The Wild Bunch 3 Casa Read Online Free Page B

seconds and strained against his fly. Blood surging everywhere but his head left him dizzy. If he let go of Jason, he'd likely end up on that floor himself.
    As Jason's question soaked in, Casa gulped. Was he ready to make a confession? Could he risk blurting the long-withheld words that crowded his throat? Once said they could not be recalled. In a flash, he decided against it. This wasn't the time. He wanted to be sure Jason knew sympathy or pity had absolutely nothing to do with this attraction. When the time was right, if it ever came, he'd spill it all, but not now, not here.
    Risking letting go instead of acting on his powerful urges, Casa lowered his arm and stepped back. He concentrated grimly on keeping his own footing while he watched to be sure Jason was able to do the same.
    After a moment, he had both his physical and mental balance back. "A touch of the hornies, I 'spect." He forced a chuckle. "We'll survive. You okay now? I left ole Splash with three shoes off and one still on. Best get back and take care of that if you're all right."
    Jason nodded, took a cautious step toward his desk and then another. "Yep, I'll be a little more deliberate when I go to move from now on. Thanks." He paused. "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this to yourself, okay?"
    Casa nodded. "You bet." He waited to be sure Jason got to his desk without incident. Then he hiked back to the barn and resumed his farrier task.
    Even concentrating on the job he could not quite tear his thoughts away from the sensations of Jason's strong body pressed against his side, the fierce current that had flowed for a short time between them. He might be crazy, but something told him Jason felt at least a hint of the powerful longing Casa had nurtured in secret for five years.
    Wow. Oh man. What if...
    He didn't dare think that notion through, but even the slightest trace of it sent a sizzle of raw energy along every nerve. Then he felt a stir of defiance.
    Well, why not? Spark has his Italian Stallion and Stace got his Hollywood Hero, so why not someone for me?
    But for that someone to be Jason? The thought both scared and elated him. After admiring and lusting after Jason from a distance for so long, it was hard to visualize a real connection, coming together to discover what Casa saw his two buddies had gained. He'd managed to tame the burgeoning hard-on before he got back to the barn, knowing Spark would give him all kinds of hell if he noticed and want to know what was going on. That was the last thing Casa wanted to deal with right now. Private dreams were simply that, private. That's what they needed to remain for the time being, too.

 
Chapter 3
     
    A couple of weeks later, the three cowboys again sat in the bunkhouse, chugging the daybreak dose of caffeine they needed to get going. Stace had returned late the prior evening from two days and nights in Las Cruces. Casa couldn't miss the satisfied grin the African American cowboy tried, without success, to suppress.
    "Must've been good," Casa said, with a wink.
    Stace didn't quite blush.
    "Er, yup. I reckon it was." He took on a faraway stare for a breath and then brought his attention back to the present. "Coming back last night, I all at once got an idea. Let me run something by you guys and see what you think. You know how much Jared resembles Jason, right? We all noticed it when he was here last fall. I can't get him to say right out, although he kind of hinted. Still, I know they gotta be related somehow.
    "I have this hunch something happened between them and they've been at odds for a long time, but neither one is happy about it. You remember how Jason took off when Jared came for his vacation, when me and him first got together. I'd like to get them face to face. Maybe they'd be able to work this out. I think they'd both feel a lot better without this bad blood between them, whatever it's about. You know what I'm saying?"
    Casa shifted his gaze to Spark. The Texan always seemed to have a