convincing the sheep to move back the way we came,” Macklin said. “Between the horses and the dogs, it’s usually pretty easy. Slow, but easy. The hard part is getting them all going in the right direction. There are always a few that want to go some other way.”
Caine took another sip of the coffee and handed the thermos back to Macklin. “How do I help?”
“You don’t know the signals for directing the dogs, not that they need much direction, so if you’d keep an eye out for breakaways as we get them started,” Macklin said. “We don’t want to miss any.”
“I can do that,” Caine said. “Is it all right if I get down and walk around for a bit while I’m watching? I’m a little stiff from riding so much.”
“It’s cold enough the snakes should have all gone to ground,” Macklin said. “If you do stumble across one, just stay still until it goes away. You don’t want to get bitten out here. Even with the antivenin we carry in the first aid kits, you’d be in a world of hurt.”
“I’ll be careful,” Caine promised, dismounting stiffly and stretching to touch his toes a couple of times to release the tension in his muscles.
Macklin started shouting orders, the men and dogs going to work gathering up the sheep. Caine stood back and let them do it, leading Titan as he walked toward the upper edge of the field where he hoped to have a better view. The ground became rockier as he walked, escarpments jutting out in places, even creating small cave-like formations. Caine rounded one such escarpment to find a sheep stuck in the rocks.
“Macklin,” he called, not wanting to make the situation worse, but the foreman didn’t hear him. He climbed up on the rocks to call a second time, catching the Aussie’s attention finally and waving him over.
While he waited for Macklin to arrive, he walked a little deeper into the crevice, trying to figure out how to get the sheep free.
“Caine, where are you?”
“In here,” Caine called, pushing against a rock to steady himself. The rock shifted, falling to his feet and revealing a huge snake. “Oh, shit,” Caine said, backing against the wall.
“Caine?”
“Um, w-w-we’ve g-g-got a p-p-problem,” Caine said as Macklin appeared at the entrance to the crevice. “S-s-snake.”
“Don’t move,” Macklin said, his voice as tense as Caine had ever heard it. “Whatever you do, do not move.”
Caine froze against the rocks as Macklin edged closer to where Caine had uncovered the snake. After a moment, his shoulders sagged in relief. “Get over here,” Macklin ordered sharply, grabbing Caine’s wrist and hauling him closer when Caine didn’t move fast enough. “It’s an inland carpet python, but what the bloody hell were you thinking, pup?” Macklin demanded, shaking Caine by the shoulders as he yelled, an expression on his face Caine had no idea how to interpret. The anger was easy to read, but the rest… he couldn’t be seeing what he thought he saw. Macklin couldn’t possibly be afraid for him. “I told you there were snakes around. I warned you they’d gone to ground. If you’d uncovered a king brown snake or a tiger snake, you could be dead right now.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” Caine said. “I saw the sheep. I wanted t-t-to help.”
“That kind of help gets a man killed,” Macklin repeated. “Don’t make me go through that.”
Before Caine could reply, Macklin’s mouth covered his, kissing him hard and deep. Caine moaned into the kiss, shock warring with need as Macklin’s stubble abraded his lips. The iron grip on his upper arms kept him from pulling Macklin closer, but he tipped his head in silent offering, hoping for more.
Macklin pulled back suddenly, stalking off as if the kiss had never happened, leaving Caine’s mind reeling and his dick aching. “F-ffuck,” he muttered, scrubbing at his face as he followed more slowly behind Macklin.“Now what?”
Macklin didn’t wait around for him to ask the question, though, shouting
Caine took another sip of the coffee and handed the thermos back to Macklin. “How do I help?”
“You don’t know the signals for directing the dogs, not that they need much direction, so if you’d keep an eye out for breakaways as we get them started,” Macklin said. “We don’t want to miss any.”
“I can do that,” Caine said. “Is it all right if I get down and walk around for a bit while I’m watching? I’m a little stiff from riding so much.”
“It’s cold enough the snakes should have all gone to ground,” Macklin said. “If you do stumble across one, just stay still until it goes away. You don’t want to get bitten out here. Even with the antivenin we carry in the first aid kits, you’d be in a world of hurt.”
“I’ll be careful,” Caine promised, dismounting stiffly and stretching to touch his toes a couple of times to release the tension in his muscles.
Macklin started shouting orders, the men and dogs going to work gathering up the sheep. Caine stood back and let them do it, leading Titan as he walked toward the upper edge of the field where he hoped to have a better view. The ground became rockier as he walked, escarpments jutting out in places, even creating small cave-like formations. Caine rounded one such escarpment to find a sheep stuck in the rocks.
“Macklin,” he called, not wanting to make the situation worse, but the foreman didn’t hear him. He climbed up on the rocks to call a second time, catching the Aussie’s attention finally and waving him over.
While he waited for Macklin to arrive, he walked a little deeper into the crevice, trying to figure out how to get the sheep free.
“Caine, where are you?”
“In here,” Caine called, pushing against a rock to steady himself. The rock shifted, falling to his feet and revealing a huge snake. “Oh, shit,” Caine said, backing against the wall.
“Caine?”
“Um, w-w-we’ve g-g-got a p-p-problem,” Caine said as Macklin appeared at the entrance to the crevice. “S-s-snake.”
“Don’t move,” Macklin said, his voice as tense as Caine had ever heard it. “Whatever you do, do not move.”
Caine froze against the rocks as Macklin edged closer to where Caine had uncovered the snake. After a moment, his shoulders sagged in relief. “Get over here,” Macklin ordered sharply, grabbing Caine’s wrist and hauling him closer when Caine didn’t move fast enough. “It’s an inland carpet python, but what the bloody hell were you thinking, pup?” Macklin demanded, shaking Caine by the shoulders as he yelled, an expression on his face Caine had no idea how to interpret. The anger was easy to read, but the rest… he couldn’t be seeing what he thought he saw. Macklin couldn’t possibly be afraid for him. “I told you there were snakes around. I warned you they’d gone to ground. If you’d uncovered a king brown snake or a tiger snake, you could be dead right now.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” Caine said. “I saw the sheep. I wanted t-t-to help.”
“That kind of help gets a man killed,” Macklin repeated. “Don’t make me go through that.”
Before Caine could reply, Macklin’s mouth covered his, kissing him hard and deep. Caine moaned into the kiss, shock warring with need as Macklin’s stubble abraded his lips. The iron grip on his upper arms kept him from pulling Macklin closer, but he tipped his head in silent offering, hoping for more.
Macklin pulled back suddenly, stalking off as if the kiss had never happened, leaving Caine’s mind reeling and his dick aching. “F-ffuck,” he muttered, scrubbing at his face as he followed more slowly behind Macklin.“Now what?”
Macklin didn’t wait around for him to ask the question, though, shouting
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