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Rough Riders 4

Branding Dade

Bull rider Luke Pendleton is a Dom who only plays by his rules.
When he accuses a competitor of cheating, he gets into a good old

fashioned fistfight. When they’re both arrested, Luke knows he’s
made a career-ending mistake.

Border agent Dade Riley is a submissive without a Dom. He’s
always had a secret crush on Luke, but he’s never had time to

explore his fantasies until now. When he arrests one of his favorite
bull riders, Dade gives Luke an ultimatum that he knows he will

never accept.

Luke only sees one way out of the tight spot he’s in. He has to
play by Dade’s rules to avoid jail time. As things intensify, Luke

takes control and discovers that Dade’s brother is missing. Luke
knows that Dade needs him, but will he be willing to play by his

rules, or will he search for his missing brother alone?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), BDSM, Contemporary,
Western/Cowboys
Length: 30,139 words

BRANDING DADE

Rough Riders 4

Tatum Throne

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

BRANDING DADE
Copyright © 2014 by Tatum Throne
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-755-6

First E-book Publication: May 2014

Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
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express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also,
thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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BRANDING DADE

Rough Riders 4

TATUM THRONE

Chapter One

Luke Pendleton flew through the air and hit the ground hard. The

bull stomped around his legs, kicking and flinging its hooves up
toward his chest. Dust from the bull’s hooves hit him in the face.
Luke had to get away before he was trampled. He landed wrong on
his shoulder as he rolled away. He staggered toward the edge of the
ring. The crowd gasped as the bull charged him. Luke jumped up onto
the fence just before the bull could take a piece of his ass. He looked
up at the scoreboard. That was not eight seconds. Fuck him. He was
in last place.

Across the arena, he caught sight of his ex, John, watching him

closely. Pain twisted through his heart. Luke spent a long time getting
over that idiot. John had cheated on him far too many times for him to
ever give him a second chance. To his chagrin, the man had some
nerve to come to one of his comps. John was the least of his problems
tonight.

He had enough of his competitor, Trevor Stokes, getting

preferential treatment. Luke sauntered out of the ring as the crowd
went wild. He dusted off his Stetson, putting it down hard on his
head. He spotted Trevor on the other side of the ring. He was going to
find out how or who he was paying off to get the tamer bulls. This

Branding Dade

thing was going down now. He didn’t know how he was doing it, but
he was cheating. Maybe he was paying somebody off. As he crossed
the outer edge of the ring, Luke didn’t bother listing to the announcers
or his scores. He knew he did piss poor tonight. He wanted only one
thing. He wanted to confront Trevor now.

“Hey, Trevor! You fucking piece of shit!”
Trevor froze, turning around.
“Bring it,” Trevor said.
“You fucking cheated,” Luke said.
“You can’t freaking cheat in bull riding,” Trevor replied.
“Bullshit. I don’t know how you did it, but you fucking cheated!”
“I don’t know where you got your information from, but I did not

cheat.”

“Explain it to me. Are you bribing someone?” Luke asked. “You

got one of the tamest bulls out here tonight.”

“That don’t mean I cheated. I can’t help it you lost. You’re just a

sore fucking loser,” Trevor said.

Luke charged, grabbing Trevor roughly by the waist, taking him

down hard to the ground. People circled around as the punches flew.
Most backed up, giving them lots of room. Luke didn’t care that they
were drawing a crowd. Shouts erupted from the mob surrounding
them as a punch landed on his ribs. Trevor’s fist came flying at his
face and connected, making his teeth rattle. Luke fell back, hitting the
ground. Blood pooled in his mouth. He was not about to let Trevor
win. Luke charged again, but Trevor kicked him away. Luke stumbled
backward as Trevor’s size-ten cowboy boot cut into his skin. He
grabbed his side where Trevor’s boot had been as he felt the wind get
knocked out of him.

Trevor’s arm cocked back and his fist slammed into his jaw with

enough force to rattle his emotional cage. Luke never lost a fight.
Never. Luke fell back onto the ground. He fisted his hand into the
dirt, grabbing a handful. He swung his hand out, throwing the dirt into
Trevor’s face. A wave of dust went through the air. Trevor groaned as

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the dirt connected with his eyes, but he didn’t take the bait to rub
them. Luke threw several wild punches, but only connected with a
few. Fury was the engine driving Luke as he worked Trevor back
against the fence. They landed with an audible gasp from the crowd.
Luke was quite certain that they were drawing a huge crowd and it
wasn’t going to be good when it ended.

Trevor took him to the ground, wrestling him into a hold. Luke

tried to push him off, but he couldn’t. All of a sudden they were
grabbed by the arms and pulled off of each other. Police officers were
tearing them apart. Luke was swung off of Trevor and taken down
hard. Luke’s face was planted near bull shit. Dirt brushed against his
mouth. He stared at Trevor, hating him, hating his ex, and hating the
fact that he had let his emotions get the better of him. He was shocked
that the man had the balls to buy his way in. Somehow, someway he
was paying somebody to give him an easier bull to ride. Luke didn’t
know how he was doing it, but he sure as shit was going to find out.

From faraway, Luke was suddenly aware of the police officer

patting him down. He felt his hands move over his ass, grabbing it
hard. His rough hands went down and up over his thighs. They slid
inside, grabbing his balls. Luke couldn’t remember the last time any
man had manhandled him like this. As a Dom, he decided when and
how anybody touched him. Luke was dragged to his feet. He was
taken outside the arena to an unmarked patrol car. His face was
pushed up against the hood.

“Do you have any weapons on you that I need to be aware of?”
“No.”
He listened as the police officer read him his Miranda rights.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time he had been arrested, but he was
positive that this would be the last. As a business owner within Eagle
Pass, he didn’t make a habit out of getting into fights with people he
knew. Luke was not about to get ostracized within his community.
When he needed to, he knew how to play by the rules.

“This isn’t over!” he yelled at Trevor.

Branding Dade

On cue Trevor yelled some curse back that he almost couldn’t

make out from the blood pooling in his mouth. “Go fuck yourself,
Luke!”

Luke was pulled upright off the trunk of the car and pushed into

the back of the patrol car. As he sat in the backseat, he stared at the
arresting officer’s hair. By chance he noticed that he had red hair the
color of fire and dark freckles around his neck and face. He had never
had a redhead before. That thought had Luke licking his lips and
imagining just what his cock was like. He wondered if there were
freckles all over his body and a few more that trickled like a waterfall
over his dick. Luke swallowed hard as his mouth watered at the
possibility of drinking from that fountain. He loved watching a sub
suck him off.

Right then, Luke was determined to find out if this cop was gay

before he left the police station tonight. Getting arrested was not
good. Luke couldn’t risk his business contacts within the circuit. He
knew that it would jeopardize future endorsements and training times.
He could easily lose his spot within the circuit. Most of the time, it
was political. Everyone had a connection. And he wasn’t going to lose
it all over an emotional rage and juvenile rivalry.

The cop drove away from the arena. They got to the police station

and the cop parked outside. He was taken to police headquarters on
the outside of town. It wasn’t long before Luke realized that they were
at the Border Patrol Station. Fuck him. He’d been picked up by a
border agent. This was going to be a big fucking problem. Those
homeland security fuckers liked to create problems for small town
America. The agent got out of his vehicle and went to chat with
another agent.

After a little while the agent opened the back door and dragged

him out by the arm. He took him in through the back of the building,
down a long hallway, and into a holding cell.

“Go on and get inside. You can cool off for a while, cowboy,” he

said.

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Luke met his gaze and held it. His blue eyes sparkled as though

sunlight had hit them. Those dark freckles were sprinkled like dust all
over his face. His auburn hair was buzzed military short and his lips
were full. Luke licked his lips as he thought about those soft lips
sucking his cock down his throat. His dick stomped out hard against
the back of his button fly. Luke hoped to God this agent liked to suck
cock.

“What?”
“Nothing,” Luke said.
“Mind telling me what you two were fighting about?”
“Not really.”
“Lovers’ quarrel?”
Luke let his gaze go neutral. There were too many homophobic

assholes in Eagle Pass for him not to be careful.

“Nope.”
The agent’s gaze moved over Luke’s face as though he were

trying to figure him out. “Sit tight.”

The agent walked off with that cocky attitude those law

enforcement boys carried themselves with. Luke let his gaze fall to
his ass. Oh, God. The agent was wearing tight black tactical pants. He
swallowed hard. His ass was athletic and muscular, just the way he
liked. He was an ass man. He loved digging his fingers into ass. If a
guy didn’t have a nice ass, he didn’t bother giving him a second or a
third look. This guy had enough ass to keep him busy for years. That
thought brought Luke up short. He wasn’t about to connect himself
with any man for the long term again. One broken heart was enough
to live with.

Luke reluctantly tore his gaze away from that fine-looking piece

of ass. He glared at Trevor, who was now on the other side of the
room, being groped and manhandled hard by his arresting agent. A
smile broke the corners of Luke’s lips. This was getting good. He
couldn’t wait to see what drama the agent had in store for Trevor.
Luke grinned with smug satisfaction when Trevor glanced his way.

Branding Dade

He flipped him the bird which made Trevor narrow his eyes
dangerously. The best part came when the agent said something to
Trevor and all of a sudden he started to strip.

As he watched Trevor strip out of his clothes, a sudden sinking

sensation went through Luke’s body. He, too, would have to go
through a strip search. That was the last thing he wanted, but he had
no choice in the matter. He had just been arrested. And he was now in
the hands of law enforcement. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw
his ginger coming back his way. He swallowed hard. He was so not
ready to get naked in front of this man. Not now when his cock was
pounding behind his button fly.

Seconds later, the border agent looked toward the holding cell.

There was a haunted look to his eyes. Luke felt the ground shift
beneath his feet. He did not like the look on his face.

* * * *

Dade Riley’s night was getting better and better. The cowboy

across from him was one of his all-time favorite riders within the
circuit. He was also one of the richest men within Eagle Pass. He had
a reputation of getting things done inside and outside the ring. Most
men were intimidated by his hard attitude. Dade wasn’t like most
men. To Dade’s mortification, he was about to ruin his night. As it
was, Dade’s night had completely gone to shit. He hadn’t planned on
working at all. Not after he got the news about his brother, Eli, from
the private investigator he hired. They had finally found out what he
already knew. Eli had vanished in Mexico without a trace. The news
had him going to the rodeo to unwind and to plan his next more.
Instead, he was going to strip search one of the hottest cowboys he’d
ever seen. How the fuck had he gotten here?

The news from the PI was vague. He didn’t know what happened

to Eli or why he had gone down there. His younger brother was
missing for over a year. There were no sightings or phone calls. No

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friends were looking for him either. Eli was a loner, but they still
talked often. Nearly every week. His disappearance had crushed Dade
to the core. Eli was his only family left, and he was everything to him.

The first few months were the hardest. He spent months down in

Mexico looking for any trace, but he never found him. The private
investigator he had hired was still looking, but wasn’t coming up with
many leads. Deep down, Dade knew then that his brother was never
coming home. Someone or something had gotten him. He most likely
got caught up with the cartel.

“Yo! Riley? You okay?”
The pencil in Riley’s hand snapped, kicking him out of his

thoughts. He looked up at his boss, Sam Peters, and nodded. “I’m
good.”

“You sure?”
The pencil he broke rolled off the counter and onto the floor. Dade

reached down, picking it up. He wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to tell his
boss that. “Yep.”

“Any word?” Peters asked.
In a moment of weakness, Dade had mentioned to his boss about

his brother being missing. He wished he had kept his big mouth shut.

“Not anything to go on.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m handling it.”
“All right then. Go convince that cowboy to start playing nice,”

Peters said.

Dade set his emotions aside as he glanced toward the holding cell.

He was subconsciously putting off what he had to do. He did not want
to go through the strip search with this bull rider. He was hot. He
made him feel things that he didn’t want to feel. It’d been a really
long time for Dade. He hadn’t let himself get close to anybody since
the news of Eli’s disappearance. He knew he had to do his job. Once
he took care of this matter, he could get home for the night.

Branding Dade

Every time he thought about Eli, tears threatened to spill. He did

not want to go there at work. He couldn’t. Dade set all of it aside as
he crossed the holding cell area, heading over to talk to the cowboy.
The cowboy was pacing his cell. Dade reluctantly opened the door.

“I need to search you before I can take you back to operations.”
The cowboy’s eyes lifted in quiet surprise. He didn’t look like the

type of man who got searched by anyone. His dark hair was midnight
black, and his green eyes were the darkest that Dade had ever seen.
They were the kind of eyes that made one look hard and long a
second time. Dade was certain that if he looked long enough he would
find something there that he wanted. He knew that he couldn’t go
there. Not now. Not when he had a job to do.

Luke stepped back and put his hands on his hips. “Go ahead.

Search me.”

There was a defiant edge to his voice that Dade secretly admired.

“Remove your shirt.”

His hands did not hesitate as he went to unbutton his checkered

shirt. Dade could see the bruises and scars from old injuries from
riding hard. Today wasn’t the first time that he had seen Luke ride. In
fact, he had seen him ride several times before, and he had always
been impressed by Luke. A small part of Dade had daydreamed about
meeting him in person, about asking him out on a date, but he knew
that they came from two different worlds. Dade wasn’t sure which
side he played for as it was. He always hoped that he was gay, but all
of that didn’t matter. They were adversaries now. Dade’s heart was
empty and there was no room for anyone else. As an experienced
submissive, he knew that there were not many gay Doms this far
south in Eagle Pass.

“Now your boots and jeans.”
Luke reluctantly leaned down and one boot came off at a time.

Leaving his socks on, he started on the fly of his jeans. He pulled
them off his long legs. Dark hair clung to his muscled thighs. He
dropped his jeans to the ground. Dade licked his lips nervously. He’d

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always wanted to taste someone with dark hair. All of his Doms had
been blonds. For some odd reason, he had shied away from the dark-
haired men. He suspected that it had everything to do with the fact
that his heart had been broken by one at one time.

Dade cleared his throat. “The boxers have to go, too.”
Luke hooked his thumbs into his boxers and yanked them down to

the floor. His gaze went over Luke’s thick cock, and he nearly shot a
rope of cum into his tactical pants. Despite the coolness of the air in
the room, Luke’s prick was hard. His big hand brushed over his dick,
holding it down at an angle. Dade set all of his clothes aside while
Luke crossed his arms, waiting for his next order. There was a surly
look on his face. He looked as though nobody had ever given him
orders like this before. Dade circled around him.

“Bend over,” Dade said.
“What the fuck?” Luke asked.
“Bend over please,” Dade said.
He was seriously going to resist the order. Luke didn’t look as

though he was about to take orders from just anyone. “If it makes you
feel more comfortable, put your palms on the table.”

Luke placed his hands on the top of the really lucky table. Dade’s

mouth went dry when he wondered what it would be like on the
receiving end of those hands. Luke bent over, spreading his thick
thighs wide. Dade looked down, smoothing his gaze over his tight
rim. He wasn’t hiding anything there.

“You can stand back up.”
Luke did as asked. He crossed his arms, waiting for Dade’s next

order.

“Get dressed,” Dade said.
Luke shook out his jeans, pulling them on. Dade tried to not stare

as he dressed, but it was really difficult not to. When he was finally
dressed, Dade handed him his Stetson and opened the door.

“Come with me.”

Branding Dade

They headed through a long hallway to operations. Dade led the

way to his office, where they could talk privately. Dade shut the door
behind Luke, after he came inside. Luke took a look around his office
as he sat down in the chair across from his desk. Their eyes locked as
Dade sat down. There was hard edge to Luke’s eyes that turned Dade
on.

“I have an opportunity for you, cowboy.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re not going to press charges on either one of you, if you

agree to participate in the Rough Riders program.”

“What’s the Rough Riders? Is it some type of diversion

program?”

“The Rough Riders station a homeland security agent on your

land. We spend the next three months watching the border from your
property. It’s the only way we’ll drop the charges.”

Luke shook his head. “No. Fuck no. Not interested. I’ll take my

time in jail.”

“Oh really? You’d rather go to jail than help the government?”
“Bring it. I’m not interested in having a babysitter on my

property.”

“You won’t even know I’m there.”
“So, it’s you who will be on my land?”
“Yes.”
“How did you get that job?” Luke asked.
“It was my fucking lucky day.”
There was something about the way Luke was giving him a

second look that gave Dade pause. There was a dangerous spark to
Luke’s eyes that Dade knew he should stay away from, but his
fatalistic side was desperate to know more. He wanted to touch that
fire to see if he’d really get burned.

“Think about it. It would be a way out for you. I know you don’t

want it to damage your reputation within the riding circuit.”

“How would you know what I want?”

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“I know exactly what all bull riders want.”
He could see that he had hit home with Luke. It was all a matter of

sealing the deal now. “Well? What do you say…will you have me on
your property for a few months?”

“Sure.”
“Is it going to be a problem for you?”
“No, I think I can handle ordering you around for a few months.”
Luke’s heavy-lidded gaze looked at Dade with speculation. The

answer to his question was right in front of him. He was gay. Dade
licked his lips. He knew he shouldn’t do this with him. It was wrong
and could ruin his reputation within the department. He knew he had
no choice, but he had to find out what Luke was offering him.

“I’ll take you back to the arena to get your truck,” Dade said.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Their eyes locked. A hard shiver tore through Dade’s body. It

frightened the hell out of him that he could so easily fall for this
cowboy. It didn’t help matters that he had a bad case of hero-worship
going on. Dade pulled his gaze away before he fell so hard that he
bruised his face on the cement floor. He could not do this.

Branding Dade

Chapter Two

Luke could see that there was a quiet sadness about the border

agent. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something within
his eyes that caught him off guard. Luke was usually reluctant to get
involved with people who were dealing with things. This time things
felt different for him. He wanted to know what was going on with this
agent.

“Do you need me to sign anything?” Luke asked.
“No. You should be good to go.”
They were heading out of the building when Luke glanced over at

Dade. He wondered who put that sad void within his eyes. He hoped
it wasn’t an ex-lover. Breakups were messy and the fallout could ruin
a man for all others. They headed across the back parking lot to
Dade’s SUV. This time, Luke took a seat in the front. While the
border agent drove toward the arena, Luke tried not to speculate about
what was going on with him, but he was having a really tough time of
it. Dade was wounded. Luke took off his Stetson and ran a hand
through his hair. He was a sucker for men who needed something.

“You never did tell me why you two were fighting,” Dade said.
“It wasn’t personal, it was just business.”
The agent nodded as though he understood completely. “Everyone

knows about the rivalry between you and Trevor Stokes.”

Their eyes met and something shivered deep within Luke’s body.

“I guess it is common knowledge around these parts.”

Luke didn’t want to talk about Trevor though. He wanted to know

more about Dade. He hoped over time he would find out what brought
about that sad look in his eyes. Luke was sure as shit that Dade

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wouldn’t tell him what it was if he asked about it today. He pulled up
outside of the arena. Trevor’s truck was already gone. Luke wasn’t
ready to leave his agent yet. Dade parked the SUV and shut it off.
They looked at each other.

“I’ll be by your place next week.”
Luke adjusted his Stetson. “Sounds like a plan we’ll both need to

be comfortable with.”

“I am. Are you?”
Luke came in close to Dade, swinging his hand behind the

headrest of the driver’s seat. “I won’t be imposing on your family?”

That sad look flashed within Dade’s eyes before he shut it down.

“No family I need to take care of.”

That was a good answer, but it wasn’t the one he was looking for.

“Are you married?”

“No. I’m not married. There’s no one but me.”
“I think we’ll get along just fine then.”
Luke nodded and pulled away. He opened the door to leave, but

Dade reached out and grabbed his wrist stopping him.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but you can stop it now,”

Dade said.

“Let go of me.”
“Or what? What are you going to do?”
Luke shut the door. That hot hand still held onto him tightly. “I

didn’t do something to you that you didn’t want me to do.”

“What makes you think that I want you?”
Luke leaned in close to Dade. “I know enough about you. I always

get what I want. Always.” He let his gaze go heavy and dropped his
eyes down over Dade’s lips. “I know exactly what I want now.”

Shock vibrated through Dade’s hungry eyes. “You want me?”
“I’m thinking about it, yes.”
Dade let go of Luke’s wrist. He shook his head back and forth,

grabbing onto the steering wheel. “No. This isn’t happening.”

“It is. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Branding Dade

Dade’s gaze found Luke’s within the darkness of the SUV. “This

isn’t going to end well for either of us. You know that, don’t you?”

Luke leaned in, inhaling the sweet scent of a man who had been

working all day. God help him, he loved the taste and scent of a dirty
man. Temptation had him wanting to close the distance and brush his
lips over Dade’s, but he didn’t. He smiled, reluctantly pulling back.

“I’ll see you next week. I can’t wait.”
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea. Maybe I should see

about having another agent assigned to your property.”

Luke was outside the SUV as he hesitated. “Do you really want to

do that? Do you want your superior questioning why you’re
requesting another assignment?”

They both knew the answer to that question. Luke nailed it.
Dade shook his head back and forth. “You’re fucking

blackmailing me.”

“I’m not doing anything you don’t want me to do to you,” Luke

said.

Luke knew he hit home again with Dade. Whatever was going on

inside his head had him second guessing his work. He had to know
why Dade was so sad. He shut the door to the SUV before Dade could
respond. He had to get away from that agent before he did something
he knew they both would regret. With a cockiness about him, Luke
sauntered off to his truck and got behind the wheel. He thought about
driving home to his ranch, but he decided against it. He was more
interested in knowing what Dade did in his spare time. He was about
to do something completely out of character. He threw the truck into
gear and followed Dade home. Well at least he suspected that he was
heading to his house. It wasn’t long before Luke realized that Dade
was not going home. He wasn’t going back to the station either.
Where was he headed? Luke was desperate to know. Did he have a
lover? Was there somebody in his life he fucked at night?

That thought put Luke on edge. He was absolutely possessive

about this man and he didn’t know why. It wasn’t long before Luke

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realized that instead of going home, Dade had gone to an all-night
diner. He went inside and sat down in a booth by himself. He looked
absolutely lonely and sad as he sat there, staring off into the distance.
Luke let his truck idle in the parking lot. He couldn’t decide if he
should go inside or not. He probably shouldn’t, but he was going to.
Luke shut off the truck. He made his decision. He was going inside.

Luke crossed the linoleum and sat down in the booth across from

Dade. He looked up in surprise as though he didn’t see him enter the
diner.

“What are you doing here?” Dade asked.
“I don’t know,” Luke replied. “I suppose I want to know what’s

going on with you.”

“What are you talking about?”
“I know something is wrong. I can tell you’re having a rough go.”
Dade turned toward the window, but not before Luke saw tears

mist in his eyes.

Coffee was brought to the table. “You guys ready to order?”
“Just coffee for now.” Luke waited until the waitress put the

pencil behind her ear and left them alone. “Tell me.”

After a really long moment, Dade cleared his throat. “It’s my

brother Eli. He’s been missing for over a year.”

“Fuck. Where did he go missing?”
“South of the border in Mexico. I have a private investigator

checking into things.”

“Have you told anyone?”
“No one at work knows except for my boss. I’ve been trying to

find him. I took a few weeks off to go down to Mexico to look for
him. No one is talking to me. None of his friends know where he is or
where he went.”

“That has to just destroy you inside,” Luke said.
“It does. He’s all I have left. I have no more family, but my

brother.”

“I’m sorry.”

Branding Dade

Dade shook his head. “It’s okay. It is what it is. There’s nothing I

can do to find him. I have the private investigator looking into things
for me. And the state department is helping me out, too. There’s
nothing else I can do.”

Luke reached his hand across the table and gripped Dade’s tight.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“I didn’t want to say anything to you, but I’m glad I did.”

* * * *

The warmth of Luke’s hand was everything he needed and so

much more. Dade enjoyed the feel of this cowboy’s hand holding his
so openly. He held on tight, not ever wanting to let go. Dade knew he
had to pull his hand away before someone saw, but he couldn’t just
yet. As their waitress glanced down the long row of tables, he let go
of Luke’s warm hand.

“I’m good. I’m solid. You don’t need to worry about me,” Dade

said.

“I can tell you’re broken up about it.”
“I am. There’s nothing I can do to find my brother. He’s missing.

He’s probably gone.”

Luke shook his head. “It still must’ve broken you up to have your

only brother go missing. It has to be hard.”

Dade leaned back in his seat, putting his tough guy face on. “I’m

okay. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“You keep saying that. It sounds like you need somebody in your

life to give you balance.”

“You’re crossing the line, cowboy.”
“It’s what I do best.”
Luke leaned in close, dropping his voice. “I’m a Dom. Do you

know what that means?”

A smile broke out upon Dade’s lips. “I’m an experienced

submissive.”

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“I think we’ll make a perfect couple,” Luke said.
“We need to keep this thing between us professional. I can’t

afford to lose my job now. Not when I need the money to pay for
things.”

“You mean pay for the private investigator who is looking for

your brother.”

“Just stop. I can’t do this right now.”
“You need me.”
Dade shook his head. It was true. He did need Luke, but he

couldn’t have him like this. Not now. Not when they just met. The
waitress came back.

“You boys ready to order?”
Luke nodded, ordering more coffee for both of them. Dade threw

some money onto the table and got up. He wasn’t about to stay. He
couldn’t look at Luke’s beautiful face without wanting something
more.

“I have to go. I’m sorry.”
Despite Dade wanting to be alone, Luke got up from the table and

followed him outside. Dade ignored him as he headed across the
parking lot. He caught up to Dade near his parked SUV. Luke
grabbed him roughly by the wrists. Dade didn’t bother fighting his
touch. He wanted it. He was embarrassed by how desperate he was
for it. Luke came in close from behind, pushing Dade up against his
SUV from behind.

“Why won’t you let me go? I have one more night alone. I need

space,” Dade said.

“Sometimes when you need space, you need to feel somebody

close to you.”

Luke’s lips brushed over the back of Dade’s neck. A shiver of

need tore through Dade’s body. He needed so much more than a
rough handle. Dade needed the feel of Luke naked up against his
chest. Dade closed his eyes, trying to find a balance he didn’t feel
inside. It didn’t matter. He knew he couldn’t hold out from Luke. He

Branding Dade

would do anything and everything to have the man. Dade’s heart
hammered as his cock filled with heat. He wanted to forget for just a
little while about everything that was weighing him down. Luke’s
hips pressed hard against his ass, spreading his ass cheeks wide. Dade
swallowed roughly when he felt the pressure of Luke’s hard cock
against his rim.

“We can’t do this. We shouldn’t do this.”
Luke continued to nail him against the side of the SUV with his

hard prick shoved between his ass cheeks. Dade felt Luke’s hands
move down over his hips. It was all too much. He loved the feel of
Luke’s hands on his ass. He wanted so much more with him. He
wanted to go home with him. He wanted to forget all about his
missing brother.

“You want to do this. I know you do.”
Dade felt breathless as Luke’s hot lips brushed against his neck. It

felt so good to feel the warmth of someone else so close to his body.
He knew they shouldn’t do this, but he couldn’t resist Luke’s touch.
Dade was on sensory overload and it felt too good. Luke’s touch was
so inviting. So warm. Dade shook his head, trying to clear his sex-
fogged brain.

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”
Luke spun Dade around, pulling him into the darkness between

the shadows of the trucks. He kissed him hard. Their lips met in a
fiery burst of sensuality and need. Dade felt his knees go weak. He
couldn’t stop Luke from kissing him, and he did not want to. All of
his breath left him as Luke’s tongue flicked deep within his mouth. It
was so good to be manhandled again. It had been too long since he
had last handed over control to a lover. He needed Luke to take over
for him so that he could let go. Dade grabbed onto his hips not
wanting the kiss to ever end. He loved the feel of their cocks bumping
together. He loved how hard and ready their pricks were. A groan tore
from the back of Luke’s mouth.

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Dade could feel his hunger deep within his body. It was the same

thing that he was feeling inside. Hunger met with hunger. Lust met
with lust. It was as though two worlds were colliding, and the impact
would leave both of them off balance. Everything was spinning by the
time Luke pulled his lips away. Dade couldn’t focus on anything
except the man standing in front of him. He didn’t want to think about
anything but Luke ever again. He only wanted Luke. Their eyes
locked. Something possessive passed between them. He could see that
Luke had something in mind about what would happen next. Dade
wanted to ask, but he knew he couldn’t. He wasn’t the one in control
and didn’t want to be.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Luke said.
“I know. We shouldn’t be kissing out here where someone could

see us.”

“My place or yours?” Luke asked.
Dade knew the answer to that question before he even opened his

mouth. “My place.”

Shock went through Luke’s eyes. He could see that Dade had

surprised him by saying that he wanted them to go back to his place.

“Your place it is. Get in my truck.”
Dade was quick to reply with a nod as he got in on the passenger

side of Luke’s truck. When they were inside, Luke unbuttoned and
unzipped the fly of his jeans. His cock slapped out against his
abdomen as he put the truck into gear.

“Suck me. Suck me as I drive, sub.”
“Oh, fuck.”
Dade had never taken a Dom as he drove before. “You sure you

won’t wreck?”

“Trust me. I’ll be able to handle the truck and you sucking my big

cock. I can handle it just fine,” Luke said.

Dade wasn’t convinced as his mouth descended upon his lover.
“Tell me where your place is?”

Branding Dade

Dade rattled off his address in between sucking and licking his

Dom’s cock. It felt so good to feel his cockhead bounce against the
back of his throat. It’d been so long, too long. He couldn’t and
wouldn’t stop sucking his Dom now. He held nothing back as his nose
pressed against his balls. He wanted to feel everything with Luke, but
he wasn’t going to even think about the future now. He couldn’t. All
that mattered tonight was that he was finally getting laid. Luke
threaded his fingers into Dade’s hair, pushing his head down upon his
cock when he bobbed up. That was the last thought he had in his mind
as he started sucking and licking his lover with his tongue. He
scrapped his teeth over the tip of his cockhead, swirling his tongue
around that sweet plum. Dade couldn’t wait to taste his sugary cum
sliding down the back of his throat.

Tatum Throne

Chapter Three

A groan tore from the back of Luke’s throat. He was having

trouble driving to Dade’s place. It was because his submissive was
really good at sucking cock. Luke licked and bit his lip, sucking it in
as another grunt of pleasure tore through his body. He tightened his
hand down on the wheel, relieved that there wasn’t any traffic on the
road. At this rate, they wouldn’t make it inside Dade’s place at all.

The front porch light to Dade’s house caught his attention before

he missed the turn. He turned down the long dirt driveway, heading
toward the house. Luke was surprise that Dade lived at the old Miller
residence. Luke had heard that it went up for sale at auction about a
year ago. Dade had obviously been the man who had bought the
place. The driveway turned to gravel the closer Luke got to the house.
He stopped in front of the old whitewashed farmhouse with coal black
shutters. He shut down the truck before he wrecked it into the wide
wraparound porch.

They weren’t going to make it inside. Luke was shocked that this

thing was getting so far out of control so quickly. As a Dom, Luke
normally was pretty hardcore when it came to the relationship with
his submissive. He could tell that Dade needed a softer touch as this
thing got underway. He did not want to break him emotionally when
he was already so broken down. Luke felt like he should have better
control but he didn’t. It wasn’t as though his sub wasn’t following
orders. It was just that Dade was following orders too well. Luke
threaded his fingers into Dade hair, loving the feel of his teeth and
lips and tongue sliding over his cockhead as he pulled his mouth off

Branding Dade

of his throbbing prick. Luke needed to take back control of his prick.
He wanted so much more than a quick blowjob.

Luke’s dick contracted as he starting to come, but he stopped

himself before his juice could fly and hit Dade in the face. He’d never
been so far out of control before. Luke knew he had to get a handle on
the situation. He came in close, kissing Dade passionately. He flicked
his tongue deep within his mouth, fucking his tongue against Dade’s.
He took ownership of his submissive, loving the feel of his sub
yielding to his kiss and touch. Dade moaned as Luke worked his
fingers down over his fly of his tactical pants. Luke grabbed hold of
his throbbing dick and jerked the fabric hard. Dade moaned for more
as Luke worked his cock out of his pants and stroked his hot dick
roughly. Luke pulled his lips away.

“Do you like that?”
“Fuck yes!”
Everything was spinning out between them. Both of them knew it

and neither one could stop it from happening.

“You want me?” Dade asked.
“I want you naked ten minutes ago.”
Dade groaned as he started pulling his clothes off inside the cab of

the truck, but Luke stopped him before he could.

“Outside.”
As Dade got out of the truck and undressed, Luke reached for the

bottle of lube he kept in the glove box. Over the hood of the truck,
Luke watched Dade undress. Luke couldn’t resist eye-fucking his new
lover. Luke got out of the truck. He took off his clothes as well,
dropping them to the ground next to Dade’s. A shiver tore through
Luke’s body when Dade’s hungry gaze landed on his cock. He
muscled Dade up against the side of the truck. He pulled his hips in
close. He loved the feel of his athletic ass beneath his palms.

“Turn around. Hands on the truck.”
Luke loved the way Dade arched his muscular ass out. He wanted

to sink his tongue over his rim, but he couldn’t. He needed to bring

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Dade closer to the edge first. With that thought in mind, Luke started
to spank Dade and spank him hard. Dade groaned as he held onto the
side of the truck. He could see that he loved being spanked. Luke
watched his cock bounce up and down against his abdomen with each
hit of his hand against his ass. His ass cheeks were spread wide,
exposing his rim. Luke was loving the feel of his hand hitting ass
hard. With Dade leaning down and his ass arched out, Luke couldn’t
deny the urge he had to lean down and lick his sub’s rim. He leaned
down, licking his tongue roughly over his rim. He loved the feel of his
tongue running over his rim.

Dade’s moan of pleasure echoed into the night. Luke bit his lip

hard as he stood up. Luke wanted to see his submissive coming
undone. There was so much Luke wanted to do to his submissive, but
he couldn’t do it all. Not now. Not when all of his playthings were at
home and out of reach. He was out of his zone and improvising with
Dade. He wanted to take him hard. Now. Luke dug into the pants
pocket of his jeans. He found a condom and put it between his teeth.
He found his way back to Dade within the moonlight. He tore open
the condom and rolled it down over his cockhead. He licked his
fingers as he came in behind Dade. When they were really wet, he
started to fuck his sub with two of his knuckles. It was a test to see if
his sub wanted more. Dade moaned, arching his ass out. It was all the
encouragement Luke needed. Luke used all four knuckles to fist
Dade. He pushed his fist in and out of Dade’s ass, loving the way his
rim opened to him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Luke asked.
“Yes. Fuck me. Take me hard now!”
“No regrets then in the morning?”
“None. I promise. You are my Dom.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance and warm rain started to fall.

Every one of Dade’s muscles was flexed hard as he waited for Luke
to shove his cock deep into his ass. The lube bottle snapped open with
a click as Luke squirted some on his hand. He rubbed it over his cock

Branding Dade

and then slipped his fingers over Dade’s rim. Luke pressed the tip of
his cockhead against Dade’s rim. He felt his smooth silky skin start to
give as his ass muscles sucked his cockhead inside. Luke pushed his
prick deep within Dade’s ass, taking him hard. He felt his balls
slapping against Dade’s perineum as he rammed his throbbing cock
into his ass. Everything felt like it was going too fast and too far out
of his control, but he couldn’t stop. Luke wasn’t going to stop until
both got off and popped off hard.

Dade’s cries of pleasure echoed within the rain. He never fucked

anybody in the rain and it felt so fucking good. He loved the feel of
their hot bodies slick with rainwater. He loved the feel of his
throbbing prick sliding into his lover’s hot ass. He was amazed that
the man who had just arrested him was now submitting to him. It was
all too much for him to process now.

Fucking Dade was exactly what he needed. It’d been too long

since he had anyone. It was way overdue. The urge to dominate had
long ago worked its way into his blood. Luke now had exactly what
he wanted. Luke looked down at his cock sliding in and out of Dade’s
tight hole. He couldn’t remember the last time any of his submissives
had been so tight. Dade was on the balls of his feet as Luke took him
hard in the ass. Just when Luke was about to come, he pulled his
throbbing prick out of his lover’s ass. He took the condom off and
dropped it to the ground. “On your knees, sub.”

Dade got onto his knees in the soft grass. Luke slapped his

throbbing cock against Dade’s lips. His hungry mouth opened, taking
his prick deep within his mouth. A groaning sound echoed from
within Dade’s mouth. Luke shoved his cock deep within Dade’s
mouth, loving the feel of his thick cock sliding as far as he could go.
His balls slapped against his chin. He could feel Dade struggling to
take him down, but he still tried hard. Luke threaded his hands into
Dade’s hair. He used his hips and his hands to push his cock in and
out of Dade’s mouth. It wasn’t long before his balls pulled up tight
against the shaft. Luke’s orgasm spun up through his balls as he

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started to ejaculate in his sub’s hot mouth. White-hot juice shot from
the tip of Luke’s throbbing cockhead and into his lover’s mouth.

Dade groaned when he tasted his fluid, sliding across his tongue.

It was all too much for Luke. He loved it when a submissive
swallowed all of him. Luke pulled his hard cock from Dade’s mouth.
Things were not over yet. Luke grabbed Dade’s throbbing prick
roughly, riding his cock with his hands. A moan slipped over Dade’s
tongue as Luke wrapped his hand around the back of Dade’s neck,
pulling their mouths together in a hot kiss. Dade cried out and his
cock erupted within his hands. Dade shot his jizz up over both of their
chests. Luke flicked his tongue deeper, taking possession of his
mouth. It was a long time before either one looked at each other. Rain
fell on both of them.

“Hi,” Luke said.
“Hey, cowboy,” Dade said smiling.
Luke knew he had found something very special, but he didn’t

know how to deal with that now. All he knew was that he had to have
another piece of Dade again. He couldn’t wait until he came to his
place tomorrow night.

* * * *

Dade felt completely satisfied and vulnerable as he looked up at

his cowboy. He was naked standing in the rain next to his truck,
looking a lot like a gladiator sent to protect him. Dade’s knees were
planted in the mud. He felt dirty and whole at the same time. He never
felt so complete in his entire life. He looked up into Luke’s burning
eyes as the man pulled him up to his feet. They kissed. Luke slid his
tongue deep into Dade’s mouth. It was so much more than he ever
expected. He never thought he would find a man who understood him
this way.

Luke broke his lips away. “Invite me inside.”

Branding Dade

Dade knew that he probably shouldn’t, but he knew he had no

choice. He wanted him to come in for a little while. Dade swallowed
the lump of emotion in his throat.

“Would you like to come in?”
“I’d love to.”
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the hard possessive

look within Luke’s gaze. A shiver of need went through Dade’s body.
This man wanted him again. They gathered their wet clothes and
headed up onto the front porch. Luke was by his side as he opened the
front door. Dade flipped on the lights as Luke followed behind him.
Luke looked around. Dade didn’t really decorate. He loved the
antique furniture that he had collected over the last few years. He
watched as Luke went to the left and headed toward the kitchen,
setting his wet clothes into the mud room. He tossed all their clothes
into the washer and turned it on. It was only then that Dade got a good
look at Luke’s body. He was absolutely fascinated by his rough and
tanned skin. Luke ran a hand through his dark hair as he came back to
the kitchen.

“I think we both need a shower,” Luke said.
“It’s upstairs on the right.”
Dade followed his lover upstairs, into the master bedroom, and

into the shower. He got clean towels and came in just as Luke turned
on the hot spray. He knew he should join him, but he knew at the
same time he shouldn’t.

“Come here, sub.”
He stepped under the hot water, loving the way that Luke came in

close. They kissed softly in a sweet and unhurried way. It was exactly
what Dade needed to feel. Just for a little while, he needed to let go as
though somebody knew him completely. Kissing Luke left him
feeling confused and wanting for more. Dade had just crossed a big
line with Luke. He knew things couldn’t ever go back to the way they
were. Dade didn’t want to look at the consequences of his actions too
closely. At least, not tonight when he still had Luke in his arms.

Tatum Throne

After washing up, Luke helped Dade step out of the shower. They

wrapped towels around their waists. Luke ran a hand through his
freshly washed hair, smoothing it back.

“When do you start at my place?” Luke asked.
“Next week sometime. I have to go out of town this weekend.”
“Oh? Where you going?”
Dade didn’t want to say where he was headed to. He knew that if

he told Luke that somehow someway Luke would try to stop him
from going. “I have a trip planned.”

“Well…tell me where you’re going.”
Their eyes met, but Dade quickly turned away, heading into the

bedroom.

“You’re not seeing anyone else, are you?” Luke asked.
“No. It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?” Luke asked.
“It’s about my brother. I’m going down to Mexico to meet the

private investigator this weekend.”

“You shouldn’t go alone. I want to come with you.”
Dade shook his head. “You don’t need to. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. This is something I need to take care of by myself. It’s

something that I should have done a long time ago. I just didn’t have
the heart to go do it. I kept expecting my brother to turn up.”

“He never did, did he?”
Just as tears misted in his eyes, Dade turned away. It was getting

harder and harder to talk about the situation with anyone. He couldn’t
go there. He didn’t want anyone else at work knowing. He didn’t
want the looks or the questions from his coworkers. Dade headed to
the closet to get dressed. He offered an extra set of clothes to Luke.
Dade put on sweatpants and a T-shirt. He could see how much bigger
and broader Luke was compared him. Despite being strong he knew
that Luke was probably stronger. Luke came in close, holding him.
Dade couldn’t resist the urge to lay his head upon his Dom’s shoulder.

Branding Dade

“If you need me, I’ll meet you in Mexico.”
“It won’t be necessary. I got this handled. You don’t need to

worry about anything.”

Luke tilted up his chin with his warm hand and their eyes locked.

He looked as though he didn’t believe him, but he wasn’t going to
push the issue. It was just as well with Dade. He didn’t want to be
challenged right now about this. This was a sore subject in his mind.

“You should probably get going. The river tends to rise and block

the road.”

“Yeah, I know all about this side of town.” Luke dropped his lips

to Dade’s, kissing him possessively. He broke his lips away with a
wet sucking sound that sounded a lot like sex in the rain. “This
doesn’t change anything between us. You are now mine. Do you
understand?”

A shiver ripped through his body. He was astonished by what

Luke was saying to him. No man had ever challenged him this way.
No man had ever taken complete possession of him. He liked that
more than he should.

“I understand. I’m now yours.”
“Good. It’s good that we understand each other.”
Their hands slipped together as Luke pulled away. Dade’s heart

started to break as he watched his Dom leave for the night. He
followed him downstairs. Luke leaned in giving him a kiss that made
him weak in the knees. Luke’s hot tongue swept into his mouth as his
hand gripped the back of his neck. Dade’s heart was hammering and
his dick was hard by the time Luke pulled away. The screen door
slammed shut behind him as he left. Dade’s gaze landed on his
athletic ass as he strode away. He fucking liked the way that this
cowboy had ridden him hard. The memory of his cock planted deep
within his ass made his rim tingle.

He was a little alarmed at how attached he was after only knowing

him for a few short hours. Then again it wasn’t just for a short time
that he knew him. Dade had been watching him and following his

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career within the bull riding circuit for years. He finally admitted to
himself that he’d always had a secret crush on Luke Pendleton. He
knew that he probably should’ve told Luke about his crush, but he
couldn’t. Like a little lost puppy, Dade watched Luke’s taillights
disappear down the long driveway. He stood at the door until he could
no longer see those lights. Dade reluctantly shut the door and leaned
heavily against it. He was surprised at the way the evening had ended.
A slow smile lifted his lips. He realized then that this was the first
time he smiled in over a year.

After grabbing a quick bite, Dade headed to bed. Like always, he

had trouble sleeping. He tossed and turned in his sheets. He finally
fell hard to sleep. This time it wasn’t just his brother that he was
dreaming about, but Luke as well. Dade was chasing his brother and
Luke was chasing him. Danger lurked around every corner. Dade
woke up with a gasp as the nightmare chased after him. He still heard
the vibrations of shots being fired and saw his brother being killed.

It was like always. It left him shaking and feeling scared. His

sheets were completely soaked again. This had to stop. Something
had to give. He had to find out what happened to his brother. It was
close to three in the morning. It was the same time that Dade always
woke up. He couldn’t understand the significance of the time, but he
was going to find out if there was some meaning to it. Across the
room, he saw his bags sitting by his closet. They were packed and
ready to go to Mexico. He would be leaving in a few short hours.
Then maybe, just maybe, he’d find out what happened to his brother.
Dade thought about Luke’s offer to come with him. A part of him
wished that Luke would come with him. He could use his support
right now, but he couldn’t drag him into the situation. He just
couldn’t.

Branding Dade

Chapter Four

There was a cowboy standing next to a truck parked in front of

Dade’s house the next morning. His Stetson was way too low to know
exactly who it was, but Dade had a sneaking suspicion that it was
Luke. Only Luke wore a silver belt buckle that big. Dade’s bags sat
by the front door. He was on his way out. He didn’t want anyone or
anything stopping him from going. Dade headed outside into the
morning sunshine, walking toward his SUV. He tossed his things into
the backseat.

“What are you doing here?” Dade asked.
“I was looking for you.”
“I’m not due to start at your place until next week.”
Luke tilted up his Stetson. “You’re really going to Mexico alone?”
“It doesn’t matter what I do or where I go. It’s not your concern.

I’ll be back soon.”

“I know you don’t want my help, but I’m going to give it to you

anyway.”

Luke came around his truck, blocking Dade’s path. Dade didn’t

want this now, but he knew he had to take care of this before he left.
Their gazes locked, making Dade’s heart fluttered.

“I’ll see you next week. Promise.”
“No. You won’t,” Luke said.
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because I’m going with you.”
Dade chuckled, but it quickly faded away with the look of

warning Luke gave him. “No, you’re not going with me.”

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“You are not about to go to Mexico by yourself and get caught up

into something you can’t handle. I’m going with you.”

There was cold hard determination within Luke’s eyes. Dade

knew he was about to change his mind. His heart was set on going
with him. There was nothing he could do. “You’ll need a passport to
get back into the United States.”

“I know. I have it with me.”
“I’m guessing that your bags are packed, too.”
Luke nodded. He adjusted his Stetson and gave Dade a seductive

look. “Yes, I’m ready to go when you are.”

Dade shook his head. He was frustrated with his Dom who was

suddenly taking control of his life. “I guess you give me no choice, do
you?”

“No choice in this matter at all. I’m going with you.”
“Are we taking your truck or my SUV?”
Luke gave him a smile. “I’ll drive. Your car looks like it won’t

make it back and forth.”

“Your truck it is.”
They got into the truck and headed out toward the border. The

windows were down as they drove. The cool morning air was exactly
what Dade needed to clear his head.

“What part of Mexico are we going to?” Luke asked.
Their eyes met. “Were going to the last place my brother was

seen. He was last spotted in Mexico City. He went to a nightclub
there.”

“Was he with anyone?”
“I don’t know,” Dade said.
“Maybe you’ll get the answers you’re searching for.”
“I hope so. I’m planning on spending two nights in Mexico to

figure out where he was when he went missing. The private
investigator is meeting us down there.”

“You need some closure around this. You need to know what

happened to your brother.”

Branding Dade

Dade nodded, squinting into the sunlight. “I do and I hope we find

something out while we’re down here.”

“I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for,” Luke said.
There was a long line of cars at the border as they waited to cross.

Since Dade wasn’t on an official border patrol mission, he decided to
leave his identification paperwork at home. He was going across the
border as a private citizen. He didn’t want to be hung up at the border
if they discovered that he was a border agent. They both relaxed as
they got through the search and crossed into Mexico. They headed
south for about another three hours before they pulled off at a desert
hotel.

“The private investigator found his car here.”
Luke nodded, shutting off his truck. “Then I guess we’ll start here.

Let’s check in.”

“Sounds like a plan.”
Dade checked both of them into the hotel. They got their key and

headed to their room. The room was small with a queen bed covered
with a rose comforter. Two small chairs and a table were by the
window. There was no TV or alarm clock. It smelled like cheap
deodorizer, but was surprisingly clean. Dade set his luggage on the
bed. He was ready to find out what happened.

“I can’t believe I’m down here again,” Dade said.
“I’m so glad I came with you.”
“Me, too.”
“Lunch?” Luke asked.
“I’m starving.”
“Let’s head out for a little while. We can decompress from the

long drive down.”

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Dade said.
There was a diner across the street from their hotel that Dade was

interested in going to. Maybe it was one his brother had went to also.
They crossed the street and headed into the diner. A bell dinged above
the door as they went inside. A waitress sat them in a booth by the

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window. As they waited for the waitress to bring them their drinks,
Dade realized that Luke was very quiet. Their eyes met across the
table. The table was so small that their knees bumped and Luke’s
cowboys knocked against his work boots.

“You okay?” Luke asked.
“I’ll be fine in a while. It’s just something I need to get over, you

know?”

“I get it. You need to find out what happened to your brother. I

would do the same if I were in your position.”

“It’s the not knowing what happened to him that’s eating me up

inside.” Dade shook his head. “It’s hard for me to focus.”

“It’s a distraction for you. I get it. When’s the private investigator

meeting us?”

“He’s planning on meeting us at the bar tonight around seven.”
Luke nodded. “Then I guess we’ll meet him at the bar.”
When the waitress came back, Dade pulled out a picture of his

brother and slid it across the table for her to see. “Have you seen this
guy around?”

She picked up the picture and looked at it. “This is you, no?”
They did look alike with the freckles and the auburn hair, but Eli

had an unforgettable blond patch in his hair along the side. “My
brother. He’s missing.”

“Ah.” She bit her lip as she thought about it. “I saw him several

months ago. He was with a girl.”

“Did he say where he was going?” Dade asked.
“No. I do remember…he was arguing with the chica.”
“With the girl?”
“Sí. Yes. It looked like one of those lovers’ fights.”
She handed back the picture. “I haven’t seen him since.”
“Thanks,” Dade said.
“No problem.”
Dade handed the photo to Luke. “This is Eli.”

Branding Dade

“You guys do look similar, but there’s a rough edge to your

brother.”

Dade knew exactly what Luke was seeing. Despite their three-

year difference in age, they had had very different childhoods. “There
is.”

The waitress came back with their meals and sashayed away.

Dade was lost in thought as he ate. He was so consumed with his
brother that everything around him faded away. Beneath the table, he
felt Luke’s hand caress his knee, giving it a squeeze. He was so lucky
to have Luke to lean on right now.

“I’m glad you came with me,” Dade said.
“Me too.”
They finished eating. “We should probably get going if we’re

going to meet your guy,” Luke said.

“I was thinking the same.”
They walked across the square to the tavern. The place was a run-

down watering hole. A lot of locals were scattered around the bar.
They got a lot of looks as they headed inside. It was clear that this
place was not a typical tourist attraction. It was a place for locals to
meet and mingle without the distraction of travelers. From the looks
of some of the guys, it was obvious that they were not welcome there.
Luke went up to the bar and ordered some drinks. They sat down
together.

Seconds later, a burly man came through the door. He did a gut

check with his shirt and pants as he walked inside. He looked around
and caught sight of Dade at the bar. He crossed the rough wood floor
and sat down next to Dade.

“Glad you made it again, Dade.”
“Me, too.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“Eric, this is Luke.”
Luke offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“What can you tell me?” Dade asked.

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The man ordered a drink. He took a long minute before he

answered Dade. “I’ve got a name for you. Her name is Ashley Bridle.
She was seen with him the night he disappeared.”

“Where is she?”
Eric shook his head. “No idea. No one knows or has seen her

either.”

Dade cursed. He was so close and yet so far away from finding his

brother.

“I spoke to Ashley’s family. They’re not expecting her back.

Apparently she’s done this before. She takes off and no one hears
from her.”

Dade gripped his drink. “How old is she?”
“She’s twenty-eight.”
Dade didn’t know how or when he was going to find his brother.

He just knew he had to find him. What was he going to do if he
couldn’t? He couldn’t stay down in Mexico again for weeks on end.
Not this time. He had to let his brother go for good.

“It sounds like you’ve done all the digging that you could do.

Have you exhausted all your leads?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry to say there’s not much more I can do. This trail

has definitely gone cold. Your best bet would be to wait and see if he
turns up.”

Letting go was the hardest thing Dade had to do. “I think you’re

right.”

The man got up and slapped Dade on the back. “I have contacts

all over Mexico. They’re still looking for him. I’ll be in touch if I hear
anything.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”
“I think the reward you’re offering will help,” Eric said.
“Thanks, Eric.”
“What do you want to do now, babe?” Luke asked.
He didn’t know if he would ever find his brother. It was apparent

that his brother was truly gone. There was nothing more that he could

Branding Dade

do. He felt like he should run away and keep running and never look
back. Dade was very aware that he was getting up and walking away
from the bar. He heard Luke calling his name, but he didn’t stop. He
didn’t stop moving until he was back in his room. The motel door
bounced off the wall, knocking an old picture to the side. Dade
grabbed his face as he burst into tears. He felt shattered.

* * * *

Luke could have easily kept up with Dade’s long-limbed strides,

but he knew that Dade needed some space. He followed him back to
their hotel room and shut the door behind him. Dade was crying. He
couldn’t control his sobs. Luke came in close from behind, hugging
him hard. He held on tight.

“It’s all going to be okay. I’ve got you.”
“It won’t ever be okay. It’s over. I can’t find him. He’s gone. He’s

gone.”

Emotion ripped through Luke’s heart. Luke knew exactly how he

was feeling. Dade was finally coming to terms with the fact that he
may never find out what happened to his brother. It was crushing his
heart. Luke felt his own heart begin to break at the possibility of Dade
falling apart and not being able to put himself back together again.
Some things were too hard and too painful to make right. Luke wasn’t
sure how he was going to make Dade feel better. Luke turned Dade
around, holding him close to his chest. He pulled his head down onto
his shoulder. Through their shirts, Luke could feel his heart beating
wildly as he cried.

He wasn’t going to let him go until he was ready. It was a long

time before his sobs finally started to taper off. A little later, Dade
was no longer crying at all. “It’s going to be okay. I can promise you
that everything will be okay.”

“I just want him back. I want to know what happened to him. I

want to know that he’s okay.”

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“I don’t know if you’ll ever know what happened or if he’s okay.

I’m sorry, babe, but some things you never find out.” Luke sighed
heavily. He knew he couldn’t fill Dade’s heart with false hope. “Is it
possible that he went off and just didn’t bother telling you where he
was going?”

“I don’t know anymore. I feel like I should know, but I don’t. We

had stopped talking for a while. There’s so much about Eli that I don’t
know.”

“I understand, babe. There are some things you just can’t do. It

takes two people to communicate.”

“What am I supposed to do now?”
Luke held his face in his hands, feeling his stubble brush roughly

over his palm. “You do what everyone else does in this situation. You
move on and you soldier on. Until someone tells you something you
need to know, you keep working and living your life.”

“I don’t know how to do that without my brother.”
“You got me now. We’ll figure this out together.”
Their eyes met. Dade looked unsure of what he should do next.

Luke smiled. “I think you need to practice loving someone else for a
while.”

Luke leaned down, kissing Dade until he was breathless. When he

broke his lips away, he saw that Dade was absolutely ready for
something more. He reached down, rubbing his hand over Dade’s
cock. He could feel him instantly harden. Luke felt like he was out of
his element, but he didn’t care. He knew that he needed Dade and he
needed him now.

“Undress.” He pulled the wooden chair away from the window

and set it in the middle of the room. “Have a seat.”

Dade followed his instructions and sat down when he was naked.

Luke went to his suitcase, relieved that he packed some things for the
trip just in case they had a moment alone. He took the blindfold out
from his bag and wrapped it around Dade’s eyes. He heard the short
intake of his breath and knew that his heart was beating rapidly. It

Branding Dade

was apparent to Luke that he needed the feel of his touch as a
distraction to what he had learned today. His cock was filling up fast.
Luke undressed.

Fading sunlight filtered across the room through the break in the

curtain. Luke went to his bag and picked a toy out to play with. Pre-
cum dripped from his throbbing prick. Luke knew he needed to make
the session last as long as he possibly could. Dade needed more than
just a quick fuck tonight. Luke needed to take control and show him
how good they could be together. Luke reached out, stroking his palm
over the underside of Dade’s hard cock. The thick vein that wrapped
around his shaft was throbbing. His prick was ruddy with his
cockhead filled to the point of bursting.

“Spread your thighs wide.”
Dade didn’t ask what he was supposed to do. Luke loved the way

he obeyed quickly and without hesitation. Luke moved the cock ring
down around Dade’s throbbing cock. He slipped the bullet into the
loop below and held onto the small control. He turned it on and
watched as Dade’s cock started to jump around, slapping against his
abdomen as the vibration hit him hard. Dade thrust his hips up from
the chair.

“Oh God!”
“Hold onto the chair.”
With Dade’s hands gripping the back of the chair, Luke

intensified the vibrations. Dade’s hips jumped up from the chair a
second time as he started to thrust his hips forward for more. As
quickly as Luke turned it on, he turned it off.

Dade groaned, screaming for more. “Oh, no! Don’t stop! Please!

Luke!”

Luke flipped the switch and turned it back on. He put it on the

lowest throbbing setting. He watched as Dade’s cock jumped around.
He knew Dade wouldn’t be able to stand much more of this. Pre-cum
leaked from the tip of his cockhead. As the vibration sent shivers
down Dade’s cock, Luke leaned forward, licking the tip of his

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cockhead. He loved the sweet taste of his sauce flowing over his
tongue. He never tasted a sub’s cum before. He wasn’t a Dom who
got down on his knees and sucked cock like a dog. There was
something about Dade that had him wanting for more. He didn’t
consider himself a switch. He was a full Dom.

Temptation had Luke doing things he didn’t normally do. He

knew he had to have one more taste of Dade. Luke got down on his
haunches. His prick hung heavily between his legs as he edged in
against Dade’s thigh. Flipping the switch back on, Luke licked his lips
as he leaned in close to Dade.

“Do you trust me?”
Dade was shaking. The room was hot. Sweat glistened on Dade’s

skin. “Yes, I trust you completely.”

“Good. Hang onto the chair.”
Dade was quick to obey. Luke stood up, standing over Dade’s

thighs. Dade held on tight to the chair as Luke grabbed the front legs
and leaned him back. Luke’s ass was now in Dade’s face and Dade’s
cock was at his lips.

“Lick my rim.”
“Oh, fuck,” Dade said.
The heat of Dade’s tongue slipped over his rim. Luke leaned

forward and gobbled Dade’s cock. He sucked his prick down his
throat as Dade started to flick his tongue across his rim. There was an
animalistic urgency about the way Dade was licking him. Luke could
feel it all the way down to his soul. He knew that this was going too
far and too fast. Pre-cum shot from Dade’s dick when he felt Dade’s
tongue flick inside his rim. Luke cried out as new sensations tore
through his body. He licked his way off of Dade’s cock. He pulled
Dade up to a standing position and bent him over the side of the bed
without giving him an order. He spread his thighs wide, exposing his
rim.

Luke moved between his legs, slapping his cock against his rim.

Luke was desperate for everything with Dade. Luke realized that he

Branding Dade

needed to hold back and do something more. He started to spank
Dade hard with his hand. He watched the way his balls bounced back
and forth. It fucking made his rim tingle as he watched the way his
cock slapped against his abdomen. With each punishing hit of his
hand, he watched as his cock jumped up against his abs, sending pre-
cum shooting out his stick. Luke knew he needed to grab a condom,
but there was no time.

He could feel his heart pounding within the tip of his cockhead.

He was ready to explode. He forgot about the condom and shoved his
cock up against the edge of Dade’s rim. As a Dom, he needed to make
sure it was okay with his sub that he was going in raw.

“I’m going in raw. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No! I’m clean!”
“Good. I am, too.”
Luke slid his cock deep within his ass. He started taking him hard.

He loved the way their balls slapped together. The headboard hit the
wall hard with a bang, bang sound that shook the foundation of the
thin wall. The cheap mattress springs squeaked as though they had
had years of abuse. Luke’s spunk twisted up from his balls, shooting
from the tip of his cockhead, hitting home. Luke cried out, reaching
his hand around and grabbing Dade’s cock. He stroked him several
times and heard him cry out. Dade’s hot spunk erupted over his hand
and onto the comforter. It was a long time before Luke pulled his
cock from Dade’s ass. He gripped his hips as he leaned forward,
kissing the back of Dade’s neck.

“You feeling better?”
“I am, cowboy. I think I needed a rough ride.”
Luke chuckled. “I did, too.”
“I think we need a shower.” Luke helped Dade up from the bed

just as the corner gave and it hit the ground hard. They burst out
laughing. “I think we broke the bed. This is a first for me.”

“Me, too.”

Branding Dade

Chapter Five

Dade sat back into the cooling water. He was so glad that he was

taking a bath with Luke. He really needed this time to process what
had gone on between them.

“Tell me about your brother. What’s he like?” Luke asked.
“Where do you want me to begin?”
“Start at the beginning. Is he older or younger than you?”
“He’s younger, by two years.”
“Is he in law enforcement like you?”
“No, not at all. He’s in the military. He made a career out of it.”
“Huh. Do you think that’s why he’s gone missing all of a

sudden?”

Something clicked within Dade’s head. “I don’t know. I don’t

think that’s the reason why he’s missing.”

“Has he ever been involved in any secret operations?”
Dade bit his lip. He thought about what Luke was saying. “I don’t

know. We didn’t have that type of relationship where we talked about
everything. He very well could have had a secret life I didn’t know
about.”

“Then there’s a good chance that everything’s okay,” Luke said.
“It’s possible.”
Dade wanted to trust Luke, but he wasn’t sure if he could tell him

everything about how he was feeling.

“What branch of the military is your brother?”
“He’s a former Navy seal. He does contract work for someone.

The state department or something.”

“That all makes sense now.”

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“How so?”
“I think he’s off on a mission honestly.”
“I think I would’ve heard something by now.”
“Perhaps. I wouldn’t worry too much though. These guys are

trained military people. He’s not off gallivanting the world. He’s
probably off on a mission for the good ole US of A.”

For just a little while, Dade wanted to believe that it was possible.

“You really think so?”

Luke put his arms around Dade, holding on tight. “I’m willing to

bet on it.”

This was something that Dade hadn’t yet considered. What if

Luke was right? What if his brother was really out there on a mission
and he just was out of reach and couldn’t communicate? What if
everything was okay and he was going to come home any day now?

“You never considered the possibility, did you?”
“No, I hadn’t. I always thought he just ran off. Or that something

happened to him. I never thought that he was on a mission and that
there was a chance that he couldn’t communicate with me.”

“Have you tried contacting the state department?”
Dade bit his lip. “No, I hadn’t. It’s something I need to consider

now that I’ve thought about it. I honestly haven’t thought about all
angles of the situation at all. I’ve been blinded by emotion.”

“There’s a good chance your brother does something for the

military that you and I don’t understand anything about. Your brother
sounds like a smart guy. I don’t think anything happened to him that
you need to worry about.”

“How can you be so sure?”
“There are too many things about this that just don’t add up.”
Luke was right. Dade could see it now. Obviously his emotions

had gotten into the way and he hadn’t been able to see what was right
in front of his eyes. How could he be so foolish? How could he not
know that his brother was probably okay and on a mission for the
government?

Branding Dade

“What do we do about this now?” Dade asked.
“Nothing. You let this thing play out. You wait and see if the

military gets back with you. If they do, I’m sure they will tell you a
different story. Try not to worry.”

Dade loved the feel of Luke’s arms wrapped around him. He

sighed back against his chest. He loved the way his Dom was
comforting him and washing him with his rough hands and the cheap
soap.

“How did I get so lucky to find you?”
Luke kissed his way down his jaw. “I think we both got lucky.”
“You know things are going to change when I start working on

your land on Monday.”

“I hope they will change,” Luke said.
Was he counting on things to go on between them? Did he want

things to cool off? Dade wasn’t so sure he should have gotten
involved with Luke. He knew now that it was probably a mistake, but
there was nothing he could do to take back what had happened
between them. That bell had long ago been rung and there was no
way they could go back in time and un-ring the bell.

“I can tell you’re thinking,” Luke said.
“I am,” Dade said.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’m trying to decide how to handle things now.”
Dade knew that his answer was vague enough to let Luke know

that he was thinking, but not thinking about them anymore. Dade felt
as though he couldn’t think straight when he was in Luke’s arms. He
felt as though he couldn’t work at all now that his brother was
missing. He didn’t know how to go back to the life he once had. He
didn’t know how to make things right when everything good felt
wrong.

“I think we need to spend one more night in Mexico,” Luke said.

“What do you think?”

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Dade closed his eyes, sighing back against Luke’s chest. “I love

the idea of that. I haven’t been on a vacation in a little over a year. It’s
about time I took one.”

“This is going to be the shortest vacation you’ve ever had,” Luke

laughed.

“I’m just way too busy protecting the borders.”
“I guess you are.”
Things were finally feeling like they were going to be okay. He

didn’t know how or why, but Dade felt like it would be. He felt as
though he could trust Luke with everything. Things no longer looked
so scary when he shared them with Luke. He wasn’t frightened of
what would come tomorrow. Nor was he afraid of being alone now
that he had Luke. It should have frightened him, but it didn’t. He was
honestly tired of trying to keep all this emotions bottled up inside.
Now that he had somebody to share his darkest fears with, the world
didn’t feel so daunting anymore.

“I like this. I like you,” Dade said.
Luke kissed him. “I’m feeling the same way. I like this, too. I like

being here with you. For the first time in my life, I feel as though I’m
home.”

Dade held on tightly. He never wanted this moment to end. He

wasn’t sure how he was going to make this thing work out, but he
sure as hell knew that he was going to try. He didn’t know how he
could balance his job, his relationship with Luke, and his missing
brother. He knew he had to figure out a way to do it all. He couldn’t
walk this life alone anymore.

“We’ll spend one more day in Mexico and see what we can find

out. I really think you need to talk to somebody within the state
department and see what they know.”

“That’s a great idea. I never thought of approaching it from the

angle.”

“Well, that’s what you have me for. Even a blind squirrel finds a

nut every once in a while.”

Branding Dade

Dade chuckled. “You are so not daft.”
Luke was very intelligent. Despite his southern drawl and his

blue-collar mentality, Luke was a very successful businessman. He
wondered why he was downplaying it all right now. As a Dom, Luke
wasn’t one to not be in control and show his intelligence.

“We should make those phone calls before it gets too late,” Luke

said.

“Yeah, I was thinking the same.”
Dade was so glad he had Luke for support while he dealt with

things. He didn’t know how he was going to get through the next few
months without knowing what happened to his brother. He knew that
he had to find a way. Dade was certain that he found his way with
Luke.

* * * *

After several phone calls, Luke could see Dade’s frustration was

mounting. It was clear nobody within the government was giving him
a clear-cut answer. He hung up his cell phone. Their eyes locked.

“I think you have your answer about what’s going on with your

brother.”

Dade frowned hard. “Do you really think he’s workin’ with the

military?”

“They’re not concerned about this at all. It doesn’t sound like

they’re looking for him. I think you need to stop and see what
happens.”

“I think I’m stirring the proverbial shit pot.”
The corner of Luke’s mouth ticked up. He loved Dade’s sense of

humor. “Let’s just hope they don’t hand you the spoon to lick.”

A chuckle echoed from Dade’s lips. His laugh was a little bit

rusty. Luke loved the sound of his laugh. He wanted to hear more of
it.

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Dade went to the window. He looked out at the way the city

yawned toward the jungle pressing in against the city. “It’s just so
hard to let go of this. I’m not one to sit back and let things happen if
there’s something I can do.”

“I know, babe. You’re the type of man who likes to get things

done. You’re a border agent. You’re law enforcement. I know what
that means.”

“Fine. We’ll do it your way. I’ll let this thing go and see what

happens, but I’m not going to let it go until I know everything. I need
to know what happened to my brother.”

“Give it time, okay? I really think things will work out.”
Dade ran his hand through his hair. Luke could see that it was

finally hitting home. Luke knew he needed to do something anything
to distract him tonight. “How do you want to spend our last night in
Mexico?”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it. What do you want to do?”

Dade asked.

“I was thinking about doing a little sightseeing. There are some

parts of Mexico that I’ve always wanted to see.”

“You think we’ll have time?” Dade asked.
“I think we can make time for a few things.”
“Sounds like a great idea.”
They headed out together to Luke’s truck. Luke got his backpack

from the backseat of the double cab. He got behind the wheel and
pulled out a map.

“You came prepared,” Dade said.
“I was a Boy Scout.”
“I like a man who’s always prepared.”
Their eyes locked. “I know you do.”
Luke spent several minutes looking over the map. “We’re not too

far from the Mayan ruins. What do you say? We can charter a flight
down to the Yucatan Peninsula.”

“Sounds like a lot of fun.”

Branding Dade

Luke pulled out his cell phone and dialed. After several minutes

on the phone with his friend Mike, Luke was able to charter his plane
to take them down. Luke hung up his cell phone. It was going to cost
him, but as far as he was concerned Dade was worth it. His friend
Mike was just being a dick for making him work on his day off.

“I got us a flight.”
“Just like that.”
Luke grinned. “I’m good at getting things done.”
“How much is it?” Dade asked.
“You don’t need to worry about it. I’ve got it covered.”
Dade shook his head. “I don’t want you paying for me.”
Luke gave him a hard stare. “I take care of what’s mine. I’ve got

this. Let me do this for you.”

Luke reached out his hand and rubbed it over the back of Dade’s

hand. Dade smiled and held on tight. “Okay.”

The wind caught Dade’s hair, brushing strands over his forehead.

Luke was tempted to lean across the seat and kiss Dade, but he
resisted the urge. Instead, he let go of Dade’s hand and started the
truck. He drove to the airport where his friend Mike was waiting to
take them on his plane. Luke led the way across the small airport
tarmac. Mike was doing his preflight check when Luke caught his
attention.

“Hey, Mike.”
Mike turned, looking over his shoulder. “Hey, Luke. I was

shocked to hear from you.”

“You know I’m like a bad penny. I turn up.”
“Who’s your friend?” Mike asked.
“Mike, this is Dade.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dade said.
They shook hands. “Please tell me this guy isn’t taking you on a

treasure hunt.”

Dade laughed. “Nope.”
“This is a sightseeing tour.”

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“Uh-huh.” Mike turned toward the plane. “Let’s go. I don’t have

all day.”

Luke held the door open for Dade. “What?”
“Treasure hunt?” Dade asked.
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
There was a spark of interest within Dade’s eye that Luke really

liked seeing. “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

The flight was loud with the twin engines. They landed an hour

later and rented a car to head out to the ruins. Everything was lush,
green, and beautiful. It was majestically quiet despite the number of
tourists milling around.

“One of my all-time favorite movies was filmed here,” Luke said.
“Oh? Which one?”
“It was called The Ruins or something. I think it was based on a

book.”

“It sounds familiar. I think I saw it when it came out to the

theaters.”

“Yeah, it was pretty much a psychological mind fuck. I saw it

when I was in college.”

They hiked to the top of the Mayan temple. Luke sat down next to

Dade, taking his backpack off and rolling out his shoulders. They
looked out over the skyline and the lush forest surrounding them.

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Dade asked.
“Never. I didn’t expect to be down here with you either.”
Their eyes met.
“Not after I arrested you. Life has kind of sped up since we met,

hasn’t it?”

“I think it really has. Why do you think that is?” Luke asked.
“Matters of the heart can do that to you. It can make time fly when

you have a plan,” Dade said.

“They sure do.”
“When’s your next riding competition?”

Branding Dade

“Not for a few weeks.”
“Did you know that I’ve followed your career on the circuit?”

Dade asked.

“You have?”
“Yeah, I knew all about your rides. I’ve been following your

career for a while now.” Luke was stunned by what he was saying.
All this time he thought he was the one in control, but Dade would
say something that always threw him off balance.

“I don’t know how to fix the rivalry I have with Trevor Stokes.

Suggestions?”

“We both know that you’re the better rider than Trevor will ever

be.”

“Why do you think he’s making so much in endorsements then?”

Luke asked.

“I think he has something that you don’t to be honest.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
He was honestly really curious about what he was lacking in his

career as a bull rider.

“You have the ability to work the bull and charm the crowd.

Whereas Trevor has the ability to fire up the crowd.”

“Huh. I never thought about it that way. I guess part of my career

should be focused on my image?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try it.”
Luke leaned in close. “It sounds like you want to take control of

my career then.”

“No, not at all. I think you do fine on your end. I was just making

an observation about what I’ve noticed,” Dade said.

Luke no longer felt the bitter resentment he once had for Trevor.

He knew he should put their rivalry to bed but some things were hard
to let go of. He honestly knew that the crowd got fired up when they
exchanged words. He had heard that the announcers chatted about it
for a while afterward. It all made for good mystery between them.
Maybe it was time to make this thing all show and no longer personal.

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Perhaps it was time to make it all business. It was something for him
to think about when he got back to the states.

“So what is this treasure hunt thing Mike was telling me about?”

Dade asked.

“I met Mike when I was backpacking through Southeast Asia. We

heard a rumor about buried treasure in Thailand and decided to find
out if it was real.”

“No shit. You don’t look like a treasure hunter,” Dade said.
“I’m not. I’m just a guy whose parents left him a shitload of

money and too much time on his hands. I think I blew through half of
my inheritance before I settled down and started my business.”

“What is it you do besides bull riding?” Dade asked.
“I make saddles.”
Luke could see that he’d impressed Dade with his stories. He

didn’t feel all that special. He’d been lucky and really stupid, but he
managed to settle down before he lost all direction.

“You never said if you found treasure in Thailand,” Dade said.
“Nope. Just a whole lot of landmines. We were lucky to get in and

out of that country without being arrested.”

Their eyes locked and they burst out laughing. “How many times

have you been arrested?” Dade asked.

“Three. Including the time you arrested me.”
Dade grinned. “Should I ask?”
Luke shook his head. “I may or may not be banned from entering

Vietnam again. My Vietnamese isn’t great. Mike’s is better, but he
was drunk at the time.”

Dade chuckled, knocking his foot against Luke’s. A shiver tore

through Luke’s body. He wanted to take Dade there now, but he knew
they couldn’t risk it with so many tourists around. The back of Luke’s
fingers brushed against Dade’s. So much was conveyed between them
with that one simple touch. Luke couldn’t recall a time when a
submissive had made him feel so deeply before.

Branding Dade

The sun was starting to bend low in the sky as they hiked down

from the ruins, and headed out to the rental. They drove back to the
airport, where Mike was waiting for them. They flew back to Mexico
City and headed to the hotel.

Luke could see that Dade was still upset about his missing

brother. There was nothing he could do to take the pain away he was
experiencing. He knew that until he had a resolution about what was
going on, he wouldn’t be able to move on.

“Do you trust your brother?” Luke asked.
Their eyes met and locked. “Yes. I know he’s a smart man.”
“Trust that. Just the fact that you know your brother and that he

wouldn’t wander off on his own. I’m sure there’s a reason why he’s
not communicating with you. I would give it a few more months. If
you don’t hear from him, then you need to worry.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right.”
Luke held Dade close. He loved the sound of his steady breathing

as he leaned his head on his shoulder. He felt as though everything in
his life was finally falling into place as his lover’s was falling apart. It
was a bittersweet reminder of how short life truly was. He was not
looking back at all his burned bridges that he left behind. He had his
gaze locked forward, loving the fact that he had a future and that
Dade was in it. Luke was tired of being a hard-ass that everyone
expected him to be. Luke wanted to be happy. He wanted Dade in his
life. That meant he was going to change.

As far as things went with his career and his business, he knew he

had to make some tough changes. It was long overdue and time for it.
Luke was well-respected within the community. He knew that he had
ties he had to maintain. That meant he had to keep those relationships
going for the long haul. He couldn’t let his disagreements with Trevor
or anything else in his life get in the way of his plans. He was not
about to get arrested ever again. That meant he had to make smart
choices. He could no longer lead with emotion.

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Luke decided then and there with Dade in his arms, in a crappy

little hotel room, that he was going to make some big changes in his
life. He was going to settle down for good. He was going to let
himself be happy. He was no longer going to worry about what came
next. He had dreams and goals and adventures waiting for him. All of
it was finally falling into place. Luke knew he was on his way to
being the happiest person in the whole world. He wouldn’t change
this moment for any reason at all.

Branding Dade

Chapter Six

Coming home from Mexico without news on his brother was one

of the hardest things that Dade had to do. He was still reeling from the
fact that he spent the weekend shacking up with the cowboy he had
arrested two nights before. It was probably one of the biggest
mistakes of his entire life. He was astonished that he had been so
foolish. He shouldn’t have slept with Luke. The sex had been worth it
though. He didn’t know anyone who could take him as far and as fast
as Luke could.

Instead of going to Luke’s right away, Dade had gone on to work.

He was using it as an excuse to debrief and to separate himself from
Luke for a little while. Part of him wanted to let go and have
somebody else take over in the program for him. Dade knew that he
was being a pussy about it. He couldn’t imagine shacking up with
Luke on his property while he worked. For a little while, Luke helped
him forget all about his missing brother. That time had been precious
and wonderful.

It was time to let his brother go though. He couldn’t hold vigil for

Eli forever. He was never coming home. He had to let the fact that his
brother was missing go. He knew that the government was working
on it. There was probably a good chance that Eli was working
undercover with some top-secret mission. Nobody was telling him
anything. Dade wanted to believe that Eli was out there alive
somewhere. He knew that if he spent his entire life wishing and
hoping for something that would never happen, he would lose what
little happiness he had. He would never live his life the way he was

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meant to then. Dade decided that he was going to move on, but then
again would he ever truly get over it?

Dade was very aware that the meeting he was in was wrapping up,

but he was sitting there staring off into the distance. All of a sudden
Evan appeared in front of him.

“Is something wrong?” Evan asked.
Their eyes locked. Dade didn’t know how he could tell his friend

what was wrong. Dade shook his head. “I’m fine. I just have a lot
going on right now.”

“I heard you’re working with the Rough Riders program now.”
“Yeah, it’s going okay.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. We should go out to lunch sometime. It’s

been a while since we headed out together.”

Dade nodded, not really listening to what Evan was saying.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

He picked up his things and headed out to his office. He was very

aware that he was lost in his own world. He was having a hard time
wrapping his head around the fact that he was falling in love with
Luke. That was the truth of it. Luke had made him feel things he
didn’t want to feel. He made him realize things that he was ignoring
in his life. For the first time in over a year, Dade felt happy again.
That scared the hell out of him.

He couldn’t imagine everything working out the way it should. He

didn’t feel like he ever would get his happily ever after with a man. It
just didn’t happen in these parts. People were not open to the gay
lifestyle. Dade knew he was dragging his feet. He was supposed to
meet with Luke over an hour ago. He was afraid of meeting those
beautiful eyes again and getting lost in them for a really long time.
The truth was that he wanted Luke to take control of him again. He
didn’t know how to get past this awkward moment of letting go and
having Luke take care of his needs. He wasn’t a man who so easily
trusted other men when he just met them.

Branding Dade

For the next three months, he would be spending every day and

night at Luke’s. Dade was positive that their relationship would be
more than just a work thing. He had nothing left to do in office for the
day. It was time to report to Luke’s. He drove out to Luke’s place. His
ranch was absolutely gorgeous. It was one of the newer ranches
outside of town. Dade knew that Luke was well off. He didn’t know
what all he did in his spare time, but he wanted to find out. He knew
that he had business dealings all over Eagle Pass with his saddle
business. He just wasn’t quite sure what he did in his work life, but he
wanted to find out.

Dade expected to find Luke working on his ranch in a pair of old

worn jeans and a Stetson. He was shocked to find that his ranch was
quiet in the morning sunshine. He went up to the front door and
knocked on it. After a little while, Luke came to the door to answer it.
Dade looked him up and down. He was wearing a suit and tie. He
looked absolutely gorgeous. Luke grabbed him by the wrist, pulling
him inside. Luke slammed the door shut and pushed Dade against the
wall, kissing him hard. Luke’s tongue swept into his mouth, making
Dade weak in the knees. Luke slid his hand down over his ass, giving
it a hard squeeze. When Luke finally pulled away, he smiled. Dade
fell hard for that broken smile.

“Morning, cowboy,” Dade said.
“Morning yourself.”
“Nice suit,” Dade said.
“Do you like it? It’s new.”
Luke kept Dade pinned to the wall. Dade felt his cock throbbing

hard. “I didn’t expect you to be the type of guy who wore a suit.”

“I am. I have to dress up when I meet with retailers. There’s a lot

you don’t know about me.”

“Oh? Like what?”
“Like the fact that I run a company that’s worth millions.”
Dade nearly fell on the floor. It was true. He didn’t know that

much about Luke at all.

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Dade followed Luke as he headed further into his house. His

house was nicely designed. It was decorated as though everything had
a place and a purpose. They headed down a long hallway that ended
in a home office. Luke went around his desk, picking up some papers
he had left there.

“I’m also in the cattle business. I buy and sell when I have time.”
“Interesting.”
“It’s what I do best. Let me show you to your room.”
They headed down the long hallway and to a back staircase just

off a really big kitchen with stainless steel appliances. They went up
the staircase to another long hallway. This one had a Persian carpet
running down the middle.

“This is my guest bedroom. I think you’ll be most comfortable

here. It will give you your own space to do the work you need to do.”

Dade was surprised that Luke wasn’t having him stay in his room.

“Looks good.”

Dade couldn’t hide his disappointment, but he tried to. Just

because he was moving in for a little while didn’t mean that they had
to sleep together. He really wanted to sleep with Luke again, but he
wasn’t about to push the issue with his Dom. He knew he shouldn’t,
but he wanted to.

“My room is three doors down on the right.”
“Thanks. I’ll be comfortable here.”
“Is there anything else you need before I go?” Luke asked.
“No. I’ll be good. I’ll be heading out to look at the border in a

little while.”

“Do you need me for that?”
“I should be okay. Just pretend like I’m not even here.”
The corner of Luke’s mouth ticked up. “That’s not going to be

easy.” He came in close, giving Dade a soft brushing kiss. “I need to
head into the office. I’ll be back this evening.”

“Great. I’ll see you then.”

Branding Dade

Dade listened to Luke’s fading footsteps as he walked away. He

loved that the man he fell so hard for looked so good in a business
suit. Dade was still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that he
was a businessman with a shitload of money. There were two sides to
Luke he didn’t know, but he wanted to. He wanted to know
everything about the man. Luke was becoming more than just a
distraction he needed to forget all about his missing brother. It
sounded so wrong and so callous to think that he needed a distraction,
but he needed something anything to hold onto for a little while to
help him forget about how Eli was never coming home.

* * * *

Luke couldn’t fully concentrate on work. All he could think about

was Dade and what he wanted to do to him when he got off of work.
He was the CEO, he could leave at any time, but he couldn’t just go.
There was too much he needed to do. He was looking over his designs
for his new line of men’s and women’s leather chaps, but his mind
was on Dade. He hated the fact that he couldn’t take away the pain of
him losing his brother. He decided then he needed someone to look
into the matter. He wasn’t going to say anything to Dade about it. He
didn’t want to upset him. This was something he wanted to do on his
own and hopefully maybe, he would find out some good news to
share with Dade.

After a long day of work, Luke headed home. He hadn’t planned

on anything for dinner. He usually caught dinner on the fly as it was.
That thought had him picking up dinner along the way. Luke was a
man who liked to eat healthy. He didn’t usually eat junk food at all.
That had him going to the only healthy place in town. After ordering a
couple of wraps with fresh-cut vegetables, he headed home to the
ranch. He caught sight of Dade walking around the barn. He looked as
though he’d been out all day. His clothes were dusty and he was hot
and sweaty. He looked absolutely delicious to Luke. That thought

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alone had him forgetting about dinner and remembering all about how
much he wanted Dade. Luke knew as a Dom that he should show
restraint. When he saw Dade standing before him looking absolutely
stunning, he couldn’t. All he could think about was having Dade and
having him now.

They met in front of the barn. Neither one saying a word and

drinking the other in. It was twilight and everything around them was
going dark. The moon was rising slowly in the sky. Luke wanted him
and he wanted him now. He set the bag of food down on the ground
and backed Dade up against the weathered boards of the barn. He
kissed him hard, stealing their breaths away. Luke muscled his tongue
deep within Dade’s mouth, flicking it wildly. He finally pulled his lips
away. His eyes met Dade’s.

“I’ve wanted to do that to you all fucking day.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
Luke groaned, really liking the way Dade’s rough fingers slipped

under his suit coat and tugged on his dress shirt.

“There are too many clothes between us. I want you naked now in

my shower.”

“Yes, Sir.”
Luke stepped back, picking up the bag of food he set on the

ground. He headed toward the house and opened up the front door.
When he got inside he grabbed hold of Dade again. “Undress, babe.
Undress now.”

Dade did as ordered. All of his clothes were on the hardwood

floor in a flash. He had taken his boots off outside on the front porch,
leaving all the mud out there. Luke liked a man who paid attention to
detail. They kissed frantically as though neither one had seen each
other in months. It was as though Dade was starved, and he needed
Luke for everything. For the first time in Luke’s life, he loved the fact
that a sub needed him and wanted him so desperately.

“My room or yours?” Dade asked.
“Mine, of course.”

Branding Dade

Luke smacked his sub’s ass encouraging him further up the stairs.

With his cock heavy between his legs, Luke followed Dade into the
master bedroom. Before they showered, Luke needed to officially
collar his sub. He went to the closet, where he got a leather collar that
was hung with several thin chains. The collar was brand new and
begging to be used. Kind of like his sub, he thought with a grin.

“Get on your knees.”
Lust zipped through Luke’s blood as he watched Dade get down

on his knees without hesitation. Luke came in behind him, collaring
him. He pulled the leather tight to his skin just below his Adam’s
apple. When Dade was collared, Luke went back to the closet to get
the cock chain he liked all his submissives to wear. He slipped the
chain down around Dade’s pulsating shaft, looping his balls into the
secondary chain. He pulled the chain around Dade’s hips, smoothing
it between his ass cheeks and locking it down on the loop beneath his
balls. After putting the chain in place, Luke hooked the chains on the
collar to the one just above his rim. If Dade moved, the chain would
tighten sweetly around his shaft. The sweet torture would make it
impossible for him to come before Luke was ready for him to. Pre-
cum leaked from his tip.

“Get on your hands and knees.”
Luke went to his drawer where he kept his floggers. He pulled out

a leather flogger. Luke nearly shot his spunk when he realized that
Dade was arching his ass out and ready. His ass cheeks were spread
wide, exposing his rim and the gold chain running down over it. Pre-
cum leaked from Dade’s cock as Luke slid the flogger over his ass
cheeks. He whipped the flogger away from his ass and came back in
hard. His muscles rippled with the hit. Luke let the stinging bite sink
in as he waited. Dade sucked in his breath wildly as Luke whipped the
flogger back again, bringing it down hard on his ass. Dade moaned
for more.

Experience told Luke that he should be reaching Dade’s hard

limit, but he begged for more. Dade arched his ass out, rocking his

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hips like a bucking bull. Luke brought the flogger back down against
his ass eight more hard times. With each hit, Dade begged for more.
Their eyes locked as heat moved over his sensitive ass. It was then
that Luke knew that Dade was a pain slut. He liked to be taken over
the edge and hung out there for a long while. Luke tossed the flogger
onto the bed and went back to his drawer.

He got a leash and hooked it to Dade’s collar. He gave it a tug.

“Come, sub.”

Dade crawled behind him. They headed for the shower. Luke

hooked the leash to the towel rack. He wanted his sub’s knees planted
on the imported tile while he sucked his cock. They got into the
shower together. Hot water moved over Dade’s skin, washing away
all of his fear and uncertainty that lingered within his eyes. Luke
loved the change he saw in those eyes.

“Stay on your knees.”
Dade nuzzled and grabbed Luke’s hard cock with his right hand.

He sucked his mouth over Luke’s dick, swallowing as much as he
could without an order given. A ripple of pleasure made Luke shiver.
He knew he should probably punish Dade for being so eager, but right
then he didn’t care.

“I love it when you take my monster cock deep within your

throat.”

Dade groaned, sucking him harder. It was all too much for Luke.

He knew he needed to slow this thing down if he was going to take
control of Dade in the bedroom. Luke pushed his hand on the back of
Dade’s neck. He loved the feel of his rough tongue rubbing the
underside of his cockhead as he sucked his prick.

“On your hands and knees,” Luke said.
Dade slowly licked his tongue off of Luke’s cock. He put his

hands and knees on the tile, arching his ass out. Luke leaned down,
rubbing his hands over his ass, squeezing it tight. He loved the feel of
his nimble ass beneath his palms. He rubbed his thumb down beneath
the chain covering his rim, flicking it around his tight hole. He started

Branding Dade

to push his thumb inside, loving the sound of Dade’s groan echoing
off the tile. He didn’t stop pushing his thumb into his ass until he was
all the way in. He started spanking Dade with his other hand. He
spanked him hard, over and over again. He loved to see his balls slap
back and forth. He loved the sound of his cock hitting his abdomen
and the moans of encouragement dripping from his sub’s tongue. He
didn’t stop spanking Dade until his ass was red and raised.

He loved the fact that he was marking his sub. He was off-limits

to everyone. He was only Luke’s. He never felt possessive of a
submissive before. The feeling was foreign and oddly disconcerting to
Luke. This felt new and scary to him. Dade was becoming more than
just a submissive. This was becoming a relationship. It felt as though
there was something happening between them. Luke knew he was
falling in love with Dade and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
That thought alone had Luke wanting to fuck with Dade. Luke wanted
to psychologically fuck with him as much as he felt he was being
fucked with.

“You’re my dirty sub. You like it when I spank you. You’re a

dirty, dirty man. You love being taken up the ass. You’re my dirty
whore. You like being spanked with my thumb up your ass.”

“Oh, yeeesssss!”
“You’ve been a dirty cock lover. You love being a hardheaded

prick at work and my dirty little bitch in bed.”

With each hit of his hand, Luke slammed the words home. Dade

groaned, loving every fucking minute of it. Luke really liked how he
could help Dade to release and let go. He loved that his sub got off on
what he was saying. It wasn’t long before Luke was kneeling,
spreading his thighs wide between Dade’s legs. He pushed his hand
down on the back of Dade’s neck. He pressed Dade’s forehead
against the tile. Luke tipped his cock down against Dade’s rim,
pressing his cockhead against the chain that separated them.

At the last second, he again remembered that he didn’t have a

condom. Sweat dripped from Luke’s brow as he thought about taking

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his sub without a condom. He pushed his throbbing cock against his
rim. Luke yanked the chain open with both hands as he arched his
head and spine back as he shoved his throbbing cock into Dade’s tight
hole, loving the way Dade groaned in response. He started fucking
him hard.

“You’re my dirty whore. You love it when I take you up the ass.

You love being my little bitch. You love it, don’t you? You love
being taken up the ass hard and raw. You love the way I dominate
you. You love it when I spank your ass.”

“God yes!”
Luke knew he was hitting home. He loved it. He couldn’t stop

taking Dade so roughly. He reached between Dade’s legs stroking his
cock as he pounded him in the ass. The brief contact of his palm on
Dade’s prick had him crying out that he was close. Luke pinched the
tip of his cockhead. He whispered his lips across his ear.

“You won’t come until I give you permission.”
Luke held his cock deep within Dade’s ass, torturing him as he

stroked the tip of his cockhead roughly. Luke licked his tongue over
Dade’s ear, biting it softly. Every one of Dade’s muscles was flexed
tightly as he struggled to keep his spunk from flying across the tile. It
was only when his muscles started to shake that Luke knew that he
was ready to let go.

“You may come.”
Dade cried out as Luke’s hand gripped his cock, stroking hard.

Hot jizz erupted from his cock, spraying over Luke’s palm and hitting
the tile below. Without warning, Luke cried out as his orgasm started
to spin up from his balls and he came, too. He shoved his thick dick in
and out of Dade’s ass, sliding his knees across the wet tile as he
fucked him hard. He released his hot jizz deep into Dade’s ass. Luke
had the sensation of falling spinning up from within his body. He
knew that Dade was something special. He had to do everything in his
power to keep Dade for as long as he could. He was going to take him
to bed and hold him all night long.

Branding Dade

Chapter Seven

Dade was starting to be able to count his mistakes by the handfuls.

He was enjoying the feel of Luke’s arms around him, holding him
close. He knew that sleeping with him was a mistake worth making
over and over again. There was nothing he could do to take these
errors back. He could very well lose his job over this. He knew it.
There was nothing he could do to stop it from happening, if it was
going to come to pass. Dade was having a hard time sleeping. He
could tell that Luke was up, too. He pulled himself away from Luke.
He slid his legs over the side the bed and hung his head in his hands.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Dade said.
Luke came up onto his knees and wrapped his arms around

Dade’s shoulders. He held him close. “We don’t have to end this.
What happened has happened. Nothing needs to change.”

Dade looked over his shoulder at Luke. “How can you be so calm

about this?”

“You’re mine. There’s nothing I need to worry about. All I need is

to have you and hold you.”

Dade shook his head, pulling away. He paced across the room. He

crossed his arms, leaning his back up against the wall. “Okay. Fine. If
we’re going to do this, we need to set down some ground rules.”

Luke lifted his eyebrow. “Do I need to remind you that I’m your

Dom? I’m the only one who sets up the rules.”

“Then I need some clarification about what’s happening between

us.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Dade.”
“Okay, then clarify things. What’s happening between us?”

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“Well, we’re sleeping together. I’m your Dom. That’s the way it’s

going to be for a long time.”

Dade shook his head, running his hand through his hair. He knew

he should just enjoy the ride, but he was having a hard time letting go
for some reason.

“You need to calm down and let things happen between us. You

don’t need to question things.”

Dade wanted to believe his Dom, but he was a having hard time

trusting him. Their eyes met and locked.

“You know I won’t hurt you, right?”
“I know,” Dade said.
“Then come back to bed and snuggle up with me. There’s nothing

you need to be afraid of.”

Doubt rushed through Dade’s mind, but there was nothing he

could do to keep it from setting up shop there. Dade went back to the
bed. Luke snuggled in close, wrapping his arms around Dade
possessively. Dade knew that Luke was giving him comfort and
keeping control of him. It was what he needed. Dade sighed within
his arms. He closed his eyes. He loved the sound of Luke’s heart
beating within his ear. He could fall asleep to the sound. He knew he
could wake up to it, too.

“How was work today?” Dade asked.
“My day was good. I wanted to let you know that I need to go out

of town in a couple of days.”

“Oh?” Dade asked. “Where you going?”
“I need to fly to California for a few days. I’m meeting with some

retailers regarding distribution of my saddles.”

Dade smoothed his cheek along Luke’s shoulder. He could easily

fall in love with this cowboy. That thought brought him up short. He
was amazed that he was actually using the word love with a man he
just met.

“You’re so busy.”
“I have two passions in life, my work and my riding.”

Branding Dade

“Any others?” Dade asked.
“I kind of like making love to you.”
Their lips met in a clash of white-hot passion. “I hope that fucking

me doesn’t ruin your riding career.”

“I doubt it,” Luke said. “I have a feeling I won’t be distracted

when I’m in the ring and you on the sidelines.”

“I hope you won’t be. I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting

hurt.”

“Getting hurt is all about riding a bull.”
“I suppose, but still.”
“I know what you mean, babe. I promise I’ll do everything I can

to keep safe for those eight seconds. It’s just like your work. You
don’t worry about getting hurt. You do the job.”

“Very true,” Dade said.
“Exactly. We’re both trained professionals. We know what we’re

doing. There’s absolutely nothing for you to worry about. Okay,
babe?”

He didn’t know what was happening between him and Luke. He

was really enjoying the sex. It wasn’t like any he had experienced
before. Dade was no longer going to question things, but accept it for
what it was. He knew that he needed to get through right now. He was
going to take everything Luke had to offer.

“I want you to come with me to California,” Luke said.
“California? I don’t know if I can take that much time off to go

with you.”

“I’m leaving early Friday and I’ll be back by Monday at the latest.

You can come with me.”

Dade didn’t want to lose the opportunity to go with Luke, but he

wasn’t sure if he could go. “I don’t know.”

“Check with work and let me know by Friday, okay? I’m

chartering a jet to go.”

“You can do that?”
“Babe, I have enough money to do whatever we want to.”

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“I’ve never known anyone who had that much money.”
Luke kissed him sweetly. “I hope you don’t just love me for my

bank account.”

“No, I think I love you for that big monster dick you make me

suck off.”

“Oh, fuck,” Luke said with a groan. “Come with me for the

weekend. I don’t think I can stand to be away from you for three
days.”

Their eyes met. Dade didn’t know how he could describe this

whirlwind romance that he was experiencing with Luke. This wasn’t
anything like what he expected to experience at all.

“I’ll make arrangements to come with you.”
“It’s going to be so much fun. I can’t wait.”
Luke pulled him in close. Dade could feel his happy sigh against

his cheek. He couldn’t resist the urge to go with Luke across the
country for the weekend. He knew he would be jetlagged on Monday,
but he didn’t care. He wanted to spend this time with Luke to get to
know him better. There’s so much he was interested in about him, so
much that he wanted to know. He just hoped that work wouldn’t
screw things up for him.

“I’ll talk with my boss tomorrow morning and see if I can make

arrangements.”

“You are coming with me. I’ve rented a private beachfront

property for us.”

Dade was starting to feel like he was coming from the other side

of the tracks. It was all so confusing, but he loved it. He loved being
in this relationship with Luke. He just hoped it wouldn’t be ending
any time soon.

“We should get some rest,” Luke said. “We both have a busy day

tomorrow.”

Luke was right. Dade knew he needed to get up early and write

his preliminary report about Luke’s property. He needed to take a
look at the border again, too. Every time he looked at the border

Branding Dade

though, he couldn’t stop thinking about Eli. He hoped that he was
okay wherever he was. He wished that he would be found alive too.
The alternative was just too difficult and too sad to think about. He
knew he was a trained professional with the military. He just hoped
that whatever he was involved in was going to be okay. Something
within Dade stirred as he felt Luke’s arms tighten around him. He was
so glad he had Luke to lean on right now.

* * * *

Dade went to work the next day to let his boss know that he was

going out of town on Friday. As soon as he got into the office, he was
instructed by his department head that Sam wanted to talk to him in
his office. Through the long window, Dade could see that there was
somebody already in his boss’s office. He didn’t want to intrude. As
he approached the office, Sam’s new assistant Eve nodded for him to
go in. Dade didn’t recognize the woman sitting across from his boss.
He did notice that she was wearing a pantsuit that had a pin on her
lapel. She had government official stamped all over her athletic body.
Neither looked happy to see him.

“Agent Riley, great that you made it in. Have a seat,” Peters said.
“What’s this about?” Dade asked.
“It’s about your trip down to Mexico with Luke Pendleton,” the

agent said.

A sinking sensation started in the pit of Dade’s belly and moved

through his body. “Last time I checked, it’s not illegal to take a
holiday.”

“This is Agent Tara O’Neil. She’s here to ask you a few

questions.”

O’Neil didn’t look like the type of woman who took shit from

anyone. “What about it? What I do in my off time is nobody’s
business.”

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O’Neil swept her blonde hair over her shoulder. “No, you’re right.

It isn’t anybody’s business. It becomes my business when you start
impeding a government operation.”

Warning bells started going off within Dade’s head. “Operation?

What are you talking about? Does this have to do with the fact that
my brother is missing?”

“That’s classified.”
“Bullshit.” Dade shook his head. He was bewildered by what he

was hearing, but then again he could see it. “This is shit. You know
something about what happened to my brother. I want to know too.”

“This mission has taken us a long time to get going. I’m not about

to see it jeopardized by you.”

Their eyes locked. “Why the fuck didn’t anybody at the state

department tell me my brother was alive?”

“It’s for us to know.”
Dade could see that he wasn’t getting anywhere with this chick.

“Then what the fuck are you doing here?”

“My job. Stay out of our way. No more trips to Mexico. I don’t

want your love for your brother to get him killed.”

He was alive. It was the first confirmation that Dade had had that

his brother was okay. Emotion tore through his body. Tears misted
through his eyes. Anger quickly replaced those tears with cold fury.

“Why didn’t anybody tell me?” Dade asked.
“It was safer if you don’t know, but now you’re in the way. You

need to stay out of it.”

O’Neil looked at his boss. “We’re not going to have any more

problems?”

Sam looked at Dade, giving him a hard stare. “No. We’re not

going to have any more issues with this, right?”

Dade bit his tongue. He had a rough time acknowledging the fact

that he was getting fucked over. “No problems.”

“Good.” O’Neil stood up. “For what it’s worth, your brother

should be coming home within a few months.”

Branding Dade

“Thanks for letting me know.”
Sarcasm dripped from the edge of Dade’s tongue and he didn’t

like how bitter it tasted. Agent O’Neil walked out, shutting the door
behind her. Dade stared at his boss, feeling fury move through his
blood. “What?”

“What exactly. What the fuck were you doing down in Mexico?”

Peters asked.

“I was looking for leads and my brother.”
“Well, now you know. You need to say out of it.” Peters shook his

head. “Shit flows downriver. I don’t want any more trouble.”

Dade paced to the windows, looking out at the city around him. “I

need to take a few days off.”

“You’re not going back down to Mexico, are you?”
“No, I’m not. I’m going with a friend to California for a couple of

days.”

“Good. I think that would be a great idea for you. It’ll give you a

chance to clear your head. You need to let go of this thing with your
brother. It’s starting to affect your work.”

It was more than his boss knew. “I know. I will.”
Sam Peters tried to play friend to all of them, but there was a time

where he just couldn’t. Dade knew he couldn’t trust Sam with what he
was feeling inside. “I’m solid. I’m handling it.”

Sam shook his head doubtfully. “All you need to know now is that

everything’s okay.”

Dade felt like he didn’t know shit. All he knew was that his

brother was working on something that he couldn’t tell him about. He
just wished Eli would’ve told him something about what he was doing
in his personal time. Or his work for that matter. In all honesty, Dade
felt as though he’d been lied to by his brother. Dade knew he needed
to clear his head. He needed to forget all about how everything was
spinning out of control. He was definitely going out of town with
Luke. Right then, he wondered what Sam would think about it if he
knew that they were fucking and going out of town together?

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“I’ll settle up my work before I go.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Frustration moved through Dade as he left his boss’s office. He

felt like everything was spinning out in front of him and there was
nothing he could do to pull it back in. He wasn’t sure if he would be
able to hold onto anything much longer. Dade left the building, going
to his SUV. When he was outside, he caught sight of the agent
standing by her vehicle. She was on her cell phone. Their eyes met
across the parking lot. Dade was going to confront her and find out
what the fuck was really going on with Eli.

With anger zipping through his blood, Dade crossed the parking

lot just as the agent was hanging up her cell.

“I want a phone number to contact my brother.”
The agent glowered. “That’s not going to happen. Your brother’s

out of cell phone reach.”

“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it. There’s satellite

phones.”

Something flashed within the woman’s eyes that Dade didn’t like.

She stepped closer to Dade, dropping her voice low. “You’re just like
your brother, only he takes my orders without question. Do I have to
make an impression with you?”

The threat was there just below the surface. “What are you

saying?”

“I’m telling you to stay out of it. If you’re lucky…if your brother

is lucky, he will be home within the next two months.”

“If he’s not so lucky?”
“Then his mission will be extended. Just stay out of it for now.

You’ll be doing your country a service.”

Dade shook his head as the agent stepped back from him. “You’re

not telling me anything.”

“You obviously need to take this up with your brother when he

gets home.”

Branding Dade

The agent’s words popped some sense into Dade. It was true. He

needed to bitch slap his brother for not giving him a heads up about
his mission abroad. “Can you at least tell me what country he’s in?”

“No. What I can tell you is that he’s in South America

somewhere.”

“For the love of fuck.”
“I’ve told you too much already.”
“Well, I want to know everything.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
Dade knew he wasn’t going to get anything more from agent

O’Neil. He shook his head as he walked away. He needed to get back
to Luke’s place and do some work on the border. He just hoped to
God that whatever his brother was doing that he was okay and that he
would come home soon.

Tatum Throne

Chapter Eight

Luke was just hanging up the phone from a conference call when

he looked up and saw a woman standing outside the long glass
windows in his office. His secretary was talking to her. She came to
the door and opened it.

“There’s an agent O’Neil here to see you, sir.”
“Thanks, Monica.”
Luke came around his desk and offered his hand to the agent.

“What can I do for you, agent O’Neil?”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Pendleton. I’m here about a mutual

acquaintance, Dade Riley.”

Tension moved through Luke’s body. “What about him?”
Luke felt his protective juices start to flow. The agent gave him a

hard stare before turning toward the couch to sit down. Luke sat
across from her in the chair.

“His brother is not missing. I understand you made some calls to a

friend within the state department.”

So that was what this was about he surmised. “I did last night.”
The agent nodded. “His brother is not missing. He’s on a mission

for our government. I need you and Mr. Riley to stay out of it.”

Luke didn’t like anyone telling him what to do. He especially

didn’t like the agent sitting across from him. She had an arrogant way
about her. He could see that she was a woman who always got her
way.

“I need you and Mr. Riley to back off from this.”
Luke knew he had to rein his feelings in. “You won’t have a

problem with me.”

Branding Dade

The agent nodded. “Good. Thank you for your time.”
“You’re welcome.”
She headed for the door, but paused on her way out. “No more

phone calls.”

“I can’t promise anything.”
She smiled. “I appreciate your honesty.”
Luke watched the agent leave. He went to his desk and picked up

the phone. He dialed his friend at the state department. After a few
seconds, Jim answered.

“Jim? It’s Luke. What the fuck did I step into?”
“I was thinking the same thing, Luke. I didn’t get any answers.”
“How did they find out?” Luke asked.
“I asked the wrong person.”
Luke felt his hand tightening on the phone. “I guess we both need

to back off of this thing, whatever it is.”

“I think so, too. You take care, Luke. I look forward to seeing you

ride again when I’m in Eagle Pass.”

“Thanks, Jim.”
Luke felt like everything he thought he had control of was

slipping through his fingers. He did not like that feeling at all. It
wasn’t often that he ever was told no about anything. Luke was
feeling tired from a long day at work. He was ready to get going. He
closed up his laptop and headed out for the day. Luke drove home, all
the while thinking about Dade and what he must be going through
with his brother missing. He couldn’t imagine not knowing what had
happened to someone he loved. Luke wasn’t close to his family, but
he cared about his mom and dad. They couldn’t accept the fact that
they had a gay son, but they still said that they loved him. He hoped
with time that they would have a change of heart. Luke was not about
to deny who he was for them.

When he got home, Luke expected to see Dade. There was no sign

of his SUV anywhere. Luke waited a long time for Dade to show up,
but he never did. It annoyed him to no end. Luke changed into a pair

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of worn jeans and his cowboy boots. He grabbed his Stetson on the
way out the door and headed for his truck. It didn’t take him long to
find Dade at the diner where they had shared a cup of coffee. There
was paperwork in front of Dade. Luke sat in his truck watching him
for a long time. He didn’t want to disturb him if he was working. He
didn’t want him running from him either. A short while later, Dade
packed all his stuff up, paid his bill, and headed out to his SUV. Luke
expected him to see him across the parking lot, but he never did. He
got into his SUV and pulled out to the main road.

To Luke’s surprise, he wasn’t going toward Luke’s ranch. Where

the hell was he going? Luke bit his lip, trying to decide what to do.
After several seconds of indecision, he put the truck in gear and
followed Dade out onto the highway. It wasn’t long before Dade
pulled up in front of a house he didn’t recognize. It looked as though
he was meeting someone. Who was he seeing?

The front door opened with a man Luke didn’t recognize at the

front door. He watched Dade disappear into the house. Jealousy tore
up the back of Luke’s throat like acid burning. Luke got out of his
truck and headed up the walkway. He felt like punching something,
but knew he needed to get a grip. He rang the doorbell and waited.
After several really long seconds, Trevor answered the door.

“What the fuck?” Trevor said.
“What the fuck indeed.”
Trevor didn’t look so happy to see him. He turned, looking over

his shoulder at the other man who arrested him last week. Luke
wanted to slap the smug look off of his face, but he couldn’t. All Luke
cared about was Dade. He wanted to know what was going on in his
head. He wanted to know why he couldn’t trust him with what he was
feeling. He expected Dade to come home tonight and not run from
him. Luke went toward the pair sitting down.

“Luke?” Dade smiled. “I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine,

Clint Gibson. Clint, this is Luke.”

Branding Dade

They shook hands. “I’ve seen you ride before,” Clint said. “You

hold your own against Trevor, don’t you?”

“I’ve been known to.”
“What’s going on?” Dade asked.
Luke moved closer to Dade so that Clint and Trevor couldn’t hear

what he was saying. “I was worried when you didn’t show back up at
the ranch.”

Dade wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry about that. There’s some

things I needed to take care of before I headed back.”

Clint went to stand, but he hesitated. “You can stay,” Dade said.

“Luke was just leaving.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Luke asked.
“Nothing’s going on,” Clint said.
“It sure as hell doesn’t look that way.”
Luke was confounded that his jealousy was causing him the

inability to think clearly. He was a Dom. He always had control inside
and outside the bedroom, but all he could see was a red hot blinding
emotion in front of him.

“Are you cheating on me?”
Clint started to laugh, and Dade shook his head. “No. Clint and I

have been friends for years.”

Luke was astounded by what his lover was saying. He had just

been caught.

* * * *

Dade could see that Luke had been tested. Frustration burned

brightly within Luke’s eyes. Dade had pushed the line by going to his
friend’s house without telling him that he was okay. Emotion played
through Luke’s eyes. Dade knew he had to make this thing right
between them.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“We need to talk outside.”

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Dade followed Luke to the front door. “See you later, Clint.

Thanks for everything tonight.”

“No problem,” Clint said.
Dade followed Luke outside to his truck where they could have

some privacy to talk. Dade didn’t know how to cool Luke down
without upsetting him more. He knew that Luke was boiling hot.

“Why the fuck did you come here without telling me? You know

how I feel about Trevor.”

“I know how you feel about him, babe. Clint and I are friends.”
“Friends? What do you mean? It didn’t look like you two are just

friends.”

“Clint and I work together.”
“Oh, fuck.” Luke shook his head, running his hands through his

hair. He took several deep breaths. “I had no idea you worked
together. I sure did make an ass out of myself, didn’t I?”

“No, you didn’t. I should have told you I had some work to do

before coming home after work. I honestly didn’t think about it at all.
Clint’s been staying with Trevor, so I didn’t think anything about it
when I came out here tonight.”

Luke looked toward the house. “Do you think they’re together?”
Dade nodded. “Yes. They are. Clint came out a few weeks ago.”
Luke shook his head. “I had no idea that they were an item.”
Dade came in close to Luke. He put his hands on his hips as he

nuzzled his lips, giving him a sweet kiss. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have
come out here without telling you.”

“It’s okay, babe. I understand. It was obviously a work situation. I

didn’t mean to fly off the handle about everything. I just got so
jealous when I saw that you were at Trevor’s house. It kind of blinded
me with rage.”

“You don’t need to be jealous about anything at all. I am only

yours.”

“I know you are. All mine.”

Branding Dade

Luke backed Dade up against his SUV, giving him a passionate

kiss. The kiss made Dade go weak in the knees. Dade felt his cock fill
with heat. He wanted everything with Luke. He wanted to go home
and have sex with him right now. His head was spinning by the time
Luke broke his lips away.

“Did you miss me?” Dade asked.
“Yes. I think we need to go home.”
“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” Dade agreed.
Luke moved his hand over the fly of Dade’s jeans, giving him a

passionate stroke. He gripped him roughly, rubbing the tip of his
cockhead. Dade groaned, biting his lip. Luke’s eyes grew heavy as
they drank all of him in.

“We should leave.”
“I think you’re right.”
Dade got into the driver’s side of his SUV and followed Luke

home. They were still twenty minutes out from Luke’s place when all
of a sudden Luke pulled off the side the road. Dade didn’t recognize
the area at all. He headed down a long winding driveway. At the far
end a cabin sat. Dade shut off his SUV when he saw that Luke had.
Luke came around the side of his SUV, opening the door.

“Get out of the car.”
“Where are we?” Dade asked.
“It’s one of my ranch hand’s places. It’s not being used right now.

I was tired of waiting. I need to have you now. We can use this.
Undress.”

A shiver of raw heat tore through Dade’s body. He was surprised

by how much he wanted Luke. “Here?”

“Yes.”
Dade stripped off his clothes. He loved the way Luke’s gaze drank

him in with long gulps. Luke’s hand moved over his throbbing prick,
catching a drop of pre-cum leaking from his tip. Pre-cum dripped over
Luke’s hand as he stroked the underside of his shaft. Dade bit his lip,
licking it, too.

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“I love the way you touch me. I love the way you handle me.”
“I love touching you. I love taking control of everything we do

together.”

Moonlight shone down from the night sky. Dade had never had

sex outside before he met Luke. Dade’s eyes went heavy as he
watched his Dom undress, dropping his clothes to the ground beside
his. He took his belt from his jeans and worked a collar around
Dade’s neck. He used the long strap as a leash.

“On your hands and knees.”
Dade got down on his hands and knees, arching his ass out. Luke

gave the leash a tug.

“Come.”
He crawled as Luke led him into the clearing. Luke wrapped his

left hand around the leash. He gave it a hard tug down as he spanked
him over and over. Dade loved the way his cock slapped against his
hard abs as Luke took control of his ass. Luke leaned down
whispering his lips over Dade’s ear, giving him a possessive kiss and
lick.

“I’m going to take you up the ass raw. Do you have a problem

with that, sub?”

“No! I want you to take me hard.”
Luke gave the collar another tug. “Do you normally have sex

without condoms?”

“No, never! You were my first.”
“I’m taking you hard.”
A whimper of need made Dade’s entire body shiver when he

heard the opening and closing of a lube bottle. Drips of lube were
splashed between his ass cheeks. Luke rubbed the pad of his thumb
over his rim. He moved his cock between his ass cheeks as he felt a
tug on the collar around his neck. Dade arched his head back a little
bit as Luke pressed his cockhead against his rim. Dade dug his hands
into the earth as he felt Luke’s hand grip his hips. He tipped his cock
into his ass, sliding it home in one deep stroke. Luke pulled tightly on

Branding Dade

the leather belt as he rode him hard. Dade loved the feel of Luke
taking him in the ass as he pulled on the collar. He loved how their
balls slapped together roughly. He loved the way Luke’s hips struck
his ass as he took him hard.

A rigid contraction gripped Dade’s cock and it started dripping

with hot liquid. He knew he was close to coming. Luke reached
around, giving his cock a possessive stroke. It was all the
encouragement Dade needed. All of a sudden he cried out. Dade was
coming hard into Luke’s hand. His face twisted up in pure raw
pleasure as Luke groaned. Luke’s prick stiffened within his ass as he
came. Dade was breathing hard as he came down from the long wild
ride. He was shocked that his Dom had taken him outside again. It felt
so good to be controlled. It was so nice to just forget about all the
things that were right or wrong in his life.

When he was with Luke, he knew he could trust him completely.

He knew he didn’t have to worry about what else was going on in the
world. When he was with his Dom, he could be himself. For the first
time in his life, he felt as though he’d found his perfect match. He
didn’t know how long this would go on for, but he sure as hell wanted
to find out.

“Did I please you?” Dade asked.
“Yes. You pleased me well, sub.”

Tatum Throne

Chapter Nine

Early the next day, Dade headed out to check the border. He felt

like he wasn’t paying attention to all the things he needed to do with
work. Luke was now constantly on his mind and in his bed. He loved
the fact that they were together every minute of every day when they
could be together. Luke had gone off to work early that morning.
Dade admired his work and his motivation to do well.

Dade lifted his binoculars as he sat in his SUV. There was nothing

going on around the border. That was part of the problem. He could
watch it for all hours of the day and never see anything. Then all hell
could break loose with cars, people, and all sorts of things crossing
the border. Some days it felt like World War III out there. Dade
grabbed his daypack and headed out toward a trail. He was quite
certain that this trail was being used by smugglers. There had to be a
tunnel nearby. He was certain of that. Dade looked down at the way
the dust was scattered with old footprints. He eased down on his
haunches, looking at the tracks in the sand and dirt.

Someone had been through there recently. He followed the tracks

as they led back toward the border. They didn’t end where Dade
expected them to. They led to an opening covered with brush, old
lumber, and sticks. Dade moved it aside and found the opening of a
tunnel. Dade looked down into the tunnel entrance. He knew he was
out of his mind as he jumped down into the tunnel without calling for
backup. He could only see halfway down as far as his flashlight
would go. He started walking through the tunnel. He knew it was
probably a bad idea to go on this adventure by himself, but he didn’t
care. There were some things he just needed to do for his job. Dade

Branding Dade

kept his light beam focused on the floor. He didn’t want to have any
surprises as he went. It wasn’t long before he heard voices. He froze,
switching off the light. The voices were getting closer. Dade knew he
had to turnaround, but he was frozen in his tracks. He would be
caught if he ran toward the entrance now. He had the advantage of
surprise. He kept quiet as he waited and listened as the voices grew
closer and closer.

There were at least two men coming. The shuffling of their feet

was heavy. It also sounded like they were dragging something on
wheels. A squeak echoed through the tunnel. Dade pulled his firearm
from his holster, keeping it down at his side. He gripped the flashlight
in his left, ready to turn it on as the men approached. When they were
just a few feet away, he flipped on the light, lifting his gun.

“Halt! US Border and Customs!”
Dade’s heart beat wildly. The men were taken by surprise and

blinded by the light. The man behind the guy in front turned and ran,
heading back down the tunnel. Dade was going to let that guy go. He
was not about to let the man in front of him go at all. Not with a shit
pile of cocaine sitting in the wagon behind him.

“Hands up!”
Their eyes locked. A shiver went down Dade’s spine as though

someone had just walked over his grave. The man in front of him
looked like he was not about to obey his commands anytime soon. A
bead of sweat dripped down Dade’s temple. Everything felt as though
it were suddenly going in slow motion. The man drew on him, firing
wildly as he rushed away. Light erupted in front of him. The bullet
struck Dade as he fell backward. Dade rolled up behind the wagon for
cover, firing three shots before he stopped. The guy was long gone.
Dade groaned, touching his side. Warmth spread over his fingertips.

The bullet had ripped through his abdomen. Pain bloomed through

his body. The man fired several more warning shots into the tunnel
before everything went silent. Dade grabbed his flashlight, searching
for the man but he was gone. Dade got on his radio, calling for

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backup. He left the drugs in the tunnel and headed for the tunnel
entrance, pulling himself out and lying on his back. He stared up at
the bright blue sky and sunshine rained down upon him. He grabbed
his side, putting pressure on the wound. The warmth of blood seeped
through his hands. He knew it was bad. It was very bad.

He was foolish for going down in that damn tunnel without

backup. It was rookie mistake 101. Sam would kick his ass if he
survived this. Backup showed with lights and sirens blazing. Dade
suddenly realized he had forgotten that he was to report that he was
injured. He was stunned that the pain of his injury had made him
momentarily stupid. He got onto his radio.

“I’m injured. I need an ambulance.”
Dade hoped that this mistake wouldn’t cost him his life. All of a

sudden Clint appeared above him, pressing his hand onto his side.

“Open your eyes, Dade! Stay with me. Are you hurt anywhere

else?” Clint asked.

Dade shook his head. The words that he wanted so desperately to

say would not come. He wanted Clint to call Luke and tell him that he
was injured and that he had to see him one last time before he died.

“Luke,” he whispered.
“I’m on it, buddy. I’ll call him. Just stay with me, with us.”
Luke would come for him. Dade knew then that as long as Luke

came for him that everything would be okay. Colorful stars started to
flash in front of his eyes. Dade tried to blink them away, but it got
darker and darker until everything faded to black.

Dade woke with a start that jolted him. He tried to speak, but

couldn’t. He felt like he hadn’t had a drink of water for days. Blinding
light hit him in the eyes. He was confused. For a moment he couldn’t
recall where he was or how he had gotten there. It was only when he
tried to sit up, and he felt a twinge of pain in his side, that he
remembered being shot in the tunnel.

Luke was at his side. He was looking down as though he were

working on something important. Dade reached out, brushing his

Branding Dade

fingers over his arm. Luke looked up at Dade and a smile broke his
face. He dropped his things onto the chair as he stood up.

Tears rushed through his eyes, but he quickly put them in check.

“You came back to me! I knew you would.”

“How long have I been out?”
“Three days. Three long…long days,” Luke said.
Luke grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. The feel of his Dom

holding his hand felt delicious. He wanted to be alone with him. He
glanced across the room, seeing Clint there, too.

“They find the drugs?” Dade asked.
“Yes. We found everything in the tunnel. The two guys were

injured. We talked to the Mexican authorities. They checked into a
hospital and were arrested after they were treated.”

Relief poured through Dade’s body at the thought of the men

being caught. He would hate the idea of the bad guys getting away
and coming back for him. “I’m ready to get out of here.”

“Whoa wait a second, babe. You need to get cleared by the doctor

first.”

Dade knew that he needed to be checked out, but he was too

focused on Luke. He just wanted to go home and feel better. “I guess
this means we’re not going to California together?”

Luke shook his head. “No, babe. I went ahead and reschedule my

trip for a later date.”

“Aw, that’s a bummer. I was hoping to go to California before I

die.”

“You just stop that right now,” Luke said. “You are not about to

die.”

“I think you can milk this one for a while,” Clint said.
“I was thinking the same thing, too.”
Dade gripped Luke’s hand firmly. He was so lucky to have the

man of his dreams. They had never talked about the future, but Dade
was ready to. He wanted to know if Luke was prepared to also. It was
time to build a life with him. He just hoped that Luke would want

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him. Not many gay men got married in these parts. Dade wondered if
they could ever live openly and freely in Eagle Pass, Texas.

* * * *

Luke could see that Dade was a man who didn’t like anyone

fussing over him when he was hurt. They had released him from the
hospital over a week ago. Luke was trying to give him space without
hovering the way he wanted to. It was really difficult giving him time
alone when he wanted to be there just in case he needed something.
Luke was still reeling from the fact that he almost lost the man of his
dreams. He had never talked about tomorrow or the day after that or
forever, but Luke wanted to figure this thing out today.

Despite orders to rest, Dade was determined to get back to work.

Luke resisted the urge to stop him as he got out of bed. Luke watched
him as he stepped from the shower. He wanted to tell him to stay in
bed, but he couldn’t. The doctor had cleared him. He dressed in black
tactical pants and a T-shirt with Homeland Security stamped across
the front. Luke hadn’t planned on going into work, so he didn’t bother
getting dressed. He gripped his coffee in his right hand as he watched
Dade closely, looking for any sign of residual pain.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Luke asked.
“I’ll be fine.”
After talking to Sam Peters while they were being discharged,

Luke knew that Dade wouldn’t be put back into the field right away.
Since he fired his weapon, he had to go through some psychological
testing and evaluation. It unnerved Luke a little bit, but he knew it
was department policy.

“At least let me drive you to work,” Luke said.
“No. I’m good.”
Outside the birds were singing and the sun was shining. Luke felt

his irritation growing, but there was nothing he could do. He knew
that he could call Sam and see if he could pull a favor or two, but he

Branding Dade

was not about to do that to Dade. He was going to let Dade live his
life the way he wanted to.

“I’ll see you later,” Dade said.
Feeling a little out of control, Luke set his cup of coffee down and

reached for Dade. They kissed passionately. Luke knew he could take
it further, but he didn’t want to. He knew that Dade was still
recovering and he didn’t want to do anything with him until he was
ready. Luke pulled away, letting Dade go on to work when all he
wanted to do was ease him back into his arms and protect him. Luke
reached for his cold coffee and drained it. He couldn’t stand the
thought of roaming around the farm all day. He showered and dressed
for work.

Despite being busy, Luke’s entire day flashed by. He felt as

though he couldn’t concentrate at all. The fact that he almost lost
Dade had really shaken him to the core. That had him re-evaluating
his love for riding. He shook his head. He never thought that the day
would come when he would actually consider retiring at the height of
his career. There were always other things he could do. He could
teach as well as he could ride. There were things to do behind the
circuit, too.

Maybe he could endorse other bull riders and take a more

proactive role in the circuit. It was something that Luke knew that he
eventually wanted to do, but he didn’t know if he wanted to do it now.
He did not want to injure himself so severely that it would hurt his
relationship with Dade. It was decided then. He would finish out the
year and then he would decide if he was going to ride anymore. He
could focus on his business. Part of him knew that he was just
growing up. He was no longer the bad boy twenty-year-old that was
invincible.

Luke was in his early thirties. It was time to settle down for good.

It was time to start thinking about a family and growing a family with
someone he loved. The thought of having a family put a smile on
Luke’s face. He stared out over the desert sand that surrounded his

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office. He was ready to settle down with Dade. He just hoped that
Dade was, too. Luke left early from work and headed to the jeweler’s.
He was going to pick out something for their engagement. Something
special, something beautiful that they could wear together. He was
going to find a romantic spot to propose to Dade tonight.

After all the arrangements were made, Luke nervously waited for

Dade to get home. He worked a little bit late into the night which was
to be expected with Dade. He was a workaholic to some degree.
When Dade walked through the door, Luke met him in the living
room. He came in close, giving him a passionate kiss. He stepped
back.

“Your bags are packed. We’re leaving for the weekend.”
“Oh? Where are we going?” Dade asked.
“We’re taking that trip to California that I was putting off.”
“Great. Sounds like fun, but I can’t go right now.”
Luke felt crushed. “Why not?”
“I have things with work I need to get done.”
“I’ll clear things with your boss.”
“Bullshit. You will not. Luke…what are you doing?”
“I’m doing it right now.”
Luke stepped back, taking his cell phone from the pocket of his

jeans. He called the department. It wasn’t long before Sam Peters
picked up. “Hi, Sam. It’s Luke Pendleton.” He paused as he listened
to Sam ask if everything was okay. “No, everything is good. I just
need your permission to take Dade on a little jaunt this weekend.
Yeah. Sounds good. Thanks.”

Luke hung up the phone.
Dade’s shocked eyes were wide. “I can’t believe you just did

that.”

“You’re coming with me. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Dade’s mouth snapped shut. He looked as though he wanted to argue
the point. “What?”

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

Branding Dade

“I’m your Dom. It’s about time you remember that. What I say,

goes. You can go out with me. You’re going to California where we
can have mad, passionate sex. You’ll be back at work by Monday.”

Dade looked as though he were resigned to the possibility of

going to California. “Fine. I guess I have no choice in the matter.”

“Don’t be mad at me, babe,” Luke said. “You need to take more

time off. I was worried about you going back to work so soon.”

“I’m fine.”
Luke pulled him in close, giving him a hug. He loved the way

their bodies fit so perfectly together. “You keep saying that, but
you’re not. We both know that you need time to heal.”

Dade tilted his head up and Luke leaned down, giving him a kiss.

“I guess we should get going then. What time is our flight?”

“We can go anytime to the airport. I’ve chartered us a private

flight.”

“Great.”

* * * *

It was late in the night by the time they got to the airport. Luke

knew that they should rest, but as they sat down into their seats he felt
horny as hell. He was desperate to have his sub suck his cock off as
they flew across country. Their eyes met as the plane leveled out.

“The stewardess?”
Luke shook his head. “I like my privacy. I only hire pilots.”
“I think I like that,” Dade said.
“I thought you would, babe.”
Luke watched as Dade unbuckled his seatbelt and crawled over on

his hands and knees. He settled in front of Luke and unbuttoned his
pants, unzipping his fly. Luke’s big fat cock slapped out of his jeans,
slapping Dade’s jaw. A groan tore from the back of Dade’s throat as
he hungrily attacked Luke’s cock, sucking him hard. He gripped his
balls, playing with them as he sucked him deeper. Luke threaded his

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hands through Dade’s hair, gripping it tight as he took control of
Dade. Luke wanted to get Dade off as he sucked him hard. Dade
twisted his hand around his cock as his tongue licked and undulated
around his cockhead. For the love, his sub knew how to suck prick
like a fucking pro.

“Oh, fuck,” Luke said.
He had a really talented tongue. With his cock wet from Dade’s

hot mouth, Luke pulled Dade off of his pounding prick. He needed
Dade now. He waited too damn long to take him.

“Turn around.”
Luke’s voice was shaking as he gave the order. He didn’t bother

telling Dade to undress. He just manhandled him up against the seat,
pulling the back of his pants down until his rim was exposed. Luke
groaned when that sweet spot opened to him. He stuck his wet cock
urgently up his ass. He felt his balls hit against Dade’s ass as he
stroked his lover hard. He still couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact
that he came so close to losing his lover. Dade was the most important
man in his life. He fucked him hard. With each rough hit of his hips,
Dade groaned. Luke loved to hear the sound of Dade’s muffled cries
of pleasure echoing through the plane. Dade’s face was buried in the
seat.

Luke bit his lip hard as his orgasm twisted up from his balls. Luke

was coming hard deep within his sub’s ass. Luke pulled his hard prick
out of Dade, spraying a shot of cum up over his ass. Luke pulled Dade
around, loving that he was still hard with need. As a Dom, Luke never
sucked prick. It was something he only did with someone he was in
love with.

“How do you want me?” Dade asked.
“Get on your knees and arch back, grabbing your ankles.” Dade

spread his thighs wide, arching back as ordered. His cock was so
fucking hard. Eight inches of his cock jutted out straight from his
body. “Hold that position.”

Branding Dade

Luke circled around, getting down on his haunches. He sucked

Dade’s cock deep within his mouth, loving the taste of his sub’s hard
prick going deep down his throat. He gave Dade’s cock a punishing
stroke as he sucked him down. Luke let go of his cock, watching as
his hot juice exploded from his rock hard prick. He kissed Dade
passionately, loving the feel their tongues rubbing together as jizz
shot up over his chest. He broke his lips away.

“I fucking love you,” Dade said.
“I love you, too.”

Tatum Throne

Chapter Ten

They were both exhausted by the time they landed in California.

Dade loved the fact that he was sharing this experience with Luke.
They had taken a lunch out on the deck of their beach house. The
house was a small bungalow that was painted all yellow with one
bedroom and deck that wrapped around the upper level. Dade loved
the fact that the yard rolled right down to the beach. It wasn’t as
private as Dade would have liked, but the setting was perfect. The sun
was shining brightly.

Luke was giving him a funny look.
“What is it?” Dade asked.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
Dade frowned. “Oh, what is it?”
“I wanted to know how you felt about living with me for the rest

of your life.”

Dade felt his eyes go wide with surprise. “You’re talking

about…”

“Yes, I’m talking about us together forever. Are you willing to be

my sub for the rest of your life?”

Tears misted through Dade’s eyes. He was floored that his lover

was actually asking him to marry him. It was something he had
always wanted and dreamt about. He was amazed that it was actually
happening now.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you.”
Luke’s hands were surprisingly steady as he pulled out a black

velvet box. He set it on the table between them. Dade’s hands were
shaking as he picked up the box and flipped it open. The platinum

Branding Dade

chain was absolutely stunning and beautiful. He brushed his fingers
gently over it.

“It’s gorgeous.”
“I want this one to be your engagement one. When we get

married, I’ll get us matching chains.”

“I love it. What about rings? I’ve always wanted a wedding ring.”
“I’ll get us matching ones too.”
Tears rushed down Dade’s cheeks. “I love you!”
“I love you more.”
Luke came around the table, helping Dade put the chain around

his neck. He loved the feel of its weight hitting along his collarbone.
It felt completely beautiful and right. Luke leaned down, giving Dade
a passionate kiss. Dade loved the way he wrapped his hand around the
back of his neck. He felt completely controlled when Luke touched
him his way. Their hands joined and Luke gave him a possessive tug.

“Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”
They headed down the lush green hillside to where the grass

ended and the sand began.

“There’s something you need to know,” Luke said.
“What is it? You’re not upset with me about anything, are you?”
“No, not at all. It’s just something that you have to know.”
Dade’s heart hammered as he stopped along the pathway. “Are

you okay?”

“I’m good. I want you to know that I’m going to finish out this

year with riding and then stop.”

“What? You can’t do that.”
“I want to work behind the scenes for a while.”
“You’re doing this because of me. I don’t want you to leave bull

riding for me. I won’t marry you if you do.”

Luke half smiled. “I’ve been a wild man for a long time. It’s about

time I settle down. I don’t bounce back from injuries the way I used to
anymore. I need to focus on me and my family.”

“I’m serious. I won’t marry you if you give up riding for me.”

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Luke frowned. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Huh. I guess we’ll have to work this out in the bedroom.” Luke

yanked Dade in close. “You okay with that?”

“I think I am, cowboy.”
The thought that they would be together forever was the most

amazing thing he had ever experienced before. He frowned suddenly.
“I can’t leave my job now.”

“I understand, babe. I figured one of us has to have safe

employment, right?”

“I love watching you ride.”
“If I retire now, it gives Trevor the number one spot. It makes me

look like the good guy, right?”

“I think you’re the better rider. I followed your career for a long

time. I always knew that you would do something great with your
life.”

“I suppose I am now, aren’t I? The fact that you’re spending the

rest of your life with me seems pretty wonderful.”

“I was thinking the same thing, too.”
They finished the walk together just as the sun was setting. They

held hands as they walked back to the veranda where they had left
their cooling dinner. When he went to let go of Luke’s hand, Luke
held on tighter. It was clear that he didn’t care who saw or who said
anything about the fact that they were two men holding hands. For the
first time in his life, Dade felt completely happy and protected. He felt
as though he could be himself. He hoped that nothing would ever get
in the way of their happiness. Dade felt like the luckiest man alive.

They headed back inside their rented beach house. Luke led the

way. He grabbed Dade around the waist, pushing him up against the
wall. They kissed passionately. Luke opened his mouth, licking his
tongue deep within Dade’s. A shiver tore through Dade’s body. He
loved the way their lips melted together as they kissed. They fell back
onto the bed laughing. Dade held him close. He loved the feel of his

Branding Dade

101

arms wrapped around him. Dade would cherish this moment together
with him forever.

“I was thinking about endorsing Trevor for bull riding,” Luke

said.

“Were you now? I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I don’t like the idea of you endorsing another man for something

that I don’t get a piece of.”

Their eyes locked. “You know it’s only you and I, babe. Nobody

else.”

“I know. I’m just the jealous type.”
Luke laughed. “I think I’ve proven that I’m the jealous one in this

relationship.”

Dade came in close, giving his Dom a sweet kiss. “I think I like

the idea of you being a little bit jealous.”

“Oh?”
“Yeah. It makes me know that you’ll never let me go.”
“I don’t ever want to let go of you, babe.”
“I know you don’t. It’s why I love you so much.”
“You love me for my flaws and for my abilities. You’re the best

thing that has ever happened to me.”

Tears rush through Dade’s eyes. He was so lucky that Luke was

his everything. He finally had everything he always wanted and he
was going to hold onto Luke as long as he could. This was the best
day of his life. He was the happiest man in the world. He knew that as
long as he had Luke that he always would be. They held each other
silently for a moment.

“Any word on your brother?” Luke asked.
“Nothing more. I’m starting to think that whatever he’s involved

in, he’ll never come home.”

“Have hope, babe. I think life will surprise you when you least

expect it.”

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“I know, but it’s just holding onto something that I know will

never happen.”

“Trust the fact that they at least told you that he’s working. Give it

time. I’m sure he’ll come home.”

Dade hoped that Luke was right. He knew that once he saw his

brother again, that he would kick his ass for not telling him that he
was going out of town.

“If you don’t hear from him in a few months, you can always call

Agent O’Neil.”

“That’s a great idea. I think I’ll become O’Neil’s best friend.”
“Don’t get too pushy, babe. You don’t want her to not tell you

anything.”

“Yeah, I know. We’re lucky that she didn’t put us on the no fly

list.”

Luke held Dade close to his body. “There’s still time.”
Dade burst out laughing. “I suppose there is.”
They listened to the sound of the ocean and the waves crashing

against the shore as it lulled them to sleep. Dade knew that they
would be happy forever together. He felt as though he was the
happiest he would ever be. Everything was absolutely perfect.
Nothing felt as though it would ever go wrong again. Dade knew that
it was wishful thinking to think that way, but he had lived through
being shot. He knew that anything that happened from now on that he
would have Luke to catch him when he fell. He was no longer afraid
of being alone. He had Luke. Dade smiled in his sleep. That was all
he ever needed again.

* * * *

Two days later, Luke and Dade were home. Luke felt as though

everything in his life was finally coming together. It was Saturday and
he was getting stuff done around the ranch, taking care of the horses.
All of a sudden, a dark black SUV pulled up in front of his house. He

Branding Dade

103

walked out, wondering what the hell was going on. He hoped there
wasn’t something wrong with Dade again. He couldn’t stand the
thought of his lover being injured. He saw Dade’s SUV following the
one in front. Dade had gotten out and whoever was in the first SUV
got out, too. They met on the driveway and were talking.

Luke pulled his Stetson low as he crossed the driveway, catching

up to Dade. “Hey, what’s going on? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, you remember Clint, right?”
“Hey.” They shook hands.
“He’s helping me move in with you.”
Luke was overjoyed that Dade had gone ahead and packed his

things to move in with him. “Just these two trucks?”

“Yep, that’s everything,” Dade said. “I put the rest in storage for

now. I figured we didn’t need double of everything.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. What about your place?”
“I’m putting it on the market.”
They spent the afternoon moving everything in. Luke made Dade

rest when he wanted to help. Clint did a lot of the heavy lifting to.
And a short while later Trevor pulled up in his truck. He got out of his
truck, crossing the driveway.

“I’ve heard this rumor,” Trevor said.
“Oh?” Luke asked.
“I’ve heard you’re leaving the circuit and you’re no longer going

to be riding.”

“I’m weighing my options.”
“I hope it isn’t because of what happened between us,” Trevor

said.

“No, that has nothing to do with it. It all has to do with the fact

that I no longer want to get hurt. I’m more interested in keeping
myself safe for Dade.”

“I understand that,” Trevor said.
“So do you think we can put this fight behind us?” Luke asked.

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“I was hoping we could. I think it’s about time that we put it all to

bed.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Trevor said. “Do we need to

hug it out?”

Luke burst out laughing. “I don’t think so. Not this time.”
A short while later, Clint and Trevor took off. Dade and Luke

were completely alone. Luke found Dade outside on the back porch,
drinking some sweet tea.

“I poured you a glass.”
“Thanks, babe.”
They sat down together and their hands joined between them.

They watched the sunset. “I can’t wait to do more of this with you,”
Luke said.

“I was thinking the same thing. I love the lazy days of summer.”
“I love the lazy days of winter more,” Luke said.
All of a sudden, Dade frowned. His face took on a faraway sad

look that Luke hadn’t seen on his face since the first time they met.
He gave his hand a quick tug.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure everything’s going to work out.”
“I know. It’s just really hard to let go of everything. I know

everything will be okay. I’m just worried about him.”

“I’m sure whatever he’s doing, he has control of the situation.”
Dade laughed. “Knowing my brother, he’s probably not in control

of what’s going on. He’s most likely in over his head. What happens
if I never find out?”

“Hey, babe. Don’t cry. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know.”
Luke came to kneel in front of Dade, putting his hands on his jaw.

He kissed him softly. “Everything works out in the end.”

“How can you be so sure? How can you stay so positive about all

of this?” Dade asked.

Branding Dade

105

“Whatever happens, we’ll get through this together,” Luke said.

“We can handle anything that life throws our way. As long as we
have each other.”

Dade nodded as the tears fell from his eyes and down over his

cheeks. “I know. I’m just feeling like I’ve lost all hope in the matter.
It’s been over a year since I’ve seen Eli.”

“Give it a little more time. You don’t need to start worrying yet.”
“I know. I just…” Dade shook his head. “I just don’t know how to

handle the fact that I don’t know what’s going on in his life.”

Luke lifted his hand, brushing it over Dade’s cheek. “I know

wherever he is, he’s okay. I’m sure of it.”

Dade nodded. “I trust you.”
“No news is good news, right?”
“That’s right, baby. No news is good news. The fact that the agent

thought that everything was going to be okay, will be okay.”

Dade nodded, sighing in relief. “I think you’re right. I just need to

trust what I feel inside.”

“I got this and I’ll take care of you.”
Luke leaned in, giving Dade a sensuous kiss. Their lips lingered

for a long time. When their lips broke away, they were both smiling.
“I’m never going to get tired of this happening between us.”

“I know. Neither will I. I love that we’re finally building a life

together.”

“Me, too.”
Luke got to his feet, pulling Dade in close. He started to rock with

him, holding him close. It wasn’t long before they were swaying.
They looked up into the night sky at the same time just as a shooting
star flew by.

“Make a wish,” Luke said.
Dade closed his eyes. Luke watched on as he spent a long time

with his eyes closed. He wondered what he was wishing for. When he
finally opened his eyes, there was a smile on his face.

“If I ask you what you wish for, do you think it’ll still come true?”

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“Yes, I think it will.”
“What did you wish for?”
“I wished for us to live happily ever after and I wished for my

brother to come home safely.”

“I think that was the most perfect thing that anyone could ever

wish for, babe. I hope it comes true.”

“Me too,” Dade said.
“Come on. It’s been a long day for both of us. Let’s go to bed.”
“I think that’s a fantastic idea. I have a feeling that you don’t plan

on getting any sleep anytime soon.”

There was a wicked gleam in Dade’s eyes. “What makes you

think that?”

“I know how you work.”
“I suppose you do. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all. I think I like the idea of you taking me for a rough ride

anytime you want to, cowboy.”

“I think I like the idea of that, too.”

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tatum Throne has a master’s degree in social work. She left the

field of medical social work to be a stay-at-home mom and to pursue
her dreams of writing romance. She has three rambunctious boys with
her husband, Mr. Throne, and one rowdy hamster named CJ. She also
has a pet rabbit named Coco who has taken over her office.

When not indulging her fantasies, Tatum enjoys baking chocolate

chip cookies, hiking, spending time with her family, and spreading
awareness of eosinophilic disorders.

You can find Tatum all over the web at:
www.tatumthrone.com
www.tatumthrone.blogspot.com
Find me on Facebook!

For all titles by Tatum Throne, please visit