by KC Burn
“Feel free to grab a towel too, if you want to dry yourself off some more.”
After the drive to Raven’s condo, Caleb’s clothes and hair were… well, not soaking, but he didn’t think a towel was going to do much at this point. His shirt and pants needed an appointment with his washing machine, not a towel. At least he’d thought to grab the spare sweats and T-shirt from his truck that he kept there for emergencies. As soon as he heard the water running, he quickly stripped and changed, using a towel to rub at his hair, before he turned to the kitchen.
The prescription bottle in the kitchen hadn’t been hard to find. Raven kept his place very tidy, although Caleb couldn’t tell if that was from inherent neatness or the fact that the man didn’t seem to have very many things. Maybe a bit of both.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he read the label and let out a low whistle. That shit was strong stuff. Almost hating himself, he checked the fill date and let himself relax. Considering there was still half a bottle left and it had been almost three months since it was filled, no way was Raven overdoing it. Still, Raven had said his accident happened over a year ago, so these painkillers weren’t left over from then.
Caleb shrugged. If it seemed appropriate to ask, he would. He poured a glass of water and prepared an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel. Raven hadn’t asked for one, but Caleb wasn’t best friends with an EMT for nothing. Ice on the ankle, and he had no intention of leaving Raven alone until he confirmed whether or not it continued to swell. If it looked bad, he’d take Raven to the hospital, regardless of his objections.
Hands full, he used his foot to tap on the bathroom door. “Okay to come in?”
“Yes” came Raven’s muffled reply.
Fortunately, the door had a handle rather than a knob, and Caleb was able to press it down with his elbow. He set everything on the counter and turned to Raven, who sat slumped on the closed toilet lid.
Raven was bundled in a lush-looking black robe, and like everything else Raven wore, it made him look utterly striking, even with hair that had been plastered down from the rain, and a hint of eyeliner smudged below his lower lashes. The entire effect made him look as innocent as a virgin, and as sexy as ever. The combination was… confusing, as Caleb simultaneously wanted to take care of him and ravish him.
Then he registered the damp heat filling the room, covering the mirror with condensation. A glance at the tub showed little ripples in the air above the water.
“What are you doing? You can’t get in water that hot. That’s the worst thing for a sprained ankle.” Caleb stabbed at the ice bundle. “You need ice and elevation.” Caleb had stupidly thought the bath Raven had wanted to take was to warm up a bit from being soaked and not wanting to stand in a slippery shower, not with the intention of cooking himself like ropa vieja. His mother made an excellent beef ropa vieja; he didn’t need his potential boyfriend to mimic it.
Raven lifted his head, the mutinous look making him look more like a rebellious teenager, letting Caleb put his salacious thoughts on the back burner. Raven clearly needed someone to take care of him, and Caleb wanted the job more than he’d have ever thought.
So Caleb tried to stare him down, channeling his mom when she was laying down the law when he’d been an unruly teenager himself—before she’d gotten too sick to discipline him and Caleb had become too scared to misbehave.
When Raven’s shoulders dropped, Caleb realized he’d won this little skirmish. If it came to Raven’s well-being, Caleb knew he had an infinite well of stubbornness.
“Fine.” Raven took the glass of water and one of the pills Caleb had taken out of the bottle.
“Why don’t we settle you somewhere where you can put up your leg. We’ll ice it a bit until the bathwater has cooled to slightly less than volcanic, and then you can get cleaned up. Or I can help you take a shower.”
The flare of panic in Raven’s eyes made him feel a bit like a predator, and he didn’t much like it.
“Raven, I promise you, I only want to help.”
He didn’t like the resulting defeated look on Raven any better than the panic. He’d much rather have the defiance back.
“I know. I probably just should have told you earlier. I lied about twisting my ankle.”
Mild crackles of worry about Raven’s lies and secrets accompanied his concern. “What?”
“The accident. On my bike. My injuries were extensive but were concentrated in my left hip and leg. I needed reconstructive surgery, including a hip replacement.”
With some effort, Caleb contained a gasp. Hip replacements always seemed to be a procedure for the elderly. Raven was so damned young, although he’d discovered over dinner that he wasn’t nearly as young as he looked. Most importantly, he wasn’t too young for Caleb.
Raven pretended not to notice Caleb’s shock and continued. “I’d never had any kind of surgery before, and only minor injuries in the past. Not only do I have reduced mobility and recurring pain, but I have a mess of hideous scarring. They call them keloid scars.”
Oddly, there was a certain amount of… shame or embarrassment accompanying Raven’s confession, and Caleb didn’t quite understand why until he focused on the word “hideous.”
Could it be Raven believed himself disfigured, and that was the reason for the panic attack? Or, if the keloid scars—Caleb would have to look it up or ask Jaime later—were on his dick…. Caleb could understand his reluctance for a stranger to see him naked. Touch him. Thing was, scars didn’t sound so bad, really. He couldn’t deny that the possibility Raven had been sexually assaulted had crept into his thoughts. Not that he hadn’t been willing to see where this could go, no matter what, but he hoped learning to live with physical scars would be easier on Raven than mental or emotional scars.
But now wasn’t the time to ask.
“Come on. Let’s sit on the couch for a bit before you get into that water.” Because he could tell just by the sweat dampening his brow that the water was still hellfire hot.
Tempted to just pick Raven up and carry him, Caleb instead merely assisted Raven in their slow shuffle to the couch. A couple of fat, decorative pillows and an extra-high armrest allowed Caleb to recline with his legs spread. He gently settled Raven between his legs, coaxing him to lie back against his chest; there was plenty of room for Raven to stretch his hips out, taking the pressure off. When Caleb wrapped his arms around Raven, he tensed for a moment, and Caleb held his breath, wondering if Raven would accept this increase in intimacy from someone he barely knew.
Raven sagged against him, and Caleb exhaled, his breath teasing Raven’s hair. He wasn’t sure if Raven should still ice his hip, but he understood why he’d wanted a hot bath. Regardless of what was going on at the site of the injury, there had to be a number of surrounding muscles that ached. A year was very recent, and they were probably still adjusting to the new normal.
“So, I think I understand why you don’t want me to help you.” Caleb spoke softly into Raven’s ear. He didn’t want to mention their abortive attempt at sex because he worried Raven would feel bad. This wasn’t about getting in Raven’s pants. Or robe, which had bared an enticing amount of sleek chest. He didn’t want Raven to think that was all Caleb cared about, because leaping into bed with a stranger wasn’t something he did often, and wasn’t something he much cared for.
Instead, Caleb told him about his mom, when she got sick. Everyone in the family, including him and his dad, had pitched in to help. He didn’t mention that her illness had been the reason he didn’t come out, but he explained how he’d helped change dressings and provided other nursing duties when needed.
“Scars don’t bother me, Raven, and they never will. I want to help you.” Among other things, but those things could wait.
“They bother me,” Raven whispered.
“I can tell you not to let them, but I know that’s probably easier said than done.” It had only been a year. Did Raven’s inability to deal with them require professional assistance, or was
it simply a case of the wound being too fresh? Only time would tell, but Caleb would keep an eye out. As long as Raven let him.
Raven shrugged a little in his embrace but didn’t attempt to throw him off or get up.
“You don’t want me to see them,” Caleb swallowed a “yet” to avoid pressuring Raven. “And you don’t want to go to the hospital. Would you let me call my cousin over? He’s an EMT and maybe he could tell if you need a doctor. Because I saw you go down, and you hit the ground pretty hard.”
Caleb hadn’t known Raven couldn’t sprint like he could, and by the time he realized Raven wasn’t behind him, he’d been too far away to do anything but watch Raven tumble.
They hadn’t bothered turning on a light in the living room, and they sat in the darkness for several moments while lightning from the storm outside periodically illuminated the room.
“Okay. That would be okay.”
Caleb was amazed at how relieved Raven’s whispered agreement made him. With a minor shift in their position, Caleb was able to access the pocket with his cell in it. After he made the call—Jaime would probably bitch him out later—they settled back into their previous positions, talking sporadically. At some point, Raven dozed, probably due to the pill he’d taken. Caleb let him rest; no point in wakening him until Jaime buzzed to be let up. Instead, he dropped a few light kisses on Raven’s hair and ear. Not the kisses he’d hoped for when Raven had agreed to make their date earlier in the week, but he was alarmingly happy to be right where he was.
WHEN RAVEN’S deep breathing subsided into breathy snores, Caleb checked the time and quickly calculated how long it had been since he’d called Jaime. He didn’t want to startle Raven awake, but Jaime should be arriving soon. As carefully as he could, Caleb slipped out from underneath Raven, who merely grumbled a little before settling down again. During his maneuvers, Raven’s robe slipped open a little more, baring a wider swath of chest, narrowing to a sharp V above the knotted belt. It was enough to reveal that enticing strip of black fuzz below Raven’s navel.
God, he was such a fucking perv, holding his breath to see if the fabric would fall away and show him more. Raven would never forgive him, though, if he found out Caleb had seen… well… anything before he was ready. Even worse, while he was under the influence of narcotics. Sleeping hadn’t erased the slight frown pulling his brows together, and admiring his body seemed even more pervy because it was obvious Raven was still in pain.
Resolutely, Caleb grabbed the fleece blanket that had been draped over the back of the couch and covered up all that beckoning skin. To distract himself, he wandered over to Raven’s bookshelves. He’d been pleasantly surprised over dinner to find out that Raven loved to read too, but they’d talked about e-books and e-readers. Caleb hadn’t expected any sort of library in his house, but he did love the heft of a book in his hand sometimes, and it seemed Raven did too.
Another pleasant surprise—he’d read many of the books on Raven’s bookshelf, and there were several more that looked interesting.
For a moment, he wondered if Raven’s love of reading had developed after the accident, for lack of anything else to keep him occupied, but then he remembered that they’d both taken creative-writing courses in college. Caleb smiled to himself. For people who seemed so different, they had a surprising number of things in common, and Caleb badly wanted to explore both their differences and similarities in greater detail.
One question in particular was how Raven had ended up in such a nice condo when he was going back to school and didn’t have a job, other than the Tartan Candy thing he’d started up. Caleb was actually impressed by Raven’s idea, and he was sure he’d do well. How could he not, when he was the sexiest man Caleb had come across in a long time? Still, maybe he’d come from money or maybe he’d gotten a big settlement from the accident. Or maybe it was the modeling, although Caleb hadn’t known there was much demand for models in Orlando. But then he’d have no reason to know such a thing. Finances weren’t exactly first-date material.
The shrill buzz of Raven’s intercom jolted Caleb out of his introspection, and he leaped over to it, hoping to let Raven rest as long as possible.
A few minutes later, Caleb let Jaime into Raven’s condo.
“He’s on the couch.”
Jaime strode over, purpose evident in every step. “Hold the fuck on. Is he unconscious?” Jaime already had his phone out, ready to call… an ambulance, probably.
“Relax, he’s just sleeping. He took one of these.” Caleb pulled out the prescription bottle and handed it over.
“What the fuck is he taking these for?”
Caleb hadn’t wanted to stress Raven out when he’d made the call to Jaime originally, so he’d glossed over the issue, but he explained in more detail about the accident and Raven’s surgery.
“Got it.” Jaime knelt by the couch and gently woke Raven while Caleb hovered. “Hey there, Raven. I’m Jaime. I’m just going to take a look at your hip and leg, make sure we don’t need to run you in to the hospital. Is that okay?”
Caleb had seen Jaime in work mode more than once, and it never failed to make him proud, just how good he was at his job, and he knew Jaime would ease Raven’s mind as much as anyone could.
“Thanks.” Raven’s voice was thick with exhaustion.
Jaime reached for the bathrobe’s belt, but Raven moved faster than Caleb would have expected.
“Raven, I need to take a look.”
Raven darted a look at Caleb, and he tried not to sigh. “I’ll go into the kitchen. You got coffee in there I can make?”
The intense gratitude in Raven’s eyes as he nodded washed away any disgruntlement at the lack of faith in Caleb. But he knew this was a big step for Raven, and forcing the issue now was exactly the wrong way to continue building trust.
The coffeemaker was front and center on the counter, but he had to check a few places before he found the coffee and cups. He made decaf, since he was already wired, and he didn’t imagine Raven would need anything to keep him awake after this, assuming Raven wanted any at all.
Coffee burbled into the half-full carafe before Jaime came into the kitchen.
“How is he?”
Jaime shrugged. “Probably fine. I don’t think he did any major damage or ripped any ligaments, but I told him to take it easy, use his cane for a few days. Check in with his doctor tomorrow if the pain hasn’t subsided.”
Cane. A tight band of freezing cold swept down Caleb. It hadn’t fully sunk in, just how long it had probably taken Raven to recover and walk unassisted. Hell, his nana had her knee replaced a few years ago, and she’d been using a walker for a while.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Caleb poured them both some coffee.
“You’re going to owe me more than coffee for this. Coming out after hours for a house call. Hell, I’m going to sabotage my A/C in the middle of the night and call you to fix it.”
Jaime’s words tugged at a memory, but he forgot it entirely at Jaime’s next words.
“Seriously. Not even a fucking happy ending as a reward.”
Caleb slammed his mug on the counter. “Don’t even think about it.” He was already barely suppressing an unexpected amount of jealousy that Jaime had seen more of Raven than he had, even if it was in professional capacity.
Jaime chuckled. “I get it. Claim is staked. You picked a fine one, that’s for sure.”
The tension didn’t entirely dissipate, but Jaime had never poached before, and if he was going to trust Jaime to keep his secret, he ought to trust him with this as well.
“Did he fall asleep again?”
Losing his teasing air, Jaime nodded. “Look, I know this is your first date with this guy, but… were you planning to stay the night?”
Caleb wanted to. He’d had a slim hope their date would end in bed, but he didn’t need to rush things. However, several minutes on the couch with Raven in his arms had convinced him he’d be happy just in Raven’s presence, no sex required.
“Whatever. Don’t tell me anything. But he was adamant about not getting checked out at the hospital, so I’d be a lot happier if someone stayed with him tonight. That leg might not be stable, and that painkiller is going to make him fucking groggy for hours. A simple trip to the bathroom could have serious repercussions if he falls again. If you can’t do it, call a friend of his or family member, or I’ll stay.”
Caleb wasn’t entirely sure if Jaime offered to stay just to goad him into following Jaime’s wishes, but it was entirely unnecessary. If he hadn’t already known Raven didn’t have any family, he would have wanted to stay. Wrapped around Raven had been the most comfortable he’d been in a long time, and aside from his own selfish desires, the last thing he wanted was for Raven to be in pain. Every time he thought about Raven’s accident, and how easily he could have died, his stomach gave a sickening flip. No way was he leaving Raven to fend for himself. Not when he’d been thinking about suggesting it anyway.
“I’ll stay. I don’t have any specific appointments tomorrow morning, so it’ll be easier for me than you.”
“Good.” Jaime drained half of his coffee, making Caleb blink.
“That shit is hot. What are you doing?”
Jaime wrinkled his nose. “Bad habit, really. At work, you get a call, you gotta go, whether you’ve finished a meal or drink or whatever. Thanks to your call, I’m back in the work mindset. And speaking of work, I need to get some fucking sleep before another twelve-hour day tomorrow. Finish up your coffee, and I’ll help you get him into bed. He’s pretty out of it.”
Caleb took another sip but couldn’t handle Jaime’s knowing, assessing gaze. “That’s okay. I don’t have a fireproof throat. I’d rather wait for this to cool down a bit.”
Jaime followed him into the living room, and together they assisted Raven into bed.
After Jaime left, Caleb cleaned up, locked up, and went into the bedroom. Despite the narcotic, Raven shifted restlessly, still frowning. Not quite ready to sleep, Caleb turned on the TV in the bedroom, stripped down to his underwear, and slid under the covers with Raven. Pulling Raven close worked. He settled down and curled into Caleb’s warmth, and Caleb flicked on a movie, content in a way he never imagined he could be.