Unbreakable Stories
Page 4
“Eat here often?” Jude teased softly when Snow refused to speak.
Snow met his dark eyes and finally gave up trying to censor his words. “I wanted to see you.” It was the truth. Snow was scheduled for the morning shift and Jude was on the evening shift for the next two weeks. Snow would be crawling into bed when Jude got off work each night. They’d be lucky to catch more than a few conscious minutes together and Snow hated it. He was going to grab his minutes with Jude where he could get them, even if it meant venturing down to the noisy, crowded cafeteria so he could sit next to his boyfriend.
Jude’s eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise. “Fuck, General,” he said on an exhale so that it sounded like a harsh whisper. “You don’t play fair.”
Glancing down at his tray for a second, Snow picked up his bottle of water and started to turn the lid. But when he looked up at Jude, he halted under the heated look he was receiving. Blood immediately rushed to his groin and Snow was only vaguely aware of the loud crackling of plastic as his hands tightened around the unopened water bottle. Jude was just inches away. He could so easily slide his chair back and pull Jude in his lap so that the man straddled him, grinding his undoubtedly hard cock into Snow’s as he captured his mouth for a deep, drugging kiss.
“Whoo!” Rebecca said loudly, jerking Snow’s narrowed gaze to her to find the woman fanning herself with both hands. In truth, he’d completely forgotten that she was even sitting across from them. “Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?”
Jude snickered and shook his head. “Don’t start.”
“Oh please, you don’t have to stop on my account. I’ll just sit here and enjoy the show.”
“Becca—” Jude warned, but the dark-haired woman just did a little shimmy in her seat, a wide grin spreading across her face.
“I don’t know how I lucked into snagging the sexy-man table, but I’m gonna enjoy it. This is almost better than being at the club.” Snow opened his mouth to try to head off any more of this sexy talk, but Rebecca plowed ahead, her face lighting up with a new idea. “We should totally go out to the Laundry Room or the Dock. Oh! The Adonis Club!”
“No,” Snow said sharply.
“What’s wrong?” Jude’s voice dipped low and husky with his taunt. “You don’t want to dance with me? Again?”
Snow nearly growled. All the headway he’d made in getting his erection to subside disappeared in an instant. He’d loved dancing with Jude, their bodies pressed together, music thumping and pulsing around them. And the rest of that weekend had been the stuff fantasies were made of. Or really great porn. Someone clearing their throat saved Snow from having to formulate a coherent answer. He twisted in his seat, looking over his shoulder to see Carol Hannigan standing just a couple of feet away, a cup of coffee tightly clutched in one hand.
“Hi, Dr. Frost. I hope I’m not disturbing your lunch,” she said, flashing him a tentative smile.
“Carol,” he said with a small nod. She filled in occasionally on his team, assisting the anesthesiologist. She was smart and attentive. They’d also never spoken before.
“I heard that you were looking for a new house. Well…after everything that happened,” she paused and blushed. “Sorry…umm…the reason I came over is that my husband and I just purchased a new house. We thought our realtor was great. She knew the area and found the perfect fit for us in our budget. I was wondering if you had someone. She saved us a lot of time and with your busy schedule…” She finally drifted off and took a sip of coffee as if to stop any new words from tumbling out.
Snow frowned and looked over at Jude, who had been watching the exchange. “Why don’t we have someone doing this for us?”
A smile brighter than the sun lit up Jude’s face. There was no missing the laughter dancing in his dark eyes, but Snow couldn’t figure out the source of his amusement. “No reason,” he admitted. Jude leaned back and looked at Carol around Snow. “What’s your realtor’s name?”
“Judith Sparks.” She patted her pockets and then frowned as if suddenly realizing that she was in her work scrubs. “I think I’ve got one of her business cards in my purse.”
“Can you drop the card off at Dr. Frost’s office if you find it? We’ll give her a call. We could use all the help we can get.”
“Sure.”
“Thanks…”
“Carol,” the nurse quickly said, extending her hand.
Jude took it. “Jude.”
With another smile, she wished them a good day and was off. Snow turned to his salad, his mind turning over that odd exchange when Rebecca’s snort drew his attention.
“Really? This is how you come out to the hospital? In the cafeteria?” she asked.
“Come out?” Snow asked, his head snapping up. Jude muttered something under his breath that he couldn’t quite catch, but it didn’t matter. His entire attention was on Rebecca. “What are you talking about? I’ve never hidden my orientation.”
“You know, come out to the staff that you guys are an item. Dating. A fucking adorable couple.”
“And how would you have done it?” Jude snapped.
“I don’t know. Something with a little more flare.”
“You’d rather us dance down from the ER and then finish with a big kiss in the middle of maternity?”
Rebecca gave a little shrug, completely unmoved by Jude’s tone. “It’d definitely be eye-catching.”
“Snow’s way was perfect.”
The only problem was that outing them as a couple had never been part of the plan. He’d just wanted to see Jude and with their opposing schedules, meeting Jude before he started his shift while he ate in the cafeteria was his only option. Had he outed them?
Why don’t we have someone doing this for us?
His own words echoed back in his brain. We…us…
Fuck, he had. He hadn’t thought about the words coming out of his mouth. It was just that he didn’t think of them separately any longer. They were a single unit, moving forward and always together. They were looking for a house together. It only made sense for him to confer with Jude on whether they had a realtor helping them. Had Jude minded? The smile he’d flashed after Snow spoke to him would have argued to the contrary.
“Snow?” Jude’s hand tightened on his wrist, drawing his eyes back to the sexy man on his right. “You need to eat.”
Snow nodded and picked up his fork with his left hand. It was awkward, but he managed because he didn’t want Jude removing his hand from his right arm.
“And that’s another thing!” Rebecca said, shifting to her next topic. “How do you stay like that,” she started, waving her hand up and down to encompass all of Snow, “when you eat that?” She wrinkled her nose at his salad topped with grilled chicken. Snow had to admit it wasn’t the best meal. It definitely wasn’t an Ian meal.
Jude chuckled. “He’s going with a salad because we ate at Mana’s last night. We made pastitsio. Way too many carbs. Even though Mana added a thick layer of spinach because she remembered Snow likes to eat healthy.” His chuckles turned into an outright laugh.
Snow stabbed the salad with a little more force than necessary and frowned at the leafy greens on the end of his fork. “Definitely not as good as pastitsio.” He then looked over the remains on Rebecca’s plate. “It can’t all be about tacos.”
“Hey now!” she said sharply, covering her plate with her hands as if to protect the crumbs from Snow’s words. “Tacos aren’t bad for you. They’ve got vegetables.”
“Not even close,” Snow muttered, fighting the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He’d heard all about Jude’s taco arguments with Rebecca.
“And dairy!” she continued, ignoring Snow. “Tacos have all the basic food groups.”
“Oh God, not this again,” Jude said with a laugh. For a second, he rocked to his side, his head touching Snow’s shoulder before he straightened again. Just that light touch and Snow could feel the last of the tension slip out of his frame.
“Why weren’t you at Anna’s last night? I thought you usually made it to dinner,” Snow asked, spearing a cherry tomato.
Rebecca scowled and slumped in her chair while Jude snickered. “She and Carrick are fighting,” Jude said when Rebecca just glared at the tabletop.
“It’s not fighting. He’s a stubborn ass,” she complained.
Jude cackled, his hand tightening on Snow’s arm. “And you’re not?”
“Of course not,” she said with a dignified little sniff, but she ruined it all by throwing her arms out dramatically. “And then Anna goes and makes pasta. If I’d known she was making that, I would have totally caved to Carrick. Hell, I’d sell you out for pastitsio.”
“Gee, thanks,” Jude muttered.
Snow enjoyed their banter as they went back and forth while he picked through his salad. Maybe he’d hit the leftovers from Anna later that evening. Or maybe he’d wait until Jude got home and they’d curl up in bed together, feeding each other while watching the news. Two more people Snow knew only vaguely came up to talk to him very briefly. They seemed more than a little surprised that he was in the cafeteria and eating. Rebecca even joked after they left that she liked being at the cool kids’ table at long last.
“We’ve gotta start our shift in about fifteen minutes,” Jude said as he started to gather together the contents of his tray to throw away. “Can I talk to you in your office?”
Snow nodded and followed behind Jude as they said good-bye to Rebecca, disposed of their trash, and made their way to his office.
“Is everything okay?” Snow demanded when they were alone on the elevator. Jude’s silence was unnerving him and the little smirk on his full lips certainly wasn’t helping anything. “Are you going to have to pull a double shift?”
Jude shook his head, still smiling. “Not as far as I know.”
Snow clenched his teeth, fighting back the urge to demand what that smile was about. He could wait until they were in the privacy of his office.
Stepping off the elevator first, Snow walked down the empty hall and into his office, holding the door open for Jude. As soon as he closed it, he opened his mouth to speak but Jude was already on him, slamming his back against the smooth honey wood surface. Warm, soft lips pressed against his a second before Jude sucked his lower lip into his mouth and gently bit down. Snow moaned, the tension immediately slipping from his body so that he melted against Jude. This man got him. Each moment they were together, it was like everything fell away and he could just…be.
Jude slowly broke off the kiss, smiling at Snow, his dark eyes filled with joy. “Thank you for joining me for lunch. I know that wasn’t easy for you.”
“I’m not good with people the way you are.”
He shook his head, his hands running down Snow’s unattractive dark blue scrubs so that the material molded to Snow’s hard, muscled chest. “I don’t expect you to be anyone but who you are. I love you for you.”
Snow wrapped his arms around Jude’s waist and spread his legs farther apart, pulling Jude closer. “Are…are you good with what happened in the cafeteria?”
Jude arched one eyebrow at him, his smile turning into more of a smirk. “You mean the part where you made it obvious that we’re a couple and we’re buying a house together?”
Dropping his head back until it thudded against the door, Snow closed his eyes and swallowed a curse. “Yeah. I didn’t think.”
A low chuckle escaped Jude, drawing Snow’s eyes back to the man. “And that’s why I love you.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t care what those people think. Don’t give a shit what anyone might say. You just wanted to see me. And that is the hottest fucking thing.”
“But you don’t care that people know?”
Jude’s hand snaked up Snow’s chest and threaded through his hair at the back of his head, tightening. “Care that the hospital knows you’re mine now? That I have all this sexiness in my bed every night?” Jude licked his lips. “Hell no.”
With a low growl, Snow captured Jude’s lips in a rough, possessive kiss. His tongue delved deep into his mouth, dominating him, wanting to claim everything that was Jude, but he also wanted Jude to claim him as well. Everything that Snow was—good and bad—he’d give over to Jude, though it scared him to death.
Moaning softly, Jude pushed at Snow, breaking off the kiss and backpedaling until his thighs touched Snow’s desk. “Damn, you gotta stop, General. I’ve got to go now or I’ll be late.”
Snow scowled at his watch. He needed to finish out the last of his rounds as well before diving into at least two hours of paperwork. “Tonight?” he asked, dropping his hands back to his sides.
Nodding, Jude stepped forward and grabbed the door handle, while Snow stepped back from the door. “Definitely. You gonna wait up?”
“Yes.”
“You gonna be naked?”
“If you’re lucky.”
Jude winked at him as he turned the knob. “If you’re in my bed, I’m already lucky.” He pulled open the door and started to step into the hall.
“Hey!” Snow called, stopping him. Jude leaned back into the room, his eyes questioning. “I love you, too.”
Jude smiled. “See? I’m a lucky man already.” And then he disappeared down the hall, his whistle echoing off the walls as he walked back to the elevator.
No Walls are Sacred
The sharp crackle of thunder and sudden downpour roared through the car, startling Snow in the back seat and knocking Jude closer into his side. He expected the man to wake up, but all he did was sort of nuzzle into Snow’s shoulder, making him smile.
“Shit!” Lucas swerved when the car in front of them hit its brakes. He veered onto the shoulder, gravel pinging against the undercarriage until Lucas put them back on the road to inch forward as the rain picked up. The deluge pounded the roof, the noise so loud it hurt Snow’s ears.
Lucas leaned forward. “I can’t see enough to drive in this. We have to find a safe place to pull over and wait it out.”
In the passenger seat, a soft glow from his phone lit Andrei’s face. “My weather app says the storm is going to last for hours.” He held the phone up, probably trying to see the keyboard in the minimal light as he typed. “There’s a motel about a mile ahead. We could crash there for the night.”
Snow glanced down at the man passed out on his shoulder, wishing he could see him in the darkness of the back seat. Instead, he lifted his free hand and touched Jude’s hair before he turned enough to bury his nose in it. He smelled like the shampoo they’d picked up on the road because they’d forgotten theirs. Snow had wanted to be home tonight in their bed. Smell the shampoo they normally used. But it was already after ten and they were still more than two hours from Cincinnati. They weren’t making it tonight. He’d enjoyed the hell out of their three-day weekend, though.
Andrei turned to hold his phone up so he could see Snow. “Sound good to you?” He cursed and dropped the phone when Lucas had to hit the brakes again.
“Yeah, we shouldn’t be driving in this.” Snow tightened his hand on Jude’s head to keep him steady, chuckling when he didn’t wake.
“I’m surprised Jude can sleep through this noise,” Andrei said.
Jude made a smacking sound and dropped his hand on Snow’s thigh. Snow grinned. “He can sleep through most anything.” Plus, he was exhausted from skiing. He’d never been before and he hadn’t quite gotten the hang of it. Tried his ass off, though.
One of Lucas’s business associates had offered his place so they could all take a vacation, though Lucas had spent most of it checking out properties in the area. He was thinking of purchasing a weekend place big enough for them all. Had even dragged Snow to look at one rid
iculous house with six bedrooms and two kitchens. Who the hell needs two kitchens? Of course, Ian would have been in heaven. Snow had really liked the indoor pool, though. Any time he could get Jude into water was a good thing. It was like an aphrodisiac to the man.
Truthfully, skiing wasn’t Snow’s preference for a getaway and he’d only agreed to this weekend because he’d thought Rowe and Ian could make it. But at the last minute, both had work commitments. Though, in Rowe’s case, he knew it was bullshit. His heart ached for his friend. He was starting to hang out more, but he wasn’t himself and he hardly ever smiled. They should have known he wouldn’t be ready for a vacation.
Jude’s cell rang and Snow glanced into the cup holder to see Anna’s smiling face so he answered it. He knew exactly why she was calling. “We’re okay.”
“I just wanted to check in because the news is saying the storm is bad and I know you two aren’t home yet.”
“I see the motel,” Andrei said, pointing at some garish pink neon lights half-blurred through the thick sheets of rain.
Snow smiled when Jude turned his mouth into his neck and kissed him. “Don’t worry. We’re getting off the road now. We won’t be home tonight after all.”
“Okay. I put a casserole in the refrigerator at the apartment so you boys would have something ready when you got home. It’ll still be good tomorrow.”
“Thanks. Your son is pretty tired from falling on his ass all weekend so he’ll appreciate it.”
Jude, obviously awake now, opened his mouth and bit down.
Chuckling, Snow tightened his hand on Jude’s head, held his open mouth to his skin and worked to hold back a groan when Jude’s tongue came out to play. “I mean I’ll appreciate it, too.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re stopping for the night,” she said. “I won’t worry. Good night.”