Saul opened and closed his mouth, then did it again. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t say that kink didn’t interest him. His internet porn searches proved that, but he’d not ever considered himself someone that anyone else would be interested in doing that kind of stuff with. Hurtful words from his family and ex-wife welled up, about how deviant he was.

Those people didn’t control him and hadn’t been a part of his life for years. They didn’t get a say. “I don’t know,” he finally replied. “I ... I’m interested in that stuff, but I just don’t know.”

Liam arched a brow. “Do you want to hold me down, pin my arms, and fuck me senseless?”

“Uh, no.” He shifted on the horse blanket beneath him. Sawdust scented the air around them with a pine smell.

“Because that’s what I want to do to you.”

The heat that flooded him was immediate and more than enough to make him groan. He tried to bite it back, but the sound, rough and needy, leaked out anyway. He winced in embarrassment, even as his cock reared up in interest.

Liam sat up, looking pleased as the cat that ate the canary. “That’s what I thought. You’re a submissive. You want someone in control, at least when it comes to sex.”

That took a moment for Saul to process. He gestured at himself. “I’m like a foot taller than you.” It was one of his biggest fears, that he was simply too much for most people. Too grumpy, too big, just too damn much.

“Pish.” Liam waved a hand. “There’s not a submissive or dominant height requirement. And if I can jockey a thousand pounds of thoroughbred through a steeplechase course, I can direct you.”

A shiver went through Saul at the idea of being directed, but what caught his attention was the rest. “You were a jockey?”

“I think you missed the point there, but yes. I came in second in the Grand National twice, third place four times. I might have kept chasing the win, even as I was transitioning to a more prominent trainer role, but I had a horse ...” Liam shoved a hand through his hair.

“Horse didn’t get up after falling?” Liam asked softly.

“Thirteenth jump, she missed her footing on the landing and that was that. I’d had her since she was a yearling, had helped train her for the track. It was just an accident, but I ... I needed something different, and River Stone Farms were glad to get a hold of an English trainer.”

Saul scooted over and wrapped an arm around Liam’s middle, dragging him down and on top of Saul’s body so he could give him the hug Liam obviously needed.

Liam tensed for a moment, then relaxed against Saul’s chest. “Sometimes bad things happen,” Saul said. “And all we can do is keep going forward and helping who we can.” It sounded flowery, but it’d taken him some time to reach a point in his life where he knew he’d ended up being better for having his life upended. It didn’t always feel that way, and he knew he tended to look for clouds in the sky even when the weather was supposed to be sunny, but even clouds weren’t all bad. He’d still be at home listening to Thunder snore if these storm clouds hadn’t shown up.

Speaking of his dog, Thunder wandered into the stall, nosed Saul, and then Liam, who laughed when the dog licked his cheek.

“Stop,” he commanded. Thunder heaved a sigh before heading to the corner of the stall to curl up, having apparently decided his services as a space heater weren’t needed since Liam was draped over Saul.

Saul took a chance. “I like when you say things in that voice.”