Chapter 1 #2
Lincoln sailed in, cutting Wendy off mid-speech. He waved a white T-shirt in Shayne’s direction “Are you ready to go?”
Wendy glanced between them. Shayne could see the pieces coming together and to all the wrong conclusions, or the right ones depending upon who the woman asked.
It couldn’t have been more obvious she was also remembering the dull comment.
Wendy stopped short of slapping herself across the forehead, but Shayne thought—going by her expression—it was understood.
“I’m going to…go, yeah.” Wendy motioned toward to the door is if ensuring Shayne understood what the word go meant.
Lincoln barely spared the woman a glance. “Thanks, Wendy.”
There was something in his tone. It gave hint to the less-than-outgoing version of Lincoln Wendy had painted.
He was different with Shayne. The knowledge melted away the last of his reserve.
For some reason he couldn’t explain, Shayne hated that other people didn’t see the same Lincoln he did.
It seemed tragic in some way, and he’d only known the man less than a day.
“Thank you, Wendy,” Shayne said, a bit too bright.
“You made me feel right at home.” At his over-the-top gratitude, Lincoln focused on the nurse.
The smile he’d, so far, given only to Shayne made an appearance.
“Be honest. He was a bad boy while I was gone, wasn’t he?
” Lincoln shook his head. “I can’t leave him alone for long.
” When Wendy simply stared at him, her shock evident, Lincoln became even more outrageous.
“Come on, you can tell me the truth. I have to spank him, don’t I? ”
Wendy’s expression went two steps beyond hilarious.
Shayne imagined the woman’s reaction would’ve been the same if Lincoln’s dick had been hanging out while speaking to her.
There was blushing, stuttering, and an obvious attempt at pretending nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
For someone who’d lost his job, been hit by a truck, cracked two ribs, and sprained his ankle Shayne was having the time of his life.
It wasn’t as if Lincoln’s ears weren’t working.
There was a voice inside his head, screaming for him to remember he’d have to show his face at work tomorrow.
He could hear every word coming from his mouth, but he couldn’t stop.
There was no reason or logic behind it. It was Shayne.
For the first time in a long time, Lincoln felt normal.
Maybe it seemed a ridiculously simple thing for most, but he hadn’t felt alive in a long time.
It was Shayne’s face when Lincoln pulled him from the remnants of his Challenger.
It had done Lincoln in. Shayne hadn’t been freaking out or scared.
There wasn’t an ounce of shock or confusion marring his features.
He was accepting, like nothing bad happening to him surprised him any longer.
It was another damn day filled with bullshit.
Lincoln recognized that expression. It was the same one he saw every time he looked in the mirror.
Stuttering an awkward goodbye, Wendy finally left them alone.
When Lincoln focused on Shayne once more, he found a tiny grin hovering on his lips.
A spark ignited in his chest. The man was too damn beautiful for an ugly life.
Lincoln wanted to know Shayne’s bullshit. Then, he wanted to make it better.
“I need to get dressed.” It took a second for Shayne’s words to penetrate the image of having him nude. He tried not to smile. Really. He did.
“You’re not going to be able to do that alone with those ribs.
” It was him. Lincoln never behaved this way.
Shayne was the exception to every rule. An evil smirk pulled at his lips.
Lincoln felt it happen. He couldn’t stop.
He was practically leering at the man. Shayne growled. It was an endearing sound.
“Let’s just get this over with.”
“It won’t take but a minute.” Lincoln reached for the door handle.
“Where are you going?”
Lincoln glanced over his shoulder at the question. “I’m going to grab the nurse.”
A look of confusion passed over Shayne’s features. “Why? I thought you were going to help me?”
“Going by that growl, I thought you didn’t want my help,” he shot back.
“For fuck’s sake.” For some reason, one Lincoln couldn’t explain, Shayne’s curse surprised a bark of laughter from him. He looked so adorably disgruntled he couldn’t help it.
“Do you want me or Wendy?”
“Goddamn. You’re exhausting,” Shayne griped, throwing back the covers.
Even with cuts covering his skin, taped ribs, and a bandage around his ankle, Shayne was sexy as hell.
“I can do it alone. I play,” Shayne paused, clearing his throat before starting again.
“I’ve played hockey my entire life. This is nothing. ”
That explained the hard body. Lincoln wanted to see if he could make it harder. He moved to Shayne’s side. “Oh, I’m definitely going to wear you out. Best I help you with this, so you can save your energy for that.”
“I don’t need help.”
Lincoln tossed the shirt over Shayne’s head before he could protest again.
“My job doesn’t involve a lot of pain, but I know a ton about going things alone.
So take it from an expert, just because you can do it by yourself doesn’t mean you should, and right now, you don’t have to.
Stop bitching and accept my help.” If getting dressed hurt in the least, Shayne didn’t show it.
He didn’t as much as grunt as Lincoln worked the material over both his arms. The shirt was too tight across the man’s chest and biceps, but it would work until Lincoln could get him home.
He tore his gaze away from the hard planes outlined by the thin material.
“Pants next,” he said, just to keep his cock from twitching.
The avoidance didn’t help. A low chuckle filled the air.
Lincoln’s attention snapped to Shayne’s face at the sound.
His eyes shone with laughter. Shayne drew a slow breath through his nose. The sight was…holy hell.
“You should see how uncomfortable you look right now.”
Lincoln averted his gaze and snagged Shayne’s pants. Thankfully, they were the workout kind. That would make this an easier job. “If I’m uncomfortable, it’s probably not for the reasons you think,” Lincoln admitted in spite of his best efforts at staying quiet.
“Now I’m disappointed.” Lincoln’s focus returned to Shayne’s face at the admission. “I hoped your reasons and my thoughts matched perfectly.”
An unexpected smile tugged at Lincoln’s lips. “I have a feeling you’re going to be down for a little while with these ribs.”
Shayne grabbed the pants from Lincoln’s hands and pulled them on as if nothing had happened.
If he as much as winced, Lincoln didn’t see it.
“I can’t afford the setback,” he said, moving past Lincoln with barely a limp and picking up his discharge papers.
He glanced over his shoulder. “You taking me home?”
“Yeah. I am.”
Shayne motioned for the door. “After you, then.”
Even with a ton of painkillers pumping through his veins, Shayne hurt like hell.
Not that he intended to let the world see him weakened.
As if the universe heard his thoughts and decided to challenge his fortitude, his pain meds wore off before the pharmacy got his prescription filled.
He popped a pill before ending up completely crippled.
He almost let the meds trick him into forgetting. When Lincoln pulled up to the curb in front of his house, Shayne hopped out of the truck before he thought better of it.
“Shit. I forgot,” Shayne cursed when his ankle gave way under his weight, causing him to stumble. His ribs screamed in protest and his head spun. Lincoln rushed to his side, helping to support him.
“You can lean on me, you know? I don’t expect you to be a badass every second of the day.”
“Except I do, need to be a badass that is.” Even as Shayne made the claim, he surrendered more of his weight to Lincoln.
By the time they made it into the house and Lincoln helped ease him down on to the couch, Lincoln was more carrying him than not.
The light from the kitchen, streaming into the living room lit the space enough that Shayne didn’t bother with the lamp.
Not to mention, the last thing the spike driving into his skull needed was a brighter living area.
He thought to shift over, making room for Lincoln to sit near his feet.
Instead, Lincoln sat gingerly on the edge of the coffee table near Shayne’s head, almost as if he expected the wooden structure wouldn’t hold his weight.
When it didn’t as much as creak, his shoulders relaxed and he focused on Shayne.
As much as Shayne wanted to stare at the gorgeous man all night, the meds were making it hard for him to keep his eyes open.
They slipped closed without his permission.
“I could’ve killed you.” The words were spoken so quietly, Shayne almost didn’t catch them. Still, he didn’t open his eyes. The drugs were kicking his ass.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m fine.”
A low chuckle caressed his ears. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”
In spite of being out of his head and only half-awake, a smile tugged at Shayne’s lips. “Then why are you still talking to me?”
“You don’t look fine,” Lincoln said, obviously hoping to avoid admitting he’d been talking to himself.
Shayne wanted to laugh when Lincoln began babbling as if realizing how his words sounded.
“I mean, you do, but you don’t. Shit. I’m making this worse.
You’re gorgeous as hell, but I hurt you.
Am I making this worse or better? Give me a hint. ”