Zach found him out by the barn, leaning on the fence and staring at the milling sheep in the pen. He mirrored Cole's posture, arms crossed on the rough grey wood and one foot propped on the bottom rail. They watched one of the lambs steal a choice mouthful of hay from under the ram's nose, and Zach shook his head as a gentle butt from Sam sent the baby rolling.
"I'm an only child; did I ever tell you that?" Cole said softly.
Zach chuckled. "No wonder you escaped for a bit. We're a loud bunch to get used to." The smile faded, and he reached out one finger to brush over the scarred knuckles. "If you want to, that is."
The warm, rough hand immediately turned to clasp his. "I want to. No doubts there, plowboy. I just need a chance to hear myself think once in a while." He grinned. "We could cheat like your brother Pete did, and suddenly discover an urgent need to check the fences. Unless you really want to help your ma and Aly decide whether to order chocolate or white cake for the reception."
Shuddering even in the warm sunshine, Zach moved closer. "That's one place I don't wanna be, between those two. Ain't my wedding; just tell me when to show up and where. And don't even think of puttin' me in one of those penguin suits."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "Lot of difference between a business suit and a tux. Especially if it's tailored right..."
Zach turned his head to disagree, and froze when he saw the black heat in those eyes. The jeans that had been so loose that Mama had scolded him this morning suddenly weren't loose enough. "Gonna prove it to you someday," Cole whispered. "Dress you up and take you to Tony's or to one of those charity dinners, and watch the high society people fall at your feet. Then I'm gonna take you home, unwrap you and show you what the sight of that body does to me. Jeans, suit, tux or bare, you make me hard just walking in the room."
The deep breath Zach meant to take caught in his throat. He wanted to pounce Cole right here, next to the pens filled with curious sheep and in full view of the house. By the flush on Cole's cheeks, he wouldn't struggle too hard. But if there's one thing Zach didn't need, it was something else for Johnny and Aly to rag on him about. He was too afraid to think what Mama would do to them if she looked out the kitchen window; some things were best left unimagined.
He glanced around desperately as Cole sucked his captive index finger into that hot, wet mouth. Too muddy behind the barn, too rocky behind the tractor. Looking to heaven for help, he stilled and laughed.
Tugging Cole by their clasped hands, he pulled him away from the fence and toward the barn door. "Y'know, it isn't a real visit to a farm unless you've been in the hay loft."
Cole followed him into the cool, dim interior. Various sheep needing special attention baaed at them from the stalls. Zach showed Cole the two-by-fours nailed between the framing timbers, forming a stationary ladder to a square hole overhead. "You just climb on up. Mind the cats."
Climbing up with an erection wasn't a new experience, but doing it with a hot gaze on his backside sure was.
In the loft, the bright May sun filtered through the cracks of the boards making soft blades of light in the dimness. The air smelled of sweet hay, dust and just faint traces of animal musk. Zach moved out of the way as Cole followed him up, and checked the number of bales left over from last fall. He shifted a few around while Cole watched him silently, until he had a good-sized flat area partially blocked off by a wall of hay.
Moving one hand to the buttons on his shirt, he gave his lover a slow, mischievous smile. "Wanna play traveling salesman and farmer's son?"
Cole moved closer, one eyebrow raising as he batted Zach's hands away and took over undressing duties. "Why don't we play Yank and Rebel, and see who concedes first?"
Zach threw a dubious look over his shoulder at the "bed", his eyes twinkling as he bit his lip for effect. "Dunno, hay's kinda itchy for wrestling on. I like that skin of yours without the scratches."
By the time he glanced back, Cole was pressed against him from shoulder to knee. The hard, hot kiss took all his air and half his brain before Cole leaned back enough to lick the dampness off Zach's lower lip. "Well, plowboy," he purred, "I guess you'll just have to bend me over that bale of hay and fuck me until I get loud enough to scare the sheep."
The surge of desire running up his spine was almost painful, like grabbing the wrong end of a cattle prod. "Jesus, Cole!" Blunt, strong fingers opened his fly and reached inside. He really didn't need the two strong pulls on his cock to get him hard, but he surely did appreciate them.
"Leave your jeans on," Cole whispered in his ear. "Want you to take me like that, my jeans down around my ankles. Think you can do that?"
Zach didn't bother with words, he just stripped off their shirts to drape over the waist-high bales and attacked Cole's zipper. It was getting a lot easier with practice; the first time he'd undressed his lover, it had taken an embarrassingly long time for him to figure out how to do it backwards. Didn't help that he'd done it with no blood flowing to his brain. Now, however, his hands knew just what was waiting for them once he got the denim out of the way.
And there it was, right in front of him as he knelt to push the jeans down. He took a moment to run his hands down the legs and ass, all pale skin with a dusting of dark hair. Then he focused on the heavy watermelon-red cock curving upward in front of his face. He couldn't resist giving it a tender lick from root to head. Maybe he couldn't deepthroat like Cole, but he was starting to love just licking him until his lover lost his mind.
"Lube?" he asked, already searching Cole's pockets. Thank god they were past the testing phase; he didn't think he'd last long enough to get a condom on.
"Back left pocket." Cole settled himself belly-down on the shirt-covered bale, glancing over his shoulder with a little grin. "Some of us come prepared."
"At least I'm prepared to come," Zach shot back, opening the slightly squashed tube and promptly losing the cap between the gaps in the floorboards. "Well, hell."
"I'd be prepared too if you'd forget the fucking cap and get busy." An impatient rock of his hips made Cole's threat clear.
"Patience, Irish." Zach gave up on the cap and squeezed an over-enthusiastic amount of lube onto his fingers. Resting his cheek on Cole's hip, he watched his fingers slide into his lover's entrance. The process fascinated him; he could feel his own asshole clenching as he quickly moved up to two fingers. He deliberately avoided the small raised knot of nerves, grinning to himself when Cole rocked back a bit desperately.
"Zach...now..."
"Got you, Irish." Zach stood and replaced his fingers with his cock in one long, slow slide. Then he froze, waiting until the tension in Cole's back relaxed, waiting until the sudden red haze cleared from his vision. Didn't want to pop right off the bat; he'd promised his Irish a good, hard pounding.
"Plowboy, if you don't move--" The words cut off with a soft groan as Zach moved his hips from side to side like he was settling in on the couch to watch the game. He did it again, just because it felt so good to make Cole clench around him like that. Then he dropped down low enough to press a kiss to the spot between Cole's shoulderblades.
"Think you're ready?" The whisper right against skin just slightly sweat-damp made Cole shiver. Zach didn't give him any other warning. The first firm thrust caught Cole on the inhale; the next one brought a small growl. With each withdrawal, it felt like the hot channel gripped him tighter, reluctant to let him go. He kept the tempo uneven, a quick, hard thrust followed by a slow retreat. Then small, sharp thrusts that made Cole arch up with a curse. That little corkscrewing motion of his hips got him a pretty loud groan. Damn, if he could still think straight, he'd be dying to experiment. See exactly what type of thrust got the loudest noise.
"Shit, Zach, just like that-" Cole arched up again, doing his best to thrust back against him. Zach obliged him with a flurry of short-hard-sharp jabs against his prostate, then went back to long strokes when Cole shuddered on the edge. "Damn cock-tease," Cole gasped, dropping his head back against his crossed forearms.
"Just bein' a good host." Zach took a deep breath, hanging on to his control by his fingernails. Both of them dripped with sweat in the dim coolness of the loft; he had to hold on to Cole's hips so hard, he knew he was leaving bruises. "Guest asks me for somethin', gonna do my best to give it to 'em."
Cole growled and glared over his shoulder. "Then damn well give it to me!"
"A body'd think you're not enjoying this, Irish," Zach managed to shoot back. He felt the burn of orgasm building in the small of his back, in his stomach and in his balls. Teasing time was over.
And God, he'd never felt like this with anyone else. Just cutting loose and giving in to the rhythm, not worrying about hurting his partner or scaring them off with his intensity. Cole gave him that.
For that gift, he could hold on long enough to make it good for his lover. Not to mention for himself. Zach leaned in long enough to lick at one sweat-salty shoulderblade, adding a hard thrust that made them both grunt, then moan. Then he leaned back, shook the sweaty bangs out of his eyes, and let loose.
"Damn, yeah lover. Fuck me hard," Cole groaned as he pistoned in and out. Hot, tight friction. Burning need. The slap of jeans-covered legs against bare ass and harsh grunting breaths. Throbbing in his head, in his center, and in his cock keeping time with the wild heartbeat all around him.
Leaning forward, he bit the flesh just under the sharp shoulder blade. He savored the pulse of blood just under the surface and the whimper the scrape of his teeth caused before letting go. "Come for me, Irish. Let me hear it."
Cole shuddered, tensed so hard it felt like he'd break in Zach's arms, then let out a hoarse yell probably heard in the next county. The grip of his body pulled Zach in; everything whited out as he pulsed again and again inside his lover.
When he could breathe again, he nuzzled the mark he'd left behind and took vague pride in the fact that his legs were still holding him up. Even if most of his weight was resting on Cole...
"Zach?" The calm question roused him a few moments later. "There are six cats watching us."
Zach managed to pick his head up long enough to confirm this. "Yep, sure are. Hey, purrs." He greeted the cats with a wave and laid his head back down again.
"Zach." The calm tone sounded a bit more contemplative. "Hay's a lot more prickly when you're done fucking on it."
Zach bit him again in the same spot to make him yelp, then carefully pulled out. "I can fix that," he promised. One quick trip down the ladder, then back up with a horse blanket. It wasn't Downy fresh, but he reckoned that neither were they anymore. He spread it on the loose pile of hay, then pulled Cole down with him.
Cole managed to get his pants back up with a little wriggling and wincing, then settled into their normal post-sex nuzzling and kissing. "You're definitely the best host I've ever had, plowboy."
Zach laughed and let Cole gnaw on his collarbone in retaliation for the bite on his shoulder. "You know, you keep calling me that and Johnny's gonna take offense. He always beat up the bullies that called us names in school."
Now it was Cole's turn to laugh, the snickers vibrating against the thin skin over Zach's collarbone. "The reason I call you plowboy has nothing to do with you growing up on a farm, Zach. It has everything to do with the way you just fucked me into a puddle."
That damn blush lit his cheeks. "No, I don't think I want to explain that to Johnny."
Cole pulled him closer, chuckling. "My uninhibited virgin." They snuggled together, jeans-covered legs tangling and damp torsos aligned for a quick nap.
Zach stilled a jolt of nervousness before he replied, "Virgin for a just little while longer. I wanna know what all the shouting's about."
Long, blunt fingers combed through his hair and held him still for a hard kiss. "When you're ready, plowboy." A rueful chuckle vibrated the chest under his hand. "When I can walk again. How the hell am I gonna get down that ladder?"
Closing his eyes, Zach pretended to give the matter some thought. "Guess I could persuade Mama to send up a basket of provisions. 'Course, then we'd have to explain what we were doing to get you in this state."
Cole's shudder wasn't completely feigned. "I'd rather go hungry for a while."
Some of the tamer cats crept closer, settling on the horse blanket beside them. Soon the loft was filled with the sound of soft breathing and purring. Cool breezes gently dried the sweat on their bodies and gradually replaced the strong musk of sex with the golden smell of hay again. As Cole's arms went heavy and limp, Zach sleepily contemplated taking Cole for a ride on the tractor. Rough engine, hard vibrations, only one seat...