Story Excerpt
Secret Desires

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Leyland banged one hand against the steering wheel and turned the key in the ignition with the other. He heard nothing coming from his car but the slow dwindling wwwrrrr sound of his engine dying.

"Please, baby, don’t do this to me, not today. Start for daddy, come on, baby," he cried desperately, turning the key again and again. Nothing. Leyland let his head fall against the steering wheel, banging it there several times.

Lifting his head he looked around. There was really nothing as far as he could see. Wide open fields, fences, cows, some horses, and snowcapped mountains off in the distance. It just wasn’t fair. He was stuck in the middle of nowhere, his car dead, and his damn cell phone not getting any kind of reception. He felt doomed.

Leyland wasn’t even sure they had cell phone towers out here, wherever here was. BFE, if you asked him. He still couldn’t quite believe that he had agreed to come out here for a photo shoot at the insistence of his agent. He knew he should have stayed in the big city.

He just wanted to take pictures. He was almost obsessed with taking pictures. But there was a limit, and he had reached his. However…

Leyland quickly grabbed his camera from the passenger seat and flipped the cover off of the lens as he reached for his door handle. Climbing from his bright neon green Volkswagen Beetle, he looked around at the countryside laid out before him.

There was just something about the peaceful quite. With the exception of the occasional bird, silent reigned. It was eerie. Leyland climbed up on the roof of his small car, standing to his feet.

His hands itched. Before he knew it, he had his camera up to his eye, clicking away. He occasionally lifted his head to change the distance on the lens or to look around for more scenery to snap.

Looking at one particular hill off in the distance, his breath caught in his throat as he saw a lone rider riding over the grass-covered ridge. Leyland couldn’t make out any of his features. He was too far away.

That just made the scene before him all that more alluring. A lone rider, his light colored cowboy hat hanging low over his face. The white of his shirt reflected the sunlight shining down on him. The tightness of his faded blue jeans contrasted with the light brown of the horse under him. Perfect!

Leyland clicked away as the rider rode ever closer to his position, marveling at the darkly tanned skin and rippling muscles that he could see the closer he rode. He was magnificent. Leyland wanted nothing more than to keep clicking away until he ran out of film.

He didn’t even realize the man had ridden up to him until he was right in front of him. The man reached up and pushed the brim of his hat back, clearing his face from the shadows of his hat.

Leyland inhaled as he narrowed his lens to his strong square face. Even through the lens he could see that the man was breathtaking. He had a strong rugged look to him, his jaw and cheekbones chiseled in stone. The hint of a five o’clock shadow on his face accentuated his full lips.

Leyland slowly lowered the camera, taking in his powerful body—wide shoulders, a hint of brown hair showing through the opening of his shirt, strong muscular thighs. Oh, yeah, this guy was hot with a capitol HOT!

"Hello, handsome," Leyland smirked, trying to give the guy his sexiest look. He totally ruined the effect when he took a small step towards the man and his feet slipped off the edge of the car roof. Leyland let out a small yelp as he started to go down. He could see the ground below coming up fast to meet him. He quickly closed his eyes, fearing the worst.

Then suddenly, he stopped cold. He could feel strong muscular arms wrap around him. Leyland opened his eyes and looked up into the sexiest deep copper eyes he had ever seen. He reached up with his hand to lightly touch the side of the man’s face by his eyes.

"I don’t think I have ever seen that particular shade of brown before. It’s beautiful," he whispered. He suddenly realized what he was doing when the big man started chuckling. His face swiftly went from awe to embarrassment, his face burning.

He tried to sit up but the big man’s arms were still wrapped around him. He didn’t look like he had any intention of letting Leyland go any time soon, either. Feeling his face turn even redder, Leyland turned to look up at him.

"Um, could you let me go?"

The man chuckled, his voice deep and raspy as he spoke. "I don’t think I want to let you go just yet. You feel pretty good right where you are."

Hot damn!!!

"Um, okay. But it’s going to be real hard to get my car fixed sitting in your arms."

"I still don’t see the problem here," he chuckled again, taking Leyland’s camera and setting it inside his car through the rolled down window.

"Listen, cowboy," Leyland began, patting the nice man on his chest, and oh what a nice hard chest he had. Leyland knew he was going to start drooling any second now. "I—"

"Jake."

"What?" Leyland looked up at him, confused.

"My name is Jake, Jake McAlester. Of course, if you wanted to call me honey, or darling, I’d settle for that too. And while I do like the way you say cowboy, lover would be even better."

Leyland eyes widened as Jake nearly growled the last part. This big strong sexy cowboy was making a pass at him? Hallelujah! Leyland wanted to wiggle around and jump for joy. He couldn’t be in more agreement. He wanted this man, and bad.

"And what if I like cowboy better?"

"Then cowboy it is." Well, wasn’t he just the chipper one? "But I’m still hoping lover will be in there somewhere."