Crazy Wind

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 2

Chapter One ZEF stared at the bottle sitting on the desk in front of him. The words on the screen behind it were blurred. His belt hung from the back of his chair, the gun and cuffs swinging as he slouched into it. He really should have been more careful, but he had been more than half in the bag when his deputy poured him into the front door of his tiny rental house. He’d stripped off his sheriff’s uniform as he stumbled to his desk, leaving it crumpled on the floor where it fell. His badge sat on top of the pile, reflecting a spotlight back into his face. The first attempt to kick it away went wide, so he closed one eye and took aim again, finally managing to shove the pile out of the light. You there? The screen blinked at him. He sighed and leaned forward again. yeah, man. shitty day. I hear ya. Want 2 talk? He leaned back and rolled his head around on his shoulders. Did he want to talk about the pile-up he had to help clean up today? The scene came back to him every time he closed his eyes. The driver had been so young—barely twenty years old. Shaking his head couldn’t clear the image out of his mind. The look on the kid’s face seemed to be burned on the inside of his eyelids. He took another big pull off his bottle and slowly typed out an answer with one hand. The other covered an eye to reduce the number of keyboards on his desk.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 3 nah. i ll b cool. K. If you need ..... thx. gtg L8r Chuckling, he took the last swig from his bottle and almost choked as it went down the wrong pipe. Once the cough settled into a couple of hiccups, his mind went back to the conversation. The man he was chatting with wasn’t a teenager, even if he tried to talk like one. Assuming it was a man, of course. It could be a twelve-year-old girl on the other end of the chat window for all he knew. His instincts told him differently, though. He’d been wearing a badge for his entire adult life, first in the Air Force, then with the Dallas Police before settling here as sheriff. It might have been considered a step down to a lot of other men, but Zef was ready to slow down. Take things easy for a change. His gut was telling him “fckgfired” was all man, and a lonely one at that. He tried to picture what Fired might look like. From what he’d said online, Fired was a cowboy, and Zef had never been able to resist the smell of leather on a hot, sweaty man. Especially one who knew how to work a rope. He could just imagine Fired hoisting a saddle over his strong back. In Zef’s imagination, fringed chaps framed Fired’s tight ass. Zef rubbed himself through his jockstrap as he recalled the nighttime activities Fired said he had overheard between his ranch owner boss and his new lover. Some of the daytime ones he had inadvertently witnessed sounded even hotter. Two in a saddle, wearing nothing but chaps sounded like one

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 4 hell of a way to ride to Zef. Something he’d love to try out. If he ever met his online cowboy offline, he’d do his best to make it real. He sighed, too far past drunk to even think about getting it up, let alone getting off, and closed his browser and chat windows. Clearing out his cache before shutting down the system was second nature to him, even as drunk as he was.

DREAMS of the dead kid’s face, empty eyes staring at the sky, woke him. He would have liked to believe he’d stood up, gone to the restroom, and gracefully made his way to his bedroom, where he’d laid down to sleep. The empty bottle lying on its side on the floor and the ungraceful sprawl of his limbs hanging off the edge of the bed told him otherwise. Keeping one eye closed, he cracked the other open to look around the room, moving his head as little as possible. The alarm clock shot high-powered beams of light straight into his eye. Five thirty in the morning. He groaned and scratched his jaw through his beard. When he lifted his head from the bed, the coolness from a puddle of drool made him shudder. He rolled over to his side and used his hands to push his uncooperative body up off the bed. The world tilted, forcing him to get up and take the few lurching steps to the bathroom. He vomited up the bottle of tequila, as well as the last of the cheeseburger he’d had for lunch, and wrapped up with some dry heaves for good measure before wiping his mouth with the back of his tattooed wrist and lowering himself to

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 5 press his face against the cool tile floor. He had the fleeting thought to be thankful he lived alone and that the seat had been up when he began worshipping the porcelain god. The fights his deputy had gotten into with his various girlfriends over such a trivial thing was enough to make him glad women had never really appealed to him. Growing up with his rock jockey dad, traipsing all over West Texas from mine to mine, there had never been many women around, anyway. His mother had been one of the few female geologists around in the 1970s, but he had never known her. She had been severely injured in a cave-in while she was pregnant with him. His dad kept his promise to keep her body alive long enough for him to be born. When the shakes had passed, he dragged himself into the shower and just sat on the floor under the spray. The taste of bile caused a few more dry heaves, but he had nothing left but stomach acid, and he didn’t have the energy to do more than lean over the drain to let it out. He sat there until the water ran cold and the shivering forced him to get up. Getting most of the alcohol out of his body made him feel a little better, but the thick jockstrap he hadn’t managed to take off before crawling into the shower was starting to chafe. The material ripped some hairs out as he rolled it down, relishing the sharp pains as he tugged it off. He left the soggy jock in the shower and stumbled to the mirror. The same face he always saw, only more worse for wear than usual, greeted him. He laughed, thinking if he looked like Richard Gere at the end of a bad bender on his good days, he couldn’t wait to see people’s reactions now. His nipple rings winked in the sunlight now filtering in through the small

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 6 window. The Egyptian tattoos covering his torso and arms, all obscured by thick dark hair, courtesy of his Greek father, completed the image of stoned-out loner. After brushing his teeth and gargling with mouthwash a few times, he pulled his hair back into the short ponytail he usually kept it in for work. He wandered around the house and found his uniform still in a ball near the computer desk and his gun belt still hanging from the chair. He picked up the tan shirt and shook it out, ran the smell test on it, and immediately regretted it when his stomach tried to revolt again. He hastily picked up the pants and emptied all the pockets onto the desk before carrying both to his bedroom at arms’ length. What sounded like thundering blows echoed through the small living room. Zef felt like someone was pounding directly on his head instead of the door. He stomped, half dressed, to open it. “What the hell, Manny!” His deputy jumped at his angry greeting. Zef quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh, Jesus. What the fuck is that?” “Carne guisada with cheese, Boss. Want some?” Manny waved the tortilla filled with gravy-covered meat in Zef’s direction as he stepped in and closed the door. “Get it the fuck away from me.” Zef’s dry heaves were returning. “And do you have to fucking shout?” Zef whispered and squinted at the grinning deputy. “Not shouting, Boss.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 7 “Just. Stop, okay?” Zef held his hands up and shuffled back into the hall, his uniform shirt hanging open over a yellow jockstrap. “Hey, you told me to pick you up. Besides, we got a call.” “Oh, fuck. Don’t tell me there’s another one.” “Nah. Whiner shot a coyote out at the Stand, and he needs to file a report.” “Whiner? Stand? Aren’t coyotes under Parks and Wildlife?” “Their guy is off at a conference. It’ll be quick, and you’ll get to meet another of your fine constituents. Just please get dressed.” Manny shook his head. “If I never see another jock, it’ll be too soon. Why do you wear those things anyway?” “Ever had to chase a suspect a couple miles?” “Nope.” Manny grinned around another mouthful of his breakfast. “Well, when you do, then you’ll understand my fashion choices.” Zef pulled on a pair of uniform pants and tucked his half-buttoned shirt into them. He buckled his belt over his lean hips, checking to make sure his gun and cuffs were in place, and kicked his boots toward the door while putting his mirrored shades in place. He did not want to have to arrest the sun for assault this morning. When he got to the door, he braced himself in the frame to bend over and grab his boots before following his deputy to the car. Standing next to

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 8 the passenger door, he briefly considered locking himself in the back seat for a nap before sliding in next to Manny. “Jesus, how many of those tacos did you have? Open the fucking windows, man.” Manny laughed and put the car in gear as Zef tried to fan the aroma out the windows. The fresh air helped a little as Zef relaxed into the passenger seat, enjoying the breeze. Newly cut hay, sunflowers, and sweet honeysuckle, all with the underlying odor of cow manure and a skunk off in the distance, smelled like Texas. It seemed like Manny drove for hours, but that was only because of the killer hangover Zef was nursing. When the cruiser finally pulled up in front of the big farmhouse, Zef’s feet were still vibrating from the road. He opened the door and hung his feet out to drag his boots on before he trudged up the wooden steps to stand on the porch next to his deputy. “Help ya, Manny?” A voice came from behind them. They turned, and Zef’s breath caught in his chest when he got the very image that he had conjured last night. A tall, lean cowboy stood in the sunshine, holding a saddle over one of his broad shoulders. Squinting in the bright light, he regarded them carefully. “Yeah, Whiner called us out,” Manny replied before whispering to Zef. “Bobby Joe Decker. He’s the foreman out here.” The cowboy nodded and climbed the stairs to the porch. Up close, Bobby Joe was ruggedly handsome. All hard lines and sharp angles, framed with dark stubble and short dark hair. Zef was taken with Bobby Joe’s bright green eyes. When Bobby Joe turned to bend over and drop the saddle

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 9 next to the door, Zef couldn’t stop himself from zeroing in on his ass, accentuated so well by dusty chaps. A voice came booming out through the screen door to break his stare. “Bobby Joe!” “Well, come on in. Guess Whiner’s expecting you.” They followed those long, leather-wrapped legs, topped by that fine ass, down the hall to the boss’s office. A huge cowboy Zef assumed had to be Whiner sat behind the desk, his hands in his lap. Zef heard a shuffling noise, and Whiner jumped. A giggle floated out into the room. Whiner smacked the top of the desk. “Get out from under there, you little geek.” His gruff tone was tempered by the gleam in his eyes. A chunk of curly dark hair flopping over a pair of dark eyes popped up from behind the desk. A mischievous grin greeted the group. “Sorry, just checking his cables,” a younger man said, not looking the least bit sorry as he stood up and leaned against one of Whiner’s massive shoulders. Bobby Joe cleared his throat. “Whiner, Connie, you know Manny, and this is Sheriff….” He raised his eyebrows at Zef. “Zephyr Kokinos. You can call me Zef.” He offered his hand to Bobby Joe, then crossed the room to shake hands with Whiner and Connie. “The commissioners appointed me to replace Sheriff Forester a couple of months ago.” “Sheriff,” Connie said, his eyes on Zef’s chest. Whiner let out a low, rumbling growl as Connie licked his lips. Zef looked down and realized his shirt was still hanging open almost to his waistband.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 10 “Oops. Sorry, gentlemen,” he said, turning back toward the door to button up, not missing Bobby Joe’s eyes locked on the wings tattooed across his pecs. His dick hardened under the jock. He turned toward Bobby Joe and took a little extra time doing the job. When he got to his ankh choker, he left the rest open and returned the heated look, one eyebrow cocked in question. “Bobby Joe!” Whiner yelled from the other side of the room as Connie settled on his lap. “Yeah, Boss?” The foreman cocked a smile at Zef and mouthed the words along with his boss. “You’re fucking fired.” No fucking way, Zef thought as his stomach plunged to his feet. Hearing it phrased that way, Zef’s mind raced. It couldn’t be possible that this was his fckgfired. What were the odds that the cowboy he had been chatting and flirting with for over two months, the faceless cowboy he’d pictured last night, had been in front of him this whole time? He shook his head and tried to get his thoughts back on task. “Sorry, I just had a lot on my mind this morning—” like not vomiting all over the cruiser “—and must have missed a button or two.” “Looked like a few more than two,” Whiner rumbled from behind the desk. “You didn’t have to do that on our account,” Connie said and smacked Whiner’s arm, his eyes still on the hair poking out the open top buttons of Zef’s uniform shirt. Whiner’s hand tightened on Connie’s waist. Zef could read the signals clear as a changing stoplight.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 11 He squared his shoulders and went into authority figure mode. “You called us out on an animal shooting?” Whiner nodded. “Yeah. We had some trouble with a coyote out here last night, and I shot it. Just wanted to make sure we reported it.” Zef looked at Manny, clearly at a loss. The deputy smiled and smoothly took over the discussion. “Sheriff, why don’t I take Whiner’s statement, and Bobby Joe can show you the site so we can report the location?” “I just gave you my statement,” Whiner grumbled from his desk. “We had some trouble with a coyote, and I shot the fucker.” “And I logged the GPS coordinates on my smartphone. Here.” Connie pushed the device across the desk. Zef picked it up, noticing the background image of a naked man who could only be Whiner. He smiled and cocked his eyebrow at Connie, who winked back. Whiner looked between the two men and tightened his grip on Connie again. “I think you should see the site anyway.” Zef nodded and handed the phone back to Whiner. “Probably a good idea. Bobby Joe, do you mind?” He turned back to the quiet cowboy. “Right.” Bobby Joe walked out and Zef followed. Once they were outside, Bobby Joe hefted the saddle back over his shoulder. “I needed to get out of there, anyway.” “Problems on the range?” Zef squinted and propped his sunglasses back over his bloodshot eyes.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 12 “Nah. I can only take so much of their playing around. And I’ve never seen Whiner so jealous.” “Jealous? Why?” “Because Connie was looking at you like you were lunch, that’s why.” Zef snorted. “I’m sure he was just kidding around.” Bobby Joe just looked at the sheriff before shaking his head and leading the way to the barn. “Horse or fourwheeler?” Zef was enthralled with Bobby Joe’s ass swaying as his stride ate up the yard. “Sheriff?” Bobby Joe turned to catch Zef staring. He cocked a half smile and waited for Zef’s face to meet his. “Everything okay?” “Yeah,” Zef said, clearing his throat and turning to look at the huge horse in the corral. “You say something?” “Horse or four-wheeler? How do you want to get out to the site?” “We can’t just beam there?” Neither option sounded good to Zef’s stomach, still churning with the remnants of the alcohol. Although riding behind Bobby Joe, wrapping his arms around the cowboy’s waist, crotch to ass, held a hell of a lot of appeal to him. Bobby Joe barked out a laugh and left Zef standing there as he went to put away the saddle. He drove a fourwheeler out of the barn and pulled up next to the sheriff. “This’ll be quicker. Hop on.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 13 You have no idea how much I’d love to do just that, Cowboy, flashed through Zef’s mind before he climbed onto the reinforced rack behind the seat. Once settled, he caught the scent of hot leather, sweat, and something spicy coming off Bobby Joe. He groaned and looked up, as if to ask the sky for the strength not to wrap his legs around the ranch foreman. “How far out is it?” he asked, wincing as the noise from Bobby Joe revving the engine bored its way through his throbbing head. “Mile or so. Just hang on.” Bobby Joe pointed the fourwheeler out toward the pasture, and they started bouncing across the uneven ground. Zef hung on to the cross-weaved rack until his knuckles turned white. When they finally got to the spot, Zef stumbled off the rack on shaky legs and held on to the back fender for a few minutes. “You all right, Sheriff? You look a little green.” Zef took some deep breaths and spit a few times. When he felt like he had himself back under control, he stood and smiled at Bobby Joe. “Fine. Just had a bit of a rough night.” “Yeah, you look like hell.” “Thanks a lot. Now, this is where he shot the coyote? What were they doing all the way out here at night?” “You sure you want to ask that?” Bobby Joe’s eyes danced, and Zef noticed tan lines surrounding his eyes, probably from long hours of squinting into the sun. Zef shook his head. “What did you do with the carcass?”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 14 “Nothin’. Buzzards cleaned it up for us.” Zef looked around and noticed the mostly-clean bones left from the birds’ feast. His stomach rolled again. He checked the GPS on his cell phone and made a note of the coordinates. “Seen enough?” Bobby Joe started back to the fourwheeler. “Yeah. I think got what I came for.” He snapped his notebook shut and leaned his hip on the fender. “Anything else you want?” Zef schooled his features but used the cover of the mirrored aviators to openly evaluate Bobby Joe’s long, lean body. There was definitely something else he wanted, but he was here on official business. “I think this’ll do.” He tried to clear his head by shaking it, but the image of Bobby Joe bending over to put down that saddle was still burned in his brain. “For now,” he added under his breath. “Pardon?” “Nothing. Let’s head back up.”

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Chapter Two THE flat screen monitor provided the only light in the office. Bobby Joe was watching his friends list, waiting for “vientoloco” to log in. He should have been getting ready to leave for his date, but he wanted to check in with Loco first. The man had been so distant last night, logging off far earlier than usual. Most nights they talked for hours, sharing details of their days and some of their deepest fantasies. He told Loco things he’d never told anyone. Loco shutting him out concerned him. He didn’t know why he was so worried about a man he had never met and wasn’t likely to, but he was. He was also thinking about the sheriff, unable to get the man out of his mind. Zef wasn’t classically handsome, but there was something about him. The way he carried himself, like an animal barely refraining from mauling his prey. Sexual energy poured off him in waves, and Bobby Joe felt caught in the undertow. Connie wasn’t the only one who got the idea Zef would make a great meal. Those wings Bobby Joe saw poking out of Zef’s shirt this morning would make a great appetizer. The clock in the corner of his monitor showed he was running ten minutes late already. He’d have cancelled and stayed home to spend the night chatting with Loco, but he had no way to contact “glmRgRL21”. Okay, he could probably leave a message at the motel, but he felt he owed it

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 16 to her to at least meet her in person. She was only coming through town because he asked. They’d met six months ago, shortly after Connie wired the offices for the Internet. Her frankness had shocked him at first. The things she would do, if he told her to. At least, she said she was following his orders, doing the things he asked her to. She’d never sent photos, but he trusted that she was telling him the truth. He had been with a few women, and while he had enjoyed himself, it had never felt right. Something was missing in those encounters. He suspected it was a cock. But, when she’d mentioned coming to Texas, he suggested she swing through town along the way. She’d jumped at the chance to meet IRL—in real life, Bobby Joe found out after some searching. And then vientoloco had breezed into his life. Now he knew she wasn’t whom he wanted to meet in the motel. After months of flirting with vientoloco, he wished Loco was who he was meeting. Except now, when he tried to imagine what his online buddy might look like, Zephyr’s face floated into view. Zef, who would hopefully bring his cuffs. And let Bobby Joe use them on him. Maybe even while still in his uniform. Bobby Joe sighed and leaned forward to sign off just as his automatic “pounce” message went through. Hey, man. Wondered if you’d be on 2day. He had set up that message to be sent to Loco when he signed back in. was just thinking about you, Loco replied. Bobby Joe smiled because he had been doing the same thing, only imagining it was Zephyr’s mouth saying the things he and vientoloco chatted about, the tiny half grin and sexy gleam in his eyes. Bobby Joe palmed his rapidly

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 17 filling erection through his pants, just thinking about the man. When he didn’t answer, vientoloco prodded. you still there, fired? Yeah, just had 2 chk sumthin. In his pants. What made u think of me? met a cowboy today. reminded me of u Bobby Joe smiled. Maybe he was getting to the man, too. This was the IRL meeting he wanted to set up. He wondered what Loco would say if he made the suggestion. Yeah? How so? his boss said he was fucking fired Bobby Joe stared at the chat window. The image of Zephyr, standing in Whiner’s office today drifted through his mind. He remembered Whiner firing him in front of the sheriff and his deputy today, even using it to flirt with Zef a little. Not like he’d thought it would go anywhere. He had to be jumping to conclusions. Seeing connections that couldn’t be there. He had been so intrigued by the man, he’d done a search on his name as soon as the cruiser was out of sight. The only thing he could find was that Zephyr was Greek for “west wind.” That his online buddy’s name translated to “crazy wind” was just a coincidence. It wasn’t possible vientoloco was the sexy sheriff he had been thinking of all afternoon. Was it? fired? still with me? Y was wondering–he do that a lot?

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 18 He shrugged, as if Loco could see him through the monitor. If that cowboy’s boss was anything like Whiner, he was getting fired several times a day. With Bobby Joe’s screen name, it’s no wonder Loco thought of him. Just like Bobby Joe was thinking about Zef because his name reminded him of Loco’s screen name. How should I know? i think you do, bobby joe. Bobby Joe pushed back from the desk and looked around, wondering if there was a camera hidden somewhere. It had to be Connie playing a prank on him. “Connie? You in here?” he asked quietly. This has to be a joke. All he could hear was the blood rushing through his ears as he struggled to get his breathing under control. bj? If his heart hadn’t been slamming against his chest, he would have asked if that was an offer. Suddenly all the banter became real. His mind raced as the pieces fell together. Vientoloco. Crazy wind. Zephyr. Greek for west wind. He forced his fingers to work as he took a few deep breaths, trying to steady his nerves. WTF? He didn’t wait for Loco to answer. Zephyr?????? :) GTG

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 19 Bobby Joe logged out of the system with shaking hands. He shut down the computer and left the office in daze, barely remembering to pick up the flowers he had bought earlier. Leaving through the front of the house allowed him to avoid everyone else just sitting down to one of Whiner’s Aunt Alva’s dinners. They had been teasing him for a month. “Do anyone crazy online? I mean anything crazy?” and “Why are you flushed? Isn’t it windy in your office?” He knew he couldn’t face their questions and playful jabs. Not now that he knew whom vientoloco was. Not now that he had a face, and fuck, that body, to go along with the screen name. And now they would, too. He got in his truck and pointed it toward the bar, just a block down from the motel where he was supposed to have the night of his life with a complete stranger who wasn’t the one he had been lusting after for months. The one that happened to live in his own town. The one that had been under his nose the whole time. The one who wasn’t a stranger anymore.

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Chapter Three ZEF stared at the screen, watching Bobby Joe’s cowboy hat avatar move into the “Offline” group. Damn. Spooked him. He sat back, closed his eyes, and pictured the look Bobby Joe had given him in Whiner’s office that morning. The playful little smile, the gleaming green eyes. He knew—knew—the cowboy was interested, dammit. He settled into the chair, leaned his head back, and let the image fill his mind. He turned around, and Bobby Joe reached out to stop him from buttoning his shirt. Bobby Joe licked his lips as he took Zef’s arm by the wrist and reeled him closer like a fish on his hook. Of course, the bait he was using was exactly the kind Zef went crazy for. When he got close enough, Bobby Joe wrapped his long arm around him, taking Zef’s with him, effectively pinning it behind his back. He shoved his other hand into Zef’s open shirt and started pulling on his nipple ring. Zef blinked and looked up into the cowboy’s face just before he leaned down to take Zef’s mouth in a punishing kiss. Zef ground his hips against the hard cock he could feel under Bobby Joe’s jeans as Bobby Joe moved down to lick along his neck, sucking a mark just above the open collar, like a couple of horny teenagers. He was about to shove his free hand down Bobby Joe’s jeans when a knocking on the door woke him. He jerked upright, but he had one hand in his open shirt, pulling on a nipple ring, and the other in his jock,

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 21 around his dick. He lost his balance and the chair toppled over, dumping Zef to the floor. He glanced at the clock on the cable box and noticed he’d slept for an hour. “Jeez, Boss. Do you ever wear pants at home?” Manny shook his head but didn’t say anything about Zef’s obvious hard-on when he answered the door in the exact same state of undress he had that morning. “I really need to start calling ahead.” “What do you want, Manny?” “Sorry, Boss. There’s been a disturbance at the motel.” Zef’s shoulders dropped as he looked at the deputy. So much for making an early night and getting back to that incredible dream. He’d been so close. “Fuck. Is it bad?” “Yes. I mean no. One guy may need an ambulance. Paramedics are en route, and they’re both blaming each other. It’s probably going to get ugly.” “Fucking figures.” Zef grabbed the first pair of jeans he could, thinking it would be easier to tuck his way-too-alert dick behind the button fly. He slung his gun belt over his shoulder on his way out the door and pulled his boots on in the car on the way to the hotel. Once there, he buckled the gun belt over his jeans and made sure his shirt was buttoned before stepping into the room. There was a young man sitting on the bed, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His dress shirt had been ripped, and he had the beginning of a nasty shiner. He had mascara smeared under his eyes, and his long blonde hair was draped over one shoulder. At first glance, he could pass

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 22 for a woman, but there was no mistaking him once you got up close. A burly man in a trucker hat sat at the table with a paramedic tending to a cut over his eyebrow. Zef pointed to the young man, and the paramedic nodded. He took a pair of gloves from the medic’s pack and stretched them on before carefully touching the young man’s face. “One of you want to tell me what’s going on here?” “Fucking chick’s got a dick, that’s what’s going on,” trucker hat slurred. “Fuck you! You knew what you were getting,” the young man responded. “Enough!” Zef snapped. Trucker hat started to say something, but thought better of it when Zef held up one hand. Zef turned his attention to the other man. “Now, what’s your name, kid?” “Ronald. Ronald Marks. I’m from Chicago, but I was on my way to a conference in Austin.” “Okay, Ronald. What happened?” “Fuck, that hurts.” Ronald winced as Zef gently pressed a cold pack against the bruised cheek. “I was supposed to meet someone here, but he was late. I figured I’d been blown off, so I went to the bar to get a beer, and that man approached me. I’m telling you, he knew I was a man. Since I didn’t have anything else to do, I invited him to come back here. When he started to get rough, I pushed back. He shoved his hand down my pants, and that’s when he found Mr. Happy and got pissed like it was some kind of news flash

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 23 for him.” Ronald shook his head, making his hair spill down his back. “What did he do?” “He punched me and threw me on the bed. Started yelling and calling me names. He hit me again, and I hit back. With the telephone.” Zef looked at the broken plastic on the floor next to the bed and chuckled. He looked at the paramedic and nodded toward trucker hat. “Does he need stitches?” She smiled at Zef, catching his unasked question. “I don’t think so, but maybe we should take him to the ER, just in case.” She held a gauze pad up to the trucker’s forehead and tried to help him up, but he pushed her away. “I’ve been telling you I’m fine. Just slap a Band-Aid on it and do something about that.” He waved his hands at Ronald. “Fuck you, asshole.” Zef smiled. Trucker hat had to have forty pounds and at least six inches on him, but Ronald wasn’t going to take any shit from him. “Manny?” Zef called over his shoulder. “On it.” Manny put his hand on the man’s shoulder and helped him out of his chair. “Why don’t you come with me, sir? Let the sheriff take care of her.” “I told you, that chick’s got a dick.” The fight seemed to have left the trucker as Manny directed him out the door. After they left, Zef pulled the chair over next to the bed. “Do you want us to call anyone for you?”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 24 “No thanks. I’m just going to turn in. Like I said, I guess I got stood up.” “Who were you supposed to be meeting?” Ronald looked embarrassed. “I never got his real name. I met him on the Internet.” “What’s his screen name, then?” “He goes by fckgfired.” “Okay.” Zef held a deep breath and stripped off his gloves, dropping them into the trashcan as he made his way to the door. He stepped outside, counted to ten, and ran his fingers through his hair pulling hard. Is that why Bobby Joe logged off in such a hurry? He had a date with a kid from the Internet? Is this what he wanted?

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Chapter Four BOBBY JOE finished the beer he’d been nursing for the past half hour and checked his watch. Ten after eight. He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his head. Settling his hat back in place, he sighed and pushed off from the barstool. It was early yet, but there was a group of truckers in one corner, laughing and getting loud as they drank. Might as well get this over with, he thought, trudging to the exit. The flowers dangled from his hand and brushed his knee, leaving a trail of petals on the ground behind him. He walked down the sidewalk and past the glassed-in office of the tiny motel, then turned left into the courtyard. There seemed to be a lot of pedestrians, but he didn’t really notice any of them. He focused on the walkway ahead of him. He was making up excuses as he walked, determined to make this as painless as possible. He stopped a few feet away and stood up straight. Just tell her the truth, Bobby Joe. She deserves that much, you coward. He looked up and started to take another step closer when the door opened up ahead of him and a lanky man stepped out of her room. Bobby Joe watched as he ran his long fingers through his thick black hair. “Sheriff?” He would have known Zef’s stance anywhere, even without seeing the tattoos he’d noticed this morning.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 26 The ones he wanted to trace with his tongue, starting at his wrists and working his way to those colorful wings he’d seen stretching across that hairy chest this morning. And, unless he was mistaken, Bobby Joe was sure he’d seen the flash of light against body jewelry while Zef stood above him on Whiner’s porch. Bobby Joe’s dick started to stand up and take notice. But why was Zef coming out of glmRgRL’s room? “Bobby Joe.” Zef nodded, his eyes narrowed. He was practically glaring at Bobby Joe. “Uh, what are you doing here?” Bobby Joe asked. “Disturbance. Kid got into it with a trucker. What are you doing here?” His voice was flat, not showing any emotion. “I’m meeting someone.” Bobby Joe held up the flowers. He looked past Zef’s shoulder to the room number. “Is there a problem? Where’s glmRgRL? Is she all right?” “Glamour Girl? Is that who those are for?” Zef bit out as the paramedic stepped out of the room. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so irritated. He didn’t even know the cowboy. Or fckgfired either, it seemed. All at once, it was too much for him. “What’s going on here? What happened? She okay?” Bobby Joe looked around, finally noticing the ambulance, his heart pounding hard. “Ronald Marks, aka Glamour Girl, got stood up by his date. He decided to go to the bar, where he picked up a trucker. When they started to get down and dirty, the trucker didn’t appreciate the appearance of extra boy parts.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 27 “Boy parts?” Bobby Joe repeated, knitting his eyebrows together, not understanding what Zef was saying. He shook his head at Zef. “I’m here to meet glamRgRL21.” Zef pinched the bridge of his nose and paced the cracked sidewalk. “You didn’t ask her real name?” Bobby Joe shook his head and sank down onto one of the planter boxes in front of the room, dropping the flowers onto the sidewalk next to his foot. “I didn’t think to. She just sent me the date, time, and room number.” “Goddammit, Bobby Joe. How could you have been so fucking stupid?” Zef slammed his hands against the wall and stomped off toward the bar. Bobby Joe stared after him, wondering just what in the hell was going on. He’d intended to let glmRgRL down gently and then go home and chat with Zef. What then, he didn’t know. There was a list of things he’d like to do to the sheriff, or with him, but watching Zef’s back as he walked away, Bobby Joe wondered if he’d blown any chance he had before they even got started.

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Chapter Five THINGS were supposed to be easier here. Quieter, Zef thought as he downed another shot. Well, he got it. The job was easier. No chasing criminals, no dodging bullets all day, no gang warfare. But he had plenty of downtime to think about what he didn’t have, namely a certain cowboy who had worked his way into his subconscious through chat sessions. A cowboy that now had a face and a body that Zef couldn’t get out of his mind. Fuck it. Bobby Joe could go home and chat up all the women he wanted. Zef reached behind the counter for a tumbler, daring Tony to say anything when the bartender gave him a look. After pouring two fingers, he downed it in one fiery gulp. He shuddered a little as it burned all the way down and brought the shakes back, but he didn’t care. “You might want to slow down there, Sheriff,” Bobby Joe said as he took the stool next to Zef as if he every right to do so. “What the fuck are you doing here? Didn’t you have a date?” “Nah, we called it off.” “I’m sure he’ll be fine later. Jimbo took his statement, and the trucker will be sleeping it off in a cell tonight. You could still make it if you wanted.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 29 “He’s not what I wanted. I knew that a while ago. I just never called off the date.” Zef examined the wood pattern of the counter. Of course Marks wasn’t what Bobby Joe wanted. He had a dick. So did Zef, for that matter, and it was taking notice of the cowboy sitting next to him. He looked down at his lap, as if that would help get it under his brain’s control. Stop it. We’re not what he wants. Bobby Joe had been coming to meet a woman, after all. Bobby Joe watched Zef down another shot. “I should have told her—him—not to come. It’s my fault he got hurt,” he said sadly as he looked down at the scarred wood. Zef sighed and studied his glass. He reached for the bottle, but Bobby Joe snatched it away. “I think you’ve had enough.” “Fuck you.” He made another grab for the bottle, wobbling in his seat as he lunged across Bobby Joe. Bobby Joe caught him and held him close. “Is that an offer, Officer?” he whispered in Zef’s ear. Zef pulled back to look at Bobby Joe’s face. “Let me go.” He shoved against Bobby Joe, but he couldn’t break free from the grip the cowboy had on him. “You didn’t answer me.” “Fuck you,” Zef said again, without any force behind it. Bobby Joe smiled and leaned in close, ignoring the stares of the truckers getting drunk in the corner. “That’s the second time you’ve offered in less than a minute.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 30 Zef pushed away from Bobby Joe’s chest. “Don’t you want to go home and troll for chicks on the Internet?” “Nope.” The look on Bobby Joe’s face went straight to Zef’s cock. He couldn’t help but reach down to adjust it. Bobby Joe’s eyes followed his hand as it traveled to his lap, pulling hard on the material at his crotch. The months of flirting were getting to him. He couldn’t take any more games. “What do you want, Bobby Joe?” Grass green eyes met his. “You.” “Fuck you,” Zef snorted. “That’s three times.” Bobby Joe stood up and grabbed him around the waist before bending over to lift Zef in a fireman’s carry. “I’m not waiting for a fourth.” Tony laughed and shook his head as Bobby Joe dropped a twenty on the bar and left, ignoring the catcalls of the drunk truckers and Zef’s protests and fidgeting. Bobby Joe had been between half hard and fully erect all night. Zef, angry and yelling at him at the motel, so full of power and strength, had him wondering what it would be like to have the sheriff at his mercy. He could just imagine Zef cuffed to the bed or hog-tied in the middle of it, lean muscles flexing as he pulled against the restraints. He suppressed a shudder as Zef’s hard cock rubbed against his collarbone. He tossed Zef into the passenger seat of his truck and buckled him in before climbing in and starting it. “Where to?” “What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Bobby Joe turned to him. “Taking you up on your offer.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 31 Zef sighed and sank into the seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just take me home, please.” “That’s what I’m trying to do.” Zef turned to Bobby Joe. “No, you’re trying to fuck with me.” Bobby Joe’s smile was almost blinding in the glow of the neon light. “Yep.” “You were meeting a woman just a few hours ago, now you want to go home with a man? Forgive me for being skeptical.” Bobby Joe’s face closed up and he shook his head. “I told you that’s not what I wanted.” He put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking spot. “Want to tell me where to go?” “To hell?” “Okay, then.” Bobby Joe nodded and turned left out of the parking lot. “Hey, I live in the other direction.” Zef turned around to look out of the back window. “Too late now.” Bobby Joe kept going, driving out of town and toward his cabin out at the Stand. Since Connie had first shown up to fix Whiner’s computer, he’d spent a lot of time at the ranch. He still had his apartment in town, and was still half-owner of the Dork Squad, but he also helped Whiner modernize some of their operations, setting up tracking systems and giving them a web presence. As his relationship with Whiner deepened, he started spending more nights in Whiner’s bed than out of it. Aunt Alva had

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 32 moved into the Foreman’s cabin next to the bunkhouse, bumping Bobby Joe to the cabin behind the main house. “Bobby Joe, please.” Zef was pinching the bridge of his nose again. “That do any good?” Zef looked over at him. “What?” “That pinching thing. Does it do any good, or is a tic or something? You do it a lot.” Zef just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Why are you doing this?” “I’m just giving you a ride home right now. You wouldn’t tell me where you lived, so I’m making sure you get someplace safe.” He smiled again, and Zef felt his resolve weakening. It could have been all the tequila, rolling around in his stomach at the speed of the truck down the two-lane road. Or it could be the hot as hell cowboy who smelled like leather and sweat, who had been looking at him with such heat, he almost felt scorched. Zef closed his eyes and leaned against the window. The rumbling pipes and rhythmic drone of the tires put him to sleep. Bobby Joe stole a glance at the man sitting next to him just as Zef started snoring loudly in the crew cab of the truck. He smiled and shook his head. By the time he shut off the engine, Zef’s head had rolled to his other shoulder, and Bobby Joe noticed a wet spot on his shirt from drooling in his sleep. He didn’t even stir as Bobby Joe carried him from the truck, through the house, and to the bedroom.

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Chapter Six HE WOKE up, suffocating from the cave in. It was dark, and he couldn’t breathe. His head was pounding. The air was thick with dust, and there was a band wrapped across his chest, fingering his nipple ring. Wait. What? Zef shook his head and cracked open an eye to take in his surroundings. An unfamiliar bedroom, with soft light shining through the cracked bathroom door. A muscular, thickly veined forearm was draped across his chest. Short, wide fingers were tunneled into his chest hair, one fingertip through his nipple ring. He looked down and noticed he was still wearing his jock, but he could tell Bobby Joe was naked behind him, his hard cock resting in the crack of Zef’s exposed ass. The clock on the nightstand was blocked by a bottle of aspirin and a red sports drink. He gently lifted Bobby Joe’s hand away from his chest so he could sit up and take a couple of the tablets. He took a huge swig, downing half the drink along with the pills in one swallow. Bobby Joe grunted and tucked his arm around Zef’s hips, pulling him close in his sleep. Zef sighed and finished the bottle before lying back down and falling asleep again. The next time he woke, it was morning, and he was alone. The sunlight was muted as it streamed between the drawn curtains. A fresh sports drink was on the nightstand. Zef smiled when he noticed the cube-shaped clock radio was

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 34 lying on its side so he didn’t have to lift his head to check the time. He wiped at a string of drool before sitting up, popping two more aspirin and chugging the drink. Scrubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes, he stood up on wobbly feet. He followed the noise to the kitchen and found Bobby Joe standing at the stove in a pair of loose boxers. Zef stared at the wide, muscular back and high round ass, barely hidden by the boxers as Bobby Joe finished cooking some breakfast. “You’re awake,” Bobby Joe said without turning around. “The lumberjacks called. They asked if you could keep it down.” “Very funny.” “That’ll take some getting used to.” “What?” “That jet engine you engage when you fall asleep.” “I don’t snore.” “Of course not. You just breathe loudly.” Bobby Joe wrapped his arms around Zef’s waist and kissed his cheek. “Really, really, really loudly.” “What makes you think you’re going to get the opportunity to get used to it, anyway?” Zef tried to push Bobby Joe away, but the cowboy held tight. “Nothing. But I’d sure like the chance, vientoloco,” he said softly and kissed Zef’s temple before turning back to the stove. “Bacon and eggs all right?” “What are you doing, Bobby Joe?” Zef watched as Bobby Joe’s shoulders slumped.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 35 “Trying,” he said, barely above a whisper. He filled two plates and carried them to the small table in the corner of the kitchen. “Please sit. Eat. I’ll take you back to town after we finish.” Zef took a chair and looked at the cowboy. Bobby Joe watched his plate as he ate, unwilling to meet Zef’s eyes while they ate in silence. Bobby Joe kept his back to Zef as he gathered the plates and started on the dishes. “Your clothes are hanging in the closet, and your boots are on the rack by the front door. There’s clean towels in the cabinet if you want a shower before we go.” “BJ, please.” Bobby Joe wouldn’t turn around as he put the clean plates in the rack. Then he started wiping down the countertops. Zef stopped him by putting his hand on top of Bobby Joe’s. He looked up into the cowboy’s sad green eyes, noticing the flash of pain that went through them before he hid his emotions away. A muscle ticked in Bobby Joe’s jaw as he swallowed. He blinked slowly, nodded, and walked away before Zef could say anything else. The ride back to town was uncomfortable. Every time Zef opened his mouth to say something, he would see the look on Bobby Joe’s face and he’d snap it shut again. He knew he’d put that look on his face, and he wanted to reach out, to take Bobby Joe’s hand, to do something—anything— to get the smiling, playful cowboy back, but he didn’t know how. He’d shut the man down, hard, and now he didn’t know how to open the dialog back up. Bobby Joe drove them to the sheriff’s office, where Manny’s cruiser was parked out front. “You got a spare uniform in there?” Bobby Joe asked after he put the truck in park.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 36 “Yeah. I keep one in my office.” Zef pinched the bridge of his nose again. “Look, Bobby Joe—” “I understand. You don’t want—” He shook his head, slid on a pair of black sunglasses, and turned back to the windshield. “Never mind.” Zef saw that muscle ticking in Bobby Joe’s jaw as he ground his teeth again. “Thanks for the ride. And—for everything. Last night. This morning.” “I didn’t try anything, Sheriff. I just made sure you were comfortable.” Zef smiled at him, even though Bobby Joe kept facing forward. “I know you wouldn’t do something like that, Bobby Joe. And I appreciate it.” When he realized Bobby Joe wasn’t going to give more of an answer than a slight nod, Zef sighed and hopped out of the truck and went into the station. “Hey, Boss. Have a good night?” Manny asked with a grin. The grin faded when he looked at Zef’s face. “What have we got today?” Manny shook his head. “Not much. Both Marks and the trucker decided not to press charges against each other and agreed to split the damages to the motel. Everyone’s happy with that.” “Anything else?” “Nope. Not unless something happens.” “All right then.” Zef went to his office and shut the door, not bothering to change into his spare uniform.

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Chapter Seven “GODDAMMIT! Bobby Joe! Heads up!” Whiner screamed to get his attention. Bobby Joe turned just in time to catch a face full of horn, opening a gash along his cheekbone and knocking him to the ground. The angry bull bounced around, stomping on Bobby Joe’s chest as Whiner and Tinker fought to catch the spooked animal. Whiner’s voice was near panic when he saw Connie jump off the fence and into the ring. “Connie! What the fuck’re you doing? Get out of there!” “He’s hurt!” Connie yelled back at Whiner. Connie’s tennis shoes slid in the dirt as he grabbed Bobby Joe under the arms and dragged the cowboy to the edge of the ring before the bull could do any more damage. He pulled his Tshirt off and pressed it to Bobby Joe’s face while Whiner and Tinker wrestled the bull back into the chute and secured the gate. Connie looked down into the pale face. “Bobby Joe? Talk to me.” Bobby Joe looked up and took a ragged breath, wheezing against the tightness. He could make out faces looking at him, but when tried to attach names to them, none came to him. He closed his eyes and let the blackness take over.

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CAME to with a splitting headache and an ache in his

chest. His face felt tight across the left side, and he couldn’t open that eye. Whiner was holding Connie tight at the end of the bed, bending down to rest his chin on top of Connie’s head. Aunt Alva was sitting in a chair next to his head. “Let me guess,” he rasped. “I’m fucking fired?” Whiner laughed. “You’re goddamn right you are.” Bobby Joe tried to laugh with him, but the band across his chest made it impossible, and smiling pulled on that tightness in his face. He took a few wheezing breaths, then closed his eyes and settled his head deeper into the pillow. Aunt Alva put a comforting hand on his arm as Whiner explained his injuries. “Doc says you got a concussion and a bruised sternum. Got a good gash on your face he had to stitch up too.” “How much longer—” Bobby Joe started to ask before he felt his body go rigid and blackness took over again.

“HEY there. How’re you feeling?” It was dark, and Whiner was the only one in the room when Bobby Joe woke up. The light over his bed was on, so he squinted at his boss. Breathing was difficult. “Hurts. Head. Chest.” He tried pointing to the areas, but his arm wouldn’t cooperate with his brain. “You remember what happened?”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 39 Bobby Joe winced and gave Whiner a tiny nod before closing his eyes again. “Bull.” “Do you remember waking up earlier? When Connie and Alva were here?” Bobby Joe opened one eye and studied Whiner’s face for a moment before giving another nod. “The doctor said you had a convulsion. He’s going to keep you here for a few more days. A week, tops.” “Gotta. Work. Ranch.” Bobby Joe started to sit up, but Whiner stopped him with a hand to his chest. Bobby Joe hissed in pain and collapsed back into the bed. “Shit! Sorry!” Whiner snatched his hand back and set it on Bobby Joe’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about the ranch. It’ll still be there when you get out. Besides, didn’t I fire you? Again?” Bobby Joe started to laugh, but the pain was too much. “Don’t. Hurts.” “Okay, Bobby Joe. Just rest.” Whiner leaned over to turn off the light and sat back down in the chair.

BOBBY JOE had a couple more convulsions the day after that first one, but beyond a few new scars, the doctors hadn’t been able to find any lasting damage. They’d kept him in the hospital for a week, just to make sure he was on the road to recovery. His chest ached by the end of the day, and he’d had some pretty bad headaches, but the dizziness had passed, and his memory was fine. He finally got to the point where he just couldn’t stand lying on his back any longer. The food was pretty awful, too, even with the drive-through

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 40 meals Whiner would sneak in for him. He was glad to get back to Alva’s cooking. He had even halfway looked forward to dealing with the stacks of equipment repair records waiting to be updated in the tracking systems. There had been a large grain delivery while he was laid up as well. Everything that happened in the barn was Bobby Joe’s responsibility, but when he went to work on anything, Whiner snatched the stack of papers out of his hands before he could even see the first page and wandered back to his office mumbling something that sounded a lot like “fucking fired” under his breath. Connie and Alva had ganged up on him when Whiner brought him home, not allowing him to stay alone in his cabin. Every time he tried to head that way, one of them would tell Whiner, and Whiner would threaten to physically carry him back to the main house. Not that Whiner cared that much about where Bobby Joe stayed. He only cared about keeping the peace and making sure Connie and Alva were happy. Whiner was certainly working at keeping Connie happy. He had sounded very happy every night since Bobby Joe had gotten out of the hospital. Whiner’s room was three doors away from Bobby Joe’s, but their moans and groans carried through the wooden hallways. He couldn’t tell what exactly was happening, but he could well imagine it. Whiner’s groans would get louder, then Connie’s moans would echo in the hallway. The nights in the hospital had been bad, with nothing to do but lie back all night and think about Zef, replaying every conversation, both online and off. How every time he got

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 41 near the man, his body reacted. But this was nearly unbearable. Hearing Connie and Whiner, night after night, remembering the chat sessions when he told Zef about those noises and Zef’s responses. He imagined Zef reaching down into that jock, stroking the cock he had felt rubbing against his chest when he carried Zef out of the bar. He almost kicked himself for not trying anything while the sheriff was passed out, but he had more honor than to do anything to the man when he was in that state. He had, however, taken his time undressing the sheriff for bed. It had almost taken more control than he had to not run his tongue along those colorful wings, to not take the nipple rings in his mouth and tug on them. He knew Zef made the most delicious noises when they were pulled—he’d done it in his sleep that night. It even stopped his snoring for a few minutes. God, Bobby Joe’s cock was getting hard thinking about the man. He threw the covers off, kicking them down to the end of the bed. He grabbed around the base of his hard-on and ran his hand up it in a long, slow stroke. When he got to the head, he cupped his hand over it, slicking his palm with precum. When he ran his hand down it, the added slickness made him groan. Down the hall, he heard a couple of loud smacking noises, and Whiner’s deep groan. The man was so loud, it almost vibrated the floorboards. Connie’s higher-pitched grunting carried over it. Bobby Joe imagined what was happening in the master suite of the house. He’d seen Connie and Whiner out in the field a couple of times. He’d never take Zef out there—he knew first-hand how little privacy the secluded area really provided. Just because you couldn’t see out of the brush once you were in the clearing

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 42 didn’t mean that you weren’t perfectly visible from certain vantage points. A couple of decades of herding cattle with the Stendhals, first with Whiner’s old man and now with Whiner, had taught him every spot on that ranch. He knew where every hole in the brush was, everywhere an animal could hide, and exactly where you needed to be to hide from prying eyes. He couldn’t be sure they weren’t doing it on purpose. But, he’d never known Whiner to show his feelings for anyone openly—hell, he’d never even had a lover out to the ranch before Connie. As far as Bobby Joe knew, Whiner had hardly indulged in private displays of affection before Connie, let alone public ones. And with how protective he was of Connie, Bobby Joe seriously doubted Whiner was out there to provide entertainment for the hands. When Chance and Tinker got too close, Bobby Joe had sent them back up to the barn on a trumped-up errand. He stroked himself a little harder, spreading more of his precum down his cock. When he’d told Loco—Zef—about it, he’d wanted all the details. Not just cock sizes and tan lines. He’d wanted to know about the noises the men made, the looks on their faces, the smells of the field. It had surprised Bobby Joe that Loco would be so interested in two men he’d never met and probably never would. It was like he was looking for something. Something beyond the momentary titillation of hearing about two men getting it on. Now that he’d met Loco, had looked into his eyes, he knew Zef wanted more. And fuck if he didn’t want to be the one to give it to him. Bobby Joe slowed his strokes down, remembering the way Whiner had looked at Connie as his smaller lover

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 43 straddled his wide hips when they made love near the pond. When Connie looked down at Whiner, Bobby Joe could see the love from up on the bank. It hit him squarely in the chest, smack dab where the bull had tried to stomp it out of him. He rubbed the spot as he slid his other hand up and down. Whiner’s groans got louder, the smacks came faster and sounded harder. Bobby Joe couldn’t help but picture Zef, bent over in front of him, one of his hands smacking that perfect round ass, the other tangling in Zef’s long, wavy hair. He took his hand off his dick and spit in his palm, and then smeared it along the length. In his mind, he watched himself tighten his fist in the black strands, gathering them together to pull Zef’s head back. He pictured Zef’s arms, the tattoos stretching from his shoulders to his wrists, only broken up by the gleaming silver of his department issue handcuffs, securing his wrists behind his back as Bobby Joe pumped into him. He watched his cock sliding in and out of Zef’s hole, slicked with oil. Zef’s hands would clench, tightening into fists, then releasing like he was trying to grab something. Maybe trying to grab Bobby Joe and hold on tight. Connie’s grunts got louder and faster, but Bobby Joe was so lost in his fantasy, he could only see Zef, could only hear Zef making those noises. Zef was writhing around under him, ass high in the air and shoulders against the bed, helpless with his hands locked in his cuffs. Speeding up some more, he vaguely heard hoarse shouting—one deep baritone and one higher tenor crying out. In his mind, Zef was groaning, panting, and growling at him to do it harder, faster, deeper. He brought his free hand down to wrap around his balls and tug on them. Tightening his fist again,

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 44 he could almost feel Zef’s ass clenching on his cock as the sheriff came under him, spilling on the sheets. He could picture Zef’s back arching, his shoulders coming off the bed as his body tightened and jerked. Bobby Joe rode him through the imagined orgasm, tugging on his own balls, and running his hand to the end of his cock. He called out Zef’s name as his body jerked when he came over his fingers. “Fuck!” Bobby Joe couldn’t stop his shout as the muscles in his chest spasmed. He was still wheezing against the pain when his bedroom door swung open and Connie came flying in, wrapping himself up in the snap-front shirt Whiner had been wearing that day. It swallowed his small frame, almost hanging down to his knees. “Bobby Joe! Are you all right—” The question died in his throat when he saw Bobby Joe’s hands, still wrapped around his cock and balls, covered in cum. He stared at Bobby Joe’s fist before finally flicking his eyes up to Bobby Joe’s face. “You’re not supposed to be doing anything strenuous,” he chastised as he walked to the attached bathroom. Bobby Joe could hear the water run for a minute before Connie came back in with a wet washcloth. Bobby Joe heard Whiner’s growl and looked over to the door. The big rancher stood there, naked and taking up the entire frame. He was glaring at the washcloth in Connie’s hand as he crossed his huge arms across his wide chest. Bobby Joe didn’t dare lower his gaze below those arms. Instead, he looked back at Connie and snatched the wet cloth from his hand. “Do you guys mind?” He wiped his fingers off first, then dropped the cloth into his lap.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 45 “You screamed. We just wanted to make sure you’re all right.” “I’m fine. Really, Connie. You guys can go.” Bobby Joe met Connie’s stare, challenging him to say anything. “We heard you, Bobby Joe,” he said softly. “Has he called at all?” “No.” Bobby Joe closed his eyes and sighed. “Do you want—” Connie’s question was cut off before he could finish asking. “Connie, let’s go.” Whiner said from the door. “But we can call him and maybe—” Whiner’s glare stopped Connie from saying what might happen if Bobby Joe let them call Zef. “No, thanks. He made his position perfectly clear.” Bobby Joe rubbed the cloth against his crotch, then dropped it onto the nightstand and pulled the covers up to his hips. “But—” Connie studied him for a minute before shutting his mouth and taking the cloth back to the bathroom, carrying it by one corner. Bobby Joe heard the water run again, and Connie came out with his pill bottle and a glass of water. “Here, take one of these.” Bobby Joe obeyed the order and lay back against the pillows, pulling the comforter back up with him. Connie sat down on the bed next to him, setting his hand on Bobby Joe’s thigh. “Are you sure you don’t want us to call him?” “Connie.” Whiner growled from the door.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 46 Bobby Joe leaned forward to put his hand on top of Connie’s. “Thanks, but no. He knows how to get to me.” Boy, did he know how to get to Bobby Joe. “You’re sure?” Connie’s look was skeptical. “I’m sure. Okay?” He settled back into the mattress, knowing the pain in his chest had nothing to do with the bull. “Okay.” Connie left, ducking out under Whiner’s arm, smacking Whiner’s wide backside as he headed back down the hallway to their room. Whiner stood up straight and stretched his back. When he turned, Bobby Joe noticed his ass was bright pink. Bobby Joe really hadn’t needed to know who was getting spanked in the other room. “Bobby Joe?” Whiner said, leaving his back toward him. “Yeah, boss?” “Scare us like that again, and you’re fucking fired.”

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Chapter Eight ZEF stared at the screen, not seeing anything but the shaded cowboy hat icon in the “Offline” list. Bobby Joe hadn’t logged in for nearly three weeks. Zef came home every night, opened a bottle of tequila, and logged in, hoping he could talk to the man again. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed chatting with fckgfired until the man shut him out. Bobby Joe didn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t, online or off. The man Zef had flirted with, had formed a connection with online was exactly the same as he was that night in the bar, and the morning after. Friendly, interested, concerned. Vulnerable. He finished off his latest bottle and passed out in his desk chair with the volume turned up on his computer, so he could hear if his pounce had gone through. His cell phone rang, and he jerked awake to check the screen. It rang again, and he scrubbed his hand down his face before answering it. Manny was way too cheerful, as usual. “Hey, Boss. I’m on my way.” The clock on his toolbar said it was just after seven. He rubbed his eyes again. “Right. Give me fifteen minutes. You got a key if I’m not ready.” “Just please, for the love of all that’s holy, have some pants on!” Manny cackled as he hung up. Zef thought about giving the phone the finger, but that would take too much

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 48 energy, and it wouldn’t care anyway. He stretched and lumbered down the hallway to grab a shower and dress. He stood under the hot spray, trying to loosen his aching neck muscles, deciding he was getting too old to pass out in desk chairs anymore. “Hey Boss! I’m here,” Manny called out as he entered Zef’s house. He waited near the front door, just to allow extra time for Zef to finish dressing. He’d been treated to jockstraps in a variety of colors over the past two weeks. He’d been getting the man home from the bar every night after their shift and waking him every morning, usually being greeted by a partially clothed walking hangover. Zef came out of the bedroom, buttoning his shirt and tucking it into jeans. He pulled on his boots and followed Manny out the door, buckling his gun belt. “You changing the dress code on us? ’Cause that would be awesome. Gina hates these pants.” “What the fuck do I care?” Manny remained quiet most of the way to the station. “You know about the picnic this weekend, right? You planning on going?” Zef sighed. He hated being forced to attend social functions like those, but as sheriff, he had to go. Everyone in the area would be there to show their appreciation to the county’s service personnel. The annual “Lock ’Em Up, Hose ’Em Down” softball game pitting the local law enforcers against the volunteer fire fighters was the highlight of the weekend. The fire fighters had won the last three years, with Whiner and his ranch hands being the best players in the county. With the way Bobby Joe had been keeping his

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 49 distance, Zef wasn’t looking forward to watching him do it in person. He wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. “Yeah, I’ll be there. But don’t expect me to play.” “Why not? You’ve got the underwear for it.” Manny shot him a smile. “As long as you’re there to cheer us on. Without Bobby Joe playing, we may stand a chance. Whiner’s still got a heavy bat, and he can really move for such a big man, but without Bobby Joe’s fielding, we may be able to get some balls to drop.” “What do you mean?” “Heavy bat? Whiner usually hits home runs.” “No. Bobby Joe’s not playing?” Zef looked at Manny as if he had the answers written on the side of his head. “I doubt it. He’s still healing, as far as I know.” Zef shook his head, feeling a little shaken. “Healing? What the fuck are you talking about?” “Didn’t you hear? He got stomped pretty good by a bull.” “Fuck. When?” Zef’s feet got cold as his heart dropped from its assigned spot in his chest. “Bout two, two and a half weeks ago? Right after that motel thing. Was in the hospital for a week.” Zef slumped against his seat. “Take me out there.” With his mind reeling like this, he was pretty sure he’d drop his bike if he tried to ride out there now. “Boss?” “Just fucking take me.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 50 “On it.” Manny turned the cruiser around in the parking lot of the station and headed toward the Stand. No wonder Bobby Joe hadn’t been online. Fuck. He’d convinced himself the man was avoiding him, so he hadn’t bothered checking for himself. He had just obsessed and pouted, like a kid being shown an ice cream shop but denied a sundae. “And, Manny?” “Yeah, Boss?” “Sorry I’ve been such an ass lately.” Manny smiled, reaching over to squeeze Zef’s shoulder. “It’s about time you figured it out.” Zef wondered how bad off Bobby Joe was. Images of his father flashed through his mind. The once strong man lying broken in a hospital bed. The goddamn mines finishing the job and claiming the last of his family. That’s why he had chosen the Air Force, taking to the skies, far above any fucking holes in the ground. And now Bobby Joe had been lying there, helpless in one of those beds. Jesus, he was such an asshole. He was the one who’d shoved Bobby Joe away, and then he blamed the man for not trying to contact him. How fucking selfish he had been. Almost three weeks since Bobby Joe had been hurt, and not even a phone call to check up. Whiner was at the corral when they drove up. “Is there a problem, Sheriff?” Whiner called out when Zef got out and looked toward Bobby Joe’s cabin. He couldn’t make out anything inside, but he could feel eyes on him.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 51 Looking around, he found another cowboy standing in the barn door and Aunt Alva in the back door of the house. He shook his head. “I wanted to see Bobby Joe. How is he?” “You’re kinda on the ass end of asking, ain’t ya? He’s almost healed now.” “Sorry. I just heard about it.” He shrugged and looked at the ground. Because I’ve had my head up my ass. “Kinda fucked up, if you ask me.” Whiner’s cold look told Zef he was about two weeks past having any right to ask about the foreman. Still, he had to try. “Please, Whiner. I know I should have called sooner. Come by. Something.” Whiner looked straight into Zef’s eyes. “Yeah, you really should’ve. He’s resting now. Best to let him be.” Turning back to his horse, Whiner effectively dismissed Zef. Zef stood there for a minute before turning and looking back at the cabin. The curtains moved, and he could make out the shape of a body inside. Bobby Joe stepped forward so Zef could see him clearly. He looked pale and drawn. Then Bobby Joe stepped back, letting the curtains close. Zef’s shoulders fell as he walked back to the car. “Take me back home,” Zef said quietly once he dropped into the passenger seat. “Boss?” “Manny, please.” He exhaled and let his head drop between his knees, trying to calm his breathing. “Just take me home.”

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Chapter Nine BOBBY JOE’S heart sped up when he saw the cruiser pull up. When Zef got out of the car, Bobby Joe noticed his hair was tangled, and his shirt was wrinkled. Zef took the sunglasses off for a moment and looked his way. He could feel Zef’s stare all the way from the corral. It pulled him forward against the window, almost willing his body to go to the sheriff. He moved the curtains aside and watched, one hand on the glass, as Whiner talked to Zef. After only a few minutes, Zef looked back toward him. The look that crossed Zef’s face cut straight through Bobby Joe’s heart. He recoiled at it, letting the sheer curtains close. Bobby Joe watched Zef open the passenger door and sink into the seat. The car kicked up a thick dust trail as it disappeared down the long gravel road. “You okay?” Connie stood in the kitchen watching him. This was the first week he had been allowed back on his own in his cabin. They still took turns checking up on him. It was Connie’s turn to make sure he didn’t burn himself with the toaster or something. “Bobby Joe?” “Huh?” He blinked at Connie. “You spaced out there.” “Oh. I’m fine.” He shook his head to clear out that last image of Zef. Even from a distance, he could tell the difference in the way the man was carrying himself. Even

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 53 before his talk with Whiner, he had almost looked like he was defeated. The predator was gone, and Bobby Joe didn’t like that. He wondered what had happened to the sheriff to make him lose his confidence like that. Connie looked out the window to watch Whiner working with a new colt. “You want to go out there and help him?” “No, I know better than to go against orders.” He held up his hands in surrender and nodded toward the window. “Sheriff was just here.” “Really? I wonder what’s up.” “Don’t know. He and Manny were only here for a few minutes before they left.” Connie picked up the two-way radio from the desk. “Whiner? What did the sheriff want?” They watched Whiner walk over to the fence to pick up his radio from the top of one of the posts. “Nothing.” “Whiner.” “I said nothing.” Whiner’s voice was gruff, but Connie held firm. “What did the sheriff want, Whiner?” Whiner glared at them and shook his head. “It’s okay, Connie. You can drop it.” Bobby Joe sat behind his desk. “Are you finished with this upgrade?” Connie accepted the subject change and walked Bobby Joe through the changes he had made to the laptop. Because of the chest injury, Bobby Joe hadn’t been able to sit up for long periods of time. He hadn’t even asked to have

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 54 his computer set up in the guest room. Now that he was back in his own cabin, he wanted to get back online. After seeing the sheriff, he was glad to be back in his own space. He appreciated the help Connie had been those first couple of days, but at night, he was reminded—loudly, and repeatedly—why he’d moved into his own cabin in the first place. It also made him want to reach out to Zef even more. It was late afternoon when Connie finished explaining the changes he had made, and why, and what the expected results were. In great detail. Bobby Joe’s chest was aching, so he carried his laptop over to his couch and settled back against the comfortable leather. After making his usual rounds of farm bureaus, college sports recruiting websites, and football message boards, he took a deep breath and logged into the instant messaging.

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Chapter Ten ZEF was silent all the way to his house. After a few miles, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Bobby Joe’s face kept floating back up in front of him. The drive seemed even longer than it had been the first time Manny had taken him out there. “Hey, Boss?” Manny stopped him as he started to get out of the car. “Yeah?” “I know we’ve never talked about it, but I wanted you to know we’re all here for you, whatever happens. Me, and all the guys.” Zef looked at him and smiled, guessing that was as close to an acceptance as he was likely to get from a smalltown Texas sheriff’s station. “Thanks, Manny. ’Preciate it.” He went into the house and made a beeline for his computer, booting up and logging into his instant messaging. He sat at his desk, staring at Bobby Joe’s avatar for hours, willing the cowboy to log in. To just give him a chance. Finally, he stepped away to make a sandwich and get comfortable. He was stripping out of his uniform shirt when he heard his computer ping. Running back to his desk, he tripped on his boots and fell against the desk when he saw Bobby Joe

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 56 had signed in. He closed his eyes and exhaled as he sat down. bj? you all right? Fine i just heard about what happened. u okay? Fine need anything? No. Zef closed his eyes again. He supposed he deserved the terse responses. He took a deep breath before continuing. i’m sorry. For what? You didn’t do it. Bull did. i should have called. came by. something Not much you could have done. still—i’m sorry. Bobby Joe didn’t say anything for a while. Zef was about to say it again when Bobby Joe answered. Saw you today. i should have come sooner. Y? i was wrong. Bout? i shouldn’t have pushed you away. Why did you?

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 57 i don’t know. stupid i guess? Bobby Joe didn’t answer. bj? He waited for a minute, but Bobby Joe still didn’t respond. bj? His heart started to ache as he watched the blinking cursor. bj? please. Zef held his breath as Bobby Joe signed out. He pinched his nose and sighed when he realized Bobby Joe had pointed out how often he did that. His eyes burned, and he blinked a few times. He leaned forward and propped his head up on his forearms. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for being such a fool. The computer pinged again, and the chat window blinked. He exhaled and choked on a watery laugh as he checked the screen. That’s 3 offers...... He bit his lip as he grunted and pumped his fist in the air. He settled his breathing down to type a response. DON’T GO ANYWHERE. ON MY WAY. He rushed to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were shiny, and he looked as awful as he had been feeling. Letting the shower warm up, he dusted off his grooming kit. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair before clicking on the clippers.

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Chapter Eleven BOBBY JOE watched Zef’s session change to idle before he logged off. He smiled and went to the bedroom. He’d just lie down for a half hour. It would take Zef at least that long to get there, and the rest would help. He ran a hand over his face, felt the new scar, and wondered what Zef would think of it. If he kept the lights off, he wouldn’t have to worry about it until the morning. Zef took longer to get ready than he had expected. When he pulled up in front of Bobby Joe’s cabin, the lights were out in the other cabins, and the downstairs lights were out in the big ranch house. He took off his helmet, mounted the steps, and knocked on the door. He wasn’t sure if he shivered due to nervousness or just the cool air on his scalp, newly shaven after so long. But, he felt years younger and about a hundred pounds lighter since Bobby Joe’s flirting. There was no answer, so he knocked again. He looked around and saw curtains moving in the bigger cabin near the bunkhouse. He tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. He used his “officer” voice, calling out as he stood in the doorway. “Bobby Joe? It’s Zef. You in here?” He stepped into the living room and closed the door, locking it behind him. The laptop sitting on top of the desk in the corner was open and on. There was no one in the front rooms, so he moved on to the bedroom at the back of the cabin and found Bobby Joe sleeping. A new ragged “T” shaped scar covered Bobby

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 59 Joe’s left cheek. He gently traced it with his fingers before sitting on the edge of the bed. Bobby Joe stirred in his sleep and rolled over into the touch. Zef smiled and helped Bobby Joe out of his clothes, carefully working the jeans down the sleeping body and leaving Bobby Joe in his boxers. After setting a sports drink and Bobby Joe’s pain medicine on the nightstand, he shut off all the lights and stripped down to his jock to curl in behind Bobby Joe, holding him close. He buried his nose in the cowboy’s neck, taking a deep breath, and drifted off. Zef woke up alone in Bobby Joe’s bed again. He wiped the drool from his cheek and went into the living room. Bobby Joe was sitting at his desk, checking his email. He turned as Zef walked up behind him. “Morning,” Bobby Joe drawled sleepily. “How are you feeling?” He stood between Bobby Joe’s spread knees and traced the scar on his cheek again. Bobby Joe tried to turn his face away, but Zef held him steady, leaning in to look at it closely. Then he kissed it lightly. Bobby Joe licked his lips and turned his face to meet Zef’s lips with his. “I’m doing better.” Bobby Joe looked up at him. “I’m glad you’re here.” “I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t there.” Bobby Joe shook his head. “I was prepared for the lumberjack competition. It was the flock of geese joining them that drove me to the couch.” Zef smiled and kissed him again. “You’ll just have to get used to it.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 60 “I’d like that.” Bobby Joe leaned back and rubbed his hand over Zef’s head. “What happened to your hair?” Zef reached up and put his hand over Bobby Joe’s. “Needed to clean up. Thought it was time.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head into Bobby Joe’s touch. Bobby Joe cupped his hand around the back of Zef’s neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss. He ran his hands down to Zef’s jock, pulling him closer with the leg straps. “Guess I’ll have to grab on to these until it grows back,” he said when he broke the kiss. Zef took Bobby Joe’s hands and pulled him up, led him to the couch, and pushed Bobby Joe to sit down. He straddled Bobby Joe’s thighs and wrapped his arms around the cowboy’s neck. Bobby Joe moaned and leaned his head against the back of the couch as Zef started kissing his neck. Zef settled back on his knees, keeping his weight off Bobby Joe’s chest, and put his hand over the faint pink hoof outline in the center, nearly over his heart. Bobby Joe watched as he traced the light scar with a finger. “He broke the skin. Connie told me Whiner freaked out when he saw the blood. Just threw me into the truck and high-tailed to the hospital. Didn’t wait for the ambulance.” “Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t have any speed traps set up that day.” Zef’s words were playful, but his tone was serious. He looked up into Bobby Joe’s eyes. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. And for not trying. I just didn’t know how.” He bent down to kiss the center of Bobby Joe’s chest.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 61 “You’re doing a pretty good job.” Bobby Joe threaded his fingers through Zef’s and kissed his fingertips. “What now?” “Now?” Zef smiled wickedly, his eyes lighting up. “Now, you sit back while I make good on that offer.” He moved to kneel in front of Bobby Joe. His tongue darted out to lick a nipple. Then he blew on it, making it pebble. He leaned forward and sucked on it, nibbling a little. Bobby Joe arched his back and groaned. Bobby Joe watched Zef move to the hoof print, following the scar with his tongue before sucking hard on the skin in the center of it, leaving a hickey right over the heart. He looked up, meeting the cowboy’s eyes. Bobby Joe smiled at him. Zef kissed his mark before moving down Bobby Joe’s tight abdomen, following the faint treasure trail that disappeared under the waistband of his boxers. Bobby Joe massaged Zef’s scalp through the close-cropped hair. Zef turned into the caress and kissed the inside of Bobby Joe’s elbow. Then he trailed his tongue along the prominent vein running the length of the beefy forearm. He ran his tongue back up it, nibbling on the skin as he went before turning to the other arm. “Like those?” Bobby Joe asked as he formed tight fists, bringing the thick cords higher. Zef groaned and sucked on one of them. “Fucking love them.” He rubbed his crotch against Bobby Joe’s shin. “Always has been a turn on.” Bobby Joe shifted his legs and reached down to adjust his erection. Zef followed the vein down to Bobby Joe’s hand. He buried his face in the loose cotton and sucked Bobby Joe through the fabric.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 62 Bobby Joe moaned and inched forward to shove the boxers down his thighs, his cock bouncing free as it cleared the waistband. Zef leaned forward and sucked on the head as he finished pulling them off and dropped them aside. He tongued under the foreskin, making Bobby Joe moan and thrust his hips. Zef gripped the base and pumped his fist as he continued sucking and licking just the head. Bobby Joe reached down with one hand and pushed Zef’s away, grabbing it himself. Zef looked up, questioning. Bobby Joe cupped Zef’s cheek with the other hand, running his thumb along Zef’s bottom lip. Zef nipped at the pad and twirled his tongue around it. Bobby Joe smiled at him. “Goddammit, Zef. If you’re going to suck my cock, stop teasing and fucking do it already.” He moved his hand to the back of Zef’s neck to urge him forward. Zef opened his lips and slowly took Bobby Joe in. He kept his eyes on Bobby Joe’s as he hollowed his cheeks and pulled back and then pressed forward again. When the head hit the back of Zef’s throat, he held still, swallowing a few times. “Fuck, you look good with my dick in your mouth.” Bobby Joe pushed his hips down against the cushions to pull out a little, then pumped back in, setting up a rhythm of short, shallow strokes. Zef’s eyes never left Bobby Joe’s. When he started to reach for Bobby Joe’s cock again, Bobby Joe shook his head. Zef gripped Bobby Joe’s thighs instead. “That’s it. Good. Damn, I wish you had your cuffs.” Zef groaned and nodded. He tilted his head forward and leaned into Bobby Joe’s thrusts, taking him down his throat again. He bobbed his head up and down, breathing heavily through his nose. Saliva was dripping down to Bobby Joe’s sac.

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 63 Bobby Joe pulled Zef off and pushed his head lower. “Lick my balls,” he said, lifting his hips higher and scooting closer to the edge of the couch. He rubbed his leg against Zef’s crotch a little harder as he stroked his cock. Zef moaned and took one ball into his mouth, making Bobby Joe groan and pump a little faster. He pulled off it and dragged his tongue in a figure eight pattern, moving around and between them. Bobby Joe’s balls started to tighten as he watched Zef’s lips close around the other. Bobby Joe rubbed his hand over Zef’s scalp. Zef opened his eyes and looked up at Bobby Joe, his pupils wide. “Come up here,” Bobby Joe whispered. Zef tried to sit next to Bobby Joe, but the cowboy held strong arms around him, pulling him onto his lap, grinding his erection against Zef’s still-covered one. Bobby Joe pulled him down for a deep kiss, running his hands down Zef’s back and up his chest, raking the through the hair and tugging on the nipple rings before reaching around Zef to graze a finger along Zef’s hole. Zef hissed and arched his back, pushing his hips back against Bobby Joe’s hand. Bobby Joe kissed along Zef’s jaw, nibbling on the neatly trimmed beard and down Zef’s neck. “What do you want, Sheriff?” Bobby Joe used his teeth to tug on one of Zef’s nipple rings. He tapped against his hole again. Zef moaned and ground down on Bobby Joe’s lap. “Is this what you want? You want my cock in you?” Zef writhed against Bobby Joe, trying to get more friction against his hard-on. Bobby Joe kept licking and sucking Zef’s nipples. “Do you want me to fuck you? Tell me.”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 64 “God yes.” Zef lifted Bobby Joe’s face up to look into the hazy green eyes before diving in for another kiss. He was gasping for air when he broke the kiss. “Fuck me, Bobby Joe.” “In there.” Zef stood and turned around to take a condom and a bottle of lube from the drawer Bobby Joe nodded at. When he bent over, Bobby Joe grabbed Zef’s ass, pulling the cheeks apart. When Bobby Joe dragged his tongue down the crack and started licking at the exposed hole, Zef had to lean forward to brace his arms against the table. “Oh, fuck.” Zef panted and dropped his head as Bobby Joe rimmed him, flattening his tongue for long licks and then poking into him. Bobby Joe cupped Zef through the jock. “Fuck, Bobby Joe.” He whimpered and stood up, turning around to stroke Bobby Joe’s cock and roll a condom on. He started to climb back onto the couch, but Bobby Joe stopped him with a palm to his stomach. “Turn around.” Zef watched Bobby Joe squeeze some of the lube between his thumb and first two fingers before lifting his eyes to meet the cowboy’s. Bobby Joe drew up an eyebrow and rotated his hand, wordlessly repeating his order. Zef turned and smirked over his shoulder, canting his hips upward. Bobby Joe returned his smug look, smacking his ass with one hand as he shoved two fingers in and curled them, hitting that spot. Zef threw his head back with a hoarse cry and bucked against Bobby Joe’s hand. Bobby Joe chuckled and kissed a cheek as he slid his fingers in and out, making sure to skim over the bundle of

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 65 nerves with every pass. Zef squirmed, not sure if he was trying to get away from Bobby Joe’s tormenting or get more of it. He yelped in surprise when Bobby Joe bit the cheek he had been stroking. He looked down at the smiling face as Bobby Joe licked the bite and then placed a soothing kiss over it. Bobby Joe stilled his fingers and flicked his eyes up. Zef’s breath caught in his chest at the emotions he saw play across Bobby Joe’s face. He licked his lips and nodded. Bobby Joe kissed his hip one more time and put a hand on it to pull him backwards. He shuddered when Bobby Joe withdrew his fingers to wrap them around the base of his own cock. Zef arched his back as Bobby Joe guided him down. Both men moaned at the sensations. Bobby Joe wrapped his arms tight around Zef’s chest and licked his neck. Zef dropped his head onto Bobby Joe’s shoulder and lifted up before sitting back down. He went to move again, but Bobby Joe held Zef’s hips flush against his. Then he took Zef’s wrists and tucked them into the wide waistband of the jock, wrapping an elastic leg strap around each one. He ran one hand up Zef’s back and pushed between his shoulder blades to bend him forward. Then he started pumping up into Zef’s ass, setting a hard, fast rhythm. “Oh, shit. Oh, yeah.” Zef was chanting as Bobby Joe fucked him. His hands reached for Bobby Joe’s legs as he pulled tight against the improvised restraints. Bobby Joe pulled Zef back up and rubbed some more lube into his hand before reaching under the side of the jock to grab Zef’s cock. He jerked Zef in time with his fucking, growling as Zef rocked back and forth between Bobby Joe’s tight fist and hard dick. Zef leaned back against the hard chest behind

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 66 him and pushed himself up and down. Bobby Joe bit along the cords of his neck and reached his other hand into Zef’s jock. Zef’s panting sped up, and Bobby Joe felt Zef’s balls starting to tighten in his hand. “That’s it, baby. Come on.” He pumped faster. “That’s it, Zephyr. Blow for me.” Zef let out a low growl and his muscles tightened as he came over Bobby Joe’s hand, his ass clenching hard on the cock fucking him. Bobby Joe cried out, spilling into the condom. Zef’s body jerked a couple of times before he collapsed against Bobby Joe. His breathing slowed down, settling into deep, even breaths. Bobby Joe chuckled as Zef started a deep, loud snore. He gently released Zef’s wrists and draped his arms around Zef’s chest and eased them down on the couch. He reached down to grab the condom as he pulled out of Zef. He tied it off and dropped it onto his boxers before resting his face against Zef’s neck and dozing behind him. The ringing of the dinner bell woke them. Zef blinked and looked around and traced the veins on Bobby Joe’s arms with his fingers. Bobby Joe loosened his grip to allow Zef room to roll over to face him, looking up into his face and then down at the light scar on his chest. Zef gently touched the mark he’d put over Bobby Joe’s heart. Bobby Joe cupped a cheek with one hand and kissed the top of Zef’s head lightly. “You know, your name is perfect.” Zef looked up at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

Crazy Wind | Xara X. Xanakas 67 Bobby Joe kissed him again. “Because, West Wind, you’ve blown me away. Crazy, huh?”

About the Author

In high school, XARA X. XANAKAS shunned typing class assignments in favor of writing cliffhangers that would drive her friends nuts. She’s been toying with writing ever since. More than twenty years later, she has finally found her inspiration. A wide cast of characters, including a menagerie of shapeshifters, keeps pressuring her to write their stories, telling her about themselves at some of the most inopportune times. Her fine arts degree has been absolutely no help in the IT job she uses to pay the bills. She lives in Texas with her biggest fan and two cats. Visit Xara at http://xaraxanakas.blogspot.com/.

Romance from Dreamspinner Press

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Copyright

Crazy Wind ©Copyright Xara X. Xanakas, 2011 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Art by Anne Cain [email protected] Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the Publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America August 2011 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-001-1