the hooves and did a quick check of their joints as we went. It was a great way to familiarize myself with their animals.

"Break time. The yellow cooler has lemonade on tap most of the day. If it runs out, just use the walkie talkie taped to the wall and call up to the house. Bella will refill it for us."

I walked over to the cooler and poured myself a cup of lemonade. A large orange barrel was beside it for cups. I drained a second cup and sat my ass down in one of the plastic chairs.

"Rosie's still pissed at ya, Emm."

I snorted. "Is that a fact, Jasper? Seeing as she hasn't returned any of my calls in nine years, I kinda figured that one out for myself. Thanks, though."

Jasper tipped his chair back, his feet going up on a wooden crate. "I know the two of you were havin' an 'off time,' as she called it. She was fucking Edward and had no business blowing up at you for sleepin' around. Rosalie told me it wasn't my concern when I asked who it was that made her end things with you."

"That was a long time ago, Jasper. I don't exactly remember."

He laughed. "Yeah, fuckin' right. It wasn't Tanya, she was out of state and it wasn't Alice as she was with me when Rosalie called in tears. She wouldn't have cared about any other of the ladies we went to school with so that leaves Felix or Jake."

"Your sister was right, it isn't any of your concern, Jasper."

He lifted his arms up behind his head, leaning back into a hay bale. Jasper arched one eyebrow at me as we waited for someone to give in. He wasn't going to drop it, and I wasn't about to tell my crush that I was gay, but only after I saw him skinny dip and have wanted to suck his cock ever since.

Lean muscles showed their sculpted lines coming out of blond tufts of his armpit hair. My mouth watered as I thought of licking my way up his arm to suck on those long fingers. "Sex fingers," Jake had called them once as we fucked while discussing Jasper's many great attributes. Jake and I had bonded after we caught one another checking out Jasper after we'd all gone swimming.

That had led to a drunken confession and our first forays into same-gendered sex. We were fantastic while we lasted, but in the end he had to move back to the Quileute Reservation and I wasn't willing to give up my family and friends in Arizona. I think, somewhere in the back of my mind, I still wanted the gorgeous, straight as an arrow, blond cowboy in front of me.

We were distracted from our staring match, his blue-gray eyes on my ice-blue, by the walkie-talkie going off. "Jasper Lee Whitlock, you have got some explaining to do, right now!"

"Aw shit." He got up from his seat and walked over to the make-shift intercom. "Yeah, Ali-darlin?"

"Oh no! Don't you 'darlin'' me, Jasper. I did all of your laundry yesterday and you just now saw fit to leave your dirty underwear in the washroom? What the fuck?! You know that I only wash your stuff on Sundays. You can just go without underwear until you wash it yourself!"

He turned and smirked at me, my heart catching up in my throat. "Well, baby, if you really want to know, I'm not wearing any right now. My jeans were too tight."

I so did not need to know that he was going commando under there. Shit.

"If you had left that pecan pie alone last night, they'd fit just fine!"

"God dammit, shut it, woman. Let me work in peace." He turned off the walkie-talkie and moved to sit on the bench beside me. "She'll be out here in... five...four...three...two..." Jasper trailed off, pointing to the door.

"You'd better pray that the intercom ran out of batteries and you did not turn it off on me, Jasper Lee." Her face was bright red, in stark contrast to the blue-black of her hair, and the white of her dress and sandals. Alice turned to look at me and her dark eyes went wide. Jasper put his hands over his ears and I followed suit. Her shriek soon turned into a welcome.

Alice collided with my chest like a cannon ball and then we both hit the ground, my feet and ass up in the air. "Emmett! They didn't tell me you were the VT working for us." She kissed my cheek repeatedly with loud smacking sounds, the gravel on the ground digging into the back of my head with each movement.

Jasper lifted her from me, his calloused hands grabbing Alice around the waist. I rolled to my side and righted the chair before climbing back to my feet. I would have had a good view up her short skirt if I was still interested in women. She was standing there, fists on her hips. Alice punched me in the chest, probably as high as she could reach; I had about fifteen or so inches on her.

"Ow! Alice, I'm glad to see you too, Midget Maleficent."

~*~

Jasper kicked Alice out of the stable after a few moments of catching up. We finished up shoeing the horses and had time to go over where Jasper stores all the riding equipment before Bella made the call for lunch. She was right, we could hear the bell from a mile away.

"Twenty minutes till food. She'll ring it again at the five minute warning. Now you'll get to meet the rest of the guys. Let's go clean up. Bella won't let us eat if we go in lookin' all grubby."

We grabbed our button downs and headed for the yard. Jasper led me to the old house, tapping the horseshoe above the door as he went in. The house was in warm shades of brown and some green accent. It looked very "masculine." The furniture was comprised of overstuffed leather couches, old plaid fabric rockers, and large wooden pieces with cushions.

"The bathroom's over there," he nodded to a sky blue and Sedona redrocks colored room. "If you didn't bring any extra clothes, I think I can at least hook you up with a clean undershirt. There's some face soap in one of those fancy squirt bottles on the counter and towels are in the cupboard. Just toss your shirt into the hamper; you should probably bring some extras here. It's going to be hot the next few weeks."

I closed the door to the bathroom, used the toilet, and then stripped out of my shirt. Yeah, there was no putting that sweaty dusty rag back on. The soap smelled like sage so I washed my face and then rinsed my hair too. The cold water felt good as it trickled down my chest. The air conditioning kicked in; my nipples drawing up into peaks from the cold breeze. The sensation went straight to my cock, falsely indicating that something fun was occurring up top.

I could hear Jasper still moving stuff around where he was changing so I had a few minutes. I sat down on the edge of the tub, the cold of the tile radiating through my jeans. The herbal scent of the soap was getting to me; it smelled like Jasper. If I was gonna get through this afternoon, I had to get rid of the perma-wood that was haunting me.

There was a bench along the wall between what I guessed was Alice and Jasper's bedroom and the bathroom. Taking a seat there, I saw a bottle of lotion on floor, halfway behind the magazine rack. It wasn't lube, but good enough. I took out my cock, which was at half-chub, and closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against the wall.

I pictured Jasper, covered in mud. He stripped down, first his shirt. His chest was mostly bare, a few lightly scattered hairs near his neck, and then nothing until the trail leading down...down...down into jeans so tight, I could practically make out the head of his cock. Jasper unbuttoned the fly on his Levi's and had to shake his hips to get out of them.

My cock was on fire, it needed this so badly. My fingers just closed around it, squeezing on the downstroke, twisting on the up. I imagined riding in front of him on Eclipse, his hand taking the place of mine as Eclipse moved into a trot across the acres.

I was there, right fucking there. So close. A groan from the other side of the wall distracted me, made me lose my rhythm. "Fuck," I whispered. I pumped harder, trying to force myself to come, to find that extra edge.

I heard a heavy sigh. I knew that sound. He was getting off. I 'd had to listen to it enough during our college dorm days. Knowing that Jasper was jacking his cock, just a foot or two from me, was an image I could not deny. I'd love to be in bed with him, get into a sixty-nine. I could just imagine him sucking my cock, the thick width sliding between his lips.

Better yet, Jasper leaning back against one of the hay rolls in the pasture field, wearing just a pair of chaps with his boots. Me, kneeling down in front of him. I imagined Jasper stroking his cock while my tongue licked around the head. I could hear his sighs and small moans coming faster from the other room. My hand sped up as I imagined the Jasper in my head making those sounds for me.

The vein on my hip was even more visible as my muscles tensed. My balls tightened and then my whole body was overrun by tingles and finally the pulsing pleasure.

Jasper let out a deep groan, and I heard the springs on his bed squeaking. I looked down to see my fist covering the head of my cock, come pooling in the palm of my hand as I released my hold. I quickly rinsed off in the sink and then made sure I hadn't left any evidence behind.

I zipped up my pants, careful of my swollen and sensitive cock. Jasper knocked on the door as I was buckling my belt.

"Come in."

The door opened halfway, and then Jasper leaned in. He was in the same jeans, but had a white undershirt on this time, with a charcoal gray over-shirt. It was still unbuttoned, showing those dark blond curls at the top. His eyes did not meet mine as he spoke; they were locked on my chest. I looked down, making sure I hadn't spurted jizz on my chest without noticing.

"I brought you this." He handed me a black tank and then quickly switched hands. "Here, this one." In the other hand was a light blue t-shirt with the MoonRise logo. It was quite faded, and I could smell him on the shirt. "I wore it to bed last night, so it's still clean enough. I don't have much that would fit, sorry. You're quite a bit... larger than I am."

I took the shirt from him, stretching as I pulled it on overhead. It bunched up above my pecs and I had to work to unroll it. It fit like a glove and covered me in his scent. If it wasn't for the fact that I know he and Alice are together, I would have sworn he just checked out my package. His eyes set my skin aflame as they slowly dropped down my chest to my thighs and back up again.

Jasper reached around me, tossing his undershirt into the hamper atop mine. The light caught it and I saw the tell-tale gloss of come in the fold as it crumpled. Down, boy! I didn't even give my cock a chance to show interest. I patted my pockets for my cell phone and checked the time just as the bell rang.

"Alice will come look for us if we're not over there."

I motioned for Jasper to lead the way and he took me back through their kitchen to a door painted to look antique. He opened it with a flourish and had me go first. The hallway beyond was dimly lit but the smells of food led me.

"The door at the end on the right, Emm." His voice was a husky whisper as he gently touched my shoulder as he indicated the way to go.

I knocked once and opened the door, finding myself in a commercial kitchen. Everything was dark marble and shining stainless steel.

"Took you boys long enough. Plates are on the island, fix yourself a spot and sit down. Everyone else is already at the table." Bella pointed around the room with a wooden spoon and went back to stirring a pot. She looked from me to the pot. "Chicken chili for tonight's guests; not for you, Emmett."

I grabbed a plate from the stack and two slabs of bread from the serving tray. Jasper's arm crossed in front of me, grabbing another two pieces before dropping them on my plate. He smiled and went on.

Then I saw the roasting pan on the trivet. Fuck me. Roast beef, in chunks with carmelized onions and some diced mushrooms in the broth. I loaded up the first sandwich and then the second as Jasper laughed.

I grabbed myself a canning jar and filled it with tea before taking a seat on the empty bench. Immediately, I stuck my hand across the table to the two guys who were already chowing down.

"Emmett McCarty."

"Mike, this is Tyler." Mike looked like a fucking golden retriever turned into Mister All-American. He had his eyes on Bella's ass as she moved around. Tyler, though friendly, was more interested in eating his food and then getting back out to work.

During lunch I learned that Mike and Tyler are paid for getting their job done and can leave as soon as it's finished. If they finish up with milking, currying, and mucking early they can go as soon as they check in with Jasper. The faster they work, the more time they have to relax in the evening. My job, however, is by the hour. I'm scheduled to be here from seven thirty to four thirty Monday through Friday and on call on weekends.

"Sucks to be you, man. Whitlock will work ya to the bone."

Yeah, I want him to work my bone.

After lunch, Jasper went back out on Eclipse to run the perimeter of the ranch and check for any problems. He checked in every hour with the house and each time I heard his voice over the walkie-talkie, my body tensed. I busied myself with updating the veterinary records on the horses and the handful of Holstein cows that were already in stalls. He kept them in a separate pen away from the bulls and heifers so that he could better control their food for an increased milk supply.

When four thirty came around, I started putting my papers away and made sure once again that everything was locked up tight and all the animals were where they belonged. I called for Jasper over the "intercom" and he said he was a good ten to fifteen minutes out and still had two steer to get into the night pasture attached to their barn.

"Just go. Be on time tomorrow and bring clothes."

After being rather curtly dismissed, I headed out to my Jeep. Bella came running out, her casual clothes and apron traded in for a nice pant suit. She was carrying a shallow-sided cardboard box with her.

"Here, take some supper home. There was leftover roast beef, so I put that in a container with some roast potatoes and carrots."

I smiled. "Thanks, Bella. This saves me from getting take out."

She kissed my cheek as she carefully set the box into my arms. "I'm sorry Jasper is being a dick. I heard his comment to you when you were leaving. He is just having some difficulties I had not foreseen. He'll come around, I promise."

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I'm a big boy and can take whatever he dishes out. I need this job if I'm going to stay in Phoenix. You were all my friends before. When Rose and I broke up, I chose to let you all go so that your friendship with her would not be strained. I had Felix...and Jake, and the occasional visits with you all. I was far from lonely, B."

She smiled, doing a rather Alice-like bounce up to give me a one-armed hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, Emmett."

~*~

The next few days passed much as the first had. I had to update some injections, helped Jasper deliver a goat who was kidding late. Apparently, my predecessor hadn't identified the nanny properly before sending her out to pasture with the billies. He'd assumed Nannette, as Alice named her, was a wether.

I didn't jack off in the bathroom after that first day, but I also carefully kept myself withdrawn from Jasper. As the week went on, he stopped trying to talk to me outside of giving directions or asking on the animal's health. He was always waiting on the porch of the house for me at lunch time, but we didn't really speak. It was easier that way.

I made it through Friday morning and lunch without a problem. I had hoped to get through the afternoon without a problem so I could go work off some aggression with Felix on the dance floor at Forbidden and maybe even back at one of our places if he was still single. I knew that he'd had his eye on Demetri, one of the bartenders at the club. I'd be glad to escape this place for the night.

Mike had given Jasper and me a funny look as we came through the back hallway to the dining room. He didn't say anything though, so we went about eating our lunch, taco salad, and were given our afternoon assignments by Jasper. He requested I come in on Saturday afternoon to go for a ride around the property and give him a hand fixing a length of fencing he'd patched over that needed to be redone.

Later on Friday, as I placed a call to the veterinarian the ranch usually dealt with, Mike came in. After discussing my observations of an abscess on one of the stallion's flanks, I wrote down the dosage instructions he recommended and disconnected the call. I was heading to the medication cooler, a large metal and glass construction that held bottles of various assortments, each clearly labeled. The top shelf was inside a cage and locked with a key that only Jasper and Alice had access to. Mike intercepted me, trying to look imposing even though he is a good six inches shorter than I am.

"Hey, Mike, how can I help ya? One of the animals sick or something?"

"Why do you always clean up over at Mister Whitlock's place instead of in the employee bathroom back by the cars?"

That's what he wanted to know about? Was there even such a building? I just assumed it was a tool shed. "I assumed everyone did; I wasn't told anything different. Jazz showed me around the first day and told me I could get ready for lunch in the bathroom there."

"Jazz? How well do you know our boss?" Mike leaned back against the cooler with his arms crossed. I'd have to physically move him if I was to finish my job.

"We went to school together for several years and I used to date his sister, Rosalie."

He let out a laugh and moved away. I grabbed the doxycycline and took it over to the counter and started making up a poultice to apply while I was out there.

Mike punched me in the shoulder as he walked by to head back to the barn. "Me and the guys had thought you were playing for the other team. God! What any of us would do to have a piece of the ice-queen. You must have some pretty fucking amazing stories about her."

That did it. Now, I'm not known for having the best mental filter, or even for being the most considerate guy... My mama told me you don't ever talk about a woman like that, even if it is true, which in this case, it is not.

"You will not talk about any woman, especially Rosie, like that in front of me or I'll kick your ass into next week, Mike."

A throat cleared behind us and we both turned to the doorway where Jasper was standing. He had his undershirt off, tied around his head like a sweat band, and his button-down was open. I'm pretty sure I caught a few flies in my open mouth while I stared at his glistening torso. My jaw snapped shut as Jasper walked over to the counter where I had been working and his hot sweaty arm moved to rest on my shoulder.

"Mister Welch, even if Emmett did 'play for the other team,' as you said, it would not matter in the least. I do not tolerate discrimination among my employees. He is a damn good worker and is my friend.

"Get your paycheck and go home for the weekend, Mike. If you ever talk about my sister like that again, you can look for a new job."

With a shaky nod, Mike took off out the door and we listened to the sound of his boots on gravel as he went up to the house to pick up his check from Alice. Jasper's arm was still lifted, his forearm pressing down into my flesh. My own shirt was damp from his sweat and I was fighting the urge to turn my head and lick my way down his arm. The pale blond hairs on his arm were almost teasing me in their proximity.

"Oh, sorry, Emmett."

Jasper had caught me watching him out of the corner of my eye.

"No probs, bro. I'm heading out to take care of Penumbra's leg. If you're done with me, I'll take off when I'm done cleaning up afterward."

He muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like "date." He and Alice must have a date night still after all these years.

"You and Alice going out on a date to the city tonight?"

Jasper laughed, his head tossed back as his body shook with what was turning into a loud guffaw. When he finally stopped, there were tears in the corners of his eyes. "That's a good one, Emm. I'll see ya later."

~*~

We were seated at the bar; Felix was on his fifth shot and I was nursing my second beer before we went back out on the dance floor. I received a polite smile from Demetri and then Felix was given a saucy wink before we went out to blow off some steam. Apparently, their thing was a recent development, as in the twenty minutes before I showed up tonight, and Felix is officially off the market. There went my fucking plans for getting laid tonight.

I'd grouched about it to Felix who laughed and pointed out at least fifteen guys that I could have taken my pick of. I wanted one, Jasper, and would settle for Felix. I'd be going home still horny and miserable.

A new mix came on and Felix and I were writhing to the bass beat when I caught a look at the DJ. His head was down so I couldn't see his face, but his arms were strong and lean, a lot like Jasper's. Blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail but a few tendrils were wrapping around his headset.

"Who's on deck tonight?"

"He goes by 'Hale,' and is fresh meat. He's new to the Phoenix scene although word has it that he's been around for a while. He doesn't play around, turned down some offers last week when you were out."

Pity. He might help me forget for a little while.

Felix and I danced through a few more mixes and were grinding our way across the floor, hoping to get back to the bar while sounds of Lady Gaga's Paparazzi had all the lovely bodies twisting in sensual arcs to the beat. In a cheeky mood, Felix spun me in a circle as we left the floor and my eyes met his. Jasper fucking Whitlock. Those arms I'd drooled over belong to him.

Jasper gave me a small smile and went back to his music. I was lost the rest of the night. I sat on the bar stool, watching the cowboy- turned-DJ for the night by some Cinderella magic make some beautiful music for the men on the floor. Felix laughed as he watched me pine away, leaning over to whisper something to Demetri.

A few minutes later, I was handed a sealed bottle of water with lime wedges in a separate glass cup. "Take them to Hale, he'll be ready for his next drink soon."

Fucker didn't have to tell me twice. I lifted the bottle and cup high above my head, floating between bar stools and the few tables along the edge of the room. His eyes landed on me as I wound my way back to the stairs leading to his perch.

He took the bottle from me without a word, popped the cap, tipped the water back and downed it in one go. I watched as he took the lime wedge and bit into it. A stream of juice began to trickle over his chin and I'd reached out to wipe it before I realized what I was doing.

Jasper grabbed at my wrist, hard. My eye sight went and I wasn't sure if it was from the strobe light just to my right or from all the blood pooling down between my legs. If I hadn't thought he was hot before, I was royally screwed now. He had a pair of black boots with silver stitching. Black chaps over jeans, and then a black leather vest... no shirt and obviously no boxers beneath those jeans. There was some definite lift going on though.

His lips parted and the world came to a crashing stop. All the eyes in the place were on the man in front of me, supposedly aloof and beyond even dreaming about. Jasper's tongue peeked out beyond his lips and he lifted my finger to it, licking the lime juice from it. The heat went up my arm and straight down to my cock. I so wanted him to be licking something else.

"Fuck," I whispered as his mouth closed around my second knuckle, his teeth gently scraping down my finger.

Jasper smirked as he removed my finger from his mouth, lips puckering slightly to deliver a kiss upon the tip. "Tomorrow, Emm. Tomorrow."

~*~

Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough. I was home by one, had the finger Jasper had sucked on in my mouth while I jacked off by one-thirty, and then stared at the ceiling until almost four trying to figure everything out. The mirror above my bed showed me nothing but a larger framed guy, a body kept in pretty good condition, and yet another hard-on while I imagined sharing those lime wedges with him in a steamy kiss.

Did he want me? Was he playing along with the crowd? What about him and Alice?

After falling asleep at four, I was surprised to see the clock only read eight AM when I woke up. I showered quickly, barely getting my ass wet as I washed my hair and speed-shaved. Normally, I trimmed myself up pretty well but decided that if I had the slightest chance with Jasper, I wanted to be nice and clean.

I toweled off and then got out some washrags. The hot water felt good on my balls and I had to resist rubbing the shaving cream up and down my shaft as I held my cock out of the way to shave. My balls felt heavy, resting in the palm of my hand as I checked that I'd gotten every last hair.

I put on a pair of comfortable jeans, knowing that I'd be working before anything could occur. My undershirt today, however, was a thin mesh in a deep matte gold and I put a black with cream pin-striped shirt on over it, cuffing the sleeves up to my elbow. For once, I put on a belt, envisioning using it to pull Jasper to me, the bear belt buckle cutting into my palm. I put extra care into my hair, separating the curls until they looked a tad stylish instead of hiding them beneath a hat for work.

Once I was ready, I quickly downed a protein shake and got on the road. I was too nervous for solid food but needed something in my stomach. The double chocolate shake mixed with two bananas was my favorite indulgence.

I had drained the travel mug well before I pulled up the drive, but I continued biting on the straw, nerves I guess. I was still sitting in the employee parking lot a half hour later when Alice came out, carrying a bucket as she headed for the chicken coop.

"Are you coming out of there anytime soon, Emmett? I promise he won't bite. Well, he might, but you'd like it. You'd think he'd have gotten over his crush on you by now." She was clucking her tongue as she walked by, making it sound like it was all common knowledge.

I slid down out of the Jeep's cab and was completely mentally gone as I walked to the stables, got a light blanket and saddle out for Crescent and then led him out to the fence. Laughter met my ears as I climbed the beams, sliding my leg over the saddle as I reached the top. Alice and Bella were standing in the doorway, Bella's arms around Shortstuff. I was completely and utterly stupefied as I watched Alice look up and kiss the side of Bella's jaw. How the fuck did I miss that?

I led Crescent out into corral, kicking the gate closed behind me. I walked him around the circle before leading him down the fence-lined walkway out into the fields. I had no clue where Jasper would be so I gave Crescent his head and let him run. I leaned down over his neck, reveling in the feel of his body pumping under me as we galloped through the pasture.

We were out in the back twenty when I saw one of the border collies come racing around the corner after a sheep. If Yip was out, Jasper was probably near by. I slowed Crescent down as we followed the small creek through the property.

Between two trees, I saw a boot hanging over the edge of a hammock. I tightened my legs and with a quietly given command, Crescent slowed to a stop. Yeah, this was not going to be so graceful. I hoped that Jasper was truly asleep and not just pretending. I didn't want him to see my dismount.

It's hard getting such a large body off a horse and look smooth. I settled for not falling on my ass. Walking up to the hammock, I could hear his soft snores. Jasper's hat was over his face, shielding him from the sun. It also blocked me from looking at his handsome features. I gently lifted the hat off, setting it up on the hook for the hammock.

He smiled slightly, his lips turning up at the corners. "Hey, Emm."

"How did you know it was me?"

His eyes fluttered open, the stormy blue almost navy now. "The women folk would have just knocked my lazy ass out onto the ground. You also smell better than just about anythin'."

"I think you've been out in the sun too long, Jasper."

"Nah. I wasn't home until nearly dawn, did the morning chores, and then came out to this bit of shade for a nap."

Jealousy was still a fairly foreign emotion to me and I didn't like it. He might have been out with someone last night after I left. I hated the surge of possessiveness that went through me at the same time I let it propel me forward, closing the last few inches between us.

Jasper's hand came up as I leaned down and then it just all came together. His lips and mine, our chests; we pressed together tightly, my hands clawing at his back through the mesh of the hammock while he pulled me down harder. He tasted a little like tobacco and a whole lot like sex. He was hot, spicy, with a hint of alcohol on his breath.

I'd envisioned being the one to lead in this endeavor, should it ever happen outside of my dreams. Instead, it was his tongue that thrust between my lips as my mouth opened. I sucked gently at his tongue before letting mine twist with his. He coaxed my tongue to enter his mouth and he fucking growled into my mouth as I lightly bit at his lip before giving my tongue a turn to thrust past his lips.

"Too. Fucking. Long. Emmett. Too. Fucking. Long." He pulled back, kissing down my neck, catching the skin between his teeth and gently pulling before releasing and moving to the next bite.

His hands let go of my back, moving around to my front. His fingers fluttered over my chest, gently stroking across my nipples before scratching down to my waist. He tugged my shirt up and out of my pants then slid his hands underneath and clasped on my shoulders again.

Trying to get closer, I lifted one thigh and moved to straddle the hammock. He arched up into me, our cocks brushing against one another.

"God!"

He chuckled against my chin where he was sucking at the dimpled cleft before moving back to my lips. One of his hands made a lazy path down to my jeans and slid a finger beneath a belt loop, tugging me into him. I jerked as his other hand moved to my ass, squeezing and pulling me up in a rhythm that soon settled into us dry humping.

"Jasper, we could get caught," I mumbled against his lips.

He tilted his head back, looking at me. "Not likely. Besides the girls, we're the only ones on site today."

In a surprising move, he released his hold me, grabbed the hammock and then twisted. Knocked off balance, I turned into the fall, rolling slightly as I hit the ground, cushioning my fall. All I could see for a moment was the god of cowboys hovering over me, his hands clinging to the fabric before letting go and dropping onto me.

He was no where near as heavy as Felix but Jasper's weight felt like it was settling down into my bones. I purred as his hand went under my neck, massaging lightly, while our lips met in more gentle kisses.

"How long, Jasper?"

He smiled before kissing me again, his tongue tracing circles on my lips. "A few weeks after you and Rose started foolin' around. You were dartin' across to the bathroom from her room. You just had a towel around your waist and it wasn't shut all the way. I always knew I was gay, but that was the first time I had concrete interest in someone outside of magazines or online porn. While you showered off after having sex with my sister, I rubbed one out while imagin' you bein' with me instead."

Our kisses were teasing and we slowly pulled off each other's shirts. His lips closed around my nipple and it felt so fucking good. Electricity went from my chest to my balls, starting up a full body tingle.

"What about you?"

"Skinny dipping."

Jasper chuckled against my stomach, his tongue tracing the lines of abs.

"That was the beginnin' of the end for you and Rose wasn't it?"

I rolled onto my side, my left arm flat on the ground and I motioned for Jasper to come lie down beside me. He rested his head on my bicep and his left hand stroked up and down my side.

"I want you to know that I never meant to hurt her. We were having some time apart. She had developed feelings for Edward and I didn't want her to regret us and always wonder. Jake caught me looking at you and we commiserated together. Rose walked in an hour later..."

"Durin' your commiseratin'," Jasper added.

I could feel my cheeks turning red and dipped my head. "Um, yeah."

"Don't hide from me, handsome. I want to know what's goin' on inside that mind of yours." His accent was thickening even further, as was my cock.

"I want you. I've always wanted you. I want to get you naked and make memories to replace all my day dreams, Jasper. That's what is going on in my head. I am calculating how much effort I'll have to put in to get you and me both in our birthday suits and fucking."

His fingers came up to my lips, gently pressing. I took a chance and licked at them before gently bobbing my head up and down. Jasper groaned and then pulled them out. "Naughty boy."

"You have no idea how naughty."

He kissed me once more, my tongue sliding into his mouth as I tried to roll us so that I could be on top.

"No, Emm. I'm on top and it will not be fuckin'. I want to make love to you. It's always been more than just lust for me. I want all of you, not just your cock or ass. I can get a hundred of those at the club if I wanted. I want you."

My heart fucking exploded at his words. Jasper Whitlock wanted me. Not Alice, not some pretty boy from Forbidden he could toss around. He wanted me.

Lifting my arms up above my head, I crossed the wrists. "Then I'm yours, Jazz. Completely."

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Hold that thought, lover. I'll be right back."

As Jasper ran back behind the tree line, I saw an ATV peeking out. He picked up a satchel and carried it over to where I was still lying shirtless in the grass. I watched with amusement as he took out a length of thin rope, a metal flask, a box of condoms, some lubricant, and strips of fabric.

He arched one eyebrow at me, silently asking my compliance. I nodded and Jasper knelt, straddling my waist. He leaned over me to reach my wrists, wrapping them first in fabric and then tying the rope. He tossed the other end up over a branch and then slid it back through the knot so that my arms were just slightly elevated.

The position of his chest was exquisite and I arched forward, licking a line from the start of his washboard abs up to his neck, dipping into the hollow at the base of his throat. When I nipped at the flesh over his Adam's apple, he pushed me back down.

Jasper crawled down my body, his eyes on mine as his slight stubble scratched against me invitingly. He made quick work of my belt and gave a roughly whispered command to lift my hips. I watched as he pulled my pants down, my cock swollen and lying against my upper thigh, having softened slightly in our wait.

He stood and shucked off his own clothes. His cock was standing out proudly, a slight curve to the right. Frustrated whines escaped my throat when I realized I couldn't reach for him.

"See somethin' you like, Emmett?"

I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry. Licking my lips, I struggled to get my mouth wet. Jasper moved forward, his ass resting on my chest as his cock bobbed just an inch from my face.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes, dammit!"

Jasper smirked and reached down to hold his cock. "I jacked off in bed that first day. The sight of you all sweaty was too much. I wanted to bend you over the tub and fuck you."

I whimpered. Emmett Alan McCarty fucking whimpered over this cocky cowboy.

"Ooh, you like that idea, do you, darlin'? I don't know if I'm hard enough for fucking yet. Do you think you can remedy that?"

Jasper wiped his cock across my lower lip and I forced my neck forward. I could only take the first two inches between my lips at the angle so I worked those inches for all I was worth. I sucked, licked, lapped, and teased with flicks of my tongue until Jasper fell forward, his hips rising up. Jasper stayed in a push-up, his hips hovering over my face, fucking my mouth in short thrusts.

I sucked down his cock, my nose pressing against his stomach. Jasper's body began to tense with his thrusts, grinding against my mouth. My own cock was painfully hard and with the breeze I could feel my pre-come leaking out of the head. The small bit of cooler temperature in contrast to the heat was erotic.

He pulled out on a groan, holding himself up on one arm, his other hand squeezing the head of his cock as he trust. He made a low moan as his fingers tightened and then he relaxed as he fought back his urge to come.

"I'm goin' to come inside you, Emmett, but not until I see you goin' wild first."

Jasper moved back to my waist and my cock met his ass cheeks. We both growled out a "fuck" and he ground his hips back against mine with a teasing smile on his face. He lifted slightly, scooting back until our cocks were against one another.

His hand reached between us, grasping both of our cocks, stroking them together. I couldn't stop the line of swearing that I came up with. My head was pounding back into the ground. He was fucking teasing me with light touches when I just wanted him to fuck me, suck me, or let me fuck him. I need to come so damn badly.

"But first, Emm, I want to worship, this here fuckin' vein. I've wanted to taste it since the first time I saw in peekin' out above the towel. I want to lick it and then bite my way down your thighs."

I couldn't talk. I just groaned and gave myself over to the sensations his words and touches were creating. His tongue flattened out on my side as he laid down on my legs. His tongue flicked along the vein and the the smaller one beside it. He hummed in approval as I lifted up against him.

"Exactly how I imagined it, Emmett. But I want to make it even better. You deserve to be worshiped."

He reached for the flask and opened it. I watched his throat as he knocked back a shot and then he held it above my mouth, drizzling some into my mouth. That was some mighty fine tequila.

"Cuervo Reserva."

Jasper poured some down my chest, his tongue following it. He sucked on my nipples, biting and tugging while I hissed in response. He was hitting every damn one of my sensitive points as if he had a map of my erogenous zones and how to work them like a fucking pro.

He spent an ungodly amount of amazing time pouring tequila across my hip and then lapping it up like a cat with cream. As fucking good as it felt, I wanted his mouth on my cock.

"Patience, love, I'll get ya there."

He switched sides, giving my other hip some attention, but no where near the amount he had on those veins. Even as he licked along my hip bone, his right hand was tracing lines up and down the vein with barely there touches of his fingertips.

Then he moved down, engulfing my cock in heat.

"Jasper!" His name came out a loud groan that scared off two birds from the tree.

He smiled around my cock, taking my thick length down the base and up again, creating a maddening rhythm of just enough suction to keep me right fucking there on the brink, but not push me over. His arm stretched out and I heard the pop of the cap on the lube. Oh yes, please.

Jasper's mouth continued the gentle motion; letting me thrust down to his throat, sliding back up to the head, swirl around the glans with his tongue, and back again. Then his fingers were stroking me. I tugged at my restraints, the tree creaking as I pulled.

"Do you want me, Emm?"

No fucking shit, Sherlock. "Please," I said instead.

One finger, and then a second worked their way inside of me. He twisted around a bit, stretching me, and then when I let out a groan as he hit my prostate, thank you God for creating a prostate, he began to push against it while sucking faster and harder on my cock. My hips lifted in time with his mouth, maximizing each thrust.

He began to hum and it was too fucking much. The vibration on my shaft and balls, his fingers in my ass, and the look on his face... I'd imagined this too long and needed him too badly. I let Jasper sweep me up and over, my cock throbbing as I came. Pleasure coursed through me from my balls and from my heart.

Jasper swallowed around me, his tongue moving across the head to swipe at the last beads of come. He released my cock with a soft kiss and then moved to my hips. His hands grasped my legs and lifted them up onto his shoulders.

I wasn't much help, my legs were so limp from coming. Jasper's eyes barely left mine as he reached for a condom and slipped it on. He gave his cock a generous squirt of lube and I panted as he rubbed it up and down his shaft.

The head of his cock wedged in against my ass and we both held our breath as he slowly thrust forward. He moved only an inch at a time, never stopping until he was all the way up inside of me. He lowered my legs to his waist and dropped his weight onto my chest, our lips meeting in a soft kiss.

His neck tilted and he looked up at me while he trust gently within me.

"This..."

I nodded. "Yeah."

He began to move faster, our bodies still coming together softly. He awkwardly reached up and untied my hands, never losing his rhythm. I quickly rubbed my wrists before grasping at Jasper's back. He thrust harder as I tugged at his shoulders.

Licking along his neck was intoxicating me. His smell was concentrated and he moved harder within me as I bit down on the corded muscle at the base of his neck. I quickly found what he liked when I reached lower and grabbed his ass, the round globes filling my hands as I squeezed.

My nails dug into his ass as he worked against me, his hips now making more short thrusts. He groaned as I scratched his back, my legs tightening around his waist.

Eclipse huffed and pawed at the ground. Jasper said "home" and Eclipse took off, throwing his head in annoyance.

I let out a small laugh against his neck, Jasper groaning as my body shook.

"What's so funny?"

"Save a horse, ride a cowboy."

He silenced me with a kiss, his hips snapping against mine. I broke our kiss, letting out a gravelly groan.

"Come inside me, Jasper."

He dropped his head onto my shoulder and began to thrust more wildly, grunting as my muscles clenched around him. Jasper suddenly went still and then began to shake just the slightest amount.

He was silent as he came, although his eyes were closed and from what I could see of his face, he looked so fucking glorious. Flushed, feral, and mine.

We both quietly protested as he withdrew, pulling the condom off and tossing it back over by the pack. He tried to roll off of me but I wrapped my arms around his chest, refusing to let go.

"I waited too long to have you on top of me, Whitlock."

He nodded, fatigue setting in.

We fell asleep in the shade, bare-assed naked, holding onto one another tightly. The sound of the dinner bell playing over the walkie-talkie still on the ATV awoke us. We untangled our limbs, kissing and touching as we gathered our clothing from the ground. Jasper reached for my cock as Alice's voice replaced the bell.

"Get dressed and up to the house, you lazy good for nothing cowboys! Supper will be on the table in thirty and then we've got rearranging to do so you can make room for Emmett's stuff in the house."

Jasper smiled and kissed me once more, his tongue teasing my lips as he pulled my shirt up onto my shoulders. "I guess that means you're stayin', lover."