The Stars in the Sky

Chapter 40: Equal

Will stood naked, in my room, in the bunkhouse, his toned torso glistening from the warmth of a summer's day and the activities from earlier, his hands tied to the top bunk, his cock hard, a satisfied growl emanating from his throat.

To rewind.

After the trussed chicken routine in the tack room, we both felt much more relaxed than we had been for, well, two weeks. I also felt really close to him. We had made it through our initial attraction, the questioning because of our beliefs, the passion of getting together, but also the re-evaluation of whether we should be together. It felt like we had shown each other ourselves and both of us liked the other. Loved the other. It felt like we were unafraid to be who we really were with each other, because we trusted that the other one would accept us for who we are. Will didn't care that I cussed at him all the time or got mad at him for his politics. He wasn't going to change them for me, but he also didn't make me change for him. And despite neither of us asking the other to change, both of us had changed in some ways for the other.

As silent as he was, he had a way of showing me that he had the biggest heart of anyone I had ever met. He didn't brag about it, he barely talked about what he did, but his actions spoke volumes.

Oh, and he took care of my body like no one ever had before.

I had sat, nude, snuggled in his lap, on the hay bale, tracing his arms, tracing his side, tracing his face, with my fingertips. He put his chin on the top of my head and said, "God, you're gorgeous. You're the whole thing, Marie. The whole thing."

This just made me snuggle into him more, which was barely possible. I pressed my eyes shut to keep any tears from forming.

"I love you too," I whispered, and he squeezed me tight.

I heard his heartbeat against my ear, felt his arms around me, and clung to him, my ark, for a long time. I had never felt more safe with another person. After we had settled down from the intensity of our sex, I kissed him, long and wet, then I clambered up, and started getting dressed, stepping into my panties and pulling them up, then my jeans. He watched me for a moment, then arose to get dressed, himself.

As I slid my bra straps up my arms, I informed him, "You know, I have a kinky side, too."

He let out a chuckle and grabbed his jeans, putting them on.

"Yeah? You gonna show me?"

I buttoned up my shirt and smoothed out my hair. "What I need to figure out is how much I can push you?"

He leaned over, hands buttoning his fly, and kissed me gently. "Pretty far, I'd say."

"I bought you a present," I told him slyly.

"Yeah?" He pulled on his t-shirt.

"A sexual present." He got his head through the neck hole of his shirt and stopped, an eyebrow raised.

"Now I'm really interested."

I smiled at him. "It's in my room."

He nodded and looked thoughtful.

We finished getting dressed. Will hung up the reins, I folded the blanket and grabbed the items he had bought, and together, we set the tack room to rights. Then, hand in hand, carrying the blanket and bag and faux fur, we strolled over to the bunk house.

"We should move you in with me," he mused, as he glanced around my room with all of the bunk beds, "especially now that we have a week off before the next set of kids come."

My stomach got all nervous and tingly and butterfly-ey. Moving in with Will. Letting go of my studio in Santa Barbara. Commuting to my master's program. All of it. Stomach freaking out. I aimed for cool, but probably failed miserably. "We're gonna do this?"