![]() | ![]() |
The moment Rogue’s lips touched his, Kip first felt the center he’d been seeking. It was as if everything in the world was once more as it should be. But all too soon those lips left and the chaos that was his life cascaded down upon him.
Rogue wasn’t the man for him. He was a hunter. A killer of animals. There was no doubt in Kip’s mind he would have killed that bear if it hadn’t been scared off.
No way could he date someone like that. But did he have to date Rogue? Couldn’t he just fuck the man? It wasn’t as if Kip didn’t enjoy hooking up with random men. Hell, he’d made a life doing just that after leaving home.
Sex had never been a big deal to anyone that lived in his childhood community. Well, unless the person, like Kip, hadn’t been eighteen. That was a hard rule put forth by the elders, one that could ban a member for life if ignored.
But when he left the community, or was technically kicked out, Kip discovered sex at a club and had decided he was going to get as much of it as he could. He was always safe, but the feel of a long, thick cock in his ass was too fan-fucking-tastic to let something like being in a relationship stop him, like his friends tried to encourage.
He didn’t see the point. It was sex. What did that have to do with a commitment? That said, was it okay for him to leave his morals behind when it came to Rogue being a hunter just to feel the man inside of him?
It wasn’t as if he ever asked any of the hook-ups if they hunted. For all he knew, he’d screwed all sorts of criminals. But this time he knew. Would that make him a hypocrite to forget about it for sex?
Kip wasn’t sure. Hence the chaos that was currently spinning around in his head like one of those carnival rides Cass loved so much but made Kip throw up when they were over. A couple of times he hadn’t even made it that long, which was why Cass no longer made Kip go on them. Apparently, being puked on wasn’t fun for anyone.
The rope around him tugged hard, causing his arms to feel as if they were about to be ripped off. If he could have, Kip would have jerked away, but he was having a hard time moving any part of his body.
“I need you to relax,” Rogue called from behind him. “I’m not going to even try and lie to you. This is probably going to hurt. That mud isn’t going to release you easily, so I’m going to have to pull hard on the rope.”
There was no point in complaining about it. Kip already knew what Rogue said was true about the mud not letting him go. “Okay,” he yelled, trusting that Rogue would be able to hear him even though it sounded like the man was a fair distance behind him.
The rope tightened again, and Kip did his best to relax his muscles. It wasn’t easy since the rope was digging into his chest and armpits. Good thing he had on so many layers, or Kip was fairly sure the rope would have ripped off layers of his skin.
Already he could see tears forming along the front of his favorite coat. Not that he’d ever get the mud out anyway, but it was as if karma was kicking him in the balls once more. Showing him that he wasn’t perfect.
Huh.
Inch by agonizing inch Kip felt his body moving. Or he sure as hell hoped that was what was happening, because if not, then his upper body was being torn clean off. His coat ripped open and the white stuff started to separate and drop into the mud. He’d tried to keep the whimpers that started to come out as quiet as possible. He didn’t want Rogue thinking he couldn’t handle the pain.
With nothing to do but wait, Kip’s mind went to all the things others had said about him that indicated he wasn’t as nice and fair minded as he believed. It started with Axom.
Except, if he were completely honest with himself, it wasn’t just not using the man’s brochures that had hurt his friend. Kip had often criticized Axom for having guns. Also, for hunting and fishing. He’d even gone so far as to call him a backwoods hillbilly who needed to learn to appreciate all of God’s gifts.
The expression on Axom’s face, who tended to wear his emotions for the world to see, had been heartbroken. But it didn’t stop Kip from picking on Axom anytime his friend took his gun when he went into the woods. Or when his family visited and they went fishing.
Axom might not understand Kip’s penchant for being vegan, but the man had never once put him down for it. He’d accepted Kip for who he was, something Kip was beginning to recognize he couldn’t say about himself.
The only reason he was even friends with Axom was because of Cass and Spencer. The two men had come in for a massage at the spa Kip had been working in. The three of them had hit it off and the pair had invited Kip out to a club they were going to that night. That was when he’d met the other two of the four friends, Axom and Anook.
Had he known what he knew now about Axom and Anook, Kip probably never would have become such good friends with them. Nor would he have moved in with them, which eventually led to them moving to Mystic Pines to fulfill his dream of owning his own spa.
What did that say about him?
That he was a judgmental asshole, who only held onto his principles when it suited his purposes. He could have remained friends with Cass and Spencer, but not continued to live with them after he’d found out Anook and Axom both hunted. But the fact was, Kip had barely had to pay any living expenses because the others already had it covered.
Then, when Anook offered to make them all partners in turning his dying home town of Mystic Pines into a resort, Kip could have said, ‘no.’ But instead, his dream of owning his own spa was all he’d thought about.
That’s why karma had decided to nearly kill him. He’d deserved it for how he’d acted. The agony that he was enduring was justified. If only he could find it within him not to cry out whenever Rogue managed to move him ever closer to the edge. But karma wasn’t willing to even give him that after the way he’d behaved with his friends.
Sure, Axom and Anook were both hunters, but they’d grown up in places where it was learn to hunt or possibly be killed. Something Kip had just found out when he’d been stuck in the mud with a giant bear looking at him like he was its next meal.
Was he so close-minded that he couldn’t appreciate someone just because they were different than him? He thought he had been with Axom and Anook. Sort of. He still let them know he thought what they did was terrible. But because they’d become friends before he’d known they hunted, he’d done his best to ignore that aspect of their personality.
For the longest time, he’d been proud of himself for being able to do that. Now? As it was growing harder to breath with the rope pushing down upon his chest, Kip was beginning to think he wasn’t as open-minded as he’d thought. In fact, based on the way he’d acted with the man who just put his own life at risk to try and save Kip, he was kind of an asshole.
Beginning to see what karma had been trying to teach him, Kip wasn’t sure what to do about it. As much as he wanted to be a better person, the thought of animals being killed made him physically ill, just like when he went on those stupid carnival rides.
“Do you need a rest?” Rogue called out. “I’ve got you about halfway out.”
Halfway?
Kip desperately wanted to beg for Rogue to stop, but he didn’t. “No. Keep going. I’d rather get out if you’re okay to keep going.”
“Are you sure? You sound like you’re in a lot of pain.” Rogue wasn’t exactly wrong about that.
“Sorry,” Kip yelled back to him. “I’ll try to stay quiet.”
“Feel free to scream if it helps,” Rogue told him. “I just wish I could get you out without hurting you so much.”
The tears that had been running down his face from the agony increased. Not because of the torture the rope caused, but because despite all the cruel things he’d said to Rogue, the man was kind enough not to want him to suffer. Kip honestly couldn’t say if he’d feel the same way.
Actually, he knew he didn’t. When Rogue had shot at the bear, Kip had wished with all his heart, the gun would explode in Rogue’s hands. How terrible of a person was he? No way should he ever want someone else to suffer. It was just wrong. Why would he, someone who believed all creatures were sacred, think it was okay for a person to be hurt just because they didn’t feel the same way he did?
“You’re almost there.” Rogue’s reassurance that he was going to get out of the mud pit was a relief.
Kip honestly wasn’t sure how much more he could have endured before the screams Rogue had suggested would happen. As it was, Kip was glad they had decided not to bring in the travel reviewers until the following weekend so they’d have time to fix any issues, because there was no way Kip was going to be able to move his arms after this.
Time had lost all meaning during his ordeal. It wasn’t until he felt Rogue’s hands pulling him onto solid ground that Kip even noticed it was getting dark out. Like, really dark. In fairness, Rogue had a lantern glowing that gave off a lot of light set up near the edge of the mud.
Now that Kip was on the hard ground again, every muscle in his upper body seized up and that scream he’d done so well to hold back came out when he’d tried to push himself up.
“Hey.” Soft lips brushed along his ear as a warm body pressed up against his, lifting him onto his feet. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Let me do the work.”
But even with Rogue’s help, nothing would stop his muscles from spasming, causing him to cry out as he leaned heavily against Rogue. Not even his legs would hold him up. Then again, that could be because they were caked in so much mud, Kip would bet he was carrying around another hundred pounds of weight.
“Let’s get you back on the ground so I can at least get that first layer of clothing off you.” Rogue gently helped him to sit on his ass, then encouraged Kip to lay on his back.
Shaking hard as the cold was starting to hit him, Kip said, “Can’t remove them. I’ll freeze.”
“Sweet cheeks, part of the reason you’re so cold is you’ve got all this mud on you. Plus, it’s going to be harder to get you back to town if we don’t get some of it off.” Rogue didn’t waste time as he explained. Already he had Kip’s boots off and was starting to remove Kip’s ski pants.
Unable to say anything more because his teeth were chattering so hard he was afraid he’d break his jaw, Kip prayed Rogue knew what he hell he was talking about. It not, all that work to get him out of the mud would have been for naught because Kip was sure he was going to die of hypothermia.
When Rogue started to remove Kip’s coat, the agony of the man moving his arm had Kip letting out an unholy scream. Seconds later a knife was cutting the material off him.
Kip would have never thought to do that. Then again, he didn’t carry around a gigantic knife that looked like it could chop down a tree. Before he could hardly blink, the knife was gone, as was his coat.
Once more Rogue lifted him to his feet, and just like before, Kip nearly passed out when his muscles refused to stop quivering. He honestly couldn’t imagine how anyone lived through this.
Nausea rolled up inside him as the intensity of the spasms increased. Trying to hold onto Rogue as he bent over to puke, Kip panicked when he couldn’t grasp the man’s arm. His upper body just wouldn’t cooperate.
“I’ve got you, sweet cheeks,” Rogue said as his arms went around Kip, holding him up while he lost the little bit of remaining dignity he’d thought he had.
A bottle of water was pressed to his mouth when he’d finished. Taking a small sip, he swished his mouth out and spit. Then he took another sip. This time relishing the wet fluid going down his overused throat.
“Come on, sweet cheeks. Let’s get you back to town.” The next thing Kip knew, Rogue had picked him up in his arms and started to carry him down the path.
Embarrassed? Yeah.
Relieved not to have to walk? Uh-huh.
Starting to warm up as he leaned against Rogue’s body? Blessedly, yes.