"Clem!" Lachlan shouted as he reached for the man. Clem turned around, fists swinging. Lachlan ducked but not fast enough. He felt Clem's fist glance off his jaw. Lachlan grunted, dropping the tire iron to the ground as he grabbed his jaw. "Damn it, Clem, knock it off."

"Lachlan?"

"Well, I'm not the tooth fairy."

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to keep you and Billy from getting thrown in jail." Lachlan rubbed his jaw and spared a quick glance at the stranger standing several feet away, his fists raised to defend himself. "You'd better get out of here before the sheriff arrives. You've already been in jail once this week."

"Oh, Lachlan, we was just having a bit of fun," Billy protested as he came to stand next to his brother.

"I don't think he was having fun, Billy," Lachlan said as he pointed to the stranger. "In fact, it looks to me like he is pretty pissed."

Billy turned and glanced at the stranger, his face flushing when he turned back. "We didn't mean no harm, Lachlan."

"You attacked me, asshole," the man shouted. "For no reason."

"You're a fucking fag," Clem shouted as he turned on the man. His fists came up again like he was about to attack again. Lachlan jumped forward and grabbed Clem's arms, spinning him around and giving him a good shove toward his truck.

"Get out of here, Clem, before I tell your mother what you're up to."

That was the only threat Lachlan could think of that was big enough to get Billy and Clem Thornton to behave. Lilia Thornton was a sweet old woman who was adored by her sons. It was just too bad their father, Ira, was such a jerk. He was the largest influence on his sons and encouraged their appalling behavior.

Clem glared, retribution shining in his eyes. Lachlan knew he'd have to deal with Clem at some point. He just hoped he wasn't alone when it happened. Even though Lachlan could hold his own in a fight, Clem had a good fifty pounds on him. He might not win that one.

"Clem…"

Clem snarled for a moment then spit on the ground right by the stranger's foot. The man jumped back then sent Clem a snarl of his own. Lachlan thought he might attack and held his arm out between the two men.

"Go, Clem, now!"

"This isn't over, Lachlan."

"I didn't think it was, Clem." Lachlan didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Clem and Billy climbed into their truck and drove away. He wiped his hand down his face, not realizing until he did that he had little beads of sweat trickling down his temples.

Hearing a muttered oath, Lachlan turned to see the stranger lifting his motorcycle from where it lay on its side on the ground and moving out the kickstand. He squatted down and started running his hands over it. Lachlan assumed he was looking for damage.

"How bad is it?" he asked as he walked up.

"Damn cylinder head is broken."

"Did Clem do that?"

"Your friends were waiting for me when I left the café back a ways. I got this far before he hit my back wheel and drove me off the road."

"Clem and Billy are not my friends," Lachlan said. He didn’t like being lumped in with those two idiots. "We just happen to live in the same town."

"Nice town you have here." The man stood up, his hands on his waist. "Do you welcome everyone like this?"

Lachlan felt like his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth as he got his first good look at the stranger, the totally drool worthy drop dead gorgeous stranger. He just stared for a moment, drinking in the man's striking features. Yum!

Lachlan suddenly wished that they weren't standing in the middle of the road in the dark. He wanted to get a better look at the man, preferably without his clothes on. Knowing the man was gay just made Lachlan's cock ache.

"Yo, dude!" The man waved his hand in front of Lachlan.

Lachlan blinked, his face flaming. "Yeah, sorry, uh, no, not normally. People are pretty nice around here usually. You just happen to catch the two local jerks. Clem and Billy get into more trouble than anyone I know, most of it created by themselves."

"They sound like real nice guys."

"Well, I wouldn't take them home for dinner, that’s for sure." Lachlan chuckled. "My ma would skin me alive."

"Your ma?"

Lachlan frowned at the man's tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, do you have a problem with that?"

"No, man." The stranger chuckled, waving his hands in front of him. "No problem at all."

"Good." No one got to make fun of his ma.

"Just never seen a full grown man call his mother ma."

"I doubt you've ever met anyone like my ma then. I'd probably lose more than the family jewels if I called her anything else."

"Pity." Lachlan could feel the man's hazel eyes move up and down his body like a caress and almost groaned when they settled on his groin. "They seem like such nice family jewels. I'd hate to see you lose them."

Lachlan swallowed hard. His cock was hardening at an alarming rate and he was afraid his zipper was going to break. If nothing else, he might hurt himself if things continued like they were. There was only so much room in his jeans.

"Hence, why I call her ma."

"Good choice."

The man turned back to his motorcycle again, another small oath coming from him. Lachlan winced. There was a reason he tried really hard not to swear. His mother would wash his mouth out with soap. It had happened enough times that Lachlan just got used to not swearing.

"Is there a bike shop around here?"

"Yeah, but they're not open until tomorrow."

"Damn!"

"If you want to take your bike back to my place I can make a call, maybe have the parts you need waiting for you in the morning." Lachlan took a deep breath and went out on a limb. "I can offer you a hot meal and a place to sleep."

"A hot meal, huh?" The dark eyebrow the stranger arched almost took him to his knees. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything sexier. When the man reached out a hand, Lachlan readily took it, liking the strong grip he received in return. "Names Asa, Asa Miller."

"Lachlan Blaecleah."

"Thanks for the save, Lachlan."

"Just in the right place at the right time." Lachlan chuckled nervously, realizing that he still held hands with Asa. He quickly dropped it. "Clem and Billy aren't too bad, not really. Their bark is worse than their bite."

"And you?"

"Me?"

"How's your bite?"

Oh, fuck me running, Lachlan thought to himself as he tried to swallow. He hadn't had an offer like this in years, if ever. And it was clear to Lachlan that Asa was making an offer. The man was doing nothing to hide the interest in his eyes.

"Why don't you come home with me and find out?"