When He Woke (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting ManLove)

by Taylor Brooks

  “No, Mr. Mayburn. I’m sorry, but Mr. Caynor isn’t here this evening.” The doctor gave him an apologetic stare.

  Aaron didn’t miss the hesitance in the man’s response. Nor did he miss the unusual way he phrased his answer of mentioning this evening as though there was something more that he didn’t know.

  His worry was beginning to consume him once again and he forced his tired hand to write more, scrawling the words “this evening” with shaky hands.

  Dr. Prescott read the words and his face became sympathetic. He softened his voice and placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Mr. Mayburn, for many days, weeks, and months, Mr. Caynor didn’t leave your side. There came a point when he needed to return to work. He still visits you every week, but…well, it appeared to be very hard on Mr. Caynor.”

  Aaron’s eyes widened in shock and surprise with Dr. Prescott’s answer. His hands were trembling and the tears welled up in his eyes blurring his vision as he blinked them away. He scribbled the two words, “how long,” to Dr. Prescott, though he wasn’t entirely sure he was going to be able to handle the answer.

  Dr. Prescott glanced over at Nurse Nguyen and then back down at Aaron. “Mr. Mayburn, I’m sorry to have to tell you this. But for the past two years, you have been in a coma.”

  Chapter Two

  Matt Caynor took a bite of apple pie and watched in admiration as Steve jumped off of the diving board and into the deep end of the pool. His long, muscular legs flexed with his every movement as he sliced open the still water and dove to the bottom.

  The man was breathtaking on any given day, but watching him when he was in his element, completely unaware that Matt’s eyes were glued to his every move, that was when he looked especially gorgeous.

  A moment later, Steve broke through the surface of the water and swam over to the side. Lifting his arms up, he rested his elbows along the pool’s edge and laid his chin on his hands. His blond hair was dripping down to his entrancing green eyes, forcing him to shake his head from side to side.

  The sight was adorable and funny all at the same time causing a mild chuckle which Matt did his best to keep hidden. He was a sexy man, a fantastic lover, and certainly knew how to bring a smile to Matt’s face. Still, Steve’s actions reminded him he more of a dog shaking the moisture from its fur than anything else.

  “Hey. What’s so funny?” Steve asked.

  “Huh? Funny? Oh, nothing.” Matt smirked. “Not a thing.”

  “Uh-huh.” Steve cocked one eyebrow up quizzically.

  “What? I’m just sitting here eating my pie and minding my own business.” To prove his point, Matt shoveled a hefty piece into his mouth and moaned at how good it tasted.

  “Aren’t you lucky that you have a boyfriend who brings you home sweets like that from his day job?”

  Matt nodded while he finished chewing the bite, and then added, “I am very lucky. Maybe if I’m extra good he’ll give me a little something extra sweet later tonight.”

  “Ha!” Steve laughed. “After you were laughing at me? I don’t think so. Seems like maybe you should be doing something sweet for me. After all, I did cook you dinner. Again.”

  “Is it my fault that you’re a chef and my cooking is less than edible? If you want me to cook then just say so.”

  Steve offered an amused look. “And just what, pray tell, would you cook?” Quickly he held out his hand to stop Matt from answering. “And before you even answer that one, remember takeout doesn’t count.”

  “Damn it. Are you sure? I’m pretty sure if I pick up takeout, come home, and plate it nicely, it should count. I mean, that’s got to count for something.”

  Steve shrugged. “Sorry, those are the rules.”

  “Well, I haven’t told you this before, but it just so happens that I can make some pretty bad ass macaroni and cheese.”

  “Oh yeah? Box or from scratch?” Steve asked.

  “Duh. From a box. Do people even make it from scratch?”

  Steve raised his brows and smiled. “Yeah, babe. People do it every day. What do you think they did before they made it in boxes? It’s called, cooking. Say it with me, cooooo-king. Sound it out if you have to.”

  “Don’t be mean. Remember, I’m injured. If anything, you should be serving me breakfast in bed.”

  Steve rolled his eyes. “Oh please. You have a mild sprain on your wrist. How long are you going to milk that for?”

  Matt gave him a frown and stuck out his lower lip. “Why you gotta be so mean? It really hurts. You try typing all day at work with a sore wrist.”

  “Pfft. Whatever. You’re the bank manager. You have a dozen little helpers to do your typing for you. Besides, it serves you right. I told you we shouldn’t have tried that thing in the shower. Some slippery surfaces just are not made for such stunts.”

  “Hey now, I don’t remember you protesting that much. In fact, I’d say you were rather enjoying it.”

  “Shit, I had you hot and hard for me. Of course I enjoyed it. That didn’t mean we should try to up the ante and turn our evening shower into the Sexual Olympics.”

  Matt scooped up a dollop of whipped cream onto his fork and pulled it back like a slingshot before flinging it forward. The small glob landed on Steve’s ear just as he tried to turn away.

  “Hey! Don’t go wasting good food now.”

  “Serves you right, smart-ass. I know what cooking is. I just prefer to let others do it for me.”

  Steve chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Still, that doesn’t give you a right to waste perfectly good whipped cream. Surely you can think of other things to use it for.”

  Matt quirked up the corner of his mouth in a sexy grin. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?”

  “There may be one or two things that come to mind,” Matt added.

  Steve ran two fingers along his ear and scooped up the whipped cream. Then he brought it to his mouth and closed his lips around them. Matt watched with bated breath as Steve’s eyes closed and he sucked all the white sweetness into his mouth and moaned.

  Fuck if this man couldn’t get him hard and horny with little to no effort. Ever since their first night meeting at a charity event a little over three months ago, Matt had pretty much been under his spell. Steve Pierce may be a chef by day, but if Matt was a betting man, he’d swear he was a damn magician.

  Steve opened his eyes and reached down beneath the water. At first, Matt couldn’t tell what he was fidgeting with until Steve solved the mystery for him.

  Out of the water came Steve’s hand holding his green swim trunks. The knowledge that only a few feet separated Matt from Steve’s naked form shot through his entire body like a wildfire. His cock twitched in his shorts and reminded him just how good it was with Steve.

  With a mischievous grin, Steve pushed himself off the side of the pool and floated on his back. His rock hard cock jutted up into the fast darkening evening sky, casting shadows against the water like a sundial.

  Matt stood up and walked over to the edge of the pool. He looked down at Steve, still floating, and just stared at him. Every inch of his body looked like utter perfection. His muscles were finely sculpted, covering his arms and legs with just the right amount of mouth-watering goodness. He wasn’t overly fit to the point that he could be referred to as “no neck,” but he wasn’t scrawny enough to be called thin. He was just right. And much like Goldie Locks, Matt had every intention of dipping himself into that porridge.

  Steve turned his head slightly toward Matt. “Is that a banana in your pocket? Or are you just glad to see me?”

  “More like a sausage.” Matt winked.

  Steve smiled and swam back over toward the edge of the pool. “You and your food. For someone who never cooks, you always manage to have it on your mind.”

  Matt hunched down and squatted before him and added. “Right now I have other things on my mind.”

  Steve brought his hands out from the water and reached for Matt. Then he placed his long fingers along Matt’s cock
and slowly rubbed against the length. “Yes, I see that.”

  Matt closed his eyes and ground his teeth together. Fuck but it felt good. Their chemistry had been undeniable since the first night Steve had brought him home to his place. For the first time in almost two years, Matt had been with a man. His body had lay dormant for so long that he almost had forgotten how damn good it felt.

  “What do you want?” Steve asked, his voice low and husky.

  Matt opened his eyes. Looking down into the deep green of Steve’s, he answered, “I want you to suck me off.”

  Steve licked his lips and grinned. “Then maybe you should get rid of these shorts and take a seat.”

  Matt looked around their backyard. He knew that large trees separated his yard from the neighbors, but he had never been quite as daring or adventurous as Steve was. His nerves at being seen always seemed to take center stage over his interest in stepping outside of his comfort zone.

  “Come on, no one will see you.”

  Matt couldn’t help but smile. Steve had been the aggressor from the moment that they met. For reasons he never talked about with Steve, it had been a long time since he felt like himself. And that night, like so many others, he certainly hadn’t been looking for a man, much less a hookup, when he happened along Steve at the auction.

  Still, here as he looked down at Steve’s devilish grin and naked body, he felt like he was the fly and was being lured in by the spider. That was the thing with Steve that he loved the most. As daring as it seemed, as dangerous as it could become, Matt couldn’t help himself from going along for some of the wild rides that Steve took him on.

  He may not have said the words aloud to him yet, but Matt was falling in love with Steve. It was an actuality that he wasn’t ready to entertain, especially seeing as how it came with a heavy blanket of guilt that he wasn’t prepared to deal with. Whether he felt the same way or not, he didn’t know. Regardless of that, there was one thing he was certain about and that was how fucking good they were together.

  Matt slipped his fingers in the waistband of his shorts and pushed them down along with his underwear. His cock jumped free from the constraints and stood out, desperate for attention.

  “Oh yeah.” Steve licked his lips. “Come here, baby.”

  Matt kicked off his flip-flops and dipped one foot into the water while leveraging himself until he was able to sit on the ledge. Only a second passed before Steve lunged forward with his mouth and wrapped his lips around his dick.

  “Oh, fuck that feels so good.”

  Matt dropped his head back and looked up at the stars. With his arms bracing him, he splayed his hands down on the warm concrete and allowed himself to get lost in the velvety heat of Steve’s mouth.

  For several blissful minutes, Steve sucked his cock, licking and twisting his mouth tightly against his shaft while Matt sat there and took all that Steve was giving. The initial contentment was rapidly disappearing into the distance as he felt his balls draw up tight in warning.

  Moaning, Matt sat up and looked down at Steve. His green eyes were closed as he sucked him off so intently. He loved that about him, the way he made Matt feel like there was nothing in this world he wouldn’t do to give him pleasure. Just knowing how much Steve wanted him was a turn-on all in itself, but the way he went about such things, the way he worked Matt’s body, it was such sweet rapture.

  Matt raked his fingers through Steve’s short hair and tugged at the little hairs until he got Steve’s attention. He stopped his movements and opened his eyes. With Matt’s cock still in his mouth, Steve stared up at him.

  “Touch yourself. Jerk off while you suck me,” Matt whispered.

  Steve nodded. His eyes said more than any words ever could. He knew how hard it was for Matt to be open and communicate to him what his wants and needs were. He had accepted it, even though Matt knew he didn’t fully understand it.

  How could he though? He’d never gone so far as to actually explain any of it to Steve. And he had no idea how he’d ever be able to. How could he tell Steve that he had been keeping such an important secret from him that was too painful for him to think about, much less speak aloud?

  His drifting thoughts were getting the better of him and causing him to be in danger of ruining the moment. Matt pushed his thoughts aside, not wanting to deal with the guilt, which came to him without warning more often than not.

  He scooted forward on the ledge and levered himself further into Steve’s throat. Forgetting all else, he allowed Steve’s mouth to take away the pain and remorse he felt welling up inside of him.

  “That’s it. Fuck me with your mouth. Deeper,” Matt whispered.

  The water splashed from Steve’s right arm working rapidly below the water. He could see the thin vein appear on Steve’s forehead just as his face flushed and he knew his lover was ready to cum. The sight was the final push he needed to force him over the edge and without warning Matt felt his climax rip through him.

  “Ahh!” he shouted and thrust his hips forward as little grunting sounds of release slipped past his lips.

  Steve kept his hold on Matt, sucking up every drop of his release until finally he came up for air and began gently licking the sides of his cock.

  Matt fell back against the pavement. His body was lax and exhausted from how Steve made him feel. He heard Steve get out of the pool and a second later he felt water dripping all over his body. Then Steve lay on top of him, blanketing him with warmth.

  Steve pressed his swollen lips against Matt’s mouth and slipped his tongue inside. The remnants of his release were still strong in Steve’s mouth and the taste excited him all the more. Matt wrapped his arms around Steve and inhaled deeply against the lack of air he was getting. He feasted off that kiss like it was the first one they shared.

  They devoured one another until neither of them could stand it a moment longer. Each of them gasped for air and smiled through their post-coital euphoria.

  “You…just…wow,” Matt said through ragged breaths.

  Steve nodded and fell to his side, lying beside Matt on the ground. He held up a hand and offered Matt a thumbs-up in agreement. Matt tried to laugh, but his exhaustion mixed with heavy breathing made him sound more like an injured hyena than anything else.

  After a few minutes and some much needing breathing, Steve got up from the ground and held out his hand for Matt to join him. After standing, they both dressed and looked around to be sure no one had gotten a peek.

  “You are a very bad man,” Matt told him.

  “Yeah? And?”

  Matt shook his head. He had been about to respond when he heard his phone ringing. “Hang on.”

  He walked over to the small patio table and searched for his cell phone. After finding it under a napkin he glanced down at the numbers on the LCD display and in that moment, when he saw who it was that was calling, he felt the air rush out of his lungs and an unspeakable fear consume him.

  “Hello?” he answered.

  “Can I speak with Mr. Caynor, please?”

  “This is he.” Matt stumbled over his words with a trembling voice.

  Steve came toward him. “What’s the matter? Your face just turned white as a sheet. Who’s on the phone?”

  Matt heard him asking the questions, but couldn’t respond. He dreaded the day he would get the call when the hospital would tell him that something had happened and Aaron had finally passed on. For the past two years they had encouraged him to turn off his life support and let him go, but he never could. He had always believed if Aaron was meant to die, that he would. Now though, as he stood there shaking with dread and realization that such a time might have finally come, he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear it.

  “Mr. Caynor, this is Dr. Prescott at Valley View Medical Center. We’ve met a few times. I’m one of the on-call doctors here in the wing where Aaron is being cared for.”

  “Yes…I remember who you are,” he responded, silently wishing—just like he had so many times before—that he
could go back in time two years ago and undo the pain that he had caused Aaron.

  “Well, Mr. Caynor, I’m not sure how to tell you this…”

  Matt shut his eyes and fought against the tears, which were quickly flooding him. They leaked free and slid down his cheek like rain on a window. “Just tell me.”

  “Jesus, what the hell is it? You’re scaring me!” Steve demanded, the fear rising with his every word.

  “Mr. Caynor, we never believed it was possible, but you were right. Just a little while ago, Aaron woke up.”

  Matt’s eyes opened and even though Steve stood before him, he couldn’t even see him. His every attention was directed on what he thought he’d just heard. “What did you just say?”

  “You heard me right, Mr. Caynor. Aaron Mayburn has woken up. Just like you insisted that he could. You were right. You were absolutely right.”

  Matt dropped to his knees and his phone fell to the ground. He covered his face with his hands and allowed the enormity of what he’d just heard to sink in. Loud sobs tore from him as he fought for air amidst his hysterics.

  Aaron. Oh God, Aaron.

  “Hello? Who is this?”

  Matt heard Steve pick up the phone and start talking but he couldn’t move or utter a single word. He was paralyzed from shock and emotions, which were so raw he’d forgotten how to process them.

  “This is Steve Pierce. I’m Matt’s boyfriend. Who is this?” Steve demanded of the caller. “What do you mean you can’t tell me? I don’t give a rat’s ass about confidentiality! Just tell me! What do you mean? He’s right here, but whatever you told him has him fucking hysterical! What the hell is going on?”

  Matt was crying when he finally heard Steve talking to him. He looked up through blurred eyes and saw that the sky was dark. He had no idea how long he had sat there crying, but Steve seemed calmer now as he asked him if he was all right.

  “I…What time is it?”

  “It’s about half past seven. Please answer me,” Steve insisted. “Who was that on the phone? What’s going on?”

  “It was…” Matt shook his head and tried to gain control of his thoughts. “I need to sit down.”