"What in Hell's name is wrong with ya, Chris?" Vin Tanner came storming into the deserted jail where Chris Larabee sat behind the desk, cleaning his Colt revolver."Nothing is wrong, Vin." Chris glanced up from his task, green eyes hard and flinty as stone. The bruise darkening one elegant cheekbone did nothing to detract from this image. Vin had seen rattlesnakes that looked friendlier. But the tracker was just angry enough not to heed the danger signs. Or care.
"Are ya tryin' to get yourself killed?" The tracker softened his tone a bit. "It aint like you to get drawn into a saloon brawl with a passel of young, hotheaded cowboys who done had more whiskey than was good for 'em."
Chris shrugged his shoulders. "They were asking for trouble. I gave it to them."
"Appeared to me like you was the one in trouble. If'n me and Buck hadn't shown up when we did, no tellin' what would've happened." The tracker's tone was equal parts exasperation and anger.
"I can handle myself, Vin." The gunslinger bit out each word from between clenched teeth.
"Better than most." Vin agreed. "But dammit, Chris! There were at least six of 'em. Couldn't ya have waited til some of us was there to back ya?"
"Like you and Buck, I suppose?" The sneer in the gunslinger's tone was unmistakable.
"Yeah. Like me and Buck." The tracker's tone was even. A sure sign that he was still mad as a hornet at the gunslinger.
"You two seem awful cosy lately." There was a hint of accusation in the older man's voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vin demanded. He folded his arms and stared suspiciously down at the gunslinger.
"What do the two of you do? Talk?" Chris got to his feet and matched the tracker stare for stare. Green vs blue in a contest neither could win.
"I reckon maybe we do. Least he don't take a man's head off for askin' the time of day." Vin stared into those blazing green eyes and wondered what the hell he thought he was doin'. Only a fool tangled with Chris Larabee when he was in a mood like this.
"Awww hell." The tracker turned to go. "This aint gettin' us nowhere. Ya want to get your fool self killed, be my guest."
Vin had nearly reached the door when his shoulder was caught in an iron grip and he was pushed roughly against the wall next to the entrance. He could feel the grainy texture of the wood against his cheek as he instinctively turned his head aside.
"Does Buck do this when you're done talking?" A silky voice whispered in his ear just moments before cool, firm lips were placed on his neck.
A warm, tingling sensation began spreading throughout the tracker's body as those lips gently started sucking on the sensitive skin there. He felt the hands gripping his shoulders shift slightly as their owner pressed his lean, hard muscled body more firmly against the tracker. The gunslinger wedged a thigh in between Vin's legs, forcing them further apart.
Vin heard himself moan as Chris pushed the tracker's long hair off the back of his neck and ran his tongue lightly down the exposed nape. He could feel the gunslinger's erection pressing against his backside. His own was already threatening to strain the buttons on his cream colored pants.
"Does he do this?" Warm breath tickled his ear and the gunslinger's hands ran lightly down his shoulders and began easing the hide coat Vin habitually wore off of his body. The coat was kicked casually into a corner and Chris then began kissing Vin's neck again while his hands were busily unbuttoning the tracker's cotton shirt.
Vin's knees felt so weak it was all he could do to stay upright. If he hadn't been supported half by the gunslinger and half by the wall, he would've fallen. His entire body had become sensitized. He could feel the gunslinger's slightest touch as if it were a living flame, burning him up alive.
Chris finished removing the tracker's shirt, which was kicked into the same corner as the hide coat. Next, both their gunbelts were removed and hung on the peg by the door. The gunslinger then reached out one hand and locked the door. Vin swallowed hard at that. Oh God. But he didn't want to stop. Not even if it killed him.
Warm hands began exploring his chest as the gunslinger's cool lips continued to kiss their way down Vin's neck and along his jaw before Chris dropped his head down to nip lightly at Vin's bare shoulder. Vin shivered and moaned. The feel of those sharp white teeth marking him sent such a rush of blood to his already engorged member that he felt dizzy for a second. He swayed, leaning back into the gunslinger.
Chris put his hands at Vin's waist, anchoring him in place. He then knelt and ran his tongue lightly down the tracker's spine before turning him around so that Vin's abdomen was on a level with the gunslinger's lips. Vin placed his hands on the gunslinger's shoulders. Chris' mouth was driving him wild as it licked and sucked at the tender flesh of his belly. He could hear his own rapid breathing as the other man slowly licked and nibbled his way up Vin's taut stomach until he reached the tracker's chest. The gunslinger swirled his tongue over the taut, aching peaks of his nipples. He grazed them lightly with his teeth and Vin dug his fingers into his companion's shoulders. He moved his hands up and tugged urgently on the gunslinger's hair.
"Please, Chris." He groaned.
"Please what, Vin?" Chris asked with a wicked smile.
"Please do this?" The gunslinger brushed his lips lightly across the tracker's mouth.
"Or this?" Vin closed his eyes and felt the brush of gentle lips across his eyelids.
"How about this?" Chris rubbed his hand across the front of Vin's pants.
"Damn teasin' bastard." Vin gasped as he felt his erection throb against the gunslinger's hand. The tracker ground his lips desperately against his companion's, grinding his hips into the gunslinger's hand at the same time. Chris parted his lips under the sudden onslaught and then Vin felt the gunslinger's tongue invade his mouth. Demanding. Possessing. Claiming. All the while the one hand continued to rub him through his pants, squeezing gently, as Chris' other hand came up to tangle in his hair.
Chris' hands moved towards the waistband of the tracker's pants as he left off his sensual assault on the tracker's mouth and turned his attention to Vin's ears, nibbling on the lobes and kissing the sensitive spot just beneath them. The gunslinger began backing towards the room's desk as he did this, pulling his all too willing companion along with him.
Vin knew he was no longer capable of coherent thought. He didn't care about tomorrow. Or what this encounter might mean to his future. Or what the gunslinger's reasons for doing this were. He just knew that his body was demanding to feel the gunslinger's touch. He wanted the gunslinger to fuck him til he couldn't see straight. He'd wanted that since the first time he'd laid eyes on Chris. Now that he was so close to having it, he didn't want to think too much about the whys and wherefores of it. It was enough that it was happening.
Chris bent him over the desk and slid the tracker's pants down over his hips before pulling his own down. Warm hands caressed the smooth skin of his backside and Vin felt his body tense with anticipation. He heard Chris rummage in the drawer of the desk and then he felt the slickness of oil coated fingers seeking entrance to his body.
"Chris." He hardly recognized his own voice.
"Sshhh...we're done talking, Vin." The voice was soft but there was no disguising the commanding tone. Vin felt any objections he might have made slip away as the gunslinger eased first one finger, then two, inside him. He curled his own fingers around the edges of the desk.
"Chris." It was an agonized moan.
"You never did answer me, Vin." Chris paused as he began easing his hard length inside Vin's accomodating body.
"Does Buck do this for you?" The gunslinger thrust himself a little deeper inside with each word.
"No. Dammit. No." The slight pain he felt had been transformed into the most intense feeling of pleasure the tracker had ever experienced. He pushed back against the gunslinger and Chris responded by thrusting rapidly in and out, both of them caught up in the sensation of being joined so closely. So intimately.
Vin felt Chris shudder and release his seed inside the tracker's body. His own release came about just seconds later, aided by the gunslinger's helping hand.
Both men lay there for a moment, breathing heavily.
"Chris. I..." Vin stopped as he heard JD's voice outside the jail.
The gunslinger pulled his pants up and walked over to toss Vin's clothes towards him. "Best get dressed." He suggested, with an inscrutable look in the tracker's direction.
"Yeah. I reckon."
The two men were silent as they went about the business of removing every trace of their recent activities from the small office. Chris unlocked the door just seconds before JD turned the knob.
"Chris. You ok? Maybe Nathan should have a look at that bruise. Anyway, he sent me over here to tell ya them cowboys are gonna be ok. You messed a few of them up pretty good and they'll be sore for awhile, but there aint no permanent damage." JD's enthusiastic rendition faltered as he noticed, belatedly, the tense atmosphere in the room.
"I'm fine, JD. Thanks for bringing me the message. And tell Nathan thanks for taking care of things." The gunslinger grabbed his hat and began walking towards the door.
"Hey, cowboy." Vin called, hoping his voice wasn't quavering noticably.
The gunslinger turned and regarded Vin silently.
"Buy ya a drink at the saloon?" The tracker couldn't think of anything else to say in front of JD.
"No. I aint in a drinking mood." Chris still stood there, as if waiting to see what the tracker's response would be.
"Well, I reckon I'll just see ya tomorrow then." He knew he must sound as dejected as he felt when he saw JD give him a puzzled glance.
"Don't want a drink, but I could do with a bit of talking. How about you?" Chris gave Vin one of his rare smiles and the tracker joyously bid a hasty good bye to the young sheriff, who was still looking a bit puzzled. Vin had a lot he wanted to say to the gunslinger. And when they were done talkin', he had a few more things he wanted to say.
THE END