Page 107 of Stable Hand

“Isn’t that what I said?”

And suddenly I could picture them: Luke taking Noah to restaurants and movies, spanking Noah after dinner, buying him Christmas presents and a cake for his birthday. The thought of them doing these things pleased me so much. “Does anyone else know?”

“Nobody’s ever asked. Except you. I wonder why.”

“Ottawa isn’t far from here,” Noah said. “You can ask for a weekend off once a month.”

“We can come here and visit you too. I know Adam won’t mind, long as I behave myself. Which I am determined to do, especially if we can see you more often and maybe catch a pony show.”

My brain spun with this new information. “Well, shit.”

“Surprised you, did we?” Luke grinned.

“So,” I said, gesturing around me at the shed. “This thing between us can be more than a temporary hook-up?”

“Sure,” Luke said. “As long as things are still good between us all when our session is up. And I don’t see why they wouldn’t be. It’d be a long-distance thing, true, which sucks. But better than never seeing each other again.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Now strip and get on your hands and knees, cowboy. My cock is hard as hell after spanking this slut, and I need to fuck you. And I’m gonna wear your hat while I do it, so hand that bad boy over.”

I grinned, grabbing the object in question from the floor and tossing it at Luke, who put the dusty thing on and started walking toward me.

*

I thought over what Luke and Noah had said while I walked to the grooming barn the next morning. I couldn’t believe I’d been this lucky. To stumble upon two of the sexiest, sweetest, most amazing men I’d ever known, in the middle of a pony-play ranch where I’d expected dust and drudgery and instead got the kink-fest of my wet dreams.

The ponyboys’ shifts had flipped this week, so Luke and I had kissed Noah on the cheek as he’d lain asleep in his bunk and walked to the grooming barn together. Not holding hands but walking in a companionable silence through the morning dew.

Before he opened the back door, Luke turned to me. He gazed at the grass and spoke in soft tones. “Ask to groom me today. Please? I want you to take care of me.” His eyes flicked up to meet mine as his cheeks flushed a delicious shade of pink.

I nodded. “Of course.”

Liv was only too happy to let me have Luke. She had heard about Luke’s punishment, and hissed when she saw the white marks on Luke’s rear end.

“Oh, baby. Looks harsh,” she said.

“I heard Kamal say he wasn’t going to leave any marks, but I guess he meant on his nipples,” I said. “From the clamps.”

Liv leaned in to eyeball Luke’s nipples. “They look fine. And it’s not the first time we’ve looked after a ponyboy with welts on his ass.” She walked over to the cabinet and got something out, bringing the small jar over to me. “Skip the area completely with the loofah, but when he’s dry, put some of this arnica cream on him. It’ll make him feel a lot better and encourage healing.”

“Okay.”

While I scrubbed Luke vigorously with the loofah, avoiding his genitals and buttocks, Luke made small noises of pleasure, unable to speak with the ball gag in place. For once, he appeared at ease with this treatment. I wanted to think I was the difference, but perhaps Kamal had disciplined him enough to make him malleable in the stables.

I washed his genitals softly with a cloth, then applied the cream to the stripes on his backside.

“Better?” I asked, glancing upward.

Luke nodded, his eyes calm and clear.

“You should have told me there was a cream. I could have put some on you last night.”

Overhearing me, Liv said, “I’m sure Kamal put some on before he released him to you. The use of this particular ointment is a standard form of aftercare.”

Her assurance made me feel better. “Okay. Good.”

“But, uh, if you ever need any, there’s a number of tubes of the stuff in the cupboard here. You’re welcome to keep one with you in the bunkhouse.” She winked at me, and I couldn’t help blushing, remembering all the spanking.