Renner Morgan by Anitra Lynn McLeod

at Quintus, but he couldn’t help himself. He was so beautiful it was impossible not to look at him. His hair was lifted off his face in a series of spikes along the top of his head. Not harsh, gel-encrusted stands of hair, but more gentle rows from him finger combing it and then letting it dry without brushing it. As the evening wore on, the strands began to bend, but that only added to his appeal.
    Quintus had shaved before dinner, so his cheeks were smooth, but since he’d been spending time on the porch, recovering as the others, Renner included, worked on the garden, he had more color in his face than he’d had before. His leg was healing quickly, which Quintus attributed to Renner’s diligent care, but Renner wouldn’t take any credit, certainly not from McBride. Every time his master came near, Renner was certain the time had come for him to expose Renner for his shameful activities. Not that Renner thought they were. What he did with Quintus was anything, everything but shameful. He only felt guilty afterward. During their wild lovemaking, he was uninhibited and so happy he felt he had left Earth behind and now lived far above in the clouds. It was only after his release and his heart rate returned to normal that he remembered his vow to leave Quintus alone because he was McBride’s mate.
    Quintus never reminded him of that. It was Renner who tortured himself. He was afraid if McBride found out what was going on he would toss Quintus off his land and force Renner to stay. No mate would ever come to him. He would be alone and lonely for the rest of his life. Worse, McBride would never trust him again, but he wouldn’t let him leave because he needed all hands to care for the farm.
    Renner didn’t think he could be more miserable if he tried.
    After his brothers and their mates began to settle into small groups, Renner excused himself and left. He walked across the yard then the road toward his little house. He passed the stocks and couldn’t help but picture himself tossed in them. Quintus would wait until it was a night like tonight with a full moon turning the world silver and gray. He would bind Renner’s cock and then put him bent over in the stocks so that he could tease and torment his ass for hours before he finally fucked him.
    Renner shivered as pleasure pricked over his skin. So far, his encounters with Quintus hadn’t involved any of his leather gear, but that was only because they had always come together in Quintus’s room. There they had privacy. When his door was closed, no one bothered them because they assumed Quintus was either sleeping or Renner was tending to his injury.
    Once he was inside his house, Renner closed the door and leaned against it. He sighed and then moved over to the couch. He just wanted things resolved. Quintus said he would tell McBride the truth, but that was two days ago. Renner wanted him to confess almost as much as he didn’t. Things could go so badly if McBride took offense. Given the way McBride kept looking at Quintus, he was bound to be furious. The only good thing was that Renner had not bitten Quintus, even when he’d begged him to. A one-way bloodbond was normal in the case of a gentryman and his slammer. By not closing the loop, Renner gave both of them an out.
    Quintus said McBride would understand. Everyone had told him how kind McBride was, and Quintus kept going back to the fact that McBride willingly claimed Jonas as his mate so that Jonas could be with Ollie. Renner hadn’t any idea the two men were so much in love. That was the only thing that kept him from feeling that he was utterly exposed whenever he looked at Quintus. If no one had known about Jonas and Ollie, then perhaps no one would ever know about Renner and Quintus. Perhaps Quintus could be McBride’s mate and still be with Renner occasionally.
    While he sat on the couch with his head back and his eyes closed, Renner tried to imagine how that would work. As a gentryman, McBride was