Page 1 of If the Shoe Fits (Rainbow Tales #2)

Xander leaned against the old sycamore and swiped at his brow.

He'd left a pile of firewood in the sun, waiting to be carried inside.

It had taken him all morning to chop the wood, something that a servant, not the heir of the manor, should have done.

But Xander's dad had passed away when he was ten, leaving him in the care of his stepmother.

And she didn't like Xander. She preferred to pretend that he was one of the servants and treated him as such.

If Xander were any weaker-willed, he'd believe he was a servant.

Although he knew the truth, there was nothing Xander could do.

As a child, he didn't know what she was doing, only thought her cruel.

By the time he had become a man, it was too late to save himself or his inheritance.

There was no proof of who he was, and with him behaving as a servant for years, her word would hold more weight than his.

Xander knew he'd see none of his inheritance, much less assume the role of duke.

His stepmother had probably squandered his wealth already.

She had two sons of her own, and they had expensive tastes.

Elmer loved clothes, and Hubben loved food.

Xander was lucky to get a new pair of trousers every year, and as far as food went, he ate the scraps that came back to the kitchen after his stepmother and stepbrothers finished their meals.

At least, that's what his stepmother thought.

Xander grinned at the round face peering out from the kitchen window.

When Alma, the cook, saw him, she waved.

Xander waved back. She'd become a mother to him after his actual mother died, and when his father brought that bitch into their home, Alma had continued to look after Xander as best she could.

She'd known from the start that Duchess Patricia was no good.

Alma fed Xander along with the other servants.

The food wasn't as fine as what got sent to the mistress of the house, but it was plentiful and hot.

Far better than the picked-over cold crap his stepmother would prefer him to eat.

Xander knew he was in a terrible situation, but Alma made it bearable.

He loved that woman. And he'd bring her some firewood after he stopped sweating so damn much.

“Son of a bitch!”

Xander turned toward the sound of a man's voice. That cursing man sat astride a beautiful dappled gray stallion, its creamy tail swishing. The horse pranced as its rider tried to . . . Xander cocked his head. Was the man buttoning his breeches?

The horse didn't like what its rider was doing and showed its distaste by rearing up on its hind legs. The rider cursed again, this time as he fell. In a puddle of mud. The horse ran off as the man cursed again and again, even more violently, flopping his arms about and splattering mud everywhere.

Xander chuckled. It was a rare thing for him to be entertained, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

The man looked up and saw Xander leaning against a tree. He squinted, got to his feet, and slapped mud off his ass. “Saw that, did you?” He sauntered over to Xander as if he weren't covered in mud. “Had yourself a little laugh?”

Xander went still. The man had been riding a fine horse, and now that he was coming closer, Xander could see that he was dressed well, too.

Under the mud. Shit. Xander had laughed at Elmer once when his stepbrother spilled stew on his new silk trousers.

Elmer had beaten Xander until he couldn't stand.

Xander could only imagine what a true gentleman would do to a guy like him for laughing at his misfortune.

But what was done was done. Might as well take it as a man.

“What were you doing on that horse?” Xander relaxed back into his sprawl. Or rather, pretended to relax. “It looked as if you were playing with yourself?”

The man, who'd been looking down as he walked, trying to rid himself of as much filth as possible, looked up with wide eyes. He opened his mouth, then shut it. Stared.

Xander stared back. He'd never seen anyone so handsome.

The stranger had thick, dark hair clipped short, but there were some longer bits at the front, and they clung to his sharp jaw.

That jaw looked hard enough to crack ice, but the lips above it were soft, plump things, blushed red.

A noble nose rose from those lips, drawing Xander's stare to the man's impossibly blue eyes, so dark and yet bright, glowing in the sunshine.

Stern brows slashed over the glowing eyes, but they were lifted in surprise.

He looked so young, but the body beneath that youthful face was filled out properly. This was no boy.

“Hello,” the man said at last.

“Hello,” Xander said. “Sorry for laughing. Uh, would you like some water and a rag?”

“Yes. Yes, I would. If you wouldn't mind.”

“Sure.” Xander pushed away from the tree and went to the pump.

He felt the man's stare on him as he drew the water into a bucket.

It made him shiver even though he was back in the sun.

He straightened, feeling oddly ashamed of his bare chest. All Xander wore was a pair of old trousers.

No shoes. He walked across the yard to where he'd left his sweat rag, grabbed it, and went back to the man. “Uh, do you need some help?”

The man grinned, his stare shifting over Xander's face. “ What did you have in mind?”

Xander frowned.

“Maybe I should get out of these clothes?” the man suggested. “It would be easier to clean off that way.”

“Right here?” Xander looked around, then his gaze went to the kitchen window.

“No. Don't do that. The cook might see you, and she'd have a fit.” But when he looked back at the man, he was already pulling off his tunic.

“For the love of God, follow me.” He angled his head behind the tree and led the man to the stable. “You'll have more privacy in here.”

“I'd appreciate that.” The man came up on Xander's left and slid a look at him that he didn't understand.

Something was happening low in Xander's body. A tightening. No, a tingling. A tingling and a tightening. Holy shit! He was aroused! That didn't happen often for Xander. He glanced at the stranger, then jerked his gaze forward. The man was smiling as if he knew exactly what Xander was thinking.

Men finding pleasure with men wasn't shocking to Xander.

He knew about it. Had even come across two servants in the barn once.

Seeing them together, one pumping into the other, had aroused him too.

But even after that, he never thought that he was like them.

Xander had always assumed his lack of interest in women was because of his situation.

He had nothing to offer a woman, so why bother?

Now, he was thinking it was more than that.

The image of those men came to him again, and he instantly imagined doing that with the stranger.

Oh yes, that was arousing. Very arousing.

“This will do.” The man tossed his tunic over the wall of an empty stall and then pulled off his riding boots. He stepped into the stall, onto some clean hay, and dropped his pants.

He wasn't wearing anything beneath them .

Xander stepped back. But only because he wanted to step forward.

“There. Now I can wash them off.” The man bent over to scoop water onto his muddy clothes.

He bent over!

Xander made a strangled sound, his stare fixed on the plump curves of the man's ass. He had the most outrageous urge to grab him there.

The man looked up and grinned. “Are you going to help or just stand there admiring my backside?”

“I wasn't . . . uh.”

“Yes, you were.” He straightened and wrung out his pants. “Just as I hoped you would.”

“What?”

“I'm Leo.” He held out his hand.

“I'm . . .” Xander almost gave the name his stepmother called him.

He'd grown so accustomed to it—Asher. She said he was always covered in ashes, and so the name was appropriate. It's hard not to get ash on you when you sleep next to a fireplace.

“Are you trying to come up with a false name to give me?” Leo asked.

“Huh? No! No, of course not. My name is Xander. Sorry. I'm just distracted by your nudity.”

Leo grinned. “I'll take that as a compliment.” He put a hand on his hip and posed. As he did, his cock lengthened and hardened into a straight line.

Xander cleared his throat and went to stand in the stable entrance, looking out.

“Did I misread you? I could have sworn I saw desire in your eyes. If I were mistaken, I apologize.”

Xander glanced over at Leo, his cheeks heating. “I'm not sure what I . . . uh, don't apologize.”

The silence went on long enough for Xander to look back again. He found Leo wringing out his tunic. With a look over his shoulder at Xander, Leo spread the tunic over the stall door, then leaned an arm on the wall, putting himself on full display once again.

“You certainly aren't ashamed of your body,” Xander murmured.

“Ashamed? Why would I be ashamed?”

“Good question,” Xander muttered.

Leo chuckled. “The real question is; why are you so ashamed of admiring me? Have you never been with a man?”

“I've, uh.” Xander glanced at Leo, then straightened his shoulders and turned to fully face him. “I've never been with anyone.”

“What?” Leo dropped his arm. “Shit. And here I am trying to seduce you in a fucking stable.”

Xander lifted his eyebrows. “What's wrong with the stable?”

“Nothing. I just . . . you should have a bed for your first time.”

“I don't have a bed.”

“You don't have a bed?”

Another flush ran up Xander's face, but he refused to look away. “No. I sleep on the hearth.”

“Oh.” Leo stared at him. “I see.”

Xander finally looked away. “You can get dressed and go. It's all right. I understand.”

“Understand what?” Leo's voice came from right behind him.

Xander flinched and looked over his shoulder. Leo set his warm palms on Xander's bare back, and Xander flinched again. He spun to face Leo.

“It's all right.” Leo held up his hands and backed away. “I'm sorry. I understand, but I'm not leaving, Xander. Not unless you want me to.”

Xander swallowed. Looked over his shoulder, out of the stable, and toward the manor.

He had very little pleasure in his life.

Granted, he didn't know if this would be a pleasure, but it felt as if it would, and he wanted to find out.

So, he shut the stable door and hooked the latch.

When he turned around again, he found Leo grinning.

With that bobbing erection.

“I don't know what to do,” Xander said, wincing at the defensive tone in his voice.

“How about you start by finding us a blanket?”

“A blanket?”

“There must be a horse blanket in here somewhere, right?”

“Oh.” Xander looked toward the storage room. “Yes. One moment.” He hurried to the storage closet, found two thick blankets, and returned to Leo. “Are these all right?”

“Perfect.” Leo took the blankets into the empty stall and layered them on a pile of hay. Then he sat down and held a hand up to Xander. “Come here.”

Xander's heart raced, but he took a step forward anyway. Then another. He took Leo's hand. And then he just stood there, looking down at him.

“I want to kiss you. Would you like to try that?” Leo asked.

Without hesitation, Xander said, “Yes.” Then he sat down beside Leo. His first kiss. And with a stranger. That sent a shiver down his spine. A good shiver. It went straight to his cock.