Chapter 8

Collin’s eyes were closed when Tank peered into the room. One thing he hated was indecision. On the battlefield, that could get your unit wiped out faster than making the wrong decision because it paralyzed everyone, and that was exactly how Tank felt: completely paralyzed. He just stood there, looking at Collin’s sleek form outlined under the sheet. Sheba had trotted off as soon as he put her down, so he was truly alone, not that his dog had the answers he needed.

“Tank,” Collin said softly, his voice entreating and gentle, but otherwise there was no movement. He didn’t lift the covers in silent invitation or even crook his elegant finger in his direction. Nothing at all. Tank had no doubt that Collin was interested. His kisses and actions had told Tank Collin wanted him, and he wanted Collin. But Tank was torn. If he did this and gave in, then it was the same as admitting that his heart wanted Collin, and what the hell did he do in less than two weeks when Collin went home? Tank would be alone again. He could take that, but it would be worse knowing what it felt like have someone there.

God, sometimes he wondered if his childhood bullies had been right and he really did act like a girl. Not that there was anything wrong with girls, but those taunts stuck in the back of his mind.

“What are you doing?” Collin asked.

“I don’t know,” Tank answered even as Collin’s rough voice called him. His feet took those first steps without Tank really thinking about it. He simply moved forward, and once he did, Collin pulled back the covers. Tank lay down, and Collin stayed on the other side of the bed.

“Do you know what you want?” Sometimes the simplest sentiment could mean so much. In that second Tank knew.

“Yes,” Tank answered, snapping out of his haze and rolling onto his side. He drew Collin to him, bringing their lips together in a deep kiss that lit a fire deep inside him. Without pausing, he deepened the kiss, pressing Collin back onto the mattress as he rolled him onto his back. Tank would have asked if he was too heavy, but Collin held him tight, kissing away any chance at words.

Tank was on fire. Energy raced through him as their kisses grew more heated, and Tank tugged off the shirt Collin wore, a few threads snapping with his rough handling. But now that he had decided, there was nothing that was going to stop him.

Collin held his hands, and Tank hesitated, wondering what he’d done wrong. “We have all the time we need,” he whispered. “There’s no hurry. I promise you.” He stroked Tank’s cheek and drew their bodies back together.

Tank rubbed Collin’s chest before sliding his hands around his back, cradling him in his arms. He was sleek and so warm. Tank loved the heat and drew Collin slightly upward, holding his muscular back while sliding a hand downward to cup that firm butt.

Collin did the same, slipping his hands under the band of Tank’s boxers, grabbing his buttcheeks, pressing closer, encouraging Tank onward.

Tank’s boxers slipped down his legs, and he kicked them off before Collin rolled them on the bed, Tank nearly falling off the side. Collin chuckled as Tank scooted to the center of the bed. Then that happy face filled his field of vision, warm hands gliding over his chest. Tank arched and groaned as Collin tweaked his nipples. “Damn…,” Collin drew out softly, the sound pure sex, sending Tank soaring. He kissed Collin again before Collin slid down his chest, tongue teasing his skin to wet heat, nipples scorched with his lips and teeth. Tank could only pant and hold on as Collin stroked and licked a trail over his skin and down his belly, driving Tank out of his mind.

“I finally have you to myself,” Collin whispered, a slight smile on his lips, fire burning in his eyes.

“You’re trying to kill me is what you’re doing.” Tank whimpered as Collin teased his fingers over his hips and then around his legs. Tank’s cock stretched toward his belly, throbbing with each teasing motion. Collin sure as hell knew how to draw out the ecstasy, and Tank squirmed on the bed, needing more and yet nearly overwhelmed by Collin. His mind clouded in a haze of desire that he didn’t want to see through. Tank was lost, and Collin was his guide.

Collin wrapped his fingers around Tank’s length, stroking and pushing Tank’s desire higher. He tried to think, but Collin filled all his attention. Tank finally let go as Collin lightly cupped him, teasing some more before taking him between his lips, surrounding Tank in the wettest heat possible. He gasped and clutched the bedding while Collin sucked him into a squirming mess.

“Fuck, Tank,” Collin said, and Tank couldn’t help grinning. There was something weird about Collin talking like that. He always sounded so proper with that accent of his. “What?” He squeezed Tank’s cock hard, and Tank groaned, squirming under the sensation.

“You….”

“Because I said fuck? How about bollocks…?” He grinned, cupping Tank’s balls. “Arse….”

Tank locked gazes with Collin. “You swear like you’re going to tea,” Tank told him, and Collin grinned.

“Does this feel like I’m having tea?” Collin sucked him again. Damn, the man had talent, because Tank knew from his limited experience that most guys couldn’t take him, and yet Collin did… all the fucking way. It was sexy as hell.

“No, but I’m never going to be able to watch British TV again without getting a boner.” He chuckled, and Collin slipped off the bed and pulled off the last of his clothes. Collin was beautiful, with a smooth chest, narrow hips, and a trim body that spoke of work rather than leisure. Not that he was surprised. Collin seemed to understand the value of hard work and wasn’t soft like Tank had originally expected. He stalked back toward the bed and climbed up onto the sheets. Tank looked on with rapt attention as Collin drew closer.

“Then what does this do for you?” Collin asked in a full accent that had Tank’s cock throbbing. Damn, was that all it was going to take? He loved the way Collin sounded. He shivered as Collin slowly stroked his chest, fingers sliding downward. He held his breath and closed his eyes, arching his back as Collin’s lips and tongue slipped over his skin. Holy hell, this was better than anything Tank could imagine, and Tank knew he was coming to the end of his control.

He pulled away and cupped Collin’s cheeks in his hands, then kissed him hard with a hint of himself on Collin’s tongue. “You know what they say about us cowboys?”

“No,” Collin said.

“We believe in fair play,” Tank said. “And standing up for our fellow man.” He smiled. “Now look what’s standing for me.” He stroked Collin’s long cock before returning the favor the very best he could. Damn, he was perfect, and Tank loved the deep groans that emanated from Collin’s chest. Bobbing his head, he did his best to draw everything he could out of Collin.

“Tank,” Collin moaned, shaking a little.

“I know. It’s what you did to me.” Tank let Collin slide from between his lips. “You drove me crazy. You have ever since you got here.” He wrapped his arms around Collin, pulling them chest to chest. “You make me want things I don’t think I can have.”

“Why?” Collin asked.

“Because maybe I don’t deserve them,” Tank confessed. “Maybe I’m not the person you want to think I am.”

Collin huffed and met Tank’s gaze. “If this has something to do with Sullivan, I vow if he appears again, I’m going to kick his arse into next week. And I have news for you. You can want what you want from me, because I want whatever you’re willing to give. Now roll over on your back.”

Tank did as he was asked, and Collin straddled his legs, bringing their cocks together, then rocking his hips. Tank gave himself over to the waves of intense pleasure. Collin had magic hands and a body made for the best kind of sin.

“Collin… I…,” Tank muttered as pleasure built upon delight. He gripped the bedding, trying to stay in control, but it seemed that Collin was in charge at the moment, and Tank didn’t have the willpower or the desire to do a thing about it.

When Collin tweaked one of his nipples, pinching it almost to the point of pain but staying with pressure, the pleasure center in his brain went into overdrive, and Tank clamped his eyes closed as he lost the last of his hold on his own body. His release was mind-blowing. He held Collin as he joined him in the throes of passion, the two of them coming, Collin’s breath mingling with Tank’s before they kissed, holding each other as they settled into the sweet embrace of afterglow.

Tank barely remembered Collin cleaning them both up and then returning to the bed. Tank held Collin tight and closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him. Collin didn’t move, pressing back against him. Collin might have said good night, but Tank wasn’t sure, as he drifted off into a settled and pleasant sleep.

There were times when he wished he could sleep in, and this morning was definitely one of those. His body woke him a little after dawn. He got up and quietly left Collin to sleep, then dressed and headed out to feed all the animals and make sure the hands knew what was expected.

“Is everybody going to this barn raising?” Collin asked once Tank was done.

“Yup. We all help out. The horses and cattle will be fine for the day.” His phone vibrated, and Tank checked it. “Maureen says she will have breakfast in fifteen minutes”—he raised his voice—“so everyone finish up and head on over. We’re all going to need our energy for a big day ahead.”

“I’ll be ready to go when you are,” Collin said before hurrying back inside. Tank watched him go with a smile.

“Someone’s taken with our visitor,” one of the men commented. Tank hardened his gaze in his direction before stalking off toward the house. He didn’t like talk among the men, not about him or anyone else, and they knew it. Still, he let them wag their chins and instead went inside, where he got his work gloves and tools together.

Collin joined him at the truck about the time Tank was ready to go. “Let’s go raise a barn,” Collin said with a grin.

The yard was a hive of activity. One team of men was unloading a huge truck that sat off to the side, and another was in the process of taking down the old building off to the left behind the main barn. While there was a great deal of talking, it all seemed orderly.

“Glad you could make it,” George said with a grin. “It’s really different to back home.”

Collin chuckled. “You even sound like a cowboy.”

George took a deep breath. “I never would have thought of it, but this is my home almost as much as the estate in Northumberland. Maybe more so. There I’m the duke, my lord, the one everyone looks to. Good or bad, right or wrong, I’m the one that they all watch. But here… it’s different. I’m Alan’s husband, a guy who helps with the horses and chips in whenever he can.” He grinned.

“Hey, Georgie, I could use your help over here,” one of the men called, and he hurried over to haul away boards that had been taken down. He carried them over to the pile of what was reusable, and Collin got to work helping George.

He knew there was only so much he could do to help since he didn’t have many barn construction skills. But he grabbed a wheelbarrow, and once an area had been taken down, he cleaned up the debris so that construction could start as soon as possible.

Maureen pressed a cold water bottle into his hand. “Drink something. And here. I made breakfast sandwiches.” She handed Collin one of those, and he inhaled it in about three bites. She gave him another before heading on to where more of the men were working. Collin had no doubt that Maureen was more than capable of doing the work the hands were, but she seemed to show her care through food, and Collin was grateful, especially as that second sandwich with egg and bacon settled warmly in his stomach. He downed the last of the water before returning to work.

“You doing okay?” Tank asked, carrying a steel connector in each hand like they weighed nothing.

Collin nodded. “Where did all this come from?”

Tank set down the brackets, and Maureen handed him food. He thanked her and tucked in. “Alan and Maureen decided to replace the old barn with a kit building. It will go up faster, and some of the sections were preassembled.” He turned as another truck arrived, this one with the wall frames and roof trusses lying on it. “All we have to do is make sure everything matches up and we can get the feed shed put together quickly.” Tank was smiley, and his eyes seemed to shine. Another large truck pulled into the drive, and men climbed out. Collin was about to return to his task when Tank’s expression shifted to stormy in seconds.

“What’s he doing here?” Collin ground out as he saw that Sullivan stood with the men.

“They’re from Pettigrew’s place. I wonder if they hired him on.” Tank shook his head. “He’ll regret it if he did.”

Collin discreetly patted Tank’s arm. “Just stay away from him and don’t let that arsehole pull you into any of his drama.” He knew a troublemaker when he saw one, and Collin wouldn’t put it past Sullivan to decide to get revenge for whatever slights he thought Tank had given him. Collin wished Tank would tell him what had happened, but he could almost feel Tank clamming up just standing next to him. Tank nodded and stomped away from Sullivan and the men he’d arrived with. Collin sighed and returned to his task, noticing that the sun didn’t seem as bright as it had a few minutes earlier.

He kept busy. There were always cleanup tasks that needed to be done, and Collin did all of them without complaint. “Hey,” one of the men Collin didn’t know called to him. “Can you give me a hand?” he asked.

“Sure, what are you doing?” Collin asked as he hurried over. “I’m Collin.”

“Harry,” he said, his expression serious and his attention on the task at hand. His weathered face and the touches of gray in his dark hair said he’d been around and seen a lot in his time. “We’re adding the siding to the outside.” He seemed nice enough. “Everything is over there, and Alan said that they are going to use as many full pieces as possible, so this should go pretty quickly. I need someone to help hold the boards in place while I attach them.”

“I can do that,” Collin said, his gaze shifting to Tank as he walked nearby. He was worried about him. Just by the way he held his shoulders, Collin knew something was wrong. “You came with the guys from the Pettigrew place?” he asked, not taking his gaze from Tank.

“Yeah. I do a lot of the maintenance work for him.” Harry was wiry, and there was keen intelligence behind his brown eyes, like he didn’t miss much. He looked around until he saw Sullivan. “Don’t trust him,” he warned, gesturing with his head.

Collin nodded. “What has he done?”

Harry tilted his head toward a stack of boards, and they each took an end and carried three of them to where they would be starting on the north side of the framed-up building. “Nothing yet. But I know his type. Came to the boss with some sob story.” He shook his head. “There’s something about him rubs me the wrong way.” He started working at the base, leveling things up and marking elevations. Collin stayed close and let him do his work. “Where you from? You got an accent like George.”

“Our families live pretty close to each other at home,” Collin answered.

Harry nodded. “You got a title like him?” He continued working.

“Yeah, I do. Not that it matters,” he added with a shrug. “I like that it doesn’t here.” Harry nodded and continued working.

“You doing okay?” Tank asked as he handed them each a bottle of water.

“We’re good.” Collin couldn’t help smiling. “I’m trying to keep an eye on the unwelcome guest at the party.”

Tank nodded, and Harry glowered. “You know that guy, Tank? What’s he like?” The subtext in that question hung in the air.

“Just be careful of him,” Tank said to Harry, then turned and left. Collin had a pretty good idea it was so Harry couldn’t ask any more questions. That was Tank—hold your cards close to the vest and tell no one anything, even if they might be able to help.

Harry, on the other hand, nodded as he glanced over at Sullivan before returning to work. It was like whatever message Tank had been sending had been received and fully understood. Maybe these cowboys had a language all their own and a ton of words weren’t required. Collin shook his head as Harry had him bring the first board over. He got it placed, had Collin hold it, and then made sure it was level before fastening it in place with a nail gun. He then double-checked everything before starting the detailed process on the next board.

“I gotta ask,” Collin said once they had made their way around the perimeter of the new building, setting the first board in a perfectly level square.

“Shoot,” Harry said while Collin held the board between the corner and the opening for the large door. He moved one corner up ever so slightly before gunning it in place.

“Okay, first thing, why did we do it that way?” It seemed like a lot of time and work with little to show for it.

“Because with the initial course set, now the other guys can start covering the different sides and we know it’s all plumb and level.” They returned to the north side, and when Harry directed him to another board, they picked up the pace. Collin understood why they had taken so much time now. “What else did you want to know?”

He glanced over at Tank. “Are all you cowboys so dang quiet?”

“You mean like Tank?” Harry asked before pointing to another board. Collin brought it over, and Harry measured it. “You ever used a circular saw?” Collin nodded. “Can you cut that on the line I drew?”

“Sure.” Collin lifted the board.

“To answer your question—nope,” Harry said. “Most guys talk and yammer like old hens. They want to talk mostly about nothing. Some complain a lot. Others you see watching, and you know they’re plotting for advantage, like the new guy. Tank, he’s as solid as they come, just never said too much.” He measured a couple more boards and drew lines for cuts. “Not since he got home. We all think the service changed him, but it ain’t none of our business. Tank’s someone you can trust when the chips are down, and that’s all that matters.”

Collin heard the conviction in Harry’s voice. It was reassuring. Part of Collin hadn’t been able to help but wonder what might be behind Sullivan’s accusations. Tank seemed so reluctant to just say his side of the story. Granted, with a guy like Sullivan, there didn’t need to be anything. Guys like him lived in a world where everything that happened to them was someone else’s fault.

“Go on and make those cuts. Then we can get started.”

Collin carried the boards over to the saw table, put on the safety glasses, and carefully made the cuts.

“I take it you’re a handy guy.”

The hair on the back of Collin’s neck stood on end. He didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. He could feel his gaze on him, and it sent a shiver up his spine.

“I bet you know your way around a lot of things.” Was this guy trying to be suggestive? It wasn’t working at all. Collin’s stomach roiled, and he tensed as a hand rested on his back.

He held the short board he was working on in front of him as he turned around. “You keep your hands off me or I’ll cut the bloody things off.”

“Aren’t you feisty,” Sullivan said with a dark smile. “I think I like that.”

Collin stepped away. He had been trained too well to cause a scene. Sullivan tried to close the distance between them again. Tank grabbed him before he could, pulling Sullivan back. He stumbled and fell on his ass on the grass.

“Hey, get your ass back to work,” one of the men yelled at Sullivan, who glowered at both of them before stalking off.

“Did he hurt you?” Tank asked.

Collin brushed where Sullivan had touched him. “No, I’m fine.” He wanted to hold Tank, but he stood tall, the way he’d been taught. “Thank you, though.” He picked up the boards from the ground. “I need to get these back over to Harry.”

Tank narrowed his eyebrows. “Did he say anything to you?” Collin shook his head. Tank was getting up a head of steam, and Collin didn’t want to be the cause of an altercation. They were here to get this building put up, not fight or cause drama.

“How long do we go?” Collin asked, trying to change the subject.

“As long as the light lasts. We aren’t going to finish it, but enough will be done that Maureen, Alan, and their men will be able to.” He leaned closer, his musky scent filling Collin’s nose. “You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked in a whisper. “I need to be certain.”

Collin’s throat caught, and he swallowed hard. Those few words told Collin just how Tank felt about him. He nodded. “I’m okay. But thank you for your help.” Damn, he wanted to kiss Tank right there. Hell, he’d love to pull him behind one of the damn buildings and show Tank just how much his care and concern meant. Those were two things that Collin wasn’t used to having in his life. To say his father was cold and selfish was an understatement. His mother had been the only warmth in his life, and she’d been gone a long time.

“Are you ready?” Harry asked.

“Sorry,” he said and carried the boards over to where Harry was working. He set them down and took the others to cut them while Harry got those placed.

Collin knew he needed to keep his mind on what he was doing, but he still found himself glancing to where Tank was working with another of the guys to put the siding on the front of the building, around the main door. He looked so damned sexy in those jeans that hugged his ass and thighs.

He made the cuts he needed to and took the boards over to Harry, then took the next set to be cut. Saws, hammers, and nail guns sounded from all around as a near swarm of men worked on the building. A group had just finished putting the boards on the roof, and metal sheets were being cut to lay on it. The siding was going up on most of the sides, with Harry checking the other teams to make sure their work was correct. Collin cut all the pieces and helped when it came to setting up the scaffolding so they could reach the tops of the walls.

“It’s happened so fast,” Collin said to Alan when he had a few minutes’ break. He had never worked so hard in his life. It seemed like he hadn’t stopped all day.

“It really has. The basic building will be up by the end of the day. None of the finishing work inside has been done, but we can take a little more time with that.” He lifted his gaze. “There are hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. Head on around to the patio in back if you get hungry.” It was clear that everyone was feeling the urgency as the day quickly came to a close.

“Thanks, but I’ve got to get some more boards cut for Harry.” He shared a smile with Alan and hurried back to make the cuts Harry needed and set the pieces that were done on the platform at his feet. At some point during the day, Harry had shifted to simply giving him a list of measurements, and Collin had been cutting the siding to fit.

“This is the last for this side,” Harry said as he handed Collin the scraps of wood. Collin cut them and helped Harry put the last pieces into place like they were finishing a giant jigsaw puzzle. Just as Collin was about to get down, he felt the scaffolding begin to move. He slipped over the side and down onto the ground and steadied it as Harry put in the last nails.

“Get down,” Collin told Harry as the pressure on his arms increased. “Now!” he cried, and Harry slipped down the other side. As soon as he hit the ground, Collin backed away. First one piece fell, and then the entire short structure collapsed in a clang of piping and loose boards. “Jesus.”

“Is everyone okay?” Alan called as a group of guys raced over.

Tank had Collin in his arms before he could answer. “I’m fine. What about Harry?” Collin asked just before he saw him with some of the others. He seemed okay, though.

“Who built the platform?” Alan asked.

“Harry and Chip worked on it,” Collin answered as Alan went through the pile on the ground. He picked up a few pieces, frowning, and then set them aside. He then went over and checked the scaffoldings on the remaining sides, testing them.

“Are they okay?” Harry asked, going behind Alan.

“They seem to be,” Alan said before the two of them talked quietly together. Then the men got back to work after first testing the platforms. Theirs had only been about four feet off the ground, but still, he or Harry could have been hurt.

Tank took his hand, and Collin found himself half pulled away and into the barn. The horses peered over their stall walls, curious about the strangers who had entered their domain. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Tank asked, running his hands over him.

“Yes.” He was okay, but his legs felt shaky as he thought about what could have happened. “But what went wrong with the scaffolding platform? It was fine for the last few hours.”

“If they aren’t built correctly…,” Tank began.

Collin stepped back, his hands on his hips, and looked into Tank’s eyes. “Your eyes wander when you’re trying to avoid something. I’ve seen it every time Sullivan is around and I see it now. There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

“It looked to me like some of the bracing pipes had been loosened or maybe removed. Alan looked them over, and they weren’t attached anymore. They were on the ground.”

Collin swallowed. “I saw a pipe under the platform the last time I brought Harry the cuts, but I didn’t think anything of it. Maybe I should have said something.”

Tank growled. “I need to talk to Alan, but did you see anyone near where you were working?”

Collin shrugged. “Lots of people. Remember, there were men everywhere. It was like a cowboy college reunion out there.” He had hoped to come up with something funny to make light of what happened, but it fell flat.

Tank tugged him into a hug. “At least you’re okay. That’s what’s important.” They both took a deep breath. “We should go see what we can do to finish up.” He hurried toward the door.

“Tank,” Collin said, “I’m okay, and nothing bad happened, other than a mess on the ground.”

He strode back. “But you could have been hurt, and if someone did sabotage the platform, then I need to find out who it is.” He seemed so earnest.

Collin took his hand. “ We need to figure it out. You and I.” He suddenly wondered if he was talking about the platform or the two of them, but Tank smiled slightly and nodded. Collin slipped his arms around Tank’s neck. “If someone did this maliciously, then we already have a prime suspect. Maybe have a talk with a few of the other guys. They might have seen something. Then we can make sure Harry knows what happened.”

“And Pettigrew will fire his sorry ass,” Tank added. “Maybe we can get him to run Sullivan out of town.”

“Do people actually do that?” Collin asked.

Tank shook his head and kissed him hard until Collin’s vision swam, before backing away. The last thing they wanted was to be caught kissing in the barn, though Collin was wondering what he’d have to do to get a roll in the hay. Judging by the bulge in Tank’s jeans… not too damned much, if he played his cards right.