His Cowboy Temptation [ManxMan]
|Chapter 5|
The next four days blurred for Max and Luca. They spent every moment they could together. From early morning to mid-afternoon they worked Max's grandfather's land, stealing a kiss or two every chance they got, and at night they slept in each other's company more often than not. It was blissful, even though both knew it would end soon.
Max wasn't sure but he thought he could feel Luca pulling away with each day and he couldn't figure out how to tell his cowboy to stop seeing as he was the one who would leave at the end of the week. Neither had brought up the subject and Max was content to let it go for now. He knew they would have to talk about it eventually but right now he was too happy simply being with Luca.
All the time they spent together helped them get to know each other better. Max didn't think he could fall harder for his cowboy but hearing about the way he volunteered on his days off to mentor young kids and the love and respect he had for his mother stole his heart.
How was he supposed to let him go?
In two days Max would go back to the city, back to his life. Except he wasn't as excited to go back to the hustle and bustle of New York as he was two weeks ago. He was getting used to waking up to the sounds of cows mooing and crickets chirping. Not to mention the soft snoring of his cowboy.
The thing was, Max didn't know what he would do if he stayed at Sterling Ranch. He'd been away from the place for eight years. All the experience he'd had as a teenagers was gone or fuzzy at best. So what would a city dweller do at a ranch year round? He could always take over Luca's responsibilities once his cowboy go this ranch back.
But then, would Luca even want to be with Max once he got his ranch back?
That was the million dollar question. Although they had had three great days and incredible nights together, neither had said or mentioned this relationship turning in a more serious direction. Max knew how he felt for Luca. Hell, he'd known he was attracted to the man the first day they met when he saw his cowboy towering over him on Cinnamon. Over the last two weeks that attraction turned into so much more.
Luca's feelings for him were a different matter entirely. What if Luca didn't feel the same for Max as Max for him? Did Luca want this thing growing between them to be long term or was he anxiously waiting for the day Max left so he would be free? Max, didn't know but he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. He would keep his feelings to himself, for now, and see how the next two days worked themselves out.
Walking into the kitchen of Sterling Ranch Max took his mind off those thoughts and, stopping, looked around the big room. Martha was at the counter tidying up the remains of dinner, a young woman in her early twenties, named Sonya, helping her. Max walked further into the room and Martha looked up. She gave him a big smile when he got near.
"Young Master, do you need anything?" She asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
Max shook his head, "No, I'm on my way to see Luca."
She gave him a knowing smile, it wasn't a secret what had been happening between Max and Luca, "You really like, don't you?"
"Maybe." Max said evasively, Martha was like a grandmother to him and talking about his love life with her was a bit embarrassing. Martha laughed and Max smiled sheepishly. Giving her a soft kiss on the cheek he said, "I have to go. Good night."
"Good night, young master." She replied as he walked to the end of the kitchen and out the back door.
The quiet night settled around him as he made his way to the door of the small room at the back of the house. The distant howling of a coyote the only sound in the darkness. When Max approached the door to the room he could see a thin strip of light coming from the gap beneath the door. A faint melody drifted to him through the wood.
Max smiled as he knocked on the door before letting himself in. He stopped short just inside the room. Luca was lying on the bed, his eyes closed and a pleasant smile on his face, in nothing more than low riding pajama pants. He looked mouthwatering and Max's body responded to the sight, his cock hardening, lurid images of their bodies tangled together coming to his mind.
The music coming from Luca's iPod filled the room and Max figured the man hadn't heard his knock over the melody of Lady Antebellum's I Run To You. Over the last three days he had found out that his cowboy was a country music junkie. His iPod was run down with country music from Reba McEntire to Jason Aldean to Miranda Lambert. Luca was a cowboy in mind, body and soul.
There was no way Max could ask Luca to abandon that part of his life. The idea to ask Luca to move to New York with him had crossed his mind but he'd disregarded it immediately. Luca loved the country, he lived and breathed the land he worked, not to mention his ranch. No, Max couldn't take him away from there. But he didn't think he could stay in the country either. Which left him back in New York without Luca.
Pushing the thoughts out of his head, Max closed the door quietly behind him. Walking over to where Luca lay he stared down at the man. His jet black hair was tousled all over his pillow, long lashes kissed high cheekbones and those thin lips were slightly pulled up into the makings of a smile. Max's eyes roamed lower to Luca's bare chest, his flat taunt abs, and he felt his fingers itch to touch that caramel skin again.
With a small smile Max moved to straddle his cowboy's hips, jostling the bed softly. Luca didn't open his eyes but his smile grew as Max's groin brushed his. Max grinned and leaned down to place a kiss on that delectable mouth. Running his tongue along those thin lips Max felt, rather than heard, the groan vibrating up from Luca's chest.
Opening his mouth Luca let him in. Max's tongue invaded his mouth and tangled with Luca's drinking in his cowboy's moans. Rough, callused, hands slipped under Max's shirt to run up and down his back. Max groaned and rotated his hips, grinding his aching cock against the hard bulge in Luca's pajama pants.
Luca chuckled under Max and broke the kiss, "Someone's eager." He said huskily.
"Speak for yourself." Max grinned, rubbing his groin against Luca's again causing his cowboy to buck up into him.
"I was bombarded by a sinful angel, how could I fight with that?" He reached up and placed a soft kiss to Max's neck.
"Mm?" Max was too preoccupied with the feeling of Luca's lips on his sweet spot to answer.
With a chuckle, Luca pulled back and stared up at him, "How was your time with your grandfather?"
Every day Max spent the afternoons with his grandfather. The main reason he came back to Sterling Ranch was to be with the old man but he'd spent more time out in the land than at the ranch house. Luckily his grandfather didn't seem to mind and looked healthier than Max had ever seen him. If he was honest Max thought the whole heart problem was a ploy to get him back to the country. He couldn't be mad, however, especially not when he was with Luca.
"It was good. Granddad only mentioned me needing to stay at the ranch five times today. That's progress from the eight from yesterday."
Luca chuckled, "He just wants what's best."
Max sighed, "I know. He thinks I don't take it seriously when he mentions it but I do. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to move back to Sterling Ranch. I remember all the memories from my past." Un-straddling Luca's waist, Max moved to lay down next to him, staring at the ceiling, "Did you know that this room used be where I had sleepovers?"
"I didn't know that."
"Tristan and I would invite Gale and Steven, two brother's from a ranch a few miles away, to spend countless summer nights having sleepovers. We'd set up our sleeping bags in here and Martha would cook up dinner that we ate outside where my Mom set up a projector and screen so we could watch movies. When it got dark my dad would build us a fire and we'd roast marshmallow and make s'mores."
Through his peripheral vision, Max saw Luca turn to face him, "Sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up."
Nodding Max looked over at him, "For a while. By the time I was sixteen it was only Tristan and me. Gale and Steven moved to the city. When I came out Stanley sent Tristan away and it was just me. Then my dad died and everything changed."
Luca's brow furrowed, "You never talk about your dad, why is that?"
Max knew he kept the part of his heart that held the memories of his dad closed off to the world. It was too painful to think of the time when he lost his role model, his hero. But he couldn't keep it from Luca. Not after all the man had confided in him. He closed his eyes and willed the sting of tears back.
"He's the reason I haven't been back to this ranch for eight years.
***
The hitch in Max's voice tore at Luca's heart. He could clearly hear the pain the subject brought to his lover and he regretted having asked. Reaching over he took Max's hand and squeezed, "You don't have to tell me, it's ok."
Opening his eyes, Max shook his head. The pain and regret in those beautiful grey eyes made Luca frown. Max gripped his hand tightly and said, "I want to tell you."
Luca heard what Max was really saying, I need to tell you. He nodded and waited for Max to continue. When his City Boy only stared at him Luca leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, "You can tell me anything, Max."
Closing his eyes again, Max took a deep breath, "When I was sixteen my dad was out checking Sterling land, much like what we do. I was supposed to have gone with him but Tristan had just been sent away and I was dealing with my longest friend all of a sudden being gone. My dad was a loving and understanding man, he knew I needed some time so he left me here, at the ranch house. I remember the sky was a dark grey that day, a huge storm was coming in which is why my dad was out making sure everything was secure.
"The storm came in earlier than was expected and it brought a lot of lightening and thunder. My mom was very anxious after half an hour of the storm raging because my dad still wasn't back. That's when Midnight, my father's horse and Shadow's sire, came running back to the ranch. My dad was nowhere to be seen. It was horrible weather to be out in and searching for him would be incredibly difficult but my granddad set out on Midnight and went to find his son."
Max opens his eyes and looks at me, "He returned twenty minutes later yelling that we needed to call a doctor. My dad was slumped on Midnight, not moving, barely breathing. One of the ranch hands helped my granddad take my dad to his bedroom and his bed. My mom, crying the whole time, set about cleaning him and making him comfortable. By the time the doctor arrived my dad was gone. He just lay there, his face peaceful. I remember the doctor examining his body and concluding that he most likely fell off Midnight, or Midnight bucked him off, and the fall caused him to hit his head. It didn't kill him instantly, according to the Doc, but my dad had probably laid out in the rain for a long time. We can never be sure when Midnight bucked him off."
Luca moved when he heard another hitch in Max's voice and saw the tears in his City Boy's eyes. He took Max into his arms and held on tight. Sobs racked Max's body as he continued his story, "Everything I had was gone in that moment. My best friend was sent away and then my dad died. He was my role model, the one person I most wanted to be like and he was gone. Taken from me by this land, by working and taking care of this place. I'll never forget the raging hate I felt for the ranch and the land and being in the country at all in that moment. The only thing I wanted then was to leave this place that had caused me so much pain."
"I'm so sorry, Max." Luca soothed.
Pulling back, Max looked up at him, "I never wanted to see this place again as long as I lived."
"But you came back."
He nodded and placed his head back into the crook of Luca's shoulder, "My mom convinced me. Granddad had that heart attack and he couldn't come to me so I had to come to him. I had planned to come spend time with him and move on."
There was something in the way Max worded his sentence that made Luca want to read so much more into it. Instead he placed a soft kiss into Max's hair. The words he wanted to say bubbled up in him and he fought to keep them back. Max just told him the reason why he couldn't stay in the country but, damn, how Luca wished he would stay.
Over the past few days Luca tried not to think about the fact that Max was leaving at the end of the week but there were times he couldn't stop himself. Max was leaving and taking Luca's heart with him because as much as he wanted to deny it, he had fallen hard for his City Boy and all he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with Max. But of course reality wouldn't allow that because Max would never agree to live in the country and Luca couldn't leave the country, this was where he belonged.
"Luca?"
"Hmm?" Max's voice brought Luca back from his thoughts.
"What are you thinking?" Max asked, looking up at him, those big grey eyes bearing into him.
Luca felt himself getting lost in those eyes. He dipped down and captured his lover's lips in his before those sparkling orbs made him say something he would regret. Max reacted quickly to the kiss, his lips molding to Luca's. A soft hum built in the back of Luca's throat as his tongue played with Max's. He loved the taste of his City Boy, he would never get enough.
Max broke the kiss to breathe, "I love the way you kiss, Cowboy." Leaning his foreheaf against Max's, Luca tried to get his breathing back to normal as Max continued, "I could live off those kisses alone. A kiss from you everyday would keep me happy for the rest of my life."
Those words made Luca's heart thump loudly in his ears and he took his lover's lips with his again. Screw his fears, if he didn't say what he wanted to he knew he would regret it. Breaking the kiss he whispered against Max's damp lips, "Stay. Stay here with me."
It took a moment for the words to sink into Max's brain but Luca knew the moment he processed them. His body went rigid in Luca's arms. Pushing away from him Max sat up in the bed. He was frowning as he looked down at Luca, "You know I can't do that."
Luca sat up as well, sitting facing Max, "Why not? Because of your dad? Max, it was an accident, you can't really hate this land. You've been so happy the last few days."
"I've been happy being with you." He counters.
"Then stay with me. Please, Max, I-I" Luca took a deep breath and finally said the words that had been eating at him for the last three days, "Max, I love you."
Max looked away, "I can't stay here, Luca. I'm so sorry. I have a life in New York."
Standing from the bed, Luca glared down at Max, "So it doesn't matter how I feel?"
"Of course it matters! But I can't stay here. I thought you understood that."
"What I understand is that you're too scared to face you're demons. Come on Max! I know you have bad memories from this place but you can make new ones, better ones. With me."
Max stood up and shook his head, "Its not that simple, Luca. Can't we just enjoy the time we have together? Please."
Luca shook his head, "No. I can't keep being with you when there isn't even a possibility that I can have you for good. Don't you realize how painful that is? If you won't even consider giving us a chance then I think it's best we stopped this, whatever this is, now."
"Are you breaking up with me?" Max asked, shocked.
"There's no us to break up, Max." Luca said quietly, "I think you should go."
Max stared at him for a minute, a look of regret and pain in his features. Luca turned away from him, not able to see that look on that precious face. He heard Max move and thought for a second that Max was coming to him but after a minute he heard the opening and closing of his room door.
Turning back around Luca stared at an empty room. Max had left. Left his room, left his life. Left him feeling empty and brokenhearted.
***
Taking a deep breath of the night air, Max felt his heart break. How could Luca end what they had so callously? Max had made it clear that he would not be staying after his two weeks were up and they both made the conscious decision to be together the short amount of time they had. Now, his Luca was giving up on them.
Max raked his hand through his hair as he made his way back to the main house. If he was being honest it wasn't Luca who had ended things. If that small whispered request was any indication Luca was the one who wanted this thing between them to continue for a long time. But the one thing that would keep them together was the one thing Max couldn't give. He couldn't live in the country again.
Right?
Sighing, he walked into the kitchen. It was empty, Martha and Sonya long having gone to bed. Max walked down the quiet halls of Sterling Ranch wondering what he was going to do. How was he going to face Luca for the next two days? The only thoughts he had when he was near the man were grabbing him and tasting those tantalizing lips. Not being able to do that anymore would be torture.
Walking past the family room Max saw light coming from beneath the door and paused. He, slowly, opened the door and peaked into the room. A warm fire was going in the hearth and his grandfather was sitting in an armchair, reading a book. The fire lights flickered across his face, casting shadows over his features. Max wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep there or not.
"Don't just stand there. You're letting all the warmth out." His grandfather ordered and Max smiles a little.
Stepping into the room he closed the door and made his way over to his grandfather. He took a seat on the sofa next to the armchair and asked, "What are you doing, Granddad?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm reading a book."
Max held back a sigh, "I can see that but why are you reading a book at this hour?"
His granddad closed the book in his lap and said, "When your grandmother was alive we used to sit in here at night together. I would read a book and your grandmother would knit. We didn't say anything, just sat in silence and enjoyed each others company. After she died I couldn't stop the habit of sitting in here so now I just come in here and read and remember how it was when she was here."
"You really loved, Grandmama, didn't you?" Max asked with a small smile.
"With all my heart." Was his Granddad's instant reply.
Max thought back to the man he left a few minutes ago. Luca's declaration of love thrilled Max. To know that Luca felt that way about him was like viewing the world through rose tinted glasses. It made Max float on a cloud from how happy it made him. Especially since Max was beginning to suspect his feelings were the same as his Cowboy's.
"Granddad, when did you know Grandmama was the one for you?" Max asked.
His granddad smiled, "I knew from the moment I first saw her. She walked through the doors of this ranch on the arm of her daddy and when I saw that angel face I knew I was going to marry her one day. I told her too. When I managed to sneak her away from her parents the first words out of my mouth were 'I'm going to marry you one day, woman'. She laughed at me but I could see that she believed me."
Max smiled, "I wish it were always that simple. Sometime love sneaks up on you at the wrong time, in the wrong place."
"Maximilian," His Granddad said gravely, "Love doesn't have a time. It hits you when you least expect it. Where ever that love hits you is the right place because you're with the one you love. Its never easy, Max, for anyone. But unless you are willing to try to work at it, it will never work."
Leaning back into the sofa Max sighed. He knew what his granddad was saying was true but how could he just drop everything and move back to the place that had caused him so much pain? Could he do that? For Luca? He groaned and covered his face with his hands.
"Does this have to do with Luca?" His granddad's words made Max sit up and look at him sharply. With a shrug his granddad explained, "You usually spend your nights with him so I'm assuming, if you're here, that something is wrong.
"We had a fight." Mas murmured, looking away.
"I figured." His granddad stated, "And I don't want to know what you fought about. That's your business with him. But I will tell you what I used to tell your dad when he got into arguments with your mother. Is it worth it?"
Max frowned and crinkled his brow, "Is what worth it?"
"Anything. Everything. Your fight, your reasons, your relationship. Is any of it worth it? And if it is, why won't you do your best to make sure that you keep it, whether that be your relationship or your reason for fighting."
Was it worth it? The relationship he wanted to start with Luca was worth it, Max knew that, and if his relationship was worth it then this fight wasn't. There was nothing Max wanted more than to be with Luca, so why was he fighting. Its not like he had some huge reason to stay in the city, like he told Luca that first day all there was for him in the city was his job. Was Luca right? Was Max scared to face his demons from the past?
Well not anymore.
Max jumped to his feet and made his way to the door. His granddad's words made him pause at there, however, "Maximilian, where are you going?"
He turned back to the patriarch of his family, "To New York."
His granddad nodded and opened the book in his lap. He took out a piece of paper from inside and stood up. Walking over to Max he handed the small slip of paper to him, "In case you need a reason to come back."
Taking the paper in his hand Max stared at it and a grin broke out on his face, "Thanks, granddad."
"Be safe."
Max nodded and walked out of the room. He had a life to get back to. Things were going to change and he knew it would take time getting used to it but he was looking forward to it. A huge smile pulled at his lips as he reached his room and set about packing. He needed to get back to New York, talk with his mother, and Micah as soon as possible. Max knew he would shock them but he was to happy to care.
~*~*~
Six hours later Max opened the door to his apartment on the East Side of New York and dumped his bag next to the door. A new dawn shone in through the glass door leading to his balcony and Max took a deep breath. This new day would begin so many new goals in Max's life. With a smile he set about makign those new goals realities.