Author's Note: This is a fourth story in the 'Empirical Research' series, following:
1. Empirical Research
2. Trial & Error
3. Causality
Ezra sighed with weariness as he trudged up the saloon staircase toward his room. Every muscle ached with tiredness and strain. For three days, he and JD Dunne had been guarding four would-be stagecoach robbers they had been unlucky enough to apprehend on their journey home after giving testimony in Tucson against yet another band of thieves.
Why could the criminal element never seem to take a day off?
JD had volunteered eagerly to share the details of their trip with Chris, Vin, Nathan and Josiah when they had finally arrived home, expending far too much energy on the task in Ezra's humble opinion. He had no idea where the boy got his endless supply of vitality but after spending a week in his company, Ezra had had enough for awhile and excused himself as quickly as possible from the recap. He had seen amusement flash in Larabee's eyes and recognized an element of sympathy.
Buck had been notably absent from the gathering of peacekeepers, much to Ezra's well disguised disappointment. While it would not have been possible to greet him in the manner which appealed most, it would have been gratifying to hear his happy welcome and perhaps see a more personal welcome shining in his deep blue eyes. Unfortunately, Buck had retired early, to whose bed nobody seemed to know, and tomorrow would have to be soon enough.
Reaching his own door, Ezra slumped in gratitude. He was not sure he would have had the stamina for a proper greeting anyway.
As he placed his hand upon the doorknob, Ezra tensed. It turned easily in his hand. The door was unlocked. Adrenaline sent a bolt of new energy through his tired body and Ezra stepped back against the wall as he flipped the door open and cocked his derringer, expecting a shot to ring out. But there was nothing.
Cautiously, Ezra peeked around the door jamb, noticing that a lamp was burning inside the room. As his eyes fell upon the bed, they widened with shock and then darkened into an instant expression of pure lust.
Lying face down upon the bed, snoring like a foghorn and as naked as the day he was born, lay Buck Wilmington. Ezra entered the room on cat feet, setting his belongings down and shutting the door silently behind him. He took a moment to lock it, silently chastising his heedless lover for his lack of caution in taking this step. But he could not help smiling as he realized that Buck had probably not intended to fall asleep. He and JD had been later than they had hoped to be when telegraphing their intended arrival this morning. Buck had probably planned to surprise him with a personal welcome-home party.
Feeling his body react to the sight of long tanned limbs, that beautiful muscular torso, and the sweet, almost angelic look of Buck's sleeping face, Ezra silently stripped away his clothes and other trappings and climbed naked upon the bed. The other man's sprawled form was taking up most of the available space, so Ezra simply draped his body on top of Buck's, molding his chest and stomach to the strong curves of Buck's back as he began to kiss his neck and shoulders, arms sliding around the still body in a loving embrace.
"Mmm," Buck sighed, smiling as he captured one of the embracing arms and gave it a little squeeze. "Howdy, Ezra."
"This was a nice surprise, finding you here," Ezra said, pressing his lips to Buck's jaw.
Tilting his hips, Buck wiggled his bare cheeks against the quickly stiffening cock resting in their crease. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I gotta say that this is a real fine way to wake up. Maybe you'd better just keep on with what you're doing."
Ezra stilled, shock distracting him from his enjoyment of Buck's warm flesh. "What?"
Buck wiggled his ass again, squeezing the taut globes together in a parody of a hug around Ezra's flesh. "I know you been wanting to. Reckon this might be a good time for it."
Absolutely stunned, Ezra just looked at him. They had been occasional lovers for over six months now, and their lives had not changed over-much because of it. Buck still had his bevy of women and Ezra still occupied most of his evenings with games of chance. They only rarely shared a bed and on those occasions when they opted for full intercourse, Buck had invariably taken the top position. It had never occurred to Ezra that he might be willing to try the bottom.
"How did you know I wanted to?"
Looking over his shoulder, Buck offered a lazy grin. "Seen the way you been checking out my butt when you thought I wasn't lookin'. Damn near lickin' your chops."
Ezra blushed but did not deny the observation. He could not help smiling as he asked, "Anything else?"
"When we're in bed," Buck continued readily, "I've felt the way your touch sometimes lingers on my ass, giving me a squeeze or a little tease down there. You want to be inside."
"Yes, I do," he admitted. "Sometimes the need to sink myself inside your body is so overwhelming that it's actually painful to me, but I assumed you would find the idea of being taken by a man to be offensive or emasculating."
Buck laughed. "That might have been true at one time, but you and me have done a lot of things in the last few months that I never expected to find myself doing with another man."
Ezra raised a teasing eyebrow. "Like what, for instance?"
Never one to be shy when it came to talking sex, Buck said frankly, "Never expected to take a man's cock into my mouth, much less enjoy doing it, but I did and now I just want to suck you like a candy stick every time we're in your bed."
"You do seem to possess an impressive talent in that area," Ezra told him with a grin.
Buck winked. "And that was only the beginning. You taught me how good another man can feel when I'm on the giving end, so now I want the rest."
"And you're not afraid," Ezra marveled.
"Nope," he said confidently. "What you're doing now feels so damned good, I can only imagine how much better it's gonna get. As it is, I'm liable to poke a hole right through your mattress if you don't get to work."
Glancing down, Ezra smiled. As they talked, he had pressed his cock down between Buck's cheeks, slowly humping himself into a state of higher arousal as he simultaneously massaged his partner's entrance. He could not deny that Buck was nice and relaxed right now, his body practically melting into the bed with pleasure as Ezra's hands added their own random massaging stroke to the seduction. "It may hurt," he warned. "Remember the first time you took me?"
"Don't care," Buck grunted, hips jerking lightly against the soft bedding as Ezra continued to stimulate his body. "I want you."
Those three simple words, spoken in that soft, sleep-deepened rasp, were just about the sexiest thing Ezra had ever heard and he moaned lightly at the surge of desire that coursed through him. Kissing Buck's shoulder, he gave in. "All right, then. Just let me get something to ease . . ."
"Don't need it," Buck said, cutting him off with a sly grin.
"Buck, you can't be taken without preparation," Ezra scolded. "Especially not your first time."
Spreading his legs wider, Buck grabbed Ezra's hand and guided it downward. Ezra obeyed the silent order and gently stroked the virgin pucker with his fingertips, bringing a grunt of enjoyment from Buck, and a gasp of surprise from himself. The area was unexpectedly moist, and as he eased a fingertip inside he found the passageway already slick with lubricant.
"That feels pretty good," Buck commented as Ezra continued to probe, slipping his first finger in deeper and adding a second. As the fingers began to move, massaging and stretching, Buck hummed deep in his throat. "In fact, I'll take some more."
Ezra laughed. "You are a delightfully surprising individual, Buck. You never cease to amaze me with your willingness to try new things. What did you use on yourself, if I may ask?"
"Bought a jar of that fancy stuff you use on your hair," he said, his hips beginning to roll in response to Ezra's intimate caresses. "Got to missing you real bad one day and wanted something that smelled like you."
"That's . . . very romantic," Ezra told him, not wanting to admit how touched he was by those words.
Buck grinned over his shoulder again. "When I used a little of it, I noticed how slick it felt and that started me thinkin' about you in a whole other way. Remembering how you got yourself ready for me that first time. Wasn't quite as easy as you made it look, but I managed. Thought it was about time you got to return the favor."
"I'm glad you did," Ezra confessed, bending over to capture those roguish lips. As his fingers slipped free of the other man's body, Ezra gripped Buck's hips tightly and positioned himself, using the distraction of their increasingly deep kiss to slide a couple of inches inside Buck's body.
A gasp and the tensing of Buck's muscles gave away his discomfort at the intrusive presence and Ezra held still, keeping his eyes locked upon his lover's as he allowed him a chance to adjust. He kissed him again when he felt Buck start to relax, resting more of his weight upon the strong back and allowing their shift in position to slide his cock further inside.
Buck sighed and squeezed his eyes shut when Ezra shifted and lifted his pelvis higher so that his cock could stroke evenly in and out; exquisite friction building between their bodies.
"How does that feel?" Ezra asked, hoping for a positive response.
"Ain't near as bad as I expected," Buck mumbled, a soft groan escaping when Ezra took him deeper. "In fact, it feels kind of good. Burns a little but I like having you this way."
Ezra planted his hands on the bed for better leverage as he pulled out a couple of inches, reversing his stroke to slide back inside a little faster. He continued this pace for a couple of minutes but knew that he could not last for long. He was simply too weary for a prolonged session of lovemaking right now. In fact every part of his body was starting to protest this effort with tremors of fatigue and a fine sheen of perspiration.
Not wanting to lose this wonderful contact before they had both obtained full pleasure from it, Ezra collapsed onto one elbow, letting Buck support most of his weight again as he repositioned his legs and began undulating his hips in a quick shallow stroke. Reaching around Buck's body, Ezra grasped his partner's sex, gratified to feel its heavy weight resting hard and hot against his palm.
"Shit," Buck whispered as Ezra's hand began to pump him. "This is unbelievable."
"What is?" Ezra asked, struggling to hold on as his over-stimulated cock began to tingle and pulse.
Buck laughed, a mere breath of astonished sound, "Being fucked two ways at the same time, by the same partner."
"You've done it to me," Ezra reminded him.
"I know, but . . . why didn't you tell me it was like this?"
Ezra also laughed a little. "I think I did, but you had no basis of comparison through which to process the analysis."
"Yeah, there's that sexy science talk I love," Buck teased him, clenching his cheeks together and grinning mischievously when his action caused Ezra to let loose a guttural curse.
Resting his forehead against the heavy muscles of Buck's shoulder, Ezra braced his hands on the mattress again as his hips began to lose their rhythm. His breath was coming in harsh pants as he pushed deep, struggling to find Buck's ultimate pleasure point before his strength gave out.
He knew he had discovered it when Buck's body suddenly went rigid and the other man was forced to grab a pillow, burying his face in it to muffle the ecstatic shout that escaped as he convulsed with the power of his completion.
"Oh, thank God," Ezra gasped as the rippling inner muscles pushed him over the edge in turn. His strength seemed to drain away a bit more with every spasm of his cock and at last, Ezra simply collapsed atop Buck, every muscle in his body shaking.
"Whoa," Buck said roughly. When Ezra failed to respond, Buck strained to lift his head high enough to look over his shoulder. "You okay?"
Ezra wrapped his arms around Buck and hugged him hard, but did not otherwise move. "I'm exhausted," he admitted.
Buck grinned. "Wore you out, huh?"
Shifting enough to pull free of his partner's body, Ezra slid to one side, allowing Buck to twist around and face him. Ezra smiled sleepily into the other man's eyes. "Indeed you did, but as they say, what a way to go!" Kissing Buck gently, he added, "I can't thank you enough for such a wonderful surprise."
"It was my pleasure, Ezra, and I do mean that," he said, hitching his eyebrows playfully as he snuggled in closer, twining his long legs around Ezra's and settling the other man's head against his shoulder. "Took me a while to come around to the idea, but never doubt for a second that I trusted you to make it good for me."
"That means a great deal to me," Ezra mumbled, pressing soft lips against Buck's chest. "I love you, Buck."
Buck's eyes widened at the unexpected declaration and he lifted his head to look at Ezra, only to find the other man already asleep. Eyes soft with tender unspoken emotion, Buck flipped a blanket around them both and held his lover close.
THE END