by Kensie King
But then a fireman came through the door, his arm around someone. My heart shot to my throat until I realized it was Mr. Carson.
I broke free of the policeman and raced over.
“Mr. Carson—”
“Lucas?” he said behind an oxygen mask. “Why…?”
“Is Roe here? Did you see him?”
He glanced over his shoulder and my stomach dropped. No, no, no. He couldn’t be in there.
I searched faces desperately. He wouldn’t have gone inside, would he?
Of course he would. If Roe knew someone might be in danger, he’d charge right into the fire. That was the kind of person he was.
Another hand caught me before I could race inside. I fought against it, ready to turn around and punch whoever was trying to stop me, until I heard something.
A cough, and then a voice.
And through the door, shrouded in a thin cloud of smoke, was Roe.
A fireman supported him, and he waved off oxygen, though it looked like he could barely stand.
“Roe!” I reached him in three long strides, wrapping my arm around his waist. “Oh, God, are you okay?”
“We need a stretcher over here!” a fireman called.
Three paramedics were already racing to us, two with a stretcher and another with oxygen and a mask.
“I’m fine,” Roe said, waving them away. “It’s—”
He bent over, wracked in a fit of coughing. I lifted him and set him on the stretcher, ignoring his half-hearted protests.
“Let them take a look,” I began.
He shook his head, but I grabbed his hands to keep him from fighting me.
And when he looked up again, my lips trembled. “Why the fuck did you go in there, Roe? You—you could have—”
“Excuse me,” a paramedic said, nudging me aside.
I walked to the bottom of the stretcher, following it to the ambulance.
“Hold on, sir,” the paramedic told Roe. “We need to make sure—” He broke off when he looked at Roe’s arm. “—burn—third degree—”
I couldn’t follow what he was saying with all the noise, but when I had the chance to peer through the crowd of paramedics, I saw them placing a cloth on Roe’s arm.
Oh, God. He’d gotten burned. And I had no idea how much smoke he’d inhaled.
Glancing back to the theater, I saw that the flames had almost completely vanished. There was still smoke rising into the sky, but from here, I couldn’t see any damage to the structure. The firemen had gotten the fire under control.
None of that mattered, though, because Roe was here, and he was safe.
Roe pulled off the oxygen mask. “Lucas—”
I moved to his side, taking his hand when he reached for me. “I’m here.” I smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “I’m here, Roe. You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
“Mr. Carson—” He started coughing again and the paramedic put the oxygen mask on his face.
“He’s here, too. I saw him come out. Don’t worry about—”
He squeezed my hand tightly, shaking his head. Roe’s version of insisting I make sure.
“Dammit,” I hissed under my breath. I glanced at the paramedic. “I’m coming with you—just one minute. I’m coming—”
I spun around frantically, looking for Mr. Carson. He sat in the next ambulance over, an oxygen mask still on his face.
“Are you okay?” I asked, stepping in front of him so he could hear me above the noise all around us.
“I fell asleep…” Mr. Carson’s eyes went to the building, sadness in them. “There must have been a fire.”
I nodded. “There was. But you’re okay, right?”
“No one else was inside.” His eyes widened. “Except Roe. Is he okay?”
I reached out to touch his arm, reassuring him as much as I was reassuring myself. “He’s okay. I’m going to the hospital with him right now.”
Mr. Carson relaxed slightly. “Okay. Yes, go—take care of him.”
“I plan on it.”
Then I rushed back to the ambulance and hopped inside with Roe, holding his hand the entire way to the hospital while the paramedics made sure he really was okay.
24
____________________
ROE
I hadn’t realized I fell asleep until I was waking up again. I remembered a flurry of people checking vitals and asking questions and insisting I keep my oxygen mask on because my levels were low.
But mostly, I remember Lucas in the background, his eyes haunted. He looked so tired, so defeated, and I wanted more than anything to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay.
But then they’d given me something for the pain in my arm, which had turned out to only be a very serious second-degree burn.
Now, I could feel it aching beneath the bandages, but the intense pain was gone.
Lucas held my good hand, his cheek resting on my leg through the blankets they’d draped over me for warmth.
Finally, it was quiet. No sirens, no people asking questions and ordering Lucas to move aside, only the quiet beeping of the machine next to me.
I tugged down the oxygen mask, desperate for normal air, and Lucas shifted at the motion.
“No, no—Roe,” he started, reaching for the tubes. “You need to keep this on—”
“Lucas.” I gave him a small smile. “Please. I’m okay. See?” I pointed to the machine next to me. “My levels are just fine.”
“That’s because you were getting oxygen.”
“Please,” I said, taking his hand before he could put the tubing back in place. “Just a few minutes. Let’s just see.”
His eyes were conflicted, but he returned to his seat, hand warm around mine. “Do you feel better?”
“Ah…” I grinned. “Yes.”
He returned the smile. “Drugs.”
“I like it.”
He chuckled and brushed his fingers down my cheek. “Should I go get the nurse?”
“You think she’ll let me go home?”
His eyes searched mine. Probably wondering if I meant home with him or not. “Let’s just…let’s wait. Give it a few minutes.”
I nodded, trying to reassure him. “A few minutes. So I can talk. If I can talk. You want to talk?”
His look was tender. “You sure? I feel like maybe you’re not…”
“All here?” I gave a soft laugh. “Enough to know what I want to say. To you. Because you’re right here. With me.” I patted the bed gently with my injured hand. “You could be right here if you want.”
He opened his mouth, as if to argue, but instead stood and climbed onto the bed with me, so he could wrap his arm around me.
“Right here,” I said softly, tapping my chest. “Just relax.”
He set his cheek against my heart and even with the drugs, it was probably one of the best things I’d ever felt.
It was a gesture of pure love.
“I was there,” Lucas said. “I promise. Just a few minutes late because I had—shit.” He glanced up. “I had the papers, but I left them in the cab when I saw the fire. I promise, I was there—”
“I know. I saw you.”
His face crumbled and I swear I saw wetness in his eyes. “But I was late. Just a few minutes, but then you—”
“Lucas,” I soothed, running my hand over his hair. “It’s okay.”
“You just ran into the fire—” he choked out.
“It’s okay. I’m okay,” I continued to soothe. “Relax. It all turned out okay.” I ran my fingers down his cheek and over his shoulder. “You know you would have done the same thing if someone you cared about was in there.”
He didn’t answer, but I knew he agreed.
“Everything worked out, right?” I asked.
He swallowed and looked at me again, eyes conflicted. “Did it?”
“It did. Because you’re here, and I love you.”
His eyes widened, and he sat up. He glanced to the IV
delivering drugs into the tube in my arm. “Roe…”
I waved my hand. “You’re going to say it’s because of the drugs, but it’s not. I was going to tell you before when I saw you. I was going to tell you tonight—is it still tonight?” I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I was going to tell you and I’ll tell you again when the morphine or whatever the hell this is, is gone. I love you, Lucas.”
He looked like he was too afraid to hope, like if he believed me he might end up heartbroken.
I touched his jaw softly. “I’m not that high. I promise.”
When he still didn’t say anything, I put my good hand back in my lap. “Please tell me you’re not going to leave me like this.”
“God, no—no,” Lucas said, scooping me into his arms. He grimaced and loosened his hold. “Sorry—did I hurt you? Roe, Roe—I love you so much. Are you okay?”
I laughed and squeezed him as tightly as I could with one arm. “Yes. I’m more than fine. You love me?”
“With everything I am. I’ve loved you since the first night I met you and I was an idiot for not telling you right away. I love you,” he said, pulling back to put his hands on his cheeks. “I love you so much.”
My lips curved, loving the sound of those words on his tongue. And I was going to love them even more when he said them to me again at home. Where I belonged.
“I want to go home with you. I want…” Everything. I wanted all of Lucas, everything about him that made him the most decent, caring, and sexy man I knew.
He stood, gently leaning me back on the pillows. “I’ll check with the nurse, okay? I’ll just—”
She came into the room before he had a chance to leave. Her arms were full of flowers, a giant bouquet with a balloon that said, “Get Well Soon.”
I blinked. “What is this?”
“Just got delivered,” she said with a smile. “So pretty.”
“Who is it from?” I asked Lucas.
He checked the card and then smiled at me. “All of the partners.”
“At your work? How did they know?” I asked as the nurse picked up the chart and compared my stats.
“I called them while you were sleeping and told them I wasn’t coming in for the rest of the week.”
“Lucas, you don’t have to—”
“It’s already taken care of. Don’t argue.”
“Did you call anyone else?”
He lowered his chin and he mumbled, “Elise.”
“Please don’t tell me she’s coming, too.” I glanced to the nurse. “I’m fine, right? I can go home.”
Her smile was patient. “It’s looking good. I’ll get the doctor in here to check your hand, but as long as he agrees, you should be on your way soon. I’ll get some paperwork ready on how to take care of your hand, too.” She glanced at Lucas and then grinned at me. “If I were you, I’d take advantage of him having the entire week off of work. Let your boyfriend take care of you.”
She walked off and I grinned at Lucas. “Hear that? She thinks you’re my boyfriend.”
He stepped back up to the bed. “What do you think?”
I considered this, wanting to make sure that we were on the same page from now on. “I think I’d like that. But only if it’s real. No more agreement. No more pretending.”
Lucas stooped down and pressed a kiss to my lips. “No more pretending. I want you just like I’ve wanted you since the beginning. This is real for me, Roe. I love you.”
His words warmed me from the inside out. “I like that. You can say that a lot. Now let’s get out of here.”
He chuckled and rubbed my shoulder. “We have to talk to the doctor first. Then we’ll see.”
“Then you’ll take me home?” I asked.
He gave me the most tender smile and nodded. “Yes, then I’ll take you home.”
25
____________________
LUCAS
A few days had passed since Roe was in the hospital and I had to admit, he wasn’t the best patient I’d ever witnessed.
“You’re supposed to be relaxing,” I told him when he suggested we go for a walk. “Does your arm hurt? I’ll get your—”
“I don’t need more meds, I need sunshine!” His lips curved. “Or exercise.”
I knew exactly what he was talking about and the suggestion went straight to my groin. I turned away from where he sat in the chair by the window so I could grab a glass of water and the pills the doctor suggested he take a few times a day.
He still coughed sometimes and was short of breath when he walked around too much, which meant no walks. But I knew he was tired of hearing that.
“I’ll walk slow!” Roe called after me, his voice still slightly hoarse.
“We could watch a movie instead,” I suggested, gesturing to the couch. “I’ll set something up and order lunch.”
When he narrowed his eyes at me, I grinned. “We could cuddle.”
He debated another minute, but finally nodded and moved from the chair to the couch.
I placed a blanket across his lap as I passed by, then held out his water and medication.
“I really feel fine,” Roe said.
“Humor me.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to get you to do since I got home.”
And it had almost been killing me. I didn’t want him to exert himself too much, but I was going to lose it if he kept coming on to me the way he had been.
He curled up against me in bed and wrapped his arms and legs around me so I could feel every inch of his hard body. Every inch of his cock as it pressed against my stomach, ready and willing. He’d accept my help in the shower with washing his hair since he still had a bandage on his hand but when he’d get me in there, he’d kiss me until my whole body ached with need for him.
He was started to get tricky about it, but I wasn’t going to let him win. Another day. I could go another day without touching him. Without taking him. That way I’d feel better about how he was healing.
Roe obediently took the pills and handed back the glass of water. I set it on the end table next to the ointment the doctor had given us and…a bottle of lube?
Next to that were a few packs of condoms I swear weren’t there this morning.
I lifted my eyebrows at Roe. “What’s this?”
“Different kind of medicine,” he said with a suggestive smile. “Bodies heal in so many different ways.”
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out three times, gathering my patience.
“Roe,” I warned, opening my eyes. “How about a foot massage?”
“And a back massage?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said quickly, glad he was compromising.
“I’ll have to be naked for that.”
I groaned, the idea of him naked making my cock jerk in my jeans. Before I could blink, he was pulling off his T-shirt.
“Roe.”
“Just getting ready. You probably want to do this in the bedroom, right?”
I gave a choked laugh, suddenly realizing how amusing it was that he was trying to seduce me, and I was shutting him down at every turn.
But then my smile faded.
“What’s wrong?” Roe asked.
I rubbed my hands over my face. “I just want you to be okay. I don’t want to hurt you. I—I could have lost you,” I told him softly. “I’m scared to hurt you.”
“Lucas,” he whispered, eyes filling.
“No, don’t cry. I didn’t say that to make you upset. Roe.”
I sat next to him on the couch and pulled him into my arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to make you upset. Please—”
“I’m not sad. I’m happy. You…I love you so much and I see how much you love me. It’s so amazing it hurts.” He smiled through tears. “In a good way.”
He shifted to straddle me, capturing my thighs under both his legs. Before I could take a breath, he had his palms on my cheeks, eyes locked on mine.
“I know you’re scared but I’m here. I’m
safe. And I’m with you. We have something wonderful here, don’t we?”
I captured his hands in mine and held them to my chest. “Yes, we do.”
“So please don’t worry. You’re not going to hurt me. If I need a break, I’ll tell you. I promise not to take things too far. You can trust me, right?”
With my whole body on fire, I nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”
“Good. Then I need your pants off.”
My cock went rock hard. He undid the button on my jeans, and I lifted my hips to tug them down along with my boxers. I reached for him, but he shook his head.
“Not yet,” Roe murmured, his eyes on me. “I want to taste you.”
“I think,” I said, my heart rate picking up, “you’re going to need to be naked to do that.”
His lips curved because he knew he’d won. “You’re right.”
“I love hearing that.”
With a laugh, he pushed his sweats down slowly. And when his cock sprung free, veiny and hard, a drop of precum on the head, I reached for him again.
“No,” he murmured. “Slowly, right?”
Dammit. He was right. Too much exertion wasn’t going to be good for him. But now that he was naked in front of me, lean and hard, I lost all train of thought.
He crouched in front of me, hands running up and down my thighs. The bandage created extra friction that drove me crazy.
“Roe,” I said, voice low.
“Patience.”
When he leaned in, lips just a breath from my dick, I closed my eyes and let him do what he wanted.
He licked me first, one long stripe from the base of my cock to the tip as my balls grew heavy.
“You taste so good,” Roe murmured. His breath touched the wet trail he’d left, and I shivered. “Yes, baby. Just let yourself feel.”
He took his time, letting his hands wander. He stroked my cock a few times before moving lower to my balls and then brushing his finger against my tight hole.
My breath yanked in at the unexpected contact.
“Like that?” he asked.
I opened my eyes. In the past, I would have said no. But everything Roe did was pure pleasure.
I nodded and watched as he lowered his mouth again. This time, he took one of my balls in his mouth, sucking lightly.
