Bayard[Bedtime stories 3] Read online

  If he only knew.

  “Let’s get you fed so I can start seeding the field and then we’ll plow the next one.” He gave me lots of hay before running and refilling my water pail. Then Callum left the barn with a sack of corn seeds that had been found when Ansel was cleaning the barn, whistling a happy tune.

  “I wish some gorgeous stranger would come visit me at night,” Ansel muttered as he kicked at the dirt. “It’s been forever since I’ve been with someone and obviously Callum isn’t making up how great the sex was. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.” He sighed and picked up his hammer. “It would be nice to have something to smile about.”

  I preened at the praise as he got to work, Brix joining him. Callum was still smiling by the time he was done planting and was a joy to work with as we plowed. On top of that, the field was nowhere near as bad as the last one so anything the brothers wanted to plant in this field would grow.

  By the time they took a break for lunch when the field was done, I was exhausted. I decided I’d more than earned sleep and did just that. Maybe in dreams I would come up with a plan to make Ansel just as happy.

  * * * * I didn’t n eed a plan as it turned out. After the house was dark the opportunity presented itself to me. Ansel had gone to the stream to take a moonlit bath. I shifted into human form, grabbing the oil that I had taken from Callum the night before, and headed in the direction of the stream.

  “Let me wash your worries away, Ansel,” I whispered as I stepped into the stream. He gasped and spun around. I smiled at him as I set down the oil and moved closer to him. Ansel took a step back as I approached. “Do not be afraid of me, master. My name is Taji and I am here only to help and make you smile. Let me bathe you before you take comfort in my body.”

  “You can’t be real,” he replied, almost in a frightened whimper. I reached for his hand and took the soap. Then I moved closer, making sure my body brushed his. “Do I not feel real, master?” “You feel wonderful,” he moaned as I washed his chest. “Why help us?”

  “That is a discussion for another night,” I said cryptically. He would have thought I was nuts or he was, if I told him the truth. “Simply enjoy what I offer.”

  “What are you offering?” he asked in a tone a man only gets when he’s thinking with his cock and not his brain.

  “Comfort,” I purred as I leaned forward and licked his clean nipple. I washed his arms as he watched meintently. “Relief.” Then I moved down his stomach and lower. “My body.” Ansel gave a choked groan as I stroked his impressive dick. “Tenderness.”

  “I accept,” he agreed as I moved behind him. Minutes later he was squeaky clean, having taken more than the needed time. I quickly soaped up and ducked under the water to rinse. When I resurfaced I gave a yelp as he lifted me into his arms. “Mine.”

  “Yes, yes, take me, master,” I moaned as his hands moved to my ass. He walked through the stream to the bank as I kissed along his neck as he touched me.

  “Why do you call me master?” he whispered as he laid me down and reached for the oil. “Are you not free?”

  “No, no I am not but I hope to be one day.” I blushed at how honest I was being, worried it might come back to haunt me later.

  “Surely I’m not your master though so why call me that?” He leaned over and sucked on one of my nipples as he spread my legs wide. His fingers found my hole and he pushed two inside of me. “Unless I am to master your body when I bring you pleasure?”

  “Yes, yes that’s why,” I fibbed. “Own my body tonight, Ansel.”

  “Gladly,” he growled as his lips mashed down to mine. I cried out in his mouth as he stroked my pleasure gland, knowing just how to treat another man’s body. When I was stretched he broke the kiss and lifted my legs so my feet were on his chest. “Callum was right. You are so fucking beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” I basked in the compliment then bit back a scream as he plunged into my body. Ansel took me hard and fast, moving as a man did when he needed more than words could express.

  “Come,” he ordered several minutes later as he wrapped his large hand around my dick. I cried out as my body did what he wanted. When my hole squeezed him he cursed loudly and used his other hand to hold my hips as he plunged into me one last time and filled me. “Holy shit. I’ve never experienced this.”

  “My body pleases you?” I panted when I was done with my peak and his was still going on.

  “Everything about you pleases me, Taji,” he moaned when he was spent. He pulled out of me and flopped onto the bank of the stream, shaking still from the force of his orgasm. I moved so my body was plastered at his side.

  “I’m glad, so very glad.” I kissed his chest and he wrapped an arm around me, rubbing my back affectionately.“Go lower and feel the proof of the relief I can bring you.”

  “Baby, I feel it through my whole body,” he chuckled as he kissed the top of my head. “I can’t remember the last time my heart raced like this and I felt so light of spirit.”

  “Do you recover as quickly as Callum?” I purred as I reached for him. He flinched and I knew I had made a mistake.

  “Are you a witch sent here to bespell us all and steal from us? Maybe our souls?”

  I gasped and pulled away from him, tears burning in my eyes. He wouldn’t let me go though, rolling us over so I was trapped beneath his weight.

  “Answer me, Taji!”

  “No, I am no witch!” I cried and turned my head away from him. “I’ve helped you and given you comfort when you needed it. I gave you my body. Does that sound like the workof someone evil?”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered against my neck and then sighed. “I simply don’t understand though. Where have you come from? Why pick us? Why bed Callum and then me?”

  “I can’t answer your questions yet and I won’t until you decide I’m not evil and am worthy of trust,” I snapped. Then I used my superior strength and shoved him off of me, much to his shock. “I didn’t force you to take me. You weren’t bewitched or drugged. You wanted me.”

  “I want you still,” he admitted, hanging his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Taji. I truly didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s odd that you were with Callum tonight and notme. It made me worry that you’re going to be with all of us and I have to protect my family.”

  “What was so wrong with being inside of me that I shouldn’t share that pleasure with your brothers?” I put one hand on my hip and gave him attitude as I gestured to his seed running down my leg. “I could have sworn you enjoyed it.”

  “I did,” he agreed as he nodded his head as if in a trance. His eyes glazed over with lust as he watched the cum run down my leg. “Forgive me? I’ll do anything to make amends.” His gaze met my eyes then I could see the true regret in them that he’d hurt me.

  “Shhh, Ansel,” I cooed as I straddled his lap. I held on to his cock as I lowered myself onto it. “I understand the confusion but remember that I offered nothing but my body to you tonight. Be careful that you don’t read more into the offer or think that I am yours. Do you want my tenderness and relief from the troubles of your life?”

  “Yes, more than anything,” he moaned as he held on to my hips. “I won’t ask anything and accept that you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

  “Good man.” I rode him hard and fast, faster than a human could move. Ansel was equal parts turned on and shocked as he watched me. When I was getting close I moved my hand to my cock and came all over him moments before he joined me. He screamed out my name as he filled me again, his eyes fluttering when he was done before he found sleep.

  I chuckled at the sight. I’d gotten used to humans passing out from the pleasure I could bring them when I took control of the sex. I simply could do things no other man they’d known could do.

  After I pulled off of him, I realized his feet were still in the stream. I quickly moved them, not wanting him to catch cold before washing myself up. Then I got to work.

  I picked up rocks Callum had pulled
out of the first field and moved them over to the house. I built a small path with the varioussize stones that looked almost natural. It took several hours and by then I was exhausted. Dawn would be approaching soon and I had to get back to the barn.

  Once back in the cover of the barn so no one would catch a glimpse of me, I started to straighten up. I hung lines and harnesses on the walls Brix and Ansel had fixed and painted yesterday. I cleared a big enough spot for them to work on today and was able to put everything away that I moved.

  I knew the sun was up then and quickly shifted. I had made it just in time because not ten minutes later Ansel and Callum walked into the barn.

  “Well that explains why he never showed up last night,” Callum said with a pout. “I fell asleep on the porch waiting for him.” He eyed over his smiling brother and then chuckled. “And here you were getting your world rocked at the stream.”

  “He was just as amazing as you said,” Ansel agreed with a fond smile. “I blurted out something stupid and offended him. I’m not sure if I really made up for it in his mind.”

  “What did you do?” Callum growled. Ansel quickly explained and when he was done, Callum punched his older brother in the shoulder. “Are you mad? This sweet, sexy, and delicious pint-size man offers you his body and to make you smile and you turn around and insult him? Yeah, he looked like an evil witch to me, Ansel.”

  “I said I was stupid and apologized to him. I just couldn’t think of another explanation as to where he came from! Why us? Why come here now?”

  “Dude, stop overanalyzing it and just fucking be grateful,” Brix bitched as he stepped into the barn and picked upa hammer. “Did you enjoy it?”

  “Yes, of course,” Ansel admitted with a frown.

  “Then just thank the powers that be that Taji took pity on you and offered you sex instead of picking it apart.”

  “He was amazing and I would have liked to have woken up with himstill there.” Ansel shook his head and picked up a hammer as Callum came over and fed me.

  “Maybe it’s not your turn next,” Brix chuckled and gave Callum a wink. “It should be Dromio or I next. Heaven knows I could use that type of relief and some loving. Ithink it’s been longer for me since I’ve touched another man that way than it had been for you.”

  Guess I might be making two more of the brothers smile as soon as I could.

  Chapter 3

  That night there were brothers everywhere. Ansel had taken a blanket and was already asleep by the stream. Callum was out for the count on the front porch. And Brix had pulled out a rocking chair from the barn and was asleep in it with his head against the door.

  So what exactly had been their plan? To cover as much land so at least one of them found me? Or maybe if they spread out I’d have to choose who I liked better?

  Idiots.

  Instead I was drawn to the back of the house where the kitchen was. It had been a long time since I’d smelled fresh-baked bread on the wind and followed it like a moth to a flame. The youngest, Dromio, was working so hard while his brothers slept and I found myself wondering why he was doing this in the middle of the night. Didn’t most bakers work early in the morning?

  “Why are you still awake?” I asked quietly as I stood in the open doorway. He must have left it open because the oven was heating up the house and it was quite warm at night during the summer.

  “Wow,” he gasped,staring at me with wide eyes. “They weren’t kidding when they said you’re gorgeous.” He cleared his throat and focused back on the bread he was kneading with flour. “The problem with making wares for the baker and using our kitchen to do it when you have three huge older brothers is they tend to eat it. So I didn’t have the full order done and the baker will be here in the morning to pick it up as he makes his rounds for deliveries.”

  “And here I wanted to trouble you for a fresh baked roll.” I really, really wanted one. They smelled like heaven.

  “I always make extra,” he chuckled as he gestured to the stool by the counter he was working on. I took the kind offering and he sat down a plate with two huge rolls on them along with a mug of ale. “Can I ask why you’re here? Brix said it was going to be his turn tonight.”

  “I am not something to take turns with like a toy,” I snapped as I fisted my hands on my thighs.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” His cheeks heated up, making his face even more beautiful. “I meant his turn to meet you, not, well, to have… Relations.”

  “Oh, then I apologize,” I whispered. I felt silly for overreacting. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had fresh baked goods and I wondered why you were still awake. They’re all asleep so they obviously need it.”

  “Callum and Ansel are so enamored with you that they would be more than willing to give up sleep to see you again.” He eyed me over as I nibbled on a roll. “I can see why. If I’d known all-night baking would have drawn you out, I would have done it sooner.”

  “You’re very kind.” I took a sip of ale to clear my throat before speaking again. “This is wonderful.”

  “Thanks. It’s an old family recipe I picked up watching my mother when I was a child.” He smiled and it slowly turned into a frown as he put the dough into a pan. “It seems like a lifetime ago when things were easier.”

  “Callum told me you four recently returned here when your father became ill,” I hedged,seeing the mood change. “Where were you before that?”

  “Our mother died when I was seventeen,” he answered as he stuck the pan into the oven and went on to the next task. “Our father couldn’t deal with the grief and seeing us when we resembled her. So he sent us off to find our way in the world and make our fortunes.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, because that’s so easily done.”

  “And that’s where you learned to use the skill your mother taught you?” I had finished the first roll already, moaning at how moist and flakey it was.

  “Yes. Ansel found me a job at a bakery several villages over. He went on to become a builder, Callum worked a huge farm a ways away, andBrix a blacksmith. I feel the worst for him. He can’t even do what he loves here since we don’t have the equipment. But hopefully that will change if we can pull the farm back from destitution. None of our jobs were anything but modest though we all had alittle money saved.”

  “And that went to the care and burial of your father?”

  “Yeah,” he sighed, wiping his brow with his elbow. “If the stubborn old mule would have simply told us he couldn’t handle this place on his own we all would gladly have come home. But he waited until he was on death’s door and there was nothing to be done.”

  “At least he’s with your mother now. Did he love her very much?”

  “More than I’ve ever seen two people love each other,” he agreed. He finished pouring the batter into a tray of metal cups and set it off to the side. “So what about you? Where are you from?” I shook my head and kept eating. “What about your parents?”

  “I’m not a fairy or a witch,” I blurted out.

  “I didn’t think you were but Callum told us you said you were magic.”

  “I am, but that’s a discussion for later.”

  “And Ansel said you were good at evading questions,” he chuckled. I nodded and glanced at my empty plate.

  “I come from a magical line and while I don’t have many powers I am stronger and faster than humans. I don’t require as much rest either.” I sighed and realized he deserved one full answer after sharing so much. “My parents were slaughtered for what we are. They wouldn’t give in to an evil ruler of a faraway land and he killed them for it. When they heard his men coming they sent me to run and bought me time to get away.”

  “I’m sorry. They had to have loved you very much to have sacrificed themselves to make sure you lived.”

  “I never thought of it that way,” I whispered as I pushed around a few crumbs on my plate. “I always thought it was foolish of them to not have run with me.”

  “Did the ev
il ruler know about you?” he asked gently as he put a muffin on my plate. He was close now and I liked feeling him near me.

  “No, my parents kept me hidden,” I answered as I glanced up at him with scrunched eyes. “I never understood why they did that.”

  “So he couldn’t take you, Taji.” He pushed my hair off my face and smiled. “If they went on the run with you then there was a chance they would be killed and he could get you. They did what they thought was best to protect you.”

  “You don’t know what happened to me as a young boy, on the run, with nothing, and no knowledge of the world,” I whispered as tears burned in my eyes. “I was abused, beaten, and used in the worst ways. They left me to that fate.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” he gasped as he wrapped his arms around me. “They couldn’t have known. They did their best and what happened is the fault of the people who mistreated you. Not your parents.”

  “I never thought of it like that,” I mumbled against his chest. He was a good six inches taller than me and when I was sitting down he towered over me. “I was always focused on the anger and hurt.” I took a deep, calming breath and then jumped when an alarm went off. He pulled away and pulled out the pan of fresh-baked bread before putting in the muffins. “Thank you for allowing me to see past that and the truth of what they did.”

  “We all need a little perspective now and again.” He set down the bread and gave the muffin batter a few good stirs to keep the consistency.

  “And relief,” I whispered as I slid off the stool. His gaze fell on me and he licked his lips as I moved around the counter towards him. “Your brothers have told me it had been so long since they’ve shared the touch of another man. Is that true for you as well, Dromio?”

  “Yes, yes it is.” I scooted between him and the counter, my hands moving so they were tucked in his apron.

  “Would you like relief from your stresses and to touch me?” He groaned in answer and lowered his mouth to mine. When it got heated his hands moved to my ass and his thigh went between my legs for me to ride. I was moments away from coming all over him.