Brian walked inside the ranch and tried his best to pretend that everything was fine.  Outwardly, he appeared as if he were in control as always but inside he was a mess.  He made it a point to say that he would be the one to prepare the body for travel in the morning.  Brian planned to return to the stable a little later and the full impact of what he had done would hit him, he was sure of it.    

Black...  Everything was black.  Justin couldn't move.  Where the fuck was he?  In hell?  The back of his head ached.  His mouth was gagged and his hands and feet were immobilized by pieces of rope.  That's when he had the astonishing revelation that he wasn't dead.  When you're dead, you can't smell the horse shit in the stables.  And you most certainly can't feel any pain.  Just what the fuck was going on?    

It was dark and the men were already retiring to their beds for the night.  Now that they were no longer guarding the kidnapped young man, they could all get a decent night's rest.  They thought nothing of it when Brian announced that he would be retiring himself as soon as he secured the body.   

Brian lit a kerosene lamp and made his way back to the stable.  The light from the lamp illuminated the prone body on the ground.  He smirked when he observed the kid twisting, trying to turn himself over onto his back.  Brian walked over and did it for him.  When he looked down, his eyes met piercing blue ones that were full of confusion.   

"Before I take off the handkerchief, you have to promise me that you won't yell.  That you'll listen to what I have to say."  

Justin nodded his agreement. Brian loosened the handkerchief, sliding it down off Justin's mouth.  

"Why didn't you kill me?  I heard a shot."  

Brian huffed in frustration.  Of course the kid would start yapping immediately.   

"I did kill you," he answered him, "...as far as the others are concerned that is.  We don't have time to discuss this now.  I obviously knocked you out with the butt of my gun, instead of shooting you."  

"Why..."  

"Look, this is not the time nor the place to have a discussion.  We're wasting valuable time.  I'm going to free you and we're going to take two horses and escape.  All you have to do is follow me."  

Brian untied Justin and they readied the horses for travel.  Due to the lateness of the hour, they easily slipped away unnoticed.  Justin followed Brian's lead.  He didn't afford himself time to ponder whether or not Brian could really be trusted.  At this point, he had little choice but to go on that assumption.  The truth of the matter was the man could have shot him and didn't.      

Totally fucked, that's what Brian kept repeating to himself as he struck his heels against either side of his mount.  He had never intentionally disobeyed orders until now.  It's not that he wasn't capable of carrying out Stockwell's directive, he just couldn't do it.  The thought of ending Justin's life was incomprehensible to him.  He supposed that he had somehow grown found of the kid.  He was impressed by his spirit and determination.   

But that wasn't all.  It was something more.  Something that Brian had never experienced before.  He could not put the feeling into words.  Whatever it was, it now resulted in him being on the run with the young man, because they were both essentially marked men.  There was not a doubt in his mind that Stockwell would place a bounty on their heads for their capture, dead or alive.  

It was sweltering.  They were baking under the hot rays of the sun.  Brian  feared that the animals would drop from exhaustion, so he signaled Justin to stop for a rest.  From the looks of the blond, he could use a break too.  

"We can't afford to camp right now.  In a half hour, we'll ride again.  Tonight we'll be able to get some rest, when I'm sure that we've created enough of a lead."      

Later that evening...  

Brian finally allowed them to camp for the night.  After chowing down on some cold food Brian had brought with him, they settled down to get some much needed rest.  Brian rolled out a blanket and Justin did the same. 

After a few moments of silence Justin raised a question, "There's a cool breeze tonight.  Can we make a fire?"  

"No, absolutely not.  We can't risk it.  You'll just have to make do," Brian said in an irritated voice.  

Justin grimaced his disapproval with that answer, but laid back down.  He stared at Brian's back as the older man drifted off to sleep, his breathing became relaxed and shallow.  At last, Justin had the time to entertain thoughts about the mysterious brunet.    

Brian had blatantly disregarded Stockwell's orders.  Now the diabolical man most likely wanted him dead, too.  Why did Brian save him?  Was it because he had developed feelings for Justin?   

Justin was enraptured by the enigma that was Brian Kinney.  The man was complex, infuriating, smart and sexy.   As strange as it was, he was falling in love with his kidnapper.  He shivered as a gust of brisk night air chilled him.  How the fuck was he supposed to sleep?  It wasn't fair that the cold did not seem to effect Brian.  

Justin was desperate to get warm, but the older man would kill him if he made a fire.  He had an idea.  Gathering up his blanket, he moved directly behind Brian.  He was very careful not to wake him as he brazenly molded his body to the contours of Brian's.  Justin smiled triumphantly as he snuggled as close as he could get to the man.  He was warming up already.   

Brian was having a wonderful dream.  He was enjoying the feel of smooth, eager hands delving under his shirt to caress his bare flesh.  Feather light kisses were being pressed against the nape of his neck.  Soft fingers ghosted over the nipples on his chest, causing the nubs to become hard and erect.   

Still in a dream-like haze, Brian turned instinctively toward the body that was rutting against him.  His hand entangled silky locks of hair, as his other hand searched and found the curve of a round, perfect bottom.  A low groan caused him to open his eyes.  When he realized it was the bold, sensual blond clinging to him, Brian froze.  

"Don't stop," Justin pleaded in a breathy whisper.   

"What the fuck are you doing, kid?"   

"I...I want you to fuck me."  

"Is this your ridiculous way of getting warm?"  

"Brian....fuck me."  

Justin pulled Brian's head down for a kiss to show him that he was serious.  The older man didn't resist.  It felt natural to Brian when he aligned his body so that he was lying on top of the young man.  He instantly became cognizant of the heat emanating between them.  Shit.  

With effort, Brian managed to pry himself from the young man's embrace.  He searched Justin's face for answers because something was troubling him.  

"Have you every done this before?" Brian asked cocking an eyebrow.  He was anxious to hear his response.  

"No," Justin reluctantly admitted.  

"Then I don't think we should..."  

"I want my first time to be with you," Justin insisted.  

"Are you sure?"  

"I'm sure I don't want to be a virgin anymore.  I'm sure I want to know what it feels like to have you inside of me."  

Brian closed his eyes.  This was all too much.  The kid's skin was too reactive to his touch, the blueness of his eyes too enticing.  He realized that this is what had been building up between them all along.  Why the fuck shouldn't he give in, let it happen?    

The knowledge that he would be the kid's first secretly thrilled Brian.  It occurred to him that he wanted this as much as Justin did, maybe even more...