Colorado Fire - Colorado Heart 2 by Sara York

Grant took the opportunity to take the kiss from sweet to burning, wrapping his arms around Roger and holding him tight as he slid his tongue against Roger's.
    "Oh shit," Marshal said, effectively ending their kiss.
    Grant turned, catching the shock on Marshal's face. His heart fluttered and he wondered if he'd made a critical error. Then he felt Roger's hand on his lower back, massaging slow circles and he relaxed.
    "Hey, Marshal, we'll be there in a few," Grant said.
    "Okay, I didn't...Never mind."
    "Marshal," Roger stepped out of the circle of Grant's arms and faced the man.
    It took a short moment for Marshal to go from staring at the ground to looking at Roger. "Yeah?"
    "Could you keep this between us? Just for now. You know I'm heading off to London and I don't want anyone to give Grant a hard time while I'm not here."
    Marshal ran his hand over his face and Grant thought for sure they were going to have a problem. Then Marshal smiled and put an arm around both of them, pulling them close. "I'm happy for you. Just shocked. I wasn't prepared to see you glued together like that. Yeah, I'll keep it quiet, but you know—never mind."
    "What? Were you going to say you would tell Zander? Marshal, we do know who you live with. You two haven't said anything yet, but I know you're with Zander."
    He rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. "Yeah, I know. I guess we couldn’t keep it a secret forever."
    "In a normal environment, it would have gone unnoticed, but come on. Who do you think we are?"
    "Yeah, but not everyone knows, right?"
    "No, not everyone."
    "Zander will figure out I know something. He'll see it and you know how Zander is. He's going to ask questions. I'll have to tell him something."
    "That's okay," Roger said.
    "Yeah, I don't mind Zander knowing. We just want to keep it to ourselves for a bit." Grant tried to move away, but Marshal held him tight, only letting Roger go. They walked to the door of the barn and stepped outside. Grant glanced over to Roger, noticing for the first time how similar Marshal and Roger were. He wondered if he was substituting his feelings for Marshal on to Roger. But he shook his head. He didn't have feelings for Marshal any longer. They were friends and work partners, and had never been lovers. His feelings for Craig had died too. He was no longer confused about that. Their relationship was truly over, allowing him to really feel for the first time in a long time. Roger had awaken something in him and he was glad he was finally brave enough to act.
    Marshal pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tight. "I'm happy for you. You deserve someone great. I have Zander and I love him. You deserve to have Roger. He's a good guy."
    Grant pushed Marshal to arms' length. "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you."
    "Good, now let's head in, it's freaking cold out here."
    Marshal walked between he and Roger on the way into the house. He didn't move or try to get his hands on Roger because he knew they'd have time later. Tonight, he'd go to Roger and hold him tight as he slept.
    Having Marshal between them was a safety measure that kept him from reaching out and trapping Roger in his arms, kissing him until they both had to come up for breath. If he did that, he'd ruin their desire to remain quiet about the matter, letting everyone at the ranch know that they were together.
     

 
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Life had a funny way of turning the tables. A few months ago, he'd been at the top of the world. Then rock bottom came screaming at him, slamming into him like a freight train. Now, he was at the top again. Maybe not the top of the world, but at least he was at the top of the mountain which left him in control.
    Craig had hidden well, keeping his shit together, and leaving no trace. Every fake name had been burned. When he'd left England, he had nothing to fall back on but a few thousand Euros he'd stashed in Paris. Wire transfers took time, forcing him to lay low, living in conditions he'd